A team of researchers at Iowa State University is developing a new system which promises biomass-sourced ethanol at very efficient production levels. The system, described as an "integrated system of thermochemical and catalytic technologies" is ready to use any kind of biomass, such as cornstalks, to obtain ethanol.

The process works like this: Biomass would be broken down by fast pyrolysis, where the biomass is heated up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit in the absence of oxygen to be converted into a bio-oil. This oil would be gasified with steam and/or oxygen at 1,100 to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit to produce a synthesis gas, which is then reacted with a nanotechnology-based catalyst to produce ethanol.

The key of this process is the new nano-catalyst based on solid nanospheres just 250 billionths of a meter in diameter that have honeycomb channels running through them.

[Source: Sciencedaily]

Photo by laffy4k. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

We don't write about Iowa much unless ethanol is involved. Whether it's an proposed ethanol pipeline or ethanol pump label laws, the Hawkeye State is tied to corn ethanol. This post will be no different. In fact, the news here is unsurprisingly similar to an announcement that seems to cross our wires every month or so: cheap E85 at one particular gas station for a few hours.

The details for tomorrow are that a Prairie Gas station in Newton, Iowa will sell E85 for $1.85 a gallon between 2 and 5 pm on Monday. The sponsors include GM, Kum & Go and other likely suspects (full list after the jump). These kinds of promotions will continue throughout the summer, but we'll only be really impressed if a national cheap ethanol day can be organized, if only because that'd be a twist we haven't seen before.

There has been talk of a continental U.S. ethanol pipeline before. Back in 2006, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) proposed legislation on the issue, but it didn't get very far. The idea didn't die, though. This past week, Magellan Midstream Partners and Buckeye Partners announced that the two companies would begin thinking about building a 1,700-mile pipeline across half the continent to bring ethanol from the corn states of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and South Dakota to Pennsylvania and New York. The idea, the companies said, is to bring up to 10 million gallons of the biofuel "safely and efficiently" to the Northeast every day. How much would this cost? The companies estimate $3 billion and "several years," but more details will be forthcoming after Magellan and Buckeye Partners finish a feasibility study later this year. For his part, Senator Harkin is still very much in favor of a pipeline.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention this pipeline story as well.

[Source: Magellan]

By law, if a pump in Iowa provides gas that contains ten percent ethanol (an amount that is safe for almost all cars), the pump must have a label stating that the fuel contains ethanol. This can turn off some buyers who might be worried about the alcohol's lower energy content, and that equals lower sales of ethanol. This might change thanks to Iowa State Senator Jack Kibbie, who introduced legislation that would allow gas stations to remove the ethanol identification stickers. Sen. Kibbie says,"My goal is to increase the use of ethanol in Iowa. ... Sometimes, people driving through Iowa on the interstates, who don't know as much about ethanol as we do, see those stickers and say, 'I don't want any of that stuff!' So they put in high octane fuel that costs 10 cents a gallon more."

E85 and other alternative fuels would still require a label, but E10 labels could be removed and consumers could be sold ethanol-blended gasoline without warning. The Des Moines Register spoke with Jim Millick, a Davenport motorist who opposes Kibbie's Senate File 2137. He told the paper, "That is outrageous that they want to obscure the contents of the fuel that we buy in an effort to sell more... Have you ever heard of consumer labeling that actually takes away information from a consumer?" The bill could be debated on the Senate floor next week. Stay tuned for updates.

[Source: The Des Moines Register]

The late night talk shows are back! David Letterman has a beard and recently had Bill Maher as a guest. At about 7 minutes into the interview above, Bill and Dave talk about the Iowa primary and ethanol. Bill says the candidates pay "homage" to ethanol because it's made from corn and Iowa has corn. However, Bill thinks ethanol is a "boondoggle" and won't help with global warming. Then Bill pushes science forward with this funny exchange:

Bill: If the first primary was in Vermont, we'd be trying to run our cars on maple syrup. I promise you.
Dave: Now, would that work? That's not a bad idea. You are a genius my friend.

I can't wait for maple syrup cars. The highways would smell so good. To be fair, pancake sales might be hurt as the price of syrup skyrockets.

Related:

• Video: Michelle Pfeiffer talks about her EV on Letterman
• Letterman Top 10 includes Toyota's message on Gore's answering machine

[Source: YouTube]

Washington Group International is building three ethanol plants in the Midwest, for a total cost of $150 million US. The plants are going to be built in Wahoo, Nebraska, and in Red Oak and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Each plant is expected to produce 110 million gallons of ethanol per year. Construction on the first plant (in Wahoo) started in September, whereas the work on the two plants in Iowa is scheduled to start during the fourth quarter of 2007 (i.e., real soon).

The product from which this ethanol is going to be made is, you guessed right, corn. The plants will also produce corn gluten feed and meal, corn germ and wet and dry distiller grains with solubles.

These plants will supply ethanol to E85 Inc., one of the most important ethanol distributors in the US.

Related:

• New ethanol plants face an old problem - NIMBY
• Range Fuels breaks ground on America's 1st cellulosic ethanol plant
• GlycosBio says it can make ethanol cheaper, months away from commercialization

[Source: Washington Group International & E85 Inc.]

Dale T. Decker, industry and government relations director for Decker Truck Line Inc., has got a new pet project: testing the potential of biodiesel. Now when a company states it's going to conduct real-world testing, you rarely get an accurate control group and conversely, lab conditions offer only theoretical insights to the real world. That's apparently not good enough for Decker.

The test, which they're calling the 2 Million Mile Haul, is aiming for an unprecedented level of accuracy by testing 20 brand new trucks in real-world conditions. Half will run on traditional petroleum diesel while the other half will run on soy-based B20. To minimize anomalies, the trucks will travel matching routes and carry matching loads. Measurements and data analysis will include engine wear, mileage, fuel consumptions and repairs.

The project brings together Iowa Central Community College, the Iowa Soybean Association, Caterpillar Inc., the United States Department of Agriculture and the Renewable Energy Group of Ralston, a biodiesel plant developer. Students and faculty at Iowa Central will be conducting data measurements and analysis.

Aside from providing proof of biodiesel's potential and viability, a Caterpillar representative believes that biodiesel needs a widely accepted technical standard and that Decker's project is a step in the right direction.

[Source: Messenger Online]

Here's a story I could have used the other day when I made a mistake about the products used to manufacture biodiesel fuel. For those new to the concept or who could use a refresher course on the latest in biodiesel basics, this guide from the Des Moines Register is worth reading.

The story goes over the pros and cons of biodiesel and its current impact on the fuel supply. There are specific references of concern to Iowa residents and biodiesel's economic impact. The story also covers the challenges ahead to integrate more biodiesel into the fuel supply and what it means to the country's food supply.

[Source: Des Moines Register]

Rollin, rollin, rollin....

Well, here's an unexpected side-effect of ethanol demand. Railroad companies are reporting a surge in rail use to transport the fuel. Iowa, with 25 ethanol production plants, is the largest producer and subsequently biggest rail user. While ethanol can be shipped via trucks, transportation economics make rail transport the least expensive method especially to out-of-state fueling stations. The state transportation department is providing extra monies to the plants to build rail spurs while rail companies such as Union Pacific are looking into laying down tracks nearby.

[Source: Associated Press via Sioux City Journal]

In recent weeks, more pumps delivering E85 have opened at gas stations in and around Des Moines, which used to only have two. WHO TV News has a short video clip of a report they did about how high gas prices are affecting people in Des Moines. The key finding: green technology in cars is saving everyday people at the pump. The more gas costs, and it’s up to $2.75 in Des Moines, then the more people save with a hybrid that uses less gas. This is pretty easy to understand.
The transcript/abstract of the TV news clip contains a shallow understanding of green technology culture, though. It says that despite “the President’s best efforts, gas prices are expected to stay high throughout the summer.” If what President Bush has done to keep gas prices low are his “best efforts”, then I’m afraid to see where prices would be had he not been trying. [Source: WHOtv, Hat Tip to, you guessed it, Joel A.]