biofuels journal - 05 jun 2009

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Response No. 21

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Response No. 31

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Response No. 41

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grade factors are electronically trans-

ferred to the grading workstation.

• The truck moves forward to an un-

attended scale, where the system ensures

that the truck is correctly located on the

scale and takes the gross weight.

• An outside display board shows the

grades and directs the driver to the appropri-

ate receiving pit, where he dumps the corn.

• The truck moves forward to a sec-

ond scale which automatically weighs the

empty truck and provides a ticket right at

the scale showing gross, tare, and net

weights, grade and grade factors. This in-

formation is electronically sent to the ac-

counting system.

Shipping DDGS

• The empty truck is weighed at the

first scale. If this truck has just delivered

corn, the tare weight can be taken on the

exit scale eliminating the need for them

to re-weigh on the inbound truck scale.

• The truck moves to the loading sta-

Truck Receiving/Shipping

Automated systems for unloading and

loading transport vehicles at ethanol

plants are reducing labor costs while im-

proving throughput and security.

Typical time savings are one to one

and a half minutes per truck.

One such system, developed by

CompuWeigh Corp., Woodbury, CT, called

SmartTruck, automates shipping and receiv-

ing of corn at ethanol plants by providing

precise weights and grades, accurate weights

for shipping DDGs, and exact gallons of

ethanol loaded to truck and rail.

Receiving

When a trucker delivers corn, for ex-

ample, the steps are:

• The truck arrives at a remote probe

station, where a radio frequency card tag

in the truck automatically identifies ei-

ther the customer contract or truck ID.

• The probe pneumatically sends the

grain sample to the scale house for test-

ing. The attendant tests the grain and key

tion, and a precise load is automatically

dumped into the truck.

• The truck moves to the second scale,

where gross weight is taken. Automatically,

a check is made to ensure that the empty

weight of the truck plus amount loaded is

very close to this gross weight. A scale ticket

is issued right on the scale so that the driver

can collect it and exit the facility.

Shipping Ethanol

• The truck arrives at the flow meter

where the driver enters an order num-

ber. If valid, the system in the control

room becomes active allowing the opera-

tor to authorize the filling of the tanker.

• When full, the amount of gallons is

recorded and a ticket is issued to the

driver. The contract information in the

accounting system is updated along with

the required RFS/RIN documentation.

• A similar system is employed for load-

ing rail cars with DDGS or ethanol.

Automated System Saves Labor, Time on Shipping, Receiving

Response No.51

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Dear Readers:

I’ve often been accused of being the person who writes about gar-

bage. Or is it that what I write is garbage?

In any event, I’ve always believed that a truly “green” society should not

be burying its waste in landfills—or at the very least, should be utilizing the

methane gas from the landfills as a fuel source.

As I put this energy-themed issue together, I realized how waste is start-

ing to become a viable source of energy. And it’s not just from landfills.

Sampling of Waste-to-Fuel

Some of the waste-to-fuel feedstocks include:

• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)—in other words, landfill garbage—

is a feedstock for many cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels

processes both in the United States and Canada.

• So-called “ag residues” such as corn cobs and corn stover are not

only feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol projects, but can also be a source

of fuel for biomass burners to power ethanol plants.

• The syrup or solubles, which are added to distillers grains, also can

be a source of fuel for a plant.

• Duckweed, a weed that grows naturally in ponds,

is being considered as a feedstock for ethanol.

• Other weeds like jatropha and pennycress

are being developed as viable alternative feed-

stocks for biodiesel.

• Woody biomass is starting to become a valu-

able commodity as pellets for the electrical genera-

tion industry. This feedstock could become more

expensive as a source for cellulosic ethanol or to

fuel a plant’s fluidized bed boiler if the electric utili-

ties step up woody biomass purchases.

• The carbon dioxide (CO2), which most ethanol plants emit into the

atmosphere, can be a source of food for algae, producing new fuels and

co-products at ethanol plants.

So, the next time somebody tells me that what I write is just garbage,

I can agree with them, with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.

I guess you could say, “There’s gold in them thar landfills,” folks.

Myke Feinman | Editor | [email protected]

Phone: 800-728-7511 | Fax: 217-877-6647

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BIOFUELS JOURNAL

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MAY/JUNE l 2009 issue

Vol. 7 | No. 3

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PUBLISHER

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EDITOR

Myke Feinman | [email protected]

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ART DIRECTOR

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ACCOUNTING

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Editor’sNote

6 BFJ | MAY/JUNE 09

There’s Gold in Them Thar

Landfills

Myke Feinman

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Response No. 71

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Cover Articles

10 Switching On Efficiencies

Government provides

incentives to existing biofuels plants

12 EPA GHG Threshold

A proposed regulation categorizes

ethanol plants

16 Exploring Efficiencies

Optimizing energy goal of

new VeraSun plant owner

17 Biogas Energy

ADI researching

conversion of syrup to

biogas to power plants

18 Testing Gasification

Chippewa Valley

tests new technology

20 Algae Bolt-ons

Using ethanol plant’s CO2

to produce algae

21 Raw Starch Hydrolysis

POET’s pathway to increasing

energy efficiency

22 Energy Integration

Savings requires monitoring,

measuring, and optimization

24 Combined Heat, Power

POET earns EPA’s CHP award for

third consecutive year

25 Burning Syrup

Update on Corn Plus attempts to

power plant by combusting syrup

26 Burning Cobs

Lincolnway Energy set to deploy

fluidized bed technology

27 Pumps to Save Energy

Positive displacement pumps

Facility Features

30 Homeland Energy, Lawler, IA50 Louis Dreyfus Commodities,

Grand Junction, IA68 Western Biodiesel Inc., High River, AB82 Costilla County Biodiesel, Mesita, CO

Q & A Interviews

34 Mark Stowers, POET40 Wes Clark, Growth Energy80 Michael Haas, USDA Agricultural

Research Service

Supplier Q & A Interviews

96 Michael Althouse, MAC Equipment, Inc.97 Craig Pilgrim, Lallemand Ethanol

Technologies98 Howie Nelson, SGS North America Inc.

Construction News

38 Ethanol Plants in the Pipeline

72 Biodiesel Roundup

89 Breaking Cellulosic Ground

90 Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Under Construction

91 Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Construction Map

8 BFJ | MAY/JUNE 09

Contents

M/J.09E n e r g y I s s u e

18 20

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Biodiesel Features

74 Wastewater Algae

75 Rocket Biodiesel

76 Pearl Harbor B20

78 Algae-to-Fuel NREL Research

79 Green Diesel

88 Plastic Biodiesel

92 Green Crude Oil

Cellulosic Features

85 Ethanol Tech Conference

89 Biomass Conference

93 New CO2 Co-Products

94 Synthesis Gas Applications

Product Reviews

99 Mechanical Solutions /

Cereal Process Technologies

100 Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. /

Butterworth, Inc.

101 The Aldon Co. / Wilks Enterprise Inc.

Each Issue

28 Monthly Ethanol Production

44 Ethanol World

45 Calendar of Events

46 State Report: Colorado

54 Ethanol Industry News

64 Profile: Mike Isom,

North County Ethanol

65 Profile: Chuck Hofland,

Siouxland Ethanol

66 Profile: Kumar Plocher,

Yokayo Biofuels

71 Biodiesel World

86 Biodiesel Industry News

Ethanol Features

42 CO2 Ruled Pollutant

48 FDA DDGS Monitoring

58 ACE Preview

61 Duckweed Ethanol

62 Sunoco Buys Northeast Biofuels

63 Indirect Land Use Change Update

67 RIN Violation Crackdown

MAY/JUNE 09 | BFJ 9

766158

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• Lincolnway Energy’s fluidized bed system (p. 25).

• Blackmer’s positive displacement pumps (p. 26).

Myke Feinman, editor

Switching On Efficencies

10 BFJ | MAY/JUNE 09

The Obama administration wants existing and future biofuels

plants to be more energy efficient, and it will provide loans

and grants—more than $175 million—to do it.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department

of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

announced May 5 the formation of the Biofuels Interagency

Working Group to increase the nation’s energy independence.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said at a May 5 a press confer-

ence that President Obama issued a directive that day to “ag-

gressively accelerate the investment in and production of biofuels.”

By that directive, USDA is to expedite and increase pro-

duction of and investment in biofuels development through:

• Refinancing existing investments in renewable fuels to

preserve jobs in ethanol and biodiesel plants.

• Make renewable energy financing opportunities in the

2008 Farm Bill (see chart to right).

The financing will pay for retrofits of existing ethanol and

biodiesel plants to decrease energy consumption.

It also provides funding for new projects such as advanced

biofuels which are due to start being produced under the new

Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) signed into law in 2007.

Under the new RFS2, Vilsack said increasing renewable

fuels will reduce dependence on foreign oil by more than

297 million barrels a year and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions by 160 million tons a year when fully phased in

by 2022.

In This Issue

In this issue, Biofuels Journal looks at several ways biofuels

plants can increase or ‘switch on’ energy efficiency.

For example, the EPA has announced “pathways” to re-

duce a plant’s energy consumption, thus reducing its GHG

(see p. 12).

Many ethanol and biodiesel producers and other technol-

ogy providers already are implementing such strategies. Some

of them include:

• Carbon Green purchased a bankrupt VeraSun plant, with

plans to increase its efficiency (p. 16).

• ADI’s syrup-to-biogass ethanol plant converstion system

(p. 17).

• Chippewa Valley Ethanol’s gasification system (p. 18).

• Stellarwind’s algae processing system for ethanol plants

(p. 20).

• POET’s raw starch hydrolysis system (p. 21).

• Siemens’ integrated process and energy system (p. 22).

• Combined heat and power to save energy (p. 24).

Biofuels Plants Presented Incentives to Reduce Energy Consumption

“The USDA, DOE and EPA have been di-

rected to aggressively accelerate the in-

vestment in and production of biofuels.”

- Tom Vilsack, U.S. Agricuture Secretary

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Response No. 111

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New plants are defined as those that

were not under construction at the end

of 2007. However, every ethanol plant

in operation or under construction as of

the end of 2007 is grandfathered in and

not subject to the new GHG regulations,


The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) May 5 released 24 meth-

ods new ethanol plants can use to re-

duce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)

to meet the 2007 Renewable Fuel Stan-

dard (RFS2) thresholds.

for production up to 15 billion gallons.

However, the EPA is providing incen-

tives for grandfathered plants to reduce

their GHG emissions and thereby be eli-

gible to sell their fuel at a higher price.

RFS2, signed into law in December

2007, requires new ethanol plants to pro-

duce fuel that results in at least 20% less

in GHG emissions than gasoline.

Along with the EPA’s May 5 proposed

rulemaking announcement, the U.S. Depart-

ment of Agriculture also announced that

funds will be made available for grants and

loans to existing ethanol plants to become

more energy efficient (see story on p. 10).

Average Starch-Based Plant

The vast majority of the ethanol pro-

duced in the United States (9.5 billion

gallons in 2008) is from dry grind, natu-

ral gas-fired plants that dry their distill-

ers grains with electricity.

Their GHG requirements, however, are

complicated by RFS2 language that re-

quires the EPA to consider indirect �

Ethanol Plants Categorized By Conservation, Innovations

“The proposal talks about

how ethanol is 16% better

than gasoline. We’ve shown

that the current process for

making ethanol can take al-

ternate pathways to re-

duce the footprint, for every-

thing from how to generate

power that’s put into the

process to the use of feed-

stock.”

- Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator

EPA GHG Threshold

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Response No. 131

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land use change (ILUC) in calculations for

starch-based ethanol’s GHG threshold.

Without ILUC, a grandfathered starch-

based dry grind ethanol plant utilizing a

natural-gas fired system and drying all its

distillers grains qualifies production as

61% lower GHG than a gasoline refiner.

On the other hand, with ILUC (the theory

that other nations will plow down rainforests

and pasture land for biofuels crops, thus

inadvertently releasing carbon into the at-

mosphere), that same dry grind ethanol plant

produces fuel that is merely 16% better than

gasoline, lower than the required 20%

threshold. (See article about EPA’s comment

period for ILUC on page 63).

Possible Pathways to Qualify

The proposed rulemaking, released by

the EPA, includes language for possible

“pathways” or technology/processes for

an ethanol plant, even if grandfathered

in, to reduce its GHG emissions.

“The proposal talks about how etha-

nol is 16% better than gasoline,” said EPA

Administrator Lisa Jackson at a press con-

ference May 5. “We’ve shown that the cur-

rent process for making ethanol can take

alternate pathways to reduce the footprint,

for everything from how to generate power

that’s put into the process to the use of

feedstock. The idea is to send a strong sig-

nal about what the science says is the best

way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

See chart on page 12 for the EPA’s list-

ing of possible pathways to reduce GHGs.

Many of the suggested pathways al-

ready are being utilized at some plants

or are being considered.

Pathways include such innovations as:

• Combined heat and power (CHP)–

19% overall reduction in GHG.

• CHP and corn oil fractionation–

27% reduction.

• CHP, fractionation, and membrane

separation–30% reduction.

• CHP, fractionation, membrane sepa-

ration and raw starch hydrolysis (such

as the process utilized by POET’s cold

cook system)–35% reduction.

Another way to reduce the GHG is

by not drying all distillers grains with

solubles (DGS).

“Not drying DGS makes it a 27%

reduction in GHG compared to gaso-

line,” said Geoff Cooper, vice president

of research for the Renewable Fuels

Association (RFA).

Currently, most dry grind plants do

not dry all their DGS.

“Only 40% of DGS are sold wet in

the United States,” Cooper said.

In addition, about half of the plants

in the United States are gasifying biomass

and not drying DGS, Cooper estimates.

Cooper said the EPA pathways also

will help ethanol plants qualify for lower

carbon footprints under California’s low

carbon standard.



Response No. 141

“The new Renewable Fuels

Standard (RFS2), signed into

law in December 2007, re-

quires new ethanol plants to

produce fuel which is at

least 20% less in GHG emis-

sions than gasoline.”

- EPA

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Response No. 151

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per-year Fagen-ICM plant March 18

through VeraSun Energy’s bankruptcy

proceeding.

Carbon Green BioEnergy intends to

restart the plant in early 2010. It origi-

nally went on-line in September 2006 and

went idle in November 2008.

Experienced Partners

Carbon Green LLC, has been assisting

ethanol plants in the purchase of credits on

the Chicago Climate Exchange for such car-

bon footprint-reducing actions as displac-

ing electricity and natural gas.

Entergetix is a process optimization

and management company owned by

Mitch Miller and Jason Jerke, who will

who will serve, respectively, as the chief

executive officer and chief operating

officer of Carbon Green BioEnergy,

LLC. Both men have focused on similar

process enhancements to improve the

carbon footprint in the ethanol industry

for the past 15 years.

Exploring Efficiencies


The former VeraSun Energy plant in

Woodbury, MI will be dedicated to show-

casing how a plant can be as “green” as

possible by increasing operational efficiency

and reducing energy usage.

Carbon Green BioEnergy, a joint ven-

ture between Carbon Green, LLC, based

in Chicago, IL and Energetix, LLC, based

in Indiana, agreed to purchase the

VeraSun plant from AgStar Financial Ser-

vices on May 5.

AgStar acquired the 40-million-gallon-

Optimizing Energy Goal of New VeraSun Plant Owner

Response No. 161

The fo rmer VeraSun p lant in

Woodbury, MI.

Exploring Options

According to President Jim Murphy,

the company plans to explore several op-

tions for reducing the plant’s carbon foot-

print and energy usage.

One of the optimization methods the

company plans to implement is corn oil

extraction from distillers dried grains with

solubles (DDGS).

“We think this could save an estimated

5% of the ethanol plant’s energy costs,”

Murphy said.

Other options the company is exploring

is to further develop the wet distillers grain

market to save on drying expenses as well

as exploring an alternative source of power

such as gasifying biomass, Murphy noted.

Gasification of biomass such as forest

waste would create steam to power the plant,

displacing natural gas.

“We will focus on electrical and natural

gas usage,” Murphy said. “Our proximity

to biomass in Michigan is a plus.”


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Research being conducted by ADI

Systems, Fredericton, NB, Canada, has

found a method to convert solubles into

a biogas to power an ethanol plant.

The stillage or syrup currently is uti-

lized as the solubles in distillers dried

grains with solubles (DDGS) at conven-

tional ethanol plants.

ADI Systems, researchers believe this

anaerobic

d iges t ion

technology

will allow an

e t h a n o l

plant to displace natural gas as an en-

ergy source.

“This could displace all the energy

needs at an ethanol plant,” said ADI’s

Vice President of Technology Shannon

Grant (506-452-7307).

He added that each plant’s energy

needs are different, so the results could

vary by location.

How it Works

According to Grant, this technology

eliminates all of a plant’s water dis-

charge. “A plant then can be retrofitted

with this technology to produce a

biogass that is 60% to 80% methane

that then can be used in the plant’s pro-

cess boiler,” Grant said.

Anaerobic Digestion Process

According to the U.S. Department

of Energy (DOE), anaerobic digestion

is a process by which bacteria break

down or “digest” organic material in

the absence of oxygen and produce

biogas as a waste product.

Methane is a gas that contains mol-

ADI Researching

Conversion of

Syrup to Biogas to

Power Plants

“A plant can be retrofit-

ted with this technology

to produce a biogass that

is 60% to 80% methane

that then can be used in

the plant’s process boiler.”

- Shannon Grant,

vice president of technology

ecules of methane with one atom of

carbon and four atoms of hydrogen

(CH4). It is the major component of

the natural gas used in ethanol plants

to create steam. It is odorless, color-

less, and yields about 1,000 British

Thermal Units (BTUs) of heat energy

per cubic foot when burned, according

to the DOE.

Economic Factors

The decision to utilize this technol-

ogy as a natural gas replacement at

ethanol plants, said Grant, must be

done while considering other factors

such as the cost of natural gas and the

value of DDGs with or without

solubles.

According to Grant, because

grains, DDGS, and natural gas, all

commodities, fluctuate wildly in price,

it may not pay to convert solubles to

biogas.

For example, a year ago, natural gas

was selling for upwards of $10 per

decatherm, while today it is hovering be-

low $5.

“This is tied to the price of grains

and the price of fuel and whether you

can get a discharge permit for dis-

charging after an anaerobic reaction,”

Grant said.

“It depends on the economics,” he

added. “Each case is different.”


Response No. 171

Biogas Energy

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mit allows it to use up

to 25% biomass gasifi-

cation fuel to displace

natural gas. The feed-

stock has been wood so

far. The plan is eventu-

ally also to utilize cobs

from the farmers who

supply the plant’s corn.

“We think that corn

cobs are the obvious choice in the corn

belt,” Lee said.

“We are working with original equip-

ment manufacturers to do some corn

cob harvests.

Gasification Update


The objective of Chippewa Valley

Ethanol Co. (CVEC), Benson, MN, is to

displace its natural gas by 90% using a

biomass gasifier.

According to CVEC General Man-

ager Bill Lee (320-843-4813), after one

year of testing, the plant is not allowed

to be at 90% displacement ... yet.

“Despite some temporary constraints

on throughput, we are pushing forward

and generating valuable operating expe-

rience on this new system,” Lee said.

Gasifier Feedstock

At the present time, the plants per-

In 2008, 3,200 acres of

cobs were harvested for

the gasifier. In 2009, three

to four times that amount

will be harvested.

The corn provided to

the plant could displace

70% of the natural gas

needs at the plant if cobs

were harvested from the

same acres, Lee noted.

The system installed at the plant a year

ago was designed by Frontline BioEnergy,

Ames, IA (515-292-1200), Lee said.

Myke Feinman, Editor

Chippewa Valley Ethanol Tests Biomass Gasification at Plant

Response No. 181

Gasi f ier a t Chippewa

Valley Ethanol Co.

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Response No. 191

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plenty of CO2 for the algae.

Initial studies show that 100 metric

tons of CO2 are required per acre of

algae produced per year.

Process

“Our new technology includes our

proprietary PhycoGenic Reactor, Phyco

Processor, RecyCo2Tron, and RRS pro-

cess that will allow us to grow, harvest,

and refine algae oil on a commercial scale.”

According to Kassebaum, the process

utilizes CO2, water, and sunlight.

John’s brother, William, the other co-

founder of Stellarwind and president

and CEO of the company, said the pro-

cess’ design involves long rows of

bioreactors to grow the algae.

Algae Bolt-Ons


Co-locating an algae farm at an etha-

nol plant could provide a way for etha-

nol producers to capitalize on tons of

carbon dioxide (CO2) vented annually.

Stellarwind Bio Energy, Indianapolis,

IN (317-225-4180), in April unveiled a

new two-step process to grow algae, which

includes utilizing an ethanol plant’s CO2.

“The concept of raising algae to pro-

duce oil is not new, but growing,” said

Dr. John A. Kassebaum, Stellarwind co-

founder and chief technical officer.

“However, until now, harvesting and

processing this highly efficient energy re-

source has been problematic,” he said.

For the ethanol industry, if the algae

were being grown adjacent to an existing

corn plant, the plant would provide

It only takes six to eight days for the

reactor to reach full density and be ready

for harvest, he added.

In a typical algae farm, one third of

the crop would be harvested every day.

Furthermore, depending on the algae

species used, the company can produce

an algae oil to be used as a feedstock for

biodiesel production or an algae oil chemi-

cally equivalent to crude petroleum oil.

“It’s very pure, very consistent, and

there is almost no sulfur,” William said.

Other Products

In addition to algae oil, William noted,

the algae farm also will produce biomass,

which can be fed through an anaerobic

digester or pyrolyzed to produce more

fuels such as methane gas and butanol.

The methane could be used as a

power source to power the algae facility,

John noted.

Pilot Plant

Stellarwind is developing a small-scale

version of its entire system at its north-

west Indianapolis facility and plans to

build a pilot plant beginning in July 2010

that will encompass a 50-to-100 acre site

when it is completed.

A biodiesel plant in Covington, IN

already has committed to purchasing 12

million gallons of algal oil from the pilot

plant for biodiesel production.


Ethanol Plants Look at CO2-Consuming Algae as New Process

Dr. John A. Kassebaum (left), cofounder and chief technical officer of

Stellarwind Bio Energy, LLC, and his twin brother, William R. Kassebaum,

cofounder and president, examine a flask of algae.

“The algal oil is very pure,

very consistent, and there

is almost no sulfur.”

- William Kassebaum, president

and CEO, Stellarwind Bio Energy

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Raw starch hydrolysis—also referred

to as cold cook—was developed by POET,

Sioux Falls, SD, as a way to convert starch

to ethanol utilizing enzymes instead of heat,

thereby reducing energy costs.

Called BPX®, this

patent-pending process was

introduced by POET and

developed in partnership

with Novozymes in 2004. POET uses the

process in 24 of its 26 plants with plans to

install in the remaining two.

“We have figured out a way to use en-

zymes instead of heat for fermentation to

convert starch into ethanol, which increases

our yields and shaves our energy use by

12% to 15% in comparison to a conven-

tional ethanol plant,” said Public Relations

Director Nathan Schock (605-965-2200).

This technology equates to a process that

reduces natural gas consumption, Schock

said, noting that natural gas is the primary

heat source used in conventional plants.

Schock said BPX is the only raw

starch hydrolysis process being utilized

and that there may be plans to license

MAY/JUNE 09 | BFJ 21

Pathway to

Increasing Energy

Efficiency

“We have figured out a

way to use enzymes instead

of heat for fermentation

to convert starch into

ethanol, which increases

our yields and shaves our

energy use by 12% to 15%.”

- Nathan Schock, public

relations director

the process in the future.

Raw starch hydrolysis is one of the

specific “pathways” listed by the Envi-

ronmental Protection Agency (EPA)

May 5 as a method to reduce energy

consumption and improve the green-

house gas emissions of an ethanol plant,

thus reducing a plant’s carbon footprint.

Response No. 211

Raw Starch Hydrolysis

21_Raw_Starch_Hydrolyses.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:59 PM3


Integrating a biofuels plant’s process

system with its demand for energy is the

key to energy optimization, according to

Siemens Industry Inc.

Siemens Biofuels Marketing Manager

Rich Chmielewski, Spring House, PA

(215-646-7400), said one of the most

cost-effective ways to reduce energy con-

sumed at a biofuels plant is to track your

demand management and cost alloca-

tions via power monitoring and smart

of between 4% and 12% in energy con-

sumption per year, Chmielewski said.

Compressors and Valving

Monitoring loaded and unloaded

equipment can help find air leaks, sav-

ing an additional 4% to 6% per year.

Cooling, Pumps, Heat Exchangers

“With integrated produciton monitor-

ing, you can find ways to hold, stop or

slow the pump and cooling tower applica-

tions and match the operations of the tower

with the ambient temperatures and pro-

duction,” Chmielewski said. Linking energy

consumption to the production demand

can save between 5% and 7% in energy.

Boiler

The measurement of steam consump-

tion in the production and tuning can

result in a savings of 6% to 8% annually.


Siemens: Energy Savings Requires Monitoring, Measuring, Optimization

An automat ion system can reduce

energy consumption.

Response No. 221

asset management devices.

According to Chmielewski, “the power

monitoring systems do not requires a spe-

cific process automation system so they

are not vendor exclusive,” he added, “and

the costs for implementation can be mini-

mal. Network solutions can help reduce

manual collection of data.”

He said having the demand management

information helps plant managers under-

stand what they can hold, stop or slow in

the process to save energy costs and avoid

setting new energy peak demands.

Front End Optimization

For example, power monitoring can

help you identify how the grinder mo-

tors are running, and cost-effective,

smart motor overload devices can be

installed to keep the motor at optimum

efficiency. This extends the life of the

device providing asset management in-

formation. This could mean a savings

Energy Integration

22_Eng_Side_Siemens_Optimization_Techniques.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:50 AM2

Response No. 231

23_MillElevator_Fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:30 AM2

POET’s plants in Macon, MO

and Ashton, IA are among four

ethanol plants that were presented

the award in 2007 and 2008.

Waste Steam

At Ladonnia, waste heat is

recovered from a nearby utility plant,

Missouri Joint Municipal Electricity Util-

ity Company (MJMEUC). The waste

heat creates steam to support POET’s

ethanol production process.

This system generates 63,000 pounds

of steam per hour,” said Spokesman Kris

Lancaster (913-551-7557), meeting approxi-


For three years, the Envi-

ronmental Protection Agen-

cy’s (EPA) has presented

CHP Energy Star Awards

for energy innovations at dry

mill ethanol plants.

Combined heat and power

(CHP) is a system that combines an etha-

nol plant’s electricity and steam, thereby

recovering waste heat for heating, cooling,

and dehudification.

In April, POET was named the 2009

CHP Energy Star award winner for its

CHP system at POET Biorefining-

Ladonnia, MO.

mately 60% of the ethanol plant’s needs.

According to POET Public Relations

Director Nathan Schock, Sioux Falls, SD

(605-965-2200), all three of the

company’s plants that have won the CHP

award are utilizing natural gas turbines

and co-producing electricity and steam.

The EPA announced May 5 that there

are many pathways to reduce an ethanol

plant’s greenhouse gas emissions, and spe-

cifically mentioned CHP as one recom-

mended pathway.

“CHP is one way ethanol can be pro-

duced in an even more efficient and envi-

ronmentally-friendly manner” Schock said.

POET Earns EPA’s CHP Award For Third Consecutive Year

Response No. 241

Combined Heat, Power

24_CHP_POET.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:48 AM2

Two wind turbines and a system to

combust the plant’s syrup is providing

energy savings for Corn Plus, Winnebago,

MN, thereby reducing its carbon foot-

print.

The 45-million-gallon-per-year Delta-T-

designed ethanol plant has been using the

two wind turbines for

one year. General

Manager Keith Kor

(507-893-4747) esti-

mates the 2.1 mega-

watt turbines cut the

plant’s electricity usage

by 35%.

In addition, the

plant utilizes an A.E.

Von Roll fluidized bed system (gasifier)

that burns its syrup to create enough

fuel to displace 60% of the plant’s natu-

ral gas needs.

This contrasts with a conventional

plant, which adds syrup to the distillers

dried grains with solubles (DDGS).

Kor said Corn Plus sells DDGs with no

syrup to area dairy livestock and poultry

feedlots which allows the feedlots to in-

clude a higher percentage of DDGs due to

its lower fat content.

“The syrup product is very consis-

tent,” Kor said of the DDGs. “With

the syrup being dried with DDGS, the

evaporators get dirty. You end up rais-

ing heat to evaporate the water, using

more energy. And there are flowability

issues.”

New Co-product

In addition to saving energy, the

gasification system also produces a

new co-product—ash—which con-

tains 17.5% phosphorus, 15% potas-

sium, and 4% sulfur plus other mi-


Corn Plus Ethanol

Plant Saves Energy

With Innovation

cronutrients. The ash is sold as a natu-

ral fertilizer.

“The Agricultural Utilization Re-

search Institute showed that our ash is

as good or better than conventional

commercial fertilizer, better than char

ash from a gasifier, and better than tur-

key litter combustion ash.

Two corn plus

wind turbines.

Response No. 251

Wind, Burning Syrup

25_Eng_Side_Corn_Plusj.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:17 AM3

Brehm hopes to com-

mence construction of

the fluidized bed system

later this year but does

not expect the system to be on-line at

the central Iowa plant until mid-2010.

Roadblocks to the project include fi-

nancing and rising biomass costs, he ex-

plained.

The plant, which opened in May 2006,

is applying for U.S. Department of Ag-

riculture (USDA) grants, but Lincolnway

won’t know if the plant will receive them

until later this summer.

Also, the price of biomass feedstocks


Lincolnway Energy is

investigating a fluidized

system to burn cobs and

other biomass in place of

coal to power its 50-million-gallon-per-

year ethanol plant.

“At the present time we are awaiting is-

suance of a new air permit,” said Lincolnway

CEO Rick Brehm (515-232-1010).

“Once we have the permit, we will

move forward and explore the possibil-

ity of burning corn cobs, construction

demolition waste, and wood byproducts,”

Brehm said. “We’d like to move forward

as quickly as possible.”

may be increasing, Brehm noted.

“There are other power generating

industries starting to pressure biomass

availability,” Brehm added.

Dual Fuel Supply

The fluidized bed system, being engi-

neered by Energy Products of Idaho

(EPI), Coeur d’Alene, would allow the

plant to utilize a duel fuel system of both

coal and biomass.

“This system is EPI’s standard coal

fluidized bed combuster,” Brehm said.

Also working on the project is Pre-

ventive Maintenance, Inc. of Ames, IA.

Lincolnway Energy, Nevada, IA, May Deploy by 2010

Response No. 261

Cobs Displacing Coal?

26_Eng_Side_Burning_Cobs.pmd 6/12/2009, 9:04 AM2

The U.S. Department of Energy’s

(DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy (EERE) reports that

pumping systems account for between

27% and 33% of the total electricity

used at biofuels plants.

However, there is a pump design that

can cut energy consumption 5% to 7%

per year—the sliding vane pump.

Bill Bohr, director of business devel-

opment for Blackmer, Grand Rapids,

MI (616-248-9252), attributes the slid-

ing vane pumps energy savings to two

factors:

• More efficient power consumption

than gear pumps.

• Contant energy savings over the life

of the pump—up to 20% in efficiency

over the life of the pump.

Positive Displacement

“A sliding vane pump is a positive dis-

placement pump, which has a fixed ca-

pacity per revolution of the shaft,” said

Bohr.

“By contrast, gear pumps turn the

shaft, causing wear due to shear and vi-

bration,” he continued.


Sliding Vane

Pumps Could Save

Plant’s Energy

Consumption

“Anywhere a gear pump can be ap-

plied, a vane pump can be applied as

well,” Bohr noted.

He said Blackmer has installed posi-

tive displacement pumps at both etha-

nol and biodiesel plants.


Response No. 271

Sliding vane pumps can save biofuels

plants up to 5-7%.

Energy Saving Pump

27_Eng_Side_Pump_Saves_Energyj.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:20 AM3


Ethanol production continued to climb

in March to 640,000 barrels per day (b/d),

according to an Energy Information Ad-

ministration (EIA) report released in June.

That is an increase of 79,000 b/d

from March 2008.

Ethanol demand was 644,000 (b/d),

significantly higher than 566,000 (b/d)

in March 2008.

February production was at 595,000 (b/d),

higher than 518,000 in February 2008.

ACE comment. “As gasoline demand

and prices rise, ethanol becomes an even

greater value, and these numbers should

continue to improve,” said American

Coalition for Ethanol Vice President,

Market Development Ron Lamberty.

“The first quarter ethanol demand num-

ber is only about 7% of the gasoline

demand, so refiners will have to step up

their ethanol purchases to meet the 2009

Renewable Fuels Standard.”

March Ethanol

Production Continues

Upward Trend

Monthly U.S.

Ethanol Production

FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR

680660640620600580560540520500480460440420400380360340

Figures represent thousand barrels/day

Response No. 281

28_Monthly_Ethanol_Production.pmd 6/11/2009, 4:01 PM2

Response No. 291

29_PEI_fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:22 AM2

Mason City, IA since 2005.

That experience was the genesis for

Homeland Energy Solutions, a 100-

million-gallon-per-year (MMGY) etha-

nol plant that began production in

April.

The plant is a Fagen-ICM design,

with engineering input from Kuhlers

based on their experience at Golden

Grain.

Original plans for the plant

called for gasification of biom-


When the Homeland Energy Board

of Directors decided to build an etha-

nol plant in Lawler, IA, in 2005, they

didn’t have to look far for the expertise

to develop it.

Both Chad Kuhlers and Walt

Wendland had managed and operated

the Golden Grain Ethanol plant in nearby

ass to replace a natural gas system to

power the plant.

“However, due to economic and fi-

nancial circumstances, we went with a

natural gas system,” Homeland Energy

Plant Manager Kuhlers said.

“Fagen and ICM invested in the plant

to see what could be done to optimize

the ethanol process,” Kuhlers said. “We

have a goal of reaching 150 MMGY in

the first year.”

Company History

The story of Homeland Energy be-

gan when Kuhlers and the rest of the

directors in December 2005 decided to

form a new ethanol company.

“We knew we wanted to make it

unique,” Kuhlers said.

At first the plan was to use biomass

gasification to power the plant instead

of natural gas.

“We have a goal of reach-

ing 150 million gallons per

year (MMGY) in the first

year.”

- Chad Kuhlers, plant manager

Facility Feature

Homeland Energy

Solutions, LLC

563-238-5555 | Lawler, IA

www.homelandenergysolutions.com

Walt Wendland, GM

Chad Kuhlers, Plant Manager

Christy Marchand, CFO

Tina Knebel, Lab Manager

Don Mork, Maintenance

Manager

Stan Wubbena, Commodities

Manager

Employees: 36

Capacity: 100 MMGY

Feedstock: CornPlant Manager Chad Kuhlers shares

his time between the Lawler plant

and Golden Grain, Mason City, IA.

30_31_32_FF_Homeland_Energy.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:08 AM2

In December 2006, Homeland En-

ergy raised $87 million from investors—

including 1,280 local owners and com-

panies like ICM and Fagen.

Homeland declined to release the to-

tal cost of the project.

According to Kuhlers, a bidding war

between Chickasaw and Winneshiek

counties ensued for the project.

“Each county tried to outbid the

other,” Kuhlers noted.

In the end, Chickasaw County pro-

posed a 20-year tax abatement for the

project, winning the investor’s ap-

proval.

A 300-acres site in Lawler then was

purchased, and construction began No-

vember 2007.

Streamlining the Process

Building on Kuhlers’ experience

gained at Golden Grain, the new plant

was built lean and mean.

“For example, we are not heating up

the fermentation, which saves energy,”

Kuhlers said.

Also, flow rates were improved using

different piping systems.

Kuhlers said the plant is producing a

gallon of ethanol utilizing 26,000 BTUs,

including drying 100% of the plants’ dis-

tillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS),

compared to the industry average of


32,000 BTUs.

Currently, more work is being done

to “debottleneck” the process and opti-

mize the plant to achieve the goal of 150

MMGY.

Capacity/Transportation

The plant is designed to produce a

nameplate of 285,000 tons of DDGS.

It has the capacity to store up to 9,000

tons at the plant.

Also, the plant can store 1 million bush-

els of corn and 3 million gallons of ethanol.

The plant, which is located about

90 miles west of the Mississippi River,

will truck most of its DDGS to the

river.

Ethanol, however, is transported via

rail and sent primarily to the East Coast

via the Iowa, Chicago, and East Railroad.

The plant includes a loop track for

unit-train capacity, Kuhlers said.

Marketing

Green Plains Renewable Energy,

headquartered in Omaha, NE markets

the plant’s ethanol.

Cenex Harvest, States, Inner Grove

Heights, MN, markets the DDGS inter-

nationally.

Management Expertise

Most of the staff and management �

Grain receiving is designed to handle

enough corn for 100 MMGY and

285,000 tons of distillers grains per year.

Nathan Scheidel, production supervisor, operates the plant’s computer, as

ethanol is produced.

The plant can store up to 9,000 tons of distillers dried grains with solubles.


came from the region, Kuhlers said.

Wendland, chief executive officer

(CEO), comes to Homeland after work-

ing first as project and construction

manager for Golden Grain then staying

on as president and CEO. He now works

at both locations.

Kulers, plant manager, was opera-

tions manager of Koch Hydrocarbon

with a background in electrical engineer-

ing. Kuhlers also works at both Golden

Grain and Homeland.

Christy Marchand, chief financial

officer (CFO), comes to Homeland En-

ergy after working at Golden Grain as

the CFO. She now works at both loca-

tions.

Tina Knebel, lab manager, comes

to the company from Hawkeye Renew-

able Energy, Shell Rock, IA, where she

was lab manager.

Don Mork, maintenance manager,

was engineering manager for Donaldson

Co. in Cresco, IA.

Stan Wubbena, commodities man-

ager, had been a commodities manager

at a Bunge river terminal in McGregor,

IA for 15 years.

Future Plans

Kuhlers and Wendland still hold hope

to install a gasification system.

A lot depends on whether the federal

government moves to a cap and trade

system for carbon.

If that happens, natural gas-fired

ethanol plants could be at a disadvan-

tage because gasification of biomass

would displace a finite resource with a

renewable one.

“It’s still in the board’s dreams, but it

will depend on cap and trade as well as

economic and financing considerations,”

Kuhlers said.

Future of the Industry

Kuhlers said that starch-based etha-

nol is here to stay and cellulosic ethanol

is just around the corner.

“Somebody will figure out a cost-ef-

fective way to make ethanol out of cel-

lulosic material,” Kuhlers believes.

“We have a great ethanol industry in

this country, so I believe it’s got a bright

future,” he added.



Part of the optimization program at the plant is to not heat up the fermentation

tanks, which will save energy during production.

Lab Assistant Lindsay Zeien examines ethanol, as it is produced at the plant.

Homeland Energy will be drying up to 285,000 tons of distillers dried grains

with solubles each year.


Response No. 331

33_Lallemand_FullPage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:24 AM2

Mark Stowers is leading POET’s am-

bitious effort to commercialize cellulosic

ethanol utlizing corn cobs as the feedstock.

Stowers, POET’s vice president of sci-

ence and technology, has worked at the Sioux

Falls, SD-based ethanol producer since

2006.

Stowers spoke with BioFuels Journal

about POET’s new cellulosic ethanol en-

deavor, Project LIBERTY, the retrofit of

the company’s existing starch-based etha-

nol plant in Emmetsburg , IA, and on the

future of cellulosic ethanol.

Project LIBERTY

Plans for Project LIBERTY received

a boost after the Energy Independence

and Security Act of 2007 helped the

United States move forward with plans

to maintain energy independence

through renewable sources.

One of Project LIBERTY’s main

goals is transforming a strictly grain-to-

ethanol dry mill plant into an integrated

grain-based and cellulosic plant that will

utilize biomass feedstocks.

After the project is completed, our

plant in Emmetsburg, IA will produce

125 million gallons a year (MMGY) of

ethanol, of which 25 MMGY will be cel-

lulosic ethanol. The plant, which opened

in March 2005, produces 50 MMGY

of ethanol from corn feedstocks.

Project LIBERTY is on schedule and

is tentatively scheduled to be completed

by the end of 2011.

Project LIBERTY is a big project for

POET in terms of money and meaning.

The Emmetsburg plant will be one of

the first commercial cellulosic ethanol

plants to operate, and the total cost of

the project will exceed $200 million.

Appoximately $80 million will come

from the U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE) and $20 million from the state

of Iowa.

Most of POET’s current activities are

focused on the validation of the biom-

ass collection strategy and POET’s cel-

lulosic ethanol process technology.

Cost Competitive?

For POET, cellulosic ethanol today is

about $1 per gallon more expensive to pro-

duce than starch-based ethanol. Process

improvements have resulted in significant

cost reductions producing corn ethanol. We

expect the same to occur with cellulosic etha-

nol.

Improvements in the yield and reduc-

tion in capital costs are expected as we

learn more about the process.


Mark Stowers

Vice President of Science and

Technology, POET

Stowers Close-Up

Education: 1977: Appalachian StateUniversity with a bachelor’s ofscience degree in biology. 1980:North Carolina State University, witha master of science degree inmicrobiology. 1982: North CarolinaState University, with a doctor ofphilosophy degree in microbiology.

Family: Wife, Sarah; daugthers:Rosemary and Elizabeth; son:Sam.

Career: 1982-83: Post-doctoralassociate with the Boyce ThompsonInstitute for Plant Research atCornell University. 1983-85: Seniorproject leader for NPI.1986-89:

Technology manager for EastmanKodak Company. 1989-96: Businessdirector for Monsanto Company.1996-2000: Vice president forworldwide marketing for Seminis.2000-01: Vice president for VivoRx.2001-06: President of the MichiganBiotechnology Institute.

Hobbies: Fly fishing, upland birdhunting, golf, hiking, travel, andcooking.

Question and Answer

“Most of our current ac-

t iv i t ies are focused on

the validation of our bio-

mass collection strategy

and our cellulosic etha-

nol process technology.”

- Mark Stowers,

vice president of science and

technology, POET

34_36_Q+A_MarkStowers.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:29 AM2

Response No. 351

35_Aldon_fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:29 AM2

We expect that cellulosic ethanol will

be cost competitive with corn ethanol

five to seven years after the commis-

sioning of Project LIBERTY.

Saving Energy

Now that our pilot plant for cellu-

losic ethanol is operational in Scotland,

SD, we can begin to answer many ques-

tions that have been posed for years, in-

cluding energy concerns.

In the future, we expect cellulosic

ethanol plants to be self-sufficient and

also able to generate enough power to

fuel an adjacent corn-to-ethanol plant,

as well.

We plan to do this by using the water

streams from the cellulosic ethanol pro-

cess to generate steam and biogas to

replace fossil fuel for both our cellulo-

sic ethanol plant and the co-located corn

ethanol plant.

Also, the lignin that is produced dur-

ing the process will be used as a power

source through combustion.

Feedstock Logistics

Corn cobs, which we have proven

can be collected easily, will be utilized

as the feedstock for Project LIBERTY.

Cobs have little nutrient value and

have more carbohydrate than the stalk.

They are the first and best cellulosic bio-

mass to collect—but we expect others

will follow.

As far as transportation goes, there

are multiple systems for farmers to

use to harvest the cobs and transport

them to the plant.

Future Deployment

The expan-

sion of cellu-

losic ethanol

is important

in meeting

our national

goal of energy independence, as well

as meeting our targets for improving

the environment and creating jobs.

The way we’re going to deploy cellu-

losic ethanol is to bolt on the technology

to our existing plants.

Adam Tedder, associate editor


Response No. 361

“POET’s strategy to ‘bolt on’

cellulosic ethanol plants

makes sense and is part of

our deployment strategy.”

- Mark Stowers, POET

Cellulosic ethanol technology at the

POET Research Center, Scotland, SD.

34_36_Q+A_MarkStowers.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:04 AM4

Response No. 371

37_Behlen_FullPg.PMD 6/9/2009, 9:31 AM3

Kentucky

Lexington-based Alltech announced in

late May that plans for a $70 million etha-

nol plant had been put on hold indefinitely

because of insufficient

funding.

The plant, which was

announced in April 2008, is supposed to

be partially funded with state and fed-

eral grants.

“We’ve basically looked at where etha-

nol is today and decided to put that

project on hold,” says Dr. Mark Lyons,

project head. “The reason for this was

In the Pipeline


Iowa

Plymouth Energy of-

ficially opened its

Merrill ethanol plant in

early June.

The $195 million

plant, which has been operating since

December, produces 120 million gallons

per year (MMGY) and employs 36

people.

Plymouth Energy uses approxi-

mately 55,000 bushels of corn a day

and stores 517,000 bushels, which is

enough for eight days of production.

generally in terms of the economic cri-

sis where we all find ourselves. Funding

ethanol is not very popular right now

with the banks.”

Alltech, an international bioscience,

animal health, and nutrition company,

received a $30 million U.S. Department

of Energy (DOE) grant in April 2008

for the project and planned to get bank

financing for the balance.

The company had been talking about

halting the project altogether, but DOE

agreed to allow it to place the project

on hold.

Update on U.S. Ethanol Plant Development

Response No. 381

38_39_In_the_pipeline.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:52 AM2


Minnesota

L a m b e r t o n - b a s e d

Highwater Ethanol LLC

is getting ready to move

from its construction

phase into an operational

phase.

Highwater CEO and President Brian

Kletscher said that as of late May, Fagen,

Inc., the plant’s contractor and its sub-

contractors are nearing completion of the

plant, and with its staff already hired,

Highwater is due to start up production

of ethanol by the end of June.

“Construction should end by June 15

or so,” Kletscher said. “We are looking

at starting up by late June, but that could

go either side by a week or two. It de-

pends on how things go from here.”

Kletscher said equipment testing is

starting, and by June 20, he hopes to

have a bulk of the testing nearly com-

plete.

Actual full-scale production of etha-

nol should begin by either the end of

June or first part of July.

Kletscher said Highwater already

has railcars lined up to transport etha-

nol and distillers dried grains.

The ethanol plant is expected to pro-

cess approximately 18 million bushels

of locally grown corn into 50 MMGY

of ethanol.

The plant also will produce 160,000

tons of distillers grains.

South Dakota

Officials of Valero Energy Corp. met

with local producers and the media May

20 at their newly ac-

quired ethanol plant in

Aurora, SD.

Valero is the largest

independent petroleum refiner in

the United States. Last month, the

San Antonio, TX-based company fi-

nalized its purchase of seven etha-

nol plants and one development site

from bankrupt VeraSun Energy.

Valero Spokesman Bill Day said in

early June that five of the seven plants

are now back in operation, and the

other two will be in the next few

weeks.

He said the company plans to run

the plants at full capacity. Over the next

year, Day said, Valero expects demand

for ethanol to increase slowly, as the

economy improves.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin-based

Global Renewable,

LLC announced in

November 2006 it

would be building a

plant in Sharon.

As of mid-June,

construction had yet to break ground,

and company president Jeff Knight

has stopped saying when he expects it

to begin, though he says the project is

still viable.

The proposed $237 million plant will

produce 120 MMGY from 38 million

bushels of corn.

The plant would buy corn from

within a 50-mile radius.

Compiled f rom news sources by

Adam Tedder, assoc iate edi tor

Response No. 391

38_39_In_the_pipeline.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:53 AM3

Growth Energy was established last fall

by several of the ethanol industry produc-

ers and technology providers to help grow

America’s economy through cleaner and

greener energy from ethanol. The organi-

zation is headquartered in Washington,

DC.

In Januar y 2009, Growth Ener g y

named Wesley K. Clark as its new chair-

man.

BioFuels Journal interviewed Clark on

the group’s goal to increase ethanol blends

from E10 to E15.

The Move To E15

The current blend wall stands at

10% ethanol blended into the gaso-

line supply. Up until we submitted

our Green Jobs Waiver on March 6,

the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) didn’t have a path or the data

to consider an increase in ethanol

blends for existing autos. Now, we

have given them both.

As we said in the cover letter of

our waiver for E15, the EPA could use

the data we assembled with a substan-

tially similar waiver for blends of E12

or E13 relatively quickly. Beyond that

immediate move, the science over-

whelmingly supports and the market

needs a move up to E15, and it’s likely

the EPA will approve that move within

the 270-day timeframe which began in

March.

Stakeholders Onboard

Growth Energy has been in discus-

sions with automakers and we are grate-

ful that Ford Motor Company indicated

that they thought enough testing has

been done to support a move up to E15.

We think it’s only a matter of time

before many stakeholders of the indus-

try come together after reviewing the data

we’ve presented, and realize that the sci-

ence overwhelmingly supports such a

move.

A broad coalition has already voiced

support for raising the level of ethanol in

our gas from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to

Sen. John Thune, to Agriculture Secre-

tary Tom Vilsack, to a number of mem-

bers of Congress, and numerous repre-

sentatives from diverse organizations.

These leaders understand that lifting

the cap on ethanol to up to 15% will

create green-collar jobs, reduce our de-

pendence on foreign oil, and reduce


Wesley Clark

Chairman, Growth Energy

Question and Answer

“Beyond that immediate

move, the science over-

whelmingly supports and

the market needs a move

up to E15, and it’s likely

the EPA will approve that

move within the 270-day

timeframe, which began

in March.”

- Wes Clark,

chairman of Growth Energy

Clark Close-Up

Education:1968: Oxford University,Oxfordshire, Great Britain, withbachelor’s and master’s degreesin economics, philosophy, andpolitics.

Career: Wesley Clark came homeon a stretcher from Vietnam afterhe was wounded in action as aninfantry company commander. Hestayed with the Army for another30 years. He commanded at thebattalion, brigade, and divisionlevel. In his last position asSupreme Allied Commander-Europe, he led NATO forces tovictory in Operation Allied Forcein 1999, saving 1.5 million Albaniansfrom ethnic cleansing.

Awards: His awards include thePresidential Medal of Freedom,Defense Distinguished Service Medal(five awards), Silver Star, knight-hoods from the British and Dutchgovernments, and numerous otherawards from other governmentsincluding award of Commander ofthe Legion of Honor (France).

40_41_Q+A_Wes_Clark.pmd 6/13/2009, 12:01 PM2


greenhouse gas emissions.

Multiple studies have been conducted

showing that higher blends—blends above

10%—work fine in existing vehicles. A

recent study by the U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) confirmed that blends up

to E20 did not change the maintenance

of automobiles at all.

Extensive testing has been conducted

on more than 100 hundred vehicles, 85

vehicle and engine types, and 33-fuel dis-

pensing units to evaluate the

effects of ethanol-gasoline

blends above 10% ethanol,

including, specifically, E15

and blends as high as E85.

An even more recent study released

by Minnesota State University on April

2 adds to the sound body of science that

supports the use of higher blends of

ethanol in vehicles on the road today.

The study, which included a 4,000-hour

endurance test, found that gasoline with a

20% blend of ethanol (E20) had no nega-

tive impacts on the endurance, wear, and

performance of automotive fuel pumps.

Surviving the Wait

The ethanol industry is here for the

long term and will be part of the nation’s

solution to an economically vibrant,

greener, more energy independent

America. However, in order to meet the

Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) man-

date of 36 billion gallons of renewable

fuel by 2022, the arbitrary cap on etha-

nol needs to be lifted.

The more waiting that’s

done, the further ethanol pro-

ducers will be from meeting

that important goal. The only

thing preventing the American

ethanol industry from meeting the RFS

mandate is the government itself.

For example, cellulosic ethanol pro-

ducers will really suffer, if the EPA waits

on an increase in ethanol blends.

More than 300 million gallons of

planned cellulosic ethanol production ca-

pacity is waiting to come online but is stalled

because of a lack of an available market.

If we don’t increase the blend of ethanol

in our gas soon, many of these projects

will be cancelled indefinitely or postponed.

Staying on Target

The cellulosic ethanol requirement kicks

in next year, and there are dozens of pro-

ducers ready to start building their projects,

if we can get this arbitrary cap lifted.

Producers of cellulosic ethanol and ad-

vanced biofuels need to know that there

will be a market for their product, and that’s

why several cellulosic ethanol companies

joined with Growth Energy to sign our

Green Jobs Waiver.

“The only thing preventing

the American ethanol in-

dustry from meeting the RFS

mandate is the govern-

ment itself.”

- Wesley Clark

Response No. 411

40_41_Q+A_Wes_Clark.pmd 6/13/2009, 11:56 AM3

“At this point, it is a pro-

posed rule, and there are no

immediate practical implica-

tions for the ethanol industry.

The finding is consistent with

the legislative push for a cap

and trade system but involves

a separate area of law.”

Cost Implications

Noyes noted that under a

cap and trade system, a plant that emit-

ted CO2 would have to “pay to pollute.”

“This could translate to higher oper-

ating costs for those ethanol and biodie-

CO2 Ruled Greenhouse Gas


The Environmental Pro-

tection Agency’s (EPA) April

17 proposed ruling that car-

bon dioxide (CO2) is a pollut-

ant is not likely to have a sig-

nificant negative impact on

the ethanol industry.

“The EPA’s proposed ruling

that CO2 endangers public

health and contributes to cli-

mate change is a finding that

the pollutant is subject to regulation under

the Clean Air Act,” said Stoel Rives LLP’s

Renewable Energy Attorney Graham

Noyes, Seattle, WA (206-386-7615).

sel plants that emit relatively high

amounts of carbon dioxide,” Noyes said.

However, biofuels plants would be

expected to fare relatively better than

petroleum refineries under this system.

“It is uncertain how biofuels would be

categorized and what those costs per ton

of carbon would be under the pending

Markey bill on cap and trade,” Noyes said.

He predicted that carbon cap and trade

legislation would not be enacted until late

in 2009 at the earliest and noted that there

will be a push to finalize the legislation prior

to the international proceedings on climate

change in Copenhagen in December.

Carbon Dioxide Found to Contribute to Climate Change

Response No. 421

Graham Noyes

42_EPA_CO2.pmd 6/9/2009, 4:11 PM2

Response No. 431

43_Carver_FullPage.pmd 6/10/2009, 9:46 AM2

acquisitions in the biofuel production

sector, including one in the ethanol

market.

“We are rushing to close the deals

ver y soon,” said Ju l io Pinho,

Petrobras Biocombustivel’s partner-

ship manager.

According to Pinho, Petrobras

Biocombustivel plans to invest $2.8

billion between 2009 and 2013 in the

biofuels sector, with $450 million of that

this year.

The company aims to produce 256

MMGY of biodiesel worldwide by

2013, with 141 million gallons of that

total produced in Brazil.

Germany

EC Commissioner for Energy and

Transport Andris Piebalgs and

Bavarian Economics Minister Martin

Zeil on April 27 officially opened a

pilot plant for the production of

cellulosic ethanol from cereal straw at

Sud-Chemie AG’s research center in

Munich.

The pilot plant will produce two

tons of cellulosic ethanol annually

from cereal straw feedstocks.

The process was developed by Sud-

Chemie and Linde.

Korea

The Korean government in Febru-

ary passed legislation increasing the

required blend of biodiesel in diesel

fuel to 2% from 1%. As a result, con-

sumption is expected to increase to

110-130 million liters from 60-70 mil-

lion liters.

The new law also requires that all

locally sold gasoline must contain 5%

ethanol, equivalent to 208.11 million

liters per year.

The government also accredited 10

producers who have over 300 million

litres of biodiesel capacity annually.

The government accredited two etha-

nol producers—Leyte Agri Corp. and San

Carlos Bioenergy, Inc.

Compiled from news reports by



Brazil

Petrobras Biocombustivel, the

biodiesel subsidiary of Brazilian fed-

eral energy company Petrobras, an-

nounced in late April it was close to two

Response No. 441

44_Ethanol_International.pmd 6/10/2009, 9:58 AM2


AUG. 11-13

American Coalition

for Ethanol’s 22nd

Ethanol Conference

and Trade Show

Midwest Airlines Center

Milwaukee, WS

www.ethanol.org

The 22nd annual ACE

conference features breakout

sessions on such topics as:

weathering tough financial

times, indirect land use

change, increasing to E15

blends, corn oil extraction,

cellulosic ethanol, reducing

natural gas costs, the blend

wall, fire safety, risk

management, and ethanol

transportation safety. A trade

show will extend networking

opportunities. (see article on

p. 58)

SEPT. 13-18

The Alcohol School

Montreal, QC, Canada

www.ethanoltech.com

For 26 years, The Alcohol

School has been educating

fuel ethanol and distilled

beverage producers in the

science of alcohol

production. The course is

designed to educate

participants in the field of

production of not only fuel

ethanol but beverage

alcohol, as well.

While the bulk of the course

is geared towards the

ethanol production process

for fuel, the majority of the

concepts are also

applicable to the distilled

JULY 14-15

International

Biomass Workshop

The Alerus Center

Grand Forks, ND

www.undeerc.org/

Biomass09.com

Biomass’ potential as a

feedstock for the ethanol

and biodiesel industries will

be the focus of this two-day

workshop.

Attendees will hear cutting-

edge presentations on new

technology developments,

learn about opportunities for

economic production of

power, transportation fuels,

and chemical feedstocks

from biomass.

Attendees also will be

afforded network

opportunities with

researchers and potential

economic partners.

beverage industry.

The courses are geared for

European and North

American lab, plant, and

management personnel and

are organized around

lectures, laboratory

demonstrations, seminars,

and plant visits.

OCT. 28-29

BioFuels Journal 2009

Commercial Ethanol

Technology & Research

Workshop

Best Western Ramkota Hotel

and Conference Center

Sioux Falls, SD

www.biofuelsjournal.com

Leading ethanol experts and

researchers will report on

cutting-edge technology for

both “bolt-on” systems for

starch-based ethanol plants

and advanced biofuels

technology for cellulosic

ethanol.

This second annual workshop

also will include a mini-trade

show coordinated by the

American Coalition for

Ethanol.

AUGUST | 11

JULY | 14

45_Calendar.pmd 6/9/2009, 4:13 PM3

Despite its lack of corn

and soybean production,

Colorado is emerging as one

of the leading states in

biofuels production.

The state hosts the Na-

tional Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL) in

Golden, CO. The Depart-

ment of Energy (DOE) in-

stitution has been conduct-

ing research in the field of

biofuels for decades.

In addition, Gov. Bill

Ritter Jr., who is

in his first term,

established the

Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, a con-

sortium of six research centers at four of the

state’s leading research institutions—the Colorado

School of Mines, Colorado State University,

NREL, and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

“The research centers unite world-class research-

ers with industry leaders,” he continued. “Each cen-

ter pursues both shared (public) and private (pro-

prietary) research,” he said. Industry members also

sponsor fellowships for graduate and post-doctoral

students at the research centers.

“In a sign of the state of Colorado’s commitment to

renewable energy research leadership, the state provides

matching funds to the Collaboratory centers’ shared re-

search programs,” Ritter said.

Capacity/Infrastructure

Colorado has five ethanol plants in operation producing

138 million gallons per year (MMGY) and another three

under construction (269 MMGY capacity).

In addition, the state has one new biodiesel plant pro-

ducing 100 MMGY in Fort Morgan.

“Because of the strong ties to our agricultural heritage

and the ethanol production industry in the state, Colorado

has grown quickly into a leader in biofuel infrastructure,

usage, and research and development,” Ritter said.

Besides biofuels production, the state encourages retail

infrastructure through the Governor’s Biofuels Coalition

(GBC), established in 2007, a coaltion of public and private

interests. In 2006, the state had 11 stations selling biofuels in

Population: 4.8 milliion (2006)Corn production: 148 million bushels% corn used in ethanol: Estimated 10%Cattle on feed: 70,000 headGovernor: Bill Ritter, DemocratLt. Governor: Barbara O’Brien, Democrat

Number of E-85 Stations: 120 open or underconstruction.

Ethanol Profile

Labeling require-ments: Colorado hasan oxygenated fuelprogram requiring ablend of 10% etha-nol during the coldwinter months.

Ethanol Plant Profile

• Five ethanol plantsin operation, witha total capacity of138 MMGY. An additional 269 MMGY will beadded with three new plants under con-struction.

Biodiesel Plant Profile

• One new biodisel plant, with a capacityof 100 MMGY

Incentives

• Bioscience Discovery Evaluation GrantProgram provides grants to researchinstitutions for biofuels research projects.

• The Colorado Department of Revenueoffers an income tax credit for the cost ofconstruction, reconstruction, or acquisitionof an alternative fueling facility of 20%2009-11 and 35% 2006-09.

Home to DOE’s NREL


NREL Consortium With Universities Conducting Biofuels Research

Colorado Facts

Gov. Bill Ritter

State Focus: Colorado

National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Image courtesy of DOE/NREL.

46_47_State_Report_Colorado.pmd 6/11/2009, 1:55 PM2

Colorado. By the end of 2008, 120 sta-

tions either were open or under con-

struction.

“Biofuel education and outreach by

the GBC has also been very successful

over the last few years,” Ritter said.

“More and more Colorado drivers are

using biofuels, with nearly a doubling

of fuel consumed each year. At the end

of 2008, partner stations reported an

estimated 8.8 million gallons sold to their

public and private customers compared

to less than 1 million in 2006.”

Actions Advancing Biofuels

According to Ritter, his administra-

tion has taken several actions to sup-

port and advance biofuels in Colorado:

• The Governor’s Energy Office is

partnering with the Western Governors

Association to host a two-day workshop

on opportunities in Colorado for ad-

vanced biofuels. Also, this office is re-

questing support through the U.S. De-

partment of Energy Clean Cities Petro-

leum Reduction Program for $1.3 mil-

lion in infrastructure.

• The Colorado Department of Agri-

culture supports traditional and advanced

biofuel production and infrastructure

through the Advancing Colorado’s Re-

newable Energy (ACRE) Program.

• The Colorado Department of Pub-

lic Health and Environment is working

with Colorado Corn, the Regional Air

Quality Council, Colorado Oil and Gas

Conservation Commission, and local

fleets to review the potential of a

blender pump pilot program in the state.

• Higher education research depart-

ments, the Collaboratory, and its part-

ners are securing funding for R & D

and deployment of advanced biofuels.



Gov. Bill Ritter

Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. was elected as Colorado’s 41st gover-

nor in November 2006, the first Colorado-born governor in

more than 35 years.

One of Ritter’s key priorities has been to make the state a

national and international leader in renewable energy.

“We want to build a new energy economy that is creat-

ing thousands of new jobs and establishing hundreds of

new companies,” he said.

His administration also has enacted a business-development

A closer look ...

Response No. 471

and job-creation agenda focusing on energy, aerospace, bio-

sciences, information technology, and tourism.

Prior to being elected governor, Ritter served as Denver’s

district attorney from 1993 to January 2005.

The sixth of 12 children, Gov. Ritter was raised on a

small farm in Arapahoe County. He obtained his bachelor’s

degree in political science from Colorado State University

(1978) and his law degree from the University of Colorado

(1981).

From 1987 to 1990, Gov. Ritter and his wife, Jeannie,

operated a food distribution and nutrition center in Zam-

bia, Africa. The couple has four children—August, Abe,

Sam, and Tally.

46_47_State_Report_Colorado.pmd 6/23/2009, 9:38 AM3

FDA Monitoring DDGS


Preliminary results from a Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) study to deter-

mine whether distillers dried grains with

solubles (DDGS) could be leaching antibi-

otic residues into the food chain indicate

about half of the samples contain antibi-

otic residues.

In January, FDA Office of Surveil-

lance and Compliance Director Dr.

Daniel McChesney said in an address to

the International Feed Regulators Meet-

ing in Atlanta, GA that of 60 samples

taken, 45 had been tested and antibiotic

residues were detected in 24 samples.

Fifteen of the 45 samples contained resi-

dues of virginiamycin, 12 contained resi-

dues of erythromycin, and five contained

residues of tylosin.

Plant’s Responsibility

Because ethanol plants are producing a

feed product—DDGS—there is an implied

responsibility on the part of the ethanol

producer to be sure the DDGS is safe.

According to Harold Tilstra, national co-

products technical support for Land O’Lakes

Purina Feed, LuVerne, MN (800-333-

9774), ethanol producers can ask their sup-

pliers of process additives if those addi-

tives are approved for use in distillers grains

destined to become animal feed.

In addition, ethanol producers can per-

form procedures that reduce a chance of

infections, Tilstra said.

Watching for Antibiotics Which Could

Enter the Food Chain

Loading distillers dried grains with

solubles (DDGS) onto a truck at an

ethanol plant.

Response No. 481

48_FDA Monitoring DDGSj.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:39 AM2

Response No. 491

49_CPT_fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:25 AM2

Louis Dreyfus Commodities

entered the biofuels arena in a

big way in the past two years.

The French-based international grains

trading company has built three biofuels

plants during that time:

• A 50-million-gallon-per-year

(MMGY) ethanol plant in Norfolk, NE,

which began grinding corn in Septem-

ber 2007.


• The world’s largest integrated biodie-

sel plant—88-MMGY plant in Claypool,

IN—which began operations in the sum-

mer of 2007.

• The newest—a 100-MMGY etha-

nol plant in Grand Junction, IA began

grinding corn in April.

According to Grand Junction Commer-

cial Manager Jay Nelson, “Louis Dreyfus

(LD) discovered a desire to participate in

the biofuels arena five years ago.

“LD felt that its expertise was well-

suited to the biofuels platform,” he

added.

Company Structure

LD Commodities, Grand Junction,

“Louis Dreyfus felt that its

expertise was well-suited

to the biofuels platform.”

- Jay Nelson,

Commercial Manager

Facility Feature

LD Commodities

515-738-2828

Grand Junction, IA

www.ldgrandjunction.com

Jay Nelson, Commercial

Manager

Michael Hollenberg, Plant

Manager

Jason Waddell, Production

Manager

Thomas Boeckman,

Maintenance Manager

Matt Wilson, Lab Manager

Adam Graham, Environmental

Health and Safety

Allen Sievertsen, General

Manager of Ethanol

Operations, Norfolk, NE

Employees: 59

Capacity: 100 MMGY

Feedstock: Corn

Commercial Manager Jay Nelson.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities|Grand Junction, IA|100-MMGY Plant

50_51_52_FF_LD_Grand_Junction.pmd 6/13/2009, 11:57 AM2

LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of LD

Corp, headquartered in Paris, France.

The business, which began in 1851,

includes an array of trading platforms,

Nelson said, including ag commodities

as diverse as orange juice, cotton, and

rice.

The company’s LD Biofuels Group

commercial side is headquartered in

Wilton, CT with operations based in

Kansas City, MO.

Plant History

Development of the Grand Junction

plant was begun in 2007 by Further Fu-

els, LLC, an investor-owned company

based in Grand Junction.

In July 2007, LD acquired Further Fu-

els’ assets and purchased a 240-acre site on

the north side of Grand Junction.

According to Nelson, the site is in the

heart of Iowa’s corn-growing country.

“This west central Iowa county an-

nually ranks as the premiere corn grow-

ing county in the state,” he added.

Further, the site is located on a

Union Pacific Railroad mainline and has

highway access to U.S. Highway 30 and

Iowa State Highway 144.

The site also includes water and natu-

ral gas access.

Alliant Energy, which provides elec-

tricity to the site, built a new substation

to service the plant. The substation in-

cludes excess capacity in case LD ex-

pands the Grand Junction plant.

“The plant was welcomed to the

Grand Junction area with open arms,”

Nelson explained. “This was seen as a

golden opportunity for a community

looking to attract another business.”

The Grand Junction region already had

a solid manufacturing base, Nelson said,

with manufacturing in neighboring towns

of Jefferson, Payton, and Scranton.

LD broke ground at the site in mid-

2007, and it took 18 months to construct

the plant. LD would not disclose the

project cost.

The first corn was ground April 26,

Nelson said, and the plant was at full

capacity in seven days.

Transportation

The site layout includes four loop

tracks measuring roughly 47,000 feet

with a 500 railcar capacity, Nelson said.

Each loop track has the capacity of

holding a unit train of up to 108 ethanol

tanker cars.

“We are shipping unit trains of etha-

nol and unit trains of distillers dried

grains with solubles (DDGS) all across

the country” Nelson said.

All marketing is done in-house by LD.

Storage/Capacity

The plant is capable of storing up to

1 million bushels of corn and 10,000

tons of DDGS (a 10-day supply).

The plant will produce 300,000 tons

of DDGS annually, along with 100 mil-

lion gallons of ethanol.


LD Grand Junction also can store

up to 3 million gallons of ethanol in

the tank farm.

Fagen-ICM Design

According to Plant Manager Michael

Hollenberg, the plant’s design, a tradi-

tional Fagen-ICM plant, benefitted from

the design and construction experience

of those companies.

“I’ve been in the industry for four

years, and I’m very familiar with Fagen-

ICM designs,” Hollenberg said.

“I’ve been exposed to three different

100-MMGY projects,” he continued.

“I can tell you that every one of those

projects had different construction chal-

lenges,” he said. “From the three projects

I’ve been associated with, it is very ap-

parent that as this industry continues to

evolve, and as Fagen and ICM continue

to evolve, they have improved with each

plant they build.

“Fagen’s construction is better today

than it was four years ago. ICM’s overall

technical support and overall plant sup-

port is better, as well,” he added.

Hollenberg explained that the main con-

struction challenges at the Grand �

Adam Graham, environmental health

and safety officer.

Jason Waddel, production manager, monitors production from the plant’s

computers.


Junction site were weather related, which delayed some paving

projects at the plant last fall.


Management at the Grand Junction plant includes:

Nelson, commercial manager, who has worked predomi-

nantly in the grain merchandising industry, starting with Ar-

cher Daniels Midland in 1993. Since 1999, he worked for

several Iowa cooperatives including Heartland Cooperative

in West Des Moines.

Hollenberg, plant manager, prior to the last four years in

the ethanol industry, worked for more than 15 years in the

feed industry including Cargill for more than 13 years.

Jason Waddell, production manager, has experience in

feed and operations including working for Hollenberg at an-

other ethanol plant.

Thomas Boeckman, maintenance manager, has a manu-

facturing background, most recently working for Pella Win-

dows in Carroll, IA.

Matt Wilson, lab manager, came to the plant with experi-

ence at Lincolnway Energy, Nevada, IA.

Adam Graham, environmental health and safety officer,

came to LD from Tate and Lyle.

Future of Ethanol

Nelson said LD is confident that the ethanol industry will

not only survive the current economic downturn but thrive.

“Louis Dreyfus has over 150 years of experience under-

standing the dynamics of the agricultural market, and we are

very confident in the long-term viability of the ethanol mar-

ket,” Nelson said.

“No one can control day-to-day commodity and input fluc-

tuations. However, we are confident we will be producing

ethanol in Grand Junction for a long, long time.”



Matt Wilson, lab manager, checks ethanol during

production.

Response No. 521


Response No. 531

53_ATEC_FullPage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:30 AM2

Lallemand Acquires New

Business In Spain

Milwaukee, WI-based

Lallemand Inc. an-

nounced May 29 it had

acquired AB Mauri’s GBI baker’s yeast busi-

ness in Spain and Portugal as well as AB

Mauri’s Portuguese yeast plant located in

Setubal (south of Lisbon).

According to Lallemand Global Mar-

keting and Product Development Man-

ager Craig Pilgrim, the acquisition gives

the company a major presence, with ex-

perienced teams and leading brands, in

the Iberian baker’s yeast markets and also

capacity eventually to compete more ef-

fectively in the French market as well as

in the world dry yeast markets.

OPW FTG Implements

Organizational Changes

OPW Transfer Fluid Group President


Pacific Ethanol Names Bryon

McGregor Interim CFO

Bryon McGregor on April 22 was

named interim chief financial officer

(CFO) and principal financial and ac-

counting officer of Sacramento, CA-

based Pacific Ethanol, Inc.

McGregor, 45, had served as vice

president-finance at Pacific Ethanol from

September 2008, until his appointment

to CFO.

Prior to joining Pacific Ethanol,

McGregor was the senior director for

E-Trade Financial from February 2002

to August 2008, serving in various ca-

pacities including international treasurer

based in London, England from 2006

to 2008.

Before he joined E-Trade, McGregor

served as manager of finance and head

of project finance for British Petroleum

from 1998 to 2001.

Tim Warning announced June 1 the Ma-

son, OH-based company had made several

strategic organizational changes to align

OPW’s substantial resources. T hese changes

were intended to enhance the organizations’s

ability further to provide its global customer

base with industry-leading solutions.

The company will streamline OPW’s

four business units and eight global op-

erations into two global business units.

The two units are:

• OPWFTG Global Transportation

Business Unit: Consists of two market-

focused entities—Global Rail Business

Unit and Global Cargo Tank/Truck

Business Unit.

• OPWFTG Global Chemical and In-

dustrial Business Unit: Focused on fluid

handling, transfer, loading, and unload- �

Response No. 541

Ethanol Industry News

54_56_57_Ethanol_Industry_News_Even.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:41 AM2

Response No. 551

55_Indeck_fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:24 AM2

ing solutions in the chemical and indus-

trial processing markets.

As a result of the organizational en-

hancements, several new positions within

the company have been created.

The Global Transportation Business

Unit now includes:

• Tom Zant, vice president.

• Kevin Cook, director of Global Rail

Business Unit.

• Simon Hill, director of the Global

Cargo Tank/Truck Business Unit.

• Dan Taylor, site manager for the Kan-

sas City, MO, manufacturing operation.

The Global Chemical and Industrial

Business Unit now includes:

• Jeff Reichert, vice president.

• Greg Carrino, sales and marketing.

“I am confident that these changes

will benefit our customers through en-

hanced market and application focus,

better resource alignment, and improved

service to our customers and channel

partners worldwide,” Warning said.

• OPW Fluid Transfer Group an-

nounced June 1 it has named Steven Van

Pee chief financial officer (CFO). This

position most recently was held by Su-

san Hathaway who was named CFO of

Dover Corp., sister company of OPW

Fueling Components, in mid-May 2009.

Van Pee has a bachelor’s degree din busi-

ness administration and accounting from

St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI. He joined

Dover in 2000 as senior financial analyst

for Waukesha Bearings and in 2005, as-

sumed the position of financial analyst for

Dover Diversified, Inc. He returned to

Waukesha Bearings in 2007 as CFO.

“Steve brings 12 solid years of ex-

pertise in accounting and finance man-

agement, analysis, audit, and CFO expe-

rience,” said Warning. “He led the finan-

cial modules implementation during

Waukesha’s enterprise resource planning

initiative, and made key contributions to

Waukesha Bearings’ growth and success.”

Green Plains Renewable

Energy Buys Two Plants

Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc.,


Response No. 561

Kevin Cook Simon Hill Tom Zant Dan Taylor Jeff Reichert Greg Carrino


Omaha, NE, signed

definitive purchase

agreements to ac-

quire two for-mer

VeraSun ethanol

plants located in Ne-

braska on May 21.

The new plants

will increase Green

Plains Renewable’s

ethanol capacity by

45%—from 330

MMGY to 480 MMGY.

Green Plains is acquiring all of the

membership interests in two limited li-

ability companies that own the ethanol

plants located near Central City and Ord

from a lender group led by AgStar Fi-

nancial Services for $123.5 million.

The Central City and Ord plants are

rated at 100 and 50 MMGY, respectively.

Will Duensing Retires From

Cereal Process Technologies

W.J. Will Duensing Feb. 9 announced his

retirement as

president and

CEO of Cereal

Process Technolo-

gies (CPT), which

took effect

March 13.

Duensing is

recognized as one

of the nation’s

foremost experts

in corn chemistry

and milling. He

led the completion of the installation of

CPT’s patented technology at Renew

Energy’s 130-MMGY ethanol plant in

Jefferson, WI. That plant, which mills

corn and produces high-grade en-

dosperm, corn germ, and bran is the larg-

est corn dry milling operation in the

world.

Duensing joined CPT in 2007 follow-

ing a long career with the milling divi-

sion of Bunge North America. Duensing

served as director of quality assurance

and technical services.

With Duensing’s retirement, CPT’s

board named Robert J. Giguere presi-

dent and CEO.

Giguere, a shareholder of the Overland

Park, KS-based company, is also president

of Iowa Corn Processors in Glidden, IA.

Giguere announced the company had

relocated its headquarters from Bridgeton,

MO to Overland Park, KS, where CPT’s

technical and client services were located in

a March press release.

POET Plants Earn Safety Award

Eight POET ethanol plants in Iowa

and South Dakota were recognized in

late April with BNSF Railway Co.’s

2008 annual Product Stewardship

Award.

The award is presented to shippers

who transported a minimum of 500

loaded tank cars of

hazardous materials

during the previous

year with zero non-accidental releases

during the entire transportation cycle.

The POET Biorefining plants recog-

nized in South Dakota are Chancellor,

Mitchell, Big Stone City, Groton, Scot-

land, and Hudson. The Iowa plants are

Coon Rapids and Corning.

Compiled from news sources by

Adam Tedder, associate editor.


Response No. 571

W.J. Will

Duensing

Steve Van Pee


Midwest Airlines Center, Milwaukee, WI.

Steps to Increase Attendance

With the weak economy, ACE has

taken action to increase attendance for


Increasing the blend wall and indirect

land use change will be two of the key

topics featured at the 2009 American Coa-

lition for Ethanol (ACE) Conference and

Trade Show to be held Aug. 10-13 at the

this year’s event.

“Trends indicate travel is down in many

industries, but ACE’s history of offering

a top-quality event with one of the low-

est registration fees in the industry sug-

gests we still will be able to draw a crowd

in Milwaukee,” said Shannon Gustafson,

ACE director of strategic projects.

The 2008 conference and trade show

in Omaha, NE drew 1,200 attendees and

200 exhibitors compared to 1,800 attend-

ees and 240 exhibitors in 2007 at St. Paul,

MN.

“ACE is anticipating some decline

in participation based on trends we’ve

seen at other events,” Gustafson

added.

However, ACE is taking the follow-

ing steps to increase attendance:

• Registration discounts available to

ethanol producers.

• Less expensive venue to travel to

and for meals and lodging.

• Meeting rooms relocated to the

trade show area.

Aug. 10-13 | Midwest Airlines Center | Milwaukee, WI

The 2009 ACE Ethanol Conference and Trade Show will be held at the

Midwest Airlines Center, Milwaukee, WI.

Trade Show Hours

Tuesday, Aug. 11

• 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Trade Show setup

• 5-7:30 p.m. Welcome reception

Wednesday, Aug.12

• 8 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

• 8 -9a.m. Continental breakfast

• 10-10:30 a.m. Break

• Noon - 12:45 p.m. Lunch

Thursday, Aug. 13

• 8-10 a.m. Trade Show Open

• 8-8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast

ACE Ethanol

Conference & Trade Show

58_59_60_ACE_Preview.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:08 PM2

• Exhibit booth space rates remain at

2008 levels.

“We’re confident that the quality and

affordability of our event will still be a

draw,” Gustafson added.

2009 Topics

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

has been invited to be the keynote speaker,

to address the commitment the USDA and

other government agencies have made with

the government’s stimulus package.

ACE anticipates Vilsack will speak on

the USDA, U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE) and Environmental Protection

Agency’s (EPA) new coalition—Biofuels

Interagency Working Group— that was

formed May 5. The efforts and goals

of this group will be outlined in the ses-

sion, Gustafson said.

Another major topic will be increas-

ing the blend level from E10 to E15, to

extend the blend wall.

“We’ll have updates on where the

waiver stands and how it will affect the

industry,” Gustafson noted.

Other topics to be explored will include:

• The new renewable fuels standard

passed in December 2007.

• Successes in commercialization of

cellulosic ethanol.

• How the industry will use new media

to strengthen the grassroots that support it.

• Market development topics such as

blender pumps and mid-level blends.

Financial Stress, Blend Wall

This year’s theme is “Determination:

Renew, Unite, Succeed,” reflecting some

of the financial struggles the ethanol in-

dustry has suffered through in 2008 and

2009, with several ethanol producers

declaring bankruptcy.

“We will have breakout speakers and

topics on the financial stress facing etha-

nol producers and how to mitigate that

stress and volatility,” Gustafson said.

The blend wall issue also will be in-

cluded in several sessions, including top-

ics on how to overcome the blend wall

and implement the use of higher blends

in ethanol in gasoline.

Indirect Land Use Change

Another topic to be explored in detail

will be indirect land use change (ILUC).

Sessions will focus on the “untested

theory currently being applied by both

the EPA and the California Air Resources

Board against biofuels in their respec-

tive rulemakings,” she said.

Trade Show

The conference begins Tuesday, Aug.

11, with a conference reception in the

trade show from 5 to 7 p.m.

The trade show opens at 8 a.m., Aug.

12 and runs throughout the day, con-

tinuing to 10 a.m. on Thursday. �


ACE Executive Vice President Brian

Jennings gives an opening address at the

2008 conference in Omaha, NE.

Response No. 591


Breakout/General Sessions

The general session and breakouts begin Wednesday, Aug.

12. “As always, we will have the most current information

available highlighting the newest in public policy, market de-

velopment, and technology,” Gustafson said.

Sessions include:

• When the Going Gets Tough: Succeeding in Difficult

Market Conditions.

• Strategic Steps You Can Take, Financially and Legally, to

Protect Your Plant During Challenging Market Conditions

and Plan for Future Success.

• Biofuels Incentive Programs.

• Collecting, Handling, and Biorefining Next Generation

Feedstocks

• RINfo: Tracking and Trading Renewable Identification

Numbers (RINs).

• Risk Management.

• More Mileage with Ethanol?

• Brazil: Making Mid-Level Blends Work.

• Panel Discussion: Theory vs. Science: The Role of

Biofuels in Low Carbon Policies and Calculating Direct and

Indirect Emissions.

• Clean Corn: Efficiencies & Innovations in Corn Ethanol

• Cellulosic Ethanol: A Progress Report.

• Scaling the E10 Blend Wall.

• Strategic Advocacy and PR in the Era of New Media.

• Blending Better Solutions, 2009 Edition.

Other Events

The Jeff Fox Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic returns

this year, to be held at the Brown Deer Golf Club, in Milwau-

kee starting at 8:30 a.m., Aug. 11.

The awards banquet will be held at the Hilton Milwaukee

City Center’s dazzling ballroom, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Aug. 12.

Registration/Hotels

To register, go on-line to: www.ethanol.org

To receive preferred rates, call before July 12 to reserve a

room. The conference hotels are:

Hilton Milwaukee City Center (host hotel), 414-271-

7250 (conference rate-$154/night).

Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee City Center, 414-727-

2273 (Conference rate-$159/night).



This year’s ACE trade show in Milwaukee, WI is expected

to attract close to 200 exhibitors.


Plan for Research

Due to duckweed’s ability to absorb

nutrients, the research now is focusing

on a way to develop a strain of high-

starch duckweed (not normally high in

sugars) and convert it to ethanol.

Cheng said his group has received a

$200,000 grant from the North Caro-

lina Center of Biofuels for the next 1-

1/2 years to research growing duckweed

in wastewater at hog farms.

“The pilot study is to grow duckweed

for conversion to ethanol,” Cheng said.

“This is a comprehensive approach for

waste water management and utilization

of bioenergy production on hog farms.”

Cheng is working with fellow NCSU

researcher Dr. Anne-Marie Stomp to ex-

periment on growing the high-starch

duckweed.

“By controlling the environment, we

can improve the content of starch in

duckweed,” Cheng said.

“So far, we have found that duck-

weed is 46% starch by dry weight. That

Duckweed Ethanol

Move over corn. Duckweed may be

a competitor as a feedstock for starch-

based ethanol.

Researchers at North Carolina State

University (NCSU), Raleigh, have dis-

covered that the tiny aquatic plant ab-

sorbs nutrients from the ponds at indus-

trial hog farms.

The research began in 1998 as a

method to clean up the wastewater at

large-scale hog farms but developed into

an alternative feedstock for ethanol.

Large-scale hog farms manage their

animal waste for biological treatment by

storing it in large lagoons on-site.

“There was a concern for a number

of years that the nutrients in the hog waste

were not being efficiently utilized,” said

NCSU Professor Jay Cheng (jay_cheng@

ncsu.edu). “Initially, we tested duckweed

to treat wastewater, and found it was ef-

fective in removing nutrients.

“Recently we found a way to grow

high-starch duckweed that could be uti-

lized as a feedstock for ethanol,” he added.

might be less than for corn kernels, but

we utilize the entire duckweed plant,”

he added.

Yields

In initial lab tests, duckweed has

yielded 28 metric tons of starch annu-

ally per hectare of water surface area.

According to Cheng, that is five to

six times more starch per hectare com-

pared to corn which produces five met-

ric tons per hectare.

Characteristics of Duckweed

Duckweed, said Cheng, has several

characteristics that could be advanta-

geous in ethanol production.

“It grows naturally in every climate

with fresh water and can be found al-

most everywhere in the United States,”

Cheng noted.

“The starch from duckweed can be

converted easily to ethanol using a tradi-

tional corn dry grind ethanol plant,”

Cheng said.

Also, duckweed, as a nonfood alterna-

tive feedstock, produces ethanol without

using farmland, since it grows in water.

According to Cheng, in addition to live-

stock farms, this crop also could be

grown at a wastewater treatment plant or

other land unsuitable for growing crops.



Crop Grown in Ponds on Hog Farms Could Out-Yield Corn

“You can find duckweed

almost everywhere in the

United States. I t grows

naturally in every climate

in fresh water.”

- Jay Cheng, NCSU Professor

Duckweed, which is grown in ponds on hog farms, could become a high-starch

crop for a traditional dry grind ethanol plant.

61_Duckweed_Ethanol.pmd 6/8/2009, 2:01 PM3

duction at the Northeast

Biofuels plant, additional engi-

neering work will have to be

completed, said Sunoco Spokes-

man Thomas Golembeski.

“We are targeting full production for

early 2010,” Golembeski said.

Golembeski, who said the plant was

designed at the site of a former brew-

ery, did not have an estimate of addi-

tional engineering costs.

Access To Local Ethanol

The 100 MMGY produced at North-

east Biofuels represents approximately

Sunoco Buying Ethanol Plant


The lines between the etha-

nol industry and the petroleum

refining industry continued to

blur when Sunoco, Philadelphia,

PA, agreed May 19 to purchase North-

east Biofuels, a 100-million-gallon-per-

year (MMGY) plant in Fulton, NY, for

$8.5 million.

In March, Valero, the largest U.S. pe-

troleum refiner, became the third larg-

est ethanol producer, when it purchased

seven of VeraSun’s 16 ethanol plants

from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in

Wilmington, DE.

Before Sunoco can commence pro-

25% of the ethanol Sunoco needs to blend

with gasoline annually, Golembeski said.

In 2008, for example, Sunoco’s total

fuel sales (including gasoline) totaled

325,000 barrels per day.

“This is the largest ethanol plant in the

northeast,” Golembeski said. “We are

based primarily in the northeast, so this

plant is situated in our retail marketing

region. It can reduce some of our logis-

tics costs of transporting ethanol from

the Midwest.”

Sunoco sells gasoline at 4,700 stations

in 26 states.


Second Petroleum Refiner To Purchase Bankrupt Plant

Response No. 621

62_Sunoco_Buys_Ethanol_Plant.pmd 6/8/2009, 2:00 PM2

In December 2007, the second Re-

newable Fuels Standard (RFS2) was

signed into law by President Bush.

It included a provision that mandated

that indirect land use change (ILUC) be in-

cluded in the calculations for determining

biofuels greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

However no definition for ILUC was

established until the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) issued a pro-

posed rulemaking on May 5.

The proposed rulemaking states that

ethanol’s greenhouse gas emissions are

drastically increased by (ILUC).

The proposed regulations includes two

provisions affecting biofuels producers:

• Biofuels must be at least 20% bet-

ter than gasoline in GHG emissions.

• ILUC must be included in deter-

mining a plant’s GHG emissions.

EPA currently is seeking comments

during a 60-day period that ends July

27.

“The law calls for indirect land use

change to be part of the analyses of

biofuels, as they relate to greenhouse gas

emissions (GHG),” said EPA Adminis-

trator Lisa Jackson.

The rulemaking is based upon a two-

year analysis of data collected from sev-

eral sources such as satellite imagery and

a global crop land use study.

Under the EPA’s analysis, a natural

gas-fired, dry mill ethanol plant that dries

all its distillers grains produces fuel that

emits 16% less GHG than gasoline. That

figure includes ILUC.

Without ILUC, that same plant would

be 61% more efficient than gasoline, ac-

cording to Geoff Cooper, vice president

of research for the Renewable Fuels As-

sociation (RFA).

Flaws in Analysis

Cooper said the RFA sees several flaws

in the EPA’s analysis and plans to submit

scientific data and comments prior July 27.

“For ILUC, the EPA cobbled together

several different models and data sets to

try and arrive at exact numbers and point

estimates of what type of land use change

is going to occur as a result of the RFS2

program,” Cooper said.

“Those several different models and data

sets weren’t intended to work together,” he

added. “I’m not confident the models are

congruent.”

DDGS Credit Too Low

For example, he cites the data surround-

ing dried distillers grains with solubles

(DDGS) as inaccurate.

“The models are assuming that a

pound of distillers grains displaces a pound

of conventional feed,” Cooper continued.

“Of that feed, 90% is corn and 10% is

soybean meal. Certainly there is research

out there suggesting that in aggregated

rations across all species a pound of dis-

tillers grains replaces 1.3 pounds of feed

and more than 10% of it is soybean meal.”

The DDGS displacement of feed—

corn and soybeans—is related to land use,

especially since soybean yields are lower

than corn and, therefore, take more land

to produce compared to the same amount

of corn, Cooper explained.

Crop Yields Too Low

Another flaw the RFA sees is the

EPA’s estimates for crop yields.

“They are assuming a 1.6% annual

growth rate for corn based on a 30-year

historical trend,” Cooper said. “One of our

arguments has been that yield growth has

accelerated in the last 15 years., correspond-

ing with the period in which biotech hy-

brids have been available. It is appropriate

to use a shorter time period. They also

ought to take into consideration that there

are new seeds in the pipeline.”

Type of Land Converted

Finally, the models indicate how much

land will be converted in ILUC, but not

what type of land.

“That is important because if you are

converting forests, the carbon loss is

much higher than if you are converting

CRP (Conservation Reserve Program)

land or pastures,” Cooper noted.

He said the EPA utilized satellite imag-

ery from the time period of 2001 to 2004.

“That is using a very limited time frame to

do this trend analysis,” Cooper said.

“The 30-year time frame on crop

analysis and five-year analysis on types

of land converted—that seems incon-

sistent to us,” he added.


Indirect Land Use Change


EPA Accepting Comments on Proposed Rulemaking

Indirect land use change (ILUC) may

impact U.S. ethanol production.

“One of our arguments has

been that yield growth has

accelerated in the last 15

years. It is appropriate to

use a shorter time period.”

- Geoff Cooper,

RFA vice president of research

63_ILUC_Update.pmd 6/12/2009, 8:57 AM3

Years with Company: 2

Years in the Industry: 5

Born: Dec. 15, 1975

Family: Wife, Katrina; son,

Tyson; daughter, Kodi.

Education: Banner County

High School, Harrisburg, NE.

Career: 1997-2000: Nebraska Depart-

ment of Roads, highway maintenance

SR. 2000-02: Wyco LP Gas, Cheyenne,

NE: Store manager; 2002-05: Farm-

land Foods, Crete, NE, maintenance

tech IV; 2005-07: Midwest Renewable

Energy, Sutherland NE, shift lead.

2007-09: North Country Ethanol,

Rosholt, SD, plant manager.

My personal key to success: I believe

in being hands-on, passionate, personable,

with a focus on safety as the keys to

success.

My biggest challenge: With today’s

economics in the ethanol industry,

surviving until better times come will

be most important and difficult, but I

believe those times will come.

How to meet that challenge: We need

to look for ways to be efficient. What

we do with corn is viable, if we can learn

to do it more efficiently.

What I like about the ethanol industry:

Working at a job that allows me to stay

Mike

IsomNorth County Ethanol

Rosholt, SD

Plant Manager

605-537-4585


in touch with my roots. I grew up near

farms and ranches. It’s very rewarding

to work with the same type of people

that I learned from while growing up.

Key to the growth of the industry:

Getting America on board with the

facts about the industry, and manu-

facturing more E85 vehicles would be

a good start. Also, the days of ethanol

plants not talking and sharing ideas

must go. I think the industry as a

whole has great ideas that can lead to

the whole industry being successful.

What I predict for the industry in the

next three years: I believe the industry

is going to weed out the short-term

money men and ring in the era of the

long-haul investors. It is going to be a

long year. However, I feel the industry

needed this. Growth went so fast that

technology and the country needed some

time to catch up.

Who most influenced your career:

Dennis Harstad at KL Energy, Rapid

City, SD, stands out with his passion and

enthusiasm and by always surrounding

himself with similar people. Another

person is Trampas Osborne of Midwest

Renewable Energy with his hands-on

approach.

Hobbies: Ice fishing, golfing, and ethanol

production. I just love makng the product.

Profile

Response No. 641

64_Profile_Mike_Isom.pmd 6/12/2009, 1:02 PM2

Years with Company: 2-1/2

Years in the Industry: 6-1/2

Born: Aug. 8, 1953.

Family: Wife, Anita; daugther Angela; sons,Wade and Brandon.

Education: 1972: Bachelor’s degree inaccounting at Northwest Iowa CommunityCollege at Sheldon.

Career: 1973-2002 : Joe’s FeedService, Hospers, IA. 2002-06: Iowacommodity manager, Little SiouxCorn Processors, Marcus, IA. 2006-09 : General manager, SiouxlandEthanol, Jackson, NE.

My personal key to success: I believeyou need to work hard at what youenjoy.

My biggest challenge: It is sometimesdifficult to balance time with my job,but I find it to be one of the mostimportant challenges I face.

I meet that challenge by: I best dealwith balancing time by keepingeverything in perspective.

What I like about the ethanol industry:

The industry is new, and it is a greatboost to the rural economy while beinga part of the reduction of dependencyof the United States on foreign oil andhaving a positive impact on the globalenvironment.

Key to the growth of the industry:

Educating the consumer will be keyfor the ethanol industry’s continuinggrowth.

The biggest trend in the industry: Thepromotion of higher ethanol blendsseems to be the growing trend. Manylawmakers and ethanol supporters in andout of the industry are pushing forblends over 10%.

What I predict for the industry in the

next three years: I think the industrywill have to consolidate, in order tosurvive the current economic hardtimes.

Who most influenced your career: Thepeople that I have done business with.Most have been very positive exper-iences. Others have been educational(sometimes the cost of education canbe expensive), but I have learned fromalmost every experience I have hadworking with people.

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with mygrandchildren and golfing.


Profile

Chuck

HoflandSiouxland Ethanol

Jackson, NE

General Manager

402-632-6205

www.siouxlandethanol.com

Response No. 651

65_Profile_ChuckHofland.pmd 6/10/2009, 1:36 PM3

Years with Company: 8

Years in the Industry: 8

Born: Jan. 7, 1976.

Family: Wife, Sunny Beaver,

co-owner of Yokayo Biofuels.

Education: Attended the

University of Califorina, Berkeley as an

English major but left before graduating.

Career: 2001-09: President of Yokayo

Biofuels, Ukiah, CA.

My personal key to success: I have an

excellent, idealistic management team

whom I trust to solve nearly every problem

thrown at us. It includes a socialist, a certified

public accountant (CPA), and a former

labor organizer. Suffice to say, we are often

able to look at things from an angle not

often represented in the biodiesel industry.

My biggest challenge: Balancing my

ideals and social goals with the need to

deliver a profit.

I meet that challenge by: I’m currently

taking accounting classes and working

to enhance my business knowledge. I

always need to remind myself that I’m

still learning how to do all this.

What I like about the biodiesel industry:

The potential to wake up as many people

as possible from the petroleum addiction

and ease the transition to something

better.

Kumar

PlocherYokayo Biofuels

Ukiah, CA

President

707-462-5889

www.ybiofuels.org


Best new product in the industry: I

currently have my eye on supercritical

methanol biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol.

I would like to prove that both are

commercially viable, and do so on a much

smaller scale than most would anticipate.

Key to the growth of the industry: The

ability to adapt, share knowledge, and

find new and better feedstocks.

What I predict for the industry in the next

three years: I am certain that biodiesel

will battle renewable diesel on the PR

front, and I see a continued dark period

for biodiesel, if it can’t align itself better

with societal needs such as localization

of economies and conservation of

resources. On the other hand, the price

of petroleum should ultimately trend

upward, which may lead to opportunities.

Who most influenced your career: My

dad, Stephen Plocher, the CPA on our

management team. He is both creative

and analytical, and he has taught me a lot

about perspective and humility. He also

gave me the money to start the company

and was living through it vicariously,

before he became more involved.

Hobbies: I love a good hike. Traveling

makes us all better people. I’m very frugal

in most areas, but I love gourmet

vegetarian cooking and tasting local wines.

Profile

Response No. 661

66_Profile_Kumar_Plocher.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:12 PM2

The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) no longer is tolerating

fraudulent or erroneous Renewable Iden-

tification Number (RINs).

By the end of this year, the EPA is

likely to issue RIN violations, which could

be accompanied by fines up to $32,500 a

day for civil violations, plus any economic

benefit gained by the violator.

EPA has found that up to 20% of the

RINs issued so far are invalid, either through

errors or fraud. The number has decreased

as a result of education and outreach to the

regulated community. EPA has contacted

submitters to get their errors corrected.

If a renewable fuel producers over-

reports the number of RINs generated

and sells the excess RINs, compliant fuel

producers may be deprived of potential

RIN sales.

“From an enforcement standpoint, we

are very serious about looking at 2007

and 2008 periods and taking enforce-

ment action,” said Erv Pickell, fuels en-

forcement team leader in the EPA Air

Enforcement Division.

“I would expect some violations issued

before the end of the year,” Pickell said.

EMTS

To combat errors and fraud, the EPA

is developing the EPA Managed Trans-

action System (EMTS).

The system has been under develop-

ment for a year but was not made public

until Feb. 25. It will be launched in 2010.

RIN System

RINs are assigned to ethanol and

biodiesel by producers and importers.

The RINs may be separated from the

renewable fuel primarily by either obli-

gated parties when they purchased the

RIN Violation Crackdown


EPA Reviewing

2007, 2008 RINs

For Errors, Fraud

fuel or by blenders.

RIN assignments began Sept.

1, 2007, but 2008 is the first full

year of RINs have been assigned.

EMTS is on-line at: www.epa. gov/

otaq/presentations/renewablefuels/

emts20090225.pdf


Response No. 671

67_RIN_Violations.pmd 6/11/2009, 10:09 AM3

alternative feedstock.

“Alberta is the center of Canada’s

meatpacking industry,” said Cock-

shutt, who is company president and

CEO.

“There are plenty of high quality

rendered animal fats from numerous

sources within driving distance,” he

added. “There is more than enough

feedstock to supply our plant.”

In fact, the plant is located

adjacent to a meatpacking

plant.

The advantage of utilizing

animal fats as the primary feedstock is

the lower cost, but the disadvantage is

more complicated chemistry to produce

biodiesel.

“Chemists and chemical engineers

are required as part of the operations

staff, and a full chemistry lab is re-

quired with animal fat biodiesel,”

Cockshutt said.

Animal fat feedstocks can cause more

corrosion problems and require a more

robust heat-tracing and cleanout strat-

egy, he added.

“Having staff with chemistry exper-

tise is really a key issue,” Cockshutt noted.

The plant also purchases used veg-

etable oil from a company that collects


When the high cost of vegetable oil

feedstocks drove developers of a biodie-

sel plant project in Alberta, Canada to

seek alternative feedstocks, they turned

to investigating animal fats and waste

vegetable oil feedstocks.

For Dean Cockshutt and Brian

Harmes, joint owners and developers

of Western Biodiesel Inc., in High

River, AB, animal fats were the logical

and refines the oil from Alberta restau-

rants.

Finally, there is a large amount of

canola grown in the region, so canola

oil also could be utilized as a feedstock,

Cockshutt said.

Plant History

Western Biodiesel Inc. was incorpo-

rated in 2005, when Cockshutt and

Harmes selected Alberta as the site due

to the province’s financial incentives.

One of the primary incentives was

the Alberta Biofuel Commercialization

and Market Development Program that

provides grants of up to 25% of the

development costs plus a per-liter pro-

duction incentive of 14 cents.

Western Biodiesel Producing 5 MMGY Primarily From Animal Fat

“There are plenty of high-

quality rendered animal

fats from numerous sources

within driving distance.”

- Dean Cockshutt,

President and CEO

Facility Feature

Western Biodiesel Inc.

403-652-1045 | High River, AB

www.western-biodiesel.com

Dean Cockshutt, President and

CEO

Brian Harmes, Vice President of

Marketing

Jason Freeman, Operations

Manager

Employees: 16

Capacity: 5 MMGY

Feedstock: Multiple feedstock

focusing on animal fats

68_70_FF_Western_Biodiesel.pmd 6/10/2009, 9:49 AM2

Also, Cockshutt said, effective July 1,

2010, Alberta will be instituting a 2%

blend renewable fuels standard (RFS) for

biodiesel with petroleum.

Neighboring province British Colum-

bia also is instituting an RFS, requiring a

5% blend on Jan. 1, 2010.

After site selection, construction be-

gan on the greenfield project in Novem-

ber 2006, with operations beginning in

July 2008 and production up to full ca-

pacity by January 2009.

The site, in addition to its proximity

to the meatpacking plant, also has ac-

cess to rail and truck for transporting

feedstocks and product.

Cockshutt declined to release the to-

tal cost of the project. Sixty private in-

vestors contributed, along with invest-

ments by Cockshutt and Harmes, the

principal owners.

The company secured bank loans for

the remaining cost through two lenders—

Farm Credit Canada, an ag-based lender,

and Agricultural Financial Services Cor-

poration, an Alberta agricultural lender.

A three-member board oversees the

company’s operations, Cockshutt said.

Capacity/Storage

Western Biodiesel has a nameplate ca-

pacity to produce 5 million gallons per

year (MMGY) of biodiesel utilizing es-

terification, methanol recovery and

biodiesel distillation.

The plant can store up to 4,000 bar-

rels of feedstock and 3,000 barrels of


biodiesel in a secondary containment

tank farm.

Transportation/Marketing

Animal fat feedstocks are collected

by plant trucks from local and area ren-

derers, Cockshutt said.

A trucking company is contracted to

transport the plants’ biodiesel to be

transloaded into railcars.

Western Biodiesel markets its biodie-

sel through a global marketing company.

The plant’s glycerin is not utilized as a

co-product, Cockshutt said. Instead it is

sent to another company’s biodigester and

converted into methane gas, he explained.

ASTM Quality

The plant’s distillation system ensures

a quality fuel that meets or exceeds both

the U.S. and European fuel standards,

Cockshutt noted.


Cockshutt is a professional engineer

licensed in Alberta and served as vice

president of U.S. Gas Storage Develop-

ment, North America’s largest natural gas

storage operator. He was responsible for

developing, constructing, and operating

five major underground gas storage �

Plant operators monitor biodiesel production utilizing computers.

Western Biodiesel can store up to 4,000 barrels of feedstock and 3,000 barrels of

finished biodiesel.


facilities for 12 years.

Harmes, vice president of market-

ing, developed, branded, owned, and

operated his own fitness franchises in

Western Canada. Harmes also has expe-

rience in industrial sales and marketing

for the past 10 years, working as a re-

gional sales manager for a large specialty

welding supply company.

Future of Biodiesel Industry

Cockshutt said the company wants to

see stronger blend mandates in other Ca-

nadian provinces similar to Alberta and

British Columbia.

“This will create the demand that will

improve sales prices and keep the in-

dustry healthy,” Cockshutt noted.

“Mandates will allow phasing out of

production incentives and will result in a

standalone industry,” he added.

He also said he sees a trend of in-

creased quality checking and enforce-

ment from end users.

“Tolerance for off-spec product will

be low,” Cockshutt predicted. “Quality

is a key concern.”



“Having staff with chem-

istry expertise is really a

key issue.”

- Dean Cockshutt

The plant utilizes an esterification system to allow processing of high free

fatty acid (FFA) feedstocks.

Response No. 701



Australia

National Biodiesel in mid-May an-nounced plans to build the nation’sfirst soybean processing and biodieselplant.

The $243 million project will be con-structed at Port Kembla’s InnerHarbour on the New South Wales(NSW) coast.

Starting in 2011, NSW will requirethat 5% of all the diesel used in the statecontain biodiesel.

According to NSW Lands MinisterTony Keller, the plant will be able to sup-ply all of the state’s biodiesel require-ments.

The plant will take approximately 18months to two years to build.

India

Southern Online Bio TechnologiesLtd., an India-based Internet services pro-vider, in early May announced plans tobuild its third biodiesel plant by the endof 2009.

The proposed plant will be built inAnantapur, Kurnool, or Chittoor districtsand serve markets in Tamil Nadu andKarnataka.

The plant will have a crushing capac-ity of 500 tons per day.

Netherlands

Neste Oil began construction in lateMay at the Port of Rotterdam, Nether-lands of what would be the largestbiodiesel plant in Europe.

The €670 million plant will produce800,000 metric tons of biodiesel annu-ally and create over 100 jobs.

In December 2008, the EuropeanUnion (EU) adopted mandatory require-ments that all EU transportation fuels

contain 10% renewable content by 2020.The EU, at the same time, also increasedits B5 standard to B7.



Response No. 711

71_Biodiesel_World.pmd 6/10/2009, 9:57 AM3

Despite the hold on the projects,

Whole Energy’s grant from the Clean

Air Resource Board remains available

for use if Whole Energy can meet cer-

tain milestones, according to Rhodes.

The project also faces delay until

Whole Energy receives proper permits

from the city of Pacifica’s building de-

partment to proceed.

Louisiana

Construction of the Dynamic Fuels

LLC biodiesel plant in Geismar is on

schedule and will produce its first batch

of high-grade biodiesel and jet fuel in

Biodiesel Roundup


California

Pacifica City Man-

ager Stephen Rhodes

announced June 4 that

Whole Energy Fuels’

proposed biodiesel

project, which will

share space with Calera

Creek Wastewater

Treatment Plant, has been put on hold

due to funding issues.

The $2.4 million proposed project will

convert used vegetable oil to produce 3

million gallons (MMGY) of biodiesel

annually.

2010, according to

company officials in

early May.

When completed,

the Dynamic Fuels

plant will produce 75

MMGY. The $138 million plant will em-

ploy 45 people and generate an annual

payroll of more than $4 million.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts-based Baystate Bio-

fuels LLC announced in late May it had

begun construction on a plant in North

Andover.

Biodiesel Plant Developments Across the United States

Response No. 721

72_73_Biodiesel Buildup.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:54 AM2

The plant will be

the first full-scale

c o m m e r i c a l

biodiesel plant in the

state.

The company says it expects to begin

selling biodiesel by the end of the summer.

The company said it plans to distrib-

ute biodiesel to oil companies seeking to

comply with Massachusetts’ Clean En-

ergy Biofuels Act of 2008.

Officals say the project is likely to

create more jobs in the region, which

has lost a significant number of jobs

this year.

Missouri

Clarence-based Producers’ Choice

Soy Energy announced in late May it

had completed con-

struction of its $17

million plant in

Moberly.

The plant, which

will produce 5

MMGY of biodie-

sel, is expected to

start production in late June.

The plant, which utilizes soybeans as

a feedstock, will create 20 new jobs plus

the construction labor for local contrac-

tors.

The plant produces 65,000 tons of

extruded soybean meal each year. Other

byproducts, such as glycerin and soybean

hulls, will be sold primarily in the state.

Pennsylvania

Investors in the Bard Biofuel Ad-

vance Research & Development plant

in Fairless Hills continue to look for

funding to com-

plete the $80 mil-

lion project, ac-

cording to state-

ments made by in-

vestors in late May.

As of December 2008, the project

had raised $40 million, half of its pro-

jected cost.

The proposed plant will produce 60

MMGY annually and will use algae and

soybeans as feedstocks.

Once completed, the plant will create

200 new jobs in Bucks County by the

end of 2010.

Wisconsin

Canada-based Sanimax Energy an-

nounced June 3 it is

shutting down biodiesel

production temporarily

at the company's plant

in DeForest.

No reopening date

had been announced

for the biodiesel facility as of mid-June.

Sanimax began building its 15,000-

square-foot, 20-MMGY plant in 2006.

In May 2007, the company sold its

first major batch of fuel to Progressive

Farmers Cooperative in northeast Wis-

consin.

Nova Biosource Fuels developed

the multi-feedstock technology that

Sanimax has used to produce biodiesel

fuel from recycled cooking grease, ani-

mal fats, and vegetable oils.

When it was in full operation, the

plant employed 15 people.



Response No. 1491

Response No. 731


72_73_Biodiesel Buildup.pmd 6/11/2009, 11:02 AM3

The membranes would allow clean

water to rush out through a natural pro-

cess called forward osmosis. Eighty per-

cent of the water is released through the

membrane, and the algae reaches matu-

rity within 10 days.

According to Trent, the ocean’s waves

mix the algae, helping it to grow.

The sun’s rays provide energy for the

algae to grow and CO2 from the atmo-

sphere will be consumed by the algae,

sequestering carbon.

Also, the algae takes up nutrients such

as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

which can be used as fertilizers.

Algae would also produce protein co-

products, which can be utilized as an ani-

mal feed.

The OMEGA bags themselves, mea-

suring 100 meters by 10 meters, would

be recycled as plastic mulch for agricul-

tural applications.

The bags will be configured to allow

marine mammals a way to break

through to the surface for breathing,

Trent noted.

WasteWater Algae


A new system to grow algae in mu-

nicipal wastewater placed in bags in the

ocean could produce oil for biofuels,

valuable nutrients for fertilizer, and pro-

teins for animal feed.

Called Offshore Membrane Enclo-

sures for Growing Algae (OMEGA), the

system is being developed by a NASA

Biofuels Project Scientist Jonathan Trent

at the NASA Ames Research Center,

Moffet Field, in Mountain View, CA.

The Process

According to Trent, his system is based

on the fact that each day in the United

States, 6 billion gallons of wastewater

are dumped into the ocean, losing a lot

of valuable nutrients.

“Those nutrients can be the feed-

stocks for algae (which can produce

biofuels), proteins for animal feed, and

fertilizer,” said Trent (650-604-3686).

The idea is to put treated wastewater

into tethered, plastic bags (called

OMEGA) made with a special mem-

branes and placed in the ocean.

Benefits

Trent said the system solves several

practical issues for traditional algae farms.

For example, traditional farms either

grow algae in open ponds or in reactors.

Open ponds require paddle wheels to

stir the algae, whereas ocean waves replace

this operation in the OMEGA system.

The ponds also take up valuable land

space whereas the OMEGAs are in the

ocean.

There is also a problem in open ponds

of evaporation of water, Trent said, this

is not an issue with this system.

In warmer climates, the land-based

bioreactors act as a solar collector and tend

to get hot, but the OMEGAs use the ocean

as a temperature control bath, Trent said.

“Reactors need water to cool the al-

gae from the sun’s heat, whereas this is

replaced with the ocean’s huge heat ca-

pacity. “To work on land, the algae farm

must be robust enough to hold water

against the air. If you put them in the

ocean, it lowers the cost of the bioreactor

container,” Trent said.

Not only will this ocean-based system

yield the equivalent of 2,000 gallons of

biofuels per acre, compared to 50 to

150 gallons per acre for most oil seed

crops, Trent said, but at the same time,

it could be used to clean the world’s

oceans of pollutants.

Lab Results

So far, the OMEGA system works

well in the lab and algae has been grown

successfully.

Trent is starting to do field tests in

Monterey Bay, south of San Francisco,

utilizing wastewater from Sunnyvale and

Santa Cruz, CA.

So far, the research has received a

grant of less than $500,000 from Google,

but Trent said he needs more funding to

continue the project.

Researcher To Grow Algae in Ocean From WasteWater

NASA Researcher Jonathan Trent is developing a system to produce algae

in the world’s oceans.

74_Wastewater_Algae.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:11 PM2

Rocket Biodiesel?

Buck Rogers may be going green with biodiesel rocket fuel.

Not only can biodiesel be used for transportation that moves

on land and sea, but now it is being tested as a replacement

fuel for rockets.

Flometrics, Inc., an engineering and fluid dynamics com-

pany in San Diego, CA performed a test Jan. 12 to compare

traditional rocket fuel—RP-1 kerosene—with B100.

The results revealed that with an unmodified rocket en-

gine, the biodiesel performance was virtually equal to RP-1.

“With the engine calibrated for RP-1, our test found there

was only a 4% loss in performance utilizing B100,” said Presi-

dent Steve Harrington (760-476-2770).

“However, if we would tune the engine, it could perform

even better,” Harrington added.

Replacing Petroleum Fuels?

Harrington, who also teaches aerospace engineering at the

University of California-San Diego (UCSD), said biodiesel as

a replacement for rocket fuel could mean:

• Less toxic spills.

• A sustainable source of fuel.

• A fuel that potentially could be produced on another

planet (such as Mars) by growing oilseed crops there.

“Theoretically, you could grow fuel for a return trip from

Mars,” Harrington said.

The January test was done on a small rocket (20 feet long),

using comparatively small amounts of fuel—three gallons of

biodiesel and five gallons of liquid oxygen (LOX)—compared

to a rocket used to bring a payload into space.

For example, the Atlas 5 space rocket (106.2 feet tall) that

send satellites into space utilize 60,000 gallons of RP-1 kero-

sene fuel derived from petroleum per launch.

Harrington noted that the Fuels and Energy branch of the U.S.

Air Force Research Lab

asked Flometrics to use

the best biofuel in the

rocket developed by the

Energy & Environmen-

tal Research Center (EERC), University of North Dakota, Grand

Forks.

Test Results

In the January test, the RP-1 fuel with LOX was tested

first, then the B100.

In both fuel tests, the unmodified rocket engine was run

for six seconds, long enough for the LOX, fuel, and chamber

pressures to stabilize, Harrington explained.

“For a rocket engine, the thrust is proportional to the cham-

ber pressure, so this gives us a way to measure the thrust,”

Harrington said.

After examining data in both burns, the chamber pressure

was 2% lower, the fuel pressure was 4% lower, and the LOX

pressure was 3% lower with B100.

“This means the biodiesel has about a 4% lower perfor-

mance than RP-1,” Harrington said.

He will be launching a small rocket in the near future on biodie-

sel and will test B100 on the Atlas Vernier engine on July 11.



Engineer Tests Biodiesel as Rocket Fuel

A California engineering and f luid dynamics company

is testing biodiesel in rocket engines and finding the

fuel is virtually equivalent to petroleum-based rocket

fuel.

75_Rocket_Biodiesel.pmd 6/10/2009, 1:35 PM3

oil as its feedstock.

“Eventually, all five boats will run on

B100 with the blessing of Cummins, the

original equipment manufacturer,” said

Pacific Biodiesel Vice President Kelly King.

Medal of Honor Recipient

The five new boats will be named

after Medal of Honor recipients from

the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, with the

first boat named after John W. Finn.

Finn was a chief aviation ordnance-

man stationed at Naval Air Station,

Kaneohe Bay, and is the oldest living

Medal of Honor recipient from the Pearl

Harbor attack.

The boats take three months to build,

and future boats will be activated and

named as they are completed.

Pacific’s Plants

Pacific Biodiesel, based in Kahului,

Pearl Harbor B20


Five new ferry boats that will trans-

port tourists to the USS Arizona Me-

morial at Pearl Harbor, HI will be pow-

ered with B20.

The first one—Ferry Boat #39-1 John

W. Finn—was activated in a ceremony

April 7.

The new boats will replace five exist-

ing 20-year old U.S. Navy-operated tour

boats that shuttle visitors to and from

the memorial.

The five new boats were acquired

through a Federal Transit Administra-

tion grant and State of Hawaii match-

ing funds, which require the use of

clean fuel technology such as biodie-

sel.

All the new biodiesel-fueled ferry

boats will be burning B20 produced in

Hawaii by Pacific Biodiesel Inc.

Since its inception 13 years ago, Pa-

cific Biodiesel has utilized used cooking

HI, has built 11 biodiesel plants in the

United States and Japan, including two

in Hawaii. The Oahu facility has been

operational since 2001 and recycles

more than one million gallons of waste

oil from Hawaii’s restaurants each year.

According to King, all of the fuel pro-

duced by Pacific Biodiesel’s two Hawai-

ian plants is sold in the islands, to help

Hawaii meet its energy independence

goals.

King added that the company is

planning a third biodiesel plant on the

Big Island, which will utilize the

company’s new, efficient, zero-waste

processing technology and include

technology to process locally grown

biofuels crops.

“This will be our first commercial

plant to process trap grease into biodie-

sel,” King said.

She said Pacific Biodiesel’s technol-

ogy can process free fatty acid (FFA)

feedstocks up to 50%.

According to King, all the company’s

biodiesel meets ASTM specifications

and will have no issues passing the new

cold soak requirements that take effect

Sept. 30.


Boats Shuttling Tourists to USS Arizona Fueled on Biodiesel

“Eventually, all five Pearl

Harbor Memor ia l fer ry

boats wi l l run on B100,

with the blessing of the

original equipment manu-

facturer, Cummins.”

- Kelly King,

vice president, Pacific Biodiesel

A ceremony to activate the USS Arizona Memorial Ferry Boat #39-1 John W.

Finn was held in Hawaii on April 7.

76_Pearl_Harbor_B20.pmd 6/10/2009, 10:01 AM2

Response No. 771

77_AGRA_fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:23 AM2

sume the algae-to-fuels research.

“Our initial focus is on growing algae

on a lab scale,” Darzins said.

“We are making plans to scale up our

algal cultivation efforts” he added.

“Whatever fuels the industry generates

are going to have to be drop-in replace-

ments to take advantage of existing in-

frastructure and thereby require no en-

gine modifications.”

Reduced Emissions

The hope is that fuels derived from

algae, instead of petroleum, would re-

duce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)

up to 50% to 60% compared to petro-

leum-based fuels.

The emissions reductions are part of

the reason for the revived interest in al-

gae, since the nation is looking at ways

to reduce GHG emissions.

Darzins said that oil refining compa-

Algae-to-Fuel Research


Research being conducted by the Na-

tional Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL) has found that oil extracted

from algae could be a drop-in replace-

ments for petroleum-based fuels such

as diesel and jet fuel.

According to Researcher Al Darzins,

principal group manager of NREL’s

national bioenergy center, the algae-based

drop-in fuel replacement would require

no modification to the engine or to pipe-

lines transporting the fuel.

Research on algae-to-fuels at the

NREL, Golden, CO research center (303-

384-7757), started in the 1970s but stalled

in the 1990s due to federal budget cuts.

However, during that 20-year

timeframe, NREL pioneered algae pro-

duction and screened and characterized

more than 3,000 potential algae strains.

As interest in algae grew in recent

years, NREL decided in mid-2007 to re-

nies like Chevron are doing research along

with NREL to commercialize algal oil as

a replacement for petroleum crude.

Natural Oil Producers

Algae are like microscopic oil wells using

photosynthesis to transform carbon diox-

ide (CO2) and sunlight into lipids or oil.

Some strains, according to Darzins,

can double their weight in just a few hours

under the right conditions, making the

oil yields much higher per acre than crops

like corn and soybeans for biofuels.

Darzins said researchers believe al-

gae may even grow fatter and faster if

they are force-fed extra CO2.

Feeding on Excess CO2

In addition to creating replacements

for petroleum products, algae also could

be utilized at ethanol plants that currently

discharge CO2 into the atmosphere.

“There are a lot of places where CO2

is being produced, like ethanol plants or

coal-fired power plants,” Darzins said.

“If you could locate an algae farm next

to a biofuels plant, you could take ad-

vantage of the CO2, instead of pump-

ing it out into the atmosphere.”


Drop-In Replacements For Petro Diesel, Jet Fuel

“We are making plans to

scale up our algal cultiva-

tion efforts. Whatever fu-

els the industry generates

are going to have to be

drop-in replacements .”

- Al Darzins,

NREL principal researcher

Research on algae-to-fuels has resumed at the National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO, led by Al Darzins. NREL photo.

78_Algae_To_Fuel.pmd 6/12/2009, 9:03 AM2

Amyris Biotechnolgies has developed

a specially-engineered yeast to convert sug-

ars to hydrocarbon-based fuels as a drop-

in replacement for diesel and gasoline.

Neil Renninger, co-founder and chief

technology officer of the Emeryville, CA-

based company (510-450-0761), said the

company’s business model is to convert

ethanol mills in Brazil to produce green

diesel, green gasoline, and green jet fuel.

Amyris Process

“The best way to think about our new

process is to think about how ethanol is

produced,” Renninger said.

“We do essentially the same thing—a

sugar stream to yeast, and the yeast con-

verts it to ethanol—except we use spe-

cially-engineered yeast,” he said.

The yeast, Renninger noted, is de-

signed to convert sugars to diesel, jet fuel,

and gasoline.

According to Renninger, the Amyris

process can utilize any biomass feed-

stock, but sugars derived from sugar-

cane are the simplest and least expen-

sive option.

Options for Diesel Product

The first phase in the company’s busi-

ness model is to produce diesel fuel at

Brazilian sugar mills and ethanol plants.

According to Renninger, the

process provides the sugar mill

with a new co-product.

“Right now, Brazillian sugar

mills produce 40% sugar and

60% ethanol,” he continued.

“Our process will allow them to make

sugar, ethanol, and now, sugar-based die-

sel fuel,” he said.

Fuel Characteristics

Unlike biodiesel, which can have chal-

lenges with cold flow issues, green diesel

will not cloud in temperatures down to

Green Diesel


Amyris Biotechnologies Developing Biomass Hydrocarbons

Sugar will be the primary feedstock

for Amyris Biotechnologies’ green

fuels.

minus 50 degrees Celsius.

“Our cold filter plugging

point and cloud point are all well

below petroleum and biodiesel,”

Renninger said.

The fuel contains 125,000

BTUs per gallon, a slightly higher level

than typical biodiesels but slightly lower

than petroleum, he said. The system to

produce this fuel nets 11 to 13 times

more energy than is put into the process.

It can be a 100% replacement for

petroleum with no engine modifications,

he added.

Response No. 791

79_Green_Diesel.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:08 AM3

Michael Haas is the lead scientist re-

searching alternative biodiesel feedstocks at the

USDA Agricultural Research Ser vice

(ARS) Eastern Regional Center in Philadel-

phia, PA.

Hass is the author/co-author of more

than 80 research papers and 12 book

chapters, as well as writing more than 100

scientific abstracts. He also holds five

U.S. patents.

Haas leads a research team investigat-

ing quality, analytical, emissions, and pro-

duction technology aspects of biodiesel.

He spoke to BioFuels Journal about

the new feedstocks that might be used for

biodiesel production and some new processes

that will be utilized with these feedstocks.

Algae and DDGS

A number of feedstocks have been

talked about for making biodiesel. In gen-

eral, I believe the “low hanging fruit” in this

area has been picked, and substantial new

gains will require some research and de-

velopment effort. One potential feedstock

that has had a lot of attention recently is

algal oil, i.e. oil produced by algae.

I understand that over 200 companies

presently are investigating its use as a feed-

stock for biodiesel. I think the efforts are

strong and the future looks good, though it

is still in the development stage.

We and others, as well, are interested in

converting the corn oil in distillers dried

grains with solubles (DDGS) into biodiesel.

I think that is a bright area for future fuel

production, especially as the production of

corn ethanol continues its growth.

Jatropha, a perennial plant grown in

tropical regions and able to grow in arid

climates and on poorer land, is another

feedstock being looked at and highly

touted. Some studies show that jatropha

may be able to be grown in the southern

part of the United States. A substantial

amount of research must be completed,

however, before this can occur.

Bonemeal and Soapstock

I believe that coproducts that can be

used to make fuel are extremely valu-

able. Their use represents adding fur-

ther value to a product that may have

been considered a waste product while

not pressuring the use of edible lipids as

foods.

Meat and bone meal, soapstock, and

trap grease are all byproducts from

other industries.

Meat and bone meal (MBM) is a

product of the edible meat industry. A

sizable portion of every animal slaugh-


Michael Haas

Lead Scientist, USDA Agricultural

Research Service

Haas Close-Up

Education: 1972: Bachelor’s degreein biochemistry at the University ofMinnesota, Minneapolis. 1978:Ph.D. in biochemistry at theUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison.

Family: Wife, Deborah Woolfe;two daughers, Theresea andMarie.

Career: 1981-2009: Research bio-chemist for USDA AgriculturalResearch Service (ARS), Wash-ington, DC. Currently the leadscientist of a group of five re-searchers and acting researchleader of a department of 30employees.

Previous USDA-ARS workincludes applied biochemical andmolecular biological methods tocharacterize enzymes and toimprove them for use as appliedcatalysts. Particular attention wasfocused on lipases, the group ofenzymes that hydrolyzes lipids.

Hobbies: Hunting, hiking, andrestoring wildlife habitats.

Question and Answer

“ W e a n d o t h e r s , a s

we l l , a re in te res ted in

convert ing the corn o i l

in d i s t i l le r s dr ied gra ins

w i t h s o l u b l e s ( D D G S )

in to b iod iese l . ”

- Michael Haas,

USDA-ARS-Eastern Region

80_81_Q+A_MikeHaas.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:03 AM2


tered is inedible and becomes

MBM. It is high in protein and

sells into the animal nutrition

markets. However, the produc-

tion of biodiesel from its lipid

constituent would not reduce the value

of its protein in nutrition.

To produce biodiesel from MBM

seems to be a good use of its lipid, and I

view it as a sustainable feedstock, as well.

Another potential feedstock is

soapstock, a co-product of edible veg-

etable oil production that mostly is used

at present as an animal feed and energy

source. As our country strives to reduce

the amount of fat in its meat, the use of

soapstock as a biodiesel feedstock has

great value. We have developed a means

for its conversion to biodiesel and shown

the economic feasibility.

Trap grease, a lipid captured from res-

taurant sink drains is another low-value

lipid that could be a fuel feedstock.

Working with BlackGold Biofuels in

Philadelphia, PA, we have developed

technology to produce biodiesel from this

material. The city of San Francisco, CA

has recently issued a contract for

the installation of a facility using

this technology.

I view these potential feed-

stocks as sustainable, economical,

and able to substantially augment fuel

production. Just the lipids present in

DDGS, mentioned above, and in MBM

potentially could provide more than 230

MMGY of new biodiesel annually.

Other Possibilities

In my own lab, as an addition to the

trap grease work we’ve conducted, we

have been looking in recent years at de-

veloping a method we call the in situ

transesterification for biodiesel produc-

tion.

In this method, lipid is not extracted

from a material before being converted

to biodiesel. Rather, biodiesel is made

from the lipid, while it lies in the raw

material in which nature synthesized it.

It then readily diffuses out to the sur-

rounding liquid.

We have used this approach to make

biodiesel in the lab from soybeans,

canola, and DDGS, and we’ve also

looked at corn germ itself, which is a

rich source of corn oil.

We also have used inedible peanut oil

for biodiesel production successfully us-

ing the in situ method.

The peanuts had been graded as in-

edible, because they had been contami-

nated by aflatoxin. These inedible pea-

nuts represents another affordable

source of oil for biodiesel production,

one that does not use an edible oil for

fuel production.

“To produce b iod iese l

from bonemeal seems to

be a good use of its lipid,

and I view it as a sustain-

able feedstock, as well.”

- Michael Haas

Response No. 811

80_81_Q+A_MikeHaas.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:03 AM3

The biodiesel currently is being used

as a fuel blend in the county’s fleet of

40 diesel vehicles.

“Part of what attracted the county to

the project is that even if the operation

is a wash financially, we are paying our

own workers to create fuel rather than

sending money out of the county to a

petroleum company,” said Project Man-

ager Ben Doon.

Plant History

The plant, which as of mid-

June was still in its final phases

of construction, was the brain-

child of County Commissioner Joe

Gallegos who took office in 2001 but is

no longer county commissioner.

Gallegos, who was a former petro-

leum industry engineer, was looking for

ideas to stimulate the rural economy of

Costilla County, which has approximately

3,600 people.

“Our county is very low-income,”

Doon said. “One thing people kept ask-

ing is because we are ag-based, what

about renewable energy supporting our

ag infrastructure?”


With a declining population and ag-

based economy, how does a county cre-

ate new jobs?

For Costilla County, CO, the answer

was to build a biodiesel plant.

The south central Colorado county

now is operating an integrated canola/

sunflower-crush and biodiesel plant pro-

ducing 300,000 gallons per year from

locally-grown feedstocks.

The county did a feasibility study, and

biodiesel rose to the top of the study

for two primary reasons:

• Feedstock are available due to the

long history of canola being raised in

the area.

“In this valley, canola was never grown

commercially, but it grows well,” Doon

said. “It loves our climate.”

• The county utilizes a large amount

of diesel fuel in its operations.

“Even with such a small population, the

Costilla County-Owned, Operated Plant Produces Fuel, Jobs

“Even with such a small

populat ion, the county

has large road mainte-

nance duties. In our re-

gion, we maintain more

roads than most larger

populated counties.”

- Ben Doon, Project Manager

Facility Feature

Costilla County Biodiesel

719-672-0320 |Mesita, CO

www.costillacounty-co.gov

Ben Doon, Project Manager

Dan Quintana, Chemist

Crestina Martinez, Business

Manager

Employees: 3 full-time, 2 part-time

Capacity: 300,000 gpy

Feedstock: Canola, sunflower

82_83_84_FF_Castilla_County_Biodiesel.pmd 6/10/2009, 9:56 AM2

county has large road maintenance duties.

In our region, we maintain more roads

than most larger populated counties.”

The vehicles utilize B40 blended at

the plant in cooler weather and B80 in

warmer weather, Doon said.

The plant is owned jointly by the

county government and a nonprofit

group—Costilla County Economic De-

velopment Council.

“It sure took some real political will,

especially early on, for the county board

keep the momentum going,” Doon said.

“Politics really played a big role when get-

ting permits. A lot of people didn’t like

government getting involved in business.”

The county-owned and operated biodie-

sel plant was funded from several sources

including a $150,000 U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development

Grant, $50,000 from the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), $25,000 from

the state energy office, $270,000 from the

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a

$35,000 USDA resource conservation ser-

vice grant, a $12,500 grant from the local

El Pomar private foundation, and a $4,500

grant from the Walcott family.

Construction on the plant began in 2003

but now is just being completed at a total

cost approximately $1 million, Doon said.

Fuel has been produced in small

amounts at the plant since 2006.

Construction Challenges

Rather than hire a construction firm,

the plant was designed and built by

county employees over the six-year con-

struction period.

“We are a totally integrated plant—

we take the seed crops and crush them

for processing into biodiesel,” Doon said.

“Every step in the process we had to

figure out on our own.”

According to Doon, equipment for

the plant came from all across the globe.

“That is part of the reason it took so

long to build the plant,” said Doon.

“For example, we had some bizarre

wiring,” he said. “For the crusher, the

manual was in Chinese. We had to fig-

ure out how to do it ourselves.”

Currently, the system is being oper-

ated without computer automation.

In the next phase, computer automa-

tion and other devices will be installed,

to make the operation more efficient,

Doon noted.

The crush will be automated, and

methanol recovery also will be automated.

“Once we get comfortable, we will

tie all the machines together and auto-

mate them,” Doon said.

Co-Products

Crude glycerin produced as a co-prod-


uct of the biodiesel process currently is

being stored for future use.

“Moving foward,” said Doon, “we

plan to replace propane as our fuel

source with the glycerin.”

Another co-product produced is

canola meal or sunflower meal, through

the crush operation.

“There are a lot of family farms here

with 20 to 50 head of cattle, horses, and

other livestock,” Doon said. “In the win-

ter, we can’t keep up with the demand.

Our biggest customers are the cattle folks

in the winter.”

According to Doon, the farmers come

to the plant to pick up the feed, and there

is no formal marketing operation associ-

ated with the feed.

“It’s just word of mouth,” he said.

Plant Storage Capacity

The plant’s storage capacity consists

of:

• A 1,500 gallon B100 tank.

• Outdoor fuel tanks that hold 4,000

gallons of B40 in the winter and B80 in

the summer.

“There’s not enough fuel being pro-

duced for the entire county fleet,” Doon

said.

The plant has no rail access, only

truck access, Doon noted. �

County worker Dave Guerra fuels a dump truck with B40. At present the

biodiesel fuel produced at the plant is utilized in the county’s diesel vehicles.

Lab Technician Wil l ie Medina

examines a fuel sample.


Marketing

All the plant’s fuel is being utilized for

county vehicles. According to Doon the plant

is not allowed to sell fuel to other users.

However, the El Pomar Foundation

is investigating privitization options for

the plant such as a non-profit, farmer

cooperative structure, which would al-

low it to market fuel to the public.

Lessons Learned

Doon said that despite the challenges

the county had in developing the plant,

it was a wise move.

“It took longer than we anticipated,”

Doon said. “The closest thing we had to

engineers were the electricians here. We

were doing everything from storing crops

to producing fuel.”

He said if the county had to do it

now, the plant would take half the time

to construct.

“The biodiesel is good quality, and the

feed meal is in high demand,” Doon said.

“We haven’t heard one word of com-

plaint from our drivers and mechanics

about biodiesel fuel in 2.5 years of use.”



The plant, piecemealed together by county employees from 2003 to 2009, is now

in operation. The next phase is to automate it, including the crush operation.

Response No. 841 Response No. 842


BioFue l s Jou r na l willpresent its second annualCommercial Ethanol Tech-nology and Research Work-

shop, Oct. 28-29 at the Best WesternRamkota Hotel & Conference Centerin Sioux Falls, SD.

Leading ethanol experts and research-ers will report on cutting-edge technol-ogy for both “bolt-on” systems for starch-based ethanol plants and advancedbiofuels technology for cellulosic ethanol.

The event starts Wednesday, Oct. 28,at noon with sessions presented atPOET’s headquarters. That night, the

conference moves to the Best Westernhotel for dinner and a keynote speechby POET’s President/CEO Jeff Broin.

Confirmed speakers for the first daysessions include:

• Panel discussion on fractionationfeaturing Buhler, CPT, Delta-T, MorTechnologies and the National Corn toEthanol Research Center.

• Corn oil extraction by GreenShift.On Thursday, Oct. 29, there will be

morning sessions held at the hotel, fea-turing talks:

• Second generation ethanol by ICM.• POET’s Project Liberty presented

by POET’s Vice President of Researchand Development Mark Stowers.

New to the workshop this year willbe a table-top trade show coordinated incooperation with the American Coalitionfor Ethanol (ACE). ACE’s Executive VicePresident Brian Jennings will present astate-of-the-industry address during thefirst afternoon session.

Registration

To register for the event, view theschedule and hotel accommodations, goto: w w w. b i o f u e l s j o u r n a l . c o m / b f j _

conference .html

Ethanol Tech Workshop


Second Annual BFJ Conference |Oct. 28-29 |Sioux Falls, SD

Response No. 852Response No. 851

85_BFJ Conference.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:03 PM3

At 33, Sawall is the youngest presi-

dent in the association’s history.

“We are extremely pleased and would like

to congratulate Hardy on his achievement,”

said Innovation Fuels CEO John Fox.

In early May, Innovation Fuels an-


Innovation Fuels Names Paul

Niznik Vice President of

Strategic Operations; Richard

Sawall President of Wisconsin

Biodiesel Association

Innovation Fuels, Albany, NY an-

nounced May 29 that Paul Niznik had

joined the firm as vice president of stra-

tegic operations, managing the New En-

gland market.

Niznik’s primary responsibility will be

leading the development of Innovation

Fuels’ new New Haven, CT terminal

which is scheduled to open in June 2009.

The New Haven terminal will fea-

ture barge, truck, vessel, and rail access

to 1.2 million gallons of heated biodiesel

fuel storage.

• In late May, Innovation Fuels Senior

Vice President of Midwest Operations Ri-

chard “Hardy” Sawall was named president

of the Wisconsin Biodiesel Association.

nounced it has begun selling biodiesel to

customers from its new Midwestern re-

newable fuels hub/Port of Milwaukee

terminal located on Lake Michigan.

PetroAlgae Appoints Three

Executives To Help Build

Support in Washington, DC

PetroAlgae, Melbourne, FL, in mid-

May appointed three executives to work

with the Obama administration, Con-

gress, non-profit groups, and the busi-

ness community on biofuels issues.

The three appointments are:

• Andrew Beck, vice president of pub-

lic affairs. Beck will manage the company’s

strategic communications, public out-

reach, and media relations operation. He

comes to the company from the U.S.

Department of Energy, where he served

as director of public affairs.

• Michael Gale, vice president of gov-

ernment relations. Gale will manage the

company’s interactions with government

officials, with a focus on energy, envi-

ronmental, tax, and national issues. He

previously worked as vice president for

international trade and government re-

lations at Warnaco Inc.

• George Lyons, vice president of gover-

nement relations.

Lyons will manage

Petro-Algae’s inter-

actions with gov-

ernment officials

with a focus on en-

ergy, tax, appropria-

tions, and state is-

sues. He most re-

cently served as

principal at the

Gumga Group.

Response No. 861

Biodiesel Industry News

Paul Niznik Richard Sawall

George Lyons

Andrew Beck Michael Gale

86_87_88_Biodiesel_Industry_News.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:44 AM2

Renewable Energy Group

Promotes Lischer To Treasurer

Renewable Energy Group, the Ames,

IA-based biodiesel producer and mar-

keter, announced May 4 that Natalie

Lischer has been promoted to the posi-

tion of treasurer.

Lischer will

oversee credit, in-

voicing, cash man-

agement, tax and

inventory, accounts

payable, and debt

banking relationships in her newly cre-

ated position.

Lischer, a certified public accountant,

formerly served as senior manager, cor-

porate finance and investment banking.

Lischer joined REG in 2007 after work-

ing as a senior consultant for Deloitte

Consulting in Kansas City, MO.

She has a bachelor’s degree from

Washington University, St. Louis, MO; a

master of accountancy from Truman

State University, Kirksville, MO, as well

as a bachelor’s degree in announting

from Truman State.

Wilks Enterprise Opens

West Coast Office to Focus

on Biodiesel Industry

Wilks Enterprise, Inc., Norwalk, CT,

announced May 6 the opening of a West

Coast applications and sales office.

The office, located in Boulder Creek,

CA (203-855-9136), will focus primarily

on expanding applications and products

for the biofuels marketplace and will be

under the direction of Wilks President

Sandra Rintoul.

“The biofuels marketplace is a rap-

idly growing industry, and so is the need

for analytical measurement techniques

to ensure product quality,” Rintoul said.

“Product quality begins at the produc-

tion facility and extends to the final burn

in the engine.”

PetroSun Names James

Robinson President

Scottsdale, AZ-based PetroSun, Inc.

announced June 9 that it had hired James

Robinson as its new president.

Robinson comes to PetroSun from

the Gideon Group, a management con-

sulting firm that helps early-stage com-

panies access capital and grow their

business.

"I am pleased to welcome Jim to the

PetroSun team," Gordon LeBlanc, Jr.,

PetroSun CEO said. "He is uniquely

qualified to help PetroSun at this critical

point in our evolution as we seek to com-

mercialize our algae-to-biofuel opera-

tions."

According to LeBlanc, Robinson has

worked with firms since 1989 to help them

access millions of dollars in startup/ex-

pansion capital and develop their business.

"I am excited to use this knowledge

that I have accumulated over twenty

years in helping firms like PetroSun take

their business to the next level," said

Robinson.

Robinson has an MBA from the

Sloan School of Management at MIT

and is an Adjunct Professor of Finance

and Marketing at Argosy University,

Phoenix, AZ.

Compiled from news sources by



Response No. 872

Response No. 871

86_87_88_Biodiesel_Industry_News.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:45 AM3

Kuzhiyil, is that it is not biodegradable,

so it normally winds up in landfills, where

it has low density, so it takes up large

amounts of space.

“Our research has found that biodiesel

is a very good solvent when it comes to

polystyrene,” Kuzhiyil said. “At room tem-

perature, the styrene will dissolve with a

little bit of agitation. Basically, biodiesel is

a good solution to get rid of polystyrene.”

Finding Right Mix

Kuzhiyil’s research involved finding the

optimum level of polystyrene to be added

to the fuel and what impact, if any, it

Plastic Biodiesel


A researcher at Iowa State Univer-

sity (ISU) may have found a unique way

to dispose of the foam-like plastic poly-

styrene—add it to biodiesel.

Najeeb Kuzhiyil, a graduate student at

ISU, Ames ([email protected]), work-

ing under Dr. Song-Charng Kong, has

found after a year of research that poly-

styrene can be blended into biodiesel up

to an optimum level of 5%.

Polystyrene is a thermoplastic sub-

stance used in disposable cutlery, foam

drink cups, insulation, and packing ma-

terials.

The problem with polystyrene, said

would have on engines.

A John Deere diesel tractor engine

was tested in a stationary format inside

a building.

“We first tried mixing in between 1%

and 20% polystyrene,” he said. “We

found 5% to be the optimum level and

still provide a little bit of increase in

BTUs.”

“The polystyrene also advanced the

timing of the engine,” he said.

To mitigate nitrous oxide emissions,

adjusting the timing on the engine worked

well, he added.


Researcher Adds Polystyrene to Biodiesel To Eliminate Waste

88_Plastic_Biodiesel.pmd 6/11/2009, 8:47 AM2

With more than 100 presentations grouped by feedstock rather

than by process technology, the 2009 International Biomass Con-

ference & Expo, April 28-29, in Portland, OR, managed to grow

in its second year, despite the downturned economy.

More than 1,025 people attended the conference, at least 100

more than the first biomass conference held last year in Minne-

apolis, MN. There were 130 exhibitors, slightly more than in 2008.

Feedstock Focus

“We decided that since biomass is so diverse, the common

thread for each track had to be the industrial feedstock sector

that each particular form of biomass falls into,” said Tom

Bryan, vice president of content and communications for BBI

International, the conference organizer.

“This allowed feedstock processors and industrial waste

generators to learn about various technologies within their par-

ticular space. We created six different tracks that focused on

specific technologies and solutions for each energy crop and

waste generation sector.”

Tracks were crop residues, dedicated energy crops, forest

and wood processing residues, livestock and poultry wastes,

municipal solid waste and urban waste and landfill gas, and

food processing residues.

The event will return to Minneapolis, May 4-6, 2010.

Biomass

Conference


1,025 Attend Event in Portland

Focusing on Feedstocks

Mike Bryan, BBI International president, introduces the

2009 Biomass event held in Portland, OR.

Alabama

Sterne Agee & Leach, Birmingham, AL, said

April 21 it will provide investment banking and

underwriting services for Gulf Coast Energy’s

new ethanol plant in Livingston.

The plant will produce 10 million gallons

(MMGY) of ethanol utilizing wood waste from

the neighboring city of Hoover.

Massachusetts

Qteros, formerly Sun Ethanol, announced

plans in April to build a small cellulosic pilot

plant at the Indian Orchard property in Solutia,

MA. In addition, the company has proposed to build a full-

scale microbe manufacturing center in Solutia.

A full-scale plant is planned to be built in 2010, once

funding is in place. The future of the full-scale plant de-

pends on state support to help obtain an $18 million grant

from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mississippi

Montreal, QC-based Enerkem Inc. announced plans

in March to build a $250 million plant in Pontotoc, MS to

turn solid waste, wood chips, and other biomass feed-

stocks into 40 million liters of cellulosic ethanol per

year.

Vincent Chornet, president and CEO of Enerkem, said the

company has applied for a $200 million U.S. Department of

Energy loan.

The Mississippi project is expected to create 150 direct

jobs, 300 jobs during the construction and startup phase.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's provincial government inked a

non-binding letter of intent on June 2 with Domtar,

owner of a pulp mill in Prince Albert, SK, and Iogen,

an Ottawa, ON enzyme manufacturer, for a pro-

posed cellulosic ethanol and bioenergy facility.

The proposed plant will utilize local farmer’s cereal straw.

Compiled f r om news sour ces by Adam Tedder,

assoc iate edi tor

Breaking

Ground

Update on U.S. Cellulosic

Ethanol Plant Development

89_Biomass_Conference_Breaking_Ground.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:05 AM3

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90_91_Cellulose_Map_List.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:31 AM2


90_91_Cellulose_Map_List.pmd 6/12/2009, 11:11 AM3

According to Goodfellow, the solids,

which are char and sand, move to the

top of the reactor then are transferred to

the reheater where the char is ignited to

reheat the sand. Gas, for the most part, is

condensed into a liquid, i.e. pyrolysis oil.

Pyrolysis oil is upgraded through hy-

dro-treating into bio-crude, which then

is refined in existing fossil fuel refining

infrastructure into green gasoline, green

diesel, and green jet fuel.

Applications

The application of these technolo-

gies—pyrolysis to make the pyrolysis oil

and then hydrotreating to make bio-

crude—allows refiners to reduce the car-

bon footprint of their fuels.

Furthermore, Goodfellow said, pyroly-

sis oil can be less expensive than petroleum.

“In a study done by the Department

Green Crude Oil


A new joint venture—called

Envergent Technologies, LLC—an-

nounced March 24 it is licensing Ensyn

Corp.’s Rapid Thermal Processing

(RTP)TM

technology to produce pyroly-

sis oil from biomass.

Ensyn’s pyrolysis oil currently is used for

the production of specialty chemicals, as

well as to produce heat in boilers and fur-

naces and to generate electricity in turbines.

The collaboration between UOP, a

subsidiary of Honeywell, and Ensyn

Corp. will continue to conduct research

on further refining pyrolysis oil into fu-

els such as green gasoline, green diesel,

and green jet fuel.

The Process

RTP is a thermal process that occurs

in the absence of oxygen, in less than

two seconds. Biomass such as wood chips

or agricultural residues are converted, at

ambient pressure, into a high-yield, liq-

uid pyrolysis oil.

“The process utilizes a circulating

transported bed reactor system similar

to that used in the UOP Fluid Catalytic

Cracking (FCC) technology,” said Randal

Goodfellow, senior vice president at

Ensyn Technologies, Ottawa, ON (613-

248-2257, ext. 138).

According to Goodfellow, to begin the

process, sand is heated to 700 degrees

Celsius in the reheater. It then is intro-

duced into the pyrolysis reactor, and a

gas is blown upward from below where

the sand is introduced. This creates a

whirlwind of hot sand.

“Biomass is introduced into the whirl-

wind of sand,” Goodfellow explained.

“The sand and biomass hit each other, and

the heat transfers from the sand to the

biomass, instantly vaporizing the biomass.”

There are two categories of products

produced in the pyrolysis reactor—sol-

ids and gas.

of Energy in 2006, petro diesel was com-

pared with biodiesel and green diesel,”

Goodfellow said.

“Green diesel was competitive at $50

a barrel of petroleum crude, with $50

per ton feedstock,” said Goodfellow.

He said the DOE study also did not

take into account cap and trade for car-

bon emissions.

“With cap and trade, there has to be a

3% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

by 2012 and 20% by 2020. All of a sud-

den, there will be a cost for carbon, thus

there will be an additional economic ben-

efit for the producers of these fuels.”

Experience With Pyrolysis

According to Goodfellow, Ensyn has

designed and operated eight RTP units

since 1989 that use a variety of biomass

feedstocks and have shown on-stream

reliability.

Its newest unit in Renfrew, ON, can

process up to 100 metric tons per day

of dry biomass.

UOP brings almost 100 years of ex-

perience in process development, engi-

neering and equipment supply chain in

the petrochemical refinery business.

Goodfellow said Envergent Technolo-

gies is generating interest in projects in

the forestry and agricultural sectors, as

well as the electrical generation industry.

Pyrolysis Oil Technology Provides Feedstock for Biofuels

“Green diesel was com-

petitive at $50 a barrel of

petroleum crude with $50

per ton feedstock.”

- Randal Goodfellow, senior vice

president, Ensyn Technologies

Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP)TM

converts biomass into pyrolysis oil.

92_Green_Crude.pmd 6/10/2009, 9:47 AM2

Instead of pumping carbon dioxide

(CO2) into the atmosphere, ethanol plants

in the future may convert it to formic acid,

a building block for other chemicals such

as pharmaceuticals or replacements for

hydrochloric acid in the steel industry.

Mantra Venture Group, Vancouver,

BC, Canada, is developing technology

that recycles CO2 and converts it elec-

trochemically into formic acid, accord-

ing to CEO Larry Kristof (888-736-

5752/www.mantraener g y.com).

“CO2 is a challenging thing to reduce

or get rid of,” Kristof said. “We offer a

system that essentially recycles CO2 into

a profitable co-product.”

Kristof said his company’s process to

produce formic acid from CO2 could cre-

ate several new potential revenue streams

for ethanol plants—such as formic acid

for the steel, pulp and paper, rubber, and

pharmaceutical industries.

Because this is an electrochemical pro-

cess, Kristof noted, it requires electric-

ity, which already is being generated at

an ethanol plant.

“The idea is to produce an ethanol prod-

uct, capture the CO2, and make formic acid

with an internal electrical feed,” he said.

Mantra’s Process

Mantra’s technology works by pump-

ing electrical current into a water and

CO2 solution.

“We clean up a portion of the CO2

then produce a product that essentially

replaces hydrochloric acid with formic

acid,” Kristof said.

“One by-product of the process is pure

oxygen and there are trace amounts of

hydrogen,” he continued. “What’s also

advantageous is this system will produce

a ton of formic acic on 6 megawatts of

electricity per hour,” he said.

He suggests that a lignin co-product

at a cellulosic plant or crop residue/bio-

mass could be combusted to produce

the electricity if there is not enough avail-

able after the ethanol process is done.

“Once we get into serious conversations

with ethanol producers about incorporat-

ing this system into their plants, it could make

for a very interesting opportunity,” he said.

Possible Co-Products

One scenario Kristof envisions could

be a second plant “bolted” onto an ex-

isting ethanol plant to take advantage of

the ethanol plant’s CO2.

The CO2 would be the second plant’s

feedstock for many chemical products.

Formic acid itself, produced from

CO2, can be utilized in the steel industry

to replace hydrochloric acid, Kristof said.

He said formic acid is safer and less

expensive.

Formic acid from CO2 has a variety

of uses:

• Animal feed sterilizer replacing

antiobiotics.

• Rubber processing.

• Solvents (cleaning products).

• Pulp and paper chemicals.

• De-icing of runways.

• Pharmaceuticals.

• Leather treatments.

Next Step

Mantra, which formed in 2007, is

scheduled to build its first commercial

demonstration plant next year, Kristof

said. “We are working and partnering

with different industries to adopt this new

technology,” Kristof said.

New CO2 Co-Products


Ethanol Plants May Have New Products To Sell

“The idea is to produce an

ethanol product, capture

the CO2, and make formic

acid with an internal

electrical feed.”

- Larry Kristof, CEO,

Mantra Venture Group

93_New_CO2_Co-products.pmd 6/11/2009, 4:03 PM3

Synthesis Gas Ethanol


Ten years after commencing research

on how microbes can ferment syngas

into ethanol, Brigham Young University

(BYU) researcher Dr. Randy Lewis con-

tinues to move closer to optimizing the

process.

Thermobiological conversion of bio-

mass to synthesis gas, also called syngas,

is created by breaking down biomass into

three basic elements—hydrogen, carbon

dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide

(CO).

Lewis, a professor of chemical engi-

neering at BYU, Provo, UT (801-422-

7863), has been researching microbes

that will ferment syngas into ethanol

since 1999.

Creating Syngas

The thermobiological process is a dif-

ferent approach to producing cellulosic

ethanol from the more commonly used

technology refered to as dilute acid hy-

drolyses.

In the hydrolyses process, enzymes

are utilized to break down biomass and

separate the carbohydrates or sugars, so

that the sugars can be fermented into

ethanol.

In the thermobiological process, the

biomass is broken down with heat and

pressure into the basic elements that

Research Continues on Thermobiological Cellulosic Ethanol

Student Dila Banjade (left) and Dr. Randy Lewis work with a synthesis gas reactor

in a Brigham Young University research lab.

Response No. 941

“We are utilizing the mi-

crobe clostridium bacte-

ria as the catalyst. When

the cel l s qu i t growing,

they are pr imar i ly an

ethanol producer.”

- Randy Lewis, BYU Professor

94_95_Synthesis_Gas.pmd 6/11/2009, 1:57 PM2

make up syngas.

“In this process, once you produce

the syngas, then it is fermented just

like in a sugar platform—utilized in

conventional starch-based ethanol

plants,” Lewis said.

“Basically, the microbes utilize hydro-

gen, CO2, and CO to make such fuels as

ethanol and butanol.”

P11 Microbe Catalyst

“We are uti l izing the microbe

clostridium bacteria as the catalyst,”

Lewis explained. “The microbe we dis-

covered has no name yet. We call it

P11.”

P11 was discovered in ponds in Okla-

homa by Microbiologist Ralph Tanner

of the University of Oklahoma,

Norman.

P11 can operate at low temperatures

and pressures, so it will not take as

much energy to produce ethanol, Lewis

noted.

P11 primarily produces acetic acid

during cell growth, he said.

“When the cells quit growing, they are

primarily an ethanol producer,” he

added.

He said there is more research still

to be accomplished on the P11 microbe.

Licensed to Coskata

The lab research, which started at

the University of Oklahoma in 1999,

was licensed two years ago to Coskata,

thermochemical ethanol producer

startup company based in Warrenville,

IL.

Coskata plans on showcasing the

feedstock-flexible process at its semi-

scale plant starting up in Madison, PA.

Next Research Step

In addition to the microbe develop-

ment, BYU is continuing research on its

existing bioreactor design to convert bio-

mass to syngas.

Lewis is also researching the quality

of the syngas, along with how different

concentrations of CO affect the bio-

logical process. Research continues in

collaboration with Oklahoma Univer-

sity and Oklahoma State University,

Stillwater.

Funding includes an $800,000-to-

$1 million-a-year grant from the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, plus fund-

ing from Coskata ($1 million), and

from the Sun Grant Init iat ive

($250,000).



Response No. 951

“In this process it is fer-

mented just like in a sugar

platform—utilized in con-

vent ional starch-based

ethanol plants. The mi-

crobes util ize hydrogen,

carbon dioxide, and car-

bon monoxide to make

ethanol.”

- Randy Lewis, BYU Professor,

syngas researcher

94_95_Synthesis_Gas.pmd 6/11/2009, 1:57 PM3

Mike Althouse joined MAC Equipment, Inc.

in 1976 as a welding/shipping supervisor. In

2000, Althouse, who attended Barton County

Community College in southeast Kansas, was named

director of filtration.

He enjoys spend-

ing free time with his

grandchildren, work-

ing on muscle cars,

and golfing.

Michael AlthouseDirector of Filtration

MAC Equipment, Inc.

Kansas City, MO

800-821-2476

www.macequipment.com

Company History

MAC was founded in Sabetha, KS in 1969, by entrepre-

neur Gary McDaniel, manufacturing filtration products pri-

marily for the grain industry.

Through acquisitions and mergers, MAC has developed

into the largest U.S. supplier of dust collection, pneumatic con-

veying, and pneumatic injection expertise and equipment.

In April 2007, Clyde Process Solutions plc acquired MAC

Equipment, allowing for a global presence for both MAC and

Clyde technologies. We hosted a 40th Anniversary celebration

in June, which coincides with the opening of our new test lab

in Kansas City, MO.

Product Line

We have maintained an active role in developing new filtra-

tion and pneumatic conveying technology tailored to the biofuels

and grain processing markets, such as the Model MCF and

MPJ baghouses.

Both products were designed with energy conservation in

mind and—considering the narrow margins that many biofuel

plants operate at—it makes sense to use equipment that will

provide the lowest cost of operations, while providing the low-

est emissions of any filtration technology on the market.

Low pressure filter bag cleaning technology is the primary

product we offer—available in the MCF and MPJ filter mod-

els. Not only is the cost to operate these filters much less than

traditional high-pressure pulse jet filters, but they operate effi-

ciently in colder climates.

The medium pressure units are not susceptible to cold

weather freezeups, which significantly reduces downtime and

maintenance.

Industry Outlook

As the ethanol industry is moving from corn to cellulosic

feedstocks, the diversity of our experience can be brought to

bear to determine the most cost-effective method to move the

product throughout the plant and further reduce emissions.


Supplier Q & A


Response No. 961

96_SupQ+A_MikeAlthouse.pmd 6/12/2009, 9:04 AM2


Supplier Q & A

Craig Pilgrim joined Lallemand Ethanol in 2007 as the glo-

bal marketing and product development manager. He graduated

from Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, IA in 1990 with a

bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry.

Pilgrim enjoys reading, golfing , and kayaking.

Company History

Lallemand Ethanol Technology,

formed in Milwaukee, WI in 2004, is a

unit of Lallemand Inc., the Canada-based

yeast and bacteria producer.

Lallemand got into the biofuels industry because yeast and

fermentation ingredients are the company’s core competen-

cies. We saw a growing market and decided to create value

with both its product range and service to the industry.

Lallemand supplies fermentation ingredients—yeast, yeast

nutrients, and antimicrobials—and value-creating services —

education and on site technical support—to both the fuel etha-

nol and beverage distilling industries.

Product Line

There are two important things we do.

One, we provide a full product line that

includes two unique yeast formats. Our

main product is called Thermosacc®. It is

a cake yeast, which results in a quicker

start to fermentation due to lack of rehy-

dration time. The other product is called

Stabilized Liquid Yeast. It is a unique fresh

yeast product with a three-month shelf

life and can be dosed automatically, be-

cause it is a liquid. It has superior vitality

and viability for faster ethanol production.

Our Midwest locations allow us to pro-

duce and deliver the highest quality and

freshest yeasts to the market.

The second important thing we do is

educational services. Our value-creating

approach is built upon a team of experi-

enced technical sales and service professionals

who serve as consultants to alcohol plant staff,

identifying specific needs and providing targeted

products, training, troubleshooting, and labora-

tory services.

Our educational arm, the Ethanol Technology

Institute, conducts The Alcohol School, The Opera-

tors’ School and publishes “The Alcohol Textbook”.

This textbook is a preeminent reference for fuel,

distilled beverage, and industrial alcohol producers.

Industry Outlook

The trend in the industry is to get more yield

out of what is put into the fermenter. Through

our products and knowledge, we have been able

to successfully achieve more yield and through-

put in numerous facilities. In this age of eco-

nomic hardship, every dollar counts.

Craig PilgrimGlobal Marketing and Product Development Manager

Lallemand Ethanol Technology

Milwaukee, WI

800-583-6484

www.ethanoltech.com

Response No. 971

97_SupQ+A_Craig_Pilgrim.pmd 6/12/2009, 10:35 AM3

Howie Nelson joined SGS North America Inc.

in 2005. In his first two years, he was an agricul-

tural supply chain manager and currently is busi-

ness development manager in alternative fuels.

Nelson, a 17-year seed industr y veteran, re-

ceived his bachelor’s degr ee in agronomy and

plant genetics at the University of Minnesota,

St. Paul.

He enjoys Christian missions, cross countr y

motorcyling on his Honda Goldwing , and golf .

Howie NelsonBusiness Development Manager, Alternative Fuels

SGS North America Inc.

Lakeville, MN

952-892-6372

www.sgs.com/alternativefuels

Company History

SGS was founded in

France in 1878 and is an

inspection, verification, test-

ing, and certification company. We are the preferred international

partner for those involved in the fields of energy, trading, and

commodities. We employ more than 55,000 employees in a net-

work of more than 1,000 offices and laboratories around the world.

We assist customers worldwide throughout the energy value

chain by providing numerous services to the biofuels industry through

10 different business lines.

Our traditional field inspections and laboratory services have

been offered by our Oil Gas & Chemicals (OGC) business line for

many years. OGC has over 34 ISO 9001:2000-certified analytical

laboratories in the United States backed by a global network of

over 125 SGS group affiliates internationally.

Complete Services

Our role is to interact within the biofuels industry and uncover

any business needs for companies, investors, operators, traders, and

owners. Recently, sustainability reporting has become a key market

for the Environmental Services Business line at SGS. Our climate

change experts are helping companies deal with newly developing

carbon reduction requirements.

We also are helping ethanol and biodiesel plants by operating the

laboratory on-site as an independent third party. Our SSC business

line provides various ISO, HACCP, and OHSAS audits, training,

and certification for producers.

Our newly developed biomass technology utilizes our SGS min-

erals business line for energy content and quality analysis. Our agri-

culture business unit now is providing DDGs quality analysis in a

new lab in Brookings, SD for traders, brokers, producers, and inter-

national buyers of DDGs.

Industry Outlook

As the biofuels industry continues to grow, SGS is posi-

tioned to help companies maximize their returns while demon-

strating increased sustainability.

Supplier Q & A


Response No. 981

98_SupQ+A_HowieNelson.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:11 PM2


Cereal Process Technolo-

gies’ (CPT) MarketFlexTM

frac-

tionation process gives ethanol

producers more flexibility to

meet commodity market vola-

tility, according to CPT Mar-

keting Director Reg Ankrom.

Ankrom said MarketFlex enables pro-

ducers using CPT’s patented fraction-

ation technology to “dial in” the compo-

sitions of fractions that the market val-

ues most at any given time “to help the

producer meet margins and assure his

operation’s sustainability.”

Product Flexibility

According to Ankrom, ethanol pro-

ducers who look to fractionation to dif-

ferentiate themselves in the market no

longer are limited to fixed compositions

in the streams used to make their prod-

ucts and co-products.

“We’ve proven in large-scale commer-

cial operation the ability to mill more starch

when the market makes ethanol the more

MarketFlexTM

Cereal Process

Technologies (CPT)

877-851-4606

Overland Park, KS

www.cerealprocess.com

attractive product or corn germ

when the market makes its value

more attractive,” said Ankrom.

He said that along with the

flexibility to vary the kernel’s

fractioned streams, CPT had es-

tablished flexible guarantees for

the performance of its patented milling sys-

tem for the recovery and the corn kernel’s

starch and germ.

“When the producer finds ethanol the

more valuable product in the market and

wants to mill for fermentable starch, we

will guarantee yields of 96% of the kernel’s

starch and 53% of its oil,” Ankrom said.

“When oil is valued more, CPT’s

milling can be adjusted and we will guar-

antee 70% recovery of the kernel’s oil

and 92% starch recovery.”

The milling advantages of Market-

Flex can be achieved in minutes, Ankrom

said, with no interruption in the fraction-

ation or ethanol plants.

Product Review

Response No. 991 • See ad p. 49

Mechanical Solutions, a mechanical

contractor, offers mechanical, technical,

and repair/troubleshooting services to

the biofuels industry.

According to President Cory Peter-

son, Mechanical Solutions takes pride in

its work.

“Our name goes on the job once it is

completed,” Peterson said. “We have to

produce a quality product.”

The types of services offered include:

• Maintenance support.

• Projects management.

• New equipment installation.

• Routine repairs.

• Emergency support.

• Shutdown crews to assist spring and

fall repairs.

• Preventive maintenance.

• Laser Alignments.

• Millwright work.

• Equipment troubleshooting.

“We work with a close network of

companies to provide one-on-one for

parts or support of speciality areas, so

the customer does not have to hassle with

these in times of need,” Peterson said.

“We pride ourselves on quality and

safety during a job,” Peterson said.

Mechanical Solutions started in early

2008, catering to the ethanol industry.

The company’s three owners—Peterson,

Chris Johnson, and Josh Baker—have

30 years of combined experience in the

mechanical and electrical fields.

The company employs people hav-

ing more than 40 total years of experi-

ence in mechanical and electrical back-

grounds.

The Humboldt, IA-based company

works primarily in the Midwest in the

biofuels industry.

Service Review

Response No. 992

Mechanical

Solutions515-332-7035

Humboldt, IA

www.mecsol.com

99_PR_CPT_PR_Mechanical Sol.pmd 6/8/2009, 1:59 PM3


Service Review

Butterworth, based in Houston, TX,

is not only the oldest tank cleaning ma-

chine manufacturer in the world, but it

manufactures a range of tank cleaning

machines that can clean tanks of all sizes

within all industry systems automicially..

“Our tank cleaning equipment can re-

duce the amount of water the plant is

using for clean-in-process (CIP) and in-

crease the availability of the tanks,” said

National Sales Manager Mark Murphy.

“In other words, the plant gets the

job done faster,” he added.

Features

Murphy said that Butterworth ma-

chines have a technology that provides

a focused stream before it leaves the

machine, thereby increasing the clean-

ing radius.

“This allows us to have a machine

much smaller than competitors, 10 to

20 lbs. lighter and up to 11 inches shorter

in length,” he said.

Tank

Cleaning

MachinesButterworth, Inc.

281-821-7300

Houston, TX

www.butterworth.com

Features include:

• Radius of up to 115 feet to clean a

tank up to 230 feet in diameter and up

to 230 feet tall.

• Pressures range from 30 to 300 lbs.

Average ethanol and biodiesel plants uti-

lize pressures of 100 to 150 lbs.

In addition, Murphy said Butterworth

can offer studies for future technology

applications—such as cellulosic etha-

nol—to make sure the machines are

correct for the vessels utilized in the pro-

cess, accounting for such factors as in-

ternal heat coils, mixers, and side baffles.

Butterworth has been supplying the

ethanol industry with cleaning machines

since the industry start in the early 1980s

and is a global company selling to both

biofuels plants and contractors.

Product Review

Response No. 1001

Burns and McDonnell

Engineering Co. offers

project development services

for renewable energy and

biofuel plants.

“We are always at the

forefront looking for solutions or tech-

nologies that are available,” said Robert

Healy, senior manager of renewables.

For example, the company currently

is working with a team to develop a pilot

scale (one metric ton of carbon dioxide

per day) algae to biodiesel plant to de-

termine commercial feasibility.

“Developers or clients come with cer-

tain strengths,” Healy said. “If they are

strong in up-front analysis, we do pre-

liminary conceptual design. We bring our

strengths to complement the strengths

of our clients.”

Burns and McDonnell, based in Kan-

sas City, MO, has been doing power and

civil engineering work since

the company’s inception in

1898. The company has

been designing and building

grain and biofuel facilities

since 1977.

Services Offered

The broad, multidisciplinary staff of

Burns & McDonnell provides the fol-

lowing services:

• Engineering.

• Architecture.

• Construction.

• Economic planning.

• Environmental.

• Energy audits.

• Studies and surveying.

• Business and site planning.

• Financial project analysis.

Burns &

McDonnell

Engineering

Co.816-822-3384

Kansas City, MO

www.burnsmcd.com Response No. 1002 • See ad on p. 87

100_PR_Butterworth_PR_Burns&McDonnell.pmd 6/11/2009, 3:02 PM2


Aldon Company, a 105-year old

manufacturer of railway safety products,

has made two improvements in its por-

table derail.

Aldon’s new SaberTooth® portable

derail features tool-free installation and

a patented hooking tie brace, which pre-

vents the derail from sliding down the

rail during derailment.

“‘Tool-free’ means no wrenches are

needed to install our SaberTooth derail,”

said President Joe Ornig. “We provide

four stainless steel thumbscrews to keep

the derail from rolling sideways or lift-

ing up as the wheels pass over it. This

makes installation and removal of the

derail really easy.”

The second new feature of the

SaberTooth derail takes its inspiration

from the long-fanged prehistoric tiger that

once roamed throughout California.

“In our field tests, we found that on

Improved

Portable

DerailAldon Company, Inc.

847-623-8800

Waukegan, IL

www.aldonco.com

taller rail, a derail’s notched tie brace

could slip off a tie plate during a

derailment. To prevent the derail

from slipping, we reinforced our tie

brace and added a curved hook at

the bottom,” said Ornig.

“The hook will bite into the tie in the

event the notch slips off the tie plate.

The lower part of our tie brace remains

trapped between two ties,” he said.

Specifications

• Low 2.75-inch profile above the top

of the rail.

• 35-pound weight.

• Fits 90-to-141-pound-per-yard rails.

• Can be padlocked to the rail.

Product Review

Response No. 1011 • See ads on p. 3/24/35

The Wilks InfraSpec VFA-IR spec-

trometer allows a lab technician to test

biofuels in the field or in the lab.

The VFA-IR is a portable, easy-to-

use, fast (within one minute), and rea-

sonably-priced spectrometer, accord-

ing to President Sandy Rintoul.

Wilks Enterprise, Inc., based in

South Norwalk, CT, has been devel-

oping and manufacturing infrared ana-

lytical instrumentation for specific ap-

plications and on-site analysis since

1995.

Applications for the VFA-IR in the

biofuels arena include testing blends

of biofuels at blender or retailer sites

and checking biodiesel for glycerides

during production.

“We can also do pretests on feed-

stocks for biodiesel,” Rintoul said. “And

we can check for ethanol in water.”

According to Rintoul, the VFA-IR

can check blends on-site with an accu-

racy of +/-0.02%.

InfraSpec

VFA-IR

SpectrometerWilks Enterprise, Inc.

203-855-9136

South Norwalk, CT

www.wilksir.com

Wilks entered the biofuels industry

when biofuels blends were mandated

in 2005.

Features

Features of the InfraSpec VFA-IR

spectrometer include:

• Qualitative or in quantitative

biofuels measurements.

• For use in labs or in the field.

• Measurement results in one

minute.

• Proven technology for dependable,

accurate measurements.

• Biofuels blend measurements.

• Biofuels production measure-

ments.

Product Review

Response No. 1012 • See ads on p. 57/59

101_PR_Aldon_PR_Wilks.pmd 6/8/2009, 1:59 PM3


Consulting/Environmental

Burns & McDonnell

Environmental Consultants | 816-822-3384

• Engineering and construction.

• Waste consultants.

• Environmental services.

No. 1021 | www.burnsmcd.com | See ad on p. 87

ADI Systems Inc.

Wastewater Treatment Systems | 603-893-2134

• Ethanol and biodiesel plant wastewater treatment

systems.

• Water reuse/reclamation.

• Thin/whole stillage and manure digestion.

• Biogas recovery and utilization systems.

• Bio-methanators.

• Membrane technologies.

• Turnkey systems.

No. 1023 | www.adisystemsinc.com | See ad on p. 54

Wastewater Treatment

Burns & McDonnell

Water Infrastructure | 816-822-4373

• Master planning.

• Water resources & supply.

• Pumping & storage.

• Water treatment design.

• Distribution.

• Water security.

• Industrial wastewater.

• Municipal wastewater.

• Collection systems.

• I/I & SSO evaluation.

• Pump stations.

• Residual management.

No. 1022 | www.burnsmcd.com | See ad on p. 87

Water Treatment

102_Product Surveys.pmd 6/11/2009, 9:35 AM2

FAX us this page to get more information on the advertisers,

featured products, or companies from this issue of BioFuels Journal.

Name:____________________________________________________________________________________

Title:___________________________________________________________________________________________

Company:______________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________

City:_________________________________ State:____________________ Zip Code:______________

Phone: _____________________________________ FAX:______________________________________

Type of Facility:________________________________________________________________________

E-Mail:________________________________________________________________________________

WRITE RESPONSE NUMBERS IN BOXES BELOW • FAX TO 217-877-6647

UPON COMPLETION, FAX TO 217-877-6647

BFJ MAY/JUNE 09Reader Response Card

American Coalition

for Ethanol

www.ethanol.org

Canadian Renewable

Fuels Association

www.greenfuels.org


103_RRCard.pmd 6/8/2009, 2:17 PM3

Ad Index

ADI Systems Inc. . . . . . 54

AGRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

AGRI-associates Inc. . 87

The Aldon

Company . . . . . . 3, 24, 35

ATEC Steel

Fabrication . . . . . . . . . 53

Behlen Mfg. Co. . . . . . 37

Bliss Industries LLC . . . . 14

BM&M Screening

Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Brock Grain Systems . . 39

Brown Tank LLC . . . . . . 36

Burns & McDonnell . . . 87

Calbrandt Inc. . . . . . . 38

Carver, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 43

Cereal Process

Technologies . . . . . . . . 49

CompuWeigh Corp. . 4, 5

CPM/Roskamp

Champion . . . . . . . . . . 66

dbc Smart Software . . 13

De Smet Technologies . 2

DynaTek/Manierre . . . 95

E3 Energy

Partners LLC. . . . . . . . . 48

Flottweg Separation . . 56

GEA Barr-Rosin . . . . . . . 26

Hi Roller Conveyors . . . 84

Hydro-Klean Inc. . . . . . 25

Indeck Power

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 55

The Interstates

Companies . . . . . . . . . 42

John Deere

Agri Services . . . . . . . . 85

KC Supply Co. Inc. . . . 85

Laidig Systems Inc. . . . 81

Lallemand Ethanol

Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Larson Engineering . . . 71

LeMar Industries . . 21, 27

Lemke Industrial

Machine. . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Maas Companies . . . . 97

MAC Equipment . . . . . . 7

Marshall Gerstein

& Borun LLD . . . . . . . . . 62

Martrex Inc. . . . . . . . . . 16

Midwest Towers Inc. . . 72

Perten Instruments . . . 47

Petroleum

Equipment Inc. . . . . . . 29

Pittsburg Tank

& Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Power-Serv Inc. . . . . . . 98

Pro-Environmental Inc. 41

Process Baron . . . . . . . 52


Process Control

Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Proquip Inc. . . . . . . . . . 70

RBH Mill & Elevator

Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Rosedale

Products Inc. . . . . . . . . 67

Schlagel Inc. . . . . . . . 106

SGS North

America Inc. . . . . . . . . 18

Siemens Energy

& Automation . . . . . . . 19

Sulzer Chemtech USA . 79

Trackmobile . . . . . . . . . 84

TRAMCO Inc. . . . . . . . 28

TranSystems . . . . . . . . . 44

Union Iron Inc. . . . . . . . 11

Van Sickle Allen

& Associates . . . . . . . . 94

Victory Energy

Operation . . . . . . . 17, 65

Volkmann Railroad

Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Warrior Mfg. LLC . . . . . 73

Wilks

Enterprises Inc. . . . 57, 59

Winbco Tank

Company . . . . . . . . . . 105

130_AdIndex_online.pmd 6/23/2009, 1:10 PM2

Response No. 1311

131_Winbco_FullPage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:58 AM2

Response No. 1321

132_Schlagel_Fullpage.pmd 6/9/2009, 9:59 AM2

biofuels journal - 05 jun 2009

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