Biofuels thread

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Sales of Neste MY Renewable Diesel expands to Neste Truck stations for heavy vehicles in Finland

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/01 ... neste.html

. . . The product enables up to 90% lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of the fuel compared to conventional fossil diesel. . . .

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is available from the six Neste Truck stations in January 2017; this will expand in stages to four more.

[GRA]

Via gCC:

Lux Research forecasts global biofuels output to rise to 67B GPY in 2022; advanced biofuels will nearly double to 9.6B GPY

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/02 ... 4-lux.html

. . . The report, titled “Biofuels Outlook 2022: The Dawn of a New Era in Global Biofuel Capacity Expansion,” is part of the Lux Research Alternative Fuels Intelligence service. Lux Research analysts quantified the commercial deployment of new technologies in the global biofuels industry using a database of nearly 2,000 facilities from 1,461 companies in 90 countries with nameplate capacity data through 2022. Among their findings:

Growth slows but advanced biofuels rise. The global biofuels industry will grow at a slower 2.2% annual rate to 67 BGY of nameplate capacity by 2022. First-generation biofuels, which hold a 91.5% market share, will continue to dominate but will lose nearly 6% of market share, as advanced biofuels see rapid growth, nearly doubling capacity to 9.6 BGY.

Biodiesel begins to fade. Second-generation biodiesel makes up 65% of the 5.0 BGY advanced biofuel market today, but is projected to lose 26% market share by 2022 due to the rapid growth of low-carbon and high-performance drop-in biofuels such as renewable diesel.

Thermochemical and catalytic processes usher in new era. Emerging thermochemical and catalytic technologies will surpass bioconversion processes to make up over half of the new capacity deployment for the first time in the biofuel industry’s history. . . .

Direct link to Lux report (membership required) here: https://members.luxresearchinc.com/research/report/21819

[GRA]

Via GCC:

BIOX commissions 90M gallon biodiesel production facility in Houston

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/02 ... -biox.html

. . . The facility started operating at full capacity in December 2016.

The Houston facility operates two equal-sized production trains that combine to provide its nameplate capacity. It uses crude degummed grade vegetable oils as its biodiesel feedstock. WEBB acquired the facility in June 2016 from Kinder Morgan.

The plant is located within the Kinder Morgan Liquids terminal, a major diesel distribution hub in the southern US market. This location provides WEBB’s biodiesel facility with immediate access to a deep-water port, rail, truck and pipeline providing distribution to all major US markets. . . .

Also GCC:

Ace Ethanol to install D3MAX cellulosic ethanol pilot plant; “bolt-on” technology

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/02 ... 7-ace.html

. . . The pilot facility will be installed at ACE Ethanol, LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, in late February. Installation is expected to be complete by mid-March with startup and testing at the facility taking place over the ensuing two months. . . .

Operation of the skid-mounted unit, constructed by Ohio-based AdvanceBio Systems, will help narrow the operating parameter such as pretreatment time, temperature, pH, etc. Upon successful completion of pilot testing and data collection, D3MAX intends to complete the full detailed commercial design and license the technology across the United States and Canada.

[GRA]

Via GCC:

California ARB releases four new LCFS pathways for renewable diesel; 20.28 - 53.86 gCO2e/MJ

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/03 ... fs-rd.html

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) staff has released for public comment four new Tier 2 renewable diesel (RD) pathways using soy oil, used cooking oil, tallow, and corn oil at the Diamond Green facility in St. Charles, Louisiana. . . .

In addition to the renewable diesel (green diesel) the process produces a liquid petroleum gas vapor stream (LPG vapor); a liquid petroleum liquid stream (naphtha LPG); a purge gas stream; and a waste steam stream. All of these co-product streams go to the adjacent Valero refinery.

DGD purchases electric power, natural gas, and hydrogen from the refinery; the natural gas is used to produce steam and in direct heaters. The DGD plant receives two hydrogen streams from the refinery: a pure hydrogen stream and an H2S rich stream.

DGD distributes their RD by various modes from the plant to various facilities in Central and Southern California. The three modes are ship, rail direct, and rail indirect (barge, rail, and truck). DGD uses the most conservative mode—rail indirect—to calculate the CI values of the RD. . . .

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Vattenfall may provide hydrogen for Preem large-scale biofuel project

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/03 ... preem.html

Preem, the largest fuel company in Sweden, and Vattenfall have concluded an agreement to investigate the potential Vattenfall’s providing of hydrogen gas in the large scale production of biofuel for the Swedish market. Preem’s objective is to produce three million cubic meters (793 million gallons US) of renewable fuel yearly by 2030, which would account for the bulk of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in the Swedish transport sector. . . .

Preem and Vattenfall will also review the potential of producing green hydrogen gas by utilizing electricity from hydro and wind power, which give emissions that have very little impact on the climate. . . .

[GRA]

Via GCC:

DOE BETO report provides overview of current state of alternative aviation fuels; overcoming technical and commercial barriers

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/03 ... -beto.html

Direct link to report: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/03/f34/alternative_aviation_fuels_report.pdf

[GRA]

Via GCC:

CR&R Environmental begins using carbon-neutral renewable natural gas in fleet

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/03 ... 0-rng.html

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and waste management company CR&R Environmental announced that renewable natural gas from CR&R’s anaerobic digestion facility in Perris, California is now being used to fuel CR&R’s waste-hauling trucks. The trucks are being fueled from special storage trailers while SoCalGas completes a 1.4-mile pipeline that will bring the carbon-neutral renewable natural gas into the SoCalGas distribution system.

This will be the first time that renewable natural gas supply will be directly interconnected with and piped into the SoCalGas system. SoCalGas’ connecting pipeline and the cleanup system to produce the renewable natural gas have been paid for by CR&R Environmental with grant support from the California Energy Commission, CalRecycle, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). . . .

Studies show California can produce enough renewable natural gas from organic waste to replace 75% of diesel fuel used by vehicles in the state.

[GRA]

Via GCC, lab results so take with however large a grain of salt as you think appropriate:

Renewable plastic precursor could reduce cost of cellulosic ethanol by >$2/gallon

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/04 ... huber.html

[RegGuheert]

It's good to see GreenTechMedia take an honest look at the prospects for algae-based biofuels:

There is incredible potential for algae technology in drug discovery and production, specialty oils and a range of chemicals. Will we be running commercial engines on algae-derived fuels in the 21st century?

Nope.

Here are some other highlights from the article:

Jim Lane of Biofuels Digest authored what was possibly history's least accurate market forecast, projecting that algal biofuel capacity would reach 1 billion gallons by 2014. In 2009, Solazyme promised competitively priced fuel from algae by 2012. Algenol planned to make 100 million gallons of ethanol annually in Mexico’s Sonoran Desert by the end of 2009 and 1 billion gallons by the end of 2012 at a production rate of 10,000 gallons per acre. PetroSun looked to develop an algae farm network of 1,100 acres of saltwater ponds that could produce 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million pounds of biomass per year.

Nothing close to 1 billion (or even 1 million) gallons has yet been achieved -- nor has competitive pricing.

Here's a list, by no means complete, of algae companies attempting to pivot away from biofuels.
...

[GRA]

It's good to see GreenTechMedia take an honest look at the prospects for algae-based biofuels:

There is incredible potential for algae technology in drug discovery and production, specialty oils and a range of chemicals. Will we be running commercial engines on algae-derived fuels in the 21st century?

Nope.

Considering we're less than 1/5th of the way through the 21st Century, I'd say their conclusion is far more decisive than is justified. It could well be true, or it could well not be. The next 10 or maybe 20 years, sure, if there are no major breakthroughs.