Call for Paper: Algae Biofuel Summit 2008

Peering into the future seldom produces a clear picture. But this is not the case with biodiesel. Its long-term impacts on the global economy appear to be pretty clear. The future of biodiesel is secure. The question is what feedstock for biodiesel is sustainable and profitable in the long term. As sustainable alternatives are sought in a bid to enhance energy security as well as reduce carbon emissions, the focus of researchers has shifted to "second- generation" Biodiesel – those not made from food crops such as soy or palm. It has been conclusively established that, in terms of per hectare oil yield, algae could be the most efficient source of feedstock for Biodiesel industry.

Growdiesel Climate Care Council is pleased to invite you to the inaugural International Summit on Algae Biofuels to be held on 18th & 19th September 2008 at New Delhi, India. The conference is focused on next generation of Biofuels using Algae as main feedstock. The summit offers an excellent opportunity to Renewable fuel Sector, their associates and academia to share their valuable experiences and knowledge.

OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the Summit is to provide an improved up-to-date understanding of the next generation feedstocks and technologies in Algae Biofuel Industry. The Summit will be an excellent platform to disseminate information regarding recent research and development activities in the field of Algae, mass production systems, Photobioreactor technologies and other important areas of Algae Biofuel Industry. In view of Biofuels emerging as a trillion dollar futuristic industry, the summit shall bring out many value added consulting opportunities for the speakers as well as industry experts. The technical & financial topics of summit will cover the whole Algae Biofuel Industry.


ORGANIZER
Growdiesel Climate Care Council a non-profit, non-commercial organization is dedicated to the cause of climate care through prevention of Global Warming. Growdiesel is an Alliance Member of NATIONAL BIODIESEL BOARD, USA and Member of CANADIAN BIOMASS INNOVATION NETWORK. Growdiesel is also the consultant to MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS, Govt. of India. Growdiesel has organized more than 500 seminars, workshops & training programs for the benefit of industry, farmers & society as a whole, till date.

On behalf of Growdiesel Climate Care Council, I invite your participation in technical deliberations by contributing a paper. A comprehensive list of proposed topics is enclosed herewith. However you are free to suggest some other topics in the field of Algae Biofuels. The consent form to submit the abstract/s may please be submitted by 28th February 2008 through email at gc@growdiesel.com or growdiesel@gmail.com.

Atul Saxena
Founder & Managing Trustee
Growdiesel Climate Care Council,
B-196, Surajmal Vihar, Delhi-110092. India.
Ph :-+91 11 32904064, +91 11 65803335, Fax : +91 11 42404335.
Email :- gc@growdiesel.com , growdiesel@gmail.com

House Scheduled to Consider Energy Tax Legislation

On February 12, 2008, U.S. Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY), the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, unveiled H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008. The package, which is very similar to the energy tax package approved by the House in August, 2007, contains a host of tax incentives designed to promote renewable energy technologies. The cost of the measure is offset with revenue raising measures that impact the oil and gas industry. View the summary of H.R. 5351 provided by the Ways and Means Committee.

Biodiesel Provisions:

H.R. 5351 provides the following changes to the biodiesel tax incentive:

• Extends the biodiesel tax incentive through December 31, 2010. Under current law, the incentive expires after December 31, 2008.
• Extends the renewable diesel credit and the alternative fuels credit through December 31, 2010.
• The provision also modifies Renewable Diesel Credit to provide “uniform treatment of diesel produced from biomass” without regard to feedstock in the following way:

1. Removes requirement that thermal depolymerization process be used.
2. Strikes D396 (home heating oil) as a fuel eligible to receive the renewable diesel credit.
3. Fuel must hit D975 and Section 211 of Clean Air Act.

• Denies $1.00 per gallon renewable diesel credit to fuel derived from petroleum co-processing. This is consistent with the provisions of H.R. 2361, the Doggett/Hulshof bill endorsed by NBB.
• Provides that biodiesel, renewable diesel, ethanol or fuels eligible for the alternative fuels credit must be produced in the U.S. for use as a fuel in the U.S. This would preclude exported biodiesel from claiming the $1.00 per gallon excise tax credit effective December 31, 2008. To address so-called "splash and dash" transactions, the bill retroactively denies the credits to fuels produced outside the U.S. for use as a fuel outside the U.S. For biodiesel, this would deny credits claimed for "splash and dash" transactions retroactive to the creation of the biodiesel tax incentive in the JOBS Act, which was enacted in October, 2004.

Outlook:

The full U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider H.R. 5351 during the week of February 25, 2008, and the bill is expected to pass in the House. The prospects for the measure in the U.S. Senate remain uncertain. Previous attempts to approve energy tax packages in the Senate have failed to achieve the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and move to passage due primarily to objections associated with oil and gas revenue raisers. In addition, the Administration has on multiple occasions threatened to veto legislation pending before Congress based on objections to similar tax revenue raisers. NBB DC staff will continue to closely monitor this issue and work with biodiesel supporters in Congress to get an extension of the biodiesel tax incentive enacted into law.

Farm Bill Negotiations Continue

Last year, both the House and Senate approved separate versions of legislation to reauthorize the federal Farm Bill. Efforts in Congress to reconcile the two bills and to craft a package that meets with the approval of the Administration continue. Authorization for the current Farm Bill expires on March 15. The main stumbling block to completion of the Farm Bill continues to be a lack of funding sources that are acceptable to all parties that would make the bill comply with Congress' PAYGO budget requirements.

As part of the process, Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN), the Chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, has engaged in discussions with both the Administration and Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the senior Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, on crafting the outline of a package that would garner the President's approval. Read a summary of the Peterson compromise Farm Bill proposal. You can also read the following:

Peterson/Goodlatte letter to the U.S. Senate

Peterson/Goodlatte open letter to the parties interested in the Farm Bill.

NBB's top priority for the Farm Bill remains the reauthorization of a CCC Bioenergy Program that provides payments to producers for all gallons produced. NBB will continue to work through the process to advocate for a Bioenergy Program that provides maximum benefit and equity for biodiesel producers.

Penn State B100 exploration "Effective"

University finds "no sign of degraded performance or power" in tests of B100 in New Holland tractors
from The Daily Collegian (Penn State)
By Elizabeth Murphy Collegian Staff Writer

Penn State's exploration into the effects of using 100 percent biodiesel fuel in farm tractors is now showing promise that could turn the grass greener and make the sky bluer.

The tractors, fueled by biodiesel, have shown no negative effects in two years, Glen Cauffman, Penn State manager of farm operations and facilities, announced Jan. 28. There has been no sign of degraded performance or power, he said.

"[Using biodiesel] is the right thing to do because it is contributing to the greening of Penn State," Cauffman said.

Read More>>

Railroad to make its own biodiesel

By Kris Bevill

A steady supply of affordable biodiesel is hard to come by in the Pacific Northwest. That’s why Green Diesel Inc. has decided to make its own. The subsidiary of Tri-City & Olympia Railroad Co. (railroad code TCRY) in Richland, Wash., will produce biodiesel for TCRY locomotives, making it the first known railroad company to produce its own biodiesel.

TCRY currently handles approximately 100 cars on its 127-mile short line and uses 500 gallons of fuel each week.

Dave Samples, director of business development for TCRY, said Green Diesel has built a small research plant in Richland, capable of producing 1 MMgy. Samples said the facility could begin operating as soon as mid-April. Green Diesel General Manager Jack Farrell said the plant is designed to produce fuel in small batches. “Part of the problem that plants are having is that the industry right now is not economically feasible to handle huge, continuous-flow plants,” he said. “We’re not convinced that bigger is better. [We] can run 50 gallons or 50,000 gallons, it doesn’t matter. I can do it once today or 10 times this week. We took a conservative approach to this. We wanted to be able to keep our expenses and up-front costs low and not gamble on the industry until our research is complete.”

Read More>>

REG offers truck stops a biodiesel network

from eTrucker.com

Renewable Energy Group, a biodiesel producer and marketer based in Ames, Iowa, announced a new service Jan. 29 designed to make biodiesel more available at truck stops nationwide.

REG's Retail Biodiesel Blending Program, announced at the NATSO Show in Orlando, Fla., offers truck-stop operators both biodiesel injection equipment and a regular supply of high-quality biodiesel.

Because REG can remotely monitor fuel levels in its biodiesel tanks, truck-stop operators can enjoy an automated reorder process to ensure they don't run out, REG said. Truck stops also will be able to remotely adjust biodiesel blends daily, the company said.

Read More>>

Environmentalists Debate the Promise of Biofuels

Click on the logo to visit the NPR webpage for an overview of the discussion on the net carbon efficiency of biofuel production. The webpage also includes an audio link to the entire program.

NPR Program "Talk of the Nation: Science Friday" included an informative discussion with researchers who recently published a report in Science Magazine questioning the environmental impacts of biofuels production. (See the NRDC report that expresses the need to adopt a federal low-carbon fuel standard.)

This study took carbon efficiency accounting past the obvious concerns about clearing old growth forests or rainforests to produce corn, soy, palm, or other feedstocks for biofuels. This research expresses additional concern - and quantifies some of the net carbon detriment - relative to converting present food crop acreage or undisturbed prairie grasslands for fuel crop production.

Governor Schwarzenegger in California has promoted a carbon efficiency accounting system that will be applied to all biofuels offered for sale in California. Environmental groups are promoting the same such accountability nationwide to assure we gain maximum effect from renewable biofuels in our effort to combat global climate change. This latest research reinforces a need to maintain a "cradle to grave" assessment of all biofuels to assure effectiveness and to award efficiencies in the marketplace.

The "Science Friday" discussion also included a visit with two companies (Solazyme and Coskata) that are producing the "next generation" of biofuels, including those made from algae and from organic waste. Ultimately, they present a roadmap for the way in which biodiesel and other renewable fuels can continue to improve their net carbon efficiencies while creating "Home Grown Fuel for a Better Wisconsin."

Also see the NRDC discussion of their advocacy for a federal low carbon fuel standard. It presents an informative look at sustainability of biofuels.

WTN: Conservation, biofuels, and alternative energy are state's sweet spot

From Wisconsin Technology Network

by Tom Still

Madison, Wis. - Translating the aspirations of political leaders into real policies and action isn't always easy, especially when the goal is changing how our economy uses energy and from what sources it is generated.

In Wisconsin, however, a combination of researchers, private-sector leaders and policymakers are taking seriously the challenge of building a brighter energy future - and finding no shortage of ways to come together to talk about it.

Read More>>

(Including legitimate blog concerns written in response about sustainability issues that are presently being addressed by the biofuels industry.)

Sustainability; Feedstock Development take center stage at NBB Convention

Sustainability and feedstock development were the buzzwords at the fifth annual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. this week. A diverse cross section of biodiesel stakeholders from around the world attended the event Feb. 3 – 6. Industry leaders predicted that biodiesel will grow to a billion gallons a year in this country in the next few years and turned their attention to sustainability issues and developing the next generation of biodiesel. About 3,600 people attended the conference.

As always, the conference served as a platform for plenty of biodiesel news. Check out the Biodiesel Blog! You can read a daily account of the conference, view and download photos, watch videos and listen to audio interviews.

Energy Balance for Biodiesel has improved by 10%

NREL & USDA announce new findings that biodiesel provides 3.5 units of energy per unit of input - ranking biodiesel among most efficient sources of alternative energy. Improvements in biodiesel processing cited as reason for inceased efficiencies.

The National Renewable Energy Lab and the USDA announced in Orlando the findings which show that the energy balance of biodiesel has inceased from 3.2:1 to 3.5:1. These findings are a result of the first efficiency study of biodiesel performed since the calculation was last updated in 1998.

By point of reference, petroleum diesel is calculated at an energy balance of 0.83:1.

Below are the calculations made on other fuel sources (renewable and otherwise) as reported by EnergyBulletin.net reports EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested):

Coal- 1:1 to 10:1
Ethanol- 1.2:1
Natural Gas- 1:1 to 10:1
Hydropower- 10:1
Hydrogen- 0.5:1
Nuclear- 4:1
Oil- 1:1 to 100:1
Oil Sands- 2:1
Solar PV - 1:1 to 10:1
Wind - 3:1 to 20:1

You can read the NBB Press Release announcing this study by clicking here.

Click here for an NBB Conference Report, including an informative audio report from University of Idaho Department Head of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Jon Van Gerpen. Van Gerpen was one of the lead researchers who worked on the NREL/USDA study.

As chicken fat prices soar, Georgia biodiesel industry heads for slowdown, shutdown

from Biofuels Digest

In Georgia, chicken fat prices have soared to 34 cents per pound, causing production slowdowns at several biodiesel facilities in the state that had switched to fats after an earlier run up in soy oil prices. Companies such as Middle Georgia Biofuels and US Biofuels had switched to all-fat production and Alterra Energy had been forced to delay operations at two new plants under construction at Plains and Gordon.

In recent months, researchers at the University of Arkansas developed a new, fast process for biodiesel that has recorded yields of more than 90 percent using chicken fat and converted tall oil fatty acids. The latter is a by-product of the wood-pulping industry.

Use of the low-cost feedstocks had been previously limited by long reaction times, and the amount of methanol required by conventional processes. Companies such as Tyson Foods have established partnerships, in Tyson’s case with ConocoPhillips, to develop chicken-fat based (renewable diesel).