DuPont Launches New High Performance Yeasts for U.S. Ethanol Market

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences today announced the launch of the SYNERXIA® Gemstone Collection, the next advancement in high-performance yeasts. The new collection from the XCELIS® platform includes SYNERXIA® SAPPHIRE and SYNERXIA® RUBY – two innovative, high-yield yeasts designed for the unique needs of ethanol producers.

This marks the first time that DuPont has co-launched two high-yield yeasts. SYNERXIA® SAPPHIRE brings the most powerful combination of yield, robustness and enzyme expression in a yeast. It offers enhanced ethanol yield increase paired with revolutionary thermotolerance and infection robustness in fermentation and has been genetically engineered to withstand harsh stressors, while still finishing fermentation with ultra-low DP1.

SYNERXIA® SAPPHIRE has been engineered to provide a strong ethanol yield increase compared to conventional yeast and powers through fermentation finishing clean when ethanol producers encounter hot fermentations or severe infections. The product also expresses enough glucoamylase to displace up to 80 percent of the glucoamylase injected to fermentation. The yeast’s strong expression of the powerful glucoamylase offers reduced residual starch for many producers.

SYNERXIA® RUBY is the highest yielding yeast available today from the XCELIS® platform, delivering exceptional performance to producers via a patented PKL pathway and additional targeted genetic modifications. It produces less acetic acid compared to SYNERXIA® THRIVE GX and enables up to 65 percent glucoamylase reduction.

“The SYNERXIA® Gemstone Collection will give ethanol producers flexibility in responding to their individual plant needs while ensuring high ethanol yield and minimal waste,” said Hans Foerster, global marketing director, DuPont Biorefineries. “These new yeasts represent a new standard in high-yield yeasts on the market for ethanol producers and is just the latest in DuPont’s innovative approach to ethanol solutions through the XCELIS® platform.”

Iowa ethanol production fell 12 percent in 2020

Compared to 2019, Iowa ethanol production fell 500 million gallons, or 12 percent, in 2020 as a result of dramatic demand destruction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, trade disputes around the globe, and illegal exemptions granted from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Producing only 3.7 billion gallons, 2020 was the second year in a row that Iowa ethanol production dropped following 2018’s record of 4.35 billion gallons.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw called on state and federal leaders to take action to grow demand in 2021.

“While a pandemic is unpredictable and trade disputes are difficult to resolve, there are steps that our leaders can take today to begin to heal the demand destruction done to Iowa’s ethanol producers,” Shaw said. “President Biden can instruct his EPA to properly enforce the RFS as Congress intended. Congress has the opportunity to ensure that any legislation they consider to reduce emissions is technology-neutral and provides biofuels — the only tool in our toolbox ready to reduce carbon emissions on a grand scale today — a level playing field.

“We also believe that Midwestern states should not cede the fuel policy debate to the East and West coasts. We are seeing aggressive attempts on both coasts to ignore science and push low carbon biofuels out of the picture in favor of electric vehicle mandates. Here in Iowa, we will work with Governor Kim Reynolds and the legislature to continue to create growth opportunities for biofuels use.”

Source: Iowa Renewable Fuels Association

Iowa Biodiesel Production Up In 2020

Although only nine of Iowa’s 11 biodiesel plants operated in 2020, they still managed to bump up production to 351 million gallons despite market challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) exemptions. 2020 proved to be the 2nd highest year of biodiesel production in Iowa history behind 365 million gallons in 2018. Plenty of room for growth remains given Iowa’s over 400-million-gallon production capacity.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw credited the bump in production to the reinstatement and long-term extension of the federal biodiesel blenders tax credit in late 2019, which provided a boost for higher biodiesel blends.

“The long-term extension of the biodiesel blenders tax credit gave Iowa biodiesel producers the market certainty to be successful even in a very uncertain year,” Shaw said. “COVID-19 did not hurt the diesel market the same way it gutted gasoline demand and, as result, production went up. Hopefully Iowa can take another step forward and utilize even more of our biodiesel capacity if there is proper implementation of the RFS in 2021.”

Iowa biodiesel production is expected to account for roughly 20 percent of total U.S. biodiesel production in 2020.

Soybean oil continued to be the feedstock of choice for the majority of Iowa biodiesel production, making up over 85 percent. Corn oil was second at just over eight percent. Animal fat, canola oil, and used cooking oil made up the rest of the feedstock used by Iowa biodiesel producers.

Source: Iowa Renewable Fuels Association

Keystone XL Commits To Become The First Pipeline To Be Fully Powered By Renewable Energy

TC Energy Corporation announced a new sustainable energy initiative for the Keystone XL Project. The company will achieve net zero emissions across the project operations when it is placed into service in 2023 and has committed the operations will be fully powered by renewable energy sources no later than 2030. This announcement comes after an extensive period of study and analysis, and as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, thoughtfully finding innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while providing communities with reliable energy needed today.  

“Since it was initially proposed more than 10 years ago, the Keystone XL project has evolved with the needs of North America, our communities and the environment,” said Richard Prior, President of Keystone XL. “We are confident that Keystone XL is not only the safest and most reliable method to transport oil to markets, but the initiatives announced today also ensures it will have the lowest environmental impact of an oil pipeline in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Canada and the United States are among the most environmentally responsible countries in the world with some of the strictest standards for fossil fuel production.”

Following the successful implementation of this initiative, TC Energy expects to be among the top 10 corporate renewable sponsors in North America. Additionally, this is expected to eliminate more than three million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emitted every year in GHG emissions – the equivalent of approximately 650,000 cars taken off the road.

As part of this announcement, TC Energy is expected to spur an investment of over US$1.7 billion in communities along the Keystone XL footprint creating approximately 1.6 gigawatts of renewable electric capacity, and thousands of construction jobs in rural and Indigenous communities.

As part of its continued commitment to working with union labor in the U.S. and Canada, Keystone XL has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to work together on the construction of TC Energy owned or sourced renewable energy projects.

“With our continued commitment to safety, creating family-sustaining, middle class jobs, NABTU is pleased to announce our agreement with TC Energy to ensure building trades labor constructs renewable energy projects along the entire Keystone XL route,” said NABTU President Sean McGarvey. “This will help to meet KXL’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2023, create the power capacity required to operate the pipeline from renewable energy sources and create thousands of jobs between now and 2030 – jobs for the highly skilled women and men of the building trades.”

By implementing this initiative, Keystone XL will eliminate the impact of GHG emissions from the project’s operations. Additionally, Keystone XL will allow responsibly produced Canadian oil to be safely transported into the United States from many producers who have set their own net zero emissions goals. Canadian Oil Sands producers have cut emissions intensity by 21 percent in recent years and they are expected to fall another 27 percent by 2030.

Net zero emissions will be achieved when the pipeline is placed into service by purchasing renewable energy from electricity providers; if not available, Keystone XL will instead purchase renewable energy credits (REC) or carbon offsets. The company is committing that additional renewable sources along the pipeline’s route will be developed to power Keystone XL’s operations by 2030, phasing out any potential REC or carbon offsets and meeting power demand with new renewable electricity generation.

“At TC Energy, we are firmly committed to being part of the transition to the next generation of energy sources. Climate change is a serious issue and we have an important role to play in managing GHG emissions while balancing the need for safe, reliable and economic energy,” said François Poirier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Energy. “Today’s announcement is directly in line with our goal of doing what’s right for our communities and signifies Keystone XL’s commitment to strengthen efforts to create a sustainable future for all.”

Investment spurred in renewable power resources is expected to add to the more than $100 million of property taxes Keystone XL will generate annually for local governments along its route, supporting critical economic recovery and growth.

U.S. Patent Awarded and Exclusively Licensed to Aemetis Enabling Launch of “Carbon Zero” Production Plants

Aemetis, Inc. announced recently that its exclusively licensed technology for the production of below zero carbon renewable fuel was awarded U.S. Patent No. 10907184 (to be published February 2, 2021), enabling the launch of Aemetis “Carbon Zero” production plants to commercialize the technology.  Using patented technology exclusive to Aemetis for agricultural waste wood feedstock, the Carbon Zero plants are integrated with existing Aemetis production facilities to produce energy dense renewable fuels using renewable energy and below zero carbon intensity waste feedstocks.  

The Aemetis Carbon Zero production plants are designed to convert below zero carbon feedstocks (waste wood and ag wastes) and renewable energy (solar, renewable natural gas, biogas) into energy dense liquid renewable fuels.  Aemetis expects that such renewable fuels, when used in hybrid electric vehicles or other vehicle engines, will have a “below zero carbon” greenhouse gas footprint across the entire lifecycle of the fuel based on the Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET model, the pre-eminent science-based lifecycle analysis measurement tool. 

“We are naming these projects ‘Carbon Zero’ to reflect our mission to reduce greenhouse gases. Wood is partially comprised of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.  Agricultural waste wood has a below zero carbon intensity as a fuel by avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, since waste wood is usually burned in the field or breaks down into harmful methane emissions,” stated Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis.

“By combining below zero carbon waste wood with zero carbon renewable energy obtained from solar, hydroelectric and biogas sources, Aemetis is transforming these sources of renewable energy into zero carbon renewable fuels that work with existing engines, as well as range extender generators used in electric cars or trucks as long-haul and local delivery vehicles adopt electric drivetrains to improve emissions, fuel efficiency and performance,” McAfee noted.

The first Aemetis Carbon Zero production plant — “Carbon Zero 1” — is planned for the 140-acre Riverbank Industrial Complex in Central California, a former Army ammunition production facility with 710,000 square feet of existing production buildings.

The Carbon Zero 1 plant will extract sugars from waste wood and then process the sugar into renewable fuel at the existing nearby Aemetis 65 million gallon per year plant near Modesto, California.  This process is expected to reduce the amount of corn used in biofuel production, provide a 90% reduction in feedstock cost, and significantly increase the value of the biofuel by significantly reducing its carbon intensity.  After an initial production demonstration phase, the Carbon Zero 1 plant is expected to ramp up capacity to produce 10% of the sugar feedstock used in the existing Aemetis 65 million gallon per year biofuel plant, with additional expansion in future phases. 

The Carbon Zero 1 project and energy efficiency upgrades to the Aemetis plant include funding and other support from the USDA, the US Forest Service, the California Energy Commission, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and PG&E.