Underwriters Laboratories Announces Position on Use of B5 Biodiesel Blends

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is announcing that products intended to use biodiesel blends up to B5 that are compliant with applicable ASTM International fuel standards will not require special investigation by UL. This is consistent with ASTM standards for heating oil and diesel fuel, which were recently updated to indicate that B5 blends may be considered the same as the conventional petroleum fuels under their scope.

In anticipation of the changes to the ASTM fuel standards, UL initiated a technical review of biodiesel fuel and technologies working closely with US Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the National Biodiesel Board. UL also conducted performance testing of heating equipment using B5.

The findings indicated no adverse safety effects. It is acknowledged however that introduction of biodiesel may potentially affect fuel quality, mobilize contaminants in the fuel system, or increase the potential for microbial contamination. These performance issues are outside of the scope of UL standards and certification. Manufacturer instructions for use and maintenance of equipment should always be followed.

Use of biodiesel at levels above 5% may have a significant effect on materials, performance or combustion of some equipment. UL is in the process of finalizing product safety requirements for equipment specified for use with biodiesel (B100) and biodiesel blends up to B20.

UL is an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization. We remain committed to promoting safe living and working environments through the development of effective safety standards, product investigations and ongoing safety-based audits of products that bear the UL Mark. UL remains independent in this mission and does not endorse, recommend or favor one product over another.

Source : Underwriters Laboratories

This means that UL certified fuel pumps for dispensing diesel fuel and home heating oil and furnaces using home heating oil do not need additional certification for use with biodiesel blends up to B5.

Upcoming University Of Minnesota Study Critical Of Corn Ethanol

University Of Minnesota researcher Jason Hill is set to release a study comparing the human health effects of corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, and gasoline.

The study is the first to estimate the economic costs to human health and well-being from gasoline, corn-based ethanol and cellulosic ethanol made from biomass. The authors found that depending on the materials and technology used in production, cellulosic ethanol's environmental and health costs are less than half the costs of gasoline, while corn-based ethanol's costs range from roughly equal to about double that of gasoline.

The study will be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in February and will be posted online next week. At the moment the only information is from a press release.

The one thing that doesn't make sense from the information provided is this.

The study finds that cellulosic ethanol has fewer negative effects on human health because it emits smaller amounts of fine particulate matter, an especially harmful component of air pollution.

Since the chemical makeup of ethanol is the same regardless of the feedstock used to produce it, corn based ethanol should produce the same amounts of fine particulate matter as cellulosic ethanol. So the evidence against corn ethanol must be it's environmental costs.

David Tilman is credited in the release as being a contributer to the paper. Tilman and Hill were both authors on the Science Magazine study last year that concluded that depending on how biofuels are produced they could emit 17 to 420 times the amount of green house gases as gasoline. But Tilman clarified the results of that study in a later interview.

Tilman, who is currently on sabbatical from the University, said he feels the study is misunderstood by others in the industry.

"The goal of our paper was to point out if we do certain things, that those things would give us fuels that didn't have very much environmental benefit," he said.

Tilman said the paper didn't say the problems were happening now, but instead that they could happen in the future.

So unless I am mistaken they are taking results that could happen in the future and presenting them as if they were occurring now as evidence against corn ethanol.

Source : University of Minnesota Press Release

Global wind energy capacity grew by 28.8% in 2008

That is the conclusion of a new report from the Global Wind Energy Council, that global wind capacity grew by 28.8% last year. Global wind capacity reached 120.8 GW by the end of last year. Over 27 GW of new wind power generation capacity came online in 2008, 36% more than in 2007.

The report also notes that the United States has officially passed Germany to become the leader in wind power installations. It also notes the impressive growth wind power has seen in this country last year and the new jobs it has created.

The massive growth in the US wind market in 2008 increased the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 50%. The new wind projects completed in 2008 account for about 42% of the entire new power-producing capacity added in the US last year, and created 35,000 new jobs, for a total of 85,000 employed in the sector in the US.

Source : Global Wind Energy Council

Iowa E10 Sales Reach 75 Percent of Gasoline Market in 2008

JOHNSTON, IA – The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today announced that Iowans chose E10, a 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline blend, 75 percent of the time in 2008. While this was slightly higher than 2007, it was the same level as 2005. With a typical savings at the pump of 10 to 13 cents per gallon, Iowa consumers saved between $120 and $155 million with E10 during 2008.

“This is a good news, bad news report,” said Monte Shaw, IRFA Executive Director. “On one hand, we matched the all-time high of 75% E10 sales first set in 2005. On the other hand, in 2005 Iowa was one of the leaders in ethanol use, but in 2008 the same percentage is likely below the national average. The rest of the country has rapidly surpassed us. As the leading ethanol producer, Iowa should not be satisfied with being below average in ethanol use. When you consider that Iowans saved up to $155 million with ethanol in 2008, we have to take steps to increase use, thereby saving consumers even more.”

According to the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR), in 2008 Iowans purchased:

Type            Gallons       Percentage of Iowa Gasoline SalesE0 Gasoline        397,245,643                  25.0%E10              1,193,833,838                  75.0%

Previous E10 Usage in Iowa

2008 75.0%
2007 73.9%
2006 69.3%
2005 75.0%

* Note: These figures do not reflect E85 sales, which are reported separately and at a later date by the IDR.

Iowa is the leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 38 operational ethanol refineries with a combined annual capacity of over 3 billion gallons. There are 5 ethanol refineries under construction that will add nearly 700 million gallons of capacity. In addition, Iowa has 14 biodiesel refineries with the capacity to produce over 317 million gallons annually. Two biodiesel refineries under construction or expansion will add 35 million gallons of annual capacity. Additional renewable fuels projects are under development.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association was formed in 2002 to represent the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry. The trade group fosters the development and growth of the renewable fuels industry in Iowa through education, promotion, legislation and infrastructure development.

Source : Iowa Renewable Fuels Association

E85 Stations Continue To Rise, Reaching 1927

The number of E85 across American continues to rise. For the month of January there were 28 new locations added bringing the total to 1927.

February 1, 2009 - 1927
January 1, 2009 - 1899
December 1, 2008 - 1868
November 1, 2008 - 1837
October 1, 2008 - 1782
September 1, 2008 - 1743
August 1, 2008 - 1663
July 1, 2008 - 1627
June 1, 2008 - 1579
May 1, 2008 - 1560
April 1, 2008 - 1521
March 1, 2008 - 1501
February 1, 2008 - 1475
November 9, 2007 - 1378
May 7, 2007 - 1200

The current number plus the locations of all E85 stations can be found at the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.