Biodiesel leading the way on cleaning up diesel exhaust

In advance of a congressional hearing on diesel emissions Thursday, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is highlighting the significant health and air quality improvements from blending biodiesel with petroleum diesel.

Emissions from traditional diesel - primarily from trucking fleets, school buses and other vehicles - are a significant health and air quality concern. In an update to its National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited diesel exhaust as one of the nation's most dangerous pollutants, saying it is "among the substances that may pose the greatest risk to the U.S. population."

Biodiesel is a clean-burning replacement fuel that can be used in existing diesel engines. Made from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, recycled cooking grease and animal fats, it is the first and only commercial-scale fuel widely used today that meets the Environmental Protection Agency's definition as an Advanced Biofuel. Along with significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, it dramatically reduces nearly every major toxic air pollutant, according to the EPA.

"Thousands of trucks and buses hit the road every day burning traditional diesel fuel, and using larger amounts of diesel fuel blended with biodiesel is the simplest, most effective way to immediately improve emissions," said Ben Evans, NBB's director of federal communications. "Along with creating U.S. jobs and reducing our reliance on foreign oil, improving air quality is a major reason why domestically produced biodiesel must play a critical role in the nation's fuel mix."

According to the EPA, biodiesel has the following emissions properties compared with petroleum diesel:

• Carbon Monoxide - The exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) from biodiesel are on average 48 percent lower than carbon monoxide emissions from diesel.

• Particulate Matter - Breathing particulate has been shown to be a human health hazard. The exhaust emissions of particulate matter from biodiesel are about 47 percent lower than overall particulate matter emissions from diesel.

• Hydrocarbons - The exhaust emissions of total hydrocarbons (a contributing factor in the localized formation of smog and ozone) are on average 67 percent lower for biodiesel than diesel fuel.

• Sulfur emissions - The exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to diesel.

• Nitrogen Oxides - NOx emissions from biodiesel increase or decrease depending on the engine family and testing procedures. NOx emissions (a contributing factor in the localized formation of smog and ozone) from pure (100%) biodiesel increase on average by 10 percent. However, biodiesel's lack of sulfur allows the use of NOx control technologies that cannot be used with conventional diesel. Additionally, some companies have successfully developed additives to reduce NOx emissions in biodiesel blends. Biodiesel reduces the health risks associated with petroleum diesel.

• Biodiesel emissions show decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nPAH), which have been identified as potential cancer causing compounds. In Health Effects testing, PAH compounds were reduced by 75 to 85 percent, with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was reduced by roughly 50 percent. Targeted nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically with biodiesel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1- nitropyrene reduced by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only trace levels.

Visit the National Biodiesel Board website for the full written testimony submitted to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

USDA Announces Project to Encourage Development of Next-Generation Biofuels

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the establishment of the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) Project Area to promote the production of dedicated feedstocks for bioenergy. This project will help spur the development of next-generation biofuels and is part of Obama Administration efforts to protect Americans from rising gas prices by breaking the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

"Reducing our dependence on foreign oil and getting a handle on out of control gas prices will require investments in projects like we are announcing today," said Vilsack. "By encouraging production of feedstocks that can be converted into next-generation biofuels we are boosting the rural economy, creating jobs, contributing to America's energy security and protecting our planet. Investments like this spark creation of new industries and is a key part of our effort to keep America competitive and win the future."

Comprising 39 contiguous counties in Missouri and Kansas, the first BCAP Project Area proposes the enrollment of up to 50,000 acres for establishing a dedicated energy crop of native grasses and herbaceous plants (forbs) for energy purposes. Producers in the area will plant mixes of perennial native plants, such as switchgrass, for the manufacture of biomass pellet fuels and other biomass products to be used for power and heat generation. The proposed crops also will provide long term resource conserving vegetative cover. The project is a joint effort between the agriculture producers of Show Me Energy Cooperative of Centerview, Mo., and USDA to spur the expansion of domestically produced biomass feedstocks in rural America for renewable energy.

The program provides an opportunity for teams of crop producers and bioenergy facilities to submit proposals to USDA to be selected as a BCAP project area. If selected, crop producers will be eligible for reimbursements of up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing a bioenergy perennial crop, and can receive up to five years of annual payments for grassy crops (annual or perennial), and up to 15 years of annual payments for woody crops (annual or perennial). Bioenergy facilities are those facilities that produce heat, power, biobased products, or advanced biofuels from biomass feedstocks.

BCAP, created in the 2008 Farm Bill, is a primary component of the strategy to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil, improve domestic energy security, reduce pollution, and spur rural economic development and job creation. BCAP provides incentives to interested farmers, ranchers and forest landowners for the establishment and cultivation of biomass for heat, power, bio-based products and biofuels.

January 2011 Biodiesel Production Increases

Biodiesel production took a healthy jump in January with 31 million gallons produced, up from 17 million gallons produced in December. Biodiesel consumption also increased with 21 million gallons consumed, up from 15 million gallons consumed in December.

Source : EIA Biodiesel Overview

February 2011 Ethanol Production Drops

February ethanol production dropped to 907,000 barrels per day, down from 920,000 barrels per day in January. Total production for the month was also lower at 1,066,800,000 gallons, down from 1,198,008,000 gallons in January.

Source : Energy Information Administration

KiOR and Catchlight Energy Sign Offtake Agreement for Renewable Fuels

KiOR, Inc., a next-generation renewable fuels company, and Catchlight Energy LLC (CLE), a 50-50 joint venture between subsidiaries of Chevron Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company focused on providing liquid transportation fuels from sustainable forest-based resources, announced today that they have signed a conditional offtake agreement for CLE to purchase gasoline and diesel fuel blendstocks from KiOR’s first commercial production facility in Columbus, Mississippi.

“This offtake agreement is the latest development in KiOR’s progress to commercialize renewable transportation fuels,” said Fred Cannon, President and CEO of KiOR. “When finalized, our agreement with Catchlight Energy will help bring KiOR’s renewable fuels to market so we can help diversify the country’s energy sources.”

CLE’s purchase of products is contingent on, among other things, satisfaction of product specification criteria and RIN certification of the products as cellulosic biofuels under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard. The companies have also signed a Testing and Optimization Agreement to optimize the compatibility of KiOR’s blendstocks with Chevron’s facilities.

This is the second offtake agreement KiOR has signed for its Columbus, MS, facility, having announced an agreement with Hunt Refining Company in March of 2011. KiOR expects to begin production at its Columbus facility in the second half of 2012.