/PRNewswire/ -- Tonight, President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Union Address. Though the President is widely expected to highlight a host of new initiatives to create new "green collar" jobs in the speech, the failure of Congress to extend the existing biodiesel tax incentive has placed 23,000 existing jobs that are supported by the domestic biodiesel industry at risk.
Manning Feraci, the National Biodiesel Board's Vice President of Federal Affairs noted, "If Congress and the Administration are serious about creating green jobs, the first immediate step they should take is to extend the biodiesel tax incentive as soon as possible. Expiration of the biodiesel tax incentive on December 31, 2009 has devastated the industry, severely curtailed domestic biodiesel production, and placed 23,000 good-paying jobs in immediate jeopardy. Biodiesel companies have already started shedding employees, and this will continue at an accelerated pace unless Congress and the President act swiftly to reinstate this effective tax incentive."
Biodiesel is a diesel replacement fuel made from agricultural oils, fats and waste greases that meets a specific commercial fuel definition and specification. The fuel significantly reduces harmful emissions including greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum diesel fuel. The biodiesel tax incentive is structured in a manner that makes the fuel price competitive with diesel fuel in the marketplace. Thus, absent the tax incentive, biodiesel is significantly more expensive that petroleum diesel fuel. On December 31, 2009, Congress adjourned and allowed the biodiesel tax incentive to expire.
"If Congress and the Administration truly want to protect and promote green job creation, they should act immediately to extend the biodiesel tax incentive," concluded Feraci.
The National Biodiesel Board is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S. NBB's membership is comprised of state, national, and international feedstock and feedstock processor organizations, biodiesel producers, fuel marketers and distributors, and technology providers.
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Showing posts with label biodiesel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biodiesel. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Biodiesel Returns More Energy To The Earth Than Ever, Study Finds
/PRNewswire/ -- Biodiesel is better than ever at harnessing the power of the sun and turning it into fuel. In fact, a study shows the fuel is returning more than four times the energy that it takes to make biodiesel.
Newly published research from the University of Idaho and U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 4.5 units of energy. This energy-in, energy-out ratio is "energy balance."
Biodiesel made from soybean oil has a high energy balance because the main energy source used to grow soybeans is solar.
"This gives Americans even more reason to put their faith in the environmental and societal benefits of biodiesel," said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. "The Environmental Protection Agency should take this into account when considering biodiesel's greenhouse gas reductions," he said.
Jobe was referring to EPA's proposed rule to implement the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). EPA used 2005 baseline numbers for petroleum and biodiesel to project carbon impact 22 years in the future. That stacks the deck in favor of petroleum.
"In its rulemaking, EPA should recognize that biodiesel production is growing more efficient, while oil exploration and drilling becomes more intensive each day," Jobe said.
The USDA/Idaho study finds key drivers that continue to make biodiesel an efficient fuel choice:
-- New seed varieties and management practices are upping soybean yields.
-- Farmers have minimized cultivation of the soil. These reduced tillage
practices have cut how much fuel they need to grow soybeans.
-- Modern soybean varieties have reduced the need for pesticides.
-- Today's soybean processing and biodiesel plants are more energy
efficient.
"Our research shows continued progress in the renewability of biodiesel production," said University of Idaho Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Assistant Professor Dev Shrestha. "Farmers, soybean processors and biodiesel producers are getting even better at using non-fossil resources and adopting other efficiencies that are leading to greater energy returns."
The new study is based on biodiesel produced from soybean oil, the largest share of the biodiesel market. Other abundant sources used for biodiesel included recycled cooking oil, fats and other plant oils, such as canola oil. Biodiesel is a clean-burning renewable fuel for diesel engines. It improves air quality and creates green-collar jobs. The NBB is the national trade association of the industry.
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Newly published research from the University of Idaho and U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 4.5 units of energy. This energy-in, energy-out ratio is "energy balance."
Biodiesel made from soybean oil has a high energy balance because the main energy source used to grow soybeans is solar.
"This gives Americans even more reason to put their faith in the environmental and societal benefits of biodiesel," said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. "The Environmental Protection Agency should take this into account when considering biodiesel's greenhouse gas reductions," he said.
Jobe was referring to EPA's proposed rule to implement the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). EPA used 2005 baseline numbers for petroleum and biodiesel to project carbon impact 22 years in the future. That stacks the deck in favor of petroleum.
"In its rulemaking, EPA should recognize that biodiesel production is growing more efficient, while oil exploration and drilling becomes more intensive each day," Jobe said.
The USDA/Idaho study finds key drivers that continue to make biodiesel an efficient fuel choice:
-- New seed varieties and management practices are upping soybean yields.
-- Farmers have minimized cultivation of the soil. These reduced tillage
practices have cut how much fuel they need to grow soybeans.
-- Modern soybean varieties have reduced the need for pesticides.
-- Today's soybean processing and biodiesel plants are more energy
efficient.
"Our research shows continued progress in the renewability of biodiesel production," said University of Idaho Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Assistant Professor Dev Shrestha. "Farmers, soybean processors and biodiesel producers are getting even better at using non-fossil resources and adopting other efficiencies that are leading to greater energy returns."
The new study is based on biodiesel produced from soybean oil, the largest share of the biodiesel market. Other abundant sources used for biodiesel included recycled cooking oil, fats and other plant oils, such as canola oil. Biodiesel is a clean-burning renewable fuel for diesel engines. It improves air quality and creates green-collar jobs. The NBB is the national trade association of the industry.
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Friday, May 29, 2009
Radish oil for biodiesel
Corn and soybeans are excellent crops for use in ethanol and biodiesel production, but chickens, cows and people like to eat the crops, too. University of Georgia engineers are searching for non-food crops that can be used to make alternative fuels.
The oilseed radish is one crop that could be used to produce biodiesel in Georgia, said Dan Geller, a biological engineer with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Canadian cover crop
The radish is widely grown in Canada as a cover crop, or one that is planted to improve the soil and prevent erosion in fields. But it isn’t typically grown for food.
Its seed is about 40 percent oil by weight, said Nicholas Chammoun, a CAES graduate student working with Geller. This makes it an excellent candidate for the biodiesel market.
For his research, Chammoun had oilseed radish seeds crushed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Peanut Research Laboratory. The oil was then converted into biodiesel by the CAES biological and agricultural engineering department.
“This sounds like a short and easy process,” he said. “But it actually took a long time since there was very little data on converting oilseed radish oil to biodiesel.”
Engine-tested
Next, he had to prove the new biodiesel would actually work in diesel engines and perform as well or better than No. 2 diesel and other existing biodiesels.
The oilseed radish biodiesel passed the engine tests, performing much like No. 2 diesel, he said.
With the help of the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Chammoun determined whether farmers would benefit economically from growing the crop.
“No matter the crop, it will take land to produce it,” said John McKissick, director of the center. “It’s still a battle for food production over fuel production on the same limited land. In Georgia, food is still more economically viable.”
The economic research data on the radish as a biodiesel crop was also used to assess its economic potential as a Georgia cover crop.
“They would harvest in the spring, and the crop would also protect the soil in the winter,” Geller said.
Roots aerate soil
And as a cover crop, its extra-long tap root breaks up and aerates soil and draws up nutrients for the following crop, or one grown for food or fiber.
Georgia farmers could grow peanuts and cotton in the summer months and follow with a crop of oilseed radish in the fall.
“Oilseed radish isn’t grown for the food market, but it can be grown for the fuel market,” Geller said. “And it can be grown cheaper with a greater oil yield per dollar than soybean, and with lower inputs.”
The economic evaluation showed the oilseed radish had potential to be an economically viable crop for Georgia, McKissick said. But more research is needed to determine the yield and costs of producing the crop.
Crushers needed
Geller calls the university’s research results promising but notes there is one large missing piece to the puzzle.
“We can get the seed, and the agronomic data is available,” he said. “The farmers just need someone to crush the seed. The big kicker is which comes first, the farmer or the crusher?”
Crushers are companies that process seeds to extract oil.
If crushers are found, Geller says Georgia farmers could begin growing these new crops in a few years.
CAES researchers are also studying the use of algae, switchgrass and sunflower as oil sources for biodiesel production.
By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia
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The oilseed radish is one crop that could be used to produce biodiesel in Georgia, said Dan Geller, a biological engineer with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Canadian cover crop
The radish is widely grown in Canada as a cover crop, or one that is planted to improve the soil and prevent erosion in fields. But it isn’t typically grown for food.
Its seed is about 40 percent oil by weight, said Nicholas Chammoun, a CAES graduate student working with Geller. This makes it an excellent candidate for the biodiesel market.
For his research, Chammoun had oilseed radish seeds crushed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Peanut Research Laboratory. The oil was then converted into biodiesel by the CAES biological and agricultural engineering department.
“This sounds like a short and easy process,” he said. “But it actually took a long time since there was very little data on converting oilseed radish oil to biodiesel.”
Engine-tested
Next, he had to prove the new biodiesel would actually work in diesel engines and perform as well or better than No. 2 diesel and other existing biodiesels.
The oilseed radish biodiesel passed the engine tests, performing much like No. 2 diesel, he said.
With the help of the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Chammoun determined whether farmers would benefit economically from growing the crop.
“No matter the crop, it will take land to produce it,” said John McKissick, director of the center. “It’s still a battle for food production over fuel production on the same limited land. In Georgia, food is still more economically viable.”
The economic research data on the radish as a biodiesel crop was also used to assess its economic potential as a Georgia cover crop.
“They would harvest in the spring, and the crop would also protect the soil in the winter,” Geller said.
Roots aerate soil
And as a cover crop, its extra-long tap root breaks up and aerates soil and draws up nutrients for the following crop, or one grown for food or fiber.
Georgia farmers could grow peanuts and cotton in the summer months and follow with a crop of oilseed radish in the fall.
“Oilseed radish isn’t grown for the food market, but it can be grown for the fuel market,” Geller said. “And it can be grown cheaper with a greater oil yield per dollar than soybean, and with lower inputs.”
The economic evaluation showed the oilseed radish had potential to be an economically viable crop for Georgia, McKissick said. But more research is needed to determine the yield and costs of producing the crop.
Crushers needed
Geller calls the university’s research results promising but notes there is one large missing piece to the puzzle.
“We can get the seed, and the agronomic data is available,” he said. “The farmers just need someone to crush the seed. The big kicker is which comes first, the farmer or the crusher?”
Crushers are companies that process seeds to extract oil.
If crushers are found, Geller says Georgia farmers could begin growing these new crops in a few years.
CAES researchers are also studying the use of algae, switchgrass and sunflower as oil sources for biodiesel production.
By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia
-----
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Friday, December 12, 2008
Fuel From Fat
When the cost of diesel skyrocketed to more than $4 a gallon, Travis Sweat fought back. Using knowledge from the Internet and recycled oil from fast-food restaurants, he made his own fuel for $1 a gallon.
“I’d heard of other people (making their own fuel), and I knew there were several different ways to do it,” said Sweat, who has run his 1997 Ford F250 on a blend of waste vegetable oil for seven months.
Free oil is the base
Sweat, a game warden from Griffin, Ga., gets free used liquid fryer oil from a friend who owns a restaurant. He uses vegetable, peanut and soybean oils. Hydrogenated oil can’t be used.
Sweat filters the oil twice and puts it through a water separator. It takes 30 minutes to process a 55-gallon batch of fuel. “Basically, I just pour a few things in a drum, filter it and I’m ready to go,” he said.
Sweat’s recipe is 80 percent oil, 15 percent to 20 percent diesel and 5 percent gasoline.
His fuel isn’t biodiesel, which is “harder to make and requires more chemicals,” he said. WVO fuel blend can only run in certain types of engines and injection systems, Sweat said. It won’t work at all in newer trucks.
A smooth ride
When Sweat switches his truck from diesel to his WVO blend, he likes the difference. “The engine gets really quiet and smooth, and it runs a lot better,” he said. “There used to be a rough idle at stop signs, and now there isn’t.”
Sweat’s wife, Stephanie, has faith in her husband’s homemade fuel. She must. She drives the truck to work and to run errands around town.
Sweat admits, though, his greatest concern is engine failure.
“It was a little scary at first,” he said. “If you blow a diesel engine, you’re looking at $5,000 to $10,000 to replace it.”
A matter of time
Sweat should be careful, said Dan Geller, a researcher with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. From an engineering standpoint, the fuels he’s burning won’t work for long.
“The engineer in me says this is a bad idea because of the potential for disaster,” Geller said. “But the practical, environmental side of me says it’s great. It’s just not for the faint of heart.”
With WVO, not all the oil combusts, he said, and over time carbon builds up in the engine and will damage it.
The problem is chemical not physical. “The molecules in the oil are big molecules, relatively speaking, compared to diesel molecules,” Geller said. “You can thin it all you want, but you aren’t changing the molecule structure.”
Do you feel lucky?
Geller has met hundreds of people who have used WVO in their vehicles for up to five years with no problems. He also knows some who have had unsuccessful ventures with WVO and other homemade fuel recipes.
“If you’re mindful of what you’re doing and are very mechanically inclined, go ahead and try it,” he said. “I wouldn’t personally do it.”
Geller has conducted numerous experiments with biodiesel, he said, and would use it in his own vehicle. “With biodiesel, you go to the pump, you put it in and you don’t have to think about it.”
WVO blended fuel is better for the environment, runs much cleaner than petroleum, is a renewable resource and relieves some of our dependence on foreign oil, he said. “But you can get all the same advantages from biodiesel, and you don’t have to make it yourself.”
By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia
-----
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“I’d heard of other people (making their own fuel), and I knew there were several different ways to do it,” said Sweat, who has run his 1997 Ford F250 on a blend of waste vegetable oil for seven months.
Free oil is the base
Sweat, a game warden from Griffin, Ga., gets free used liquid fryer oil from a friend who owns a restaurant. He uses vegetable, peanut and soybean oils. Hydrogenated oil can’t be used.
Sweat filters the oil twice and puts it through a water separator. It takes 30 minutes to process a 55-gallon batch of fuel. “Basically, I just pour a few things in a drum, filter it and I’m ready to go,” he said.
Sweat’s recipe is 80 percent oil, 15 percent to 20 percent diesel and 5 percent gasoline.
His fuel isn’t biodiesel, which is “harder to make and requires more chemicals,” he said. WVO fuel blend can only run in certain types of engines and injection systems, Sweat said. It won’t work at all in newer trucks.
A smooth ride
When Sweat switches his truck from diesel to his WVO blend, he likes the difference. “The engine gets really quiet and smooth, and it runs a lot better,” he said. “There used to be a rough idle at stop signs, and now there isn’t.”
Sweat’s wife, Stephanie, has faith in her husband’s homemade fuel. She must. She drives the truck to work and to run errands around town.
Sweat admits, though, his greatest concern is engine failure.
“It was a little scary at first,” he said. “If you blow a diesel engine, you’re looking at $5,000 to $10,000 to replace it.”
A matter of time
Sweat should be careful, said Dan Geller, a researcher with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. From an engineering standpoint, the fuels he’s burning won’t work for long.
“The engineer in me says this is a bad idea because of the potential for disaster,” Geller said. “But the practical, environmental side of me says it’s great. It’s just not for the faint of heart.”
With WVO, not all the oil combusts, he said, and over time carbon builds up in the engine and will damage it.
The problem is chemical not physical. “The molecules in the oil are big molecules, relatively speaking, compared to diesel molecules,” Geller said. “You can thin it all you want, but you aren’t changing the molecule structure.”
Do you feel lucky?
Geller has met hundreds of people who have used WVO in their vehicles for up to five years with no problems. He also knows some who have had unsuccessful ventures with WVO and other homemade fuel recipes.
“If you’re mindful of what you’re doing and are very mechanically inclined, go ahead and try it,” he said. “I wouldn’t personally do it.”
Geller has conducted numerous experiments with biodiesel, he said, and would use it in his own vehicle. “With biodiesel, you go to the pump, you put it in and you don’t have to think about it.”
WVO blended fuel is better for the environment, runs much cleaner than petroleum, is a renewable resource and relieves some of our dependence on foreign oil, he said. “But you can get all the same advantages from biodiesel, and you don’t have to make it yourself.”
By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
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