Michigan Built Biorefinery going to California

by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer

Grand Rapids-based Andy J. Egan Co. was awarded the fabrication contract under a $20.5 Million grant for a cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol project.  The entire biorefinery, consisting of tanks, piping and other equipment, will be fabricated in Grand Rapids, then mounted on 14 skids and shipped to Visalia, California.   The goal of the pilot plant is to demonstrate the feasibility of converting non-food, cellulosic feedstocks, such as corn leaves and stalks (stover), switchgrass and woodchips, into ethanol.  Logos Technologies, Inc. and EdeniQ were awarded the grant by the U.S. Department of Energy under ARRA.

Waste-to-Ethanol Plant Planned for Holland

by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer

Renewable Energy Technologies LLC will retrofit an empty factory in Holland to convert sugar and alcohol-based wastes into fuel-grade ethanol.  The eventual goal is to expand operations to process municipal waste solids from wastewater treatment plants.  Initial plans for feedstock includes apples, cider, alcohol and manure.  The project has a $500,000 USDA grant.  The company hopes to have ten locations within seven years.

New Investment in Cellulosic Ethanol Project

Bruce Goodman

by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer

Valero Energy Corporation, the nation’s large independent oil refiner, has invested in Mascoma’s  Frontier Renewable Resources LLC project in Kinross.  It has signed a letter of intent indicating it may invents up to $50 million of the equity required to finance the project and would enter into an off-take agreement for the project’s 40 million gallon annual cellulosic ethanol production.  In further support of the project Valero would also provide project development and construction oversight services.  With Mascoma’s recent acquisition of SunOpta BioProcess Inc., a world-leading fiber preparation and pretreatment company the entire process for commercializing cellulosic ethanol, from raw materials supply, to pre-processing, through Mascoma’s CBP process and into final distribution is in place.

Air Permitting Challenge to Wood Ethanol Plant Dropped

by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer

In September the Mascoma Corporation’s Frontier Renewable Resources LLC wood-chips-to-ethanol project was issued an air permit by MDNRE, with construction scheduled to start next spring near Kinross and ethanol production expected in 2013. In early December an appeal of the permit decision was filed by the Sierra Club. Alleged permitting errors include the use of less stringent emission standards due to assuming only half the anticipated production and using corn ethanol production data when developing emission estimates for the wood ethanol production.  Frontier has recently announced that the Sierra Club has now withdrawn its petition.

Money for Ethanol Research at MSU

by Bruce Goodman 

One of three new federal bio-energy research hubs to work out the science of converting plant matter (other than corn) into fuel to replace gasoline is being funded through a five-year, $50 million federal grant.  Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin will combine efforts to host the research center.  The other two bio-energy research hubs will be at national laboratories that are part of the DOE.  All the bioenergy centers will focus on turning common grasses, wood chips or other plant material into ethanol.

Energy Issues Aired on TV by DELEG

by Bruce Goodman

The Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth is producing a monthly 30-minute TV show designed to provide information about the latest initiatives and activities in state government related to renewable energy, green jobs, energy efficiency, and advanced energy technologies. Michigan’s Energy Future Today is hosted by DELEG Deputy Director Liesl Eichler Clark and can be seen on more than 80 cable stations around the state. The July 2009 episode featuring advances in solar energy was selected for an award from the 31st Annual Telly Awards, a national program recognizing outstanding achievement in the TV, commercial, and video industry. See http://michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-51651-233579–,00.html

The Opportunity for Biomass – Biofuels (2 of 3)

by Bruce Goodman

Biofuels are defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuels derived from relatively recently dead biological material. They are distinguished from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Theoretically, biofuels can be produced from any biological carbon source. Various plants and plant-derived materials are used as feedstock for biofuels manufacturing. The two most common types of grain derived biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. On the horizon is the era of advanced biofuels—cellulosic ethanol, biomass-based diesel, biobutanol, bio-oil, green gasoline and biobased jet fuel.

Opportunities for Biomass – Power and Heat (1 of 3)

by Bruce Goodman

Biomass power technologies include direct firing, cofiring, gasification, anaerobic digestion and other technologies. Although many current biomass power plants are small, industrial cogeneration or heating applications, utility-scale plants with capacities in excess of 80 megawatts have been commissioned. In the United States, biomass power plants currently represent 11,000 megawatts of capacity, the second largest amount of renewable energy in the nation.  Michigan has a number of wood fired electric generating facilties, some operating for more than 20 years.  In addition it has two major waste to energy projects fired with municipal solid waste. 

Interest in biomass power is on the rise. Although the primary driver to consider biomass power has been its potential to lower heating and power production costs, the anticipation of global carbon markets and renewable power mandates is spurring a new wave of investment in this sector. Perhaps most critical to this new interest is that these facilities can generate electricity at any time (24/7), unlike some of the current most popular renewable sources of energy.

In addition biofuels plants are becoming true biorefineries, incorporating the production of fuels, chemicals and power at a single location.

Michigan Tech Research on Weeds to Jet Fuel

by Bruce Goodman

Michigan Tech University has determined that camelina, a weed from the mustard family, can be used to make a jet biofuel that produces 80 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum jet fuel. Camelina has naturally high oil content, is drought tolerant, can be grown on marginal land, and requires less fertilizers and herbicides than food crops. It has been tested in a jet fuel blend comprised primarily of camelina by Japan Airlines. A 40,000 gallon order was recently placed on behalf of the U.S. Navy to be used in its testing program of alternative fuels to meet the goals of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Now the U.S. Air Force has contracted for 100,000 gallons of HRJ-8 for 2009-2010, most of which will be produced in Montana.  If a sucessful fuel crop, and if grown on marginal land, this would be a good example of a biofuel that avoids the food or fuel question.

Choosing Between Food and Fuel

 by Bruce Goodman

The increase in corn prices brought about by the rush to corn ethanol production was a valuable lesson last year. Now with gasoline prices down, and many corn ethanol plants mothballed, there is time to consider the interplay of food crops and fuel crops. Targeting research and development efforts on crops that do not have much presence on dinner tables seems like a wise policy. Using corn, soybeans and other food crops for fuel instead of food does not seem to be a good idea. The potential for partial solutions such as camelina-based jet fuel and rutabagas for biodiesel are intriguing, but even these approaches have risks. Dedicating acreage to produce fuel crops means it is unavailable for food crops. So a second imperative would be to grow fuel crops on land that is less desirable—find crops that are drought resistant and require less fertilizer/herbicides. But despite noble policy pronouncements, in the end the marketplace will dictate what growers plant each spring.