Biofuels thread

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Six trucking firms deploy ultra clean near-zero RNG trucks at Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180508-rng.html

Six trucking firms operating in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are deploying trucks powered by Cummins Westport (CWI) near-zero ISX12N engines (earlier post), and fueled with Clean Energy Fuels Corp.’s Redeem brand renewable natural gas (RNG) in an effort to reduce emissions and improve air quality in the ports and surrounding communities. . . .

The California Energy Commission and the South Coast Air Quality Management District provided funding for 20 near-zero Class 8 trucks. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach provided funding for two additional near-zero trucks. The first four near-zero trucks have been successfully operating since mid-2017 and an additional four have been operating since February 2018. . . .

The ultra clean CWI engines achieve the lowest emissions of any heavy-duty engine used in any truck in North America, yet deliver diesel caliber performance with reliability and durability.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) certified these engines in December 2017 at CARB’s optional low-NOx standard of 0.02 g-NOx/bhp-hr—90% lower NOx emissions than the current EPA NOx standard. The new engines were tested as low as 0.01 g-NOx/bhp-hr, achieving virtually zero tailpipe emissions. Factory production of ISX12N engines began in February.

All these trucks will be fueling at Clean Energy’s network of California stations with Redeem fuel, which reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 70% versus diesel. RNG is the cleanest fuel for trucking today, with some GHG sources even reducing GHG by over 100%. . . .

Per the Redeem website, the RNG is methane from landfills and farms (not sewage treatment plants?): http://redeem.cleanenergyfuels.com/

I took a tour of our local sewage treatment plant this past weekend (they had an open house), and they both capture methane from sewage for CHP along with a 468kW grid-intertied solar array to run the plant: https://oroloma.org/sewage-treatment/

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Pasadena, California Fire Department switches to Neste MY Renewable Diesel

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180510-neste.html

. . . The department plans to transition all its fleet apparatus to renewable diesel by 2019. . . .

Also GCC:

Port of Seattle announces partnership for sustainable aviation fuels at Sea-Tac Airport; 10% minimum by 2028, 50% by 2050

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180511-seattle.html

The Port of Seattle recently announced today that 13 airlines, including Alaska Airlines, ANA, Delta Air Lines, Horizon Airlines, Lufthansa, Spirit Airlines and more, have agreed to collaborate on a work plan for providing all airlines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with access to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a low-carbon and sustainably produced biofuel alternative to jet fuel. . . .

Airlines at Sea-Tac Airport will be projected to use about 700 million gallons of jet fuel per year. A 10% reduction would eliminate 70 million gallons of jet fuel, the equivalent of 682,500 metric tons of airlines’ greenhouse gas emissions.

An industry leader in the use of sustainable aviation biofuel, since 2011 Alaska Airlines has flown nearly 80 flights using sustainable aviation biofuel made of used cooking oil, forest residuals and non-edible, sustainable corn. . . .

Also GCC:

DOE selects two projects for $3M in funding to advance biofuels, bioenergy, and biobased products

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180510-brdi.html

. . . The DOE selections are:

The University of Tennessee (UT). UT will be developing an integrated biorefinery design that combines the production of liquid fuels and renewable chemicals to verify production of affordable cellulosic ethanol.

Northwestern University (NU). NU will be developing a rapid synthesis of next-generation biofuels and bioproducts from lignocellulosic biomass. The project will employ several strategies to reduce the timeframe of discovering biosynthetic pathways to optimize fuel and chemical production, including bottom-up engineering principles, computational models, and cell-free framework systems.

Both these projects will lower the costs of the production of bio-based fuels, as well as co-products for chemicals and other uses. If successful, both projects will help the Bioenergy Technologies Office to meet its goal of less than $3 per gallon gasoline equivalent for advanced biofuels.

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Specialty carrier of refined petroleum products in California switches to Neste MY Renewable Diesel

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/06/20180616-neste.html

Fuel Delivery Services, Inc. (FDS), a bulk transporter of refined petroleum products based in Stockton, CA, recently switched its Stockton-based fleet of trucks to Neste MY Renewable Diesel. FDS provides transportation services seven days a week, 365 days a year to a variety of clients, from small jobbers to major oil companies.

FDS performed a test of Neste MY Renewable Diesel in 20 of their trucks beginning in March of 2017, using more than 100,000 gallons of the fuel. These vehicles experienced an overall increase in fuel economy, less maintenance of their emissions systems and an increase in engine power, reports FDS President David B. Atwater. After the test, the company is looking to switch its entire fleet of trucks to renewable diesel at all of their locations.

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a premium-quality diesel manufactured entirely from renewable and sustainable raw materials, including wastes and residues from animal and fish fat, as well as used cooking oils and vegetable oils . . . Neste NY Renewable Diesel meets all ASTM D975 and state and federal diesel specifications. . . .

[GRA]

Both via GCC:

Renewable natural gas produced in California by CR&R flows into SoCalGas pipelines for first time

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/07/201807030-socalgas.html

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and waste management company CR&R Environmental (CR&R) announced they are now injecting renewable natural gas produced at CR&R’s anaerobic digestion facility in Perris, Calif., into SoCalGas pipelines. This is the first renewable natural gas produced within California to be introduced into SoCalGas’ pipeline system.

Renewable natural gas is a carbon-negative fuel produced from waste that can be used in trucks and buses, to generate electricity, fuel heating systems in home and businesses, and for cooking. The renewable natural gas from CR&R’s digestion facility is used to fuel about 400 of CR&R’s waste hauling trucks.

CR&R is producing renewable natural gas using organic waste collected in Southern California cities’ green waste bins and processed in an anaerobic digester believed to be the largest and most automated in the world. This biogas is upgraded to the same standards and specifications of traditionally-sourced natural gas and then put into a new 1.4-mile section of SoCalGas pipeline. . . .

Renewable natural gas from other states has already begun to clean the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California’s transportation sector, which accounts for more than 80% of smog forming emissions and about 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The latest generation of natural gas engines for heavy duty vehicles can reduce smog-forming emissions by more than 90%. When fueled with renewable natural gas, they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% or more. . . .

Skangas supplying liquefied biogas (LBG) to tanker Fure Vinga

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/07/20180703-skangas.html

. . . The Swedish LBG was delivered to Furetank’s M/T FURE VINGA from Skangas’ parent company Gasum’s biogas facility in Lidköping. The fueling took place at the port of Gothenburg, transferring the fuel directly from a tanker truck to the ship.

The FURE VINGA was delivered from the ship yard in April this year and is one of two vessels in the company’s fleet powered by liquefied gas. Furetank has been using LNG as fuel since 2015 when the FURE WEST was converted for dual-fuel.

Together with partners Furetank is building five further sister vessels to the FURE VINGA, all of which will be dual-fuel and can be powered by LBG when the fuel is available. The vessels will be trading in North Europe and will benefit from Skangas’ LNG supply network in the region. Skangas is already supporting Furetank’s other LNG-fueled vessels in ports and at sea. . . .

Firstly, biogas is produced through the processing of various types of organic waste. Secondly, the gas is purified and upgraded to approximately 97% methane. This process takes place in Skangas’s parent company Gasum’s biogas facility in Lidköping. The biogas is further being liquefied by cooling it to a temperature of minus 160 °C for transportation by trucks to customers.

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Cherokee Freight Lines switches to Neste MY Renewable Diesel

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/07/20180711-cherokee.html

Cherokee Freight Lines, a Northern California trucking company, has switched its entire fleet of more than 200 trucks to run on Neste MY Renewable Diesel.

Cherokee Freight Lines is a diversified carrier of food grade commodities, specializing in kosher-certified hauling and serving some of the largest companies in the nation. They were an early adopter of Neste MY Renewable Diesel, which they began testing in February 2017.

The company is reporting significant reductions in fuel and maintenance costs over the last year, especially with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) and injector maintenance. . . .

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Enbridge and City of Toronto to build one of the first renewable natural gas facilities in Ontario

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/07/20180723-enbridge.html

Enbridge Gas Distribution and the City of Toronto will build and install equipment that will turn the City’s organic waste (apple cores, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.) into renewable natural gas. . . .

Expected to be complete in 2019, the project supports the City’s vision of using Toronto’s organic waste to offset greenhouse gas emissions. As an added benefit, the newly created carbon-neutral, renewable natural gas will be injected into the natural gas distribution system to fuel the trucks that picked up the Green Bin waste.

The Ontario Ministry of Energy (Fuels Technical Report) believes that RNG can replace up to 15 per cent of Ontario’s conventional natural gas supply by 2035. Converting fleets, public transit, and heavy-duty vehicles from diesel to natural gas will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 15%and save up to 40% on fuel costs. Further, vehicles running on RNG are considered net neutral (with respect to emissions. . . .)

. . . Enbridge and the City of Toronto estimate that more than 5 million cubic metres of RNG could be produced each year at this facility. That’s enough to fuel 132 garbage trucks, 90% of the City’s fleet (or heat more than 2,000 homes). . . .

[GRA]

Both via GCC:

San Diego’s Vista Unified School District switches its school buses to run on Neste MY Renewable Diesel

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/07/20170825-neste.html

Vista Unified School District (VUSD), a public school district based in San Diego County, California, has switched its fleet of 53 school buses to run on Neste MY Renewable Diesel.

VUSD is the 4th largest school district in San Diego County and comprises 32 schools. VUSD serves more than 23,000 primary to high school students and 2,000 adult education students in Vista, as well as sections of Oceanside, San Marcos, Carlsbad and some unincorporated areas of the San Diego County. . . .

Unlike biodiesel, Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a direct replacement fuel that requires no blending and is compatible with all diesel engines.

Petroleum diesel and biodiesel contain aromatics and impurities that can contaminate oil, foul fuel injectors and clog the DPF filters. Renewable diesel contains nearly zero impurities and burns much cleaner. . . .

EPA approves RFS pathway for sorghum oil as feedstock for bio-diesel or drop-in renewable fuels

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/07/20180725-sorghum.html

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final notice determining biodiesel and heating oil produced from distillers sorghum oil via a transesterification process, and renewable diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced from distillers sorghum oil via a hydrotreating process, would meet the lifecycle GHG emissions reduction threshold of 50% required for advanced biofuels and biomass-based diesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.

The analysis considered a scenario where distillers sorghum oil is recovered from distillers grains with solubles (DGS) at dry mill plants that produce biofuel from grain sorghum and where the remaining reduced-oil DGS co-product is used as animal feed. The distillers sorghum oil is then used as a feedstock for conversion into certain biofuels.

Based on this analysis, EPA is adding these pathways to the list of approved renewable fuel production pathways in the RFS regulations. EPA is also amending the RFS regulations by adding a new definition of “distillers sorghum oil,” and replacing existing references to “non-food grade corn oil” with the newly defined term “distillers corn oil. . . .”

[WetEV]

Remember that biofuels can't realistically provide a large fraction of the energy we use.

And they compete with people food.

[GRA]

Remember that biofuels can't realistically provide a large fraction of the energy we use.

And they compete with people food.

No one says that biofuels need to provide a large fraction of our energy (although it would obviously be great if they could), but they can replace liquid fossil fuels when nothing else can (long-range aviation being the most critical). If large-scale sustainable biofuels do come about, they won't compete with edible cropland but will use something like algae grown in ocean 'farms'. Meanwhile, via GCC:

Vancouver, Canada shifting entire diesel fleet to 100% renewable diesel

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/08/20180821-vancouver.html

The City of Vancouver has entered into a new fuel contract with Suncor under which all of the City’s diesel vehicles will transition to 100% renewable diesel, reducing emissions to 50% below 2007 levels by the end of next year. . . .

The Greenest City Action Plan sets a 2030 target of a 50% reduction in emission from City operations over 2007 levels. With the planned implementation of 100% renewable fuel in the diesel fleet, this target will be achieved next year.

[WetEV]

Remember that biofuels can't realistically provide a large fraction of the energy we use.

And they compete with people food.

No one says that biofuels need to provide a large fraction of our energy (although it would obviously be great if they could), but they can replace liquid fossil fuels when nothing else can (long-range aviation being the most critical). If large-scale sustainable biofuels do come about, they won't compete with edible cropland but will use something like algae grown in ocean 'farms'.

Ocean farms that will compete with fish, which are people food. And the likely places to build "ocean farms" is in the bays and estuaries where much of the productivity is. I don't claim that all production of biofuels will displace people food, only that large scale production will.

Some biofuels don't directly compete: landfill and sewage methane comes to mind, as does byproducts of lumber mills and such. Yet all of these are tiny fractions of the energy used for long range aviation.