Revived Iowa ethanol plant would make RNG to meet demand in California

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A German bioenergy company is preparing to produce corn ethanol and renewable natural gas at the site of a failed cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, Iowa.

Verbio Vereinigte BioEnergie AG is building an anaerobic digester on the site that will annually convert up to 100,000 tons of corn stover — a crop leftover consisting of everything but the kernel — into a renewable fuel that can be fed into the nation’s natural gas pipeline system. Verbio hopes to begin production by fall of 2021.

The biogas, known as RNG, is more expensive to produce than conventional natural gas, but producers can turn a profit by selling credits to refineries and fuel suppliers in California, where a state low-carbon fuel standard requires annual reductions in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.

Early Adopters of Heavy-Duty EVs

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As more fleets look to medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs), they can benefit from the lessons learned by early adopters on the frontlines of EV deployments.

Over the last decade, OEMs and fleets have researched and tested electric technology, and in many scenarios, worked with utilities and funding agencies to deploy solutions that foster widespread adoption of EVs in commercial applications.

Working closely with industry leaders, Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) has been fortunate to be on the frontlines of many of these cutting-edge projects, helping to navigate the challenges and opportunities of electrification. Along the way, we identified valuable lessons that could prove to hasten progress and see quicker return on investment for those transitioning to electric.

USDA seeks input on ‘ready to go’ innovations to meet AIA goals

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The USDA announced on Sept. 10 it is seeking input on the most innovative technologies and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture to meet the goals of the agency’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda.

The USDA unveiled the AIA in February. The initiative aims to increase agricultural production by 40 percent by 2050 while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture by 50 percent.

One component of the AIA focuses on renewable energy, including ethanol, biodiesel and biomass. In February, the USDA said it aims to increase biofuel feedstock production and biofuel production efficiency and competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of E15 in 2030 and E30 in 2050. The agency also aims to achieve market-driven demand for biofuel and biodiesel.

Clean Cities Showcases Idle Reducing Tech to Lower Emissions

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Reducing vehicle idling saves fuel and money and cuts harmful emissions. Small changes in idling time can lead to noticeable benefits, including fuel savings and a reduction in pollution and noise.

To highlight benefits and the technologies that enable them, Chicago Area Clean Cities is holding a webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 10 AM. Commercial and government fleet managers, industry professionals and the public are invited to attend.

“Idle reduction is a real fuel saver, and it decreases tailpipe emissions,” said John Walton, chair, Chicago Area Clean Cities. “It also can save your fleet money. It is a hot topic, and we’re inviting fleet managers, government officials, and anyone who manages vehicles to join us. We will provide real-world examples of how to do it.”

Estes, Clean Energy Partner to Expand Natural Gas Vehicle Fleet

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Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a provider of natural gas fuel for transportation, says Estes Express Lines will add 50 new trucks fueled with Redeem renewable natural gas (RNG) to its fleet, bringing its total to 71.

Estes, a privately owned freight transportation carrier, is acquiring the Class 8 natural gas trucks equipped with the Cummins Westport ultra-clean ISX12N engine for its California fleet and is expected to use approximately 2.8 million gallons of RNG over the seven-year contract.

Clean Energy’s Redeem was the first commercially available RNG vehicle fuel, derived from capturing the biogenic methane produced by the decomposition of organic waste from dairies, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. Redeem reduces climate-harming greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70%, and even up to 300%, depending on the source of the RNG.

Estes purchased the trucks through Clean Energy’s Zero Now program, which brings the price of a natural gas truck at parity with a diesel truck while offering a guaranteed fuel discount for the duration of the agreement. For Estes, this represents a geographical expansion of its current 21 ultra-clean truck fleet currently operating out of Texas, and also fueled by Redeem.

“Switching to trucks fueled with ultra-low carbon fuel is vital to improving air quality and fighting climate change in the regions that we serve,” says Rob Estes, CEO of Estes Express Lines. “Clean Energy’s Zero Now program has enabled us to switch to cleaner fuel and engine technologies that make financial sense – so it’s a win on several levels.”

Breakthrough Electrocatalyst Turns Carbon Dioxide Into Ethanol

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A research team led by scientists from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Northern Illinois University has discovered a new electrocatalyst that can consistently convert carbon dioxide and water into ethanol with very high energy efficiency and low cost.

Because carbon dioxide is a stable molecule, transforming it into a different molecule is normally energy intensive and costly.

But the new process can electrochemically convert the carbon dioxide emitted from industrial processes—such as fossil fuel or alcohol fermentation plants—into a valuable commodity at reasonable cost. Ethanol is an ingredient in nearly all U.S. gasoline and is widely used as an intermediate product in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.

“The process resulting from our catalyst would contribute to the circular carbon economy, which entails the reuse of carbon dioxide,” said Di-Jia Liu, senior chemist in Argonne’s Chemical Sciences and Engineering division and a UChicago CASE scientist in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.

The findings were published recently in the journal Nature Energy.

The team’s catalyst consists of atomically dispersed copper on a carbon-powder support. By an electrochemical reaction, this catalyst breaks down carbon dioxide and water molecules and selectively reassembles the broken molecules into ethanol under an external electric field.

Trucking: Clean Fuels, Heavy Loads and Prospects for Cleaner Fuels in Freight Fleets

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Trucking has, like other parts of the American economy, taken a punch from COVID. April’s job losses in the sector – estimated at 88,000 or 5.8% of the workforce per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – were enough to eliminate all job gains in trucking since September 2014. Total separations in the larger BLS umbrella category of Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities in March and April topped 900,000. And while BLS reported net job gains of 8,100 in trucking for June, there’s still a lot of ground to regain for the industry. Short version – from February to July, total trucking employment was down about 6%. In such uncertain times, navigating agreement to end employment becomes essential for both employers and employees to ensure a smooth transition and fair treatment.

There is good news, though, some hiding in plain sight on the calendar. As summer winds down, the pre-Christmas shipping season winds up. And as the retail rush begins, lower overall capacity means shippers have been able to boost rates. Spot dry rates have risen from around $1.35 in May to more than $2.00 in August. FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index spiked from a record low of -28.66 in April to a 11.35 in June, the highest reading in a decade. Better yet, net trailer orders in July were up 84% YOY, with 173,000 units ordered in the preceding 12 months. But the sector’s long-term issues remain – driver shortages, infrastructure, and trade friction among them. And hanging over everything is the uncertain direction of the American economy, driven by consumer sentiment, intertwined with an ongoing pandemic.

Will Fleets Still Move Forward with Clean Fuels?
In these uncertain conditions, will trucking fleets still move forward with plans for clean-fuel rollouts? We strongly suspect the answer is “yes”, for several reasons.

For starters – fuel prices. Diesel costs and driver pay have duked it out for pole position as trucking’s single biggest cost for years and recent data shows more of the same. Diesel prices rang in the new year at about $3.08, nationally averaged. EIA data shows that as the pandemic grew, prices slumped to around $2.39 during the first week of May, and crept higher as June began. These are low prices – retail diesel was about a buck higher as recently as fall 2018.

Corn Growers Help Grow Higher Ethanol Blends

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Building out the infrastructure needed for future mid-level blends of ethanol continues to be a priority of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), which is why they have worked with Wayne Fueling Systems over the last three years to produce and sell pumps certified for fuel containing up to 25 percent ethanol.

Thanks to this key partnership, NCGA has supported the sale of more than 50,000 new fuel pumps across the U.S., building out the infrastructure needed to support future mid-level blends of ethanol.

“This lays the groundwork for growing ethanol demand and moving the industry forward,” said NCGA Market Development Vice President Jim Bauman. “Corn farmers’ support of NCGA’s multi-year fuel pump infrastructure program supports the introduction of higher octane fuels delivered by low-carbon, affordable, corn-based ethanol.”

NCGA also recently partnered with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), assisting fuel retailers in applying for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). The $100 million program included $86 million to expand the availability of higher blends of ethanol, like E15 and E85.

GM Signs Deal With Honda to Develop Future Products

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General Motors and Honda have a deal to share vehicle platforms and technology in North America starting next year.

On Sept. 3 the automakers said they have signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to establish a North American automotive alliance. The deal has come together after extensive discussions.

The proposed alliance will include sharing a range of vehicles, to be sold under each company’s distinct brands, as well as cooperation in purchasing, research and development, and connected services.

The alliance will help GM and Honda achieve substantial cost savings in developing future products.

“This alliance will help both companies accelerate investment in future mobility innovation by freeing up additional resources,” GM President Mark Reuss said in a statement. “Given our strong track record of collaboration, the companies would realize significant synergies in the development of today’s vehicle portfolio.”

In April, GM and Honda announced they have agreed to jointly develop two all-new electric vehicles for Honda. Those vehicles will be on GM’s global EV platform powered by proprietary Ultium batteries, but Honda will design the exteriors and interiors. The platform will be engineered to match the way Honda vehicles handle on the road. At the time, GM said this was “another step” toward its vision of an all-electric future.

The GM-Honda relationship, which began more than two decades ago, includes recent collaborations on fuel cells, batteries and the Cruise Origin shared autonomous vehicle.

Onboard Dynamics Launches GoFill CNG Refueling System

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Onboard Dynamics has launched the new GoFill refueling system.

GoFill is an instant dispensing unit for refueling compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The new product eliminates infrastructure barriers for fleet operators who immediately need an easy CNG station setup to refuel their commercial trucks.

The first unit rolled out in Oregon as part of the NW Natural’s free truck loan program. The GoFill will be providing natural gas for refueling CNG into a Hyliion low-emission Class 8 truck for long and heavy hauls. The program provides fleet operators a short-term, no-cost demo period to experience the vehicle. The on-site, easy station setup makes fueling convenient during the demo period.

“We designed the GoFill as a companion to the GoFlo compressor to create a CNG-in-a-day solution,” says Rita Hansen, CEO of Onboard Dynamics. “We’re excited to roll out our new product for NW Natural’s truck loan program and help contribute to the adoption of natural gas vehicles.”

The versatile design makes the GoFill a temporary or permanent installation. When paired with Onboard Dynamics’ natural gas compressor, the GoFlo, an instant fueling station can be set up that doesn’t require electricity to operate. This makes rapid deployment possible in locations where infrastructure is challenging.