Give ethanol a chance
I am responding to Jeremy Madden’s May column in the Aspen Daily News, as well as other news concerning corn-based ethanol fuels.
The accusation that ethanol fuels from corn is causing food shortages and raising food prices is now an issue on the nation’s front burner. Much of the news on this subject is mostly surface talk. This is a very complex issue going much deeper than just blaming the agricultural sector. This was inevitable at this point in time, given the demand for corn and rising gasoline prices.
The public needs to realize that this is the initial phase of the renewable energy development in the United States. This is something that cannot be just shut off and on like a faucet. This development was set in motion a long time ago in the Midwest. Farmers have been waiting years for the corn ethanol fuels development to reach a high level of development.
As the director of the first ethanol fuels commission (Nebraska Gasohol Commission) in the 1970s, we foresaw that corn ethanol fuels would be only a Midwest region development. We did not intend to blanket the nation with this product. Many farmers are actually making real money for the first time in ages. Corn-based ethanol fuels will not go away any time soon. Consider that there are an average of 10-12 large corn ethanol plants in each of the Midwestern states, and they are building more.
I (have) listened to Al Gore being interviewed on the National Public Radio network about many national issues. Now, this is one of the smartest people on earth when it comes to the environment and energy. When asked about the corn ethanol-food issue, he said “you can’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” He went on to imply that corn ethanol fuel needs to be given a chance to work itself out. He made a very strategic point regarding this issue: He pointed out that no one has considered the fact that the commodities market and traders are causing much of this price impact on our food prices — not so much the corn ethanol fuels development.
Let’s also blame the oil companies for adding to the price of all of our delivered goods, especially food. Now we are looking at $4 and $5 gasoline prices. Nothing more should be said. Also, let’s throw in the fact that oil production is now on a steep downward trend. Why do you think that General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford have invested heavily in manufacturing flex fuel (ethanol fuels) vehicles? Now Toyota is planning to introduce ethanol fuel-capable trucks soon. I am very confident that this corn ethanol fuels issue will work itself out in the very near future.
Be ready to hug a farmer everyday when we run out of petroleum oil. Farmers have the capability of producing ethanol fuels on their own farms as well as in group efforts called co-operatives. If we run out of oil, farmers will have their applications into ATF faster than you can spell “corn.”
One solution might be to form renewable energy co-operatives. Consumers could invest in their own co-ops. Members could drive into a renewable energy park where there would be tanks of ethanol and bio-diesel available at huge discounts. At the other end of the park, there would be a bank of solar-powered outlets where hybrid cars could juice up. Renewable energy tax credits or rebates should be made available for these types of businesses.
We need to control our own destinies by investing in this type of American-owned renewable energy. I’m ready! How about you?
Randy Fricke
Basalt
Ute Mountain Pellet Proposal
A small, economically viable pellet mill produces 25,000 - 35,000 tons per year. If the local market expanded from 1 percent to 7 percent (8,400 households), the small mill capacity would be matched. Market expansion will take place as the cost of conventional energy increases, but will be slow in the near term without a strategy. If steps are not initiated now to encourage and capture a growing market, it will be filled by a pellet plant from outside the region.
Here are some safe bets:
Non-renewable fuel prices will remain volatile with increasing spikes due to political and natural disruptions.
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Renewable fuel sources like wood, solar, geothermal will grow in use and affordability.
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There will be a market shake-out in the pellet industry over the next three years due to a lag between production
• capacity and market.Given current and projected demographics within the Four Corners region there is room for one pellet mill of moderate size (25,000 to 35,000 tons annually). We recommend a phased strategy beginning in 2008 with strategic commercial and residential market development. Construction of the plant will be triggered by capture of at least 5 percent of the residential market. The estimated investment for all phases is between $7 million and $10 million. Investment in this proposal will place the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in a position to capitalize on the mill opportunity and other related business ventures as well as benefit the residents of Indian Country.
Strategic Steps:
Build bag and bulk pellet delivery routes in up to 300 mile loops linking together towns in a 100 mile radius
• thus servicing homes, hospitals, schools, offices and other buildings in Indian Country and high elevation communities.Make all public buildings “Native Wood Ready” in the design phase and invest in pellet boiler retrofits for those
• in the “green zones” on the map.Initiate a subsidized pellet stove installation program for eligible families within the “green zone.” The program
• can be modeled after the EPA’s Great American Woodstove Changeout program. See this site for information on EPA’s program http://epa.gov/woodstoves/how-to-guide.html Decent stoves installed cost approximately $2500. The program could offer a $1000 subsidy and $1500 zero interest loan. The program achieves immediate benefits regarding heating bills, air quality, and market build-up. Utilize Forest Energy Corp as the bag and bulk pellet supplier while markets are stabilizing. Either buy, store,
• and disperse pellets from a centralized location on tribal land or arrange for delivery by Forest Energy Corp. Propane carriers can adapt to carry pellets as well. If silos are added to the installation program, delivery costs can be cut in half and thus consumer prices.
E85 Conversion Kit
We know that you are visiting here because you want to make a difference and save money on fuel costs. Not only is E85 ethanol motor fuel’s price is cheaper than gasoline, but it is better for the environment. Further, your dollars stay here in the USA since E85 ethanol is American made.
We have purchased other E85 Conversion Kits and tested them in our personal vehicles. As an independent reseller, we have chosen to ONLY sell the FFI Platinum. We will continue independent testing of all brands and should we find one better, we will consider offering that product. We do not accept free test units. We pay for them to keep our testing unbiased.
Your vehicle will have the ability to run on straight gas, straight ethanol, or any combination of the two. The most popular combinations are E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or your everyday gas (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline). Please remember that the FFI Platinum will automatically sense the gas to ethanol ratio and make all of the adjustments necessary for a seamless FlexFuel experience
USDA Corn Stover study
Determine the amount of crop residues (e.g., corn stover, cover crop) that must remain on the land to maintain soil organic carbon (SOC) and sustain production. Through a series of experiments with factors including tillage and residue removal conducted under several environments, measure biomass production, grain yield, and change in soil organic carbon, and from these measurements estimate the amount of residue needed to maintain soil organic carbon and productivity. Click here to read the study which runs through 2011
Nebraska Kansas Colorado Railway
Nebraska Kansas Colorado Railway, Inc. (”NKCR”) owns and operates approximately 559 miles of track in three states and carries a diverse mix of wheat, corn, coal, fertilizer.
NKCR has benefited from its ability to attract high throughput grain elevators to its lines due to its superior service record and excellent relationship with BNSF. More specifically, NKCR recently made considerable track improvements in conjunction with upgrade investments by the owners of grain elevators at Venango, Loomis and Maywood, Nebraska, each of which now loads 110-car shuttle trains. In addition to grain, NKCR ships inbound coal to the largest power plant in Nebraska.
ZeaChem
However now a new energy startup called ZeaChem claims to have solved the problem, and that they can now make ethanol at a competitive price.
At its laboratory in Menlo Park, CA, ZeaChem says they have created a new means of developing ethanol from wood chips, switch grass, and several other sources that is more efficient than competing methods. Developed by experts from the Coors brewery, crude oil refining, and other chemical industries, the process involves joining biomass in a fermenter with a naturally occurring microorganism (found in sources such as termites or horse manure) that unlike other methods uses all fractions of the plant, meaning the energy of all fractions of the biomass end up in the product.
According to the company, their process will theoretically produce a maximum 160 gallons of ethanol for every ton of biomass, and a biomass farm with an eight-mile radius could support a refinery producing approximately 300 million gallons of the fuel per year. In addition, ZeaChem says their method is more efficient than others, citing a “net energy ratio” of between 10 and 12, meaning that for every unit of fossil energy used, 10 - 12 units of renewable energy are produced. In contrast, the company claims corn-based ethanol has an approximate net energy ratio of only 1.6.
So what exactly does all this mean for drivers? Well, according to ZeaChem CEO James Imber, the company will be able to produce ethanol at 80 cents per gallon at the plant, which he estimates would equal a price of about $1.50 at the pump. Of course if you were buying E85, the 15 percent gasoline would add additional cost, plus the lower fuel economy would still be a factor. But that price could certainly go a long way toward turning ethanol into a truly viable alternative fuel.
Bulk Pellet transportation and Boiler
SolaGen Incorporated introduces the new HDF-LI Stoker.
This unit is ideal for shelled corn and biomass pellets under commercial and light industrial applications. Its performance is unsurpassed in its ability to handle high ash content fuels with low ash fusion temperatures. The product line starts with the HDF-LI-0.5 that has a maximum input rating of up to 500,000 Btu/Hr. The stoker can be assembled as a complete system with Bulk Fuel Infeed, Firebox, PLC Controls, Hot Water or Steam Boiler, or Process Heat Exchanger.
Pellets can be stored in standard silos, hauled
in standard rail cars, and quickly delivered in truck
containers. They are made to be safe, reliable and
highly transportable.
Bulk pellet fuel
Bulk pellet fuel distribution, once proved through field prototype testing, can easily be
duplicated by the 60 pellet fuel manufacturers across North America. As there are cost
savings for both the manufacturer and the consumer with bulk pellet fuel distribution, given
an adequate market within a reasonable proximity to the manufacturer, such systems should
spring up naturally. A financial model can be developed which will analyze the economics
of a bulk delivery system, such as how many customers and what volume will make a system
viable in a particular service area.
Fossil fuel suppliers, such as heating oil or propane dealers, may wish to diversify their fuel
offerings by getting into the business of distributing biomass fuel pellets. Agricultural
product distributors are another sector which may wish to enter this business once the
technological impediments to bulk pellet fuel delivery have been eliminated.
District heating from local tree waste
Straw pellets
Straw is a common biomass fuel, but in its raw form is difficult to burn, as it is difficult to get the material into the burn chamber quick enough. There are large-scale applications where entire bales are placed in the burn chamber, however these systems are very expensive, and very large.
Converting straw into pellets removes the problem, due to the high density and energy in the pellets; they contain a lot more fuel in a smaller profile. This means small-scale units can take advantage of this widely available fuel. However you must make sure that your pellet burner can handle the high ash and corrosion straw pellets produce.
We were given a few bales of straw from a local farmer, and unlike the wood chippings the moisture of the straw was perfect, creating strong shiny pellets first time. This time we used the 6mm die plate; instead of the 8mm die plate we used for producing the wood pellets.
As straw is more malleable than wood, it is easier to compress into a pellet, so productivity of the pellet mill is higher. We are also very interested in the potential of rapeseed straw. Rapeseed is grown for producing bio-diesel, however the straw is not used and seen as a waste product. This straw will still contain oil, and have a very high heat value. We hope to acquire some in the future to make some pellets.
