Tag Archives: production
USDA Announces A Notice of Contract Proposals to Support Advanced Biofuels Production
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2013 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of up to $98.6 million to support the production of advanced biofuels, and an opportunity for eligible producers to submit applications. USDA remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today’s announcement is one part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen the rural economy. “The United States is on the path to a cleaner, more secure energy future,” Vilsack said. “By helping producers to support and expand the production of advanced biofuels, USDA is ensuring that Rural America is a key component of President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to reduce the Nation’s reliance on foreign oil.” The payments are provided through USDA Rural Development’s Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels, commonly referred to as the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. It was established in the 2008 Farm Bill to support the expansion of advanced biofuel production. Payments are made to eligible producers based on the amount of biofuel produced from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. Examples of eligible feedstocks include crop residue; animal, food and yard waste; vegetable oils; and animal fat. Through the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels and other programs, USDA is working to support the research, investment and infrastructure necessary to build a biofuels industry that creates jobs and produces renewable fuel. Since 2009, more than 275 eligible producers in 44 states have received payments. Producers use the payments to offset production costs and in some instances expand their operations. For example, in 2012, Sequential-Pacific Biodiesel, a biodiesel facility based in Salem, Ore., increased its annual production by approximately 1 million gallons, or about 20 percent. Sequential-Pacific primarily uses locally sourced waste vegetable oils in its production of biodiesel. The support USDA Rural Development provided through its Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels helped the company buy equipment that increased the speed of production and pre-treatment of feedstock. Producers who did not apply for payments during the October 2012 application window may now apply for payments for third and fourth quarter fiscal year 2013 production as well as for any applicable incremental production. Applications received by July 11, 2013 will be considered for Fiscal Year 2013 funds. Complete details on how to apply and on available funding are found on Page 34975 of the June 11 Federal Register, http://www.gpo.gov/f…/2013-13778.pdf . President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible. # USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). Last Date Modified: 06/11/2013 Continue reading
Biomass Plants Do ‘Not Threaten’ Food Production
29 May 2013 By Tereza Pultarova Experts believe demands of biomass production don’t compete with those of food production The possible conflicts over land-use with food production needs should not prevent the Government from further exploring the possibilities of biomass power generation, says a new policy statement from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Biomass-fired power stations, using energy stored in plants, present a convenient way of removing around 10 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. “Our analysis shows that at the scale of current global ambitions, the cultivation of biomass for use in electricity generation need not necessarily threaten the availability of land for food production, other energy sourcing and the preservation of ecosystems,” said Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the IMechE. Compared to other power sources, biomass electricity generates low level of carbon emissions. In combination with Carbon Capture and Storage technologies (CCS) it offers a so-called ‘negative-emissions’ ratio, making it a promising part of the energy mix, convenient for climate change mitigation. Surprisingly, though, the current demand for this type of technology for power generation is very low. “Given that the exclusion of biomass from the energy mix would significantly increase the cost of reducing the CO2 emissions of the UK energy system, Government should help ensure that land-use tensions are fully understood and correctly managed,” Fox said. Even though the demand for biomass power generation is expected to grow, it is believed that the land needed to grow crops for these purposes will be nowhere near the size of areas required to meet the needs of food production in the future. The new policy statement advises the Government to take a complex approach to land-use management to eliminate any possible conflicts. In the statement issued today, the IMechE further encourages the UK representatives to take an international lead in encouraging integrated approach to future food security on global scale and to support research into CCS technology to achieve negative emissions. Continue reading
Scientists Develop ‘Green’ Pretreatment Of Miscanthus For Biofuels
Two University of Illinois scientists have developed an environmentally friendly and more economical way of pretreating Miscanthus in the biofuel production process. “We pretreat the biomass with switchable butadiene sulfone in the presence of water to break down the plant cell wall, which consists of cellulose, hemicellulose , and lignin, the source of biofuels and value-added products,” said Hao Feng, a U of I professor of food science and human nutrition who also has extensive research experience with biofuels. The new technique is a green alternative to current industry practices because butadiene sulfone can be recovered at potentially high yields since the solvent’s decomposition gases are also the raw materials for its production. This means that butadiene sulfone can be re-used after pretreatment, he added. The commercial availability for both production and recovery of this chemical should allow for a transfer of these operations into a biorefinery , Feng said. “It’s a big advantage in terms of both economy and environmental impact,” he added. The current chemical pretreatment process uses relatively harsh conditions to break down the tough structure of grass and other biomass. Enzymes are then used to release the sugars that are converted to fuels through a fermentation process , Feng explained. “These chemicals not only produce compounds that are toxic to fermenting microorganisms, they often result in by-products that have negative environmental impact,” he said. Why is this new solvent so important? “Pretreatment is the most expensive step in the production of biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass,” said J. Atilio de Frias, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in the Feng laboratory. According to de Frias, butadiene sulfone has the unique ability to “switch” in equilibrium to 1,3-butadiene and sulfur dioxide at relatively low temperatures, forming sulfurous acid in the presence of water. Using this relatively inexpensive and recoverable chemical to pretreat biomass in one step under mild conditions is definitely a step in the right direction, he said. “At temperatures ranging from 90ºC to 110ºC, the sulfurous acid hydrolyzes hemicellulose. Then butadiene sulfone helps to solubilize lignin with most of the cellulose preserved for downstream enzymatic hydrolysis,” he explained. The scientists said their data shows promise for the separation of hemicellulose and lignin and for the preservation of cellulose. They were able to remove up to 58 percent of lignin and 91 percent of hemicellulose and preserved 90 to 99 percent of cellulose. Feng said that this is the first time that this solvent has been successfully used as a pretreatment in biofuel production. “We look forward to its testing and adoption by biofuel manufacturers that are working with Miscanthus and other biomass crops,” he said. Read more at: http://phys.org/news…ofuels.html#jCp Continue reading
