The engine, which is designed for operation with natural gas, supersedes its predecessor of the same designation and the previous model TCG 2020 OLS and will also be built in a V12 and a V16 version. The development has resulted in a 10 percent performance increase and improved efficiency. The company states the electrical output at 1,125 kW for the V12 variant and 1,500 kW for the V16. With a 400 V generator, the electrical efficiency for both cylinder types is 41.0 percent.

“Among other things, a newly developed turbo charger and an optimized combustion chamber contributed to the increase in performance and efficiency, while retaining the load response and isolated operation capabilities of the predecessor model”, explains Armin Roeseler, Head of Product Management at MWM. Furthermore, the inlet and the spark plugs have been optimized.

The main assumption is that there will be an increase in soy production to produce biodiesel, an erroneous statement since it does not take into consideration that the oilseed’s demand depends on the demand for proteic meal, an essential component of animal feeds, which represents 78% of the soybean. Oil, on the other hand, represents only 19% of the product and this, by itself, is enough to question the study’s results and conclusions.

In addition, based on estimates from EPE (Energy Research Company), the authors sustain that the country will need a further 10.8 million hectares of soybeans to meet the production and consumption targets for 2020, or almost 50% of the 2009/10 crop’s planted area.

Considering a current average yield of 3,000 kilos of soybeans per hectare, this acreage means that the country will need an additional 6 million tons of soy oil for biodiesel production. However, EPE estimates show an additional need for just 900,000 tons of vegetable oil related to 2010 levels, given that the country already adds 5% of this oil to mineral diesel, equivalent to 2 million tons of vegetable oils.

It should also be noted that, in 2010, as a result of start-of-the-art technological research to increase yield, Brazil will harvest a record crop of over 65 million tons. With the current domestic oil supply, almost 80% of the almost 2 million tons of the raw material used in biodiesel and mineral diesel production can be allocated to meeting the obligatory mixture. In addition, this mixture in mineral diesel can be increased to 17% without needing to expand the oilseed’s production simply by locally processing the more than 28 million tons of soybeans exported in natura.

Furthermore, the study fails to be comprehensive when it ignores the benefits of oilseeds produced in crop rotation, a practice that significantly intensifies soil use and production of food, fibers and energy in the same area., says ABIOVE. The diversification of oilseed production is also the way that the National Production & Biodiesel Use Program will take naturally. The increase in demand for vegetable oils will create market incentives that will naturally stimulate the supply of oilseeds with a high oil content, among them, sunflower, canola, palm and jatropha. This tendency is confirmed by the several public and private initiatives arising throughout Brazil for the production and research of these crops.

Despite these crucial elements, it should be said that the authors recognize that the direct effects of the soy complex on deforestation are small. According to them, this is due to firm and transparent attitudes, such as the Soy Moratorium.

Finally, the study correctly indicates that the solution for the end of deforestation lies in the implementation and success of the land regularization measures and in the increase in the livestock productivity. With these measures, there will be less need for new areas and, therefore, and less deforestation in areas of native vegetation.

Thus, ABIOVE recognizes that the analysis of the problems related to Amazon Biome governance is correct, but alerts the authors about the erroneous conclusions on the direct and indirect effects of soya biodiesel, since these are based on incorrect assumptions regarding market dynamics for the biodiesel and oilseeds complex.

The locomotive for soybeans is the demand for animal protein. Each additional kilo of biodiesel produced from soy depends on an 8-kg increase in poultry or swine meat consumption. Therefore, biodiesel is insufficient to stimulate soy production in Brazil, and any attempt to impute direct and indirect effects to the biofuel cannot be sustained.

The analysis will serve as a legal basis for implementing the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS 2), a program whose goal for 2022 is the consumption of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels in the USA. With this review, EPA placed soy biodiesel as an appropriate biofuel to meet the American program targets.

During the preparation stage, ABIOVE (Associação Brasileira das Indústrias de Óleos Vegetais – Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industry Association) took active part in the public submissions opened by EPA. In August 2009, the Association raised questions during the meeting in Brasilia, organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concerning the preliminary version published by EPA. In October, ABIOVE formalized the questions in a report and submitted them to the official entity. The Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industry Association has contributed on a positive and significant way to defend and improve the soy complex and biodiesel image, which will certainly bring positive results in the USA and other international markets.

After almost two years of compulsory mixture, and considering the various national and international studies that incorrectly analyze biofuels, the Association decided to prioritize the preparation of a report discussing these questions, based on reliable public data. The report reiterates ABIOVE’s point of view, as presented at events and in articles, using information from reference centers in Brazil and abroad as sources. The Association is thus taking part in the biofuel debate with a document that seeks to provide transparency and clear conclusions, thereby contributing to the forming of opinions in Brazil.

Currently the main raw material used for biodiesel production, soy oil has also been the object of several studies with mistaken conclusions as regards the product’s three pillars of sustainability. The report was enriched with pertinent information and data to improve understanding of some of these questions because an understanding of what is happening in agribusiness is essential when discussing biodiesel.
“The objective of the report is not to exhaust the debate, which is a continuous and healthy part of the development of this important program to replace fossil fuels in Brazil, but to provide greater clarity about the program’s positive aspects and the points which can, and should, be improved”, according tot ABIOVE

In this way, ABIOVE shows that it is actively seeking ways to keep the Brazilian biodiesel program on its successful trajectory and to show the world another example of Brazil’s positive policies to develop clean and renewable energy sources.

Unfair trade practices led to a moderate production increase in 2008. In line with the trend initiated in 2007, the year 2008 saw a relatively low increase in EU biodiesel production, and even a reduction in two major producing Member States, Germany and Austria. A clear stagnation of biodiesel output is also to be noticed in a number of EU countries.
With 7,7 million tonnes, 2008 production increased by only 35,7% compared to 2007 level (up from 5,7 million tonnes). 2007 already saw a reduced 16,8% increase compared to 2006.
The increase of biodiesel production in 2007 and 2008 is still not in line with the ambitious EU objective for climate change mitigation outlined in the recently published Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28. “This situation has to be understood primarily against the background of unfair international trade competition which has severely affected the profitability of EU biodiesel producers since early 2007″, according to the EBB.
For more than two years, EU biodiesel producers had to compete with heavily subsidized and dumped biodiesel from the US (known as “B99″). US B99 has been sold in the EU with a considerable discount, even at lower price than the raw material soybean oil. Following the complaints lodged by EBB in 2008, the European Commission’s investigation established that unfair US B99 caused significant damage to the EU biodiesel industry, particularly in terms of profitability and return on investments.
In spite of degraded market conditions, the EU biodiesel industry showed in 2008 some relative resilience, allowing a moderate production increase compared to 2007. This however stands far below what EU biodiesel producers could achieve in a more favorable environment.

EBB statistics for 2008 and 2009 however show that at least 50% of existing plants remain idle. Unfair international competition has been the main driver of this trend, while the political discussions in 2008 on adoption of the Renewable Energy Directive have added to market uncertainty. This situation means that the important investment from the industry has so far not been mirrored by the corresponding market deployment.

More information on this issue can be found in the report ‘Dutch business opportunities in the Turkish biodiesel sector’

Researcher assessed the water footprint of thirteen crops. Based on these results a responsible choose can be made for a specific crop en production area. The results of the findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) van June 2nd, 2009.

The researchers assesed the amount of water needed -both irrigation and rainfall- per Gigajoule energy produced. By connecting wateruse to location and climatological information the most optimal location for the specific crop was assessed. ,,This way it is possible to prevent the production of certain crops in less favourable areas, especially in areas where food and water are already scares resources”, according to the researchers.
The results of this research add a new element to the discussion about crop production for biofuels. Up until now this discussion focussed on the competion between food and fuel. ”Beneath that question lies the question how we should utilize our fresh water supplies in the world. Water that is used for either a food crop such as corn or a non-food crop such as jatropha can not be applied for food production or the maintenance of the ecological system.” The water footprint was developed by prof. Arjan Hoekstra and has proven a powerfull aid in this debate. For example, according to Hoekstra’s model, 1 liter diesel needs 14,000 liter of water when produced from soy or canola. However the production in Western Europe requires a lot less water than that in Asia. Usins soy the water footprint is highets in India and most favourable in Italy and Paraguay. Jatropha, popular as a non-food crop for biodiesel production, claims the most water. To produce 1 liter of diesel around 20,000 liter of water is needed.

Bioelectricity
Research shows that the production of bioelectricity has a smaller water footprint than biofuel production. Reason for the difference is the fact that in the first situation the whole plant is utilized whereas for the production of biofuels only part of the plant e.g. sugar, starch, oil or fibre is needed. Improved techniques can make the water footprint of biofuels smaller.
According to the model the production of bioelectricity from sugar beets is most efficient with regard to the water use. Jatropha is ten times less efficient. A litre bioethanol from sugar beets requires 1400 liter water, using Brasilian sugar cane 2500 liter water is needed.

Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd door de groepen Waterbeheer en Thermische Werktuigbouwkunde, die deel uitmaken van het instituut IMPACT van de Universiteit Twente. Het multidisciplinaire onderzoek naar verantwoord waterbeheer en -gebruik vindt verder plaats in het Twente Water Centre (www.water.utwente.nl).

http://www.utwente.nl

Het artikel ‘The water footprint of bioenergy’ van Winnie Gerbens-Leenes, Arjen Hoekstra en Theo van der Meer, verschijnt op 2 juni in de Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Het kan op verzoek toegestuurd worden.

Contactpersoon voor de pers: Prof. Arjen Hoekstra, Twente Water Centre, tel (053)4893880, email a.y.hoekstra@utwente.nl of Communicatie UT, Wiebe van der Veen, tel (053) 4894244 of 06 121 85 692, email w.r.vanderveen@utwente.nl

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The project consist of a pilot installation for biobased products and processes. Besides that an educationcentre for proces operators will be part of the activities. Biofuels will be an important product, but the development of for exemple bio-colours, bio-plastics, bio-detergents and bio-chemicals will also be addressed. The project is estimated to cost about 13 million euro.

The partners aim to build the pilot installation in the Ghent harbour and start it up at the beginning of 2010. Scientists will test coproducts from agriculture, such as wheat straw, corn cobs, wood chips, jatropha- and algea oil, as sources for biofuels on an industrial scale. The installation focusses on the use of European expertise from different sectors. The Belgian professor Wim Soetaert is responsible for the project. 
The education centre will be build in Terneuzen. This will cost around eight million euro. From 2011 onwards this centre should provide well educated technical people to meet the needs of the bio energy market.

“We certainly look well set for success at this the ninth annual All-Energy,” says project director, Judith Patten. All-Energy is run in association with the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), Scottish Renewables (SRF) and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG); the Society for Underwater Technology is its learned society patron, and it has more than 30 government departments (from Westminster and Holyrood), trade associations, and professional institutes as official supporting organisations. The two-day event is free to attend for all with a professional / business interest in renewable energy – online registration is at www.all-energy.co.uk