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October 2006
New Energy magazine for the bioenergy business
Europe enters new energy era Nedalco grows on bio ethanol Energy from biomass Supplement with De Molenaar
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Threats, opportunities and regulations in the European feed industry An international book about feed milling … for an increasingly international market.
Only € 12,5 0 per copy for 74 pag es of releva nt expertise, informatio n and views on Europe .
The expansion of the European Union to 25 member states brought about many changes. Such an expansion also affects the feed industry, both in the old as well as in the new member states. For ‘Feed Milling in the European Union’, players in and around the field of the European feed industry were asked to give their view on the changes. The facts, figures, legislation and techniques of today versus the prospects, developments and possibilities of tomorrow are given in this book. One of the topics concerns new regulations for feed additives and alternatives for antimicrobial growth promoters. A technical view of the industry can be found in a description of how to produce feed with acceptable hygiene and safety risks. ‘Feed Milling in the European Union’ is a publication of De Molenaar, trade journal for the grain processing and feed industry in The Netherlands and Belgium. It was published in 2004 and is sold for € 12,50 per copy. T +31 (0)58 295 48 70 | F +31 (0)58 295 48 71 Web: www.eisma.nl | e-mail: businessmedia@eisma.nl
The price is excluding 6% VAT and shipping costs. No shipping costs are charged for orders of € 50,- and more.
If you have a subscription to the trade journal De Molenaar, you may take advantage of a 10% discount on the above price. You will first receive an invoice and your order will be sent to you upon receipt of your payment.
bio-ethanol / feedstuffs P.O. Box 6 4600 AA Bergen op Zoom The Netherlands Phone: +31 (0)164 – 213400 Fax: +31 (0)164 – 213401 Internet: www.nedalco.com Dutch sales point: Mr A.P.A. van der Weide Phone: +31 (0)6 – 53435045 E-mail: a.vdweide@nedalco.nl
01•Inhoud:01
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COLOFON
Pagina 1
New Energy is a supplement with De Molenaar, trade journal for the grain processing and feed industry in the Benelux. De Molenaar is a two weekly trade journal. The special New Energy, magazine for the bio energy business, is first published in October 2006. The second publication is due in April, 2007.
CONTENT
CONTENT
content
Publishing company Eisma Businessmedia bv P.O. Box 340 8901 BC Leeuwarden (The Netherlands) Management Egbert van Hes, general manager Pieter van Hes, manager Publisher Minne Hovenga Editorial staff Jacqueline Wijbenga, managing editor Trees van der Wal, senior editor Editorial contributors Jannes Doppenberg, Lourens Gengler, Nico Heesterman, Fritz Kahl, Fred Klein, Jacques Van Outryve, Stan Raben, Marc van der Sterren, Mike Wilson and others.
Editorial address P.O. Box 340 8901 BC Leeuwarden (The Netherlands) Tel. +-31-(0)58-2954862 Fax. +-31-(0)58-2954878 Email: redactiemolenaar@eisma.nl Advert department Siebolt Nieuwenhuis, head of sales Ria Hoekstra, sales administration Advert department address P.O. Box 340 8901 BC Leeuwarden (The Netherlands) Tel. +-31-(0)58-2954865 Fax. +-31-(0)58-2954871 Email: verkoop@eisma.nl
Subscriptions Vanessa Olde Agterhuis Tel. +-31-(0)58-2954870 Fax. +-31-(0)58-2954871
POLICY
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Renewable energy needs coherent policy
2
In brief
3
New ethanol plant to use cobs, not corn
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More US corn in 2007
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Future farm policy should focus on renewable fuel
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Editorial
4
Europe enters new energy era
7
Bio fuel concentrates in European harbours
BIO ETHANOL
10
Nedalco grows on bio ethanol
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Ethanol production and export fight for crop supplies
Subcribers to De Molenaar will automatically receive the supplement New Energy. Those interested in the special New Energy can subscribe to this special. Each copy will cost €5 (excluding VAT) to be paid upon receipt. PrePress ZeeDesign, Witmarsum (The Netherlands)
Print Scholma druk bv, Bedum (The Netherlands)
© Copyright 2006 Eisma Businessmedia bv, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Nothing from this publication may be multiplied and/or copied in any way without written permission from the publisher. Publisher and authors declare that this magazine was made with the utmost care and to the best of their knowledge. However neither publisher nor authors can be held responsible for the correctness and/or completeness of the information supplied. Publisher and authors do not accept any responsibility for any form of damage caused by decisions or actions taken on the basis of the presented information. Users of this magazine are firmly advised to not use this information without question, but to use their professional knowledge and skills and to check the information before use.
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BIO DIESEL
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The first bio diesel plant The Netherlands fuels up
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Nutritional value of by-products from bio diesel
BIOMASS/WOOD
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Green energy from biomass
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Pelleting of saw dust and wood shavings
New Energy October 2006
2-3•Actueel en column:02-03
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New Energy News
Renewable energy need coherent policy “If Europe lets the market rule, bio ethanol will not evolve here”, stated EU-official Hilkka Summa at the Biomass for Energy conference in Brugge. The EU-official is convinced all the bio ethanol needed will be imported if the EU doesn’t adjust its policy towards EU-production. Development of renewable energy in Europe will benefit most from consistent policy, said bio
The question is however ‘Will there be enough European feedstock to supply all these production plants?’ ” Mittelbach signals a price rise of most of the vegetable oils. “The cheapest vegetable oil, palm oil, used to be cheaper than gas, but the market situations changes rapidly.” This however doesn’t have to limit the possibilities of bio diesel. The researcher sees lots of opportunities for alternative feedstock such as single cell oil derived from yeast, alge or funghi, but also non-edible oils such as caster oil or Jatropha oil and animal fat in a mix can be used.
New Energy
energy entrepreneurs present at the conference. To prevent this from happening the EU has developed policy to stimulate the development of bio ethanol and bio diesel production. “Bio diesel is less of a problem as the majority of fuel in the EU is bio diesel. However the imports of bio diesel will also increase if no measures are taken”, according tot EU-official Hilkka Summa at the conference in Brugge. There is no political support within the EU for the increased imports. “We want a more balanced, regulated approach of the renewable energy developments. For this reason the EU has set targets for bio ethanol as well as bio diesel production.”
Bio ethanol Charles Peers from the Alco Group is in line with Summa. “The bio ethanol targets will not be met at present.” To realize the targets Europe is in need of coherent policy, Peers emphasizes. “Incentive alone is not enough. A minimum obligation is needed to achieve the goals.” He signals an input problem with the bio ethanol production in Europe. “In the United States the demand for ethanol is far greater than that of bio diesel. Furthermore the main crop in the states is corn which fits in with the end product ethanol. Europe has a problem there as our input does not meet the end product.”
Peers would like to see a differentiation is food and non-food crops in Europe. “The discussion about feeding food worthy crops to fuel production plants limits the development of bio fuel production. Setting clear boundaries might help solve part of that problem and end the discussing”, according to Peers. He expects Belgium to become a major player in the production of bio ethanol in Europe. The Alco group together with some major car brands such as General Motors, Saab, Volvo and Ford and fuel distributor Octa will set up a distribution network for bio ethanol and stimulate the availability of flex fuel cars in Europe.
Bio diesel Martin Mittelbach from the Karl Franzen University in Austria stated that the major problem for realising all the bio diesel plans in Europe is the feedstock. “There are lots of plans in store.
IN BRIEF The German government is lobbying for a higher blending obligation of bio fuels in the European Union. German official Gert Lindemann would like to see a percentage of 8 percent obligatory blending of bio fuel in 2015. Five years further down the road, in 2020, this should be 12,5 percent. According to a study of the Universities of Utrecht (The Netherlands) and Campinas (Brazil) the Brazilian bio ethanol meets the sustainability demands set by a Dutch committee recently. Should however the sustainability criteria be changed to a more strict regime it is uncertain the Brazilian bio ethanol can meet these. Bunge Iberica, the Spanish division of Bunge Limited, has set up a joint venture with the Spanish company Acciona and two other local companies to build two bio diesel factories in Spain. Bunge Iberica will supply the factories with soy oil. Acciona will produce the bio diesel. Euroforum organizes a conference on the Market oppertunities for bio fuels. The conference is held in the WTC in Rotterdam on November 15th, 2007. The conference will be Dutch spoken.
Second generation But while European policy still focuses mainly on the first generation bio fuels, Sweden is well on its way in the development of a second generation bio ethanol plant. A pilot plant has been set up to produce ethanol from cellulose. “The whole fibre is broken down. What’s left after the process is lignine which can be burned to produce heat. The cellulose in the process is fermented, distilled and thus leaves ethanol”, explains Torbjörn Lindgren of Etek Etanolteknik AB in Sweden. The pilot plant, which cost $30 million, is meant to gain knowledge about the production process. “The process as such is not difficult, but the continous production and separation of the two products, cellulose and lignine, is an industrial challenge.” Lindgren says the pilot plant is still far from industrial scale. “With this plant we can optimize the production process and gain basic data for the future scale up of the plant.” Bert Van Loo from Genencor International is convinced the example set in Sweden will be followed by others. “At present the alternative production methods to produce ethanol are not as effective as the traditional ones, but research has shown improvements in the break down of non-food biomass. This ‘cell factory’ will be the future. “Biotechnology will help make future sustainable”, concluded Van Loo.
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24-10-2006
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Pagina 3
New ethanol plant to use cobs, not corn A major ethanol plant construction firm has announced it will convert an Iowa facility from simply using corn to one that uses stalks, leaves and cobs to make the renewable fuel. According to a Des Moines Register report, the aim is to turn to added materials to further boost ethanol production. Neither a timetable, nor a site, has been announced, but officials told the Iowa newspaper that the aim of eventually producing 30 to 60 billion gallons of ethanol will force the use of some other feedstock besides corn. The converted plant will cost a reported $220 million and produce 125 million gallons of ethanol per year, the paper reports. The contractor - Broin Cos. - is applying for an $80 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department to help pay for the project. Currently, the 100-plus ethanol plants in the United States can turn out about 5 billion gallons of ethanol. That's a small portion of the 140 billion gallons of gasoline used now in the United States.
gy News More US corn in 2007
Lured by a growing ethanol industry, U.S. growers are already thinking about a huge increase in corn plantings next spring, according to a survey by Farm Futures magazine. American farmers say they’d like to plant 85 million or more acres of the crop in 2007, up from 79.4 million acres this year. The survey also indicates that total wheat acreage could increase at least 4 percent for the 2007 crop, rising from 57.9 million to 60 million acres or more. The greatest increases should be in the Plains hard red winter wheat belt, replacing some sorghum acres. By contrast, low prices have caused American farmers to rethink their traditional rotations and devote fewer acres to soybeans. The survey showed farmers are thinking about planting 4 percent less acreage to soybeans in 2007, cutting around 3 million off this year’s 74.9 million acres.
Future farm policy should focus on renewable fuel What’s the most important goal for future U.S. farm policy? According to a nationwide survey it’s reducing dependence on non-renewable energy. Over 15,000 U.S. farmers responded to the survey, which asked them to choose between several options related to the best farm policy direction in future Farm Bills. The survey was conducted by the University of Nebraska. That’s a first, say those who conducted the survey. “Issues such as enhancing farm income, increasing U.S. agricultural competitiveness, protecting the nation’s resources and securing the nation’s food supply have been mentioned for decades,” says Brad Lubben, Public Policy Specialist at the University of Nebraska. “With the recent explosive growth in the bio energy production sector, it is apparent that producers now place an increased importance on the role of bio energy in the farm bill policy arena.”
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New Energy New Energy is the title we gave this supplement with De Molenaar, the magazine for the grain processing and feed industry in the Benelux. A new idea, a possibility, a chance to give a different swing to day-to-day life or business, which entrepreneur doesn’t want such an opportunity. And as you can tell by the content of this supplementary magazine renewable energy gives a boost to a lot of (agricultural) entrepreneurs all over the world. It gives opportunities to farmers, but also to other partners in the agricultural production chain such as the feed industry and grain processing business. The first thing that starts worrying people when renewable energy is addressed, is the question ‘Will we have enough food to feed our own citizens if all the feedstock is used to produce renewable energy?’ This is also the ethical dilemma the oil companies throw at the feet of those who invest in renewable energy. How can you support this while so many people in the world die of hunger? Yes, it is an ethical and morel dilemma, but who are they to speak this way? They pump unrenewable resources out of this earth in places we’ve never heard of, but the money gained from it is not used to feed the people in the countries that make it possible for them to make a profit. This however doesn’t mean we shouldn’t address this issue, on the contrary we -the rich countries of this worldshould discuss this without any limitations. As we have a choice for what purpose we use our resources: food, feed or fuel. Part of that discussion will be history by the time new energy is in full motion. New techniques enable us to produce energy with less feedstock than currently needed. If those developments progress like the experts predict, we will have a surplus of grain that will cause greater problems on the market than the problems we presently experience due to the shortage. In the meantime all these developments give lots of people and businesses all over the world: New Energy. Jacqueline Wijbenga
New Energy October 2006
4-5-6•Bioenergy jacques:04-05-06
24-10-2006
11:11
Pagina 4
Europe enters new e Policy
[Jacques Van Outryve]
Bio energy is booming in Europe. In contrast to what happened in the seventies and eighties (both spurred by oil crises) this boost is not only due to the high oil prices. New technologies conquer the world to make way for a new era: the bio based economy. Oil prices reached all time highs this summer, but in September prices dropped below 60 dollar per barrel. Even so, this dramatic drop will not stop the development of renewable energy as this is based on more than high oil prices alone. Other drives are the fear of oil dependency and the need to maintain the current welfare levels which are very energy consuming. Others factors influencing the growing interest for renewable energy include sustainability, climate change (Kyoto protocol), decline in use of nuclear energy, agricultural surpluses, food spill and presence of many by-products in the food industry. Use of biomass to produce renewable
Bio fuels not obligatory in Europe Eventhough the development of bio fuels is booming in Europe, the use of these fuels is not yet obligatory. In 2003 the EU set goals to promote the use of bio fuels of renewable energy in transport (2003/30/EG). These goals go from a 2 percent use of bio fuels in transportation fuels in 2005 to 5.75 blending in 2010. Those member states that don’t meet these goals have to report to the EU and substantiate there actions. Member states can differ in strategy to reach the goals. Belgium has chosen tax reduction; in The Netherlands blending is obligatory.
energy brings economy/industry, society/energy, environment, agriculture and even North/South together in a new world. For years now France and Germany produce bio fuels, but mainly from the agricultural perspective. However, in the long run a breakthrough for renewable energy is only possible if the base of the economic development is formed by more than agricultural policy and oil prices alone. Security The main reason for Europe to invest in renewable energy is energy security. Europe wants to maintain the present welfare levels. It’s because of this that European leaders in March of this year opted for outlining an energy policy for Europe. The European Union historically was formed out of an Energy Union called Euratom. Unlike the European Economic Community (EEC) however, Euratom was never established. At present the European Council feels the need to secure energy supplies. Europe had some recent problems with Russia concerning the supply of gas and oil. But this is not the only reason for a new energy policy. Europe also wants to make sure that their economies can maintain a competitive position on the world platform. Also, an affordable energy bill plays an important role in environmental sustainability. According to the European heads of state and government leaders Europe should strengthen its position as leader in energy efficiency (20 percent by 2020) and in the development of renewable energy sources. For these reasons the European Council is discussing the goals set out for the future. The target figure for renewable energy is 15 percent and 8 percent for bio fuels by 2015. These might be adjusted to higher percentages if the
Council has its way. Also the action plan Biomass has to be put in place by the European Committee. The member states have committed themselves to the present target figures, which means they will have to contribute 12 percent by 2010 in sustainable energy, divided in 22 percent contribution in electricity and 5.75 percent in transport fuels. Field of tension The bio fuel boom at hand causes a field of tension between ‘food/feed’ and ‘non food/non feed’ in other words tension between stomach and motor. In the past only agricultural surpluses or invaluable by-products were fermented
4-5-6•Bioenergy jacques:04-05-06
24-10-2006
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Pagina 5
w energy era Policy focus still mainly on first generation bio fuels The demand for palm oil in bio diesel has put pressure on the palm oil market. (picture: Loders Croklaan).
that the use of 10 percent bio fuels in traffic will have a major impact on the sugar market and sugar prices (up 60 percent). The effects on cereal prices (up 3 percent) and vegetable oils (up 20 percent) are a lot less dramatic. However these OECD calculations don’t take second generation bio fuels in consideration. Also there are no figures available for the impact on the feed industry and the raw materials needed there. The production of bio diesel and bio ethanol results in a new stream of protein-rich raw materials. This is not the case with renewable energy production of the so called second generation. The tension created by the developing renewable energy industry is most felt in the European food industry. On the one hand they are pleased by the opportunities of valorising by-products. On the other hand however, the food industry worries about the competition for commodities, the raw materials that are the base of food. German milk factories stated that there will be a shortage of corn for dairy farms now that biogas installations are promoted and corn is used to feed these. or burned to produce energy. It’s a different ball game when a whole new energy industry is fuelling up. Such industries want continuous, reliable supplies of raw materials. This means regular production and supply of raw materials, produce that competes with food and feed with regard to availability of soil. And what if harvest fails? Which industry will get the scarce supplies then? A lot of the estimates are based on prognoses, so not a lot is known about the impact of bio energy development on classical agricultural markets. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) calculated
Generations Bio fuels of the so called first generation are bio diesel and bio ethanol derived from commodities. Even though modern technologies are applied to produce these fuels, in Europe price wise they can’t compete with fossil fuels. Bio diesel would be competitive at oil prices of 60 euro per barrel, bio ethanol no sooner than at 90 euro per barrel. To reach the EU goal of 5.75 percent blending of bio fuels by the year 2010 over 24 million tons of bio fuels are needed to replace 18 million tons of fossil fuels. A little over half of the bio fuels, 56 percent, should be bio diesel, the remainder part bio
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ethanol looking at the European fleet of cars. The amount of bio fuels to replace fossil fuels is bigger, but bio fuels are more powerful which saves on engine power. The amount of bio fuel needed in 2010 requires 20 percent of the available European agricultural area. The European Commission expects that half of the demand will be produced in Europe, the other half will be produced from imported raw material or obtained by direct purchase of the product required. In the preliminary Mercosur agreement the EU has already stated it is prepared to import 1 million tons of bio fuels from Brasil without levies. >>
Table 1. Overview of different types of bio fuels and their production processes, varying from simple chemical processes to very sensitive biological processes. Source: Biofuels in the European Union – a vision for 2003 and beyond, Biofuels Reasearch Advisory Council.
New Energy October 2006
4-5-6•Bioenergy jacques:04-05-06
24-10-2006
11:12
Pagina 6
>> Europe enters new energy era Bio energy from the so-called second generation and beyond are even more promising. The use of wood and other vegetable fibers as a starting point to produce bio diesel or bio ethanol. This offers opportunities for other agricultural products, wood and food industry by-products as source for bio fuel production. Europe however still mainly follows the line of the first generation bio fuels. Investors here find that most technologies haven’t matured yet. But the first real bio refineries are now being built bringing a whole new range of competitive products to the market.
German milk factories stated that there will be a shortage of corn for dairy farms now that biogas installations are promoted and corn is used to feed these.
E u ro p e a n s t a n d a rd The European Union still has a problem meeting the bio diesel standard. These are based on rapeseed oil and make it hard to meet the present European standards for exhaust gasses. According to insiders the standards for bio diesel were set to help European rapeseed production forward. Experts say the cheapest way of producing bio diesel is using a mixture of 70 percent rapeseed oil, 20 percent soy oil and 10 percent palm oil. In the production process palm oil has proven to be the most profitable, hence the demand for this oil and the pressure on palm oil market. However too much palm oil poses a problem due to low viscosity at low temperatures. For this reason, especially in northern European countries, the use
of palm oil in bio diesel should be limited or even avoided. Europe has stimulated the cultivation of energy crops providing a so called energy bonus of 45 euro per hectare as part of the revision of the agricultural policy. The European Commission is now considering extending the energy bonus to the eight new member states that apply for the ‘single area payment scheme’. The maximum amount of hectares to which the bonus applies should also be increased from the present 1.5 million hectares to 2 million hectares. On top of that EU agricultural commissioner Marian Fischer Boel is prepared to review this policy in 2008. According to the Commission the energy bonus was requested for 1.2 to 1.3 million hectares in 2006. A year earlier the bonus was given for only 305 908 hectares. The 15 old member states are obliged to leave a percentage fallow. The ten new member states are exempt from this obligation for the time being, but can’t receive the energy bonus at present. The Commission also proposes to allow subsidising (to a maximum of 50 percent of the start up costs) the growth of perennial energy crops. Several member states opt for increasing the energy bonus and simplify the administrative procedures involved in applying for the subsidy. All these deliberations indicate the EU is surging for methods to stimulate production of biomass for fuel. Most likely the
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5.75 percent blend of bio fuels will be made obligatory for EU member states. E n v i ro n m e n t The EU is not blind to environmental problems connected with the production of bio fuels. Environmental organisations don’t support energy crops and fear new monocultures. Solving one environmental problem should not create a new one. The European Union has set preconditions for the production of energy crops with regard to the environment. If growers don’t act according to this so-called cross compliance they loose the right to a surcharge from the EU. But what about the imported bio fuels or raw materials? Several member states want to set environmental and social preconditions for these too. Problems are reported due to the excessive extension of the growth of palms in Asia and of soy and sugar cane in Brazil. Question is whether the EU can pose environmental or sustainability certificates upon these countries. Brazil, the biggest supplier of bio fuels to Europe, has already announced they won’t except such criteria and will fight them at WTO. On the other hand there are new initiatives from the European industry and energy companies supporting sustainability criteria and labels, for example in the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil.
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New Energy October 2006
7-8•bio energie fred:7-8
24-10-2006
11:18
Pagina 7
Estimated growth in bio fuel production Bio diesel production in EU per member state, 2004-2006 (x 1000 ton) 3000 2004
2005
2006
2500 2000
1000 800 600 400 200 0 Germany
Italy
France
UK
Spain
Czech Republic
Poland
Portugal
Austria
Slovakia Belgium Denmark Greece
Sweden Slovenia
Other members
Bio fuel production concentrates in European harbours Policy
[Product Board Grain, Seed and Legume]
With the growing need for bio fuel, more production plants are being built in Europe. Not in areas with easy excess to the raw materials, but mainly in European harbours and close to petrochemical industry locations. It is unlikely however that the added production will be sufficient to meet demand in the near future according to calculations of the Dutch Product Board Grain, Seed and Legume. One would expect factory locations to be chosen on the basis of access to raw materials. This would mean bio ethanol factories in those areas where wheat or sugar beets are plentiful. A recent report of the European Commission however, shows that most production locations for bio fuels are planned for harbours and near to petrochemical industry. This makes blending of bio fuels and fossil fuels easy. The only exception at present seems to be a bio ethanol plant in Hungary, but this is still in the planning phase.
Bio ethanol Domestic production of grains alone does not seem to trigger the investments in bio ethanol. Spain, a long time importer of grains, is at present one of the biggest producer of bio ethanol in the European Union. It is loosing its leading position to France, but only just this year. The Netherlands is also importing grains, but this doesn’t discourage investors in bio fuel plants. These will be situated mainly in the harbour areas of Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
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Figure 1 gives an overview of the present bio ethanol capacity in several member states of the European Union. It also presents a forecast for the next two years. If all known plans are to be realised there will be a total amount of nearly 6.4 million tons of bio ethanol produced in these countries. The European Commission predicts about 3.7 million ton of grain and 5 million ton of sugar beets will be used for bio ethanol production in 2006. Should this ratio stay the same 11.5 million tons of grain and 15.6 million ton of sugar beets will be used to produce bio ethanol in 2008. More likely however by then factories will start to use more wheat, rye and corn to produce ethanol. The by-product derived from the production of bio ethanol based on sugar beets, corn or wheat is a product low in protein. The feed industry might make good use of this, but power plants are also interested in this by-product. Bio diesel In 2004 the European Union contained 310 000 hectares of energy crops. Rape seed was the most important crop (78.74
New Energy October 2006
7-8•bio energie fred:7-8
24-10-2006
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Pagina 8
>> Bio fuel production concentrates in European harbours Figure 2
Production bio diesel in EU, 2003-2006 (x1000 tons)
8000
6070
Figure 1 Predicted bio ethanol product ion in Europe, 2006-2008
2000
0 2006
percent), but corn, barley and wheat also were grown for use in bio diesel production. Figure 2 clearly shows the growth of bio diesel production in Europe. The production growth is less spectacular than that of the bio ethanol production.
United Kingdom
Perspective To reach the goal of 5.75 percent blend of bio fuels by 2010 about 24 million ton of bio fuels is needed. And even though the production capacity will increase towards the year 2010, this increase will be insufficient. Imports of bio fuels in the European Union are needed to meet the targets set out by the commission. It is likely the EU will allow Brazil to supply Europe the surplus of bio fuels needed. To makes this possible Brazil can supply without levy or at lower levy rates. At present the levy is 19.2 euro per hectolitre for bio ethanol with an alcohol percentage of 80 or more.
Sweden
6 6
Netherlands
25 25 25
80 80
11
316 395
Latvia Lithuania
Poland
Czech Republic 59 59
2005
Germany
Slovakia
499 1. 179 1. 499
158 158
Belgium Hungary
Austria France 33 33 33
Italy
415 515 615
37 63 593
2004
2008 (x1000 tons) 2007 (x1000 tons) 2006 (x1000 tons)
2008 % 27,2 12,8 11,2 10,8 9,8 7,2 6,6 4,6 3,2 2,9 1,5 1,1 0,6 0,5 0,1 5.504
576 576 706
2003
55 253
France Germany Spain Hungary Netherlands Belgium Poland 6,1 UK Sweden 3,1 Austria Czech Republic Slovakia Italiy 1,9 Lithuania 1,4 Latvia 1.758 Total (x1000)
2246
2049
2007 % 32,1 15,7 14,0 1,7 7,7 8,6 7,2 1,5 1,5 4,3 2,2 1,6 0,9 0,7 0,2 3.668
107 264 365
2006 % 28,4 32,8 23,6 2,1 0,6
55 55 175
4228 4000
284 542
6000
Spain
-
Production Top3 bio ethanol in EU and The Netherlands, 2003-2008 Bio ethanol in France
Bio ethanol in Germany
In % of total EU-production
production (x 1000 ton)
100
1600
90
1400
80 70 60
1000
50
28,1
1000
60
800
50
800
50
27,2 600
40
400 200
10
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
600
25,6 12,8
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
1400
49,0
40
400
30 20
200
10
0
0
1600
90
60
30 20
production (x 1000 ton)
100
1200
0
2004
1400
Bio ethanol in The Netherlands
In % of total EU-production
80 70
10
2003
1600
90
1200
30 20
production (x 1000 ton)
100 80 70
40
Bio ethanol in Spain
In % of total EU-production
2008
2003
8
9
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
100
1600
90
1400
1200 1000
60
1000
800
50
800
1200
40
400
30 20
200
10
0
0
production (x 1000 ton)
80 70
600
11,2
In % of total EU-production
600
9,8
1,2
400 200 0
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
New Energy October 2006
09•red:09
24-10-2006
13:16
Pagina 9
Bio ethanol Bio ethanol is an important renewable energy source. The amounts of bio ethanol produced diver depending on state of the technology, availability of feed stock and fuel source used at present. Brazil is a major producer and exporter of bio ethanol, so are the United States of America. Europe is pushing bio ethanol production, but the need for bio ethanol is less, as the majority of cars and trucks have diesel powered engines. Globally the need for bio ethanol is 85 percent and only 15 percent bio diesel. In Europe 80 percent should be bio diesel and only 20 percent bio ethanol, according to Dirk Carrez of EuropaBio, one of the speakers at the conference ‘Biomass for energy’ in Brugge (Belgium).
10-11-12-13•Bioenergy marc:10-11-12-13
24-10-2006
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Pagina 10
Producing enough bio ethanol means multiplying the present ethanol production capacity. Five times more wheat and other materials will be needed. The Dutch ethanol producer Nedalco will be ready for this expansion.
‘The grain market Bio ethanol
[Marc van der Sterren]
The ethanol market has been stable for over twenty years. The production of 20 million hectoliters was enough to supply consumption and industrial markets. Now that the EU reaches the point to oblige the oil industry to add at least 2 percent of alcohol to their fuel, ethanol producers have to increase their production capacity, possibly a multiplication by five. An additional 80 million hectoliters of bio ethanol will be needed to meet demands. In the coming years the bio fuel production will increase rapidly and the Dutch
ethanol producer Nedalco will be ready. Their knowledge especially won’t be the limiting factor. Their experience of producing alcohol reaches back till 1899. From the start the company is owned by sugar company Cosun and processes by-products from the sugar production. Since 1998 they also produce ethanol out of wheat starch produced by Cargill. Until the year 2000 Nedalco served two
Feed industry Nedalco uses by-products from the sugar and wheat industry to produce ethanol. When using molasses from the sugar industry, vinasses are left over. This product is full of protein and therefore useful to the feed industry. Nedalco supplies almost the complete Dutch feed industry. They use vinasse as binder, mainly in the production of cattle pellets. For pigs, Nedalco has two products: Bergapro, which comes from their location in Bergen op Zoom and Sastapro from Sas van Gent. The Pro in the name refers to protein. Besides protein it contains over 70 percent water. These by-products are in fact wheat leaven concentrate, which are the leftovers from producing ethanol derived from wheat starch.
Producing ethanol for consumption needs a more sophisticated distilling processes.
markets: consumer market and industry. The consumer market needs a more sophisticated distilling process to make the ethanol as pure as possible. For this, Nedalco does not only rely on chemical analyses, but also on a taste and smell panel. In the consumer ethanol market Nedalco has a 14 percent share in Europe. The second market is the industry. Here Nedalco has a market share of 5 per-
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Growing energy Nedalco will produce their bio ethanol mainly out of wheat and wheat products, imported from other European countries. But all kind of by-products from the agricultural industry can be used as raw material. In The Netherlands, using this feedstock is more commonsense as it is readily available from the food industry and a lot of by-products are rich in sugars. Suiker Unie, a sister company of Nedalco, together with the University of Groningen, study growing more sugar beets for the production of both, sugar and ethanol. The study will have to show if and on what scale expansion of the commercial growth of sugar beets is profitable.
will multiply by five’ Nedalco grows on bio ethanol
cent. This ethanol is used in the pharmaceutical industry and as disinfectant, but also for perfumes, spirit and solvent. Authorities Bio ethanol will be the third market and a very promising one that will give a boost to the existing ethanol market. Nedalco is able to scale up its capaci-
ty, assures Martin Weissmann. As Marketing Manager Fuel Ethanol, he has no doubts about the capabilities of his company. His worries concern the decision-making of the European Union and the assistance they receive from the authorities of separate Member
States with regard to permits. Despite the regulation that the European Commission made, different Member States make different rules. The Dutch government decided, as did Germany and Sweden, not to apply the exceptions in the regulation and started to replace 2 percent of the fossil fuel with bio-fuel at the end of 2005. Besides the blending obligation governments can lower the tax on bio fuel. They are not too keen on this as they lose income this way. Southern states, like France, even use a third system. They protect their market from foreign bio energy products. “As the EU strives for an open market, this is intolerable”, says Weissmann. Double Weissmann hopes and expects that the European Union will get rid of all concessions in their regulations. In 2007 every oil company in the EU has to add 2 percent of bio-energy in their fuel. In 2010 it will be 5.75 percent and in 2020 this percentage probably will rise to 10 or 15 percent. Nedalco has made plans to double their production capacity. Weissmann is longing for clear regulations, so Nedalco can start building their new production plant. This will take at least one and a
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New Energy October 2006
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>> ‘The grain market will multiply by five’
The Brazilian way There are two ways of mixing ethanol with petrol. At the moment, already a small amount of ethanol is added to petrol. This doesn’t require changes to the engine. Blending is possible without altering the engine to levels up to 15 percent. For the burning process it’s better, because the petrol contains more octane. Ethanol however is quite aggressive. It affects the pipes and other parts made of soft plastics and rubber. Ethanol however can be added in a high allocation up to 85 percent. In Brazil already 70 percent of all cars drive on almost pure ethanol. Car parts are made out of other materials like hard plastics. In Europe Saab and Ford sell cars that drive the Brazilian way. On the picture, Martin Weissmann from Nedalco demonstrates his Ford C-Max Flexi fuel. The car can drive on 85 percent ethanol as well as on ordinary petrol. The only difference is the ventilation. Because of the high content of octane, the engine doesn’t need as much air. To drive on both, petrol and ethanol, the engine is equipped with an octane indicator. The more octane, the lower the ventilation.
half years. Time is pressing, Weissmann realizes. “When the Dutch government decides to set the regulations at January 2007, our time will be short.” If all works well it will be at least the beginning of 2008 before Nedalco is actually producing at the new plant. Then their capacity will reach 220 million liters per year.
With a biological CO 2 -fermentation process, the emission of smell is minimized until almost zero. Bacteria live on a biobed with
Pipeline The Dutch town Sas van Gent is the most likely location for the new plant. In between the harbors of Antwerp and Rotterdam it’s located in the center of the oil industry. About 20 percent of the petrochemical industry is located in this region. In Sas van Gent there’s enough space to build the necessary facilities. Here Nedalco already has a plant that is connected to their neighbor: Cargill. A pipeline transports the wheat starch directly to the ethanol distillers from Nedalco. Through other pipelines, warm process water flows back to Cargill, as well as part of the by-products, which they use for energy production. Most of the by-products go to the feed industry.
rind and heather and feed themselves with CO2 and other material from the air.
Surplus Doubling the total production capacity will require an investment of between 150 and 200 million euros. The production of 2 million hectoliters of ethanol requires 600.000 tons of wheat. Despite this, Aernout van der Weide does not expect a big effect on the grain market as Europe still produces a grain surplus. Van der Weide is Manager Raw Materials & Co-Products at Nedalco. The grain production will only increase 1.5 percent each year, especially in the eastern European countries. “Prices will rise, but just a little”, Van der Weide
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Nedalco has enough space to expand in the coming years.
assumes. “When the replacement of fossil fuel doesn’t pass the 5.75 percent, as estimated for 2010, there won’t be any effect on the prices.” Even when in 2020 the European Commission decides to increase the replacement on to the level of 10 or 15 percent, it will not pose problems on the grain market, he assures. Van der Weide also doesn’t expect an increase of feed prices. The structure of the feed however, will change. “Feed will probably look different”, predicts Van der Weide. A lot of by-products from the ethanol production will enter the feed industry. He does not worry about the nutritional value of the feed. “If this would go down, those byproducts can be used for the production of bio gas.” Second generation When all the technical developments within the laboratories of Nedalco work out as expected, the ethanol industry does not need 600.000 tons of wheat to produce 2 million hectoliters of ethanol. This amount will only require 120.000 tons of wheat in future. Second generation ethanol production, they call the application. This method not only uses the wheat granules, but the whole plant. Within four years they will make their first steps in producing ethanol out of grain and straw. In 2015, Nedalco will
produce ethanol out of celluloses wheat material on full scale, Van der Weide promises. At that time, the oil industry will scale up the content of ethanol in fuel again. If not, the decrease of the demand at that time probably has a much bigger impact on the grain market then the increase of the demand the years ahead…
The grain market will multiply according to Aernout van der Weide, Manager Raw Materials & Co-Products. “But it won’t effect prices that
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much as the present surplus of grain production is still rising.”
Nedalco Nedalco is the second biggest ethanol producer in Europe. In The Netherlands they have two production locations. The head office is located in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. At this oldest plant they produce 750.000 hectoliters of ethanol per year. They use the molasses from the sugar industry, but since 1998 also wheat starch from Cargill. The ethanol from Bergen op Zoom is for industrial purposes, but also for consumption. Since 2005 Nedalco produces 400.000 hectoliters of consumption ethanol in their plant in Sas van Gent, The Netherlands. Similar to Bergen op Zoom, a pipeline connects the Sas van Gent plant with neighboring Cargill. In Sas van Gent, wheat starch is the only raw material. In the summer of 2007 Nedalco will open an exact copy of this production plant in Manchester, UK. It will also be connected to Cargill and produce 400.000 hectoliters of consumption ethanol. Since 2000, Nedalco owns Brüggemann Alcohol in Heilbron, Germany. Here the company produces another 300.000 hectoliters of consumption and industrial alcohol per year. Within a year, when Manchester is in production, Nedalco will produce in total 1.850.000 hectoliters per year. Plans are ready to more than double the total production. When the EU regulation comes into place to blend 3 percent bio energy into fuel, Nedalco will build a whole new production location in Sas van Gent with a capacity of 2 million hectoliters ethanol yearly.
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New Energy October 2006
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Runnin' on empty Ethanol
[Mike Wilson ]
Supercharged demand should push United States corn prices higher, as ethanol and exports gobble up supplies. Will we have enough crop to feed demand?
The fast growing U.S. ethanol industry, combined with a potential ramp up in corn exports, particularly to China, will quickly eat into American corn carryover this winter and provide super-fueled demand in the next two years, expects Arlan Suderman, Farm Futures marketing analyst. “Next year we have to produce at least a 12 billion bushel corn crop to meet all the expected demand. Even if we get normal yields this year, we will still use up the current 2.2 billion bushel corn surplus”, he says. “Anything below a 1 billion bushel surplus causes rationing in the marketplace.” Ethanol demand Looking at the global corn market is a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces make no sense on their own, but once all
are in place, it presents a clear picture of a strong market. And the most important piece is U.S. ethanol production. “Corn flowing into ethanol production will increase by 34 percent over the next year”, says Suderman. “We're projecting ethanol demand for the 2006-2007 marketing year to be 2.15 billion bushels nationwide, matching all the corn the state of Iowa grew in 2005. More than one out of every five ears of corn produced nationwide will go to ethanol.” Ethanol's journey from boutique fuel to mainstream business investment appears to be the American farm success story of the new millennium. In 2005, U.S. production capacity was already 4.3 billion gallons from 95 refineries, but the fuel switched into overdrive in the last six months. It was given
a national spotlight in President Bush’s State of the Union address, just as auto makers rolled out new flex-fuel vehicles and built new ad campaigns touting its wonders. Multinational grain processors like ADM, Cargill and The Andersons have committed to build new high-volume plants. One bushel of corn can make 2.8 gallons of ethanol, making it a competitive energy source unless gasoline prices evaporate. “Prices reported at plants are close to twice of what it costs to produce ethanol right now”, says Iowa State University economist Bob Wisner. “Iowa already has twenty ethanol plants and another 29 either being expanded, under construction or in the planning
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Ethanol production and export fight for crop supplies in America
stage. It has been a major challenge for analysts to keep up with the speed at which the industry is expanding.” The squeeze on corn supplies already began last winter, when ethanol plants across the country started seeing the handwriting on the wall and began buying corn for 2007-2008. The big unknowns now are: • How long the rapid expansion in ethanol will continue; • Potential increases in mandated renewable fuel usage from Congress; and • How fast corn yields increase over the next several years. Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin and Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar proposed a 10-billion gallon ethanol mandate for 2010, notes Wisner. “It looks like the industry will be near that level of production even without a mandate”, he adds. “That would require about 3.7 billion bushels of corn.” How many additional acres are needed to grow this grain? Corn yields continue to increase gradually, so the answer to the acreage question depends on the statistics used to project the ‘trend’ or normal yield for a given year. Based on longer term, more conservative trend yields, the U.S. would need around 9 million more corn acres by 2010 than current intended plantings (78 million acres). Faster growing trend yields would require 'only' 4 to 5 million more acres by 2010. Chinese exports Meanwhile U.S. corn, aided by a cheap dollar, is a good buy overseas. Most sig-
Source: USDA
nificantly the Chinese, one of America's major competitors for corn exports, appear ready to become a net importer of corn - possibly as soon as next year. Private buyers imported their first 8,000 bushels in two small containers in May, the first genetically modified corn to ever arrive in China from the United States. Private importer Xiwang Sugar Holdings Co. bought nearly 2 million bushels (50,000 metric tons) of U.S. corn in late May. In the past, China's state trading enterprise, China National Cereals, Oil & Foodstuffs Corp. was singly responsible for all corn imports into China. Under China's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession agreement, 7.2 million tons (283.4 million bushels) can be purchased by both private and government importers. As China's economy booms, the demand for meat grows as well. Meat requires more corn and soy meal. China is also developing its ethanol industry. Chinese engineers have toured U.S. plants and taken that technology home with them. “Not only have we lost a major competitor, that competitor is now a future customer of U.S. corn”, Suderman says, “leaving just the U.S. and Argentina as major corn exporters in the world.” If China begins importing 300 million bushels initially, with increases year by year,
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then Wisner's forecast of an additional 9 million corn acres jumps to 12 million new corn acres needed by 2010. M o re c o r n With normal yields next year, U.S. farmers would need to plant close to 88 million acres of corn - a 10 percent increase. Where will those acres come from? Most obvious sources: soybeans, soft red winter wheat acres in the eastern Corn Belt, and CRP, although those acres are less productive by nature. New corn acres won't likely come from the Great Plains, as corn needs a lot of water. Moreover, high wheat prices may restrict any move away from soft red winter wheat in Eastern Corn Belt states. That leaves soybean acres as the primary battle ground. “There will be a struggle between corn and soybeans for acres, and with the very strong head start in ethanol processing, plus corn yields increasing at a more rapid percentage than soybeans, the odds favor corn”, Wisner says. “Once ethanol plants are built, they will very likely be in operation unless petroleum prices collapse or corn prices get very high.” As more ethanol plants pop up in Corn Belt states, the most likely scenario is a radical shift of corn-soybean rotations close to the plants. By 2010, with China
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>> Runnin' on empty
in the market, Iowa grain farmers may be planting a 70 percent corn and 30 percent soybean rotation, predicts Wisner. A strong basis at the plants will help buy more corn acres in those areas; if that's the case, the new corn acres will likely come from soybeans. It will be cheaper to bid acres away from beans locally than to pay for shipping corn into the plant from 250 to 500 miles away. D ro u g h t s c a re But any battle for acres could become a side story if earlier predictions of drought in the U.S. Corn belt come true. Earlier predictions of a drought for 2006 fizzled and corn yields look to be on target for typical trend yields. But the Corn Belt will still be 'due for drought' in 2007 and 2008. Wisner predicts livestock and poultry feeding would be cut roughly onefourth if the U.S. experiences a yieldslashing (10 percent) drought in 2008. “Even with the expected 5.5 million more corn acres we might see by then.” One of the unknowns is how quickly ethanol processors would reduce their usage in a drought, according tot Wisner. “Corn prices could get quite high before they cut back, forcing live-
More than one out of every five ears of corn produced in the United States will go to ethanol.
stock producers to cut back before ethanol producers do.” The last time the corn market heated up in a big way was after 1995, when drought clipped yields 7 to 8 percent and China was importing;
Dark side of the ethanol era While it may be early, many U.S. farmers already worry about corn becoming too expensive during this ethanol expansion era. “Many of us have been hoping for the day that ethanol will be the salvation for low commodity prices”, says John Remster, who farms near Valparaiso, Indiana. “But I'm concerned that we could price ourselves out of the market.” In that scenario, the U.S. ends up using most of its corn for ethanol, leaving those who make sweeteners, feed livestock or sell for export unable to find corn at a ‘reasonable’ price. “Our own U.S. livestock producers may turn to corn imports to gain a cost advantage for milk and meat production”, says Remster. “Our foreign corn customers may turn to a less expensive and more reliable source for corn. Someone will develop a cheaper way for U.S. ethanol producers to make ethanol from something other than corn, and all of a sudden we have a stockpile of corn larger than anyone could ever have imagined.” High corn prices could spark new acreage in other parts of the world, much like when high soybean prices caused major expansion in South America. The same could happen with feed grains in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia. “This is supply and demand at work, and it could become painful for many”, Remster adds. “Ethanol demand should remain strong as long as corn remains below $4 per bushel”, expects Arlan Suderman, Farm Futures marketing analyst. “That means farm gate prices could go up a dollar or more and still not affect demand. That leaves the rationing to livestock and exports.” In the late '70s, the U.S. went through a period of rapid inflation. Precious metals and grain both had spectacular runs before collapsing. “A similar scenario may be ahead, but we don't know when or how a correction will play out.”
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the next summer produced $5 corn. That's good for corn farmers who have a crop, not so good if you're feeding it to livestock or buying it for an ethanol plant. While today's hybrids are more drought tolerant than say, 10 years ago, weather is still a serious unknown. Wisner analyzed 2002 corn yields, which followed a trend yield in 2001, and found that drought in the eastern Corn Belt and large part of the western Corn Belt lowered national averages by 6 percent, or nearly 10 bushels per acre from the previous year. And that included some very good yields in Iowa and the northern tier of states from North Dakota to Michigan. “I would conclude that our current hybrids are certainly not drought proof”, states Wisner. F ro n t t i d e “But right now we're riding the front tide”, Suderman says. “When demand exceeds supply, the job of the marketplace is to find a price high enough that will stimulate production and ration demand to bring things back in to balance. And the market always does its job.” For now, the upside to this demand market is just ahead.
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Bio diesel Bio diesel can be produced from fatty acid (m)ethyl esters from natural origin. Therefore vegetable oils, but also animal fats and other fatty acids can be used to produce bio diesel. Especially those oils that are cheaper than gas are interesting. For this reason palm oil is widely used, however the chemical properties prohibit sole use of this oil in countries with low temperatures. Other oils have to be incorporated. This is also the case when animal fat is used as this looses its liquidity at 5 degrees Celsius.
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Bio diesel
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[Lourens Gengler]
First bio diesel plant in The N Sunoil Biodiesel is the first bio diesel plant in The Netherlands. Seven investors are behind the initiative, among them the German agricultural co-operative Raiffeisen Grenzland. The plant became operational this summer.
Wilfred Hadders and Ben Duitshof show a sample of bio diesel.
Management Sunoil is owned by seven regional entrepreneurs. Most of them want to stay anonymous. One of the participants in the bio diesel plant is the German agricultural co-operative and feed producer Raiffeisen Grenzland. The day-today management of Sunoil is in the hands of general manager Wilfrid Hadders and Ben Duitshof, technical manager. There are also three board members: A.P.J.C. Bos, CEO of insurance company TVM; M. Prins, general manager of Participatiemaatschappij Oost and J.G.B. Lubbers, who owns a transportation and logistics company and represents the shareholders in the board.
The bio diesel plant of Sunoil Biodiesel is situated in the Dutch town Emmen on an existing industrial estate dedicated to chemical activities. This made it possible to realise the plans within two years including planning, building permits et cetera. Thanks to the advice of a builder of a bio diesel factory in Germany everything has worked out well, straight from the start. The yearly production will be about 65 000 ton. Expansion to a production of 200 000 ton is feasible. Rape seed At present Sunoil only uses rape seed oil to produce bio diesel. This is the easiest raw material to produce bio diesel from. “As soon as we’ve got the hang of this, we will progress towards other types of oil, such as soy oil or other edible oil from the baking and frying industry for example. After a cleaning procedure these oils can also be used to produce bio diesel. Besides that other vegetable oils can be applied. Sunflower, Jatropa and olives are possible sources”, explains Wilfred Hadders, general manager of Sunoil. Together with Ben Duitshof, technical manager, Hadders is responsible for the day-to-day management of the plant. Sunoil is a young company that is off to a flying start. Duitshof was closely involved from the start in the beginning of 2005 and employed by the German cooperative Raiffeisen Grenzland. He was able to interest seven regional investors for a new initiative: a bio diesel plant. After a short search of the region they found a suitable location for the plant at industrial estate Emmtec. “Several chemical companies are located here. A bio diesel plant at this estate made applying for permits relatively easy, no lengthy procedures, and no extra hurdles”, says Duitshof. The installation was delivered by Agrar Technik in Stuttgart as a turn key project. “This company is among the best builders/constructors of bio diesel factories”, states Duitshof. Building started in November 2005. The steel construction arose in spring of the
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Crop production influences bio diesel quality
e Netherlands fuels up next year. “Right from the start we decided to build a bigger plant than advised. Initially we opted for 30 000 ton yearly production, now we have a capacity of 65 000 ton. But the location of 2500 square meters offers the possibility to enlarge the plant to a capacity of 200 000 ton bio diesel.” Involvement Building progressed without too much hassle, so Hadders and Duitshof started selecting personnel early on. “We benefited from the reorganisations at some of the chemical plants. The redundant employees were happy to find a new job in the area and are highly motivated and eager.” The personnel was educated and trained by Sunoil and given the opportunity to gain experience in the BDK bio diesel factory in Kyritz, Germany. After this the workers helped construct the plant. “This way they know all the ins and outs of the plant and its installations. Above that, they’ve got a heart for the plant. The regard it as their own”, says Hadder. Production tests started at the end of July 2006. “The technique has proven itself, but it’s a natural product you work with so you never know at first if everything works as planned. Thanks to our motivated personnel, the advice from Agrar Technik and the good oil quality we were able to shift to full production in two weeks”, adds Duitshof. The plant is supplied with the most
modern software technology at hand. In theory this means one man can run the plant. “In practice we work with a minimum of two people per shift, also because of the continuous quality control. A sample is analysed every hour in our own laboratory.” Raw material The high storage tanks on the factory grounds are an eye catcher. “We have a limited sized plot, so we choose to use slim line tanks. The tanks themselves are a first for Europe as they are made of polyester. The tanks contain the raw materials, bio diesel and glycerol and for this purpose the Dutch silo producer Polem developed a specially designed quality polyester. Raw materials are brought to Emmen by truck. Each truck load is sampled and analysed before the goods can be delivered into the storage tanks. The production of bio diesel is a batch production. Set amounts of raw material are fed into process kettles. A surplus of methanol and caustic potash serves as catalyser to seperate the triglycerine molecules from their fatty acid chains. To enhance the contact of the methanol with the triglyceride molecules intensive stirring is required. After some time has passed, the separation of (lighter) diesel and (heavier) glycerine is clearly visible. The quality of the raw material is of great importance to the efficiency of the process. In principle every vegetable
Continuous inspection of incoming oil and produced diesel.
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A clear separation oil with triglyceride chains can be used. of diesel and glyBecause of its molecular structure rape cerine. At the end seed oil is the easiest raw material to of the process, a process. “It’s important that there are clear diesel fuel is no free fatty acids and moisture. Rape seed is relatively unsusceptible to oxida- the result. tion; however this all depends on the production and handling of the crop and the harvest conditions. Even crop variety can make a difference. Also time of harvest is important to avoid impurities and moisture in the oil. Fungi present in the crop can also influence the process and the end product”, explains Hadders. Rape seed yields about 4000 kilo per hectare, which in turn is good for about 1300 kilo of rape seed oil. This is then processed into the same amount of bio diesel with a specific gravity of 0.88; this equals 1477 liter of bio diesel. After the chemical reaction the bio diesel is washed, dried and the surplus of >> methanol and caustic potash is remo-
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>>First bio diesel plant in The Netherlands fuels up are looking into high grade applications for the product”, according to Duitshof.
Regular acidity tests are executed in the Sunoil laboratory.
ved. At present the glycerine that is produced along the way is sold to a third party. “But we would like to find a way to upgrade it ourselves. Together with the Technical University of Twente we
Destination The bio diesel produced in Emmen is partly sold to Germany. Customers are several transport companies and regular petrol stations. Close to 50 percent of the bio diesel remains in The Netherlands. It is sold to one of the bigger oil companies for the purpose of blending it with regular diesel. At present the oil company benefits from the fact that there is a low tax rate on the bio diesel. As of January 1st, 2007 the tax benefit is lifted as blending becomes obligatory. “We are pleased that part of the production stays in The Netherlands. Originally we were under the impression it all had to be sold to Germany. Now that the legislation is in line with European regulation blending 2 percent bio diesel is obligatory in The Netherlands as well. This means tax rates for the bio diesel will go up 37 eurocent and prices at the petrol stations will be somewhat higher”, says Duitshof. “Because of the tax rates customs checks on import and export of the bio diesel stringently. Every litre has to be accounted for in our bookkeeping. In that way customs treat us like any other petrochemical company. The
big difference however is the fact that ours is a natural product, which means that the production figures can differ on a daily basis.” F u t u re Eventhough the production just started, Sunoil is already thinking about expanding the capacity. “If we were to build now, we would go for a 100 000 ton capacity straight away. That way you benefit from the efficiency due to the size of the operation. The overhead cost for a 65 000 ton plant don’t differ much from the cost of a bigger plant. There is however a limiting factor: logistics. But being in Emmen we have two harbours that can supply the raw materials: Hamburg and Rotterdam”, explains Duitshof. The growing demand for bio fuels also means larger imports of vegetable oils. But the competition for this is though. That’s why Sunoil is looking into alternative sources to produce bio diesel. “We are looking into the use of Jatropa oil. This bushy plant produces about two tons of oil per hectare. In countries of origin such as Malaysia, Marocco and India this production provides employment and a new source of income for the local people.” Sunoil is considering a pilot project of 3200 hectares.
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The bio diesel production can be managed by just one person thanks to modern software.
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Use of rapeseed meal or -expeller and glycerin in feed
Nutritional value of by-products from bio diesel Bio fuel production results in a number of by-products that can be very valuable for the feed industry. Among these are rapeseed meal or –expeller and glycerin, all by-products from the bio diesel production. Research shows these can have a high nutritional value.
Bio diesel
[Jannes Doppenberg, Ph. D.* ]
Increased bio energy production will increase the cost of the high energy components of animal feeds. First of all less arable land will be available for crop production because of competition with biomass production. Secondly starch (grains) and sugar rich feedstuffs (sugar beets and molasses) will increasingly be used for bio ethanol production; sunflower and rapeseed oil for bio diesel production. The main by-products from both bio ethanol (DDGS from corn, barley or wheat) and bio diesel production (rapeseed meal or –expeller) are high in protein (30 percent protein on a dry matter base) but relatively low in energy. As a result the EU in the future will need to
import less protein for animal production, e.g. soybeans, but will be in need of energy rich feedstuffs. Glycerin is a high energy product that becomes available through hydrolyses of fatty acids from pure plant oils (PPO). Plant oils contain about 10 percent glycerin. Increasing the bio diesel production means that a surplus of glycerin will become available, significantly lowering the glycerin prices. Glycerin becomes an attractive energy rich feedstuff for the feed manufacturing industry. R a p e s e e d p ro d u c t s Rapeseed contains 42 to 44 percent fat. Rapeseed meal is a by-product from the more efficient steam/solvent extraction
Table 1. The effect of GSL concentrations of feed intake and growth of swine.
GSL µmol/g Feed kg/d ADG g/d FCR kg/kg Thyroid gram Liver gram
Ctrl ad lib 0 3.06 953 3.22 9.6 1862
‘OO’ 12% 1.4 3.00 947 3.20 13.1 1933
‘O’ 4% 2.2 2.87 916 3.17 16.6 1877
‘O’ 8% 4.4 2.93 908 3.23 23.1 2244
‘O’ 12% 6.6 2.82 885 3.22 28.1 2237
LSD 95%
0.13 58 0.14 4.4 154
Source: Schothorst Feed Research B.V.
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process leaving only 2 to 4 percent residual fat. Rapeseed expeller is a by-product from the cold pressing process. The fat content varies from mill to mill (and from batch to batch); it can be as low as 7 percent and as high as 20 percent. The variable fat content of rapeseed expeller demands the need for constantly monitoring the product, the price paid for it and readjusting the feed formulations. The main nutritional concern of rapeseed products for swine feeds is the glucosinolate (GSL) content. Glucosinolates are metabolized to toxic products like isothiocyanates (ITC), vinylthio-oxazolidines (VTO) and nitrils. These components decrease the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland, limiting the production of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are necessary for normal growth. The thyroid compensates for it by increased cell division leading to hyperthrophy also known as goiter. ITC has a pungent taste reducing the feed intake. The liver can detoxify these components but increasing GSL-concentrations lead to liver enlargement. An overload of toxins leads to ‘fatty livers’ and an inability to perform normal liver functions necessary for metabolism. So called ‘OO’ (double zero) varieties of rapeseed were developed, which contain 5 to 10 times lower GSL-levels than ‘O’ (single zero) rapeseed or earlier varieties of mustard seed. Tr i a l s At Schothorst Feed Research a trail was conducted with growing/finishing pigs fed ad lib experimental feeds with an increasing amount of glucosinolates (Table 1). An ad lib feeding regime was chosen to study the effect of the GSL content of the feed on the feed intake and growth. Glucosinolate concentrations over 2.2 µmol GSL/gram of feed or addition levels of 4 percent or more of ‘O’ rapeseed meal significantly reduced the feed
New Energy October 2006
21-22•Bio Energie Jannes-I:21-22
24-10-2006
11:56
Pagina 22
>> Nutritional value of by-products from bio diesel
Gr/fin pigs
ME (M J/kg)
Figure 1 ME (M J/kg) of glycerin in poultry and pigs 20 layers broilers 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 5% 10% Glycerin (%) in diet
15%
Source: J. Bartelt and Schneider, H.D. Glycerin in Tierernährung UFOP-2002
intake and average daily gain. The average daily gain was reduced in a linear fashion indicating that the increased toxin load negatively influenced the metabolism of nutrients. This is further emphasized by a significant increase in thyroid and liver weights at slaughter with GSL concentrations over 2.2 and 4.4 µmol GSL/gram respectively. It can be concluded that ‘OO’ rapeseed meal, which normally contains less than 10 µmol GSL/gram can be included in growing/finishing swine feeds up to 20 to 25 percent. With layers the sinapine content is of particular concern for brown layers. They lack the TMA-oxidase enzyme so that trimethyl amine (TMA) formed from sinapine is not metabolized and can be transferred in eggs causing an off-flavour (fishy smell). With all poultry the relatively high fiber and low energy content of rapeseed meal limits its usage. Technological treatments like pelleting and/or expending the feed improve the rate of digestion mainly through a reduction of particle size and agglomerating starch. G l y c e r i n o r g l y c e ro l Because of economics the usage of glycerin has been limited as a replacement for propylene glycol during the transition period of fresh dairy cows. Through the process of gluconeogenesis it’s converted in glucose increasing lactose and milk production.
Research has shown that the sweet taste of glycerin has a positive effect on feed intake and average daily gain in swine and poultry diets. Glycerin can be oxidized, yielding 22 moles of ATP/mol, when it is used as an energy source; this is most likely to happen during a phase of energy deficiency. Conversion into glucose will happen during a phase of glucose deficiency (e.g. during early lactation of dairy cows and sows or at the end of the gestation period). During the growth period when animals are in a positive energy balance it’s most likely used for triglyceride (fat) synthesis. Glycerin is absorbed very efficiently from the gut. However at high inclusion rates both swine and poultry apparently are not able to metabolize all absorbed glycerin (see graph). Possibly the enzymatic activation step of glycerin by glycerol kinase to glycerin-3-phosphate is a limiting step. The graph shows that the problem is more profound with pigs. As a consequence significant amounts of glycerin are excreted via the urine with high inclusion rates. This causes loss of energy and lowers the litter quality of poultry. M i c ro b e n With ruminants one has to consider that the majority of glycerin will not by pass the rumen but will be fermented in it by the microben. Volatile fatty acids are produced which can, after absorption, be metabolized to glucogenic com-
22
23
pounds (propionic acid) or used for fat synthesis or energy production (butyric or acetic acid). These metabolic processes demand energy. Energy losses occur too in the form of methane gas production and oxidation to CO2 in the rumen. In the Dutch Net Energy system these losses are estimated to be 30 percent. German research shows that these losses are lower and depending on the type of ration. With a starch rich ration the losses will be about 26 percent and a low starch ration 21 percent. In low starch diet more glycerin can be included in the ration (up to 20 percent) before rumen acidosis and a reduced NDF-digestion will occur than with starch rich rations (up to 10 percent of dry matter). The nutritional optimal usage levels of glycerin will be limited to 5 percent for swine feeds, 10 percent for poultry feeds and 10 to 20 percent of dry matter for ruminant rations. Glycerin has a positive effect on the moisture retention in processed meat products and therefore can be of significant economical value for meat processors. Glycerin also improves the shelf life of feeds by inhibiting mold growth. F u t u re p e r s p e c t i v e When in the future starch becomes limiting glycerin might aid in the specific need for glucose first of all for lactating sows but also for gestating sows and its glucose demanding progeny. With the decreasing prices of glycerin it becomes attractive both from an economical as well as a nutritional standpoint. The increased bio fuel production fuels the production of novel feedstuffs, rapid changes in feedstuffs supply and ‘heats’ the burning desire for more scientific animal research.
-
*Jannes Doppenberg, Ph. D. works at Schothorst Feed Research B.V., Lelystad, The Netherlands. References can be made available on request.
New Energy October 2006
23•red:23
24-10-2006
13:22
Pagina 23
Bio mass and wood Energy from biomass can be an important replacement for fossil energy. Biomass can be cultivated for the purpose of producing energy, e.g. corn, rapeseed, willow trees et cetera. Another possibility is the use of biomass waste streams such as forest co-products, straw and pruned wood. Wood chips and wood pellets are examples of products from forestry operations that offer opportunities for energy production. The use of pruned wood can also contribute to the maintenance of the landscape.
24-25•Bioenergy tebodin:24-25
Bio mass
24-10-2006
11:38
Pagina 24
Replacing coal to reduce CO 2 emissions
[Stan Raben*]
Green energy from bio m Biomass is one of the most promising sources of green power. At the Dutch Elektriciteits-Produktiemaatschappij Zuid-Nederland (EPZ) ‘green’ electricity is produced from biomass through a process called co-firing.
Biomass can be defined as all vegetation and organic waste. Prior to the industrial revolution, biomass fulfilled everyone’s energy needs. Today some 15 percent of the world’s energy is derived from it, mainly in the developing countries. Examples of biomass resources are
This co-operation resulted in a turn-key order for the consultancy. EPZ Project Manager Bram-Paul Jobse explains: “We had three options: giving a turn-key order to one of the offering companies; give several orders for the various project parts, and Tebodin CCE would then
wood and wood chips, agricultural crop residues, waste from the food industry, animal waste and municipal solid waste. The simplest method of obtaining energy from biomass is direct combustion. Any organic material with a water content low enough to keep burning can be used, but a lot of organic waste is too wet. That is where co-firing comes in: combining biomass with gas or coal to keep the fire going at a high temperature. Electricity is then produced through boilers and a steam turbine.
take care of the construction management; or we could give a turn-key order to Tebodin CCE who would take full responsibility for the execution of the project. We chose the latter as the consultants not only have the required knowledge, they also have successfully applied the proposed solutions in several other projects.” Besides that, as they made the designs for the installation, Tebodin CCE was already fully acquainted with the specific requirements of EPZ and all other relevant aspects.
Tu r n k e y The Dutch consultancy Tebodin CCE was asked for advice and reflection with regard to the EPZ ideas about the building of a co-firing installation (see box).
Consultancy to realization Consultant Tebodin CCE assisted EPZ in the development of a new logistical and co-firing installation to allow the use of biomass. EPZ is owned by Delta and Essent, two large Dutch energy companies, and operates a nuclear and a coalfired power plant. Tebodin CCE started as a consultant in this project. EPZ had its own ideas and rough designs, but asked the consultancy for their opinion because of their experience and know-how concerning the storage, handling and processing of agricultural bulk products. The exchange of ideas resulted in further co-operation: Tebodin CCE was asked to make a global and detailed design, as well as the specifications and tender documents.
Logistical changes Co-firing biomass in coal fired boilers is the most promising method of increasing the use of bio fuels in electricity generation at the moment. The technology has quickly progressed from engineering concepts and testing to demonstrations and commercialization. As a relatively low-capital cost application, it allows the introduction of several types of biomass, including agribusiness waste, given the proper fuel preparation and feed systems. The best engineering approach is usually site specific. At the EPZ site, there were two options which both are realized: the bio fuel can be prepared separately from the coal, and then pneumatically injected into the boiler, or the fuels can be ground together and injected as a
24-25•Bioenergy tebodin:24-25
24-10-2006
11:38
Pagina 25
Four round steel storage silo’s were installed,
o mass
each with a capacity of 600 m 3
whole. Logistically, the partial replacement of coal with biomass makes for quite a change. Due to the differences in biomass matter, there is a large variety in bulk density, particle size and flowing properties. In this project a truck unloading station with two intake pits was build, each with a capacity of 180 m3 an hour. Furthermore four storage silos of 600 m3 with flat bottom and rotating silo dischargers, a transport and distribution system on the existing coal grinders, a grinding station and a pneumatic transport and injection system to the boiler were set up. Atex Atex-regulations with regard to dustexplosions were an important aspect in this project. Tebodin CCE made a risk assessment and incorporated preventive and control measures into the design. For the consultants it was a tight moment when the complete 45.000 kilo transport bridge between the new silos and the boiler house was hoisted into place. This precision-job with heavy cranes could only succeed through careful design, thorough preparation and optimum co-ordination. Testing and start-up took place in May 2004 and in July 2004 the new installation was handed over to EPZ. Both EPZ and energy companie Essent are very happy with the result. Jobse says: “All parties involved showed great flexibility in realizing this project within a tight time schedule. Also remarkable was the fact that, despite the presence of many external workers on site, a new EPZ/Essent record of a thousand days without any accident was set during this project.” Meanwhile Tebodin CCE received a new order from EPZ, concerning a new project for the gasifying of biomass.’
Atex-regulations were an important aspect in this project. The elevator heads are equipped with automatic fire extinguish ers and spark detectors.
-
*The author Stan Raben is Project Manager with consultancy Tebodin CCE, based in Deventer, The Nederlands.
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25
New Energy October 2006
26-27-28•Bioenergy Kahl:26-27-28
24-10-2006
11:50
Pagina 26
Pelleting presses are applied in different types of industries where compacting of products is essential. This process is also applied to obtain wood pellets. However due to the particular properties of the material this requires specialised equipment.
Wood
Possible applications of the Kahl pelleting press: • • • • • • • • • • •
Wood waste Sawdust Wood and sanding dust Straw Agricultural biomass Waste paper Municipal and industrial waste Waste tyres Sewage sludge Plastic waste etc.
[Fritz Kahl*]
Pelleting of saw dust a For more than 60 years the Germanbased company Amandus Kahl has built pelleting presses. The company also has many years of experience in pelleting wood, for example in Scandinavia, the United States, Canada, Austria and Germany. The pellets produced are mainly used as combustible or animal litter. Different processes are used for compaction, for example for pressing powdery, pasty or lumpy products into uniform bodies. Depending on the process applied and the shape, the final product is called granulate, pellet or briquette. Tw o p ro c e s s e s In general, one of two is applied for compacting: by agitation or by compression. In case of agglomeration by agitation the adhesion of the particles is not reached by mechanical pressure acting from the outside, but by moving the product adding moisture and by subsequent drying. This process is not appropriate for the compaction of saw dust and wood shavings. Agglomeration by compression is a pro-
cess, where the adhesion of the particles is promoted by forces acting from the outside. By means of suitable pelleting elements the product is compacted to such an extent that agglomerates of sufficient solidity are produced. Within the processes of agglomeration by compression ‘pelleting’ always proves to be the best, if larger product quantities have to be processed under economic aspects. This applies particularly to products, which do not have strong natural adhesive powers and do not allow the addition of binders. Design Kahl pelleting presses are built in a basic design: as flat die press, where the pan grinder rollers rotate on a horizontally arranged die pressing the product downwards through the die holes (figure 1). The pan grinder rollers and the dies are the most important elements in the pelleting process. Compaction takes place in the open effective bores of the die. The product is fed to the press vertically from above and is uniformly distributed into the pel-
leting chamber. A product layer is formed on the surface of the die. The rollers run over this layer and compact it. The pressure is continuously increasing whilst the product is being rolled towards the effective bores, thereby pushing the product plug in the bores slightly forward. To achieve this, the frictional force within the effective bores must not exceed the effective pressure created by the rollers. On the other hand, the frictional force must be high enough to cause a sufficient compaction of the product to a solid agglomerate (figure 2). A small layer of product is forced into the effective bores which is united to a pellet by means of the pressure and the adhesive powers of the product. The individual layers of product form endless strands in the bores, which are cut at the lower side of the die to the desired pellet length by means of rotating knives. Rollers As for the pan grinder rollers, a large outer diameter and a solid bearing are
26-27-28•Bioenergy Kahl:26-27-28
24-10-2006
11:50
Pagina 27
t and wood shavings required. The profile of the running surface can be varied, but this does not have such an influence as the execution of the die. Kahl presses are used with rollers of up to 450 mm in diameter and 192 mm in width. The profiles of the running surfaces are available in grooved, perforated, and corrugated design. The pan grinder head rotates with a speed of approximately 60 rpm. For this reason the running speed and thus the noise level of the flat die press are low. Nevertheless the number of rollers ensure a high roll-over frequency of the product, which is necessary for achieving a high throughput. Pelleting ratio The respective design of the die is very important. The ratio between the diameter of the bores and the length of the effective bores is called ‘pelleting ratio’. Together with the product properties it determines the frictional force produced. So the pelleting ratio must be exactly adapted to the product, in order to reach optimum results concerning
pellet quality and throughput of the machine. It must be taken into account that the ratio of pellet surface to volume changes with decreasing pellet diameter. For this reason dies which are manufactured for pelleting compound feed, dried beet pulp or other products cannot be used for compacting wood. Another important parameter of the dies is the number of holes and thus the ‘open perforated surface’ available, which has a direct effect on the throughput of the press together with the drive power. Hydraulic system Today a hydraulic system for the exact adjustment of the rollers - also during operation of the press - is ‘state of the technique’. By means of the product layer on the die, a gap is produced between rollers and die which has an important influence on compaction. For this reason it is desirable to be able to modify this gap also during production and to check the operating state of the press by means of the product pressure
26
27
against the pan grinder rollers. Kahl applies a hydraulic system which offers these possibilities to the press operator. The process can be monitored and optimized during operation. On top of it, the hydraulic system is provided with an integrated pressure relief valve as safety device if foreign particles get into the press (figure 3). P ro d u c t f e e d i n g The product to be compacted is fed into the press by a suitable feeding screw. Due to the large press interior there is sufficient space for voluminous products, too. Forced feeding, which might cause blockages, is not required. Individually adjusted scrapers serve for a
>>
Service The company Amandus Kahl is situated in the German town of Reinbek. They provide consultation, assistance in obtaining approval, engineering, commissioning, installation and after-sales service. Kahl supply turn-key plants for the recycling sector.
New Energy October 2006
26-27-28•Bioenergy Kahl:26-27-28
24-10-2006
11:50
Pagina 28
>> Pelleting of saw dust and wood shavings
1. Pressing the product downwards through the
2. Frictional force must be high enough to cause
3. The hydraulic system is provided with an in -
die holes.
a sufficient compaction of the product to a solid
tegrated pressure relief valve as safety device.
agglomerate.
uniform product distribution on the die. In case of products with a high content of crude fibres (such as wood) the flat die press is equipped with cylindrical rollers, causing a shearing effect when running on the circular path of the die. This desired effect produces a twisting and primary crushing of the product on the die, so that it can be pelleted more easily. Wo o d p e l l e t i n g Prerequisites for optimum operation are continuous product feeding into the press and a homogeneous, sufficiently pre-crushed product. The moisture should
be kept very constant at a range of 12 to 15 percent. Due to the large volume reduction when compacting wood and wood shavings, particularly sawdust from about 100 to 600 kg/m3, the capacity of the machine, i.e. the press interior, must be as large as possible. Further requirements made by the wood industry are a robust machine construction and a high availability of the plant in order to meet the required operational safety. A sufficiently high throughput with the lowest possible specific energy consumption and a good pellet quality are further requirements, along with the aim to reach a long service life of the wear parts. In comparison with other products wood does not have strong adhesive powers like starch-containing feed, for example. The antifriction properties are not very distinct, either. As a result a high frictional force is quickly produced in the effective bores, which also is necessary for compacting this product with its low own binding forces.
4. An ideal plant is provided with a crushing system, a continuous mixer for the addition of steam and water, and a long-term conditioner for the retention time before pelleting.
Resin content It is noteworthy that there are strong differences concerning the processing of different kinds of wood which depend to a large extent on the resin content. Hard wood, such as beech or oak, requires higher pressure forces than soft wood and conifers. The pressure forces lead to the ‘specific energy consumption’, which is between 40 and 60 kWh/t in case of wood processing. Due to the high frictional resistance and the low adhesive powers of some kinds
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of wood preconditioning, i.e. pretreatment of the product before the actual pelleting process, is important. The product moisture, temperature, and crushing degree play an important part. In order to increase the moisture content of the product, water should be added partly in form of steam and the moistened wood should be given sufficient retention time for letting the moisture penetrate into the product. For this reason an ideal plant is provided with a crushing system, for exemple a suitable hammer mill, a continuous mixer for the addition of steam and water, and a long-term conditioner for the retention time before pelleting (figure 4). Particularly for the pelletization of wood, Amandus Kahl has developed pelleting presses with reinforced bearings and further construction details which meet the requirements made by the wood industry. Developments For better activation of the binder lignin contained in the wood, Amandus Kahl follows a research project for the production of water-stable pellets. This process will work with a suitable pressure conditioning system using high temperatures, pressures, and shearing forces. “We are convinced that the processing of re-growing raw materials, e.g. for combustion purposes, will gain in importance in the future. Therefore we shall focus our attention on this machine and process sector”, according to the German company.
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New Energy October 2006
24-10-2006
12:26
Pagina oms 3
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