Item 1. Business
Our Corporate History and Background
We were incorporated in Nevada on December 22, 2006. Through our wholly-owned subsidiary North American Bio-Energies LLC (“NABE”), we operate in the alternative energy industry in the development and acquisition of commercial grade biodiesel facilities and the distribution and marketing of petroleum and biofuel products. In addition to operating as NABE, our subsidiary also does business as Foothills Bio-Energies, LLC (“Foothills”).
Overview of the Business
We have historically been engaged in the business of wholesaling biodiesel to distributors in the Eastern region of the United States. In addition, we have sold glycerin (a biodiesel by-product) to refiners and manufacturers and have sold kerosene to wholesalers. During 2017, we were unable to profitably produce biodiesel. As a result, we recorded an impairment of those fixed assets associated exclusively with biodiesel production.
When producing biodiesel, our focus is on commercial grade biodiesel produced from virgin agri-based feedstock that meets the standards for biodiesel established by The American Society of Testing and Materials (“ASTM”) and adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). Management believes the resulting product is superior to biodiesel produced from recycled oils due to lower quantities of fatty acids, which allows for shorter processing times and less sulfur, and offers favorable conditions for machinery and engines.
During 2013, the Company applied for, and was granted, registration with the EPA as an importer of biodiesel. Earning status as an importer is an extension of NABE’s existing registration under the EPA’s RFS2 program. Registered importers are allowed to attach RINs to renewable fuels produced outside the United States so long as the fuel meets the latest ASTM standard for biodiesel and the transaction is properly documented throughout the entire process.
The Company occasionally works with neighboring universities to provide research opportunities in the biofuel industry for students. While no formal arrangements or understandings currently exist between the Company and any University or College, the Company frequently invites students to tour the NABE facilities and educates students on the benefits of the biofuel industry.
The Company refines glycerin for selling on the open market. Refining glycerin involves removing methanol and moisture from the crude glycerin. Once the wet methanol has been removed, glycerin is further refined through acidulation. Acidulation is achieved through the introduction of hydrochloric acid to glycerin, which concurrently refines the glycerin and yields fatty acid oils. Glycerin is refined to a purity level of 80-90% after the acidulation process. All components (wet methanol, fatty acid oil, and refined glycerin) of the process are marketable goods.
We believe in the benefits of maintaining a good relationship with the community in which our facilities are located and intend to continue with community initiatives and a focus on local feedstock, including the negotiation of feedstock contracts with farmers. In addition to partnering with nearby colleges and universities, we will continue to pursue grant opportunities from various state and federal supported programs.
Primary Products
When market conditions allow production, our primary product is biodiesel made from virgin agri-based feedstock that meets ASTM D6751 specifications. During 2017, we did not produce biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Board defines “biodiesel” as follows: “Biodiesel” is defined as mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats which conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel refers to the pure fuel before blending with diesel fuel. Biodiesel blends are denoted as “BXX” with “XX” representing the percentage of biodiesel contained in the blend (
e.g.
, B20 is 20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel).
During colder months, the plant in Lenoir, NC utilizes its existing permits to re-sell kerosene to wholesalers. This strategic decision to sell kerosene was made in recognition of seasonal declines in biodiesel sales as ambient temperature drop.
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Secondary Products
Glycerin is a by-product of the chemical process in which biodiesel is produced and has a wide variety of uses in end products across multiple industries, including as an ingredient or processing aid in cosmetics, toiletries, personal care and drugs. Glycerin, also called glycerol, can also be found in food applications as a sugar substitute or in shortenings and margarine. It can also be found in soaps and foams or even nitroglycerin, which is used in dynamite.
Product Characteristics
Biodiesel is produced from animal fats, virgin agri-based oils or recycled waste fats and oils. The final product contains no petroleum, but can be blended at various levels for commercial use. Biodiesel is generally used as 100% pure or “neat”, 5%, 10% or 20% blend with petroleum (B5, B10 and B20 respectively). We sell both neat biodiesel and biodiesel blends.
Overview of the Biodiesel Industry - Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative to petroleum-based diesel (“Petrodiesel”). The EPA has classified biodiesel as an advanced biofuel. Biodiesel can be purchased directly from producers, from distributors, or at the pump. Biodiesel is manufactured from renewable feedstocks such as soybean, palm, canola and sunflower oils, as well as from animal fats, fish oils, algae and recycled cooking oils. New feedstocks from which biodiesel is manufactured continue to develop. Biodiesel is produced by reacting a feedstock with an alcohol (methanol) in the presence of a catalyst, which yields biodiesel and glycerin as a co-product. Biodiesel can be a direct replacement for diesel and can be blended with diesel fuel in any ratio. Biodiesel blends are primarily used as fuel for trucks and automobiles. It can also be used as home heating oil and as an alternative fuel in a variety of other applications, including, without limitation, marine transportation, electricity generation, farming equipment and mining operations.
According to the National Biodiesel Board, among other environmental benefits, biodiesel:
in its pure, or neat, form reduces the net gain in carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emissions by approximately 78% compared to petroleum fuels;
reduces tailpipe emissions of particulate matter (soot or black carbon) by approximately 47%, which is recognized as a major contributor to global warming, as well as a critical air pollutant associated with reduced human health, particularly among children and asthmatics;
reduces emissions of unburned hydrocarbons by almost 67%;
produces approximately 48% less carbon monoxide than diesel fuels; and
contains no sulfur and generates no sulfur emissions, a major source of acidification in rain and surface water.
Biodiesel has better lubricating properties and a higher cetane rating (the diesel equivalent of octane) than low sulfur diesel fuels. The use of biodiesel in its neat form, B100, or in a blend with petroleum-based diesel, reduces fuel system wear and increases the life of the fuel injection equipment that relies on the fuel for its lubrication, including high pressure injection pumps, pump injectors and fuel injectors.
Biodiesel is twice as biodegradable as petroleum oil and is non-toxic. Tests sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture confirm biodiesel is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as quickly as sugar. Biodiesel may be used in existing tank, pump and pipeline infrastructure without modifications to the diesel engine. As a result, integration of biodiesel into the diesel fuel supply is cost effective as opposed to ethanol which requires substantial expenditure to retrofit existing tank, pump and pipeline infrastructure.
Biodiesel has passed Tier 1 and Tier 2 health effects testing required by the Clean Air Act of 1990. Harmful emissions (carbon monoxide, particulate matter and hydrocarbons) are reduced by more than 50% compared with Petrodiesel, and it has one of the highest energy content (BTU) of any alternative fuel.
Renewable Fuel Standards
On July 1, 2010, the EPA’s final regulations implementing revised renewable fuel standards (“RFS2”) set by Congress under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (“EISA”) went into effect. The original renewable fuel standards (“RFS”), were established by Congress under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (“EPAct”), and mandated that transportation fuel sold in the United States contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel. EPAct rules were directed principally to blending ethanol into gasoline used as motor fuel and required approximately 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel to be blended into gasoline by 2012. Under the EISA,
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Congress expanded the RFS program to, among other things, include diesel and increase the volume of renewable fuels required to be blended into transportation fuel from nine billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
Under the RFS2, obligated parties (
i.e.
, petroleum refiners and importers of diesel) were required to demonstrate that they complied with their percentage obligations over the gallons of diesel they sold into the marketplace during a compliance period. The EPA developed a system of volume accounting and tracking of the credits associated with renewable fuels known as Renewable Identification Numbers (“RINs”). The system is based on the assignment of unique numbers to each batch of renewable fuel by the biodiesel producer or importer. The use of RINs allows the EPA to measure and track renewable fuel volumes at the point of their introduction into the national fuel supply rather than at the point when they are blended into conventional fuels, which provides more accurate measurements that can be easily verified. The RFS program requires RINs to be transferred with renewable fuel until the point at which the renewable fuel is purchased by an obligated party or is blended into petroleum products by a blender. RINs are accumulated to allow an obligated party to satisfy its renewable volume obligations (“RVOs”). An RVO represents the volume of renewable fuel that the obligated party is required to ensure was used in the U.S. in a given calendar year. Obligated parties have an RVO under each of the four RFS2 renewable fuel categories: cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel. Obligated parties calculate their RVO at the end of a calendar year based on the volume of gasoline or diesel fuel they produced during the year. Obligated parties are required to meet their RVOs through the accumulation of RINs. By acquiring RINs and applying them to their RVOs, obligated parties are deemed to have satisfied their obligation to cause the renewable fuel represented by the RINs to be consumed as transportation fuel in highway or non-road vehicles or engines. The RFS2 program contemplated that RINs would be sold among obligated parties so that a deficient party could acquire RINs from another obligated party that generated excess RINs to satisfy its requirements.
The EPA’s regulations implemented the RFS standards by establishing the four categories of renewable fuel, and set separate volume requirements for each new category, including biodiesel. The new standards are known commonly as “RFS2.” As of July 26, 2010, the EPA confirmed we were in compliance with the RFS2 regulations, making us eligible for participation in the RIN market. In January of 2016, we submitted a revised engineering review in compliance with EPA regulations. Reviews must be performed by third parties and their report must be submitted every three years. We anticipate additional revenues from the direct sale of RINs in instances where customers do not want to bear the burden of administering RINs associated with biodiesel.
During the fourth quarter of 2011, the RIN market abruptly halted. In November of 2011, the EPA accused a Maryland man of transacting approximately $9 million in fraudulent RINs through his company, Clean Green Fuels LLC. EPA issued a separate violation notice to a Texas-based company, Absolute Fuel LLC, for transacting approximately $62 million in fraudulent RINs. In addition to the two major violators, EPA issued violation notices to at least two dozen companies that had purchased the fraudulent RINs. In light of the integrity issues that arose as a result of the fraudulent RINs, obligated parties severely restricted purchasing RINs until a program was instituted that would ensure validity of the RINs. The National Biodiesel Board has established a task force for developing a plan to validate RINs and provide assurance that obligated parties can confidently transact in the RIN market without having to be concerned that the EPA will negate any RINs that they had purchased in good faith. EPA subsequently implemented a Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) to ensure validity and to increase liquidity of RINs. The QAP initiative was rolled out in an interim period (February 12, 2013 through December 31, 2014) that offered two assurance options. As of January 1, 2015, a single option (“QAP Q”) became effective with its associated verified RINs referred to as Q-RINs.
Registration of Plant, Feedstock and Fuel
RFS2 imposes a complex set of compliance and reporting obligations to ensure that each obligated party satisfies its RVO for a particular compliance period, under the regulations. These regulations extend over the entire range of an obligated party’s operations. All producers of renewable fuel that produce more than 10,000 gallons of fuel annually must register with EPA’s fuels program prior to generating RINs. A biofuel producer will have to supply the EPA with extensive information concerning plant operations, processes and products, including the fuels produced, the feedstocks that may be used, co-products produced, the source of energy used to produce the biodiesel, compliance with clean air regulations and applicable air permits for permitted capacity and records that support the facility’s baseline volume. In addition, producers must provide the EPA with an independent process engineer’s report with respect to its plant upon initial registration and every three years thereafter or upon changing the feedstock from which it produces biodiesel. In certain cases, health-effects testing is required for a product to maintain its registration or before a new product can be registered. The EPA deems the information collected as essential to generating and assigning a certain category of RIN to a volume of fuel and to verifying the validity of RINs generated. In addition, a producer will have to demonstrate that the biodiesel produced is ASTM D6751 compliant. A producer also will have to register its renewable fuels as a motor vehicle fuel, which will subject it to additional reporting and other requirements. As part of the RFS2 rulemaking, the EPA continues to evaluate criteria regarding compliance with the renewable biomass verification provisions for foreign-grown feedstock, which could affect the market for feedstock.
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Generation of Renewable Identification Numbers and Equivalence
Under RFS2, each RIN is generated by the producer or importer of the renewable fuel, as in the RFS1 program. In order to determine the number of RINs generated by and assigned to a batch of renewable fuel, the actual volume of the batch of renewable fuel must be multiplied by the appropriate equivalence value. The producer or importer must also determine the appropriate code to assign to the RIN to identify which of the four standards the RIN can be used to meet.
The equivalence value of a renewable fuel represents the number of gallons that can be claimed for compliance purposes for every physical gallon of renewable fuel. The EPA takes the position that the use of equivalence values based on energy content of a fuel is an appropriate measure of the extent to which a renewable fuel would replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum or other fossil fuel present in a fuel mixture. Under RFS1, ethanol was ascribed an equivalence value of 1.0. Under the EISA, additional credit was to be assigned to cellulosic and waste-derived renewable fuels, and the EPA was directed to establish appropriate credit for biodiesel and renewable fuel volumes in excess of the mandated volumes. Under RFS2, the EPA assigned an equivalence value to ethanol of 1.0, to butanol of 1.3, to biodiesel (mono alkyl ester) of 1.5, and for nonester renewable diesel of 1.7.
The producer or importer must also determine the appropriate code to assign to the RIN to identify which of the four standards the RIN can be used to meet and which equivalency value applies to determine the number of RINs generated. The fuel pathway of the product is determinative of the equivalence value and thus the quantity of RIN’s generated for each batch of finished product produced.
Biodiesel Production
According to the National Biodiesel Board, as of March 2018, there were 78 biodiesel production facilities in operation in the U.S. While it appears that overcapacity exists in the marketplace, a condition that will be exacerbated by new plants that may come online, we believe that the market potential for biodiesel remains higher than current and projected production levels.
In accordance with the EISA, RFS2 sets an annual requirement for the domestic use of biodiesel. EPA published its final rulemaking in November of 2017 stating that the requirement will be for 2.1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel for 2018. RFS2 provides specific volume requirements for advanced biofuels due in large part to research demonstrating that biodiesel produced from recycled oils, animal fats and agri-based oils can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 86% compared to petroleum diesel.
U.S. Tax Incentives
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 provided for a biodiesel fuel credit of $1.00 to a biodiesel fuel blender for each gallon of biodiesel produced by the taxpayer and sold to another entity. Biodiesel customers are charged a price that is $1.00 per gallon in excess of the market price of petroleum. Once the biodiesel is blended, the blender becomes eligible to file for reimbursement of $1.00 per gallon of blended biodiesel from the federal government. Our facility has passed all necessary inspections and complied with the applicable regulations to be eligible for any tax incentive programs.
The blender credit expired December 31, 2009 at the end of the tax year, severely cutting into biodiesel producer margins and forcing foreclosure of smaller plants across the nation. We were able to maintain a steady stream of revenue through the sale of glycerin and the occasional purchase of off-specification fuel from neighboring plants that we were able to refine further to meet ASTM-D6751 specifications, and then sell on the open market. In December of 2010, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 retroactively restored the biodiesel tax credit for all of 2010 and further extended it through December 31, 2011. Although Congress extended this credit on multiple occasions, it was not renewed prior to December 31, 2011. This meant that our plant in Lenoir, NC operated during fiscal year 2012 without the production tax credit in place. In January of 2013, Congress voted to reinstate the biodiesel tax incentive retroactively to January 1, 2012 and going forward to December 31, 2013. In late December of 2014, Congress retroactively extended the blender tax credit that expired on December 31, 2013. The reinstatement made the credit effective for the period January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. For most of 2015, the tax credit remained in an expired state; however, an extension of the credit was passed by Congress in December of 2015. The 2015 Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act (PATH Act) retroactively reinstated the blender credit for all of 2015 and extended its deadline until December 31, 2016. In November of 2017, the blender credit has not been reinstated retroactively for 2017, but was not extended prospectively for 2018 or any other future year. The blender credit’s status is uncertain going forward.
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Our Customers
Our main customers are petroleum distributors in the Southeast region of the United States. However, we may seek out alternative markets to sell our biodiesel. Additional markets may emerge, including sales to power generation facilities or cogeneration power plants using biodiesel to provide electricity for powering industrial plants (excess electricity would be sold back to power grids allowing electric companies to meet RFS). Further, a potential market exists for biodiesel sales to customers as a cleaner burning heating oil replacement or additive.
We have no contractual relationship to sell our products. We determine the price and thereafter sell to our customers on a first come, first serve basis.
We sell a portion of our finished product to Echols Oil Company (“Echols”), which is owned by R. Samuel Bell, Jr., our Chairman and CEO. Echols is a petroleum distributor in the Southeast that utilizes biodiesel. Sales to Echols represented approximately 91% and 89% of our consolidated revenues for fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Renewable Identification Numbers
We generate RINs to support the RVO of obligated parties, but we do not currently have any renewable volume obligations. To the extent we begin to export biodiesel in the future, we may be subject to the RVO requirement. We do not currently charge any of our distributors for RINs generated from our production of biodiesel, but may do so in the future.
Our Suppliers
Our facility can produce biodiesel using a variety of virgin feedstock, including agricultural oils, such as soy bean and sunflower, and animal by-products (
e.g.
, pork and chicken fat). This feedstock flexibility allows the plant to take advantage of the lowest cost and best yielding virgin feedstocks in the market at any particular time. The agricultural oils are purchased from various farmers in the region and the pork and chicken fat are purchased from various processors in the region (
e.g.
, Tyson Farms).
Our Employees
NABE’s employee count varies depending on the volume of production. We currently have one employee at the biodiesel plant in Lenoir, NC. There are no union issues and all positions are easily replaced. In accordance with our community initiative and efforts to increase consumer education on biodiesel, we occasionally employ interns from neighboring colleges, which offer degrees in renewable fuel production.
Our current plant manager, Randy K. Dellinger is one of the founding members of NABE. Mr. Dellinger has been responsible for the successful negotiation of various bargain purchases and feedstock agreements. Mr. Dellinger was raised in Lenoir, North Carolina where he remains an active member and advocate for local sustainability through several local organizations. Upon completing high school, Mr. Dellinger joined the United States Navy as an Ocean Systems Technician. After four years in the Navy, Mr. Dellinger went to work in the telecommunications field; first with Bell South as an engineer and then with MCI as a Project Manager. During this time he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Dallas Baptist University. After MCI, Mr. Dellinger worked as a Senior Management Consultant for Cruces Consulting Services for six years. Upon returning to North Carolina, Mr. Dellinger founded NABE. Mr. Dellinger is on the Advisory Boards of Appalachian State University and A-B Technical College. He is also a former member of the board of the North Carolina Biodiesel Association.
Environmental Matters
We are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, including those relating to the discharge of materials into the air, water and ground, the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials, access to and use of water supply, and the health and safety of our employees. Based upon information provided by the Company, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a finding that our facility does not require an air permit to produce up to 5 million gallons of biodiesel per year. Our facility also operates under a stormwater discharge permit from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and held by the facility landlord. Discharges to the local sewer are monitored by the City of Lenoir Wastewater Division. These laws and regulations can require expensive pollution control equipment or operational changes to limit actual or potential impacts to the environment. A violation of these laws and regulations or permit conditions can result in substantial fines, natural resource damage claims, criminal sanctions, permit revocations and/or facility
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shutdowns. In an effort to ensure that we secure all necessary environmental permits in a timely fashion and remain in compliance with environmental permits, regulations and laws, we may occasionally employ the services of qualified outside environmental consulting firms. We do not anticipate a material adverse impact on our business or financial condition as a result of our efforts to comply with these requirements.
There will be a risk of liability for the investigation and cleanup of environmental contamination at our plant and at any off-site locations where we arrange for the disposal of hazardous substances if we are deemed to be a responsible party. While biodiesel is biodegradable, we utilize certain hazardous substances in our production process. While we handle those substances in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, it is possible that prior uses of our site or past operations may have caused contamination of our sites. If these substances have been or are disposed of or released at sites that undergo investigation or remediation by regulatory agencies, we may be responsible under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”), or other environmental laws for all or part of the costs of investigation or remediation and for damage to natural resources. Liability under CERCLA or comparable state laws may be found without regard to fault or to the legality of the original conduct. We also may be subject to related claims by private parties alleging property damage and personal injury due to exposure to hazardous or other materials at or from these properties. Some of these matters may require us to expend significant amounts for investigation and/or cleanup or other costs.
In addition, new environmental laws, new interpretations of existing laws, increased governmental enforcement of existing laws or other developments could require us to make additional significant expenditures. Continued government and public emphasis on environmental issues can be expected to result in increased future investments for environmental controls as we operate our facility. Present and future environmental laws and regulations and related interpretations applicable to our operations, more vigorous enforcement policies and discovery of currently unknown conditions may require substantial capital and other expenditures.
Our air emissions are subject to the federal Clean Air Act, the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and similar state and local laws and associated regulations. We are currently in compliance with EPA requirements as well as applicable state guidelines. Other federal and state air emission limitations, such as New Source Performance Standards, may also apply to facilities we own or operate. More stringent laws relating to climate change and greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) may be adopted in the future and could reduce the demand for biodiesel. Because other domestic biodiesel manufacturers will have similar restrictions, however, we believe that compliance with stringent air emission control or other environmental laws and regulations is not likely to materially affect our competitive position.
Additional environmental laws and regulations which are applicable to us and our operations include, among others, the following United States federal laws and regulations:
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (a/k/a the Clean Water Act) and comparable state laws, which govern discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States and each state, respectively;
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs the management, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste;
Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which imposes liabilities resulting from discharges of oil into navigable waters of the United States;
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, which requires reporting of toxic chemical inventories;
Safe Drinking Water Act, which governs underground injection and disposal activities; and U.S. Department of Interior regulations, which impose liability for pollution cleanup and damages.
The hazards and risks associated with producing and transporting our products, such as fires, natural disasters, explosions, abnormal pressures, blowouts and pipeline ruptures also may result in personal injury claims or damage to property and third parties. As protection against operating hazards, we will maintain insurance coverage against some, but not all, potential losses. Though we will seek to maintain insurance that is deemed adequate and customary for our industry, losses could occur for uninsurable or uninsured risks or in amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage.