(PTI/The Indian Express) "Ethanol production and sale has tripled in the last two years," Modi said, adding that "ethanol can be a balancing power in the economy." -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the use of ethanol can
corn/maize
Back TO HOMECommission’s Biofuel Plans Will Cost Europe’s Cereal and Beet Farmers at least €2 Billion per Year
(ePURE) On the occasion of the World Ethanol & Biofuels conference taking place in Brussels, the European Association of Sugar Manufacturers (CEFS), the European Confederation of Maize Production (CEPM), the International Confederation of European Beet Growers (CIBE) and the European
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Corn: It’s What’s for Dinner, for People, Animals and Gasoline-Eating Vehicles
by Chris Beutler (Today’s Producer) ... U.S. raises nearly 36 percent of all the corn grown worldwide, and it is the most widely produced grain in the world. ... Corn is often thought of as a vegetable, but if we look back
November 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Can Biofuels Take Flight? Alternative Fuels for Jetliners Face Political and Economic Headwinds
by John Stang (Geek Wire) Two major steps in Washington’s infant jet biofuel industry are expected to take place in the next couple months. In November, a study group is expected to provide the Port of Seattle with a report studying the
November 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Developing New Markets Will Help MN Corn Farmers Become the Most Sustainable and Environmentally Responsible in the U.S.
by Jerry Demmer (Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council/Filmore County Journal) ... Yes, corn is used for more than just feeding livestock. It touches our lives in many ways, whether we’re brushing our teeth (corn is an ingredient in tooth paste),
November 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Koch Brothers Build Biofuel Giant Aided by Mandates They Abhor
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Buying bankrupt plants on cheap creates No. 5 U.S. producer; Free-market preachers seek profit without mandated use of fuel -- Jeremy Bezdek admits that the proposal he made to his bosses at Koch Industries Inc. sounded like
November 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Pheasants Choose Farms over Grasslands, Surprising MN Researchers
by Dave Orrick (Twin Cities Pioneer Press) Female pheasants have surprised researchers by running into corn and soybean fields — but not just for the crops. Female pheasants, Minnesota researchers have found, often abandon natural grasslands — presumably prime habitat —
November 07, 2016 Read Full Article
MSU Awarded Grant to Research Biofuel, Carbon Capture Technologies for Upper Missouri River Basin
by Evelyn Boswell (Montana State University) A regional interdisciplinary team led by Montana State University has received $6 million to develop new innovations at the intersection of food, energy and water systems while training the next generation of scientists. The four-year
November 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol in U.S. Gas Tanks Is Backfiring for Climate Change
by John Upton (Climate Central) It may have seemed apparent to members of Congress a decade ago that if a motorist pumped a gallon of fuel made from corn into their gas tank, a gallon of fossil fuel would be
October 24, 2016 Read Full Article
US Grain Exports Increase in 2015/16, Ethanol Exports to China Grow 1227%
by Ilari Kauppila (Biofuels International) US exports of feed grains in all forms in 2015/2016 increased by more than 300,000 tonnes from the previous marketing year, US Department of Agriculture data shows. Totalling at 100.5 million tonnes, the export products include US
October 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Airlines to Test Alternative Fuel
by Anum Yoon (Triple Pundit) As the world turns its attention to addressing global warming, the airline industry, too, is researching ways to do its part and lower greenhouse gas emissions. One option is investing more into the development and integration of
October 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol from Conventional to Advanced: The Digest’s 2016 Multi Slide Guide to Praj
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Recently, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of ethanol from conventional to advanced. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Praj – going through the technology landscape that is
October 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Higher US Ethanol Production from Sorghum, Corn Yield: Professor
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) The higher ethanol production seen so far in 2016 has come from greater sorghum use and boosted yields from corn, said a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Department of Agriculture's monthly World Agriculture
October 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Fed Approval Paves Way for Low-Cost Cellulosic Ethanol Production
by George Lurie (The Business Journal) In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Pacific Ethanol’s registration of its Stockton ethanol plant to generate valuable credits by producing cellulosic ethanol with the same equipment the company
October 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo Produces First Cellulosic Renewable Jet Fuel Specified for Use on Commercial Airline Flights--Alaska Airlines to Fly First Commercial Flight with Cellulosic Renewable Jet Fuel in ‘Next Few Months’
(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), announced today that it has completed production of the world’s first cellulosic renewable jet fuel that is specified for commercial flights. Gevo successfully adapted its patented technologies to convert cellulosic sugars derived from wood waste
October 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plays Important Role in Corn Industry
by Jerry Purvis (Gering Citizen) On Sept. 21, the Nebraska Ethanol Board rolled out a new campaign to increase awareness of the 15 percent alcohol/gasoline blend called E15. While encouraging renewable fuels, the ethanol industry also plays an important role
October 07, 2016 Read Full Article
An EU Biofuels Proposal Worth Getting Behind
by James Cogan (Biofuels Digest) Europe’s bioethanol association ePure just released a renewables policy paper that’s something to get excited about. It’s a show of confidence and ambition on the part of Europe’s ethanol CEOs. Their product delivers climate and bioeconomy
October 07, 2016 Read Full Article
NEW PBS Documentary: The Ethanol Effect
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Detroit Public Television (DPTV) is debuting a new ethanol documentary this Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 9:00 pm ET called, “The Ethanol Effect“. The film, produced by DPTV, takes a look at the controversy surrounding the
October 06, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA to Pay Farmers More than $7 Billion Due to Low Crop Prices
by Tom Polansek (Reuters) The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay more than $7 billion of taxpayers' money to farmers this fall to keep them afloat in the face of low crop prices, agency officials said on Tuesday. The USDA released the
October 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Airline Low-Carbon Future Needs Fuel Nobody Makes in Volume
by Joe Ryan (Bloomberg) JetBLue among airlines testing fuel made from corn, garbage; ‘We just don’t have any alternative,’ Boeing executive says -- The airline industry’s plan to ease its impact on global warming hinges on fuels made from vegetable oil,
October 04, 2016 Read Full Article
USGC: US Feed Grains Exports to Mexico Soar in 2015-‘16
(U.S. Grains Council) A recent U.S. Grains Council Chart of Note shows the standout performance of U.S. exports of U.S. feed grains in all forms to Mexico over the past six years. For marketing year 2015-‘16, USGC forecasts U.S. exports of
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
China Set to Export Corn, Threatening Global Market: Sources
by Dominique Patton (Reuters) China has given approval to at least two companies to export corn, trading sources said, in a radical move by the world's No. 2 producer to cut its ballooning surplus and unleash more supply into a
October 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Isobutanol: A New Product from Revamped Ethanol Plants
by Jess Hewitt and KSL (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Now, there is also competition for production between renewable fuels. Ethanol plants can produce fuel ethanol but they can also be retrofitted or become the host facility to produce
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter to the Editor: Time to Give Ethanol Credit
by Bill Bushong (Northern Virginia Daily) I have been following coverage of the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to alter the renewable fuel standard with a reduction to the renewable volume obligation on corn-based ethanol, and as a grain and
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
European Ethanol’s Greenhouse Gas Savings Increase 8.5% in 2015: New Report
by Theo Kumah (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, ethanol’s direct greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings compared to fossil fuel have increased from 59% in 2014 to 64% in 2015, an increase of 8.5% against the 2014 figure, according to new
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Making the Case for Young Farmers
by Keith Norman (The Jamestown Sun) ... Kasey Bitz was one of 44 farmers participating in the North Dakota Farmers Union legislative fly-in that returned from Washington, D.C., on Sept. 14. Members of the group met with the North Dakota Congressional
September 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Europe Deem Low-Emission Mobility Strategy Damaging to Production
by George Griffiths (Platts) The European Commission's Low-Emission Mobility Strategy would lead to the "permanent loss of 133,000 rural jobs supported by the ethanol industry," Mark Turley, CEO of Ethanol Europe, said Wednesday. Speaking at the Agro-Inno Show in Budapest, Turley criticized
September 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Novozymes, P&G
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at Novozymes and Procter &
September 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Global Biofuels Market Will Gain Momentum Due to Increasing Energy Security Until 2020, Says Technavio
(BusinessWire/Technavio) The global biofuels market is expected grow at a CAGR of nearly 6% during the forecast period, according to Technavio’s latest report. In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global biofuels market for 2016-2020.
September 18, 2016 Read Full Article
How Low Can #Ethanol’s Carbon Intensity Go?
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) ... “Carbon Intensity: Field-to-Wheel How Low Can You Go?” was one of the break-out sessions during the 29th annual Ethanol Conference. During the discussion, panelists walked attendees through the nuts and bolts of low carbon fuel
September 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Chinese Ethanol Almost Competitive Enough to Export
by Xiaojuan Gao (Platts) The export arbitrage for China ethanol has narrowed to the point where transactions could be occurring very soon, market participants said Friday, citing a combination of factors including increasing international ethanol market prices and government support policies
September 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol's Important
by Jay Douthit (Kent County Farm Bureau/My Eastern Shore) To the editor: The Kent County Farm Bureau stands with the Maryland Farm Bureau in support of the National Corn Growers Association’s opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed reduction of the corn-based ethanol
September 12, 2016 Read Full Article
The High-Flown Fantasy of Aviation Biofuels
by Almuth Ernsting (Biofuelwatch/The Biomass Monitor) ... As far as Branson and his airline, Virgin Atlantic, were concerned, the flight was indeed no more than a stunt: The “biofuel test flight” burned 95% ordinary kerosene and just 5% biofuels, made from
September 12, 2016 Read Full Article
From Farm to Fingernails: GreenBiologics Remakes Little Falls Ethanol Plant
by Zach Kayser (Pine and Lakes Echo Journal) A multi-million dollar conversion project in Little Falls aims to bear uncommon, environmentally sustainable fruit when it's completed later this year. Green Biologics, which is based in the city of Abingdon in Oxfordshire,
September 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Review of John DeCicco et al. Article Titled “Carbon Balance Effects of U.S. Biofuel Production and Use”
by Steffen Mueller (University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center) ... The authors essentially challenge the accuracy of traditional life cycle analysis with their new model. ... The authors argue that “for a biofuel to provide a net reduction in CO2 emissions, the production
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Not Contributing to Decline in Bee Habitat
(WNAX) A new study from the National Academy of Sciences says the expansion of corn and soybean acres to supply feed stock for biofuels is hampering habitat for bees. Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen says the study findings don’t make
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
BioFuelNet Responds To Study Claiming “ Biofuels Are Worse Than Gasoline”
by Marie-Joe Costantine (BioFuelNet) Study stating “ biofuels are worse than gasoline” is fundamentally flawed -- ... In the study, when (John) DeCicco and colleagues calculate the CO2 emissions going into the atmosphere, they consider all parts of the plant: leaves, stalks,
September 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to DSM in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at DSM and its direct investments, partnerships
September 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Welcome to Aviation Biofuels Math Class with Mr. Mercutio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you were reading BBC’s coverage of the aviation biofuels space yesterday, you would have seen the provocative headline: Wood fuel plan to cut plane CO2 branded as ‘pipe dream’ Then would have looked in vain for
August 31, 2016 Read Full Article
Germans Developing Flower-Power Biofuel
by Brian Parkin (Bloomberg News/Arkansas Online) A giant form of a flowering daisy plant that can grow 10 feet high may become the favored fuel of Germany's biogas industry. The plant, with small yellow flowers, whose Latin name is Silphium perfoliatum,
August 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Where’s Butanol, or Other Substitutes for Gasoline besides Ethanol?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Is there some fundamental reason that the automotive biofuels people haven’t shifted to butanol or iso-butanol or some other compound that would be more compatible with gasoline and the present highly evolved gasoline engines? Is
August 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Boom in Oil Production Causes Bust in Prairie Sod
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ... Mr. (Mark) Perry suggests (without any scientific support or a single citation) that ethanol expansion has somehow led to “destruction” of prairie in the Great Plains, but says not a word about the land
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Oil's Glass House
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/U.S. News and World Report) ... Indeed, it's fairly obvious that (Mark) Perry's yarn is simply intended to shift attention away from the real culprit behind destruction of prairie in the Great Plains – oil and natural
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Worse for Climate Change than Gasoline, U-M Study Says
by Keith Matheny (Detroit Free Press) The multi-billion-dollar U.S. biofuels industry — promoted and expanded for over a decade by the federal government — may be built on a false assumption, according to a new University of Michigan study published today
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Bayer, Bunge and Monsanto
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, we are conducting Strategic Intent, our 19 webinar series on major companies and their partnerships, progress and plans in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this edition, we explored Bayer, Bunge and Monsanto in the
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Will New Biofuels Help Decarbonize Aviation and Shipping?
by Kent Harrington (Chenected) ... For example, which country should own the emissions from a Mexico City flight to New York, or a ship moving goods between Shanghai and Los Angeles? The country of departure, or arrival? Don't even try to
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
RFA: Record Corn, Ethanol Production Underscore Need for RFS
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) America’s farmers are poised to harvest a record corn crop this fall and achieve the highest yield per acre in U.S. history, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates released today. Meanwhile, the U.S. ethanol
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Misguided Energy Mandates Fueling Higher Prices
by Nicolas Loris (The Heritage Foundation/The Intelligencer) ... President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law and expanded it in 2007. The RFS, which originated with that act, mandates that refiners mix biofuels into America's gasoline supply,
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
UF/IFAS Study: Sweet Potato Crop Shows Promise as Feed and Fuel
(Newswise/University of Florida) As some Florida growers try to find new crops and the demand for biofuel stock increases globally, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers have found that sweet potato vines, usually thrown out during
August 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Latin Americans Committed to Advancing Biofuels
by Fernando Olmedo (Biodisol/Agence France Presse (Google Translation)) Twenty Latin American countries pledged Friday to continue "promoting emphasizing" the development of biofuels with support from multilateral financial institutions, during a forum on clean energy in San Salvador. "There is a belief by
August 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Working the Calculator: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Choosing a Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “What color is your parachute?” went the title of a best-selling book from the 80s on job hunting. The concept applies equally to biomass feedstock in the 2010s. There’s one out there for you that
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Modeling Predicts which Counties Could Store More Carbon in Soil by Growing Bioenergy Crops
by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org) To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of land and local climates for planting bioenergy crops, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory are
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Use of E15 Overwhelmingly Favored in Wisconsin
(Wisconsin Corn Growers Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent statewide opinion poll shows that Wisconsin citizens favor the use of ethanol blends in fuel up to 15 percent (E15), by a 2 to 1 margin. The survey found that 62 percent
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Earth-Friendly American Ethanol: An Important Success Story
(NewsUSA/WDRB.com) There is little question ethanol is helping America reduce its dependence on foreign oil -- lowering gasoline prices, improving the environment with lower emissions and growing the economy with jobs that can't be outsourced. In 2015 alone, the ethanol industry
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Making It Work for the Grower: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to DuPont’s Cellulosic Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DuPont has developed a three-part strategy to deliver these new technologies to the growing biofuels market to help biofuels become more competitive with petroleum. The strategy includes: (1) improving existing ethanol production through differentiated agriculture seed
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
UDSA GAIN Reports Address Polish, Lithuanian Ethanol Production
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Total production of bioethanol in Poland is estimated at 200,000 metric tons, according to a report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network. The domestic production capacity of both bioethanol
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
NCC Calls for Further Reduction of 2017 Ethanol Levels
(National Chicken Council) The National Chicken Council (NCC) strongly supports efforts to create a more reasonable and sustainable approach to the nation’s biofuel fuel policy, as the compelled diversion of corn from feed to fuel continues to exact a heavy
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Iowa’s Ethanol Plants Consistently Gaining in Efficiency
by Dirck Steimel (Iowa Farm Bureau) While political battles over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) continue to grab headlines, Iowa’s ethanol plants are quietly pushing ahead and becoming more and more efficient. The 43 corn-based and cellulosic ethanol plants in the
July 06, 2016 Read Full Article
How Biofuels Can Help Break Up Big Oil’s Marketshare Monopoly
by Bob Dinneen (Morning Consult) ... In 2015, 14.8 billion gallons of ethanol was produced, supporting 85,967 direct jobs, while net petroleum import dependence fell to just 25 percent, and would have been 32 percent without the addition of domestically produced
July 06, 2016 Read Full Article
@NASCAR #E15 Race Offers Fans ‘All American Fun’
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Jimmy Small is in his third race season as president of Iowa Speedway. TheAmerican Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen is in its fourth year while the American Ethanol sponsorship is in its fifth year. Small
July 01, 2016 Read Full Article
South Dakota Ethanol Industry Calls for Larger Ethanol Market
by Selena Yakabe (The Dickinson Press) South Dakota’s $3.8 billion ethanol industry is facing a “glass ceiling,” according to officials. ... Hunter Roberts, the South Dakota representative for the Governor’s Biofuel Coalition, said this (Renewable Volume Obligation announced by the Environmental
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Higher Ethanol Use 'Crucial' for Grain Price Sustainability: POET CEO
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) Increasing the amount of ethanol blended with gasoline, both in the US and across the globe is "crucial" to supporting global grain prices, POET CEO Jeff Broin said Tuesday. ... The worst case scenario would be a global
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
The Problem and Promise of Ethanol
by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times) ... So how can we produce ethanol sustainably — that is, a scheme under which farmers can make money without releasing nitrate to the river and help power America while emitting less carbon? First, the federal
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
ICM Has Short List for Its Gen 1.5 Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, ICM said it is is currently in discussion with a short list of those interested in being selected as an early adopter of its Gen 1.5 technology, and they anticipate construction of the
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Why is ATJ Renewable Jet Fuel Rockin’ It?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There are many pathways from biomass to jet — right now, the hottest is ATJ, or alcohol to jet. In the case of Gevo, they want to convert first-gen ethanol projects to making isobutanol,
June 15, 2016 Read Full Article
50% Yield Boost for Ethanol? No CO2? What?! White Dog Labs Comes out of Stealth
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In what might become the most transformative development in fermentation yields since Noah debuted winemaking technology in the Book of Genesis, US-based White Dog Labs have unveiled a new process that eliminates the emission of CO2, a
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Alaska Airlines Pioneers Use of Corn-Based Biofuel on Two Jet Flights
(Q13Fox.com) Alaska airlines made aviation history today, when it flew two planes partially fueled by “biofuel” made from fermented corn. The airline fueled up two jets at Sea-Tac Airport. One headed south, to San Francisco, the other east, to Washington, DC. “We aren’t
June 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Helping Ethanol Producers Get the Most Out of Their Product
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) When margins matter most, strategies to ratchet up ethanol yield make good business sense. -- In the ethanol production world, yield is king. Fluid Quip Process Technologies and Edeniq Inc. have technologies that can help
June 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Point/Counterpoint: Is It Time for Greens To Reassess Their Opposition to Ethanol?
by Senator Timothy Wirth and C. Boyden Gray (Yale Environment 360) The criticism of ethanol by environmentalists is misguided and just plain wrong. In fact, thanks to improvements in farming techniques, increasing the amount of corn ethanol in U.S. gasoline
May 28, 2016 Read Full Article
New Water-Quality Data on Impact of Corn, Soybeans on Nitrate in Iowa streams
(Phys.Org) As Iowa farmers have planted more acres of corn to meet the demand driven by the corn-based ethanol industry, many models predicted that nitrate concentrations in Iowa streams would increase accordingly. However, recent IIHR research based on water monitoring
May 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Start-up to Scale-up: An Interview with Global Bioenergies CEO Marc Delcourt
(ACS Green Chemistry Institute) Global Bioenergies is one of the few companies in the world and the only one in Europe to develop a process to convert renewable resources into hydrocarbons through fermentation. The company has focused initially on the
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Specialty Chemicals: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Green Biologics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Green Biologics is focused on the production of renewable n-butanol and other C4 chemicals from various renewable feedstocks, including sugar (cane, molasses, beets), starch (corn) and cellulosic biomass (corn residues, sugar cane bagasse, forest materials
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Feature: Ethanol Producers Say California 'Carbon Intensity' Scores Still Too High
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) Most "legacy" ethanol producers who sell their product in California are unhappy with updated "carbon intensity" scores, saying the application process was inconsistent and left scores too high to meet the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Legacy
May 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Farmers to Have Role in Changing Ethanol Industry
by Jessica Rose Spangler (Lancaster Farming) Ethanol isn’t a new concept. Using corn to make it isn’t either. And Pennsylvania even has a plant to create it, Pennsylvania Grain Processing LLC in Clearfield, which is capable of producing 110 million gallons
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Bolt-On Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Edeniq
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Edeniq is a biorefining and cellulosic technology company. Edeniq delivers integrated process innovations that unlock sugars. These technological innovations uniquely combine mechanical and biological processes. Edeniq’s capital light and operationally efficient solutions can be easily
May 03, 2016 Read Full Article
How to Make $250M in Cellulosic Biofuels with an Investment under $6M
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Cellulosic fiber makes up approximately 10% of the corn kernel and cannot be converted into ethanol during the typical production process. By utilizing Edeniq’s Pathway technologies, including specialized enzymes and the Cellunator equipment, Aemetis
May 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellerate + Enogen = More Ethanol Production
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to Syngenta, the combination of Cellerate process technology with Enogen can increase ethanol production by 20 percent. The 18 day trial was conducted at the Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) plant. Since going online, the
April 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Argentina Ethanol Blend Hike to 26% in 2017 'Impossible': Industry Group
by Charles Newbery (Platts) Argentina's ethanol sector needs more time and investment in order to meet potential significant increases in the country's gasoline ethanol blend, Claudio Molina, executive director of the Argentine Biofuels and Hydrogen Association, said Thursday. The government is considering
April 26, 2016 Read Full Article
UK Government Would Probably Abandon Biomass Policy If Not Committed to It by EU law, MPs Say
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) A cross-party group of MPs has said that the UK government would probably abandon the EU’s biomass and policy if it was not committed to it by EU law. The group, part of the Environmental Audit Committee
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Comet, BioAmber in Big Cellulosic Sugar Partnership: Biobased’s Hot Babes Hook Up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Ontario, Comet Biorefining has signed an off-take agreement with bio-succinic acid producer BioAmber for cellulosic dextrose from Comet’s upcoming first commercial plant in Sarnia, Ontario. The dextrose will be produced from agricultural residues using
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Cooper: Don't Reverse Course on Ethanol
by Tom Thoma (Globe Gazette) Alan Guebert’s recent column (“The ethanol trap”) asks, “Where would the nation, its farmers, livestock growers, and rural America be today had ethanol not been given … a role in U.S. farm and energy policy
April 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Urban Air Initiative, Energy Future Coalition Challenge EPA Data on Ethanol’s Lifecycle Emissions
(Urban Air Initiative) Urban Air Initiative joined the Energy Future Coalition and the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition (GBC) in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize an overwhelming body of new evidence showing fuel ethanol can reduce carbon
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Interagency Effort Provides Links to Biofuel Data on One Web Page
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuel number crunchers in the know are finding their jobs easier because of a website hosted by the USDA Economic Research Service where the Interagency Council on Agricultural & Rural Statistics pulls together links
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
China's Grain Reforms to Boost Depressed Corn Processing Industry
by Niu Shuping and David Stanway (Reuters/AgWeek) China's plan to let the market set corn prices is bad news for international grain exporters, but should boost the country's struggling corn processors that use the grain in products ranging from food
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Argentina Ups Ethanol Blending Mandate in Gasoline to 12% from 10%
by Charles Newbery (Platts) The Argentine government Friday said it has raised the ethanol blending mandate in gasoline to 12% from 10% with immediate effect, according to a decree published in the Official Bulletin, the government's newspaper of record. In February, President
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
REG’s Rolling Thunder: What Did Not Kill Them (Falling Oil Prices), Made Them Stronger
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s been a couple of years since we visited REG and the difference is palpable. The company has become a little ADM, rather than a big Amyris or TerraVia. You see the trading desks at
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
After a Decade of Growth, Corn Use for Ethanol Projected to Decline
(US Department of Agriculture/Ag Professional) Ethanol production in the United States is based almost entirely on corn as a feedstock. Corn‑based ethanol production is projected to fall over the next 10 years. This reflects declining overall gasoline consumption in the United
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Prospective Plantings: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Corn, Soy, Sorghum, Wheat Acreage
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2016 planting intentions. U.S. corn growers expect to plant 93.6 million acres to corn this year, according to the Prospective Plantings report
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Ratify a Strategy for Increasing Demand
(Southeast Farm Press) Corn growers push to increase ethanol demand, explore new uses, increase livestock exports and improve transportation infrastructure. -- National Corn Growers Association finalized a new strategic plan March 5 to focus on four major strategic priorities that reflect
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Will Get Back Up
(RPA News) Our top story this month is a blunt reminder of how deeply U.S. policy uncertainty cut down and yanked back the progress of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol over the past few years. The U.S. EPA’s epic indecision and sometimes indifference
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Bringing up the Throttle on Cellulosic Ethanol
by Holly Jessen and Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although there are challenges facing the second generation ethanol industry, progress is being made -- U.S. EPA data shows 2.18 million cellulosic ethanol D3 RINs (renewable identification numbers) were generated in 2015.
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel or Biofraud? The Vast Taxpayer Cost of Failed Cellulosic and Algal Biofuels
by Almuth Ernsting (Independent Science News) ... The disastrous experience with Fischer-Tropsch biofuels is just one part of a much larger failure of cellulosic and algal biofuels, on which billions of dollars of public subsidies have been spent. ... Those are just the largest
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo Signs Licensing and Joint Development Agreements With Porta
(GEVO) Gevo and Porta Are Targeting the Construction of at Least Four Isobutanol Plants in Argentina; First Plant to be Wholly Owned by Porta, With a Targeted Production Capacity of Up to Five Million Gallons Per Year -- Gevo, Inc.(NASDAQ:GEVO),
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Market Participants at Odds over Chinese Import Viability
by Toh Wei Zheng (Platts) There was considerable debate about the role of China as a potential export market for ethanol in the long run during the FO Licht Sugar & Ethanol conference held in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday, as speakers took
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Corn Growers' Ethanol Committee Meets with California Officials
(Crop Protection News) The ethanol committee of the National Corn Growers Association met with California regulators and industry leaders to talk about the economy, reducing greenhouse gases, and producing higher quality blends that can be sold at retail prices. ... Pacific Ethanol's Tom
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Fuels Missouri Corn Checkoff Success
by Benjamin Herrold (Missouri Farmer Today) Gary Marshall has seen how the Missouri corn checkoff has shaped the industry and impacted farmers. Marshall, the CEO of the Missouri Corn Growers Association and the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, says the key focus
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Putting Corn in Your Car Isn’t as Crazy as It Sounds
by Nathanael Johnson (Grist) When I first looked at the environmental impact of corn ethanol I thought it was simple: Grow an acre of corn for fuel and it means you have to grow another acre elsewhere for food, which
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Analysis: 'TTIP Would Benefit US Biofuels'
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) If the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, currently being negotiated by the United States and the European Union becomes reality, a recent analysis by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development said ethanol
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Swallowing the Frog
by Doug Rich (High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) The best statement made about the current market situation for grains at the Kansas Commodity Classic came from Chris Novak, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. Novak said if you eat a
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
7 Megatrends for the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where is the bioeconomy headed? In the annual State of the Industry briefing at the 2016 Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, the Digest presented a survey on that topic. Here are the trends we spotted in the
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Report: Energy Efficiency of Ethanol Continues to Improve
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Reports recently published by the USDA Office of the Chief Economist and the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute demonstrate that ethanol production continues to become more energy efficient and shows
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Meeting the California Low Carbon Challenge
by Susanna Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Eighty-nine ethanol producers west of the Mississippi River prepare for the revised LCFS. ... After a couple of years in limbo due to challenges to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the California carbon credit
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Nigeria: Investing in an Ethanol Plant for Export
by Uba Godwin (This Day/AllAfrica.com/Global Trust Consulting Group) Uba Godwin writes on how cassava and other raw materials could be processed into ethanol for export -- It is disheartened that Nigerians at this level of technological development worldwide are still
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
4 Advanced Biofuel Plants for Argentina as Porta, Gevo Announce Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo and Porta are targeting the construction of at least four isobutanol plants in Argentina; first plant to be wholly owned by Porta, with a targeted production capacity of up to five million gallons per year In
February 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Expansion May Boost Michigan Basis
by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News) Strong ethanol demand and ample supplies are two of the main reasons the Andersons are doubling ethanol production at their Michigan facility. Mike Irman, Vice President and General Manager of the Andersons’ ethanol group,
January 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Let's Give Credit Where It's Due
by Kenneth Riffle (Salina Journal) Opinion: ... Ethanol utilized as an oxygenate in blended gasoline helps control carbon monoxide emissions. As an economic driver, ethanol has strengthened rural communities by adding value to agricultural production. If adhered to, the ethanol incentive model
January 25, 2016 Read Full Article
DuPont Industrial Biosciences, ADM Find “Breakthrough Process” for a “Long-Sought Molecule”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Delaware, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland announced a new breakthrough process in producing FDME from fructose, with “the potential to expand the materials landscape in the 21st century with exciting and truly
January 20, 2016 Read Full Article
New White Paper Identifies Opportunities for Increased Ethanol Demand: Growing Beyond the RFS Keys on Regulatory Relief
(Ethanol Across America) Despite the effectiveness of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in providing an entry ramp to the fuel market, the potential for corn ethanol to contribute to meeting a range of public policy objectives has only scratched the
January 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Little Falls Ethanol Plant Begins Renovation
by Vicki Ikeogu (SC Times) Construction has started at a Little Falls ethanol plant to convert it to a renewable chemical manufacturing plant. U.K.-based Green Biologics Ltd. owns Central Minnesota Renewables, formerly known as Central Minnesota Ethanol Cooperative. It's in the process
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Dirt Work Begins on Ringneck Energy as Project Details Finalized
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... “Most investors are from South Dakota by far,” he reported, but the project did attract investors from Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. “Generally, from areas where they understand the ethanol investment,” he
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Any Alcohol into Jet Fuel: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Byogy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
The 7 Flying Reindeer: Renewable Fuel Myths that Continue to Defy Gravity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Food vs Fuel, biofuels causing corn planting to skyrocket, low oil prices killing off renewable fuels, the subsidy myth, the emissions myth, the “people won’t buy the fuels” myth, and the Insanity myth. ... In the world
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
US Wild Bee Numbers Decline as Land Is Converted for Biofuel
by Matt McGrath (BBC News) Wild bees in the US have declined in many farming areas according to the first national effort to map their numbers. -- The study suggests that between 2008 and 2013, the numbers of wild bees
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels May Curb Carbon Dioxide Levels
by Jeannine Otto (AgriNews) “What is it that can do better than corn? We only know one plant right now, and that’s manioc — you know it as tapioca,” said Elwynn Taylor, ag meteorologist and professor of ag meteorology at Iowa
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
How Much Corn for Ethanol? USDA Takes Cautious Approach to Corn Use in New Ethanol Mandate
by Alan Brugler (DTN The Progressive Farmer) USDA on Wednesday increased projected 2015-16 corn use for ethanol by 25 million bushels from its November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Was this enough to reflect the additional blending required by
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
State Should Set Goals on Use of Low-Carbon Biofuel
by Dave Eames, Ethan N. Elkind (Sacramento Bee/Kansas City Star) New federal rules issued last week will boost biofuel production nationwide; Biofuel comes from a variety of agricultural crops, algae, forest residue; California has not taken full advantage of low-carbon biofuel production We use
December 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Malawi Begins Flex-Fuel Adaptor Kit Trials to Boost Ethanol Consumption
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Malawi, 24 cars have been fitted with conversion kits to allow any mixture of ethanol and gasoline up to 100% of either as part of a demonstration project in hopes the government will allow
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production Hits Record as Distillers Are Flush with Corn
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg News/Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) Flush with grain from the third-largest U.S. corn harvest, ethanol distilleries are cranking out unprecedented amounts of the biofuel. Ethanol production last week reached a record 1 million barrels a day, for an annualized
November 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Bangladesh Agriculture Minister Bashes Biofuels
(Biofuels International) Bangladeshi Minister of Agriculture Matia Chowdhury has criticised large multinational corporations for promoting biofuels. The minister spoke at a keynote on the 40th anniversary of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, D.C., US. Chowdhury pointed out that
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Corn Has Competition as Ethanol's Leading Grain
by Anna McConnell (Agriculture.com) In terms of ethanol production, corn has some competition this winter— grain sorghum. The grain, also known as milo, produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel, but uses one third less water in the process
November 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Rubio's Sugar Support Draws Corn, Soybean Questions
by Mackenzie Ryan (Des Moines Register) ... After Republican rival Ted Cruz took aim at sugar subsidies during last week's GOP debate, Iowa agriculture and biofuel leaders began questioning how Rubio’s support for that industry compares with his stance on renewable fuels made from corn
November 19, 2015 Read Full Article
University OF Illinois Research: Study Shows How Crop Prices and Climate Variables Affect Yield and Acreage
(University of Illinois/AgriMarketing) When corn prices increase farmers reap higher yields by making changes. According to a recent University of Illinois study, about one-third of the yield increase derives from more intensive management practices and two-thirds from cropping additional acreage.
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Study Shows Potential for Growth in Biofuels from Corn Stover
by Jessica Eise (Phys.Org) Making biofuel from corn crop residue could become economically viable for farmers with government support and, therefore, lead to a major shift in crop rotation practices favoring more continuous corn plantings, Purdue University researchers conclude. The agricultural economists
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Skyfill: Where the Sky Is a Free Sewer, Are Bioeconomy Thermodynamics Extremely Flawed from the Get Go?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... As the reader notes, much of the original underlying biomass is not utilized when we make a hydrocarbon fuel, or any fuel. Take the case of corn, for example, and conversion into ethanol. We start
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
How Biofuel from Corn Stover Could Impact Grain Markets
(Farm Futures) Biofuel from stover could favor continuous corn, other production changes -- ... If technology and government support become economically viable, converting corn stover to biofuels would affect farmers' planting decisions and crop rotation practices across the Midwest. Corn
November 16, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Chief Economist Office Examines Ethanol’s Complex Impact
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) USDA's Office of the Chief Economist just released a comprehensive report on ethanol. The 87-page report, “U.S. Ethanol: An Examination of Policy, Production, Use, Distribution, and Market Interactions,” examines the complex interaction of
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Bumper Corn Crop Good for Ethanol Industry and RFS Argument
(WNAX) A near record corn crop in the U.S. and a record crop in Nebraska is good news for the ethanol industry. USDA recently projected U.S. corn yields at 168 bushels per acre, the second highest average yield on record,
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
ICM Aims for Strong Legacy
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For two decades, ICM has adapted with the changing times, bringing technology solutions to the ethanol industry. -- In 1995, ICM Inc. got its start with the purchase of the engineering, manufacturing and marketing
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Green Plains Buys Ethanol Plant in Hopewell, Virginia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Virginia, Green Plains Inc. announced that it has acquired an ethanol production facility in Hopewell, Virginia, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, from Future Fuels LLP. Operating at full capacity, the facility’s dry
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Clean Fuels Program’s Next Threat: Disputed Science
by Taylor W. Anderson (The Bulletin) Climate scientist: policies that encourage biofuels must account for indirect emissions -- Before starting to implement Oregon’s low-carbon fuel standard , the state must first deal with some math that is both complicated and
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Blog: Colonel Korn, Andy, Sandy Impress in Videos about Ethanol
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Late last week, I received a press release from the Nebraska Ethanol Board about two new biofuel education videos starring cartoon characters Colonel Korn, Andy and Sandy. I watched the videos, and I have
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Production Plan already in Action
by Boyd Webb (IOL News) Once home to millions of displaced black South Africans, former homelands are expected to become the heart of the country's biofuels production. Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulama Xingwana said on Tuesday the presidential commercial
October 19, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA Statement on Big Oil Anti-RFS Campaign
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) released the following statement regarding an ad campaign that is being launched by Smarter Fuel Future to call on Congress and the administration to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “The oil industry
October 19, 2015 Read Full Article
China to Revive Corn-Based Ethanol Amid Record High Stocks
by Niu Shuping and Chen Aizhu (Reuters) China, the world's second-largest corn consumer, is set to resume building new corn-based ethanol plants after a nearly decade-long ban, in a move that could help absorb the country's record stocks, industry sources
October 19, 2015 Read Full Article
DOE Warns That Climate Change May Disrupt Growth of Biomass Feedstocks
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On October 9, the U.S. Department of Energy released a report about the threats posed by climate change to the U.S. electricity and fuels sector, U.S. Energy Sector: Regional Vulnerabilities and Resilience Solutions. Climate change
October 17, 2015 Read Full Article
GranBio, Solvay JV Acquires Cobalt Technologies’ Assets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We can now affirmatively report that SGBio, a joint venture between the Solvay Group and GranBio, has acquired assets from Cobalt including the bank of microorganisms and intellectual property related to patents, trademarks, processes, operating
October 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Try to Snap Out of Dormant Phase
by Amy Harder (Wall Street Journal) The promise of energy from sources like wood chips and switchgrass is still a long way off. -- Nearly 10 years ago, then-President George W. Bush promised to fund research in “cutting-edge methods of producing
October 03, 2015 Read Full Article
The Isooctene Revolution, Redux: The Digest’s Updated 2015 8-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have developed an industrial
October 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Aemetis Harvesting Biomass Sorghum in California
(Aemetis/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc., an advanced renewable fuels and biochemicals company, announced the harvesting of 12- to 15- foot tall biomass sorghum grown in Central California that was produced using proprietary Nexsteppe seed genetics. Biomass Sorghum is a feedstock
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Farmers to Be Permitted to Produce Ethanol: PM
(Economic Times) In a bid to to make environment "clean, green and pollution free", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Centre will shortly permit the farmers in Punjab to produce ethanol from maize. Addressing a rally here, the Prime Minister
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Bringing in the Biomass for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A multitude of questions surround the challenge of bringing in the mountains of biomass needed to feed a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant: Are crop residues a reliable resource? Will farming communities support the
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
China: Biofuels Annual
(US Department of Agriculture) China is a major producer of biofuels and production continues to increase. However, it is unclear how the government will meet its ambitious targets for continued expansion given its decision to limit grainbased biofuel production and the limited
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Iowa Has the Blueprint for Energy Independence
by Governor Terry Branstad (The Gazette) ... The good news is that America has a blueprint for becoming energy independent through renewable energy sources, and that blueprint is right here in Iowa. I support an all-of-the-above energy approach, including traditional resources, but
September 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Vireol Plant in Hopewell Suspends Ethanol Production
by Shelby Mertens (The Progress-Index) The Vireol Bio Energy LLC plant in Hopewell will officially suspend ethanol production today for an undetermined amount of time due to the continuing drop of gas prices nationally. ... The Vireol plant, which opened in
September 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Meet the Companies Trying to Break our Plastic Addiction
by Phil McKenna (Green Biz) The fate of the world’s oceans may rest inside a stainless steel tank not quite the size of a small beer keg. Inside, genetically modified bacteria turn corn syrup into a churning mass of polymers that
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
New Corn a Breakthrough in Biofuel: “Sugarcorn” May Rival Sugarcane
by Robert Arnason (The Western Producer) ... Agriculture Canada scientists and university biofuel experts are developing a novel use for corn that might level the playing field. Instead of using corn grain to make ethanol, the scientists are proposing a process similar
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
New Corn Traits Yield Homegrown Enzymes for Ethanol
by Tim Tierneyn (Syngenta) Plymouth Energy collaborates with corn growers to increase plant efficiency and make ethanol more sustainable. ... Sourcing alpha amylase enzyme directly from area corn growers and working with them to enhance grain quality is not only helping Plymouth
July 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Perennial Biofuel Crops' Water Consumption Similar to Corn
(Michigan State University) Converting large tracts of the Midwest’s marginal farming land to perennial biofuel crops carries with it some key unknowns, including how it could affect the balance of water between rainfall, evaporation and movement of soil water to
July 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crops Will Feel Effects of Slumping Oil Prices, Research Shows
Eric Atkins (The Globe and Mail) The crash in oil prices will be felt at the farm gate as demand and prices moderate for biofuel crops corn and soybean, says a new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Joule Wins Key Patent for Direct Conversion of CO2 to Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Joule, the pioneer of liquid fuels from recycled CO2, announced the issuance of an additional patent on the direct, continuous production of hydrocarbon fuels – extending its ability to target the highest-value molecules