(National Corn Growers Association) The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today said plans unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide aid to farmers negatively impacted by trade tariffs and ongoing trade uncertainty would be insufficient to even begin
corn/maize
Back TO HOMEIowa RFA Hosts 10th Annual Biofuels Tour
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) recently hosted the 10th Annual Biofuels: Science and Sustainability Tour, taking nearly 40 participants representing members of Congress from around the country on a biofuels journey through the state, including visits to an
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Offers Trade Aid to Farmers, but Some Question Its Fairness
by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Catherine Boudreau and Liz Crampton (Politico) The Trump administration on Monday detailed how it will dole out $6.3 billion in aid to assist farmers stung by retaliatory tariffs — and it’s already sparking backlash from some sectors
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
China Corn Rallies as Beijing Signals Support for Ethanol Plan
by Hallie Gu, Josephine Mason (Reuters) China corn futures rallied on Thursday after the central government said it would promote the use of ethanol in vehicles, its first public statement on its ambitious biofuel policy in almost a year. China will promote the
August 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Syngenta Names New Biofuels Account Managers
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Syngenta has added two new key account managers to support its expanding U.S. biofuels business, which includes more than 30 ethanol plants across 12 states. Anne Osentowski and Allen Ziegler will be part of a team that supports the
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
AFBF Welcomes Boosts to Biofuels Volumes, but Cautions against Overuse of Small Refinery Waivers
(American Farm Bureau Federation) Though pleased with EPA’s proposal to increase renewable fuel volumes, the American Farm Bureau Federation warned that the agency’s excessive use of small refinery waivers diminishes the likelihood that volume targets will be met. “EPA’s excessive use [of
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Brazil’s Corn-Based Ethanol Industry Booms
(Bloomberg/Hellenic Shipping News) The processing plants peppering the agricultural heartland of Brazil attest to the country’s position as the world’s biggest sugar-cane producer and the undisputed king of ethanol made from the crop. But debt has crippled the industry, paving the
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
King Says Farmers Want EPA Action on Ethanol, not $12 Billion Aide Package
by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) Republican Congressman Steve King today said the best thing the Trump Administration could do to alleviate farmers’ angst about the trade war would be to allow higher percentages of ethanol to be blended into gasoline year-round. “Let the
August 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Earnings Season: as Novozymes, DSM, Amyris, Gevo, Corbion, and Aemetis Report, Who’s up, Who’s down?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest, let’s look at trends driving the industry’s results at scale — and while money is not the measure of all progress, it is the ultimate yardstick and especially for companies that have reached
August 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Lego’s Biobased Bricks; Vertoro’s Green Crude Oil; Nitogen-Fixing Microbes for Corn; Diapers from Food Waste; 3D Imaging; Apeel’s $70M: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of August 15th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
August 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Gevo to Deploy Shockwave’s Process to Enhance Production of Proteins and Vegetable Oils for the Food Chain While Lowering the Carbon Intensity of Its Ethanol and Isobutanol
(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Shockwave to Finance the Deployment of Its Equipment at Gevo’s Luverne Facility -- Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today that it has entered into two separate operating leases and service agreements with Shockwave LLC to install Shockwave’s Thermodynamic Corn Fractionation Process
August 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Iowans Tell EPA Chief President Made E15 Promise, It’s Time to Deliver
by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator met privately with Iowa commodity group leaders at the Iowa State Fair today — but Andrew Wheeler told reporters afterwards there is no decision yet on regulations that would
August 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Gevo Discusses Future Expansion Plans for Luverne Plant Site
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... “During the quarter we made very good progress in restructuring our balance sheet and on the business development front by securing our first commercial off-take agreement for our renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel,” said Patrick Gruber,
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels to Boost Farm Income, Energy Security, Help Create Jobs: PM Modi
by Utpal Bhaskar (Live Mint) Centre plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore and build 12 biofuel refineries -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said biofuels will help boost farm income, aid India’s energy security and create jobs, in a cleaner environment. Speaking
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Building Commercialization Partnerships: The Digest’s 2018 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 and
August 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Corn-ering the Market
(Advantage News) Passersby can’t help but notice the 12-foot tall corn growing in front of The NCERC (National Corn To Ethanol Research Center) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s University Park. SIUE students are working the “Feedstock Diversity Showcase” that features not only
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
USGC Explores Potential Ethanol Demand in Chile and Argentina
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increased global bioethanol use is only a well-constructed policy decision away in markets like Argentina and Chile. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) traveled to both countries in June to investigate their existing ethanol markets and discover
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The Top 10 Advances in Renewable Butanol: What’s Speeding up, Where Are the Slow-Downs?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Portugal comes the news that SilicoLife was awarded with a SME instrument phase 1 grant for the commercial evaluation of its BUTANOVA technology, a new biological process to produce n-butanol. BUTANOVA technology consists on a novel
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Gevo & Butamax – Remind Me Why I Care
by Sam Nejame (Promotum/Biofuels Digest) ... Both Butamax and GEVO have suffered mightily over the last few years, but the people, who have hung in there and put their careers on the line to make it happen may indeed have finally
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at the BIO World Congress: Iowa, Plastics, Benzene, Queensland, Skin Care, Jet Fuel in the Mix
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The rounds of applause at BIO have been loud and steady but the biggest ones were heard not for a presentation or a speaker — rather, BIO’s decision to stage the World Congress next year in
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Brazil Ethanol Output Could Double by 2030 -Gov't Study
by Rodrigo Viga Gaier (Reuters) Brazil’s ethanol production could double by 2030, boosted by growing investments in the sector due to the government’s RenovaBio program aimed at boosting the use of renewable fuels, according to a government study. RenovaBio, which Congress approved
July 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Industrial Glucose: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Fluid Quip Process Technologies Clean Sugar Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For over 20 years, Fluid-Quip has been engineering and manufacturing separation equipment for corn wet milling and pulp and paper applications. Fluid-Quip Process Technologies has more recently leveraged wet milling knowledge to develop enhancements for dry-grind
July 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Protein, Protein: The Bioeconomy’s Latest Technology Fad Is, Actually, a Pivot Back to an Ancient and Enduring Concern
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Protein has become the answer to almost every question. How will you achieve scale? Protein. How will you make money? Protein. What will save the world? Protein. What are you going to talk about in your
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Can USDA Stretch Corn, Soybean Farmers' Safety Net with Tariff Relief?
by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) Rumors of USDA's Tariff Easing Strategy Not Confirmed -- Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is giving himself a couple of months – until around Labor Day – before deciding whether to proceed with President Trump’s promise of
June 28, 2018 Read Full Article
ADM, DuPont Sign Agreement to Develop, Produce and Market Cellulase Enzymes
(Archer Daniels Midland) Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) and DuPont Industrial Biosciences today announced a collaboration to develop, produce and market cellulase enzymes for operators of grain-based ethanol plants. Cellulase enzymes assist in hydrolyzing the corn kernel fiber, which consists mostly
June 21, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Decision on Isobutanol Blasts Gevo Stock into Stratosphere Monday
by Ben Miller (Denver Business Journal) Gevo applauded an EPA decision on isobutanol, a fuel that's made from renewable resources like corn. Gevo shares soared 262 percent in Monday trading. READ MORE EPA decision on isobutanol buoys Gevo stock Monday (9News.com) Gevo shares
June 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Making Chemicals From Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) ... “We’re hoping to provide alternatives to the sale of ethanol into the fuels market,” said Ron Cascone, principal with Nexant, Inc. “The theme of what I’m doing here is to show that there are options for converting ethanol
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
BASF Invests in LanzaTech, ArcelorMittal’s Underway on Advanced Fuels, Syngenta Breaks 3B Gallon Mark, Leaf Gets an Accelerator: Partnership Frenzy in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But it shows also what smaller companies can do when they partner effectively – whether that means industrial giants like ArcelorMittal or BASF, technology accelerator schemes like Unreasonable Impact, or with the US ethanol industry. And
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Maximizing Crop Yield: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Yield10 Bioscience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The West’s Pure-Play Ethanol Kings: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pacific Ethanol was founded in 2003 as the first pure-play ethanol company and today is a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels with 9 strategically located bio-refineries in the U.S., production capacity of 605M gallons/yr., a
June 01, 2018 Read Full Article
China's Longping Sees Brazil Corn Expansion, Targets Seeds Market
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co, an agricultural firm controlled by China conglomerate CITIC Group Corp [CITIC.UL], sees Brazil expanding corn output up to 5 percent per year in coming years and is investing heavily to grab a third of
May 31, 2018 Read Full Article
All Eyes On Ethanol: Brazil’s Ethanol Industry Continues to Grow with the Help of Renewable Fuel Goals and International Partnerships.
by Tim Albrecht (Ethanol Producer Magazine) More than 90 percent of all new cars licensed in Brazil each year are flex fuel. Every liter of fuel sold in Brazil includes 27 percent ethanol. Consumers have chosen to replace almost 40 percent
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Integrated, Hedged, Evolving: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Green Plains
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Founded in 2004, Green Plains Inc. is North America’s third largest producer of ethanol. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Green Plains has grown rapidly, primarily through acquisitions, and today has operating segments throughout the ethanol value chain. Operations
May 28, 2018 Read Full Article
A Yield Revolution in Row Crops Cometh
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10’s Brave New World of Metabolic Engineering, Benson Hill’s cloud biology and CRISPR/Cas9 from Purdue and the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Crop yield may never be the same. And developers using crops for bioindustrials or nutrition stand
May 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Cabinet Approves National Biofuel Policy
(Times of India) The Cabinet today approved the National Policy on Biofuels which allows doping of ethanol produced from damaged foodgrains, rotten potatoes, corn and sugar beet with petrol to cut oil imports by Rs 4,000 crore this year alone. Till now
May 16, 2018 Read Full Article
I’ll Never Find Another You: Provivi’s Protecting Crops by Confusing Pests in Their Search for Romance
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (O)ne of the topics under discussion was 40 percent or higher maize crop losses now being experienced in Africa because of the Fall Anyworm pest. The losses are causing up to 10 percent GDP
May 11, 2018 Read Full Article
NGOs Tell Commission to Listen to Science and Differentiate Biofuels
by Claire Stam (EurActiv) A coalition of Czech and Slovak NGOs has called on the European Commission to draw a line in the Renewable Energy Directive revision (RED II) between more sustainable ethanol and the high greenhouse gas emitting tropical oils. They also said that
May 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Port of Seattle Announces Partnership for Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Sea-Tac Airport
(Port of Seattle) Innovative partnership with 13 airlines aims to replace 10 percent of traditional jet fuel with local, sustainable supply in 10 years -- The Port of Seattle announced today that 13 airlines, including Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Horizon Airlines,
May 09, 2018 Read Full Article
China's Beidahuang to Build 350,000 T Ethanol Plant in Inner Mongolia
by Dominique Patton (Reuters) Grain trader and processor China Beidahuang Industry Group has signed an agreement with the mayor of Inner Mongolia’s Baotou city to build an ethanol facility with annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes, it said on its website on
April 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Recovering Phosphorus from Corn Ethanol Waste
by Michael Torrice (Chemical & Engineering News) Finding a way to reuse the element could help lower nutrient pollution -- ... When industrial plants process corn grains to make the fuel, or even food products such as corn syrup, they generate by-products containing
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Visual Guide to the Economics, Politics of Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Have you ever wondered why corn farmers march for the RFS, but Wall Streeters don't? Or why merchent oil refiners want the US Renewable Fuel Standard repealed but major oilcos generally support RFS reform? Why are biodiesel
March 16, 2018 Read Full Article
$1.5 Billion Settlement Reached in Syngenta GMO Class Action Suit
by Susan Reidy (World-Grain.com) A $1.5 billion settlement has been reached in the nationwide class action suit over Syngenta’s genetically modified corn seed. It is believed to be one of the largest agricultural settlements in U.S. history. The settlement covers all U.S.
March 14, 2018 Read Full Article
A Straighter, Shorter Pathway
by Sue Retka Schill (Biomass Magazine) Seven years after the U.S. EPA published the final rule for administering the Renewable Fuel Standard, the path to getting corn kernel fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol approvals appears to be getting much shorter. Edeniq CEO Brian Thome reports
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Bill Aims to Dismantle RFS, Limit Biofuel Blending
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On March 8, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced companion bills that aim to dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard and sunset blending obligations for conventional, advanced, cellulosic, and biomass-based diesel fuels. The
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Vertimass Named Winner of National Corn Growers Association Competition: "Consider Corn Challenge: New Uses for Field Corn as Feedstock for Making Sustainable Chemicals"
(Vertimass/PR Newswire) Vertimass' ethanol to renewable fuels and chemicals offers exceptional corn growth potential -- The National Corn Growers Association named Vertimass LLC as one of six awardees of the "Consider Corn Challenge: New Uses for Field Corn as Feedstock for
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuel to Supplement Oil Supplies
by Tryness Tembo (Zambia Daily Mail Limited) For any economy to grow, stable supply of fuel at affordable prices should be guaranteed hence for all sectors need readily -available fuel to operate effectively. For example, Zambia, which is dependent on imported crude oil
March 07, 2018 Read Full Article
ABLC 2018 Preview: Deployment Dawns, Products Proliferate, and Techs Land Major Venture Deals as the Bioeconomy Advances into a Big 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, ABLC 2018 opens amidst a flutter of government rollbacks of deployment support but the hope of regulatory relief, breakthroughs in financial structuring, a decisive shift in early-stage projects to nutrition & health, and an
February 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Brazil's Expected Rise in Ethanol Demand to Be Met by Corn-Based Fuel
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) An expected increase in ethanol demand in Brazil, boosted by the country’s economic recovery and a new programme to raise biofuel use, will initially be met by fuel produced from corn, an industry official told Reuters on
February 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Corn Overtakes Sugar Cane as Ethanol Feedstock in Brazil
by Mike Verdin (Agrimoney) Brazil’s low season for cane crushing is proving particularly downbeat, with processing volumes reaching their lowest in a decade – leaving corn, unusually, as the country’s top ethanol feedstock. ... A sharp fall-off is typical at this time of
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 20 Advanced Bioeconomy Projects underway in North America
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To date, North America is the most active of all regions in terms of deploying advanced technology — whether it is cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol for fuels and chemicals, or renewable chemical plants, you see the first
January 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Moving Billboards Celebrate Ethanol on Grain Trucks Statewide
(Minnesota Corn Growers Association) Drivers who recently found themselves behind a grain truck may have noticed new signage touting the benefits of ethanol. Decals were distributed to farmers for placement on grain trucks statewide to promote the use of ethanol as
January 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Government Approves Use of Bio-Ethanol as Vehicle Fuel
by Aminur Rahman Rasel (Dhaka Tribune) ...The government has decided to allow the use of bio-ethanol as vehicle fuel by mixing it with petrol and octane at a 5% ratio. The initiative, first ever in Bangladesh, was taken to reduce the use
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Top Trends in 7 Key Latin America Hotspots
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In a striking pledge made in the latter part of 2016. 20 Latin American countries promised to promote biofuel production and use, with the support of development finance institutions. That was then, this is now. What’s happening towards
December 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Avoiding GMOs Isn’t Just Anti-Science. It’s Immoral.
by Mitch Daniels (The Washington Post) Of the several claims of “anti-science” that clutter our national debates these days, none can be more flagrantly clear than the campaign against modern agricultural technology, most specifically the use of molecular techniques to create
December 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Editorial: Keep Biofuel Benefits Flowing
(Wisconsin State Journal) ... A study conducted for the U.S. Agriculture Department found corn ethanol’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, by 2022, will be 43 percent lower than gasoline baseline emissions if ethanol plants continue as usual. If ethanol production makes improvements with available
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Top 10 Asia Bioeconomy Trends
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With apologies to every other region around the world. we continue to see Asia as the epicenter of the biobased revolution over the next 20 years. The reasons are three and relatively straightforward: 1. Continued and robust
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
EKAE, Pearson Fuels Announce Exclusive Marketing Agreement
(Pearson Fuels/Ethanol Producer Magazine) East Kansas Agri-Energy of Garnett, Kansas, and Pearson Fuels of San Diego, California, announce the signing of an exclusive West Coast marketing agreement for the distribution of renewable diesel from EKAE’s recently commissioned plant in Garnett. Renewable diesel
December 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Results of UW-Madison Study on Carbon Emissions Disputed
by Carol Spaeth-Bauer (Wisconsin State Farmer) A University of Wisconsin-Madison study released on Nov. 15 has officials in the ethanol industry frustrated, disputing the methodology of the study saying the claims of the study are not supported by fact. The study showed a shift of
November 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Technology Key to Ensuring Sustainable Bioenergy and Biofuel Production
(EU Science Hub) Bioenergy is the most common renewable energy source in Europe - and it's expected to continue to make up a significant part of the energy mix in the future. However, its climate performance can vary significantly depending on the
November 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Charting a Cellulosic Path -- Enzyme Advances Hold Promise in Corn Ethanol
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Cellulosic technology companies have invested time and millions of dollars to explore ways to convert biomass into cellulosic ethanol for the better part of 20 years. Most technologies have fallen victim to high capital and
November 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Brazilian Mills Run Corn-Cane Biofuel Plants
(Western Producer/Reuters) Ethanol producers in Brazil are evaluating the adoption of a plant concept that uses cane, and alternatively corn, to produce the biofuel, a move that would allow them to extend operations beyond the current cane harvest period. Almost all ethanol
November 20, 2017 Read Full Article
RFA: Record Corn Yield Underscores RFS Success
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its average corn yield estimate to 175.4 bushels per acre, which if holds, would be a new record. The November World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report raised the
November 15, 2017 Read Full Article
High-Value Feed from Biofuels Production: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to ICM
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ICM’s equipment and processes are already used in the majority of U.S. ethanol plants, and continues to develop processes to make ethanol production more efficient for customers. The latest? A breakthrough in producing high-value animal protein supply
November 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Potential in China -- Ethanol Policy Changes in China May Bring Opportunities to US Corn
by Lin Tan (DTN The Progressive Farmer) New government policy recently set a target to roll out the use of ethanol in gasoline nationwide in China, according to a plan jointly released by 15 ministries, such as the National Development and
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Fuels and Much More: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We Really Do Mean “Drop-in”. 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
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Citizens Taking Charge: Germany’s Buzz over Maize
by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Since 2012, Energiegenossenschaft (energy cooperative) Starkenburg e.G. (ES) has been serving the Starkenburg region as independent non-partisan citizens’ cooperative supporting Germany’s grassroots movement by promoting renewable energy projects to advance the standard of climate
November 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Clariant Eyes Expansion into China's Growing Biofuel Market
(Xinhua Net) As China encourages the use of renewable energy for sustainable growth, it is creating a huge biofuel market that Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant does not want to miss out on. The chemical maker is looking for Chinese partners to
November 08, 2017 Read Full Article
9 Fly with Gevo’s Jet Fuel from O’Hare on “Fly Green Day”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, today is Fly Green Day, sponsored by the O’Hare Fuel Committee, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. 7 commercial airlines, plus Atlas Air and FedEx are flying out of O’Hare today on Gevo-based sustainable aviation fuel. Among them: Lufthansa, United Airlines,
November 08, 2017 Read Full Article
China's SDIC to Build 600,000-Tonne Ethanol Plant in Heilongjiang
(Times of India/Reuters) China's State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC) signed a framework agreement to build a 600,000-tonne ethanol plant in northeastern Heilongjiang province, state media said on Tuesday, as the company pushes to dominate the country's growing ethanol industry. The 3
November 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Ending Food Waste Not Biofuels Should Be Food Security Priority
by Alex Brinkley (National Newswatch) Groups concerned that using grains to make biofuels threatens food security should be paying more attention to the impact of waste on the food supply, says Andrea Kent, Vice-President of Government and Public Relations at Greenfields
October 30, 2017 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Is Modern-Day Farm Policy; Future Profitable: Green Plains CEO
(Platts) The US ethanol industry represents a modern-day farm policy as the primary means of creating demand for ever-growing corn supplies, and the industry maintains a profitable outlook, Green Plains CEO Todd Becker said Tuesday. "This is the modern-day farm program," Becker
October 26, 2017 Read Full Article
A Spirit of Kuleana: Renewable Fuels Ventures Strive for New Geographies, Feedstock, Products
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Nothing rang clearer as an industry imperative at ABLC Next last week than the theme of diversification in a Year of Living Dangerously, and we saw it in the news this week from Velocys, Pacific Biodiesel
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
The Brazilians Are Coming!! The Brazilians Are Coming!!
by Dave VanderGriend (ICM/Biofuels Digest) ... The recent effort by Brazil to impose import duties on U.S. ethanol has received considerable press coverage and should send a clear message that we need to develop long term reliable markets here at home
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Farmers Push for Support of Renewable Fuels
(Public News Service) Farmers in North Dakota and across the country are pushing policymakers in Washington to support renewable fuels. The National Farmers Union, in conjunction with the North Dakota Farmers Union and counterparts in other states, wants Congress and the Trump
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Heitkamp Leads Bipartisan Effort to Protect Biofuel Production & Support Rural Jobs
(Office of Senator Heidi Heitkamp) Senators: EPA Proposal to Cut Renewable Fuel Standard Would Cost Jobs in Rural America -- U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today led a bipartisan letter with U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
US EPA Gives Green Light for Flint Hills Resources’ Edeniq Technology-Based Ethanol Plant
(Biofuels International) The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Flint Hills Resources’ registration of its 100 million gallons per year Iowa-based ethanol plant. The plant will use Edeniq’s technology. Flint Hills Resources’ Iowa Falls plant is the fifth existing ethanol
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Tramples GOP Loyalty with Anti-Iowa Positions on Health Care, Energy
by Kathie Obradovich (Des Moines Register) ... Trump, while campaigning in Iowa, pledged to protect the RFS, which sets the minimum volume of renewable energy that must be part of the transportation fuels sold in the United States. The National Biodiesel Board posted
October 10, 2017 Read Full Article
The West’s Pure-Play Ethanol Kings: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pacific Ethanol was founded in 2003 as the first pure-play ethanol company and today is a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels with 9 strategically located bio-refineries in the U.S., production capacity of 605M gallons/yr., a
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Bringing Illinois Ethanol Products to the World
by Jill Loehr (Prairie Farmer) Illinois has the third-largest ethanol production capacity in the U.S. Marquis Energy, one of the state’s 13 ethanol plants, contributes 300 million gallons each year. What’s the secret to its success? Proximity to the river,
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Virgin Australia Is Going to Experiment with Biofuels on Flights out of Brisbane
by Simon Thomsen (Business Insider) Virgin Australia will run a two-year trial mixing biojet fuels with regular avgas on flights out of Brisbane in a move the challenger airline is claiming as a world first. US-based renewable fuel producer Gevo Inc will
October 03, 2017 Read Full Article
China Will Not Rely on Corn Imports for Bioethanol Plan
(Xinhua) China's plan to increase the use of bioethanol gasoline will not have a significant impact on the grain market, and it would be unrealistic for the country to import large amounts of corn for the industry development, a Chinese official
October 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Integrated, Hedged, Fast-Growing: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Green Plains
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Founded in 2004, Green Plains Inc. is North America’s third largest producer of ethanol. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Green Plains has grown rapidly, primarily through acquisitions, and today has operating segments throughout the ethanol value chain. Operations
September 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Nebraska Corn Board Rolls Out Flex Fuel Pump Grant Program
(WNAX) The Nebraska Corn Board is offering qualifying retailers up to $50,000 to install flex fuel pumps. Corn Board’s Director of Market Development Roger Berry says the goal is to get higher blends of ethanol out to consumers and help
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Engineering and Evolution in Biotechnology
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Advancements in yeast optimization are gaining momentum. New companies are entering the space and veterans are improving their processes. -- Yeast strains used in the ethanol industry have remained largely static — even genetic
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Crossing the Valley of NLACM with Alcohol-to-Hydrocarbon Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s one crossing worse than the Valley of Death and that is the Valley of NLACM. Although it sounds more like a goose trying to say “You’ll like him” — it’s the Natural Law of Alternative Commodity
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Any Renewable Energy Solution Requires Extracting the Full Value of Biomass
by A.J. (Sandy) Marshall (Bioindustrial Innovation Canada/Canada Biomass) ... Today, climate change concerns are demanding an ever-increasing management of greenhouse gases. As a result, society is establishing a pricing on carbon through cap and trade and carbon taxation mechanisms. This shift
September 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Nebraska Corn Board Rolls Out Flex Fuel Pump Grant Program
(WNAX) The Nebraska Corn Board is offering qualifying retailers up to $50,000 to install flex fuel pumps. Corn Board’s Director of Market Development Roger Berry says the goal is to get higher blends of ethanol out to consumers and help
September 22, 2017 Read Full Article
China to Import More Corn to Meet Ethanol Fuel Use – Analyst
by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton (Reuters) China could import up to 20 million tonnes of corn a year, more than six times the current level, to meet a switch to greater use of ethanol in fuel, an analyst predicted on
September 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Could China’s Ethanol Mandate Jolt US Corn Prices?
(The Fence Post) ... Answering the call for clean air, China plans to dramatically boost ethanol use in its gasoline supply, moving to E10 blends by 2020. Considering China is the world's largest car market, and currently ranks number three for fuel
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Where Corn Pollutes America Most, and Who’s Responsible
by Eric Roston (Bloomberg) Companies want to know the environmental impact of their supply chains. Researchers used a crucial commodity to show them. -- Not every day does an obscure scientific report directly help massive U.S. companies looking to cut costs,
September 13, 2017 Read Full Article
UPDATE 4-China Sets 2020 Target for Nationwide Ethanol Use to Cut Corn Stocks
by Josephine Mason, Chen Aizhu, Dominique Patton and Hallie Gu (Reuters) Beijing sets first timeline for ethanol use in cars; Push comes amid bid to whittle down massive corn stockpile; China has no nationwide ethanol mandate like U.S., Brazil; Shares in China-listed biofuel makers rally
September 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Vivergo Fuels: 2% Biofuel Crop Cap Would Be ‘Disastrous’ and Hit Feed Hard
by Kacey Culliney (Feed Navigator) The UK government’s 2% biofuel crop cap proposal would be disastrous for bioethanol producers, farmers and the feed sector, says head of government affairs at Vivergo Fuels. READ MORE Vivergo Fuels ‘reluctantly’ welcomes UK government’s proposals
September 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Donald Trump Ignores Biodiesel and the Loyal Voters behind It
by Lindsey Rae Gjording (DW) The Midwest vote helped elect Trump, but his campaign promises to defend ethanol have fallen short. Farmers struggle to get by with declining crop sales and outpricing from larger oil firms and German biodiesel imports. ... Directly supporting 86,000
September 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Ukraine. A Bill on Using Biofuel in Gasoline Will Be Registered in Parliament
(BlackSeaGrain.net) The State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine is going to shortly register in Parliament a bill regulating the mandatory use of biofuel in gasoline, said the Agency’s Head Sergiy Savchuk. According to him, this bill envisages
September 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Pruitt’s EPA Undermines Cellulosic Biofuels and Transparency in Government
by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) As the New York Times recently reported, the EPA Administrator Pruitt has been conducting much of his work to undermine the EPA’s mission in secret. The recent proposed rule implementing the Renewable Fuels Standard
August 31, 2017 Read Full Article
The Status of Biofuels in China
by Susan van Dyk (IEA Bioenergy Task 39/University of British Columbia) ... Recent heavy pollution in urban areas of China have led to the adoption of stricter fuel specifications to lower sulfur emissions from gasoline and diesel use. Biofuels Biofuels form part of
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
D3MAX Signs Contract for Design of First Commercial Plant
(BBI International/Biomass Magazine) Last February, D3MAX LLC announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology to Ace Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin. Pilot testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process has
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Hot Spots: 10 Advanced Bioeconomy Places to Watch in Iowa
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Eddyville, Fort Dodge, Clinton, Newton, Cedar Rapids. Communities like these have been mainstays of the Iowa bioeconomy for years, even decades — home to corn and soy processing on the largest world scale, and much
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Cellerate + Enogen Could Meet Cellulosic Ethanol Goal
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) If every corn ethanol plant in the country were to convert to Cellerate bolt-on technology combined with Enogen® corn enzyme technology from Syngenta, the country could more than meet the goals for cellulosic biofuels under the
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Hot Spots: The Top 10 Bioeconomy Places to Watch in Canada
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 1. Ottawa, Ontario The biggest Canadian story of the year stems from the November 2016 announce by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced that Canada will adopt a national clean fuels standard,
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Report Discusses Future of Ethanol Market in Spain
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Information Network provides insight into the future ethanol market in Spain following the 2016 expiration of the ethanol-specific biofuel blending target. The report indicates
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Variety in Value
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Value-added components can be separated from the ethanol-production process at multiple stages. Technology developers continue to improve on their systems to expand markets and increase their customers’ revenues. The ethanol industry can reduce market risk
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
A Refresher on Ethanol’s Many Benefits
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) ... For starters, ethanol helps reduce air pollution and cut greenhouse gas emissions. According to a January analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse emissions (GHG) by 43 percent compared with
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Corn and Sorghum Trials Initiated
by Lee Imada (Maui News) A&B subsidiary to supply biofuel for power project at wastewater plant -- Alexander & Baldwin Inc. has begun growing sorghum and corn on Maui as part of a test project to develop biofuel to feed
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
China July Ethanol Exports Jump Six-Fold on Cheap Corn
(Reuters) China ethanol exports surged six-fold in July from a year ago as producers took advantage of cheaper corn to boost output following a change in government policy, customs data showed on Wednesday. ... China has been encouraging processors to use up
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: The Economic Consequences of a Post-2022 RFS
by Lon Carrier (Argus Leader) ... The ethanol volume requirements will likely remain at this level until the EPA takes over the program entirely in 2023. At that point, the agency could cut corn ethanol out of the mandate altogether, which
August 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Report: Czech Groundwater Pollution Worsening
(Prague Daily Monitor) The quality of groundwater worsened last year as against the previous years as experts found the values exceeding the permitted limits in some of the observed substances in 86.8 percent of the monitored wells and springs, the
August 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Contribution to a Record-Breaking Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico
by Vrinda Manglik (Sierra Club/Huffington Post) ... Contributors leading to these inhospitable conditions include excessive nutrient pollution, which often comes from nitrogen-based fertilizer runoff used in agricultural production. In particular, corn production is notorious for its significant contribution to the dead zone.
August 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Transformation Time for Brazilian Energy, Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Specifically, the $155M FS Bioenergia corn ethanol production facility opened this week in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso. It’s the first large-scale corn ethanol production plant in Brazil and is the result of an
August 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Flint Hills Ethanol Plant Begins Construction: Plant Will Produce a High Protein Animal Feed Ingredient
(York News-Times) Construction is now underway at the Flint Hills Resources ethanol plant in Fairmont to install a new, bolt-on technology, called Maximized Stillage Co-Products™ (MSC). Once operational, the MSC technology will allow the plant to produce a high protein
August 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Value-Added Investments Grow Agriculture
by Gov. Pete Ricketts (York News Times) Investments in the area of value-added agriculture are helping to grow our state’s number one industry. Many people think of traditional row crops when they think of agriculture, however, modern-day technology and innovations are
August 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Might Start an Ethanol Trade War With Brazil
by Mario Parker and Fabiana Batista (Bloomberg) Brazil weighing tariffs on imports made from U.S. grain; Hedge funds cut corn holdings, get less bearish on sugar -- President Donald Trump’s America First rhetoric is doing no favors for U.S. ethanol producers,
August 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Inside the Cellulosic Industry
by Susanne Retka Schill and Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine provides an update on 10 cellulosic ethanol projects around the world striving for continuous, large-scale production. -- Some things have changed in the U.S.’s cellulosic ethanol sector in
August 04, 2017 Read Full Article
There's More than Corn in Indiana – Corn Uses That Is
by Kitty Conley (Chicago Tribune/Post-Tribune) Indiana Corn Farmers are keeping their products close to home, at least as far as farmer Larry Bucher is concerned. He farms about 1,200 acres of land, most of which is in LaPorte County. He does farm
August 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Let’s Not Return to the Failed Protectionism over Ethanol
by Bob Dinneen and Joel Velasco (Renewable Fuels Association/Estadao (translation of Op-Ed)) ... With all of this progress then, we two old warriors have to ask, why is Brazil contemplating a return to the anti-free trade, anti-consumer, anti-cooperation policies of the
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Romania Expects to Increase Blending Mandate by almost Double
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Romania expects a drastic decline in bioethanol production in 2017, but will increase its bioethanol blending mandate, according to the European Renewable Energy Directive. Biofuel is expected to to rise slightly in 2018, if imports slow down. Romania
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Unlocking a Key to Maize's Amazing Success
by Elizabeth Pennisi (Science Magazine) Maize grows on every continent save Antarctica and provides food and biofuels for millions of people. Now, researchers studying ancient and modern maize have found a clue to its popularity over the millennia: maize’s easily adjustable
July 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Biomass and Biofuels in the EU: Emotion-Based Policymaking?
by Francis X. Johnson (Stockholm Environment Institute/Euractiv) The European Commission’s tinkering on biomass policy effectively promotes oil over economically viable and sustainable biofuels ... -- ... In its proposed legislative changes, the European Commission abandoned the position it adopted in the 2009
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
N-butanol and Beyond: The Digest’s 2017 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
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Meeting Needs, Maximizing Benefits
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Farmers continuously implement new environmentally friendly techniques to raise their crops. -- Corn farmers—and with them, the ethanol industry—are growing more sustainable. Farmers in corn states are embracing a variety of sustainable agriculture production practices,
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Corn Better Used as Food than Biofuel, Study Finds
(Phys.Org/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Corn is grown not only for food, it is also an important renewable energy source. Renewable biofuels can come with hidden economic and environmental issues, and the question of whether corn is better utilized as
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Consider Corn Challenge: New Uses for Field Corn as Feedstock for Making Sustainable Chemicals --- DEADLINE: September 28, 2017
(NineSigma/National Corn Growers Association) Field corn production makes incredible contributions to human nutrition as a primary source of feed for cattle, hogs and poultry; to cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gases as the source of ethanol fuel; and to the economy. The
June 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Siouxland Energy Is the Fourth Edeniq Customer to Receive an EPA D3 RIN Registration
(Siouxland Energy/Edeniq/BusinessWire) Edeniq, Inc. (“Edeniq”), a cellulosic technology company, and Siouxland Energy Cooperative (“Siouxland Energy”) today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has approved Siouxland Energy’s registration of its 60 million gallon per year (MGPY) corn ethanol plant
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
RFS Has Been ‘Tremendous Success’ Since Adoption, According to RFA Analysis
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) More than a decade after the original renewable fuel standard (RFS) was signed into law, tremendous progress has been made toward its goals of energy security, clean air and boosting local economies, according to
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Ohio Ethanol Tour Highlights Efforts to Break the Blend Wall
by Matt Reese (Ohio's Country Journal) ... This summer, Ohio’s corn farmers and their checkoff are chipping away at the ethanol blend wall in the state by highlighting opportunities to buy higher ethanol blends at fueling stations on the 2017 Ohio
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
China Ethanol Exports Jump as Beijing Boosts Local Output
by Dominique Patton and Josephine Mason (Reuters) China's ethanol exports soared in April from the same month the year before and imports slowed to a trickle, the latest sign that Beijing's drive to ramp up local output is upending trade flows
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel Boost Bottom Line for Farmers
by Steve White (Nebraska TV) ... Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board said, “You're talking about 1,300 direct employ jobs across the state, across rural Nebraska, that's key. Having those jobs and tax base there.” ... “It's building because of
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Driving GHG Down, Bringing Capacity Up
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increasing efficiency is the ethanol industry’s top goal, and proving it to the U.S. EPA opens the way for expanded ethanol production. -- The number to beat to be named an efficient ethanol
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Must Engage in Upcoming Farm Bill Debate
by John Duff (Ethanol Producer Magazine/National Sorghum Producers) A drastically changed farm economy means the next bill will likely be very different than past ones. ... -- It is hard to believe the current Farm Bill expires in less
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Gov. Ricketts Proclaims May as Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska
(KTIC) Today, Governor Pete Ricketts designated the month of May as Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska during a proclamation ceremony at the State Capitol. “The biofuels industry has been a key part of growing Nebraska agriculture,” said Governor Ricketts. “Corn-based ethanol
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide to ICM Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ICM is a company on the leading edge of an exciting industry—one dedicated to realizing every benefit of biofuels technology. Our equipment and processes are already used in the majority of U.S. ethanol plants, and
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE Urges Ethanol Advocates to Participate in EPA Regulatory Reform Comment Period
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted a public comment focused on its ethanol priorities soon after EPA formally began seeking input on existing regulations to be reviewed by its newly established Regulatory Reform Task Force.
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
GUEST COLUMN: Corn Farmers Deserve to Be a Part of Earth Day's Celebrations
by Mike Lefever (The Gazette) ... Corn producers belong at the table of these discussions and have much to be proud of, in that they - along with the rest of agriculture - are continually meeting the world's demands for more food,
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
EXCLUSIVE-Vomitoxin Makes Nasty Appearance for U.S. Farm Sector
by P.J. Huffstutter and Michael Hirtzer (Reuters/Times of India) Wet harvest, slow grain sales encourage growth of toxins; Scope of problem in U.S. grain supply not yet known -- A fungus that causes "vomitoxin" has been found in some U.S. corn
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Opportunities to Transition Ethanol Facilities to Biochemical Refineries
by Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... As the market for gasoline grew, a shortage soon developed for the lighter fractions of crude oil. This shortage led to the development of the catalytic cracker, which breaks
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Let’s Not Forget Carbon Just Yet
by Ron Alverson (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) Life-cycle modeling for ethanol needs to be updated to reflect big improvements in corn's GHG emissions profile -- ... Fuels that help automakers achieve efficiency standards are going to be important. California and the
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Opportunity in the Chemical Market
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A Nebraska-focused tech startup and a Latin American chemical supplier highlight two options for using ethanol as the building block for intermediate chemicals. -- The future of ethanol for intermediate chemical production can be
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Potential Biofuel Feedstocks and Production in Zambia
by Paul C. Samboko, Mitelo Subakanya, Cliff Dlamini (United Nations University-WIDER) The need for energy security and climate change mitigation have increased blending mandates worldwide; in Southern Africa, demand for biofuels could increase following South Africa’s planned blending mandates. However, land constraints
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Here Comes BioChina: Amyris, Others Bypass the 4 Myths of Business in the Middle Kingdom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California arrives the very interesting news that Amyris has entered into an agreement with Blue California whereby its affiliates will provide access to its fermentation manufacturing in China and provide the necessary capital to
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Syngenta Touts Potential for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Developments in cellulosic ethanol technology are creating opportunities for American ethanol producers. Miloud Araba, head of Enogen® technical services at Syngenta, says cellulosic innovation could enable dry grind ethanol producers to meet the increasing Renewable Fuel Standard
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
D3Max Pilot Test Results at ACE Ethanol Exceed Expectations
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) This February, D3MAX announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. Installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, the testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Grains Piled on Runways, Parking Lots, Fields Amid Global Glut
by P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) ... World stockpiles of corn and wheat are at record highs. From Iowa to China, years of bumper crops and low prices have overwhelmed storage capacity for basic foodstuffs. Global stocks of corn, wheat, rice
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
How Ethanol Is Making North Dakota Farmland Less Fertile
by Sam Harrington (Yale Climate Connections) Until about 10 years ago, spring wheat was a favorite crop for farmers in North Dakota. Erickson: “Beginning in 2007, when the government heavily incentivized corn production for ethanol use, corn production really reached into North
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Seven Cool Biofuel Crops That We Use for Fuel Production
by Christopher McFadden (Interesting Engineering) Biofuels and biofuel crops have been vaunted by politicians, journalists and scientists for years. A method of producing fuel from plants or other sources could potentially allow us to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. ... Biofuels
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Understanding Land Use Change – Are New Tools Needed?
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at the local level, and how can understanding of land use change be improved? The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been around
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
GMO-Ethanol Corn Contamination Raises Concerns about Another “StarLink” Disaster
by Ken Roseboro (Huffington Post) Food corn buyers say Syngenta’s Enogen GMO corn is contaminating non-GMO white corn fields, creating a potential “trainwreck;” may be linked to bad masa flour in California. Enogen, a genetically modified corn for ethanol production, has
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
BP and DuPont’s Bio-Isobutanol Joint Venture, Butamax, Acquires Ethanol Facility in Kansas
(Biofuels International) Butamax Advanced Biofuels, a 50/50 joint venture between BP and DuPont, has announced the acquisition of Nesika Energy and its ethanol facility in Scandia, Kansas. Butamax will now start engineering work to add bio-isobutanol capacity to the facility. ... The
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates Work to Boost Demand
by Nat Willilams (Iowa Farmer Today) ... (Barry) Frazier (president of Center Ethanol) was among biofuels advocates speaking at a conference of the National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization here. More than 500 college students and ag professionals were on
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
In Response: Study, Article Misrepresented, Did Disservice to Ethanol
by Ashwin Raman (Duluth News Tribune/Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) I believe the March 21 story, “Habitat loss highest near ethanol plants,” did a disservice to readers because it cited a study that contains dubious and inaccurate conclusions. The study focuses on the period
March 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Columnist Misstates the Facts on Corn
by Troy Knecht (Rapid City Journal) Columnist Frank Carroll recently took shots at the corn/ethanol industries so I’d like to share some facts. Carroll opines that corn ethanol isn’t environmentally friendly. On the contrary, a recent federal study concluded that