by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Sept. 13, the governors of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy asking her to remove the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) limit
Kansas
Back TO HOMEKansas Cellulosic Plant to Sell
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Abengoa Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Draws Wide Interest -- ... Mark Fisler, managing director of Los Angeles-based Ocean Park Advisers, the company hired by Abengoa to sell the biomass-based ethanol plant that shut down as
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Good Policy
by Mike Chisam (The Hays Daily News) A recent article in the Hays Daily News, titled “Subsidized madness,” makes erroneous claims about the Renewable Fuel Standard and ethanol. The article attacks the RFS by using the tired, false arguments that are
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Clean Fuels Law Brings Ethanol to Oregon — But Mostly from the Midwest
by Hillary Borrud (The Oregonian) Supporters of Oregon's controversial low-carbon fuels mandate, newly approved last year, hailed it as a chance to grow a local biofuels industry and reduce drivers' reliance on imported fuel. But six months into the program, a
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Mexican #Ethanol Producers Consider Sorghum as Feedstock
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) A contingency of ethanol producers from Mexico recently visited the U.S. to look at the option of sorghum as an ethanol feedstock as the country’s industry continues to grow following the announcement by Pemex, the country’s
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Abengoa’s Hugoton Cellulosic Ethanol Project Goes on the Block
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, Ocean Park Advisors has been retained by Abengoa Bioenergy to find a strategic partner or to complete a sale of Abengoa cellulosic ethanol plant, electricity cogeneration plant and related assets in Hugoton, Kansas. Additionally,
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
A Q&A with Biodiesel Beauty Queen Sydney Jaeger, Miss Dodge City
(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) ... So it comes as little surprise that Sydney (Jaeger) has developed a love for biodiesel, and lists operating heavy equipment on the family farm and working in the biodiesel plant among her hobbies. As the Miss
June 22, 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
ADM, Biofuel Supporters Say EPA Underestimates Use of Higher-Ethanol Fuels
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Archer Daniels Midland Co and other supporters of biofuels on Thursday said U.S. regulators grossly underestimated the amount of higher-ethanol fuel blends at pumps when requirements for next year's use of renewables were proposed. The comments came
June 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Blasts EPA 'Hogwash'
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) The ethanol industry will lay into the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday for proposing a 2017 renewable fuel standard that it says is based on oil industry "hogwash." The industry also will threaten continued litigation if
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
American Ethanol Shines at Kansas Speedway NASCAR Races
(Kansas Corn) Kyle Bush won Go Bowling 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at the Kansas Speedway Saturday running on E15, 15 percent ethanol fuel. In fact, all NASCAR race vehicles have operated exclusively on E15 fuel since 2011. The Kansas
June 02, 2016 Read Full Article
UAI Calls Court Decision on MOVES Model a Temporary Setback
(Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The effort to stop the U.S. EPA from implementing a model that unfairly blames ethanol for increased emissions hit a “temporary setback,” according to officials from the Urban Air Initiative in response to action by
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
A Cellulosic Ethanol Milestone
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that during the first quarter of 2016, just over 1 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol were produced. In fact, production for the month of March jumped 64% from
April 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Duel Fuel--Colocating Ethanol, Biodiesel
by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biodiesel tanks are popping up in the tank farms at some ethanol plants these days. -- During the past decade, there has been a great deal of innovation and thought put into the synergies between
April 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Farm Bill Energy Programs Enable New Feedstock Production To Help Fuel the Biobased Economy
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan Guarantee Program and the Biomass
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
What’s up with Cellulosic Fuels: The Digest’s 2016 March Madness Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we conducted a webinar on the state of cellulosic fuels as part of our 2016 March Madness series. You can experience the recorded version of the webinar here. Meanwhile, here is the primary slide
March 24, 2016 Read Full Article
First Midwest Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Is Producing Tank-Car Loads of Fuel
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Poet Inc. is shipping fuel from Iowa facility, which could hit full output by year's end. -- Poet Inc., the nation’s first commercial-scale producer of cellulosic ethanol, is shipping the fuel from its plant in
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Bust Adds to U.S. Fuel Glut and Losses Across Corn Belt
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg Business) ... Back in 2007, when crude oil was headed toward a record $147.27 a barrel, ethanol was being touted as a cheap alternative from abundant domestic resources. The U.S. is the world’s biggest corn grower and
March 23, 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
Study Says Ethanol Harms Corn Counties
by Ann Purvis (Heartland Institute) ... (A) new study from researchers at Strata Policy (SP) and the Institute of Political Economy (IPE) at Utah State University suggests RFS also harms the very farmers the ethanol mandate was designed to help. ... According to
March 21, 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
“Lack of Collateral” Damage: Abengoa’s Descent into Fiscal Hell, and Its Hopes for Redemption
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Last week, we reported that potential buyers of Abengoa Bioenergy’s six first generation ethanol facilities have been looking at acquiring the assets even before the company’s announcement that they would be put up for sale. We
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Abengoa Bioenergy Files for Chapter 11 for Parent and 5 Subsidiaries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, Abengoa Bioenergy US Holding, LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on behalf of itself and 5 of its US bioenergy subsidiaries. The companies
February 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Raizen Has Lowest Price as Cellulosic Ethanol Hinges on Feedstock Cost
(Lux Research/MarketWired) Of the Six Existing Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Facilities, Raizen's Projected Price of $2.17 per Gallon Is Lowest, as Innovations Help Bring Next-Generation Biofuels to Market, Says Lux Research Six companies have now brought cellulosic ethanol facilities online, but with
February 24, 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
Analyst: Biofuels Consolidation Will Continue in 2016
(Ocean Park Advisors/Ag Professionals) ... "Our experience leads us to believe there will be an increased number of owners and boards of renewable fuel companies evaluating their options in 2016, if not testing the market for reasonable assessments of the value
February 22, 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
University of Georgia Scientists Using $5 Million Grant to Combat Invasive Weed Johnsongrass
by James Hataway (University of Georgia) A team of researchers led by faculty at the University of Georgia have received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find new ways of combating Johnsongrass, one of the most
January 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Outlook: Abengoa Doubts May Not Affect Biofuels Industry
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Although the cellulosic ethanol industry has had some challenges, there is hope for the year ahead. For some Midwest farmers, cellulosic ethanol's launch in the past two years has allowed them to put their corn
January 19, 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
Cellulosic Ethanol Holds Promise, But Can We Get It Right?
by Loni Kemp (NRDC/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) The next ethanol boom is most likely to come from cellulose feedstocks, yet US policy is unprepared to ensure that harvest of annual crop residues is sustainable. That’s the conclusion of a new report recently published by
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol: Closing of Abengoa Plant at Hugoton Shouldn't Dash Hopes for Cellulosic Ethanol
by John Montgomery (The Hutchinson News) ... Abengoa shut down the plant last month – eliminating about 50 jobs – a little more than a year after a grand opening celebration featuring high-level state and federal officials. The company also
December 14, 2015 Read Full Article
SDFU Delegates Vote to Take Pro-E30 Challenge
by Mikkel Pates (Agweek) The South Dakota Farmers Union celebrated its 100th annual meeting by taking another step forward in history by unanimously passing a resolution that dedicates its members to use a 30 percent ethanol blend in all of
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa Contagion Spreads to U.S. Biofuel Plants, Causing Layoffs and Shutdowns
by Rob Nikolewski (Kansas Watchdog.org) ... “I think we have to see how this thing plays out. In the short run, of course, it’s a devastating blow,” said Neal Gillespie, Stevens County Economic Developmentdirector. “In the long run, I think there’s a
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Candidates Are Skipping Traditionally Mighty Farm Issues in Iowa
by Scott Canon (Kansas City Star) ... The discussion of ethanol policy puts conservatives in an awkward spot --- ...Yet even in Iowa this year, Grain Belt concerns now draw less attention than in the past. That could mean that expansion
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Rep. Pompeo Investigates Failing Obama-Backed Green Energy Company
(The Daily Caller News Foundation) Rep. Mike Pompeo is demanding information on Abengoa, a Spanish green energy firm on the brink of bankruptcy that could leave U.S. taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars. The Kansas Republican is worried Abengoa’s
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa Shuts Down Hugoton, Colwich, St Louis HQ
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, Abengoa has decided to suspend production at its new cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton as well as its corn-based ethanol plant in Colwich as part of the recent financial troubles the company is
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
LanzaTech, INVISTA Find Direct Pathway to Bio-Based Butadiene
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, INVISTA and LanzaTech have developed a metabolic ‘toolkit’ that has been successfully applied to generate novel metabolic pathways to bio-derived butadiene and key precursors, such as 1,3 butanediol and 2,3 butanediol, resulting in
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Biogas Integration for Cellulosic Ethanol Production
by Amanda Bilek (Biomass Magazine) As cellulosic ethanol production facilities have come online, anaerobic digesters have been colocated at the plants to recover biogas from soluble residues inherent in the ethanol production process. These soluble residues contain a source of energy
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Has Finally Arrived
by WIlliam Tucker (Fuel Freedom Foundation) ... Cellulosic ethanol, capable of recycling crop wastes into fuel, may be here. On the day before Halloween, the DuPont Chemical Company opened what it claimed to be the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant in
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
New Biobased Projects Around the World
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who’s building what, where, now. 29 projects in construction or in commissioning in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and the Americas Despite low oil prices, first-gen biofuels and advanced biofuels continue to develop, and
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Pacific Ag’s National Wheat Straw Harvest Brings Quality, Sustainable and Cost Effective Bio-Material for New Markets
(Pacific Ag) For industries like mushroom composting to erosion technology as well as dairy and cattle feed, Pacific Ag is creating a supply chain for agricultural residue -- — Pacific Ag, the nation’s largest crop residue harvest company, has recently completed
November 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Preparing For Duonix Biodiesel Plant Start-Up
by Doug Kennedy (KWBE) A biodiesel plant at the northwest edge of Beatrice is getting ready for the start of operations, by planning to do some testing procedures, soon. ... Crews have been retrofitting the former Beatrice Biodiesel facility to use
November 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Strong RFS Support Offers Low-Risk Opportunity for Democrats to Connect with Voters They Need to Retake Majority
by Ryan Fitzpatrick (Third Way) Although relatively obscure by Washington standards, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) carries a unique level of importance and visibility in many rural states. The fact that the RFS invariably becomes a priority campaign issue for
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Will the Renewable Fuel Standard Impact the 2016 Elections?
by Jonathan H Harsch (Agri-Pulse) The escalating battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) added another front Thursday. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson warned President Obama that lowering the RFS volume requirements could result in Democrats losing otherwise winnable congressional
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Kansas to Receive $1.3M in Federal Matching Funds to Add More Ethanol Pumps for Motorists
(Associated Press/The Republic) The U.S. Agriculture Department has awarded Kansas $1.3 million in matching funds for a program to increase the availability of ethanol blended fuels for motorists. ... The funds will allow a coalition called the Kansas Better Blends Initiative
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Harvesting Technology Goes Commercial
by Alison Goss Eng and Daniel Adams (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Earlier this year, we highlighted five cost-saving harvesting technologies that private companies and universities developed through $21 million in 2009 funding from the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). At the
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
New BETO Fact Sheets Profile the Emerging Bioeconomy by State
(U.S. Department of Energy) How is funding from BETO a part of the emerging bioeconomy in some states? Find out with our new state fact sheets. For select states, these fact sheets give information about efforts to develop the advanced
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Priming the Pump for Higher Blends
by Ray Defenbaugh (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Prime the Pump/Growth Energy) Prime the pump, an effort to grow the ethanol market to accelerate the build-out of higher blend retail infrastructure, has had tremendous success, writes Ray Defenbaugh. -- The ethanol industry is
October 27, 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
Biofuels Maker Paid Back Its Federal Loan Without Selling Any Ethanol
by Michael Bastasch (Daily Caller) Abengoa Bioenergy got nearly $230 million in federal loans and grants to build a massive cellulosic biofuel refinery capable of producing 25 million gallons of ethanol every year. The company, however, says it has paid back
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
INSIGHT-Power Line Opponents Give Renewables Their Keystone Moment
by Nichola Groom (Reuters) ... The visitor represented Clean Line Energy Partners LLC, a Texas company established to build transmission lines for carrying wind and solar power. He had come to tell (Dave) Ulery about a planned line that would cut
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Trust Iowa farmers, Not Big Oil
by T.J. Page (Des Moines Register/Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) Letter to the Editor-- It’s disappointing, but not surprising to read a recent letter from a non-Iowan repeating discredited Environmental Working Group statistics to bash corn farmers and ethanol production [“Ethanol plays role
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Sorghum Is Making a Big Splash
by Nicholas Bergin (Lincoln Journal Star) Sorghum, a grass with a colorful seed about the size of a BB, was selling at more than a dollar a bushel above corn thanks to China’s voracious appetite for grain free of genetically
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Twofold Renewable in Tulare County
by Keith Loria (Biomass Magazine) California’s Calgren Renewable Fuels uses renewable energy generated onsite to power its renewable fuel production process. When the Calgren Ethanol Biodigester officially opened in Tulare County, California, early this year, it represented a major commitment by the
September 23, 2015 Read Full Article
PSU Automotive Students Get Training in Biodiesel
by Lisa Olliges (KOAM TV) Today PSU automotive students are learning how bio-diesel works as the alternative fuel becomes more mainstream. First it was ethanol now its bio-diesel. Steven Benzel, an automotive technology major says the course gave him new insights into
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Feedstocks of the Future
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Commercial-scale production and harvest of several annual and perennial biomass feedstocks is under way, paving the way for biofuels, biopower and biobased products. -- ... There are, however, a handful of other feedstocks that are
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa Advancing: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to the Hugoton Cellulosic Ethanol Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of the Abengoa project in Hugoton, Kansas? To design, build and operate a commercial scale bioethanol facility that uses sustainable biomass feedstock, drastically reduces green house gas emissions while achieving output production, yield
September 16, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Invests $100M in Renewable Fuel Pumps: The Deep Dive into Who Got What, and How the Landscape Shifts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) USDA announces state finalists for the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership. Will it move the needle? The Digest investigates. In Washington, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 21 states will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Announces State Finalists for the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 21 states will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to add infrastructure needed to supply more renewable fuel to America's drivers. Since announcing the program in May
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Is Cellulosic Biofuel Ready for Prime Time?
by Rob Nikolewski (Watchdog.org) ... Brooke Coleman, executive director at the Advanced Ethanol Council, counters by saying the industry is at an inherent disadvantage compared to oil companies and is ready for prime time. “Once cellulosic biofuel breaks through on a commercial
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Cannot Quit on RFS
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) I’d like to introduce you to some of the people who are proof that good things come when the U.S. EPA and other policymakers in Washington have the courage to
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Incentives to Establish Biomass Crops
(US Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini announced that enrollment begins today for farmers and forest landowners seeking financial assistance for growing new sources of biomass for energy or biobased products
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $9 Million to Improve Sustainability of Cellulosic Bioenergy Systems
(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $9 million for the design of sustainable bioenergy systems that maintain or enhance the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of cellulosic bioenergy through the improvement of feedstock production, logistics systems,
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
New Data Shows EPA’s Emissions Model Regarding Ethanol is Flawed
by Kim Trinchet (Urban Air Initiative) New documents filed with the U.S Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. show that the model used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to measure tailpipe emissions inaccurately blames ethanol for increased air
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Removing Ethanol from Gas Increases Toxic Emissions
by Kim Trinchet (Urban Air Initiative) Many gas stations are promoting E0, or gasoline with zero percent ethanol. It not only costs more than regular gasoline which contains 10% ethanol, new data shows it also burns dirtier in your engine
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Performance Tests Successful
by PJ Griekspoor (Agri-View) St. Joseph, Mo., pilot plant completes tests of making cellulosic ethanol that also yields value-added co-products -- The prospects for profitable cellulosic ethanol just got a little brighter with the completion of two successful 1,000-hour performance runs for
August 20, 2015 Read Full Article
From Blueprint to Baler
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) AGCO is well-equipped to aid the first U.S. cellulosic ethanol plants in devising efficient and effective feedstock supply chain models. Name the crop, and AGCO has baled it. Extensive work with kenaf, hemp, miscanthus, energy
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s 'MOVES' Could Cripple Higher Ethanol Blends
by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) ... The RFS is very important to our industry, but focusing on it alone, has caused us to take our eye off the dealer. The down card trumps everything in the deck and it’s
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
VIDEO: Sustainability in Bioenergy: A Nation Connected
(US Department of Energy) “Sustainability in Bioenergy: A Nation Connected” is a short documentary highlighting personal stories and the efforts being made by communities across the United States to develop, produce, and provide bioenergy, while ensuring it is environmentally, economically,
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Biochemist Studies Oilseed Plants for Biofuel, Industrial Development
(Kansas State University) A Kansas State University biochemistry professor has reached a milestone in building a better biofuel: producing high levels of lipids with modified properties in oil seeds. Timothy Durrett, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics in the College of
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture--ARPA-E Grants
TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology, and engineering communities to design and apply new tools for
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
UAI: Removing Ethanol from Gasoline Increases Toxic Emissions
(Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Many gas stations are promoting E0, or gasoline with zero percent ethanol. It not only costs more than regular gasoline that contains 10 percent ethanol, new data shows it also burns dirtier in your engine
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Abengoa is active in three areas in biofuels: a. Traditional fermentation of cereal grains and sugar cane for the commercial production of bioethanol; b. Traditional transesterification for the production of biodiesel from cereal and vegetable
July 31, 2015 Read Full Article
200,000 Comments on the Renewable Fuel Standard Delivered to EPA: “Stand by Me” Says Rural US to Washington
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, representatives from Fuels America and other advocates for “clean, secure, American energy” delivered over 200,000 comments to the EPA in support of a strong final rule under the Renewable Fuel Standard. This show
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA: Boat Racers Return to Kansas for 'Shootout' on the Water
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The National Boat Racing Association recently held its annual Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Shootout in Garnett, Kansas. The July 12–13 event, which was sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association, East Kansas Agri-Energy and the Kansas Corn
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Biogas! The Big Cellulosic Fuel Breakthrough?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Already, biogas as a renewable fuel is accounting for 90% of all cellulosic RIN production under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Food and paper manufacturers, ethanol & biodiesel plants, cities, landfill operators, and animal feeding operations
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standards Continue to Work
by Dave Eckhardt (Colorado Corn Growers Association/Pueblo Chieftan) ... Perhaps the EPA has forgotten the RFS is working. It’s helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, ethanol lowered CO2-equivalent GHG emissions from transportation by 39.6 million metric tons — akin to
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Blog: Research Projects Look into Low-Lignin Plants
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) You may have heard the old joke, “you can make anything out of lignin, except money.” Well, I hope to still be writing about ethanol the day that's been proven wrong. ... Earlier this year, I
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Policy Lagging
by Ken McCauley (Garden City Telegram) ... American farmers stepped up when called upon, increasing production levels of corn ethanol to meet the growing standards. We restructured our production plants and ways of life to help wean the United States off
July 07, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Officials Observe Innovation, Ingenuity at EKAE Plant
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Renewable Fuels Association member company East Kansas Agri-Energy recently hosted key officials from the U.S. EPA at its facility in Garnett, Kansas, 70 miles southwest of Kansas City. EPA personnel toured the 45 million gallon per
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Crews Harvest Crop Residue for Biomass
by Amy Bickel (Kansas Agland/The Garden City Telegram) The wheat field here is shaved down to a schoolboy’s haircut, but Courtney Wilson’s harvest is just beginning. “I sometimes feel like a door-to-door salesman,” the man admitted as he stood in a field
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol: Where Are the Gallons? Answers for Your Questions.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Seen a number of high-profile cellulosic projects open in recent years, and not much ethanol being produced? Wondered why? Here are answers to your questions. As Jack Webb used to say on Dragnet, just the facts,
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Fueling the Sorghum Ethanol Coproducts Engine
by Kelli Fulkerson (Ethanol Producer Magazine/National Sorghum Producers) Producers work to expand markets for sorghum distillers and oil. While exports are undeniably the hottest market for grain sorghum right now with China set to buy over 70 percent of the 2014-’15
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable-Fuel Advocates Turn out at KCK Hearing, Give the EPA an Earful on Reducing Ethanol Targets
by Greg Hack and Kasia Kovacs (Kansas City Star) When the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lowering the country’s ethanol-use mandates for this year and next, it set up a public hearing to let people tell it what they thought. On
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Danforth Plant Science Center Receives $8M for Big Data Research Program to Advance Development of Key Bioenergy Crop
(Danforth Plant Science Center) Understanding key phenotype-to-genotype associations will enhance efforts to bring products to market -- The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced today it was awarded an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy ARPA–E TERRA program.
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report from Washington DC
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ... Regarding the June 25 public hearing on EPA’s proposed volume obligations under the RFS, Dinneen says the agency has already received about 250 requests to testify and he is encouraging everyone possible to turnout. “I want
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Public Hearing for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard Program
(US Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a public hearing to be held in Kansas City, Kansas on June 25, 2015 for the proposed rule ‘‘Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2014, 2015, and
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Awards $30M in High-Risk, High-Reward Moonshot Program to Transform Energy Crops
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Six projects land major multi-year awards for Project TERRA, Tramsportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture In Washington, ARPA-E announced awards totaling $30 million for projects seeking to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Terry Anderson: 'American Ethanol' to the Rescue in New Campaign
by Terry Anderson (Midwest Producer News) ... The "American Ethanol" campaign is to make it personal for the public, that the components in gasoline are not healthy, and to have a third party tell the story, rather than the ethanol and
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Kansas Plant Maximizes Value of Inputs by Adding Diesel Production
by Loretta Sorensen (Midwest Producer) ... But one Kansas ethanol company, East Kansas Agri-Energy LLC (EKAE), is taking steps to stabilize its business with diversified income streams generated from the same corn source used to make ethanol. For EKAE, that means
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels: What's Happened and Where Are We Going?
by Scott Chabina (Fierce Energy) The transformation of Gen 1.0 to 1.5 and the reality of Gen 2.0. Advanced, commercially viable biofuel facilities no longer "unicorns on the horizon" ... Conventional, or "Gen 1.0", corn ethanol producers have continued to diversify
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Report: 2,000 People in East Kansas Employed in Biofuels
by Megan Hart (CJ Online) More than 2,000 people are employed in the biofuel industry in the Congressional district including Topeka, according to a report from Fuels America. The group is made up of major players in the ethanol industry and advocates
April 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Continues to Evolve as Usage Levels off
by Loretta Sorensen (Midwest Producer) ... Kansas Corn CEO Greg Krissek said there is some slowing of ethanol production on the eastern and western edges of the cornbelt. But ethanol industry leaders are responding to market conditions by implementing new technology
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
The Unrecognized Value of Bio-Energy
by Chad Smith (Midwest Producer) "We threw a whole bunch of stuff up on the wall to see if anything sticks." Dave VanderGriend quoted a Kansas state legislator describing House Bill (HB) 2401, a proposal to add a 4.5-cent per gallon
April 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Moonshine, Hogs and Drought Fuel Sorghum Boom Across U.S. Plains
by Megan Durisin, Jeff Wilson, Lydia Mulvany (Bloomberg) ... A kernel-yielding stalk that’s native to Africa, sorghum has three things going for it right now: it’s cheap to plant; it holds up better in drought-like conditions than other crops; and most importantly,
March 31, 2015 Read Full Article
New Analysis: Giving Consumers Access to Renewable Fuel Yields Environmental Benefits
(Fuels America) A new analysis produced by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s principal research economist Dr. Stefen Mueller found that giving consumers more access to cleaner fuel options like E15 would provide significant environmental benefits. E15 is a cleaner
March 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Five Harvesting Technologies are Making Biofuels More Competitive in the Marketplace
(U.S. Department of Energy) It may look like ordinary farm equipment, but take a second look. This innovative machinery was developed with Energy Department funding to help biofuels become more affordable. Looking more closely at this image and accompanying infographic,
March 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Diversifying Products Creates New Opportunities
by Stefaniya Becking* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The “Waste to Biogas and Clean Fuels Finance and Investment” summit provided a myriad of opportunities to get the latest intelligence on biogas and the clean fuel industry as well as on the financing
March 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Visalia-Based Edeniq Engineering Ethanol’s Future
by George Lurie (The Business Journal NOW) ... Lower oil prices, (Brian) Thome (president and CEO of Edeniq) said, translate into “lower prices for ethanol too. That means margins for ethanol producers will be squeezed” — a scenario that plays right into
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Outlook for Bioenergy 2015: What’s in Store for This Versatile Renewable Energy Feedstock?
by Jennifer Runyon (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) ... Scott Chabina, a director with Carl Marks Advisors, is extremely bullish on the biofuels industry and is excited about what’s to come in 2015. Chabina — who said he hasn’t “had a single day where
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa Reports Top Year for Biofuel Business
by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Abengoa’s biofuels segment experienced the best year in its history in 2014, company CEO Manuel Sánchez Ortega reported during the company’s 2014 fiscal year results, which can be largely attributed to very high margins
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
The Good News on Ethanol: U.S. a ‘Biofuels Superpower'
by Dan Morgan (Des Moines Register) ... President Barack Obama didn’t mention ethanol, biofuels, or agriculture in his State of the Union address, even as he boasted that the country was “number one in oil and gas.” Yet a thriving renewable
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Build or Conquer? 3 Companies Battling Over the Future of Biofuels
by Maxx Chatsko (Motley Fool) ... Yet, to date only three commercial scale cellulosic ethanol facilities have been built in the United States. Why aren't there more? The technology is more complicated than most think. The first facility, which churns out 25
March 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Uncertainty in RFS Sends the US Ethanol Industry to Overseas Markets: A Report from the National Ethanol Conference, "Going Global"
[caption id="attachment_59831" align="alignleft" width="300"] Renewable Fuels Association President, Bob Dinneen introduces NEC scholarship winner, Lais Thomaz at the National Ethanol Conference.[/caption] by Lais F. Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Last week, from February 17 to 21, the 20th National Ethanol Conference "Going
February 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Moran Talks Renewable Fuels, ACA, Change of Power
by Scott Aust (Garden City Telegram) As part of his Kansas listening tour, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., stopped in Garden City Monday afternoon to visit with officials of the Conestoga Energy Partner’s Bonanza BioEnergy plant. CEO Tom Willis stressed
February 17, 2015 Read Full Article
E15’s Big Dance
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The future is bright as hundreds of E15 stations are in the works with many expected to open, writes Bob Dinneen of RFA. It’s still early in the game for E15 and
February 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest’s Advanced Bioeconomy Awards for 2015
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Project of the Year, Deal of the Year, Partnership of the Year, Chemical of the Year, and Cap Raise of the Year — who are the big winners? Each year, the Digest recognizes projects, feedstocks, processing
February 17, 2015 Read Full Article
The Cellulosoic Biofuels Odyssey: Crossing the Finish Line
[caption id="attachment_59604" align="alignleft" width="300"] "The Cellulosic Biofuels Odyssey," artwork by David R. Dudley; concept by Heather Youngs, Susan Jenkins, and David Dudley.[/caption] by Greg Breining (Bioenergy Connection) When Bioenergy Connection first covered the progress to commercial cellulosic ethanol in 2011, a dozen
February 15, 2015 Read Full Article
ICM, Inc. Announces Contract with Kansas Ethanol LLC on Full-Scale Commercial Installation of its Fiber Separation Technology™ (FST™)
(ICM, Inc.) ICM, Inc. is pleased to announce that Kansas Ethanol LLC, of Lyons, Kansas, has signed an agreement for purchase, license to operate, and full-scale installation of ICM’s patent-pending Fiber Separation Technology™. FST™ is a value-added platform technology that removes
February 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Is Cellulosic Ethanol the Next Big Thing in Renewable Fuels?
by Sena Christian (EarthIsland.org) For a long time it seemed like turning the inedible parts of plants into a commercially viable biofuel, known as cellulosic ethanol, was nothing more than a pipedream. The enzymes needed to release sugars from cellulose
January 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Aided by Controversial Federal Program
by Henry C. Jackson (Capital Press/Associated Press) The refinery in Hugoton, Kan., built by Seville, Spain-based Abengoa, is the largest cellulosic biorefinery in the world. At the RV Park he owns in a remote corner of southwestern Kansas, Jan Leonard is
December 30, 2014 Read Full Article
PacificAg Can Save Ethanol Plants Time & Money
by Talia Bang (Ag NewsWire) PacificAg, the country’s largest and most experienced biomass harvest company in the country, can help ethanol plants developing or expanding operations into the production of cellulosic ethanol, save time and money on supply chain development.
December 29, 2014 Read Full Article
10 Biggest Bioeconomy Blockbuster Stories of 2014 (Americas)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET-DSM, Abengoa, Enerkem, GranBio, Raizen plant openings lead the list; REG’s M&A campaign, EPA’s RFS debacle, are other key trends. They said that cellulosic fuels were “five years away, and always will be,” but five major
December 23, 2014 Read Full Article
Not Broken, Don’t Fix It: Why Congress Should Refrain from RFS Reform
by James C. Greenwood (The Hill/Biotechnology Industry Organization) The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to issue a final 2014 rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and other missteps are being misinterpreted or misconstrued as a sign that the program is
December 10, 2014 Read Full Article
AG Schmidt Challenges EPA Ethanol Emissions Model
(Office of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt) Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has asked a federal appeals court to block new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that discourage the use of ethanol by requiring states to adopt conclusions about ethanol
December 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Milo Poised to Help Water Woes in Western Kansas
by Tim Unruh (Salina Journal) Grain sorghum could be among the keys to reducing the massive mining of water in western Kansas, once it’s deemed economically desirable. Long an ugly stepcousin in the family of Kansas staple crops, grain sorghum —
December 08, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Support for Producers of Advanced Biofuel
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is making $5.6 million in grants to 220 producers across the nation to support the production of advanced biofuels, and is awarding more than $4 million in additional
December 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Briefing: Cellulosic Ethanol: A Technology Update
by Carole Abourached* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) recently held a briefing on the technologies involved in commercial cellulosic ethanol production. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from agricultural residues such as corn stover and wheat straw
December 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Billionaire Vinod Khosla’s Big Dreams for Biofuels Fail to Catch Fire
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) Just over a year ago, billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla was bubbling with optimism about one of his latest investments: KiOR, a biofuel outfit he said would turn wood chips into hydrocarbons that could
November 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Sustainability Taking Shape, One French Fry at a Time
(K-State Research and Extension) Converting cooking oil into fuel – the Biodiesel Initiative at Kansas State University allows for collaboration among many campus departments and industry organizations. MANHATTAN, Kan. – The sound of a diesel engine is distinct. Sure, some are
November 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Good Neighbors (Anaerobic Digesters)
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) Lately, cellulosic ethanol plant startups have basked in the bioenergy limelight. While less celebrated, anaerobic digesters are adding value to operations and seem to be trending in blueprints. When ethanol plants can provide excess sugar to
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Plant to Create Jobs
by Doug Carder (The Ottawa Herald) In Anderson County where agriculture is king — accounting for 72 percent of the county’s economy — a group is preparing to make a $12 million to $16 million investment in renewable fuels powered
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Cornstalks Aren't Just for Scarecrows Anymore
by Reanna Trudell and Daniel Adams (US Department of Energy) ... Our scientists have identified corn stover, which includes the corn plant’s stalks, husks, cobs, and leaves, as a plentiful and reliable feedstock for producing bioenergy. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS,
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
‘Welcome to the Future’
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Construction on Abengoa’s self-powered cellulosic ethanol facility is complete. But that doesn’t mean efforts to innovate are over. Javier Garoz Neira, CEO of Abengoa Bioenergy, told attendees at the company’s grand opening celebration they were
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Safety Your Way
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Producers and technology providers, including Pacific Biodiesel, Kelley Green Biofuel, Piedmont Biofuels, WB Services and Crown Iron Works, discuss procedural and design elements to mitigate risk in biodiesel manufacturing. A philosophical problem exists when an industry whose
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
“What About That, Er, Cellulosic Feedstock?” Pacific Ag CEO Bill Levy on the Where, When and How
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Feedstock. Now that cellulosic ethanol has reached scale, it has replaced Motherhood and Apple Pie as staple faves for industry chat. Meanwhile, Pacific Ag has been rolling up the acres, getting it done. How’s it
November 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Researchers Win Funding for Miscanthus, Sorghum Research
(University of Illinois/Biomass Magazine) Two University of Illinois crop sciences researchers interested in improving plant feedstocks for bioenergy production were selected to receive funding by the USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a larger Obama administration
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Five Things to Know about Biorefinery Investments
by Alicia Moulton (U.S. Department of Energy) ... These cellulosic ethanol plants managed by Abengoa, POET-DSM, and INEOS are three of the fifteen active integrated biorefinery projects under the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office. Also, three new companies were awarded contracts
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Four Freedoms for the 21st Century
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Over the past year we have seen some remarkable developments in the sector, starting right here in Alberta with the completion and opening of the Enerkem advanced biofuels plant in Edmonton. And, in Italy,
October 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Industrial Biotechnology’s 2014 in Pictures: The Year of Steel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When we think of the past 12 months and the remainder of 2014, we’re going to look back on it as the Year of Steel for the advanced bioeconomy. Click here for pictures. October 9, 2013:
October 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Abengoa Celebrates Grand Opening of Its First Commercial-Scale Next Generation Biofuels Plant
(Abengoa/GlobeNewswire) U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Kansas Senator Pat Roberts offer remarks during on-site event commemorating landmark occasion for advanced biofuels industry. Abengoa's proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis technology turns crop residue (stalks, stems and leaves)
October 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Mechanics See Ethanol in Action at NASCAR
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Mechanics in Kansas had the opportunity to learn about NASCAR first hand when they attended the Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Race on Sunday, October 5, 2014 at the Kansas Speedway hosted by the Kansas
October 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuel Leaders Says EPA Has Treated Industry Unfairly
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) In Minneapolis, industry officials say federal government erred in setting low targets for biofuels delivered at the pump. Leaders of the nation’s biofuels industry on Monday accused the Obama administration of undermining the commercial success
October 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Earth to Cellulosic Ethanol: Glad You’re Here, Buddy, What Took so Long? Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellulosic ethanol arrives at scale — “The five years away forever” put to rest — but are there troubling waters still ahead? For whom, and why? Part I of II There’s a gigantic disconnect between two sections
October 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Novozymes Looks beyond the 'Fantasy Fuel' It Helped to Turn into Reality
by Sabina Zawadzki (Reuters) * Three of four advanced biofuel plants use Novozymes enzymes * Biomass conversion could transform Novozymes in future * Biofuel sector in continuing U.S. regulatory battle When Denmark's Novozymes first wondered in 2000 how its mass-produced enzymes could be used
October 09, 2014 Read Full Article
A Looming Cellulosic Feedstock Shortage?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the first wave of cellulosic biorefineries launch — is there really enough affordable feedstock for the next wave? Can growers make enough money to justify the switch…and risk? ... It’s not all that different with the first
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
The President's Biggest Enemy
by Brent Erickson (The Hill/Biotechnology Industry Organization) President Obama’s bold vision to transition the nation to a cleaner energy future is about to be derailed by one of his most potent adversaries: himself. To the great consternation of many of the
September 09, 2014 Read Full Article
POET-DSM’s Project LIBERTY Opens, as Fantasy Becomes Real
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET-DSM’s 20 million gallon cellulosic ethanol plant opens with hoopla, and heartfelt messages about the spirit of innovation, and a time for technology change and policy firmness. “Once, we all lived off the land, sun, wind
September 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol Plant to Co-Locate Renewable Diesel Facility On-Site
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) East Kansas Agri-Energy LLC plans to integrate renewable diesel production at its ethanol plant in Garnett, Kan., using distillers corn oil from the ethanol process and other feedstocks, the company announced late July. WB Services is the integration
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Ripe for Ethanol Innovations: Midlands Research Is Boosting Value of Corn Distillation Process
by Russell Hubbard (Omaha World-Herald) It starts out as freeze-dried fungus or bacteria from Denmark and ends up being one of the key ingredients in what some are calling Nebraska’s and Iowa’s shot at the big time when it comes
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Here We Go Again: Huelskamp Draws Ire of Ag Groups because of Ethanol
by Jeff Myrick (HutchNews.com) By now, we’re used to it. U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler/Hutchinson, has drawn criticism from Kansans because of his actions in Washington, D.C. And again it involves agriculture, the state’s leading industry and something Huelskamp, a
August 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol Plants Start Producing New Corn Diesel
By Megan Hart (Topeka Capital-Journal) Fuel is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel Two ethanol plants in Kansas have started turning a different part of corn into a fuel they say can replace conventional diesel. Jeff Oestmann, president and CEO of East Kansas
August 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Obama’s Delay on Renewable Fuel Puts Producers in Bind
By Mark Drajem (Bloomberg) In the arid Imperial Valley of California, Tim Brummels is trying to turn an agricultural cousin of sugarcane into low-carbon ethanol. It’s the kind of climate-friendly project supporters have pined for since Congress in 2005 ordered
August 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Kansas GOP Set to Split over Renewable Fuel Standard in Bruising Primary Fight
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, one of the more interesting political battles of the US 2014 election season will take place on Tuesday August 4, when Republican (and Tea Party-fave) congressman Tim Huelskamp — who has called for
August 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Mötley Crue, Poison Alert: INVISTA, BASF, and Genomatica Team for Sustainable Spandex
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We hear from the whispering winds of Wichita that INVISTA, the redoubtable owner of the Lycra and Stainmaster brands, amongst many others, has introduced the only commercial offering of a bio-derived spandex available globally and
July 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Deemed Good Fit in Idaho
(Capital Press) IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — As the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plants open in the U.S. this year, energy experts say Idaho is well positioned to follow the leaders with a small facility that would convert barley and wheat
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
The Greensome Foursome: POET, Novozymes, Abengoa, NexSteppe on the Industry Outlook for 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As several major cellulosic biofuels ventures head for scale in 2014, we look at the companies, the major barriers (as they see them) for further capacity-building, sources for future investment, and a focus on feedstock. In
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Boat Races Ride Into Garnett
(Renewable Fuels Association) The popular Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Shootout is returning to Garnett, Kan., July 12–13. This National Boat Racing Association (NBRA) competition pits drivers of hydroplanes and roundabouts against each other in a fast-paced race to the finish. The
June 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producer Green Plains Has Plans to Feed Its Own Cattle
by Lynn Doan (Bloomberg) Green Plains Inc. (GPRE), which just became the first major ethanol producer to buy its own cattle-feed yard, has plans to milk it for more -- by buying the cattle too. The fourth-largest ethanol maker in the U.S.