(Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy/Biodiesel Magazine) Mike Erhart, CEO and general manager of Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, announced the formation of a partnership with WB Services LLC on May 1, to expand its biofuels footprint by integrating a renewable diesel production facility into
Kansas
Back TO HOMEA Tale of Two Solazymes: SZYM Reports for Q1 and the Analysts Offer Cheers, Jeers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, depnding on which analyst you follow. With price targets ranging from $4 to $18 — and warnings from one end over delays at
May 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Fuel Jobs and Economy
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new industry report released today (April 23, 2014) shows how the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is creating jobs and significant economic impact. The Fuels America coalition released an economic impact study by John Dunham & Associates showing
April 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Report: Ethanol Industry Creates Thousands of Kansas Jobs; $1B in Wages
by Dan Voorhis (The Wichita Eagle) The ethanol industry contributes more than 16,000 jobs and $1 billion in wages into the Kansas economy, according to a new study released Wednesday by Fuels America, a coalition of groups lobbying for the renewal
April 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Why Renewable Fuel Standard Matters
by Jess Oestmann (The Hays Daily News) When it comes to developing alternatives to fossil fuels and foreign oil, should the United States move forward or backward? That's the issue before the federal Environmental Protection Administration as it decides whether to reverse
April 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Dual Turning Point for Biofuels
by Clifford Krauss (The New York Times) ... But even as Abengoa and other companies prepare to produce significant amounts of cellulosic ethanol, using corn stalks and wheat straw as opposed to corn itself, the appetite for such fuels seems to
April 15, 2014 Read Full Article
10 Bellwether Biofuels & Biobased Projects for 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – are plans turning into reality? Are development plans realistic? When these 10 projects open for business (or not) in 2014, you’ll know for sure. ...Well, the picture is incomplete. Plants like the Valero Darling renewable
April 15, 2014 Read Full Article
World-Herald Editorial: Wait Is Ending for Cellulosic
(Omaha World-Herald) ... The first commercial production of cellulosic ethanol began in 2013, and this year biomass plants in Iowa will be taking the lead in expanding capacity. The facilities will take crop waste and non-edible plants and convert them into
April 01, 2014 Read Full Article
The Year is Here
by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine) 2014 will bear witness to the commissioning of some of the first U.S. commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants. Those in the cellulosic ethanol industry know “five more years down the road” as a phrase that’s been associated
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Dually Renewable
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) ... Not only is Abengoa Biomass Energy LLC forging the path to commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol, it is taking a new road when it comes to fuel. Besides cellulosic ethanol, the Hugoton, Kan., facility, located in the southwest
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Fights for Life
by Mark Peplow (Nature) Pioneering biofuel producers hope that US government largesse will ease their way into a tough market. ...Thousands of tonnes of corn stover — the leaves, stalks and husks left over after the maize harvest — are already waiting,
March 13, 2014 Read Full Article
The Hunt for Hydrogen and Hydro-Riches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “You will never have enough affordable hydrogen.” Perhaps that is the attractor in the news from little-known Solarvest Bioenergy, when they announced third party confirmation of their bio-hydrogen expression system following the successful completion of a six
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
The Next Generation of Biodiesel Coproduct Research
Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The uses of glycerin - crude, USP-grade or otherwise - and other byproducts from biodiesel production are virtually limitless. Profiled here is the glycerin and coproduct research of three Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel. READ MORE
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
POET-DSM Says Iowa Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Running by June
by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) An Iowa ethanol plant that will be one of the first producers of biofuels made from crop waste will be operating by June, a general manager of the plant said in an interview on Tuesday. POET-DSM, a
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
CEO Todd Becker Has Faith in the Future of Ethanol Producer Green Plains
by John Lppert and Mario Parker (The Washington Post/Bloomberg) ... Political challenges are piling up, too. Big Oil lists minimum ethanol requirements as its top policy concern for 2014 and wants to eliminate them. Government officials are already backtracking. A week
March 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Advanced Ethanol Here at Last
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) During the National Ethanol Conference, representatives of four leading companies talked about how advanced ethanol is here at last. Moderated by Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman, the panelists included Chris Standlee with Abengoa; Kenneth Hill
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
National Ethanol Conference Panel Affirms 2014 is the Year of Cellulosic Ethanol
by Tim Portz (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Chris Standlee, executive vice President at Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies, began his remarks on the “Advanced Ethanol: Building Plants, Coming Online” panel at the National Ethanol Conference by stating, “I’m thrilled to be able
February 19, 2014 Read Full Article
Branstad, Five Other Governors Lobby President for Higher Ethanol Mandate
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Six Midwestern governors sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing their support for the Renewable Fuel Standard, which his administration has proposed scaling back in 2014. In a letter to the president, Environmental Protection
December 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Dinneen: RFS Not for Big Oil’s Convenience
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) The case for keeping the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as-is is being made today at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing in Arlington, Va. Our friends from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) have shown up in
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Koehlmoos Reaps Awards from Cellulosic Ethanol Research
by Jean Caspers-Simmet (AgriNews.com) Eric Koehlmoos' research on cellulosic ethanol led to national champion honors at the National FFA Science Fair last month in Louisville. The 17-year-old junior at South O'Brien High School finished first in Division 2, which includes individual
November 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Study: US Spewing 50% More Methane than EPA Says
by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press/US News and World Report) The United States is spewing 50 percent more methane — a potent heat-trapping gas — than the federal government estimates, a new comprehensive scientific study says. Much of it is coming
November 25, 2013 Read Full Article
DOE Grant Helps Expand Biodiesel Training for Diesel Technicians
(Iowa Biodiesel Board) Program helps ensure long-term integration of biodiesel into American fuel supply Some instructors from throughout the Midwest who will train the diesel mechanics of tomorrow now have a thorough knowledge base on biodiesel. It’s thanks to recent training
November 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Next Generation of Biofuels Is Still Years Away
by Jonathan Fahey (Associated Press) The first trickle of fuels made from agricultural waste is finally winding its way into the nation's energy supply, after years of broken promises and hype promoting a next-generation fuel source cleaner than oil. ... Cellulosic makers
November 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Canola Could Be New Biofuel Crop for Central Great Plains
(Ag Professional/USDA Agricultural Research Service) Farmers in the semiarid central Great Plains have traditionally used a two-year, no-till, dryland, winter wheat/fallow cropping system, which stretches scarce soil water supplies and minimizes crop failure from water stress. Now they are interested
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Perennial Potential: Wheatgrass Shows Promise as Biofuel, Food
by Todd Nelson (Finance & Commerce) University of Minnesota researchers are working to domesticate a perennial grain crop known as intermediate wheatgrass that one day could appear in your car’s fuel tank, your pantry or even distinctive new craft brews. Intermediate
October 21, 2013 Read Full Article
The Controversy Over Fuels
by Brian Berk (Convenience Store News) The most controversial topics in fuels -- the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and E15 -- took center stage during the NACS Show educational session, "Biofuels: A Look Ahead." Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco USA in
October 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Former Phillips 66 Marketer Shuns Big Oil for E15
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) A man who used to market fuels under the Phillips 66 name has decided to forgo the Big Oil brand so he can offer consumers the choice of E15 ethanol. “They changed the rules mid-stream for what
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Leaders Talk Feedstock Procurement at Nebraska Event
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In front of an attentive crowd at the 2013 National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo in Omaha, Neb., representatives from Abengoa Bioenergy S.A., Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels LLC and Ineos Bio presented updates on their
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Summer Volatility Restrictions on E15 End, Fuel Now Available
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) E15 is again available after summer volatility restrictions ended Sept. 15. ... E15 is approved for use with vehicles model year 2001 and newer. However, because the U.S. EPA has awarded E10 a waiver to
September 18, 2013 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Support for Producers of Advanced Biofuel
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making payments to support the production of advanced biofuel. USDA is making nearly $15.5 million in payments to 188 producers through the
September 13, 2013 Read Full Article
E15 Additions At the Right Price
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to some new information from the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), the cost of upgrading an existing retail gas station to sell E15 is much less than recently suggested by ethanol opponents. For the past year, several stations throughout
September 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol Future at Crossroads
(Seattle PI/Associated Press) Ethanol producers say they are running up against market and regulatory pressures that are putting a crimp on the industry's future, despite lower prices for a key commodity to produce the fuel. The ethanol industry is distilling enough product
September 09, 2013 Read Full Article
What Happened to Biofuels?
(The Economist) Energy technology: Making large amounts of fuel from organic matter has proved to be more difficult and costly than expected ...As well as being available to countries without tar sands, shale fields or gushers, biofuels can help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions
September 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Moves to Commercialize Cellulosic Ethanol March Ahead
by Lynn Grooms (Farm Industry News) Soon after hearing about Big Oil’s numerous challenges to the Renewable Fuel Standard, attendees of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop this summer, heard from producers forging ahead to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. The placement of these
August 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Harnessing Corn Oil Power
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A Kansas-based company is offering two bolt-on options for ethanol producers looking to turn crude corn oil into biodiesel or renewable diesel. It’s no secret that revenue from corn oil extraction has been key in keeping
August 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Secretary Moniz Announces New Biofuels Projects to Drive Cost Reductions, Technological Breakthroughs
(U.S. Department of Energy) During remarks at the Energy Department’s Biomass 2013 annual conference, Secretary Moniz today highlighted the important role biofuels play in the Administration’s Climate Action Plan to increase our energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation
August 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest’s 5-Minute Guide to Loan Guarantees: Who Got ‘Em, What’re They Doing?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest – visit our 5-Minute Guide to Loan Guarantees — INEOS Bio, Myriant, Sapphire Energy, Abengoa, Chemtex, Enerkem, Fiberight, Fulcrum, ZeaChem – Plus POET-DSM, Diamond Green Diesel, Coskata and Range Fuels Projects open for business INEOS Bio ... Myriant ... Sapphire
July 30, 2013 Read Full Article
12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects – Where Do They Stand?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – mirage or reality? In January we wrote: “When these 12 projects open for business (or not) in 2013, you’ll know for sure.” So, what do we know? ... We identified 12 “Bellwether projects” in
July 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Momentum: 12 Biobased Ventures Raise $435M in Q2 2013; 32 Projects Being Built off the Balance Sheet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite negative press from Bloomberg, biobased investing is surging, both direct and via strategics. The Digest has the data and the scoop. After we profiled, last April, 17 biobased ventures who raised $434 million in new
July 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Court Nixes Appeal over Added Ethanol in Gasoline
(Associated Press) The Supreme Court has rejected challenges to Environmental Protection Agency decisions allowing an increase in ethanol content in gasoline. READ MORE and MORE (The Washington Post) and MORE (Renewable Fuels Association) and MORE (The Hill E2Wire) and MORE (Wisconsin State
June 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol: Scale-Up and Commercialization - Part 2
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) In the final breakout session of the BIO World Congress on June 19, there was a second panel on scale-up and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. As with the session on the conference’s first day,
June 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Association Disputes Study on Climate Change Impacts on Corn Production
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association has spoken out to criticize a study published by Rice University and the University of California-Davis that claims climate change will increase irrigation costs for corn while reducing yields. In
June 06, 2013 Read Full Article
The Hydrogen Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A numbers of readers responding to “Biofuels from a raging fireball” (Friday’s Top Story, on research work with the raging fireball, Pyrococchus furiosus, to make biofuels and renewable chemicals from hydrogen gas and CO2) raised
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels in the US: How Much and How Soon? 2014′s Terrific Ten
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although no commercial-scale cellulosic biofuels facilities are operating in the United States at present, at least ten projects exceeding 20 million gallons per year are expected to begin operations by 2014. Tristan R. Brown and Robert
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plants Turning toward Grain Sorghum
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Star Journal) ...On a much brighter note, the managers of ethanol plants in Trenton and Ravenna are pushing hard to make a crop also known as milo the main ingredient in their renewable fuels recipes. ...Drought hardiness
March 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Poised for Surge in Fuel Made from Crop Waste
(Associated Press/Omaha.com) After decades of talk, the ethanol industry is building multimillion-dollar refineries in several states that will use corn plant residue, wood scraps and even garbage to produce the fuel additive. The breakthrough comes at a key time for the
February 14, 2013 Read Full Article
The Renewable Fuel Standard Works
by Jeremy Martin and Jim Collins (Politico) The fuels of the future are here today, and we can thank Congress for enacting the Renewable Fuel Standard. This bedrock policy has brought us to the point where the first commercial facilities producing
February 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Direct Connections
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Developing a retail relationship with area fuel stations is a potential perk for ethanol plants, retailers and consumers. In some areas of the U.S., drivers filling up with ethanol blends have one more reason to
January 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Choice at the Pump E15 Is Currently Cleared for Sale in a Handful of States, with Work Ongoing to Bring It to the Rest of the U.S.
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco 66 convenience stores, didn’t just open the first E15 retail pump in the nation. Not long after offering 15 percent ethanol at the first station in Lawrence, Kan., he expanded
January 17, 2013 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Investments in Bioenergy Research and Development to Spur New Markets, Innovation, and Unlimited Opportunity in Rural America
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a state-of-the-art bioindustrial facility at Renmatix today, where he announced $25 million to fund research and development of next-generation renewable energy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. "USDA's
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Kansas City Turns Sludge into a Pile of Cash
(Kansas City Business Journal) Kansas City isn't exactly flush with cash, but it has managed to make $2 million the past few years through its innovative handling of sludge, The Kansas City Star reports. The city has turned a profit from handling sludge
January 01, 2013 Read Full Article
12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects for 2013
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters. Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. When these 12 projects open
January 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol Plant Poised to Start up Anaerobic Digester Soon
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) If all goes as planned, a 50 MMgy ethanol plant in Oakley, Kan., will someday produce advanced biofuel from sorghum. To qualify as advanced biofuel, the company will power the plant with methane from
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
The Year That Was and Will Be
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) ...E15 is now for sale in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. ...As if that weren’t enough, the fierce battle to protect the renewable fuel standard (RFS) is already underway. Fortunately, the facts proved once and for
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Is Coming, Future Uncertain
by Amy Mayer (KBIA.org) Since the introduction of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005, the EPA has had to radically reduce expectations. Today, there still isn’t a single commercial-scale plant producing cellulosic ethanol. Several plants are being built now, though, so cellulosic ethanol
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Ethanol Council Releases Snapshot of Cellulosic Ethanol Production around the World
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Advanced Ethanol Council this morning released a report giving a snapshot of cellulosic ethanol producers in the U.S. and around the world. A look at facilities owned by companies such as Abengoa Bioenergy, Enerkem, INEOS Bio
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuel to Surge in 2013 After First U.S. Plants Open
by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) Cellulosic biofuel companies will boost production almost 20-fold in 2013 as the first high-volume refineries go into operation, signaling a shift from an experimental fuel into a commercially viable industry. Production of the fuel made
December 18, 2012 Read Full Article
ICM, Inc. Successfully Completes 1,000-Hour Run Proving Generation 1.5: Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
(ICM) ICM, Inc. announces that it successfully completed its 1,000-hour run of an integrated fiber campaign conducted at its pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. ICM has developed and validated its proprietary Generation 1.5 Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Fuel From Waste, Poised at a Milestone
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) For years, scientists and engineers have been juggling various combinations of acids, steam, bacteria, catalysts and the digestive juices of microorganisms to convert agricultural waste and even household garbage into motor fuel. So far,
November 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Using Manure To Mend Mine-Damaged Soils
(USDA Agricultural Research Service) From 1850 to 1950, the Tri-State Mining District of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma produced 50 percent of the zinc and 10 percent of the lead in the United States. The last active mine
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
State Corn Groups Lay Groundwork for Higher Ethanol Blends, Greater Consumer Choice
(National Corn Growers Association) State corn associations across the country are working diligently to make the increased use of higher ethanol blends a reality through programs to put the necessary infrastructure in place. Laying the groundwork for a shift toward
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
The Stampede of Elephants: Biofuels and Big Balance Sheets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Today, we’ll look at the bigger balance sheets to see who is investing what, and when, with whom, and why. ...We’ve also focused here, for the sake of brevity, on those financing commercial scale projects. So,
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Standoff at Pump Over New Fuel: Ethanol Lobby vs. Station Owners
by Ryan Tracy (The Wall Street Journal) ...Since the blend known as E15 first hit the market for regular cars in July, eight fuel stations in Kansas and Iowa have started to sell it, according to the Renewable Fuels Association,
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Milestones Reached: Cellulosic Ethanol Is Arriving, with Commissioning under Way and More Than 100 MMgy under Construction.
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The next five years—the often scoffed mantra of cellulosic ethanol developers—is getting whittled down to the next year or two. A milestone was reached this year when Blue Sugars Corp. got the first cellulosic
October 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Kansas Energy Projects Fuel Economic Promise
by Tim Carpenter (Topeka Capital Journal) Grants of $20.5 million offer twist to ethanol plant, farm machinery A $15.9 million investment of federal economic stimulus cash by Gov. Sam Brownback hangs on an Oakley ethanol plant's vision of generating value from
October 02, 2012 Read Full Article
E15 Now Offered at Five Kansas Stations
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) As predicted, the Sept. 15 expiration of EPA’s summer volatility restriction has resulted in an increase in E15 offerings. This week five stations in Kansas begin offer E15, bringing the total in the state to
September 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum in Spotlight Due to Drought, Pending EPA Action
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For years, National Sorghum Producers have advocated for increasing the use of grain sorghum, or milo, as an ethanol feedstock. Lately, the idea seems to be gaining steam. “There’s been increased interest over
September 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Companies Showcase Progress
by Colleen Lerro (BIO) Wednesday at the National Press Club, several advanced biofuels companies joined BIO to showcase the progress the industry has made in recent years. U.S. companies have worked to rapidly scale up advanced biofuel technology – through pilot
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Kansas Drivers Have New E15 Retail Station
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Drivers who live and travel through Ottawa, Kansas now have access to E15. The Zarco 66 station located at 2518 E. Logan (intersection of I-35 & HWY 68) has become the second retail gas station to
August 22, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA to Approve Sorghum for Cleaner Ethanol; Experts Say Grain Has Less Impact on Food Prices
(The Washington Post/Associated Press) The federal government is on the verge of approving a grain mainly used as livestock feed to make a cleaner version of ethanol, a decision officials say could give farmers a new moneymaking opportunity, boost the
August 16, 2012 Read Full Article
See for Yourself: New BIO Book Showcases Visible Progress in Industrial Biotech
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) BIO recently introduced a picture book of biorefineries across the United States,“Visible Progress in Commercialization of Advanced Biofuels, Biobased Products and Renewable Chemicals”, which showcases commercial, demonstration and even new pilot facilities. Some of these facilities have been in
July 31, 2012 Read Full Article
NCERC Converts Corn Bran to Fuel for First Time in History
by David Pruitt (The Alestle) On July 16 and 17, John Caupert, director of SIUE’s National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center, met with USDA officials about a new process the NCERC has discovered to use corn more efficiently in the production
July 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Kansas University Researcher Fuels New Use of Wastewater
(Associated Press/FuelFix) A University of Kansas researcher wants wastewater to be less so by using it to manufacture biofuel. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that assistant professor Belinda Sturm grows algae in nitrogen- and phosphorus-laden Lawrence wastewater that ordinarily is discharged into
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
E15 Fuel Reaches the Masses (at One Station)
by Matthew L. Wald (The New York Times) ...The Phillips 66 brand station on Route 10 in Lawrence, Kan., uses “blender pumps” that allow the customer to choose a gasoline-ethanol mix that is 10 percent, 15 percent, 30 percent or 85 percent
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. Energy Crops Resisting Drought so Far
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) While the drought in the U.S. is beginning to take a significant toll on some of the nation’s crops—particularly in the Midwest and the Corn Belt—it seems most energy crops are hanging on, at least
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Ohio State Partner in $5.7M Grant to Develop New Biofuel
by Mauricio Espinoza (Ohio State University/North Texas d-News) Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) will play a key role in the engineering of a novel plant-based fuel, funded by a $5.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Dial 9011 for Crop Assistance
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Section 9011 of the Farm Bill – the Biomass Crop Assistance Program – USDA deploys $9.6M in new investments in bioenergy crops as questions revolve around the program’s future and effectiveness. Is BCAP important? Will
June 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Is Kansas Ready to Bump to E15 at the Pump?
by Steve Everly (Kansas City Star) Ethanol industry pushes for the state to step up from the E10 blend now offered. But automakers warn of engine damage, voided warranties. ...E10 will still be available, and selling E15 won’t be mandatory, but
March 29, 2012 Read Full Article
No Farm Bill, No Tier 3—Not until after the Election; Sundrop Fuels Presents an Alternative
By Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the March 21 Bioenergy Day on Capitol Hill, discussion focused on the need for a continued Renewable Fuels Standard, reviews of the history of biofuels, assessment of current questioning of biofuels as viable
March 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Senate Ag Committee Hearing Focuses on Farm Bill Energy Programs
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and a handful of bioenergy stakeholders were given the opportunity to present the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry with their opinions on the importance of the Farm Bill’s
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Brazilian Demand Gives U.S. Ethanol Producers a Big Boost
by Steve Tarter (The State-Journal Register) More U.S. ethanol was shipped overseas in 2011 than any year in history. The Washington, D.C.-based Renewable Fuels Association reported that 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol — worth about $2.5 billion — were exported to
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Rolling into the Forage Market
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Cattlemen are increasingly turning to value-added distillers grains products from SweetPro Feeds ...Using the coproduct from ethanol production as a medium for vitamins, minerals, yeast and enzymes provides benefits that traditional molasses licks don’t. ...First, molasses
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Soybean Checkoff to Partner with Nine Clean Cities Coalitions
(Jackson County Times-Journal) The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have announced the participants in the 2012 biodiesel and Bioheat® communications program, which helps cities across the United States spread the word about the only commercially available advanced biofuel. The
January 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Next Up: Abengoa in Early Planning for Second Cellulosic Plant
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s only been a few months since Abengoa Bioenergy broke ground on its 23 MMgy multifeedstock cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kan., but so far, construction of its first commercial-scale cellulosic facility is still
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Taking Bio-Based Products to the Next Level: MGP Ingredients, Inc. teams up with Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy, Universities
(MGP Ingredients) MGP Ingredients, Inc. (MGP), an expert in wheat- and corn-based ingredients, is teaming up with the Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy (KABB) and four Kansas universities to develop new technologies and products that use bio-based raw materials. Through
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Helps Install 266 Blender Pumps through REAP
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA announced the final round of fiscal year 2011 Renewable Energy for America Program awards on Dec. 14. The awards included grants for 12 blender pump projects in eight states, bringing the
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Good Digestion: It’s Been a Bumpy Road to Full-Scale Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion Technologies at Ethanol Plants
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite the promise of methane from anaerobic digestion technology, low natural gas rates and other factors have kept ethanol producers from jumping in with both feet. ...On top of the digester, Western Plains Energy utilizes
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding To Create Jobs, Reduce Energy Costs for Agricultural Producers and Rural Small Businesses
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (December 14, 2011) announced loans and grants for agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their operations. The funding is
December 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Kansas City Firm to Re-Open Mead Ethanol Plant
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) Spectrum Business Ventures of Kansas City aims to bring a closed ethanol plant near Mead out of mothball status in the next few months. The former E3 Biofuels plant attracted widespread attention in 2006 as
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Switchgrass Ethanol Research Looks to Yield Big Benefits
by Larry Dreiling (High Plains MidWest Ag Journal) Construction has begun in Hugoton, Kan., on the nation's first commercial scale biomass fuel refinery. Abengoa Bioenergy's new, 23 million-gallon annual throughput refinery will take biomass, mainly switchgrass, and turn it into ethanol. One
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Kansas Group Works to Turn Crop Stubble into Energy
by Dan Voorhis (The Wichita Eagle) ...The Kansas Alliance for BioRefining and BioEnergy was created in 2009 and was originally funded by the Kansas BioScience Authority to help commercialize research and technology that turns plants into energy and products. ...Its
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Ethanol Board Part of New Flex Fuel Campaign
(Nebraska Farmer) USDA grant intended to make drivers more aware of flex fuel vehicles and ethanol's benefits involves Nebraska and five other states. A grant awarded by USDA will be used to promote flex fuel vehicles, flex fuel pumps, and driver
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
FlexFuel Vehicle Education Project Announced
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new public education project to reach drivers of FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs) by working with state Motor Vehicle Administrations (MVA) was announced today by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Clean Fuels Foundation. As a part
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Finalizes $132 Million Loan Guarantee to Support the Abengoa Bioenergy Project
(US Department of Energy) Groundbreaking Cellulosic Ethanol Project Expected to Fund Over 300 Jobs and Build Nation’s Capacity for Cellulosic Ethanol Production U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department finalized a $132.4 million loan guarantee to Abengoa Bioenergy
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Street-Legal Cars Burn E85 on Kearney Racetrack
by Lori Potter (KearneyHub.com) More than 200 cars will roar down the Kearney Raceway Park track Oct. 1-2 during the 2011 National Hot Rod Association Division 5 National Open, with events for dragsters, super stocks and street legal cars. However, Grady
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Gives $2 Million for Blender Pumps in 22 States
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Thirty-three projects in 22 states have been approved for blender pump grants in the latest round of funding to be dispersed through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. A total of $27 million
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
$15.6M Grant to Help Pay to Convert Manure to Methane in Oakley
by Mike Corn (The Hays Daily News) Leftover money from the federal Recovery Act will help pay for a project converting cattle manure to methane to help fuel the Western Plains Energy ethanol plant near Oakley. The Kansas Department of Commerce
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Water Intensity of Corn-Based Ethanol Needs to Include DDGS Credit
by Gouri Shankar Mishra and Sonia Yeh (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Study recalculates water consumption with expanded system boundaries and coproduct credit Recent studies have estimated the “consumptive water use,” “water embodied,” and “water footprint” of corn-based ethanol in the U.S, with
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack: USDA Will Continue to Push for Blender Pump Expansion
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s Aug. 17 announcement of 900 Rural Energy for America Program grants included just 21 awards for blender pumps. USDA officials promise, however, that more funding is on the way. The announcement highlighted
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Abengoa Announces DOE Offer of Conditional Commitment for $133.9 Million Loan Guarantee to Build Inaugural Biomass Plant in United States
(Abengoa/PR NewsWire) Abengoa today announced that its subsidiary, Abengoa Bioenergy, has been selected by the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office to receive an offer of a conditional commitment for a $133.9 million federal loan guarantee for the construction of
August 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Dodge City High School Teacher Gets Fired up about Research
by Mark Reagan (Dodge City Globe) Dodge City High School biology teacher Shannon Ralph said she'll never look at algae like she used to. Ralph spent six weeks this summer in Lawrence attending the Research Experience for Teachers and Shaping Inquiry
August 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Scouting for Biofuels Crops in Indian Creek Watershed
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is looking for the best biofuels crops to grow in the northeast Illinois Indian Creek Watershed. During a recent field tour of the watershed sponsored by theConservation Technology Information Center, Argonne
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
BCAP Helps Abengoa Solve Chicken-and-Egg Feedstock Issue
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With help from the USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Abengoa is on its way to establishing a significantly sized switchgrass plantation in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma surrounding the site of the company’s proposed
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Scientific Seeks Funds for Fertilizer-Eating Algae Project
by Ben Edwards (Bloomberg) ...The Plymouth, Michigan-based company is raising $500,000 to complete demonstration plants and will seek the remaining funds in the next six to nine months, Chief Science Officer Geoff Horst said in a telephone interview. The plants
August 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Wichita QuikTrips Would Carry E85 in Effort State is Pursuing
by Emily Behlmann (Wichita Business Journal) ...According to an application submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy, the state of Kansas wants to use $5 million of federal stimulus dollars on a project to install flex-fuel pumps at 38 Wichita-area
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Awards $45 Million to Four New BCAP Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the creation of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
State Wants to Pull Millions in Stimulus Dollars from the Efficiency Kansas Loan Program
by Christine Metz (Sunflower Horizons) The Kansas Energy Office is pulling funding on a state program that has lent hundreds of Kansans thousands of dollars to make energy efficiency upgrades in their homes. Pending final approval from the U.S. Department of
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Link Between Crops and Deforestation in Amazon Not So Cut and Dry
(InfoZine) A Kansas State University geographer is part of a research team out to prove what environmental scientists have suspected for years: Increasing the production of soybean and biofuel crops in Brazil increases deforestation in the Amazon. ...Although this cause-and-effect finding
July 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producing Town Hosts Boat Race
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Boat racers from coast to coast gathered in the ethanol-producing town of Garnett, Kansas over the weekend to speed around Cedar Valley Reservoir on ten percent ethanol fuel (E10) at the National Boat Racing Association(NBRA) “Garnett Ethanol
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Officials Expect USDA Blender Pump Financing to Be Successful
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s June 15 application deadline for blender pump funding via the Rural Energy for America Program is fast approaching and state energy coordinators say they have been busy fielding calls and assisting with
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Cattle+Ethanol=A Good Match
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Cattlemen in the U.S. and Canada demonstrate feedlots and ethanol production are ideal companion enterprises In every case, the cattle came first. In an effort to find inexpensive and efficient ways to feed cattle—and in
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
American Ethanol Raises the Green Flag in Kansas
(AmericanEthanolRacing.com) When the green flag waves at the Kansas Speedway for this weekend’s (June 4-5, 2011) NASCAR events, more than 1,100 American Ethanol supporters, including a host of farmers, will be in the stands to cheer on Clint Bowyer, driving
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
The American Ethanol Racecar Making Its Debut in Kansas!
(Growth Energy) The American Ethanol NASCAR racecar is making its grand entrance. At the June 5th NASCAR Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup race, the No. 33 Chevrolet racecar, driven by Kansas native Clint Bowyer of Richard Childress Racing, will debut on the
May 20, 2011 Read Full Article
The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) congratulates the Show Me Energy Cooperative for its selection by USDA as the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project area
(Show Me Energy) The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) congratulates the Show Me Energy Cooperative for its selection by USDA as the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project area. The designation creates a “fuel shed” of 30 counties in
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
KU Research Team Awarded $5.6 Million to Convert Biomass into Chemicals
(The University of Kansas) ...A University of Kansas-led research team has received a $5.6 million grant to develop clean technologies to convert biomass into chemicals that could ultimately replace the petroleum-based chemicals currently used in many household items. Bala Subramaniam, director
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce America's Reliance on Imported Oil
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Abengoa on Schedule to Secure 100 Percent of the Biomass Requirement for its Hugoton, Kansas, Cellulosic Ethanol Facility
(Abengoa) Abengoa, the company that develops innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, is on schedule to secure 100 percent of the biomass raw material for its Hugoton, Kansas, cellulosic ethanol plant. The company has signed
April 15, 2011 Read Full Article
A Fiber of Hope: Missouri Plant Wants to Make Ethanol in a New Way
by Steve Everly and Scott Canon (Kansas City Star) This country’s battle to curb oil imports is being plotted in high-tech laboratories and elite universities hunting for breakthroughs in alternative fuels. But the frontlines in the effort to bring such fuels
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Harvesting, Storage and Transfer Technology Update
by Maynard Herron and Bob Matousek (Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy) AGCO (Hesston, KS) received an award for biomass feedstock supply demonstration as a partial match of a $5 million renewable energy R & D grant
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
State Alliance to Pump $200,000 into KU Biofuels Lab
(CheckBioTech) The Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy (KABB) announced its investment Tuesday, of $200,000 in the Biofuels Testing Laboratory at the University of Kansas. The Biofuels Lab is a $1.2 million initiative to develop a full suite of testing facilities
March 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Abengoa to Build Ethanol Plant
(Biofuels International) Technology provider for the energy and environment sectors Abengoa will implement its enzymatic hydrolysis process technology to produce bioethanol at a commercial-scale in the US. The news comes after the company's second generation bioethanol pilot production plant, located in
February 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Thieves Busted Stealing Gallons of Used Cooking Grease
(KSN.com) ...At 5:30 Tuesday morning at an east Wichita Burger King, an alert manager saw someone with a Ford truck sucking out the grease from storage containers in the back of the restaurant which contained used cooking grease. “They come to
January 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol and Sorghum Expansion
by Cary Blake (Western Farm Press) The long-term growth of the U.S. sorghum industry lies in part with scientists unraveling paths to economically produce cellulosic ethanol. “We are very excited about the future of energy (forage-whole plant) sorghum as the cellulosic
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
Kansas Wheat Commission Seeking Proposals
(Kansas Farmer) Researchers are invited to submit proposals to help wheat growers. Possible areas of inquiry include wheat and wheat bi-products for use in biofuel applications, including on-farm fuel production. The Kansas Wheat Commission is looking for research proposals that can
October 07, 2009 Read Full Article
Scientists Searching for Best Plants to Fuel Cars of the Future
(Southwest Farm Press) In a field tucked into the northern side of this college town, just across from the Kansas State University football complex, some unusually tall plants are growing. They are part of the university´s research into promising biofuel