Mixing enzyme cocktails and customized biofuel crops to make cellulosic ethanol a reality is the goal of a new industry partnership. Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. and enzyme provider Novozymes have announced a research collaboration to co-develop customized plant varieties and enzyme cocktails to improve the efficiency of converting biomass to fuel. “According to the Billion Ton Study by the …
Ethanol Testimony at Farm Bill Hearing
A House Agriculture Committee field hearing in South Dakota on the 2012 Farm Bill featured a lot of testimony about ethanol. POET Vice President for Commercial Development Scott Weishaar testified that the ethanol industry has become a legitimate threat to Big Oil and Washington deserves credit for envisioning that future when it created positive policies such as the Renewable Fuels …
Ethanol Report on Exports
As Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president Bob Dinneen was in Seville, Spain talking about American ethanol in the world market, the organization released a new report on rising U.S. ethanol exports. “The Paradox of Rising U.S. Ethanol Exports: Increased Market Opportunities at the Expense of Enhanced National Energy Security?” highlights how the nation quickly evolving from a net importer of …
RFA President Tweets Global Ethanol Meeting
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen has been keeping his Twitter followers up to speed on the activities at the World Biofuels conference in Seville, Spain this week. Industry leaders from all over the world are meeting at the event, where Dinneen did a presentation on American ethanol in the world market. Here are a few of …
Poll Shows American Frustration Over Oil
As Congress holds hearings on the oil spill, a new study finds most Americans are ready to do what it takes to reduce dependence on oil. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) report shows that, “even before the Gulf oil spill and Congressional hearings, Americans strongly supported reduced oil consumption and tougher fuel economy standards. In a late March survey …
Cellulosic Ethanol in Finland
A biorefinery company based in Finland has opened a plant for processing non-food biomass into cellulosic ethanol in Oulu. The Chempolis facility was officially opened last week by the Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen. “The third-generation biorefining technology that we have developed enables us to produce multiple products from agricultural residues using all the vegetable matter they contain, maximising the …
Corn Growers Want End to Indirect Land Use Change
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) believes that it’s time to throw out the whole debated theory of indirect land use change. “In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts our corn farmers will produce more than 300 million more bushels than just three years ago, and do so on nearly 5 million fewer acres,” NCGA President Darrin Ihnen said …
Ford’s 2011 Flexible Fuel Vehicles
Ford has announced a handful of models for their 2011 flexible fuel line-up. The company, who began producing FFVs in the mid 1990’s will offer more than 12 models in the upcoming year, according to a Growth Energy press release. “If we’re going to reduce emissions, clean the air, and increase our energy independence, we need to ensure that our …
Biodiesel Producers Plead for Renewal of Tax Credit
Four biodiesel producers from around the nation took their story to the media today, increasing their call for Congress to immediately and retroactively reinstate the federal biodiesel tax incentive which was allowed to expire five months ago. The producers included a small family operation in Arkansas, an energy group in Washington state, a plant that is laying off people in …
Corn Conference Will Focus on Indirect Land Use
The indirect land use change (ILUC) debate will take center stage at the upcoming 2010 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC), scheduled for June 7-9 in Atlanta. National Corn Growers Association Director of Biofuels & Business Development Jamey Cline is chairman of the plenary session “Land Use Conundrum…Corn, an Advanced Biofuel?” which will focus on the role land use criteria …