To have a profitable business you need to operate safely while producing a high quality product. You can produce a high quality product but if your employees are getting hurt while you’re doing this, you’re not going to be in business long. So it’s important that you engage your employees into your safety program from top to bottom. And that’s …
REG Albert Lea Biodiesel Plant Officially Opens
The Renewable Energy Group (REG) celebrated the official opening of the REG Albert Lea biodiesel plant in Minnesota on Monday, with representatives of the state and local community and agriculture industry. REG President and COO Dan Oh says they were involved in the construction and operations of the plant when it originally was built and opened by SoyMor. “We have …
Tips For Methanol Safe Handling
Chemicals are an everyday part of operating a biorefinery facility as we learned in Part 1 of Biorefinery Safety Series. Chemicals are also an integral part of biodiesel production. Therefore, it is vitally important that all employees at a biodiesel facility, whether a large operation on a small backyard operation, learn, practice and live safe methanol handling techniques. So today, …
Ethanol Industry Responds to Feed Availability Concerns
Representatives of the U.S. livestock and poultry industries testified before a House agriculture subcommittee today that changes in ethanol policy are necessary to ensure the availability of corn for animal feed, but the ethanol industry disagrees. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, America’s ethanol producers are on pace to produce nearly 40 million metric tons of livestock feed in 2011 …
How to Properly Handle Chemicals in a Biorefinery
I’ve spent the last few weeks speaking with people in the biorefining industry in an effort to learn more about safety issues and best practices. The result is a series on Biorefinery Plant Safety and part one focuses on chemical safety. Chemicals are a necessary component of producing ethanol or biodiesel. On the ethanol side, some plants use chlorine dioxide …
How To Accelerate Wind Energy Development
Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of energy in the U.S. Last year wind energy was only second to natural gas in terms of providing new electric generation. Bill White with David Gardiner & Associates told me during an interview that it won’t be long before wind energy surpasses all other forms of energy for new electric …
NASCAR Popular at Farm Progress Show
There were quite a few race cars mixed in with the tractors and combines this year at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. In addition Richard Childress and the American Ethanol NASCAR Sprint Series car at the Growth Energy exhibit, over at the Illinois Corn Growers exhibit, the Illinois Family Farmers NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Kenny Wallace was …
American Ethanol Partners at Farm Progress Show
The partnership between American Ethanol and NASCAR was on display at the 2011 Farm Progress Show, where racing fans got a chance to meet with former driver and current team owner Richard Childress. Pictured here with Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis, Childress said his team’s partnership with American Ethanol and the NASCAR series using a 15% ethanol blend this year …
GROWMARK Supplies Domestic Fuel for Farm Progress Show
When the cars, trucks, tractors, combines and other equipment at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois needed fueling up, GROWMARK FS was there on-site to serve up home-grown fuel. Mark Dehner, GROWMARK marketing manager for refined and renewable fuels, says they have been the official Farm Progress Show fuel supplier for many years. “It takes a lot of …
RFA CEO Visits Farm Progress Show
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen visited with farmers, friends and the farm media at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois this week. Dinneen has been traveling around the Midwest this month and says he is always amazed by the ability of the nation’s farmers to do their job, no matter what Mother Nature …