Biodiesel is riding the wave of record production that only looks to get bigger as Americans yearn for the greener fuel to help break the addiction on foreign oil. That’s the good news. The bad news is the industry is facing a glut of a biodiesel by-product called glycerin. But researchers at Rice University have found a way to make …
Enhancing Ethanol Production
DuPont and FOSS North America today announced an agreement that will help farmers and ethanol producers better understand ethanol yield potential of grain corn being delivered to ethanol plants. The agreement, announced during the Fuel Ethanol Workshop, provides FOSS rights to technology developed by DuPont. Under terms of the agreement, DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred is providing to FOSS proprietary Ethanol …
Ethanol From Corn Cobs
At the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis on Wednesday, the nation’s largest dry-mill ethanol producer announced the successful production of cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs. At a press conference, POET CEO Jeff Broin said, “Along with corn fiber, cobs will be the primary feedstock we will use to make cellulosic ethanol at our proudction facillity in Iowa. For …
More Than Just a FEW
Just a few ethanol industry pioneers were present at the first Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis some 23 years ago. This week, attendees at the 2007 FEW filled the floor of the America’s Center arena, numbering more than 5200, with over 700 exhibitors filling the expo hall. “How many in this audience were here at that very first one?” …
New Device to Cut Ethanol Costs
USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists in California have come up with a device that is purported to increase the efficiency of ethanol refineries. This story from the ARS web site says chemical engineers Richard D. Offeman and George H. Robertson at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., believe their device using special permeable plastic membranes will reduce …
TN, WI, & CA to Share $375 mill in Fed Research Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded three grants of $125 million each to set up Bioenergy Research Centers in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Madison, Wisconsin; and near Berkeley, California. According to this release from the DOE, they are intended to accelerate basic research in the development of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels: “These Centers will provide the transformational science needed …
Report: Ethanol Production Nears 6 Billion Gallons/year
The latest report from the Renewable Fuels Association shows that a strong production trend continues in the U.S. ethanol industry, producing 391,000 barrels per day in April. That’s and increase of more than 100,000 barrels per day from the same time a year ago and brings the annual output at nearly six billion gallons. Ethanol demand remained constant at 410,000 …
Another POET Groundbreaking
South Dakota-based ethanol producer POET is adding another plant to its list of 20 active ethanol refineries and seven more under construction. According to this release on the company’s web site, the latest one will be near North Manchester, Indiana… about 40 miles west of Fort Wayne. POET will hold a groundbreaking on July 13th at 1:30 PM in the …
IndyCar Practice
The IndyCars are really exciting to watch. At the Iowa Corn Indy 250 they were a little more exciting than normal due to all the bang-ups. I’ve been very thrilled to have the opportunity to shoot pictures at a number of races now thanks to our sponsor, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and the Indy Racing League. This was …
Dario Franchitti Wins Iowa Corn Indy 250
The winner of the first ever Iowa Corn Indy 250, presented by Ethanol is Dario Franchitti. He was a survivor out there because it was a brutal race of attrition after multiple accidents. Dario is here in Victory Lane with members of the Iowa Corn Growers. He needed a little help getting that big trophy up in the air. Once …