It used to be the image of a modern oilman was a Middle Eastern sheik. But more and more, it’s an American Mid-WESTERNER. Case in point, this article from the Bangor (Maine) Daily News. The town of Bucksport, Maine could become the home of one of the largest biodiesel plants in the Northeastern United States. Dirigo Biofuels, an Iowa-based company …
Minnesota Professor Looks at Economic Viability of Using Animal Fat for Biodiesel
Recently, both Cindy and I have been telling you about using the leftovers from meat processing (chicken fat, in particular) to help make biodiesel. Now, I’ve talked with Vernon Eidman, Professor Emeritus in Applied Economics with the University of Minnesota about the economic viability of using these alternative feedstocks in alternative fuels. Check it out! Professor Eidman (5 min MP3)
E85 Moves Down Under
Saab has become the first car maker to introduce a flex-fuel vehicle in Australia. Saab officials say the BioPower program will help them gauge demand for ethanol powered vehicles and renewable fuels in Australia, even though E85 is not yet commercially available in the country. According to AutoWeb Australia, Saab introduced the vehicles this week at a promotional event in …
Three More Ethanol Plants For Iowa
A Dallas company plans to built three new ethanol plants in Iowa that could produce up to 300 million gallons of fuel a year. According to the Des Moines Register, Harvest BioFuels LLC is scheduled to begin construction of a plant near Galbraith in eastern Kossuth County in April, with onstruction of plants near Garner in Hancock County and near …
Bill Would Increase Biofuels Infrastructure
Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) this week introduced bi-partisan legislation designed to increase the availability of alternative fuels at the pump. According to Sen. Thune’s press office, the Alternative Energy Refueling Systems Act would provide for increased energy security for Americans by providing incentives for gas station owners across the country to install alternative fuel tanks, …
Biofuels at Green Week
It’s International Grüne Woche (Green Week) in Berlin, the annual global exhibition for the food industry, agriculture and horticulture. And while food has always been the focus of this event, fuel is stealing some of the thunder this year. Messe Berlin is the company that organizes Green Week and CEO Raimund Hosch welcomed agricultural journalists at the kickoff for the …
Interview with Jerry Bagley, Chicken Fat Oilman
Back on January 4th, we told you about a plant near Dexter in Southeast Missouri that is using chicken fat to make biodiesel. Read the original AP story here. Today, I talked with Jerry Bagley, one of the co-owners with Global Fuels, LLC. He told me that he thinks they are just on the edge of the potential for this …
Upcoming Biomass Conference
Mark your calendars for Biomass and Biorefinery Deals 2007 March 26th-28th in Washington, D.C. Industry leaders along with government officials, and equity and venture financiers will get together at D.C.’s AED Conference Center to discuss the financial end of biomass operations. They will address federal incentives and programs for the development of new biomass energy projects, as well as the …
CBOT Official Says Biodiesel Contracts Still in the Future
Following up on Cindy’s post about the Reuter’s Global Biofuels Summit, I ran across this bit of news about the future of biodiesel futures from Reuters. The chief economist at the Chicago Board of Trade, Dave Lehman, told attendees at the summit that the biodiesel market is still not big enough to be a hedging tool. The biodiesel market is …
Reuters Global Biofuels Summit
Reuters News Service held a Global Biofuels Summit this week featuring industry leaders addressing a number of topics. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla told Reuters that he predicts “a rapid rise in cellulosic ethanol production and utility-grade solar power.” Khosla says cellulosic technology is getting closer and closer to the market. “Remember, last year (cellulosic ethanol) was six to 10 years …