Solving the Glycerin Glut

John Davis

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 …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Arkansas to Get 150 MGY Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

Consolidated Biofuels and International Bio Fuels Corp. have announced plans to jointly open a biodiesel plant in Arkansas… one that will be among the biggest in the country. The refinery will be built on a 65 acre lot on the Mississippi Port of Yellow Bend and will produce 150 million gallons of biodiesel and 70 million bushels of soybean oil …

Biodiesel

Enhancing Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

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 …

Audio, Ethanol, FEW, News, RFA

Ethanol From Corn Cobs

Cindy Zimmerman

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 …

Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, FEW, News, RFA

More Than Just a FEW

Cindy Zimmerman

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?” …

Audio, Ethanol, FEW, News, RFA

New Device to Cut Ethanol Costs

John Davis

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 …

Ethanol, News

TN, WI, & CA to Share $375 mill in Fed Research Funding

John Davis

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 …

Ethanol, News

New Biggest Kid on Block?

John Davis

Just as Imperium Renewables is set to open the nation’s biggest biodiesel refinery with a 100-million-gallon-a-year plant in Washington state, there could be a contender out there that will produce three times as much annually. This story on Inside Greentech.com says California-based SE-Energy has announced plans to build a 320-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel refinery at Chesapeake, Virginia: To be situated on the …

Biodiesel

Imperium On Schedule

John Davis

Biodiesel giant Imperium Renewables is on schedule to open a 100-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel refinery next month at Gray’s Harbor in Washington state… although there’s been some rumors there might be delays . This article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer explains the mixup seems to be a matter of when the party to celebrate the opening will be: Imperium spokesman John Williams said …

Biodiesel

Report: Biodiesel to be Cheaper than Light Oil

John Davis

A report from the Korean Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) says, as early as 2011, biodiesel will cost less than its petroleum counterpart. This story from the English-language version of Dong-A.com says the report is titled “Prospects on the Economic Feasibility of Biodiesel and Improving the Support System.” Right now in Korea, biodiesel costs about $.87 per liter to produce… compared …

Biodiesel