The Load Toad™ was on the loose in Indianapolis last week. The patented Load Toad™ technology that evenly distributes distillers’ dried grains onto rail cars was unveiled for the first time at the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Indianapolis, IN. It was first announced at the end of last year. “The Load Toad is used with conventional loading to enhance …
Corn Growers Proud to Promote American Ethanol
At the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop last week, the CEO of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) accepted an award for promoting the advancement of ethanol on behalf of the corn industry as a whole. “It’s more of an award for the people that I work with, the farmers, our leaders, our great staff, the state groups,” said Rick Tolman …
ZimmPoll Results for GIPSA Rule Proposal
The ZimmPoll is not a scientific, statistically valid measurement of any demographic but rather a gauge of opinion and other information from interested readers. Never has that been more evident than this past week when our poll was highly influenced by a concerted campaign to do so by R-Calf in response to a post Cindy did, “GIPSA Dominates Senate Committee …
Iowans Have Saved $50M in Fuel Costs in 2011
Looking to save some cash on fuel costs? For those who can’t reduce your driving should consider filling up with ethanol or E10 to be exact. Drivers in Iowa who have fueled up with E10 in 2011 have saved $50 million during the first five months of the year according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). Ethanol sales in …
Country’s First B20 Biodiesel Bus Retired
Medford, New Jersey’s, and possibly the country’s, first bus to run on a 20 percent blend of biodiesel (B20) has been retired. The 1998 International bus consumed more than 28,000 gallons of biodiesel during its lifetime and allowed children to ride to and from school and other events surrounded by cleaner air. The bus was first fueled with B20 on …
Biofuels Arrive in Tarrant, Alabama
Biofuels have arrived in Tarrant, Alabama. Pacific Pride Services, a subsidiary of Wright Express Corporation, has announced that in partnership with Quality Petroleum of Alabama the opening of the first Commercial Fuel Center offering both biodiesel for fleet customers as well as ethanol. The new location is Quality Petroleum’s eighth Pacific Pride Fuel Center in Alabama and joins more than …
Hot Springs Microbe May Hold Key to Biofuel Production
Researchers from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a microbe in a Nevada hot spring that enjoys eating cellulose (aka plant material) at temperatures above the boiling point of water, 109 degrees Celsius or 228 degrees Fahrenheit. This microbe could hold a key in developing technologies to improve the breakdown of …
ExxonMobil to Offer Biodiesel at Four Texas Terminals
ExxonMobil will soon offer ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) blended with biodiesel for the first time at four rack terminals in Texas. ExxonMobil will offer ULSD with up to a 5 percent biodiesel blend in Irving, Texas and North Houston beginning this summer. They will also also the fuel via third party terminals located in Tyler, Texas and Pasadena, Texas. According …
Renewable Energy Production Surpasses Nuclear
Renewable energy production has surpassed nuclear energy production in the U.S. according to the latest issue of Monthly Energy Review published by the Energy Information Administration. Production of alternative energy is also beginning to close in on domestic oil production. During the first three months of 2011, energy produced from renewable energy sources (biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, hydro, wind) generated 2.245 …
SDSU Helping to Improve Ethanol Plant Efficiency
South Dakota State University (SDSU) is helping to improve the efficiency of ethanol plants. The SDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department recently invested in small scale, corn milling and ethanol processing equipment to let ethanol plant mangers test process adjustments in order to optimize efficiency. “This small equipment allows them to test small adjustments and see how they work without …