Agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland is acquiring Prairie Pride’s soybean crushing and biodiesel facility in Deerfield, Mo., a biodiesel plant idled since early 2010. This ADM press release says the company will form a partnership with Prairie Pride on the biodiesel side of the house. “The acquisition of Prairie Pride’s soybean facility and partnership for the biodiesel business were attractive …
Biofuels Industry On The Move
The biofuels industry is on the move. Cogent BioFuels, an ethanol marketer based in Chesterfield, Missouri, has announced that Casey Carmondy will be the new director of logistics and business development. Most recently, Carmondy worked with CSX-Agriculture Marketing Group and has nearly 10 years of experience in servicing rail shippers including shipping ethanol. Marty Lyons, President of Cogent said, “We …
Agrivida Announces Biomass Breakthrough
During the American Chemical Society meeting in Anaheim, California, Agrivida announced that they have developed a technology that provides the biomass with the ability to convert its starch to sugar more effectively without using a traditional enzyme to aid the process. The company uses a proprietary feedstock, low temperature and low cost processing platform to convert nearly 80 percent of …
Green Tips for Earth Month 2011
April 22, 2011 marks the 41st Earth Day and many are calling for Earth Day to be expanded to include issues surrounding energy independence. Those who lobby for energy independence also lobby for the increased use of renewable energy including wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. Today, renewable energy company Green Mountain Energy Company, is offering some green tips for Earth …
Volvo’s C30 Electric Generates Heat With Bio-Ethanol
Volvo is preparing to launch its C30 Electric vehicle but it has a unique twist. This car uses bio-ethanol to generate heat in the winter to keep passengers toasty warm. It is unusual in that the heater doesn’t draw power from the battery and thus doesn’t affect the driving range of the electric car (EV). The announcement came in conjunction …
Agilyx Secures $22M in Funding
Renewable energy company Agilyx Corporation has secured $22 million in Series B funding. Agilyx believes they are the first company to economically covert difficult recycle waste plastic into synthetic crude oil. The monies will be used to expand operations and accelerate the growth of their technology to market. The funding round was led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and …
New Blender Pump in York, NE
A new ethanol blender pump opened last week in York, Nebraska thanks to the efforts of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the Nebraska Corn Board. “E85 is cleaner than gas, it’s produced here in Nebraska, and more and more cars can use it every year,” said Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator. ”The addition of this new flex fuel dispenser …
Enzymatic Process Touted for Biodiesel Production
A Texas-based company claims its enzymatic process for turning waste grease into clean-burning biodiesel will save money and can be used on existing biodiesel plants. Biodiesel Experts International LLC of Pearland, near Houston, calls its process “revolutionary” and is offering to provide engineering, onsite supervision, startup, training, enzyme material, and complete plants: The enzymatic process consist of two (2) different …
Oregon Becomes 2nd State with 5% Biodiesel Mandate
Oregon has become the 2nd state in the nation to have a 5 percent biodiesel requirement. The state joins Minnesota in requiring the B5 mix and gained the praise of the National Biodiesel Board: “Policymakers in Oregon should be congratulated for displaying national leadership on clean energy issues,” said Shelby Neal, NBB regulatory affairs director. “As a result of the …
Vilsack Named Biofool of the Year
Friends of the Earth (FOE) has named U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack the 2011 Biofool of the Year, the organization’s award that recognizes “leaders that promote dirty biofuels.” According to FOE, Vilsack received 2,424 votes of the more than 6,000 cast and they say he definitely deserves the honor. “With Secretary Vilsack at the helm, the USDA has doubled …