Aventine Renewable Energy plans to resume work next month on its ethanol plant located in Canton, Illinois. In September 2011, Aventine announced it was delaying work on the plant due to uncertainty surrounding its ability to secure critical third-party technical and engineering support. Since that time, the company has secured the support necessary to move the project forward and now …
Australia Ethanol Firm Gets Sustainable Certification
An Australian ethanol producer has received the first completed commercial certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB). The Manildra Group, through its subsidiary Shoalhaven Starches Pty Ltd, produces bioethanol from starchy wastewater generated by their wheat processing facility in New South Wales, Australia. The RSB certification means that “Manildra offers tangible evidence that sustainable biofuels may be efficiently and …
Breakthrough Could Make Fuel Cells More Efficient
A breakthrough by chemists at the University of California-Berkeley could have a profound impact on the growing market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In an article appearing this week in the journal Science, UC Berkeley chemists show how to construct a catalyst composed only of edges and demonstrate that it can catalyze the production of hydrogen from water as readily …
Corn Grower Ethanol Committee Explores Future
The Ethanol Committee of the National Corn Growers Association met in Kansas City this past week week to consider the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. “The market for ethanol has grown exponentially over the past decade, thus utilizing an abundance of corn to meet the already-present need for a renewable, domestic biofuel,” said Chad Willis, a Minnesota corn grower …
RFA Calls E15 Bill Another Stall Tactic
The president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is calling a bill approved by a House subcommittee Tuesday yet another stall tactic to the use of higher ethanol blends in fuel. RFA’s Bob Dinneen says the legislation sponsored by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) injects “parochial politics into the scientifically established process of approving new fuels.” “In approving E15, the Department …
Low-Fat Distillers Grains for Dairy
POET is targeting dairy producers with the introduction of a new low-fat distillers grains product. The South Dakota-based ethanol producer notes that research indicates its new Dakota Gold Low Fat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) can be fed to dairy cattle at a higher inclusion rate than traditional DDGS. According to Kip Karges, PhD, Technical Services and Research Director …
Legislation Would Delay E15
Legislation sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) could delay getting 15% ethanol blended fuel in the marketplace by requiring even more testing by the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill out of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee has the backing of numerous anti-ethanol organizations, including the including petroleum, livestock, environmental and food industry groups. It would …
OriginOil Signs Agreement With Algae Producer
Algae oil extraction technology developer OriginOil has signed a commercial agreement with algae producer Aquaviridis to work on a multi-phase algae production rollout at a facility in Mexicali, Mexico. Under the agreement, OriginOil will provide its expertise to help develop growth and harvesting solutions and implement appropriate OriginOil technologies. The Mexico facility is being developed as a potential model for …
Registration Open for Advanced Biofuels Conference
The 2012 Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, presented by Biofuels Digest, is scheduled for April 2-5 at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C. The main event will feature dozens of top officials from advanced biofuels companies, including industry leaders such as Amyris, Ceres, GEVO, Mascoma, Sapphire Energy, Solazyme, ZeaChem and many more. The conference also features two special full-day concurrent sessions …
Sao Paulo Ethanol Import Tax Could Violate GATT
*Updated with clarification comments from UNICA* The president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) this week wrote a letter to the U.S. Trade Ambassador asking for an investigation into news that the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo was imposing a 25% tax on all imported ethanol. “Because ethanol produced in Sao Paulo is tax exempt, ethanol imported into Sao Paulo …