USDA’s Economic Research Service last week released its latest long term forecasts for the food and agricultural sector. For ethanol, USDA projects increases in corn-based ethanol production to slow over the next few years, but ethanol demand is expected to remain high and affect the production, use, and prices of farm commodities throughout the sector. According to the report, “continued …
Corn Growers Defend Ethanol Against Attacks
The nation’s corn growers called comments made Wednesday by a coalition of radical environmental groups “just another attempt to prevent the ethanol industry from decreasing the United States’ dependence on foreign oil.” “These environmental groups are stirring up fear for the American public at a time when Americans are already struggling due to the faltering world economy, job losses and …
Study Shows Cellulosic Ethanol Goals Attainable
A new study finds that large scale production of cellulosic ethanol beyond the level of the Renewable Fuel Standard is achievable and sustainable by 2030, with accelerated development of biofuel and agricultural technology. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today announced the release of “The 90-Billion Gallon Biofuel Deployment Study,” a new report by Sandia National Laboratories and General Motors Corp. …
RFA Analyzes Recent Ethanol Impact Studies
This edition of “The Ethanol Report” podcast features comments from Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper about recently released studies from the University of Nebraska and the University of Minnesota regarding life cycle analysis and greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol compared to gasoline. Cooper compares the two reports and discusses RFA’s major concerns with the …
Oil Company in Ethanol Partnership Files Bankruptcy
Kansas-based Crescent Oil Company has filed for bankruptcy after failing to make deliveries last week to many retailers the company serves in the Midwest. The sudden move comes just two weeks after Crescent took part in a grand opening for NewGen Fuels, a joint venture with ethanol plant owner/designers ICM and POET. Officials with NewGen say their goal to offer …
Ethanol Groups Criticize Negative Study
Ethanol industry organizations say a University of Minnesota study critical of corn ethanol is flawed. The study, which claims corn ethanol is worse for health and the environment than gasoline, was analyzed in detail by the Renewable Fuels Association. RFA warns “because there is no consensus within the academic community on the best methods for analyzing highly uncertain potential land …
Optimizing Engines for Ethanol
A Michigan-based engineering firm has reportedly developed technology to optimize engines for ethanol. According to a press release from Ricardo, Inc., the technology “optimizes ethanol-fueled engines to a level of performance that exceeds gasoline engine efficiency and approaches levels previously reached only by diesel engines.” The technology, called Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection or EBDI, takes full advantage of ethanol’s best …
Catalyst Could Jump Start Ethanol Fuel Cells
Researchers have developed a new catalyst that could make ethanol-powered fuel cells feasible. The research was done by a team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Delaware and Yeshiva University, and was published online in the January 25 edition of Nature Materials. According to the researchers, the …
Oil Company Bids to Buy Ethanol Plants
Bankrupt ethanol producer VeraSun has announced an agreement to sell a significant portion of its assets to Valero Energy Corporation for $280 million. The deal would involve VeraSun production facilities in Aurora, South Dakota; Charles City, Fort Dodge, and Hartley, Iowa; and Welcome, Minnesota; and a development site in Reynolds, Indiana. Having entered into the Valero agreement, the Company is …
No Deliveries From Oil Supplier in Ethanol Partnership
An oil distributor that is part of a recently-announced joint venture with POET and ICM to deliver new generation fuels caused some panic this week when it failed to deliver old generation fuel to gas stations across the Midwest. Officials with Crescent Oil Company, a fuel supplier for seven Midwest states, had no comment Friday about claims that this week’s …