With persistent rain affecting ethanol and sugar production in Brazil this season, prospects are that U.S. ethanol may be exported to that country to meet the demand. According to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association UNICA, ethanol production this year is down more than three percent so far while demand continues to grow. “While production has been negatively affected by weather …
Ethanol Could Make Diesel Engines Greener
A corn grower leader is working on using ethanol to help fuel diesel engines. National Corn Growers Association chairman Bob Dickey is also chairman of CleanFlex Power Systems, which is so new they haven’t built a website yet, but what they have done is developed a method to efficiently use ethanol in diesel engines. Dickey started the idea a year …
Officials to Tour Dairy Bioenergy Operation
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will tour Crave Brothers Farm and Dairy Operation in Waterloo, Wisconsin Friday to see bioenergy in action. Crave Brothers is an example of a successful modern dairy, using green energy sources to power the farm, cheese factory and 120 area homes. …
Company Announces Breakthrough in CO2-to-Fuel Technology
A California-based company has filed a patent for technology that could turn carbon dioxide into fuel. According to a press release, Carbon Sciences, developer of a breakthrough technology to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into gasoline and other portable fuels, today announced the filing of a patent application for a highly efficient nano-scale CO2 to fuel reactor, which is the …
Cellulosic Ethanol Could be Made from Wastewater
A cellulose product made from wastewater holds the potential of being used to make ethanol. Qteros and Applied CleanTech have announced a joint development project for making Recyllose™, a recycled solids-based material produced from municipal wastewater, into fuel for cars. Qteros has entered into a joint development project with Applied CleanTech (ACT), a commodities recycling company based in Israel, to …
Company Retrofitting Ethanol Plants for Biobutanol
A Colorado-based company is working to develop a fleet of biorefineries based on retrofitting existing ethanol plants to produce biobutanol. Last week, Gevo, Inc. announced the start up of the first biobutanol demonstration plant designed from retrofitting an existing demonstration scale ethanol plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. The company is using the plant to demonstrate the viability of its technology …
Registration Open for National Ethanol Conference
Registration is officially opened for the Renewable Fuels Association’s 15th Annual National Ethanol Conference “Climate of Opportunity” which will be held February 15-17, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Speakers and sessions will focus on the historic opportunities facing our industry. As a renewable fuel, as an industry continuing to reduce energy inputs, and an industry diversifying into new feedstocks, ethanol is …
Biomass Feedstocks Research
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service is studying the use of plant residues for biofuels. At the University of Minnesota-Morris Biomass Gasification Facility, for example, gasification researcher Jim Barbour and ARS soil scientist Jane Johnson (pictured) are evaluating potential biomass feedstocks, including pressed corn stover. The Agricultural Research Service has scientists in 18 states involved in the Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP) …
Ethanol Issues Addressed at South Dakota Forum
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Monday for a Rural Issues Forum in Bath, South Dakota which was attended by an estimated 300 people who were able to ask questions about issues impacting the rural economy. South Dakota’s contribution to biofuels production was discussed during the forum. Rep. Herseth Sandlin joined 28 members of …
Study Finds Ethanol Enhances Vehicle Efficiency
A new University of Nebraska study finds that higher ethanol blends increase engine efficiency. The study, which was funded by the Nebraska Corn Board, found that high ethanol blends provide better energy conversion within an engine than other fuels, meaning less energy to travel further. The report says that e85 improved energy conversion by 13, 9 and 14 percent, respectively …