The ethanol plant of the future will produce both fuel and food with new technology from ICM, Inc. “ICM has been working on this technology for the last 3-5 years,” said ICM president Dave Vander Griend. “We felt that this was a good time to roll it out in light of the food and/or fuel controversy.” Vander Griend says their …
ICM to Produce Food and Fuel
The next generation of ethanol plants will be producing both food and fuel. ICM, Inc. has announced that ethanol biorefineries investing in the company’s newest technology by the end of this year will be capable of commercially producing both food and fuel in 2010. The announcement was made during ICM’s customer meeting at the annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) in …
FEW Welcome
The 2008 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop is getting started in Nashville and is expected to attract some 4,000 visitors from around the globe. This is the 24th year for the event that started out with just a few dozen dreamers. The FEW this year will offer 23 technical workshops on topics such as cellulosic ethanol, non-food feedstocks, water utilization and …
Study Finds Oil Impacts Prices More Than Policy
Government biofuel policies affect fuel and farm commodity prices, but the price of a barrel of oil can have even larger effects. That is the conclusion of a report by the University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). The study researched biofuel scenarios based on 500 random draws of possible weather, production and other market influences. The …
Ethanol Credited for Lowest National Gas Prices
Nationwide, the average cost of gas has hit a record $4 a gallon, which means some areas, like California, the average price has topped $4.50 a gallon. But in Missouri, the average price of $3.82 a gallon is the lowest in the nation – in part because of ethanol. The state implemented a ten percent ethanol mandate this year, which …
Ethanol is “Ugly Baby”
Ethanol is “an ugly baby but it’s ours and it will move cars,” according to billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens. Speaking at the Oil and Gas Investor’s Energy Capital Forum in Houston Tuesday, Boone emphasized that he prefers the less-than-perfect fuel over imported oil because there is “no question” that America must embrace alternate energy sources to alleviate the $700-billion …
Ag and Energy Chiefs Say Ethanol is Moderating Gas Prices
The U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy sent a letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) answering questions about biofuels production and food prices. In the joint letter, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer noted the complexity of the food and fuel pricing issues and cautioned the senator “against hasty judgments driven …
Corn Growers Confident Despite Lowered Forecast
Officials with the National Corn Growers Association say while they are concerned about the potential impact of weather on this year’s corn crop, growers are confident they can meet the demand. “Thanks to a very successful 2007, we started this year off with a significant level of beginning stocks that can help see us through a season of reduced production,” …
Cellulosic Focus at Ethanol Workshop
Moving to second generation ethanol production is obviously a priority for the nation’s ethanol producers. A significant number of the workshops scheduled for the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop next week in Nashville focus on different aspects of cellulosic ethanol production development. Workshops titles include “Cellulose Technology Update,” “Alternative Feedstocks,” “Cellulose Technology Components,” “Enzyme Technology: Cellulose,” and “Cellulose Biorefining.” This is …
Midwest Governors Support Ethanol
The Midwestern Governors Association is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to uphold the Renewable Fuels Standard passed by Congress in December. In a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, the group said that granting a waiver would be contrary to the agency’s mission of protecting human health and the environment. The letter adds that blame placed on ethanol …