Ethanex Energy Inc. has received regulatory approval under a waiver to begin construction on its ethanol production plant to be located in Cape Girardeau. According to a company release, Ethanex at SEMO will be a state of the art 132 million gallons per year fuel-grade ethanol plant. The facility will include patented fractionation technology that reduces energy consumption by 25%, …
Sky Could be the Limit for Corn Yields
Over the past decade, corn yields have been increasing an average of 3.4 bushels per acre per year. That is double the average of the previous decade and all indications are that will continue, which is good news for the corn ethanol industry. Pioneer Hi-Bred International senior marketing manager Joe Foresman says regarding corn yields, “With the genetic advancements that …
EPA Investigates Blended Ethanol
Most cars are manufacturer-approved to run on up to ten percent ethanol blended with gasoline. Flex fuel vehicles can run on up to 85 percent. But the Environmental Protection Agency is looking into whether 20 or 30 percent ethanol-blended gasoline meets Clear Air Act standards. At issue, according to this story in the Aberdeen (SD) News, is that so-called blender …
Study Finds Biotech Will Meet Food and Fuel Demands
A National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy study suggests that biotechnology plays a vital role in meeting the increased demand for corn production for food, feed and fuel. According to the study, U.S. farmers gained an additional 8.3 billion pounds of yield last year due to biotech crops, including an extra 7.6 billion pounds of corn production, a 29 …
Ethanol Plant Converting to Biomass
Broin Companies of South Dakota plans to build a cellulose-to-ethanol production facility in the state of Iowa with a completion date expected in 2009. The announcement came during a joint press conference Monday at the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines with Jeff Broin, CEO of Broin Companies, Iowa Governor Thomas Vilsack, and Iowa Governor-Elect Chet Culver. Voyager Ethanol, located in …
25 x ’25 Could Help Rural Economy
The alliance known as 25X’25 has just completed a study that outlines the positive impact producing 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply from renewable sources by 2025 could have on rural America. According to J. Read Smith, co-chair of the 25x’25 Project Steering Committee, “Not only would reaching the goal drastically reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, it …
The Andersons Run With Marathon
Marathon Oil Corporation and The Andersons, Inc. are planning to start construction immediately on an ethanol plant in Greenville, Ohio. According to a joint press release, the Greenville site will be the first to be constructed by The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between The Andersons, Inc. and Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of …
Ethanol Plant Permit Applications Abound in Illinois
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is snowed under with air permit applications from ethanol plant projects. According to a story from the Illinois Farm Bureau publication FarmWeek, there were 13 applications in September alone. On average, an ethanol project receives a permit about six months after submitting an application. Permits for controversial projects or those that go through a public …
Biodiesel Boost For Economy
The National Biodiesel Board this week released a new economic study that shows “how biodiesel plants are a boon to the U.S. economy as they sprout up across the nation.” According to the study: America’s biodiesel industry will add $24 billion to the U.S. economy between 2005 and 2015, assuming biodiesel growth reaches 650 million gallons of annual production by …
Three More Nebraska Ethanol Plants Planned
Nebraska-based Central Bio-Energy has announced plans to build three 100 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plants in Seward, Howard and Chase counties in Nebraska. According to a press release, the announcement was made in the Nebraska State Capital Rotunda in Lincoln on Thursday. These plants will employ 150 full-time staff, with combined annual payroll in excess of $6 million. This investment will make …