Bloomberg is reporting that Brazil is considering raising the ethanol content in the country’s gasoline to 25 percent to help increase sugar prices as producers harvest a record cane crop. According to the article, Brazil’s government, which has held talks with ethanol producers over the past weeks on raising the biofuel content in gasoline, hasn’t said whether it will adopt …
IRL Prepares to Fill Up, Feel Good
Learn more about the excitement at the Indy Racing League as they prepare to go 100 percent ethanol in 2007 in the latest “Fill Up, Feel Good” podcast from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. The podcast features comments from IRL President Tony George, VP John Lewis and Senior Technical Director Les McTaggert, drivers Jeff Simmons and Dario Franchitti, as …
Indy Starts With an “E”
A new era was unleashed Tuesday for IndyCar racing. The new Honda 3.5-liter V-8 racing engine made a successful debut on the 2.73-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway with two cars making a “trouble free” testing session, according to a release from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. It marked the first time in open-wheel competition that IndyCar engines …
Earthrace Low on Financial Fuel
The first 100-percent pure biodiesel race boat is running short on funding and may not finish it’s world tour as planned. According to news reports, like this one from the NY Times, Earthrace – aka “the World’s Coolest Boat” – is drowning in debt and stuck on the west coast. The boat was due to arrive on the east coast …
15 Percent Solution?
This commentary from the Detroit News suggests that a 15 percent ethanol blend may be the best use of the fuel for the industry at this time. Sam R. Simon, a member of the National Petroleum Council and chairman of Atlas Oil Co., argues that, as opposed to E85, E15 is the best option because that 15-percent ethanol blend can …
A Case for Ethanol Free Trade Market
An Iowa State University economic study says the trade barriers are boosting the price of domestic ethanol and that removing them would “decrease the price for U.S. ethanol, while the world price would increase, as U.S. demand — and ethanol imports — would increase.” According to a press release from ISU’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, the study looks …
Keeping up with The Andersons
The Andersons, Inc. of Ohio has begun preliminary site work for an ethanol plant located in Greenville, Ohio. According to a press release, The Andersons closed the purchase of property located in an industrial park in this Southwestern Ohio community. Additionally, the company has received a draft air permit from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The 110 million gallon per …
A Grand Event
Well over 600 people were on hand for the grand opening of Missouri Ethanol on Monday in the small town of Laddonia, Missouri – which only has a population of 600! Flying over head to kick-off the event was the 100 percent ethanol-powered Vanguard Squadron, and at the podium to praise the farmer owners of the plant for their dedication …
Racing to the Hill
The National Corn Growers Association, the Ohio Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association are bringing an ethanol-powered, high-performance race car to Capitol Hill this week to promote ethanol. Mark Thomas, five-time International Hot Rod Association Funny Car champion, and his Ohio Corn Growers-sponsored race car will be on the corner of Delaware Avenue and C Street NE on …
Cautious Cargill
While ADM has jumped headfirst into the ethanol pool, major competitor Cargill is only testing the waters. Here’s an AP story from over the weekend about Cargill’s more cautious approach to the biofuels boom.