For corn growers, ethanol means markets as usual. In other words, up and down. That was the word from the senior agricultural economist for Wells Fargo Michael Swanson, who spoke at the Farm News Ag Show at Iowa Central Community College, according to this story by Bill Shea from the Ft. Dodge Messenger. The economist said he’s ‘‘bullish’’ about the …
Biodiesel Milk Trucks
Oakhurst Dairy, based in Maine, has announced the conversion of their delivery trucks to a biodiesel blend. Oakhurst credited tax incentives for driving the decision to convert 90 percent of its vehicles, making it the largest private biodiesel fleet in New England. Biodiesel is produced in Maine from waste vegetable oil. Except in the coldest weather, the delivery trucks will …
Another Record Set
Every month there’s a new record set for ethanol production and the bar has now been raised to 333,000 barrels a day. That’s a 55,000 barrel per day increase since the beginning of the year, according to the latest figures released by the Renewable Fuels Association. RFA says demand for ethanol remained strong in September at 380,000 b/d.
Extreme Green
General Motors won the Green Car design contest at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week with the “Hummer O2.” According to CNN, this fuel-cell powered Hummer would produce oxygen. Agae-filled body panels could break down C02, a greenhouse gas, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. When parked, body panels would fan out to catch more light, speeding the process. The …
Ethanol Generates Discussion
This article from the Lincoln (NE) Journal Star and accompanying comments illustrates the myriad of opinions about ethanol that stem from partial truths and speculation. The article is basically a tirade against ethanol by commodity broker Douglas Carper, with the headline “Ethanol Skeptic Sees Painful Realities Ahead.” As far as Carper is concerned, there is no constructive purpose to putting …
Mangrove Palm Could Make Ethanol
Here’s a story out of Malaysia on using sap from “nipah,” or mangrove palm, to make an ethanol-like biofuel. The substance is similar to ethanol from Brazil’s sugar cane or Europe’s sugar beet but nipah would have higher yield per hectare. The state government, after studying a proposal from a KL-based company on Wednesday, agreed to allow the company to …
Corn Growers Cautiously Optimistic About Higher Prices
The Associated Press reports that corn prices are at their highest levels in a decade and growers are looking at planting as much as 10 million more corn acres next year, according to Chris Hurt, a Purdue University agricultural economist. “It’s a wonderful time for corn producers. They’re extremely excited, but they’re also apprehensive because they’ve seen booms before and …
Green Theme at LA Auto Show
Somewhat like when President Bush was in St. Louis at the Advancing Renewable Fuels Conference, a heckler got the headlines when General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner addressed the 100th Los Angeles Auto Show this week, according to this AP report. The man unfurled a large black-and-white contract of sorts and asked Wagoner if he would sign a pledge to be …
World Biodiesel Output May Triple by ’09
An analyst with Bunge Ltd., expects world biodiesel output to hit nearly 16 million metric tons by 2009. That prediction, which is more than triple the current 5 million metric tons this year, was made by Bunge’s Nancy DeVore at the Terrapinn Biofuels Finance & Investment World conference in London. Read more from Farm Futures.
02 Diesel + Energenics = EnerDiesel
A Singapore-based company has made a deal with O2 Diesel Corporation to market the ethanol-diesel blend in the Asia Pacific and South Africa. Under the agreement, O2Diesel will supply its proprietary fuel technology to Energenics, which will brand the fuel as “EnerDiesel — Powered by O2Diesel,” in Asia Pacific & South Africa. Read more.