Monsanto is building a new soybean breeding facility in South Dakota. They broke ground just this week in fact. The site will develop and test new soybean varieties developed by Monsanto’s breeders, as well as varieties containing traits in various stages of pre-commercial advancement in the company’s product pipeline. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in conjunction with the dedication of …
Forestry Fuel Plants Planned for Northeast
Converting wood chips and other forestry and agricultural biomass to ethanol is the goal of an agreement between a Connecticut energy company and a Massachusettes cellulosic technology firm. According to a news release, Tamarack Energy, Inc. and Mascoma Corporation “will collaborate on the joint development of cellulosic ethanol facilities in New York, as well as follow-on opportunities in Pennsylvania and …
NearBio for Bio Near You
Finding biodiesel to fuel up with just got a little easier thanks to NearBio. The free service is designed to enable cell phone users to easily find nearby biodiesel fueling locations based on city, zip code, or GPS coordinates. According to a company news release, The comprehensive national database of over 1000 individually verified locations is updated daily and is …
High on Switch Grass
Switch grass has gone from a relatively unknown prairie grass a year ago to the rising star of the ethanol industry since being featured in the President’s State of the Union address in January. The Chicago Tribune reports on the growing interest in the grass for ethanol production. Agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland Co., the world’s largest producer of ethanol …
Ethanol Race in Maryland
The race is on to get the first ethanol plant in the state of Maryland, according to this article in the Baltimore Sun. A national boom in the use of ethanol has lured eight companies into a race to build Maryland’s first factory to convert corn into car fuel. Two of the proposals would put ethanol plants on the Baltimore …
North Dakota Considers Blender Pumps
Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota hosted a meeting Monday with government and ethanol industry leaders to discuss new ways to market ethanol in the state. According to an AP report from Fargo, some are suggesting the approval of blender pumps. Many drivers have been scared away by lower fuel efficiency and reports that cars with E-85 start poorly in …
Ethanol Plant News Briefs
VeraSun Energy Corporation, the nation’s second largest ethanol producer, has begun construction on its newest 110-million-gallon-per-year ethanol production facility near Hartley, Iowa. The plant is on schedule to begin production in the first quarter of 2008. (Read full release) US BioEnergy Corporation has set the terms of its pending initial public offering at 9.4 million common shares with an estimated, …
Coal, Natural Gas, or Other?
An Iowa-technology company released a report last week that is fueling debate over whether ethanol plants should be powered by coal or natural gas, or something else. The Frontline BioEnergy study found that coal-powered ethanol plants release up to 92 percent more carbon dioxide than those powered by natural gas. Frontline’s analysis of a plant that would produce 50 million …
Looking at Bright E85 Future
A recent pledge by the nation’s top automakers to produce more E85 vehicles is great news for the industry, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. “The automobile manufacturers are behind this effort,” said NEVC Deputy Director Michelle Kautz. “Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and Nissan all agreed that they’re going to have half their production flexible fuel by the year …
Running on Ethanol
Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson is considering a presidential bid while he serves as chairman on the board of a new ethanol plant. Thompson, who also served as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Bush administration, last week announced that he would be forming an exploratory committee for president next year. In the meantime, he will be working …