The Broin Companies are approaching a milestone. According to a release from the development, production, management, and marketing firm, “combining the production from plants now in operation and those currently under construction, the Broin Companies will push past the one billion gallon mark in annual ethanol production.” As the second largest producer in the industry, the Broin Companies have designed …
Coal Powered Ethanol Plant Planned for NE
Plans for a 125-million-gallon ethanol plant in Nebraska that will use coal as its primary energy source were announced this week by the Phelps County Development Corp, and Alcorn Energy LLC of Troy, Mich. According to a Kearney (NE) Hub news story, Alcorn Energy Chief Executive Officer Tom Randazzo said the large local supply of corn was one of the …
Next Generation of Biofuels
DuPont and BP are partnering up to develop, produce and market “the next generation of biofuels” to help meet increasing global demand for renewable transport fuels. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a subsidiary of DuPont, is playing a role in this new partnership, according to Pioneer President Dean Oestreich. He says the first jointly developed product the partnership will bring to market …
FL Governor Signs Energy Bill at Ethanol Plant Site
The planned site of Florida’s first major ethanol facility served as the backdrop for Governor Jeb Bush this week as he signed into law the four-year, $100 million Florida Renewable Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency Act, designed to encourage the development of alternative fuel technologies in the state. U.S. EnviroFuels is planning a 40 million gallon per year facility at …
New Ethanol Enzyme Technology
Genencor International, a division of Danisco A/S, announced today the availability of a new acid fungal protease enzyme product for use in the ethanol industry. According to a company release, the new product, called FERMGEN™ will be introduced this week at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thanks to Erick Erickson in Nebraska for forwarding the release to me.
Sweetening the Ethanol Pot
Brazil makes almost all of its ethanol from sugar, and some US lawmakers in sugar-producing states would like to see more of that here. The question is whether it would be economically viable to do so. AP reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to issue a long-awaited study around July 1 on the viability of converting sugar into …
Famine to Feast?
Just a few weeks ago, the media was focused on there not being enough ethanol to meet the demand with the phase out of MTBE. Now we’re seeing articles questioning if we might be heading toward producing too much ethanol. Forbes’ Dirk Lammers writes “some analysts say the burgeoning industry faces risks of oversupply, volatile commodity prices and a dependence …
Chippewa Valley Celebrates Milestone
Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company in Benson, Minnesota is celebrating a decade in the ethanol industry. The plant opened in 1996 and today is a 45 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery. In addition to producing fuel ethanol and marketing E85, CVEC also produces a top-shelf vodka under the Shakers brand. According to a Renewable Fuels Association press release, CVEC also …
Test Specifications for B20
The Engine Manufacturers Association has released a test specification for biodiesel fuel to facilitate testing and evaluation of how blended biodiesel fuels perform in today’s clean-burning diesel engines. According to a release, the EMA specifications establish technical requirements for blends of petroleum fuel and biodiesel fuel that can be used to assess the effects of such biodiesel fuels on engine …
Biogas Grant
Intrepid Technology and Resources, Inc., an Idaho-based renewable alternate energy company, has received a $50,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Water Resources to install anaerobic digestion technology to produce useable energy from dairy biogas. According to a company release, the grant will be used to purchase energy measurement equipment at the Whitesides Dairy biogas plant. The equipment will monitor …