BDI Upgrading Biodiesel Plants in US & UK

John Davis

A pair of biodiesel plants, one in the U.S. and the other in the UK are being upgraded. Biodiesel Magazine reports Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International AG will upgrade and get back to running an unnamed plant in Atlanta (suspected to be Renewable Energy Group’s currently idled 15 MMgy Atlanta-based biodiesel facility) and beef up the British plant’s (also unnamed) purification capabilities. …

Biodiesel, International

Report: Renewable Energy Gains Market Share

John Davis

Renewable energy sources, particularly solar, wind, and biofuels, continue to make gains when it comes to the share of energy produced and used in this country. According to SUN DAY Campaign, a non-profit research and educational organization, the latest numbers from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows through the first half of this year, renewable energy made up 10 percent …

biofuels, biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind

Cellulosic’s First Community Advisory Panel to Meet

John Davis

The Nation’s first Community Advisory Panel (CAP) on cellulosic biofuels will meet early next week in Iowa. Officials from DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol facility in Nevada, Iowa will talk with more than 30 Central Iowa residents including business leaders, farmers, conservationists and educators Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Nevada’s SCORE Pavilion from 6:30-8:30 pm. Designed to provide an ongoing dialogue between DuPont …

biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Butamax Starts Biobutanol Retrofit on Ethanol Plant

John Davis

Delaware-based Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC has begun work with Highwater Ethanol LLC, to retrofit Highwater’s ethanol plant in Lamberton, Minnesota for the production of biobutanol. This Butamax news release says its cutting edge technology package will include the installation of novel corn oil separation technology, an important part of the full retrofit to biobutanol production. Butamax CEO Paul Beckwith said …

biobutanol, Ethanol, Ethanol News

House Hears Debate on Wind Production Credit

John Davis

Some pretty ill winds are blowing around Washington, D.C. these days, and some of those are directed at the wind energy industry. As I told you yesterday about what would come, Republicans launched their attack in the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Energy Policy, arguing, according to this blog post from The Hill, that the production tax credit …

Government, Legislation, Wind

RFA, Growth Energy Call Out Big Oil’s Lies

John Davis

While a new poll from Big Oil tries to paint biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a bad light, the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy are trying to shine a little truth on the subject. The poll from the American Petroleum Institute (API), aka “Big Oil,” tries to make it look like Americans don’t support the RFS …

Biodiesel, biofuels, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA

Florida Tow Truck Driver Looks to Hook Up Biodiesel

John Davis

In a sign of the growing trend for more entrepreneurs to go more green and save some green, I ran across this article about a tow truck driver in Florida who wants to run his fleet on biodiesel. This story from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel tells the tale of Westway Towing owner Craig Goldstein, who also has a side …

Biodiesel

New Facility to Turn Ethanol Byproduct into Bio-Resin

John Davis

A Nebraska-based company has expanded its operation to turn an ethanol byproduct into a bio-based resin additive. Composites World reports Laurel BioComposite LLC held an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for its new 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which will crank out 7 million pounds annually of its trademarked Bio-Res PE. Tim Bearnes, CEO of Laurel BioComposite, was on hand to …

biochemicals, biomaterials, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News

New GM Trucks to Offer CNG, Biodiesel Options

John Davis

General Motors is offering some pretty clean options in a couple of its 2015 pickup trucks. This story from NGTNews says the latest Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickup trucks will have compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system options, as well as being able to run on B20 biodiesel. “Because HD customers tailor their trucks to their specific …

Biodiesel, Car Makers, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

NE Corn Board: Calculate Cost Per Mile with E85

John Davis

Prices at the pump for E85 ethanol are substantially lower than regular gasoline or even other mixes of ethanol. But with the lower price, sometimes you sacrifice mileage. But as this story from Nebraska TV says, the key word is sometimes. As gas prices rise, the cost of E85 has become even more attractive to [flex fuel vehicle] owners despite …

corn, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News