Pretty good deal when you’ve got someone who will buy your entire inventory for three years. That’s what Virginia-based International Coastal Biofuels is facing with a letter of intent from Eco-Energy, Inc. to buy a total 90 million gallons of biodiesel over the next three years from ICB’s Wilmington, NC biodiesel plant… a refinery hasn’t even started producing yet! This …
West Va. Buses Running on Biodiesel
The first company to make biodiesel in West Virginia is now helping fuel school buses in the state. This article from the Charleston (WV) Gazette says the green fuel is running nearly 1,800 buses in 25 counties in the state: West Virginia’s first biodiesel manufacturer is helping supply several West Virginia county school systems with the renewable fuel for their …
Corn Price Relief Good News for Ethanol Makers
Ethanol makers, who have been having a tough time making ends meet as their primary feedstock skyrocketed in price, are finally seeing some relief in lower prices… and better bottom lines. This Aberdeen (SD) American News article posted on the Chicago Tribune web site has details: The industry, which buys corn to make ethanol, has been finding it tough to …
Georgia Researchers Increasing Ethanol Yields
A group of researchers from the University of Georgia are working on technology to get more ethanol from non-food sources, such as biomass. This story from ChemicalOnline.com says they’re finding a way to make ethanol out of bermuda grass, switch grass, napier grass and even lawn clippings cleaner than previous biomass ethanol efforts: “Producing ethanol from renewable biomass sources such …
Ethanol Wins in Missouri Primary
Missouri’s ethanol industry got a boost today as pro-ethanol Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof defeated Sarah Steelman, who had vowed to cancel the state’s new ethanol mandate. Hulshof will now face Democratic candidate Jay Nixon, who also purports to support ethanol. As you might remember from my earlier posts (especially on July 23), ethanol had become a key issue in …
GM Official: Natural Gas “Enticing” Alternative
A top General Motors executive believes that natural gas could be a replacement for gasoline on U.S. roads in the near future. This story from CNNMoney.com quotes GM’s top researcher who said that his company sees natural gas an “enticing” alternative to petroleum… and that means new interest in natural gas by the major American automaker: “It is abundant, affordable …
New York Biodiesel Goes to Europe
It wasn’t a huge amount, but it could be seen as an important first step for the biodiesel industry in New York. This story from Reuters says an American biodiesel producer is sending the green fuel to a port in Europe… the first time biodiesel has gone from New York to our friends across the pond: The 15,000 barrel cargo …
New Report Confirms Purdue Ethanol Study
A couple of weeks ago, we told you about how Purdue University had come out with a study that showed that increasing costs for oil were responsible for 75 percent in the rise in the price in corn, while demand for ethanol accounted for just one-fourth of corn’s skyrocketing price. Now, a report coming out of Nebraska also says the …
North America To Be Big at World Wind Energy Trade-Fair
Mark your calendar, and check your passport because the town of Husum, Germany is set to host the world’s largest and longest-running wind energy industry trade show, HUSUM WindEnergy. A press release from HUSUM’s web site says the five-day event, September 9-13, 2008, will have 700 exhibitors from 35 countries, with an expected record for North American participation… 17 from …
Camelina’s Role as Biodiesel Feedstock Expands
While camelina has really taken root as a feedstock in the Western United States (see my post from July 22, 2008), it’s starting to make some inroads back east. This radio story from the USDA says that some farmers in Pennsylvania started growing camelina last fall and are expanding their efforts this year: Joel Hunter is a Penn State University …