Over 100 biofuels supporters are in Kansas City this morning for another public hearing on the EPA’s proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Up on the first panel was Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen who woke everyone up with a strongly worded message to EPA. “We encourage EPA to truly put the RFS …
Syngenta’s Enogen Tech Improves Corn to #Ethanol Output
The 10th annual Corn Utilization Technology Conference (#CUTC16) took place in St. Louis this week and featured several corn technologies. One such advance is Enogen, developed by Syngenta. The product was designed to improve the conversion from starch to ethanol enabling facilities to produce more ethanol per bushel. Miloud Araba, head of technical services for Enogen, discussed the enzyme technology …
RIT & Synergy Biogas Partner on #Algae Project
A new project will be kicking off with partners Rochester Institute of Technology and Synergy Biogas to explore using microalgae to make biofuels as well as clean agricultural wastewater. The pilot program is headed up by Jeff Lodge, associate professor in RIT’s Thomas Gosnell School of Life Sciences, who will be utilizing a anaerobic digester located on Synergy Farms in …
Corn Wet Milling Process Can Produce Bioproducts Galore
An interesting panel discussion took place this week at the 10th annual Corn Utilization Technology Conference (#CUTC16) about new and emerging technologies produced from the wet milling process of corn. For example, Kevin Coffman, part of the market development in ag environmental strategy group at Monsanto, discussed corn in the pipeline. The corn can be sold to an ethanol plant to …
EPA #RFS Hearing Call-In Information
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a public hearing tomorrow, June 9, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. The hearing begins at 9:00 am CT at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, 2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64108. EPA representatives will be listening to comments related to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposed rules, ‘‘Renewable Fuel …
Alaska Airlines Flies with Gevo’s Isobutaol
An Alaska Airlines commercial plane flew through the skies yesterday powered by Gevo’s renewable alcohol to jet fuel that meets all ASTM requirements (D7566). One flight began in Seattle and flew to San Francisco International Airport then on to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. While ASTM has approved up to a 30 percent biojet fuel blend, the Alaska airlines flights …
Wild Sorghum Shows Potential as Biofuel Crop
A variety of wild sorghum that grows on the roadside in northern Australia is showing great potential as a biofuel crop. Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls at the University of Adelaide have discovered that the sorghum variety Arun has the potential to yield over 10,000 liters of bioethanol per hectare per year. Scientists looked …
Repreve Renewables Opens NC Processing Center
Repreve Renewables has opened a new processing center in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company’s primary crop is giant miscanthus, a drought tolerant perennial that needs low inputs yet provides high yields. Research has shown the crop also improves soil and water quality. Giant miscanthus can be used as a feedstock for a variety of products including bioenergy to poultry bedding. …
Rochester Buses Make the Switch to #Biodiesel
This month buses running in Rochester, Minnesota will be fueled with a B20 biodiesel blend (20 percent biodiesel). Today, the state requires the use of B10. Rochester Public Transit (RPT) has been using a B10 blend for several years but has made the move to a B20 blend two years before the state’s B20 mandate kicks in on May 1, …
#Biofuel Supporters Rally For Higher #RFS Blending
The EPA comment period for the 2017 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) are open and biofuel supporters are rallying for support in calling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase the amount of biofuels, especially first generation biofuels that include corn-based ethanol. Thursday, June 9, 2016, the EPA is hosting a hearing in …