During the National Ethanol Conference, representatives of four leading companies talked about how advanced ethanol is here at last. Moderated by Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman, the panelists included Chris Standlee with Abengoa; Kenneth Hill with DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol; Delayne Johnson, CEO of Quad County Corn Processors; and Steve Hartig, Licensing General Manager for POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC. …
Greenbelt Resources: Why Small Is the New Big
On the surface it may seem like the technology for producing ethanol is pretty advanced. But when you talk with Darren Eng, CEO of Greenbelt Resources Corporation, they don’t believe today’s technology is near where it could be so they are continually striving for innovation. Unlike the traditional biofuel producers who look at producing 25 million plus gallons per year, …
Impact of RFS on Ethanol Industry
The first panel of the 2014 National Ethanol Conference dealt with the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the ethanol industry – today and tomorrow. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Senior Vice President for Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper moderated the panel which featured remarks from Bruce Babcock, Cargill Chair of Energy Economics at Iowa State University and Steffen …
Ethanol Industry Rising Tides, Falling Walls
Falling Walls, Rising Tides is the theme for the 19th annual National Ethanol Conference being held this week in Orlando. Calling it a “mixed metaphor,” Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen said in his “State of the Ethanol Industry” address today that it is appropriate and will come to define the year ahead. “2014 will be the year …
PAISS Program to Help Brazilian Sugarcane Industry
The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Funding of Innovation and Research (FINEP) have announced a new program to encourage agricultural innovation for the Brazilian sugarcane industry. The goal of PAISS is to spur innovation and research that achieves gains in increasing productivity while lowering production costs. The PAISS complements the similar plan launched by BNDES …
Advancements in Algal Biofuels: Year in Review
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has released its Advancements in Algal Biofuels: Year in Review. The goal of BETO is to support advanced in the production of algal biofuel – especially those that lower the cost of production. The report highlights several notable R&D breakthrough including: Fast algae-to-bio-crude oil process reduces production costs – DOE’s …
Caribbean Islands Swapping Diesel for Renewables
The British Virgin Islands, Columbia, Dominica, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Turks and Caicos have joined the Carbon War Room and Rocky Mountain Institute’s ‘Ten Island Renewable Challenge‘. The campaign is designed to help get the islands off fossil fuels as well as move forward with projects for schools and hospitals. The commitments were complemented by news that …
Support for the RFS- Personal, Powerful
With the time period over for comments regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard proposal, many people are asking: What’s next? The EPA is now tasked with reviewing all the comments and this will prove to be quite an undertaking as more than 40,000 comments were submitted. It is anticipated that it will take several months before …
Senators Introduce Bill to Reinstate Biodiesel Tax Incentive
Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) have introduced a bill to extend the expired biodiesel tax incentive for three years. The bill, S. 2021, would extend the tax incentive until 2017. In response to the bill’s introduction, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) called on Congress to move swiftly on the tax legislation. “On behalf of biodiesel producers across …
Heliae Algae Techology Headed to ASU
Heliae’s algae production technology is heading to Arizona State University’s (ASU) algae testbed facility. The company is partnering with SCHOTT North America to install a Helix photobioreactor at ASU’s Department of Energy (DOE)-funded algae testbed facility. Over the next several years, algae research staff at ASU will leverage the Helix photobioreactor, built by Heliae, for pioneering research that will forward …