The chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association is excited about the developments in cellulose technology for the future of the ethanol industry. “And we fully believe that many of these technologies will in fact be proven to be economically viable on a commercial scale,” said Chris Standlee, who is executive vice president of Abengoa Bioenergy in St. Louis. He says …
Green is Universal
Universal Studios theme park in Orlando was in the spotlight during the National Biodiesel Conference last week for its biodiesel use, but they are using ethanol as well – and that will be highlighted during the National Ethanol Conference coming up later this month. Robert Winslow, Universal Senior Director Engineering and Environmental Sustainability Technical Services, gave a behind the scenes …
Ethanol Insurance For Farmers From John Deere
John Deere is now offering “ethanol insurance” through their John Deere Risk Protection division. It’s a policy for the grower who wants some extra coverage in case he can’t fulfill a delivery contract to an ethanol plant. Dennis Daggett, Director of Marketing for John Deere Risk Protection, is on the scene here at the National Farm Machinery Show where I’ve …
The Makers of “Fields of Fuel”
The man behind the movie “Fields of Fuel” attended the National Biodiesel Conference this week in Orlando and held a private screening for the biodiesel-based film that won critical acclaim at the recent Sundance Film Festival. Josh Tickell, who has been a biodiesel backer for more than a decade, is tickled that his labor of love was chosen for the …
Secretary of Agriculture Biofuels Message To Livestock Producers
Our Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, made his first major public policy speech today at the Cattle Industry Convention in Reno, NV. I had the pleasure of meeting him and talked someone into snapping a photo too. I thought you might be interested in hearing an audio clip from his speech here this morning since he hit the subject of …
Biodiesel Conference Wraps Up with Feedstock Forum
Probably the biggest issue facing biodiesel producers today is what to use as a feedstock. With soybean prices going through the roof, refiners are trying to find additional feedstocks. During the recent National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Orlando, Florida, the last general morning session focused on the question of what to use for the green fuel. The forum, led …
Biodiesel Energy Balance Improves
A new analysis was unveiled today at the National Biodiesel Conference in Orlando that shows the energy balance of biodiesel is a positive ratio of 3.5-to-1, up from the 3.2 to 1 ratio determined by the Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and USDA in 1998. According to a release from the National Biodiesel Board, the new research …
Food Versus Fuel Session at Biodiesel Conference
One of the most popular sessions at this week’s National Biodiesel Conference in Orlando was “What’s the Rule on Food Vs. Fuel?” which featured a panel of experts including Chris Schroeder with Centrec Consulting, Jim Duffield with USDA and John Urbanchuk of LECG, LLC. All speakers made the point that biofuels may be getting the blame for higher prices, but …
BioExtend Celebrates First Anniversary
Eastman Chemical Company showcased new test data of Eastman BioExtend 30 at the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando on Monday. Eastman is also be celebrating the one year anniversary of the BioExtend launch, which debuted at 2007’s National Biodiesel Conference. BioExtend, a high-performance antioxidant for biodiesel fuels, increases shelf life and enhances product protection. The oxidative stability …
Next Gen Ethanol on Track
Big announcements for cellulosic ethanol recently prove that the next generation of the biofuel is here today. This “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast features Reece Nanfito of EPIC and representatives from KL Process Design Group of South Dakota, which has the first commercial cellulosic ethanol facility operating in the United States that will now be providing the fuel for American …