Rail continues to safely and efficiently serve as ethanol’s “virtual pipeline.” A panel discussion during the 2018 National Ethanol Conference focused on the important role rail transportation plays in the ethanol industry, including updates on regulatory developments, safety issues, and railcar fleet trends. The panel included moderator Kelly Davis, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Renewable Fuels Association; Mark Maday, Staff …
ICM and The Andersons Collaborate on New Bio-refinery
ICM, Inc., and The Andersons, Inc., are partnering to own and construct a state-of-the-art bio-refinery in Colwich, Kansas. ELEMENT, LLC will be a 70 MGY bio-refinery combining ICM’s next-generation technologies, with the merchandising, risk management and logistics expertise of The Andersons. “The Andersons and ICM share a common vision. We strive to utilize our combined experience and expertise to build …
Ethanol Report on RINs in the White House
President Donald Trump has been meeting with stakeholders in the biofuels and refinery industries to find a way to lower Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices that is acceptable to both sides. Two main options are a cap on RIN prices, or allowing year round sales of E15, or some combination of both. In this edition of The Ethanol Report, we …
Enogen® Premiums Will Top $100 Million in 2018
For the past five years, Enogen® corn enzyme technology has given farmers the opportunity to be enzyme suppliers for participating ethanol plants and earn a per-bushel premium, and by the end of this year, Syngenta expects total premiums paid to Enogen corn growers to top $100 million. Syngenta made that announcement at the Commodity Classic last week. Chris Tingle, head …
Perdue Answers RINs Question During Town Hall
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue held a town hall on the main stage in the Commodity Classic Trade Show Thursday and answered some questions from a few of the hundreds of farmers who gathered to watch and listen. Former National Corn Growers Association president Pam Johnson of Iowa wanted to know specifically if the secretary supported a cap on …
Perdue Pledges “Unequivocal” Support for RFS
A lot of drama and speculation preceded the appearance of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue at Commodity Classic, thanks to some reports questioning his support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), so he wasted no time in stating his “unequivocal” support for the law. “I have not and will not support any policies in this country that diminish the demand, undermine …
Northey Confirmed But No White House Deal on RFS
Bill Northey is at last free to take the job at USDA that he was nominated for almost six months ago after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) lifted his hold on the nomination and allowed the confirmation Tuesday. The Senate confirmed Northey on a voice vote to become USDA’s undersecretary for farm production and conservation as Sens. Cruz, Pat Toomey (R-PA), …
Generating D3 RINS from Corn Kernel Fiber
Producing cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber is where many ethanol plants are heading. But getting EPA approval on that type of project is not always easy. Jim Ramm of EcoEngineers explained why he believes this is the future of the industry at the 2018 National Ethanol Conference. “It makes sense as an industry to maximize the return on the …
RFA Chairman Pleased With Conference Turnout
The 2018 National Ethanol Conference (NEC) saw a great turnout of people supporting the renewable fuels industry. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Chairman Mick Henderson said exports continue to be a priority, as well as creating parity for E15 in domestic markets. Henderson said being a part of a trade organization like RFA is important when it comes to affecting policy. …
Why Ethanol Should Care About Electric Vehicles
It might be surprising to see electric cars on the agenda at the National Ethanol Conference. But that was the subject of a panel discussion at the recent meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The panel included Tammy Klein, Future Fuel Strategies; Eva Rigamonti, Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA)/Steptoe & Johnson; and Leslie Hayward, Securing America’s Future Energy …