The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council is conducting a first ever event today in Mankato, MN. The event, “Biodiesel 2015 & Beyond: A Biodiesel/Bioheat Forum,” brings together biodiesel industry market developers, researchers and a number of representatives of east coast oil heat and fuel companies. The open forum is providing an educational look at what’s going on in the …
Louis Dreyfus Adding Glycerin to Biodiesel Plant
Louis Dreyfus Commodities plans to add a glycerin refinery to its soybean crushing and biodiesel plant in Claypool, Indiana, with construction expected to be complete by the end of the year. The new refinery will be the second largest in the nation producing USP-grade Kosher refined glycerin, with a capacity of 80 million pounds per year. “The refinery in Claypool …
Poll Finds Biodiesel Matters
A new poll commissioned by the Iowa Biodiesel Board finds that 76 percent of voters in Iowa widely support expanding the Renewable Fuel Standard to increase biodiesel use in the U.S. The poll comes out during the Iowa State Fair where presidential hopefuls are taking the Des Moines Register Soapbox and speaking to the crowd. The majority of voters surveyed …
East Kansas Agri-Energy Celebrates 10th Anniversary
East Kansas Agri-Energy (EKAE) is celebrating its 10th anniversary of operations. The Garnett, Kansas ethanol biorefinery is hosting an event on Saturday, August 15th and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) will be onsite to share in the plant’s success along with government and industry officials and featuring a keynote speech from Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan). Attendees can also tour the …
The Quest for a Sustainable Highway
The Mission Zero Corridor Project in Troup County West Georgia is trying to build a ‘green highway’. The travel corridor would, according to Innovia Technology, who has been commissioned for the project, rethink the purpose and function of infrastructure to generate social, environmental and economic value. Some of the technologies being looked at for the project include algae biodiesel gas …
USDA Predicts Big Corn and Soybean Crops
USDA is forecasting the third largest corn crop on record and the second largest soybean crop in a new planted acreage update released today. U.S. growers are forecast to produce 13.7 billion bushels of corn this year, according to the report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). That is actually a four percent decrease from last year’s production, but …
MN Soy Helps Bring Bioheat Awareness to Midwest
Bill Zurn is a farmer from Minnesota who grows soybeans, corns and sugar beets. Last fall he had a chance to go out to the bioheat tour in New York City where they explained why they use Bioheat, a biodiesel blended oil commonly used for heating homes and buildings in the northeast. He said the port authority is also a …
Scottish Scientists Identify Algae Best for Biofuels
Scientists in Scotland have identified which algae are the best for biofuels. This article from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) says the researchers used a new technique to figure out which ocean-based strains had the highest oil content. The screening revealed two marine strains, Nannochloropis oceanica and Chlorella vulgaris, which had a dry-weight oil content of more than …
What Iowa Legislators Support the RFS?
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), America’s Renewable Future (ARF) has published a list of which legislators support the RFS in Iowa. Iowa is the top producing biodiesel and ethanol state and is also a leading cellulosic ethanol producing state. The bipartisan list includes city, county and state government officials who publicly support the …
Time to Learn More about Biodiesel & Bioheat
Next week I’ll be attending the Biodiesel and Bioheat Forum, sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Want to join me? Get registered now. Home heating oil and biodiesel leaders will discuss a biodiesel blend with significant environmental and economic benefits and the role Minnesota soybean farmers can play in meeting the demand of this market. “The Midwest …