Sweden-based Taurus Energy has become the latest member of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. The company, which also has operations in Minnesota, is a research and development business that develops yeasts for ethanol production, among other industries. “We are pleased to welcome Taurus Energy as our latest vendor member. Taurus Energy has made new forays into yeast technology and we look …
Young Scientists Scholarship to National Biodiesel Conference
College science students interested in learning about all aspects of the biodiesel industry can apply for a travel scholarship to attend the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Jan. 16 – 19 in San Diego. The application process is open for members of the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel for scholarships, and to present a poster on their research or outreach …
Spurlock Takes NCGA Helm Focused on #Ethanol Trade
Wesley Spurlock, a grower from Spurlock of Stratford, Texas, officially took the helm as the President of the Board for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Saturday and he has his eye on trade as a major focus of the 2017 fiscal year. Trade will play a starring role in finding homes for the increasing corn harvests and one growing …
EPA Proposes #Biofuels Market Growth Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday released a proposed update to Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) regulations “to better align our standards with the current state of the renewable fuels market and to promote the use of ethanol and non-ethanol biofuels.” According to the agency, the proposed changes are the result of “recent developments in the marketplace resulting in increased production …
ePure Reports #Ethanol GHG Savings Increasing
According to new data reported by the European renewable ethanol association (ePURE), ethanol’s direct greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings in Europe has increased from 59 percent in 2014 to 64 percent in 2015. The European renewable ethanol industry – Annual statistics report 2016 also found that 99 percent of the agricultural crops and residues used to produce European ethanol in …
#Ethanol Groups Submit CAFE Comments
Comments regarding the goals of the CAFE-GHG standards were due yesterday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ethanol organizations made their voices heard. Comments submitted by the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) call for a federal pathway to be established to assist automakers to meet future mileage and environmental standards with higher blends of ethanol. Blends such as …
Sugarcane Producer ASSOBARI Earns RSB Cert
Sugarcane producer ASSOBARI (Associação dos Fornecedores de Cana da Região de Bariri) has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification – the first sugarcane producer in Brazil to do so. The certification is for the production of sugarcane specifically for 62 farmers and nearly 1,800 hectares of sugarcane plantations. “RSB certification is the recognition that farmers in the Bariri …
Green Plains Finalizes Abengoa Acquisition
Green Plains Inc. has announced the completion of the acquisition of three ethanol plants from Abengoa Bioenergy. The biorefineries are located in Madison, Ill., Mount Vernon, Ind. and York, Neb and were purchased for approximately $237 million in cash plus some working capital adjustments. The ethanol facilities are currently in operation and will produce 236 million gallons per year of …
Renmatix Secures $14M
Renmatix has announced a $14 million investment led by Bill Gates. The company has developed a process called Plantrose that produces cellulosic sugars that can be used to produce bioproducts such as biofuels and biochemcals. The monies raised will be used, in part, to commercialize Plantrose through license sales. “To effectively address climate change, we need to develop an energy …
Governors’ Biofuels Coalition Turns 25
The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition is celebrating its silver anniversary this month. “No one would have guessed that a meeting I had with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad 25 years ago this month, in the basement of the governor’s mansion in Lincoln, Nebraska, would lead to the formation of a group of governors who changed the nation’s energy history,” said former Nebraska …