The saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is being put to the test with research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to deconstruct plant cell walls as a means of learning how to more effectively convert plant material into bioenergy. The project has been awarded $1 million per year for three years. The research will …
RFA Offering NEC Student Scholarships
Once again the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is offering six scholarships for college students interested in learning more about ethanol by attending the National Ethanol Conference (NEC). The annual event will take place February 20-22, 2017 in San Diego, California. Scholarships will cover the cost of the conference registration fee of $899. Recipients are responsible for other costs including travel …
Congress Urged to Extend Biofuel Tax Incentives
It’s time once again for the annual push to Congress to extend tax incentives before the end of the year, a plea which is usually ignored. Renewable energy organizations sent letters to Congressional leadership this week calling for a multi-year extension of the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit, the Special Depreciation Allowance for Second Generation Biofuel Plant Property, the …
Students Visit Guardian Energy for #Ethanol Education
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association has organized its seventh student tour of a Minnesota ethanol plant. Seventh and eight grade students visited member plant Guardian Energy, a 130 million gallon-per-year ethanol biorefinery located in Janesville. During the tour, students learned about various components of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, grain storage, liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, distiller grain drying, corn …
Enroll in Biofuels Academy
Enroll in the Biofuels Academy, which will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 3. in Des Moines, Iowa. The academy is designed as The Practical Workshop for ethanol plant operators, organized around lectures and troubleshooting exercises that put classroom theory into context. Laboratory and functional demonstrations will be conducted as part of the training. This year, attendees will receive a comprehensive, hands-on …
Taurus Energy Joins MN Bio-Fuels Association
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 …