Another U.S. ethanol plant has signed on to use the Enogen trait technology developed by Syngenta North America – Bonanza BioEnergy of Garden City, Kansas. According to Syngenta, Enogen allows corn to express a robust form of alpha amylase enzyme, eliminating the need to use liquid alpha amylase enzymes during dry grind ethanol production. The company also says their trait …
Using White Rot Fungus for Corn Stover Ethanol
There’s new scientific evidence that a certain fungus could help speed up the production of ethanol from corn stover. A study on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called “corn stover” to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation appears in the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research “Treating corn stover with the …
EPA Denies RFS Waiver
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition by the governors of poultry producing states that would have waived the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and its requirement for ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply. In its decision to deny the request, EPA said Friday that the RFS itself is not causing economic harm and that suspending the standard would …
Students Rock Ethanol
High school senior Jason Girouard from Brimfield, Massachusetts has won the Ethanol Rocks video contest sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association. Girouard was awarded $1,500. Freshman Emily Yue from Gilford, Connecticut and senior Lewis Kloster of Minneapolis, Minnesota were both awarded second-place honor and $500 a piece. “The purpose of the contest was to get youth interested in learning …
Pacific Ethanol to use Corn Oil Technology at 2nd Plant
Pacific Ethanol has announced the implementation of corn oil separation technology at a second plant. The company is planning to install the technology, which recovers corn oil as a co-product from the ethanol production process, at its Stockton, California plant. The company has awarded Edeniq with a contract for its patented OilPlus(TM) technology, which is expected to be implemented at …
Novozymes Adds Avantec to Enzyme Portfolio
Novozymes has added a new enzyme product to its portfolio called Avantec. According to the company, Avantec enables corn ethanol producers to obtain an extra 2.5 percent ethanol out of the corn thereby improving effieciency and profitability of biofuel production. “Corn is the single biggest input cost for an ethanol producer, and as prices have gone up, profits have disappeared,” …
Outlook For The Supply & Demand Of DDGS
Distiller grain production was a hot topic discussed throughout the 2012 Export Exchange. Dr. Bob Wisner, Agriculture Extension Economics at Iowa State University, shared his research on the future of DDGS and what we can expect in the coming years. He also spoke on how this years drought affected DDGS production and it’s long-term affect on our US supply. “The …
World Grain Buyers Get US Producer Perspectives
Grain buyers from around the world in attendance at the 2012 Export Exchange had the opportunity to embrace the US producers perspective on the 2012 crop through a producer panel during the opening general session. Key panelists were Ron Gray, Illinois farmer and Secretary/Treasurer of the US Grains Council, and John Mages, Minnesota farmer and Chairman of the Minnesota Corn …
Outlook for Global Grain & Renewable Energy
To kick off the 2012 Export Exchange attendees heard from keynote speaker Carl Casale, President and CEO of CHS, Inc., on the outlook for global grains and renewable energy. Casale started off stated that the outlook simply depends on lots of different things and we have to focus on what we do know. He left attendees with one question: Do …
Export Exchange: Bringing Buyers & Sellers Together
The key purpose for the 2012 Export Exchange was for buyers and sellers to meet and establish important relationships. The event sponsored by the US Grain Council and Renewable Fuels Association focused on getting answers, making contacts and building business. During the conference I had the opportunity to talk with Tom Sleight, President & CEO of the US Grains Council, …