2018 was a very good year for Novozymes’ Bioenergy business with 12% organic sales growth, on top of a strong 11% growth in 2017, according to the company’s latest annual report. Tina Sejersgård Fanø, Executive Vice President, Agriculture & Bioenergy says growth in the sector was driven by the launch of new yeast products – Innova Drive and Lift – …
Ethanol Production Lower, Stocks Higher
For the week ending January 25, ethanol production was lower while stocks were higher. According to the latest Energy Information Agency (EIA) data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production decreased 1.8% (down 19,000 barrels per day, or b/d) to an average of 1.012 million b/d—or 42.50 million gallons daily. The four-week average for ethanol production remained at 1.023 …
Iowa Biofuels Industry “Hurting but Hopeful”
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw told the 2019 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit last week that 2018 was his toughest year yet working for the biofuels industry. “With forces inside of EPA and the West Wing trying to convince President Trump to gut the RFS, there were months when I went to sleep wondering if a tweet the …
RFA Asks EPA to Use Reset Rule to Restore Lost RFS Gallons
With the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee scheduled vote next week on the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be administrator of EPA, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) CEO Geoff Cooper sent a letter to Wheeler this week to provide input on the agency’s upcoming RFS reset proposal. RFA is asking Wheeler to use the reset rule as an opportunity to …
Independent Study Finds Vehicle Emission Testing Unreliable
The Urban Air Initiative (UAI) has released the results of an independent study that finds “many of the test fuels used in emissions research studies do not reflect the makeup of consumer fuels, limiting the ability of ethanol to be used to reduce emissions and improve vehicle efficiency.” The study, titled Effects of Ethanol Blends on Light-Duty Vehicle Emissions: A …
Whitefox Announces Fourth Start-up
Whitefox Technologies has announced its fourth successful installation and start-up of its Whitefox ICE system at United Ethanol LLC‘s plant in Milton, Wisconsin. United Ethanol is already experiencing positive improvements to its operations and is currently running at a 15% overall capacity increase with the capability of a further 5% increase. The modular bolt-on system has freed up capacity in …
Study Finds Minimal Corn Ethanol Land Use Change
A newly released study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics finds no evidence to support concerns about large indirect land use change effect of corn ethanol causing expansion in cropland and reduction in grasslands and forests. Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) members Madhu Khanna and Yijia Li from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Ruiqing Miao …
Kaffka Honored with Biodiesel Inspiration Award
Dr. Stephen Kaffka, Extension Agronomist with the Department of Plant Science at the University of California-Davis, is the recipient of this year’s Eye on Biodiesel Inspiration Award. Presenting the award to Dr. Kaffka were National Biodiesel Board Sustainability Director Don Scott and CEO Donnell Rehagen. Dr. Kaffka has served as an instrumental leader for many years in advocating for environmental …
Ethanol Conference Scholarship Winners
The Renewable Fuels Association and the Renewable Fuels Foundation have awarded two student scholarships for the 24th annual National Ethanol Conference next month in Orlando. This is the tenth consecutive year in which this scholarship has been made available to students. This year’s scholarship winners are Krista Russell and Devin Brand. Russell recently graduated with a degree in Agricultural Systems …
Ethanol Report from Biodiesel Conference
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has played the most important role in the adoption of biofuels in the United States, both ethanol and biodiesel, making allies of both industries. At this week’s National Biodiesel Conference in San Diego, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper was part of a panel discussion on the future of the RFS and how …