Ethanol groups filed comments Friday with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the intention to analyze potential environmental impacts of new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model year (MY) 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles. The Renewable Fuels Association submitted a letter and literature survey of technical papers and studies on the benefits of ethanol-based High Octane Fuel, noting …
Retailers Give Ethanol Industry Advice
A panel featuring higher ethanol blend retailers was a highlight of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 30th annual conference in Omaha last week. Charlie Bosselman, owner of Nebraska-based Bosselman Enterprises and Pump & Pantry c-stores, and Bob O’Connor, owner of JETZ Convenience Centers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shared their insights on how the ethanol industry can help retailers add E15 …
NFU Announces Biofuels Initiative
National Farmers Union (NFU) has announced an initiative “to advance federal policies that support homegrown and home-produced renewable energy sources.” “American family farmers and ranchers are facing a rapidly changing climate, a severely depressed farm economy, and deteriorating rural infrastructure and services,” said NFU President Roger Johnson during a press call to announce the effort. “Expansion of homegrown, renewable energy …
Japan Ag Ministry Rep Visits MN Ethanol Plant
The Deputy Director for Food Security at Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries toured Guardian Energy in Minnesota this week as part of a five-day visit to learn about the state’s agriculture industry hosted by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. During the tour, Kimihiko Eura learned about incoming grain handling, grain storage, liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, dried distillers grains (DDGs), …
Brazil Corn Ethanol Plant Starts Production
FS Bioenergia, Brazil’s first large-scale corn ethanol production facility, is officially in production. The plant, located in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso, is the result of an international collaboration between Brazilian agribusiness Fiagril and U.S.-based Summit Agricultural Group headquartered in Alden, Iowa. In its initial phase of operations, FS Bioenergia will annually process 22 million bushels of corn and …
Novozymes Brings Advanced Enzymes to European Ethanol Market
Novozymes has launched Spirizyme® 2.0 T and Spirizyme Ultra T glucoamylase enzymes with trehalase for the European ethanol market. The products, which are part of the Spirizyme T Portfolio to deliver increased yield and sugar conversion, were introduced earlier this year for the U.S. market. Trehalose, a type of sugar that is normally left unfermented in a standard ethanol plant, …
New Study Shows RFS Works for Economy
A new economic modeling study being published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics finds that the “Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has substantially benefited the U.S. economy by lowering gasoline and crude oil prices, cutting crude oil imports, adding value to U.S.-produced agricultural commodities, and reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” “The results confirm that the current RFS program considerably …
Ethanol Production Could Outpace Demand
A new report forecasts ethanol production is on pace to exceed domestic and export demand as producers continue to reinvest last year’s profits into facilities and additional production capacity. The report from CoBank on “Ethanol’s Growth Path: Output and Export Uncertainties Both Rising” outlines predicts that the ethanol market will soon face worsening profit margins, which could potentially push the …
The Hill Op-Ed: RFS Helps US Economy
In an op-ed for The Hill today, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen questions why EPA’s 2018 renewable fuel standard (RFS) blending requirements proposal includes a request for public comments on “whether the proposed biofuel volumes would somehow cause “severe harm” to the economy.” “Of course, suggesting that ethanol and the RFS pose any “harm” at all—“severe” …
Ethanol and Motorcycles Mix at Sturgis Rally
At the 2017 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally last week, the Renewable Fuels Association stepped up its efforts to provide motorcycle owners with the facts about the use of ethanol their engines – mainly that ten percent ethanol is approved by every major motorcycle manufacturer. This was ninth year for the ethanol sponsorship at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground and it just …