U.S. Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) has introduced a bill in the House that would allow ethanol “produced from domestic fossil fuels other than petroleum” to qualify under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2). The Domestic Alternative Fuels Act would amend the Renewable Fuel Program of the Clean Air Act “to allow domestic alternative fuel to be used to satisfy a portion …
Last Day to Register for Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
January 19 is the deadline to pre-register for next week’s 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines, an event that no one in the ethanol and biodiesel industries should miss. Among the highlights of the summit will be addresses by Governor Terry Branstad, four-star General Paul Kern (U.S. Army, ret.), former Reagan National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane and …
Process Optimization Seminar Sold Out
The Process Optimization Seminar coming up February 8-10 in St. Paul, Minnesota is now officially sold out. The event is organized by Fermentis, Fremont Industries, Novozymes and Phibro Ethanol Performance Group and is the seventh in a series that have been held in different areas of the country over the past two years. The seminars have been organized for both …
Registration Deadline Nearing for Ethanol Conference
The 2012 National Ethanol Conference, coming up February 22-24 in Orlando, is a must-attend for anyone in the ethanol industry. Among the highlights of the conference will be opening general session keynoter Dr. James Canton, futurist and CEO of the Institute for Global Futures. For over 30 years, Canton has been insightfully predicting the key trends that have shaped our …
Beta Renewables Joins Advanced Ethanol Council
Cellulosic biomass company Beta Renewables has become the latest member of the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC), an organization that promotes advanced ethanol fuels and technologies. Beta Renewables is a unique $350 million joint venture formed from the Chemtex division of Gruppo Mossi & Ghisolfi and TPG and is dedicated to making cellulosic biomass practical and cost-effective for the production of …
Fuel Testing Reveals Higher Octane in Ethanol
Last July, the government announced plans to raise corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to 54.5 MPG by 2025. The automotive industry responded saying the MPG number was an attainable goal by utilizing high-efficiency internal combustion engines that deliver lower CO2 emissions. However, one hurdle to address is that these high-efficiency engines need higher-octane fuel to realize their full fuel …
H2O Innovation at Process Optimization Seminar
There are many aspects to optimizing ethanol plant processes, including water treatment, and that is why Quebec-based H2O Innovation has chosen to be part of the latest in the Process Optimization Seminar management series, coming up February 8-10 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Greg Madden says they call themselves a membrane systems integrator. “We engineer and build equipment for water treatment …
Ethanol Exports Surge in 2011
The latest numbers show that November ethanol exports set another record and that means total exports for 2011 could well exceed a billion gallons. U.S. exports of denatured and undenatured (non-beverage) ethanol set a new monthly record of 152.5 million gallons (mg) in November, according to government data released this morning. Brazil was the leading destination for U.S. product and …
Pilot Biorefinery Dedicated in Perry, Florida
Florida State Representative Debbie Mayfield dumped a load of sugarcane waste to dedicate a new pilot biorefinery this week in honor of her late husband, Stan Mayfield. The dedication ceremony involved Mayfield pulling the lever on a front-end loader to dump a pile of pulverized sugarcane stalks, officially delivering the first shipment of feedstock to the facility, which will now …
Vilsack Comments on RFS and Biodiesel Tax Credit
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack supports the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2), but thinks strategies to build demand are more important to biofuels than tax credits. Vilsack made multiple appearances in Hawaii this week, including at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting where he addressed the membership and met with the media and had the opportunity to comment on biofuels …