Novozymes announced this morning that they have signed a research and development agreement to make biofuel from wood chips and other forestry residues with Lignol Energy Corporation. The goal of the partnership is to develop a process for making biofuel from forestry waste at a production cost less than $2 per gallon making it economically competitive with current gasoline and …
RFA President Addresses Ethanol Gathering
As he has done for many years, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen addressed the world’s largest gathering of ethanol producers at the opening of the general session for the 2010 Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in St. Louis on Tuesday. “We meet here today as an environmental catastrophe continues to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico. The …
Team Ethanol is Back on the Track
There was some big news announced during the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) – Team Ethanol is back. Dave Vander Griend, the founder of ICM and one of the three original sponsors of the Team Ethanol IndyCar program, delivered the news that Team Ethanol will be back on the track for the first time in nearly two years at the upcoming …
26th Annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop Underway
The 26th Annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo is officially underway and the mood is much more upbeat than it was last year. “The industry has been through a couple of very difficult years,” said Mike Bryan, Chairman of BBI International, which sponsors the event. “So, we’re really glad to see the industry coming back, getting revitalized. We’re kind of …
Ethanol Issues at Corn Utilization Conference
Indirect land use change and DDGs quality were two of the ethanol-related topics that were featured at the 2010 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association and held last week in Atlanta. Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association took part in the event and chaired one of the technical sessions. “Five or six …
Revving up for Iowa Corn Indy 250
The state of Iowa is getting in the racing mood this week as the 4th annual Iowa Corn Indy 250, presented by Pioneer, is upon us. The race will be held on Sunday, June 20 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. Iowa Corn Growers CEO Craig Floss says the race has provided them with a great platform for positive messages …
New Yeast Strain For Cellulosic Ethanol Production
Purdue University scientists have improved a strain of yeast that can produce more biofuel from cellulosic plant material by fermenting all five types of the plant’s sugars. The researchers used genes from a fungus to re-engineer a yeast strain developed at Purdue. The new yeast can ferment the sugar arabinose in addition to the other sugars found in plant material …
Making the Case for Getting Rid of Biofuels Subsidies
As the biodiesel industry anxiously awaits Congress’ renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit, an energy consulting company that specializes in biodiesel and ethanol operations is actually calling for elimination of these types of credits for all biofuels. This opinion piece in Biofuels Digest from Sklar & Associates makes the case that we don’t have to give the biofuels …
EIA Releases Weekly Ethanol Supply & Production Info
Beginning this week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) will release weekly ethanol supply and production numbers. In tandem with this change, the Renewable Fuels Association announced that it will begin providing a weekly note in addition to these statistics as well as offer any additional information that the organization feels is important to the market. For the week ending June …
ICM Recieves $25M From DOE for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
ICM has announced that they have received $25 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to aid in the construction and operation of its cellulosic ethanol pilot plant located in St. Joseph, Missouri. The company is also contributing $6 million of its own funds required for the cost-share element of the DOE program. The $31 million cooperative …