The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has released a new report today in an effort to “debunk” what they call the “fictional” food versus fuel debate. The report finds that while corn prices have dropped dramatically over the past two years, retail food prices of key foods including eggs, beef, poultry and pork have remained steady or continue to increase. The …
Groups Congratulate Project LIBERTY’s Success
Groups from all around the country are congratulating POET-DSM Advanced Bioenergy on their successful start-up of Project LIBERTY, a 25 million per gallon per year cellulosic ethanol plant located in Emmetsburg, Iowa. This is the first commercial-scale biorefinery in the country that uses agricultural waste, such as residue from corn fields, to produce cellulosic ethanol. The Department of Energy helped …
Project Liberty Opens Its Doors for Business
After years of hearing about the future of ethanol and Project LIBERTY, the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant located in Emmetsburg, Iowa using corn stover and corn cobs is officially open for business and in production. The POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels project is a joint venture between POET and Royal DSM. Project LIBERTY, was formally opened in the presence of His …
New Study: E15 Would Reduce Smog
According to a new study conducted by Life Cycle Associates, using E15 ethanol blends rather than regular gas will reduce cancer-causing pollutants and smog in Chicago’s air. The research examined and aggregated a wide range of research to assess changes in the emissions from E15 tailpipe and evaporative emissions, compared to regular gasoline. The following factors were considered for the …
AMRC Looks at Ethanol Plant Profitability Projections
Don Hofstrand, retired agriculture extension economist with the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AMRC) located at Iowa State University, has recently published projections for ethanol plant profitability over the next several years. When the ethanol boom really took off, Hofstrand noted that most farmers purchased shares in ethanol plants as a way to hedge against low corn prices. So AMRC began …
Valero Restarts Mount Vernon, IN Ethanol Plant
Valero Renewable Fuels Company has restarted its recently purchased ethanol plant located in Mount Vernon, Indiana. On hand for the Port Appreciation and Welcome Ceremony was Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and other state and local officials. The Mount Vernon plant is the 11th corn ethanol plant in Valero Renewables’ system and its second in Indiana. It has an annual production …
Growth Energy’s Model Ethanol Plant
During the Farm Progress Show last week several companies featured some cool technologies and displays featuring agriculture’s role in producing clean energy such as biofuels. One partnership that has been very successful is that between New Holland and Growth Energy. New Holland has very publicly shown its support for ethanol has developed equipment for farmers to more easily harvest their …
FAPRI: Corn Prices Down, Ethanol Future Depends on EPA
Corn prices are down, and the future of ethanol seems to hinge upon what the government does on the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). A new report from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri shows that there have been sharp declines in the price for grains and oilseeds used to make ethanol and biodiesel. …
Summit Group Building Brazilian Corn Ethanol Plant
Alden, Iowa-based Summit Group announced a project to build the first modern corn ethanol plant in Brazil during the 2014 Farm Progress Show. The project will consist of a US$140 million ethanol plant near Lucas do Rio Verde in Mato Grosso, a leading agricultural state in west central Brazil and the country’s largest producer of corn and soybeans. The project …
American Ethanol a Winner for Corn Growers
The American Ethanol NASCAR program is in its fourth year now and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) considers it to be a big success. NCGA incoming Vice President Rob Elliott of Illinois says American Ethanol began its partnership with NASCAR in 2011 supporting the transition to 15% ethanol. “NASCAR in its three levels has run over six million miles …