Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Global Ethanol’s two operating ethanol plants located in Lakota, Iowa and Riga, Michigan. The two plants have a combined operating capacity of 157 million gallons per year (mmgy). The acquisition will increase GPRE’s annual production capacity by 31 percent bringing them to an annual ethanol …
Ethanol Production Drops Slightly
According to the Renewable Fuels Association, daily ethanol production for the week ending 9/24/2010 averaged 825,000 barrels per day (b/d) or 34.65 million gallon per day. These production numbers are slightly down from the previous week when the ethanol industry produced an average of 850,000 b/d and the four week average of 856,000 b/d. In addition, stocks of ethanol also …
DOE Reconfirms Support for Renewable Fuels
On Wednesday, the Department of Energy sent a letter to the State Energy Program and EECBG program grantees reiterating their support for the deployment of renewable fuels through funds awarded as part of the 2009 Recovery Act. There has been widespread frustration throughout the ethanol industry on the length of time it has taken for these funds to be dispersed …
New Regs Needed for Cellulosic Fuels to See Fruition
According to a new study published today in the October issue of BioScience, “Far-reaching Deleterious Impacts of Regulations on Research and Environmental Studies of Recombinant DNA-modified Perennial Biofuel Crops in the United States,” researchers argue that the current regulatory system will need a monumental overhaul in order for cellulosic bioenergy to reach its true potential. The authors write that cellulosic …
White House Reaffirms Ethanol Support
Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Heather Zichal addressed the annual gathering of Renewable Fuels Association members yesterday. During her talk, she reiterated the President’s commitment to the ethanol industry regardless of feedstock or technology used. More specifically, Zichal addressed some of the current policies in place designed to expand the ethanol industry and the …
VeraSun Creditors Drop Corn Repayment Suit
Back in August, dozens of corn growers who sold corn to bankrupt VeraSun plants across the country in 2008 received letters asking them to repay the money. Should the farmer not comply, the letters threatened to take legal action but stipulated that they would accept payment to 80 percent of what the farmer received for their corn sales to VeraSun. …
Verenium Launches New Enzyme for Ethanol
Verenium Corporation has launched a new enzyme for fuel ethanol production called the DELTAZYM(R) GA L-E5. The new enzyme has demonstrated high ethanol yields at industrial scale using multiple substrates including corn, milo, barley, wheat, and cassava. “Verenium is pleased to be able to enhance our starch processing product offering with this best-in-class glucoamylase enzyme for fuel ethanol production,” said …
Amyris Raises $85M in Successful IPO
Amyris, Inc. has concluded a successful IPO with shares changing hands at $16.55 after setting the initial offering at $16 per share, below its estimated price range of $16-18 per share. The company went public with a $650 market cap. With 5.3 million shares sold during the IPO, $85 million was raised with underwriters Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and Goldman …
NREL Releases BioEnergy Mapping App
Want to know where are the biorefineries in the U.S. are located? There’s an app for that. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has released a new bioenergy mapping portal, BioEnergy Atlas, that identifies biomass feedstocks, then overlays that information with the ethanol and biodiesel facilities both on and off-line. You can also see map information for transportation infrastructure, power …
Groups Call for EPA to Deny E15 Waiver
As the date draws near for the announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the E15 waiver, a group of ethanol opponents have called for the EPA to deny the request. The 23 member coalition includes environmental, consumer, food, auto, and other industry organizations that believe there is not enough research to warrant the approval of any “mid-level” ethanol …