The 25th anniversary of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) is fast approaching – June 15-18, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Two awards will be presented this year to outstanding industry professionals: The High Octane Award and the Award of Excellence. The High Octane Award is chosen by the industry and honors a person who has helped the ethanol industry mature and …
New Study Rates Ethanol Water Usage by State
Water usage for ethanol production varies dramatically depending on the state, according to a new University of Minnesota study. The study, published in this week’s edition of the journal Environmental Science and Technology, is the first to compare water use in corn-ethanol production on a state-by-state basis. The authors used agricultural and geologic data from 2006-2008 to develop a ratio …
Ethanol Report on Global Biofuels Policy
The need for renewable fuels to replace fossil fuels is becoming more and more of a global necessity. This edition of the “Ethanol Report” features information about the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) and the organization’s goals for providing scientific information about life cycle assessment and greenhouse gas reduction, as well as the importance of expanding biofuels production for developing …
Iowa Spends Green to Grow Green Algae for Biofuel
The State of Iowa is making a major investment to grow algae for biofuel at a southwest Iowa ethanol plant. Fox News has details: The 18-member Iowa Power Fund Board approved the $2,085,000 grant this week to assist in the commercialization of algae production technology. The effort is a joint venture of four companies based in Nebraska, Tennessee, Rhode Island …
Univ. of GA Partners with Ceres on Switchgrass Study
“This project allows us to expand our internal and collaborative plant breeding activities in a region where we believe the industry will have a strong presence,” said Ceres plant breeding director Jeff Gwyn, Ph.D. “There’s a lot of headroom for improvement and I’m confident that working together we can continue to drive up yields at a robust pace,” he said. …
Has Gasoline Consumption Peaked?
The oil loving Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article today about the “peak of gasoline”. Many analysts are predicting that with the rise in biofuels production, fuel economy and gasoline prices (although they are holding steady around $2.00 per gallon on average) and the current depressed state of the economy, we’ve seen “peak” gasoline use, at least in the …
Verenium Introduces Veretase
Verenium Corporation today announced a new enzyme for the food and beverage industry called Veretase. This enzyme was developed for the liquefaction of starch-based mashes and slurries specifically for use in food and beverage applications. The enzyme improves saccharification and fermentation efficiency and consistency. “Verenium is pleased to introduce this unique enzyme specifically designed to improve the economics and efficiency …
Valero Invests in Biofuels Company Terrabon
BP has been marketing itself as “Beyond Petroleum” for several years now but it appears that Valero is vying for the top spot in “green energy”. Valero has now invested in Terrabon, a company that is developing technology to produce “green” gasoline through the conversion of trash from landfills to energy. Terrabon’s main technology for biofuels is MixAlco, an advanced …
Missouri Ethanol Group Reaches Out to Consumers
Missouri’s ethanol producers are reaching out to consumers with a new website and print ad campaign. The Missouri Renewable Fuels Association (MoRFA) website contains research and information about ethanol, links to other renewable fuel articles and an overview of the state’s farmer-owned biorefineries. Also featured on the new site are three print ads currently running in many Missouri newspapers that …