The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $1.2 million grant to Clemson University in South Carolina to assess the potential of switchgrass and sweet sorghum as feedstocks to produce ethanol in the southeast. The grant also will fund development of a small-scale biofuel processing plant at Clemson University’s Restoration Institute in North Charleston. The South Carolina Bioenergy Research Collaborative …
GM Studies Cellulosic Ethanol in China
General Motors and partner Coskata are working together to develop and commercialize second generation ethanol in China. David S. Chen, vice president of GM China Group, said, “According to the China Automotive Energy Research Center, GM has already begun successfully validating the automotive energy resource potential for sustainable biofuels in China.” Chen said China can produce cellulosic ethanol on marginal …
Ethanol Plants Could Get USDA Loans
Ethanol plants that have been hurt by dramatic fluctuations in commodity prices this year could be eligible for assistance from the US Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer told reporters after an address to the World Food Prize breakfast in Des Moines Friday that “some plants are under pressure because they’ve been speculating on corn.” Schafer said there …
Big Oil Helps WA Biodiesel, Ethanol Standards
No, that’s not a typo in the headline. This story from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says some of the world’s biggest oil companies are working to help the state of Washington put its 2 percent biodiesel and ethanol requirements into effect. Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to open a biodiesel blending terminal in Spokane by late November, the company’s first in the …
Ethanol, Biodiesel Pipelines Moving Fuel in Southeast
One of the problems ethanol and biodiesel have had is how to get their product from areas of production to areas of consumption. Pipelines help conventional, petroleum-based fuels, so it’s only natural that biofuels would need to adopt similar technology. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP has announced successful testing of ethanol through its 16-inch, 195-mile Central Florida Pipeline (CFP) system …
Senator Grassley at World Food Prize
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa paid a visit to the World Food Prize breakfast on Friday morning to introduce the secretary of agriculture and make a few comments of his own about the importance of American agriculture in feeding the world, as well as honor his colleagues from the Senate, George McGovern and Bob Dole, who are this year’s …
World Bank President on Biofuels
The president of the World Bank made an appearance at the World Food Prize symposium Thursday on World Food Day and commented on world production of food and biofuels during a press conference. Robert Zoellick noted that some biofuels are more efficient than others, like sugarcane ethanol in Brazil, and he believes that “biofuels in the future are going to …
World Food Prize Winners on Food and Fuel
The ability of the world to grow enough agricultural crops to produce both food and fuel was a topic of discussion at the World Food Prize symposium in Des Moines on Thursday, which was also World Food Day. This year’s World Food Prize honorees, former Senators George McGovern and Bob Dole, pictured here with 2003 World Food Prize laureate Catherine …
E85 Grand Opening in Pueblo, CO
Sponsoring this event are: the Colorado Corn Growers Association, the Governor’s Biofuels Coalition, Southern Colorado Clean Cities and Western Convenience.