The anticipation is mounting for President Bush’s 2007 State of the Union address to be made on January 23. The media is already busy speculating about what the president will talk about, with stories out this week that global warming will be on the teleprompter, although the White House is denying reports that Bush will advocate mandatory emissions caps in …
Biofuels Buoy Cargill’s Second Quarter Earnings
Cargill reported that its second quarter earnings for last year jumped 34 percent over the same time a year ago… due in part to the increased demand for ethanol and biodiesel. Earnings went from about $500 million in the same quarter in in fiscal year 2006 to more than $660 million dollars for the quarter ending November 30th. In addition, …
Research to Work on Ethanol from Beet Pulp and Wheat Bran
Biotech firm Dyadic International, Inc. has joined with a consortium in Europe to work on producing ethanol from sugar beet pulp and wheat bran. According to a company release, the Florida-based company will be working on the research and development project with one of Europe’s leading producers of bioethanol, Royal Nedalco, and other partners funded by the Netherlands government. Jan …
First New Fuel Ships for Indy
The first tanker truck loaded with 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol to power this year’s IndyCar® Series left the Renova Energy plant in Torrington, Wyoming this week bound for Indianapolis. According to a release from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, the plant was contracted to supply approximately 120,000 gallons of the fuel to the IndyCar Series in 2007. Renova Energy …
A Tale of Two Tortillas
There are two sides to the stories out this week about the increased cost of tortillas in Mexico, being blamed partly on increased demand for corn to be made into ethanol. One is that it will cause the poor in Mexico to go hungry because they can’t afford to pay more for the basic staple of their diet. The other …
Sorghum Growers Sweet on Ethanol
Other crop producers are reaping the benefits of higher corn prices driven by ethanol. Among them are the sorghum farmers, who are meeting this week in New Mexico. Brownfield Network’s Peter Shinn reports that ethanol was the focus of Monday’s general session at the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) annual meeting. NSP President Greg Shelor, a Kansas sorghum grower, told Brownfield …
BIO Supports Governors
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) supports the incentives outlined in the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition report, Ethanol from Biomass: How to Get to a Biofuels Future. According to a BIO release, “The technology for commercial production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass is ready today, but no modern biorefineries are currently operating to make use of the technology,” said BIO President and …
Greener Snow Blowing With Ethanol
Clearing the driveway in the winter months can help clear the air if you use ethanol-enriched gasoline in your snowblower. According to the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, small engines can efficiently burn 10 percent ethanol blends and the use of E10 reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30 percent. “It’s important to think green year round,” said …
Ethanol Means Big Business For Small Railroads
Small railroads are seeing big opportunities in hauling corn to ethanol plants and then transporting the finished product and by-products back out again. An Associated Press article discusses the potential ethanol is presenting for the Minnesota-basedTwin Cities & Western Railroad with its mere 200 miles of track. Chief operating officer Mark Wegner said his trains carry mainly corn and soybeans. …
US BioEnergy Claims Title of Largest “Pure Play” Producer
US BioEnergy Corporation has announced that with its Albert City and Central City ethanol plants now in commercial production the company can claim the title of “largest pure-play ethanol producer in the United States.” “This is an important milestone for our company and to the revitalization of the American heartland,” said Gordon Ommen, CEO and chairman. “It’s the spirit and …