The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a proposed rule to fully implement the Renewable Fuels Standard designed to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil by doubling the use of renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. The program, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, will promote use of fuels largely produced by American crops. According to …
Ethanol By-Product for Livestock
All the talk about food vs. fuel seems to not take into account the fact that a by-product of ethanol production is livestock feed. In fact, one bushel of corn produces about three gallons of ethanol and 17 pounds of distillers grains. That product can be fed to livestock either in the wet state or dried as DDGs. Drying takes …
PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 Weekend
In case you didn’t know it, the final race of the Indy Racing League season is this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. I’m on my way there today since there’s a whole weekend of activities planned to help promote ethanol with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. I’ll be following the activities of Jeff Simmons in particular as he competes in the #17 Team Ethanol Car for Rahal-Letterman Racing.
Ethanol and Water Mix
Oil and water may not mix, but ethanol and water do. According to this story from the Pratt (NE) Tribune, field tests were recently done in Nebraska on a valve that is bolted onto an existing engine that allows it to run on a mixture of ethanol and water. The valve, designed by Ecosense Solutions of Missouri, can be attached …
IRL Finds Better Mileage With Ethanol
According to this Indianapolis Star article in the Des Moines Register, the Indy Racing League is getting better fuel mileage this year on ten percent ethanol. “Of course, the league’s cars aren’t known for their fuel efficiency; traditionally, they burn through a gallon in less than two miles.” Next year, the league will fill its cars with 100 percent fuel-grade …
Earth Biofuels News
Earth Biofuels Inc. subsidiary, Earth Ethanol, has agreed to buy half of South Louisiana Ethanol LLC, which owns an old ethanol production facility near New Orleans. The plan is to reconstruct the plant, located in Plaquemines Parish, to produce at least 65 million gallons of ethanol per year. The plant is located on the Mississippi River and within the Gulf …
Broin High on Ohio
Broin Companies is officially announcing plans this week to build a $100 million ethanol production facility near Leipsic, Ohio with Summit Ethanol. In addition, Broin is exploring three other Ohio locations for ethanol facilities, two of which are Marion and Fostoria, both located in northwest Ohio as is Leipsic. According to Bob Berens, Broin Companies Director of Site Development. “We …
Chinese Ethanol
Reuters reports that China is emerging as a global ethanol exporter. According to the article, exports of Chinese ethanol – made from either corn or cassava (tapioca) – have gone from zero to over 500,000 tons this year. China is the world’s third largest ethanol producer, behind Brazil and the United States, even though it only had four plants in …