CHS Inc., one of the nation’s leading energy and grain-based foods companies, and US BioEnergy Corporation, an ethanol production and management company, announced today they have entered into a joint ownership of an ethanol and biodiesel marketing company, according to a news release. CHS, which formed when Cenex and Harvest States Cooperatives merged in 1998, acquired 28 percent ownership in …
New Team Ethanol Driver Announced
The ethanol legacy will live on with the Indy Racing League (IRL). Rahal Letterman Racing announced today the selection of Jeff Simmons as the driver for the No. 17 Team Ethanol Honda/Panoz/Firestone car. Simmons will replace Paul Dana who died March 26. “Paul realized the benefits of using ethanol, and he worked hard to get the message out to everyone,” …
Midwest Grain Sale Going Down (Under)
By a 2 to 1 margin, the shareholders of Midwest Grain Processors last week approved a deal to sell majority ownership in their cooperative to Australian company Global Ethanol. Over 1,000 of the 1,300 members of the co-op in Lakota, IA turned out for the vote on Thursday. Dave Nelson, Midwest Grain Processors’ board chairman, told Agriculture Online “The turnout …
Team Ethanol Will Go On
The pain is still too fresh for Paul Dana’s friends in the ethanol industry to even start talking about it, but the questions are being asked, and the Wichita Business Journal got some answers from Team Ethanol sponsors ICM and EPIC. “Absolutely we’ll be back,” ICM President and CEO Dave Vander Griend says. “It’s a tragic, tragic loss, a very …
Wait and See
USDA’s Prospective Plantings report out Friday says that farmers will plant five percent less corn acreage this year and seven percent more soybeans than a year ago – mainly because of higher fuel and fertilizer costs. So, what does that mean for ethanol production? Don Roose, an analyst with U.S. Commodities says “This puts the end users on notice like …
BP Ethanol from Wheat and Fat
Two articles out of Australia talk about BP’s new ethanol plans announced this week – making it from wheat and animal fat. The Weekend Australian story, which actually was published tomorrow on the other side of the world, says BP “would be producing 200 million litres of biofuels within two years. More than half will be derived from tallow – …
Hunting Ethanol
Check out the MPH Blog to follow Dave on his hunt for ethanol around Chicago in a Tahoe. Dave wanted to find out more about the “magical blend of corn and gasoline called E85 (which) is either the answer to America’s dependence on foreign fuel or one big scam by farmers, depending on the blogs you read.” So, he got …
Ethanol Advocate Remembered
The article I like best about Thursday’s memorial for Indy Car driver Paul Dana is from Indystar.com. Lauded for being more than just a race car driver, Paul Dana was honored Thursday as a leader in the renewable fuel industry. Dana brought together three of the nation’s leading corn-based fuel manufacturers — previously fierce rivals — to sponsor an open-wheel …
Gates Deal Slow to Close
Pacific Ethanol is running behind with its annual report and its deal to sell stock to Bill Gates. According to a Reuters stock market report Friday, the company said its annual report will be late due to delays completing its audit. It expects to file the report by April 17. The company also said it will not close on Friday …
More than a FEW
Registration is now open for the 22nd Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo, June 20-23 in Milwuakee, Wisconsin. You read that right – 22 years. According to the website, the workshop began in 1985 in St. Louis with just 40 people in attendance and has increased to over 1,800 in 2005 representing 45 States, 6 Canadian provinces and nearly …