The American soybean industry is crying foul over Argentina’s practice of taxing its whole soybeans for export at a higher rate than it taxes its soybean meal, oil and biodiesel destined for foreign markets. And this article from Feedstuffs.com says the United Soybean Board (USB) believes that is costing the U.S. soybean industry up to $500 million each year: The …
Florida Farm to Fuel Summit Coming Up in August
As the nation’s worst oil spill in history threatens the Gulf Coast’s energy, tourism and fishing industries, Florida is continuing efforts to promote the production of renewable energy from biomass resources in the Sunshine State. For the fifth year in a row, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson will host the Farm to Fuel Summit, August 11-13 at the Rosen Shingle …
Sorghum Poised for Bigger Role in Ethanol Production
Today, about 1/3 of the sorghum crop goes into ethanol production. An interesting little piece of information I picked up when I spoke with Gerald Simonsen, the Chairman of the National Sorghum Producers during Commodity Classic. Sorghum is a good feedstock for ethanol production for several reasons. First, it uses half the amount of water used in corn production and …
Barley Ethanol Plant to Produce Feed
A Virginia ethanol plant that uses barley as a feedstock will be offering a unique co-product as livestock feed when it comes on line later this year. Osage Bio Energy has contracted with Land O’Lakes Purina Feed to market its barley protein meal (BPM), a co-product of its ethanol bio-processing operation. Osage Bio Energy’s first plant, Appomattox Bio Energy, located …
The Mcgyan Process
As we’ve reported before, Biodiesel Analytical Solutions is teaming up with Mcgyan Biodiesel. I learned more about this at the recent National Biodiesel Conference when I spoke with David Wendorf, Mcgyan Director of Marketing. He’s seen here in their booth. David says Mcgyan was formed about 6 months ago as the company to license their new biodiesel technology. It’s a …
Feeding The Biodiesel Machine
The final general session of the National Biodiesel Conference featured a panel session titled, “Feeding the Biodiesel Machine: Understanding Feedstock Realities of Today and Tomorrow.” Captivating new feedstocks for biodiesel have grabbed headlines around the world. But which hold the most promise for expanding the biodiesel industry’s immediate and long-term feedstock needs? What’s the secret behind playing the commodities market… …
Winter & Double Crops Increase Biofuels Opportunities
I recently wrote about the potential of energy crops for biofuels, but there are many more opportunities including the biofuels value of planting winter crops or double crops. Last week during the AG CONNECT Expo, I spoke with Dr. Tom Richard, associate professor with Pennsylvania State University, who discussed the opportunities for biofuels and agriculture through the planting and harvesting …
Miscanthus Rhizome Root Harvester & Planter Unveiled
While researchers continue work on miscanthus’s viability to produce cellulosic ethanol, and growers now have a way to plant and harvest the feedstock more efficiently. After years of collaboration and research, a miscanthus rhizome regeneration harvester and planter system has been developed. The unveiling took place during the Bioenergy Feedstocks Symposium held at the University of Illinois (U of I). …
Could Salicornia Be a New Wonder Feedstock?
On the Eve of the World Future Energy Summit, which began today in Abu Dhabi, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Honeywell UOP, Boeing and Ethiad Airways announced a project that would study how to combine fish farms and biofuel crops to lower CO2, reduce ocean waste and produce renewable jet fuel. The star feedstock? Salicornia. Salicornia, also known …
More Sorghum Going to Ethanol
Corn may have competition for ethanol use from less expensive sorghum. According to a survey by the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP), 29 percent of the grain sorghum grown in the United States this year will be used to produce ethanol – a total of nearly 137 million bushels. “In the past year, the price differential has greatly benefited the …