Blue Flint Ethanol, a joint venture between Great River Energy and Headwaters Incorporated, celebrated its grand opening Tuesday for a 50 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery near Underwood, North Dakota. Unique to the U.S. ethanol industry, Blue Flint Ethanol is located adjacent to Coal Creek Station, a coal-fired electric facility, and is using the excess steam from Coal Creek …
The Power of Q
A naturally occurring microbe could hold the key to converting cellulose into ethanol in a single step, without the need for costly enzymes. SunEthanol of Amherst, Mass. is commercializing the discovery to produce ethanol from biomass in a simpler and more cost-effective manner. According to the company website, “SunEthanol has the full genome sequence of this remarkable microbe and is …
More E-85 for Iowa
General Motors, Governor Chet Culver and Kum & Go, L.C. today celebrated plans for the addition of 19 new E85 ethanol fueling locations to be opened throughout the state by the end of 2008. The new fueling locations will be promoted by GM as part of a broader, ongoing national GM campaign to boost the use and awareness of ethanol-based …
Improving Ethanol Efficiency
Researchers at Louisiana State University are among those hard at work to find ways to “make ethanol fuel an efficient reality.” According to an LSU release, James Spivey, McLaurin Shivers professor of chemical engineering at LSU, and Challa Kumar, group leader of nanofabrication at LSU’s Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices are working on the project withClemson University and Oak …
FFVs Everywhere, No Ethanol to Drink
The El Paso Times reports on the disparity of flex-fuel vehicles to the availability of ethanol to fill their tanks. U.S. automakers have stepped up production of vehicles that can run on ethanol, and El Pasoans can easily find such vehicles at some local new car dealerships. The problem is that ethanol fuel, most of which is produced from corn, …
Planning Ahead for AF&V ’08
“In times of change, the learner will inherit the earth, while the learned are beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists.” – Eric Hoffer With those words of wisdom, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) has announced the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo will be held May 11-14, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 14th …
VeraSun Testing Hybrid Escape
VeraSun Energy of Brookings, SD is test driving one of the new Ford Escape Hybrid FFVs for a two-year period to demonstrate the benefit of converging flexible fuel and hybrid technologies. The Escape Hybrid FFV will produce up to 25 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions when running on E85 as compared to the standard Escape Hybrid running on gasoline. Ford …
News From US Bioenergy
US BioEnergy Corporation is planning to utilize US Bio Process Technology™ at its Albert City, Hankinson, Dyersville and Janesville plants which is expected to increase the production capacity at each of these plants from 100 million gallons per year (MGY) to 120 MGY by the end of 2008. According to a company release, US Bio Process Technology includes a combination …
Ethanol Demand Pushes Up Midwest Land Prices
Midwestern farmers are seeing a bit of a land boom.. as the rest of the country is facing a slumping real estate market. The difference? Farmland can grow corn, and corn can turn into ethanol. This story in the New York Times says it’s good news for established farmers, but tough on new farmers looking to buy land: Skyrocketing farmland …
Green Design for Green Gas Stations
As more Americans seek relief from nearly $4-a-gallon gasoline in some areas by using alternative fuels, gas stations are changing their look to show the greener attitude. This story in BusinessWeek says they’re designs that reflect the growing trend of hybrid and flex-fuel cars running on the more-and-more available ethanol and biodiesel: In Eugene, Oregon, SeQuential Biofuels opened the state’s …