In this “Ethanol Report” podcast, Matt Hartwig of the Renewable Fuels Association talks about why it is important for the industry to be involved in the political process and why every needs to get out and vote. No endorsements from the RFA on who to vote for, by the way, just vote because elections on both the state and national …
Indiana Ethanol Plant Starts Up
The sun may be going down on one major ethanol producer, but a nice little 100 million gallon per year plant is just taking off in Indiana. Cardinal Ethanol in Randolf County, Indiana officially started grinding corn on Saturday in a very low key event, according to the Muncie StarPress.com. Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, local politicians, members of the press …
VeraSun Files Bankruptcy
It was no surprise that VeraSun, one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers, filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 on Friday. The move has been expected as the company’s position continued to worsen after taking a fall on pricey forward corn contracts. The company was put on the market in September and Morgan Stanley was hired as an adviser. According …
Corn Growers Research Non-Fuel Ethanol Use
Ethanol production can yield some non-fuel uses that have yet to be realized. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has been researching efforts that produce ethyl lactate from reactive distillation. Ethyl lactate is a general all-purpose solvent as well as a common ingredient in pharmaceutical preparations, food additives and fragrances, and it is typically derived from petrochemicals. The reactive distillation …
Biomass Conversion Technology Development
A Texas company is moving forward with technology that converts non-food biomass into chemicals that can be processed into ethanol and other renewable fuels. Terrabon has developed and is currently licensing its MixAlco™ biomass conversion technology to commercial customers. The company will dedicate its research facility on November 7 in Bryan, Texas to test the scaled-up commercial feasibility of the …
New Ethanol Studies Released
The Illinois Corn Growers Association today unveiled two landmark studies on ethanol that conclude production of the biofuel leaves a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline and has substantial room for growth without affecting corn supply to the food and feed sectors. Dr. Steffen Mueller, principal research economist at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Energy Resources Center, studied the carbon …
Ag Chief Addresses Concerns About Loans to Ethanol Plants
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer met with livestock, dairy, and feed grain organizations on Monday to explain how some rural businesses – including both ethanol plants and livestock industries – may be eligible for the USDA’s Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program. “We walked through the B&I loan guarantee program, which has been used by their memberships, and we assured them …
Ethanol Powered Super Car
A British company has developed a hot new sports car that can run on ethanol. The description for the new Climax on its website is pure poetry: Inspiration for the design came from the legendary Cooper Climax F1 car of the 50’s and is drawing on Britain’s vast Motor Sport Heritage while keeping a firm eye to the future. It …