DuPont and NexSteppe Team for New Bio Feedstocks

Cindy Zimmerman January 5, 2012

Two companies have teamed up to develop advanced feedstocks for biofuels, biopower and biobased products.

The collaboration between DuPont and the bio-based firm NexSteppe will be working on new feedstocks for renewable energy, including sweet sorghum and high biomass sorghum hybrids.

Under the agreement, DuPont has made an equity investment in NexSteppe, and through its Pioneer Hi-Bred business, will provide knowledge, resources and advanced technologies to help the company accelerate the breeding and commercialization of new hybrids of these crops in the United States and Brazil.

“We’re using science-based innovation and collaboration to develop scalable, sustainable feedstock options for the biobased industries,” said John Bedbrook, vice president for DuPont Agricultural Biotechnology. “Collaborations like this one with NexSteppe will provide new opportunities for growers to address the rising demand for secure, environmentally sustainable and affordable alternatives to fossil fuels.”

“Sorghum is a crop with significant genetic diversity and great potential that has received relatively little research attention and funding,” said Anna Rath, NexSteppe founder and CEO. “Combining DuPont’s world-class research and development capabilities with our industry knowledge, experienced team and singular focus, we will be able to rapidly improve the crop to produce feedstocks tailored to the needs of the biofuels, biopower and biobased products industries.”

Sorghum has many advantages as a feedstock. It is naturally tolerant to both drought and heat and can grow in marginal rainfall areas with a short growing season and the ability to work in crop rotation systems. Sweet sorghum can be used as a complement to sugarcane in existing Brazilian sugar to ethanol mills, and as a feedstock for advanced biofuels and other biobased products produced from sugars. High Biomass Sorghum is a high-yielding crop that can be used as a feedstock for biopower and cellulosic biofuels. DuPont, through its Industrial Biosciences business, operates and develops industrial processes that use sugar as a feedstock.

advanced biofuels, biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, sorghum

BASF Invests in Cellulosic Sugar Company

Cindy Zimmerman January 4, 2012

Global chemical giant BASF has invested $30 million in a Pennsylvania-based company that has developed a process to produce cellulosic sugars for renewable chemicals and biofuels.

BASF, through subsidiary BASF Biorenewable Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG led a $50 million financing round in the technology firm Renmatix Inc.

Renmatix has developed the patented Plantrose™ platform whereby industrial sugar can be produced from lignocellulosic biomass (wood, cane trash or straw). In the Plantrose technology, biomass is split into cellulose and sugar in supercritical water at high temperature and pressure in a two-step process.

Industrial sugars are important renewable resources for the chemical industry and can be used, for example, to produce biofuels or basic chemical products and intermediates by fermentative processes. The availability of industrial sugars in sufficient quantities and at favorable cost is therefore important for the competitiveness of the products.

biofuels, biomass, Biotech, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News

IRFA Pleased With Top Caucus Winners

January 4, 2012

As mentioned in an earlier article, last night’s Iowa Caucus results trumpeted a big victory for renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Both former Governor Mitt Romney and former Senator Rick Santorum expressed their support for the federal renewable fuels standard while campaigning in Iowa. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is happy with the results. Both candidates were 4-for-4 on ethanol issues according to the Iowans Fueled With Pride Iowa Caucus Voter Guide.

“Despite scant attention on agriculture issues by the national media, both Governor Romney and Senator Santorum prioritized rural and ag issues,” said IRFA Past President Walt Wendland, who is the CEO of Golden Grain Energy near Mason City, Iowa and Homeland Energy Solutions near Lawler, Iowa. “It came as no surprise to us that friends of ethanol fared well in the Iowa Caucus. The nation needs an energy policy that recognizes the importance of domestic renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.”

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the fourth place finisher, is also a strong supporter of ethanol and biodiesel while the bottom two vote getters, Representative Michele Bachmann and Governor Rick Perry, refused to support the renewable fuels standard.

Iowans Fueled with Pride is a coalition of Iowa renewable fuels producers committed to providing accurate and current information to the public, elected officials and candidates for office. Further, they work to foster an open and comprehensive debate about the future of U.S. energy policy. The coalition does not endorse candidates for office.

Ethanol, politics

Corn Growers Pleased with Ruling on California LCFS

Cindy Zimmerman January 4, 2012

Corn growers are pleased with the ruling last week by a Federal District Court judge in Fresno, California that the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and is therefore unconstitutional. The ruling is in response to a suit filed in December 2009 by the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy asserting that the LCFS violates the Commerce Clause by seeking to regulate farming and ethanol production practices in other states.

“This ruling reaffirms our position that the state of California violated the U.S. Constitution when it created a low carbon fuel standard punitive to farmers and ethanol producers outside of the state’s border,” said National Corn Growers Association President Garry Niemeyer. “Corn farmers are good stewards and advocates for thoughtful, fair strategies that will improve our environment through the advancement of biofuels. We hope that this ruling will lead to an inclusive discussion where regulators join other stakeholders to find effective renewable energy solutions.”

The judge ruled that the LCFS discriminates against out-of-state corn-derived ethanol and impermissibly regulates extraterritorial conduct and that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) failed to establish that there are no alternative methods to advance its goals of reducing GHG emissions to combat global warming.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, Growth Energy, NCGA, RFA

Mascoma to Build Cellulosic Ethanol Facility in Michigan

January 4, 2012

With $80 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Mascoma Corporation, a renewable fuels company based in New Hampshire, will design and construct a commercial-scale hardwood cellulosic ethanol facility in Kinross, Michigan.

Mascoma and the DOE signed an agreement that provides up to $80 million in funding for the facility. These funds are an addition to $20 million previously awarded by the DOE for research and development for this project. The agreement includes a cost-sharing arrangement under which the DOE will contribute to the costs for construction of the facility, and the balance of the construction costs will be funded by Valero Energy Corporation and a grant from the State of Michigan.

The Kinross facility will use Mascoma’s proprietary CBP technology platform, which has been developed by Mascoma over the past five years, to convert hardwood pulpwood into ethanol. Hardwood pulpwood is a selectively harvested, naturally regenerated feedstock and is an underutilized, abundant resource in the surrounding area. Construction of the Kinross facility is anticipated to start in the next three to six months and is expected to be completed by year-end 2013. Kinross Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, a joint venture formed by Mascoma and Valero, will develop and operate the Kinross facility.

“We are excited to apply our proprietary consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) technology platform to produce cellulosic ethanol on a commercial scale and thereby provide a low-cost, sustainable alternative to petroleum-based products,” said Bill Brady, President and CEO of Mascoma.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Facilities

Wild Weather Big Story in 2011 for Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman January 4, 2012

Wild weather was the winner for the biggest ag story of 2011 according to our latest ZimmPoll. We asked the question, “What do you think is biggest ag story of 2011?” Wild weather got 40% or the response followed by Record farm land value – 17%; New free trade agreements – 16%; High commodity prices – 16%; Super committee “no”- farm bill – 11% and Record U.S. farm exports at a big fat 0%. Weather, it’s always on the top of a farmer’s mind and with good reason.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What do you think of the LightSquared broadband internet proposal?” This is certainly a hotly debated topic with GPS companies and users very concerned over the implications. If you need more information about it you can find lots of resources online here, here and here.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Two Abengoa Plants Shut Down Temporarily

Cindy Zimmerman January 4, 2012

Abengoa Bioenergy is starting 2012 by shutting down production indefinitely at the company’s two smallest ethanol plants, located in Portales, New Mexico and Colwich, Kansas.

Company officials say the plant closures are temporary and due to current depressed market conditions for ethanol. The two plants amount to 55 million gallons per year of production.

Abengoa is a major biofuels producer in Europe the United States and Brazil. The company has a total of six ethanol plants in the United States, with two cellulosic ethanol facilities planned for York, Neb., and Hugoton, Kan. Abengoa Executive Vice President Chris Standlee serves as chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Top Two Iowa Winners Support Renewable Fuels

Cindy Zimmerman January 4, 2012

The two Republican presidential candidates who topped the Iowa Caucus in a virtual dead heat Tuesday night are both considered to be supporters of renewable fuels.

According to the Iowans Fueled with Pride Iowa Caucus Voters Guide, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were two of four candidates who expressed support for major renewable energy issues, including the Renewable Fuels Standard. The guide shows the winners also support a fair and equitable energy tax policy; the attempt to ban E15; and consumer fueling choice through programs to increase the number flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs)and blender pumps in the nation. The other two candidates who scored well in all those categories were Newt Gingrich and President Obama.

Ron Paul, Michelle Bachman and Rick Perry all were opposed to the RFS and increasing FFVs and blender pumps, while only Rick Perry was against E15 and a “fair and equitable energy tax policy” that would “create a level playing field for energy taxes” by revising the permanent tax benefits enjoyed by the petroleum industry.

The voter guide was mailed to approximately 10,000 Iowa households with residents who are directly involved in Iowa ethanol refineries and was also promoted to all of Iowa’s 250,000 agricultural households via email, the Internet and social media. An electronic version of the guide can be viewed at: www.IowansFueledwithPride.com.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

GROWMARK History has Roots in Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman January 3, 2012

The year was 1927 when the Illinois Farm Supply Company was chartered under the State of Illinois Cooperative Marketing Act of 1923 to be a wholesale distributor of petroleum and lubricant products.

From that humble start in nine Illinois counties, the Illinois Farm Supply Company eventually became the multi-billion dollar, multi-faceted farm cooperative system that is know today as GROWMARK.

In honor of the cooperative’s 85th anniversary this year, a new history section has been added to the GROWMARK’s website and the early years especially provide an interesting glimpse into the importance of fuel for farming.

Among the milestones marked in the first years of the cooperative was in 1933 when “The first gasoline blend (10%) with alcohol produced from corn was brought to market to address the corn surplus problem. This was a product ahead of its time and was later withdrawn because of low volume.”

Read more about the GROWMARK history by clicking on the “Our History” tab on www.growmark.com

Ethanol, GROWMARK

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