Indiana Biodiesel Plant Gets Construction Funding

John Davis

Indiana Clean EnergyIndiana Clean Energy, LLC has secured funding for construction of an 80-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant near Frankfort, Indiana.

This article from the Lafayette-West Lafayette (IN) Journal and Courier says Dougherty Funding is providing $52 million in financing to build the plant:

“We believe this is a significant step in putting the final pieces in place so that we can break ground and begin working to bring this exciting project to Frankfort,” said Indiana Clean Energy founder and board member Murray Gingrich.

Citing time required to work on the project and a need to diversify management experience of the company, Gingrich recently stepped down as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Indiana Clean Energy. Kevin Kelley of Kelley Engineering LLC in Brookston succeeded him.

The plant will have rail access and be near an Archer Daniels Midland grain facility.

Biodiesel

Former Military Base Becoming Biodiesel Producer

John Davis

Nova Biosource FuelsThe former naval shipyard at Seneca, Illinois near Chicago will soon be the home to a 60-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant.

This story on the Chief Engineer.org web site says Nova Biosource Fuels is building the plant:

One of the premier components of the project is the pre-fabricated pipe that transports the biodiesel fuel within the plant. Nova Biosource chose Edwards Engineering, Inc. of Elk Grove Village, IL, to take on this task because of their cutting edge technology and industrial experience. The project was so large that Edwards opened a separate facility specifically for this project, which is added good news for the Illinois economy. Edwards employs approximately 75 workers in their 50,000 square foot pre-fabrication facility in Minooka, IL, and as part of an installation team on-site at the Seneca plant.

Nova Biosource has more than 230 million gallons of biodiesel capacity under construction or in operation throughout the country.

Biodiesel

Major Biodiesel Plant Headed for Kentucky

John Davis

A 60-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant is slated for Paducah, Kentucky, scheduled to be finished in three years.

This story on the KFVS-TV web site says Southland Renewable Fuel will build the plant:

McCracken County, the City of Paducah, Paducah-McCracken Riverport Authority and the Greater Paducah Economic Development Council announced the plans Tuesday.

The plant will use an environmentally friendly “waterless wash” process that emits “virtually” no air emissions to create clean-burning alternative fuel.

It’s the first large-scale biodiesel plant in western Kentucky.

The plant will also produce six million gallons of glycerin each year.

Biodiesel

E85 to Fuel 2008 Season of the American Le Mans Series

John Davis

Pumping up with ethanolIt’s not quite official, but the Vice President of Media Communications for the American Le Mans Series says the ALMS will be making an announcement within a week about it’s future with ethanol. Bob Dickinson says ALMS will move to an E85 blend of ethanol fuel for the series’ 2008 season. He says the series’ switch to an E10 blend was a positive move and the ALMS wants to continue to stay on the cutting edge of fuel technology.

You can listen to my interview with Bob here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Dickinson_Bob.mp3]

2007 Petit Le Mans Photo Album

Audio, E85, Energy, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News, Promotion, Racing

Shell Sets the Standard for Ethanol Fuel

John Davis

Sam Sweeney grills American Le Mans Series Driver Peter DumbreckSam’s Mart on 5640 New Northside Drive, NW in Atlanta, GA is among the network of Shell stations within the metropolitan area that uses an E10 blend of fuel in all of it’s fuel grades offered at the pump. Bob Walden is the Manager of Special Projects for Sam’s Mart. He says Shell is a leading player the ethanol industry when it comes offering the fuel to consumers at the pump. For Bob, pump promotions like the one the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council put on today help turn consumers on to “the future of fuel.”

Bob is pictured here with the local Sam’s Mart management team and American Le Mans Series Drivers Tom Milner and Peter Dumbreck. Bob is on the far right. I’m also pictured on the far right just below Bob.

You can listen to my interview with Bob here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Walden_Bob.mp3]

2007 Petit Le Mans Photo Album

Audio, E85, EPIC, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News, Promotion, Research

ALMS Ferrari Sparks Youthful Curiosity

John Davis

Sam Sweeney grills American Le Mans Series Driver Peter DumbreckI’m not the only one who thought American Le Mans Series Driver Peter Dumbreck’s #31 Ferrari F430 GT was a sweet ride. Sam Sweeney and his mom Allison played hooky from school so they could have a chance to check out the Petersen Motorsports/White Lighting Racing Ferrari. I dropped in on Peter and Sam’s conversation about racing and spoke to Allison about ethanol.

You can listen to Peter, Sam and Allison here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/curiouskid.mp3]

2007 Petit Le Mans Photo Album

Audio, E85, EPIC, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News, Promotion, Racing

ALMS Driver Peter Dumbreck Fired Up on Ethanol

John Davis

#31 Ferrari F430 GT American Le Mans Series Driver Peter Dumbreck in the cockpitIt’s not very often that you get a foreign take on one of America’s emerging alternative fuels, so I was particularly interested in speaking with American Le Mans Series Driver Peter Dumbreck about ethanol. Peter is the driver of Petersen Motorpsorts/White Lighting Racing’s #31 Ferrari F430 GT. Both he and his ALMS car made an exciting appearance today at the Atlanta pump promotion, which was sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. After checking out Peter’s sweet ride, I grabbed him for an interview.

You can listen to my interview with Peter here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Dumbreck_Peter.mp3]

2007 Petit Le Mans Photo Album

Audio, E85, Energy, EPIC, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News, Promotion, Racing

ALMS Driver Tom Milner Drives Ethanol Promotion

John Davis

#18 Bell Micro Porsche American Le Mans Series Driver Tom Milner greets a consumerEthanol is simply “a great fuel” for American Le Mans Series driver Tom Milner. Tom drives the #18 Bell Micro Porsche for Rahal Letterman Racing. The ALMS driver pumped gas and greeted consumers with a wide and welcoming grin as he gave them a first-hand account of using an E10 blend of ethanol fuel in a high-speed, endurance setting. Today’s EPIC-sponsored ethanol pump promotion at Sam’s Mart in Atlanta proved Tom is not only securing key positions out on the winding tracks of the AlMS, but is also settling comfortably in his role as an ethanol spokesman. Tom will be racing this weekend in the 2007 Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta. I spoke with Tom about the performance of ethanol in sports car racing and what that means for consumers.

You can listen to my interview with Tom here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Milner_Tom.mp3]

2007 Petit Le Mans Photo Album

Audio, E85, Energy, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News, Promotion, Racing

Shell Pumps Up Ethanol Frenzy Before Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans

John Davis

Pumping the American Le Mans Series #31 Ferrari F430 GT with E10 fuelConsumers enjoyed discounted fuel and free fountain drinks and coffee at the Sam’s Mart in Atlanta, GA this afternoon. The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council sponsored an ethanol pump promotion where consumers could fuel up with E10 fuel for 50 cents less than the going rate.

The promotion officially kicked off the 2007 Petit Le Mans race weekend for EPIC. American Le Mans Series drivers Tom Milner and Peter Dumbreck manned the pumps, handed out autographs and divulged the benefits of ethanol fuel to consumers. E10, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline, is “the official ethanol-enriched fuel” of the ALMS. This is the first year an endurance-based racing series has used a street legal renewable fuel.

The Sam’s Mart at New Northside Drive in Atlanta, GA pumped more than 1500 gallons of discounted E10 fuel for customers between 11:30 a.m and 1:30 p.m. Consumers were filling their tanks at a rate of $2.25 per gallon. This morning the fuel was selling for $2.75.

Racing fans also got to check out Peter’s #31 Ferrari F430GT, the official ALMS car for Petersen Motorsports/White Lighting Racing. Click here to check out the Ferrari’s deep, throaty throttle:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/ferrarithrottle.mp3]

2007 Petit Le Mans Photo Album

Audio, E85, EPIC, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News, Promotion, Racing

Product of the Year

Cindy Zimmerman

Agrimarketing Magazine In a near unanimous decision, ethanol has been chosen as the 2007 AgriMarketing Product of the Year by AgriMarketing Magazine.

According to the magazine, the entry was submitted by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC).

In just the past year, ethanol production has increased over 50%, given several segments of the ag economy a much needed boost, and increased household income by $6 billion.

The combined Nov/Dec issue of AgriMarketing magazine will feature a special supplement about ethanol and its impact on North American agriculture and agribusiness.

Agribusiness, EPIC, Ethanol, News