Looking at Bright E85 Future

Cindy Zimmerman November 27, 2006

A recent pledge by the nation’s top automakers to produce more E85 vehicles is great news for the industry, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

“The automobile manufacturers are behind this effort,” said NEVC Deputy Director Michelle Kautz. “Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and Nissan all agreed that they’re going to have half their production flexible fuel by the year 2012. We’re very excited about that.”

The car makers issued a joint statement making that pledge after meeting with President Bush recently.

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition recently published a 2007 E85 Purchasing Guide with the latest information on E85 and FFVs. The latest information is also available on the NEVC website.

“We update our website daily with new E85 locations and all flexible-fuel compatible vehicle models,” said Kautz.

There are currently over 1,000 E85 fueling stations, compared to just about 400 this time last year. By next year, Kautz says, “We’re hoping at least 5,000 stations.”

Listen to an interview with Michelle here: Kautz-NEVC (3 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

Running on Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman November 24, 2006

Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson is considering a presidential bid while he serves as chairman on the board of a new ethanol plant.

Thompson, who also served as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Bush administration, last week announced that he would be forming an exploratory committee for president next year.

In the meantime, he will be working on plans for a 120 million gallon a year ethanol plant as chairman of Global Renewable LLC, a Whitewater, Wis. company that has unveiled plans to construct and operate the plant in the Town of Sharon. The plant is expected to be operational in October 2008, and will require approximately 38 million bushels of corn annually.

Read more.

Ethanol, News

Biofuels Expected to Dominate Farm Bill

Cindy Zimmerman November 24, 2006

It was already a given that energy issues would dominate the writing of the 2007 Farm Bill, but even more support for domestic fuels like ethanol and biodiesel is expected now that the House and Senate Agriculture committees will be run by corn belt Democrats.

Forbes reports that with Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa steering the committees, “The consensus is that this makes it even more likely that we’ll have some aggressive biofuels policies adopted,” says Nathanael Green, a biofuels expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Green’s group would like to see ethanol plants, which are powered on natural gas or coal, switch to renewables such as wind.

“We’d be interested in seeing a grant program that would help these ethanol facilities adopt these technologies,” Green says.

Biodiesel Board Chairman Re-elected

Cindy Zimmerman November 22, 2006

For a third year, the biodiesel industry has chosen farmer-leader Darryl Brinkmann to lead the National Biodiesel Board.

A soybean grower from Carlyle, Ill., Brinkmann has the charge of leading the organization as chairman during yet another year of intense growth and change for the alternative fuel.

Brinkmann has served as a board member for the nonprofit trade association since 1998.

Based in Jefferson City, Mo., the board is dedicated to coordinating the biodiesel industry and educating the public about the fuel. Its membership is comprised of state, national, and international feedstock and processor organizations; biodiesel suppliers; fuel marketers and distributors; and technology providers.

Read more from the NBB.

Biodiesel

Case IH Supports Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman November 22, 2006

Case IH is the latest equipment manufacturer to announce support for B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel.

The company has announced that customers can use B20 in most Case IH engines and B5 (5 percent biodiesel) in all Case IH engines. In addition, Case IH uses biodiesel blends as the factory fill in most cases.

“One hundred percent factory fill of a biodiesel blend is a logical next step in the process of embracing biodiesel,” said Randy Baker, president of Case IH North America. “Adding to demand for soybeans while producing the crop is the type of strategy our customers like to pursue,” Baker said. “It’s good environmental stewardship and good business.”

Read more from Case IH and from the National Biodiesel Board.

Biodiesel

Giant Soybean Plants Could Provide Cellulose For Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman November 22, 2006

Bigger, stronger soybeans could help meet the demand for cellulosic material to produce ethanol.

USDA Agricultural Research Service chemical engineer Justin Barone and ARS geneticist Thomas Devine believe the giant soybean plants could be “specially bred with strong cellulose, for use in briquettes and wood substitutes, or with weak cellulose better suited for cellulosic ethanol production.”

In the photo, Devine measures one of his large biomass soybean plants which grow up to seven feet in height without lodging due to their stong sapling-like stalks.

Brazil Opens First Ethanol-Biodiesel Plant

Cindy Zimmerman November 22, 2006

Reuters reports on a first for Brazil’s biofuels industry:

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva showcased Brazil’s prowess in the alternative fuels industry on Tuesday when he inaugurated Barralcool, the first integrated biofuels plant that will produce cane-based ethanol and biodiesel from oilseeds.

Brazil, with its huge agricultural potential, has for decades had the world’s most advanced biofuels market. After the oil crisis in the early 1970s, it launched the ProAlcool ethanol programme to lighten dependence on crude imports.

Southridge in the Southeast

Cindy Zimmerman November 21, 2006

Southridge Ethanol has popped up recently as a company with “a mission to become the ethanol producer of choice in the southeastern region of the United States,” according to the company website.

Just in the past month, the company has announced it’s intent to acquire ethanol plant equipment from South Louisiana Ethanol; that the Quitman County Mississippi Economic Development Committee has agreed to subsidize half of the costs incurred in building a new railroad spur for the plant; that they would be featured in the December issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine; that they met with the Quitman County Economic Development Board; and that they signed an agreement with Agri Systems for consulting and engineering.

Southridge has also gotten some negative attention for a stock push by market traders like Stock Market Alerts, who have sent out paid releases and emails promoting the company’s stock as a hot investment opportunity.

Ethanol, News

Southeast Missouri Ethanol Plant Moves Ahead

Cindy Zimmerman November 21, 2006

Ethanex Energy Inc. has received regulatory approval under a waiver to begin construction on its ethanol production plant to be located in Cape Girardeau.

According to a company release, Ethanex at SEMO will be a state of the art 132 million gallons per year fuel-grade ethanol plant. The facility will include patented fractionation technology that reduces energy consumption by 25%, increases the value of co-products and increases the throughput capacity by 20%. This next generation technology contributes to a 25% lower production cost per gallon than standard ethanol facilities.

Read the Kansas City Star article here.

Ethanol, News

Sky Could be the Limit for Corn Yields

Cindy Zimmerman November 21, 2006

Over the past decade, corn yields have been increasing an average of 3.4 bushels per acre per year. That is double the average of the previous decade and all indications are that will continue, which is good news for the corn ethanol industry.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International senior marketing manager Joe Foresman says regarding corn yields, “With the genetic advancements that have been made over the last ten years in the industry, literally the sky is the limit.” The latest forecast for corn yields in 2006 is 151.2 bushels/acre, up 3.3 from last year despite drought in many areas of the country.

Also good for the industry is the development of new hybrid varieties of corn that are highly fermentable – a desirable trait for ethanol production. Pioneer currently has 135 hybrids that are considered highly fermentable, including 17 of the 20 top selling varieties, but Foresman says they are also very aware of the needs on the livestock side of the corn business, since the ethanol production process creates about 17 pounds of distillers grains for every bushel of corn.

“We’re looking that we can help improve the value at the plant and also at the feedlot,” said Foresman.

Pioneer, which is a DuPont company, is also actively involved with DuPont on the development of cellulosic ethanol and biobutanol.

Listen to my interview with Joe Foresman at this year’s National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting: Pioneer (6 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, News

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