Arkansas Ag Chief Pushes Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

Bell The Secretary of the Arkansas Agriculture Department wants his state to focus on biodiesel, not ethanol. The Arkansas News Bureau reports Richard Bell told state lawmakers other states that produce more corn are already dominating the ethanol field.

Bell told the House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee that Arkansas will have a chance to break into the ethanol market later, when technology is developed to allow the gasoline substitute to be made from wood products.

Of course, Arkansas is known for its forests, which could later supply cellulose-based ethanol production. In the meantime, biodiesel could be made from the abundance of soybeans grown in the state.

Biodiesel, Government

Busy Year Ahead for Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

e-podcast2006 was an incredible year of growth of the ethanol industry and 2007 promises to be just as big. As production grows, education and marketing of the farm-based fuel becomes even more important and that is why the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council has a busy year already lined up. In this “Fill Up Feel Good” podcast, EPIC Senior Director of Marketing Reece Nanfito talks about some of the programs, events and promotions in the plans.

The “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast is available to download by subscription (see our sidebar link) or you can listen to it by clicking here. (5:00 MP3 File)

The Fill Up, Feel Good theme music is “Tribute to Joe Satriani” by Alan Renkl, thanks to the Podsafe Music Network.

“Fill up, Feel Good” is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Fill Up Feel Good, News

Iowa to Get Second Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

TechnochemThe opening of Iowa’s first biodiesel plant is set for this April in Newton, and now a second one will be built in Huxley. According to the Des Moines Register, a $15.4 million dollar facility, will be built by Ames-based Technochem.

The plant, which will employ 51 people, is expected to produce about 5 million gallons of biodiesel annually, and it will be involved in glycerine purification and vegetable oil processing, said Wade Greiman, an engineer for Snyder and Associates Inc., which is assisting city officials in Huxley.

In addition, the plant will perform research and development work, and it will manufacture biodiesel equipment, officials said.

Here’s the Register’s full article

Biodiesel

Stars of the Show

Cindy Zimmerman

Detroit Auto New vehicles capable of running on up to 85 percent ethanol are the stars of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this year, according to the Detroit Free Press.

For the first time, several automakers unveiled concept and production models capable of burning E85, the blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline backed by Detroit automakers as the most viable option for reducing U.S. oil imports. Even Toyota Motor Corp. jumped on the bandwagon, announcing its new Tundra pickup would offer an E85 version in the 2009 model year.

“If people are serious about reducing imported oil, this is the best thing you can do fast,” General Motors Corp. Chairman Rick Wagoner told journalists at the auto show preview. “There’s no question it’s a good thing to do. Can’t see why anyone would be against it.”

Read more.

Car Makers, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

Florida Legislature Urged to Support Biofuels Production

Cindy Zimmerman

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture is a man on a mission – to make Florida the nation’s leader in biofuels production.

To that end, Commissioner Charles Bronson appeared before a joint meeting of the House Agribusiness and House Energy Committees on Wednesday urging them to consider tax incentives or some form of financial assistance that the state can provide to encourage growers to produce alternative energy crops and processors to locate facilities in Florida to convert the crops to fuel.

“You today are in a position of putting Florida ahead of the pack,” Bronson said. “It will be a Florida that looks much different than it does today.”

The Commissioner told legislators that unlike the Midwest, where corn is the primary alternative energy crop, research done at the University of Florida has concluded that by using certain bacteria, virtually any type of bio-mass can be broken down to fuel. That would include wood, forestry debris, plant stalks and even livestock waste in addition to conventional crops.

“The opportunities in Florida are going to shock you,” Bronson said.

Read more from the FDACS.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Partnership to Discover Biofuels Enzymes

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Agribusiness giant Syngenta has entered into a research and development partnership with San Diego-based biotech firm Diversa Corporation focused on “the discovery and development of a range of novel enzymes to convert pre-treated cellulosic biomass economically to mixed sugars – a critical step in the process of biofuel production.”

The new agreement allows Diversa to independently develop and commercialize fermentation-based enzyme combinations from its proprietary platform. Syngenta will have exclusive access to enzymes from Diversa’s platform to express in plants for enhanced cost-effective production.

Read more from Syngenta.

Ethanol, News, Research

Getting to a Biofuels Future

Cindy Zimmerman

GEC The Governors’ Ethanol Coalition has released a new report called Ethanol from Biomass: How to Get to a Biofuels Future.

The report asks the President and members of Congress to adopt four recommendations:

1. Expand the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to include a short-term target of 12 billion gallons a year of ethanol and biodiesel utilization by 2010, and longer-term British thermal unit-based targets of 15 percent of total motor fuels consumption by 2015 and 25 percent by 2025, with equal incremental steps provided for each year in between;

2. Assign a financial value to the RFS cellulosic ethanol 2.5:1 trading credit into a more practical credit.

3. Establish a timetable for delivering 85% ethanol/15% gasoline infrastructure on a regional basis within five years.

4. Provide adequate funding for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorized biofuel research, demonstration and incentive programs.
Read the full report here.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government, News

Wisconsin Soybean Growers Seek Biodiesel Incentives

Cindy Zimmerman

WSA The Wisconsin Soybean Association is urging widespread support for their biodiesel policy initiative.

The association is specifically asking the state legislature this year for help in four areas:

1. Expand the distribution network for biodiesel fuel throughout the state by instituting tax incentives for wholesale and retail distributors and bulk fuel users.
2. Encourage consumption of biodiesel fuel via incentives for government entities to purchase new diesel vehicles.
3. Adopt a definition of biodiesel that conforms to ASTM D6751 standards.
4. Establish proper testing, laboratory and enforcement resources for biodiesel fuel within the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and/or Department of Commerce.

Read more from the Wisconsin Soybean Association.

Biodiesel, Legislation

Ethanol Testimony

Cindy Zimmerman

Aventine Aventine Renewable Energy CEO and Renewable Fuels Association Chairman Ron Miller presented testimony before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Wednesday on the impact of the ethanol industry’s dramatic growth on rural America.

“Ethanol today is the single most important value-added market for farmers,” said Miller. “The increased demand for grain used in ethanol processing has increased farm income, created jobs in the agricultural sector, and revitalized numerous rural communities where ethanol biorefineries have been located.”

In dollar terms, Miller told the committee that the five billion gallons of ethanol produced last year in the US translated to “an additional $41.1 billion to gross national output; the creation of 160,231 jobs in all sectors of the economy and an increase in household income of $6.7 billion, money that flows directly into consumers pockets.”

Other witnesses at the hearing included USDA Chief Economist Keith Collins, Mr. J. Read Smith of the “25×25” Steering Committee, and Gene Gourley of the National Pork Producers Council. Some of the opening statements and audio from the hearing is available on the Senate Ag Committee website.

Ethanol, News

Bio-Town May Get Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Bio Town Indiana’s “BioTown USA” might soon get it’s very own ethanol plant.

VeraSun of South Dakota has plans to is build a 110-million gallon capacity ethanol plant just outside the northern Indiana town of Reynolds that is a state project aimed at using renewable sources to provide all its energy.

The Biotown plan promoted by the state Department of Agriculture calls for construction of a plant that would use manure and other biomass material to generate electricity for the 500-person town about 20 miles north of Lafayette. It also is promoting the use of E85, which is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petroleum-based gasoline, for vehicles.

The White County Area Plan Commission voted this week to approve a request to rezone 273 acres of land near the town to allow for construction of the plant.

Read more from the Monticello, IN Herald Journal.

Ethanol, News