Large Scale Biodiesel Plant Breaks Ground In Missouri

Cindy Zimmerman

Mid America BiodieselGround was broken Monday for a new biodiesel plant in Missouri, the largest plant yet in the state. The Mid-America Biofuels plant in Mexico, MO is the result of a partnership between Biofuels, LLC; Archer Daniels Midland (ADM); Ray-Carroll County Grain Growers, Inc.; MFA Oil Co.; and GROWMARK, Inc., and will have an annual production capacity of 30 million gallons.

“Biodiesel demand is growing fast, and we believe Missouri is the right place to produce biodiesel and fill that demand,” said Warren Stemme, a Missouri farmer in St. Charles County and president of Mid-America Biofuels, LLC. “Additionally, we have an unbeatable team in place with each member providing resources and experience which is sure to make Mid-America Biofuels a huge success.” Stemme is also in the Missouri Soybean Association, as well as a director of NBB.

The central Missouri majority farmer-owned plant includes nearly 400 farmers.

Read the full release from the National Biodiesel Board website.

Biodiesel, Facilities, Production

E85 Publicly Available In Texas

Chuck Zimmerman

1st Texas E85 PumpIt’s good to see that Texas is going public with E85. They just opened their first public pump this past week. The picture is of Curtis Donaldson, president of CleanFUEL USA, and David Gibson, executive director of the Corn Producers Association of Texas, who helped celebrate the opening of Texas’ first public E85 pump in San Antonio.

The Corn Producers Association of Texas (CPAT) celebrated the opening of the state’s first public E85 pump in San Antonio on Wednesday. The Bexar County Fleet Maintenance Building is selling the blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. On Wednesday, the station promoted the fuel by selling it for 85 cents for a couple hours. After the promotion, the station posted a price of $2.35 a gallon, which is about 20 cents less than regular unleaded in the San Antonio area.

“It’s good to finally have a site open to the public in Texas,” said David Gibson, executive director of the Corn Producers Association of Texas. “Corn was touted really strongly there. This is good for farmers, and we’re looking forward to opening more stations. In fact, there’s a site under review in Austin right now.”

Ethanol, Facilities

Get Your Ethanol-Enriched Gas In Wichita

Chuck Zimmerman

Paul Dana With The Ethanol CarIndyCar Series Driver Paul Dana, seen here earlier this year with the Ethanol Car, will be making a pit-stop in Wichita, KS to promote ethanol-enriched fuel at a local Kwik Shop where mid-grade ethanol-enriched gasoline will be discounted $.20 a gallon. Here’s the details:

WHAT: Meet IRL IndyCar® Series driver Paul Dana and learn why the series will soon be proving that performance can be earth-friendly at 220 mph. Dana, along with the No. 91 Ethanol Hemelgarn racecar, will be visiting Kwik Shop to sign autographs, hand out consumer information on ethanol, and promote the 2006 Indy Racing League fuel switch. Kwik Shop will also be offering a $.20 discount on a gallon of mid-grade ethanol enriched fuel. Starting in 2006, the IndyCar Series will be switching to a 10 percent ethanol-enriched fuel in all their racing cars. Ethanol is a new alternative that will help reduce dependence on foreign oil, support the Kansas economy and keep its air one of the cleanest in the country. You can experience the fuel that will be powering the Indy cars in 2006.

WHO: PAUL DANA, IndyCar Series Team Ethanol driver

WHEN: Saturday, October 22, 2005, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

WHERE: Kwik Shop, 7107 W 37th Street North, Wichita, Kansas

The promotion is coordinated by the Ethanol Promotion & Information Council.

EPIC, Ethanol, Promotion

Got A Topic For FEW?

Chuck Zimmerman

Fuel Ethanol WorkshopNow’s the time to submit a proposal to the Fuel Ethanol Workshop for next year’s program.

The International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Exposm, the largest fuel ethanol industry event in the world, will be held June 20-23, 2006 at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

We are now seeking presentation topics from individuals and organizations. Topics should have a strong focus on:

Commercial-scale ethanol production
Technological advancements
Near-term research and development

Abstracts will be considered for presentations in the Technical Breakout Workshop Sessions, the General Sessions and/or the “Ethanol 101” pre-workshop seminar.

Ethanol

Clymers, IN Site of Andersons Ethanol Plant

Chuck Zimmerman

Maybe we should just start a daily feature to announce the new ethanol plant “annoucement of the day.” It seems like we hear about new plants on a regular basis now. Like today’s announcement from The Andersons, Inc.

The Andersons, Inc. today announced the selection of Clymers, Indiana as the site for its proposed new corn ethanol plant with the support and assistance of the state of Indiana through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and Cass County. “Creation of this plant is good news for Hoosiers and a great application of our Clean Indiana Energy policy,” said Governor Daniels.

This new facility will be capitalized by approximately $140 million in capital investment and create 40-50 new production jobs, in addition to roughly 250 construction positions. With a planned annual capacity of 110 million gallons of ethanol and production of 350,000 tons of distillers dried grains for feed, the plant would be the largest and most modern east of the Mississippi River. The plant would process 40 million bushels of corn each year-primarily sourced from Cass and surrounding counties-significantly benefiting area farmers and agribusinesses.

Ethanol, Facilities

Bonnie Raitt Running On Biodiesel

Chuck Zimmerman

National Biodiesel BoardThe National Biodiesel Board probably plays Bonnie Raitt music in their office! They’re getting some good publicity for this renewable fuel alternative because a big star is using it on her tour.

Bonnie RaittAs acclaimed musician Bonnie Raitt hits the road for her year-long Souls Alike Tour, she is fueling her two diesel-powered buses and two semis with environmentally friendly biodiesel (B20). This tour continues the Green Highway eco-partnership she began in 2002 on the Silver Lining Tour promoting biodiesel, the environment, and alternative energy solutions at shows and benefits along the way. “I believe we should do everything we can to minimize our impact on the planet, and using biodiesel is a simple step that goes a long way,” said Raitt. “By using B20 on my Souls Alike Tour, we are reducing pollution and putting a dent in imported petroleum. Biodiesel has come so far in the last few years. It’s wonderful to see it gaining momentum – we can all benefit from more biodiesel use.”

The Souls Alike Tour kicked off Oct. 5 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Biodiesel fits with Raitt’s Green Highway mission because it reduces emissions that are harmful to the environment as well as humans. It is a domestically produced fuel made from any fat or vegetable oil, like soybean oil. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modifications. Although biodiesel contains no petroleum, it can be blended with diesel at any level or used in its pure form.

Biodiesel, Promotion

PA Governor Creates Renewable Agricultural Energy Council

Chuck Zimmerman

Pennsylvania GrowsI’ve seen a lot of activity out of the state of Pennsylvania when it comes to news from their government. They’ve certainly made a committment to renewable fuels with programs like their Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program that’s part of their PAGrows Initiative.

Just this past week the Governor Edward G. Rendell created the Renewable Agricultural Energy Council, which is focused on developing and expanding agricultural energy industries in Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania continues to look for innovative energy solutions,” Governor Rendell said. “That means looking for ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, encourage conservation, build and deploy clean energy technologies and build a diversified energy base.”

“Renewable agricultural energy has the potential to support and grow the agriculture industry in Pennsylvania by providing as many as 64,000 additional jobs,” the Governor said. “Additionally, renewable agricultural energy can help diversify agricultural activities and stimulate the growth of crops that strengthen the agriculture industry. It also has the potential to save consumers hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs.

“Agricultural energy sources can save the average household $1,200 annually on energy bills,” Governor Rendell said. “Such energy sources can also provide an additional source of income for farmers and increase the tax base, benefits that stretch beyond the farm.”

The secretaries of Agriculture and Environmental Protection will serve as co-chairs on a rotating yearly basis, with the secretary of Agriculture, Dennis Wolff, serving the first term. The Council will also be composed of a diverse group of individuals appointed by the Governor, including farmers utilizing renewable energy and those who work with agricultural energy.

Government

Ethanol Car Runs Well At Last IndyCar Race

Chuck Zimmerman

Jimmy KiteJimmy Kite, the driver of the Ethanol car, #91, Hemelgarn Racing, had his best race finish this weekend in the Toyota Indy 400.

According to one of the car sponsors, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, “Kite started 19th on the grid but quickly moved through the field getting as high as 8th at one point during the race. Unfortunately for driver Jimmy Kite the team experienced a wheel gun failure during their second pit stop costing them a lap and a legitimate shot at a top-10 finish. Despite the 13th place finish, team owner Ron Hemelgarn was happy with the day, as well as the way the season ended.

“This was our best race all year. We made huge gains on handling. We could run with anybody today. I wish we could have another race.” “We had a good race car today,” said driver Jimmy Kite. “I’d almost say that it was the best car I’ve had all year. The guys gave me great stops all year, so I can’t complain about one bad stop. I’m very happy with the car I had today; we were able to run with the leaders all day.”

Ethanol, Indy Racing, Promotion

USDA Loan Guarantee For Electric Plant Using Waste Wood

Chuck Zimmerman

USDAThis may be a little different but, hey, it’s an alternative to what we think of as traditional fuel. How about using “waste wood” as a biomass fuel source?


Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr today announced a $16 million loan guarantee to help finance construction of an electrical generating plant in rural Arizona that will use wildfire-damaged timber along with waste wood and paper fiber from a nearby paper mill as a fuel source. The announcement marks the first time that USDA has made a loan guarantee through its Rural Development Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program.

“This project supports President Bush’s comprehensive national energy policy,” said Dorr. “Renewable energy is a top priority for the nation and for USDA. As we expand generating capacity through projects like this one, we not only convert into electricity a fuel source that would otherwise go to waste, we broaden our energy options and through construction of this plant, provide a source of new jobs to Arizona.”

Rural Development funds will guarantee a $16 million loan to Snowflake White Mountain Power, LLC of Snowflake, Arizona. The company will build a 20-megawatt biomass electrical generating plant 17 miles from the community. The $23 million generating plant will use wildfire-damaged timber from the 450,000 acre Rodeo-Chediski fire, along with waste from the nearby Abitibi Paper Mill as a fuel source. The timber that was damaged by wildfire will be sold to the company under contracts with the U.S. Forest Service as part of its Healthy Forest Initiative.

Facilities, Government

New Energy Capital Invests In Ethanol Plant

Chuck Zimmerman

New Energy CapitalMore and more is being invested into renewable energy alternatives like ethanol. In fact, it’s almost hard to keep up with all of it. Here’s another announcement that a significant investment is being made by some savvy investors.

New Energy Capital Corp. has announced its investment in a 55 million gallon per year ethanol production facility currently under construction in Albion, Michigan. The plant, adjacent to a grain terminal owned by The Andersons, Inc., will produce ethanol from corn grown by local farmers and will also produce distillers grains, a high quality feed supplement ideal for the region’s growing dairy industry. Ethanol from the plant will be blended with gasoline for use in the transportation sector. The use of ethanol as a replacement for gasoline cuts U.S. oil dependence, stimulates the nation’s farm economy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The facility, which will be managed by The Andersons, is expected to be completed by September 2006, and will involve an aggregate investment of approximately $86 million. The designer and general contractor will be ICM, Inc. of Colwich, KS, an industry leader in ethanol technology and plant construction. The Andersons and New Energy Capital are joined by three other equity investors, and CoBank of Omaha, Nebraska will lead a consortium of farm credit banks to provide construction and term financing. Plant construction will involve approximately 250 new jobs and operations will require approximately 30 full time equivalent staff.

Ethanol, Production