Growth Energy Touts Prime the Pump Success

Cindy Zimmerman

More than 2,800 retail sites will offer E15 by 2021, generating approximately 350 million new ethanol gallons annually, according to a new report by Growth Energy on the success of E15 and the accomplishments of Prime the Pump, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping build the infrastructure and distribution of higher biofuel blends.

“Thanks to the hard work and generosity of participants in the Prime the Pump program, American consumers can purchase E15 at more than 1,400 locations across 30 states,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

The initiative has succeeded in doubling the number of E15 stations four years in a row to the current 1400, and added three major new retailers to the program in 2017, including a partnership with Kwik Trip which successfully rolled out E15 at 300 sites in just four months.

However, Skor notes that this great momentum is at risk without Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) relief for year round sales of E15. “It’s a major obstruction for those going the extra mile to expand into new markets and grow our industry,” said Skor. “Retailers in many markets simply can’t or won’t retool their labels and fuel offerings each summer, which means that E15 is off the menu all year and what’s at stake is 7 billion new gallons of ethanol demand.”

Click here to read the Prime the Pump one pager.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Retailers

DuPont Launches New Products for Fuel Ethanol Market

DuPont Industrial Biosciences used the Fuel Ethanol Workshop to showcase three new products geared toward the fuel ethanol market.

All three products are part of the XCELIS platform, which also includes an online partner community for the industry called Grain Changers. Each of these products is already available, according to Judy Underwood, global marketing leader for biorefinery business with Dupont Industrial Biosciences.

Underwood said DuPont™ SYNERXIA® THRIVE GX is a next generation yeast product for the fuel alcohol industry. A second product, DuPont™ DISTILLASE® DXT, is an advanced glucoamylase blend, designed to help customers extract even more value from liquefied grains through a combination of advanced glucoamylases, trehalase and cold cook alpha amylase.

“Starch gets trapped by the corn fiber, and the fiber presents itself as a really strong matrix,” said Underwood. “So this is a way to loosen up that fiber and let some of that starch out so that the alpha amylase in liquefaction can tackle it and solubulize it, leading to higher yields. Really good for producers that have an issue with residual starch.”

The third product, DuPont™ OPTIMASH® AX, is designed to help customers extract even more value out of nonstarch carbohydrates. It relaxes fibers to release inaccessible starch; increases ethanol yields up to one percent and is complementary to alpha amylase performance.

Underwood said launching three products this year is exciting, but the company is far from finished with innovation in this area.

“We want the audience to know that we are not done and we are still really very invested in this market. We are very invested in research and development to bring even new solutions to the market over the next months and years that will help them become more efficient and drive towards whatever goals they’re pursuing,” said Underwood.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Judy here: Interview with Judy Underwood, Xcelis

2018 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

AgWired Energy, Audio, Dupont, Ethanol

White Energy Teams with Occidental for CO2 Study

Cindy Zimmerman

Occidental Petroleum Corporation and White Energy are teaming up to evaluate the economic feasibility of a carbon capture, utilization and storage project.

The project would capture carbon dioxide (CO2) at White Energy’s ethanol facilities in Hereford and Plainview, Texas, and transport it to the Permian Basin, where Occidental would use it in its enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. Occidental injects CO2 into oil reservoirs, causing trapped oil to flow more easily and efficiently.

The engineering study, expected to last six months, will examine the costs of building a carbon capture facility. If Occidental and White Energy determine the project is economically feasible, operations could begin as soon as 2021. The carbon capture project would be designed to be eligible for 45Q tax credits and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Carbon Capture and Storage protocol, both currently in development, demonstrating that these important incentives result in near-term investment, reduced CO2 emissions and jobs.

Carbon, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Oil

BASF and Lallemand Partner for Ethanol Plant Products

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF Enzymes LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) have partnered to help add value to ethanol producers.

As part of the collaboration, BASF will use its enzyme portfolio for applications in liquefaction and fermentation in order to maximize fermentation performance. LBDS will use its TransFerm yeast product line that provides increased ethanol yields and reduces the need for glucoamylase addition.

BASF and LBDS bring collective know-how and insights with yeast and enzymes, complimented by technical support for process optimization of the whole ethanol process. This comprehensive collaboration will increase the overall value to our customers with robust fermentations and higher ethanol yields.

BASF, enzymes, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Production

Enogen Waves Flag for Ethanol at NASCAR Race

For the sixth consecutive year, Syngenta Enogen sponsored NASCAR® racing at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa this past weekend.

The Iowa 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race presented by Enogen on Sunday highlighted both corn and ethanol around the track and allowed Syngenta to thank some of the farmers who are enzyme suppliers for their local plants.

Chris Tingle, head of commercial operations for Enogen at Syngenta, says Enogen premiums-to-date paid to Enogen corn growers are expected to surpass $100 million this year. “This is a milestone year for Enogen corn and we are pleased to be able to take this opportunity to say thank you to the ethanol plants and corn growers who are making this game-changing technology a success. To do so in collaboration with NASCAR makes it even more special.”

NASCAR has been supporting American ethanol since 2011 when it began using Sunoco Green E15 (15 percent ethanol) in all three touring races. Grower account lead Craig Abell had the opportunity to check an item off his bucket list when he waved the green American Ethanol flag to start the race. “Been watching NASCAR for 30 years, so I’ve prepared for this moment my entire life!” said Abell

By the end of 2018, Syngenta anticipates more than 280 million bushels of Enogen corn will have been grown on nearly 1.5 million acres and contributed to approximately 7 billion gallons of ethanol produced.

Listen to interviews with Tingle and Abell to learn more about the Enogen technology and how it is helping both corn farmers and ethanol producers be more profitable.

Interview with Chris Tingle, Syngenta Enogen

Interview with Craig Abell, Syngenta Enogen

NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa 250 presented by Enogen Photo Album

AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, corn, Enogen, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NASCAR, Syngenta

RFA’s Cooper on EPA Actions

Cindy Zimmerman

As EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was kicking off his three state ethanol tour last week in Kansas, he was the main topic of a panel discussion on “Surveying the Health of Renewable Fuels Policy under the Trump Administration” was being held at Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Omaha.

Renewable Fuels Association Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper was among the panel participants who discussed what they know about Pruitt’s actions impacting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFA). “What we know is there’s some squirrelly things going on,” said Cooper in an interview after the panel. Those squirrels are mainly the small refinery exemptions that Pruitt has been granting by the dozen.

“We are seeing destruction of demand as a result of these waivers,” said Cooper. “President Trump campaigned through the Midwest on a promise of supporting this industry and those commitments haven’t really added up with the actions of his EPA administrator.”

Listen to Cooper’s take on Pruitt’s actions in this interview: Interview with Geoff Cooper, RFA

2018 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photos

Fuel Ethanol Conference content sponsored by

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Syngenta Enogen

Audio, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW, RFA

Pruitt’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Ethanol Tour

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen channeled author Judith Viorst in an editorial post Friday summarizing EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s ethanol “Redemption Tour” last week.

Day 1 of his Redemption Tour had Pruitt telling ethanol producers his role was to provide stability to the market only to be told the company he was visiting would be shutting down a brand new, state-of-the-art renewable diesel plant because of market volatility created by Pruitt’s indiscriminate use of small refiner waivers. The same meeting included farmers telling Pruitt they were “mad as hell” at him.

Trying to deflect criticism, Pruitt told ethanol producers EPA had the authority to expand E15 sales year-around and that EPA could reallocate RINs lost to waivers. But the next day, he said EPA lawyers weren’t so sure about reallocating RINs and RVP could only be done if part of a package in which refiners got something too. Really? 1.6 billion gallons in lost biofuel market share is not enough for them?

Read it here.

EPA, Ethanol, Opinion, RFA

Biodiesel Board Hires Two to Communications Positions

Cindy Zimmerman

Kaleb Little

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) last week announced new Director of Communications Kaleb Little and Director of Public Affairs and Federal Communications Paul Winters.

Little has worked in various communications roles at the organization for more than eight years while Winters comes from fellow biofuels trade association Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). His most recent role at NBB was Senior Communications Manager where he oversaw the many communications strategies used to communicate the benefits of biodiesel to the public including member communication pieces, public events, coordination with stakeholder groups, NBB’s numerous online platforms, social media, and more.

Paul Winters

Winters comes to NBB from BIO, where he was Director of Communications, Industrial & Environmental Section since 2003. At BIO, Winters led the integration of their policy advocacy and public relations efforts into a strategic public affairs program and was key in building BIO’s reputation as a thought leader on regulatory policy.

NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen welcomed both to the biodiesel team. “Kaleb has been a key piece of the NBB communications team since his arrival in 2010 and we are extremely pleased to have him move into this formal leadership role on our staff team,” said Rehagen. “Paul has been entrenched in the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Farm Bill, and other biofuels policy efforts for the last decade.”

Biodiesel, NBB

Allgaier Wins NASCAR Iowa 250 presented by Enogen

Cindy Zimmerman

It has been a hot day in Iowa, especially on the track at Iowa Speedway. Winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa 250 presented by Enogen is Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports. Here’s the Syngenta Enogen team in victory lane with Justin, his wife and daughter and the car.

After all the victory lane festivities Justin came over to the media center for a short press conference. I asked him to give a shout out to all the farm dads here at the track today, especially those corn farmers in the stands, many of whom grow Enogen corn.

Listen to my question/answer with Justin here: Enogen Race Winner Justin Allgaier

I have a lot of pre, during and post race day photos for your viewing/sharing pleasure. I hope you enjoy them.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa 250 presented by Enogen Photo Album

Audio, corn, Enogen, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NASCAR, Syngenta

Ready for NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa 250 presented by Enogen

chuck zimmerman

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa 250 presented by Enogen is tomorrow at 4pm central. I’m in early to get myself settled in at the media center. I’ve always enjoyed this track and have had the opportunity to visit many times.

Once again this year I’m working with Enogen, Syngenta’s Corn for Ethanol. I have some interviews scheduled and will be taking photos as the opportunity presents itself. In fact, I’m about to do a walk around to see what I can find.


For the sixth consecutive year, Syngenta is sponsoring NASCAR® racing at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

This year’s featured event is the Iowa 250 presented by Enogen, a 250-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series race, on Sunday, June 17. Enogen® corn helps to enhance ethanol production and provides corn growers the opportunity to be enzyme suppliers for their local ethanol plant. This year, Enogen premiums-to-date paid to Enogen corn growers are expected to surpass $100 million.

If you’d like to hear more about what Enogen is all about then listen in to my interview earlier this week at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop with Jeff Oestmann, Bio-fuels Operations head, Enogen at Syngenta.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa 250 presented by Enogen Photo Album

AgWired Energy, biofuels, Ethanol, NASCAR, Syngenta