Enogen® Corn Hybrids Good for Feed and Fuel

Enogen® corn hybrids from Syngenta have been providing value for farmers and ethanol producers, now Enogen® Feed hybrids can help provide value for beef and dairy producers as well.

“Enogen continues to be an exciting part of our business in Syngenta and the NK brand,” said Quinn Showalter, NK Sales Head, during an interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual Trade Talk. Enogen corn will produce about 2 billion gallons of ethanol this year. “New as we move forward into 2018 is the value that Enogen brings from a feed standpoint.”

Showalter says on-farm trials this year showed very promising results and as grain or silage, can provide a valuable ration component that helps provide more available energy for cattle in the form of starch and sugar, which also helps improve digestibility. “There is incremental value in the form of feed efficiency that come from Enogen,” he said.

In this interview, Quinn also discusses Syngenta’s long-term commitment to the NK brand and what is new for 2018. Interview with Quinn Showalter, Syngenta/NK Seeds

2017 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Ethanol, NAFB, Syngenta

Holiday Drivers Can Save $$$ With E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Drivers who are heading over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for the holidays could save big money if they fill up the tank with 15 percent ethanol for the holidays.

According Growth Energy, if all of the drivers hitting the road this week fill up with E15, the total savings would be nearly $4 million. AAA projects nearly 51 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3 percent increase over last year and the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005.

“E15 is a great fuel option any time, but when families are traveling further to see loved ones for Thanksgiving, it gives them an opportunity to keep a little extra money in their pockets since E15 can cost up to 10 cents less,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

E15 is available at nearly 1,200 locations across 29 states, and is approved for 2001 and newer vehicles, which make up 90 percent of the vehicles on the road today.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy

DuPont Launches SYNERXIA® THRIVE for Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

DuPont Industrial Biosciences has announced the launch of SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System to help ethanol producers increase yields.

“With the new DuPont™ SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System, ethanol producers can now expect up to 4 percent higher ethanol yields in dry grind fuel alcohol facilities, when compared to conventional systems,” said Joseph DeSalvo, North America regional industry leader, DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “The launch of SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System gives ethanol producers the opportunity to integrate an unparalleled fermentation system into their business.”

DuPont™ SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System consists of a new active dry yeast (ADY), SYNERXIA® THRIVE ADY and SYNERXIA® THRIVE LC, a glucoamylase liquid complement. The new system blends the right combination of yeast and enzymes to deliver up to 4 percent additional ethanol versus a conventional yeast and glucoamylase combination.

SYNERXIA® THRIVE ADY incorporates a patent pending, carbon-efficient pathway that redirects a portion of the carbon that would go into CO2 and glycerol into ethanol production. In lab and plant results, the SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System outperformed conventional yeasts during thermal excursions and demonstrated increased robustness in the presence of organic acids.

Dupont, enzymes, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Biodiesel Benefits Farmers and Livestock Producers

Carrie Muehling

Midwest soybeans are fueling the country from coast to coast. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has a goal of supplying 10 percent of the nation’s diesel fuel by the year 2022, equating to about four billion gallons per year. NBB Board Member and Nebraska Farmer Greg Anderson said the northeast market for heating oil is a bright spot, while California will soon be the number one market for biodiesel. He said that’s important during a challenging agriculture economy.

“We do have the production capacity to serve this market. We have America’s advanced biofuel providing some 64,000 jobs across the country – good paying, clean energy jobs – as well as really making agriculture profitable,” said Anderson. “We need biodiesel to keep adding almost a dollar per bushel value to our crop, making soybean oil 11 to 20 cents per pound more valuable, just because of biodiesel.”

U.S. farmers grow over four billion bushels of soybeans each year, producing 22 billion pounds of soybean oil. Biodiesel production uses about one third of the domestic soybean crush.

Here more with Cindy’s interview from NAFB Trade Talk: Interview with Greg Anderson, National Biodiesel Board

2017 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Biodiesel, NAFB

Farmers to Grow Mustard Seed for Bio Jet Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

Canadian-made yellow Carinata mustard seed to be grown by Australia farmers for bio-fuel production (CNW Group/Agrisoma Biosciences)

Farmers in Australia will soon be growing a Canadian oilseed to make bio jet fuel thanks to a new “farm to flight” deal between Quebec-based Agrisoma Biosciences and Qantas Airlines.

Agrisoma will work with Australian farmers to grow the Carinata seed, a non-food type of mustard seed that produces high-quality oil ideal for renewable aviation jet fuel and renewable diesel fuel.

“Our long-term goal with this partnership is to grow the crop at a target of 400,000 hectares which will ultimately produce more than 200 million litres of bio jet fuel for the airline, says Steven Fabijanski, Agrisoma’s Ph.D. President and CEO.

In 2018, to demonstrate the benefits of Agrisoma’s biofuel, Qantas will operate the world’s first bio-fuel flight between the United States and Australia. “We are constantly looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions across our operations but when it comes to using renewable jet fuel, until now, there has not been a locally grown option at the scale we need to power our fleet,” says CEO Qantas International, Alison Webster.

Carinata requires no special production or processing techniques and uses little water. It is sown either in fallow areas where crops fail or as a cover crop. When crushed, the seed also produces a high protein feed for Australian livestock, dairy and poultry producers.

aviation biofuels, biojet fuel

Representatives Support Advanced Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

Representatives Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), and Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), along with 16 other members of the House, last week wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt supporting increased blending targets for cellulosic biofuels and biodiesel in the final 2018 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). The members represent largely urban and minority populated districts around the country.

“Cellulosic ethanol is the lowest carbon biofuel in the world today…reducing greenhouse gas emissions over 90 percent,” they wrote to Administrator Pruitt. “Urban areas and communities of color are disproportionately affected by air pollution and will withstand the worst of the effects of your proposed rule.”

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor thanked the “champions in Congress who are working hard to ensure that the RFS continues to deliver savings and health benefits to communities in all regions of the country. Increasing the volumes for cellulosic and advanced biofuels is essential to ensure that producers and stakeholders will have the certainty they need to continue to invest in cellulosic technology.”

EPA is expected to release the final RVO numbers by the end of this month.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, biofuels, Cellulosic, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy

Thanksgiving Dinner Less Than Last Year

Cindy Zimmerman

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner should cost slightly less than last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation‘s 32nd annual price survey of items traditionally used in the Thanksgiving meal. The cost of the dinner is the lowest since 2013 at $49.12, down 75 cents, or one and a half percent from last year, according to Dr. John Newton, AFBF director of market intelligence. The price decrease is primarily driven by the lower cost of the turkey, which is priced at two cents less per pound than last year. The price of Thanksgiving Dinner is

“This holiday season we have plenty of turkeys available for the consumer,” said Newton. “USDA estimates turkey production is going to be up about one percent from where we saw it last year, and whether you’re consuming a fresh bird for Thanksgiving or a frozen bird, there should be plenty of supplies on hand.”

The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.

Learn more from Dr. John Newton: Dr. John Newton, AFBF

AFBF

Outlook Shows Need to Increase Use of Biofuels Globally

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest World Energy Outlook shows a clear need for the increased blending of biofuels in global transport fuels, according to Bliss Baker, the President of the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA).

“The WEO’s projections of current and announced national energy policies illustrates clearly that far more aggressive, and immediate, action must be taken to mitigate GHG emissions to achieve the targets laid out in the Paris Agreement” Baker said. “With the transportation sector being a major driver of global energy demand growth, world leaders must embrace biofuels as a key policy solution to reduce GHG emissions.”

The WEO’s projections are based on models using existing and officially announced national energy policies around the world, and reaffirms past projections that found global energy demand would rise by 30% to 2040.

Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Biofuels Groups Hopeful EPA Keeps RFS Strong

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels organizations are anxiously awaiting the release of the final Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as they remind the White House and EPA of the promises they’ve made to rural America.

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) placed a full page ad in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call this week featuring South Dakota farmer Marietta Lakness, with the message “Mr. President, tell EPA to stand with rural America and keep the promise to protect the RFS.”

Meanwhile, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) sent a letter to President Trump this week thanking him for his leadership and support of the RFS program and explaining the industry’s capacity to produce biodiesel as an advanced biofuel.

“The base numbers contained in EPA’s original, July proposal—4.24 billion gallons for advanced biofuels and 2.1 billion gallons for biomass-based diesel—are themselves so low that, if finalized, they will halt the growth of the biomass-based diesel industry. The 4.24-billion-gallon number is a reduction from the previous year’s 4.28 billion gallons, which sends a starkly negative signal to the industry as a whole.”

The NBB reiterated its request for at least 4.75 billion gallons for advanced biofuels for 2018 and at least 2.5 billion gallons for biomass-based diesel for 2019 in the upcoming RVO.

EPA is scheduled to release the final RVOs by the end of this month.

ACE, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS

2nd Annual Pink at the Pump Doubles Donations

Cindy Zimmerman

Drivers across six states last month helped raise a record $11,500 for breast cancer awareness and research as part of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association’s (IRFA) second-annual Pink at the Pump™ campaign.

“It is exciting to see how much Pink at the Pump™ has grown in only its second year,” said IRFA Managing Director Lucy Norton. “We’ve doubled the number of retailers and the amount of funds raised from 2016. Drivers are really catching on to what a great option E15 is for all 2001 and newer vehicles because it burns cleaner, reduces the amount of cancer-causing chemicals in the air, and is higher octane.”

Sixty-four E15 retail stations across Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, and Virginia donated three cents of every gallon of E15 sold from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 to National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and The Hormel Institute. Participating E15 locations featured pink E15 nozzle guards and other pink point-of-sale materials as part of the campaign, sponsored by IRFA and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA