10 More E15 Locations in Iowa

Cindy Zimmerman

With the addition of 10 new locations in the past month, 15% ethanol blended fuel is now available at 135 stations across Iowa.

Kwik Star, a retailer based out of Wisconsin, added E15 to seven Iowa stations. Over the course of the next few years, Kwik Trip – which operates in Iowa under the name “Kwik Star” – intends to add E15 to almost all of its 550 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Iowa-based Kum & Go added E15 to a location in Ames. Kum & Go is actively adding the fuel to all new locations. Motorists can now purchase E15 from 58 Kum & Go stores across Iowa.

The last two locations – Super Mart in Oelwein and Best Food Mart in Des Moines – are independently owned. In addition to E15, Super Mart offers E10 and Best Food Mart offers E85.

“More and more retailers are recognizing that E15 is a lower-cost, higher-performing option that customers want,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw. “The fuel is now available in more locations than ever before. It is only a matter of time before it is the number one fuel choice for all motorists across the state.”

Click here for list of all new Iowa E15 locations from IRFA.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA

Democrat Senators Offer Farm Bill Energy Package

Cindy Zimmerman

Senator Al Franken (D-MN), together with Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have introduced the Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2017, to reauthorize Title IX programs and funding through 2023.

“Each and every day, our nation’s farmers have our backs,” said Sen. Franken, a member of the Senate Energy Committee. “I believe we need to have theirs as well. My measure will support rural jobs, play a critical role in cutting energy costs, and help farmers and producers invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.”

According to the Agriculture Energy Coalition, the legislation would make renewable chemicals facilities fully eligible to participate in the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program; expand the BioPreferred program and the REAP program; and add new mandatory funding to “create economic and energy opportunities for rural America.”

biofuels, Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News, farm bill, Government

Ethanol Days of Summer Over

Cindy Zimmerman

Labor Day marked the unofficial end of summer and the official end of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Ethanol Days of Summer Contest.

According to RFA, more than 4,000 new users of E85prices.com registered and helped report prices for higher ethanol blends and conventional fuels during the three-month contest, which offered the chance to win $50 in free fuel per day. In total, there were 98 winners who collectively received $5,000 in free fuel.

“This contest not only helped consumers find higher ethanol blends, but it also highlighted the price discount between ethanol blends and regular unleaded fuel,” said RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White. “For example, users recently reported that nationally on average, E15 had been at a 2.3% discount to unleaded and E85 had been at a 22.1% discount. Through E85prices.com, consumers can also immediately see what stations are their best option by location and historical prices.”

The RFA purchased the crowdsourced E85prices.com in 2014 as a way to bolster consumer engagement in higher blends and enhance data collection capabilities. RFA immediately invested in the website and its mobile app to make the website more user-friendly, but also to include E15. In the future, RFA plans similar efforts to boost the number of users and number of pricing experiences collected.

Contest, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Biodiesel Helps Clear the Air in Great Smokies

Cindy Zimmerman

The Great Smoky Mountains are so named because of the blue mist that hovers around the peaks and valleys of the range along the Tennessee–North Carolina border. To keep that blue mist from being obscured by smog, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park strives to maintain its natural beauty through practices that reduce the park’s environmental footprint – such as using biodiesel in park vehicles and equipment.

“At Great Smoky Mountains National Park we have implemented a comprehensive strategy to limit our environmental impact and reduce carbon emissions,” said Brian Bergsma, deputy chief of facility management. “Biodiesel and Bioheat® are front and center in that effort.”

In 2016, the park used 43,085 gallons of biodiesel (B20) resulting in the following estimated emissions reductions: 15 percent reduction in carbon dioxide; 12 percent reduction in carbon monoxide; 20 percent reduction in both hydrocarbon and sulfur dioxide and 12 percent reduction in particulate matter.*

In keeping with its history of preservation, Great Smoky Mountains National Park first began using biodiesel blends to power park-owned diesel vehicles and equipment in 2003. The cleaner-burning fuel has been used park-wide since 2006. Today, numerous locations in the park use B20 to power 40 pieces of heavy equipment such as dump trucks, graders, front-end loaders, a bucket truck and more. Additionally, Bioheat® is used to heat the park’s headquarters building.

Learn more from the National Biodiesel Board.

Biodiesel, Bioheat, Environment

Ethanol Industry Calls for U.S. Response to Brazilian Tariff

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. ethanol producers are asking the government to develop an immediate response to Brazil’s recently implemented tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports

The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council are calling on the Trump Administration to “immediately engage their Brazilian counterparts on the future of our relationships with regard to biofuels.”

On August 23, 2017, Brazil’s Chamber of Foreign Trade imposed an immediate two-year tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for ethanol imports. Under the TRQ, a 20 percent tariff will be applied to purchases from the U.S. after a 600 million-liter (158.5 million gallon) quota is met. This year fuel ethanol exports to Brazil are at 1.17 billion liters (310 million gallons) through July, according to Census Bureau trade data.

The three organizations work jointly and with USDA to develop overseas markets for U.S. ethanol and Brazil is the largest ethanol export market for American producers. “American jobs, farms, and businesses are at risk; this cannot go unanswered,” the groups stressed in a statement Thursday.

biofuels, Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Growth Energy, RFA

High-Octane Ethanol Blends Can Help Meet GHG Standards

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol organizations presented testimony to the EPA Wednesday that high-octane ethanol blends in optimized engines would be the lowest cost means for the country to meet 2022-2025 fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards. The testimony was provided during a hearing on Reconsideration of the Final Determination of the Midterm Evaluation (MTE) of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Model Year (MY) 2022-2025 Light-Duty Vehicles.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen testified that high-octane, low-carbon fuels like ethanol are ideal as the internal combustion engines are expected to continue to serve as the predominant propulsion technology for light duty vehicles through 2025 and beyond. “A high-octane fuel (98-100 RON) could be produced today simply by blending 25-30% ethanol with existing gasoline blendstocks,” Dinneen testified. “Action by the EPA is necessary to catalyze the development and introduction of high-octane, low carbon fuels into the consumer market, just as EPA action was required to eliminate lead, limit benzene, and reduce the sulfur content of our gasoline and diesel fuel.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings provided examples of researchers and automakers supporting the need for increasing the octane rating of fuel. “…We are encouraged by EPA’s reconsideration of the final determination and applaud the Agency for inviting comment on the ‘impact of the standards on advanced fuels technology, including…the potential for high-octane blends,’” Jennings said.

Growth Energy Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley also testified at the hearing. “Any review clearly demonstrates ethanol is a proven high-octane fuel that significantly reduces emissions and, when used in a midlevel blend in conjunction with modern engines, will help automakers achieve future fuel economy standards,” said Bliley.

The EPA has a 45-day public comment period open until Oct. 5, for stakeholders to provide input on EPA’s reconsideration of the January 2017 MTE final determination.

ACE, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA

Vietnam to Resume Imports of U.S. DDGS

Cindy Zimmerman

The government of Vietnam has notified the U.S. that it will resume imports of American distillers dried grains (DDGS), which were suspended in December 2016 after reported detections of quarantine pests in U.S. shipments, according to USDA.

Prior to the suspension, Vietnam was the third-largest market for U.S. DDGS, with exports valued at more than $230 million in 2016. The resolution of this issue also opens the way for corn and wheat shipments, which were restricted due to previous treatment requirements.

The DDGS ban is one of several agricultural and other priority issues raised in connection with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Washington in May 2017, where he met with President Trump as well as Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Following the series of meetings, the two governments released a joint statement pledging to work closely together to resolve the DDGS issue.

“The suspension of DDGS imports in December 2016 had a dramatic impact on the market, leading to lower DDGS prices and pressuring ethanol margins,” said Renewable Fuels Association vice president Geoff Cooper. “We are confident that DDGS exports will immediately resume to Vietnam, providing poultry and livestock feeders in that country with a high quality, low-cost source of protein and energy.”

According to RFA, exports of DDGS were up 13% in July over June with over a million metric tons (mmt) exported. Mexico remained the top customer for DDGS exports, receiving 20% of the total, and Turkey imported nearly twice the volume it had in June. South Korea, Canada, and Indonesia rounded out the top five markets while shipments to China fell to their lowest level of the year at just 7,325 mt. Total year-to-date DDGS exports stood at 6.54 mmt through July.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports

Biodiesel Benefits Better than Before

Cindy Zimmerman

A new academic paper published in Biotechnology for Biofuels shows biodiesel’s benefits are even better than previous models suggest.

“The power in these new findings is that science is improving,” said Don Scott, National Biodiesel Board Director of Sustainability. “This is great news, because agriculture is our most powerful tool to turn solar energy and carbon dioxide into things like food and biodiesel. As these models look more and more like the real world, biodiesel’s extensive real-world benefits come into focus.”

The paper shows updated modeling from Purdue University “suggests the advantage of using biodiesel has been underestimated by 10 percent” because of old modeling that assumed biofuel policy induced land use changes and increased GHG emissions. The model now includes land intensification, and the resulting land use changes and emission values are lower as would be expected.

Without these indirect effects, biodiesel reduces greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 85 percent compared to fossil fuels. Including predicted indirect emissions estimates has lowered biodiesel’s advantage to just more than 50 percent cleaner than diesel fuel. That is, according to modeling done by EPA in 2010 and CARB in 2014.

Read the full report.

Biodiesel, NBB

Using More Ethanol May Help Hurricane Relief Efforts

Cindy Zimmerman

The national gas price average has increased 27 cents over the past week to $2.65 a gallon, but using more ethanol in fuel blends could help as refineries affected by Hurricane Harvey remain at below production capacity.

The waiver last week from EPA relaxing the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirement so E15 may be sold again in 38 states – two weeks ahead of the normal September 15 end to the summer gasoline blends – is already helping ethanol displace some of that lost production.

Nebraska Ethanol Board vice chairman Jan tenBensel says blending more ethanol can make the fuel supplies can go further, especially when drivers choose higher blends. “One of easiest things we can do to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery is use more ethanol,” tenBensel said. “By using our homegrown, renewable fuel, we can allow petroleum to be diverted to areas that are in a greater need, which also helps mitigate price hikes.”

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw says this is the first time EPA has taken action to allow ethanol to help expand fuel supplies and provide extra relief for motorists after a natural disaster. “President Trump and the EPA deserve credit for taking this common sense step,” said Shaw. “The ethanol industry is ready, willing, and – most importantly – able to help.”

Iowa and Nebraska are the top two ethanol producing states but both are subject to the summer RVP requirement and unable to sell 15% ethanol in the summer months. Since the waiver was implemented a week ago, both states have seen the differential between their gas prices and the national average widen from 5-6 cents lower to almost 10 cents lower, according to AAA Gas Prices. Most other states saw their price differentials stay about the same week to week.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

D3MAX Designing Commercial Cellulosic Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

D3MAXA successful pilot test of the D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process this year at Ace Ethanol in Stanley, Wisconsin has allowed the company to move forward with the design of a commercial-scale D3MAX cellulosic ethanol process at the location.

D3MAX has signed a contract with AdvanceBio Systems, LLC for a full-scale D3MAX design integrated with the Ace Ethanol plant and upon the completion of the commercial design, the Ace Ethanol board will decide if the process will be installed at the plant. “We hope to have the first D3MAX plant under construction in the first quarter of 2018,” said Mark Yancey, Chief Technology Officer at D3MAX.

“Based upon the pilot testing, we believe D3MAX has the potential to significantly improve our companies’ financial performance,” said ACE Ethanol general manager Neal Kemmet. “We are in the process of finalizing pilot testing and will be working to ensure that we can seamlessly integrate the technology to our existing process.”

D3MAX is a technology company formed by BBI International to license patented cellulosic ethanol technology to dry mill ethanol plants in the US and Canada.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, technology