RFA Revs Up for Sturgis

Cindy Zimmerman

Ten percent ethanol is the official fuel of the Buffalo Chip Campground for the 77th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Aug. 4-13 in Sturgis, S.D.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is teaming up with the Buffalo Chip for the ninth consecutive year to promote the benefits of high-octane, low-cost ethanol to the motorcycling community and offer free fuel for bikers.

It will be first Sturgis rally for all motorists to take advantage of a recently opened permanent 93 octane, 10% ethanol fueling station, donated by RFA at the Buffalo Chip Campground, open 24 hours a day to all vehicles, not just motorcycles.

As in previous years, RFA will again sponsor Free Fuel Happy Hours at the rally, providing a free tank of 93 octane E10 for motorcycles. The free tank giveaway will be held Aug. 8-Aug. 10, from 1-3pm MT each day at the Buffalo Chip Campground. RFA will also have a presence throughout the campground with banners, commercials on the jumbotrons and addressing the concert crowd each night.

At the rally, RFA will also sponsor the tenth annual Legends Ride on Aug. 7, which has raised nearly $500,000 for charity since its inception, and will have giveaways, including a free t-shirt with the 2017 RFA .

Read more from RFA.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Motorcycle, RFA, Sturgis

Perdue Remarks on Bilateral Talks in Mexico

While meeting with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture José Calzada Rovirosa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today held a teleconference for U.S. media.

The two leaders engaged in bilateral talks, including a panel discussion with U.S. and Mexican producers, several agricultural site visits, and a joint press conference – seeking to build on the U.S. and Mexico’s well-developed track record of collaboration on agricultural trade issues, and on the personal relationship forged when Perdue hosted Calzada in Savannah, Ga., last month.

You can find his complete remarks and questions from media here: Secretary Perdue Remarks from Mexico

Ag group, AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, International, Trade

Train the Trainer Webinar Next Week

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association and TRANSCAER® are jointly hosting their fourth ethanol safety seminar this year for ethanol emergency response teams on Wednesday, August 2.

The “Train the Trainer” webinars, funded through a Federal Railroad Administration / TRANSCAER® grant, are designed to train a group of individuals, who can then turn around and pass that information along to provide entire communities with the knowledge necessary to respond to any potential ethanol-related emergency.

The webinar is open to all professional individuals above the technical level of training who are interested in learning how to teach ethanol emergency response. All webinars are held from 12pm to 2 p.m. ET. Registration is free, but is limited to the first 100 attendees per webinar. Certificates of attendance will be awarded following the completion of the safety seminar.

Click here to register.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, safety

Brazil Delays Tariff Decision

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. ethanol industry is encouraged by a 30 day delay by the Executive Management Committee of CAMEX, Brazil’s Chamber of Foreign Trade in making a decision on a proposed 20 percent tariff on U.S. ethanol imports.

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) President and CEO Tom Sleight, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor issued a joint statement on the delay, stressing the impact such an action would have.

“This decision should not be taken lightly, as imposing tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports will hurt Brazilian consumers by driving up their costs at the pump. Additionally, this action on U.S. ethanol imports will go against Brazil’s own longstanding view that ethanol tariffs are inappropriate and will harm the development of the global ethanol industry,” said the organization leaders. “We will continue to work towards educating Brazilian policymakers on how misguided this tariff would be, which would harm consumers by denying them access to the lowest cost, cleanest and highest octane source of fuel in the world. This proposal, if implemented, would have wide-ranging and long-standing impacts on both our industries and the global fuel supply.”

The proposal would allow 500 million liters annually of U.S. ethanol imports (132.1 million gallons) before triggering the tariff.

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

REG Celebrates Project Upgrade

Kelly Marshall

Renewable Energy Group, Inc. held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the upgrades at their Eden, Germany biorefinery. The upgrades included 2.5 million € for a new biodiesel distillation column and a thermal oil heater.

“This investment is another milestone in REG’s European strategy to be a leader in delivering high quality biofuels,” said Jean Scemama, Vice President, REG Energy Europe. “Within this strategy, Emden is positioned to perform well with deep water access to receive and deliver products by vessel and can now meet or exceed the highest quality standards required by our customers.”

A YouTube video of the project is available here.

Biodiesel, REG

New Additives Make Biodiesel Cleanest Fuel

Kelly Marshall

The California Air Resource Board has certified a biodiesel additive that has been tested and proven as the cleanest fuel with the lowest emission in the U.S. The additive will be used along with California’s CARB diesel formulation and will reduce every measurable regulated emission for the new B20 blend that will be branded VESTA 1000.

“Biodiesel has been a key to help California meet its intense carbon reduction goals. With this announcement, America’s Advanced Biofuel will continue to deliver a cleaner burning, American made alternative under the state’s low carbon fuel standard,” said Donnell Rehagen, National Biodiesel Board CEO. “Biodiesel will gladly take the role as the cleanest certified diesel fuel available.”

VESTA 1000 will ensure compliance with the January 1, 2018 implementation of CARB’s Alternative Diesel Fuel Regulation by reducing NOx by 1.9 percent and particulate matter by 18 percent compared to CARB diesel fuel.

Biodiesel, blends, NBB

Broin Honored by BIO

Cindy Zimmerman

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) this week honored POET founder Jeff Broin will receive the 10th annual George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial Biotechnology. The award was presented Monday during the 2017 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, added, “Jeff Broin is one of the great innovators and entrepreneurs in the industrial biotechnology sector. He ranks among the most influential leaders in agriculture as well. Biofuels have created new markets for agricultural products and rejuvenated rural America. Jeff Broin has positioned POET at the forefront of developing cellulosic ethanol and improving the economics of biofuel production.”

Jeff Broin led the growth of POET from a small 1-million-gallon facility 30 years ago to the current POET network of 28 biorefineries in 7 states with 1,800 team members.

BIO, Ethanol

Fuel Ethanol Production Keeps Growing

Cindy Zimmerman

The first half of 2017 has seen new records for weekly ethanol output and inventories, according to the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Today in Energy brief. The report shows a five percent increase over 2016 in U.S. weekly ethanol production, which has averaged 1.02 million barrels per day (b/d) for the first six months of 2017.

On a weekly basis, U.S. ethanol production set a record of 1.06 million b/d in the week of January 27, 2017, and it has averaged near or above 1 million b/d in every week of 2017 except for a few weeks in April, when ethanol plants typically undergo seasonal maintenance. If ethanol production remains relatively high through the second half of the year, as EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) expects, 2017 will set a new record for annual fuel ethanol production.

U.S. ethanol plant capacity increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2017, reaching a nameplate capacity of approximately 15.5 billion gallons per year in January. Annual ethanol production is able to exceed capacity this year because production capacity has likely been added since the January 2017 capacity survey date, and many ethanol plants are able to operate at levels beyond their nameplate production capacity.

Read more from EIA.

Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

Comment Period Open for RFS Volume Obligations

Cindy Zimmerman

The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed volume requirements for cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel for 2017, and requirements for biomass-based diesel for 2019, was published in the Federal Register Friday, officially opening the comment period on the proposal. Comments must be received on or before August 31, 2017. EPA is also planning a public hearing on the proposal to be held August 1 in Washington D.C.

EPA announced the proposed volume obligations earlier this month, maintaining the 2018 RFS level for conventional biofuels at 15 billion gallons, reducing the cellulosic biofuel requirement to 238 million gallons, and maintaining the minimum required biomass-based diesel volumes at 2.1 billion gallons for 2019, far below the industry request of 2.75 billion gallons.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Op-Ed Urges Brazil to Reject Ethanol Tariffs

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen teamed up with former UNICA Chief Representative Joel Velasco to pen an op-ed for Brazilian newspaper Estado de S.Paulo urging the country’s leaders to resist returning to failed protectionist policy over ethanol.

“As the primary advocates for our respective industries, we fought many impassioned battles over trade and tax policy,” wrote Dinneen and Velasco. “As old warriors who have fought this insipid battle too many times before, we implore leaders in Brazil to say no to a return to a protectionist past.”

“There will be no winners, only losers,” the two continue. “Consumers will pay more for ethanol blended gasoline in Brazil. Farmers in both countries will suffer from lost markets. Carbon emissions will rise if U.S. ethanol is replaced by increased petroleum.”

Read the translated version of the op-ed.

Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, International