A new paper from CAST looks at how to prevent invasive species from taking over marginal lands converted to grow crops for bioenergy. The paper shows that the risk of invasion can most effectively be prevented through a life-cycle approach that adopts appropriate scientific and policy tools at each step in the production process: from crop selection to field production, during feedstock transport and storage, and during decommissioning.- Clariant, in cooperation with Werner & Mertz, the producer of Frosch® cleaning products in Germany, has launched a project which extends the application of bio-ethanol based on agricultural residues such as straw to cleaning agents. Since the beginning of the year Werner & Mertz is using sunliquid cellulosic ethanol for its Frosch Bio-Spirit Multisurface-Cleaner.
- Duckweed USA is investing $4 million in a biodiesel facility that will produce fuel from duckweed grown at the wastewater treatment plant in Sparta, Georgia. Equipment is set to arrive on site in the next 45 days with production to begin this summer.
- A joint venture project between Chempolis Ltd and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has received approval from NRL’s board. The parties will jointly build a biorefinery using Chempolis formicobio technology in North East India (Assam) for producing bioethanol from bamboo with co-production of furfural and acetic acid from locally available bamboo.
Growth Energy Holds 7th Leadership Conference
Ethanol industry organization Growth Energy is holding its seventh annual Executive Leadership Conference in Orlando this week.
After a weekend at the Daytona 500 to highlight American Ethanol, the meeting kicked off Monday morning with the Chairman’s Report from Jeff Broin, co-chair of Growth Energy’s Board of Directors. Broin noted that the industry had a record year producing a product that represents a growing share of the gasoline market.
“This is a long-term game, and we will not give up,” said Broin. “Our industry is poised to succeed, because we are doing the right thing for our nation and generations to come. We will continue to go full throttle to produce a biofuel that reduces toxic air emissions while improving performance for future vehicles.”
The growth of E15 in the marketplace was a big focus of the meeting on Monday, after revving up with the NASCAR Daytona weekend. “We’ve seen tremendous increases in consumer acceptance among NASCAR fans … Once they see that it’s a higher performance fuel, a higher octane fuel, people use it,” said Broin during an interview at the meeting. “NASCAR’s been very successful at showing ethanol is a great fuel.”
The American Ethanol partnership between NASCAR, Growth Energy, New Holland, and the National Corn Growers Association is now in its sixth year and will hit the 10 million mile mark this year running on running on 15% ethanol blended Sunoco Green E15.
Listen to Broin’s interview here: Interview with Jeff Broin, Growth Energy co-chair
DOC Partners With NEC to Increase Ethanol Exports
Despite low crude oil prices, 2015 was still a robust export year for the ethanol industry according to Kenneth Hyatt, deputy under secretary for International Trade with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The DOC partnered with the Renewable Fuels Association, the host of the 21st Annual National Ethanol Conference (#RFANEC) where delegates from several countries were on hand to discuss export opportunities.
Hyatt said his organization has four key areas of focus in which they can assist the ethanol industry: promotion of U.S. exports; aid in opening global markets; assist investors in increasing direct foreign investment; and enforce U.S. trade laws and international trade agreements. However, the focus of his presentation was on exports.
“I would think about us as doing anything that would help you figure out whether to export, figure out to where to export. If you want to find a buyer in one of those countries, to help find a buyer in those countries. If it’s to help find a distributor in a country, we help find that distributor. It can also be if you have a problem in a country,” remarked Hyatt.
Hyatt also gave an overview on the top destinations of the export markets (Canada, Brazil and Phillipines), and also discussed the updates on the horizon of its Renewable Fuels Top Markets Report 2016. It covers both ethanol and biomass woodpellets and includes case studies, contact information and ranks them on strength of prospects.
Listen to Kenneth Hyatt’s presentation here: Kenneth Hyatt's Presentation
BioEnergy Bytes
- Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. has announced its CTS pilot plant located at the Company’s subsidiary Ek Laboratories, is now running the complete conversion process from raw feedstock through fermentation of cellulosic sugars. This full conversion process also includes the separation of the valuable pure lignin and the recycling of catalyst and unreacted cellulose back to the front of the process.
- Amyris, Inc. has announced that it closed a $20 million private placement of unsecured promissory notes to existing investors. In connection with this financing, the company also issued warrants for 2.9 million shares of common stock. The private placement was led by a long-term investor affiliated with one of Amyris’s board members, John Doerr, of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and included participation by Biolding Investment S.A. and Naxyris S.A., which are also associated with members of the company’s board of directors.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging Pennsylvanian business and community leaders to be better caretakers of the environment by offering incentives for the purchase and use of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles. DEP’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) Program offers funding for innovative, advanced fuel and vehicle technology projects for cleaner alternative transportation within the commonwealth.
#Ethanol Export Trends from #RFANEC
Expansion of ethanol exports is critical to allow U.S. industry to grow in face of domestic infrastructure challenges, which is why exports were such a big focus at the 21st National Ethanol Conference last week.
“We are firmly committed to help grow and expand export markets for our members and for the industry,” said Renewable Fuels Association General Counsel Ed Hubbard, who moderated two panels at the NEC discussing export trends and opportunities. RFA was selected to partner with the Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program at the conference which focused on five main target markets – Brazil, China, Philippines, India, Mexico. “The markets were part of the top markets report prepared by the Department of Commerce, which was the result of careful analysis on export markets to look at where the opportunities for our industry lie,” Hubbard added.
The first panel on exports featured Ricardo Dornelles with the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil; Stephan Zepeda of Grupo Báltico in Mexico; and Amit Sachdev, Consultant in South Asia, U.S. Grains Council.
Links to presentations from each are found below:
Ricardo Dornelles presentation
Stephen Zepeda presentation
Amit Sachdev presentation
Listen to the panel here: Ethanol Exports Panel 1
The second panel on exports featured Max Thomasson, CHS Inc. Director for Global Trading; U.S. Grains Council Chief Economist Mike Dwyer; Eco-Energy International Director Alexandre Zebulun Ades; and Scott Richman, Senior Vice President at Informa Economics.
Listen to that panel here and presentations via links below: Listen to the panel here: Ethanol Exports Panel 2
Growth Energy Holds Executive Leadership Conference
Growth Energy is holding its annual Executive Leadership Conference this week in Orlando, FL. Most of the members got the opportunity to attend the Daytona 500 race this past weekend. Now it’s time for business.
The emcee for the event is Kim Coon, former Miss Sprint Cup and announcer for Motor Racing Network. On the stage this morning will be Jeff Broin, Chairman for Growth Energy and Tom Buis, CEO. Keynote speakers include Chuck Todd, MSNBC and Brent Dewar, NASCAR. There are several panel discussions and a membership forum before the conference concludes on Tuesday.
I will be speaking with Jeff Broin and Tom Buis to get their outlook on the industry and for the future of Growth Energy. More to come.
Ethanol Co-product Exports Set Record in 2015
Exports of the ethanol co-product and livestock feed distillers grains set a new record of 12.56 million metric tons last year, according to a new summary of ethanol co-product trade statistics released by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). U.S. exports of distillers grains were 11 percent higher than 2014, and more than double the amount exported in 2009.
“This report shows the global reach of American-made distillers grains,” said RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “In 2015, an estimated 34 percent of U.S. distillers grains production was exported, meaning one out of every three tons produced was shipped to foreign markets. These data make it crystal clear that the U.S. ethanol industry is both fueling and feeding the world. It is also worth noting that DG exports were worth almost $3 billion in 2015, providing a critical source of revenue to ethanol producers.”
The report finds that U.S. DG exports were shipped to 45 countries on five continents in 2015. RFA’s summary shows exports of distillers grains were shipped to 45 countries on five continents in 2015 with China, Mexico, Vietnam, South Korea, and Canada representing the top five markets. Half of the exports went to China, Mexico received 13 percent, and both Vietnam and South Korea received five percent.
Ethanol Evolution Sees Industry Consolidation
This week in New Orleans, “Ethanol Evolution: The Data and Deals Driving the Future,” was a topic during the 21st Annual National Ethanol Conference (#RFANEC). The panel was moderated by Mike Jerke, CEO, Guardian Energy; and included Mark Fisler, Managing Director, Ocean Park Advisors; and John Christianson, Primary Partner, Christianson & Associates, PLLP.
During the discussion, Fisler said that the North American biofuels industry saw a major consolidation of players last year and this year is pointing to the same trend.
“Our experience leads us to believe there will be an increased number of owners and boards of renewable fuel companies evaluating their options in 2016, if not testing the market for reasonable assessments of the value of their plants,” noted Fisler. He added that the ethanol industry in particular is ripe for consolidation although there are still 94 standalone ethanol plants that have annual production capacity of 5.3 billion gallons, or about 36 percent all North American ethanol production volumes.
To learn about about this trend as well as how the ethanol industry is faring financially, listen to the Ethanol Evolution panel discussion: Ethanol Evolution Panel
OPIS’ Tom Kloza Discusses Energy Markets
During the 21st Annual National Ethanol Conference (#RFANEC) this week, one of the hot topics was the energy and ethanol market outlooks especially with the low oil prices the globe is currently experiencing. Tom Kloza with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) offered attendees the outlook for ethanol, oil and natural gas markets in his presentation, “Wronger for Longer – sideways look at North American Energy Supply.”
“What would you have imagined would be more unlikely 3 or 4 years ago?” Kloza asked in his introduction. “That a hip-hop version of Alexander Hamilton would win the Tonys on Broadway? That America’s Dad Bill Cosby would be America’s serial rapist? Or that the person who was the greatest athlete in the world in 1976 Bruce Jenner was now a woman? Or that oil prices were a $110 a few years ago and now are struggling to get out of the 20s?”
Your answer may change after you listen to Kloza’s remarks here: Tom Kloza, OPIS, Energy Markets Outlook Remarks View Power Point presentation.
Abigail Fisler Shares Her #RFANEC Experience
Abigail Fisler was the recipient of this year’s National Ethanol Conference (NEC) scholarship awarded by the Renewable Fuels Foundation. She is a junior at Dickinson College in Carlislie, PA studying environmental studies with a focus on renewable energy and climate change. Last year she attended her first NEC show and wanted to attend again because of all the great educational and networking opportunities.
Before she headed back to the books, she spoke with Cindy Zimmerman about some of the highlights of her time at the ethanol conference. She prefaced her answer with “that’s a tough one” but noted she really enjoyed the panel that included Alicia Lindauer with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). “I grabbed her at the networking reception and talked with her about what her career path has been and about her education path that led her there, and I thought it was really interesting to talk with her.”
Other areas that particularly interested her were discussions around why some areas are implementing E15 and other areas are not, and why some places have lots of flex fuel vehicles while others don’t.
To learn more about Abigail’s growing interest in renewable fuels (she’s been a fan since 4th grade) and to hear more about her NEC experience, listen to Cindy Zimmerman’s interview with NEC Scholarship winner Abigail Fisler: Interview with Abigail Fisler