Registration Opens for 2024 National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Registration is now open for the Renewable Fuels Association 29th annual National Ethanol Conference, taking place in San Diego February 19-21. The 2024 event is themed “Powered by Partnerships” to reflect the deeply collaborative and cooperative nature of the ethanol industry.

“As our industry expands into new areas of innovation, we have found ourselves working with a broader community of partners, ranging from airlines to railroads, and from automakers to oil companies,” said RFA Board Chairman Erik Huschitt, CEO of Badger State Ethanol. “And we’ve seen our bonds grow even stronger with our traditional allies like farmers and fuel retailers. We all have realized that the net-zero-carbon future we each seek can only be realized through cooperation and collaboration, and this is the perfect theme for our program in San Diego. The 2024 National Ethanol Conference is going to be a terrific opportunity for learning and networking in an atmosphere truly powered by the partnership of all those present.”

Early bird registration provides substantial discounts until Nov. 30, and RFA members enjoy additional savings. For more information and to register, visit www.NationalEthanolConference.com.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Groups Comment on Proposed CAFE Standards

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol producers, farmers, and even the petroleum industry were united in comments opposing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed new CAFE standards for Model Year 2027–2032 cars and trucks.

The Renewable Fuels Association, National Farmers Union and National Corn Growers Association filed joint comments Monday saying the proposed new fuel economy standards “greatly missed the intent” of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program to enhance energy security that will lead to an “over-reliance on foreign critical minerals due to its myopic dependence on electric vehicles.”

The comments call on NHTSA to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to re-institute strong incentives for flex fuel vehicles that use lower-carbon, American-made ethanol. “Whether FFVs currently run on gasoline or E85, building up the portion of the fleet capable of running on E85 gives the country an additional option to address potential future oil or critical mineral crises in a way that can protect our national security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Comments from American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said they support “technology-neutral policies which provide market participants with a host of options for compliance, because the tasks of decarbonizing the transportation sector and maximizing fuel economy are too important and complex for a one-size-fits-all solution.”

ACE’s comments discuss 1) legal problems associated with the proposal including vehicles that operate only on electricity, 2) the economic feasibility of NHTSA’s proposed rule, 3) energy security and environmental concerns about the proposal, and 4) how high-octane fuels such as higher ethanol blends should be part of the solution to achieve fuel economy standards and reduce carbon pollution from transportation emissions.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) commented that the proposed standards “amount to a de facto ban on cars and trucks using liquid fuels, which can and should be a part of the solution to reduce carbon emissions.”

API supports technology-neutral policies at the federal level that drive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in the transportation sector, taking a holistic “all-of-the-above” approach to fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure systems.

ACE, automotive, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Grains Council Ethanol Summit This Week

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is holding its Global Ethanol Summit (GES) this week in the Washington D.C. area for the first time since 2019.

USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand said there were more than 350 participants from over 40 countries. “I’m thrilled to see so many industry leaders and policymakers gathering here in the Washington area with the common goal of implementing environmental and human-health friendly bioethanol in regions around the world,” said LeGrand. “Carbon emission reduction is possible today through increased biofuel consumption, and U.S. producers have the capacity to supply that transition.”

GES is an education and trade forum that seeks to elevate bioethanol’s international visibility and ongoing successful initiatives as a viable decarbonization solution within the transportation sector. Tuesday’s program, sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), will include seven concurrent sessions covering a variety of detailed topics on biofuel uses and the latest research regarding its carbon reduction capabilities.

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty drove his custom Hybrid Electric Flex Fuel vehicle, affectionately known as HEFF, 1,300 miles to speak at the summit Tuesday about retailer ethanol blending economics and margin opportunities. Lamberty was asked to bring his hybrid to the summit as several countries consider implementing hybrids that run on ethanol blends.

The GES includes participants from more than 40 countries with the objective to increase global momentum for decarbonization through expanded ethanol use. The event covers a variety of ethanol topics from supply and demand to lifecycle analysis. On the ethanol infrastructure and compatibility track, Lamberty will speak on ethanol blending economics as a former fuel retailer and c-store owner himself.

The summit will conclude Tuesday with remarks from RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper.

ACE, Ethanol, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, USGC

Tom Buis to Keynote Carbon Capture Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The keynote speaker for the National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo taking place November 7-8 in Des Moines, Iowa will be Tom Buis, Chief Executive Officer at American Carbon Alliance.

Buis, who formerly served as CEO for both Growth Energy and National Farmers Union, will speak about carbon capture and the future of farm income will keynote the general session panel on November 7th.

The National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo is designed specifically for companies and organizations advancing technologies and policy that support the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all sources, including fossil fuel-based power plants, ethanol production plants and industrial processes, as well as directly from the atmosphere. The program will focus on research, data, trends and information on all aspects of CCUS with the goal to help companies build knowledge, connect with others, and better understand the market and carbon utilization. Additional keynote speakers include Cody Johnson, CEO, SCS Technologies, and Jim Mullin, Executive Director of Carbon Utilization, Navigator CO2.

Carbon, corn, Ethanol

RFA Finds E15 Sales Grow but Still Restricted

Cindy Zimmerman

A new analysis from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) finds sales of E15 (15% ethanol fuel) surged over the past three months compared to the same period last year, but warns that growth is at risk unless the government takes action to allow sales of the blend again next summer.

RFA examined data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which is the only monthly data set available that includes E15 volumes and prices, and found sales of E15 in the state were up 10 percent compared to the summer of 2022, hitting a monthly record in August as gasoline prices escalated.

The increase in sales was also facilitated by a combination of ethanol’s cost-competitiveness relative to petroleum-based gasoline blendstock, the incentive provided by credits used to demonstrate compliance with the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (referred to as Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs), and the continued expansion of the number of retail stations offering E15. E15 was priced at an average discount of $0.16/gallon in Minnesota this summer (Figure 2). Retailer interest in offering E15 has been motivated by positive consumer response as well as favorable economics, including equipment cost sharing available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program administered by the USDA.

However, sales of E15 next summer are still in limbo because a 2021 D.C. Circuit Court ruling in favor of oil refiners overturned a 2019 rule allowing E15 to be sold year-round, and EPA has yet to implement regulations for a request by Midwest governors to opt out of the 1-pound vapor pressure waiver that is provided to E10 allowing year-round sales of E15.

Although the comment period on the proposal ended April 30, the agency inexplicably still has not issued a final rule. With the switch to summer 2024 gasoline specifications less than seven months away, EPA needs to publish the final rule approving the governors’ petition as soon as possible, so that supply chain participants can plan and coordinate adequately.

Still, the optimal solution for supply chain participants, consumers, and the environment is for Congress to enact legislation allowing permanent year-round sales of E15 nationwide. Nearly a year ago, a broad coalition of energy and agriculture organizations called on Congress to adopt such legislation. The restriction on E15 is an anachronism from a time when the usage of renewable fuels was not commonplace, and action is needed to ensure uninterrupted sales of this less-expensive, cleaner, lower-carbon fuel.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Report with RFA Chairman Erik Huschitt

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association held its annual membership meeting in Des Moines last month and Erik Huschitt, CEO of Badger State Ethanol, was re-elected as chairman of the organization.

Huschitt, of Monroe, Wisc., has been with Badger State since January 2002 and currently serves as president of the Wisconsin BioFuels Association. He also has spent years on the board of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, which plays a vital role in Wisconsin’s feed and grain industries.

In this edition of The Ethanol Report, we talk with Huschitt about how he got involved in the ethanol industry and discuss some of the priority issues for RFA in the coming year.

Ethanol Report 10-12-23 25:30

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Yield10 Bioscience Gives Update on Herbicide Tolerant Camelina

Cindy Zimmerman

Yield10 Bioscience announced recent advancements toward enabling weed control for Camelina cultivation and supporting grower adoption of the crop for production of low-carbon intensity feedstock oil for the biofuel market.

“The Yield10 team is making significant progress toward our goal of launching elite herbicide tolerant Camelina for producing feedstock oil for the biofuels market,” said Kristi Snell, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Yield10 Bioscience. “We aim to facilitate the seamless integration of Camelina with current weed control and crop rotation practices of major crops in order to enable the planting of Camelina on large-scale acreage. This winter, we anticipate that our program will achieve another important milestone as we conduct field tests of stacked HT winter Camelina for the first time. We will also continue to execute on seed scale-up and regulatory activities in support of the planned commercial launch of our elite HT and stacked HT Camelina varieties.”

Yield10 is developing Camelina with tolerance to a broad leaf herbicide, which has been used safely in commercial crop production for over 25 years, in addition to developing a herbicide package incorporating tolerance to over-the-top application of broadleaf herbicide as well as tolerance to soil residual Group 2 herbicides, which are commonly used to control weeds in cereal crops.

aviation biofuels, biofuels, feedstocks

Honeywell and Granbio to Produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

Honeywell and Brazil’s GranBio Technologies are partnering to produce carbon neutral sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biomass residues at a planned demonstration plant in the U.S.

GranBio’s patented AVAP process converts biomass, including forest and agricultural residues, to pure low-cost, low-carbon-intensity sugars, lignin, and nanocellulose. The cellulosic sugars are converted to both SAF, through Honeywell’s ETJ technology, and biochemicals, through a separate process.

Using forest biomass-derived ethanol from the AVAP process, jet fuel produced from Honeywell’s ethanol to jet fuel process can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero on a total lifecycle basis, compared to petroleum-based jet fuel.

“The AVAP technology has great potential, depending on feedstock and plant configuration to allow carbon negative SAF with current life cycle analysis,” said Bernardo Gradin, GranBio CEO. “Plus, in addition to vast forest and agricultural residue available for feedstocks, there is an enormous potential to retrofit idle pulp and paper facilities in the U.S., revitalizing forestry value chains and rural manufacturing with great social, environmental, and economic impact.”

GranBio’s subsidiary AVAPCO was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive an $80M grant to support the demonstration plant that will produce ~2 million gallons per year of SAF upon start-up in 2026.

Honeywell now offers solutions across a range of feedstocks to meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable fuels, including SAF. In addition to Honeywell UOP Ecofining™, Honeywell’s renewable fuels portfolio includes ethanol to jet technology and the recently announced Honeywell UOP eFining™, which converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into eFuels.

aviation biofuels, biofuels, SAF

Ethanol and DDGS Exports Drop in August

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. ethanol exports dropped ten percent in August but still remained above 100 million gallons, according to the latest RFA Trade Monitor report. Ethanol exports totaled 102.3 million gallons in August, with Canada as our largest destination for the 29th consecutive month with exports of 62.4 mg, just 0.2% shy of last month’s record, accounting for nearly two-thirds of total August sales.

Exports to the United Kingdom pared back 19% to 13.5 mg. Colombia increased its U.S. imports by 151% to 10.7 mg, the largest monthly volume in almost 3 years. Shipments to the European Union dropped 24% to 5.4 mg, the lowest imports this year. Essentially all remaining ethanol exports were destined for Peru (4.5 mg), Mexico (2.1 mg), Singapore (2.0 mg), and Jamaica (1.3 mg). Brazil and India again were notably absent from the market. Year-to-date ethanol exports total 920.5 mg, which lags 7% behind last year at this time.

The U.S. imported 10.5 mg of undenatured ethanol from Brazil and minimal gallons of denatured ethanol from Austria and France. This was the first month of substantive imports recorded in 2023.

Exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS), the animal feed co-product generated by dry-mill ethanol plants, eased 5% to 947,326 metric tons (mt). A quarter of shipments landed in Mexico (234,674 mt, up 27% from July), our largest DDGS market for the 14th consecutive month. Exports to Vietnam lifted for the 7th consecutive month, up 6% to 131,232 mt. DDGS exports to Indonesia tightened 28% (87,015 mt), but South Korea sales rebounded 29% (83,425 mt), and Morocco purchased record volumes (59,367 mt). Rounding out our top ten customers in August were Canada (59,097 mt), New Zealand (30,799 mt), Colombia (28,887 mt), Taiwan (28,832 mt), and China (27,298 mt). Year-to-date U.S. DDGS exports total 7.06 million mt, which lags 9% behind last year at this time.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Washington Clean Fuel Standard Reports 1st Quarter Results

Cindy Zimmerman

The Washington Clean Fuel Standard recently released its first-quarter results for the number of credits generated by alternative low-carbon fuels, demonstrating the program’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, supporting local economies, and fostering a unified market for biomass-based diesel on the West Coast.

During the first quarter of 2023, the program solidified its role in the race to meet carbon reduction goals, joining California and Oregon in promoting the use of increasingly higher blends of biomass-based diesel. Preliminary data shows that biodiesel and renewable diesel contributed around 22% of the credits indicating an approximate 1.2% blend rate. In comparison, when California first implemented its Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the state saw a blend rate of 0.4% for biodiesel and renewable diesel in the first year.

Jeff Earl, Director of State Governmental Affairs for Clean Fuels Alliance America, said they are impressed by the impact of the Washington Clean Fuel Standard and they look forward to watching the program build on its first-quarter success. “These results show that our fuels are the low-cost option for immediate decarbonization of the heavy-duty transportation sector in the state of Washington.”

Replicating California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, Washington adopted their own Clean Fuel Standard in 2021 in an effort to reduce carbon intensity in the transportation sector, the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Implemented on January 1, 2023, by the Washington Department of Ecology, the program provides credits for a range of low-carbon fuel alternatives that improve air quality and stimulate economic growth while strengthening the state’s position as a leader in sustainable energy practices.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Clean Fuels Alliance