Syngenta Works with Iowa FFA for Ethanol

John Davis

syngentaSyngenta is partnering up with Iowa FFA chapters to support ethanol. This company news release says the developer of the corn ethanol feedstock Enogen will be at the American Ethanol 200 with the FFA members to raise money and awareness for flex fuels – and the farm group.

The American Ethanol 200 is a 200-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race honoring American-grown ethanol and presented for the third consecutive year by Enogen® corn enzyme technology. Money raised for flex fuel infrastructure by FFA members at the Iowa Speedway on race day will be matched by Syngenta, with a portion of the proceeds going to participating FFA chapters.

“Engaging the public about ethanol and renewable fuels is a good opportunity for my students,” said Miranda Johnson, advisor of the Twin Cedars FFA Chapter. “They are the future and they understand the importance of conservation and preservation of our land and resources – and the vital role farmers play in feeding and fueling our country.”

According to Jack Bernens, head of Enogen at Syngenta, the ethanol industry since its inception has had a profoundly positive impact on the U.S. economy and on rural America.

“Ethanol has enlarged and strengthened the market for American-grown corn, adding jobs in rural communities and spurring the innovation of new technologies,” he said. “Syngenta is pleased to again be partnering with local FFA chapters at the American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen to help spread the word about the importance of American ethanol and the need for increased flex fuel infrastructure. It’s inspiring to see FFA members embracing renewable fuels and helping to tell its story.”

Bernens added that investments in flex fuel pump infrastructure are necessary to help grow the market for American ethanol.

Ag group, Agribusiness, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Celebrate Global Wind Day

Joanna Schroeder

Today is Global Wind Day. Coordinated by the Global Wind Energy Council along with the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), this year the groups are partnering with SolutionWind, a worldwide wind awareness campaign promoting the use of wind power leading up to COP21 climate negotiations in Paris in December.

Global Wind Day logoGlobal Wind Day is a day for “discovering wind energy, its power and the possibilities it holds to reshape our energy systems, decarbonise our economies and boost jobs and growth”. This is also a day the wind industry is honoring the companies who have committed to using wind energy to power their operations.

According to EWEA, wind power is one of the fastest growing industrial sectors globally attracting $100 billion in investment in 2014. Research also shows that onshore wind power is now cheaper than conventional energy sources in an expanding number of markets worldwide.

“Climate change is happening faster than expected, but so is the transition to renewable energy. As businesses become increasingly aware of the progress in technology and falling costs we are seeing a rapid change in investment patterns,” said Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council. “Companies like IKEA pave the way for a fossil free future and give an important example for others to follow.”

Clean Energy, International, Renewable Energy, Wind

USDA Taking Apps for Biofuels Infrastructure Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA logoUSDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is now accepting applications in 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. for up to $100 million in grants under the Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership (BIP). The funding is to support the infrastructure needed to make more renewable fuel options available to American consumers. The Farm Service Agency will administer BIP.

Through BIP, USDA will award competitive grants, matched by states, to expand the infrastructure for distribution of higher blends of renewable fuel. These competitive grants are available to assist states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. with infrastructure funding. States that offer funding equal to or greater than that provided by the federal government will receive higher consideration for grant funds. States may work with private entities to enhance their offer.

CCC funds must be used to pay a portion of the costs related to the installation of fuel pumps and related infrastructure dedicated to the distribution of higher ethanol blends, for example E15 and E85, at vehicle fueling locations. The matching contributions may be used for these items or for related costs such as additional infrastructure to support pumps, marketing, education, data collection, program evaluation and administrative costs.

This new investment seeks to double the number of fuel pumps capable of supplying higher blends of renewable fuel to consumers. This will expand markets for farmers, support rural economic growth and the jobs that come with it, and ultimately give consumers more choices at the pump.

biofuels, blends, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Buses powered completely by renewable energy will now be part of Gothenburg’s  (Sweden) public transport system. Bus route 55 has three completely electrically driven buses and seven electric hybrid buses, all of them from Volvo Buses. The buses on the route, which runs from Chalmers Johanneberg to Chalmers Lindholmen, through the center of Gothenburg, are equipped with onboard wi-fi and phone charging facilities. The buses run on batteries that are quickly recharged with renewable electricity at the terminal stops.
  • A team of motorsport enthusiasts will drive from Atlantic Coast of Florida to the Pacific Coast of California on just one tank of renewable fuel in June 21-26, 2015. This is made possible by NEXBTL renewable fuel that is produced from bio-based raw materials by Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel.
  • The Waneta Expansion Limited Partnership, between Fortis Inc., Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust, has connected the 335 MW Waneta Expansion Project near Trail, British Columbia to the electrical grid. The plant is located on the border between Canada and the USA and is now generating power on the BC Hydro grid.
  • The Sere Wind Farm from Eskom, located in the Western Cape of South Africa and developed by Eskom, the South African electricity public utility, recently achieved its full commercial operational capacity of a 100 MW. The African Development Bank approved in 2011 a USD 45 million loan with USD 50 million contribution from the Clean Technology Fund, one of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) for this first utility scale renewable energy project. The World Bank and the French Development Agency also contributed to the financing of the project.
Bioenergy Bytes

Nebraska Governor Talks Biofuels in Europe

Cindy Zimmerman

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and ag delegation meet with officials in Brussels

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and ag delegation meet with officials in Brussels

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is on an agricultural trade mission trip to the European Union with stops in Italy, Belgium, and Denmark. The trade mission, being coordinated jointly by the Nebraska Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development, includes a number of representatives from the state’s agriculture and biofuels industry.

“As the number two ethanol producer in the country, we have a big interest in seeing what we can do with ethanol and one of the concerns in the industry is being able to export,” said Ricketts during a conference call with reporters on Friday from Brussels. “We’re just starting the conversion with regard to how we can expand that and export our ethanol into the European Union.”

In Brussels, the trade team met with executives from Ghent Port Company, TOTCO, Sygenta Brussels, and a consultant for Belgian Biodiesel Board to promote Nebraska’s biofuels industry and build relations between firms in Europe and the U.S.

Neb. Gov Pete Ricketts discusses biofuels in Europe
Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Government, International

Corn Growers Urge Comments on RFS

John Davis

PrintThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened the public comment period on its proposal to cut corn ethanol in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by nearly 4 billion gallons. That’s prompting the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) to urge farmers and their family and friends to email their opposition to this proposal as soon as possible, before the July 27 deadline.

“Last time, we were very clear to EPA about what we wanted,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling. “It is simple: EPA should follow the statute. For farmers and others in rural America, this new EPA proposal means low corn prices and ethanol plant and industry cutbacks. And for everyone, it means higher gas prices and dirtier air.”

This link while allow you to send a quick email: www.ncga.com/rfs. Various draft comments are available to enable both farmers and their non-farmer friends to easily send personalized notes to the EPA.

Ag group, Agribusiness, corn, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, NCGA, RFS

New Solenis’ Antibiotic-free Ethanol Fermentation Aids

Joanna Schroeder

Solenis announced during the recent Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) the launch of a novel family of antibiotic-free fermentation aids to help ethanol producers improve efficiency of the ethanol production process. The aids also, said Solenis, will address consumer concerns about antibiotics in the food chain. While the ethanol produced from an ethanol production plant is not ingested, one byproduct is distillers grains (DDGs), an animal feed. Solenis said today’s typical fermentation processes control undesirable microorganisms using antibiotics, which remain in the resulting distillers grains. The company also launched a scale inhibitor during #FEW15.

“As consumer demands and regulatory requirements continue to become more stringent, current antimicrobials, and specifically antibiotics, may be further subject to maximum contaminate limits,” said Allen Ziegler, global biorefining marketing 18244022139_9ed6c4e7fc_zdirector. “As a result, our new fermentation aids give fuel ethanol producers more tools to address undesirable microorganisms without antibiotics, while helping them boost production and satisfy consumers at the same time.”

According to Solenis, their family of fermentation aids, which includes three patented and patent-pending products, significantly enhances the ability of yeast to compete with undesirable microorganisms in the critical initial stages of propagation and fermentation without the use of antibiotics—an increasingly important goal for fuel ethanol producers.

Designed to promote beneficial yeast growth and efficiency in both high pH and standard pH fermentation processes, Solenis said their fermentation aids are based on advanced proprietary and targeted antimicrobial technology. While the products were initially developed for fuel ethanol production, they also have practical application in other commercial fermentation processes.

“We will continue to anticipate and proactively address our customers’ needs to optimize processes while staying ahead of evolving regulations,” added John Panichella, president and CEO. “With close to 100 years of experience in process and water treatment chemistries, Solenis is committed to serving the fuel ethanol and biorefining industries with our well-respected and diverse product line, along with our application expertise and our investment in research and development.”

2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Novozymes
biofuels, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, FEW

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Greenbelt Resources Corporation has announced that it received a new Purchase Order expanding the scope of work being performed for California-based EcoPAS to manufacture its Passive Alcohol System (PAS) – a revolutionary pollution control device that captures and transforms gaseous ethanol emissions into quality spirit products. In addition to manufacturing the full-scale PAS that will be utilized in a commercial winery later this year, Greenbelt Resources will now also manufacture the manifold system used to aggregate and deliver the exhaust gases containing the ethanol vapor stream to the PAS unit.
  • Growing Energy Labs, San Mateo County Community College District, and Prospect Silicon Valley, through the Bay Area Climate Collaborative program, have been awarded a $2,999,601 grant from the California Energy Commission to partner with the College of San Mateo for the “Internet of Energy” demonstration project. The College of San Mateo Internet of Energy Project project will deploy two integrated solar PV and energy storage systems that are expected to save the college $150,000 annually.
  • The city of Cologne has signed a contract to power up to 100 percent of its city facilities’ energy needs from Community Solar. The energy will be generated by over 2,700put solar panels in SunShare’s solar gardens currently under development through the Xcel Energy’s Solar Rewards Community program.
  • The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has launched the first SEIA Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power. Available online, the free guide offers those interested in solar power a one-stop shop to better understand the basics of solar energy and ownership options, and includes key questions to ask solar installers before entering a transaction. The guide is a result of a joint effort of the leading companies across the solar industry and complements SEIAs existing Code of Ethics by which all SEIA members abide.
Bioenergy Bytes

Save the Date – MN Biodiesel & Bioheat Forum

Joanna Schroeder

Save the date for the Biodiesel and Bioheat Forum taking place August 19, 2015 in Mankato, Minnesota.

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 9.39.12 AMStates up and down the East Coast have ventured into new markets and uses for biodiesel that offer significant potential for Minnesota and U.S. soybean farmers as well as the entire biodiesel industry. One market includes the Bioheat market – nearly 6.2 million homes rely on heating oil in the winter months. In fact, the average home can use more than 1,000 gallons in one winter.

The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council will host a delegation from the East Coast, as well as local and national biodiesel leaders. The group will include representatives from the New York Oil Heating Association, National Association of Oil & Energy Service Professionals, National Oilheat Research Alliance and the Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association, ready to share their experiences with biodiesel and explain the market potential in all arenas.

While much of the debate around biofuels revolves around future technologies and future uses, this round table discussion will look at opportunities available now for the biodiesel industry to grow and solidify its success.

Agribusiness, Biodiesel, biofuels, Soybeans

Neb Governor Ricketts On Global Biofuels Tour

Joanna Schroeder

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has been spending the past few weeks on a global agriculture and biofuels promotion tour. Ricketts attended Expo Milano 2015 last week and while there, he visited the “Sustainable Farm Pavilion” sponsored by New Holland where with a group that included CNH Industrial Governor-Ricketts-Headshot-FINALdiscussed Nebraska’s ethanol industry. CNH Industrial operates a Combine Center of Excellence in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Carlo Lambro, a member of the Group Executive Council and Brand President of New Holland Agriculture, spoke to the group about their commitment to using biofuels across all sectors as well as highlight their local investments in agriculture. Nebraska is the top state in terms of cattle feed and the Nebraska ethanol industry, the second largest ethanol producer in the U.S., produces more than six million tons of livestock feed each year.

The meeting also addressed Governor Ricketts’ active advocacy for the widespread use of ethanol as a biofuel in the United States. The two parties discussed their shared commitment in promoting the use of alternative fuels, which include natural gas and biomethane.

Gov. Ricketts and his Nebraska delegation had discussions in Italy about renewable fuels with Italian energy company Enel. Next, the group headed to Brussels, Belgium where they have planned a visit to Novozyme’s headquarters in Denmark. The company operates a plant in Blair, Nebraska that makes enzymes used in the ethanol industry.

Agribusiness, biofuels, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Renewable Energy