"Crop-based biofuels are necessary component in achieving the climate goals that we share with the White House and the aviation industry. We are energised by the potential opportunity to expand our role in reducing our nation's carbon emissions.
"With the appropriate investment in critical research and development and the right policy environment, we know our industry can continue to help decarbonise our transportation sector -- from passenger vehicles to our aircraft fleet. Importantly, to deliver game-changing solutions, we must have a healthy and thriving corn ethanol industry to make the long-term investments in research and development.
"To meet this challenge, it important that new tax incentives are guided by technology-neutral life-cycle assessments by scientists who understand the U.S. biofuel sector -- in this case, those at the US Department of Energy. US tax credits must reflect US-based modelling, and we will continue to press for policy that reflects the most up-to-date science available."
(Source: Growth Energy, Website PR, 10 Sept., 2021)Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, (202) 545-4000, www.growthenergy.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News SAF, Growth Energy, Sustainable Aviation Fuel,
Summit will construct a state-of-the-art wheat protein ingredients facility and retrofit the existing corn-based ethanol plant to produce ethanol from wheat starch. Upon completion of the ingredients plant and final conversion, the company will have invested roughl y $200 million in what will be the largest wheat protein producer in North America and will generate low carbon intensity renewable fuel, according to the Summit release.
(Source: Summit Agricultural Group , 13 July, 2021)
Contact: Summit Agricultural Group, Bruce Rastetter, CEO, www.summitcarbonsolutions.com; Prairie Horizon, (785) 543-6719, www.prairiehorizon.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Summit Agricultural Group, Prairie Horizon,
IGPC previously used Cargill and most recently Andersons to procure corn. IGPC produces 380 million lpy of denatured fuel grade ethanol and 340,000 tpy of distillers grains (DDGs) (Source: IGPC Ethanol, Website PR, 9 Aug., 2021) Contact: IGPC Ethanol, 519-765-2575, www.igpc.ca; Synergy Grain Trading Ltd., Ken Whitelaw, Managing Dir., 519-279-1901, ken@synergytrade.ca, www.synergytrade.ca
More Low-Carbon Energy News IGPC Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
In particular, the study calculated the net economic and environmental costs of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandates and found that maintaining the corn ethanol mandate would lead to a cumulative net cost to society of nearly $200 billion from 2016 to 2030 compared to having no RFS. The social cost of nitrogen damage from corn ethanol production substantially offsets the social benefits from GHG savings, the report notes.On the otherhand, the additional cellulosic mandate could provide substantial economic and environmental benefits with technological innovations that lower the costs of converting biomass to cellulosic ethanol and policies that place a high monetized value for GHG mitigation benefits. The study notes that maintaining the corn ethanol mandate pushes more land into corn production which increases the market price of other agricultural commodities. While producers might benefit from higher market prices.
The study notes the cellulosic ethanol mandate could provide an overall benefit with the right policies. Supporting research and development to lower the cost of converting biomass to cellulosic ethanol would substantially reduce production costs and increase social benefits, and a high monetized value for GHG mitigation could offset all other costs.
CABBI researchers hope performance-based policies -- including the low carbon fuel standard, carbon and nitrogen leakage taxes, or limits on crop-residue harvest -- can be implemented to supplement the RFS mandates after 2022.
CABBI aims to integrate recent advances in agronomics, genomics, and synthetic and computational biology to increase the value of energy crops -- using a "plants as factories" approach to grow fuels and chemicals in plant stems, an automated foundry to convert biomass into valuable chemicals, and ensuring that its products are ecologically and economically sustainable. This holistic approach will help reduce fossil fuels dependence, according to the CABBI website.
(Source: CABBI, PR, 27 Apr., 2021) Contact: CABBI, Evan DeLuc1a, (217)244-1586, cabbi-bio@illinois.edu, www.cabbi.bio
More Low-Carbon Energy News CABBI, Biofuel, RFS, Corn Ethanol,
The law would have mandated restrictive warning labels on E15 fuel dispensers that would cause unnecessary confusion at the pump, deprive Hoosiers access to significant fuel savings, and destroy future demand for Indiana corn, according to the POET release. (Source: POET, PR, 27 Apr., 2021)
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol, E15, Ethanol Blend,
The Wentworth plant produces 90 million gpy of ethanol from 30 million bpy of locally sourced corn. (Source: Dakota Ethanol, PR, Mar., 2021) Contact: Dakota Ethanol, 888-539-2676, info@dakotaethanol.com,
www.dakotaethanol.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Dakota Ethanol news, Corn Ethanol news,
When integrating the FT fuel production process with corn ethanol production, the WTW GHG emissions of FT fuels are 57--65 pct lower compared to petroleum counterparts.
The report modeled the FT fuel synthesis process using Aspen Plus, which showed that 45 pct of the carbon in CO2 can be fixed in the FT fuel, with a fuel production energy efficiency of 58 pct. (Source: ANL. PR, Mar., 2021)Contact: ANL, 630-252-2000, www.anl.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Fischer-Tropsch, Argonne National Laboratory,
Glacial Lakes Energy has signed an offtake agreement with Summit to supply the carbon dioxide at its plants located in Huron, Aberdeen, Mina, and Watertown. This partnership will allow more than 1.6 million tpy of CO2 to be captured, transported, and sequestered underground through Summit's transportation and storage platform which originates in Iowa and concludes in North Dakota.
Glacial Lakes Energy is a four-plant biorefinery company operating in central and northeast South Dakota and solely owned by more than 4,000 shareholders of Glacial Lakes Corn Processors. Glacial Lakes Energy process roughly 125 million bpy of locally sources corn into 360 million gpy of ethanol, more than 1 million ypy of livestock feed, and 5,000 tpy of corn oil. (Source: Glacial Lakes Energy, Green Car Congress, 26 Feb., 2021) Contact: Glacial Lakes Energy, 605-882-8480 , www.glaciallakesenergy.com; Summit Carbon Solutions, Summit Ag, Jon Probst, (515) 854-9812, jprobst@summitag.com www.summitag.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Summit Carbon Solutions, Glacial Lakes Energy , Corn Ethanol, CCS,
"The intent of the RFS is to blend more biofuels into our nation's transportation fuel supply. Period. It is not meant to have oil companies use questionable legal tactics to avoid blending biofuels and then demanding that the agency further delay compliance," Bliley said.
Bliley also reminded EPA about the benefits of biofuels as America works toward its clean climate goals, stating that "With recent research showing that greenhouse gas emissions from corn ethanol are 46 pct lower than gasoline, it makes no sense why EPA should continue to exempt oil companies and further delay them from complying with their blending obligations."
EPA's proposal would extend the RFS compliance deadline for the 2019 compliance year to November 30, 2021 and extend the RFS compliance deadline for the 2020 compliance year to January 31, 2022. (Source: Growth Energy, PR, Website, 9 Feb., 2021) Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, CEO, Chris Bliley, (202) 545-4000, www.growthenergy.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Growth Energy, RFS,
The expansion, which is slated for completion this summer, will add a small building extension for equipment, another fermenter and another mill to grind corn into flour. Most of the expansion will occur inside the existing plant. (Source: POET, PR, Vandalia Leader, 17 Jan., 2021) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO, (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
That technology extracts protein from the whole stillage that remains after corn ethanol processing and makes a 50 pct protein animal feed. The Shell Rock plant began processing MSC in July, this year.
(Source: Flint Hills Resources, PR, Gazette, 24 Dec., 2020) Contact: Flint Hills Resources, 229-522-2822, www.fhr.com; Fluid Quip Technologies, , 319-320-7709www.fluidquiptechnologies.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DDG, Fluid Quip Technologies, Flint Hills Resources, Ethanol,
If passed into law, the act would transition country's gasoline supply to a higher octane so greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 40 to 43 pct while increasing fuel efficiency, according to the group release.
"When you pull up to the pump you would see a research octane number (RON) that we're advocating for which is 98 RON and it's aimed at increasing efficiency in engines. To increase efficiency in engines you have to have more octane and when you get to E25 and E30, that's really where we see the sweet spot for finding the most efficiencies", NCGA market development director Jeff Wilkerson said. (Source: NCGA, Contact: Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Jeff Wilkerson, Director of Market Development, www.NCGA.Com/Octane; Nebraska Corn Board, Roger Berry, Market Development, (402) 471-2676, www.nebraskacorn.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Nebraska Corn Board , Corn Ethanol, Ethanol, Ethanol Blend, Nebraska Corn Growers Association,
According to the release, Novozymes is the technology leader in fiber conversion, enabling new revenue for biofuels producers from low-carbon credits such as in California and EPA's cellulosic RIN credits. Through Fiberex, Novozymes is collaborating with the biofuel industry to further expand the boundaries of corn-based ethanol -- literally breaking down some of the barriers between what is considered conventional biofuels and advanced biofuels.
Novozymes' Fiberex enzymes are specifically designed to break down this complex matrix -- resulting in more corn oil and converting the fiber into simple sugars that are easily converted into ethanol.
As part of the platform announcement, Novozymes is also launching the first Fiberex products: Fiberex R1, a technology specifically designed to provide maximum ethanol in separate fiber-to-ethanol processes, and Fiberex F1, a cellulase enzyme designed to provide fiber conversion for in-process technologies. Additional solutions, to launch in 2021, are in proof-of-concept trials now, according to the release. (Source: Novozymes, Website PR, 16 Sept., 2020) Contact: Novozymes, Brian Brazeau, VP Bioenergy, 646-671-3897 , www.novozymes.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Novozymes , Corn Ethanol, Ethanol,
The GRO Network creates environmental transparency and matches farmers who use environmentally friendly practices with buyers who pay a premium for low-carbon corn.
The GRO Network connects farmers who utilize measurable sustainable practices with buyers who are willing to pay for verifiable low-carbon grain. The program is groundbreaking in its focus on abatement and using proven science to measure the benefits of conservation practices used by farmers on their land. These measurements result in a farm-level carbon-intensity score that can be used by policymakers to more accurately assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction for low-carbon fuel policies and make smart decisions to meet their sustainability goals, according to the release.
"We are excited about the potential of the GRO Network to promote sustainable agriculture and utilize the resulting low-carbon corn to produce even greener bioethanol and bioproducts," according to POET founder and CEO Jeff Broin. (Source: POET, Website News, Sept., 2020) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO, (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com;
Farmers Business Network , Amol Deshpande, CEO, www.fbn.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
POET expedited efforts to produce pharmaceutical-grade, alcohol-based hand sanitizer after COVID-19 created an unprecedented spike in demand for sanitation and cleaning products. POET's all-natural product will grow the volume of cleaner, greener, high-quality alcohol options available to industrial, personal care, and food and beverage consumers.
POET is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. Started in 1987, the company today has a network of 28 production facilities across 7 states. At full run rates, POET purchases 5 pct of US corn and produces 2 billion gpy of ethanol, 10 billion ppy of distillers dried grains, and 600 million ppy of corn oil, according to the website release. (Source: POET, Website News, 3 Aug., 2020) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO, (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
Iowa's ethanol industry can produce more than 4.1 billion gpy from more than 1.3 billion bushels of corn. This comes from the 42 corn ethanol plants and two cellulosic plants operating across the state.
(Source: Office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 30 July, 2020) Contact: Office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, www.grassley.senate.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Chuck Grassley, Ethanol,
In a letter to the EPA' Administrator Andrew Wheeler, NWF President and CEO Collin O'Mara echoed the requests of six state governors and stressed the need for smaller biofuel mandates. In its letter, the AFPM noted:
The NWF letter concludes: “"In short, the corn ethanol mandate has led to the loss of important wildlife habitat, particularly in regions critical for monarch butterflies, ducks and other ground-nesting birds, and many other species -- threatening outdoor recreation opportunities as well as the economy. The mandate has also resulted in deteriorated water quality and harmful algal blooms in important surface waters as a result of increased farm runoff. Increasing mandated blending levels increases the potential for further land conversion, presenting a marked threat to the battle against global climate change, with its consequent catastrophic effects on human health and the environment. Higher blends of ethanol necessitated by unrealistic RVOs diminish public health. In light of the clear and present danger to the environment, we join with the Governors of six states in asking for a waiver to the RVO." (Source: National Wildlife Federation, AFPM, Hydrocarbon Engineering, 7 July, 2020) Contact: National Wildlife Federation, Colin O'Mara, CEO, www.nwf.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Renewable Fuel Standard, Ethanol,
Construction is slated to get underway later this year for completion and commissioning within 12-14 months.
(Source: LucasE3, PR, 13 May, 2020) Contact: LucasE3, Scott Lucas, (913) 608-3925, scott@LucasE3.com, www.LucasE3.com; Maracaja Bioenergia, www.fsbioenergia.com.br/en
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, Brazil Ethanol,
The Industrial Commission will use the Partnership in Community Expansion program which offers buy-downs to to a maximum of $500,000 of a borrower's interest rate, in tandem with the legislatively authorized Fuel Production Loan Guarantee program for biofuels. Under terms of the program, ethanol producers may access up to $15 million or 50 cents per bushel of corn that would have normally been purchased in the first two quarters of 2020, whichever is less.
The Bank of North Dakota is a state-owned, state-run financial institution and the only government-owned general-service bank in the United States. (Source: Bank of ND, Wahpeton Daily News, May, 2020) Contact: Bank of ND, 800.472.2166 , 701.328.5600, bnd@nd.gov, www.bnd.nd.gov;
North Dakota Industrial Commission, www.dmr.nd.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, DDGs, Corn, Corn Ethanol,
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), fuel ethanol production is now at 563,000 bpd, the lowest level of production since the EIA began reporting ethanol production statistics in 2010.
(Source: Archer Daniels Midland, ICIS, 23 April, 2020)
Contact: ADM, Juan Luciano, Pres., CEO, (312) 634-8100, www.adm.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Archer Daniels Midland, Corn Ethanol, Ethanol, Biofuel,
A low carbon, high octane standard would allow sales of 20 pct or higher ethanol blends.
Palmer says they hope to have legislation introduced in the House by late summer or early fall.
(Source: National Corn Growers Association, Brownfield Ag News, 21 April, 2020) Contact: National Corn Growers Assoc., Mark Palmer, Renewable Fuels Dir., (636) 733-9004, (636) 733-9005 -fax, corninfo@ncga.com, www.ncga.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News National Corn Growers Association, Low-Carbon Fuel, Coen, Corn Ethanol,
Biofuels producers were not included in the aid package, although the sector consumes approximately 40 pct of America's total annual corn crop.
In the 2018/2019 crop marketing year, (Sept. 1- Aug. 31) the U.S. grew more than 14.42 billion bushels (366 million metric tons) of corn.
(Source: USDA, nexstar, 21 April, 2020)Contact: USDA, Sonny Perdue, Sec., www.usda.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Sonny Perdue, USDA, Corn, Corn Ethanol,
On 8 Nov., 2019, Valero stopped ethanol production at its corn ethanol facilities in Riga, Michigan and Bluffton, Indiana, due to "weak margins" and "market conditions". The plants will resume production "as soon as favorable economic conditions exit", according to the company's website. (Source: Valero, Website, 14 April, 2020) Contact: Valero Renewable Fuels, Joe Gorder, Pres., (800) 324-8464, www.valero.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Valero Energy, Ethanol,
"Across the board, biofuel producers and our partners in the farm community face an unprecedented challenge. We are working hard to ensure that every biorefinery remains well-positioned to support a strong and swift recovery once daily life returns to normal. That means responding dynamically to shifting conditions and optimizing production, market by market, as the situation evolves over the next few months", Poet founder and CEO Jeff Broin said in a recent press release.
(Source: POET, Various Trade Media 1 April, 2020) Contact:
POET, Jeff Broin, CEO., (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses in January was 519 million bushels. Total corn consumption was down 2 pct from December 2019, but up 5 pctfrom January 2019. Corn use for fuel alcohol was at 469 million bushels, down 2 pct from the previous month, but up 6 percent from the same month of 2019. Corn consumed in January 2020 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 90 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
Download the full Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production Report HERE. (Source: Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production Report, USDA, Mar., 2020) Contact: USDA, www.usda.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA, Corn, Corn Ethanol, Biofuel,
Demand for motor fuels has fallen dramatically due to coronavirus pandemic "stay at home" and limited social interaction policies. (Source: POET, Reuters, 23 Mar., 2020)
Contact: POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, Steve Hartig, General Manager, (630) 780-8171, steve.hartig@dsm.com, www.poetdsm.com; POET, Jeff Broin, CEO., (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Poet-DSM, Corn Ethanol, Ethanol,
The facility was originally constructed as the 21 MMgy Central MN Ethanol Co-op corn ethanol plant. Green Biologics Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based biotechnology and renewable chemical company Green Biologics Ltd., purchased the facility in December 2014 through its Central MN Renewables LLC affiliate. The facility was retrofitted to produce biobased butanol and acetone and resumed operations in 2016. In mid-2019, Green Biologics announced it could not secure funding to continue operations and would close the plant.
According to the WDL website, White Dog Labs was established in 2012 on the foundation of harnessing natural microorganism diversity to address global challenges in food sustainability, climate change and general human and animal nutrition. The company goes beyond discovery to also design and scale bioprocesses with end product application in mind.
Core to WDL discovery is its proprietary Protocol B™ process coupled with additional high-throughput selection techniques for the isolation and cultivation of microbiome-derived anaerobic microorganisms. WDL's approaches result in large, diverse and novel strain libraries informed through emerging applications in microbiome science, and yield promising solutions for animal nutrition and health.
WDL also invented a novel class of fermentation technology called MixoFerm™ that allows cultivation of previously "unculturable" bacteria while also improving the carbon efficiency of fermentation processes by 50 to 100 pct, according to the WDL website.(Source: White Dog Labs, PR, Ethanol Producer, 4 Feb., 2020) Contact: White Dog Labs., Bryan Tracy, (302) 220-4763, btracy@whitedoglabs.com, www.WhiteDogLabs.com; Central Minnesota Renewables, 320-632-1614, www.centralmnrenewables.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News White Dog Labs , Central Minnesota Renewables,
Badger State Ethanol is one of nine ethanol plants in Wisconsin that together have a capacity of 585 million gpy. (Source: Badger State Ethanol, Henry Herald, 21 Jan., 2020) Contact: Badger State Ethanol, Erik Huschitt, CEO, www.badgerstateethanol.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Badger State Ethanol,
Harvestone Group, and its affiliated companies, is a global commodity merchant focused in the biofuels sector. By designing innovative service offerings and investing in strategic infrastructure, the company help build bridges and cement alliances between producers and end users, ultimately driving the supply chain to operate more efficiently, according to the company's website.
(Source: Harvestone, Biofuel Int. 8 Jan, 2019) Contact: Harvestone Group, www.harvestonegroup.com: Corn LP, Brady Hess, 515-825-3933, www.cornlp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn, Corn Ethanol, Ethanol, Harvestone Group,
Sao Martinho SA is one of the country's largest sugar and ethanol producers. In June this year, the company announced plans to construct a 200 million litre -- 140,000 tpy of distillers dried grains (DDGs) corn ethanol plant at a cost of roughly $90 million in the municipality of Quirinopolis, an important grain producing region in Goias State.
Sao Martinho is the latest in a growing number of companies starting to produce ethanol from corn in Brazil, a country where the fuel has always been made from sugarcane.
(Source: Sao Martinho Website, FO Licht, 17 Dec., 2019)
Contact: Sao Martinho, +55 11 2105 4100, ri@saomartinho.com.br,
www.saomartinho.com.br
More Low-Carbon Energy News Sao Martinho, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol, Brazil Ethanol, Biofuel,
"Dear President Trump,
"We are writing on behalf of the more than 300,000 corn farmers across the country who are being negatively impacted by a perfect storm of challenges in rural America. The 31 new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) waivers to big oil companies, recently approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and bringing total waivers issued under your Administration to 85, could not have come at a worse time for agriculture.
"Ethanol plants in several states, including Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota and Mississippi have closed or idled. These closures have cost 2,700 rural jobs and impacted demand for more than 300 million bushels of corn. Corn farmers are beginning harvest and continuing to lose markets to deliver their corn. Frustration in the countryside is growing.
"Corn farmers are not asking for a special deal. We are simply asking, as we have been for the past two years, that your EPA uphold the law. To effectively stop the harm caused by RFS waivers, EPA needs to account for projected waivers beginning with the pending 2020 RFS volume rule. Accounting for waivers in the annual RFS volume process restores integrity to the RFS. It also allows your Administration to continue granting waivers, as allowed by the law, while keeping the RFS whole."
"While adding gallons and improving market access for higher blends of ethanol are all policies farmers appreciate and support, future waivers will continue to minimize the RFS, unless your Administration acts to account for waivers beginning this coming year first.
"We were pleased to see press reports indicating that, following a meeting with farm-state lawmakers, an agreement had been reached to address the harm caused by waivers. With more than 4 billion gallons waived out of the RFS, we appreciate you listening to our elected representatives about what is needed to restore meaning to the RFS. Farmers across the country are anxiously awaiting the release of more details about this agreement. Ethanol plants will continue to close if you don't act soon, creating a rippling effect throughout the rural economy.
"Corn farmers are appreciative of your past support for agriculture and ethanol. We especially appreciate your efforts to remove the barrier to year-round sales of E15, but EPA's current use of waivers undermines growth potential for higher blends of ethanol, reduces demand, lowers the value of our crop, and puts the outlook for the rural economy in jeopardy.
"Mr. President, we firmly ask that you uphold your commitment to America's farmers and the RFS." (Source: Ag Ohio, Various Trade Media, Sept., 2019)
Editor's Note: For our reader's convenience, we have underlined the few lines that actually call on Trump to
honestly do his job and uphold the RFS. The remaining five paragraph's are, in our opinion, little more than flattery to the White House.
More Low-Carbon Energy News Trump, "Hardship" Waivers, Corn Ethanol,
POET already has cut production at half of its biorefineries with the biggest impact being felt at its Iowa and Ohio plants where corn processing will drop by an additional 100 million bushels. (Source: POET, The Messenger, 29 Aug., 2019) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO, (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, EPA, "Hardship" Waivers, RFS,
"The latest reports say President Trump 'felt misled' about the EPA's most recent batch of small refinery exemptions. That's hardly a surprise. The EPA spent months trying to paper over the devastating impact these refinery (waiver) handouts have had on farm communities and rural workers in America's biofuel sector. They can't hide the simple fact that dozens of biofuel plants have cut production, and ethanol consumption fell for the first time in 20 years in the wake of these exemptions. Closures in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Nebraska are only the beginning.
"Just today, the world's largest ethanol producer closed a major plant in Indiana and cut production across seven states. Hundreds of millions of gallons of production are offline, and hundreds of millions of bushels of grain are falling in value, just as farmers face the worst economic conditions in a generation.
"The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) creates an incentive that opens the market to biofuel blends, including the E15 that President Trump personally embraced. These exemptions destroy that incentive, pure and simple. You cannot carve billions of gallons from America's biofuel targets and still keep this administration's promises to farm families. EPA needs to account for these lost gallons immediately and start repairing the damage before more rural communities lose hope for a comeback."
Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America's economy and improve the environment. (Source: Growth Energy, 21 Aug., 2019) Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, CEO, Elizabeth Funderburk, (202) 545-4000, EFunderburk@GrowthEnergy.org, www.growthenergy.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Growth Energy, RFS, Renewable Fuel Standard,
The Brazilian company added that the cooperation agreement is intended to take advantage of a growing demand for ethanol as a result of an upcoming national programme to boost biofuel use, known as RenovaBio, which is scheduled to start in January, 2020. The RenovaBio program will require 30 new ethanol plants in Brazil, the expansion of some existing plants and the rebooting of some previously shuttered facilities. (Source: Dedini IndŴstrias de Base, Hindu Business Line, 13 Aug., 2019) Contact: Dedini IndWstrias de Base, +55 19 3403-5500, www.dedini.com.br; Praj Industries Ltd., +91 20 7180 2000 / 2294 1000, info@praj.net, www.praj.net
More Low-Carbon Energy News Praj Industries, Brazil Biofuel, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
ISCC PLUS certification validates the responsible nature of GEVO's liquid transportation fuels and highlights the traceability of its biofuel, qualifying that such fuels produced in a sustainable manner. By completing ISCC certification, Gevo has verified that the feedstock, in this case field corn, is being grown in a socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible manner.
ISCC PLUS is a sustainability certification scheme for biobased applications like chemicals, food and feed products and applications in the bioenergy sector. (Source: GEVO, PR, 7 Aug., 2019) Contact:
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, www.sustainabilityxchange.info/en/institutions/iscc-international-sustainability-carbon-certification; GEVO, Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News GEVO, Biobutanol, Corn Ethanol, International Sustainability and Carbon Certification,
Ten other ethanol plants in the country have also temporarily shut down and three others have reportedly closed due to what Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw described as a "supply-demand imbalance" caused by waivers that federal officials are granting big oil refiners. (Source: Plymouth Energy Business Record, Radio Iowa, 1 Aug., 2019) Contact: Plymouth Energy, 712-938-2373, www.plymouth-energy.com; Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., info@IowaRFA.org (515) 252-6249, www.iowarfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association,
Because of their higher calorie and nutrient content, Brownseed hybrids already enjoy steady growth in the livestock industry. Now, with its E+ hybrid, the company is taking aim at the corn-to-ethanol industry.
Most ethanol plants require only limited modifications in their line process to accommodate the hybrid, the release added.
(Source: Benson Hills Biosystems, PR 29 July, 2019) Contact: Benson Hills Biosystems, 314-222-8218, www.bensonhillbio.com; Brownseed Genetics, Charles Brown, CEO, Brownseed Genetics, ctwww.brownseedgenetics.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn Ethanol,
In the face of the EPA's proposal, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has expressed its disappointment in the almost unlimited issuance of RFS refinery "hardship waivers", the newly released RVO's and the that the agency's failure not only to factor the lost demand into its proposed RVOs but to increase biofuel use at all.
"At every turn, EPA and this (Trump) administration have undermined the intent of RFS and destroyed demand for billions of gallons of ethanol", NFU President Roger Johnson added. (Source: The Cattle Site, National Farmers Union, PR, July, 2019) Contact: National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, www.nfu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS news, NFU news, National Farmers Union news, "Hardship Waiver" news,
The ABFA supports and advocates for public policies that are technology neutral, utilize sustainable feedstocks, and offer subsidy parity to ensure all viable advanced biofuels can compete with the benefit of a level playing field. The ABFA engages government at all levels to secure support for the advanced biofuels industry, allowing its member companies to commercialize their technologies and bring products to market that are competitive and compatible with petroleum-based fuels and byproducts. (Source: Attis Industries, PR, Globe Newswire, 10 July, 2019)
Contact: Advanced Biofuels Association
More Low-Carbon Energy News Attis Industries news, Ethanol news, Advanced Biofuels Association news,
"As long as EPA continues to dole out compliance exemptions to oil refiners without reallocating the lost volume, the agency may as well start referring to the annual RFS levels as 'renewable volume suggestions' rather than renewable volume 'obligations'. It is a complete misnomer to call these blending volumes 'obligations' when EPA's small refinery bailouts have essentially transformed the RFS into a voluntary program for nearly one-third of the nation's oil refineries.
"In its announcement today, EPA has proposed a total renewable fuel volume of 20.04 billion gallons, of which 5.04 billion gallons are advanced biofuel, including 540 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. That leaves, on paper, a 15-billion-gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol, unchanged from 2019.
"Most notably, EPA failed to prospectively account for any expected small refinery exemptions in the 2020 proposal, even though it is almost a foregone conclusion at this point that the Agency will continue to grant more exemptions.
"Congress gave EPA the direction and tools necessary to ensure that the statutory RFS volumes are enforced, and that includes prospectively reallocating exempted volumes to non-exempt parties. Instead, EPA has chosen to continue its demand destruction campaign that has been crippling to both ethanol producers and the farmers who supply our industry. Enough is enough.
"EPA approved 54 exemptions for 2016 and 2017 and an additional 38 requests for 2018 exemptions are pending. Not a single exemption request has been denied by EPA since 2015. The exemptions effectively lowered the total RFS requirement for 2017 by 1.82 billion gallons and cut the 2016 requirement by nearly 800 million gallons.
"Making matters worse, EPA's proposal continues to flout the D.C. Circuit Court's 2017 order requiring the Agency to restore 500 million gallons of renewable fuel obligations that it inappropriately and illegally waived from the 2016 RVO. Unbelievably, the Agency is proposing to snub the court's ruling by refusing to restore the 500 million gallons remanded volume. EPA's stubborn refusal to obey a court order to restore lost demand is yet another kick in the teeth to U.S. renewable fuel producers and farmers already facing the worst market conditions in a generation. EPA's suggestion that following the court's directive would place an 'additional burden' on obligated parties is an insult and an affront to the farmers and ethanol producers who trusted this administration would follow the law. The RFS wasn't intended to make oil refiners comfortable; it was intended to change the status quo by guaranteeing renewable fuels would have access to a marketplace otherwise closed to competition.
"EPA appears to be selling out to oil refiners -- again -- at the expense of rural America. The court found in favor of renewable fuel producers in 2017 because it was clear our industry had been harmed by EPA's illegal use of a general waiver -- now EPA is doubling down on that harm to the ethanol industry and farmers.
"Today's proposal undermines the pledge President Trump made to farmers and renewable fuel producers that his administration would enforce the statutory RFS volumes. By failing to prospectively reallocate, failing to commit to a more judicious and restrained approach to refinery waivers, and failing to follow a court's order to restore lost demand, EPA is blatantly undercutting President Trump's commitment to ethanol, which he restated less than a month ago when he visited the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy ethanol plant. We urge the President to resolve the disconnect between the oval office and EPA and get the RFS back on track." (Source: RFA, PR, 8 July, 2019) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFA, RFS,
In the face of the EPA's proposal, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has expressed its disappointment in the almost unlimited issuance of RFS refinery "hardship waivers", the newly released RVO's and the that the agency's failure not only to factor the lost demand into its proposed RVOs but to increase biofuel use at all.
"At every turn, EPA and this (Trump) administration have undermined the intent of RFS and destroyed demand for billions of gallons of ethanol", NFU President Roger Johnson added.
(Source: The Cattle Site, National Farmers Union, PR, 8 July, 2019) Contact: National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, www.nfu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News "Hardship Waiver", RFS, National Farmers Union, Biofuel, Ethanol Blend,
The rule change has the potential to create a significant increase in market demand for corn-based ethanol as well as other advanced fuels such as cellulosic ethanol. Even so, the administration continues to undermine the enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) through its abuse of the small refiner "hardship" exemptions (SREs) which have had a drastic effect on renewable fuel demand over the past two years, according to Attis. "Attis encourages the Administration to continue its support of the nation's farmers and renewable fuel producers by limiting SREs to those refiners who truly have encountered hardships by complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard," the Attis release notes.
Attis Biofuels, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Attis Industries Inc., currently operates a 100 million gpy corn-based ethanol facility in Fulton, NY and has plans to expand the production of renewable fuels to include cellulosic ethanol and various other advanced biofuels, according to the release. (Source: Attis Ind., PR, June, 2019)
Contact: Attis Ind., David Winsness, President of Attis Innovations, Jeff Cosman, CEO, 678-580-5661, www.attisind.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Attis Industries, Biofuel, E15, Ethanol Blend, RFS,
Attis plans to immediately begin the process of deploying its patented biorefinery technology to further diversify the biofuel and biobased product manufacturing at the campus. Attis will convert extracted locally sourced woody biomass pulp into cellulosic fuels and lignin into bioplastics, carbon fiber and advanced biofuels like renewable diesel and jet fuel.
Attis also aims to improve the quality and volume of co-products currently being produced at the Fulton ethanol plant by implementing its patented and licensed corn oil extraction technology that will almost double the current corn oil production yields at the plant and provide an augmented revenue stream. (Source: Attis Industries, DTN, June, 2019) Contact: Attis Ind., Jeff Cosman, CEO, 678-580-5661, www.attisind.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Attis Industries, Ethanol, Sunoco LP,
The Husker Ag facility was originally built by Fagen Inc. and designed by ICM of Colwich, KS. Husker Ag expanded its operations in the fall of 2007 and as of 2017 utilizes more than 26 million bpy of corn to produce about 76 million gpy of denatured ethanol and about 450,000 tpy of modified wet distillers' grain (DDG) for cattle feed.
(Source: Renewable Fuels Association, Husker Ag, 3 June, 2019) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org;
Husker Ag, Seth Harder, Gen. Mgr., (402) 582-4446, www.huskerag.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DDGs, Corn Ethanol, Husker Ag, Renewable Fuels Association,
The transaction includes a 6-month transition services agreement as well as a 10-year offtake agreement for the ethanol produced at the facility.
According to an Attis release, "today, the United States consumes roughly 19 billion gallons of renewable fuel on an annual basis; however, Attis believes firmly that through the deployment of its innovative and transformative suite of green technologies, yearly production can nearly double while taking advantage of more carbon neutral feedstocks. Desperately needed innovation is required to realign existing production to the Renewable Fuel Standard's goal of 36 billion gallons by 2022."
(Source: Attis Industries, Inc. , Website 3 June, 2019) Contact: Attis Ind., Jeff Cosman, CEO, (678) 580-5661, www.attisind.com;
Sunoco LP, www.sunocolp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn Ethanol, DDGs, Attis Industries, Ethanol, Sunoco LP,