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,
Siouxland Ethanol, a 90 million gpy corn ethanol plant located in Jackson, Nebraska was certified on May 6 with a carbon intensity rating of 26.67 and Elite Octane, a 150 million gpy corn ethanol plant located in Atlantic, Iowa was certified on May 7 with a carbon intensity rating of 30.32. Using Intellulose 2.0, the two plants achieved average corn kernel fiber ethanol production of 3% of total production, nearly triple the average performance traditionally associated with the benefits of Intellulose 1.0 that regulatory agencies had approved.
Edeniq's Intellulose 2.0 technology typically achieves between 2 and 4.5 pct cellulosic ethanol production from the corn kernel fiber at existing corn ethanol plants without any capex requirements. The technology measures the amount of ethanol produced from multiple different molecules present in corn kernels and quantifies the individual contribution of each component. The technology builds on Intellulose 1.0, which measures the cellulosic ethanol produced from a single corn kernel component.
Seven Edeniq Intellulose 1.0 customers were previously approved by the U.S. EPA for D3 RIN generation and/or by CARB for low-CI corn kernel fiber ethanol production. (Source: Edeniq Inc., PR, 13 May, 2019) Contact: Edeniq Inc., Brian Thome, President and CEO, Lily Wachter, (559) 302-1777, lwachter@edeniq.com, www.edeniq.com;
Siouxland Ethanol, LLC , Nick Bowdish, President and CEO www.siouxlandethanol.com;
Elite Octane, www.eliteoctane.net; California Air Resources Board, Melanie Turner, Information Officer, (916) 322-2990, melanie.turner@arb.ca.gov, www.arb.ca.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News California Air Resources Board, Corn Ethanol, Edeniq, Ethanol, Siouxland Ethanol,
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was commenting on the progress of his "positive" talks with China about reducing Beijing's 70 pct "retaliatory" tariff on U.S. ethanol products.
In his comments, Perdue also noted that he wanted the EPA to more tightly control its use of small refinery "hardship" waivers that exempt plants from their obligation to blend biofuels like corn-based ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Perdue added that he'd discussed the matter with EPA chief Andrew Wheeler. (Source: Voice of America, NASDAQ, 9 April,
Contact: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, (202) 720-2791 -- general information, https://twitter.com/SecretarySonny, www.whitehouse.gov/people/sonny-perdue
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
"These new findings provide further evidence that biofuels from America's heartland reduce greenhouse gases even more than we thought, and that our farmers and ethanol plants continue to become more efficient and effective," said Secretary Sonny Perdue. "Expanding the sale of E15 year-round will provide consumers with more choices when they fill up at the pump, including environmentally friendly fuel with decreased emissions. I appreciate EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler moving expeditiously to finalize the E-15 rule before the start of summer driving season," Perdue added.
The study, led by Dr. Jan Lewandrowski of USDA's Office of the Chief Economist, and published in the journal Biofuels, supports findings of other research that ethanol has a significantly better GHG profile than previously estimated.
The study attributes much of these additional benefits to revised estimates of the impacts of land-use change as a result of demand for ethanol. Where previous estimates anticipated farmers bringing additional land into production as a result of increased corn prices, recent analysis finds only modest increases in crop acreage. Additional improvements at ethanol refineries, combined with on-farm conservation practices that reduce GHG emissions, such as reduced tillage and cover crops, have further decreased emissions associated with corn ethanol. The study projects that with added improvements in refineries and on farms, a reduction of over 70 pct in lifecycle emissions is possible by 2022.
The study is available for download HERE. Additional information on the greenhouse gas profile of biofuels is available at www.usda.gov/oce/oeep. (Source: USDA, 2 April, 2019) Contact: USDA, www.usda.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol, Carbon Emissions, GHGs,
The report was authored by John Urbanchuck, managing partner at ABF Economics.
As we reported on 23 Jan., 2019, 2018 was a record year for ethanol production in Iowa with the state's ethanol production facilities producing 4.35 billion gallons -- 150 million gallons more than 2017 and 150 million gallons short of capacity. The Hawkeye State produces about 27 pct of total U.S. ethanol production.
Iowa's two cellulosic ethanol and 41 corn ethanol plants use more than 1.3 billion bpy of corn. Iowa also produced a record 365 million gallons of biodiesel in 2018 (Source: Iowa Renewable Fuels Assoc., Mar., 2019) Contact: IRFA, Monte Shaw, Exec. Dir., info@IowaRFA.org, (515) 252-6249, www.iowarfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Iowa Biofuel, Monte Shaw, IRFA,
The plant , which is expected to use approximately 1 million metric tpy of corn and 300,000 tpy of biomass, is reportedly slated to come online within 24 months. (Source: Petron Scientech, Times of India, 30 Jan., 2019) Contact: BioChem USA, www.biochemusa.com; Petron Scientech Inc ., www.petronscientech.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Petron Scientech, Corn Ethanol, DDGs, Biodiesel,
A potential benefit of perennial grasses is tied to their deep root systems. According to researchers, deeper root systems -- as opposed to those seen in annual crops like corn -- are able to store large amounts of carbon below ground that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. However, because perennial grasses on marginal lands can have low yields due to less fertile soil, researchers examined ways to maximize growth of the grasses without negative effects on the environment.
In the 10-year study published in Nature Sustainability, researchers utilized 36 plots at an abandoned agricultural site in the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve to plant 32 species of prairie and savanna plants that are native to Minnesota. In 2007, researchers divided the plots into several groups and assigned them a combination of two treatments: water addition (i.e., irrigated or non-irrigated) and nitrogen fertilization (i.e., 0 g/m2, 7 g/m2, 14 g/m2). Over the next decade, researchers found that:
Compared with corn ethanol, researchers found biomass yield from the best performing native prairie grasses was moderately lower -- six tons per hectare versus the average corn yield of eight tons per hectare in the U.S.. However, researchers found that because of lower nitrogen use and larger amounts of soil carbon storage, the native prairies would result in higher overall greenhouse gas savings when converted to bioenergy.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation's Long-Term Ecological Research program and the Global Climate and Energy Project.
(Source: University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences, PR, 28 Jan., 2019) Contact: College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Prof. David Tilman, Prof. Clarence Lehman, Lead Researcher, 612-625-5734 Fax: 612-624-6777, lehman@umn.edu,
cbs.umn.edu;
Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, www.cedarcreek.umn.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel Feedstock,
Iowa's two cellulosic ethanol and 41 corn ethanol plants use more than 1.3 billion bpy of corn.
(Source: Iowa Renewable Fuel Association, WHO13, 21 Jan., 2019)
Contact: Iowa Renewable Fuel Association, Monte Shaw, info@IowaRFA.org,
(515) 252-6249,
https://iowarfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic, Corn Ethanol, Iowa Ethanol, Iowa Renewable Fuel Association ,
The study concludes that the small refinery waivers could account for as many as 4.6 billion gallons of domestic demand lost over the next six years, along with the hit to revenue. Conventional biofuel such as corn ethanol stands to fall in use, along with consumption of ethanol in flex fuels and mid-level blends, and wholesale ethanol prices could slip as much as 19 cents per gallon on average. The study also notes that U.S. ethanol consumption stands to drop 761 million gpy on average between 2018 and 2023 with a resulting decline in gross ethanol sales revenues, with an average of $3.3 billion lost per year.
(Source: University of Missouri Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute, Transportation Today, 2018) Contact: University of Missouri Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute, (573) 884-4688, www.fapri.missouri.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News EPA, "Hardship Waiver", Ethanol Biofuel,
When fully operational, the plant is expected to
use about 29 million bpy of corn to produce 80 million gpy of ethanol, as well as 240,000 tpy of distillers grain(DDGs).
(Source: Ringneck Energy, Capital Journal, 19 Dec., 2018)Contact: Ringneck Energy LLC, Walt Wendland, Pres., CEO, (605) 258-2900, walt@ringneckenergy.com, www.ringneckenergy.com; Fagen Inc., (320) 564-3324, www.fageninc.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DDGs, Fagen, Ringneck Energy, Corn Ethanol, Ethanol,
The EPA had proposed requiring refiners to blend 19.88 billion gallons of biofuels next year, a 3.1 pct increase over current quotas. That target included a 15 billion gallon quota for corn-based ethanol and other conventional renewable fuels, the maximum allowed under federal law and the same amount required in 2018. The agency also is set to finalize a 2020 requirement for using biodiesel, after proposing a 15.7 pct increase in the target.
The EPA reportedly plans to establish new biofuel blending targets for 2020 through 2022 and is poised to lower congressional goals for cellulosic biofuels as part of the RFS "reset" process. (Source: EPA, Bloomberg, Farm Journal, 27 Nov., 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS news, Biofuel Blend news, Cellulosic news,
FS Bioenergia is a JV between U.S.-based Summit Agricultural Group and Fiagril Ltda of Brazil. (Source: FS Bioenergia, Pro Farmer, 12 Nov., 2018) Contact: FS Bioenergia, +55 65 3549-1500, www.fsbioenergia.com.br; Summit Agricultural Group, Bruce Rastetter, CEO, (515) 854-9820, www.summitag.com;
More Low-Carbon Energy News FS Bioenergia, Ethanol, Corn Ethanol,
The facility
processes up to 240,000 tpy of corn to produce roughly 25 million gpy of bioethanol and 70,000 tpy of DGS which is used for livestock feed.
(Source: ICM, WMW, 2 Oct., 2018) Contact: ICM, (316) 796-0900, www.icminc.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Abengoa Bioenergy, Landfill Gas, ICM,
The study concludes that the small refinery waivers could account for as many as 4.6 billion gallons of domestic demand lost over the next six years, along with the hit to revenue. Conventional biofuel such as corn ethanol stands to fall in use, along with consumption of ethanol in flex fuels and mid-level blends, and wholesale ethanol prices could slip as much as 19 cents per gallon on average.
The study also found that U.S. ethanol consumption stands to drop 761 million gpy on average between 2018 and 2023 with a resulting decline in gross ethanol sales revenues, with an average of $3.3 billion lost per year.
As previously reported, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. (Source: University of Missouri Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute, Transportation Today, 11 Sept., 2018) Contact: University of Missouri Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute, (573) 884-4688, www.fapri.missouri.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuel Standard, Hardship Waiver, RFS, EPA, Ethanol, EPA Hardship Waivers,
Profitability is a huge concern for Iowa's corn farmers now facing the fifth consecutive year of declining farm incomes while facing high levels of uncertainty due to ongoing trade disputes and disruptions in the ethanol markets.
The Iowa Corn Farmers Association's message to the Trump administration was clear -- "Corn farmers prefer to have market access to compete in a global marketplace, not rely on government assistance, for their livelihoods. Remove unnecessary trade barriers and restore our access to international markets." (Source: Iowa Corn Growers Association, PR, 27 Aug., 2018)Contact: Iowa Corn Growers Association, (515) 225-9242, www.iowacorn.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn, USDA, Corn Ethanol,
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted, in part, to drive innovation and production of low carbon biofuels that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and as a result the program has replaced 10 pct of petroleum in the U.S. transportation fleet with carbon-friendly fuel. However, the EPA has yet to update its original corn ethanol GHG assessments of a decade ago to reflect today's significant GHG reduction benefits, the report says.
"The ACE White Paper makes a compelling case that lifecycle GHG modeling must reflect the latest science if low carbon fuel programs are to achieve their desired results. The Great Plains Institute agrees there is a huge opportunity for existing corn ethanol plants to lower their carbon footprint through innovative technology and updated lifecycle modeling," said Brendan Jordan, VP of the Great Plains Institute.
Download the full The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol White Paper HERE.
(Source: American Coalition for Ethanoll, Aug., 2018)
Contact: American Coalition for Ethanol, Brian Jennings, CEO, Ron Lamberty, VP, (605) 334-3381, https://ethanol.org;
Great Plains Institute, (512) 278-7150, www.betterenergy.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News American Coalition for Ethanol, Ethanol, Corn Ethano, ,