Press Releases

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Minneapolis, May 17 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MBA) and KS95 FM teamed up today to reward drivers who switched to Minnesota-made E15 at the Winner station in Richfield.

From 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, MBA and KS95 rewarded 25 drivers who chose Unleaded Plus (E15). Among the prizes given included $20 in cash, tickets to the Minnesota Twins, St Paul Saints, Minnesota Zoo, gift cards to Chili's and KS95 merchandise.

The radio station's personality, Rudy Pavich, was at the station with MBA staff during the promotion educating drivers on the benefits of using E15. 

"As gas prices keep increasing, more and more drivers are searching for a cheaper alternative. Today's promotion was a chance for us to educate consumers on how E15 not only provides them with savings at the pump but also reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions and boosts the economy in Minnesota," said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

E15 was priced 10 cents less than regular unleaded at Winner. 

Today's promotion at the Winner in Richfield was the fourth time MBA and KS95 have teamed up this year at a station in the Twin Cities metro area to educate drivers on the various benefits of using E15. The next promotion will be at a Holiday in St Paul on May 24. More details on the promotion will be announced on MBA's Facebook and Twitter channels early next week. 

Read also:

Minneapolis Drivers Choose E15

Fridley Drivers Choose E15

Plymouth Drivers Choose E15

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Minneapolis, May 24 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MBA) and KS95 FM teamed up today to reward drivers who switched to E15 on the Holiday station at Old Hudson Road in St Paul. 

From 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, MBA and KS95 rewarded 35 drivers who chose to fuel up with E15. Among the prizes given included $20 in cash, tickets to the Minnesota Twins, the St Paul Saints and the Minnesota Zoo, Chili's gift cards and KS95 merchandise.

KS95 personality, Rudy Pavich, was at the station with MBA staff to during the promotion educating drivers on the benefits of using E15. 

"Today's event was an opportunity for us to let drivers know that there's an alternative at the pump that saves them money, is better for the environment and boosts Minnesota's economy," said Tim Rudnicki, MBA executive director. 

Today's promotion at the Holiday on Old Hudson Road is the fifth time MBA and KS95 have partnered this year at a station in the Twin Cities metro area to educate drivers on the benefits of using E15. The previous four promotions were at the Winner in Richfield, the Tesoro on Riverside Avenue in Minneapolis, the Holiday on University Avenue in Fridley and the Holiday on County Road 24 in Plymouth.  

Minneapolis, June 26 – The EPA’s proposed 2019 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) maintains conventional ethanol blending at 15 billion gallons but does not address gallons that will be lost from the agency’s RVO-waivers to oil refineries.

In a statement today, the EPA proposed the total RVO for 2019 at 19.88 billion gallons, up from 19.29 billion gallons this year. Of the 19.88 billion gallons, 15 billion gallons would be met with corn ethanol. The RVO for corn ethanol this year is also 15 billion gallons.

However, it is estimated that the EPA’s continued issuance of RVO waivers to small oil refineries will reduce corn ethanol consumption by 1.6 billion gallons.

“As long as EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, continues to handout waivers to the oil industry – and he has given no indication that he will stop - the 15-billion-gallon target is fictitious.

“A report today says that even the Department Of Energy (DOE) doesn’t agree with some of the waivers that have been doled out by the EPA,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

Reuters reported today that the EPA had granted some refineries full waivers even after the DOE had recommended partial waivers. This included full waivers for refineries owned by a company that posted $1.4 billion in net income in 2017, the report said. The EPA has yet to disclose the companies that have received the RVO waivers.

“These waivers, if left to stand, can eviscerate the very foundation upon which the RFS is built on, which is exactly what the oil industry wants,” Rudnicki said.

Apart from corn ethanol, the EPA also proposed 4.88 billion gallons of advanced biofuels in 2019, up from 4.29 billion in 2018.

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Picture caption: MN Biofuels President, Brian Kletscher, delivering his opening remarks at the launch of the 2018 Half Year Report

Minneapolis, July 12 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) released its 2018 Half Year Report to its producer and vendor members at a networking event in Prior Lake yesterday.

The report gave members an overview of Minnesota's ethanol industry in the first six months of 2018 and the various initatives MN Biofuels undertook to increase ethanol consumption in the state. Specifically, the report highlighted the progress MN Biofuels made in the fields of advocacy, communications, fuel marketing and supply in the first half of the year. 

"Our work in the first half of 2018 included reforming regulatory processes for ethanol producers, generating millions of ad impressions to drive consumers to E15 fuel dispensers and growing beyong the 14 brands and 284 fuel retailers who now offer E15 in Minnesota," said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.

He said these initiatives played a crucial role in the record volume of E15 sales in Minnesota this year.

According to data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, nearly 30 million gallons of E15 was sold in the state during the first five months of 2018, surpassing the total volume sold in 2017 (19.05 million gallons). In May alone, E15 sales in Minnesota totaled 6.74 million gallons, a monthly record. 

Nonetheless, Rudnicki said industry also faced unprecedented challenges in the first half of the year.

"Make no mistake, the current attacks on the RFS go to its very core. The seemingly illegal refinery waivers, if left to stand, can eviscerate the very foundation upon which the biofuel industry is built," he said.

Download MN Biofuels' 2018 Half Year Report here

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Picture caption: MN Biofuels Executive Director, Tim Rudnicki, presenting the 2018 Half Year Report

ICM Facility in Colwich

Picture Caption: ICM's headquarters in Colwich, Kansas

Minneapolis, July 20 – Global bio-refining technology provider, ICM, Inc, has become the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association’s (MN Biofuels) latest vendor member.

Headquartered in Colwich, Kan., ICM provides the ethanol industry with innovative technologies, solutions, services and diversified feed products.

“We are pleased to welcome ICM as our latest vendor member. ICM is a household name in the ethanol industry globally and has played an integral role in growing the industry over the years,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.

ICM Director of Sales, Jeff Scharping, said ICM provides ethanol plants with turn-key solutions to increase ethanol and corn oil production and develop new higher-value feed products. ICM’s fully-integrated custom packages, he said, ensures all of this is accomplished efficiently and at a low cost per gallon while optimizing energy usage.  

“We joined MN Biofuels because it is one of the oldest and most dedicated supporters of the ethanol industry in the country. It has been first on many fronts and ICM is proud to support their efforts to promote cleaner energy, higher blends and consumer choice,” he said.

Scharping said some of ICM’s main technologies include:

  • Selective Milling Technology and Selective Milling Technology V2 which maximize the amount of starch exposed for conversion to ethanol and oil available for recovery, while preserving fiber for higher value platform applications.

  • Fiber Separation Technology (FST) and Fiber Separation Technology Next Gen which are pre-fermentation separation systems that removes fiber prior to fermentation, resulting in more fermentable carbohydrates to be loaded into each batch for fermentation.

  • Thin Stillage Solids Separation System which separates the stillage process stream into its most valuable components – protein, solubles and oil. This technology improves dryer and evaporator efficiencies by reducing solids in stillage.

  • GEN 1.5 Grain Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology which takes corn fiber from the FST system and converts it to high-value, D3 RIN cellulosic ethanol gallons in existing fermentation and distillation systems.

ICM’s proprietary process technologies are used in over 100 ethanol plants globally that produce a combined 8.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 25 million tons of distillers grains annually.

Learn more about ICM’s products and technologies here.

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Picture caption: ICM's Selective Milling Technology V2

MN Ag In The Classroom tours Guardian

Janesville, July 31 –Teachers from a Minnesota Department of Agriculture program that toured Guardian Energy today are looking at incorporating renewable energy production into their respective curricula.

Twenty-one teachers from the department’s Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom program took part in a 75-minute tour of Guardian Energy to get an overview of the role science plays in ethanol production and its importance to Minnesota’s agriculture industry.

“Our teachers are now inspired to bring their students to an ethanol plant and to use the ideas, examples and other knowledge gained from today’s tour within their curricula throughout the school year,” said Sue Knott, an Education Specialist for Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom.

Today’s tour – organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) - was part of a Teacher Day Camp hosted by Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom and Farmamerica in Waseca.

The Teacher Day Camp aims to provide kindergarten through 12th grade educators a first-hand look into the world of agriculture.

“We were delighted to host the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom teachers at our facility and provide them with a first-hand look at how clean Minnesota-grown renewable energy is produced.

“This great educational opportunity allowed our staff to interact with educators to showcase how local ethanol production enhances our rural economies, improves our state air quality and expands our energy independence,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.

During the tour, the teachers learned about incoming grain grading, grain handling, liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, distiller grain drying, corn oil separation, product storage and product shipment.

“This is the first year Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom has included an ethanol plant tour in their Teacher Day Camp and we look forward to organizing more plant tours for educators,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.

The Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom program is a public – private partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation.

HRST Logo

Minneapolis, Aug 2 – Eden Prairie-based HRST, Inc. has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) as a vendor member.

Formed in 1998, HRST specializes in technical services and product designs for Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs), waste heat boilers, power boilers and steam turbines.

“We are pleased to welcome HRST to our growing roster of members. HRST’s experience in improving boiler reliability and performance will help ethanol producers reduce energy costs, lower carbon emissions and maximize production,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.

HRST provides inspection, analysis, design upgrades and professional training for more than 250 boilers per year and has regional offices in California, Florida, Maine, Texas and Vietnam.

“We service the combined cycle power generation, processing, petrochemical, and ethanol industries,” said Evan Almberg, analysis engineer at HRST.

He said the company intends to grow its boiler and steam turbine engineering services for the ethanol industry.

Almberg said HRST can perform various projects for the ethanol industry, such as thermal performance assessments, failure analysis of boiler components and design upgrades, as well as thermal oxidizer HRSG inspections.

Among ethanol producers, Guardian Energy, Pacific Ethanol and Flint Hills Resources have recently worked with HRST.

“HRST is well positioned to provide local support to the Minnesota ethanol industry, as well as surrounding states. We learned a great deal about the industry by attending and presenting at our first Fuel Ethanol Workshop in June 2018.

“While there, we were introduced to MN Biofuels and its success representing Minnesota and the national ethanol industry. As plants strive for efficiency and expand production, better understanding the needs of local producers helps us provide the best solutions to meet their HRSG / boiler, steam turbine and combined heat and power needs,” Almberg said.

Learn more about HRST here

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Picture Caption: HRST's steam turbine engineering services

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Picture Caption: HRST provides technical services and product designs for Heat Recovery Steam Generators

D3Max logo

Aug 7, Minneapolis – Corn fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol technology provider, D3MAX, has become the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association’s (MN Biofuels) latest member.

Formed by BBI International in 2015, D3MAX’ corn fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol technology converts the fiber and residual starch in wet cake (wet distillers grains) into cellulosic ethanol.

“We have had a long working relationship with BBI International and we are excited to have D3MAX as a member. D3MAX offers a fully-integrated technology that can be used in 190 dry mill ethanol plants in the US and Canada,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.

D3MAX’ technology increases the amount of cellulosic ethanol produced from wet cake by as much as 10 percent in comparison to other methods. Overall, its technology increases an ethanol plant’s production by 7 percent (2.9 gallons of ethanol per bushel to 3.1 gallons of ethanol per bushel) with no increase in corn grind.

“D3MAX is excited to become a member of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. D3MAX is looking to partner with the association’s members and help corn dry mill ethanol facilities produce higher yields from corn fiber at lower costs,” said Mark Yancey, CTO at D3MAX.

With the D3MAX process, pretreatment is run at high solids loading with very low temperature and pressure in the pretreatment reactor because the fiber in the wet cake has been cooked in an ethanol plant.

This, Yancey said, significantly reduces the capital and operating costs for the D3MAX process.

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Picture Caption: Pre-treated wet cake produced at a D3MAX pilot plant

He said converting the fiber and residual starch in wet cake reduces the volume of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) by 25 percent but increases the protein concentration in DDGS to over 45 percent and reduces dryer energy use by 20 percent.

“This low fiber, high protein DDGS is suitable for feed for monogastric animals including swine and poultry, in addition to use as a feed for cattle and dairy cows,” Yancey said, adding the process also increases corn oil for recovery from 1 lbs a bushel to 1.5 lbs a bushel.

ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wis. will be the first ethanol plant to integrate D3MAX’ technology on a commercial scale with construction scheduled to begin in September.

“The projected payback to an ethanol plant that installs the D3MAX process is about one year or less,” Yancey said. 

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Picture caption: D3MAX pilot system installed at ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wis.

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Picture Caption: D3MAX pilot system installed at ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wis. 

Learn more about D3MAX here.