Press Releases
Benson, October 15 – Twenty-five students from West Central Area Secondary School in Barrett visited Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) this morning to learn about about renewable energy production.
The students, from grades 10 to 12, toured the various stages and processes of ethanol production at CVEC, which produces 50 million gallons of ethanol a year.
“We were pleased to welcome students from West Central Area today. These tours provide our staff an opportunity to showcase the many positive benefits of homegrown ethanol production and potential career opportunities available in the ethanol industry,” said Chad Friese, CEO of CVEC.
During the tour, the students learned about including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and sponsored by Novozymes, a global microbe and enzyme provider, and supporter of Minnesota’s ethanol industry. CVEC and Novozymes are members of MN Biofuels.
“Through these tours, students learn how ethanol boosts the economy in rural Minnesota, reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, saves consumers at the pump and makes America more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.
West Central Area's Agriculture Instructor, Eric Sawatzke, brought his Ag 9 and On-the-job Training classes for today’s tour.
“Our students live in western Minnesota and many live on crop farms but may not know what their crops are used for. Others might be interested in career opportunities within the biofuels industry but need to be exposed to those options in order for them to consider the possibilities,” said Sawatzke.
He said biofuels are part of the curriculum for his Ag 9 class.
“Ethanol plays a big role in the lives of many students at West Central Area whether they know it or not. Many of the students live on farms that produce corn that will be converted into ethanol. Some of these students may very well end up in the ethanol industry in the future and this tour could have an impact on them many years from now,” Sawatzke added.
St Paul, Oct 17 – The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM teamed up today at Highland Service Minnoco on Snelling Avenue to reward drivers who fueled up with Unleaded 88 (E15) during an hour-long promotion.
From 12pm to 1pm, drivers who fueled up with E15 were rewarded with prizes that included $20 in cash, tickets to the Crayola Experience, gift cards to Applebee’s, Herbie’s On The Park and Seven Steakhouse and KS95 merchandise.
“Today’s promotion was the 14th time this year we’ve partnered with KS95 at a gas station in the Twin Cities metro to promote E15, which is cheaper than regular gas, made in Minnesota and reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
KS95 personality, Rudy Pavich, and MN Biofuels staff were at Highland Service Minnoco educating drivers on the benefits of using E15 during today’s promotion.
Nearly 7 million gallons of E15 was sold in Minnesota in August, bringing the total volume of E15 sold in the first eight months of the year to 50.57 million gallons.
The total volume of E15 sold in Minnesota in 2018 was 59.4 million gallons.
Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy, discussing ethanol production with Margaret Hart from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture during yesterday's tour.
Minneapolis, Oct 24 – Seven Minnesota state agency commissioners toured Guardian Energy yesterday to learn about the plant’s state-of-the-art production capabilities and the role the ethanol industry plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously boosting the state’s economy.
“We were pleased to welcome the commissioners and key personnel from their respective agencies to our plant yesterday. Guardian Energy was established in 2009 and has since become one of the largest ethanol plants in the state. During that time, we have also made great strides in improving efficiency and reducing the amount of energy and water needed to produce a gallon of ethanol,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.
The commissioners who participated in the tour were Steve Grove (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development), Sarah Strommen (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources), Steve Kelley (Minnesota Department of Commerce), Margaret Anderson – Kelliher (Minnesota Department of Transportation), Cynthia Bauerly (Minnesota Department of Revenue), Laura Bishop (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) and Nancy Leppink (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry).
Personnel from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources also attended the tour.
The tour was organized by the Department of Employment and Economic Development as part of its Minnesota Business First Stop initiative.
During the tour, the commissioners were also briefed on how Minnesota’s ethanol industry impacts the state’s economy.
In 2018, the industry produced 1.27 billion gallons of ethanol which in turn contributed $2.3 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, generating $6.9 billion in gross sales for Minnesota businesses and supported 20,137 jobs.
Guardian Energy, in particular, uses 50 million bushels of corn annually to produce 150 million gallons of ethanol, 300,000 tons of dried distiller’s grains and 44 million pounds of corn oil a year.
The corn used by Guardian Energy is sourced within 75 miles of the plant from over 2,000 farmers.
“As the state looks at ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, yesterday’s tour demonstrated how ethanol can play a critical role in achieving that goal while boosting the rural economy in Minnesota,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.
Commissioners and other agency personnel at Guardian Energy's DDGS storage facility.
Minneapolis, October 25 – Eleven students from Red Rock Central Public School traveled across town yesterday to visit Highwater Ethanol and learn about renewable energy production.
“This is the third straight year students from Red Rock Central Public School have toured our plant. Ethanol production plays a vital role in boosting the economy in Lamberton and other parts of rural Minnesota,” said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol.
The students, from the school’s Exploring Agriculture class, were briefed on the various processes of ethanol production at Highwater Ethanol, which produces 59.5 million gallons of ethanol a year.
During the visit, the students, all eighth-graders, toured the plant’s administrative office, water treatment process, incoming grain grading and handling, ethanol loadout, ethanol process facility, energy center, dried distiller grain production and storage.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels), a non-profit trade organization that represents the ethanol industry in Minnesota and sponsored by Novozymes, a global microbe and enzyme provider, and supporter of Minnesota’s ethanol industry. Highwater Ethanol and Novozymes are members of MN Biofuels.
“It is important for students to visit their local ethanol plant and understand the role ethanol plays in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and making America more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.
Highwater Ethanol began operations in Lamberton in August 2009. It currently has 41 fulltime employees.
Megan Chicos, Agricultural Teacher at Red Rock Central Public School, accompanied her students during today’s tour.
“This tour was beneficial to see how ethanol is produced after learning about it in class. It was also beneficial to learn about careers within ethanol production, especially since we have Highwater Ethanol in our town,” she said.
Minneapolis, October 28 –The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM rewarded over twenty drivers who made the switch to Unleaded Plus (E15) at the Winner station in Richfield on Oct 25.
During the hour-long promotion from 12 pm to 1 pm, consumers who fueled up with E15 won prizes that included $20 in cash, tickets to the Crayola Experience, gifts cards to Applebee’s, Herbies on the Park and Seven Steakhouse, along with KS95 merchandise.
KS95 personality, Rudy Pavich, and MN Biofuels staff were at the station during the promotion educating drivers on the benefits of using E15.
“Last Friday’s event was our 15th joint-promotion with KS95 this year. Through these events, we have had the opportunity to educate drivers on how using E15 reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, boosts the economy in Minnesota and makes America more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.
Nearly 7 million gallons of E15 was sold in August, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. In total, the volume of E15 sold in 2019 as of end-August was 50.57 million gallons.
The total volume of E15 sold in Minnesota in 2018 was 59.4 million gallons. There are currently 362 stations in Minnesota that offer E15. Click here to find a station offering E15.
Minneapolis, November 1 – Thirteen students from Minnesota State University, Mankato toured Guardian Energy in Janesville yesterday afternoon to learn about locally produced biofuel production.
“Tours such as these educate students on the various roles ethanol plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the economy and improving our nation’s energy security,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.
During the tour, the students, who were from the university’s Agroecology class, learned about several components of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distillers grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and sponsored by Novozymes, a global microbe and enzyme provider, and supporter of Minnesota’s ethanol industry. Guardian Energy is the largest ethanol plant in Minnesota and produces 150 million gallons of ethanol a year. Both Guardian Energy and Novozymes are members of MN Biofuels.
Yesterday’s tour was the second time students from Minnesota State Mankato have toured Guardian Energy this fall. On Oct 3, students from the university’s Biological Engineering Analysis class visited Guardian Energy.
“We appreciate having the opportunity to engage with higher education students on the finer details of ethanol production. Many of these college students may consider possible career opportunities in the ethanol industry following yesterday’s tour,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the MN Biofuels.
Minnesota State Mankato biology professor, Christopher Ruhland, who accompanied his students during yesterday’s tour, said biofuels are a part of his course syllabus.
“Scaling up from a benchtop to a fully operational plant is always an impressive sight to see. Learning about a process is one thing, but actually seeing it in action is always an eye-opener,” said Ruhland.
Minneapolis, November 5 – Environmental and technical services provider, BLOC Environmental, has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) as a vendor member.
“We are pleased to welcome BLOC Environmental as our newest member. BLOC Environmental serves the ethanol industry by providing transparent and cost-effective technical services and third-party audits,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
Founded in 2013, BLOC Environmental offers an extensive portfolio of environmental, health, security, and safety consulting services. The company has offices located in San Antonio, Houston, Philadelphia, Omaha and Longview.
“Bloc joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association so that we could continue to learn from and network with other professionals in the ethanol industry. We’ve already begun to strengthen the relationships with some of the good folks we’ve met through MN Biofuels,” said Bridgett Morales, executive vice president at BLOC Environmental.
According to Morales, BLOC calls their approach “blue collar consulting” as they focus not only on technical services, but also on third party audits, project management, training and other Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) and Process Safety Management (PSM) programs.
“We quickly identified that ethanol as an industry seemed to be under-serviced compared to larger industrial facilities and we committed to create solutions that would provide not only cost savings to our ethanol clients, but also establish strong partnerships with them,” Morales said.
The company’s other services to the ethanol industry include New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) Kb Tank Seal Inspections, Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) Camera Surveys, auditing and training along with inventory tagging and Leak Detection And Repair (LDAR services).
Morales said BLOC Environmental’s client services managers are committed to safety and compliance and have established solid working relationships with their clients in the ethanol industry.
Learn more about BLOC Environmental here.
Picture Caption: (from left to right) Bridgett Morales (Executive Vice President and Co-Founder) and Colin Sheffield (President and Co-Founder) at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Indianapolis in June of 2019.
Minneapolis, November 8 – Fourteen high school students from Sibley High School visited Heartland Corn Products in Winthrop yesterday to get a better understanding of clean renewable fuel production.
The students, from grades 10 to 12, toured the various processes of ethanol production at Heartland Corn Products which produces 113 million gallons of ethanol a year.
“This is the third time Sibley East High School has visited our facility over the past few years to see first-hand how Minnesota renewable energy is produced,” said Scott Blumhoefer, vice-president at Heartland Corn Products.
During the tour, the students learned about incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, liquefaction and ethanol storage and shipment.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels), a non-profit trade organization that represents the ethanol industry in Minnesota. Heartland Corn Products is a member of MN Biofuels.
Heartland Corn Products was founded in 1992 as a farmer-owned cooperative with approximately 900 owners and is one of the largest plants in Minnesota.
“These tours teach students how ethanol reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, lowers prices at the pump and drives the economy in rural America,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
Stephanie Brandt, agriculture teacher with Sibley East High School, accompanied her class during yesterday’s tour. She had previously toured the plant with her students in the fall of 2017.
“Students now understand the technologies that go into ethanol production,” said Brandt.
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Minneapolis, November 18 – Forty-one students from Minnesota New Country School in Henderson visited Guardian Energy on Friday, November 15th to learn about renewable fuel production.
“It’s always a pleasure to host students who are eager to learn about the renewable fuels industry. Through these tours we have the opportunity to educate the next generation on ethanol’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate the rural economy and lower prices at the pump for consumers,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.
The students that participated in the tour were a mix of elementary and high school students from grades four to 12.
During the tour, they learned about the different stages in ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.
Guardian Energy commenced operations in 2009 and currently has 50 employees. It has hosted many tours over the years for high school students, FFA groups, 4-H’ers, and local agriculture and science programs.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels), a non-profit trade organization that represents the ethanol industry in Minnesota. Guardian Energy, which produces 150 million gallons a year, is a member of MN Biofuels.
“Friday's tour demonstrated the significant roles science and technology play in ethanol production,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
Minnesota New Country School’s Intermediate Elementary Advisor, Vanessa Tompkins, accompanied her students during the tour.
“We have students studying the changes in cars and transportation through history, and ethanol is part of that history. It is important to see the complex process of how corn can be turned into fuel,” she said.
Minneapolis, Nov 19 - Technology and process engineering firm, Fluid Quip Technologies (FQT), has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) as a vendor member.
“We are pleased to welcome FQT to our growing roster of vendor members. FQT has been developing new technologies and process solutions for the biofuel and biochemical industries for over 30 years,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, FQT was founded on extensive experience and know-how within the corn wet milling and ethanol industries.
FQT’s sales and marketing manager, Keith Jakel, said the company’s goal is to solidify and advance the ethanol industry by bringing value-added technologies and engineering.
He said FQT has industrialized multiple patented and patent-pending technologies in the biofuels and biochemical industries that are geared towards enhancing the base corn-to-ethanol process and supplying the growing need for carbohydrate building blocks for renewable chemicals.
“It is important to FQT to support the biofuels industry through organizations like MN Biofuels. Supporting the local, state and national organizations which give a voice to the ethanol facilities and our clients is critical to the success and longevity of this industry,” Jakel said.
FQT provides a wide-range of engineering services from optimization studies to complete plant design. FQT’s patented technologies help increase ethanol and corn oil yields as well as diversify plant revenue streams by producing high-value co-products. FQT’s patented technologies produce over 1 billion gallons of biofuels per year worldwide.
Learn more about FQT here.
Caption: Al-Corn Clean Fuel CEO, Randall Doyal, briefing students from Owatonna High School's Agriculture Exploration class on Nov 19.
Claremont, Nov 26 – Students from Owatonna High School toured Al-Corn Clean Fuel twice this month to get a better understanding of how clean renewable energy is produced.
The first tour was on Nov 5 while the second tour was on Nov 19.
During both tours, the students learned about the different components of ethanol production such as incoming grain grading, grain handling, grain storage, liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, distiller grain drying, corn oil separation, product storage and product shipment.
The first tour on Nov 5 comprised of 28 students from the school's Agriculture Economics class while the Nov 19 tour comprised of 21 students from the school's Agriculture Exploration class.
“The ethanol industry plays a vital role in boosting the economy in rural Minnesota. Our plant sources 44 million bushels of corn a year from local farms to produce 130 million gallons of ethanol,” said Randall Doyal, chief executive officer at Al-Corn Clean Fuel.
Founded in 1994, Al-Corn Clean Fuel also produces 310,000 tons of dried distillers grains with solubles (a high protein livestock feed) and 28 million pounds of corn oil a year.
“Ethanol is a clean fuel that reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, saves consumers at the pump and makes America more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.
Owatonna High School Agriculture Teacher, Liz Tinaglia, accompanied her students during the Nov 19 tour.
“My students do enjoy learning about the chemistry and technology used in the ethanol industry,” said Tinaglia.
Caption: Owatonna High School's Agriculture Economics students at Al-Corn Clean Fuel on Nov 5.
Minneapolis, November 21 – Nineteen students from Canby High School toured the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company's Carbohydrate Solutions plant in Marshall yesterday to learn about locally-produced renewable energy.
During the tour, the students, from grades 9 to 12, were briefed on the various components of ethanol production during the tour. ADM produces 50 million gallons of ethanol a year.
“Supporting students in STEAM and agricultural programs is a major focus for us at ADM. By seeing our operations up close, these students gain valuable insights into how we make products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. We welcome these students to our facility, working to ensure the future of agriculture is bright,” said Todd Good, plant manager at ADM.
The students, who were from the school’s computer agriculture design and agriculture production classes, also toured the facility’s fructose plant, mill and feedhouse and maintenance shop.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels). ADM is a member of MN Biofuels.
“Canby High School’s visit was the 11th school tour we have conducted this fall. These tours provide students a better understanding of how a homegrown feedstock is converted into a clean fuel that reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, saves consumers at the pump and makes America more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.
Canby High School’s Dan Lutgen, technology / industrial educator, and John Dessonville, agriculture educator, accompanied their students during yesterday’s tour.
“Biofuels is an industry that will continue to grow and our hope is students see the benefits for a career,” said Lutgen.
Janesville, Nov 26 – Twenty-two high school students from Mankato toured Guardian Energy today to gain a better understanding of renewable fuel production.
During the tour, the students learned about several components of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.
The students, from grades 9 to 12, were from Mankato East High School and Central High School.
“The ethanol industry plays an important role in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions while boosting Minnesota’s economy,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.
The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels), a non-profit trade organization that represents the ethanol industry in Minnesota. Guardian Energy, which produces 150 million gallons of ethanol a year, is a member of MN Biofuels.
“Today’s visit concludes our school tour program for 2019, which brought over 500 students to their local ethanol plant,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
Ethan Dado, Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Instructor for Mankato Area Public Schools, accompanied the students during today’s tour.
“The majority of students in high school have little to no experience with ethanol and biofuels. The goal of the tour is to show how what they are learning in class applied to the workplace. Students had the opportunity to learn about careers in this field,” said Dado.
Picture caption (from left to right): Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels, presenting the 2019 Distinguished Retailer award to Dean Brehmer, station manager at Hutchinson Co-Op.
Minneapolis, Dec 16 – The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) named Hutchinson Co-Op its 2019 Distinguished Retailer at the release of the former’s 2019 Annual Report in Bloomington on Dec 13.
“Hutchinson Co-Op was a recipient of the highly successful Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership program. It began offering E15 at the end of 2018 and today E15 sales comprise nearly half of its fuel sales,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.
Hutchinson Co-Op also offers E30 and E85.
“We believe in offering high quality products that are also environmentally-friendly and made in Minnesota,” said Dean Brehmer, station manager at Hutchinson Co-Op.
Besides the award, MN Biofuels also released its 2019 Annual Report to its producer and vendor members.
The report highlighted the various projects the organization undertook during the year as well as the many challenges the industry faced in 2019.
“By all accounts 2020 may be just as challenging as 2019. But with your ongoing support, we will continue to fight on behalf of Minnesota’s ethanol industry and deliver tangible results,” Rudnicki said.
Download MN Biofuels' 2019 Annual report here.
Picture Caption: Rudnicki presenting the 2019 Annual Report.
Minneapolis, Dec 30 – National cooperative bank, CoBank, has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) as a vendor member.
“We are pleased to welcome CoBank as a vendor member. CoBank serves as a dependable provider of credit and other value-added financial services that supports the ethanol industry,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
A member of the Farm Credit System, CoBank provides financial services to 21 affiliated Farm Credit associations serving approximately 70,000 farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and other rural borrowers in all 50 states.
Established in 1989 and headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank supports the breadth and depth of the agricultural industry, including the ethanol industry and the grain sectors.
“We made our first loan in the biofuels industry in the mid-1990s, and are currently one of the largest, if not the largest, lenders to the ethanol industry,” says Tom Houser, CoBank regional vice president.
He said CoBank currently provides financing to numerous ethanol plants throughout Minnesota, and is proud to support the growth of the industry within the state.
“We’re pleased to help to advance MN Biofuel's mission to increase market access for renewable biofuels, as we do in other states across the nation, and look forward to continuing to support the industry through its economic cycles,” Houser said.
Other services the company offers include flexible loan programs, leasing services, cash management, export financing, online services and specialized financial services that meet the varying needs of the industries it serves.
Learn more about CoBank here.
Picture Caption: (from left to right) CoBank vice presidents, Kathy Frahm and Tom Houser.
Minneapolis, Jan 6 – Global supplier of specialty fermentation ingredients, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS), has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) as a vendor member.
“We are pleased to welcome LBDS to our growing roster of vendor members. LBDS supplies yeast, yeast nutrition and antimicrobial products to the ethanol industry,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.
Headquartered in Duluth, Ga., LBDS is a unit of Canada-based Lallemand, Inc.
“We are delighted to be a part of MN Biofuels. It is always good to be part of groups like these that help support and educate consumers on the importance of the biofuels industry. We need as many voices as we can to get these messages to the local, state and federal levels to continue to drive the biofuels industry forward. We look forward to working with MN Biofuels and others to keep the message going,” said Craig Pilgrim, VP of marketing and product development at LBDS.
He said one of the company’s goals is to provide the ethanol industry with innovative fermentation technologies to optimize performance.
Among its products include its yield increasing/glycerol reducing TransFerm® line, a liquid yeast line selected for high temperatures and alcohol concentrations to deliver faster starts, a better shelf life and easier delivery to the propagator. LBDS similarly offers cellulosic and biotech yeast strains for use in a variety of feedstocks.
He said LBDS’ value-creating approach is built upon a team of experienced technical sales and service professionals who serve as consultants to ethanol plant staff and identify specific needs and provide targeted products, training, troubleshooting and laboratory services.
Moreover, Pilgrim added, LBDS also supports the ethanol industry with value-creating technical service and education.
“Through the Ethanol Technology Institute (our educational arm at LBDS) we provide numerous education training programs such as The Alcohol School, The Biofuels Academy, Advanced Lab Training and publish The Alcohol Textbook (latest 6th edition now available),” he said.
Learn more about LBDS here.
Picture Caption: The LBDS team at the 2019 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Indianapolis, Ind.