In the News
January 26, 2017
By Rachel Gantz
The industry experienced record demand for ethanol in 2016 and we expect that to continue into 2017. We expect ethanol demand to be driven by a host of factors, both domestically and abroad.
Thanks to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fully implementing the 2017 conventional biofuel renewable volume obligations (RVO) at its statutory 15 billion gallon level, domestic demand will continue to escalate and US refiners and blenders will increase their use of ethanol in blends like E15 and flex fuels like E30 and E85.
Obviously, this is good news for consumers, as more ethanol in the US fuel mix will further help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost octane, lower our dependence on foreign oil and lower prices at the pump.
We also expect US ethanol exports to continue to grow.
Some of the largest markets in 2016 were China, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and India, and with more countries around the world recognising the numerous benefits of ethanol, we expect US ethanol exports to expand further.
On the road with E15
We think octane will continue to be a big trend in 2017, as the global fuel market is short on octane and new automobiles are increasingly requiring or recommending the use of higher octane fuels.
We think automakers will embrace higher-octane petrol as a means of helping to meet more stringent fuel economy standards in the future. With a 113 octane rating, ethanol is the cleanest and lowest-cost high-octane fuel component in the marketplace.
We also think a major trend in 2017 will be more rapid adoption of E15. We saw great progress with E15 in 2016, as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant programme and an industry funded.
Prime the Pump effort helped fund infrastructure development. Now that hundreds of new stations have put in the pumps to dispense E15, we expect to start seeing E15 sales volumes take off.
With a new administration taking the helm and a new Congress, the ethanol industry will be intensifying its efforts to educate and inform policymakers about the many benefits of ethanol and the RFS. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation out there and a number of biofuel opponents are ramping up efforts to attack the RFS and our industry.
We can’t let them succeed and we can’t let them define who we are and what we do as an industry. It will be more important than ever in 2017 for everyone in our industry to work together to ensure our new leaders have a proper understanding of the enormous contributions we make to the nation’s economy, energy security and environment.
Stimulating meaningful dialogue
The industry’s biggest challenge is to continue to grow demand for ethanol in the face of more stringent fuel economy standards in the face of flagging public support for low-carbon programmes and unrelenting attacks from the oil industry. The industry will need to invest in new technology and more infrastructure to encourage higher level ethanol blends.
Thanks to USDA’s Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership funding and the industry-funded Prime the Pump programmes, retailers are expanding their offerings of E15 and other higher level blends, but a stable and strong RFS is needed to help meet growing demand for the biofuel. We also need to stimulate a meaningful dialogue with the auto industry about vehicle technology and higher octane fuels. Finally, the industry’s efforts to expand exports must continue.
The RFA will continue to lead the way when it comes to growing our industry.
What can you expect from us in 2017? A lot. We will ensure that a strong RFS is maintained, lead safety seminars on the proper handling of the fuel, issue world-class analysis on regulations that affect our industry, promote high octane fuels, boost expansion of retail infrastructure to allow more higher level ethanol blends, ensure the growth of second-generation biofuels and grow US ethanol exports.
The RFA remains committed to growing our industry through multiple avenues and we look forward to a thriving industry in years to come.
Read the original story: Outlook 2017: Rapid Adoption of E15
January 25, 2017
By Cindy Zimmerman
As soon as he took office, President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on regulations that were promulgated by the federal government before he took office, including the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) requirements for this year under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which were announced in late November.
In a statement, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen said the action by the president is routine and will only delay the rule. “This postponement of the effective date for the 2017 RVO rule is simply procedural,” said Dinneen. “It is not expected to affect implementation, enforcement, or compliance with the RFS.”
The RVO rule is one of 30 published by the Environmental Protection Agency between October 28, 2016 and January 17, 2017 that are affected by the president’s order. According to the federal register, the delayed order will be implemented on March 21.
Read the original story: No Impact on RFS Expected from Regulation Freeze
January 21, 2017
By Don Davis and Maureen McMullen
ST. PAUL — Minnesota's plant-based fuel industries of ethanol and biodiesel are success stories, but their future depends on the new Trump administration.
"We are a little nervous," Assistant Commissioner Andrea Vaubel of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said, not knowing the future U.S. agriculture secretary's biofuels attitude.
Vaubel has reason to be nervous. Leading up to Trump's Friday inauguration, based on reporting from national media with access to his inner circle.
Minnesota officials say they know little about former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, whom Trump nominated as U.S. secretary of agriculture, about his stance on ethanol.
Two other Cabinet nominees who would be involved in biofuel decisions have anti-biofuel histories.
The questions come at a time when the Minnesota biofuels industry is mature and doing well.
Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Biofuels Association, described biofuel as "apolitical."
"It’s about people, the environment and the economy and really about wins for everybody," he said.
The biofuel industry pumps $6 billion into the state economy annually.
The state was the first to require that all gasoline include 10 percent corn-based ethanol, helping spur the construction of 20 ethanol plants, providing corn farmers a lucrative new market. More than a billion gallons of ethanol come out of the plants each year.
Minnesota has the country's most pumps for E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline that can be used in "flex fuel" capable vehicles.
Minnesota legislators voted to require 2 percent biodiesel — made from soybeans, animal fat, used cooking oil and other oil products — in most diesel sold in Minnesota in 2002. That rose to 5 percent four years later and 10 percent in 2012.
Three state commissioners must decide later this year if 20 percent biodiesel will be required May 1, 2018.
Chairman Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, of the state House Agriculture Policy Committee said that early problems with biodiesel gelling and causing other problems, mostly in cold weather, largely have disappeared.
"We did go through some growing pains," Anderson said, adding that "I have not heard many complaints the last few years."
As to ethanol, Anderson said, one of the major factors people should know is "has helped clean up the air. We sometimes forget that."
A 2015 study from the University of Illinois in Chicago determined the use of E15, a gasoline mixture with 15 percent ethanol, would eliminate 385,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. This, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculations, would have the same result of eliminating more than 75,000 passenger vehicles from Minnesota's roads.
Most biofuel programs operate at the mercy of the federal government
In many cases, federal agencies must approve higher biofuel use. In other situations, the state uses federal money to help support biofuels.
When Trump campaigned in Iowa, the country's top ethanol producer, he usually delivered the same line: "I love ethanol."
At one Iowa stop, he added: "You’re going to get a really fair shake from me."
However, he provided few details and his inner circle raises questions about what his intentions are with ethanol.
"Billionaire Carl Icahn, a special adviser to Donald Trump and a skeptic of the U.S. ethanol mandate, said there are others on the president-elect’s team who have even deeper criticisms of the program," Bloomberg News reported in late December.
Many of Trump's top advisors, including Icahn, are involved in petroleum production, and may see biofuels as competition.
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, key to deciding the percentage of biofuel that goes into fuel. He is described as an ethanol opponent, but some Midwesterners have been assured Trump told him to back ethanol.
A December survey of 3,000 Midwestern Trump voters found that 88 percent believe ethanol is important to create American jobs, and 85 percent believe it is important for U.S. energy security.
Read the original story: Successful Minnesota Biofuels Industry Awaits Trump
January 19, 2017
By Erin Voegele
The U.S. ethanol industry has broken production records for three consecutive weeks. Production reached at new record the week ending Jan. 13, with production averaging 1.054 barrels per day, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The previous record, set the week ending Jan. 6, was at 1.049 million barrels per day. That record replaced the one set the week ending Dec. 30, when production reached 1.043 million barrels per day.
The U.S. ethanol repeatedly broke records for ethanol production last year. Prior to Dec. 30, the record was set the week ending Dec. 9, when production averaged 1.04 million barrels per day.
The U.S. ethanol industry has surpassed the 1 million barrel per day mark only 26 times, all since November 2015. Prior to November 2015, the ethanol production record sat at 994,000 barrels per day, which was set the week of June 19, 2015.
Read the original story: US Ethanol Production Breaks Record for Third Consecutive Week
January 16, 2017
Exports of U.S. ethanol are off to a strong start for the first quarter of the 2016-17 marketing year and are at their highest levels during that time frame over the past five years, according to data recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS).
Exports totaled 353.2 million gal. for the months of September, October and November 2016, the first quarter of the 2016-17 marketing year.
Brazil, Canada and China were the top three customers for U.S. ethanol, respectively. India, Peru, South Korea and Mexico were the next largest markets for U.S. ethanol exports, totaling 62.4 million gal. over the same time period. According to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), these top seven markets accounted for 88% of U.S. ethanol exports in the first quarter. As such, USGC said it, as well as industry partners, are currently or will be working these countries to further develop demand for U.S. ethanol.
Exports of U.S. ethanol to Brazil increased substantially to 111.6 million gal. in the first three months of the current marketing year, representing nearly a third of total U.S. ethanol exports -- the second highest volume of U.S. ethanol exports to that country over the last decade.
“Enforceable government ethanol mandates are driving the increases in Brazilian imports of U.S. ethanol, as Brazilian sugarcane has been diverted to sugar production to capture a price premium,” USGC noted. “To enforce its mandates, Brazil ramped up imports of price-competitive U.S. ethanol, highlighting the important role of trade in meeting ethanol mandates globally.”
U.S. ethanol exports to Canada totaled 87.8 million gal. during the first quarter of the 2016-17 marketing year. USGC said this is the highest level of U.S. ethanol imports by Canada during this time frame, with a 26% increase in imports over the first quarter of marketing year 2015-16.
USGC said it will continue working to increase ethanol demand. In fact, the council and its partners in global ethanol market development -- Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Assn. and USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service -- recently conducted technical workshops in Asia and Latin America describing the positive environmental and public health benefits of increased ethanol use. USGC also uses trade missions to target countries, trade teams bringing stakeholders to the U.S. and industry working groups to support the development of the global ethanol market.
Read the original story: U.S. Ethanol Exports up 85% During First Quarter
January 13, 2017
By Daniel DeMay
Sea-Tac Airport could become one of the first major U.S. airports to start using biofuel for every flight that leaves its tarmac.
That’s the lofty goal that drove a study released yesterday on how to build the infrastructure needed to get aviation biofuel into Sea-Tac’s fuel supply.
“Here in Seattle, we’re in such a unique position to lead in this industry,” said John Creighton, president of the Seattle Port Commission. “We live in a community that inspires us to think bigger about sustainability and in the Northwest, we understand that climate change is real.”
The study is the work of a partnership between the Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines and Boeing, and focused on finding a site where biofuel could be mixed with jet fuel (planes can only run up to a 50-50 mix of aviation biofuel and jet fuel) and then fed into the existing fuel supply for the airport.
Widespread use of biofuel could significantly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur, soot and other particulates from commercial aircraft -- a footprint of 50 to 80 percent less than regular jet fuel, according to the study.
David Williams, with engineering firm WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, led the study, looking first at 29 different sites with access to the Olympic Pipeline -- the primary source of jet fuel from northern refineries. Williams narrowed it down to three and found that the best short-term solution would be to incorporate the biofuel infrastructure at the existing Sea-Tac fuel farm.
Biofuel could be trucked in, mixed and added to the Olympic Pipeline supply at that site for the lowest cost -- estimated at $13.95 million.
But to get to a large-scale operation -- the study’s goal is 50 million gallons of biofuel per year initially, ramping up to 100 million gallons after 2025 -- found that creating the infrastructure at one of the three northern refineries would the best long-term solution, albeit a more costly one at something around $104 million.
These estimates are far from concrete, however, as since there are currently no commercial producers of aviation biofuel in the region, transport costs are almost a total unknown, Williams said.
Another study focused on financing this kind of infrastructure is due out sometime this spring, Creighton said.
The lack of a commercial biofuel producer also makes it hard to come up with a timeline for how soon such a project could come to fruition at Sea-Tac.
Alaska Airlines has set a goal of bringing commercial aviation biofuel to one of its airports by 2020, with a preference for Sea-Tac, said Carol Sim, director of environmental affairs for Alaska.
In 2011, the Seattle-based airline flew 75 flights on a blend of used cooking oil biofuel, and has since flown two more flights on biofuel variants -- one on a corn alcohol-based fuel and one on a “woody biomass” fuel, Sim said.
Alaska is in talks with several fuel producers now, with the hopes of striking a deal that will provide a consistent supply of aviation biofuel, Sim said.
“If it’s before 2020, that would be great,” she said. But more likely, it will take longer to get the project airborne at full-scale.
The Port will also take aim at integrating the biofuel infrastructure goals into the new Sustainable Airport Master plan, said Stephanie Meyn, climate protection program manager at the Port of Seattle.
Sea-Tac won’t be the first airport to use biofuel on a regular basis, as Los Angeles’ LAX already sends some amount of biofuel up in most flights, Meyn noted. In May, United Airlines began flying routes to San Francisco using a blended fuel with 30 percent biofuel, with the goal of eventually flying all its routes on biofuel blends.
Read the original story: Study Looks at Biofuel for Flights Out of Sea-Tac
January 13, 2017
By Erin Voegele
The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released the January edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting ethanol production will average approximately 1 million barrels per day in 2017, increasing slightly to 1.02 million gallons per day in 2018. In 2016, production averaged 1 million barrels per day. In its December STEO, the EIA predicted ethanol production would average only 990,000 barrels per day in 2016, increasing to 1 million barrels per day in 2017.
On a quarterly basis, ethanol production is expected to average 1 million barrels per day during the first and second quarters of 2017, increasing to 1.02 million barrels per day during the third quarter, and falling to 1 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter. In 2018, ethanol production is expected to be at 1.03 million barrels per day during the first quarter, falling to 1.02 million barrels per day during the second and third quarters, and falling to 990,000 barrels per day during the fourth quarter.
Ethanol consumption averaged approximately 940,000 barrels per day last year, and is expected to be maintained at that level in 2017. In 2018, ethanol consumption is expected to increase to 950,000 barrels per day. According to the EIA, this level of consumption results in the ethanol share of the total gasoline pool averaging approximately 10 percent in both 2017 and 2018. Only marginal increases in higher-level ethanol blends are assumed to occur during the STEO forecast period.
Biodiesel production averaged 99,000 barrels per day in 2016 and is expected to increase to an average of 104,000 barrels per day this year and 111,000 barrels per day next year. Net imports of biomass-based diesel are expected to increase from 47,000 barrels per day in 2016 to 51,000 barrels per day in 2017 and 57,000 barrels per day in 2018.
Within the STEO, the EIA predicts U.S. regular gasoline retail prices will increase from an average of $2.25 per gallon in December to $2.31 per gallon during the first quarter of 2017. Overall, gasoline prices are forecast to average $2.38 per gallon this year, increasing to $2.41 per gallon in 2018.
The EIA’s most recently weekly ethanol production data shows a new record was set the week ending Jan. 6, with production reaching an average of 1.049 million barrels per day. The most recent monthly import data shows the U.S. imported only 31,000 barrels of ethanol in September, all from Brazil. In October, the U.S. exported nearly 3.14 million barrels of ethanol, with top export destinations of Brazil, Canada and India.
Read the original story: EIA: Ethanol Production Expected to Increase Slightly in 2018
January 16, 2017
By Cindy Zimmerman
A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) finds that food prices declined for the fifth year in a row in 2016, down 1.5 percent from 2015. That included a steady decline in cereal prices- which includes maize or corn – which fell 9.6 percent from 2015 and were down 39 percent from their 2011 peak.
At the same time last year, the U.S. ethanol industry set records for both production and exports, and the final 2016 corn harvest is estimated at 15.1 billion bushels, 11% higher than 2015.
“The FAO news clearly demonstrates that increased ethanol and corn production has not driven up food prices,” said Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen, who notes that U.S. ethanol production will use just 2.95% of global grain supplies, the lowest in six years. “As yet another analysis has found, it’s time to put an end to the demonstrably false ‘food vs fuel’ myth that our opponents inexplicably continue to pass off as fact. There is more than enough corn to both feed and fuel the world.”
Dinneen said the FAO report backs up findings of a recent analysis commissioned by the RFA, which found that retail food prices were “not impacted in any demonstrable way by expansion of U.S. grain ethanol production under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) over the past decade.”
Read the original story: New UN Report Shows Food vs Fuel Fallacy
More...
January 10, 2017
By Erin Voegele
On Jan. 9, Gevo Inc. published an update describing fourth quarter operations at its Luverne, Minnesota, biorefinery. The U.S. EPA also recently released a notice approving a fuel pathway for the plant regarding the production of butanol from corn and sorghum.
In its update, Gevo indicated the Luverne plant produced approximately 190,000 gallons of isobutanol during the final three months of 2016, achieving the highest quarterly production level in the company’s history. Based on results measured across the final six weeks of the quarter, Gevo said it demonstrated an isobutanol production capacity of approximately 1.5 million gallons per year. For the full year 2016, isobutanol production reached approximately 440,000 gallons.
According to Gevo, it also produced a record number of batches during the quarter since switching the plant to the side-by-side model of production, achieving its targeted back-to-back five-day turnaround batch times over much of the three-month period. In addition to butanol, 2.8 million gallons of ethanol was produced during the fourth quarter.
Gevo also noted it surpassed production cost targets for butanol and demonstrated variable costs of production of less than the targeted $3:00-3:50 per gallon.
In its statement, Gevo announced the Luverne plant was taken offline on Dec. 21 to perform unplanned necessary repairs and maintenance on certain components of the plant’s regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO). As of Jan. 9, the plant remained offline, as the company said it decided to make further upgrades to the RTO, which was installed approximately 10 years ago. The facility is expected to be back online within the next two weeks.
Also in early January, the EPA posted a notice to its website announcing the agency has approved a fuel pathway filed by Gevo for the production of butanol from corn starch and grain sorghum. The pathway approval applies to both D5 advanced biofuel and D6 renewable fuel renewable identification numbers (RINs).
Within the approval, the EPA states that Gevo’s butanol produced from corn starch feedstocks appears to already qualify under an existing pathway for the production of D6 RINs, assuming the company satisfies the pathway specifications and other requirements specified in the Clean Air Act and regulations. The EPA also said it has determined that butanol produced by the Luverne facility from grain sorghum feedstock can also qualify for D-code 6 RINs, and butanol produced by the Luverne facility from corn starch and grain sorghum feedstock can qualify for D-code 5 RINs if the fuel meets the conditions and certain associated regulatory provisions.
Documents published by the EPA notes corn starch butanol produced at the Luverne plant achieves a 50.3 percent lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction when compared to baseline gasoline, while grain sorghum butanol produced at the plant achieves a 54.6 percent lifecycle GHG reduction when compared to baseline gasoline.
A full copy of the pathway approval can be downloaded from the EPA’s website.
Read the original story: Gevo Releases Operational Update, Achieves EPA Pathway Approval
United States Department of Agriculture
January 12, 2017
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the release of a report studying the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of corn ethanol. The report, A Life-Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol, finds that GHG emissions associated with corn-based ethanol in the United States are about 43 percent lower than gasoline when measured on an energy equivalent basis. Unlike other studies of GHG benefits, which relied on forecasts of future ethanol production systems and expected impacts on the farm sector, this study reviewed how the industry and farm sectors performed over the past decade to assess the current GHG profile of corn-based ethanol.
"This report provides evidence that corn ethanol can be a GHG-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, while boosting farm economies" said Vilsack.
This report found greater lifecycle GHG benefits from corn ethanol than a number of earlier studies, driven by a variety of improvements in ethanol production, from the corn field to the ethanol refinery. Farmers are producing corn more efficiently and using conservation practices that reduce GHG emissions, including reduced tillage, cover crops and improved nitrogen management. Corn yields are also improving—between 2005 and 2015, U.S. corn yields increased by more than 10 percent.
Between 2005 and 2015, ethanol production in the U.S. also increased significantly—from 3.9 to 14.8 billion gallons per year. At the same time, advances in ethanol production technologies, such as the use of combined heat and power, using landfill gas for energy, and co-producing biodiesel helped reduce GHG emissions at ethanol refinery plants.
By 2022, given current trends, the GHG profile of corn-based ethanol is expected to be almost 50 percent lower than gasoline primarily due to improvements in corn yields, process fuel switching, and transportation efficiency.
The report also examines a range of factors that could enhance the GHG benefits of corn ethanol production and provides estimates of how those factors change ethanol's lifecycle GHG emissions. For example, the report examined the benefits of improving the efficiency of ethanol refinery plants and adoption of additional conservation practices on corn-producing farms. In a scenario where these improvements and practices are universally adopted, the GHG benefits of corn ethanol are even more pronounced over gasoline, about a 76 percent reduction.
There are several reasons this report found greater lifecycle GHG benefits from corn ethanol than a number of earlier studies. Previous estimates anticipated that growing corn to produce ethanol would result in "indirect land use change"—in other words, land would be converted from grasslands and forests to commodity production as a result of increased demand for corn used in ethanol production. But based on new data and research, there is compelling evidence that while land use changes have occurred, the actual patterns of changes and innovation within the farm sector have resulted in these indirect emissions being much lower than previously projected.
Recent studies of international agricultural land use trends show that that the primary land use change response of the world's farmers from 2004 to 2012 has been to use available land resources more efficiently rather than to expand the amount of land used for farming. Instead of converting new land to production, farmers in Brazil, India and China have increased double cropping, expanded irrigation, reduced unharvested planted area, reduced fallow land and reduced temporary pasture. Much of the international attention on supply of corn for ethanol has focused on Brazil, where earlier estimates anticipated conversion of rainforests to commodity production. But between 2004 and 2012, at the same time U.S. corn ethanol production increased more than 200 percent, deforestation in Brazil's Amazon decreased from 10,200 to 2,400 square miles per year.
The report also demonstrates the added GHG benefits of on-farm conservation practices like reduced tillage, nitrogen stewardship, and cover crops—the same practices outlined in USDA's Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry strategy, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by over 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2025.
Continuing to support adoption of these practices on farms will further reduce GHG emissions associated with agriculture—as well as benefiting the positive trends in lifecycle GHG balance of corn-based ethanol.
For a summary of the report findings see the USDA Factsheet: Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol.
Read the full USDA study here
Read the original release: USDA Releases New Report on Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Balance of Ethanol
January 11, 2017
By Erin Voegele
The U.S. ethanol industry opened 2017 with a new weekly production record. Production reached an average of 1.049 million barrels per day the week ending Jan. 6, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The new record replaces one set the final week of 2016, when ethanol production reached an average of 1.043 million barrels per day the week ending Dec. 30.
The U.S. ethanol repeatedly broke records for ethanol production in 2016. Prior to Dec. 30, the record was set the week ending Dec. 9, when production averaged 1.04 million barrels per day.
The U.S. ethanol industry has surpassed the 1 million barrel per day mark only 25 times, all since November 2015. Prior to November 2015, the ethanol production record sat at 994,000 barrels per day, which was set the week of June 19, 2015.
Read the original story: US Ethanol Industry Opens 2017 with Record-Setting Production
January 10, 2017
By Tribune News
Pending the outcome of an environmental review, Bushmills Ethanol Inc. near Atwater will expand its facilities and increase annual production of denatured ethanol from 65 million gallons a year to 100 million gallons.
Public comments on the project will be accepted until Feb. 8.
Bushmills, a cooperative comprised of 415 farmers, owns a dry mill plant about 1½ miles west of Atwater that began operating in December of 2005.
The proposed expansion, which includes four new 730,000-gallon fermenters and several smaller above-ground storage tanks to be built on the plant's nearly 81-acre site, would add 3.3 acres of new impervious surface to the facility site.
According to the worksheet, the existing ponds on the Bushmills property are large enough to handle additional stormwater runoff.
The amount of corn processed at the plant would increase from 25 million to 38.5 million bushels per year and the amount of water used at the plant would go from 216 million gallons to 225 million gallons per year.
Besides increasing local demand for corn and production of ethanol by 35 million gallons a year, the proposed project would also increase production of dried distillers grain and wetcake that would benefit local livestock farmers, according to Bushmills.
As required by state rules, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency prepared an environmental assessment worksheet on the proposal that provides basic information about how the project could potentially affect the environment.
The worksheet also helps determine whether a more comprehensive environmental review is needed.
The worksheet for the project is available on the MPCA's environmental assessment worksheet web page; at the MPCA Willmar office, 1601 U.S. Hwy. 12 E.; at the Willmar Public Library, 410 Fifth St. S.W.; or by calling Kevin Kain at 651-757-2482.
The public may submit written comments on the project until 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8.
Written comments may be sent via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or mailed to him at the MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194.
Read the original story: Bushmills Ethanol Plans Expansion Pending MPCA Review
January 6, 2017
Press Release
MINNETONKA, Minn., USA – Syngenta today announced that it has reached agreements with ethanol plants, from Arizona to Ohio, with a combined total capacity of nearly 2 billion gallons.
According to Dr. Miloud Araba, head of Enogen® technical services at Syngenta, the robust alpha amylase enzyme found in Enogen corn hybrids helps an ethanol plant dramatically reduce the viscosity of its corn mash and eliminate the need to add a liquid form of the enzyme.
“This breakthrough viscosity reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, enabling increased throughput and yield, as well as significant cost savings from reduced energy, water, natural gas and chemical usage in ethanol plants,” Araba said.
Golden Harvest® and NK® Corn growers who plant Enogen corn benefit as well – they can earn up to 40 cents per bushel when contracted Enogen grain is delivered to the ethanol plant.
“This is particularly significant given current commodity prices,” said Marcos Castro, Enogen marketing manager at Syngenta. “We expect the total premiums earned by Enogen growers to be approximately $32 million in 2017, creating real advantages for growers and rural economies.”
Improved ROI potential on ethanol acres
Approximately 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop is used to produce ethanol.1 Syngenta offers the Ethanol Grower Advantage program to help increase potential for a better return on investment on ethanol acres, help increase grower profitability and help plants produce more ethanol per bushel. “The Ethanol Grower Advantage program incentivizes and rewards agronomic best practices, helping growers to achieve consistently higher yields and earn premiums while delivering higher-quality, locally sourced grain to participating ethanol plants,” Castro added. “Participating growers are eligible to receive up to a 10-cent premium for each bushel of Golden Harvest, NK and/or Enogen corn delivered to a participating ethanol plant. This complements the existing premiums that can be earned by Enogen growers and further demonstrates our commitment to ethanol.”
Growers as enzyme suppliers
Enogen is rapidly gaining popularity because of the value it delivers and the opportunity it provides corn growers to be enzyme suppliers for their participating local ethanol plants. Numerous trials have shown that Enogen hybrids perform equal to or better than other high-performing corn hybrids.2
“The agreements we have in place with a steadily increasing number of plants will enable them to source alpha amylase directly from growers and keep enzyme dollars in those local communities,” said Ron Wulfkuhle, head of Enogen at Syngenta. “This is what truly sets Enogen corn apart from other technologies designed to enhance ethanol production. It adds significant incremental value at the local level for communities that rely on their ethanol plant’s success.”
The future of fuel
Looking ahead, Wulfkuhle added that the combination of Cellerate™ process technology and Enogen corn will help ethanol plants increase efficiency even further. Cellerate converts corn kernel fiber into cellulosic ethanol and can help plants produce more ethanol from the same kernel of corn, increase total yield of distillers corn oil and improve the protein content of feed co-products. Trials at Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) demonstrated as much as a 26 percent increase in in production when Cellerate process technology and the use of Enogen corn were combined.3
“We believe that not only will Cellerate process technology help make advanced and cellulosic ethanol a reality, but the combination of Cellerate and Enogen could represent the next step forward for ethanol production,” Wulfkuhle said.tent of feed co-products. For more information about Enogen corn enzyme technology, visit www.EnogenCorn.com. To inquire about incorporating Enogen into an ethanol plant, contact Tim Tierney, head, Enogen business accounts, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 612-801-9775. Join the conversation online – connect with us at social.SyngentaUS.com.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Read the original story: Syngenta Grows Enogen® Corn Footprint, With Total Ethanol Production Capacity Now Approaching 2 Billion Gallons
January 9, 2017
By Debra Levey Larson
The U.S. ethanol industry ended 2016 on a high note. Ethanol production for the week ending Dec. 30 set a new ethanol production record with an average of 1.043 million barrels per day. The March futures price for corn moved higher last week to close at $3.58 in large part due to strength in the ethanol sector. Ethanol production and exports returned strong numbers over the first quarter of the marketing year. Currently, the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report forecast for corn consumption for ethanol production is 5.3 billion bushels. According to University of Illinois agricultural economist Todd Hubbs, when taking into account an increase in projected gasoline consumption in 2017 and robust ethanol export levels, the ability to surpass this projection is a strong possibility.
“Domestic ethanol consumption in 2017 will be influenced by domestic gasoline consumption, due to the ethanol blending requirement and the biofuels volume requirement associated with the Renewable Fuels Standard,” Hubbs says. “The EPA final rulemaking for the Renewable Fuels Standard for 2017 was released on Nov. 23 and is discussed in greater detail in the farmdoc daily article posted Nov. 30. In brief, the renewable fuels volume requirement is set at 19.28 billion gallons for 2017, which is up from the 18.11 billion gallons required in 2016.
“The conventional ethanol requirement is set at 15 billion gallons for 2017, 500 million gallons larger than 2016 and equal to the statutory requirement level,” Hubbs says. “If the gasoline consumption forecast used by the EPA is correct, the E10 blend wall will be 14.36 billion gallons in 2017. The EPA believes an ethanol supply of 14.56 billion gallons is reasonably attainable in 2017. Within the 14.56 billion gallons, E15 and E85 blends are expected to be 107 and 204 million gallons respectively. The ability to attain the E15 and E85 blend levels remains to be seen, but the increase in ethanol requirements provides support for greater corn usage in 2017.”
U.S. retail gasoline prices averaged $2.14 per gallon in 2016, which is 12 percent less than the price experienced in 2015 and is the lowest price since 2004. The December Energy Information Agency Short Term Energy Outlook projected an increase in gasoline prices for 2017 to $2.30 per gallon. Despite the projection of higher gasoline prices, gasoline consumption is forecast at 143.60 billion gallons in 2017, which is up from the 142.72 billion gallons consumed in 2016. Ethanol production is forecast to be 1 million barrels per day.
“If the EIA projection is correct, approximately 15.3 billion gallons of ethanol will be produced in 2017,” Hubbs says. “When considering the robust ethanol export trade currently in process, the U.S. ethanol industry is expected to produce a record level of ethanol in 2017.”
Ethanol export numbers are available from U.S. Census trade data for 2016 through November. U.S. exports of ethanol thus far are at 948 million gallons, which is up almost 27 percent from the similar period in 2015.
According to Hubbs, for 2016, the prospect of ethanol exports exceeding 1 billion gallons is not unreasonable.
Canada, China, and Brazil imported approximately 67 percent of the ethanol shipped from the U.S. through November. “The increase in ethanol exports is driven largely by increased volumes sent to China and Brazil,” Hubbs says. “China imported 179 million gallons through November, which far exceeds the 73.8 million gallons imported during the entirety of 2015. Brazil imported 224 million gallons through November, which is almost double from 2015. As we progress into 2017, the increases are expected to persist in Brazil because high sugar prices are expected to decrease ethanol production as mills allocate cane for sugar production in 2017. There is concern that China could raise ethanol tariffs and reduce ethanol imports in 2017 due to a possible trade dispute with the new administration.”
Hubbs says the implications for corn consumption during the 2016-17 marketing year can be seen in the USDA Grain Crushing and Co-Product Production report released on Jan. 3. Grain crushing for fuel alcohol is available through November. For the first three months of the marketing year, 1.34 billion bushels of corn has been processed for ethanol. This is up 3.2 percent from 2015 processing numbers.
“If corn used for ethanol production maintains this pace, 5.37 billion bushels will be processed in the marketing year,” Hubbs says. “Using EIA weekly ethanol production numbers, December ethanol production averaged over 1 million barrels per day. These production levels place corn use for ethanol production in a range of 455 to 460 million bushels for the month if corn use maintains the pace of the three previous months. With a conservative estimate of corn crush in December, total corn consumption for ethanol production through the first third of the marketing year would be above the current WASDE projection.
“Lower corn prices, strong ethanol exports, and greater blending requirements combine to make 2017 appear to be a strong year for corn consumption in ethanol production,” Hubbs concludes. “If the U.S. ethanol industry produced over 1 million barrels per day for the entire year, the ability to blend at requirement levels under an expanded gasoline consumption scenario and meet potential export market demand bodes well for corn use in the sector for 2017.”
Read the original story: Prospects for Corn Consumption from Ethanol Production in 2017
January 8, 2017
By Jon Leu
At a time when Iowa farmers produced a second consecutive record corn crop amid falling prices for their commodity, the state’s growing ethanol industry remains a stabilizing factor.
National crop production reports released in mid-December showed Iowa corn production in 2016 at 2.69 billion bushels, up from 2.51 billion bushels in 2015. But average statewide corn prices fell from $3.37 to $3.01 per bushel from November 2015 to November 2016.
Brian Cahill, president and general manager of the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy ethanol plant south of Council Bluffs, said that without SIRE and the 42 other ethanol plants in Iowa, prices would be even lower.
“Without ethanol,” he said, “farmers would be hurting. We’re a steady buyer.”
SIRE purchases 40 million to 50 million bushels of corn annually, more than 125,000 bushels daily – roughly 40 percent of the corn produced within a 75-mile radius of the Council Bluffs plant. Now paying about $3.20 per bushel, Cahill said SIRE pays between 10 to 15 cents more per bushel than offered by most elevators.
Kelly Nieuwenhuis has been farming near Primghar in northwest Iowa’s O’Brien County for nearly 40 years.
He said that for 23 of his first 25 years farming, the cost of producing corn was greater than was being paid for the commodity. That changed with the coming of ethanol production in Iowa.
Currently a member of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Board, Nieuwenhuis said the state’s growing ethanol industry has created a firm base for corn prices.
“Before ethanol, $1.50 to $1.80 corn was the norm,” he said. “Ethanol has been a boon for farmers. I sell 100 percent of the corn I produce to the ethanol plants around me, which pay 12 to 14 cents above the market price.
“Those plants need a constant source of corn. During the harvest season, they were pushing 30 cents above the market price.”
Cahill echoed Niewenhuis’s remarks.
“The amount of corn being produced is more than the demand,” he said. “Without ethanol, the price farmers could get for their corn would be lower.”
Last year, Iowa’s 43 ethanol plants produced 4.1 billion gallons of ethanol, slightly less than 30 percent of the entire U.S. production. The 43 plants employed 9,000 workers, supported 43,000 additional jobs in associated industries, added more than $4.6 billion to Iowa’s gross domestic product and generated more than $2 billion of income for Iowa households.
The state board to which Gov. Terry Branstad appointed Nieuwenhuis currently oversees the distribution of some $3 million annually. The money, appropriated by the Legislature through June 30 of this year, is distributed through grants to fuel retailers to ensure that they have the equipment necessary to offer higher blends of ethanol now and in the future.
But, with this year’s Legislature facing the task of dealing with a $100 million shortfall in the state budget, some – perhaps all – of the $3 million allocated annually for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program could be on the chopping block.
That would come at a time when most vehicle manufactures are approving the use of a 15 percent ethanol blend – up from 10 percent – in vehicles manufactured since 2001. Two manufacturers have approved the use of a 25 percent ethanol blend.
The impact of those changes in the percentage of ethanol that can be used in vehicles would be significant for farmers in Iowa and throughout the country.
“As you move up from the widely available 10 percent ethanol blend, every 1 percent increase in the amount of ethanol blended requires 500 million additional bushels of corn,” Nieuwenhuis said.
As was the case with Iowa’s record corn crop in 2016, the combined 4.1 billion gallons of ethanol produced by the state’s 43 ethanol plants was also a record.
Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said his organization’s top state policy priority for 2017 is securing funding for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program to ensure more retailers have the equipment needed to offer higher blends of ethanol.
“Iowa has the resources, both in corn and plant capabilities, to do much more,” Shaw said in a release. “In order to unlock this wealth of untapped potential, we need to move beyond E-10 and ensure that all consumers have access to higher blends of ethanol at the pump, like E-15.
“The federal government needs to break down regulatory barriers to higher blends that serve no purpose other than to protect petroleum.”
Read the original story: Ethanol Increasingly a Stabilizing Factor for Iowa Farmers' Income
January 5, 2017
Press Release
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today convened a meeting among several senators from biofuels-producing states and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Grassley organized the meeting because he wanted to convey the importance of biofuels to job creation, energy security, the environment and meeting the country’s significant energy needs. He has been disappointed by the Obama Administration’s lack of strong support in implementing the congressionally mandated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Grassley made the following comment after the meeting.
“We got a very positive response on Mr. Pruitt’s support not just for the RFS but more importantly, for the rule of law. The rule of law is that what Congress passed, the EPA is supposed to follow and not undermine it, the way the current administration has done with the RFS. The purpose of the meeting was to convey the contributions that Iowa and other renewable energy-producing states contribute to the economy and otherwise. From the standpoint of what President-elect Trump wants to accomplish, renewable energy supports a high number of jobs, 43,000 jobs in Iowa just with biofuels and another 7,000 jobs in wind energy. We have to import less oil from the Mideast because we have a very vibrant ethanol industry. As far as whether I’ll support the nomination, I tend to wait for nomination hearings before making up my mind. We got a positive comment that the law’s going to be followed, and that’s very, very important.”
Read the original release: Grassley Welcomes Positive Statement on Renewable Fuel Standard, Rule of Law from EPA Nominee