Flint Hills Resources is adding corn storage capacity to two of its Iowa plants and improving its grain receiving facility at a third, with completion expected in time for the fall harvest.
Ontario Biomass Producers Cooperative Inc., a group of Ontario farmers producing and marketing biomass, recently launched an effort to make it easier for its members to sell the miscanthus and switchgrass they produce to various markets.
On June 9, Fuels America held a press conference at the site of U.S. EPA's renewable fuel standard (RFS) hearing in Kansas City, Missouri. During the event, biofuel advocates voiced their support for the RFS program.
The Sorghum Checkoff recently announced a $500,000 investment in sorghum research, made at the inaugural Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture program field day at the University of Arizona's Maricopa Agricultural Center.
The USDA recently released the June edition of its Grain Crushing and Co-Products Production report, noting total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 445 million bushels in April, down 8 percent from March and down 4 percent from April 2015.
Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls at the University of Adelaide have discovered that a variety of sorghum growing wild in Australia has the potential to yield over 10,000 liters of ethanol per hectare per year.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced it is soliciting nominations for members to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. Nominations are due June 30.
Repreve Renewables LLC celebrated the official opening of its North Carolina processing center on June 1. The company's primary crop is giant miscanthus, a high-yielding, low-input and drought tolerant perennial that improves soil and water quality.
On May 27, the USDA announced more than $8.8 million in awards through its Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which makes payments to producers for advanced biofuels produced from renewable biomass other than corn kernel starch.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee is scheduled for June 13-14 in Washington, D.C. Members of the public can observe the business of the committee.
Archer Daniels Midland Co. recently announced that it had completed the sale of its sugarcane ethanol operations in Limeira do Oeste, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
In early May, I was informed that registrations for the 2016 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo were on pace to match our seven-year high mark. This column is published in the June issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine.
The USDA Farm Service Agency has announced incentives will resume this month through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. According to the USDA, $3 million is available for BCAP during fiscal year 2016.
The USDA has announced the availability of $21 million in funding through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products, as well as education and training.
UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, recently published a sugarcane harvest forecast for the 2016-'17 season, predicting the south-central region of the country will crush approximately 605 to 630 million tons of sugarcane.
The U.S. EPA delivered a proposed rule to amend the renewable fuel standard (RFS) to the White House Office of Management and Budget on May 10. The rule is titled “Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support Rule.�
Researchers study sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions. This article is published in the June issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine.
The USDA is projecting a record corn crop and supplies for the 2016-'17 marketing year that is now being planted. Its projections in the May 10 World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report call for supplies to reach 16.3 billion bushels.
Recognizing the importance of biofuels to energy and climate security, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced up to $90 million in project funding focused on designing, constructing and operating integrated biorefinery facilities.
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy have announced a joint investment of $10 million towards research that aims to drive more efficient biofuels production and agricultural feedstock improvements.
Queensland University of Technology researchers are leading the way in developing and testing new technologies as part of a $5.7 million three-year project with the potential to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in the sugar industry.
The USDA has updated its Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, which provides low-interest financing so agricultural producers can build or upgrade permanent facilities to store commodities. Renewable biomass is among the eligible commodities.
Pacific Ethanol Inc. has released first quarter financial results, reporting increased net sales, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA. The company also reported progress with improvements it is making to its ethanol plants.
Project Liberty in Emmetsburg, Iowa, has produced and shipped several tank cars of cellulosic ethanol even as the plant is ramping up to its full 20 million gallon-per-year capacity.
In a tough environment for agribusiness, Archer Daniels Midland Co. reported first quarter earnings per share of 42 cents, down from 78 cents in the same period a year ago. Adjusted segment operating profit was $573 million.
Green Plains reported losses of $24 million in the first quarter of 2016, compared to a loss of $3.3 million the same quarter a year ago. Moving forward, the company expects exports to remain strong and domestic demand to improve.
Ceres Inc. has received approval to field test its biotech sugarcane in Brazil. The company plans to test its biomass and sugar yield and stress tolerance traits in several commercial sugarcane cultivars adapted to Brazil's major production areas.
The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service has released the May edition of its Grain Crushing and Co-Products Production report, which shows corn consumed for fuel alcohol production was down slightly in March when compared to March 2015.
Two Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are studying the virtual tug-of-war that takes place when a pathogen attacks a plant. Better understanding those changes could unlock new ways to improve plants by making them more disease-resistant.
On May 5, Biomass Research and Development Board operations committee is expected to hold a listening session, titled “Building a Billion Ton Bioeconomy in the United States.� The two-hour webinar is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
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