DOE: SAF from low-carbon ethanol production
By Jim Spaeth, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office
October 20, 2021
To assess whether and how the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) pathway may reach net-zero emission targets, Argonne scientists performed a life-cycle analysis (LCA) of corn to ethanol and then to jet fuel, using the GREET model.
America's top biofuel and farm advocates are calling on President Biden to swiftly expand access to lower-carbon, lower-cost biofuels as the administration seeks to address the rising cost of transportation fuel.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration has announced a virtual meeting of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee will be held Nov. 2. The event is open to the public.
The North Dakota Industrial Commission on Oct. 19 approved the state's first Class VI well for CO2 sequestration. The approval will allow Red Trail Energy LLC to geologically store CO2 produced at its ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota.
UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced anhydrous ethanol production continued to grow during the second half of September despite a drop in the volume of sugarcane processed by mills in the south-central region.
European ethanol producer CropEnergies on Oct. 13 reported record revenue for the second quarter of the current financial year. The company also recently announced it is participating in a trial of a 20 percent ethanol fuel blend.
On Oct. 15, the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking his administration to take three immediate steps to expand market opportunity for E15 and lower prices at the pump.
The Renewable Fuels Association late Friday submitted comments to the International Trade Administration responding to questions posed about the U.S. Clean Technologies Export Competitiveness Strategy.
While highlighting the potentially transformative impact of coupling carbon capture and sequestration with sound agricultural GHG accounting, Ethanol Producer Magazine's editor previews the feature articles in the publication's November edition.
In joint comments submitted last week to CARB, a group of ag and biofuel organizations and companies highlighted the role renewable fuels like ethanol can and should play in helping the state achieve its goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
In response to media reports that the White House has been meeting with oil industry officials to discuss solutions to recent higher gas prices, the RFA is reminding President Biden that low carbon ethanol can help reduce prices at the pump.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration made slight reductions to its forecasts for 2021 and 2022 U.S. fuel ethanol production in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released Oct. 13. Forecasts for ethanol blending, however, were maintained.
Early in the pandemic, U.S. exports of ethanol and DDGS declined. While exports haven't quite reached pre-pandemic levels, they're back up, and growing demand for low-carbon fuel and protein should support increased use of both products worldwide.
As the U.S. ethanol industry prepares to apply its production capabilities to sustainable aviation fuels, Growth Energy is working hard to ensure that farm-based biofuels are positioned to lead the charge to decarbonize commercial air travel.
The marketing year ended Aug. 31, for which numbers became available this week, recording the fifth highest overall export total for U.S. ethanol exports, 1.31 billion gallons, despite market challenges due to COVID-19.
Ethanol production in Argentina continues to suffer from the negative market impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent report filed by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's Global Agricultural Information Network.
UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data showing domestic ethanol sales were down during the first half of September. The production and sale of anhydrous ethanol, however, continued to remain high.
Growth Energy on Oct. 4 filed a petition with SCOTUS asking the court to review a July 2 decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that vacated a 2019 rule issued by the U.S. EPA allowing year-round sales of E15.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Oct. 7 directed state agencies to explore ways to reduce climate change impacts from transportation fuels. As part of that effort, state agencies will begin work to develop a new Clean Fuel Standard for Minnesota.
As the ethanol industry sets its sights on net-zero CI, it is calling for an accurate reconciliation of corn production's CO2 balance. Finally, it appears that both growers and biofuel producers may soon be rewarded for climate-smart practices.
As the industry evolves, those willing to face the challenge of finding a market for fiber-rich products in order to produce more high-protein feed will reap the most benefits. ICM's Solbran is poised to be a competitive source of digestible fiber.
In a real-world demonstration of a hybrid electric flex-fuel vehicle, ACE is setting out to prove that that low- to net zero-carbon vehicles already exist, or could by combining the benefits of higher ethanol blends and existing hybrid platforms.
At the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show this week in Chicago, Growth Energy provided attendees with information on how E15 is easy for retailers to install, and how it can boost their bottom line and grow their customer base.
According to the RFA, distillers grains exports spiked to 1.24 million metric tons in August, the highest volume since 2015, with much of the growth occurring outside of what are traditionally the largest markets. Ethanol exports also picked up.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration has announced a virtual meeting of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee is scheduled for Oct. 14. The event is open to the public.
According to the EPA, corn ethanol produced via Kansas Ethanol's dry mill process achieves a GHG reduction of 45.6 percent, while its grain sorghum ethanol process will achieve a 50 percent reduction.
Replacing toxic carcinogens in gasoline provides a huge boost to an already impressive carbon reduction number for ethanol, according to a new study published by Transport Energy Strategies, a leading energy consultancy.
The American Coalition for Ethanol on Sept. 29 welcomed new findings published by Transport Energy Strategies on the role ethanol plays to displace harmful aromatics from gasoline blends and further reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The implementation of a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) and expanded production and use of biogas are among the strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions discussed in the Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan 2021.
The USDA on Sept. 29 announced a new initiative to finance the deployment of climate-smart farming and forestry practices to aid in the marketing of climate-smart agricultural commodities. A public comment period is open through Nov. 1.
Advertisement
@ Copyright 2026 - BBI International - All rights reserved.