Ethanol profits have been off-the-chart, peaking in late March and just recently dropping back, University of Illinois economist Scott Irwin wrote in his latest analysis of the industry in FarmDocDaily.
Ethanol still figures in Murphy USA Inc.'s business, as it reported positive earnings from its plant in Texas and from the sale of renewable identification numbers (RINs) in its first quarter financial report, released May 5.
U.S. imports of sugarcane ethanol from Brazil fell by 40 percent last year, to 242 million gallons. Because Brazil is the largest source of ethanol imports into the United States, this drop led the United States to be a net exporter of the product.
Archer Daniels Midland Co. recently reported its corn processing and bioproducts division experienced strong operating profit increases in the first quarter of the year. Strong performance in corn was supported by the robust ethanol market, ADM said.
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association recently attended Farmers Cooperative Co.'s groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of its new Mount Ayr renewable fuels retail location that will offer higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel to motorists.
In a boost to rural communities, Beaver Dam, Wis.-based United Cooperative is offering E15 at 10 stations throughout Wisconsin. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, a total of 75 stations in 12 states now offer E15.
Produced by BBI International, the forum will take place the day before the 2014 Fuel Ethanol Workshop and focus on the latest innovations in maximizing corn yields.
The University of Iowa and Repreve Renewables will host a miscanthus rhizome planting field day on May 7. During the demonstration, which is open and free to the public, 13 acres of miscanthus will be planted via Repreve's ACCU DROP planter.
The Renewable Fuels Association said that the oil industry's suggestion that outdated fuel consumption projections should be used to establish 2014 renewable fuel standard requirements amounts to "the highest form of hypocrisy and misdirection."
Pacific Ethanol Inc. has released its first quarter financial results, reporting record operating income of $34.9 million. The company also announced the restart of its 40 MMgy Madera, Calif.-based plant.
Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. reported yet another quarter of record earnings. Net income for the first quarter of 2014 was $43.2 million, or $1.04 per diluted share, compared to $2.6 million, or 8 cents per share, in the same period in 2013.
Repreve Renewables is collaborating with farmers and landowners in the United States to grow giant miscanthus, combining an innovative business model with proprietary equipment technologies custom-built for rhizome-propagated crop production.
Genera Energy Inc. has announced a 14 percent reduction in harvest costs utilizing Genera's recently demonstrated in-field harvesting operations when compared to similar operations using typical field-edge systems.
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has announced it is projecting a cane crush of 580 million tons for the 2014/2015 harvest. This is a 16.94 million ton reduction from the 2013/2014 crush of 596.94 million tons.
Mike Erhart, CEO and general manager of Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, has announced the formation of a partnership with WB Services LLC to integrate a renewable diesel production facility into the existing ethanol plant.
CHS Inc. has announced it has signed an agreement with Sinav Ltd. of London, England, to acquire 100 percent of the company's stock, which includes Illinois River Energy LLC, a 133 MMgy ethanol plant at Rochelle, Ill.
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association recently applauded the Iowa legislature for voting overwhelmingly to pass Senate File 2344, showing a strong, bipartisan commitment to protecting Iowa biodiesel jobs and providing increased consumer access to E15.
Valero Energy Corp. has released its financial results for the first quarter, reporting record operating income for its ethanol segment, despite production slowdowns caused by weather-related challenges in transporting ethanol by rail.
Byogy Renewables Inc. and airline partner Avianca Brasil have launched a significant initiative to support advanced testing to accelerate the Byogy alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) ASTM approval. The technology transforms ethanol into a biobased jet fuel.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the April issue of its Monthly Energy Review, which includes monthly ethanol production, net import and consumption data. The U.S. exported 2.05 million barrels of ethanol in January.
Several states are joining the fight to take a legal dispute over California's low carbon fuels standard (LCFS) to the U.S. Supreme Court. On April 21, a group of 21 states requested a review of a lower court ruling that the LCFS is constitutional.
The Scoular Co. and Vireol Bio-Industries LLC are pleased to announce their exclusive partnership at the revitalized ethanol plant in Hopewell, Va. Scoular will procure all the corn, operate the grain facility, and market the distillers grain.
The U.S. EPA has opened a comment period on draft permits for Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s carbon capture and storage project in Dacatur, Ill. The project aims to inject and sequester carbon dioxide produced at ADM's Decatur ethanol plant.
The Canadian government has announced plans improve rail safety, including the phase out certain railcars used to carry ethanol and crude oil over a three year period. Some DOT-111 railcars are being removed from dangerous goods service immediately.
Two USDA economists took up the U.S. EPA's request for comments on whether and how to account for carryover renewable identification numbers (RINS) in setting yearly mandated renewable fuel volumes.
Proterro CEO Kef Kasdin recently reported that his company reached its Q1 sugar-production pilot milestones. "While sugar production has begun at low levels, it has been controllable," he said.
A new academic paper on biofuels was released this week, and some media outlets have reached sweeping conclusions. A careful reading of the paper, however, doesn't in any way support these conclusions.
The Fuels American coalition recently released an economic impact study that demonstrates the economic benefits of ethanol and other biofuels on a state-by-state basis. The analysis was completed by John Dunham & Associates.
Three enzymes that promise to improve profits for producers of corn ethanol are behind the strong growth in Novozymes' first quarter bioenergy sales, including Avantec, Spirizyme Achieve and Olexa.
Renewable Fuel Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen gave a presentation at a rail safety forum hosted by the National Transportation Safety Board on April 23.
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