Comparing last year's corn yields to the trend yielded an interesting map of the drought of 2012. "The U.S. dodged a bullet with the 2012 drought," wrote University of Illinois ag economist Gary Schnitkey in the FarmDocDaily.
Sorghum developer Chromatin Inc. has signed a multi-year agreement with Pacific Ethanol Inc. to supply the California ethanol producer with locally-grown grain sorghum, with an eventual goal of 30,000 acres.
The American Petroleum Institute is once again misleading Congress and the general public about the renewable fuel standard (RFS); this time, as it pertains to a January 2012 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Valero Energy Corp. has resumed operations at its 120 MMgy ethanol plant in Albion, Neb., during the first week of February due to improved margins. With Albion resuming operations, only two of Valero's 10 ethanol plants remain idle.
Fermentation optimization project results in improved ethanol yield.
Proper centrifuge maintenance minimizes unplanned downtime, while well-balanced adjustments impact dryers, evaporators and backset.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the February 2013 issue of its Short-Term Energy Outlook. Despite the forecast increase in ethanol production, it is expecting a drawdown of banked renewable identification numbers (RINs).
In their continuing analysis of implementing the renewable fuels standard (RFS) and the blend wall, University of Illinois economists Scott Irwin and Darrel Good say something has to give.
Neglecting an ethanol plant's clean-in-place system can drive down yield, ratchet up maintenance costs and even bring production to a grinding halt.
Lignol Innovations Ltd. has landed a commercial supply agreement with a European thermoplastics producer. The subsidiary of Lignol Energy Corp. had previously delivered samples of its trademarked HP-LTM lignin for evaluation and product trials.
Compared to the record-setting year of 2011, the U.S. ethanol industry exported significantly less ethanol in 2012. A total of 738.7 million gallons of U.S. ethanol was exported in 2012, according to government data released recently.
Western Biomass Energy LLC filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Oct. 31. The facility was the nation's first demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant when it was brought online in January 2008 by KL Process Design Group.
Dakota Spirit AgEnergy has achieved renewable fuel standard (RFS2) certification through the U.S. EPA for its proposed 65 million gallon per year biorefinery at the Spiritwood Energy Park near Jamestown, N.D.
The ethanol industry faced major challenges in 2012, while producing an estimated 13.3 billion gallons of ethanol, employing more than 383,000 people directly and indirectly as well as contributing $43.4 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.
ICM Inc. has announced that it signed a contract with Abengoa Bioenergy for the Advanced Oil Separation System (AOS) to be deployed at the company's Madison, Ill., and Mt. Vernon, Ind., facilities.
On Feb. 11 the USDA released a report detailing its agricultural projections for the next 10-year period. According to the paper, titled "USDA Agricultural Projections to 2022."
A new initiative in Europe, Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels, aims to expedite deployment of advanced biofuel technologies. In February, chief executive officers of seven European biofuel producers and airlines met in Brussels form the group.
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