Mendota Bioenergy LLC, a California energy beet-to-ethanol project, landed a $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission to build a demonstration plant in the Mendota area in Fresno County.
Two auction liquidators got a deal when they successfully bid $2.5 million for the 102 MMgy New Energy Corp. ethanol plant in a bankruptcy auction Jan. 31. Locals are hoping there is a chance that they will arrange for a new operator.
Biofuel Energy Corp. has announced that it has reduced staffing at its 110 MMgy Fairmont, Minn., ethanol facility, resulting in the elimination of approximately 40 full-time positions. The plant was idled in September 2012.
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.
Stanford University's Global Climate and Energy Project has released a report highlighting the potential to combine bioenergy production with carbon capture and storage techniques to enable carbon-negative energy production.
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.
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.
A paper from the American Academy of Microbiology on yeast is a good read, digging into the historical development of yeast, the science of good yeast production and outlining the basic steps of brewing good beer.
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."
Ag Processing Inc. announced that it has shut down operations of its corn processing plant at Hastings, Neb., effective Feb. 1, 2013, citing ongoing challenging economic conditions in the ethanol industry for the decision of an extended shutdown.
High corn prices, difficult supplies and tight margins have taken three more ethanol plants offline in recent weeks, including one in Plainview, Texas, one in York, Neb., and a third in Ravenna, Neb.
Poet Biorefining-Macon will temporarily suspend plant operations effective Feb. 1 due primarily to a lack of available local corn. All of the plant's 44 team members will remain employed at their current hours.
The first employees of the 10 MMgy Enerkem Alberta Biofuels LP cellulosic ethanol plant under construction in Edmonton, Alberta, have begun technical training at Enerkem Inc.'s demonstration facility in Westbury, Ontario.
Pacific Ethanol Inc. has contracted to install Edeniq Inc.'s Cellunator technology at its 60 MMgy Stockton, Calif., ethanol plant. The company also announced it has increased its ownership in the four plants it operates.
Peru-based sugarcane ethanol producer Maple Energy plc is expanding its operations. In an update released Jan. 15, the company noted it has received government approval to begin expanding its plantation by 877 hectares (2,167 acres).
The Scoular Co. announced Jan. 14 that it had sold a portion of its ownership interest in Pratt Energy LLC to a new majority owner. The 55 MMgy ethanol plant in Pratt, Kan., has been idled more than three years.
LifeLine Foods Inc. has received the Safe Quality Food program certification, giving it a boost as it moves forward following a financial restructuring. The St. Joseph, Mo.-based 50 MMgy ethanol producer also manufactures a line of food products.
A U.S. DOE award of up to $2.5 million will help Novozymes identify new and efficient enzymes to produce advanced biofuels and chemicals from corn stover, including cellulosic ethanol. Novozymes is partnering on this with MBI International.
Freez-it Cleen has announced its proprietary dry ice cleaning process is now protected by a U.S. patent. The technology uses dry ice pellets to clean exchange surfaces on a wide variety of equipment found in biofuel production facilities.
Nebraska Corn Processing LLC has agreed to pay a civil penalty of up to $12,000 after a June 2010 test showed it violated its Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality permit. Since that time, the plant has maintained permitted emissions levels.
Ace Ethanol, will partner with Sweetwater Energy Inc., a Rochester, N.Y.-based cellulosic sugar producer to generate cellulosic ethanol at Ace's plant for up to 16 years. Sweetwater will place a cellulosic sugar facility adjacent to the plant.
Across the road from Greenfield Ethanol-Chatham, construction on Truly Green greenhouses is ongoing. The innovative project will utilize the waste heat and CO2 from the 195 MMly ethanol plant in Chatham, Ontario, Canada.
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