USDA supports new biofuels

Developers can apply for $320 million in loan guarantees to build plants that produce new-generation biofuels, the U. S. Agriculture Department said Nov. 19, with an eye to bringing the fuels to market. The loan guarantee program, created by the new U. S. farm law, is intended to speed commercial production of advanced biofuels. Corn

Japan to back third farm waste ethanol project

Japan has approved a third test project to make ethanol from farm waste with subsidies to pay for building and running of plants totalling about US$32 million over five years, the Agriculture Ministry said Nov. 18. Several countries including resource-poor Japan are working on enzymes and other processing technologies to unlock more energy from the


Ethanol slump blindsides U. S. corn growers

Shrinking ethanol profits and a deepening recession that helped topple biofuels giant VeraSun into bankruptcy last month will force U. S. farmers to be far more skeptical of their corn buyers in the future. Farmers welcomed the rapid expansion of ethanol producers whose deep pockets helped propel the price of corn to record highs. But

As ethanol shipments grow, safety remains a concern

Surging U. S. ethanol production may force the industry to step up transport safety measures in the face of growing concern that communities are ill prepared to deal with the volatile, flammable liquid. Despite efforts to work with shippers to make sure cars are safely loaded and emergency responders know what to do if an


Biofuel processing kicked up a notch

A smoky flavouring could be the new sexy biofuel of the future. Randal Goodfellow, senior vice-president of corporate relations for Ottawa-based biofuel firm Ensyn, pitched his product to conference attendees at Biofibe 08 in Winnipeg and welcomed potential partnerships. Using a mix of biomass products, such as wood, flax shives or corn, and a process

Higher yields mitigate ethanol land grab

Higher corn yields and more efficient ethanol plants will reduce the amount of U. S. land needed to supply the burgeoning fuel ethanol industry, a trade group report said Nov. 12. A study commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association said an additional 6.6 million acres of corn will be needed by 2015 to meet targets


U. S. ethanol profits slip on softer fuel prices

Profit margins for U. S. ethanol distillers slipped to evermore dismal levels this week as the price of the alternative motor fuel fell about 10 cents a gallon. Average U. S. distillers were making about 10 cents per gallon for the week ending Nov. 13, about 10 cents lower than the previous week (all figures

The silence of farmers

JOHN MORRISS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR When the stock market drops by 40 per cent, what happens? People get upset. Really upset. The world’s leaders hold emergency meetings. Virtually every economist quoted in the financial press agrees that the “free market” system got completely out of hand, turning into a system to capitalize gains and socialize losses.


U. S. biofuels sector sees ally in Obama

U. S. biofuel makers, struggling to make a profit at a time of tumbling oil and gasoline prices, look upon president-elect Barack Obama as a staunch ally for growth. Obama has expressed support for the federal requirement to use ethanol, made mostly from corn, as a motor fuel and says he will accelerate the development

U. S. ethanol industry could face more bankruptcies

More U. S. ethanol distillers may be forced to seek bankruptcy protection if they fail to keep costs down as the industry gets squeezed by oil refiners and gyrating corn costs alike. VeraSun Energy Corp., the largest publicly traded U. S. ethanol company with 14 distilleries across eight states, said Oct. 31 it was seeking