DTN/The Progressive Farmer: Agriculture Markets, News and Weather

Ethanol Blog

Todd Neeley DTN Staff Reporter

Bio | Email

Tuesday 03/09/10

Tenn. Biorefinery to Produce Renewable Diesel, jet Fuel

Tennessee officials recently announced that Hawaiian biofuels ClearFuels Technology and Hughes Hardwood International signed a memorandum of understanding that ClearFuels would build a biorefinery for production of diesel or jet fuel at Hughes' manufacturing plant in Collinwood, Tenn., according to the Knoxville News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn.

Construction on the $200 million plant is expected to begin in 2011 with plans to start production in late 2013 or early 2014.

The ClearFuels technology uses thermochemical conversion to create synthesis gas from biomass. The syngas is then converted into either renewable jet fuel or renewable biodiesel.

ClearFuels Vice President of Commercial Development Warren Davis said the plant will be able to use agriculture waste, crop waste, wood products such as wood chips or wood waste.

(Knoxville News Sentinel, March 8, 2010)

(http://is.gd/…)

DTN: Gasification technology really has few boundaries when it comes to potential biofuels feedstocks. Unlike conversion technologies that rely on enzymes to break down feedstocks into usable sugars for ethanol production, a gasifier essentially is feedstock agnostic. However, using gasification for commercial-scale ethanol production is a significant technical feat. That's because gasification's primary product is methanol, and ethanol is produced in smaller volumes. The good news for farmers is gasification-based companies are likely to take in a wide variety of feedstocks. (Todd Neeley)

Posted at 10:42AM CST 03/09/10 by Todd Neeley

Comments (1)

I know the Collinwood area of Tennessee very well was born and raised just north of town. Great location with lots of wood biomass. But wood makes more energy when burned than when converted to liquid fuel Good Luck!

Posted by Jerry Horton at 10:54AM CST 03/10/10

Post a Blog Comment:

Your Comment:

You must be logged in to post a comment. If you are not already registered, click on the Register link at the top of this page.

Post Comment

DTN reserves the right to delete comments posted to any of our blogs and forums, for reasons including profanity, libel, irrelevant personal attacks and advertisements.

Blog Home Pages

	July2010
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1 Construction Begins on $25 Million UK Facility for Bioenergy Research European Demand Seen Powering Africa Biofuels Growth U.S. Ethanol Output Down During April SD Gov. Rounds Critical of EPA Delay on Ethanol Ahead of Energy Debate, NCGA Stresses Now is the Time for Ethanol	2 Two Win Fuel in Fourth of July Promotion Oklahome Gas Station Back to Non-Ethanol NCSU Researchers Increase Biofuel Production Effiency Green Process for Fuel Additive Could Help Ethanol Production USDA Produces Short Video on Ethanol, E85	3
4	5	6 Column: 'Ethanol Industry Wants Same Rubber Stamp BP Got' Second-Generation Biofuels Require Grower Education Poet Plans big Investment in Indiana Ethanol Plant What's Worse, Gulf 'Dead Zone' or BP Spill?	7 EPA Said More Work to be Done on E15 Blog: 'New USDA Report Gives Corn Ethanol Benefit of Energy Doubt' Food-Versus-Fuel Critics may be far off Mark Sunoco Began Operations at Upstate New York Ethanol Plant Fiberight to Build Cellulosic Ethanol Demo Plant 1 more...	8 China: 'Fuel Ethanol Production Threatens Food Security' South Dakota Democrats rap State Government on Ethanol Use Iowa Gov. Culver Credits 'bio' Jobs with Buoying Economy Clearfield Ethanol Plant: 'Oil Company Violated Deal'	9 Top Garbage man Explores Renewable Energy Potential Report Calls for More Energy Production in North Dakota Bioenergy Company Wins State Jobs Grant Creditor Continues to pay City Officials to Maintain Water Supply to Kansas Ethanol Plant Denmark's Inbicon Starts Cellulosic Ethanol Production	10
11	12 Aventine Races to Finish Ethanol Plant Racecars run Faster, Cleaner on Ethanol Study Finds Lowland Switchgrass Varieties Outperform Upland New Mobile Biofuels Processor Developed University of Toledo Receives Grant to Study Algae Biofuels 4 more...	13 EPA Considers Slash in Mandate for Cellulosic Ethanol Didion Ethanol to Help Water Quality as Part of Agreement Archer Daniels Midland Inaugurates Nebraska Ethanol Plant Proposed Wisconsin Ethanol Plant Plan Stalls Oakfield Capital Acquires Biofuel Company from BP	14 Group Pushes for E100 Ethanol Exports Down 58 Percent in May Ethanol tax Break may Ride on US Energy Bill Pacific Ethanol Shares Take Hit Ethanol from Waste Means big Dollars 1 more...	15 Greene: 'CBO Report Shows Folly of Corn Ethanol tax Credit' Ethanol Group Backs Phase out of Blenders Credit Ethanol Blamed for Toro Snow Blowers Recall Blog: 'They Need an app for Zero-Ethanol Fuel'	16 Cellulosic Ethanol Industry: BP's Verenium Acquisition a 'Good Move' Ethanol Industry Scrambles to Keep Incentives EPA Still Betting on Cello Energy to Meet Next-gen Biofuel Target Novozymes, Dedini to Produce Cellulosic Ethanol in Brazil	17
18	19 SDSU Researcher Studying Reuse of Ethanol Enzymes Huge Ethanol Refinery Opens in Denmark DOE: Ethanol Blend Wall to Hurt Corn Prices Pipeline Project Gets Boost Livestock, Poultry Sectors Call for End of Ethanol Subsidies	20 BP Acquires Verenium's Cellulosic Biofuels Platform Danisco Sues Novozymes in London Court Over Enzyme Patent U.S. Automakers on Track for More Ethanol Vehicles Study Shows Ethanol Production, Corn Demand Will Grow With or Without Subsidy and Tariff	21 Ethanol Production Restarts at Sunoco Plant Tanzania Expert: Cassava Can Help Beat Poverty Green Plains, BioProcess Algae to Expand Algae Project WSU Works on a Better Jet Fuel House Committee Weighs Cut of 20 Percent in Ethanol Subsidy	22 Dire Warning Issued for Loss of Ethanol Subsidy State Senate Candidates in Minnesota Oppose Ethanol Subsidy Arizona Sees Increase in Ethanol Fuel Violations Ethanol Elevates Kinder Morgan's Second Quarter	23 Ethanol Opponents Form Coalition to Oppose E15 Oil Spill Puts Target on BP's Back FAO Warns Against Jatropha Biofuels Hype Commercial Airlines Hope to get 1 Percent of Fuel from Biofuels by 2015 Glacial Lakes Energy Adds Corn Receiving Station 1 more...	24
25	26 Wall Street Journal: 'Survival of the Fattest' Report: 'Ethanol Pumps $2.5 Billion into Minnesota Economy' Oil Spill Boosts Alabama Ethanol Sales Philippines to Allow Ethanol Imports Biofuels to Help Clean up Chernobyl Land 1 more...	27 Ethanol, Agriculture Groups Push for E12 Has VEETC Really Helped Ethanol Industry? The Economics of US Ethanol Policy Biomass Innovation Park set for Construction Biofuels Firm Raises $110 Million for Biomass Crude Technology	28 Zimbabwe Government to Allow Private Investment in Energy Sector EU Shows Growth in Ethanol Production, Use Blender Pumps Get UL Certified Green Car Passes Test at NSS Groups Rally to Fight Against E15	29 Isolux Corsan: Contract for Colombia Biofuel Facility New Tool for Improving Switchgrass Novomer Awarded $18.4M in Federal Stimulus Funds Alfalfa Joins Feedstock Choices for Ethanol Agriculture to Benefit from E15	30	31

RSS

Recent Blog Posts

Isolux Corsan: Contract for Colombia Biofuel Facility

Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:17 PM CDT
Leading global construction company Isolux Corsan will be working with Colombia-based Bioenergy to develop a plant that will produce ethanol from sugar cane, Energy Digital reported. The facility will have an annual processing capacity of more than 2 million tons of cane and a 40 megawatt co-generation plant using bagasse or sugar cane and other facilities that will distill, mill and produce vinasse using the same raw material.

New Tool for Improving Switchgrass

Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:10 PM CDT
Scientists now have a new tool to decipher the genetics of switchgrass in order to examine its potential as a biofuel, Science Daily reported. Researchers at an Agricultural Research Service center in Albany, California are decoding the genetic map of switchgrass in hopes it will be a more viable source of bioenergy.

Novomer Awarded $18.4M in Federal Stimulus Funds

Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:02 PM CDT
Novomer Inc. announced Wednesday is has been awarded $18.4M in federal funding from the Department of Energy to convert waste CO2 into various sustainable polymers, Market Watch reported. The CO2 would be used to manufacture such products as bottles, films, laminates, coatings on food and beverage cans, as well as other wood and metal surface applications.

Alfalfa Joins Feedstock Choices for Ethanol

Thu Jul 29, 2010 11:52 AM CDT
Hay could be a possible feedstock for ethanol and offset some of the environmental concerns associated with corn, according to scientists at the Department of Agriculture's Dairy Forage Research Center in St.

Agriculture to Benefit from E15

Thu Jul 29, 2010 11:50 AM CDT
The Environmental Protection Agency reviews a proposal to approve the use of 15 percent ethanol blend as a means to meet the 2022 Renewable Fuel Standards, according to the Farmland Forecast Blog at Agweb.com.

Zimbabwe Government to Allow Private Investment in Energy Sector

Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:30 PM CDT
Zimbabwe's government announced Tuesday it will open up the countries energy sector to private investors as independent power producers or public-private partnership arrangements, according to the Global Times.

EU Shows Growth in Ethanol Production, Use

Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:23 PM CDT
European ethanol production is continuing to increase, Ethanol Producer reported. While ethanol production growth was nearly 60 percent in 2008, 2009 saw the European Union's production continuing to grow by 31 percent.

Blender Pumps Get UL Certified

Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:14 PM CDT
Underwriters Laboratory has given final safety certification to new ethanol blender pumps from Dresser Wayne and Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Domestic Fuel reported. The Dresser Wayne pump has a dual hose, offering low blends on one hose for conventional vehicles and mid to high-level blends on the other hose for flexible fuel vehicles.

Green Car Passes Test at NSS

Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:13 PM CDT
Green racing research data from the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago is proving successful, according to automotive researcher Forrest Jehlik. Jehlik has been crunching numbers collected during three days of testing at Florida's New Smyrna Speedway, the Daytona Beach News-Journal Online reported.

Groups Rally to Fight Against E15

Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:12 PM CDT
A group of environmental organizations and companies are banding together to discourage congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from promoting widespread use of E15 ethanol blend, Biofuels International reported.

Ethanol, Agriculture Groups Push for E12

Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:21 AM CDT
The American Coalition for Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to approve the use of E12, Cattle Network in Lenexa, Kan., said, as the industry bumps up against the blend wall waiting for pending EPA approval of E15.

Has VEETC Really Helped Ethanol Industry?

Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:19 AM CDT
A RenewableEnergyWorld.com analysis of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, or the blenders credit, said that while the credit may not have helped jump start the industry in the mid 2000s, it has likely helped ethanol companies get through tough economic times.

The Economics of US Ethanol Policy

Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:18 AM CDT
A blog written by Iowa State University economist Bruce Babcock and published in The Hill, said the U.S. economy would be better off without the current government supports for the ethanol industry including the import tariff and the blenders credit.

Biomass Innovation Park set for Construction

Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:17 AM CDT
Genera Energy plans to begin construction on what it is calling biomass innovation park in east Tennessee, the Knoxville News in Knoxville, Tenn., said, as part of a partnership with Dupont Danisco to produce cellulosic ethanol using corn cobs and eventually switchgrass.

Biofuels Firm Raises $110 Million for Biomass Crude Technology

Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:16 AM CDT
Pasadena, Texas,-based KiOR Inc. raised $110 million from 13 investors in a mixed-securities offering that opened in April, according to Citybizlist.com.

Wall Street Journal: 'Survival of the Fattest'

Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:05 AM CDT
A Wall Street Journal editorial makes the argument that ethanol subsidies are too expensive based on the carbon they replace in fossil fuels.

Report: 'Ethanol Pumps $2.5 Billion into Minnesota Economy'

Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:04 AM CDT
The ethanol industry generated more than $2.5 billion in economic activity in 2009, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Bloomberg Businessweek said.

Oil Spill Boosts Alabama Ethanol Sales

Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:03 AM CDT
Alabama motorists who drive flexible-fuel vehicles have increasingly turned to ethanol since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Florence Times Daily in Florence, Ala.

Philippines to Allow Ethanol Imports

Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:02 AM CDT
The Philippines Energy Department plans to temporarily allow foreign ethanol imports to meet the country's 10-percent blend requirements, the Manilla Standard Today said, as the country's domestic ethanol industry has struggled to get off the ground.

Biofuels to Help Clean up Chernobyl Land

Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:01 AM CDT
Irish company Greenfield plans to build an ethanol plant on land blighted by the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl disaster in Belarus, The Green Car Website said. The idea is to grow crops on that land and use the crops to produce biofuels.