Ethanol Briefs
EPA Approves Carbon Sequestration at ADM Ethanol Plant
NEW YORK (DTN) --- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a permit allowing the Archer Daniels Midland Company to inject carbon dioxide deep underground in Decatur, Ill., according to a news release from ADM.
This process, known as carbon sequestration, is a means of storing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
ADM plans to capture carbon dioxide produced by an ethanol manufacturing facility. ADM's goal is to capture and inject 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. Sequestering 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year is the equivalent of eliminating carbon emissions from over 230,000 cars.
U.S. EPA completed a technical review of the Class VI permit and responded to over 100 public comments before approving the permit. ADM can begin drilling the well in November in preparation for injecting liquefied carbon dioxide. ADM must demonstrate the integrity of the well before injecting carbon dioxide and conduct extensive monitoring at the location.
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ADM is the second facility in the nation to receive a Class VI underground injection permit for carbon sequestration. In August, U.S. EPA issued four Class VI permits for a FutureGen Alliance facility in downstate Illinois.
UNICA: Brazil Drought Cuts Output of Sugar, Not Ethanol
NEW YORK (DTN) -- Brazil's Union of Sugarcane Industry Association released a report Wednesday, Sept. 24, showing the impact of drought to the country's sugar and ethanol supply.
The report said sugarcane processing in the country's south-central region fell sharply this month, with for the first two weeks of September showing a 15% decline in sugarcane inputs from July volume and 7% lower than a year earlier.
The report said not only are crops wilting prematurely due to the drought, but also wildfires are burning some of the crops before they are ready for harvest.
Despite the drop in cane throughput, the volume of ethanol being produced hasn't fallen because plants retooled their units to make sure they produce more ethanol at the expense of sugar. During the first two weeks of the month, 517 million gallons of ethanol were produced, up 21 million gallons from July volume.
Ethanol sales increased 26.4 million gallons during the first two weeks of September to 277.2 million gallons, with 94% of those sales going to the domestic market.
(BM/AG)
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