7 minute read
EDITOR'S NOTE It’s All About Carbon Reduction Now
It’s All About Carbon Reduction Now
Maybe once a decade, new technologies, new markets—or both—come along that push ethanol production to a higher level. Corn oil extraction and high-protein feed are two good examples, the former having already made the industry more fi nancially stable and the latter on the same trajectory. But it may be fair to say neither compares to the unprecedented opportunity of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), for plants that can do it.
For most producers, the CCS opportunity is only possible through CO2 aggregation via pipelines, which, in turn, can’t be built unless all landowners along their proposed paths comply with easement requests. The irony about landowners opposing CCS pipelines is that many of them are farmers that benefi t from corn ethanol production. And no matter what anyone says, the principal driver behind biofuels, today, is carbon reduction. So, if 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop is being used for ethanol production, American corn farmers are already among the most signifi cant players in climate change mitigation in the world. Plus, with incentives for climate-smart farming practices fi nally coming to fruition, allowing an underground CO2 pipeline to route through your farmland seems like an easy way to more deeply engage in low-carbon agriculture. It’s tough to understand how anyone sees it differently, but some do.
In the meantime, ethanol producers with the right geologies under their plant, or nearby, are ready to capitalize on their good fortune. They will be the earliest benefi ciaries of the enhanced CCC incentives in the Infl ation Reduction Act, which we explain in “A Big Lift for Carbon Capture,” on page 22.
Just before that story, you’ll fi nd another piece on CCS that is most applicable to those studying carbon capture— or already doing it, like North Dakota’s Red Trail Energy LLC, which started injecting CO2 into the ground this past June. Red Trail is doing CCS independently, but not alone. The plant is leaning on numerous partners for things like geologic analysis and well-site engineering to post-injection seismic monitoring and CO2 plume tracking. “Sequestration Sensors,” on page 14, explains how plants like Red Trail will watch, study and even “listen” to their injection reservoirs.
From carbon capture we jump into operations with “Making Standards More Specialized,” on page 26, which profi les a leading supplier of ethanol plant lab supplies that, together with a top manufacturer, has been improving HPLC reference materials and mobile phase products through customization. Tailored lab products are a good thing, and here to stay.
On page 30, you’ll fi nd a timely article about the forthcoming U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard “set,” which will govern the EPA’s administration of the RFS post-2022. As we report in “The Road Ahead for the RFS,” the landmark policy is not expiring, but simply replacing its statutorily defi ned annual volume requirements with a new set of determining factors that will be used—with signifi cant discretion by the EPA—to make future decisions about the program.
Canada has its own biofuels program, the Clean Fuels Regulation, which supports domestic biofuel use through both in-country production and imported U.S. ethanol. As we explain in our anchor story, “More Ethanol Needed North of the Border,” on page 34, the recently updated CFR is expected to increase ethanol use in Canada through carbon intensity caps on gasoline starting in 2023. Already the top taker of U.S. ethanol, Canada’s more ambitious CFR should, at the very least, keep U.S. exports up north at their current levels for some time.
EDITORIAL
President & Editor Tom Bryan | tbryan@bbiinternational.com
Online News Editor Erin Voegele | evoegele@bbiinternational.com Staff Writer Katie Schroeder katie.schroeder@bbiinternational.com
DESIGN
Vice President of Production & Design Jaci Satterlund | jsatterlund@bbiinternational.com
Graphic Designer Raquel Boushee | rboushee@bbiinternational.com
PUBLISHING & SALES
CEO Joe Bryan | jbryan@bbiinternational.com
Vice President of Operations/Marketing & Sales John Nelson | jnelson@bbiinternational.com
Senior Account Manager/Bioenergy Team Leader Chip Shereck | cshereck@bbiinternational.com
Account Manager Bob Brown | bbrown@bbiinternational.com
Circulation Manager Jessica Tiller | jtiller@bbiinternational.com
Marketing & Advertising Manager Marla DeFoe | mdefoe@bbiinternational.com
Marketing & Social Media Coordinator Dayna Bastian | dbastian@bbiinternational.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
Ringneck Energy Walter Wendland Little Sioux Corn Processors Steve Roe Commonwealth Agri-Energy Mick Henderson Aemetis Advanced Fuels Eric McAfee Western Plains Energy Derek Peine Front Range Energy Dan Sanders Jr.
Advertiser Index
2023 Int'l Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo 19 CPM 9 CTE Global, Inc. 5 D3MAX, LLC 20-21 Enertech Solutions, Inc. 28
Fagen, Inc. Fluid Quip Mechanical Fluid Quip Technologies, LLC Growth Energy ICM, Inc.
33 12 36 13 25 IFF, Inc. 39 Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits 37 MicroSeismic, Inc. 17 NLB Corp. 18 Phibro Ethanol 2 Syngenta: Enogen 29 Trinity Rail Group 3 Victory Energy Operations, LLC 40
Customer Service Please call 1-866-746-8385 or email us at service@bbiinternational.com. Subscriptions Subscriptions to Ethanol Producer Magazine are free of charge to everyone with the exception of a shipping and handling charge for anyone outside the United States. To subscribe, visit www.EthanolProducer.com or you can send your mailing address and payment (checks made out to BBI International) to: Ethanol Producer Magazine Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You can also fax a subscription form to 701-746-5367. Back Issues, Reprints and Permissions Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Advertising Ethanol Producer Magazine provides a specific topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and high-quality print production. To find out more about Ethanol Producer Magazine advertising opportunities, please contact us at 866-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.com. Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. Send to Ethanol Producer Magazine Letters to the Editor, 308 2nd Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to editor@bbiinternational.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space.
Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling
TM COPYRIGHT © 2022 by BBI International
Please check our website for upcoming webinars www.ethanolproducer.com/pages/webinar 2022 National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo November 8-9, 2022
Iowa Events Center, Des Moines, IA (866)746-8385 | NationalCarbonCaptureConference.com Produced by Carbon Capture Magazine and BBI International, the National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo is a two-day event designed specifically for companies and organizations advancing technologies and policy that support the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all sources, including fossil fuel-based power plants, ethanol production plants and industrial processes, as well as directly from the atmosphere. The program will focus on research, data, trends and information on all aspects of CCUS with the goal to help companies build knowledge, connect with others, and better understand the market and carbon utilization.
2023 International Biomass Conference & Expo February 28 - March 2, 2023
Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, GA (866) 746-8385 | BiomassConference.com Now in its 16th year, the International Biomass Conference & Expo is expected to bring together more than 800 attendees, 140 exhibitors and 65 speakers from more than 21 countries. It is the largest gathering of biomass professionals and academics in the world. The conference provides relevant content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. In addition to abundant networking opportunities, the largest biomass conference in the world is renowned for its outstanding programming—powered by Biomass Magazine—that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale biomass production, new technology, and near-term research and development.
CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE (866) 746-8385 | FuelEthanolWorkshop.com From its inception, the mission of this event has remained constant: The FEW delivers timely presentations with a strong focus on commercial-scale ethanol production—from quality control and yield maximization to regulatory compliance and fiscal management. The FEW is the ethanol industry’s premier forum for unveiling new technologies and research findings. The program is primarily focused on optimizing grain ethanol operations while also covering cellulosic and advanced ethanol technologies.
2023 Biodiesel Summit: Sustainable Aviation Fuel & Renewable Diesel June 12-14, 2023
CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE (866) 746-8385 | BiodieselSummit.com The Biodiesel Summit: Sustainable Aviation Fuel & Renewable Diesel is a forum designed for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to learn about cutting-edge process technologies, new techniques and equipment to optimize existing production, and efficiencies to save money while increasing throughput and fuel quality. Produced by Biodiesel Magazine, this world-class event features premium content from technology providers, equipment vendors, consultants, engineers and producers to advance discussion and foster an environment of collaboration and networking through engaging presentations, fruitful discussion and compelling exhibitions with one purpose, to further the biomassbased diesel sector beyond its current limitations.
