What is Risk Management? Risk is defined as "a possibility of loss or injury." Businesses are subject to many forms of risk and the risks associated with any business need to be identified. For ethanol producers, risk from commodities can be a major influence to the profitability of this industry. 
 	

 Risk exposure for Ethanol Plants entails corn (or other grains), natural gas, ethanol, DDGS/DWG and the cost of money just to name a few. How do you determine the price you pay for your input? For your output? Hedging can be a valuable risk-management tool if used at the right time. Hedging is simply used to lock in a certain price or basis level. Hedging can mitigate price swings of inputs (both nearby and future delivery ownership); allows for the opportunity to budget cost; and helps a producer stay competitive. One can hedge input cost by utilizing futures, future options and/or OTC (Over the Counters). 
 	
 To understand exactly what risk exposure an ethanol plant may be involved with, take into consideration 40 million gallons of production produced annually. This typical plant would utilize one bushel of corn to produce 2.7 gallons of ethanol; equating to 15 million bushels of corn. In addition, 40,000 Btu (British thermal unit) of natural gas is needed to produce the same gallon. These two inputs have a major influence on the cost of the gallon produced. However, the gallon is marketed without the recognition of the input cost. Therefore a 10-cent price move in corn equates to 3.7 cents per gallon of ethanol and a $1 move in natural gas may equate to a 4 cents per-gallon of ethanol. 
 	
 Now, consider the other side of the equation. Above was just the input side, what about the output side? Co-products can be just as vital to a risk management program. The same typical plant would roughly produce 140,000 tons of DDG. In this instance, a $10 dollar per ton move would equate to a 3 ¼ cent move per gallon in ethanol. If a sound Risk Management program is initiated, these price changes can minimize input cost and maximize output revenues. 
 	
 To even better understand price volatility and price risk, take a look at Figure I. This is a monthly natural gas futures price chart. The graphic indicates how natural gas climbed from just over $2.10 Btu in early January 2000 to $10.10 Btu in December of 2000. If an ethanol plant's natural gas was not protected early in the year, this price difference would equate to a $0.32 margin deficit. Figure II illustrates how corn prices can affect ethanol margins. Corn prices in January 1996 were pegged at $3.47 a bushel. Corn prices climbed to reach a high in 1996 at $5.54 per bushel. If the ethanol plant had not hedged its corn consumption during this period, this would have equated to a $0.765 margin deficit. These illustrations reflect how implementing a risk management program ahead of an unexpected rise in prices can protect you in the market place. 
 	
 By staying open on inputs and outputs, the market is dictating your pricing. These types of risk management decisions are more volatile throughout the year. Factors such as supply and demand in both the domestic and global markets could impact price scenarios. In addition, weather situations, government programs, and economic trends can affect supply and demand of all inputs and outputs. A dry growing season can affect corn supply, a cold winter can alter natural gas consumption or a worrisome economy can reduce ethanol use. This style of risk management leaves you open to all factors and is often referred to as spot market pricing.
 
 Futures market
 A futures market is a market mechanism that essentially claims the future price of a specific commodity at today's market conditions. Futures exchanges exist because they provide two vital economic functions for the marketplace: Risk Transfer and Price Discovery. This form of market allows you to lock in a fixed price of a product in advance for future consumption or future delivery. A futures contract represents a standard quality and size for a specific commodity. An ethanol producer can lock in a desired price for inputs and outputs, therefore, allowing the business to budget accordingly.
 	
 Options are another tool used to help mitigate price fluctuations. Options offer an attractive alternative to the futures market. Options are conducted in the manner a futures market is by allowing you to forward contract. However, unlike hedging using futures, buying options do not involve a price commitment unless you so decide. Basically, an option is a choice for a premium fee. 
 

 What is an OTC?
 An OTC (also known as a swap) is a tool that can be fashioned for your business needs. OTCs are non-exchanged traded contracts, customized and tailored to meet the needs of the client, that settles financially. This is a risk management instrument enabling commodities that may not be traded within the futures market to have a risk management approach.
 	
 Production of ethanol involves many input factors that can influence the overall margin in ethanol production. An Integrated Risk Management Program can be put in place to aid a manufacturer to achieve enhanced profit margins. n

Integrated risk management program can be put in place to help a manufacturer achieve enhanced profit margins.

Producers should consider risk management

The 18th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Trade Show (FEW) will be held June 25-28, 2002, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Illinois, the center of the nation's largest ethanol producing region. 

 	
 Conceived as a service to ethanol producers, the FEW is designed to provide the industry with the latest information on technology and services for improving production processes, product yields and operations of an ethanol facility using grain and other biomass feedstocks. The FEW offers plenary sessions on major current industry issues, interactive work group sessions on specific production and research topics, and an exclusive industry Trade Show highlighting equipment, service and technology companies. This year's trade show is sold out, with over 100 booths. 
 	
 Over 800 delegates are expected from ethanol, agricultural, financial, equipment, and technology industries, and government and research agencies. Participants include virtually every current and future ethanol producer in North America and increasing numbers from around the world. 
 	
 "With 61 plants in production, 14 under construction, and more than 20 projects being planned in the United States alone, the networking possibilities are virtually unlimited at this year's FEW," said BBI International Director of Conferences and International Business Development Angela Graf.
 	
 The ethanol industry's leading producers and suppliers alike have praised BBI International for organizing a world-class event year after year. 
 	
 "The International Fuel Ethanol Workshop's trade show, breakout sessions and speakers are the best of the industry, not only in the US, but worldwide," said Jeff Roskam, Senior Vice President, ICM, Inc.
 	 
 Joe Werth, Distillery Product Manager, Midwest Grain Product of Illinois, added, "Being involved in the operations side of the ethanol Industry for 20 years, I can think of no other forum available that provides such a large amount of technical information for improving operating efficiencies." 
 	
 This year's FEW golf tournament - a shotgun start - will be played at Piper Glen Golf Club in Springfield, Ill. Visit the BBI International website for a complete overview of the conference agenda: www.bbiethanol.com/few/.

Event will offer tours of two of the industry's largest ehtanol plants: Williams Bioenergy, Archer Daniels Midland

International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Trade Show will draw record attendance in Springfield, Illinoi

For some years now, I have been far more involved with the production side of the ethanol industry rather than the political side, so I am admittedly a political neophyte compared to our folks in Washington. Perhaps that is why I simply cannot understand all of this nonsense going on in California 

 	
 It appears that it is not okay to import ethanol from the Midwest, but it is okay to import oil and MTBE from other countries? It is not okay to pollute the air in California, but it is okay to pollute the groundwater? And it is not okay to push back the implementation of clean air regulations that govern automobile and industrial emissions, but it is okay to push back the ban on MTBE and the implementation of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), both of which could have significant impacts on the air and water quality in the state.
 	
 The confusing part to me (this must be where my political naiveté starts showing) is that some things have virtually no support outside of the political arena. That would clearly include the postponement of the ban on MTBE. Who supports that concept? Certainly not the general public, and it appears that most of the oil industry doesn't even support it. The environmental groups are opposed to any action that would continue the pollution of California's ground water for yet another year. Yet politically it is portrayed to be a "big win" for California.
 	
 I don't recall the last time a group of Midwest farmers decided to hold a state hostage for ethanol. And it's pushing the envelope of one's imagination to envision tanks from the California National Guard rolling into southern Minnesota in order to secure the continued flow of ethanol. Personally, I think that ethanol supply had nothing to do with Governor Davis's decision to push back the ban on MTBE (hmm!). No, I think it was one of those politically motivated decisions (double hmm!).
 	
 The farmers I've met in California are no different than the farmers in the Midwest; they all want to do something to add value to the crops they grow. And right now, they must be wondering why their governor would not encourage the development of an ethanol industry in the state (even if at first it is imported from the Midwest), when there is a need from Sacramento to El Centro to support a desperate rural economy.
 	
 Politics. . . it's a way of life ‘round the world, but for the average person, it sure seems to get in the way of common sense.
 
 
 Mike Bryan
 President, BBI International
 mike@bbiethanol.com

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Politically motivated decisions often get in the way of meaningful progress

The Way I See IT

Early this month, the Gering, Neb., City Council approved a resolution supporting an ethanol plant proposed by Crossroads Cooperative, but that doesn't necessarily mean the plant will be built in Gering, sources say. 
 	
 Crossroads Cooperative President Bob Kelly said the co-op had been contacted by several communities wanting the ethanol plant after Gering residents protested plans at a meeting in late March. Crossroads Cooperative and Wyoming Ethanol had presented a feasibility study and asked for support from the council. 

 	
 Crossroads proposed to construct the plant on the east side of Gering. Crossroads has a grain-handling facility at the site and picked it because of a railroad spur that the plant would need. The plant would produce 15 mmgy and create 25 to 30 new jobs, with a projected payroll to exceed $ 1 million. 
 	
 According to the resolution it adopted, the Gering City Council opted to support the plant because of the potential for economic development.

Will a plant be built in Gering, Nebraska?

The ethanol industry's growing surplus of coproducts are unquestionably presenting new opportunities and challenges for producers. While distillers grains have been referred to as the "fastest growing livestock feed in the United States," the vast potential markets for these products remain largely unexplored. While these markets continue to be cultivated, researchers have simultaneously turned their attention toward other valuable ethanol production coproducts - such as zein protein. 
 
 Cheaper zein means cheaper ethanol
 Engineers at the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, saw the potential to lower production costs of ethanol by making the coproducts more valuable, which could create new markets. The researchers believed one approach was to develop a less expensive process to separate a valuable protein - zein - from corn.
 	
 Zein is the main storage protein in the corn endosperm and makes up more than half the total mass of the seed protein. It is currently extracted from corn gluten. It is used mostly as an edible, water-resistant coating for nuts, confectionery products, or pharmaceutical tablets. Little zein is sold because it sells for about $10 a pound.
 	
 "In the dry-milling ethanol process, zein is found in dried distillers grain - or DDG - which is mostly sold as a protein supplement in livestock feed," says James C. Craig, the recently retired former head of the Engineering Science Research Unit, where the project originated. But as ethanol production expands, the supply of DDG is expected to far exceed demand. "We believed we could develop a process to extract the zein at a cost that makes it attractive as a commodity."
 	
 The researchers engineered and built a pilot ethanol plant at ERRC to find ways to improve the economic return of commercial corn-fermentation plants. The team broke the cost barrier for affordable zein with a system for bulk extraction. Their approach was to use the ethanol as a solvent to extract zein from dry-milled corn.
 	
 "A key cost-savings in this process is that the solvent, ethanol, is already present, since it's the primary product," Craig says. "After fermentation, part of the ethanol produced can be recycled to the extraction step, used, and then returned downstream for separation."
 	
 This method gives corn-ethanol plant owners an option of producing a value-added coproduct, zein, which would provide more revenue and reduce the overall cost of ethanol production. Efforts are now under way to determine the maximum concentration of zein that can be directly extracted from corn.

 	
 The pilot plant work was carried out under the supervision of chemical engineer Leland C. Dickey. Pilot plants model commercial processes so that innovations can be evaluated in a realistic setting.
 
 Finding added value in corn kernels
 	
 Traditionally, films made from commercial zein are too brittle and their tensile strength too low for most applications. Chemist Nicholas Parris is finding ways to improve the properties of zein isolated from ground corn.
 	
 Recently, ERRC scientists isolated a zein-and-lipid mixture from dry-milled corn that costs about $1 a pound to produce. While not as pure as the zein currently on the market, it is still well suited for many applications. The lipid in the mixture replaces refined petroleum-based products that are used to make wax paper and wax-coated packaging. The mixture is an excellent material for coatings, according to Parris, because the zein portion resists grease, and the fatty acids repel water. Because lipids eliminate use of paraffin wax, the paper can be recycled. Unlike petroleum-derived waxes, the zein-lipid mixture is biodegradable.
 	
 In the past, synthetic plasticizers have been used to improve the mechanical properties of films made from commercial zein. But Parris found that the presence of free fatty acids in the zein-lipid complex could have the same effect.
 	
 A computer simulation model was designed to make cost estimates for production from commercial plants. The models are based on data from ethanol producers, engineering firms, equipment manufacturers, and other sources. ARS cost engineer Andy McAloon provides support to scientists and engineers to determine research direction and the costs of possible alternatives to standard industry practices. He uses the program to predict the economic impact of the research.
 	
 ERRC researchers are seeking cooperators who have specific commercial requirements. The team can develop a process to extract zein with the purity and characteristics for a specific application at an affordable cost.-By Jim Core, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff.
 	
 This research is part of Quality and Utilization of Agricultural Products (#306) and Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives (#307), two ARS National Programs described on the World Wide Web at www.nps.ars.usda.gov.
 	

 Leland C. Dickey is in the USDA-ARS Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 East Mermaid Ln., Wyndmoor, PA 19038-8598; phone (215) 233-6640, fax (215) 233-6406. 
 "Corn coproduct cuts ethanol production costs" was published in the April 2002 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Zein Protein: research could offset ethanol production costs

The USDA released its April 2002 crop production report. The report left corn acreage unchanged in comparison with March. Planted acres are still pegged at 75.8 million acres with production estimates of 9.507 billion bushels. However, the USDA did decrease corn's livestock feed usage by 25 million bushels. As a result, U.S. corn demand decreased by the same increment and increased U.S. corn ending stocks to 1.621 billion bushels. April began the busy season for Midwest farmers to start planting corn. The USDA left U.S. corn exports unchanged at 1.925 billion bushels just slightly lower than last years final figure of 1.935 billion bushels. Data released by the USDA pegged the national corn plantings at 4% planted as of April 14, 2002.  This was in direct line with last year's pace and just 1% below the five-year average. World corn production was increased from the March figure of 587.29 million metric tons (mmt) to 589.45 mmt. The USDA increased Argentina corn production from 12.0 mmt to 12.8 mmt, while leaving China's corn production unchanged.  However, the USDA did increase China's corn export from 3.0 mmt to 4.0 mmt.

USDA March Crop Report

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and E-diesel stakeholders have announced the formation of an E-diesel consortium to address the emerging technical, regulatory and developmental issues associated with the future viability of E-diesel.
 	
 There are a number of issues to be examined before E-diesel commercial viability can be determined. Such issues include flash point, durability and emissions testing, and other fuel specification issues. The consortium will develop a program of testing and research and identify funding sources to conduct the work. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fuels Development and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, E-diesel stakeholders explored various structural options and agreed to form the consortium as a committee of the RFA.
 	
 E-diesel is a blend of diesel, up to 15% ethanol, and one of several proprietary additives to keep the ethanol emulsified during all conditions. A number of on-road and off-road fleet demonstrations have shown E-diesel has the potential to reduce emissions from diesel engines, especially particulate emissions. Due to variability among applications and duty cycles, additional controlled testing is needed to answer questions from diesel engine manufacturers. 			Consortium members include RFA, National Corn Growers Association, Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, AAE Technologies/Octel Starreon, Akzo-Nobel, BetzDearborn, Lubrizol, Pure Energy, and state and federal government agencies.

Organization will serve as clearinghouse for technical information and analysis

Ethanol industry forms new E-diesel consortium

A farmer-owned grain cooperative has announced plans to build a $55 million ethanol plant in southeast Iowa, employing 32 people and using 15 million bushels of corn annually. 
 	
 Big River Resources Cooperative chose West Burlington over a site near Gladstone, Ill. Andy Brader, co-chairman of the co-op, said farmers who will be hauling their corn from several Illinois and Iowa counties preferred the site because of its rail and highway access. 
 	
 The plant will be located north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe main rail line and south of the new four-lane U.S. Highway 34. The West Burlington site is flat terrain, has natural gas available and came with state and local financial incentives, Brader said. Adequate water and electrical power also were important, he said. 
 	
 The new plant will have an initial production capacity of 40 mmgy, but will be designed for future expansion to double that amount. Fagen Inc., of Granite Falls, Minn., will begin construction in September.

Big River Resources will build $55 million plant

A group corn farmers in west-central Missouri continue to explore opportunities to build an ethanol plant. Mid-Missouri Energy and Carrolton Area Economic Development are working on a joint steering committee, and have recently held public meetings in the region to gauge farmer interest in ethanol opportunities. The group will likely soon commission a feasibility study, and score potential plant locations

Missouri group looks at building ethanol plant

Midwest Grain Processors Cooperative (MGP) has hired Dan Hernandez as CEO/general manager. Most recently, Hernandez was vice president of operations for ConAgra, overseeing the operation of more than 60 country grain elevators, five river terminals, and three export terminals. MGP is developing an ag industrial park in Kossuth County, Iowa, with a 45 mmgy, ethanol plant as its cornerstone. Construction is more than 50% complete and two weeks ahead of schedule.

Hernandez named CEO/GM of MGP

In 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier using ethanol in his fuel tank. More than fifty years later, ethanol may be the fuel that breaks the barriers to removing lead from general aviation gasoline, say the organizers of next month's Ethanol in Aviation Conference, May 21-22, at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
 	
 The event is presented by UND Areospace, UND's Energy & Environmental Research Center, South Dakota State University, the American Coalition for Ethanol, Great Planes Fuel Development, and the North Dakota Corn Growers Association. The conference will examine the history, current research, and the future of ethanol in aviation.
 	
 "This conference is unique because most conferences of this type are either aviation specific or fuel specific," said Great Planes Fuels Development president Jim Behnken. "The Ethanol in Aviation Conference attempts to bridge the two together."
 	
 Behnken, along with EERC researcher Ted Aulich, is scheduled to lead a panel discussion at the conference on the topic of standards and procedures for aviation ethanol. He is an advocate of an 15% aviation ethanol blend called AGE 85 - a promising blend developed by EERC and South Dakota State University researchers. 
 	
 Since 1970, 100LL aviation gasoline has been the lone exception to federal laws that ban the use of tetra-ethyl lead (TEL) in motor fuels. As TEL has become more expensive and EPA patience for its removal wears thin, the search for alternatives to 100LL has intensified. Aviation-grade ethanol - specifically AGE 85 - has come to the forefront as a high-octane fuel that can safely power aircraft piston engines with little modification to the engines. Interestingly, AGE 85 contains a small amount of biodiesel as well, which acts as an anti-corrosive agent and adds a touch of lubricity to the fuel. 
 	
 "Actually, we have discovered that the commercial additives that are being used widely are inadequate anticorrosive agents," Behnken told Ethanol Producer Magazine. "Instead, we have added biodiesel, which has proven extremely effective." 
 	
 Joining Behnken and Aulich in Grand Forks is a diverse consortium of presenters, ranging from ethanol-in-aviation pioneer Max Shauck to Phillips 66 Aviation marketers Mark Wagner and Vernon Triebel. 
 	
 Along with Bruce Smith, dean of UND Areospace Sciences, North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven - vice chair of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition - will speak at the opening reception of the conference. n

May 21-22 event examines the history, current research, future of aviation-grade ethanol-blended fuel

UND hosts Ethanol in Aviation Conference

Groundwork is underway on a new farmer-led ethanol project near Chancellor, S.D., where Great Plains Ethanol, LLC signed Broin & Associates to design, build and manage a 40 mmgy facility about 20 miles southwest of Sioux Falls along U.S. Highway 44. Broin Companies has invested in the plant, along with 505 South Dakota farmers. 

 	
 A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 13, with South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow, Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.), Rep. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), SDGA Executive Director Lisa Richardson, South Dakota Corn Utilization Council President Gary Duffy and American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Director Trevor Guthmiller among those in attendance.
 	
 Jeff Broin, CEO of Broin Companies, told Ethanol Producer Magazine the new facility will be among "the most energy efficient and technologically advanced corn dry mill ethanol plants" in the industry. Broin Companies, now involved with nearly every aspenct of the ethanol industry, has designed and constructed 11 U.S. ethanol facilites. The plants managed by Broin collectively produce more than 200 million gallons of ethanol per year. In South Dakota alone, Broin manages two existing ethanol plants and is building two others (including Great Plains Ethanol LLC). The company is also working with a group of farmers near Groton, S.D. on another 40 mmgy project that may soon break ground. 
 
 The organization
 With the assistance of Chester S.D.-based Val-Add Service Corp., Great Plains Ethanol LLC (a Parker, S.D.-based group initially called Dakota Corn Processors Cooperative) began working with state and local economic development groups and the South Dakota Corn Growers Association in the last months of 2000. Through a successful fund raising effort (that was matched 3 to 1 by the South Dakota Corn Council) the group raised over $50,000 during the spring of 2000, for feasibility studies and site evaluations, according to Brian Minish, CEO/CFO of Great Plains Ethanol LLC and a partner in Val-Add Service Corp. with Steve Sershen. 
 	
 "Within two months, we had decided upon Broin Companies (to design, build and manage the facility, as well as market the plant's ethanol and distillers grain), and we had established the site near Chancellor," Minish told Ethanol Producer Magazine. 
 
 $52 million plant
 After establishing itself as a limited liability corporation (LLC) in the fall of 2000, Minish said, the group kicked off three-week equity drive that netted $18.7 million - 40 percent of the $52 million needed for construction. Minish said the Great Plains Ethanol plant will be completed in 14 to 16 months, and will closely resemble other Broin-built ethanol plants in South Dakota, such as Dakota Ethanol, LLC in Wentworth. Notably, a thermal oxidizer will be installed at Great Plains Ethanol, Minish added.
 	
 "The tension in the Middle East and Iraq's oil embargo have really focused attention on the need to increase our domestic sources of energy," said Bob Dinneen, RFA president. "By building an ethanol plant, the farmer-owners of Great Plains Ethanol will not only reap the benefits of value-added processing, but they help fight our war on energy dependence. I congratulate them on their commitment to improving farm incomes and enhancing U.S. energy security."

Broin Companies will design, build and manage $52 million Great Plains Ethanol, LLC

Another 40 mmgy South Dakota ehtanol plant breaks ground

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the independent research arm of the Department of Energy (DOE), this month released an analysis of the price impacts of the renewable fuels standard (RFS) compromise pending in the U.S. Senate. During Senate debate early this month, a handful of Senators incorrectly claimed that EIA had predicted adding a minimum renewables standard for gasoline would increase prices by 4 to 9 cents per gallon. The EIA released the new analysis to clarify that requiring renewables would add at most 0.5 cents per gallon to the price of gasoline nationwide. 
 	
 Establishing an RFS would only add at most 0.5 cents per gallon nationwide or 1 cent per gallon in RFG areas. The EIA notes its analysis does not include the impact of the RFS credit trading system. which will lower price impacts, and notes the 0.5 to 1 cent price increase represents an upper limit of the costs associated with the RFS.

EIA analysis affirms that RFS has virtually no impact on gas prices

Alpha Laval (India) Limited hopes to benefit significantly from India's decision to encourage 5 percent ethanol blended gas nationwide. 
 	
 "We expect to sign orders with 3 or 4 sugar companies in the next couple of weeks for supplying and setting up anhydrous alcohol plants," an Indian Alpha Laval spokesperson said recently. 
 	
 Alpha laval has reportedly partnered up with U.S.-based Katzen International, Inc. for sourcing molecular sieve technology to manufacture ethanol. According to officials closely involved, many sugar companies have shown interest in setting up facilities to produce ethanol. 
 	
 As reported by Ethanol Producer Magazine, Prune-based Praj Industries has partnered with Delta-T in a similar capacity.

Alpha Laval busy with ethanol in India

Jeff Broin, CEO of Broin Companies, recently told Ethanol Producer Magazine that keeping an ethanol plant running at peak capacity during an expansion is like remodeling your home without moving out. . . aside from a few hundred pipes and valves, of course. 
 	
 And Broin should know. His company, Broin & Associates, the design/build arm of Broin Companies, has completed no less than five expansion projects in the U.S., most recently completing an expansion of EXOL, in Albert Lea, Minn. Even with the original blueprints accounting for expansion, he said, the job is never easy, nor quick. 
 	
 "In my opinion, there are less challenges in building a new - "greenfield" - ethanol plant, than expanding an existing facility," Broin said. "Yet we design and build these plants with expansion in mind." 
 	
 And that's exactly what began this month four miles east of Macon, Missouri, where Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC, currently a 15 mmgy nameplate plant producing in the range of 20 to 22 mmgy annually, is undergoing an expansion to effectively double its capacity to 36 mmgy. The project began April 22, and should be completed in 12 to 14 months. When finished in the late spring or early summer of 2003, Broin said, it is extremely likely that the plant will quickly reach upwards of 40 mmgy.

 
 Cool under pressure
 At the helm of daily operations is General Manager Steve Burnett, a Texas native who came to Macon with 27 years of production management experience in the food and ag-processing industries - but little experience in ethanol production - before joining Broin's management team in 1999. 
 	
 "Ethanol production has been a great experience for me," Burnett told Ethanol Producer Magazine. "The industry is a perfect fit for my background and experience."
 	
 And it is a job with no shortage of challenges and rewards. Being the southern most ethanol plant in the Broin system, Burnett said, one of the biggest challenges at the facility is operating in high heat and humidity in the summer months. 
 	
 "These dry-mill plants love cold weather - they do well in the cold," Burnett said. "Yet, we manage to do very well in our location by maintaining an extra large chiller to remove heat from the liquid stream." 
 	
 The plant currently has an 800-ton chiller (as compared to a similar plant in Minnesota that would have a 500-ton chiller) and, Burnett explained, the expansion will add two more 800-ton chillers to the operation. 
 	
 Among other areas of expansion, four additional fermenters will be installed at Northeast Missouri Grain, while ethanol storage capacity will be tripled, Burnett said. 
 	
 "The more ethanol we produce, the more storage we'll need for purposes of shipping," he explained. "We're looking at loading multiple rail cars at one time, and we'll appreciate the extra capacity when that happens." 
 	

 A carbon dioxide liquefaction plant (the only plant of its kind in Missouri) will also be installed at the Northeast Missouri Grain, producing 400 tons per year. Missouri, a large consumer of carbon dioxide, offers extensive marketing opportunities for the byproduct. 
 	
 When the work is done, Burnett said, Northeast Missouri Grain will add 7 or 8 new employees (including a CO2 plant manager) to the 32 men and women currently employed at the plant. 
 	
 Proficiently hiring and training new employees is essential for the management team at Northeast Missouri Grain. Burnett said watching the employees gain experience, and grow together as a team, has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. Likewise, he said, the employees maintain a wonderful relationship with the boards of directors who oversee both the co-op and the LLC.
 	
 Broin added, "The board of directors and the management and staff of Northeast Missouri Grain are first rate, a shining example of how well a project can operate."
 
 Two years and running 
 Due to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of farmers and state officials, Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC was the first ethanol plant built in Missouri. It was completed in April of 2000, about one year after construction began. The grand opening events, held two years ago this month, were the first of their kind in Missouri - not only for an ethanol plant, but for a new generation, farmer-owned, value-added cooperative as well. The grand opening of the facility was deemed a "gigantic step forward for Missouri agriculture."
 	
 The LLC is 81 percent farmer-owned, with four non-producer owners holding the remaining 19 percent. Broin Companies have an ownership stake in the operation, manage the facility and market the plant's ethanol and coproducts through Ethanol Products and Dakota Commodities respectively.
 
 No market fears
 After raising nearly $7 million in equity in just 6 days, Broin said, there was little hesitation among investors after March 15, when California Gov. Gray Davis announced his decision to delay the MTBE ban until January 1, 2004. 

 	
 "That decision really didn't slow us down," Broin said. "The potential market that will be created by the renewable fuels standard (RFS) is very attractive to the industry right now. Broin Companies has grown every year - and we continue to grow steadily. Northeast Missouri Grain, and the other plants we manage, are doing just fine. We are confident moving forward with this expansion, and we look forward to getting the job done." n

20 mmgy plant expected to produce over 40 mmgy by early summer 2003

Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC: doubling production

Home: Point Reyes Station, California

 
 Company: Systems Applications (SAI), a subsidiary of ICF	
 
 Occupation: Chief Scientist 
 
 Background: 
 Dr. Whitten has been involved in the field of gas-phase photochemistry for 40 years. He received his undergraduate degree in physics from Stanford University, his Ph.D. in gas-phase kinetics from the University of Washington, and did postdoctoral research on stratospheric ozone modeling at the University of California at Berkeley. Before joining SAI in 1975, he was a research chemist at Shell Development Corporation for 7 years and a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for 3 years. He served on the Modeling Advisory Committee of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). 
 
 Dr. Whitten is a leading authority on the fundamental reactions that occur in the atmosphere for many hydrocarbons, their partially oxidized intermediates, oxygenates such as MTBE and ethanol, carbon monoxide nitrogen oxides, nitrates, sulfur oxides, chlorine, oxidants such as PAN, and other peroxides. Specifically, he has been called upon to give testimony as an expert witness on the subject of the air quality impacts of a variety of precursors and emissions sources at more than 20 hearings, including before Congress, State Legislatures, the U.S. EPA, and numerous state and local air quality agencies. He is responsible for the carbon-bond approach to condensation mechanisms that is used in air pollution models in the United States and many other countries. His international experience includes key participation in projects that studied transportation fuel impacts on air quality in Mexico, Chile, Holland and Taiwan.
 
 In simple terms: 
 Dr. Whitten's work, physical chemistry, is the overlap of physics and chemistry - basically it is a science concerned with how fast and to what degree different kinds of molecules react in gas phase (in the air, essentially). The science often relies on computer modeling to predict outcomes, and usually compares the results to actual reactions in controlled environments. 

 
 Whitten has been described by those in the ethanol industry as one of the "bright stars" that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relied on for air modeling research, such as the Urban Airshed Model, first developed in the late 1970s and continuously improved upon since then. Whitten simply describes himself as a contractor and a scientist. Much of his work has been not only primary contracts with the EPA, but also contracts to maintain and improve existing scientific models. 
 
 The Carbon-bond Approach:
 Whitten is responsible for creating the "Carbon-bond Approach" to condensation mechanisms used in air pollution models in the U.S. and many other countries. There are now believed to be about 30,000 reactions taking place at any given time in an urban air environment. Whitten developed - and continues to improve - a method which condenses those 30,000 reactions down to 100 reactions for scientific anlyses. Dr. Whitten is currently preparing to publish the latest version of the report, entitled Carbon-bond Five (a fifth generation report) he said. 
 
 On the ethanol industry:
 "There is a stronger need for energy independence in the U.S., and a lot of talk about sustainability," Whitten told Ethanol Producer Magazine. "You even have some credible people talking about the end of the petroleum era now, so I think ethanol and other renewable fuels have a bright future. But you never know what will happen. Someone might come along soon with fuel cell technology, or fusion technology, and then where is the industry at? Of course, those things do not happen overnight." 
 
 On science and industry:
 Dr. Whitten told Ethanol Producer Magazine he believes science has been questioned in political terms "rather too much in recent years." 
 
 He explained, "In a debating society, science does not always have a 100 percent consensus. It is difficult to argue that one idea is good - and another bad - based on political motivations. If you want scientific data to back a political agenda, you're going to end up with a considerable amount of slack. For example, it's like these scare tactics used in California with the gasoline price spikes; in my personal opinion, it is somewhat difficult to blend gas with ethanol in California because there needs to be a more flexible and friendly regulatory environment in regards to ethanol. . . Science is there to support that. 
 	

 "The bottom line is this: science is flexible. A study, or a model, that might be considered "good science" in Indiana might be considered "bad science" in California. And, in my opinion, that is unfortunate. "
 
 Most gratifying aspect of his work:
 "I think it is gratifying to be involved with so many important issues. It's also been gratifying to travel and spend time in the White House and in Washington D.C. I've always been interested in pursuing work that is useful and I believe what I have contributed has been important and worthwhile." 
 
 Major influences: 
 His grandfather and grandmother. "My grandfather was an "educated man," and a school teacher. And my grandmother was one of the first female graduates of Stanford University - She graduated in 1899." 
 
 Hobbies: 
 Dr. Whitten has raced bicycles competively and will soon take part in a triathalon with his daughter. He also enjoys snow skiing, outdoor activities, and spending time with his family.

Dr. Gary Z. Whitten

Historically the cornerstone issues and collective impetus for blending over 2 billion gallons of ethanol into our nation's gasoline supplies have been clean air, national energy security and rural economic development. 			These same issues are now the driving force behind the rapidly expanding renewable diesel industry. An industry that, if fully developed, could provide benefits equal to - or beyond - that of ethanol-blended gasoline. 
 
 What is renewable diesel?
 According to the U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Transportation Technology, (USDOE-OTT) renewable diesel is defined as, "fuels that are used in diesel engines in place of - or blended with - petroleum diesel, but are made from renewable resources such as vegetable oils, animal fats, or other types of biomass such as grasses and trees." The USDOE-OTT also states that E-diesel is renewable because it is made from grains like corn.
 

 Are there different kinds of renewable diesel?
 There are currently two types of renewable diesel being produced and sold in the U.S. - E-diesel and Biodiesel. 
 
 E-diesel, as defined by the University of Illinois E-diesel research program, is a biofuel composed of 88.7% Diesel, 10% Ethanol, and 1.3% additive. 
 	
 Ethanol and diesel do not blend easily. The presence of water, or extreme cold temperatures, causes the mixture to separate. However, recent advances have produced a "splash-blendable" agent that enhances the mixing of diesel fuel with ethanol and includes both a lubricity enhancer and an ignition improver.
 	
 In February, a new research project partnership was announced among the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), John Deere, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs along with corn growers from six states (see article on page 10). The program will evaluate engine durability, emissions, compatibility with engines and component parts, safety and actual field testing in the 4.5, 8.1 and 12-liter John Deere diesel engines for off-road equipment.	
 	
 "Farmers and the general public have used 10 percent ethanol in their cars, but this product can expand the market for ethanol and subsequently grind more corn," said Boyd Smith, chairman of the NCGA Ethanol Marketing Committee and a grower from York, Neb. 
 	
 Biodiesel or B100 - as defined by ASTM, U.S. EPA and the U.S. DOE, Biodiesel is "a fuel consisting of long-chain fatty acid alkyl esters made from renewable vegetable oils, recycled cooking greases, or animal fats that meet ASTM standards." Also included in the definition, "a high Btu fuel with properties similar to No. 2 petroleum diesel fuel."
 	
 The definition of biodiesel should be applied in the strictest sense. The term biodiesel does not encompass the following items: crude fatty acid methyl esters that do not meet ASTM standards for biodiesel; unprocessed vegetable oil or animal fats; ethanol or methanol (alcohols); blends of ethanol and diesel fuel (E-Diesel); pyrolysis oils, resins or tall oils; blends of biodiesel and diesel fuel (these are called "biodiesel blends"). 
 	
 The most common error when referencing biodiesel is to refer to a blend of biodiesel and diesel fuel as "biodiesel." A proper label for a blend of the two components (B100 and diesel fuel) should be representative of the level of blend. Example, a blend of 20% biodiesel with 80% diesel should be referred to as B20. ONLY 100% biodiesel (as defined previously) can be referred to as "biodiesel."

 
 Why do we need renewable diesel?
 Utilization of renewable diesel will have a significant impact on our nation's economy, environment and security.
 	
 In a study completed in 2001 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it was found that an average annual increase of the equivalent of 200 million gallons of soy-based biodiesel demand would boost the price for a bushel of soybeans by an average of 17 cents annually during a ten-year period (2001-2010).
 	
 Our nation depends heavily on diesel engines to supply the power for most of our heavy equipment and transportation needs. To improve the quality of our air, increasingly strict regulations have been imposed on emissions from these engines. One way to reduce the environmental impact of combustion is to use alternative fuels containing blends of non-petroleum substances such as ethanol and biodiesel. Renewable diesel will provide significant environmental benefits by reducing pollutants such as CO and NOx. 	
 	
 It has been estimated that the U.S. spends over $60 billion annually in military costs and tax credits to fulfill our nations energy needs. 
 	
 As a nation we must face the issue of imported petroleum from less stable areas of the world. If the true cost of oil were imposed on the price of imported fuel, renewable fuels, such as biodiesel and E-diesel, would probably be our most viable options to operate our diesel engines.

Renewable diesel faces same challenges ethanol-blended gas has overcome

With an aggressive and targeted plan of action soon to be finalized, The province of Saskatchewan, Canada could increase its ethanol production capacity nearly 10-fold over the next five years. The Saskatchewan government has unveiled a plan to develop an ethanol industry that could eventually raise production to 400 million liters per year (about 100 mmgy). 
 	
 A report released by government officials March 21, entitled "The Greenprint for Ethanol Production in Saskatchewan," outlines several key actions the government intends to take to create an environment for private sector development of an ethanol industry in the province. 
 	
 These actions include: (1.) eliminating the provincial fuel tax on ethanol produced and consumed in Saskatchewan by way of a rebate, (2.) permitting the mandating of ethanol -blended fuel (10 percent) to be sold in the province, (3.) working with the federal and provincial governments to remove barriers on ethanol exports, (4.) seeking an ethanol mandate nationwide, (5.) encouraging the building of ethanol plants in Saskatchewan, and (6.) working with wholesalers and retailers to develop a market for ethanol-blended fuel in the province.
 
 What the plan means to the ethanol industry

 Foremost, a vibrant ethanol industry in Saskatchewan will create meaningful job opportunities, primarily for the province's rural residents, and new marketing opportunities for Saskatchewan's grain producers (and possibly its wood-product companies as well).
 	
 According to Saskatchewan Minister of Economic Development and Resources Eldon Lautermilch, the private sector will play a leading role in defining what the ethanol industry will look like and how it will operate. 
 	
 "The industry will be private sector driven," Lautermilch told Ethanol Producer Magazine. "I anticipate many opportunities for financial investments, and the growth of entrepreneurial, managerial and marketing expertise. The creation of construction and operating jobs will follow as future ethanol plants and their related facilities - such as cattle feedlots - are built and operated in Saskatchewan."
 	
 Lautermilch said the growth of the ethanol industry in the province depends largely on the domestic market, both in Canada and in the United States. He said it is likely that at least two 80 million liter per year ethanol plants will be built in Saskatchewan within two years. Other government officials indicated that as much as 400 million liters per year might eventually be produced, depending on export markets.
 	
 Wheat and other cereal grains would be used as the primary ethanol feedstocks, Lautermilch said.
 
 Building already?
 According to sources in Saskatchewan, only a few days after the government announced its plans to support an ethanol industry, NESask group announced plans to develop a 100 million liter plant. The firm's plans had been underway for some time and apparently solidified after the government's announcement. The group reportedly said it could be several months before plans are finalized and a definite decision can be made to proceed. 
 	
 Currently, there is only one ethanol plant in Saskatchewan, Pound Maker Ag Ventures in Lanigan, Sask., produces about 14 million liters per year from wheat. The plant is partnered with a cattle feedlot. Ethanol Producer Magazine was unable to confirm whether or not the plant will expand its production capacity. 
 	
 Of the six existing ethanol plants in Canada, all except a plant in Quebec produce ethanol from corn or wheat. Like U.S. plants, these facilities rely heavily on revenue from coproducts to be profitable. Commercial Alcohol Inc, in Ontario, is Canada's largest plant. n

Province releases Greenprint for Ethanol Production

Saskatchewan plans to develop ethanol industry

Ken Colburn has been named the director of Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).  Colburn, director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services' Air Division, replaces outgoing NESCAUM Executive Director Jason Grumet

NESCAUM names new director

Corn Palace Ethanol, LLC is giving up on plans to build an ethanol plant in Mitchell, S.D. due to water quality issues.  "We lack the water quality in the area needed to build a successful and consistently profitable ethanol plant," said Jerry Rubendall, president Corn Palace Ethanol.  The decision came after a consulting firm shared the results of its water study with the company chosen to build the plant.

No ethanol plant in Mitchell, South Dakota

Kinder Morgan, the company that operates California's only common carrier pipeline, said it is willing to help move a supply of ethanol into California.  "We are simply a service provider, and our sole objective is to meet our customer needs," said Mary Morgan, marketing vice president.  "We will not be an impediment to the conversion from MTBE to ethanol."  Kinder Morgan owns a pipeline that transports gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel throughout California.

Kinder Morgan will move ethanol in Calif.

Pine Lake Corn Processors, a company primarily owned by northeast Iowa farmers, will move forward with plans to build an ethanol plant in Steamboat Rock, Iowa.  The project was in limbo because Williams Energy, a major investor in the project, nearly pulled a $1millon investment out of the project due to their connection to Enron.  Williams said some joint deals had negatively impacted their financial situation.  Williams has now recommitted to the project.

PLCP moves forward with ethanol project

U.S. Commodities has signed an agreement to market all the DDGS and WDG from Tri-State Ethanol Company in Rosholt, South Dakota.  The 15 mmgy ethanol facility is in startup currently.

U.S. Commodities signs with Tri-State Ethanol

Thomas Brown has been hired as construction manager of PRIME Technologies. Brown will oversee the Dakota Value Capture Cooperative's integrated ethanol plant and cattle feedlot in Sully County, South Dakota.  Brown, who is originally from Agar, South Dakota, was previously vice president of engineering for the Frito-Lay Company.

PRIME Technologies hires construction manager

Land O'Lakes Farmland Feed, LLC has announced it has signed a contract with Wisconsin's ACE Ethanol to market its DDGS.  ACE Ethanol is expected to complete construction on its 15 mmgy facility later this year.

Land O'Lakes announces DDGS contract

After the Winnebago County Board voted 20-16 in favor of the ethanol facility, Algoma Ethanol, LLC announced they would be moving forward with plans to build an ethanol plant near Utica, Wisconsin.  Algoma Ethanol plans to construct a 20 mmgy facility.  Delta-T has been retained to do the design and engineering of that project.

Algoma ethanol plant moves forward

In terms of ethanol production, the 490 million gallons per year produced in Iowa is second only to Illinois. And with 5 plants under construction, 8 producing, and another set to break ground soon, Iowa may soon share with Minnesota the distinction of having 14 ethanol plants. 

 	
 Of course, there is work to be done before that claim to fame can be made. Five of the seven ethanol plants that broke ground in Iowa last year remain under construction. When finished, however, the Hawkeye State will be a mighty ethanol powerhouse, with the capacity to produce over 645 mmgy. 
 
 The construction boom 
 The ethanol plant construction frenzy peaked last year after the Bush administration denied California's request for a waiver from the clean air requirements. In March, the ethanol rush in Iowa may have been temporarily set back when California Gov. Gray Davis delayed the ban on MTBE until 2004. However, said Iowa Corn Growers Association Marketing Director Lucy Norton, the construction has not halted in Iowa. 
 	
 "We have not seen any changes in plans or attitudes since (Gov. Davis) delayed the MTBE ban in California," Norton told Ethanol Producer Magazine. "We still have huge markets in the Northeast that need ethanol and the pending RFS legislation looks very promising. . . This nation needs more ethanol. Producers are not totally dependent on California."
 	
 Norton said Iowa producers are increasingly looking to new lucrative markets - such as e-diesel - that hold great promise. The Iowa Corn Growers Association recently became part of the E-Diesel Consortium with the Illinois Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association, she said.
 
 Attractive ethanol state 
 Why is Iowa a great state to make ethanol? 
 	
 "It's a number of things," Norton explained. "Low commodity prices, increasing profitability, growing statewide interest in value-added ag processing and an environment that promotes ethanol production and use. 
 	

 Serious development of an ethanol industry in Iowa began more than 20 years ago when state law-makers realized that renewable fuel represented a strong new market for Iowa's corn crop. Several policies were established to encourage consumption, including a mandate for government vehicles to use ethanol-blended fuel, and tax exemptions to help make ethanol competitive with gasoline. Iowa provides a one-cent-per-gallon fuel sales tax exemption for ethanol-blends. 
 
 Iowa's current ethanol producers are:-ADM - 400 mmgy
 -Cargill - 35 mmgy-
 -Sunrise Energy - 5 mmgy
 -Manildra Ethanol - 7 mmgy
 -Grain Processing Corp. - 10 mmgy 
 -Permate Refining - 1.5 mmgy 
 -Siouxland Energy - 14 mmgy
 -Quad County Corn Processors - 18 mmgy 
 
 Iowa's five plants under construction are:
 -Tall Corn Ethanol - 40 mmgy
 -Midwest Grain Processors - 45 mmgy
 -Little Sioux Corn Processors - 40 mmgy

 -Northeast Iowa Ethanol - 15 mmgy
 -Pine Lake Ethanol - 14 mmgy
 
 Ethanol exporter"Iowa is a huge net exporter of ethanol," Norton said. "We produce largely for the national market, as well as our own market. 80 percent of the ethanol produced here is still exported." 
 	
 According to the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance, Iowa motorists choose ethanol-blended fuel 42 percent of the time when fueling their vehicles. This consumer activity, along with Iowa's commercial production, promotional efforts and ongoing research and development, are helping Iowa realize tremendous economic and environmental gains from ethanol. According to the Iowa Corn Growers Association, 54 percent of the gasoline sold in Iowa is blended with ethanol. 
 
 Distillers Grains Market
 In Iowa, there has been limited DDGS development because up until now, most of ethanol produced in the state was wet milled by ADM and Cargill. But with the new production coming online - all dry mill production - there will be more DDGS to deal with and the need for an education process in Iowa DDGS markets. The abundance of this feed may increase the livestock numbers in Iowa as well and expand livestock production, Norton said.

Five ethanol plants currently under construction in Hawkeye State

Iowa has encouraged ethanol

Memphis, Tenn.-based Lurgi PSI is helping to develop plans for a third ethanol plant in North Dakota. The design-build firm will help the Dakota Renewable Fuels group choose a site, and design and build the $45 million ethanol facility, South Dakota consultant Steve Sershen told Ethanol Producer Magazine. Sershen's company, Val-Add Service Corp. of Chester, S.D., also is working to develop the project and find funding. He said no deadlines have been set for the site to picked. 
 	
 The location will be critical to the project's success, with local corn prices, water quality, rail access and natural gas service all important factors. Thus far, Dakota Renewable Fuels has identified four possible locations for the plant, all roughly within the state's southeastern quadrant. 
 	
 As planned, the plant would produce 30 mmgy. It would join two other N.D. ethanol factories, in Walhalla and Grafton, that together can producing 34 mmgy.

Lurgi PSI will likely design, build North Dakota ethanol plant

Iron Mask Mining Company recently announced its interest to design, build and operate an ethanol facility in southern Idaho. 

 	
 Dr. Dennis D. Keiser, president and CEO of the company, announced that feasibility studies for the plant have been nearly completed and that several locations are now under consideration, with a decision on the location to be forthcoming. 
 	
 Iron Mask Mining Company, soon to be renamed Intrepid Technology and Resources, Incorporated, is currently in discussions with several partner companies on forming a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for the purpose of financing, owning and operating the plant. According to the company, Idaho and Montana could provide upwards of 25 percent of this Western demand (500 million gallons per year), equating to approximately ten plants in the two states. The company reportedly intends to position itself to provide a significant portion of that 25 percent.

Idaho company intends to enter design/build market

Senate candidate U.S. Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.) spoke to members of the Dakota Value Capture Cooperative (DVCC) in Pierre, S.D. this month, telling them he would continue efforts to hasten the delivery of $6 million in federal money that has been approved for the DVCC ethanol plant and custom feedlot. 
 	
 On the other hand, the office of U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) released a memorandum the same day challenging Thune's role in the process. Apparently, the two political foes - both strong advocates of ethanol production - would like credit for initiating the grant process with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy. 		
 	
 DVCC President Curt Mortenson said the cooperative is thankful for the grants and does not want to get in the middle of a political argument. "We're a politically neutral group," he said. "We'll take help from anybody."

April 2002

Business Briefs

Dr. Gary Z. Whitten

DVCC funding fuels dispute between S.D Senate candidates

Columns

The Way I See IT

Featured

Producers should consider risk management

Another 40 mmgy South Dakota ehtanol plant breaks ground

Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC: doubling production

Renewable diesel faces same challenges ethanol-blended gas has overcome

Saskatchewan plans to develop ethanol industry

Iowa has encouraged ethanol

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Business Briefs

Dr. Gary Z. Whitten

DVCC funding fuels dispute between S.D Senate candidates

Columns

The Way I See IT

Featured

Producers should consider risk management

Another 40 mmgy South Dakota ehtanol plant breaks ground

Northeast Missouri Grain, LLC: doubling production

Renewable diesel faces same challenges ethanol-blended gas has overcome

Saskatchewan plans to develop ethanol industry

Iowa has encouraged ethanol

April 2002