As the industry matures, the lifespan of today's dry-grind ethanol facilities is becoming increasingly important. Producing more ethanol now is the order of the day. But as the renewable fuel becomes a mainstay of the United States' transportation fuel infrastructure, can ethanol plants—the physical structures themselves and the equipment within them—last as long as consumer demand for the product?

Renewable Fuel, Recycled Sites

By Ron Kotrba

On first thought, a great place to locate an ethanol plant seems to be where others have labored to lay the groundwork before—on a brownfield site. But the fact is most U.S. ethanol plants, both operating and under construction, choose the greenfield route to project development, effectively discounting the benefits of building brown.

Once the void left by the MTBE phase out is filled and the RFS is met, what's next for the ethanol industry? Is a construction slowdown—or abrupt halt to the build-out—on the horizon? No one claims the sky is falling, but potential investors need to be aware that projecting domestic market growth is, even for the industry's top experts, somewhat of a guessing game.

Right now, meeting the growing demand for ethanol at home is priority No. 1 for U.S. producers, and knowing if and when domestic consumption will level out is a guessing game. But when production does eventually outpace demand—yes, history says that will happen—there will be producers and marketers jumping on market opportunities abroad. The question today, then, is not whether ethanol export markets will arise, but whether American suppliers will have a significant part in them.

In today's pro-ethanol climate, the drive to produce this renewable fuel for the unquenchable domestic markets is strong, without a doubt. This environment has helped spawn what some have called a "new generation" of giant dry mills under construction in the United States to meet these market demands. Here, EPM takes a look at how this shift in philosophy could influence a project's bottom line, for better or worse.

It's time once again for EPM's annual, and highly anticipated, list of proposed ethanol plants in the United States and Canada. All we have to say is, it's getting bigger!

Incorporating biofuels into an infrastructure dominated by petroleum is the next practical step in reaching greater energy independence for the United States. As the biodiesel industry expands, so too does the supply chain matrix that supports it. The journey biodiesel takes from the facilities where it is produced to the pumps where it is dispensed is an integral, yet low-key, segment of the industry.

By no means has every American biodiesel producer and distributor jumped on board with BQ-9000, but interest is steadily increasing with each passing month. Does the program have what it takes to shape the future of the industry?

Bioheat-biodiesel blended at various levels with residential heating oil-has been gaining considerable support and market growth over the past three years, especially in the Northeast where heating oil is still predominantly used to heat homes and buildings. After this past heating season and projecting into the next, some claim that bioheat is more than just a niche market. Rather, it represents "an explosive time for the industry," a time for which bioheat is getting fired up.

Change is the constant denominator in the fuel distribution business. From the introduction of ultra-low-sulfur diesel to demand growth and from industry consolidation to product proliferation-it's a lot for any one company to rein in. That's why biodiesel producers and consumers alike are searching for seamless integration through companies such as TransMontaigne.