Ethanol Week - February 6, 2018

Novozymes launches yeast platform for corn ethanol production Novozymes launched Drive, the first product from its Innova yeast platform for corn ethanol production, on Feb. 5. The product was developed in partnership with Microbiogen and marks Novozymes’ entrance into the corn ethanol yeast market. READ MORE SHARE
Grassley: RFS has minimal impact on success of refineries Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has released a memo produced by his energy policy staff that finds that RFS blending requirements and the cost of RINs have little to do with the success of refineries and were not factors in the PES bankruptcy. READ MORE SHARE
	Pruitt discusses E15 RVP waiver, RFS fuel pathway during hearing The RFS, a Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for E15, and the pending advanced biofuel pathway for distillers sorghum oil were among the topics discussed during a Jan. 30 Senate hearing featuring testimony from U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. READ MORE SHARE
BP Verenium Biofuels plant up for sale The BP Verenium Biofuels plant in Jennings, Louisiana, is being offered for sale. The 1.4 MMgy demonstration-scale facility celebrated its grand opening in 2008, and was acquired by BP Biofuels North America in mid-2010. READ MORE SHARE
Valero: Ethanol net income down, ethanol production volumes up Valero Energy Corp. has released fourth quarter financial results, reporting the company’s ethanol segment earned $37 million of operating income during the final three months of last year, down from $126 million during the same period of 2016. READ MORE SHARE
	UNICA reports increased hydrous ethanol sales UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced increased sales of hydrous ethanol during the first half of January. Total ethanol production for the current season is up slightly when compared to the previous season. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: Corn use for ethanol up in December Corn use for fuel alcohol production reached 487 million bushels in December, up 2 percent from November and up 3 percent when compared to December 2016, according to the USDA's February Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report. READ MORE SHARE
RFA responds to Trump’s State of the Union address The Renewable Fuel Association has responded to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 30 State of the Union address. Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the RFA, discussed how ethanol can benefit infrastructure, free trade and the economy. READ MORE SHARE
Ocean Park: Biofuels mergers and acquisitions hit a lull in 2017 The North American biofuels industry experienced the fewest merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in recent history in 2017. For the year, just six M&A transactions occurred, with a total estimated value of more than $100 million. READ MORE SHARE
ICM: Corn ethanol opportunities in South America continue to grow South America is home to some of the world's largest producers of ethanol and has a long tradition of biofuels consumption. As the region's renewable energy policies evolve, ICM Inc. intends to provide solutions and services for the growing demand. READ MORE SHARE
US exported a record 1.37 billion gallons of ethanol in 2017 Government data released Feb. 6 confirms that U.S. ethanol exports set a new record in 2017, with an astonishing 1.37 billion gallons shipped to more than 60 countries around the world. The 2017 export total was up 17 percent from 2016. READ MORE SHARE
RFA: Harvard professor says RVP parity will lower RIN prices A recent paper from Harvard University Professor James H. Stock argues that the most direct way of lowering RIN prices is for the U.S. EPA or Congress to provide parity in the regulation of gasoline volatility (RVP) for E10 and E15. READ MORE SHARE
New leadership appointed to Governors’ Biofuel Coalition Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, have been appointed as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Governors' Biofuels Coalition, a multi-state alliance aimed at providing regional leadership on biofuels policy. READ MORE SHARE
ACE: New video answers why retailers add E15 The American Coalition for Ethanol announced the release of the fourth video in its series of fuel marketer-focused videos on the flexfuelforward.com website Jan. 31. The series addresses common marketer questions about E15 and flex fuels. READ MORE SHARE
RFA: 31 states broke through so-called ‘blend wall’ in 2016 Data released by the U.S. Department of Energy shows that gasoline consumed in 31 states contained more than 10.0 percent ethanol on average in 2016, proving once again that the so-called “E10 blend wall” continues to crumble. READ MORE SHARE
IBBR to investigate how to protect poplar from disease The Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research has been awarded a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to elucidate the mechanism of rust pathogenesis in poplar in an effort to engineer durable resistance the biofuel crop. READ MORE SHARE