California-based E85 distributor Pearson Fuels has added a retail location in Torrance, expanding its E85 network in California to 400 sites. Pearson said that it has opened more than 60 retail sites in each of the past five years and it expects to continue at that pace thanks to grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It aims to expand to 500 sites in the next 18 to 24 months.
California has more than a million flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the road, according to Pearson, including new models such as the Chevy Trax manufactured by General Motors. Pearson has stations where E85 is available "for $1.50/gallon less than gasoline," said Doug Vind, Pearson’s managing member.
"Gov. Newsom has been searching for ways to lower gas prices without minimizing air quality," he added. "E85 is the win-win that saves drivers money at the pump while substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the state's adoption last month of stricter targets to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard, statewide availability of E85 can play a strategic role in helping California meet its clean air goals."
Pearson estimates a typical FFV driver in California "would have saved nearly $400 last year by filling with E85 rather than gasoline."
CTE Global Adds New Advanced Performing Yeast to its Product Offerings
ACE member CTE Global, a provider of yeast and enzymatic strategies for the production of biofuels, introduced Innova Eclipse yeast to its portfolio. According to the company, Innova Eclipse uses advanced technologies to push past fermentation limits, significantly reducing glycerol levels and increasing ethanol yields. This yeast is designed to help biorefineries maximize their production goals by using fast fermentation kinetics, giving the opportunity and flexibility for reduced fermentation time. It has a robust stress tolerance, which allows for consistent and reliable operations, the company said.
“We are pleased to offer this revolutionary new yeast to the biofuel industry,” said Alex Shifman, president and CEO of CTE Global. “Innova Eclipse not only enhances bioethanol production but also aligns with CTE Global’s focus to provide the most innovative products and services to our customers. Our team looks forward to assisting biorefineries realize the potential this yeast can bring to their processes and bottom line.”
Innova Eclipse is part of the Innova family brand of yeasts. It is one of the many yeast and enzyme solutions offered by CTE Global. The company said it is continually innovating and optimizing its product portfolio to meet the needs of the biofuel industry.
South Dakota PUC Holds CO2 Pipeline Meeting
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission held a packed meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, mid-January, inviting input from the public regarding the application for a permit to allow Summit Carbon Solutions to construct a CO2 pipeline.
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CMO Ron Lamberty spoke at the meeting in support of Summit's project, stating that the pipeline is not just good for ethanol plants, but farmers and our economy as well, and it could be the deciding factor in whether some plants are able to remain competitive in the marketplace. He discussed how the pipeline will positively affect the value of corn, create better opportunities to sell low carbon intensity ethanol into other countries, and support the overall South Dakota economy.
Summit Carbon Solutions has partnered with 57 ethanol plants across Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. This investment will capture CO2 from the fermentation process of biorefineries compress the captured CO2, and channel it to North Dakota where it will be permanently and safely stored underground in deep geologic storage locations. Doing so will drastically reduce the carbon footprint of ethanol production and enhance the long-term economic viability of the ethanol and agriculture industries.
