On August 17-20, 2009, Iowa State University hosted the Biofuels: Science & Sustainability Tour that brought together policymakers and regulators from Washington, DC with renewable fuels experts from Iowa to present sound, science-based information and a “hands on” look at the technology and processing practices being adopted by the biofuels industry today.
Since there is a great deal of misinformation being perpetuated that could lead to unnecessarily harmful renewable fuels policies, the Tour was designed to “fuel the truth” on issues ranging from food versus fuel, indirect land use change, greenhouse gas emissions and the future of biorefining.
Along with ISU, the Tour was sponsored by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Green Plains Renewable Energy, Iowa Department of Economic Development and Renewable Fuels Foundation.
Participants from Washington, DC represented the following:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Farm Credit Administration
- Senate Agriculture Committee (Harkin)
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce (Barton)
- House Committee on Agriculture (Peterson)
- Senator Charles Grassley
- Congressman Steve King
- Congressman Bruce Braley
- Senator John Thune
Monday, August 17:
Welcome Reception With Iowa Participants
The Tour kicked off with a welcome reception and dinner where the Tour participants had a chance to meet one and other. Participants noted that the opportunity for one-on-one conversations in an informal setting was one of the best ways to learn about the renewable fuels industry.
Tuesday, August 18:
Ethanol Industry Challenges & Outlook
Matt Hartwig, Communications Director
Renewable Fuels Association, Washington, DC
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Matt Hartwig, communications director for the Renewable Fuels Association in Washington, DC, kicked off day two of the Tour with an overview of the ethanol industry today and the challenges and opportunities facing ethanol producers in the future.
Meeting the Demand for Food & Fuel
Shannon Textor, Director of Market Development
Iowa Corn Growers Association, Johnston, IA
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Shannon Textor, director of market development for the Iowa Corn Growers, highlighted the advances being made in farming practices that result in higher yields per acre with a small environmental and carbon footprint. Textor stressed that farmers are capable and willing to feed and fuel our nation.
Corn & Soybean Seed Technology to Meet Food and Fuel Demand
Later Tuesday morning, the group heard a presentation on the sufficiency of corn and soybean technology to meet the food and fuel demands of both the nation and the world. The featured panelists were, Martha Schlicher from Monsanto, Joe Foresman from Pioneer, and Miloud Araba from Syngenta. The panelists discussed the upward trend of U.S. corn and soybean production due to increased yields, not increased acres. There was consensus that advances in seed technology would lead to 300 bushels per acre average corn and 100 bushels per acre average soybeans over the next two decades. Given the yield potential in the research pipeline, many felt the real question for the future wasn’t “food vs. fuel” or “indirect land use chance,” but rather “what are we going to do with all this corn and soybeans?” Clearly, biofuels is the answer at the top of the list.
Martha Schlicher,
Manager of Bioenergy
Monsanto, St. Louis, Missouri
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Joe Foresman, Biofuels Business Manager
Pioneer Hi-Bred, Johnston, IA
Miloud Araba, Ph.D., Bioprocessing Business Development Global Director
Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC
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Tour of Lincolnway Energy
Nevada, IA
Leaving the IRFA conference room, the Tour headed to Lincolnway Energy near Nevada. Once there the participants got an in-depth tour of the 50-mgy ethanol refinery – including corn unloading, in-bound grain testing, ethanol production, corn oil extraction, distillers grains drying, product testing, and ethanol and distillers grains load-out.
Rick Brehm, General Manager
Lincolnway Energy, Nevada, IA
Lincolnway Energy General Manager Rick Brehm gave the group an introduction to ethanol refining and highlighted many of the technological advances adopted by the plant over the last few years. While ethanol plants may look the same on the outside, they have all optimized themselves to their particular locale in order to maximize margins and enhance energy efficiencies.
Joe Riley,
Operations Manager
FEC Solutions, Des Moines, IA
One of the energy saving innovations implemented by Lincolnway Energy is corn oil extraction from the plant’s “syrup.” This non-food grade oil can be used as a feedstock for biodiesel production or as an animal feed. FEC Solutions operations manager Joe Riley explained how the process works.
Rob Marino,
Regional Manager
U.S. Water, Cambridge, MN
Although already more “water efficient” than gasoline production, reducing water use is a high priority for ethanol producers. U.S. Water regional manager Rob Marino highlighted process technologies that have helped the ethanol industry reduce water use by more than 25% since 2001.
Iowa Energy Center’s BeCON Center (Biomass Energy CONversion Facility)
After seeing an ethanol plant of today, the Tour went a few miles down the road to take a look at the future. BECON (Biomass Energy Conversion facility) provides a platform for researchers and educators to turn promising ideas into functioning commercial and pilot scale operations. BECON is open to researchers from all of Iowa’s universities and colleges, private non-profit organizations, and their research partners from the private sector.
Norm Olson, BeCon Facility Director
BeCON Center, Nevada, IA
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Full-scale biomass conversion is the vision shared by Norm Olson, director of the BeCON Center. Integrating feedstock processing with biological and thermochemical conversion would produce food, feed and chemicals plus multiple energy sources such as renewable fuels, heat and electricity. An optimum biomass system would incorporate cover crops, soil tilth, nutrient management, and use of existing planting, harvesting and storage techniques.
Frontline BioEnergy
Bill Lee, CEO
Frontline BioEnergy, Ames, IA
Energy efficiency, sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint are important for plants seeking to maximize profits and market access. Frontline BioEnergy CEO Bill Lee offers a view of his company’s pilot plant that converts biomass (like corn cobs or wood waste) into a syngas to replace natural gas for an ethanol plant’s boiler. A full scale version has been installed at an ethanol plant in Minnesota.
Cellencor
Ken Kaplan, Executive Director
Cellencor, Ames, IA
Also housed at the BeCON Center is a pilot plant demonstrating Cellencor’s microwave drying process for distillers grains. As the group got to put their hands in the freshly dried DDGS, Kent Kaplan from Cellencor explained how heating distiller’s grains from the inside-out using microwave drying technology produces better animal feed at a lower cost, while increasing safety and benefiting the environment. Cellencor is also investigating opportunities for its microwave technology to enhance the corn oil extraction process witnessed earlier in the day.
Couser Cattle Company
Bill Couser, Owner
Couser Cattle Company, Nevada, IA
Distillers grains are a valuable feed product resulting from the ethanol production process (which uses only the corn starch). The Tour ended the day by visiting nearby Couser Cattle Company. Owner Bill Couser explained how distillers is an important part of the cattle feed ration and that its availability in Iowa has helped the state regain cattle feeding operations. Couser also discussed the various tests he is conducting in conjunction with the EPA and Iowa Department of Natural Resources on nutrient management and the proper handling of manure.
Claire Hruby,
Geologist
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, IA
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the livestock industry work hand-in-hand on implementing best management practices that assure Iowa’s environment is preserved. Claire Hruby described the cutting-edge measures in place at Couser Cattle Company to address manure management and water quality preservation.
Congressional Staff Roundtable
After Couser served up a BBQ of ribeye steak sandwiches, Iowa sweet corn, and even apple pie courtesy of the local Methodist women's group, the Congressional staff participated in a roundtable offering their insight on the outlook for legislation on cap and trade, tax credits and tariffs, the renewable fuels standard, and several other issues. It just proves that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or dinner)!
Pete DeKoch Rep. Braley (D-IA)
Adam Durand House Ag Com. (Peterson, D-MN)
Garrett Golding House Energy & Commerce Com. (Barton, R-TX)
Kurt Kovarik Sen. Grassley (R-IA)
Brendon Plack Sen. Thune (R-SD)
Karla Thieman Senate Ag Com. (Harkin, D-IA)
Wednesday, August 19
Tour BioCentury Research Farm
Iowa State University, Ames, IA
The Tour started Wednesday morning at Iowa State University’s BioCentury Research Farm. The facility is the first-in-the-nation integrated research and demonstration facility dedicated to biomass production and processing.
ISU professors provided the latest research on feedstock sustainability and utilization. In addition, new research questioning the current international indirect land use modeling was presented
Panel – Sustainability of Biorenewables Feedstocks
Rob Anex, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
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Steve Fales and Matt Liebman, Agronomy
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Larry Johnson, Center for Crop Utilization Research
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Panel – Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Dr. Robert Brown, Director of ISU Bioeconomy Institute
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Dr. Dermot Hayes, Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD)
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Renewable Energy Group Research Center Tour
Ames, IA
The Tour headed across Ames to the Renewable Energy Group (REG) Headquarters and Research Center. The newly-established research facility is evaluating a wide range of feedstocks, like algae, and technologies for converting renewable resources into transportation fuels and petroleum replacement chemicals.
Daniel Oh, Chief Operating Officer
Jeff Stroberg, President
Brad Albin, Vice President
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Green Plains Renewable Energy Presentation, REG Research Center
Synergy for Energy: Algae Production for Biodiesel Using Captured Carbon Dioxide from Ethanol Refinery
Tim Burns, Co-Founder, BioProcess Algae LLC
John Haley, Chief Scientific Officer, BioProcess Algae LLC
While at REG, the Tour heard about an exciting algae project getting underway in the southwest town of Shenandoah. Ryan Armasu of BioProcess Algae explained how carbon dioxide released during fermentation at the Green Plains Renewable Energy ethanol plant will be used to “feed” algae in bioreactors. The algae can be harvested as a source of oil and protein feed
Tour of Central Iowa Energy Biodiesel Refinery
Newton, IA
The Tour left Iowa State and passed mile after mile of great looking corn and soybeans on the way to Newton, home of Central Iowa Energy, a world class biodiesel refinery. The Tour saw how multiple feedstocks are converted to biodiesel and learned about the importance of glycerin as a co-product.
Future Market Opportunities for Glycerin
Dave Elsenbast, Renewable Energy Group
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Iowa State Fair Dinner Hosted by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey
Des Moines, IA
No trip to Iowa in August would be complete without a visit to the Iowa State Fair. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey hosted the Tour for dinner at the Iowa Beef Cattlemen’s “Wine & Prime.” Northey provided an overview of how vital agriculture is to Iowa’s economy and how renewable fuels have provided the first widespread economic boost to rural Iowa since the 1970s.
Thursday, August 20
Iowa’s Role in the Nation’s BioEconomy
Lt. Governor Patty Judge
Click here for prepared remarks.
With representatives from dozens of Iowa renewable fuels producers joining the group, Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge kicked off the final day of the Tour back at the IRFA conference room. She highlighted the role Iowa is playing to promote the future of biofuels production – both in policy and technology.
Indirect Land Use Change Group Discussion
Several other Tour participants joined Zia Haq in a lively discussion of indirect land use change with Iowa farmers and renewable fuel producers. The Iowans honed in on the fact that current models contain several shortcomings, are highly sensitive to even minor assumption modifications, and too often use outdated data. But most of all, Iowa farmers and renewable fuels producers impressed upon the Washington policy makers and regulators just how important it is to “get it right.” The decisions made in DC over the next six months will impact Iowa agriculture for the next decade.
Indirect Land Use Change
Zia Haq, Senior Analyst
U.S. Department of Energy
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The focus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Biomass Program is cellulosic ethanol and prioritizing future advanced alternative fuels. In his presentation to Tour participants, Zia Haq stated that DOE’s Biomass Program is working to understand the potential environmental impacts of biofuels production, i.e. water use, land use and feedstock production.
Beating the Blend Wall: E15 Waiver
Bruce Rastetter, CEO
Hawkeye Renewables, Ames, IA
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With the RFS calling for significant increases in ethanol production, there needs to be a workable market to use the ethanol as well. Hawkeye Renewables CEO Bruce Rastetter reviewed the request for E15 approval to the EPA and the impact it would have on ethanol consumption.
Luncheon Address
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Former Iowa Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack provided the closing remarks for the Tour. Vilsack reviewed the actions his agency is taking to increase the use of renewable fuels and products and to provide support to producers during the rough economic period. Vilsack noted that he believed the ethanol blend rate will be increased and stressed the USDA will continue to be involved in the debate over international indirect land use change. He closed by stating: “This Administration is very interested in making biofuels viable.
