Monday, November 17, 2008
The Future of Ethanol
NSP in the News!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Green in More Ways Than One
Monday, October 6, 2008
Green Pickpup Stops Off in Texas
"The Lone Star State is known for its oil production, but some Texans are discovering other ways to power their vehicles. In fact, one pair of scientists are on a coast to coast crusade to promote a fuel that is grown all over Texas.
"The pair stopped in Brazos County to fill-up and show off their truck that doesn't use a drop of gas."
Read the rest of the story and watch the video at KBTX.com Brian/College Station.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Non-Maize Maze
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ethanol more energy efficient than previously thought
EP Overviews Bioenergy and Biofuels, a bioenergy newsletter, is reporting that a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study found that ethanol production is more energy efficient than expected.
Ethanol more energy efficient than previously thought - Research (R&D)
A University of Nebraska - Lincoln study found that ethanol production is more energy efficient than previously thought. The Nebraska Corn Board reports that earlier studies examining ethanol's energy balance were based on backward-looking data and older production methods. Ken Cassman, director of the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, maintains that today's data shows that the energy balance of corn-based ethanol is two to three times higher than previous estimates. According to Cassman, ethanol has a substantial net positive direct energy balance - 1.5 to 1.6 more units of energy are derived from ethanol than are used to produce it. (Source: The Grand Island Independent, September 29, 2008)
Contact: Kenneth G. Cassman, Director, Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences, University of Nebraska, (402) 472-5554, kcassman1@unl.edu, www.unl.edu. Nebraska Corn Board, (800) 632-6761, ncb.info@nebraska.gov
Corn and sorghum produce the same amount of ethanol per bushel. Read the original story here. The report is yet to be released.
Monday, September 22, 2008
RFA Launches People & Places Ads
Friday, September 12, 2008
Conference Presentations
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Houston Photos
As noted in a previous post, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and UDSA signed an agreement to cooperate on biofuels research.
Exchanging gifts after signing the agreement.
Dr. Bill Rooney, an expert on sweet sorghum production, demonstrates the enormous height of some of the sorghum varieites he works with.
Dr. Rooney spoke to a large crowd inside a machine shed while tour attendees dodged rain showers. Dr. Steve Searcy is studying how to use existing equipment and infrastructure to "bale" cellulosic sorghum for transport, similar to the way cotton is baled for transportation.
Crowds listened to presentations on agronomics and infrastructure outside the barn.
Dr. John Mullet offered a tour of the Norman Borlaug Center for Southern Crop Improvement where cutting edge sorghum research is happening every day.
Q: Just how tall can sorghum get? A: At least as tall as the greenhouse ceiling! This sorghum plant has outgrown its home but not its potential.
Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize winner, still visits the Center for Southern Crop Improvement regularly.His portrait and some of his many recognitions and awards hang in the lobby.
The fantastic camera crew which came in from Chicago to film the event, capture some shots of the pilot facility that is turning cellulosic material to a gasoline-like product.
The Conference also provided ample opportunity for networking between people from all parts of the world with a range of interests in sorghum-to-ethanol technology.
Energy cane, shown here, is used in the plant for conversion to ethanol. Thanks to Dominique Roche for the Verenium photographs.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Biofuels Conference Wraps Up
Plenary sessions on Tuesday highlighted the newest research and technology in the use of sorghum for biofuels. Wednesday allowed conference participants to break into small groups to discuss industry issues. Recommendations from their sessions were presented late on Wednesday.
Thursday, conference attendees toured Texas A&M University’s research plots and facilities in College Station, Texas as well as a tour of a pilot scale cellulosic conversion plant that turns sorghum and other cellulosic materials to a gasoline-like product. Among others, conference attendees heard from Dr. John Mullet, Director of the Norman Borlaug Center for Crop Improvement, from Dr. Steve Searcy who is using modified cotton baling equipment to compact cellulosic sorghum for transport. Between intermittent rain showers, attendees from all over the world saw exciting new research with their own eyes.
Friday highlighted the Verenium cellulosic conversion plant in Jennings, Louisiana. Verenium is conducting cutting-edge research on cellulosic conversion technologies and just broke ground on a 1.4 million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol facility.
Over the next few weeks, watch for video footage of the conference as well as for links to power point presentations given during the plenary sessions.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Reporting After Day 1
Over 200 attendees registered for this first conference day and the ballroom is packed. It's a reporter's dream...all of the world's experts on one subject are crammed into one room. It's a captive audience and that means tracking down information is as simple as standing up and hollering your question across the room. Ok, not really. The conference has really been fabulously put together and noone has yelled across the room.
Tomorrow, however, will be the day for yelling questions across the room. This bevy of brilliant minds will spend Wednesday collaborating on how to solve some of the industry's most pressing issues so that all types of sorghum can be brought to full commercial market production in coming years.
Thursday and Friday will be field trip days, giving conference attendees the opportunity to see sweet sorghum and cellulosic sorghum plots at Texas A&M University and Verenim's biomass conversion plant at Jennings, Louisiana.
HIGHLIGHTS:
"This conference is a major step for the sorghum industry. The world is taking notice of this crop in a big way and this conference is a meeting of the minds, so to speak, of some of the finest scientists and entrepreneurs in the world. We will all need to work together to solve the energy crisis and this meeting moves us in the right direction."
Tim Lust, NSP CEO
"The case for biofuels rests on the proposition that it can enhance national security and economic well being."
The International Conference on Sorghum for Biofuels is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas A&M University, the National Sorghum Producers, Brazil's Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, and Tsinghua University in the Peoples' Republic of China, and the National Science Foundation.
Chinese Ministry and USDA
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to the National Sorghum Producers' "National Sorghum Now" blog. We'll be using this blog to post regularly from the International Conference on Sorghum for Biofuels next week. Exciting!