Green in More Ways Than One

Guest blogger Kristin Heinemann, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers Director of Producer Relations, was in College Station last week when Wayne Keith drove his "green" pickup to the Texas A&M University sorghum plots. Thanks to Kristin for her insight and photography!

What if I told you the truck that your great-grandchildren or even grandchildren purchase one of these days, might not be fueled in any part by gasoline OR diesel? You'd probably call me crazy!

Well, call me crazy because this idea became a reality to Alabama farmer Wayne Keith. He created a "Gasifier" fueled by biomass (ie. wood, switchgrass, sorghum) that powers his pick-up. This bright green truck is easy to spot on the road as it is cruising from coast to coast promoting this alternative fuel source.

Keith has teamed up with Auburn University professor David Bransby for this project. The pair made a stop in College Station at the Texas A&M University farm to demonstrate their project and highlight TAMU and Ceres' work on high energy sorghums. Check out the pictures and follow the link below to hear what KBTX News in Brian/College Station had to to report on the event.

Green Pickpup Stops Off in Texas

We have more information on that green pickup that runs off of biomass sorghum:

"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.

The Non-Maize Maze

Look at this video! In a twist on the traditional corn maze, Tom Mickles of Oklahoma is planting his money-making maze in sorghum sudangrass because it is too tall to see over and too thick to see through. Watch the video....

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.

Here's the story from EP Overviews:

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.

RFA Launches People & Places Ads

The Renewable Fuels Association has just launched a new advertising campaign called Faces and Places which highlights Hereford, Texas, "ethanol capitol of Texas." New ethanol plants in the area have boosted the economy with jobs and provided a high quality source of animal feed back to the millions of cattle in Hereford feedlots.

Faces - TV Ad from GoodFuels on Vimeo.

Places - TV Ad from GoodFuels on Vimeo.

These ads are part of RFA's new national campaign to tell ethanol's fantastic story. For one thing, ethanol blended in to the U.S. fuel supply lowers gasoline prices by 29 to 40 cents per gallon!

Conference Presentations

Presentations that were given at the International Conference on Sorghum for Biofuel in Houston last month have been posted at this address: http://www.ars.usda.gov/meetings/Sorghum/presentations.htm.

Houston Photos

The week in Houston has, of course, come to an end. But here are a few photos from the event and subsequent tours of Texas A&M University's facilities and Verenium's cellulosic conversion plant in Louisiana. Enjoy!

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.

Attendees had charter bus transportation to Texas A&M University in College Station, about an hour and a half's drive from Houston.

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.

Friday, attendees toured Verenium's cellulosic conversion plant at Jennings, Louisiana.

Energy cane, shown here, is used in the plant for conversion to ethanol. Thanks to Dominique Roche for the Verenium photographs.