Facing the Future Head On
Tom Bryan, President & Editor, BBI International
August 16, 2023
BY Tom Bryan
Acknowledging the energy transition that’s occurring right now is a good way to ensure that we’re a big part of it. That is, talking about what’s happening is a smart strategy for the ethanol industry, but also a tricky one. Not everyone wants to openly discuss what’s coming—decarbonization, yes—but this whole thing is really about electrification, the rise of EVs. And frankly, our industry’s true concern should be ethanol’s role in the predicted EV world.
Fortunately, it looks like we have a plan. The posture we’ve taken as an industry is, first, that higher blends of ethanol can accomplish things EVs can’t—right now. Second, low-carbon liquid fuels will be needed for decades to come as electrification faces obstacles. And third, ethanol can be paired with electric (flex-fuel/EV hybrids) to achieve what neither can alone. So, we’re challenging assumptions about electrification while advocating for technology-neutral policy and sharing a vision of how ethanol and EVs might work together. This and other bright concepts about our industry’s future were discussed in detail during the general session of the 39th annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in June, which is recapped in “Front and Center at the FEW,” on page 18.
Advertisement
The tone of this year’s FEW, held in Omaha, Nebraska, was set by keynote speaker Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. Cooper engaged conference attendees on ethanol’s role in the energy transition and the hazards of ill-conceived policy moves toward universal electrification. He pointed out the true carbon intensity of EVs (and no, they are not net-zero) and called for a market-based approach to decarbonization instead of tipping the scales toward electric.
“Rather than trying to force prescriptive technologies onto a market that may not be ready for them, energy transition policy should adopt a technology-neutral approach that embraces the diverse portfolio of low-carbon transportation options,” Cooper told FEW attendees. “Let the marketplace do what the marketplace does. Let the market go to work, let the market solve its problem.”
Advertisement
While we keep challenging assumptions about the carbon intensity of EVs, U.S. ethanol producers continue to inch closer to their own net-zero future. And what’s cool about this is that a lot of innovation is happening at older, legacy plants. In our cover story, “Staying Power,” on page 34, we profile Adkins Energy LLC, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year but is doing anything but slowing down. Since 2002, the facility has continually gained new efficiencies and production volume, expanding from a nameplate of 33 MMgy to 60 MMgy today. Adkins has always been a trailblazer. The plant was built with the ability to generate its own electricity with CHP, and it made the bold move to integrate biodiesel production in 2014. Now, its management team is evaluating another daring venture—CO2-to-methanol production. It could be an interesting new chapter for Adkins, and potentially other producers. As Bill Howell, the plant’s general manager, tells us, “There are a lot of people hoping that we are successful.”
Finally, be sure to check out “Squaring Up Cybersecurity,” on page 28, which delivers a stark reminder that it’s not just your business systems that are at risk of cyber crime, but your actual plant operations. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to shore up your cyber defenses.
Author: Tom Bryan
Tom Bryan, President and Editor, BBI International
Published in the 2023 September issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine
Upcoming Events
