A Station for Everyone
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Renewable Fuels Summit Features Cellulosic Ethanol

New corn fiber conversion technology could boost the number of gallons that Iowa ethanol plants can produce. That will be one of the topics at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit tomorrow.  Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw says a traditional ethanol plant turns the starch of a corn kernel into ethanol, while the rest goes to make other products. 

:13

“It goes on and becomes other products, either distiller’s grains, which is feed to livestock or take the corn oil off as well and sell it separately, either to livestock producers or sometimes it’s even used to produce biodiesal.”

Shaw says new technologies break down the much tougher molecular bonds in a kernal’s fiber to make cellulosic ethanol.  He says state and federal programs support the fuel because it has low carbon standards.  Shaw says it’s also a good use of corn fiber that cattle really don’t need.

80608RenewFuels.mp3
Monte Shaw of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association talks about the uses of cellulosic ethanol's byproducts.

:12

“They have plenty of fiber in their ration from other things, and it actually yields a much higher protein on a percentage basis of livestock feed that makes it more valuable.  So it looks like it’s going to be a real win-win.”

The Summit is being held tomorrow at Prairie Meadows in Altoona.  It’s free and open to the public.  To register, go to iowarfa.org/summit.

Related Content
  • President Obama has signed into law a program aimed at improving care and reducing wait times at Veteran’s Administration Clinics. It was co-sponsored by…
  • Standing Corn Snow FencesThe Iowa Department of Transportation has been putting up road signs to alert drivers about standing corn snow fences that help…