Back to Basics: Ethanol 101
Join us for an insightful webinar to gain a basic understanding of the U.S. ethanol industry. This session, part of our ongoing “Back to Basics” series, will cover the foundational aspects of ethanol production and provide a brief history of the U.S. ethanol market, key drivers of growth, and regulatory frameworks such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and state-driven low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) shaping the industry, as well as voluntary carbon markets (VCM). We will also delve into the role of ethanol in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the impact of sustainable agricultural practices, and the latest advancements in ethanol process technology and feedstocks. This webinar is ideal for professionals seeking to gain basic knowledge of the ethanol sector and stay informed about the evolving landscape of renewable fuels.
KEY TOPICS:
- Overview of the U.S. ethanol industry, including ethanol feedstock types, the various roles within the ethanol value chain in the context of federal regulatory markets such as the RFS, state-driven low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) programs, and VCM, as well as a brief history of the market.
- Learn how ethanol is produced in a typical dry-mil ethanol plant and how facilities are maximizing the value from every kernel of corn processed in the fermentation process.
- Understand what a life-cycle analysis (LCA) is, carbon intensity (CI) scoring, why LCAs are needed to calculate CI scores, and why CI scores are important for ethanol producers to monetize credits and incentives like Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), LCFS credits, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits such as Section 45Z.
- Explore the critical role of sustainable agriculture practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, and conservation tillage, and learn how on-the-farm carbon reduction activities are helping impact the ethanol value chain.
- Gain insight into how innovative carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are being integrated into ethanol plant operations to lower the carbon footprint of their facilities and monetize federal and state credits and learn how EcoEngineers (Eco) helped one U.S. ethanol producer become the first in the nation to generate carbon dioxide (CO2) removal certificates (CORCs) in the VCM.
