Nein nein die Fehler der Mods sind nicht korregiert worden hätte mich auch gewundert aber was solls.Sie stehen halt über allem und sind halt nicht selbstkritisch um eigene Fehlentscheidungen zuzugeben.
Nein mit Neuigkeiten meinte ich diese hier vom 10.01.2010 also vom WE.
Trucking along: Renewable energy industry waiting for resurgence
By MATTHEW WILDE, matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com | Posted: Sunday, January 10, 2010 5:45 am | (0) Comments
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Clouds of steam roll off warm DDG (dried distiller grain) at the Hawkeye Renewables ethanol plant near Fairbank Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010. (BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer)
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FAIRBANK - The state's renewable fuels industry is down, but not out.
Biodiesel and ethanol plants statewide had a rough 2008 and ‘09. Politics, volatile commodity and energy prices and crushing debt transformed a once thriving industry into one struggling for survival.
Congress allowed the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit to expire at the end of the year, essentially shuttering plants that turn soybeans, yellow grease and animal fat into fuel. Two more ethanol plants in the state filed for bankruptcy a few days before Christmas, bringing the total to at least seven in a little more than a year.
Bruce Babcock, an economics professor at Iowa State University, said it appears the state's biofuels industry isn't healthy. He said that may be true in some regards, but overall, there's reason to be optimistic.
"It's not a boom time by any means, but with mandates and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), things look bright," said Babcock, director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at ISU.
Congress assured demand for biofuels by passing the renewable fuels standard in 2005 and updating it in 2007.
The RFS requires 12.95 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be used this year, of which 650 million gallons needs to be biodiesel. By 2012, the requirement increases to 15.2 billion and 1 billion, respectively. By 2016, the RFS jumps to 22.25 billion gallons. Corn-based ethanol is heavily counted on the meet the requirement.
Officials said eagerly-awaited moves by the EPA and Congress could help the biodiesel industry.
The EPA will soon decide whether soybean-based biodiesel meets new greenhouse gas emission thresholds. A favorable ruling means it will be easier to meet the RFS since most plants are set up to utilize soybean oil. Officials said about 500 million gallons of biodiesel was produced last year, utilizing a fraction of the nation's production capacity.
Reinstatement of the biodiesel tax credit would provide an incentive to facilities to make biodiesel again. It can't compete financially with petroleum-based diesel without it.
Sen. Charles Grassley expects the tax credit to be renewed early this year. The Republican from New Hartford on Tuesday blamed Senate Democrats for ignoring legislation to extend the credit through 2010 while they focused on health care reform that wouldn't take affect for another four years. The House of Representatives passed the extension.
In the meantime, he said 23,000 jobs were lost nationwide because of plant closures.
"Right now with this tax credit not being renewed on Dec. 31, I think that every day is touch and go for biodiesel," Grassley said.
There's 18 biodiesel refineries in Iowa. Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said most shut down.
Shaw is skeptical closed facilities are financially strong enough to wait for Congress to act.
With bills to pay and no revenue coming in, he said bankruptcies could occur.
"For every week that goes by, that increases the likelihood that locally owned plants won't be owned locally anymore," Shaw said.
Cargill operates the only biodiesel plant in Northeast Iowa. Spokesman David Feider said it's producing fuel and there's no plans to stop or reduce staff.
Hawkeye Energy, the state's largest ethanol producer, put two of its four plants into bankruptcy citing too much debt. Facilities in Iowa Falls and Fairbank were turned over to bankers, though the company continues to operate and manage the plants. No employees or corn contracts were affected.
Staggering losses in 2008 and the first half of 2009 crippled the ethanol industry. High-priced corn coupled with low ethanol prices doomed refiners big and small.
Hawkeye CEO Bruce Rastetter said loans were taken out on the facilities in 2006 based on ethanol valued at $4.50 per gallon. Profit margins were about $2 per gallon at the time.
Today, he said the valuation is about $1 per gallon and profit margins are about 30 cents per gallon. Thus, plants aren't as valuable as they used to be.
According to court records, Hawkeye has between $500 million and $1 billion in debt compared to $250 million in assets.
"Biofuels aren't immune to the dynamic change in the economy," Rastetter said. "It's on ongoing issue with the industry. Financial restructuring is going on.
"We need an appropriate amount of debt to move forward," he continued. "No one got hurt and banks are going to turn the debt into equity."
Despite the latest bankruptcy filing, ethanol experts are excited about the future. Crush margins have stabilized, and profitability returned six months ago.
"There's lots of optimism right now," Shaw said. "Ethanol has turned the corner."
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