Guest columnist Brian Frye had a thought-provoking take on the future of the ethanol industry in the Sept. 15 Register. We agree that Iowa farmers are not doomed if ethanol plants don’t transition to sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, markets.
Yet, smart utilization of the CO2 from ethanol plants and other industries can lower the carbon intensity of the ethanol produced — for the good of the environment and the good of the industry’s future while taking key steps toward SAF.
SAF and pipelines are two separate issues with ties to the ethanol industry. Both pipelines that facilitate sequestration and CO2 utilization enhance the ability to participate in SAF, but neither is required and it confuses the issues to lump them together — they have very different costs and implementation issues.”
It is important to note that Iowa’s corn farmers and ethanol producers participating in SAF do not require the proposed carbon pipelines. Common terminology is to refer to the pipeline as “sequestration” — something very different than “utilization,” where the carbon intensity benefits are realized while also utilizing the CO2 for new low-carbon products. Both sequestration and utilization cut the carbon intensity, but only utilization produces new revenues. Carbon capture and utilization should be preferentially considered for the golden opportunities it presents, particularly with the production of green methanol, which wasn’t mentioned by Frye.