By Land, Sky, Sea … and Beyond
Summary
The latest issue includes stories about turning ethanol into low-carbon shipping fuel, the state of U.S. rail, pet food and aquaculture markets, and more. Before we’ve even fully wrapped our heads around the idea of sustainable aviation fuel taking our industry from ground to sky, our most underappreciated coproduct is suddenly poised to help decarbonize transport by sea. We usually pass on claims about turning carbon dioxide into fuel—we’ve all heard it before—but the news about Red River Energy LLC, a 36 MMgy ethanol plant in eastern South Dakota, partnering with Carbon Sink to produce green methanol for international shipping giant Maersk really grabbed our attention (I mean, what can’t ethanol become?). We detail this bold CCU play in “Tying Onto CO2 Utilization,” on page 14, explaining what motivated Red River Energy to welcome Carbon Sink onto its campus in lieu of CCS. After averting a national labor strike and starting to reverse notable declines in speed and service, the rail industry seems to be in recovery.