RFA: Ethanol industry advances toward net-zero carbon emissions
Summary
Earlier this year, RFA surveyed its member producers and received responses from nearly all RFA member biorefinery facilities, representing a wide variety of sizes, plants with annual production capacities ranging from 35 to 150 million gallons. “We’re very happy to see the progress being made by RFA’s ethanol producer members toward the net-zero goal,” Hepner said. “Nearly 8 out of 10 facilities are on track to achieve net zero by 2050 or sooner, but there are some barriers that remain to be overcome, such as access to capital, policy and regulatory uncertainty, permitting challenges, and a lack of clear return on investment. As the nation’s leading trade association for renewable fuels, we have our work cut out for us, and we look forward to the challenge and the opportunity for success.” Among other findings to be presented: •All the survey facilities reported adopting at least one tracked carbon-reduction technology in recent years, and most have adopted more than one of these technologies and practices. •Nearly two-thirds of the plants have an approved Efficient Producer Pathway under the Renewable Fuel Standard.