Green Vision, Heartland, NDSU partner in energy beet biofuels R&D

In North Dakota, Green Vision Group of Fargo, Heartland Renewable Energy of Muscatine, Iowa, and North Dakota State University have partnered in a $1 million R&D project to produce advanced biofuels from energy beets.

The $1 million phase II project includes $500,000 in funds from the North Dakota Renewable Energy Council, with approval from the North Dakota Industrial Commission, plus cash-match funds from industry partners Betaseed and Syngenta, and other in-kind contributions.

The project seeks to establish a U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency multiperil crop insurance program for energy beets; engineer and evaluate new front-end energy beet processing methods; expand regional energy beet research trials; scale up whole-energy beet and juice storage technology to enable year-round processing; and inform producers, community developers and the biofuel industry of the emerging opportunity.