July Stand Up with Stan

By: Stan Nelson

Stan Nelson is a farmer from Middletown, Iowa, and currently serves as the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) President.

In June, we had the honor of hosting a group of Vietnamese government officials and fuel industry professionals in Iowa. Their visit aimed to showcase how ethanol can play a role in meeting their goal of getting to net zero by 2050. 

Vietnam is considering expanding its E5 (5% ethanol) RON92 mandate to all gasoline grades, with a long-term goal of E10 (10% ethanol) blending. According to Chris Markey, U.S. Grains Council Deputy Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, this shift, coupled with the country’s projected double-digit growth in gasoline demand through 2030, could boost ethanol consumption by 400 percent, creating new demand of nearly 100 million gallons of ethanol consumption per year at an E5 level and nearly 200 million gallons per year at an E10 level. 

The mission began at the POET ethanol plant in Arthur, Iowa, the world’s largest biofuels producer. This stop allowed the Vietnamese delegation to see large-scale production practices firsthand. That same day, they visited the Iowa Fuels Lab to understand ethanol quality assurance processes here in the state.

The following day, the delegation met with Governor Kim Reynolds and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, who provided an overview of Iowa’s agriculture history, and the impact ethanol has on Iowa’s economy. After, they also learned about ethanol’s human health benefits from experts at the Hormel Institute and the American Lung Association.  The group also had the opportunity to meet with the Iowa Department of Revenue to understand how to incentivize ethanol use and heard from an industry expert on how to earn consumer acceptance of higher ethanol blends.

To conclude the visit, they toured Iowa Corn Growers Association District 9 Director Dan Kietzer’s farm, showcasing sustainable practices for growing raw materials for ethanol production, and attended the Iowa Corn 350 NASCAR Cup Series Race, demonstrating ethanol’s high-performance capabilities.

Hosting key customer and government decision maker delegations like this allows us, as farmers, to build trust in U.S. farming and ethanol production practices, laying the groundwork for increased future partnerships, building new demand for ethanol.  

Thank you,

Stan Nelson