How instrumentation is driving the US biofuel boom

From the cornfields of the Midwest to the renewable diesel hubs of the Gulf Coast, North America’s biofuel sector is rapidly evolving.  

By Jed Thomas

As the U.S. and Canada push toward net-zero goals and energy independence, biofuels are gaining ground.

Not just as alternatives to fossil fuels but as complex industrial products that demand the same rigour and precision found in traditional petrochemical operations. 

At the heart of this transformation is instrumentation.  

From flow meters to emissions analysers and plant-wide control systems, smart sensing and monitoring are enabling biofuel producers to scale, innovate, and prove their environmental credentials.  

For professionals in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, the lessons from this sector are becoming increasingly relevant, and increasingly familiar. 

The shift from basic to smart monitoring 

North American ethanol producers like POET, ADM, and Valero built their early success on relatively simple process designs.  

But today’s facilities, whether producing corn ethanol, renewable diesel, biogas, or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), are data-driven and sensor-saturated. 

Modern plants incorporate instrumentation from the ground up or retrofit older sites with digital infrastructure to match: 

• Vibration sensors now flag bearing failures in milling equipment before breakdowns occur.  

• Flow meters and pressure sensors are standard in fermentation tanks and distillation columns.  

• NIR spectroscopy ensures ethanol purity and water content.  

In newer renewable diesel units, the process looks even more like petroleum refining: high-pressure hydrotreaters are instrumented with temperature, hydrogen and sulphur sensors to maintain safe and efficient operations. 

These instruments aren’t just monitoring, they’re part of a wider ecosystem of automation, predictive analytics, and integrated control systems.  

Distributed control systems (DCS), safety instrumented systems (SIS), and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) platforms enable remote monitoring and real-time response across entire production sites. 

Safety monitoring in biofuel production

Biofuels may be greener than crude oil, but they bring their own hazards.  

Ethanol is highly flammable and volatile. Methanol, commonly used in biodiesel production, is toxic.  

High-pressure hydrogen systems in renewable diesel and SAF plants require rigorous containment and control. 

In response, North American producers are investing heavily in safety instrumentation. Gas detectors monitor for ethanol and hydrogen leaks.  

Pressure relief valves and temperature sensors are interlocked with emergency shutdown systems.  

Flameproof enclosures and explosion-proof instrumentation are standard in classified zones. 

Some facilities are also adopting remote proof-testing of safety systems, reducing the need for human entry into hazardous zones.  

Coupled with predictive maintenance, this not only improves safety but reduces downtime, a critical concern as many producers ramp up to meet tightening regulatory timelines and rising demand. 

Monitoring carbon and proving it 

One of the defining features of the North American biofuels market is its carbon accounting.  

Under programs like the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), producers must measure and report the carbon intensity (CI) of their fuels.  

That means every instrument that measures energy, mass flow, emissions, or by-product reuse plays a role in compliance and profitability. 

Take ethanol fermentation: by capturing and reusing CO₂, producers can lower their CI scores.  

But that requires precision instruments – flow meters, CO₂ purity sensors, pressure and temperature gauges – to monitor the collection, compression, and utilization process. 

In renewable diesel and SAF production, lifecycle emissions hinge on exact control of feedstock processing, hydrogen use, and waste handling, all of which depend on detailed real-time data. 

To manage this complexity, many producers now rely on centralized operations centers that integrate sensor data from across their fleet of facilities.  

Software platforms like AVEVA’s Unified Operations Center, paired with instruments from Emerson, Yokogawa, or Endress+Hauser, enable engineers to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), detect inefficiencies, and tweak processes remotely. 

New frontiers for sensors in biogas and beyond 

North America is also seeing a rapid expansion of renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, made from landfill gas, agricultural waste, and wastewater.  

These facilities present their own instrumentation challenges: high levels of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), variable moisture content, and corrosive gases. 

To manage this, operators use specialized gas analyzers, corrosion-resistant probes, and battery-powered wireless sensors for remote monitoring.  

Continuous monitoring of methane, CO₂, and H₂S ensures the gas meets pipeline specifications and alerts operators to digester imbalances or dangerous leaks. 

In many cases, sensor data also feeds into carbon credit verification systems.  

Accurate methane capture and use is rewarded under LCFS and RFS programs, meaning precision measurement isn’t just operational, it’s financial. 

Proving sustainability 

Sustainability claims are only as good as the data that backs them up.  

That’s why many North American biofuel producers are using instrumentation to demonstrate measurable improvements in water use, waste management, and energy efficiency. 

Ethanol plants, for example, now reuse process water multiple times, with online sensors tracking turbidity, conductivity, and organic load.  

Biodiesel producers use heat exchangers and thermal sensors to recover waste heat, lowering energy use per litre. And many facilities use mass balance systems that integrate flow meters, level sensors, and analytical devices to precisely track inputs and outputs. 

These technologies are key to achieving and proving compliance with voluntary certifications like ISCC, as well as state and federal mandates. 

The digitalisation of biofuels

The future of biofuels in North America is closely tied to digital transformation.  

Whether it’s scaling up SAF production, integrating carbon capture, or switching to cellulosic feedstocks, the complexity of next-generation biofuels will demand even more from sensors and control systems. 

Expect to see increased adoption of edge computing, AI-based predictive maintenance, and digital twins of biorefineries—all dependent on robust and accurate instrumentation. 

For professionals in oil and gas, the biofuel boom represents both a shift in energy and a convergence of technologies.  

The same skillsets and tools used in petrochemical plants are being adapted to a new generation of renewable fuels, ones that must be not just produced, but measured, monitored, and certified at every turn.