Advanced Biofuels are high-energy liquid transportation fuels derived from: low nutrient input/high per acre yield crops; agricultural or forestry waste; or other sustainable biomass feedstocks including algae. The key word is “sustainable.”
A technical definition that …
Regulations, agency actions, funding and public comment opportunities
Political news and views from Capitol Hill.
Research and development from feedstocks to process and distribution
Legislation, regulation, innovative ideas and programs
Researchers at the University of Nevada have described a process to produce biodiesel from the fat content of feather meal, a waste product of the poultry industry. They estimate that this process can create 150−200 million gallons of biodiesel in the United States and 593.2 million gallons worldwide. READ MORE
by Senator John Thune (R-SD) (Politico) As Congress, the administration and the private sector look for ways to reduce our consumption of imported oil, we should not overlook the most readily available domestic alternative to …
While the effects of producing corn-based ethanol on water supply and water quality are fairly well understood, less is known about the effects of the next generation of biofuel feedstocks. … (L)ittle is known about …
by Justin S. Baker, et al. (Duke University) Emerging markets and a rapidly evolving agricultural industry will strongly impact the implementation of conservation programs in the United States. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the …
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy announced an estimated $3 billion for the development of renewable energy projects around the country and made available the guidance businesses will need …
by Will Brown (Tallahassee.com) … A city of Tallahassee pilot program converts old cooking oil to biodiesel in an attempt to save money and find alternative usages for cooking oils. … Of the 2,000 pieces of …
Biomass-to-energy company Chemrec is evaluating possible sites in the state of Georgia for developing integrated fuels-from-the-forest® black liquor gasification biorefineries at pulp and paper mills there. … Chemrec biorefineries transform mills into producers of biofuels or …
by Dr. James Hansen (HuffingtonPost) … For all its “green” aura, Waxman-Markey locks in fossil fuel business-as-usual and garlands it with a Ponzi-like “cap-and-trade” scheme. Here are a few of the bill’s egregious flaws:
It guts …
by Allison Winter (New York Times, ClimateWire) … Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and other members of his panel say they want to ensure any effort at wide-ranging climate legislation in the Senate will include all of …
by Nathanial Gronewold (Climatewire) Having helped companies explore the labyrinth of greenhouse gas regulation in Europe, the Big Four auditing and accounting firms are now moving quickly to build climate and carbon shops in the United States. …
by Mike Stark (AP, MSNBC) In December, DARPA awarded a $20 million contract to General Atomics and a $15 million contract to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), two San Diego-based research companies. The contracts ask the …
by Hanneke Brooymans (Edmonton Journal) …There are three different pieces to the city’s (Edmonton’s) efforts to convert garbage to fuel. The largest piece is a waste-to-biofuel plant, which will begin construction late this year. The plant …
byDavid Biello (Yale Environment 360) Biofuels – made from algae and non-food plants – are emerging as a potentially viable alternative to conventional jet fuels. Although big challenges remain, the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could …
by Fred Katerere (Bloomberg) Mozambique’s Companhia do Buzi and Galp Energia SGPS SA, from Portugal, plan to build a refinery in the country within the next ten years to produce fuel from jatropha and sunflowers, Noticias …
The Austrian company BDI - BioDiesel International AG has been commissioned by BioDiesel Amsterdam B.V. with the construction of a multi-feedstock BioDiesel plant in the port of Amsterdam. The contract value is about EUR 31 …
by Bob Moen (Forbes) … The business plan of KL Energy, which has been funded mostly through private investment, is to build plants based on its Upton (WY) model near forests around the country. The plants would produce …
Woody biomass from forest management is a renewable, low-carbon feedstock that can substitute for fossil fuels in the production of energy and other products — a potentially important tool in the national strategy to reduce …
Seambiotic, a global leader in the development and production of marine microalgae for the nutraceutical and biofuel industries, has announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Seambiotic USA, has entered into an agreement with NASA Glenn Research …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aquatic Energy unveiled significant progress in its pilot algae-to-energy project in the Lake Charles-Lafayette corridor of Louisiana. The company is now preparing to expand from a “couple of acre” pilot in …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Of all the hydrocarbons and simple sugars that can be made from biomass, or recovered from fossil reserves, gasoline, diesel and natural gas remain the most important end-products and are …
by Eric Bland (Discovery News) The genomes of 17 different ants, fungi and bacteria that eat through hundreds of pounds of leaf matter a year could ultimately lead to new techniques for making biofuels. Scientists from …
US Biofuels, Inc, a CA based company is setting to launch major green fuel production with recent gains of twelve greenhouses expanding over eight acres in size. Each greenhouse will be used for the purpose …
EPA is extending the comment period for the proposed rule “Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard Program.” Under the Federal Register Notice, published May 26, 2009. the public comment …
I am writing to you to express our deepest concern that the World Bank is failing developing countries in their desire to develop sustainable biofuels industries and relieve their crippling reliance on imported crude oil. …
by Tom Schneider (Carlsbad Current-Argus) … With the snipping of a ribbon, the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management moved its Algae Biofuels Project from pilot scale to the commercial demonstration level. Located …
by Nick Hodges (Green Chip Stocks) While attending the Renewable Energy Finance Forum Wall Street last week, I was almost surprised to see an entire discussion dedicated to how Big Oil plans on entering the …
“Without overcoming biomass recalcitrance, cellulosic biofuels will be more expensive than corn biofuels. Improved sugar conversion is not enough.” From the presentation by Martin Keller, Ph.D., Director of the BioEnergy Science Center describing the efforts …
A bill introduced in the New Zealand Parliament re-instates the legal framework for selling sustainable biofuels in New Zealand without violating World Trade Organization obligations. It does not distinguish between imported and locally produced biofuel, but requires …
Ag-Oil Announces Plan to Build and Operate a Pilot-Scale Non-Food Oilseed Biodiesel Production Facility and Algae-based Integrated Biorefinery Ag-Oil, has announced its plan to work with United Environment and Energy (UEE), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), …
(RenewableEnergyWorld) SRS Engineering Corporation has finalized a contract with ReNvision Biofuels Inc. to build its 10 million-gallon-per-year (MMGY) biodiesel plant in, Alberta, Canada. SRS Engineering Corp. will provide the complete design and engineering services and …
The US Department of Agriculture announced a Notice of Funding Availability to make payments to eligible biorefineries to encourage the use of renewable biomass as a replacement fuel source for fossil fuels used to provide …
In response to the climate change bill passed by the House on June 26, Senators Orin Hatch (R-Utah), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), David Vitter (R- La.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Mike Enzi …
by Susanne Retka Schill (CheckBiotech) Researchers at two centers in St. Louis are gearing up to launch five-year research programs on algae, backed by U.S. DOE grants. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center received $15 million …
The Brazilian government announced an accord with businessmen in the sugar industry to provide decent working conditions for the nation’s sugarcane cutters following criticism leveled by various human-rights organizations. “This will help tone down criticism of …
“The President has been very, very clear about this. He wants the biofuel industry to take hold in this country. He wants us to break our addiction to foreign oil. The only way we can …
The Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division has received a $49,873 grant from the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to explore the feasibility of sustainable biofuel crop production in Wyoming. The three-year SARE …
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman presented a roadmap for continued growth in Indiana agriculture. This publication updates the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s strategic plan and will guide that Department’s focus over the next four …
A “Gigaton Throw Down Initiative Team” evaluated the potential for the world to scale up clean energy technologies over the next 10 years to have a major impact on job growth, energy independence and climate …
Chromatin Inc. announced today that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide research and commercial license agreement with Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. for Chromatin’s proprietary gene stacking technology in sugar cane.
Chromatin has developed a novel approach …
by Ariel Schwartz (FastCompany) Hemp, soy, mustard, sunflower and palm oil can all be used to make biofuels, so why not elephant dung and World War Two-era fungus? Copenhagen-based Danisco A/S is using the fungus, …
EPA is granting California’s waiver request enabling the state to enforce its greenhouse gas emissions standards for new motor vehicles, beginning with the current model year. … The first California waiver request was made in …
by Gal Luft (EnerPub) … The bill’s renewable electricity mandate, which requires utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, would discourage the use of coal and natural gas, but …
By a margin of 219 to 212, the American clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 passed the US House of Representatives on Friday evening, June 26. The next stop is the US Senate where, because it is …
Dr. Charles Fishel, Chairman of Abundant Biofuels Corporation, noted that “There are about 100 biodiesel refineries operating below capacity and another 47 idle refineries in the United States, alone.” To help solve this problem, Abundant …
by Jason Szep (Reuters) From the outside, the rustic red-brick mill on a bend in Maine’s Penobscot River resembles any other struggling American pulp and paper mill. But along with its usual business of pulp-making, the …
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA Rural Development has approved a $25 million loan to enable a Minnesota biodiesel facility to diversify its operations and significantly expand the production of advanced biofuels. “The …
Amyris Brasil Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Ltda., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc., today announced the opening of the Amyris Renewable Products Demonstration Facility in Campinas. The facility, located in the midst of the …
by Doug Dollemore, American Chemical Society
Fast and green. That’s what it takes to get to the winner’s circle in a new type of auto racing. Called green racing, it’s a meshing of the fast and …
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson issued the following statement on an agreement with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.
“We have reached …
by Rudy A. Fernandez, Checkbiotech Rural households can increase their income by growing jatropha. Attesting to this is a study done by the University of the Philippines Los Baños-College of Forestry and Natural Resources …
by Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association It is troubling–and, at the same time, sadly amusing–that an enterprising reporter at USA Today has done more homework on the possible indirect effects of increased renewable electricity generation …
Efforts continue to amend federal policy and widen the availability of renewable biomass resources that would be available from agriculture and forestry to meet the nation’s renewable energy goals. A number of advocacy groups and …
by Biofuels Digest special correspondent Scott Miller A showdown is looming in the California State Senate this summer over an issue that is at the heart of the nationwide drive to develop and deploy bioenergy …
by Dr. Robert Wisner, Biofuels Economist, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Iowa State University The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (1) requires a gradual increase in the volume of various kinds of biofuels to …
Pacific Bio-Fields Holdings Plc said it has received approval to use 400,000 hectares of land to plant coconut trees in the Philippines to make alternative auto fuel, which it aims to sell to Japanese users …
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Buckeye Technologies Inc. and Myriant Technologies LLC (formed by BioEnergy International, LLC) have announced plans for a research and demonstration plant that will explore ways …
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this RFI to solicit feedback on the Draft “National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap” Document. This Draft Roadmap was prepared by a working group commissioned by DOE. Feedback …
Jatropha has been labeled the most likely crop for future biofuels. However, it suffers from low seed yield and high plant growth. A comprehensive series of trials has been conducted in Indonesia using AuStar’s paclobutrazol to …
At the Paris Air Show, Boeing and a series of partners involved in four biofuels-based test flights released the data from the tests, and said that with the release they are on a path towards …
Green Gold Ray Energies, Inc., aims to double its jatropha crude oil output by 2011 through continuous increase yields of jatropha feedstocks, while the company increases its jatropha plantations. The jatropha plantations are expanding from …
by Jane Burgermeister (Renewable Energy World) Germany’s chemical industry — the world’s third biggest — depends on fossil fuels for its products. But a new research center to be built in Germany’s industrial heartland Leuna in …
Biofuels Manufacturers of Illinois believes that Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) has the potential to go from “weed to wonder-fuel”. The company is working with farmers, university and government researchers to transform Pennycress into an advanced energy …
Instead of bringing sufficient supplies of biomass to processing facilities, Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., proposes taking decentralized enzymatic conversion units to the crops. Following the model of wheat harvesting combines that follow the harvest season, …
EdeniQ, a California-based technology company serving the global biofuels industry, announced that it has begun a multi-year, field-to-fuel trial to evaluate low-carbon, non-food energy crops, like switchgrass, in California’s Central Valley. The company’s pilot-scale field …
Emerging Markets has released Algae 2020 a 460-page study on algae biofuels markets, strategies and the commercialization outlook. The Algae 2020 study observes algal biomass can produce multiple fuels from a single feedstock, including biodiesel …
Biofuels Digest published a special report on algae biofuels and CO2 sources, including an analysis of power plant fuel gas.
“In the world of biofuels, algae is under the spotlight” writes Biofuels Digest special correspondent Sam …
One of the most exciting developments for aviation is the use of sustainable biofuels to replace the standard kerosene, or Jet-A, fuel that is currently being used. It is clear that our industry’s dependence on …
Biofuels Digest summarizes conversations from its LinkedIn Group about development of Chilean coastal algae and biodiesel developments in other South American countries. READ MORE
An engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth around US$ 60 million for building a bio-ethanol plant was signed between the Petrolchemical and Bio Fuel Joint Stock Company (PVB) under the National Oil and Gas …
Plans for a new cellulosic ethanol research and demonstration plant to be built by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are being revamped for a location closer to Gainesville.
IFAS officials announced …
Agragen, a leader in using biotechnology to modify Camelina sativa to increase agronomically desirable traits, announces the acquisition of intellectual property rights that will increase oil content in the second generation oilseed crop. Through an …
by Nidaa Bakhsh. (Bloomberg) — Ensus Ltd. is preparing to start production at Britain’s first wheat-based bio-ethanol plant as the country increases requirements for cleaner-burning fuel. “Construction is nearly complete” on the plant at Wilton in …
The Ensus Group is building Europe’s largest wheat refinery at Wilton on Teesside in North East England. When completed in 2009, it will use locally grown animal feed wheat to produce over 400 million litres …
Sudan will begin producing ethanol from sugar cane with a target of 200 million litres in two years, President Omar al-Beshir said on Wednesday at the inauguration of a new plant. State company Kenana, which …
From today, customers at a Shell service station will become the first in the world to fill their tanks with gasoline containing advanced biofuel made from wheat straw.
For one month starting June 10, the regular …
Shell is demonstrating its commitment to fuels innovation and the development of sustainable, low-carbon fuels with the blending of 10% cellulosic ethanol into its Shell V-Power race fuel at the 24 Hours of Le Mans …
Following highly successful editions in Bangkok, Singapore and New Delhi, the 4th annual Biofuels Markets & Jatropha Asia will take place in Jakarta. Over 40 leading biofuels and jatropha thought leaders will provide expert insight …
Metso and UPM have developed a new concept for the production of biomass-based bio-oil to replace fossil fuels in heating and power generation. Test production will begin at Metso’s test plant in Tampere, Finland, in …
by Lisa Gibson, Biomass Magazine. Brazil could produce 4.6 billion to 8.2 billion liters (1.2 billion to 2.2 billion gallons) of biofuel from sugarcane residue by 2020, in addition to that made from sugar itself, …
“Novozymes’ latest products for second-generation ethanol production are much better than anything previously seen on the market,” says Cynthia Bryant, Global Marketing Manager, Biomass industry at Novozymes. “While this in itself is a giant leap …
In Washington, National Biodiesel Board public affairs heard Manning Feraci said that the EISA Act required the EPA to conduct a lifecycle analysis of biofuels as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard’s implementation, but said …
Large uncertainties in calculating international land use change effects and associated greenhouse gas emissions remain in the Environmental Protection Agency’s life cycle assessment of biofuels for the Renewable Fuel Standard. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) …
ATI Petroleum, a petroleum exploration management and operations company, announced that the US Department of Commerce awarded the first patent on bioreactor technology to ATI Petroleum. The bioreactor technology was created through a collaborative effort with …
Lignol Energy Corporation a cellulosic ethanol and biorefining company, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd., has been awarded $3.4 million in funding to produce cellulosic ethanol and other biochemical products from under-utilized forest …
Lignol Energy Corporation, a cellulosic ethanol and biorefining company, announced it has completed the first end-to-end production of cellulosic ethanol from its fully integrated industrial-scale biorefinery pilot plant in Burnaby, British Columbia.
This production of cellulosic ethanol …
The government is not serious in supporting the development of biofuel as an alternative energy source in the country, a biofuel researcher said. “There is no point in developing biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel …
Minnesota legislation currently requires 5% biodiesel content in all diesel fuel sold in the state, with provisions to increase that total to 20% by 2012. 80 million gallons of biodiesel will be needed by 2012. …
by Mike Levine. A radical twin-fuel engine from Ford, code-named “Bobcat,” that variably blends gasoline and ethanol on demand to realize diesel-like performance continues to make steady progress in its development, according to presentations made …
USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service has confirmed that the Colombian government has issued a decree that beginning in 2012 all new vehicles must bear E-85 flex-fuel technology. Biofuels blend goals of E-10 and B-5 are expected …
by Bas Vlugt. ‘The Sustainer is a containerised installation which can be used in rural areas to convert oil-bearing crops and seeds into edible oil and biodiesel. The seeds are stored in an integrated bunker …
In California, SG Biofuels announced that it has identified multiple strains of cold tolerant Jatropha capable of thriving in climates outside the crop’s traditional subtropical habitat. The strains are included among thousands of variations of …
by Dan Looker. Talking to reporters, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) said he doubts that the final rule from the Environmental Protection Agency on a new renewable fuel standard will have the same use …
by Ron Kotrba. A group of Spanish developers working under the company name Ecofasa, headed by chief executive officer and inventor Francisco Angulo, has developed a biochemical process to turn urban solid waste into a …
Speaker Nancy Pelosi met the House Agriculture Committee chairman Collin Peterson to discuss the climate change bill that he opposes but which is a priority for House Democrats this year. … Peterson announced opposition to the …
by Susan Wilson. Algae has been cultivated primarily as a source of biofuel, but Renewed World Energies (RWE) is taking it one step further. The company wants to clean up power plant and industrial plant …
by Susanne Retka Schill. Western Biofuels Inc. released the results of an independent validation test and announced plans to build a 1.4 MMgy demonstration plant for a new biofuel process. Fuel chemist Nicholas Irving, president …
Industrial-scale production of bioenergy from algae, or seaweeds, can be expected in 10 to 15 years, helping Europe to reach its green energy targets, the top official at a newly created bioenergy body said on …
Being a standard-bearer requires heroic endeavors, and perhaps inevitably, epic miscalculations as well. This is the situation of the California Air Resources Board (ARB) in its recent announcement of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard for …
Gold Star Biofuels a subsidiary of Gold Star Farms Ltd., is cultivating five million acres of land in Ghana to plant jatropha for the production of biofuels for export. According to the firm it has …
Ghana is becoming the Jatropha centre in Africa south of the Sahara. The attraction which the country has as a welcoming place for investors interested in the wonder plant, Jatropha which hopefully, would be the …
A shuttered pulp mill at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan could be the new site for a facility to make cellulosic ethanol from farmers’ cereal straw. Saskatchewan’s provincial government on Monday inked a letter of intent with …
