Article Archive for November 2009
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels Digest provides a quick overview of Big Oil’s current investments in advanced biofuels. READ MORE
(Newsobserver) Piedmont Biofuels Industrial will receive a $139,249 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for innovative clean energy research and development, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan announced. …
Piedmont Biofuels will use the money to develop biodiesel …
With financial support of DOE and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, the bilateral BIRD Foundation Energy Executive Committee has competitively selected four cooperative clean energy projects in the United States and Israel. This initiative …
by Grace Azubuike (Leadership Nigeria) The cassakero project has targeted the installation of 10,000 small scale bio-ethanol refineries in the 36 states of Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over the next four years …
(MercoPress) United States corporation Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) has founded a subsidiary, BAL Chile, through which the company has already begun cultivating 100 hectares of seaweed on the island of Chiloé, with the aim of …
…I’m here to talk about the role of advanced biofuels and why at BP we believe we need to get them into the market sooner. We believe this is necessary if biofuels are to fulfil …
(Biofuels Digest) Allegations concerning falsified and suppressed documents relating to climate change and peak oil have been leveled on several fronts this week, creating fears that the debate over fossil fuels and its replacements may …
(GreenAirOnline) A conference held by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concluded last week in Rio de Janeiro with the formation of the Global Framework on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (GFAAF). It will take the …
by Dina Fine Maron (New York Times Greenwire) Seaweed holds promise as more than an ingredient in a purifying face mask or a maki roll. So say researchers at E.I. du Pont de Nemours & …
(Biofuels International) …Thailand’s energy minister says the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a biofuels hub with the potential to become the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) of biofuels.
Wannarat Channukul says Indonesia and …
The Bioeconomy to 2030: Designing a Policy Agenda begins with an evidence-based technology approach, focusing on biotechnology applications in primary production, health, and industry. It describes the current status of biotechnologies and, using quantitative analyses …
(Checkbiotech) A new OECD report, The Bioeconomy to 2030: Designing a Policy Agenda, proposes that biotechnology is the key to tacking future global challenges. Biotechnology has great potential, which has been already demonstrated in the …
by Ian Talley (Wall Street Journal)
Legislation under consideration on Capitol Hill, including a climate bill and renewable fuel mandate, may give the industry the financial boost it needs to jump from the research and development …
by Brett Clanton (Houston Chronical) … Losing the biodiesel tax incentive would be another blow to an industry that has closed many plants this year and slashed jobs amid rising costs of raw materials, weak domestic …
Now in its 26th year, the FEW provides the global ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. The FEW is the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the …
On November 12, 2009, some three years after a first exploratory multi-stakeholder meeting was held at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels has released Version One of its international standard for …
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. announced today that it is working with CHOREN, an international leader in Biomass to Liquids technology, to optimize energy crops for thermochemical conversion to advanced low-carbon biofuels. The two-year bioenergy …
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The former Xethanol LLC ethanol production facility in Blairstown, Iowa, has been purchased by Fiberight LLC and will soon be producing cellulosic ethanol at a demonstration scale. The company …
Held during the gala dinner on day two of World Biofuels Markets 2010, the awards are designed to recognise the companies who have had the biggest positive impact on their environment and on the wider society.
Categories …
by Paul Argryropoulos (EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality) This presentation given at the Cellulosic Biofuels Summit November 2009, provides the EPA OTAQ perspective on issues pertinent to discussions related to the Renewable Fuel Standard and its …
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites nominations from a diverse range of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC). The FRRCC is a …
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today operated its first ever passenger flight powered by sustainable biokerosene. To give an extra impulse to sustainable air transport, KLM today also joined hands with North Sea Petroleum and Spring …
… Unfortunately, many of the federal government’s existing policies exempt algae from receiving benefits similar to those enjoyed by other biofuels. Such oversight can be easily remedied if the government takes the following actions:
1. Financial …
The California Energy Commission has awarded a $1 million grant to UC Riverside’s College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) to build a process demonstration unit (PDU) to convert biosolids to clean synthetic …
(AllAfrica) Mozambican Brazilian, and Southern African business people are meeting for two days in Maputo to look into investment opportunities for producing biofuels, particularly ethanol, from sugar cane in Mozambique.
The meeting is organized by the …
(AllAfrica Editorial) … Rwanda entered a groundbreaking agreement with two international firms Eco-fuels Global LLC, from the United States and Eco Positive Ltd from the UK. The two firms will invest $250 million to grow Jatropha …
Green Biologics continues to expand its business in China, based on the success of its strategy of working with the new generation of biobutanol producers established in China. As part of this strategy Green Biologics …
(Drayson Racing) Drayson Racing concluded its inaugural season by accomplishing one of its founding objectives: win the Michelin ® Green X Challenge ®. The award for the most efficient and competitive performance in an Automobile …
by Mary Grady (AVWeb) Embraer and General Electric will flight-test a renewable jet fuel by early 2012, the companies said. They plan to use a renewable biofuel made from sugar cane, developed by Amyris Biotechnologies, …
Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, called on the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to allow the public to comment on documents pertaining to their low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) rulemaking that were not …
by Jim Brumm (Star News) The governor’s office said that Alganomics is one of 18 small companies that will receive grants to develop and market promising green and alternative energy technologies and products. Alganomics will …
by Bruce V. Bigelow (XconomySanDiego) As startups developing next-generation biofuels emerge in San Diego, Boston, and elsewhere, a business model for rapidly expanding to commercial-scale operations already can be found in the biotech industry, experts …
(AllAfrica.com) Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) has signed a N56 billion contract with the Cassava Agro Industries Services Ltd (CAISL) for the supply of 8 million tons of cassava tubers to the national Cassakero cooking …
by Bill Caesar and Thomas Vanhoutte (McKinsey Quarterly) … But in the United States, next-generation ethanol likely won’t get from the bio-refinery to the retail service station pump in a cost-effective manner unless the biofuels industry …
(Tennessean) A panel of state lawmakers approved plans to amend a $70 million research effort to produce ethanol in East Tennessee, blaming a lack of communication for a hearing two weeks ago in which some …
by Cristen Conger (Discovery News MSNBC.com) Although algae is currently the most energy-dense biofuel source, the cost of producing algae oil is prohibitively expensive. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the biofuel would cost around …
POET announced that cost reductions achieved over the past year of operating their cellulosic ethanol pilot plant have exceeded expectations in their drive to commercialize the process. Reductions in energy usage, enzyme costs, raw material …
by Emma Ritch (CleanTech Group) Denmark’s Inbicon today opened its first demonstration facility producing cellulosic ethanol, but potential customers will have to wait. Inbicon has already sold its first year of production to Statoil, which plans …
(AFP) Alternative fuels could power 15 percent of global air traffic by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030, European aircraft-maker Airbus said at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday. “If we get the right sources, it …
… The goals of this project were to produce biodiesel from a wide variety of feedstocks and to provide the characteristics of both the feedstock and biodiesel. The project is unique because it encompasses an …
by Bob Brooks (Automotive Industries) Recent news that a 5-member team plans commercialization of $1/gal (commodity cost) ethanol from algae, coincides with information that Ricardo engineers have developed a spark ignited engine able to sense …
… The scale of denial is breathtaking. For as Heinberg’s analysis makes depressingly clear, there will be NO combination of alternative energy solutions that might enable the long term continuation of economic growth, or of …
(UPI) … University of Illinois scientists, led by agricultural engineering researcher Esha Khullar, said the wet ethanol process involves soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, resulting in more gallons of ethanol … and better …
by Yvonne Chan (BusinessGreen.com) Australian biofuel specialist MBD Energy is poised to unveil a new facility that it claims will be the world’s largest refinery for producing algae-based biofuels and high-protein livestock feed. The Melbourne-based …
(Reuters) Indian sugar firms are seeking a higher price for ethanol to ensure steady supplies to oil firms which blend the liquid with petrol, a senior industry official said. Diminishing cane output and rising sugar …
by Kevin Clark (Sunderland Echo) The move to electric vehicles being spearheaded on Wearside could lead to a rise in greenhouses gases, claims a new report. The Environmental Transport Association (ETA), which campaigns for sustainable …
(FarmOnline, Australia) Higher productivity per acre among those US farmers providing feedstock for ethanol will meet the increased demand for petrol-ethanol blends this year. Those familiar with the US agriculture sector’s long history of productivity …
Frontier Renewable Resources, the Michigan-based company building the state’s first cellulosic ethanol plant in the Upper Peninsula, has provided a $2-million grant designed to strengthen the sustainable wood fiber supply, develop greater efficiencies in the …
Join us for the Biomass Program’s third-annual conference Biomass 2010, and find out how biomass—from research and development of advanced biofuels to biorefinery demonstration and job creation—can fuel our future. Building on topics explored at …
(Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the Journal of the American Society for Microbiology) Directed evolution approaches were used to construct a thermally stabilized variant of Erwinia chrysanthemi pectin methylesterase A. The final evolved enzyme has four …
by Sharon Begley (Newsweek) Interview with Al Gore: … But next-generation biofuels are a different story, he says. “The pathway that I think is likely to be the winner is enzymatic hydrolysis, which essentially uses engineered enzymes …
(Renewable Energy Magazine) In this, Renewable Energy Magazine’s latest in-depth interview, Mark Emalfarb describes the interesting path that led him to develop Dyadic’s patented C1 technology platform and his thoughts on the future of the …
The conference will once again bring the biomass industry’s diverse sectors together focusing not only on supply chain improvements to make the supplies accessible, but also on technological advancements to help them perform better.
A unique …
(Science Daily) In the quest to make hydrogen as a clean alternative fuel source, researchers have been stymied about how to create usable hydrogen that is clean and sustainable without relying on an intensive, high-energy …
BP has added to its web site page on dedicated energy crops a video describing cellulosic ethanol and BP’s cellulosic refinery projects. View the video.
See also BP’s video on sustainable biofuels development with a focus …
(The Hindu) New data show that the balance between airborne and absorbed Carbon dioxide has stayed approximately constant since 1850, despite emissions of CO2 having risen from about 2 billion tons a year in 1850 …
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy today announced projects selected for more than $24 million in grants to research and develop technologies to produce biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products. Of the $24.4 million …
(FarmOnline; North Queensland Register)
Not enough cellulosic ethanol may be produced to fill the United States proposed 100 million gallon mandate for 2010, prompting a rethink from officials. At a recent conference, Environmental Protection Agency Office …
(TradingMarkets.com) The Government of Canada announced Tuesday that it would invest up to C$77.75 million over seven years to help support ethanol production in Saskatchewan, said National Resources Canada in a press release November 10. …
by Mark Barkoviak (Daily Tech) The United States Air Force hopes to conduct research related to alternative fuels that could one day help the military transition away from gasoline. The $2.5 million Assured Aerospace Fuels …
by Anna Austin (Biomass Magazine)Valerie Reed of the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy talked about the direction the DOE is taking to accelerate the development of algae-based biofuels at the Pacific …
(Marketwire) The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its 2009 World Energy Outlook, which confirms the growing need for low carbon biofuels to increase global energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) relative to petroleum.
The …
by Craig A. Johnson (Biomass Magazine) At the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison, Wis., researchers are looking to leafcutter ants for new enzymatic processes that will further progress to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. Leafcutter …
Field investigations by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Telapak reveal that ill-prepared indigenous Papuan communities are being enticed, tricked and sometimes coerced into releasing large swathes of forested land to powerful conglomerates, backed by …
As bioenergy policies are increasingly being adopted by governments, it is important for decision makers to have the most up to date information on the science and debate surrounding modern bioenergy. UNEP is responding to …
Published by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Jatropha Production Technology gives straight-forward answers to frequently asked questions about cultivating and using jatropha curcas for commercial applications. READ MORE
Growing Beyond Oil: Sustainable Growth For Canada
What a difference a year makes. Last year, we gathered at the Canadian Renewable Fuels (CRFA) summit in the face of record high oil prices, a healthy world economy, …
Entirely focused on biomass utilization in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada, Biomass Magazine’s Pacific West BIOMASS Conference & Expo will connect the region’s current and future producers of biomass-derived heat, power and fuels with …
The algae biofuels industry is comprised of many pathways to produce fuels from algae and is developing rapidly, with most companies operating in “stealth” mode. This makes measuring progress toward the promise of algae extremely …
by Mark Riedy, et al (Mintz Levin) This presentation focuses on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Act) with emphasis on “green” energy elements. It dealves into US Department of Energy loan guarantee programs and tax …
Despite the improved efficiency of vehicles, ships and aircraft, and the use of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, there has been a 175 percent increase in gallons of fuel used per day, per United States …
From July of next year, fuel suppliers in Ireland will have to include an average of 4% biofuels (fuels derived from sustainable sources) in their annual fuel sales. The Obligation will be on the companies in …
Joule Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced a major step forward in its development of renewable fuels, achieving direct microbial conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy.
Joule is advancing a …
(Science Daily) … (I)n two studies published online in Genome Research, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Health Care Bill passed the US House of Representatives and included – as part of a 42-page “manager’s amendment”, a provision striking a biofuel tax credit used …
(GreenairOnline.com) KLM has announced that it will conduct a demonstration flight on November 23 in which one of the four engines of a Boeing 747 will be powered by a blended mixture of 50 percent …
Ensuring a sustainable supply of woody biomass for the state’s first cellulosic ethanol plant is the goal of a research partnership between Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University supported by Frontier Renewable Resources, of …
The FDA today approved the inclusion of omega 3-rich Camelina meal in cattle feed. Under the guidelines, the FDA says that up 10 percent of Camelina in cattle feed is satisfactory, providing the potential for …
HUMMER announced updates to the 2010 HUMMER H3 and H3T midsize all-terrain vehicles including the addition of three new exterior colors and an available E85 Flex Fuel capable 5.3L V8 engine as part of its …
by David Adam (Guardian)
The carbon dioxide emissions caused by the destruction of tropical forests have been significantly overestimated, according to a new study. The work could undermine attempts to pay poor countries to protect forests …
Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) issued the following statement on the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit Act of 2009. Congressman Van Hollen introduced the legislation yesterday to improve and enhance the existing cellulosic biofuel …
Most land-use changes occurring in the continental United States reduce vegetative cover and raise regional surface temperatures, says a new study by scientists at the University of Maryland, Purdue University, and the University of Colorado …
by Chris Kraul (LA Times) Who could resent the attention being showered on electric cars? Stylish and clean, they’re the darling of the renewable-energy crowd, which is hailing the scheduled rollout of several e-powered models next …
(Reuters) Oil major Royal Dutch Shell has sold its shareholding in German second-generation biofuels company Choren. … Choren is building Germany’s first biofuels plant using new generations of non-food raw materials as feedstock and is …
… A joint $3.3 million project led by Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and involving the University of Adelaide in South Australia, now leads world algae biofuel research after more than 12 months of …
Neste Oil and St1 have begun working together on a fuel project as part of the TransEco development program coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The project will focus on developing cost-efficient solutions …
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by Ronald G. Bray (SRI Consulting) The majority of the biodiesel production facilities utilize a homogeneous alkaline catalyst, either sodium hydroxide or sodium methoxide. Axens has commercialized a process for the production of biodiesel via …
by Sukhpreet Manchanda (TopNews) Dutch KLM will be the first airline to fly a passenger flight using bio-diesel. The Boeing 747 flight, carrying a limited number of passengers, will take off on November 23 using …
by Christine Costello, et al. (Environmental Science and Technology)
Many studies have compared corn-based ethanol to cellulosic ethanol on a per unit basis and have generally concluded that cellulosic ethanol will result in fewer environmental consequences, including …
by Mike Musgrove (Washington Post) Plastic soda bottles, Big Gulp cups and empty sour cream containers get fed into the top of the three-story machine. About 10 minutes later, out the other side comes a …
by Scott Smith (Kokomo Tribune, Ind., Waterworld) Microorganisms, it seems, can live in about anything — including diesel fuel. That’s why it’s taken the city of Kokomo several months to — quite literally — work …
by Katie Howell (New York Times/Greenwire) Backers of algae-based biofuels tout the simplicity of their feedstock. Sunlight and water are all that’s needed to convert carbon dioxide into fuel. Now, some scientists are testing the …
Robert L. Scragg, the inventor of the Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine (“DCGT”) engine and founder of Alpha Engines Corporation, has received confirmation that the National Stage Application for an advanced version of the DCGT engine …
by Eva Cohen (Winnepeg Free Press) The Manitoba government has looked into harvesting algae to help reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg, but concluded it is just not feasible right now. Commercial algae harvesting, being …
by Jan Battles (The Sunday Times) It will be centuries before Belarus is completely free from the radio-activity that fell after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 23 years ago. But an Irish company has come up …
The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) today responded to a report on biofuels produced by the United Nation’s International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management. The report, “Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels”, …
Farmers today witnessed the rapid progress being made toward solving a key challenge to commercial cellulosic ethanol production: establishing the feedstock infrastructure and market.
At POET’s Project LIBERTY Field Day, 16 companies showcased equipment to help …
PetroAlgae Inc. announced that its operating subsidiary has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into an agreement to license the Company’s proprietary micro-crop technology to Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for its future …
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that it signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) under which the two companies will collaborate on a range of biofuels technologies and projects …
