by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest)  …Renewable chemicals offer cost-competitiveness with petrochemicals or new properties and features that add value to innovative consumer products. In that way, they’ve captured some market share and created …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Beyond biomass, beyond fossil fuels, beyond light itself.   And now, the direct production of drop-in biofuel blendstocks. All available from a microbial “cow”.
This week in California, a research team from …

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  What used to be known as “The New York Sugar Conference” has become “The ISO and Datagro Sugar & Ethanol Conference” with a record-setting number of attendees (350 from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Biofuels’s Montagues and Capulets were at it again last week — with a flurry of press releases about court decisions and commercial timelines regarding their respective isbutanol technologies.
At the heart …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  World’s #1 chemical company to produce renewable Butanediol using Genomatica’s process.  The Digest has a one-on-one with Genomatica CEO Christophe Schilling to explore the deal in-depth.
In Germany, BASF announced that …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Raises $80M at $10 per share; becomes first new industrial biotech company to complete IPO in more than a year.  What went right and how? Is the IPO window re-opening?
…
First …

We are delighted to announce the return of our leading North American bio-based markets CEO event for the fourth year.  Previously fully focussed on advanced biofuels, World Bio Markets USA 2013 will extend it’s coverage to include …

(Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper)  The Government of Canada is committed to investing in innovative clean energy technologies that create high-quality jobs, generate new economic opportunities and protect the environment.
To this end, on May …

(SEKAB)  SEKAB E-Technology welcomes SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden’s (SP) engagement in the Biorefinery Demo Plant in Örnsköldsvik, previously known as the Ethanol Pilot. SP and SEKAB have signed an agreement, which ensures continued …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Norway, Norwegian Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen officially inaugurated the Borregaard biorefinery demonstration plant in Sarpsborg, which will produce green chemicals and sugars based on biomass from wood and agricultural …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  With a fresh investment from Brazil’s GranBio, American Process Inc. is poised to develop its first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefineries in both the U.S. and Brazil. API CEO Theodora …

(Metso) Domtar has successfully started up a commercial-scale LignoBoost™ lignin separation plant at its Plymouth, North Carolina mill, in the USA. This is the first commercial installation of a LignoBoost plant in the world and the …

(American Chemical Society)  The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and …

(Virtual-Strategy.com)
Nexant today announced the release of an assessment of next-generation and cellulosic sugar technologies. This new Nexant report—Cellulosic Sugars: Unlocking Biomass’ Potential—examines the different technology choices available.
“Cellulosic and other next-generation sugar processes are becoming technically robust, …

by Andrew Noel (Bloomberg)  Clariant AG (CLN) said it’s prepared to take on a partner and help fund a second-generation bioethanol plant to prove the effectiveness of its biotechnology and compete against Royal DSM NV …

by Susanne Retka Schill  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Advanced Biofuels Corp. has bought a legacy 7 MMgy ethanol plant in Moses Lake, Wash., with plans to retrofit existing systems and install new pretreatment process equipment, converting …

(The Wall Street Journal/Dyadic)  …We are using that technology to produce enzymes for converting biomass into cellulosic sugars to produce second-generation fuels and chemicals, like ethanol, butanol, succinic acid, lactic acid, etc. We are also …

(US Department of Energy)  The Bioenergy Technologies Office 2013 Project Peer Review will take place at the Hilton Alexandria Hotel from Monday, May 20, 2013, to Thursday, May 23, 2013. The peer review process will …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Toray demonstrates products made from renewable PBT — another landmark step in “replacing the whole barrel of oil”.
In California, Toray Industries announced that it has successfully made a partially bio-based …

by Dil Vashi   (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Solutions 4 CO2)  Stillage, CO2 become valuable inputs in synergistic design
Many ethanol producers look for additional revenue streams beyond the core ethanol and distillers grains to extract corn oil …

This two day conference brings together top representatives who are engaged in establishing a major transformation in the global chemical and energy industries – from petroleum to bio-based.
The conference will look to examine new supply …

This two day conference brings together top representatives who are engaged in establishing a major transformation in the global chemical and energy industries – from petroleum to bio-based.
The conference will look to examine new supply …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Pilot-scale biorefineries for drop-in military diesel, jet fuel the focus of the DOE’s latest grant round.
In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $17.7 million in grants to …

by Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James and Associates/Biofuels Digest)  …There is no question that there have been growing pains along the way, more than we would have hoped, but the industry continues along its trajectory towards scale. We …

(Cobalt/PRNewswire)  Strategic Partnership Opens Pathway to $40 Billion Butadiene Market
Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation bio-based chemicals, today announced a strategic relationship with two prominent Asian chemical companies for the development of a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The end-goal? High-value oils. Low-cost sugars become shock troops in the war for sustainability.
In New York, we’ve learned that Sweetwater Energy will announce a project today to provide Naturally Scientific …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … LS9 CEO Tjerk de Ruiter announced the expansion of its operations at the Company’s Okeechobee, Florida demonstration facility with a successful customer trial.
The Florida facility was initially designed, and has …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Sweetwater Energy announed that BioGasol completed delivery of its first commercial biomass pretreatment system.
The cellulosic sugar producer will use the unit, a Carbofrac 10, in its demonstration facility to produce …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Italy, Versalis and Genomatica announced the establishment of a technology joint venture for bio-based butadiene from non-food biomass. The resulting process will be licensed across Europe, Asia and Africa by …

(Yahoo!Finance/Navigant Research)  After more than a decade of healthy growth for conventional biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel, the next wave of advanced biofuels is nearing commercialization. The pool of commercially available biomass-derived fuels is expanding …

(EurekAlert!/American Chemical Society)  Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea and nata de coco have become stars in a project — which scientists today said has reached an advanced stage — …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Despite the sluggish economic recovery and questions over policy stability — biofuels ventures have been busy raising lots of capital.   In the past 6 months, $434 million.   Who got what, …

by  Louise Downing (Bloomberg)  SG Biofuels Inc., the green fuel biotech company working with Airbus SAS, is seeking a partner in Southeast Asia or Africa and expects to complete a cooperation deal within 180 days to expand its …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The International Energy Agency, through its Task 39 group, has published its 207-page report on the “Status of Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Facilities in 2012″.
The report, in its pages, contains detailed …

(BioNitrogen)  BioNitrogen Corporation, a cleantech company that utilizes proprietary technology to build environmentally-friendly plants that convert biomass into urea fertilizer, announced today that it has signed an agreement with the Battle River Agri-Ventures Co-op in …

Dr. Mike Strain (Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry/25 x ’25) … However, many do not realize that Louisiana’s strong agriculture and forestry industries have also primed us to be a national leader in new …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  In the heart of Wisconsin, a project is underway to produce energy from a resource that is in little danger of running low: cow manure, or “brown gold.” Thanks to a …

by Jessica Nelson  (Auburn University)  Maobing Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has received a $401,155 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for his research in biofuels …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The first wave of cellulosic biofuels projects are now reaching completion.  But what does the next wave look like – from technology to financing? We explore the trends in our …

(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by …

(The Business Journal)  A new facility opening in Pixley this year will use emissions from a nearby ethanol plant to make liquified carbon dioxide.
The plant will be the sixth carbon dioxide liquefaction plant in California …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Global Clean Energy Holdings announced that it has acquired Sustainable Oils, a leader in Camelina genetics and production. The acquisition includes 100% ownership interest of Sustainable Oils and the …

by Susanne Retka Schill  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Interest in the Beta Renewables SpA commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant undergoing commissioning in Crescentino, Italy, has been high. “I was surprised,” said Guido Ghisolfi, CEO. “I expected perhaps 10 …

(Domtar)  Plymouth Mill to produce bio-material with wide range of industrial applications as petro-chemical alternative – the first of its kind in over quarter century
Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today announced that it has successfully …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  At World Biofuels Markets, BP CEO Phil New delivered a keynote speech which attempted to turn the industry’s attention towards “the hard yards” of operational excellence, saying that “it is arguable …

(SEKAB/Davy Process Technology)  Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, andSEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are …

(Direvo)  Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH (Direvo) today announced that it reached an important milestone in developing a consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid production from lignocellulose.
Up until now, there has not been any known consolidated bioprocess …

(PR NewsWire/ZeaChem)  Facility will prove biorefining process for commercial-scale production
ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has produced commercial-grade cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) biorefinery in Boardman, …

By Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) In a recent webinar hosted by the American Council of Renewable Energy (ACORE), biofuel experts from Dupont, POET, Novazymes, and China’s Tsinghua University convened to discuss the next five …

(AMEInfo.com)  Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies announced it presented details on the UAE’s growth and export potential in the biofuels-from-algae sector to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Fast pyrolysis developer plans to rapidly expand green benzene and toluene production in 2013 for downstream product development purposes.   Opens new pilot plant, R&D facility in New York; green …

(Sustainable Plant)  Renewable chemicals company Amyris, Inc. has joined the Bonsucro sugarcane sustainability standard. Amyris is the first advanced biofuels and chemicals company of its kind to join Bonsucro, paving the way for certification of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Algae pioneer now at 50% above original productivity target — aims to complete demo in 2013, head for commercial-scale in 2014.
In Florida, Algenol confirmed that the company had exceeded production …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Wondering when affordable algae-based transportation fuels might arrive at your local retail outlet?   Might be sooner than you think. Here’s the lowdown.
…Further, we have to take into account that, …

by Kristi Pihl (Tri-City Herald)  A pilot project to produce biofuel using agricultural and organic municipal waste has reached levels that makes the process commercially viable, researchers say.
The project, paid for by the Department of Energy, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Recommendations from the Milken Institute — and a group of industry heavyweights — to accelerate the bioeconomy revolution.
In California this week, the Milken Institute released a good read on the …

by Nina Chestney (Reuters)  * U.S. cellulosic biofuel goals not reached
* Beta sees industry stepping up output by 2015
* New players could emerge from eastern Europe
Biofuels made from wood waste and sugarcane have languished well …

by Jane Yu (Orange County Business Journal)  Irvine-based renewable fuels maker BlueFire Renewables Inc. has halted construction work on a plant planned for Fulton, Miss. plant.
BlueFire converts non-food resources, such as trash, wood waste and …

by Katie Fehrenbacher (GigaOm)  The leader of the 210-year-old science giant DuPont, Ellen Kullman, sits down with GigaOM to give us her take on the future of energy for a world population that will boom …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As journalists, at the Digest our job is to ask the 7 Questions. Who, What, Where, When, How Much, How and Why. In aviation biofuels the task is made easier …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Could a switch to biofuels make super-dense JP-10 military aviation fuels affordable? Could F18A Super Hornets add payload or extend range?
Currently reserved for tactical missiles because of cost, biofuels could …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  22 projects around the world show the multi-faceted promise of algae.  Concrete, polyurethane, bioplastics, cosmetics and, oh, fuels — so many big things to make from algae, it’s become a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  B20, B5, B100, E10, E22, E15, M50, E85, Bu12.5, HEFA 50.  Is your head swimming with acronyms and blend ratios?  Who exactly is making drop-in fuels, and what does that …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Canadian government has announced investments in two projects that will benefit the biofuel and biorefining industries. On Feb. 13, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced a $600,000 investment that …

(MarketWire/Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)  Sugar beet growers are finding new and innovative uses for their crops thanks to support from the Harper Government. Member of Parliament LaVar Payne (Medicine Hat), on behalf of Agriculture Minister …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Lignol Innovations Ltd. has landed a commercial supply agreement with a European producer of sustainable thermoplastics. The subsidiary of Lignol Energy Corp. has delivered samples of its trademarked …

by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest)  … When last we checked in with Verdezyne at length, the company had a transformative cellulosic biofuels fermentation technology and a real foothold en route to bioadipic acid as well …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In synthetic biology these days, there are the Big Wave surfers too — companies like Amyris, Solazyme, Gevo, Genomatica, Verdezyne, Rivertop Renewables, Myriant, Segetis, BioAmber, Cobalt, Green Biologics, Butamax, LanzaTech, …

(Lux Research)  Growing demand will place stress on feedstocks, requiring new innovations if more bio-based products are to replace petroleum-based ones, says Lux Research
Driven by aggressive biofuel mandates, rapid growth will cause great strain on biomass by 2030, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Changes in EU policy and the financing of advanced biofuels have led to a revival of project formation in Europe.
The latest news from Finland is that St1 is proceeding towards …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  The Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) today urged Congress to begin work on a new five-year Farm Bill with strong mandatory funding for energy programs.
The coalition notes that programs included in the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  One of biofuels’ most-celebrated technologies falters; the struggle to raise capital claims a high-profile victim.
…The company had been known for its awesomely promising technology, leisurely pace towards commercialization compared to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Though building capacity globally, Solazyme’s operations in Brazil are getting traction fast – and raised $235M last week.   How much oil could be produced in Brazil via sugar-munching microalgae? …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Front Range becomes third ethanol plant in 3 weeks to head for cost reductions, RIN opportunities with advanced feedstocks, technology.
…In New York, Sweetwater Energy announced a 15-year commercial agreement with …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  …What exactly are they? As the name suggests, they are products made from renewable sources that are not sold directly into the end-user market but are, instead, sold to other …

(The Town Talk)  The LSU AgCenter Audubon Sugar Institute plans a Jan. 25 opening for a pilot plant designed to produce biofuels and biochemicals from agricultural crops and byproducts.
The centerpiece of the AgCenter’s sustainable bioproducts …

by Robert Rapier (Consumer Energy Report) …DuPont is currently engaged in two major projects to commercialize advanced biofuels.
The first is a 30 million gallon per year corn stover-fed facility in Nevada, Iowa. DuPont  has been working on …

(Renmatix/Sacramento Bee)  Building on success in hardwood, Philadelphia-based Renmatix adds on-site capability to convert multiple local and international feedstocks to cellulosic sugar
Renmatix, the leading manufacturer of cellulosic sugars for biobased chemical and fuel markets, welcomed …

(Department of Energy)  As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …But Amyris is still there, and this week achieved what, for many, was the last-chance, must-hit milestone. The company’s purpose-built, 50 million liter industrial fermentation facility in Paraiso, Brazil has …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters.  Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. …

Biofuels Digest announced its annual awards for achievement in the development of biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased materials – all available with background on the who, what and why of each award – today at …

by Owen Fletcher (The Wall Street Journal)  …U.S. ethanol producers are finding creative ways to earn more money as demand for their flagship product stagnates. These companies are using corn not only to make ethanol …

by Chris Berendt (The Sampson Independent)  Chemtex International Inc. is currently involved in a permitting process that will see a $200 million biofuels refinery production plant open at the start of 2015, creating around 350 direct …

The Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E), held June 18-20, 2013 in the Washington DC area, is an opportunity for you—whether you’re a scientist, decision-maker, student, or advocate—to propel your understanding of green chemistry and …

(US Department of Agriculture)    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Policy, finance, technology, feedstocks, markets, prices, opposition.  Here’s what’s on your mind, as the critical 2013 deployment year for biofuels looms.
So here are 15 burning questions as suggested by various …

(University of Colorado–Boulder)  A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded $9.2 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to research modifying E. coli to produce biofuels such …

Presenters from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will highlight the development of hydrocarbon fuels as renewable alternatives to petrochemical feedstocks.
With decreasing global production of crude oil, it is essential to our nation that renewable alternatives …

by Peter Hemphill (Grain & Hay WeeklyTimes) An American biofuels company is looking to build a refinery in Australia to produce ethanol from wheat straw and other residues.
…Investors in the biorefineries include Australia’s Macquarie Bank and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  While companies pursue alternatives to Fischer-Tropsch technologies, Velocys is seeking to make F-T work economically with micro-reactors.
In last week’s Digest, Robert Rapier aptly stated the challenge in front of XTL technologies – …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Ensyn – moving rapidly towards scale as a transport fuel technology after decades in smaller, high-value markets.  What does Ensyn’s signature RTP technology, that’s making such a splash, look like?
…Ensyn …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Canada’s $500 million NextGen Biofuels Fund, five years after formation, gets close to making its first investments just as Canada’s leaders consider pulling the plug
It was the most amazing sovereign …

(University of Wisconsin-Madison)  Using a biomass-derived solvent, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineers have streamlined the process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-demand chemicals or energy-dense liquid transportation fuel.
Their new method eliminates the need …

by David Schwartz  (Algae Industry Magazine)   There is a new process that algae producers can use in the conversion stage to help increase their capacity and add to the bottom line, says Incitor’s VP …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Brent Crude trades this past week at a transorbital $109 per barrel (West Texas Intermediate at a suborbital, if high, $85).  It puts the conventional wisdom that biofuels are too …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Promethean Biofuels, a community-scale biodiesel producer in Temecula, Calif., stood with giants such as Sony and BP Arco at the recent Environmental Excellence Awards Summit in San Diego. The awards …

by Robert Sanders (Biodiesel Magazine/UC Berkeley)  A long-abandoned fermentation process once used to turn starch into explosives can be used to produce renewable diesel fuel to replace the fossil fuels now used in transportation, University …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With the announcement of new investment from Bunge Global Innovation LLC, Cobalt Technologies’ n-butanol development is ready for deployment in Brazil.  “We’re in a position now where the demonstration …

by Holly Jessen & Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Looking into the future, Jeff Roskam, CEO of the Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy, fears any modification of the renewable fuel standard (RFS). “Period,” he …