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Truly Sustainable Renewable Future
March 17, 2009 – 10:42 am | One Comment

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 …

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Ecuador Investigates the Production of Biodiesel Based on Palm
February 3, 2012 – 3:15 pm | No Comment

(UPI)  The Ministry of Production and the National Association of African Palm Growers, analyzes based biodiesel plant. The raw material would be palm oil. Andes news agency said the authorities’ intention is to strengthen energy sovereignty. Ecuador ranks …

Algae Producer Aquaviridis and OriginOil Announce Joint Commercial Agreement
February 3, 2012 – 2:18 pm | No Comment

(OriginOil)  Development of dry-land aquaculture could transform desert farm economies of the American Southwest and Mexico
Mexicali Valley, Mexico and Los Angeles, CA February 3, 2012 – Algae producer Aquaviridis and OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to …

Eastern Scraps Plan to Build Ethanol Plant
February 3, 2012 – 11:24 am | No Comment

by Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo  (The Manila Times)  Eastern Petroleum Corp. has dropped plans to put up an ethanol production facility using cassava as feedstock in lieu of a sugarcane-based plant.
Fernando Martinez, Eastern Petroleum chairman, said …

North Dakota State University Partner in $1 Million Energy Beet Project
February 3, 2012 – 11:03 am | No Comment

(AgWeek/NDSU Agriculture Communication)  A project that will develop an advanced biofuel from energy beets and provide growers across North Dakota with a new industrial crop is taking another important step forward, fueled by a significant …

When Bio and Solar Converge: 6 Hot Projects at the Bio-Solar-Electric Frontier
February 3, 2012 – 10:54 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … When it comes down to it, a living organism such as a plant is an incredibly sophisticated next-gen solar panel, harvesting light as well as CO2, water and nutrients …

Hundreds of Jobs Planned by New Owner of Range Fuels
February 2, 2012 – 3:42 pm | No Comment

by S. Heather Duncan (Macon.com)  The new owner of a shuttered ethanol plant in Soperton plans to eventually add hundreds of jobs there to produce ethanol and other chemicals, a company official said this week.
That …

CORE BioFuel Prepares to Land Funding for First Biogasoline Plant
February 2, 2012 – 2:12 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine)  Toronto-based CORE BioFuel Inc. has signed an exclusive agreement with Osprey Capital Partners Inc., Canada’s leading mid-market investment banking firm, to secure equity investment capital for financing the completion of …

World’s First Wood-Based Biofuel Refinery to Be Built in Finland
February 2, 2012 – 11:44 am | No Comment

(YLE.FI)  Forest industry giant UPM is building a biorefinery in the eastern city of Lappeenranta which is to produce biofuel from crude tall oil. The plant’s output is expected to reach some 100,000 tons of …

REV Biodiesel Concludes Used Fryer Oil Drive from Holiday Months
February 1, 2012 – 4:07 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine)  Gilbert, Ariz.-based biodiesel producer REV Biodiesel generated more than 10,800 pounds (more than 1,000 gallons) of used cooking oil from kitchens throughout Arizona’s East Valley over the span of its …

Update on a Mobile Indirect Biomass Liquefaction System
February 1, 2012 – 3:04 pm | No Comment

by John P. Hurley (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine/U.S. Department of Energy, Energy & Environmental Research Center)  Minnesota’s forestry operations produce 300,000 tons per year of wood waste that is not used in any existing or …

Words from the Wise: A Study by a Group of Forest Scientists Confirms Forest-Derived Bioenergy Results in No Net Carbon Release
February 1, 2012 – 2:05 pm | No Comment

by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine)  A recently released study authored by nine scientists from multiple organizations  and universities, including the U.S. Forest Service, may be poised to clear up some confusion. With …

US Forces Give the Nod to Biofuels
February 1, 2012 – 1:03 pm | No Comment

Michael Richardson (Canberra Times)  Don’t laugh! The United States military is dead serious about being able to fly its combat and cargo planes on jet fuel derived from algae and plants, and to power many …

A Low-Cost, Low-Risk Path to Meeting US Biofuels Targets
February 1, 2012 – 11:13 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …The challenges?    Well, there have been three grand ones.
First, the development of economically feasible technologies. Second, the financing and construction of new capacity, including any bolt-ons, restarts or retrofits …

Young Algaeneers Symposium June 14-16, 2012 Wageningen, The Netherlands
January 31, 2012 – 5:04 pm | No Comment
Young Algaeneers Symposium    June 14-16, 2012    Wageningen, The Netherlands

From June 14 to 16, 2012, the first edition of the Young Algaeneers Symposium will be organized in Wageningen, the Netherlands, to gather young scientists (PhD students and postdocs in their first 4 years), working …

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Woodfuels: A Joint Publication of FAO and IEA Bioenergy
January 31, 2012 – 3:43 pm | No Comment

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe)  As a potential substitute for fossil fuels, wood energy can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. FAO’s programme on wood energy promotes sustainable wood energy systems as a contribution to sustainable forest management, livelihoods …

Short Rotation Eucalypt Plantations for Energy in Brazil
January 31, 2012 – 3:35 pm | No Comment

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe)  Brazil has over 4 million hectares of eucalypt plantations. Within that estate some plantations are dedicated to the production of charcoal while in some areas multiple land use includes forestry and agricultural production. …

Quantifying Environmental Effects of Short Rotation Coppice on Biodiversity, Soil and Water
January 31, 2012 – 3:30 pm | No Comment

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe)   This report was prepared as a joint effort by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, University of Rostock, Chalmers University of Technology, Georg-August University of Goettingen, University of …

Brazil to Breathe Life into Faded Cuban Sugar Sector
January 31, 2012 – 2:13 pm | No Comment

by Esteban Israel and Peter Murphy (Reuters Africa)  Brazilian builder Odebrecht plans to produce sugar in Cuba, the company said on Monday, as looser restrictions on foreign investment in the communist island raise hopes of a recovery in the once-booming …

Canadian Ethanol Plant Will Operate ‘Off Grid’
January 31, 2012 – 1:58 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)   A project to build an ethanol plant co-located with anaerobic digesters is in its final phase. Growing Power Hairy Hill L.P., a 40 MMly feed wheat ethanol plant …

Biodiesels Pollute More than Crude Oil, Leaked Data Show
January 31, 2012 – 1:42 pm | No Comment

(EurActiv)  Greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels such as palm oil, soybean and rapeseed are higher than those for fossil fuels when the effects of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) are counted, according to leaked EU …

From Seaweed to Biofuels
January 31, 2012 – 1:31 pm | No Comment

(Novozymes)  A new research collaboration between Novozymes and Sea6 Energy will explore enzymatic technology to produce fuel ethanol, fine chemicals, and protein from seaweed.
Novozymes, the world leader in bioinnovation, announced an exploratory research agreement with …

Mediterranean Consortium Promotes Biodiesel Production
January 31, 2012 – 11:36 am | No Comment

(Cyprus Mail)  A consortium comprising 12 organisations from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Lebanon and Egypt has been established to study the production of biodiesel from algae in selected Mediterranean countries.
The consortium is coordinated by the …

Australian Tree Offers Texas Growers Biofuel Alternative
January 30, 2012 – 10:15 am | No Comment

by Logan Hawkes (Southwest Farm Press)

Biodiesel is experiencing a historic surge worldwide.
Pongamiapinnata is becoming a popular oilseed choice for biofuel production and has captured the attention of U.S. growers.
Pongamia is one of the few nitrogen-fixing trees …

Governments Key To Commercializing Biofuels
January 30, 2012 – 9:40 am | No Comment

by Graham Warwick (Aviation Week)  …But as 2012 progresses, industry is looking to governments to capitalize on the rapid technical progress made in approving bio-derived jet fuels by providing the funding support necessary to scale …

DuPont Works with Iowa State University on Residue Buildup
January 30, 2012 – 9:26 am | No Comment

(Biofuels International)  In order to discover better ways to harvest, store and transport corn residue, DuPont is working with Iowa State University to combat residue buildup.
If the residue buildup is able to be reduced then …

EPA Issues Notice of Data Availability Concerning Renewable Fuels Produced from Palm Oil Under the RFS Program
January 27, 2012 – 1:53 pm | No Comment

(US Environmental Protection Agency)  he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a Notice of Data Availability (NODA) to release its lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis of palm oil used as a feedstock to produce biodiesel and …

Microbubbles Provide New Boost for Biofuel Production
January 27, 2012 – 12:39 pm | No Comment

(EurekAlert)  …Now, a team led by Professor Will Zimmerman in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Sheffield, believe they have solved the problem. They have developed an inexpensive way of …

A New Era of Domestic Energy
January 27, 2012 – 11:56 am | No Comment

by Mary Rosenthal (Biofuels Digest/Algal Biomass Organization)  …We need to change our approach. Below are three things the biofuels industry in general, and the algae industry in particular can do in 2012 to help accelerate …

Building a World Market from Scratch
January 26, 2012 – 2:10 pm | No Comment

by Alvaro Cordero  (Ethanol Producer Magazine/U.S. Grains Council)  From a barely recognized feed alternative 10 years ago, distillers dried grains with solubles continues to gain recognition and markets. DDGS is now widely recognized internationally, where …

Rolling into the Forage Market
January 26, 2012 – 2:04 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Cattlemen are increasingly turning to value-added distillers grains products from SweetPro Feeds
…Using the coproduct from ethanol production as a medium for vitamins, minerals, yeast and enzymes provides benefits that …

Plastics Cozy Up to Distillers Grains
January 26, 2012 – 1:54 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …Can a Nebraska company process wet distillers grains into a biobased resin to replace conventional petroleum-based resins? Laurel BioComposite LLC says yes.
…The pilot plant started up the end of …

Mixing it Up: Combining Stover with Distillers Grains for Cattle Feed
January 26, 2012 – 1:47 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Corn stover has been used in small amounts as cattle feed for more than 100 years. Separately, distillers grains has grown in popularity as a cattle feed over the …

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Support for a New Advanced Biofuel Production Facility in Oregon: Project will Create Jobs, Expand Production of Biofuels
January 26, 2012 – 1:22 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has approved a conditional commitment in the amount of $232.5 million to ZeaChem Boardman Biorefinery, LLC (ZBB) through the Biorefinery Assistance Program. ZBB …

French Biofuel Aid Helps Farmers, Costs Public: Study
January 26, 2012 – 1:12 pm | No Comment

by Gus Trompiz (Reuters)  French state support for crop-based biofuels has brought benefits for farming but also hidden costs for motorists who have ended up having to consume more fuel and pay higher prices, the …

South Africa Company to Invest E3bn in Local Ethanol Project
January 26, 2012 – 10:30 am | No Comment

by Nomthandazo Nkambule  (The Swazi Observer)  A South African based company will invest about E3 billion in an ethanol project to be established along the Siphofaneni/Lavumisa corridor
Minister of Agriculture Clement Dlamini said the company, FuelEthanol and Agricultural Plantation, completed …

Cal Poly Partners with California Energy Commission to Launch Algae-Based Wastewater Treatment Plant
January 26, 2012 – 10:23 am | No Comment

(California Polytechnic State University)  Cal Poly faculty and students will demonstrate a new technology that uses algae to treat wastewater and produces biofuel as a byproduct. The system could be used at wastewater treatment facilities …

Joule Unlimited, CPFD Software Win State Job Training Funds
January 25, 2012 – 2:29 pm | No Comment

by  Megan Kamerick  (New Mexico Business Weekly)  …The JTIP board approved $263,542.58 for Joule Unlimited    to create 20 jobs. The company is building the first phase of its commercial plant in Hobbs on land owned by the state …

Bills Aim to Help Establish Arizona as Algae-Farming Center
January 25, 2012 – 1:33 pm | No Comment

by Jessica Testa (Cronkite News)   Anticipating a day when Arizona becomes a leader in producing algae for biofuel, a Tucson lawmaker is pushing to have algae farms and related facilities defined — and taxed …

Maersk Tests SoladieselRD(R) in 6,500 Nautical Mile Commercial Voyage
January 25, 2012 – 1:04 pm | No Comment

(MarketWIre/Solazyme)  Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, announced today that Maersk Line, one of the biggest shipping companies in the world, has completed the testing of Solazyme’s 100% algal derived renewable diesel as …

Cyprus Wants to Grow Tiny Algae and See if They Are a Good Biofuels Alternative to Diesel
January 25, 2012 – 12:49 pm | No Comment

(Balkans.com)  Cyprus Agricultural Research Institute, a non-profit branch of the Agriculture Ministry, wants to grow tiny algae and see if they are a good biofuels alternative to diesel reports Cyprus Mail. …A solution seems to …

2012 Farm Bill Biomass/Biofuel Recommendations
January 24, 2012 – 11:28 am | No Comment

by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Retain Agricultural Land: Agricultural and forest lands are vulnerable to loss due to reduction of the dairy and pulp/paper industries and conversion to residential or commercial development.  They …

Cepsa Useful Microalgae Grown to Produce Biodiesel
January 24, 2012 – 10:04 am | No Comment

(EuropaPress)  Research Center and the Department Cepsa Cepsa working since 2010 in a research project to evaluate the feasibility of using microalgae in obtaining useful fatty acids for the production of biodiesel.  READ MORE

Durham Scientists Study Plants for Biofuel Production
January 24, 2012 – 9:40 am | No Comment

by Whitney L.J. Howell  (NewsObserver)  …Inside its redesigned, sustainable lab space near the Durham Performing Arts Center, GrassRoots Biotechnology uses patented research methods to study plant genes.
The goal, said company co-founder Philip Benfey, is to …

Inverbio Project Starts Production of Ethanol from Sugar Cane
January 24, 2012 – 9:32 am | No Comment

(E-Consulta)  The Veracruz Institute of Bioenergetics (Inverbio) began work for the start of production of 2 000 hectares of sugar cane for bioethanol in the area known as La Brena, Tlalixcoyan Township, with the participation …

Robo-Copter Will Keep Tabs on Navy’s Biofuel Plants
January 24, 2012 – 9:26 am | No Comment

by Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman (Wired)  The Navy is hoping to one day run a huge chunk of its fleet on biofuels. So the Navy’s advanced researchers — and their partners at the U.S. Department …

POET, DSM Form Landmark Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture
January 24, 2012 – 8:55 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Two titans form a monster JV, starting out with a $250M investment.
…In Iowa, Poet has teamed with Dutch-based Royal DSM to create a 50/50 joint venture called Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels that will …

Exploring New Feedstock Sources: Pongomia Shows Promise as New Oil Source
January 23, 2012 – 4:19 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  A legume tree native to tropical and temperate regions around the world is attracting attention as a potential new biodiesel feedstock. Pongamia Pinnata—also known as Millettia Pinnata—produces oil-rich seeds that …

A Critical Component
January 23, 2012 – 3:54 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  Choosing the most appropriate feedstock pretreatment method for a given facility can make or break plant economics
A wide variety of feedstock pretreatment materials and technologies is readily available in the …

Algae: The Cornerstone Feedstock
January 23, 2012 – 2:40 pm | No Comment

by Riggs Eckelberry (Algae Industry Magazine)  If only there were enough algae to meet the demand. Algae is highly productive, soaks up toxins and CO2, and can be grown without impacting food or fresh water …

Embrapa Will Charge Less Than Monsanto for Modified Sugar Cane
January 23, 2012 – 12:56 pm | No Comment

by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg)  Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria, Brazil’s state-owned agricultural research agency, plans to charge less than major seed companies including Monsanto Co. (MON), Bayer AG (BAYN) and Syngenta AG (SYNN) when it begins selling sugar cane that’s genetically …