by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The 21st European Biomass conference and Exhibition was held in Copenhagen on June 3-7, 2013, gathering almost 2000 attendees.
Denmark, one of the world’s leading countries in the green energy …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Biofuel Weiss Inc. is developing a 7 MMgy continuous flow multifeedstock biodiesel production facility in Atlantic Canada, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. According to Ian Weiss, CEO of Weiss Biofuel, the …

(Southeast Agriculture & Forest Energy Resources Alliance)   “We’re the nation’s only comprehensive biofuels agency, and I say that more out of surprise than for the purpose of touting North Carolina,” said Steven Burke, President and CEO of the Biofuels Center of North …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Just months after receiving the first cellulosic renewable identification numbers for a shipment of cellulosic ethanol to its Brazil partner Petrobras, Western Biomass Energy LLC filed for bankruptcy …

by Dan Seif (Mother Earth News/Rocky Mountain Institute)  Advanced, non-food biofuels are gaining momentum in 2013 as several new plants have gathered the capital and momentum for large-scale production.
…
Despite sparse media coverage, significant volumes of …

by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg)  Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), which has invested more than $100 million to develop algae-derived biofuels, is refocusing its research with Synthetic Genomics Inc. after almost four years of work failed to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  DoD goes forward, after internal wrangle, with advanced biofuels program via $16M phase 1 investment.
With industry cost share, project totals $33M: aims for sub-$4, drop-in military biofuels.
In Washington, the DoD …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  According to a recent survey conducted by SRI, 65 percent of retail investors and 53 percent of institutional investors are currently expressing interest in fossil fuel-free portfolios in reaction to climate …

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 James Stafford (OilPrice.com)  …  Mark Thoma is a macroeconomist and time-series econometrician at the University of Oregon. His research focuses on how monetary policy affects the economy, and he has also worked on political …

by Peter Hannam (The Age)  Whether it’s the use of organisms first found in the guts of rabbits in New Zealand or converting the mountains of rubbish disposed of by Londoners, airlines around the world are …

by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association/PR Log) The DoE has spent $2.5 billion on algae research but to date nothing has been commercialized. Why? Because their mission is to develop technologies. It’s not their problem or …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In an exclusive Digest interview, Shell’s VP for Alternative Energy, Matthew Tipper, reveals the company’s thinking about RFS2, their increasing re-focus on North America and the EU.   Plus, Shell’s ambition …

10 years of REFF Wall Street – Join the celebrations and determine the shape of the USA renewable energy market for the next 10 years.
Policy and the development of shale gas continue to create uncertainties …

by Heather Loney (Global News)  The federal government is teaming up with two Canadian companies in a pilot project that would use algae to convert greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands into biofuels.
The National Research …

by Matthew Landau (Aquatic Biosystems) In 2010, Qatar University initiated an algal biofuel project funded by Qatar Airways, and Qatar Science and Technology Park with a 3-year budget of USD 12 million. Completion of the first …

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 …

by Carlin Rosengarten  (Fueling Growth) Nearly 30 years ago, Paul Woods invented the Direct to Ethanol technology that his company, Algenol Biofuels, utilizes today to produce ethanol from blue-green algae at its state-of-the-art commercial development campus …

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 …

(US Department of Agriculture/Biodiesel Magazine)  The USDA has proposed a series of changes to make it easier for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to apply for renewable energy and energy efficiency funding. USDA remains …

by Herman Wang and Matthew Kolhman (Platts)  Aviation biofuel’s newly minted ability to generate tradable US renewables credits, known as RINs, may be key to the industry’s economics, according to market watchers.
“The availability of RINs is …

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association)  As part of its ongoing review of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the House Energy & Commerce Committee recently asked stakeholders to comment on the impact of the RFS on the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Is there bio-based relief for the harried taxpayer in sight?   Could conservationists, growers and biofuels producers find common ground in adapting the Conservation Reserve Program for bioenergy?   Could the US …

(EnergyDigital) In the ethanol fuel market, the US takes the lead. Pilot and demonstration plants to commence in late 2013.
Ethanol is the most widely acclaimed alternative or additive for gasoline used for running vehicles, and …

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 …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The Japan News reports that in Miyagino Ward, Sendai, a project has started at a sewage treatment facility to extract a biofuel ingredient from wastewater using algae. This first of its kind …

(PR NewsWire/Anaergia)  Anaergia Inc. today announced that the County of Maui, Department of Finance and Mayor Alan Arakawa provided the intent to award the Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project at the Central Maui Landfill in Puunene …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Who’s behind the 8-ball, the algae optimists or pessimists?   It all comes down to the pace of innovation in 8 cores.
… In a recent survey of its members, the Algae Biomass …

by Jonathan Fahey  (Fuel Fix/Associated Press)   A decade ago, large investors in so-called clean technology had a straightforward goal: finance companies that would help eliminate the world’s dependence on oil, natural gas and coal.
But as …

by Katy Stech (The Wall Street Journal) Struggling Fuel-Making Facilities Are in Danger of Falling to Liquidators Before Market Recovers
When the New Energy Corp. ethanol plant in South Bend, Ind., was idled by its bankruptcy …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …The stock has not recovered much — but it’s remarkable the progress the company has made, all the same. Analysts are now expecting the company to bring its first production …

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 Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Today, we excerpt from a white paper detailing Kapyon’s incubation model:
“New ventures will be less capital intensive and innovation will be driven more by inventiveness rather than infrastructure.”
…
[Today], the importance of biomass …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Energy cane for California’s Imperial Valley?   Canergy lines up Beta, CHS, Certis as partners for greenfield low-carbon fuel project slated for 2016 opening.
In California, Canergy announced that it has selected …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …It used to be that the outskirts of Honolulu had the dual scent of diesel and pineapple processing — but now, all you really smell is the diesel. Sugarcane and …

(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 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Though there are exceptions among the archipelagoes with access to offshore oil assets — Indonesia comes to mind— but these are, in the main, exceptions to what might be described …

(US Senate Finance Committee)  This document is the fourth in a series of papers compiling tax reform options that Finance Committee members may wish to consider as they work towards reforming our nation’s tax system.  This …

by Douglas L. Faulkner with contributions from Jacques Beaudry-Losique (Biofuels Digest)  …We believe it is time for bioenergy industry leaders to take the initiative and chalk up a new comprehensive game plan, reflecting the new reality …

(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)  Heliae emerges from stealth with Volaris — its next-gen algae platform — “This technology will unlock the industry,” the company says.
…Volaris is the result of five years of targeted innovation, …

By Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Site preparation has begun and plans are being finalized for a formal groundbreaking ceremony to be held in the next few weeks at the country’s first sweet sorghum-to-ethanol …

by Tracy Dang (ICIS)  Population growth in Asia, climate change and shifting geopolitics are all issues that will impact the future of the biotechnology and renewable fuels industry, an executive at a life sciences investment firm …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), an operator of global markets and clearing house, has announced the introduction of new North American environmental futures contracts for three categories of renewable energy numbers (RINs), …

by Charles Q. Choi (TechNewsDaily/LiveScience)   A new synthetic type of biofuel created by mixing and matching bits of DNA from different organisms could one day replace diesel and jet fuel, scientists say.

…The researchers devoted a …

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 Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times)  Potential lawsuits are brewing in Lake County’s trash-to-ethanol saga, according to a motion by solid waste officials and statements from the developer who had contracted to build and operate …

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 John Davis (DomesticFuel.com)  …“I think the overarching message of the panel was a sign of increasing optimism,” says Chris Groobey, a partner in the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, who spoke during a …

(Business Wire/Florida Biofuels and Bioenergy Association)  $1 Billion in Investment At Risk
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Florida Legislature will consider HB4001, which repeals the Renewable Fuels Standard set in 2008. With a federal mandate for 10 percent ethanol …

by Doug Williams (Venture Beat)  … Although I am not an expert in investing, there are a few things I think may need to happen to make the capital and technology risk work:
Strategic investors may need …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  An explosive report from Bloomberg alleges that a pathway to $2.18 per gallon gasoline was developed at Chevron-Weyerhaeuser owned Catchlight Energy.  Yet, the project was sidelined. Why?   Was the project …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Perhaps nothing was more on the minds of delegates as the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the impact of the Washington policy debate on investor confidence — and …

by Aldo Svaldi (The Denver Post)   Cool Planet Energy Systems took a step closer Friday to a corporate relocation and expansion that could bring nearly 400 jobs to the metro area and place the state …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Premier of Queensland, Australia, Campbell Newman, has cut the ribbon on an advanced solar biofuels pilot plant designed to develop microalgae-based systems as a source of clean fuel and animal feeds.
The $3.5 …

(ePURE)  The European Renewable Ethanol Industry, ePURE, together with Novozymes, find the double counting mechanism proposed by the European Commission is ineffective to kick-start the deployment of innovative advanced biofuels. Increasing the weighting of advanced …

(EV-olution.org)  President Obama’s FY 2014 budget proposal submitted to Congress provides $28.4 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of Energy, an 8% increase above the 2012 enacted level. Among the direct transportation-related highlights of the department’s …

by Sam Fenwick (E2B Pulse)  In this article, E2B explores the benefits of crop-based biofuels to the UK, the potential impact of a recent EU proposal and the wider issues associated with their adoption.
In October …

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 …

by Andre Janse van Vuuren (City Press/Fin24)  Dormant plans to establish a local biofuel sector – earmarked to create up to 50 000 jobs and save the country at least R8.9bn in foreign exchange payments …

by Carrie Napoleon  (Post-Tribune)  Town officials say they remain disappointed after the announcement late last month that the local construction consortium trying to bring a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant had scrapped its plans.
“It’s a sad situation,” …

(Bangkok Post)  Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF), the country’s biggest food maker and exporter, has stepped up efforts to use more renewable energy from waste discharged from chicken, pig and shrimp operations.
Alternative fuel projects consisting …

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, …

(Biofuels Center of North Carolina)  The Biofuels Center of North Carolina recently awarded $684,058 for six projects to accelerate the renewable fuels industry in western North Carolina. Awards are made through the 2012-2013 targeted biofuels …

by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg)  Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4), the state- run oil company, is boosting money-losing gasoline imports at its fastest pace ever, holding down prices for alternative fuels and hindering investments in ethanol.
…President Dilma …

by Stephan Nielsen  (Bloomberg)  China National Heavy Machinery Corp., the Beijing-based developer of industrial facilities and warehouses, is asking Brazilian farmers to invest 40 million reais ($20 million) in a corn-ethanol plant that will help …

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 …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  …It’s an idea whose time has come, for sure. The opportunity for small-scale production of alcohol fuels in the 20,000 to 500,000 gallon range — using wastes routinely produced (and …

(Sustainable Development Technology Canada)  Between research and commercialization lie the critical stages of development and demonstration: the points at which technologies leave the laboratory and undergo conclusive real-world testing.
Traditionally, development and demonstration have suffered from …

by Beth Evans  (Platts)  Ratings agency Moody’s expects US refiners to increase investments in renewables blending and infrastructure if federal renewables targets are not lowered.
“In the absence of any EPA waivers to meeting the renewable …

On July 31–August 1, 2013, US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Advanced Biofuels USA will co-host the sixth annual biomass conference, Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy, at the …

by Carrie Napoleon (Post-Tribune/Chicago Sun-Times)   The deal to transfer ownership of the long-delayed trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider has been scrapped.
SMC LLC, the local construction consortium established to purchase the technology rights and contract for …

by Gregg Hennigan (The Gazette)  Estimates indicate plan could reduce landfill waste by up to 80 percent
Iowa City is moving forward with exploring a project that could divert solid waste from the landfill for use in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost.
… A barrier to long term deployment? The …

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 Dana Blankenhorn  (TheStreet)  These are desperate times for Big Oil.  Fracking (which involves shooting water and sand into a wellhead, at high pressure, fracturing the surrounding rock) brings enormous profits, but anyone can frack. The …

by Thomas H. Clarke (The Daily Chronic)  A bill that would establish a two-year hemp pilot program in Hawaii passed a second reading with amendments on the floor of the Senate last week, and has …

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 …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  A sit-down with Dave Elsenbast, vice president of supply chain management for Renewable Energy Group Inc.  For more than 25 years, Dave Elsenbast has been a leader in agricultural business …

by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire)  An amendment to a $984 billion Senate government funding bill that would have stripped funds from the Defense Department’s drop-in biofuels program failed by a 40-59 vote on Wednesday.
Sen. …

by Leah Small (Progress-Index)  The future of the Appomattox Bio Energy Plant is ripe with uncertainties and unexpected turns after Future Fuels LLP of Great Britain agreed to buy the facility for an unknown sum …

by Katie Feherenbacher  (Gigaom)  Companies that are still looking to produce biofuels from plant waste (and not corn) are making slow, but steady progress on milestones in 2013.
On Monday, KiOR, which was largely funded by …

(National Academies of Science)  A new National Research Council report finds that by the year 2050, the U.S. may be able to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for light-duty vehicles — cars …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Florida, the Cleantech Open, which has helped startups raise $800 million for over 700 alumni since its inception in 2006, announced that it is expanding to South Florida to …

(Algaetech International)  AMIC, Malaysia, and Algaetech International Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, announces the signing of a Research & Technology agreement on a “Waste to Fuel” project today 4th March 2013, at Algaetech International corporate head office. With …

by Louise Downing  (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)  Alternative forms of financing such as so-called green bonds may spur companies to build their first advanced-biofuels plants, the head of environmental finance atCitigroup Inc. (C) said.
Green bonds for carbon-reducing projects, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Major push from Obama on energy.  From DOE: “Liquid fuels demand can be sufficiently reduced so that biomass can meet all liquid fuel needs.”  What’s up? 
…“I’m proposing that we take …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) In early March, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany announced the successful commissioning of the second stage of its bioliq pilot plant. The achievement was made in cooperation with …

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 Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  A bourgeoning solution to illegal dumping of fats, oils and greases in Atlanta’s sewers
Mayor Kasim Reed has a vision for his city of Atlanta: green the sprawling metropolis and make …

by Olga Rosca (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)  Next-generation biofuels produced from waste and agricultural residues can help save energy and improve the sustainability of companies operating in the agribusiness sector. The EBRD region offers …

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 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Neste Oil confirmed that they are using 65% virgin oils, primarily palm oil, and 35% waste residues, but that they are seeking to increase that percent of waste supplied, Neste’s …

(AllAfrica.com)  Villagers and workers in Chisumbanje and surrounding areas want President Mugabe to intervene and save the US$600 million Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant from total collapse.
The plant, owned by Green Fuel, had become the main source …

(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 Tom Lutey (Billings Gazette)  When it was first promoted as a biofuel source perfect for the Montana plains, camelina looked to many like a weed. Seven tough years later, its persistence is being tested.
Acres planted …

(Algae Industry Magazine) Greek biomass-from-algae producer Algae Energy is ready to invest 75 million euro ($98.4 million) over the next two and a half years in an algae farm in the southern Serbian town of …

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 …