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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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USDA Announces Funding for Two Renewable Energy Programs
February 4, 2012 – 3:50 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2012 for two key programs to encourage the use of renewable biomass and production of advanced biofuels. About …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Sermatec Zanini and GeoSynFuels, LLC Form Strategic Alliance
February 2, 2012 – 10:21 am | No Comment

(Sermatec Zanini and GeoSynFuels, LLC)  Sermatec Zanini and GeoSynFuels, LLC (GSF) have announced the formation of a strategic alliance for the development and commercialization of GSF’s proprietary cellulosic ethanol technology. The strategic alliance allows Sermatec Zanini …

Lee Enterprises Consulting Launches New RIN Verification Program
February 1, 2012 – 4:00 pm | No Comment

by Wayne Lee (Biodiesel Magazine/Lee Enterprises Consulting)  Lee Enterprises Consulting announced a first-of-its-kind RIN verification program on Jan. 31, known as RIN 9000, to assist biodiesel blenders, producers and obligated parties in verifying the validity …

Preparing for E15 in the Market
February 1, 2012 – 3:34 pm | No Comment

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  At some point in 2012, the final i’s will be dotted and t’s will be crossed so 15% ethanol can finally become the new consumer choice at the pump.
…“When we do …

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 …

Obama Directs Military to Cut Petroleum Consumption 30 Percent
February 1, 2012 – 10:16 am | No Comment

(NCTechNews)  …In order to comply with and support these directives, Fort Bragg partnered with the Defense Energy Supply Center and the Army Petroleum Center to construct the Green Biofuel Superstation to serve its flex-fuel fleet …

International Biodiesel Markets – Developments in Production and Trade
January 31, 2012 – 3:51 pm | No Comment

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe)  The global biodiesel market has shown an exponential growth in production and trade across the past decade. Nowadays, more biodiesel than ever before is sourced from abroad and procurement areas – especially of …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Policy Day at the Washington DC Auto Show
January 30, 2012 – 7:22 pm | No Comment

by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA)  On the day before the Washington DC Auto Show opens to the public, there is an event called Policy Day. Administration officials and high ranking auto company executives give …

Natural Gas vs. Energy Innovation
January 30, 2012 – 3:03 pm | No Comment

by Kate Bechen  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The production of ethanol is a complex, energy intensive process. Critics often cite the energy usage of ethanol plants and the wastes produced by the production of ethanol, especially …

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 …

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 …

Consumers Have More Options at the Pump
January 27, 2012 – 1:21 pm | No Comment

by Meghan Grebner  (Brownfield Ag News)   Fort Wayne, Ind. residents will have additional options when it comes to filling up their flex-fuel vehicles.  The flex-fuel pump – the first of its kind offers drivers the option for E85 or …

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 …

Scots Whisky Biofuel Team Launch Start-Up
January 27, 2012 – 12:29 pm | No Comment

(Edinburgh Napier University)  A NEW company has been launched to commercialise a process for producing biofuel made from whisky by-products.

Celtic Renewables Ltd, a spin-out from Edinburgh Napier University’s Biofuel Research Centre, will initially focus on Scotland’s …

CAAFI Launches Path to Alternative Jet Fuel Readiness
January 26, 2012 – 3:29 pm | No Comment

(CAAFI)  The goal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative® (CAAFI®) is to facilitate the development and deployment of alternative jet fuels that offer equivalent levels of safety and performance and compare favorably on cost …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Return of the Pyromaniax
January 26, 2012 – 10:05 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …You just can’t turn your back for very long, around the Pyromaniax – the researchers around the world working on pyrolysis. Now, pyro comes in several flavors – fast pyrolysis, …

The Latest Victim of Shale Gas — Clean Energy Technology
January 25, 2012 – 5:12 pm | No Comment

by Steve LeVine (Foreign Policy/Oil And Glory)  In the new issue of Wired, Julie Eilperin writes that clean-technology investment is in the throes of going bust, at least in the United States. That includes solar, wind and biofuels.
…Citi …

Synenergy Limited LLC and Allard Energy, Inc. to Revolutionize Medium-Scale Distributed Ethanol Fuel Refineries
January 25, 2012 – 4:27 pm | No Comment

(PR NewsWire/Allard Energy, Inc.)  Synenergy Limited, LLC, a global green solutions provider, today announced their distributorship with Allard Energy, Inc. (formerly, Allard Research and Development LLC), a leading innovator for small to medium scale ethanol production. Allard …

Clean Cities Coalitions, Industry Partners Host Texas Workshops
January 25, 2012 – 3:15 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine)  Clean Cities coalitions in Texas have partnered with Renewable Energy Group Inc. and Omaha, Neb.-based wholesale biodiesel distributor Bosselman Energy to co-host four workshops in four different cities throughout the …

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 …

Pond Biofuels to Pilot Cement Absorption System
January 25, 2012 – 12:19 pm | No Comment

(Daily Commercial News)  Pond Biofuels is piloting a new carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption system at St. Marys Cement.
The new system will reduce greenhouse gases by absorbing dirty smokestack emissions to grow algae which can be …

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 …

Low Carbon Fuel Standard: A Petroleum Marketer’s Perspective
January 23, 2012 – 5:17 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  California’s low carbon fuel standard is a hot topic at this week’s California Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Conference in San Francisco. During a panel titled “California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard …

Von Wedel Discusses Biodiesel Fuel Quality Issues at California Show
January 23, 2012 – 5:06 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  Although the biodiesel industry is maturing, fuel quality is still a central issue. Randall von Wedel, principal biochemist with BioSolar Group and CytoCulture International Inc., closed the California Biodiesel & …

NBB’s Biodiesel for Diesel Technicians Training Program Earns ASE Accreditation
January 23, 2012 – 4:34 pm | No Comment

by National Biodiesel Board (Biodiesel Magazine)  The National Biodiesel Board’s Biodiesel for Diesel Technicians training program has taken a huge leap forward in becoming the nation’s first Automotive Service Excellence accredited program for supplying biodiesel …

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 …

Feedstock Flexibility: Key to Future Profitability?
January 23, 2012 – 4:01 pm | No Comment

by Pete Moss (Biodiesel Magazine/Frazier, Barnes & Associates)  …Refined soybean oil is more expensive than degummed. Tallow is more expensive than yellow grease and so on. But why is soybean oil more expensive when it …

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 …

Keeping Pace
January 23, 2012 – 3:04 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine)  Is there sufficient supply of feedstock to support the build-out of a 6 billion gallon biodiesel industry over the next decade?
…If the industry stands a chance competing with Big Oil …

Oilheat’s War of Attrition: Can Oilheat Compete with Natural Gas in the Northeast?
January 23, 2012 – 2:50 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) … Northeasterners will be cozying up to heat that primarily comes in one of two forms—heating oil or natural gas—and the competition behind the scenes between the companies supplying those …

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 …

JOil Sees Tripling of Jatropha Productivity over Next Eight Years through Application of Biotechnology
January 23, 2012 – 9:46 am | No Comment

(PRNewsWire/Moneylife)  Scientific findings and process on biofuel crop presented in a paper delivered at INSULA (International Scientific Council for Island Development) / RSB (Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels), Conference in UNESCO, Paris
JOil (S) Pte Ltd, a scientific …