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Truly Sustainable Renewable Future
April 17, 2012 – 10:42 am | No 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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Sustainability

25x’25 Alliance Offers Adaptation Recommendations to U.S. Agriculture, Forestry
April 12, 2013 – 5:21 pm | No Comment

(25 x ’25)  (T)he Adaptation Work Group, a collaboration of agriculture, forestry, business, academic, conservation and government leaders, … issued a report last week that offers recommendations that will enable the U.S. agriculture and forestry …

AFPM, RFA Trade Charges after Verdict in MTBE Case
April 12, 2013 – 5:12 pm | No Comment

by Jordan Godwin  (Platts)  …(American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers President Charles T.) Drevna responded Wednesday to a New Hampshire verdict earlier that day in a case where ExxonMobil was found negligent for putting MTBE in gasoline without warning …

BIO Comments on EPA’s 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Rules
April 12, 2013 – 1:50 pm | No Comment

(Biotechnology Industry Organization) The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) recently submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the proposed Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS).
The comments emphasized that continued stable …

Academic Study on Jatropha in Cooperation with the Leuphana University, Lueneburg
April 12, 2013 – 1:45 pm | No Comment

(INOCAS)  The production of plant oils based on oil-bearing trees such as Jatropha could provide an alternative pathway to a more sustainable plant oil production in the future. Planting oil-bearing trees can mitigate the effects of …

Ductor a Winner of the Red Herring Europe 100 Award
April 12, 2013 – 1:37 pm | No Comment

(XS4Green.com)  Ductor, the Finnish biotechnology company specializing in disruptive algae technology, announce today that Red Herring, a global media company, has named Ductor a winner of the Red Herring Europe 100 awards.
Ductor’s products and business …

Nation First International Development Asia (NFIDAsia) Signs MoU with Hisham Koh & Associates (HKA) to Facilitate Algal Based Farming Products for Rural Myanmar
April 12, 2013 – 1:28 pm | No Comment

(PR.com/Nation First International Development Asia)  Nation First International Development Asia (NFIDAsia) has announced today they have signed an MoU with Hisham Koh & Associates (HKA) to facilitate algal based farming products throughout rural Myanmar.
While algae …

Lee Enterprises and ICM Forge Alliance
April 12, 2013 – 12:21 pm | No Comment

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  Lee Enterprises Consulting has formed of a strategic alliance with ICM, Inc. Recently, ICM developed a proprietary patent-pending Generation 1.5 Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
ICM’s Director …

Gevo Wins a Judgment in Latest Butamax vs Gevo Dust-Up
April 12, 2013 – 11:20 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In Delaware, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware entered a final judgment in favor of Gevo and against Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC (Butamax), a 50/50 joint …

Obama Budget Would End Oil Industry Tax Breaks, Hike Royalites
April 11, 2013 – 6:28 pm | No Comment

by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (FuelFix)  In unveiling his $3.8 trillion spending plan for the U.S. government on Wednesday, President Barack Obama revived his longstanding attack on oil industry tax breaks and formally launched a plan …

Freeze It – A Proposal for Implementing RFS2 through 2015
April 11, 2013 – 12:41 pm | No Comment

by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily)  …Here, we present a proposal for implementing the RFS2 through 2015 that recognizes the constraints implied by the E10 blend wall and will avert the impact of the …

Industry Reacts to RFS Reform Act Introduced in House
April 11, 2013 – 12:28 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The ethanol industry reacted swiftly to the so-called RFS Reform Act, legislation introduced April 10 in the U.S. House of Representatives, which they said would gut the renewable fuel …

The EIA Publishes Data on E85-Capable Vehicles
April 11, 2013 – 12:13 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published updated data on alternative fuels and vehicles through 2011. The analysis addresses several alternative transportation fuels, including E85, hydrogen, electricity, natural gas …

Algal Biofuels Pilot Plant Opens in Queensland
April 11, 2013 – 12:02 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Double Counting, Half Measures: Advanced Biofuels Will Not Take Off with Existing Support Measures
April 11, 2013 – 11:57 am | No Comment

(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 …

President’s FY2014 Budget Boosts DOE Vehicle Technology Spending 75% to $575M; $282M for Advanced Biofuels
April 11, 2013 – 11:34 am | No Comment

(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 …

Crop-Based Biofuels: A Complex Issue
April 11, 2013 – 11:25 am | No Comment

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 …

Versalis Invests $20M in Genomatica, Launches JV for Bio-based Butadiene
April 11, 2013 – 11:06 am | No Comment

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 …

Neste Oil Uses Tall Oil Pitch; Begins Rainforest Protection Plan
April 10, 2013 – 8:36 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Neste Oil has begun using tall oil pitch as a feedstock for renewable diesel production. Neste Oil successfully tested tall oil pitch in commercial refinery operations in March and April …

Bioheat’s ‘Proud 2B2′ Campaign Awards $30,000 to NYC Charities
April 10, 2013 – 8:27 pm | No Comment

(The National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine)  Continuing its trend of warming up New York, the National Biodiesel Board announced the winners of its New York City Proud 2B2 Renewable Warmup campaign. To celebrate New York City’s adoption …

Florida Senate Bill Repealing Ethanol Requirement Rewritten with Only ‘Nice Words’
April 10, 2013 – 5:34 pm | No Comment

by Bruce Ritchie  (The Florida Current)  A Senate bill that would repeal the 2008 requirement that gasoline in Florida contain about 10 percent ethanol was rewritten on Tuesday to remove the repeal.
Bill supporters say the law …

Biofuels Digest’s 3-Minute Guide to the EIA Energy Outlook
April 10, 2013 – 5:21 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Eager to understand the bio investor impact from the EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook – but not crazy about reading 46 pages of dense text and graphics?
Our 3-Minute Guide can help.
…We …

G-OIL Helps Lindsey Wilson College To Pioneer “Truly Green Campuses”
April 10, 2013 – 5:02 pm | No Comment

(G-Oil Green Earth Technologies/PR NewsWire)  Every day is Earth Day at Lindsey Wilson College, a 2,700 student collection of campuses in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Looking to become a pioneer in developing truly …

Biodiesel Use Up 240% in 2011
April 10, 2013 – 4:45 pm | No Comment

by Justin Loiseau (Motley Fool)  Alternative and replacement fuels are making moves, according to the most recent data released by the Energy Information Administration on Monday. From 2007 to 2011, traditional fuel use dropped 7.8% to 171 …

Propel Fuels Brings Biodiesel, E85 to Fresno
April 10, 2013 – 4:02 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, Propel Fuels has opened another in its chain of transformative Clean Mobility Centers — and the first station in Fresno to offer E85 Flex Fuel and biodiesel, sourced …

Yo, Algae: Take Two and Call Me in the Morning
April 10, 2013 – 2:58 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …. And surprisingly, a research team from the University of California, Davis has not only catalogued the impacts of treating microalgae with 83 different compounds. They’ve found that common antioxidants …

Advanced Biofuels USA Co-Hosts DOE’s Biomass 2013
April 10, 2013 – 1:47 pm | No Comment

Advanced Biofuels USA, co-hosting with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, invites you to be a supporter of Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy. This year’s conference will be held July …

Advanced Biofuels USA Teams with Hood College with Panel Discussion of Documentary, ‘FREEDOM’ April 22,2013 Frederick, MD
April 10, 2013 – 11:21 am | No Comment
Advanced Biofuels USA Teams with Hood College with Panel Discussion of Documentary, ‘FREEDOM’    April 22,2013    Frederick, MD

ADVANCED BIOFUELS USA TEAMS UP WITH HOOD COLLEGE ON EVENT CONCERNING OUR NATION’S OIL DEPENDENCE
Advanced Biofuels USA and the Hood Environmental Advocacy Team to Host Showing of Documentary Film, ‘FREEDOM,’ followed by Local Expert Panel …

New EPA Fuel, Emission Standards A Benefit for Ethanol
April 9, 2013 – 6:17 pm | No Comment

(Farm Futures)  National Corn Growers Association says more stringent emissions standards create a place for ethanol’s higher octane levels to shine
…The tier 3 standards increase the level of stringency with which vehicle emissions are regulated …

CME Plans to Introduce Ethanol RINs Contract by End of May
April 9, 2013 – 4:51 pm | No Comment

by Mario Parker (Bloomberg)  CME Group Inc. (CME), owner of the world’s largest futures exchange, plans to start a contract for ethanol Renewable Identification Numbers by the end of May amid concern that higher RINs …

Ethanol Industry Seeks Toned-Down Renewable Fuel Goals
April 9, 2013 – 12:49 pm | No Comment

by Ben Goad (The Hill E2Wire)  A key industry group is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ratchet back this year’s volume requirements for biofuel production, arguing the proposed standards are unrealistic.
In formal comments submitted Monday, …

Global Biofuels Production Will Reach Nearly 62 Billion Gallons by 2023, Forecasts Navigant Research
April 9, 2013 – 12:08 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Effective Fertilizer Use Could Cut Emissions from Biofuel Production
April 9, 2013 – 12:01 pm | No Comment

(EnvironmentalResearchWeb.org)  Scientists in Brazil have found that nitrous-oxide emissions from sugarcane fields vary depending on the nitrogen source employed as a fertilizer. Ammonium nitrate results in higher nitrous-oxide emissions than urea, they discovered. With around …

Biofuels Given a New Lease on Life
April 9, 2013 – 11:54 am | No Comment

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 …

USDA Asks White House to Approve Sugar-for-Ethanol Program
April 9, 2013 – 11:46 am | No Comment

by Charles Abbott (Reuters)  The White House will decide in coming weeks whether to attempt to blunt low prices in the U.S. sugar market by buying hundreds of thousands of tons of surplus sugar and …

Neste Oil Corporation Pledges “No Deforestation”
April 9, 2013 – 10:35 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Neste Oil, which had been criticized for its sourcing of deforestation-based palm oil, has pledged to shift away from palm oil sourced from primary forests, high conservation value and natural …

A Crash of Algae, Bioterrorism and the Future of Biofuels
April 9, 2013 – 10:26 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …You’ve probably seen it, in some way, for years — a local pond seems suddenly crowded with algae — or there’s news of a “red tide” blooming at sea — …

Fertilizer Production at North Dakota Ethanol Plants Explored
April 8, 2013 – 7:30 pm | No Comment

by Mikkel Pates (Prairie Business) Colorado company Agrebon Inc. and North Dakota partners are in discussions with North Dakota’s two largest ethanol plants in Casselton and Hankinson to build small-scale nitrogen fertilizer factories on their campuses.
…Each …

Biochar Slashes Bioenergy Soil Emissions
April 8, 2013 – 7:19 pm | No Comment

by Tom Marshall (Planet Earth Online)  Adding charcoal to land used to grow bioenergy crops can greatly increase their overall benefit in helping cut our greenhouse-gas emissions, scientists have shown.
Applying so-called ‘biochar’ before planting energy …

World Future Energy Summit January 20-22, 2014 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
April 8, 2013 – 6:30 pm | No Comment
World Future Energy Summit   January 20-22, 2014   Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) is the world’s foremost event dedicated to renewable energies, energy efficiency and clean technologies. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu …

EPA Tier 3 Rules Lower Sulfur Content, Assume E15 to Replace E10
April 8, 2013 – 5:19 pm | No Comment

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. EPA has proposed Tier 3 emission standards for cars and gasoline. The new goals for lower sulfur content got the attention in the first days after …

James Cook University Commercializing Algae Research
April 8, 2013 – 4:13 pm | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Tony Raggatt writes in townsvillebulletin.com that James Cook University, a leading algal research facility located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, has started to commercialize its research by selling their algae as a feedstock …

American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Files Comments on EPA’s Unworkable RFS
April 8, 2013 – 3:49 pm | No Comment

(American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers/PR Newswire)  The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) filed formal comments detailing the problems and harmful consequences caused by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule Regulation of Fuels and Fuel …

DECC: 2012 Was a Record Year for U.K. Ethanol Consumption
April 8, 2013 – 3:34 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.K. Department of Energy & Climate Change recently released an updated set of statistics on energy trends and prices. According to the release, ethanol accounted for 55 percent …

Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Consumer Choice Is Key to California Success
April 8, 2013 – 3:04 pm | No Comment

by Matt Horton (Mercury News)  …Yet at the fuel pump, consumers still have no power. We all know our dependence on fossil fuels weakens our economy and security while threatening our environment. We simply feel …

Not Ready for Slime Time: Algae Present Challenges as Fuel Source
April 8, 2013 – 2:53 pm | No Comment

by Emily Pickrell (FuelFix)  On Jan. 1, Congress made algae-based fuel production eligible for a $1.01-per-gallon cellulosic biofuel production federal tax credit.
Cellulosic biofuels typically are made from woody, non-food material such as grasses or wood …

Schneider Looks to Future after Trash-to-Ethanol Plant Plan Runs out of Gas
April 8, 2013 – 2:47 pm | No Comment

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,” …

RFA to House Energy & Commerce Committee: Let RFS Work and Solutions to Blend Wall Will Be Found!
April 8, 2013 – 2:00 pm | No Comment

(Renewable Fuels Association)    The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today (April 5, 2013)  responded to the questions posed by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce in a white paper entitled, “Examining ‘Blend …

EPA Informs Court of Plan to Reconsider Cellulosic Ethanol Requirement for 2011
April 8, 2013 – 1:38 pm | No Comment

by Andrew Childers  (Bloomberg BNA)  The Environmental Protection Agency will voluntarily reconsider the cellulosic ethanol blending requirement for 2011, the agency told a federal appellate court in an April 3 motion (American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers v. …

University of Texas Researchers Design Synthetic Trees for Producing Water and Energy Efficient Algal Biofuels
April 8, 2013 – 1:20 pm | No Comment

by David Wogan (Scientific American)  The idea is straightforward: grow algae in large quantities and harvest the energy dense byproducts as an alternative to fossil fuels. Like larger plants, microalgae use solar energy to fix …

Engineering Algae to Make the ‘Wonder Material’ Nanocellulose for Biofuels and More
April 8, 2013 – 1:09 pm | No Comment

(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 — …

Abengoa Begins Operating the First Demonstration Plant Using Waste-to-Biofuels Technology
April 8, 2013 – 11:55 am | No Comment

(ENP Newswire/Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production)  Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B), the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, has started operations at the demonstration plant that uses …

CPF Leads by Example with Renewable Fuel Projects
April 8, 2013 – 11:49 am | No Comment

(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 …

Governor Awards $200K to Hawaii Isle Biofuels Initiative
April 8, 2013 – 10:41 am | No Comment

(Star-Advertiser)  The state has invested $200,000 toward a initiative that seeks to develop an economically sustainable zero-waste conversion project in Hilo that will turn unmarketable papaya into biofuel and high-protein animal feed.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie presented …

Oxygen for High Altitudes: 17 Biofuels Ventures Raise $434M in Equity
April 8, 2013 – 10:33 am | No Comment

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, …

ePURE Calls for Modeling European Biofuels Policy after the RFS
April 5, 2013 – 7:32 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The European Renewable Ethanol Association, ePURE, has released results of a study that determined the double counting mechanism proposed by the European Commission to spur production of advanced biofuels …

Big Oil’s Big Effort
April 5, 2013 – 7:25 pm | No Comment

by  Loretta Sorensen (MidWest Producer) The best way farmers and consumers can weaken the grip of giant oil companies and further reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil is to start asking their fuel retailer to sell …

Cellulosic Technology Must Use Existing Cropland — Study
April 5, 2013 – 7:08 pm | No Comment

by Amanda Peterka  (Governors Biofuel Coalition)  Cellulosic biofuels can become profitable for farmers and help displace oil, but they must use already-available agricultural land, according to a study released by a nonprofit yesterday.
Commissioned by the …

Biofuels Center Boosts Renewable Fuels Industry in Western NC with $600K Investment
April 5, 2013 – 6:57 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Cheap Petrobras Gas Hurts Ethanol Investments: Corporate Brazil
April 5, 2013 – 6:36 pm | No Comment

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 …

CHMC Seeks Farmers to Back $20 Million Brazil Corn-Ethanol Plant
April 5, 2013 – 6:29 pm | No Comment

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 …

Notice of Funding Availability for the Rural Energy for America Program
April 5, 2013 – 6:14 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture/Federal Register)  This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announces the acceptance of applications under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for Fiscal Year 2013 for financial assistance as follows: grants, guaranteed …

ACC Clean Energy Challenge Announces Elite Eight Plus Two, Will Vie to Reach Final Four
April 5, 2013 – 6:07 pm | No Comment

(Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute/PR NewsWire)  The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge, a business plan competition supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) encouraging students from universities in the southeastern United …

Ethanol Blending Margins, RFS2 Compliance, and the Price of Gasoline
April 5, 2013 – 5:54 pm | No Comment

by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good  (FarmDocDaily)  …We concluded that the buying and selling of RINs within that supply chain results in something close to a zero-sum game in terms of profitability for the industry. The …

Breakthrough in Hydrogen Fuel Production Could Revolutionize Alternative Energy Market
April 5, 2013 – 5:42 pm | No Comment

(Virginia Tech News)  A team of Virginia Tech researchers has discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, a breakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel …

USDA Accepting Apps for Blender Pump Grants under REAP Program
April 5, 2013 – 5:27 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for federal REAP funds to help gasoline retailers install blender pumps designed to give consumers flexibility and choice in …

DOE Announces Five-Year Renewal of Funding for Bioenergy Research Centers
April 5, 2013 – 5:16 pm | No Comment

(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy today announced it would fund its three Bioenergy Research Centers for an additional five-year period, subject to continued congressional appropriations. The three Centers—including the BioEnergy Research Center …

US Department of Energy Gives Michigan State, University of Wisconsin $125 Million to Continue Biofuels Research
April 5, 2013 – 4:58 pm | No Comment

by Brandon Howell (MLive) Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin will continue their partnered research of advanced biofuels thanks to $125 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, …

SG Biofuels Sees Deal in Southeast Asia or Africa in Six Months
April 5, 2013 – 4:54 pm | No Comment

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 …

BioNitrogen Signs Second Supply Agreement with United Suppliers – Is Urea on the Move?
April 5, 2013 – 4:44 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest)  In Florida, BioNitrogen Corp. announced that it has signed a supply agreement with United Suppliers, Inc. for the offtake of urea fertilizer for its planned plants in Pointe Coupee Parish, …

Barcelona Researchers Focus on Dinoflagellate Microalgae
April 5, 2013 – 4:21 pm | No Comment

(Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona/Biodiesel Magazine)  Dinoflagellate microalgae could be used as a raw material to obtain biodiesel easily and profitably. This is the conclusion of a study led by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) scientists, …

Energy 101- A Framework For an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Course Teaching the Fundamentals of Energy April 10, 2013 Webinar 2:00PM ET
April 5, 2013 – 4:06 pm | No Comment
Energy 101- A Framework For an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Course Teaching the Fundamentals of Energy   April 10, 2013   Webinar 2:00PM ET

The ‘Energy 101’ project collaborators are hosting a webinar detailing the newly released Energy 101 curricular framework.
This webinar is for educators, administrators, and other interested parties who would like to learn about the Energy 101 …

IEA Says Cellulosic Biofuels Capacity Has Tripled since 2010: New Task 39 Global Report
April 5, 2013 – 4:03 pm | No Comment

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 …

Growing Forward 2 is Good News for Canadian Biofuels
April 5, 2013 – 3:45 pm | No Comment

(Canadian Renewable Fuels Association)  Homegrown renewable fuels drive economic growth in rural Canada and are a key part of our Bio-Economy future
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) applauds the official launch of the Growing Forward …

Uganda to Get Quality Biodiesel
April 5, 2013 – 3:10 pm | No Comment

by Eriosi Nantaba (AllAfrica.com)  A private Firm African Power Initiative Limited (API) recently announced its plans and commitment to start mass production of bio diesel in Uganda with a capacity of more than 4000 litres. …

Iowa’s Biodiesel Sales Have Tripled since 2010
April 5, 2013 – 2:58 pm | No Comment

by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register)  The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said the amount of biodiesel blended into diesel in Iowa has more than tripled from 7.4 million gallons in 2010 to 23.3 million gallons in …

7 Steps to Meeting US Renewable Fuels Targets
April 5, 2013 – 2:53 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  We go through the renewable fuels math — and find that the nattering nabobs of negativism might have crowed too soon.
…Lately, the nattering nabobs appear to have landed at the …

Is Small-Scale, Distributed Ethanol Production for You?
April 5, 2013 – 2:25 pm | No Comment

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 …

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine : Bioethanol Production Will Boost the Alcohol and Sugar Industries
April 5, 2013 – 2:16 pm | No Comment

(www.4-Traders.com)  This year the Government continues to develop alternative fuel sources, in particular, to increase the production of bioethanol.  It is provided by the State Program of activation of the economic development for 2013-2014. To …

Tilapia Waste Used for Biodiesel at New Brazillian Plant
April 5, 2013 – 12:58 pm | No Comment

(The Fish Site)  Two plants have opened in Jaguaribara and Morada Nova to reduce tilapia waste by converting it into biodiesel.
…Mr Joacir Moreira said that the plants have been set up in order to prevent …

Genuine Bio Fuel Inc.’s Second Chance Program Proves to Be a Model for Successful Hiring in the Biodiesel Industry
April 5, 2013 – 12:53 pm | No Comment

(PR Web/Genuine Bio-Fuel Inc.)  Genuine Bio-Fuel Inc., a privately funded leader in the biodiesel fuel industry, has successfully designed a unique employment program to enrich the Florida’s Indiantown community.
Genuine Bio-Fuel Inc., a leading biodiesel producer …

Maine Company Making Biofuel from Spent Grease
April 5, 2013 – 12:47 pm | No Comment

(WCSH6.com)  With a few added chemicals and some serious filtration, Maine Standard Biofuels takes leftover cooking oil from restaurants and creates heating oil for home and biodiesel for cars and trucks.
“It can be used in …

Algenetix Raises $2M in Series A Funding Round, Aims to Boost Algae Oil Accumulation
April 5, 2013 – 12:39 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, Algenetix, an industrial biotech company incubated from the pipeline of Kapyon Ventures has closed $2.0M in Series A-1 funding to further commercialize its PhotoSeed platform.
The groundbreaking technology vastly …

Go Wet, Young Friend
April 5, 2013 – 11:03 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …One of the perplexities of our time: why solar systems are so photon-efficient and so troubled in energy storage; conversely, how biomass systems are so photon-inefficient yet have magnificently dense …

Federal Grant Helps Keep Jackson Express’ Ethanol Cause Pumping
April 2, 2013 – 4:58 pm | No Comment

by Diana Johnsen (KCAUTV.com)  …The Jackson Express Gas station in Jackson, Nebraska has what are called ethanol “blender pumps”, which allows drivers to customize how much ethanol goes into their fuel.
And the more ethanol, the …

Ethanol vs. Petroleum – NCGA Adds Facts to the Debate
April 2, 2013 – 2:51 pm | No Comment

by Gary Truitt  (Hoosier Ag Today)  Ethanol debates are heating up again on Capitol Hill – so the National Corn Growers Association is comparing the environmental impacts from ethanol and petroleum as transportation fuels. Ethanol …

Popke’s in Rock Rapids, IA Joins the E15 Club
April 2, 2013 – 2:28 pm | No Comment

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  Popke’s, Inc. in Rock Rapids, Iowa has joined the E15 “club” now joining four other stations in Iowa to sell the 15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline fuel blend.
…Retailers interested in installing a …

DOE Study: RFS Boosts US Economy
April 2, 2013 – 2:22 pm | No Comment

by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association)  As Congress and the country debate the renewable fuel standard (RFS), Big Oil and Big Food are flooding the zone with bought-and-paid-for “studies” seeking to discredit American …

Biofuels Too Basic to Justify Binding EU 2030 Target: Oettinger
April 2, 2013 – 1:31 pm | No Comment

(Platts)  Biofuels are not advanced enough yet to justify a specific binding 2030 EU renewable transport target, EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said Wednesday.
The EU has a binding 2020 target to source 20% of its …

Low Carbon Fuel Standard Not an Answer
April 2, 2013 – 1:15 pm | No Comment

by Amy Harder (National Journal)  As policy makers in Washington DC and across the country confront the costly consequences of mandating renewable fuels, some have suggested a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) as an alternative. …

Pacific Ethanol Says Importing Sorghum to Make Biofuel
April 2, 2013 – 1:00 pm | No Comment

by Karl Plume (Reuters)  Pacific Ethanol Inc said that it is importing sorghum as well as buying the grain from domestic sources as prices for corn, the primary feedstock for the U.S. ethanol industry, hovered …

The Hydrogen Problem
April 2, 2013 – 10:55 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A numbers of readers responding to “Biofuels from a raging fireball” (Friday’s Top Story, on research work with the raging fireball, Pyrococchus furiosus, to make biofuels and renewable chemicals from …

Spatially Explicit Life Cycle Assessment of 5 Sun-to-Wheels Pathways Finds Photovoltaic Electricity and BEVs Offer Land-Efficient and Low-Carbon Transportation
April 2, 2013 – 10:29 am | No Comment

(Green Car Congress)  A new spatially-explicit life cycle assessment of five different “sun-to-wheels” conversion pathways—ethanol from corn or switchgrass for internal combustion vehicles (ICVs); electricity from corn or switchgrass for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs); and photovoltaic …

Making Do with More: Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Engineer Plant Cell Walls to Boost Sugar Yields for Biofuels
April 2, 2013 – 10:19 am | No Comment

by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)  When blessed with a resource in overwhelming abundance it’s generally a good idea to make valuable use of that resource. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant organic material …

Renewables Are Now a Major Contributor to UK Energy
April 2, 2013 – 9:57 am | No Comment

by Robin Whitlock (Renewable Energy Magazine)  …There was a reduction in the consumption of liquid biofuels available for transport, down to 2.6 percent of UK motor fuel and this needs to be addressed in the policy …

USDA, DuPont Pair up on Corn Stover Guidelines
April 2, 2013 – 9:52 am | No Comment

(Associated Press/Quad Cities Times)  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed an agreement Friday with DuPont that will help establish guidelines for how the company will collect corn-plant residue for a new ethanol plant in central …

The Carbon Fix? Think Carbon Suit. ZeaKal Raises $3.8M in Series A Financing
April 2, 2013 – 9:45 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Crop yield and oil content increases of up to 50% and 34% seen from ZeaKal’s HME technology.  Though in early days — what’s going on?
… A successful Series A is …

Bio-diesel Fuel Company Owner Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison for Crimes Connected to Illegal Fuels Scheme / Jeffrey Gunselman also fined $175,000 and ordered to pay nearly $55 million in restitution
March 29, 2013 – 7:07 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  Jeffrey David Gunselman, 30, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 188 months in federal prison, fined $175,000 and ordered to pay more than $54.9 million in …

EPA Proposes Achievable Cleaner Fuels and Cars Standard, Slashing Air Pollution and Providing Extensive Health Benefits
March 29, 2013 – 7:02 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  Based on extensive input from auto manufacturers, refiners, and states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed sensible standards for cars and gasoline that will significantly reduce harmful pollution, prevent …

Renewed Interest in Grain Sorghum in Nebraska
March 29, 2013 – 6:20 pm | No Comment

by Ken Anderson (Browfield Ag News)  A combination of dry weather and increased demand from the ethanol sector could have grain sorghum poised for a comeback in Nebraska.
Grain sorghum plantings in the state plummeted from 550-thousand …

E85 Sales Plummet 26 Percent in Minnesota
March 29, 2013 – 4:51 pm | No Comment

by David Shaffer (Star Tribune)  As the price spread diminished between the high-ethanol gasoline blend and regular fuel, some drivers of Flex Fuel vehicles stopped pumping it into their tanks.
Minnesota sales of the high-ethanol gasoline …