-Include high octane/high ethanol Regular Grade fuel in EPA Tier 3 regulations.
-Use a dedicated, self-reducing non-renewable carbon user fee to fund renewable energy R&D.
-Start an Apollo-type program to bring New Ideas to sustainable biofuel and …
Political news and views from Capitol Hill.
Conferences and Events List in Addition to Coming Events Carousel (above)
(The Green Car Website) Substantial societal benefits could be the result of using higher volume blends of ethanol, according to the Ford Motor Company.
It wants to see the higher blends to leverage the inherent high …
by Bill McKibben (Los Angeles Times) The last industry in need of a public handout is the fossil-fuel companies. The use of subsidies should follow some basic, rational guidelines.
…The Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act …
by Kris Bevill (Ehtanol Producer Magazine) A recently published article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Royal Society Interface suggests that in order for life cycle analyses (LCA) of biomass-based products such as biofuels to be most …
by Matt Daily (Reuters) Rapid growth in the U.S. biofuels markets has often pitted oil companies against small start-ups seeking a toehold in the gasoline markets, despite the need for both sides to work together, …
by Steve Tarter (Peoria Journal Star) …Michael Klare is a professor at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., and the author of a new book, “The Race for What’s Left: The Global Scramble for the World’s …
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Cellulosic ethanol could use a break, and it appears that the U.S. military may be riding to the rescue.
A Missouri cooperative called (what else?) ShowMe Energy is building an …
by Emily McMahon (Renewable Waste Intelligence/Renewable Energy World) Early leaders of the waste conversion market are at the forefront of an incredibly lucrative opportunity, states new research.
The drive towards renewable energy targets makes the need …
by Lee Edwards (Virent/The Hill) …If we really want to succeed in getting off foreign oil, policymakers need to think bigger – they need to think about how we can replace the whole barrel.
Currently, the …
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Light of specific wavelengths can be used to boost an enzyme’s function by as much as 30 fold, potentially establishing a path to less expensive biofuels, detergents and a host of …
by Andrew Wolf (DragZine.com) E85 fuels, an ethanol fuel blend containing up to 85% denatured ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbons, have become increasingly more common on roadways as flex-fuel vehicles take advantage of the …
(Air Fuel Synthesis) … The company’s demonstration unit fuel reactor has produced methanol fuels from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and also from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
The production of these first liquid hydrocarbon fuels – …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four projects, four technologies, four feedstocks, four geographies. Couldn’t be more differentiated, couldn’t be more linked in terms of affirming investor confidence in advanced biofuels.
…Virent CEO Lee Edwards… outlined four basic …
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A new petition has been launched today (April 11, 1012) to help encourage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support biofuels development. The petition is sponsored by Frontiers of Freedom, who says …
Alternative Fuels Renewable Energies Council’s Annual Sustainability Summit – Where corporate representatives, government officials, and financial partners convene to collaborate and form strategic alliances that promote and market sustainable products, programs, projects and initiatives.
Speakers:
Katherine Neal Blue, Managing Director, …
(GEM Biofuels) … Based on the internal review it is clear that, having planted very large areas of land, totalling 55,737 hectares, with Jatropha between 2007 and 2009, a lack of resources has resulted in …
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 …
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A research team investigating the possibility converting trap grease collected from Cincinnati sewer systems into biodiesel will be presenting the initial results of its project at the U.S. EPA’s 2012 …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here’s a 2-Minute Guide to all the Gevo and Butamax hollerin’, and how to separate the alcohol from the folderol.
In case it has escaped your attention, Butamax is suing Gevo …
by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH) …The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. In the area of biofuels …
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) North American sugar-to-ethanol strategy differs from Brazil’s, Europe’s
…North Dakota-based Green Vision Group is resolutely moving forward with a plan to build multiple 20 MMgy dedicated energy beet plants in …
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Guido Ghisolfi is a confident man. A chemical engineer by trade, at 55, he’s already spent three decades leading research and development (R&D) activities at Italy-based Mossi & Ghisolfi …
by Vicky Boyd (The Grower) Growing a biofuels crop on old citrus ground or rotating it with vegetables just doesn’t pencil out, even with today’s high fuel prices.
But add in a legume cover crop and …
by Jim Saunders (The News Service of Florida/Orlando Sentinel) Gov. Rick Scott late Friday disregarded pressure from tea party and conservative groups and a controversial measure including tax breaks for renewable-energy production to become law without his signature.
Scott’s decision …
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Scientists who have tested isobutanol, a fuel alcohol made from corn, say it packs more energy and has other pluses over ethanol.
A biofuel that will be produced commercially in Minnesota …
by Matthew L. Wald (The New York Times) How will the world meet its rising demand for energy? Experience suggests the solutions might already be at hand, although it may be years before they are …
by Peter Byrne (The Energy Report) Believe it or not, industry experts see biofuels accounting for up to 25% of global energy consumption by 2050. With this long-term vision in mind, Mark McHugh, president and …
by Oliver Saunders (Renewable Energy World/Renewable Waste Intelligence) The waste conversion market is set to be worth $26bn by 2016. Waste conversion is becoming the only viable answer to the waste problem spreading over the …
by Editorial Board (The Washington Post) Will natural gas hinder the fight against global warming?
…But extracting and transporting all that natural gas, which is mostly methane, also results in fuel leaks. When methane leaks, it …
(Fluid Imaging Technologies) Fluid Imaging Technologies Supports Biofuel, Nutraceutical Research Worldwide
Yarmouth, ME: Laboratory instrumentation manufacturer Fluid Imaging Technologies, Yarmouth, Maine (www.fluidimaging.com) has launched a scholarship program offering students up to $1,000.00 per year for up to …
(Solutions4CO2) Solutions4CO2 Inc. (“S4CO2”), is pleased to announce a joint venture with BARD Holding, Inc. (www.bardholding.com ) (the “S4CO2 – BARD Joint Venture”) to co-develop waste gas/water to co-products facilities in Canada. The initial phase …
(City of Galesburg) Pennycress Energy and the EBI Network are promoting Pennycress as a renewable, alternative energy fuel crop for the Galesburg/West Central Illinois Region. The project, generating interest among growers, will identify possible investors …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s water, water everywhere, hardly a drop to use. The latest on Sustainable, Affordable, Reliable, Available biomass feedstocks that keep down the stress on our water tables.
…The basic dilemma in …
(AFP) Australia’s Qantas Friday launched the nation’s first commercial flight using a mixture of refined cooking oil, saying it would not survive if it relied solely on traditional jet fuel.
The Airbus A330 left Sydney for …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Below the Surface’s “Driving Innovation” Team established the first official algae-fueled motorcycle speed records during The Texas Mile land speed event on March 24th, 2012. Team leader Kristian Gustavson reached 94.6 mph …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hybrids, plug-in electrics struggle to pass the consumer’s “compared to what” test – and how much do those tax credits cost, anyway?
…Take, for example, the trouble with hybrids. We saw a …
by Aviva Glaser and Patty Glick (National Wildlife Federation) Without question, America needs to transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. As we move forward with our energy choices, we must be mindful of how …
by Doreen Hemlock (SunSentinel) …A $4 million biodiesel plant is now being built, the largest to serve the tri-county area. The South Florida plant will convert waste cooking oil from suppliers such as restaurants at Miami International Airport to …
By Caroline Baity (Daily Gamecock) Program aims to offset fuel cost, turn profit Thanks to two grants worth a combined $89,090, USC’s Sustainable Carolina program now has the ability to turn all that greasy oil …
by Jim Camden (The Spokesman-Review) …Among legislation closely followed by Spokane businesses was an aviation biofuels plan that allows bonds from the state’s Housing Finance Commission to be sold to help build facilities to turn …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …How about investing in the world around you?
…What can a leader do? He or she can help you to change your fate, through simple acts of investing your own energy …
(National Corn Growers Association) Young ethanol enthusiasts and aspiring actors alike should start shoring up scripts and collecting cameras to create entries for a new video contest created by the National Corn Growers Association’s …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Honeywell’s UOP announced two projects this week, and generally more attention was paid by ABLC delegates to its ATJ (alcohol to jet) technology release, suggesting that, in the near term, …
by J.E. Anderson, D.M. DiCicco, J.M. Ginder, U. Kramer, T.G. Leone, H.E. Raney-Pablo, T.J. Wallington (FUEL/ScienceDirect.com) Ethanol provides a significant contribution to road transportation fuel in the US, Brazil, and elsewhere. Renewable fuels regulations in the US and EU imply that ethanol …
Designed to be accessible to non-experts and the commercially-minded, this course describes the variety of feedstocks, routes and processes through which biomass can be converted to valuable fuels, energy and other co-products – on large …
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture – along with the Department of Energy, and the Department of Navy – will co-host an Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. on May 18, …
by Greg Breining (University of Minnesota/Bioenergy Connection) …Did demand for biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, rapeseed, and soybeans, drive the high cost of food? Many analysts later pinned most of the blame on commodities …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In Washington, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first applications for registration of ethanol for use in making gasoline that contains up to 15 percent ethanol – known as …
(Biofuels Digest) In Virginia, the NSF is calling for proposals for biological and chemical technologies, with a deadline of June 19, 2012. The proposals must deal with the potential for commercialization of the innovation and how …
(US Department of Agriculture) A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) highlights the potential for alternative energy production at airports. The study …
(U.S. Geological Survey) USGS scientists have developed a new method for mapping grasslands that demonstrate high potential for growing biofuel crops with relatively little energy input and environmental impact.
The pioneering investigation used remote sensing data …
(UPI) The U.S. Energy Department said up to $15 million is available to help support nearly a dozen so-called bio-oil projects targeted for the transportation sector.
…The Energy Department said the so-called bio-oil precursors could find …
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Biomass Program is currently seeking qualified individuals to participate in several upcoming merit reviews. Expertise is being sought in the following areas:
Biological conversion of sugars and carbohydrates from biomass (specifically …
The 2012 Sorghum Renewables Summit brings together the industry’s leading researchers and companies for an event beginning 1:30pm on April 19 through 11:15am on April 20 in Denver, Colo.
As an adaptable, efficient and sustainable crop, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (T)here’s an awful lot of talk about $18 per gallon biofuels and $26 biofuels going around. When mentioned, it is invariably presented as a sign that the industry is …
(Platts) Six renewable fuel trade associations have filed a motion in federal court to intervene in support of the US Environmental Protection Agency, which is being sued by a major oil and gas trade group …
Including a tour of Glenn Mills to view a commercial-scale algae extraction
The National Algae Association is the first non-profit algae production trade association in the US. In continuing its efforts to fast-track commercial algae production, National Algae Association’s next …
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Four days of total immersion in advanced biofuels’ language and culture at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, 107 presentations, leaves one’s mind spinning and stomach churning. …
(FarmEnergy.org) More than 100 diverse groups representing agriculture, energy, rural development and conservation called on Congress today (April 5, 2012) to renew and fund core energy programs in the Farm Bill that push forward clean, …
Due to funding constraints, Advanced Biofuels USA is limiting posting of daily news about advanced biofuels. Instead, we will enhance our focus on writing original pieces highlighting what is going on with advanced biofuels policy …
(National Algae Association) National Algae Association is pleased to announce the opening of a Testing Center. This first-of-its-kind initiative has been on-going as a part of NAA’s algae production incubator program to assist new algae …
(SustainableBusiness.com) Over the past two years, The Climate Bonds Initiative has been creating a new class of bonds that can finance a rapid transition globally to a low-carbon economy.
…Most of the bonds will be bought by institutional investors, …
The Advanced Biofuels USA office will be closed from March 30 to April 6.We will not be providing daily updates at this time.
Until we are back, here are resources you can use to continue to …
(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) …Twenty new oilheat dealers officially registered as Bioheat dealers at the New England Bioheat Symposium on March 22 in Boston, which will give homeowners and other traditional oilheat users more access …
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) …Although India’s biodiesel industry is small, it does show potential for growth. This week World Health Energy Holdings announced plans to establish algae biodiesel production in two areas of the country are …
We have assembled an impressive technical program that includes 19 sessions with one Special Topic evening session on international bioenergy center progress, as well as 2 large poster sessions. Technical topics span new biomass sources …
Opportunities in Scaling Sustainable Transportation Fuels in Biomass: A Workshop
Thursday, May 31st, 2012 NAS Keck Center Room 100 500 5th ST NW, Washington, DC 20001
The National Academy of Sciences’ Chemical Sciences …
The All Florida Ag Show is the only industry gathering dedicated to bringing together members of all agricultural sectors across the Sunshine State in one place to discuss issues, exchange ideas, and learn about new …
by James Stafford (OilPrice.com) Rising geopolitical tensions and high oil prices are continuing to help renewable energy find favour amongst investors and politicians. Yet how much faith should we place in renewables to make up …
Where: Dubuque County Emergency Responder Training Facility
14928 Public Safety Way
Dubuque, IA 52202
Times: 9:00 am − 2:00 pm or
5:30 pm − 10:00 pm
Register: www.rfa.traincaster.com
Who Should Attend:
Emergency Responders
Fire Departments
EMTs
Local Emergency Planning Committees
Police
Safety Managers READ MORE
Where: Spartanburg Community College
Health Sciences Building − Community Room
800 Brisack Rd.
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Times: 9:00 am − 2:00 pm or
5:30 pm − 10:00 pm
Register: www.rfa.traincaster.com
Who Should Attend:
Emergency Responders
Fire Departments
EMTs
Local Emergency Planning Committees
Police
Safety Managers READ MORE
Where: Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center
Wallingford Ballroom
7801 East State Street
Rockford, IL 61108
Times: 9:00 am − 2:00 pm or
5:30 pm − 10:00 pm
Register: www.rfa.traincaster.com
Who Should Attend:
Emergency Responders
Fire Departments
EMTs
Local Emergency Planning Committees
Police
Safety Managers READ MORE
The RFA, in partnership with Norfolk Southern Railroad and Tate & Lyle, will be hosting a free Ethanol Safety Seminar in Chattanooga, Tenn., on April 18 at the Chattanooga Fire Department Training Center. There will …
(CNNGo) First biofuel flight will take off on April 13 from Sydney
…Qantas is the latest airline to launch a flight powered by cooking oil.
Tickets are currently on sale for Australia’s first commercial biofuel flight, which …
by Steve Everly (Kansas City Star) Ethanol industry pushes for the state to step up from the E10 blend now offered. But automakers warn of engine damage, voided warranties.
…E10 will still be available, and selling …
(Bernama) Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s largest producers of palm oil, are on a joint mission to correct and update a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that could impact future exports of palm …
(Enhanced Online News/Live Science Alley) Today (March 28, 2012), The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota released a comprehensive white paper detailing the extent and impact of the advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals industry and providing a …
by Gavin Lumsden (CityWire) The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an investigation into Sustainable AgroEnergy, a London-based company that promoted itself to Sipp investors as a specialist in renewable biofuel crops and ‘green oil’ from Asia.
According to Citywire’s New …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last July, the Digest launched a project called “Victory Plants” and set about recruiting a Biofuels Council of Advisors on Science, Technology and Economics to define a threshold standard for advanced manufacturing …
Discover Opportunities for Bio-Deployment at the 2012 Spring Symposium
BDC will host its Spring Symposium in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 7-9 at the Airport Marriott Courtyard. The Symposium includes tours of the Oak Ridge National Laboratories …
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Fuel for carriers, jets adds demand for biofuel source other than corn
A Missouri cooperative called (what else?) ShowMe Energy is building an $80 million, 3 million gallon facility that …
by Cori Anne Natoli (DelawareOnline) The DuPont Co. won the 2012 Sustainable Biofuels award for its research project on the transport and storage of corn stover for conversion to biofuel.
The Stover Harvest Project is a collaborative effort …
by David Ferris (Forbes) At a conference today sponsored by the Carbon War Room outside Washington, D.C., a panel of biofuels entrepreneurs, supporters and financiers pointed to disruptive episodes in American history that bear some similarity to the …
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. is expanding its research activities related to the use of distillers grains and corn stover to replace corn in cattle diets, recently announcing a two-year …
(Algae Industry Magazine) A team of scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory has published a paper in IOP Science’s Environmental Research Letters comparing the emissions performance of algal biofuels to petroleum fuels. In their qualified …
(Business Day) State wants industry to source feedstock from small-scale farmers, writes Hopewell Radebe
The government has not moved an inch on the proposal by the farming community to include maize as an alternative crop for …
(Chalmers) Pest insects in tropical rainforests can be a valuable natural asset. So believes Lisbeth Olsson, who is hunting for new enzymes in partnership with Vietnamese researchers.
…Together, researchers from Chalmers and Vietnam are now going …
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) joined with seven other biofuel-related organizations to champion the success of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator …
by Harry Cline (Western Farm Press) Former sugar beet growers on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley are expected to learn next month whether they’ll be able to take the next step in …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Companies like KiOR, ZeaChem, Virent take aim at a tasty aviation biofuels market with new recipes and game-changing economics
…If you can produce in-spec, sustainable, low-carbon, renewable jet fuel at $3.32 …
Sources of Lignin
FP Innovations
Domtar/Metso
Lignol
Commercial Applications
Zoltec
Tecnaro
Woodbridge Group
and Others
Research & Development
NSERC Biomaterials and Chemicals Strategic Network (Lignoworks)
National Research Council
University of Toronto – Centre for Biocomposites & Biomaterial Processing
Wageningen UR Lignin Platform
and Others
Government Funding
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research …
Over 200 bioenergy experts are expected to join the Ukrainian Bioenergy Business Forum 2012 conference cum exhibition. Taking place in Kiev on 27-28 September 2012, this strictly B2B conference focuses on commercial opportunities and challenges brought about by the …
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Problem Definition: The production of biofuels in the US is at a substantial roadblock. Due to the high cost of transporting large quantities of low density, low value biomass …
(The Economist) …A report published last year by the American Physical Society (APS) put the cost of extracting and storing carbon dioxide using an air-capture system based on known technology at between $600 and $800 …
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …Dinneen noted that because ethanol is currently less expensive than gasoline, marketers should be able to offer E15 to consumers for a less expensive price than E10 or any …
(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) When Rudolph Diesel developed the first diesel engine it ran on peanut oil. Now, a century later as oil prices continue disrupting our economy, renewable fuel is back. Biodiesel is supporting …
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction of its Sustainable Grower Program in connection with the sustainability certification it has earned from …
(Netzwerk Biotriebstoffe) The report deals with the question “why sustainable alternative fuels are important for aviation, shows technology options, initiatives, links, documents and further research needs. The objective of the meeting between experts of both …
(MarketWire) Flight to be scheduled just before Earth Day with a Bombardier Q400 turboprop – Preparatory test flight successfully flown by Bombardier in February 2012
In mid-April, Porter Airlines plans to use one of its Bombardier …
(Platts) A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in “a matter of weeks,” a European Commission source said Monday.
UK bioethanol producer Ensus received the support of …
by Ben Geman and Andrew Restuccia (The Hill/E2Wire) The Senate voted 92-4 Monday to begin an election-year floor debate over Democratic legislation to repeal oil-industry tax breaks, a plan that’s unlikely to ultimately pass but …
