by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (SF Gate)  United Airlines on Tuesday announced it has committed to buy at least 15 million gallons of cleaner-burning renewable jet fuel from a Los Angeles-based refinery, marking a potentially major breakthrough …

(Enerkem/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Enerkem Inc. announced the launch of a new research project with the government of Canada. The objective of the project is to develop new catalytic processes for the conversion of waste into …

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 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 …

(Enerkem/PR NewsWire)  Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals company, announces the launch of a new research project with the Government of Canada. The objective of the project is to develop new catalytic processes for …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Canada, around 200 delegates from 44 countries are meeting in Montréal today, in a meet-up organized by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), to explore:  the commercialization of aviation …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 group recently published a report that outlines progress on more than 100 advanced biofuel projects under development worldwide. The report, titled “Status …

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 …

(Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper)  The Government of Canada is committed to investing in innovative clean energy technologies that create high-quality jobs, generate new economic opportunities and protect the environment.
To this end, on May …

(GreenAirOnline)  Although the entry of airlines into the biofuel marketplace is a significant step in the right direction, the sustainability of this development is of critical importance, says the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The …

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 …

(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine)  On May 19, more than 200 race cars will start at the traditional ADAC 24-hour race on the Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife track. With more than 200,000 visitors, it is the largest motor sporting …

(American Chemical Society)  The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Produces Drop-In Jet Fuel from 100% Renewable Plant Sugars
In Wisconsin, Virent announced the delivery of 100 gallons of its bio-based jet fuel to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for …

by Steve Creedy (The Australian)  Brisbane Airport has been earmarked as the site of Australia’s first sustainable aviation fuel “bio-port”.
Virgin Australia, Brisbane Airport Corporation and sustainable fuel company SkyNRG today announced a feasibility study that …

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 …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On April 23 Joule Unlimited announced it was selected as a 2013 Bloomberg New Energy Pioneer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The award aims to recognize game-changing clean energy companies. …

by Brock Vergakis  (Associated Press/The Washington Post) NASA researchers said Thursday that test flights conducted in California have shown a commercial jet could fly safely with a blend of jet fuel that includes a plant oil.
Scientists …

by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Steve Csonka, as director of Enviro Strategy and Ecomagination, GE Aviation, the world-leading provider of jet engines, gave an overview of the importance of renewable jet fuel specifications leading …

(China Daily)  Sinopec, China’s top oil refiner, announced the success of the first test flight powered by the company’s newly developed aviation biofuel product on Wednesday.
An Airbus A320 owned by China Eastern Airlines landed at …

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  The Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI) and the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) held a briefing on the conclusions of the newly released …

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 John Davis (DomesticFuel.com)  Two members of Pres. Obama’s cabinet today have signed their names to an agreement that will extend the administration’s commitment to the production of biofuels for use in airplanes. Secretary of …

Potential buyers, partners, investors and researchers at the Paris Air Show will be able to find the world’s leading alternative aviation fuels resources in one place: The Alternative Aviation Fuels (AAF) Pavilion. The airshow, arguably the best-known aerospace exhibition …

(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 …

(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 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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Every three years, ICAO organizes a major environmental event to share information on the latest developments in the area of aviation and environment with its Members States and other key stakeholders. The purpose of these …

The only event to be jointly organised in cooperation with the leading industry associations: ACI, CANSO, IATA and ICCAIA.
The aviation industry has joined forces like no other industry to work on common programmes to reduce …

(GreenAirOnline)  The aviation industry regards market-based measures (MBMs) as a temporary fix in achieving the carbon-neutral growth (CNG) goal from 2020 onwards until the benefits of new technology and operational advances, together with the uptake …

(GreenAirOnline)  A team of NASA researchers has begun a programme of flight tests that will compare the environmental impacts from emissions and contrails of a blended fuel containing 50 per cent biofuel against those from …

(GreenAirOnline)  A group of 32 leading US economists, including eight Nobel Prize winners, have written an open letter to President Obama urging him to advance proposals at ICAO for a global market-based measure that would …

(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 …

(Biomass Magazine)  Applied Research Associates Inc. and Blue Sun Energy Inc. are partnering to develop a demonstration-scale facility to scale up the Biofuels Isoconversion Process system using technology developed by ARA and Chevron Lummus Global. …

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 Debbie Hammel (National Resources Defense Council) The aviation industry has made reducing carbon emissions and moving away from fossil fuels key strategic priorities. A number of airlines are now entering the biofuel marketplace, working to …

by Debra Fiakas (Alt Energy Stocks)  As part of its program to promote beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide, the Department of Energy awarded a total of $27.2 million ($3.0 million in the first phase and $24.2 …

(AMEInfo.com)  Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies announced it presented details on the UAE’s growth and export potential in the biofuels-from-algae sector to …

(AIN Online)  KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, in partnership with the Schiphol Group, Delta Air Lines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey christened the first in a series of biofuel-powered flights between Amsterdam …

(RSB Services Foundation)  The RSB Services Foundation, which is responsible for the distribution and implementation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) global sustainability standard for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that SkyNRG is …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Wondering when affordable algae-based transportation fuels might arrive at your local retail outlet?   Might be sooner than you think. Here’s the lowdown.
…Further, we have to take into account that, …

by Nate Brown (Federal Aviation Administration)  Nate Brown, Alternative Fuels Project Manager of the Federal Aviation Administration, presented an update on FAA’s efforts at the Biomass 2012 conference.
FAA’s approach is advancing the use of alternative …

by Neil Remiesiewicz and Steve Nielsen  (WPRI.com)   Ross McCurdy, who teaches at Ponaganset High School, teamed up with other fliers to take their biodiesel-powered aircraft for a test flight Saturday.
McCurdy and the team modified a …

(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)   NASA researchers have begun a series of flights using the agency’s DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of alternate biofuel on engine performance, emissions and aircraft-generated contrails at altitude.
The …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, Rentech announced plans to cease operations at, reduce staffing at, and mothball its research and development Product Demonstration Unit, in Commerce City, CO, and to eliminate all related …

(25 x ’25)  Renewable energy stakeholders were reminded again in recent weeks that misguided criticism and outright misinformation launched against the nation’s pursuit of a clean energy future must be turned back.
…An example of the …

(GreenAirOnline)  Once touted as a wonder-crop that would become a staple feedstock for jet biofuels, jatropha suffered a fall from grace as yields failed to live up to overblown claims. However, California-based alternative energy crop …

by Julia Whitty (The Atlantic/Mother Jones)  …To get to the Nimitz, 100 miles off Honolulu, our turboprop is flying a 50-50 blend of biofuel and standard JP-5 shipboard aviation fuel. The biofuel is made from algae …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In the world of biofuels there is no sector as active as military and aviation biofuels in terms of willing customers. At the Low Carbon Fuel Conference, held over …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As journalists, at the Digest our job is to ask the 7 Questions. Who, What, Where, When, How Much, How and Why. In aviation biofuels the task is made easier …

(Environmental Protection Agency)   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to identify additional fuel pathways that the Agency has determined meet the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements for biomass-based diesel, …

by Peter Hannam  (Sidney Morning Herald)  Lufthansa probably thought it was on a public relations winner when it began operating flights using a mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel between Frankfurt and Hamburg in 2011.
However, …

(Green Car Congress)  Researchers at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake have developed a process for the synthesis of high energy density renewable fuels through the selective dimerization of α-pinene, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Could a switch to biofuels make super-dense JP-10 military aviation fuels affordable? Could F18A Super Hornets add payload or extend range?
Currently reserved for tactical missiles because of cost, biofuels could …

(RSB Services Foundation)  The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) which has developed a global sustainability standard and certification system for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  B20, B5, B100, E10, E22, E15, M50, E85, Bu12.5, HEFA 50.  Is your head swimming with acronyms and blend ratios?  Who exactly is making drop-in fuels, and what does that …

(Federal Aviation Administration) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) signed a Declaration of Cooperation to promote the development and use of sustainable alternative aviation fuels in the …

by Mona-Maria Brinker & Roger Coombs (Waste Management World)  Rising prices, continued conflict in producing regions and the spectre of peak oil have highlighted uncertainties about the future of fossil transport fuels in Europe. Mona-Maria Brinker …

Reviewing the Latest Technologies, Policies & Strategies Shaping the Future of First & Advanced Generation Biodiesel & Bio-Oil Derived Jet Fuel in Europe
A unique and highly-focused event, ACI’s 6th annual European Biodiesel conference will comprise two …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) … With aviation demand at 60 billion gallons worldwide, and 50 percent biofuels blends now approved (for HEFA fuels) — there’s no reason to suppose that there’s not 30 billion gallons …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  It is becoming increasingly evident that, in the near-term, acute demand for aviation biofuel is going, one way or another, to result in heavy demand for jatropha and jatropha oil-based …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Ireland, former Ryanair CEO Declan Ryan has joined investors in backing Aer Sustainable Energy Ltd, better known as Aer Bio. He was a director of Ryanair Holdings from August …

by Amanda Peterka (Environment and Energy Daily/Greenwire)  …It takes a lot of petroleum to get an airplane going, and electrifying the fleet is not an option.
So airlines are scrambling for cleaner, greener and cheaper fuels. “We …

by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA)  In his presentation at DOE’s Biomass 2012, Joachin Buse (Vice President Aviation Biofuels, Lufthansa German Airlines) claimed that aviation biofuels have the strongest impact on mitigation of climate change.
He …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Strong biofuels flight results, advances in algae, new commitments in venture capital and revived interest from the Canadian Navy.   Biofuels are off to a fast start in 2013 in …

by Daniel C Marotta and Jennifer Coute-Marotta  (Truthout)  All names are fictitious as sources requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Anonymity and people’s  requests that no pictures be taken were prerequisites for attaining interviews. …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  … Blue Sun Biodiesel CEO Leigh Freeman said his company will immediately invest payments from credits earned in 2012 to advance its next-generation biofuel technologies.
…Specifically, Blue Sun is investing in a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Now – it’s all about organizing sustainable, affordable feedstock and building capacity. And, airlines providing capital for the first commercial projects — to ensure that capacity building reaches levels in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  When headlines run dire, ask yourself: are they real?   In today’s Digest, we give you a guide to managing the myth minefield — and the roaring trade in disinformation …

(National Research Council Canada/Aviation.ca)  Results from the world’s first civil flight powered by 100 percent biofuel released by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) show that the biofuel used in the flight last October …

by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Richard L. Altman, Executive director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI),  gave a presentation to DOE Biomass 2012.
CAAFI is a coalition of airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, …

by Randal Yakey (The News Herald)   … Popular Science magazine has named Applied Research Associates and their partners among the 25 science stories of the year for their research work with biofuels.
On Oct. 29, …

by Matthew Aylott   (National Non-Food Crops Centre)  NNFCC take a look back at the bioenergy, biofuels and bio-based products stories making the headlines in 2012.
…  In Europe, both Vivergo and Ensus started producing bioethanol made from wheat this year …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As renewable fuel developers put steel in the ground, oil & gas points to a fossil-based transformation in transportation fuels just “five years away”.
Today, it is the oil & gas …

(Neste Oil/Biodiesel Magazine)  Neste Oil has joined the Initiative Towards Sustainable Kerosene for Aviation (ITAKA) project, which is being funded by the EU to support the commercialization and use of renewable aviation fuel in Europe. …

(Saudi Gazette)  Sinnar state signed a partnership with the Saudi Tala Company to produce sugar, ethanol and bio-fuel in Sinnar state from the Jatropha tree to be cultivated in an area estimated at 165,000 acres …

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)  Goal is to develop new catalysts to lower costs for producing biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will partner with Johnson Matthey, a global specialty chemicals company, …

by Leon Kaye (TriplePundit)  …British Airways (BA) announced that it has found a site for a bio-refinery that will generate up to 50,000 tons of jet fuel annually. In a partnership with the American aviation …

by John Timmer (Ars Technica)  …The process relies on a specific species of bacteria, Clostridium acetobutylicum. Given a source of sugar (which can be obtained by digesting cellulose in plants), these bacteria will produce a mixture …

(International Energy Agency Task 40)  This report is an overview, not a detailed analysis, of the use of biofuels in commercial aviation.
Aviation is a global industry with global problems and challenges that also demands global …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the US Senate voted 54-41 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina to repeal section 2823 of the annual Defense appropriations bill.
Sec. …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News)  …Commercial-scale development of aviation biofuels is still in the early stages, and as experts explained at the Airports Going Green conference in Chicago earlier in November, viable aviation biofuel industries would look …

(GreenAirOnline)  The British Airways and Solena GreenSky London project to build a sustainable jet biofuel facility in East London is gaining momentum, say the two partners. They won’t reveal the location but an exclusive option …

by Tom Kadala (Biofuels Digest/ResearchPAYS)  …Aside from shaving off more capacity than they have already, airlines are looking elsewhere to stay in business. One area that remains unexplored is the diversification from a one fuel …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  China’s ENN and Europe’s EADS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop microalgae-based aviation fuels. The agreement was made public at the China International Air Show in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.
… The …

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  You know you have benefited from a conference when you come away from three days of presentations, panel discussions and a solid dose of audience participation with new understandings …

by Alan Yu (Medill Reports)  Boeing, United Airlines and several other Chicago entities hope to make the Midwest a hub for the production of green jet fuels.
Although most of the technology required to produce biofuels …

(GreenAirOnline)  Two jet biofuel companies, JATRO and BioJet, have announced a collaboration agreement on feedstock development and commercialisation efforts. The strategic alliance is intended to create a mutually beneficial business operation across global markets to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Jatropha 2.0 crude oil costs drops below Brent crude petroleum price
In California, SG Biofuels announced at Advanced Biofuels Markets that it has expanded its global network of hybrid trial and …

(MarketWire/National Research Council of Canada)  Historic Milestone for the Aviation and Sustainable Energy Industries
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) achieved a major milestone for the aviation industry today as it flew the first civil jet powered …

by Heidi Gaiser (Daily Interlake)  The four partners of Clearwater Biologicals are working to turn a crop popular in the Bronze Age into a 21st-century source of fuel and nutrients — and they are beginning …

(Honeywell/MarketWatch/PR NewsWire)  Five aircraft fly together for the first time using renewable jet fuel to National Business Aviation Association convention
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel(TM) produced using Honeywell’s UOP Renewable …

(Federal Aviation Administration)  SUMMARY: The FAA is forming a COE for AJF&E during FY-13. The COE will be a consortium of the FAA, university partners, and private industry affiliates selected by the FAA Administrator to work …

by Marsha W. Johnston (Renewable Energy World)  By all rights, many believe aviation biofuel producers should be attracting deep-pocketed investors ambitious enough to build the infrastructure necessary to meet a clearly burgeoning industrial-sized demand. At the …

by  Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Energy World)  …Armed with a $200,000 U.S.D.A. two-year research grant, Fernando Resende will start work on a fast pyrolysis mobile reactor next year that could revolutionize how foresters and the timber industry …

by Nat Williams (AgriNews)  The global airline industry is “begging” for biofuels and is committed to using them in their fleets, according to an executive with a major airplane manufacturer.
Jim Tracy, a senior vice president …