Articles tagged with: BioChemicals
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) …Renewable chemicals offer cost-competitiveness with petrochemicals or new properties and features that add value to innovative consumer products. In that way, they’ve captured some market share and created …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beyond biomass, beyond fossil fuels, beyond light itself. And now, the direct production of drop-in biofuel blendstocks. All available from a microbial “cow”.
This week in California, a research team from …
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) What used to be known as “The New York Sugar Conference” has become “The ISO and Datagro Sugar & Ethanol Conference” with a record-setting number of attendees (350 from …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels’s Montagues and Capulets were at it again last week — with a flurry of press releases about court decisions and commercial timelines regarding their respective isbutanol technologies.
At the heart …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World’s #1 chemical company to produce renewable Butanediol using Genomatica’s process. The Digest has a one-on-one with Genomatica CEO Christophe Schilling to explore the deal in-depth.
In Germany, BASF announced that …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Raises $80M at $10 per share; becomes first new industrial biotech company to complete IPO in more than a year. What went right and how? Is the IPO window re-opening?
…
First …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The sector’s perennial hottest company strikes again — with “potentially disruptive” new technology to change the positioning and performance of triglyceride oils.
In California, Solazyme and AkzoNobel announced an agreement targeting …
(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 …
(SEKAB) SEKAB E-Technology welcomes SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden’s (SP) engagement in the Biorefinery Demo Plant in Örnsköldsvik, previously known as the Ethanol Pilot. SP and SEKAB have signed an agreement, which ensures continued …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, Norwegian Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen officially inaugurated the Borregaard biorefinery demonstration plant in Sarpsborg, which will produce green chemicals and sugars based on biomass from wood and agricultural …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With a fresh investment from Brazil’s GranBio, American Process Inc. is poised to develop its first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefineries in both the U.S. and Brazil. API CEO Theodora …
by Andrew Noel (Bloomberg) Clariant AG (CLN) said it’s prepared to take on a partner and help fund a second-generation bioethanol plant to prove the effectiveness of its biotechnology and compete against Royal DSM NV …
(US Department of Energy) The Bioenergy Technologies Office 2013 Project Peer Review will take place at the Hilton Alexandria Hotel from Monday, May 20, 2013, to Thursday, May 23, 2013. The peer review process will …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Toray demonstrates products made from renewable PBT — another landmark step in “replacing the whole barrel of oil”.
In California, Toray Industries announced that it has successfully made a partially bio-based …
by Dil Vashi (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Solutions 4 CO2) Stillage, CO2 become valuable inputs in synergistic design
Many ethanol producers look for additional revenue streams beyond the core ethanol and distillers grains to extract corn oil …
This two day conference brings together top representatives who are engaged in establishing a major transformation in the global chemical and energy industries – from petroleum to bio-based.
The conference will look to examine new supply …
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 …
(Cobalt/PRNewswire) Strategic Partnership Opens Pathway to $40 Billion Butadiene Market
Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation bio-based chemicals, today announced a strategic relationship with two prominent Asian chemical companies for the development of a …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The end-goal? High-value oils. Low-cost sugars become shock troops in the war for sustainability.
In New York, we’ve learned that Sweetwater Energy will announce a project today to provide Naturally Scientific …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Sweetwater Energy announed that BioGasol completed delivery of its first commercial biomass pretreatment system.
The cellulosic sugar producer will use the unit, a Carbofrac 10, in its demonstration facility to produce …
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) 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 …
(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 …
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) In the heart of Wisconsin, a project is underway to produce energy from a resource that is in little danger of running low: cow manure, or “brown gold.” Thanks to a …
by Jessica Nelson (Auburn University) Maobing Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has received a $401,155 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for his research in biofuels …
by Katie Feherenbacher (Gigaom) Companies that are still looking to produce biofuels from plant waste (and not corn) are making slow, but steady progress on milestones in 2013.
On Monday, KiOR, which was largely funded by …
(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by …
(The Business Journal) A new facility opening in Pixley this year will use emissions from a nearby ethanol plant to make liquified carbon dioxide.
The plant will be the sixth carbon dioxide liquefaction plant in California …
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 …
(Domtar) Plymouth Mill to produce bio-material with wide range of industrial applications as petro-chemical alternative – the first of its kind in over quarter century
Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today announced that it has successfully …
(SEKAB/Davy Process Technology) Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, andSEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are …
(Direvo) Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH (Direvo) today announced that it reached an important milestone in developing a consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid production from lignocellulose.
Up until now, there has not been any known consolidated bioprocess …
(PR NewsWire/ZeaChem) Facility will prove biorefining process for commercial-scale production
ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has produced commercial-grade cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) biorefinery in Boardman, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fast pyrolysis developer plans to rapidly expand green benzene and toluene production in 2013 for downstream product development purposes. Opens new pilot plant, R&D facility in New York; green …
(Sustainable Plant) Renewable chemicals company Amyris, Inc. has joined the Bonsucro sugarcane sustainability standard. Amyris is the first advanced biofuels and chemicals company of its kind to join Bonsucro, paving the way for certification of …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae pioneer now at 50% above original productivity target — aims to complete demo in 2013, head for commercial-scale in 2014.
In Florida, Algenol confirmed that the company had exceeded production …
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 Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Louisiana — hot as cayenne pepper in biofuels capacity development, but some cautionary tales there in the sauce.
When it comes to the first generation of ethanol and biodiesel-based biofuels, Louisiana …
by Kristi Pihl (Tri-City Herald) A pilot project to produce biofuel using agricultural and organic municipal waste has reached levels that makes the process commercially viable, researchers say.
The project, paid for by the Department of Energy, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Recommendations from the Milken Institute — and a group of industry heavyweights — to accelerate the bioeconomy revolution.
In California this week, the Milken Institute released a good read on the …
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) * U.S. cellulosic biofuel goals not reached
* Beta sees industry stepping up output by 2015
* New players could emerge from eastern Europe
Biofuels made from wood waste and sugarcane have languished well …
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 …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 22 projects around the world show the multi-faceted promise of algae. Concrete, polyurethane, bioplastics, cosmetics and, oh, fuels — so many big things to make from algae, it’s become a …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Canadian government has announced investments in two projects that will benefit the biofuel and biorefining industries. On Feb. 13, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced a $600,000 investment that …
(MarketWire/Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Sugar beet growers are finding new and innovative uses for their crops thanks to support from the Harper Government. Member of Parliament LaVar Payne (Medicine Hat), on behalf of Agriculture Minister …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Lignol Innovations Ltd. has landed a commercial supply agreement with a European producer of sustainable thermoplastics. The subsidiary of Lignol Energy Corp. has delivered samples of its trademarked …
by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) … When last we checked in with Verdezyne at length, the company had a transformative cellulosic biofuels fermentation technology and a real foothold en route to bioadipic acid as well …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In synthetic biology these days, there are the Big Wave surfers too — companies like Amyris, Solazyme, Gevo, Genomatica, Verdezyne, Rivertop Renewables, Myriant, Segetis, BioAmber, Cobalt, Green Biologics, Butamax, LanzaTech, …
Biorenewable chemicals are chemicals derived from bio-based feedstocks, which are renewable since they can be seasonally cultivated and exploited, as corn, sugar cane, wheat and cellulose. In most cases, prior to conversion to chemicals, the …
(Lux Research) Growing demand will place stress on feedstocks, requiring new innovations if more bio-based products are to replace petroleum-based ones, says Lux Research
Driven by aggressive biofuel mandates, rapid growth will cause great strain on biomass by 2030, …
(University of Massachusetts-Amherst NewsWise) Paul J. Dauenhauer, a chemical engineer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a five-year, $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s CAREER program to conduct basic research on the …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of biofuels’ most-celebrated technologies falters; the struggle to raise capital claims a high-profile victim.
…The company had been known for its awesomely promising technology, leisurely pace towards commercialization compared to …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Though building capacity globally, Solazyme’s operations in Brazil are getting traction fast – and raised $235M last week. How much oil could be produced in Brazil via sugar-munching microalgae? …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bio-Refinery Begins Operations Turning Co-Cropping into Fuels, Chemicals
Deep in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam a small bio-refinery is converting seaweed into protein, fuel-blendable alcohol, and a bacterial soil product. …
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) …What exactly are they? As the name suggests, they are products made from renewable sources that are not sold directly into the end-user market but are, instead, sold to other …
(The Town Talk) The LSU AgCenter Audubon Sugar Institute plans a Jan. 25 opening for a pilot plant designed to produce biofuels and biochemicals from agricultural crops and byproducts.
The centerpiece of the AgCenter’s sustainable bioproducts …
(Department of Energy) As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …But Amyris is still there, and this week achieved what, for many, was the last-chance, must-hit milestone. The company’s purpose-built, 50 million liter industrial fermentation facility in Paraiso, Brazil has …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters. Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. …
by Owen Fletcher (The Wall Street Journal) …U.S. ethanol producers are finding creative ways to earn more money as demand for their flagship product stagnates. These companies are using corn not only to make ethanol …
by Chris Berendt (The Sampson Independent) Chemtex International Inc. is currently involved in a permitting process that will see a $200 million biofuels refinery production plant open at the start of 2015, creating around 350 direct …
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 …
(US Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will address research and development (R&D) challenges that were identified at a stakeholder workshop held in December 2011 called “Conversion Technologies for Advanced Biofuels” (CTAB) and from …
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help …
(University of Colorado–Boulder) A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded $9.2 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to research modifying E. coli to produce biofuels such …
by Peter Hemphill (Grain & Hay WeeklyTimes) An American biofuels company is looking to build a refinery in Australia to produce ethanol from wheat straw and other residues.
…Investors in the biorefineries include Australia’s Macquarie Bank and …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) While companies pursue alternatives to Fischer-Tropsch technologies, Velocys is seeking to make F-T work economically with micro-reactors.
In last week’s Digest, Robert Rapier aptly stated the challenge in front of XTL technologies – …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn – moving rapidly towards scale as a transport fuel technology after decades in smaller, high-value markets. What does Ensyn’s signature RTP technology, that’s making such a splash, look like?
…Ensyn …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Canada’s $500 million NextGen Biofuels Fund, five years after formation, gets close to making its first investments just as Canada’s leaders consider pulling the plug
It was the most amazing sovereign …
(University of Wisconsin-Madison) Using a biomass-derived solvent, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineers have streamlined the process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-demand chemicals or energy-dense liquid transportation fuel.
Their new method eliminates the need …
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) There is a new process that algae producers can use in the conversion stage to help increase their capacity and add to the bottom line, says Incitor’s VP …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Promethean Biofuels, a community-scale biodiesel producer in Temecula, Calif., stood with giants such as Sony and BP Arco at the recent Environmental Excellence Awards Summit in San Diego. The awards …
by Robert Sanders (Biodiesel Magazine/UC Berkeley) A long-abandoned fermentation process once used to turn starch into explosives can be used to produce renewable diesel fuel to replace the fossil fuels now used in transportation, University …
by Holly Jessen & Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Looking into the future, Jeff Roskam, CEO of the Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy, fears any modification of the renewable fuel standard (RFS). “Period,” he …
(MSN Money/PR NewsWire) During the first Moscow International Forum for Innovative Development Open Innovations, the State Corporation ‘Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs’ (Vnesheconombank), venture capital firm Bright Capital Management, and Renmatix, the leading …
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) Partnership aims for fuels, chemicals & co-products from brown seaweed
In California, Bio Architecture Lab announced an agreement with China’s Xunshan Group, the world’s largest grower of brown seaweed and a …
(ZeaChem) ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has completed construction of its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The project was completed on budget and is …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Renewable oils developer Solazyme took the #1 spot in the 2012-13 “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings, announced today by Biofuels Digest at Advanced Biofuels Markets in …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, BP announced it is canceling plans to build a 36 million gallon commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County. The company said that it would refocus its US …
by Henry Fountain (New York Times) Nearly a decade after the adoption of federal renewable fuel standards led to a sharp increase in production of ethanol, some producers in the Corn Belt are considering making a different …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) While petroleum-based methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) has largely been replaced with ethanol as a gasoline additive in the U.S. due to environmental concerns of groundwater contamination, Evonik recently announced it …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can local communities pyrolize their wastes and residues, to make renewable fuels and chemicals at biobased super-refineries? Two-step processes could be the ticket to the future, according to an …
(Hyrax Energy) A licensing agreement for a novel renewable chemical and biofuel production method between Hyrax Energy and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation promises to accelerate commercial development of the technology and lead to high-quality …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Deployment of next-gen bagasse-to-biofuels technologies could expand ethanol production in Brazil, India by 35 percent without land, water intensification.
…Guidance being given by the projects is that capacities could increase by …
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) Could enzyme biocatalysts replace fermentation among the hottest process platforms in industrial biotech? Newlight thinks so, as it applies its supercatalyst to low-cost plastics. And no petroleum or food crops …
(Bioenergy Deployment Consortium/MarketWire) BDC held its 2012 Fall Symposium in Alpena, MI on September 18 & 19, capping the event with a tour of the new cellulosic ethanol plant owned by American Process Inc. (API), …
by Bernadette Tansey (Xconomy) The South San Francisco company LS9 recently produced five tons of industrial chemicals from plant sugars at a Florida demonstration facility, a step toward proving that its genetically engineered microbes can manufacture carbon …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In Malaysia, LanzaTech and the Malaysian national oil company, Petronas, announced they will work together to accelerate the development and commercialization of technologies to produce sustainable chemicals from carbon dioxide …
by John Crane (GoDanRiver.com) The CEO of a company that wants to build commercial refinery that would convert feedstock hopes to locate at Gretna Industrial Park.
The town of Gretna and Ken Moss, CEO of Piedmont …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The story goes back some time, at least to the formation of Cargill Dow – now NatureWorks – a joint venture which Dow eventually left to Cargill as Dow’s views …
(Ohio State University) Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee liked what he saw at the Mansfield, Ohio, factory: a syrupy mixture made from crop and biodiesel-processing wastes being turned into polyurethane foam. But he was more …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every biofuels contender has its own route to the top – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who is nearing the Summit, what’s their Hillary Step, who’s got Sherpas, who’s …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new drop-in, low-cost, high-octane fuel molecule? How does that work, and why, and when? How does it change the energy independence equation? Today, the Digest visits Incitor to find …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …15 biobased and biofuels companies were named to the Global Cleantech 100 by the Cleantech Group, which said that it examined more than 6,000 companies in the Cleantech 100 process. …
by Tia Ghose (California Watch) Once a promising source of green energy, high-tech biofuel is being eclipsed by skin cream and food products as manufacturers shift to more lucrative products.
After Congress enacted a renewable fuel standard in …
(Renmatix) U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) visits facility to discuss job creation and growth of biobased markets
Renmatix, the leading manufacturer of cellulosic sugars for biobased chemical and fuel markets, marked the opening of a new …
by Dan Conable (Cato Analytics LLC/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite weather challenges and the learning curve for farmers unfamiliar with this energy sorghum, one of the first commercial-scale plantings of the crop in the northeastern U.S. has …
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) One of the most interesting biobased resources we have found – covering the world, but Europe-based – is the AgroBioBase, created and managed by the IAR consortium, a French organization …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As reported elsewhere in the Digest today and throughout this week, In Brussels, a draft proposal is under consideration in the EU to eliminate food-crop subsidies for biofuels production by …
