by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …“Building on the first gallons of cellulosic diesel we shipped in March, we continue to make progress with operations at our Columbus facility,” said KiOR CEO Fred Cannon. “The on-stream …

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 …

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 …

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 …

(EnergyDigital) In the ethanol fuel market, the US takes the lead. Pilot and demonstration plants to commence in late 2013.
Ethanol is the most widely acclaimed alternative or additive for gasoline used for running vehicles, and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Who’s behind the 8-ball, the algae optimists or pessimists?   It all comes down to the pace of innovation in 8 cores.
… In a recent survey of its members, the Algae Biomass …

by Jonathan Fahey  (Fuel Fix/Associated Press)   A decade ago, large investors in so-called clean technology had a straightforward goal: finance companies that would help eliminate the world’s dependence on oil, natural gas and coal.
But as …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …The stock has not recovered much — but it’s remarkable the progress the company has made, all the same. Analysts are now expecting the company to bring its first production …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Today, we excerpt from a white paper detailing Kapyon’s incubation model:
“New ventures will be less capital intensive and innovation will be driven more by inventiveness rather than infrastructure.”
…
[Today], the importance of biomass …

(Associated Press/PhillyBurbs.com)  The mayor of the central Pennsylvania borough of State College has endorsed a campaign that urges municipalities to divest from fossil fuel companies, the environmental group 350.org said in a release Thursday.
Borough Mayor …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Darling of the mid-2000s, still beloved by its many fans — biodiesel is increasingly a key to delivering advanced biofuels volumes now — and even more so between now and …

by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …Member states, however, are faced with the reality of an economic crisis and cannot think of any good reason to kill investments and opportunities for more investments in agriculture.
Maybe …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Heliae emerges from stealth with Volaris — its next-gen algae platform — “This technology will unlock the industry,” the company says.
…Volaris is the result of five years of targeted innovation, …

by Tracy Dang (ICIS)  Population growth in Asia, climate change and shifting geopolitics are all issues that will impact the future of the biotechnology and renewable fuels industry, an executive at a life sciences investment firm …

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 Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James and Associates/Biofuels Digest)  …There is no question that there have been growing pains along the way, more than we would have hoped, but the industry continues along its trajectory towards scale. We …

(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 John Davis (DomesticFuel.com)  …“I think the overarching message of the panel was a sign of increasing optimism,” says Chris Groobey, a partner in the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, who spoke during a …

(Business Wire/Florida Biofuels and Bioenergy Association)  $1 Billion in Investment At Risk
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Florida Legislature will consider HB4001, which repeals the Renewable Fuels Standard set in 2008. With a federal mandate for 10 percent ethanol …

by Doug Williams (Venture Beat)  … Although I am not an expert in investing, there are a few things I think may need to happen to make the capital and technology risk work:
Strategic investors may need …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  An explosive report from Bloomberg alleges that a pathway to $2.18 per gallon gasoline was developed at Chevron-Weyerhaeuser owned Catchlight Energy.  Yet, the project was sidelined. Why?   Was the project …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Perhaps nothing was more on the minds of delegates as the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the impact of the Washington policy debate on investor confidence — and …

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 …

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 …

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 (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 …

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 …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine/MarketWire)  Below is breakdown of the latest, sourced information as to why investment in biodiesel is a sound decision written by Ron Kotrba, Editor of Biodiesel Magazine.
1. Jump in on a growing …

by Beth Evans  (Platts)  Ratings agency Moody’s expects US refiners to increase investments in renewables blending and infrastructure if federal renewables targets are not lowered.
“In the absence of any EPA waivers to meeting the renewable …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost.
… A barrier to long term deployment? The …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A new report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyzed wind and bioenergy resources in the U.S. and Brazil using a lifetime production method, allowing for more accurate comparisons …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The first wave of cellulosic biofuels projects are now reaching completion.  But what does the next wave look like – from technology to financing? We explore the trends in our …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  A sit-down with Dave Elsenbast, vice president of supply chain management for Renewable Energy Group Inc.  For more than 25 years, Dave Elsenbast has been a leader in agricultural business …

(SG Biofuels/Biodiesel Magazine)  …Through the use of new genetic technologies, SGB’s scientists have revealed that the company’s germplasm collection can be divided into a number of distinct heterotic clades, or genetically related groupings of plants. In …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, KiOR announced the initial shipments of cellulosic diesel from its first commercial-scale facility in Columbus, Mississippi.
KiOR’s facility uses pine wood chips previously feeding a shut down paper mill …

by Louise Downing  (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)  Alternative forms of financing such as so-called green bonds may spur companies to build their first advanced-biofuels plants, the head of environmental finance atCitigroup Inc. (C) said.
Green bonds for carbon-reducing projects, …

by Stephan Nielsen  (Bloomberg)  Raizen Energia SA, a Brazilian joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Cosan SA Industria & Commercio (CSAN3), will invest 200 million reais ($102 million) in a plant that …

by Olga Rosca (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)  Next-generation biofuels produced from waste and agricultural residues can help save energy and improve the sustainability of companies operating in the agribusiness sector. The EBRD region offers …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  At World Biofuels Markets, BP CEO Phil New delivered a keynote speech which attempted to turn the industry’s attention towards “the hard yards” of operational excellence, saying that “it is arguable …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Neste Oil confirmed that they are using 65% virgin oils, primarily palm oil, and 35% waste residues, but that they are seeking to increase that percent of waste supplied, Neste’s …

(Algae Industry Magazine) Greek biomass-from-algae producer Algae Energy is ready to invest 75 million euro ($98.4 million) over the next two and a half years in an algae farm in the southern Serbian town of …

By Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) In a recent webinar hosted by the American Council of Renewable Energy (ACORE), biofuel experts from Dupont, POET, Novazymes, and China’s Tsinghua University convened to discuss the next five …

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 …

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)  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 Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) A Biofuels and Biobased investment primer: An 18-combination, 8-character system for classifying bio investments.  Here’s our investment primer on how to size up the risks and the rewards and tune …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  GEVO, SZYM, AMRS — (investor) take off delayed by fog.  How soon will the potential of three of the hottest companies in the field be realized?  What are the key …

(BioTechNow)  Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote a column talking about the unlimited opportunities for biofuels to grow the rural economy. He highlighted what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already done to support …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  One of the most interesting and compelling solutions to the problem of financing commercial-scale biofuels was unveiled this week at the Avalon Air Show by Westar CEO Cindy Thyfault.
Dubbed the …

by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg)  People attending a Washington event this week may witness something almost unheard of in political circles: Republicans praising a clean-energy program supported by President Barack Obama.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency — Energy, …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A 32-page report by Lux Research picks winners and losers in 2012 among alternative fuel developers. The state of the market report, which is provided only to clients, also …

by Jeff Lytle (NaplesNews.com)  …Paul Woods, founder and CEO of Algenol Biofuels, which is making ethanol from algae and is about to go into major production, said global giant Reliance Industries Limited has put up …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … As we highlighted this week in the Digest, Chromatin and Pacific Ethanol announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce, deliver and use locally grown sorghum in …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  All you have to say is “natural gas” and a lot of people in the biobased world turn pale, tremble, and scamper into corners.
The cause for anxiety? It seems to …

This seminar provides an introduction to Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). The seminar will explore various aspects of MLPs, including tax issues, financial considerations, how governance of MLPs works, and the process by which MLPs obtain …

by Jeremy Martin and Jim Collins (Politico) The fuels of the future are here today, and we can thank Congress for enacting the Renewable Fuel Standard. This bedrock policy has brought us to the point where …

by Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post)   State-owned sugar and tobacco plantation firm PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) X is expanding into biofuel production and electricity this year in an effort to offset increasing sugar manufacturing costs.
The firm …

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 Bryan McBournie (SmartBlog) … Shell Oil Products’ Downstream Policy and Advocacy Manager John Reese said his company is a big supporter of biofuels, but the RFS needs to be adjusted to avoid problems down the …

(PR NewsWire/Yahoo! News)  Top 5 States For Advanced Biofuel Companies: Calif., Ill., Colo., Texas and Iowa; New Web Site at www.FuelingGrowth.org Documents Impact of Growing Industry
California is home to nearly 30 advanced biofuel companies, but dozens of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)   Three dissident voices offer challenges to cherished orthodoxies.
…Though they offer tough love, they are written by friends of the movement. They don’t wish to cast you down to the devil, …

by Dan Haugen (Midwest Energy News)  By organizing as a type of partnership instead of a corporation, companies that extract, process or transport “depletable” natural resources have been exempt from corporate income taxes.
That word — …

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 …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The Swedish governmental agency for innovation systems, Vinnova, has decided to invest four million Swedish kronor ($623,000 USD) over three years in a project that uses micro-algae to produce bio-oil from the …

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 …

The Agri Investment Forum is the only program of events in Canada dedicated to showcasing the highest potential emerging and growth stage agri-businesses. The Forum brings together active institutional and private investors with leading edge …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Earlier this week, a new study from researchers at UC Santa Barbara determined photovoltaics to be much more efficient than biomass at turning sunlight into energy to fuel a car.
“Even the most …

by Katie Fehrenbacher (Gigaom)  … One of the companies that’s the farthest along is Solazyme, a South San Francisco-based company that went public in the spring of 2011. Solazyme was one of the first firms to focus …

(Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania)
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $354,876 in support of regional economic development. BFTP/NEP’s goal is to help …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  The technologies out there are five in number. They are all in commercial deployment now, though some are at the capacity-construction stage. Some of them vary the feedstock, some vary …

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 Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  There is a little secret in the renewable energy sector that many don’t know about –New Markets Tax Credits. These tax credits provide incentives for private investors to help fund projects …

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 Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …The most popular technologies that are targeting the corn ethanol fleet?
1. Feedstock switching. Sorghum as the new corn? …
2. Advanced extraction and yield technologies. …
3. Advanced enzymes. …
4. Enzymes in …

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 …

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)  As cellulosic biofuels reach commercial-scale, is the tipping point for wide deployment near – and will it be based on breakthroughs in capex, opex or yield? Actually, it may be …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest)  It is not often I disagree or take issue withBiofuels Digest; however, the recent article and analysis on cellulosic tax credits left out some key points. There are a number …

by Mackinnon Lawrence (Biofuels Digest/Pike Research)  …The Retreat of Oil Majors … Trend: Oil Majors double down on “Golden Age of Gas” while narrowing investments across the advanced biofuel space. …
Mind the Gap … Trend: Although installed …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Finding it hard to explain to taxpayers why the PTC is needed, for the jump to cellulosic biofuels lightspeed, or to ward off predatory fossil-fuel evildoers?
…So, although the “fiscal cliff” …

by Erin Voegele  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.K. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills recently declared the U.K. Green Investment Bank plc open for business. The entity is the world’s first investment bank dedicated solely …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  An obscure EPA ruling may change the economics of ethanol production, forever — who wins, who loses, what’s the investor’s bottom line?
Just before Christmas, the EPA issued a final rule, …

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)  …Technology, market, price, management, feedstock, and policy – these are always vital. But here in Digestville, we see capital as the overwhelming issue for 2013.
Capital-raising activity is increasing sharply, and will …

by Yuval Azoulai (Globes)  The Office of the Chief Scientist is planning a NIS 1.5 billion program to create a new alternative fuels industry.
The Office of the Chief Scientist has a new program of loans for …

(Associated Press/Times Union)  Energy from willows is moving out of the experimental stage and into commercial production in New York.
Farms are growing willow shrubs and selling them to a utility, a nursery sells them commercially and …

by Jim Kinney (The Republican/MassLive)   Qteros and the “Q microbe” discovered byUMass researchers and valued for its ability to digest plant waste into ethanol fuel is making a comeback.
…But the money dried up early in 2012. …

by Robert Rapier  (Biofuels Digest/Energy Trends Insider)  Last month KiOR announced the start of production of biocrude from their Columbus, Mississippi plant. KiOR CEO Fred Cannon stated in an earnings call that when the product shipped …

by Eric Ng (South China Morning Post)  Projects to convert agricultural waste into ethanol are at an early stage on the mainland, but could provide new sources of this clean energy
Novozymes, the world’s largest industrial …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Is your favorite biofuels venture in trouble? — or might look in trouble but actually be just fine.  Here are 12 tell-tale signs if you’ve “got trouble, right here in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … But very few are working in solid phase – where essentially instead of working with a liquid vat, microbes are growing on a fabric or film — and the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Why is making affordable renewable sugars potentially big business? Which intrepid investors have targeted biofuels’ biggest bottleneck?
News has been circulating that Proterro raised $3.5 million for a demonstration-scale of their …

by Jeff Ayres  (Clarion Ledger)  Mississippi alternative-energy development projects that have received more than $400 million in state backing through loans, grants and other incentives in recent years have seen widely varying degrees of success.
KiOR, a …

by Douglas Faulkner (Biofuels Digest)   …Throughout his campaign President Obama proclaimed himself an oil and gas supporter even while talking about federal “investments” in green energy. And, while much ink has already been spilled in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Next-gen renewable oils producer achieves first linear scale-up to 500,000 liter fermenters — clears path for large commercial production volumes.
…To date, no next-generation producer had successfully achieved linear scale-up in …

(PRNewswire/Reportlinker.com)  Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue.
The report titled “Global Biofuel Market Outlook to 2016 – Going Mainstream Through Government Support” provides a comprehensive analysis of market size …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Policy, finance, technology, feedstocks, markets, prices, opposition.  Here’s what’s on your mind, as the critical 2013 deployment year for biofuels looms.
So here are 15 burning questions as suggested by various …