Advanced BioFuels USA

Could Nature’s Own Fuel Save Us from Greenhouse Effect and Electric Grid Failure?

by Ellen Brown (LA Progressive) While biofuels are a less high-tech, cheaper and in many ways more effective solution to our dependence on petroleum, the United States and other countries are discussing similar plans to the EU’s and California is already on board. But in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times and related video, Evan Halper argues that we may be trading one environmental crisis for another:

The sprint to supply automakers with heavy-duty lithium batteries is propelled by climate-conscious countries like the United States that aspire to abandon gas-powered cars and SUVs. They are racing to secure the materials needed to go electric, and the Biden administration is under pressure to fast-track mammoth extraction projects that threaten to unleash their own environmental fallout.

A major promise of biofuels is that they can lower overall CO2 emissions without changing a lot of our infrastructure. They can work with existing vehicles, and they can be mass-produced from biomass in the same way as other biotechnology products, like chemicals and pharmaceuticals, which are already made on a large scale.… Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is mixed with 10% ethanol.

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But opponents say the negative environmental impact will be worse than the oil fracking that electric vehicles are projected to replace.

Not just the batteries but the electricity needed to run electric vehicles (EVs) poses environmental concerns.

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There is an alternative to gasoline that does not require sending all our combustion engine vehicles to the junkyard. This is alcohol fuel (bioethanol). Not only are greenhouse gas emissions from ethanol substantially lower than from gasoline, but as detailed in a biofuel “explainer” on the website of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

As we search for fuels that won’t contribute to the greenhouse effect and climate change, biofuels are a promising option because the carbon dioxide (CO2) they emit is recycled through the atmosphere. When the plants used to make biofuels grow, they absorb CO2 from the air, and it’s that same CO2 that goes back into the atmosphere when the fuels are burned. In theory, biofuels can be a “carbon neutral” or even “carbon negative” way to power cars, trucks and planes, meaning they take at least as much CO2 out of the atmosphere as they put back in.

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Fuel from a Weed: The Wide-ranging Virtues of Hemp … But corn is not the only biofuel option. There are plants that can grow like weeds on poor soil without fertilizers. Industrial hemp – the non-intoxicating form of cannabis grown for fiber, cloth, oil, and many other purposes – is a prime candidate not just for fuel but to help save the environment. Hemp has been proven to absorb more CO2 per hectare than any forest or commercial crop, making it the ideal carbon sink. It can be grown on a wide scale on nutrient poor soils; it grows remarkably fast with almost no fertilizer or irrigation; and it returns around 70% of the nutrients used in the growth cycle back to the soil. Biofuels usually require substantially more water than fossil fuels, but hemp needs roughly half the amount needed for corn. Hemp can also be used for “bioremediation” – the restoration of soil from toxic pollution. It helps remove toxins and has been used by farmers to “cure” their fields, even from radioactive agents, metals, pesticides, crude oil, and toxins in landfills.

An analysis published in the journal Science in 2019 concluded that a worldwide tree planting program could remove two-thirds of all the CO2 emissions that have been pumped into the atmosphere by human activities. As reported in The Guardian in 2019, one trillion trees could be restored for as little as $300 billion – “by far the cheapest solution that has ever been proposed.” The chief drawback to that solution is that trees grow slowly, requiring 50 to 100 years to reach their full carbon sequestering potential. Hemp, on the other hand, is one of the fastest CO2-to-biomass conversion tools available, growing to 13 feet in 100 days. It also requires much less space per plant than trees, and it can be grown on nearly any type of soil without fertilizers.

In a 2015 book titled “Cannabis Vs. Climate Change,” Paul von Hartmann notes that hemp is also one of the richest available sources of aromatic terpenes, which are known to slow climate change. When emitted by pine forests, terpenes help to cool the planet by bouncing energy from the sun back into space. In a mature hemp field, the temperature on a hot day can be 20 degrees cooler than in surrounding areas. READ MORE

California’s electric car revolution, designed to save the planet, also unleashes a toll on it (Los Angeles Times)

Is California’s electric car revolution bad for the planet? (Los Angeles Times)

Electric Vehicles Don’t Save Money: Sure, you’ll cut costs on oil changes, but you’ll pay way more over the life of the car. (American Spectator)

EU proposes effective ban on new fossil-fuel cars from 2035 — Commission proposes 55% cut in CO2 emissions from cars by 2030 (Gulf News/Reuters)

Europe’s green economy plan: main points (Agence France Presse)

The Role of Industrial Hemp and Carbon Farming (Scribd)

Industrial Hemp Is The Answer To Petrochemical Dependency (Forbes)

Deep-Sea Mining Becomes Battleground Between Conservation and Clean Energy (Our Daily Planet)

Excerpt from Our Daily Planet: Earlier this year, the International Energy Agency reported that to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the world will require six times the amount of certain minerals that it produces now. Experts say that deep-sea nodules, lumps of manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, and copper found along the ocean floor, will be crucial to building clean energy infrastructure like E.V. batteries.

Estimates say that there could be six times as much nickel and cobalt in these nodules than on land.
Proponents say that mining these nodules will reduce destruction and pollution on land, which could be a win for Indigenous communities like those fighting lithium mines in Nevada.

However, many environmentalists say the risks are enormous and include disturbing whale and tuna migrations, destroying pristine undiscovered ecosystems and species, and kicking up carbon stores.

One study found that in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a 1.7 million-square-mile stretch of ocean where nodules are plentiful, many species rely on the nodules for habitats and survival.
The mining of one patch of seabed led to a 20% decline in life in that area.

Experts warn that the implementation of deep-sea mining operations is moving too fast to understand the impacts that decades of widespread mining could have on ocean ecosystems. “Going into a new habitat to potentially destroy it and reap the metals that [supposedly] will be used to move us away from climate change … well, we’re destroying one habitat to save another and not fixing the problem,” said Diva Amon, a deep ocean biologist from Trinidad. READ MORE

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — Angie Craig

“I was disappointed not to see biofuels included in the initial bipartisan infrastructure framework, but rest assured that as conversations in Washington continue to focus on infrastructure investments and efforts to address climate change, I will continue to fight to ensure renewable fuels have a seat at the table. After all, they are road-ready solutions….” Representative Angie Craig (D-MN 2nd) in The Hill. READ MORE

To Undo the Damage of Trump Rollbacks, Biden Needs to Set Car Standards Stronger than Obama’s

(American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)) The Biden administration can soon undo the damage of President Trump’s clean car rollback, but only by setting more stringent standards to make up for lost progress. In the face of recent climate change-related extreme heat and flooding events, the administration can’t afford to lose this opportunity when it proposes new standards, due this month.

We modeled the impact of several options. We found that, at a minimum, Biden would need to ramp up to a fleetwide standard of 55 miles per gallon-equivalent (mpg) or 161 grams per mile (gpm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the 2026 model year to undo the damage of the less-efficient models being sold now because of the Trump rollback.

Anything less ambitious would bring several more years of needlessly inefficient vehicles, locking in 15 years or more of extra greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If the administration set standards that simply reached the same fleetwide average as the Obama standards by 2026, it would recover only two-thirds of the emissions reductions possible under the Obama program. Achieving the President’s climate goal of a 50-52% reduction in overall emissions by 2030 almost certainly requires stronger action.

Obama vs. Trump Standards

The Obama administration’s standards, set in 2012, required approximately 4.7% annual growth in efficiency for model years (MY) 2021 to 2025, reaching 47 mpg-equivalent or 190 gpm (this is below the originally announced figure of 54.5 mpg largely due to a larger than expected share of vehicles sold being light trucks rather than cars). However, the Trump administration undid these standards with the Safe Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) rule, which requires only 1.5% annual growth. ACEEE’s analysis found that the SAFE rule would mean losing almost 80% of the lifetime emissions reductions for MYs 2021-2026 compared to the Obama standards. Some of this damage is already done: The MY 2021 and 2022 cars are here. At stake now are the standards for the 2023-2026 model years.

Possibilities for a New Standard

The standards for MY2023-2026 could take a variety of forms. Below we highlight the impacts of possibilities discussed by observers.

California MOU Standard

To ensure momentum in vehicle efficiency, in 2019 California announced it had reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with four automakers (now five) to require an annual growth rate of 3.7% for these automakers. While this is an improvement over the Trump standard, it still provides fewer emissions benefits than the original Obama standards.

One possibility mentioned in the press is using the California MOU as the basis for new federal standards. This would mean a 3.7% annual growth rate for all automakers for MY 2023-2026, not just the five current signatories to the deal. We found that this standard would recover only about 31% of the possible emissions reductions under the Obama standards for MY 2021-2026, reaching 43 mpg-equivalent or 205 gpm by the 2026. This is a result of both smaller annual improvements in efficiency and added flexibilities given to automakers in the MOU. The biggest flexibility is that automakers can meet one percentage point of the 3.7% annual growth by giving extra weight to electric vehicles (EVs) sold. This is known as the “EV multiplier” and is explained further below. Our analysis assumes that in all scenarios, EVs reach about 10% of new light-duty vehicles sales by 2026.

Obama Fleetwide Average

If the new standards were to reach the same fleetwide average efficiency in 2026 as the original Obama standards, they would recover only two-thirds of the emissions savings of the Obama standards. This means that lifetime emissions for MY 2021-2026 would be about 6% higher than if the Obama standards were never rolled back.

This scenario assumes that the standards account for the emissions from the electricity powering EVs, called “upstream accounting” (explained below) and that there are no multipliers for EVs. Without upstream accounting and with EV multipliers, the annual rate would have to be higher to avoid more erosion in emissions reductions. Because we need to make up for lost time because of the Trump rollback, simply achieving the improvement rate of the Obama standards would be insufficient.

Full Emissions Reduction Standard

To recover the full emissions reductions that the Obama standards would have delivered, the new standards would need to reach a compliance level of at least 55 mpg-equivalent or 161 gpm by MY 2026. This would make up for near stagnation in the standards for model years 2021 and 2022 by surpassing the Obama standard for MY 2026, which is 47 mpg-equivalent or 190 gpm. This ambitious rate of growth can be achieved using current technology and increased electrification, with both greater use of hybrid technology and full battery-electric vehicles. Since the Obama standards were first introduced, technology has advanced rapidly with more affordable and high-performing hybrids and EVs. We should not limit our ambition to the assumptions of 10 years ago when designing new standards.

This scenario also assumes upstream EV accounting is included and that and no EV multiplier flexibilities are provided to maximize emissions reductions from the new MY 2023-2026 standard. Appropriately accounting for EVs can have a significant impact on real-world emissions and is increasingly important as EVs proliferate. If either or both of these assumptions do not hold, the annual growth rate from the new Biden standards will need to be 1-2 percentage points higher.

Impact of Compliance Flexibilities

If the Biden administration were to build in flexibilities like those in the California MOU, the ambition of the standard would be significantly reduced. EV multipliers allow automakers to give extra weight to EVs (often 1.5 or 2x weight) when calculating their fleetwide average, which means that they can use EVs to offset the sales of larger, higher-emitting vehicles. Automakers need to meet an annual sales-weighted average efficiency level and the EV multipliers give disproportionate weight to EVs, which are generally more efficient. This means that each electric model sold actually increases overall fleetwide emissions despite EVs themselves emitting less. Also, while the multipliers may have been introduced to spur EV sales, there is evidence to suggest they are not having that effect and may actually hinder EV sales. The Obama standards included a phase-out of these multipliers by MY 2021.

Another major flexibility involves not counting upstream emissions for EVs. This means that EVs are treated as entirely zero-emission vehicles, which ignores the carbon dioxide emissions from generating the electricity they run on. This treatment, like the EV multiplier, gives too much credit to EVs and increases overall emissions by allowing automakers to sell less efficient internal-combustion engine vehicles. The lack of upstream accounting can actually make the negative effect of EV multipliers worse. Because EV multipliers give greater weight to EVs in compliance, if EVs are also treated as having zero emissions, their sales make it even easier for automakers to comply while selling inefficient vehicles. Both of these flexibilities should be avoided in the upcoming standards.

The Biden administration has an important opportunity with these standards to set the United States on a course for greater fuel efficiency, increased vehicle electrification, and larger GHG emission reductions from vehicles. If we are to meet our national greenhouse gas emissions targets, it is vital that, at a minimum, the new standards fully recover the benefits of the Obama program. READ MORE

Rolling Back the Rollbacks: Putting Cars and Trucks Back on Track to Meeting Climate Goals (Union of Concerned Scientists)

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: (Politico’s Morning Energy)

Agencies expected to miss Biden’s deadline for tailpipe rule (E&E News Climatewire)

Unified Auto Industry Pledges to Work with Biden Administration on Establishing National Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Alliance for Automotive Innovation)

Biden Admin To Strengthen Vehicle Mileage Standards (Our Daily Planet)

EXCLUSIVE: Biden mileage rule to exceed Obama climate goal (ABC News/Associated Press)

A Brief History of US Fuel Efficiency Standards (Union of Concerned Scientists)

BIDEN WILL RAMP UP TAILPIPE STANDARDS: (Politico’s Morning Energy)

Biden Admin’s Greenhouse Emission Plan to Push Some Drivers to Electric Vehicles by 2030 (Newsweek)

Biden plan would tighten mileage for new cars over the next four years (Washington Post)

Biden car rules may backfire on EVs — report (E&E News)

Biden wants U.S automakers to pledge 40% electric vehicles by 2030 -sources (Reuters/AutoBlog)

Fuel-Efficiency Standards Are Set to Get Tougher. The Question Is by How Much. — Auto industry pushes for middle ground as environmentalists seek aggressive mileage targets (Wall Street Journal)

The Interaction of the Clean Air Act, California’s CAA Waiver, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Renewable Fuel Standards and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (Advanced Biofuels USA)

Excerpt from Politico’s Morning Energy: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: Over 100 lawmakers are pushing EPA Administrator Michael Regan today to formally give his blessing for California’s stricter tailpipe emissions standards. The lawmakers, spearheaded by chairs of infrastructure-related committees including Carper and Rep. Frank Pallone, wrote to Regan that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it repealed the Clean Air Act waiver that let California adopt the standards, which have since been adopted by 13 states and D.C. “EPA has never previously withdrawn a waiver, and we believe the agency lacks the authority to do so,” they write.

The signatories also cite California’s “long-standing and continuing air quality problems” and the program’s incentives for zero-emissions vehicles as reasons to grant the waiver. Read their letter here. READ MORE

Excerpt from E&E News Climatewire:

Hours after being sworn in as president, Joe Biden gave EPA and the Transportation Department a July 2021 deadline to undo a Trump administration rule that gutted the clean car standards Biden helped craft as vice president.

The agencies are not expected to meet this week’s deadline, and questions are swirling about the scope of a cars rule that could play a central role in cutting emissions from the nation’s biggest source of CO2.

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Fuel economy standards are jointly set by EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation. EPA sent its proposed rule to the White House for review last month, but NHTSA didn’t submit its draft until last week, making a July release unlikely, multiple sources said.

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EPA must issue a final rule by the end of the year in order to apply the standards to model year 2023 vehicles.

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For example, the California deal does not require automakers to account for upstream emissions from power plants that charge electric vehicles. READ MORE

Excerpt from Politico’s Morning Energy: BIDEN WILL RAMP UP TAILPIPE STANDARDS: The Biden administration will propose rules increasing federal tailpipe greenhouse gas standards by ramping up annual targets through model year 2026, the Associated Press reports, citing auto industry and government officials. The rules could be proposed as soon as next week.

Specifically, the AP says the joint EPA-NHTSA rules (Reg. 2060-AV13, Reg. 2127-AM34) will apply the standard adopted in California’s 2019 deal, around 3.7 percent, starting with 2023 vehicles. That will ramp up through 2025 to roughly Obama-era 5 percent improvements, and in 2026 go even higher, potentially up to 7 percent. EPA also seems poised to revive extra credit granted for electric vehicle sales, the AP says, which automakers say will boost EV adoption but that environmentalists argue waters down the program and obscures emissions from gas guzzler sales.

The Biden rule has the makings of a classic Washington compromise: Everyone is dissatisfied. Automakers have been pushing Biden to pick something in between the California program and the original Obama standards, so industry likely will call this too stringent (especially considering that it sets up EPA to mandate more aggressive percentages later this decade). Meanwhile, environmentalists are already blasting the proposal, with Dan Becker of the Center for Biological Diversity calling it “a loophole-riddled Swiss cheese auto pollution standard masquerading as a seven-course champagne dinner.” The rules are still under review at the White House.

Dept. of Good Timing: CBD has a full-page ad in today’s New York Times (which the president reads in print) depicting a pickup truck teetering on the edge of a cliff and urging Biden to adopt stronger rules with the goal of phasing out gasoline-powered light vehicles by 2030. READ MORE

Excerpt from E&E News:

(Yale University economist Kenneth) Gillingham’s paper argues that rather than giving extra credit for EVs, there should be a ramp-up of the overall stringency of emissions and fuel efficiency requirements.

It also floats the idea of enacting a second set of vehicle standards applying exclusively to gas cars. Known as a “backstop standard,” such a plan would go into effect only if EVs were to suddenly become inexpensive — due to a breakthrough in battery production, for instance — and more widespread. The aim would be to ensure the automakers didn’t peel back gains in gas cars’ efficiency and emissions simply because they were selling lots of EVs.

“The worry is that the automakers would step back from today’s level of [gas car] technology,” said Gillingham. READ MORE

Indian Government Grants MJCET Utility Patent on Biodiesel Process

by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology in Hyderabad, India, announced that the government has

August 3, 2021 Read Full Article

Crown Oil Runs Entire Fleet on HVO, Highlights UK Govt.’s Lack of Biofuel Support

by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) … “HVO … is an advanced renewable diesel fuel that provides a fast and simple

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Crown Oil Receives UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association’s 2021 Green Award

by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Crown Oil Ltd., a fuel and renewable diesel distributor based in Bury, England, in

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Renewable Diesel Project Developer GCEH Provides Preliminary Q2 Financials, Camelina Update

by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc., the project developer retrofitting a petroleum refinery in Bakersfield,

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Half of the SAF Projects Expected to Receive UK Govt. Funding Are Supported by British Airways

(British Airways/Biobased Diesel Daily) Four aviation decarbonization projects supported by British Airways and designed to help the industry achieve its targets

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Biobased Diesel Made up 27% of All On-Road Diesel Fuel Sold in California in 2019

by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) California Air Resources Board released 2019 greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory data July 28, indicating

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India’s Odisha State Approves Three Ethanol Projects

by Priya Jestin (Independent Commodity Intelligence Services) India’s eastern state of Odisha has approved three ethanol projects which are expected to

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Burying CO2 Deep in ND’s Geology May Combat Climate Change. Is It Financially Feasible?

by Adam Willis (Forum News Service/Twin Cities Pioneer Press) For some of North Dakota’s legacy industries, like coal power, the future

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D.C. Circuit 2019 RVO Decision Is a Mixed Bag for Biofuels

by Sarah Main and Shailesh Sahay (Foley Hoag) … On July 16, 2021, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision that resolved several

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U.S. Bread, Donut Makers Urge Biden to Roll back Biofuel Requirements

by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) A trade group representing some of America’s biggest baked goods companies is

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California CEOs Urge Feinstein to Withdraw Anti-Ethanol/Anti-Biofuel Legislation

(Renewable Fuels Association) In a July 28 letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Alto Ingredients CEO Mike Kandris, Calgren Renewable

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A Higher-Yield Fuel Catalyst

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a new catalyst for converting ethanol into C3+ olefins—the chemical

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Biodiesel Plant in Final Stages of Completion in Barka

by Kabeer Yousuf (Oman Observer) Oman produces nearly 600,000 litres of used cooking oil in a year, which goes down

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Japanese Coalition to Develop UCO-Based SAF Supply Chain Model

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Japan, JGC Holdings Corporation, REVO International Inc., Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. and JGC Japan Corporation,

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CHS Expands E15 Availability through 19 Additional Fuel Terminals

(CHS/PR Newswire) CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP), the nation’s leading agribusiness cooperative, will expand access to higher ethanol blend fuels by offering E15

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Wet Waste as Significant Net Energy Producer: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to BioEnergy from Wet Wastes

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How can anaerobic membrane bioreactors increase wet waste’s net energy yield? That’s exactly what University

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President Biden’s Climate Plan and iIts Role in Agriculture & Renewable Biofuels

by Oliver Peoples (Yield10 Bioscience/Biofuels Digest) During President Biden’s April 22nd climate plan speech at the Virtual Leaders’ Summit on Climate, he

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Video Episode 2.2: Clean Fuel: Jet Fuel

(Climate Now) Aviation is responsible for 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, though this figure is expected to grow as

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Clean Aviation Fuel with Steve Csonka

(Climate Now) What incentives are needed for airlines to adopt sustainable aviation fuel (#SAF) and decarbonize air travel? How does SAF

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Dutch Maritime Bio-LNG Project Receives EU Funding

(Bioenergy Insight) FirstBio2Shipping, working with Attero BV and Bio-LNG Hub Wilp, has received funding from the European Commission to develop

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LF BiOenergy, Cresta to Develop RNG Production Facilities

(Bioenergy Insight) Cresta Fund Management (Cresta) and LF BiOenergy have joined forces to develop, own and operate RNG production facilities

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Bio-LNG — Charting a Course

(Bioenergy Insight) … Bio-LNG is a marine fuel alternative with numerous emissions reduction and commercial benefits. Bio- LNG or liquefied

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Establishing a Fair Ag Carbon Market Will Be Complicated, But Worth the Effort

(Solutions from the Land) The talk among policy makers in Washington to promote a market in which farmers, ranchers and forestland

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A ‘Sea Tractor’ Harvests and Replants Carbon-Capturing Seaweed at This Floating Farm Seaweed Farming Could Be a Potent Weapon in the Fight against Climate Change. But Can It scale?

by Adele Peters (Fast Company) In a series of floating seaweed farms off the coast of Bali, Indonesia, a catamaran

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Biomass Availability with Matthew Langholtz

(Climate Now/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Bioenergy is a renewable energy for its carbon neutrality – plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis

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Biofuels: An Overview

(Climate Now)Biomass – such as corn or switchgrass – can be converted into liquid transportation fuels, or biofuels. Biofuels are

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Hydrogen Electrolysis with Ben Wiley

(Climate Now) Declining renewable energy costs have sparked a renewed interest in green hydrogen, which has the potential to decarbonize sectors

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What’s Wrong with Carbon Offsets? with Mark Trexler and Derik Broekhoff

(Climate Now) As the climate crisis worsens, more and more companies are committing to go “net-zero”. Most of these commitments include

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Clean Fuel: Hydrogen Fuel

(Climate Now) Hydrogen is uniquely qualified as a storage of clean energy because it is abundant – the most abundant element in the

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CNG Fuels Opens First Biomethane Station to Serve UK North East Region

(CNG Fuels/NGV Journal) CNG Fuels announced the opening of a new natural gas refueling station for heavy trucks in Newark, Nottinghamshire,

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Italy: GLS Renews It Fleet with 120 IVECO S-WAY (bio)LNG Vehicles

(IVECO/NGV Journal) GLS, one of the main express couriers in Italy, updates its fleet with a greater focus on environmental sustainability.

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E15 Rewards For New Hope Drivers

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM teamed up on July 28 to educate drivers on

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Latest State Greenhouse Gas Inventory Shows Emissions Continue to Drop below 2020 Target

(California Air Resources Board) Transportation emissions fall for second year in a row, electricity emissions down again — The California Air

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Upcoming Fuel Promotions in Minnesota — August and September — Various Locations

(Minnesota Clean Cities) A series of fuel promotions took place in June and July in the cities of Little Falls,

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The Future of Biodiesel

by Adrian Ladaniwskyj 9Mecardo) Last week we touched briefly the relationship between biodiesel production and world demand for oilseeds. Today

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The Sky’s the Limit for South Africa’s Sugar Industry if It Finds the Aviation Biofuels Sweet Spot

by Andrew Russell (Daily Maverick) … All these moves show that the transition to sustainable aviation fuels is accelerating quickly. As

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POET: Growing the Distance

(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) Agriculture has changed a lot lately, and farmers like Steve know the potential of the land they

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RNG as a Decarbonization Strategy: ‘The Energy Transition’ Has Begun

by Kathy MacBeth (EcoEngineers) The year 2020 saw a huge push to decarbonize the U.S. energy system — from the well

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Biogas Storage & Automation Project Successfully Completed in Colorado

(City of Grand Junction/NGV Journal) The City of Grand Junction announced the completion of the Bio-CNG Storage and Automation Project. Six

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Border Carbon Adjustments without Full (or Any) Carbon Pricing

by William Pizer and Erin Campbell (Resources for the Future/Our Energy Policy) Border carbon adjustments (BCAs) are national or possibly multicountry

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EU Extends Tariffs on U.S. Biodiesel for Five Years

by Philip Blenkinsop (Reuters) The European Union will retain its tariffs on U.S. biodiesel for a further five years after concluding that

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Could Nature’s Own Fuel Save Us from Greenhouse Effect and Electric Grid Failure?

by Ellen Brown (LA Progressive) While biofuels are a less high-tech, cheaper and in many ways more effective solution to

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Harder Introduces Landmark Legislation to Help Farmers Lead on Climate Change

(Office of Representative Josh Harder (R-CA 10th) Bill will establish billions in new initiatives to support the efforts of the

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Fungus That Tastes Just Right: PNNL Researchers Study Plant Material in Soils that Offers Clues for Making Sustainable Bioproducts

by Allan Brettman (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Discerning leaf-cutter ants know what food they like to eat. They turn up their

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Vilsack Speech in Iowa Launches U.S. Grains Council Hybrid Summer Meeting

(U.S. Grains Council) The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) brought members together in person Wednesday for the first time since the beginning

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Former Lincoln Mill Property Eyed for Biofuel Development Site

by Lia Russell (Bangor Daily News) The town of Lincoln may see a refinery for a wood-based heating fuel move onto

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Is Your Project Investment-Ready?: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Biotech Due Diligence

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are some great projects and investment opportunities in the marketplace. Andrew Grant from Lee

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Building Blocks of Life – DeepMind to Release Shape Database of Every Protein Known to Science

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) They are the building blocks of life. Proteins. Can you imagine solving the protein structure

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ANOTHER NEW DATE 13th Biofuels International Conference & Expo — March 15-16, 2022 — Brussels, Belgium

The 13th Biofuels International Conference & Expo will bring together leading producers, suppliers, regulators and other engaged organisations over a

August 2, 2021 Read Full Article

ANOTHER NEW DATE International Biogas Congress & Expo — March 15-16, 2022 — Brussels, Belgium

The International Biogas Congress & Expo brings together leading producers, suppliers, regulators and other engaged organisations over a two-day period.

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Chhattisgarh Plans Biofuel Production from Paddy

(Mongabay/MoneyControl) Prasad said that the Bastar region is suitable for setting up rice-based biofuel plants, and even though biofuel can

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Four Years Later, EPA Has Failed to Restore 500 Million Lost RIN Gallons

(Growth Energy) Today marks the four-year anniversary of the July 2017 ruling in Americans for Clean Energy v. EPA. The 2017 ruling

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Eni and BASF Launch Joint R&D Initiative to Reduce the CO2 Footprint of the Transportation Sector

(ENI/Newswire Today) Eni and BASF have signed a strategic agreement on a joint R&D initiative to reduce the CO2 footprint

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Better Biocatalysts for Biogas: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Biogas Biocatalysis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biological gas-to-liquid conversion offers a means to valorize biogas, improve bioprocess sustainability, and reduce risk

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Carry on Flying, Says Government Green Plan

by Roger Harrabin (BBCNews) You can carry on flying, the government has told the British public, as it outlines its plan

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The Rubbishing of Aviation, and the Search for Carbon-Negative Rubbish

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where I come from, rubbish is used as a verb, meaning to denigrate, and there’s been

July 30, 2021 Read Full Article

The Recycling Myth: Big Oil’s Solution for Plastic Waste Littered with Failure

by Joe Brock, Valerie Volcovici and John Geddie (Reuters) … The destination was a company called Renewlogy. The startup

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EU Invests €122m to Help Bring Low Carbon Technologies to Market

by Priyanka Shrestha (Energy Live News) Technologies including hydrogen, energy storage and renewable energy will be supported, with the aim

July 30, 2021 Read Full Article

Sweetman Renewables in Talks with Forest Owners over Biomass Residues

(Bioenergy Insight) Australian firm Sweetman Renewables is in advanced negotiations with forest and plantation owners regarding the supply of biomass

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Climate Explained: Could Biofuels Replace All Fossil Fuels in New Zealand?

by Troy Baisden (University of Waikato/The Conversation) A quick look at the numbers suggests New Zealand would have enough land

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

On the Road to Zero-Emissions — August 9, 2021 — ONLINE

As part of a nationwide goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Canadian government plans to introduce measures aimed

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Global Initiative Aims to Bring Transparency to Voluntary Carbon Markets

by y Susanna Twidale (Reuters/London South East) A global initiative was launched on Thursday to bring transparency and rigour to the

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Study: Cost of Carbon Emissions Measured in Lives Lost Is High

by Andrew Freedman (Axios) … Adding projected heat-related deaths into cost-benefit analysis of federal rules would tilt policymaking in favor of

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Scientists to Develop CO₂-Free Fermentation Technology amid Surging Demand for Low-Carbon Biofuel

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) By Combining Electrochemistry With Fermentation, NREL’s Biorefining Process Could Both Increase Fuel Yields and Recycle Carbon

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Ethanol Report RFA 40th Anniversary Feature – Bob Reynolds

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association was born in 1981 and RFA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year by spotlighting

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Group Develops SOFC that Produces Electricity with Ethanol

(Green Science Alliance/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Green Science Alliance has been developing various types of electrode and solid electrolyte for solid oxide

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Thune, Farm-State Colleagues to Biden: Biofuels Noticeably Absent From Your Agenda

(Office of Senator John Thune R-SD) U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today led several of his colleagues in sending a letter

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Fit for 55: The EU’s Plan for a Green Transition

(European Council) As part of the European Green Deal, with the European Climate Law, the EU has set itself a binding

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Fact Sheet | Proposals to Reduce Fossil Fuel Subsidies (2021)

by Savannah Bertrand (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) U.S. direct subsidies to the fossil fuel industry are estimated at roughly $20.5 billion

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Plotting CCUS: Clean Air Task Force Is Out with an Updated Map of Carbon Capture Projects

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) Clean Air Task Force is out with an updated map of carbon capture projects

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Wants to Turn America’s Auto Fleet Electric. It’s Harder than It Seems.

by Juliet Eilperin and Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) When it comes to meeting President Biden’s climate goals, the math is

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Converting Renewable Electricity into Stable Molecules Could Provide Long-Term Energy Storage

by Beth Mundy (Tech Xplore/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) For renewable energy and energy storage technologies, variation is the name of the

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Bioarag Registers Its First Green Bond Program for 10 Million

(Cinco Dias (Google Translation)) Biodeésel de Aragón is the sixth issuer of sustainable bonds of the MARF — Biodiesel de

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Mexico City’s Metrobús Launches Biodiesel Trial

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Mexico, Metrobús has put into circulation two buses on Line 2, which will use

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Data that Makes a Difference: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Biofuels Information Center

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Data – we all need it. And the Biofuels Information Center provides essential bioenergy data,

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Jose Cuervo, Dole, Crocs Bump up Biobased Products and More: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the Week of July 29th

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) It’s summertime for some around the globe right now, and what better way to relax

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Advanced Biofuels: Production and Deployment — October 28-29, 2021 — ONLINE

Even though there is a big potential for advanced biofuels in decarbonisation of European transport, the current market of advanced

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Three BioFuel Startups around the World to Keep an Eye on

(Bio Market Insights) … Widespread information and technology has made it possible for smaller teams to develop solutions through biofuels for

July 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Can New Technology Incentivize Farmers to Capture Carbon in Their Soil?

by Michael Sterenberg (Columbia Climate School State of the Planet) The Scenic Hudson Soil Lab is a rather unassuming structure. Sitting

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Zero, Then Negative — July 29, 2021 — ONLINE

Join us for a discussion on carbon removal that welcomes champions and skeptics alike to explore the entire portfolio of

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Carbon Connector: The Summit Carbon Solutions’ Pipeline

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline, a visionary multi-billion dollar project in the making representing

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

What to Do with Food Waste? Well, That Depends. NREL Researchers Examine Disposal Methods as More Landfills Prepare to Shut Down

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The expected decline in the number of landfills across the United States coupled with bans on disposing

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Annual Conference — August 18-20, 2021 — Minneapolis, MN

ACE Conference to Cover Role Higher Ethanol Blends Can Play in Decarbonizing U.S. Transportation Sector (Grainnet) This year’s American Coalition for

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

New Cutting Edge Facility in Southern Alberta to Create Jobs, Cut Emissions by Creating Biofuel from Waste

by Austin Lee (CTV News) The Alberta government is supporting Canary Biofuels, an Alberta-based biofuel producer, with a $4.7M grant through

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Going Global: Expanding the Reach and Impact of GTI’s Cool LPG Technology as a Clean Fuel Alternative

(GTI) GTI is pleased to announce it has recently entered into licensing agreements with the Global LPG Partnership (GLPGP) and

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

City of Toronto to Begin RNG Production

(City of Toronto/Biomass Magazine) On July 20, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced that the City of Toronto will start producing renewable

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

BC to Launch Clean Energy Initiative Supporting SAF, RNG

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon on July 16 announced the launch

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Glenfiddich Powers Biogas Delivery Trucks with Its Own Whisky Waste

(Glenfiddich/NGV Journal) Scotch whisky maker Glenfiddich announced that it is converting its delivery trucks to run on biomethane made from waste

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Letter: Don’t Undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard

by Byron Dorgan (InForum) … The current year is already half gone and the Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t proposed Renewable

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

25 % Subsidy for Investors for Ethanol Production

(The Pioneer) In a bid to attract investors for ethanol production in the State, Department of Industries organised a Stakeholders’ Meet

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — Angie Craig

“I was disappointed not to see biofuels included in the initial bipartisan infrastructure framework, but rest assured that as conversations

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Its Time to Make Long-Lasting and Transformative Investments in Biofuels

by Representative Angie Craig (D-MN 2nd) (The Hill) … I’m a supporter of biofuels. Biofuels offer predictability for farmers, drive

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA Pledge to President: Ethanol to Achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2050 or Sooner

(Renewable Fuels Association) In a letter sent today to President Joe Biden, Renewable Fuels Association members from across the country memorialized their commitment

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

From R&D to D&D

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Energy Department’s energy efficiency and renewables office is hoping to use the additional

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

ENOC Link to Roll out the World’s First eLink Stations across the UAE

(ENOC) ENOC Link the digital mobile fuel delivery service for businesses in the UAE by ENOC Group, today announced its plans

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-Private Equity Firm to Buy Canada’s Idled Come-by-Chance Oil Refinery

by Devika Krishna Kumar (Reuters) Private equity firm Cresta Fund Management has agreed to buy a controlling stake in idled Canadian

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Carbon Engineering and LanzaTech Partner to Advance Jet Fuel Made from Air

(LanzaTech) The companies are investigating a commercial facility in the UK that will produce more than 100 million litres per

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

bp Joins the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping as a Strategic Partner

(bp) bp and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping today signed a partnership agreement committing to a

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Cellulosic Ethanol Fermentation to DDGS: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to White Dog Labs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) White Dog Labs is working on producing a Single-Cell Protein product from a cellulosic ethanol

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Aviation Leaders Say Biofuels Still Too Expensive

by Cécile Michaut (Institut Polytechnique de Paris/Biofuels Digest) Aviation is counting on the use of biofuels and petrol-free synthetic fuels to

July 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Indonesia Succeeds as Biodiesel Pioneer: ESDM Ministry

by Sugiharto Purnama, Uyu Liman (AntaraNews.com) Achievement of the B30 biodiesel development program demonstrates Indonesia’s success as a B30 pioneer,