by Jim Lane (BiofuelsDigest) …Also, what exactly is up with biobutanol, perhaps the most important fuel you never heard of — one that is gaining serious traction among bioenergy cognoscenti
Archive
(European Environment Agency) While technological advances produce cleaner vehicles, more and more passengers and goods are travelling further distances, thereby offsetting efficiency gains. Based on analysis of long-term trends, a
(UPI) Amtrak plans to operate its Heartland Flyer Oklahoma-Texas service on animal-based biodiesel for the next year, officials say. The first biodiesel-powered train pulled into Fort Worth, Texas, Tuesday, the
by Jason Paur (Wired) …A small company in Indiana is leading the way for creating an alternative fuel for piston-powered airplanes around the world. Swift Enterprises has created a biomass-derived,
by Robert Paarlberg (Foreign Policy) … Food has become an elite preoccupation in the West, ironically, just as the most effective ways to address hunger in poor countries have fallen out
Race car driver and environmental activist Leilani Münter is featured in the new tv series “Fast Forward” on Discovery’s Planet Green Network. The series tells the stories of thirteen unique
by Martha Ellen (Watertown Daily Times) Newton Falls Fine Paper could be the first commercial plant to use a breakthrough technology that turns waste into ethanol. “It’s a possibility. It’s
by Michelle Kautz (DomesticFuels) Tomorrow (April 22, 2010) will kick of the National Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Awareness Campaign across the state of Nebraska. The educational campaign is a joint project
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) In the 40th Earth Day Anniversary episode of “The Simpsons,” millions of viewers got an unflattering presentation of “switchgrass vs. corn” biofuels interests. Knock down, drag
(University of York) A major new suite of laboratories, to be opened this week, will help scientists in the Green Chemistry group at the University of York to advance research
(University of Minnesota) The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) recently awarded over $5.1 million to 24 renewable energy research and demonstration projects at the University of Minnesota.
(Colorado State University) Dissolving plant biomass in “green” solvent ionic liquids – salts that melt at low temperatures – converts more sugars needed for biofuel more quickly than traditional methods,
by Kevin Bullis (Technology Review, MIT) When Noubar Afeyan, the CEO of Flagship Ventures in Cambridge, MA, set out to invent the ideal renewable fuel, he decided to eliminate the
by Nik Bristow (AutoBlogGreen) Green Earth Technologies, maker of G-Oil, the “world’s first and only bio-based and ultimate biodegradable motor oil approved by the American Petroleum Institute,” aired their first-ever
by Rod Walton (Tulsa World) Ethanol is running strong in Oklahoma and nationwide, filling up storage terminals and flowing through most cars in some blended way. The corn-based variety, however,
by Kathrine Schmidt (dailycomet.com) A businessman from New Iberia is starting a national website that aims to match renewable-energy investors with local landowners and farmers. Kevin Caffery believes the state
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) …IRFA managing director Lucy Norton says E85 is currently running about 90 cents less than E10 gasoline in Iowa. Even factoring in a 15
by Nina Fowler (National Business Review) Queenstown tourism operators are scrambling to establish a viable local biofuel industry before government assistance expires. The Queenstown Lakes Biodiesel Consortium’s pilot scheme has been
(The Province) …Food and yard waste from residential and commercial sources will be converted at the plant into a low-cost natural gas that will be used as an alternative fuel
(Cattle Network) …One of the first products that may be digested in a cellulosic ethanol plant is switchgrass, which is a warm-season grass native to this part of the world.
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Since forming the National Algae Association over two years ago, Barry has concentrated on creating and establishing strong working relationships with what he calls
(Educational Corporation of America) Education Corporation of America (ECA), a leading owner and operator of private higher education institutions in the United States, announced today the launch of Ecotech Institute,
(University of Massachusetts Amherst) A new method of converting biomass feedstock into sustainable fuel developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of Minnesota has the potential
(The Motorship) BC Ferries in Canada is now using 5 percent blend of B5 biodiesel to fuel its vessels, making the company one of the largest consumers of biodiesel in
by Bob Brook (Automotive Industries) New information and comment by combustion experts at the recent SAE Congress meeting here provide substantial reasons to believe critical fuel combustion could be the
(ZeaChem) Company Produces Commercial Grade Ethyl Acetate ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced it has produced commercial grade
(POET) Technology ready, CEO says, but loan guarantee, policy stability and market access still needed to achieve vision. POET plans to have a hand in producing 3.5 billion gallons of
by Gordon Dickson (Star-Telegram) Where’s the beef? It’s in the belly of that Amtrak locomotive. Shortly after noon Tuesday, the Amtrak Heartland Flyer pulled into downtown Fort Worth. It looked
Nick Snow (Oil and Gas Journal) US senators from agricultural states introduced legislation on Apr. 20 that would extend the federal ethanol tax credit through 2015. Failure to do so
(Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report) Heating and squishing microalgae in a pressure-cooker can fast-forward the crude-oil-making process from millennia to minutes. University of Michigan professors are working to understand
by Chrispin Inambao (New Era) LL Biofuels Namibia, a highly ambitious foreign-initiated and multi-billion-dollar venture, has secured 300 000 hectares of land from chiefs in Caprivi to plant jatropha, whose seeds
(Honduras News) Agroipsa Farm in Choluteca has deployed the “BEI Jatropha Wave Harvester”, a mechanical harvesting system for jatropha which has successfully completed an eight-month trial. The system was used
by Reilly Brennan (AOL Autos) EPA Mulls New Fuel Economy Guidelines The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will soon draft a new regulation for the way it calculates fuel efficiency for
(Pew Charitable Trusts) Pentagon, Service Agencies Working to Enhance Security, Save Money and Reduce Emissions The Department of Defense has initiated ambitious clean energy programs in service of economic, security and
(UOP) Fuel produced using process technology from Honeywell’s UOP under contract from U.S. Defense Energy Support Center. UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced April 22, 2010, that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel(TM) produced
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTechMedia) Isoprene’s a large-volume, high-energy fossil chemical. Genencor says it can get microbes to make it. …Genencor, the industrial enzyme specialist, has engineered a microorganism that can
(Michigan State University) Using productive farmland to grow crops for food instead of fuel is more energy efficient, Michigan State University scientists concluded, after poring over 17 years’ worth of
(Environmental Protection) Gernot Pehnelt, Ph.D., director of GlobEcon, released a study that says the Renewable Energy Directive discriminates against foreign biofuels. “European Policies Towards Palm Oil: Sorting Out Some Facts,”
(CBC News) An Ontario biofuels company is building a test plant in Sarnia to produce ethanol from wood and farm waste rather than corn. Don Hewson, managing director of the
by Shigeru Sato and Yuji Okada (Bloomberg Business Week) As Japan’s rice fields turn fallow and its farming communities decline, a new army of workers is preparing to make the countryside
(SG Biofuels) SG Biofuels announced it has established a strategic partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory to accelerate the analysis and testing of oil produced by its Latin American Jatropha plantations.
(USDA) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack April 16, 2010, invited public comment on several proposed rules designed to increase the production of advanced biofuels and the development of biorefineries. The programs are authorized
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) …In order to better understand the intricacies of the issues involved, I have been engaged in dialogue with a number of industry groups and economists. Here
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Mansfield Oil Company has acquired East Fork Biodiesel of Algona, Iowa … a 60-million-gallon-a-year refinery that will get its feedstock of corn oil from Mansdfield’s network
by Tom Konrad (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) … The most obvious strategy for dealing with peak oil is substitution. If we can find another form of energy in place of oil, then our economy
(CattleNetwork) …U.S. ethanol industry exported 5.64 million metric tons (mmt) of distillers grains worth nearly $1 billion in 2009, which was 24 percent above 2008 levels. The Renewable Fuels Association
(XPrize Foundation, Marketwire) …X PRIZE is an educational nonprofit organization whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs, inspiring the formation of new industries, jobs and the revitalization of markets that
by Jeffrey Barbee (Global Post) …Sun Biofuels, a British company, has been planting thousands of acres of jatropha at a former tobacco farm here and in other sites in Africa.
(US DOE) The U.S. Department of Energy today announced a series of partnerships and other initiatives to address clean energy and energy security in the Western Hemisphere as part of
(The Business Standard) The biofuel industry is finding it tough to remain in business, with both government pricing and raw material availability working against them. …Senior officials of the National
by Brent Erickson (Executive Vice President, Biotechnology Industry Organization) From a letter to Senators John Kerry, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman: …BIO urges, therefore, that any comprehensive climate change legislation
by Sarah Tompkins (The Times, Munster, Ind.) … The process that will be used in Lake County’s plant to produce ethanol from trash was developed in Fayetteville more than 17 years
by Darren Samuelsohn (New York Times) Key senators are weighing a request from Big Oil to levy a carbon fee on the industry rather than wrap it into a sweeping
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Stephanie Thomas is a very smart young woman. Everyone in the High Performance Motorsports Program at University of Northwestern Ohio says so. If you
by Brett Walton (Circle of Blue) …That tilt may soon be righted by researchers at the University of Virginia and the Seawater Foundation, who discovered that the most important source
by Martin LaMonica (cnet News) The U.S. auto industry needs to “go green” in more than one way, says Bill Ford. Ford is committed to making its vehicles more fuel
by Matt Ford (Ars Technica) …When it comes to the processing of organic feedstocks for use in biofuel operations, getting plant matter down to size often represents a significant cost,
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel) “When do we stop investing in OPEC and start investing in America?” That’s the question that oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens asked at a House Ways
by R. James Woolsey (Wall Street Journal editorial) By using more electricity, natural gas and biofuels in our transportation fleet, we can quickly reduce our dependence on OPEC. …About 95% of transportation
(Progressive Railroading) Under “one of the most extensive testing programs to date on the use of biodiesel fuel for locomotives,” eight SD70M-2 units and two MP15 switchers manufactured by EMD
(Dominican Today) The company Globasol signed an agreement on Monday with TSK-Ingemas, of the Spanish group Globalia, to build Dominican
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) LS9 Inc. announced that its trademarked UltraClean Diesel fuel has been officially registered with the
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …IntAct Labs LLC has been awarded a $46,770 U.S. EPA grant to further research
(The AutoChannel) Mazda Australia will use ethanol blend fuel to power its turbo rotary Mazda RX-8 SP at the upcoming
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel) Grilling enthusiasts will find a new product that uses ethanol as an alternative to charcoal or
by Terry Macalister (The Guardian) …The US military has warned that surplus oil production capacity could disappear within two years
by Stephanie Yao (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have long-term studies underway to examine growing camelina as a bioenergy
by Green Liver (Imperial Valley News) A Purdue University researcher will lead a portion of a federally funded effort based
(TradingMarkets.com) South Korea’s EN3 Green Energy Co. Ltd plans to produce bio-ethanol using cassava root as the basic material in
(Daily Express) Two South Korean companies will set up a multi-million dollar project to produce biofuel using cassava, starting with
(e-releases) High-power sparkplug promises to improve combustion efficiency in ethanol-fueled vehicles with fuel provided by E-Fuel equipment. Ignition products company
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The ethanol cold war developed into a hot one this week when television and print
by Vance Owens (South Dakota State University). He stated that the overall objective was to” perform replicated field trials of
Crop Residue- What’s It Worth? Robert Fireovid (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) explained the interest in crop residues,
Zia Haq (Biomass Program, U.S. Department of Energy) focused his presentation on efforts that the Biomass R&D Board Interagency Working
Moderator Laura Neal (Biomass Program, U.S. Department of Energy) emphasized the resources availability to ensure a sustainable supply of feedstock
By Leila Harfuch (Brazilian Institute for International Trade Negotiations). In her talk she underlined the modeling land use and land
By Jocelyn Tutak (Conservation Biology Institute). This presentation was mostly focused on developing a method of incorporating ecological considerations into
M. Cristina Negri (Argonne National Laboratory) directed her talk toward the Laboratory’s system perspective; “waste as another sector’s resource” in
Jenny Hewson (Conservation International/CI) presented the multi- tiered sustainable biofuels crops projects funded by DOE. CI is building global and
Budhedra Bhaduri (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) This session started with a talk given by moderator Budhedra Bhaduri who emphasized the
(Antara News) A biodiesel and ethanol plant under construction in Beunyot village, Juli subdistrict, Bireuen regency, Aceh province, is scheduled
To deliver on its commitment to find practical and innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint of its global operations,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, a battle royal has been joined on the comments page of the
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) It doesn’t make sense to exchange reliance on one kind of imported transportation essential
by Nick Chambers (Gas2.0) Calling themselves the “underdogs,” the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has today launched an advertising campaign
by Joshua Kagan (GreenTechMedia) The petro-chemical company uses its core competency to expand into biofuels. Unlikely as it may seem,
In their continuing effort to evaluate crops that can serve as biofuel feedstocks as well as cover crops (and that
by Hembree Brandon (Delta Farm Press) As Mid-South states continue to lose much of the traditional manufacturing-based industries that migrated
by Nikolas Kozloff (Foreign Policy) …Buffeted by the oil price shock of 1973, the country’s military dictators grew concerned about
by Loretta Sorensen (Farm & Ranch Guide) …“There are numerous benefits to extracting oil from algae,” said Todd Hylden, vice president
(Green Car Congress) Researchers in Spain have demonstrated the direct transformation of biomass consisting of the fungus M. circinelloides into
(GreenAirOnline) The UK’s East Midlands Airport is to establish a 26-hectare willow farm on its land to produce biofuel to
by Ann Perry (USDA ARS) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are figuring out how to turn wheat straw into ethanol
(Biomass Magazine) Using a high shear bioreactor (extrusion) pretreatment process can help prepare corn stover as a feedstock for making
by Gary Chittim (King5News) The nation’s largest boat owners’ group wants the federal Environmental Protection Agency to slow down on
Evogene Ltd., on April 8, 2010, announced the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of biodiesel produced from castor bean varieties
by James Cartledge (BrighterEnergy.org) The Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company (HC&S) has said it is aiming to become a large-scale
Energy Allied International, a Houston-based energy projects development company, and The Seawater Foundation and Global Seawater, Inc., pioneers in the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Scott Carpenter once noted that we know more about the heavens than the sea —
(GreenAirOnline) The US Air Force has carried out the first-ever feasibility flight powered solely by a blended hydrotreated renewable jet
Ontario is investing $4 million through the Innovation Demonstration Fund (IDF) to help Woodland Biofuels Inc. and its partners build
The first ARIES biodiesel production system has been delivered to Naval Base Ventura County. ARIES is the result of a
by Eric Weshoff (GreenTechGrid) Integrating electric vehicles into the smart grid is an enormous and potentially explosive challenge. Erfan Ibrahim
by Patrick Westhoff (Washington Times letter to editor) The editorial “Stop ‘Big Corn’ ” (Opinion, Monday) did not accurately describe
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) …E20, E40, and E85 will be offered at the Stratton Equity Coop station at 515 Lincoln
by Cary Blake (Western Farm Press) The long-term growth of the U.S. sorghum industry lies in part with scientists unraveling
(TheAutoChannel) The National Biodiesel Board’s The Biodiesel Bulletin reported that General Motors is the latest OEM to show support for
Growth Energy, the coalition of US ethanol supporters, announced today that it has filed papers to intervene on behalf of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, Seaweed Energy Solutions has patented the first ever modern structure to enable mass
Verdezyne, Inc., an industrial biotechnology company, and Lallemand Ethanol Technology, a global provider of yeast to the fuel ethanol industry,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Washington, the US Department of Energy released its Open Government Plan highlighting DOE initiatives to
Seeking to enhance Pennsylvania’s energy security, promote alternative forms of energy and create a cleaner environment, Governor Edward G. Rendell
by Gal Luft (The Baltimore Sun) …While both drilling and efficiency promise little relief, with growing instability in the Middle
(Gerson Lehman Group) Needless to say, as the ethanol industry continues to grow, the level of opposition continues to increase and the
(The Economist) The renewable-fuel standard released in February by America’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) paints an ambitious picture of biofuels’
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The source of (Jack) Oswald’s excitement? An analysis from ex-USDA Peoria Lab director Peter Johnson,
Cobalt Technologies, the leader in commercializing biobutanol as a renewable chemical and fuel, April 7, 2010, announced a breakthrough in producing biobutanol
by Alyssa Danigelis (Discovery News) …Humberto Blanco-Canqui, assistant professor at Kansas State University’s Agricultural Research Center-Hays, published an article in
(PSFK Conference New York) Following Haiti’s devastating earthquake, new methodologies for organic and economic growth quickly began to sprout. Supported
by Jane Meinhardt (Tampa Bay Business Journal) A startup formed when University of South Florida researchers created a patent-pending catalytic
by Sebastian Blanco (AutoBlogGreen) The definition of the World Green Car of the Year was expanded a bit today when
(Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News) Funding the existing cellulosic biofuel reverse auction program is a targeted, affordable way to assist
Hajek Motorsports raced to a new land-speed record thanks in part to the soy-based components of the car that owner
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There is hardly an organization in the world that has done more of the heavy
Responding to one of the first major directives of the Obama Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the
by Jonathan Fahey (Forbes) Plants wouldn’t have been able to thrive for hundreds of millions of years if they weren’t
(AP, Bloomberg) Hawaiian Electric Co. is looking for a long-term supply of biofuels made from feedstocks produced and processed in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Switzerland, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels has developed a revised lifecycle GHG calculations methodology
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources was awarded $71,694,000 to fund energy projects through SEP. A portion of these funds
(AllAfrica.com) Sun Biofuels, a British firm that has invested in jatropha plantations in Tanzania, envisages offering full time employment to
by Vikas Bhargava/Ahmedabad (Outlook India) In a breakthrough, Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) has discovered microbe
by Simone Pfuderer, Grant Davies, Ian Mitchell (Food and Farming Analysis, Defra) This paper is part of a larger body
2009’s Best Science Book award winner, Mark Edwards, will begin a 20-part primer in understanding the basics and current state
HCL CleanTech, a US-Israeli biofuels technology development company, has selected Southern Research Institute in North Carolina as the hosting site
HCL CleanTech, a U.S.-Israeli biofuels technology development company, has chosen North Carolina as the site for its administrative headquarters and
NextCAT Inc., a Detroit-based company, announced March 31, 2010, that it signed an option agreement for a biodiesel technology developed at the
by Joshua Kagan (GreenTechMedia) Algae biofuels are often considered one of those technologies — like hydrogen fuel cells — that
by Joshua Kagan (GreenTechMedia) This week’s announcement that the Air Force successfully tested a A-10C Thunderbolt “Warthog” plane on a
by Megan Peterson (WEAU.com) A group of Durand High School (Wisconsin) students made the trip to Texas this past weekend
Purdue University scientists have defined a hidden second option plants have for making an essential amino acid that could be
“Global trade and environmental impact of the EU biofuels mandate” is the title of a study finalised by the International
…Well, if there’s any doubt about the leadership that our military is showing, you just need to look at this
U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi today announced that the Department’s Lawrence
Agencies Move to Increase Energy Security and Fuel Efficiency. President Obama announced March 31, 2010, that the Federal Government will lead by
by Charles Winokoor (Tauton Daily Gazette) The city’s plans for what would be a landmark ethanol-based waste treatment plant cleared
Companies would evaluate non-food Indian feedstocks for the production of green diesel and green jet fuels as well as the
National Algae Association is pleased to announce that construction has been completed on a commercial-scale photobioreactor (PBR) demo located at
A new study by the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology indicates that the use of