by K.C. Mehaffey (The Wenatchee World) Instead of fueling his truck at the gas station, Tim Bombaci is getting his fuel from his neighbors. His neighbors who own orchards, that is. Over the past year, the Manson Middle School teacher developed and
Archive
Back TO HOMEThe Controversy over Ethanol
by Chris Chmura (My Fox Tampa Bay) Move over regular, mid-grade, and premium -- there’s another choice at select gas stations: Ethanol-free unleaded. It’s as much as 50 cents per gallon more expensive than a conventional fill-up, but some consumers insist
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
US Navy Issues 350K Gallon RFP for Advanced Biofuels
(US Department of Defense; Navy) The Government has a requirement for 100,000 USG of Hydrotreated Renewable JP-5 (HRJ5) and 350,000 USG of Hydrotreated Renewable F-76 (HRD76) to support the Navy's "Sail the Great Green Fleet" initiative. This requirement is for
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Maker Claims New Technology Can Create PET Bottles from Waste
by Guy Montague-Jones (FoodProductionDaily) The US-based company recently announced that it had created a PET feedstock - paraxylene (PX) - entirely from plant-based sugars using its own catalytic process. The process results in the creation of a PET product, which
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
$70M Approved for Ethanol Plant
by Bob Moser (The Advertiser) Lacassine Syrup Mill will be joined by nation's first sugar-to-ethanol facility Bonds worth $70 million to help build the nation's first sugar-to-ethanol plant in Lacassine passed a first step of approval Monday by the Louisiana Public
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Isuzu Commercial Trucks Now Powered by B20 Biodiesel Blends
(PRNewsWire/National Biodiesel Board) Biodiesel Industry Bolstered by Growing OEM Support, Momentum Under RFS-2 At its semi-annual board meeting in Washington D.C. last week, members of the National Biodiesel Board applauded the latest Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to announce its support for use of
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Hino Trucks Approves the Use of B20 Biodiesel
(PR NewsWire/Hino Trucks) Hino Trucks' complete product line of class 4 and 5 cab over, and class 6 and 7 conventional trucks are now approved to use up to B20 biodiesel. All 2011 and 2012 model year cab over and conventional
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Grassley Q&A: Looking Forward with Biodiesel
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) (Biodiesel Magazine) Q. Why do you support the production of biodiesel? A. Too much of America’s energy comes from fossil fuels imported from countries that don’t like us. We can reduce dependence on foreign oil, and be
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Chicago Park District Launches New Biodiesel Production Program
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Through a public/private partnership with Darling International, in participation from this year’s Taste of Chicago and area restaurants for the supply of feedstock, the Chicago Park District officially launched a biodiesel production program that will
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
New Holland Sponsors UN Climate Change Convention Reception
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) New Holland Agriculture, a manufacturer and seller of agricultural equipment and a division of CNH Global N.V., announced that it has signed on as a Gold Sponsor of the Climate Action Networking Reception. The event
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
BASF Testing Procedure for B100 Adopted by ASTM
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) The ASTM D6751 biodiesel specification will soon include three additional test methods for B100. The tests methods will use a BASF patented infrared spectroscopy process for the rapid analysis of total glycerin, free glycerin and
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
E-15 Gasoline Won't Be Sold for at Least a Year, Watchdog says
by Neil Roland (Automotive News) Gasoline with up to 15 percent ethanol probably won't be sold at the pump for at least another year because of health, safety, cost and environmental concerns, a government watchdog said. ...The report makes clear that
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Va. Shifting to Alternative Fuel Vehicles
by Steve Szkotak (Forbes) Virginia is moving forward to power its fleet of 10,000 vehicles with alternative fuels, ranging from biodiesel to propane to exotic mixes intended to ease the state's reliance on foreign oil. ...Surrounded by a fleet of
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Klobuchar Calls Out Oil Companies to Give Up Subsidies
by Larry Bivins (SCTimes) Sen. Amy Klobuchar urged oil companies Tuesday to follow the lead of the ethanol industry and give up government subsidies to help defray the nation’s burgeoning deficit. In a speech on the Senate floor, Klobuchar
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Climate Impact Threatens Biodiesel Future in EU
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) Europe's biodiesel industry could be wiped out by EU plans to tackle the unwanted side effects of biofuel production, after studies showed few climate benefits, four papers obtained by Reuters show. Europe's world-leading $13 billion biodiesel industry,
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Switch from Corn to Grass Would Raise Ethanol Output, Cut Emissions
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
12 Synthetic Biology Biofuel & Biochemical Companies to Watch
by Chris de Morsella (Green Economy Post) A detailed review of 12 U.S. based synthetic biology, biofuel & biochemical companies that are developing third and fourth generation biofuels, bioindustrial & household chemical, and food additive products; using synthetic biology to produce engineered microorganisms
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
German Biofuel Firm Choren Declares Insolvency
(Reuters) German second generation biofuels company Choren Industries GmbH has declared insolvency, a company spokesperson said on Friday. Choren is building Germany's first biofuels plant producing using second generations of biomass raw materials. ...The plant is being built in Freiberg in south
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Startup Sundrop Fuels Lands $175M Investment, Mostly from Chesapeake
(Denver Business Journal) Colorado biofuel startup Sundrop Fuels Inc. on Monday announced it will get $175 million in new investment, with the lion’s share coming from natural gas company Chesapeake Energy Corp. ...Chesapeake said it plans to fund the investment by
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Danica Patrick Says Ethanol Is Great
by Chuck (DomesticFuel.com) ...I asked her for a comment on having Iowa corn growers supporting this race again and what she thinks about racing with ethanol. She said, “I think that we’re in definitely in an age where everybody is
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
San Diego-Center for Algal Biotechnology’s One Barrel for Baja Project
(Algae Industry Magazine) O ne Barrel for Baja (1BFB) is a project made possible by the San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology (SD-CAB) in support of research aimed towards understanding and developing eco-friendly energy solutions. The goal of 1BFB is
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
LS9 Planning Brazil’s Biggest Plant to Make Biofuels, Chemicals
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) LS9 Inc., a closely held U.S. biotechnology company, may build Brazil’s biggest biofuel and specialty chemicals factory as more companies seek to produce new products from sugar cane, the world’s cheapest fuel crop. The company is planning a
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
County Offers Incentives to Lure Chemtex
by Chris Berendt (The Sampson Independent) A $160 million ethanol biofuels plant would bring 65 new jobs and an opportunity for Sampson County to position itself on the forefront of alternative energy technology as the site of the first plant of
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA Defers Application of CO2 Emissions Rules to Biomass
(Troutman Sanders) The EPA on July 1, 2011 issued a final rule deferring for three years application of the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (“PSD”) and Title V permitting requirements to carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emissions from biogenic stationary
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Australia’s Carbon Tax Debuts: Carbon Sunday, or Black Sunday?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aussie government debuts carbon tax scheme and $10Bn cleantech fund; who’s happy, who’s howling? In Australia, the federal government launched plans for a $23 per tonne tax on carbon, which will affect the country’s 500 largest
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
At the Capitol: Alternative Energy Can Be Found Right Here in Illinois
by Rep. Jim Sacia (Journal-Standard) ...Ethanol is another source of alternative energy that has established a foothold in America, and we can be very proud of our own Adkins Energy ethanol plant in Lena. One of the strongest lobbying groups in
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Integral to Farm Network
by Bryan Christjansen (Journal Gazette) In “Ethanol’s subsidies drain on economy” (Opinion, July 3), Wayne Townsend claims that ethanol production in the United States and in Indiana has caused the price of corn to “skyrocket,” thus “jeopardizing the financial
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
China's Hunger for Corn Turns Market on Ear
by Tom Polansek, Ian Berry and Scott Kilman (Wall Street Journal) Demand From Beijing Augurs Higher Food, Futures Prices A Chinese buying spree for U.S. corn is putting on display the ability of Beijing to reshape grain markets as well
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
European Biomass Review: New Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast of the European Bioenergy Sector
(RISI) Renewable energy policy in Europe will see biomass demand grow by almost 50% between 2010 and 2020 with increased use of biomass not only in the energy sector but also in industrial and residential sectors. Biomass is currently the largest
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
House Rejects Republican Study Committee Cuts to Energy Subsidies
by Pete Kasperowicz (The Hill) The House on Monday night rejected an amendment proposed by the Republican Study Committee that would have cut $3.25 billion from the Energy and Water Appropriations Act, effectively gutting the Department of Energy's alternative energy funding
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Bath's Roman Baths Algae Could Fuel Cars
(BBC News) ...The research team, which also includes the university's department of chemistry and scientists at the University of the West of England, is growing each of the algae from the Roman Baths over a range of temperatures and comparing
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Commission Awards Over $29 Million For Biofuel and Natural Gas Technology
(The California Energy Commission) The California Energy Commission has approved more than $29 million for projects that advance biofuels and demonstrate California's commitment to develop cleaner transportation fuels. The seven awards total $29,675,072 and are funded through the Commission's Alternative
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Say "NO" to an Ethanol Plant at the Harbour
(Oshawa.com) ...Oshawa says “NO” to an ethanol plant at our harbour for the following reasons: The proposed ethanol plant would be located on a historic and prominent height of land overlooking Lake Ontario. The proposed ethanol plant would be located beside the
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Global Bioenergies is Awarded a New Funding from the French Innovation Agency OSEO to Finance the Industrialization of Its Bio-Isobutene Process
(Global Bioenergies) One month after its successful IPO, Global Bioenergies , located in the Genopole technology park in Evry, South of Paris, today announces the receipt of a €475K funding from the French innovation agency OSEO. The funds will be used to
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
A Good Compromise on Ethanol Policy
by Brooke Coleman (Advanced Ethanol Council/The Washington Post) Letter to Editor: ...The compromise that Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have announced is not perfect. But it rightly involves using innovations in U.S. ethanol policy
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Shell to Focus on Natural Gas and Biofuel
(The Star) ...“Biofuels are the only low-carbon transport fuel that can be scaled up fast enough to tackle carbon emissions from transport in the next 20 years,” Royal Dutch Shell Plc CEO Peter Voser said at the opening of the “Future
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
These Fairs Are Going 'Soy-Green'
(American Agriculturalist) New York and Maryland fairs are first-comers to USB's Green Ribbon Fairs program. This summer, the United Soybean Board and state soybean boards in nine states are kicking off the Green Ribbon Fairs project by using and promoting soybean-based
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
New Analysis Continues to Disprove Food v. Fuel Canard
(Renewable Fuels Association) There is no statistical evidence to support the argument that growth in ethanol production is driving consumer food prices higher, according to a comprehensive study released today by Informa Economics. Rather, the report concludes that retail food prices
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol – The Champagne of Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Drop-in fuels all the rage? Not smart, says Coskata CSO Rathin Datta, ethanol is the champion for biomass-based fuels. In Washington DC later this month, at the DOE’s Biomass 2011 annual conclave, Rick Wilson, the CEO of
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
The Reality We Are Living in Now: Biofuels and the New DC, Part II
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In a swirling stew of change regarding US federal incentives, tariffs, tax credits and loan guarantees, the most consistent mechanism driving the expansion of renewable transport fuel has been the US Renewable Fuel Standard. Though
July 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Uniform-Format Solid Feedstock Supply System: A Commodity-Scale Design to Produce an Infrastructure-Compatible Bulk Solid from Lignocellulosic Biomass
(US Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory) The United States is increasing the use of lignocellulosic biomass as part of a portfolio of solutions to address climate change and improve energy security, in addition to other benefits that an invigorated agricultural industry can provide. One
July 11, 2011 Read Full Article
DARPA Wants Artificial Lifeforms
by Katherine Bourzac (Technology Review) The agency will fund projects aimed at speeding up synthetic biology, and creating new kinds of materials. Yesterday (June 15, 2011) morning, at the Fifth International Meeting on Synthetic Biology at Stanford University, a representative from
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Feinstein Leads Effort to Raise Gas Taxes, Increase Oil Imports, Cut Jobs, and Expose Californians to More Carcinogens in Gasoline
(California Ethanol Vehicle Coalition) Continuing her long support for oil industry interests at the cost of clean, domestic, renewable fuels, California Senator Dianne Feinstein announced today she has taken yet another step to raise taxes, increase reliance on imported oil,
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Web Chat Addresses Cellulosic Fuels
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Since its inception in 2009, the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (DARPA-E) has been actively working to help expedite the development of innovative, game-changing energy technologies. ...On June 29, ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar hosted a
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
America’s Ethanol Industry Is Leading the Way, RFA Writes to President Obama
(Renewable Fuel Association) The Renewable Fuels Association todaysent a letter to President Obama detailing the dynamic state of America’s ethanol industry. The letter was prompted by remarks President Obama made during his Twitter town hall event earlier this week, in
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Hinchey, Bartlett, Kingston and Office of Rep. Giffords Announce Formation of Defense Energy Security Caucus
Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) and the Office of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) today announced the formation of the Defense Energy Security Caucus (DESC). The Caucus aims to educate members of Congress and
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Concerns Could Make Panetta First Green DOD Chief
by Annie Snider (New York Times/Greenwire) When Leon Panetta was sworn in this morning as the 23rd secretary of Defense, he inherited a force that is more fuel-dependent than ever -- a fact that those inside the Pentagon increasingly say
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Salt-loving Microbe Provides New Enzymes for the Production of Next Gen Biofuels
(Joint Genome Institute) Calif.—In order to realize the full potential of advanced biofuels that are derived from non-food sources of lignocellulosic biomass—e.g., agricultural, forestry, and municipal waste, and crops such as poplar, switchgrass and miscanthus—new technologies that can efficiently and
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
The Oil Squeeze
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Occasionally we forget that the cost of transportation and aviation fuel is almost entirely driven by the price of oil. Even blended with biofuel to 50/50 or above, petroleum is still the tail that
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
LS9, Inc. Announces Collaboration with MAN Latin America to Test LS9's UltraClean(TM) Diesel in Brazilian Fleet
(LS9) LS9, Inc., a technology leader in the development of sustainable products, announced that it has begun a collaboration with MAN Latin America, a leading Brazilian engineering and vehicles manufacturing company, to test LS9's renewable diesel in both stationary engines
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Witnesses Blast EPA Decision to Allow Higher Ethanol Blends
(US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology) Today the Energy & Environment Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the science behind the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to grant a waiver permitting the use of mid-level ethanol blends of up
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Uganda: Plant Jatropha, Says Museveni
(AllAfrica.com) President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Masaka district and Uganda at large to work with the Pegasus Investments Limited in the cultivation of jatropha (ekiroowa) plant as one of the means to boost household incomes. The seeds of the
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Klobuchar, Thune Announce Bipartisan Compromise on Renewable Energy
(Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar) Agreement would put savings toward deficit reduction, infrastructure U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today announced that a bipartisan agreement has been reached that allows for a transition to a
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
POET Receives Offer for a Conditional Commitment for $105 Million Cellulosic Ethanol Loan Guarantee
(POET) POET has received an offer for a conditional commitment for a $105 million U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee to construct a cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa that will produce 25 million-gallon-per-year from corn cobs, leaves, husks and
July 07, 2011 Read Full Article
A Few Questions for Honeywell's Jim Rekoske on Biojet
by Beth Evans (The Barrel) Two significant events this summer should help boost commercial production of bio-based jet fuel: the approval of a new fuel standard and the recent completion of a successful first trans-Atlantic flight. In July, international standards developer
July 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Waste Timber from Diamond Mine to Be Used for Ethanol
by Matthew Liebenberg (Nipawin Journal) Timber that will be cleared from the proposed Shore Gold diamond mine site in the Fort à la Corne forest will be processed and converted into cellulose ethanol at a future green fuel facility in
July 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Instalan Planta de Biodiesel Extraído del Piñón en Morelos
(La Jornada) Especialistas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) instalaron en Morelos una planta piloto que produce biodiesel a partir de la extracción de aceite de la semilla de la planta silvestre Jatropha Curcas, conocida como piñón mexicano. El proyecto realizado con
July 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Virgin Australia Partners to Develop Unique Australian Bio-Fuel
(Virgin Australia) Virgin Australia today announced that it has partnered with Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (DYMTF) and Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that also has benefits for the Australian farming
July 07, 2011 Read Full Article
New Sorghum Ideotypes to Meet the Increasing Demand of Biofuels
(IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) Geopolitical tensions in some oil producing regions and the uncertainties surrounding the future availability of fossil fuels, as well as the urgent necessity to mitigate negative impacts on climate through reduced CO2 emissions, have created
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
AE Biofuels Announces Acquisition of Industrial Biotechnology Company Zymetis
(Bradenton) Company Expands Technology Portfolio to Include Production of Renewable Chemicals and Advanced Fuels by the Conversion of Existing Ethanol and Biodiesel Production Facilities AE Biofuels, Inc. (OTC:AEBF), a global advanced biofuels company, announced today that it has completed the acquisition
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Evodos Improves Algae Harvesting System
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Evodos BV, an algae technology developer based in Netherlands, believes the company’s spiral plate centrifuge created for the harvesting of algae will give algae harvesting a positive energy balance. ...The core of the technology is based
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Water Content Must Be Reduced, says German Oil Industry
by AGQM (Biodiesel Magazine) The Association Quality management Biodiesel reg. Ass. (AGQM) recently presented results of a jointly initiated project at the 5th annual expert discussion dealing with the issue of biodiesel filterability. ...It was shown that the contents of alkaline
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel from Corn Oil: a Growing Force
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Resurgence in the biodiesel industry and its demand for inedible corn oil extracted from ethanol plants was a topic of great discussion at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo last week in Indianapolis. Several experts
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Hot Springs Microbe May Hold Key to Biofuel Production
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Researchers from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a microbe in a Nevada hot spring that enjoys eating cellulose (aka plant material) at temperatures above the boiling
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Remarks by President Obama in Twitter Town Hall
(CBS3Springfield.com/The White House) ...Q Our next response from southwest Ohio, Mostlymoderate: "Cut subsidies to industries which are no longer in crisis or are unsuccessful, cotton, oil, corn subsidies from ethanol." THE PRESIDENT: Well, there's been a interesting debate taking place
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Arrive in Tarrant, Alabama
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Pacific Pride Services, a subsidiary of Wright Express Corporation, has announced that in partnership with Quality Petroleum of Alabama the opening of the first Commercial Fuel Center offering both biodiesel for fleet customers as well as
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil to Offer Biodiesel at Four Texas Terminals
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ExxonMobil will soon offer ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) blended with biodiesel for the first time at four rack terminals in Texas. ExxonMobil will offer ULSD with up to a 5 percent biodiesel blend in Irving, Texas
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
BioJet Supports Aviation Biofuel Approval With One Billion Gallon Availability
(BioJet International Ltd./PR NewsWire) BioJet International Ltd., announced that it joins the worldwide Aviation Industry celebrating approval of bio-derived jet fuel for commercial use (ASTM International revised D7566). Concurrent with this approval, and to aid in development of the
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Policy Alert Section 526 of EISA
by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization) A few weeks ago we let you know of attempts being made to repeal Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which prohibits the Department of Defense from procuring fuels
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
A Novel Enzymatic Catalyst for Biodiesel Production
(Physorg.com) ...A saponification side reaction (methyl ester conversion into the corresponding acid salt) reduces methyl ester yield. To increase the yield, it was therefore necessary to develop alternative catalysts. For this type of reaction, certain enzymatic catalysts such as those belonging
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Wärtsilä to Supply Bio-Fuel Powered Engines for Versatile Deck Cargo Vessel
(Marine Log) Wärtsilä has been contracted by STX Finland to supply liquid bio-fuel powered main engines for Aura II, the multi-purpose deck cargo vessel ordered from the Turku shipyard last October by Gaiamare Ltd., part of the the Turku based Meriaura
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Uncertainty about Ethanol Clouds Cellulosic Plant Plans
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) ...The EPA said the biorefineries expected to be online by this year had not materialized, which didn't come as news to Jim Sturdevant, manager of Poet's proposed "Project Liberty" cellulosic ethanol plant at Emmetsburg. Poet,
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Scientists Use Magnetism to Milk Algae for Biofuels
by Tyler Hamilton (Toronto Star) ...Wankei Wan, a professor of biochemical engineering at the University of Western Ontario, thinks he's found a potentially significant way to stimulate algae growth. Wan and a team of research students built a small raceway pond
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Editorial: No Need for ‘Compromise’ in Trimming Ethanol Subsidies
(The Washington Post) ...Either way, the supports must go. Congress has protected ethanol three ways: with a $6 billion-a-year tax subsidy to those who blend it into gasoline, a tariff on competing imports and a mandate that billions of gallons
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
X-Fuels and X-Bugs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...There are a class of fuels that are deeply rooted in biological process, and share the goal of replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon substitutes, but are not strictly biofuels. Huh? Well, think of fuels that are
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Prices Have Dropped, Will Grocery Manufacturers Follow?
by Stephanie Dreyer (Growth Energy/Renewable Energy World) After a report detailed that farmers have planted the largest number of corn acres in decades and with corn prices falling, one might expect grocery prices to drop. And one might even assume
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Momentum Gathering towards Aviation Biofuels Commercialisation as US and European Policy-Makers Signal Support
(GreenAirOnline) The momentum driving the introduction of aviation biofuels received a significant boost with a number of initiatives and events taking place at last week’s Paris Air Show. While the transatlantic biofuel flights conducted by Boeing and Honeywell attracted wide
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Land Grab in Kenya's Tana Delta Fuels Talk of War
(Guardian News and Mail) Gamba Manyatta village is empty now, weeds already roping around the few skeletal hut frames still standing. The people who were evicted took as much of their building materials as they could carry to start again
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Thomson Airways to Become First UK Sustainable Jet Biofuels Operator as It Announces Start of Weekly Flights
(GreenAirOnline) UK holiday airline Thomson Airways is to operate the UK’s first sustainable biofuel commercial flight at the end of this month and start regular weekly flights from September on routes from Birmingham. A 50/50 blend of used cooking oil
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
McDonald’s UAE in Venture to Make Biodiesel From Cooking Oil
by Vivian Salama (Bloomberg) McDonald’s UAE and privately held Neutral Fuels LLC formed a venture to produce biodiesel using recycled vegetable oil from the fast-food retailer’s outlets in the United Arab Emirates, the companies said. The venture involves the Gulf nation’s first plant
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
FEW: NASCAR 'In Your Corner,' CEO Tells Ethanol Industry
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...NASCAR had to be confident the fuel would withstand 500-mile races at 200 miles per hour without causing engine troubles. The bottom line is: NASCAR would not have selected E15 to fuel its racecars
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Economics of Power Plant CO2 Capture
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ...Today’s carbon capture process requires separating and condensing CO2, then transporting it in dedicated pipelines to distant locations where it can be stored. Processing CO2 close to power plants eliminates the capital and operating
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
EIA Report: Renewables Surpass Nuclear Output
by Ken Bossong (SUN DAY Campaign/Renewable Energy World) According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable energy has passed a milestone as domestic production is now greater than that of
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center Applications Due August 16, 2011
Energy cooperation is a central element of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership. During President Obama’s November 2010 head of state visit to India, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Government of India signed an Agreement to Establish a Joint
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Ford, Toyota Criticize EPA Ethanol-Blend Fuel Proposal
(Bloomberg) Automakers including Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. criticized an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to allow gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol in all cars and trucks in the U.S., saying its use may
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
IRL Moving To E85 In 2012
by Chuck (DomesticFuel.com) ...I asked him (CEO of the Indy Racing League, Randy Bernard) to comment on the relationship with Pioneer and the Iowa Corn Growers. He said, “The fact that we’ve got a great title sponsor here with Iowa Corn Growers
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
How Do Farmers Choose Bioenergy Crops?
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Carolyn Hoagland was recently awarded the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholar for her work in learning about how farmers choose to grow bioenergy crops. Hoagland, an adult student, is an environmental science major at the University of Tennessee at
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
UW & Iowa St. Report: Ethanol Lowered Gas Prices $0.89 per Gallon in 2010
(Wisconsin BioIndustry Alliance) A report by the University of Wisconsin and Iowa State University found that ethanol production helped reduce gas prices at the pump by an average of $0.89 per gallon across the country in 2010. The report, which updated the findings
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
E10 Sales Remain Flat, but Iowans Saved $50 Million with Ethanol So Far This Year
(KCAUTV.com) The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today announced that Iowans choosing E10 blends have saved over $50 million during the first five months of 2011. Iowa Department of Revenue fuel sales figures released this week showed ethanol sales steady
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Buy FREEDOM Learn Truth About Ethanol
by Chuck Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) During the 2011 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop attendees got a chance to see the new documentary from Josh & Rebecca Tickell. I first met Josh during a National Biodiesel Conference before he produced his award winning film, “Fuel.”
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Is Ethanol a Solution, or a Problem?
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/New York Times) In “The Great Corn Con” (Op-Ed, June 25), Steven Rattner claims that United States ethanol production makes food costlier and scarcer, pollutes the environment and drains the treasury. That is not the
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
FEW: 'Feed is Food' Cautions Panel
by Ron Kotrba (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Food Safety Modernization Act is changing how ethanol producers do business, and it’s shifting focus on just being fuel producers that incidentally make a feed coproduct, to being fuel—and food—producers. “Feed is food,”
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels from the Sea: Seaweed May Prove a Viable Future Biofuel, Especially If Harvested in Summer
(Science Daily) Seaweed may prove a viable future biofuel -- especially if harvested in summer. The use of kelp (Laminaria digitata) could provide an important alternative to terrestrial grown biofuels; however the suitability of its chemical composition varies on a
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
New Refinery, Biofuel Will Achieve Quantum Leap for Kuwaiti Oil Sector
by Osama Jalal (Kuwaiti News Agency) Fahad Al-Ajmi, new board chairman and managing director of Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), asserted here Wednesday (June 29, 2011) importance the two new projects of the new refinery and biofuel, noting that, "they
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEE–F)
(European Commission) On 1st July 2011, the Commission launched a new European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEE-F) as part of the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR). It will allocate around EUR 146 million from the EEPR (3.7% of the total EEPR envelope) towards
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Shifting Normal Supply, Demand Forces
by Steve Leer (Purdue University) • About 27 percent of the nation's corn crop must be devoted to ethanol this year to meet the federal mandate, leaving other corn users to compete for the remaining 73 percent. • The renewable fuels standard
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Industry Launches First Ever National Advertising Effort
(National Biodiesel Board) Raises Awareness of Biodiesel as America’s First Advanced Biofuel The U.S. biodiesel industry this week is launching its largest-ever public outreach effort. The paid ad buy will raise awareness of the economic, environmental and national security benefits of
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
V8 Supercars Agrees to Five-Year Deal With Austin's Circuit of The Americas™ to Host Championship; SPEED™ to Broadcast Races
(PRNewsWire/Circuit of the Americas) Australia's Most Popular Motorsports Series Makes Its First U.S. Home in Austin, Texas V8 Supercars and Circuit of The Americas, along with Texas Governor Rick Perry andQueensland Premier Anna Bligh, announced today a five-year agreement to bring the famous Australian V8 Supercar series
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Dixon Offers Volume Biodiesel Discounts for School & Municipal Diesel Fleets
(Dixon Energy/PRWeb) Diesel fleets now get a price break on fuel as well as lower emissions and improved performance by using Dixon’s biodiesel in northern New Jersey. Dixon Energy offers municipalities, school districts and corporations with substantial diesel usage, that
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Rising Tigers of the China Bioenergy Trade
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... That the freighters out of China contain low-cost manufactured goods would surprise no one. The trick of the trade, from the ship owners’ point of view, has always been to develop a profitable cargo
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Nature Outlook Biofuels--Special Supplement
(Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science) Biofuels have big boots to fill. After more than 150 years of using petroleum and its products we have become dependent on it. First generation biofuels are showing us both the potential and the
July 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Not to Blame for High Food Prices, Study Says
by Rob O'Flanagan (Guelph Mercury) Biofuels are not the villain behind recent spikes in food prices, a new study funded by Grain Farmers of Ontario concludes. Terry Daynard, a corn expert and retired University of Guelph crop science professor, presented the
July 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Oil Incentives Have to Be Talked about, Too, by the Candidates
by Walt Wendland (Des Moines Register/Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) ...When presidential candidates have discussed reforming the ethanol incentive, several news articles called this either "bold" or "risky" in Iowa. These stories operated under the assumption that support for the
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA Issues Final E15/B20 UST Compatibility Guidelines
(NACSOnline) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued compatibility guidelines on Tuesday for owners and operators who are storing gasoline containing more than 10 percent ethanol or diesel containing more than 20 percent biodiesel in their UST systems. ...The compliancy guidelines issued yesterday
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
A Win for Corn!
(Growth Energy) Brianne Corn’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb win was historic, and not just because she was the first woman to win a division class in the past 27 years. The aptly named Ms. Corn was driving a car running
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa 15% Ethanol Incentive Takes Effect
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Iowa could become the first state in the nation with fuel pumps sporting the new15% ethanol (E15) labels approved this week by the Environmental Protection Agency along with final rules allowing E15 to be used in
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
ASTM Aviation Fuel Standard Now Specifies Bioderived Components
(ASTM/PR NewsWire) Renewable fuels can now be blended with conventional commercial and military jet (or gas turbine) fuel through requirements in the newly issued edition of ASTM D7566-11, Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons. The revised standard was approved
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Eco-Energy Announces Terminal Expansion
(BusinessWire) Eco-Energy, Inc. announced its operating entity, Eco Distribution Charlotte, along with minority partner Charlotte Terminal 1, Inc., will reopen the petroleum storage and sales terminal located at 7720 Old Mt. Holly Road in Charlotte, NC. “Eco-Energy has been active in
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Lugar Introduces Practical Energy Plan on Facebook
(Office of Senator Dick Lugar) Senator Dick Lugar today introduced his Practical Energy Plan exclusively via Facebook. Lugar was joined in the live stream by Dave Conover, Senior Vice President of the Bipartisan Policy Center and former Bush Administration official. Video
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Bioenergy Research Centers Help Lead Nation to 25x'25 Goal
(25 x '25) A critical component of the 25x’25 mission is to educate and share with policy makers and consumers alike the value of renewable solutions to our nation’s energy needs. In the spirit of that undertaking, the 25x’25 Alliance
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
How Much Mileage Do You Get from Sawdust?
(University of Calgary) Biofuel from non-edible parts of plants getting more efficient ...Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering are developing new ways to produce biofuel from organic waste in a sustainable and affordable way. “Our goal is to
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Mitsubishi Energy Collaborates with SBC to Explore Biofuel Alternatives
(Borneo Post) Mitsubishi Corp Energy Business Group (Mitsubishi Energy), which is involved in the oil and gas industry in Bintulu, will collaborate with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to explore the algal biodiversity in Sarawak for biofuels as a source
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Industrial Yeast Strain Engineered to Ferment Ethanol from Lignocellulosic Biomass
by Nikolai Khramtsov, Luise McDade, Alexander Amerik, Esther Yu, Kunjan Divatia, Alexander Tikhonov, Michael Minto, Georges Kabongo-Mubalamate, Zdenek Markovic, Marie Ruiz-Martinez and Steven Henck (Bioresource Technology/Science Direct) In this study an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain capable of fermenting ethanol from pretreated
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
World Health Energy Holdings Inc. Announces Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Venture With SHK Energy Projects Private Limited for Algae Commercial Farm Development
(MarketWire/World Health Energy Holdings, Inc.) Algae Project to Produce Biodiesel and Commercial Fish Food World Health Energy Holdings, Inc., a public holding company developing joint venture partnerships for algae production for biodiesel and commercial fish food, announced today that the
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
GI Joe, Funding Man from Head to Toe: The DoD and Drop-In Biofuels at Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the Defense Department looks at its options to directly jump-start drop-in biofuels production at scale, we look at the Defense Production Act – the rationale, the process, the funding, and energy’s role In Washington, a
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Led By DoD, Federal Government Hoping To Fund Biorefineries
by Yuliya Chernova (Wall Street Journal) The Department of Defense, an emerging market force in biofuels, is working on a new program to finance non-petroleum fuel production, in collaboration with the departments of energy and agriculture, according to people familiar