by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hawaii goes all in on microalgae to provide fuel, food, fiber and power to grow its energy-starved Mid-Pacific economy and fit its environmental values ...Hawaii has no fossil fuel resources of its own. Not to mention
Archive
Back TO HOMESustainable Biofuels: Prospects and Challenges
(Science Policy Section, The Royal Society) However, access to energy underpins our current way of life and the hopes of peoples around the world for improved lives. Mobility is a core component of these aspirations. Transport has become the main driver for increasing global
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Fixing A Broken Biofuel Incentive Program
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ...My Plan: Award Direct Per Gallon Subsidies for Oil Displacement Instead of offering grants and loan guarantees for cellulosic ethanol producers — and forcing blenders to pay when they can’t purchase product — simply change the system
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Mission Petitions US Regulator for RFS2 Approval of Its g-Palm Biodiesel
(MarketWatch/Mission NewEnergy) Mission NewEnergy Limited , a global provider of environmentally sustainable biofuels, has announced the in-house development of an improved palm oil supply chain process called "Mission g-Palm" that maximizes green house gas savings when producing g-Palm Biodiesel. Mission has
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
China is Interested in Biofuels – Why Not the West?
by John C.K. Daly (OilPrice.com/Clean Techies) ...According to PetroChina’s Petrochemical Research Institute deputy chief engineer Fu Xingguo, China is looking at generating 933,000 tons annually of fuel ethanol and 165,000 tons of biodiesel. According to Fu, China is looking to
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
The Sugar Rush: 3 Companies Gold-Dig for Low-Cost Biorefining Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What this country really needs is a good, five-cent sugar. Got one? Riches await. One of the most interesting developments in recent months has been the emergence, out of stealth, of a number of companies focused
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
SAFER Bioeconomy Case Study Series: Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council
(The Southeast Agriculture & Forest Energy Resources Alliance)... The Governor’s Conference on Biofuels came on the heels of the Biofuels Initiative in May 2007, further spreading the word about new economic opportunities and providing the spark for the creation of TREEDC. It was at
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Fiji Encourages Investment in Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The government of Fiji is working to encourage investment in its local biofuel industry. According to information released by the country’s Ministry of Information this month, there are many opportunities for investments in renewable energy within
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Firm Produces High-Energy 'Hycadiesel'
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Hycagen Ltd., a U.K.-based advanced biofuel startup, uses the same feedstocks traditionally used by the biodiesel industry, but Hycagen doesn’t make biodiesel. ...Hycagen produces a fuel they call Hycadiesel. The fuel is made using
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Jatenergy Sells Jatropha Oil to Lufthansa
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Australia-based Jatenergy Ltd. recently announced that it has sold 200 metric tons crude jatropha oil at $1,000 per metric ton to Lufthansa, a Germany-based airline, for use in its long-term trial of renewable jet fuel.
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Neste Oil Launches Joint Algae Research Program
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Finnish renewable diesel producer Neste Oil has launched a joint algae research program with the Marine Research Centre at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) in an effort to further expand its feedstock portfolio by potentially
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Reigniting Subsidy Debate, Obama Takes on Oil, Gas
by Amy Harder (National Journal) President Obama on Monday (September 12, 2011) asked Congress to end subsidies for all oil and gas companies, which could save the government more than $4 billion a year, to help pay for his jobs
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Tax Credits to Expire
by Sarah Gustin (KXMB TV Bismark) ...(Jeff Zueger / Blue Flint Ethanol) "We really need blender pump infastructure, we need flex fuel vehicle infastructure, so we can get to those higher level blends so consumers can choose if they want
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Bosch Shows Off Ethanol, Natural Gas Technologies
(Expert Reviews) Engineering giant Bosch has demonstrated its latest injection technology for future engines which swap out carbon dioxide spewing petrol for environmentally friendly natural gas and ethanol at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The company's engine management systems and tailor-made injection components
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Finds More Effective Way to Dry Ethanol, Reduce Costs
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) Purdue University researchers have found an alternative environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way to dry corn ethanol, and their proof is in the pudding. Michael Ladisch, a distinguished professor of agricultural and biological engineering; Youngmi Kim, a Purdue
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa Receives $20 Million for Renewable Energy Research
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Iowa’s research community has been awarded $20 million through the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research with the goal of establishing the state as a leader in renewable energy technology and
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Stover for Power—Not Just Biofuels
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Partnering to produce energy from stover could be an attractive option for corn ethanol plants. In mid-July, right around the time the area’s corn crop was beginning to mature and farmers could start looking ahead
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Wisconsinites Have Mixed Views on Ethanol
(University of Wisconsin-Madison) A majority of Wisconsinites support the use of ethanol blends if it keeps dollars and jobs in the United States and reduces air pollution, according to a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers. But that support dropped
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
$15.6M Grant to Help Pay to Convert Manure to Methane in Oakley
by Mike Corn (The Hays Daily News) Leftover money from the federal Recovery Act will help pay for a project converting cattle manure to methane to help fuel the Western Plains Energy ethanol plant near Oakley. The Kansas Department of Commerce
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
House Hearing Ignores Critical Facts about America’s Ethanol Industry
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) America’s ethanol producers are on pace to produce nearly 40 million metric tons of livestock feed in 2011 – a volume greater than all the corn used on cattle feedlots all across the country.
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
AliphaJet Announces New Technology for Making Advanced Renewable Drop-in Jet Biofuel Breakthrough Commercially-Scalable Process Produces Jet Fuels at Costs Competitive to Fossil Fuel
(AliphaJet) – AliphaJet, Inc. announced that the company has developed and successfully demonstrated a highly cost-effective catalytic method for making jet biofuel from renewable products such as plant and animal triglycerides and/or fatty acids. AliphaJet’s BoxCar™ catalytic de-oxygenation process significantly reduces capital and operating costs
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Biofuel Rules 'Skewed against Imports' – Academic
(Agra-net.com) Carbon savings from biodiesel produced using imported palm oil are being deliberately underestimated by the EU, a researcher has claimed. Dr Gerot Pehnelt, a member of the academic advisory board to the European Forum for Sustainable Development (EFNE) - which lobbies on behalf
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
From the Parliament: Opposition Warns against Rukwa Bio-Fuel Project
(The Daily News) THE government has been warned against allocating over 320,000 hectares of prime land in Rukwa Region to an American agro-firm, Agrisol Energy, which is seeking to undertake large scale commercial farming for food, livestock, and jatropha for
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
SG Biofuels Teams with JETBIO and Aviation Leaders to Deploy Jatropha for Bio Jet Fuel in Brazil
(SG Biofuels) SG Biofuels (SGB) today (September 13, 2011) announced it has teamed with JETBIO, leader of a multi-stakeholder initiative including Airbus, the Inter-American Development Bank, Bioventures Brasil, Rio Pardo Bioenergia, Air BP and TAM Airlines, to accelerate the production of
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Hawaiian Electric Selects Hawai`i BioEnergy to Supply Sustainable Local Biofuel for Kahe Power Plan
(Hawai'i Bioenergy) Hawaiian Electric Company and Hawai`i BioEnergy, LLC have agreed on a contract for a supply of 10 million gallons per year of locally grown and processed biofuel for power generation at Hawaiian Electric’s Kahe Generating Station. The contract now goes to
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Fly the (Hic!) Friendly Skies: Renewable Jet Fuel from Alcohol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a handful of companies such as Cobalt, Gevo, Terrabon, LanzaTech and ZeaChem, are shaking up the emerging aviation biofuels markets by developing renewable aviation fuels from ethanol and/or biobutanol. ...“An alcohol molecule, looking at it
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
25x'25 Brief Offers Tool for Engaging Policy Makers in Push for Clean Energy Future
(25 x '25) The renewable energy sector has been the fastest growing domestic energy sector for the past five years, yet the expansion of biomass energy solutions in America is at risk. As Congress and the White House seek
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
California Dedicates $30 Million to Biofuels Expansion
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The California Energy Commission has approved the state's third-year funding plan for the commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, allocating $100 million toward the expansion of various alternative fuels and vehicles throughout
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
One-Pot Catalytic Conversion of Cellulose and of Woody Biomass Solids to Liquid Fuels
by Theodore D. Matson, Katalin Barta, Alexei V. Iretskii, and Peter C. Ford (Journal of the American Chemical Society) Efficient methodologies for converting biomass solids to liquid fuels have the potential to reduce dependence on imported petroleum while easing the
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Combinatorial Life Cycle Assessment to Inform Process Design of Industrial Production of Algal Biodiesel
by Laura B. Brentner, Matthew J. Eckelman, and Julie B. Zimmerman (Environmental Science & Technology) The use of algae as a feedstock for biodiesel production is a rapidly growing industry, in the United States and globally. A life
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Austin-Based Company Hopes New Technology Can Spawn Boom in Algae Production
by Barry Harrell (Statesman.com/PluggedIn) ...AlgEternal Technologies LLC is near completion of a commercial facility at UT's J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The facility, which had its ribbon-cutting last week, is a collaboration among AlgEternal, UT's Center for Electromechanics and the university's
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Meet the Energy Superbugs: Extremophiles
by Eric Niiler (Discovery News) Rugged heat- and salt-loving organisms could unlock the secret to efficient biofuel production. THE GIST They don't need oxygen or sunlight and can survive acid baths and doses of radiation that would kill other organisms. With concerns over
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Scientists Use Commercial Enzyme to Improve Grain Ethanol Production
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) A commercial enzyme could reduce overall costs linked with producing ethanol from grain, and also reduce associated emissions of greenhouse gases, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Supply Issues Could Cripple Biofuel Use
by Sean Kilcarr (Fleet Owner) ...“U.S. truckers can be pretty well assured that there won’t be any near-term spike in biodiesel being blended into the diesel stocks above 5%,” Paul Niznik, Hart’s biofuels manager, told Fleet Owner. He explained that the primary
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Closes the Gap on Biodiesel in Britain
(Agra Europe) The gap between biodiesel and bioethanol supply appears to be narrowing in the UK, with 41% of biofuel now reported as ethanol, compared with 29% in the previous year ending April 14, 2010. Used cooking oil, with its strong sustainability credentials,
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Australian Firm to Provide Jatropha Biofuel to Lufthansa for Testing
by Joao Peixe (OilPrice.com) Australia’s Jatenergy Limited energy company is to provide crude jatropha oil to Lufthansa for flight trials. The Lufthansa tests are the world’s first, long-term trial of renewable jet fuel and will be used on Lufthansa’s regularly scheduled
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
The Green Strike Group: The Fuels, The Force, The Skinny
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Tactically, a Green Strike Group, powered by renewable diesel-electric engines, nuclear power and aviation biofuels, is able to operate independent of fossil fuel supply line threat or disruption. In the near term, this is
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Sugar Could Be Produced Again, Says Minister
SEÁN Mac Connell (Irish Times) Ireland could be producing sugar and ethanol again when the European Commission ends its current quota system in 2016, the Agricultural Science Association annual conference in Maynooth heard yesterday. Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said figures in
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
7 Guilty in European Biodiesel Investment Fraud
by The Serious Fraud Office (Biodiesel Magazine) Seven men are facing jail after being convicted at Ipswich Crown Court for their roles in a boiler-room fraud that pulled in more than £8 million ($12,650,400). The Spanish-based operation targeted thousands of investors
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
NASCAR Doing Its Part to Go Green
by Billy Fellin (Richmond Times-Dispatch) In the age of sky-high gasoline prices, carbon footprints and greenhouse gases, many businesses have tried to figure out how to minimize their impact on the environment. Governing bodies of major sports organizations are no exception,
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Critics Target Mandates as Subsidy Ends
by Philip Brasher (Gannett/Des Moines Register) ...The industry likely stands a better chance of protecting the annual usage mandates, known as the Renewable Fuel Standard, from being weakened by livestock or environmental interests. “I don’t see that as an avenue
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Firm Plans Bellevue Refinery
by Ross Boettcher (World-Herald/Omaha.com) A La Vista-based biofuels company Thursday proposed a $100 million project to build a biorenewable fuel refinery in Bellevue that could create at least 50 local jobs. The company, BioSyn Resources, wants to build a three-tiered refinery
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
MAPCO Puts Another E85 Pump on the Map in Alabama
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Flex-fuel vehicle owners in Madison, Alabama now have more choices in filling up with E85, thanks to MAPCO Express and Protec Fuel. This is the first location for the multi-state MAPCO Express to offer 85 percent ethanol blended fuel.
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Crop Performance Matters When Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Science Daily) Measuring the emission of greenhouse gases from croplands should take into account the crops themselves. That's the conclusion of a study in the Sept.-Oct. issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality, which examined the impact of farm practices such
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Southwest Research Institute Launches International Alternative Fuel Technology Center
(Southwest Research Institute) Southwest Research Institute launched a collaborative effort to assist our clients to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and to address governmental mandates for alternative fuel production and tightened emissions standards. SwRI's new International Alternative Fuel Technology Center
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
New Map Gives Public a Global View of Biofuel Development
by Karin Holzzknecht (Center for International Forestry Research Forest Blog) Assessing how biofuels affect forests and people’s livelihoods and how its production can be more sustainable has been made easier following the recent release of an interactive map which provides
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Keystone BioFuels Paves Way for Evolving Fuel industry
Monica Von Dobeneck (The Patriot-News /PennLive.c0m) Ben Wooten is doubling his workforce, quadrupling his space and increasing his production tenfold at his Keystone BioFuels in Lower Allen Twp. Not bad in a stagnant economy, he said. Wooten said government
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Portable Ammonia Factories Could Fuel Clean Cars
by Helen Knight (New Scientist) Ammonia produces just nitrogen and water vapour when burned and, unlike hydrogen, it is relatively easy to store in liquid form. That means transporting ammonia will not require costly new infrastructure, says John Fleming of SilverEagles Energy
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
US Open Green Initiatives
(US Open) The US Open Green Initiative began as a pilot program in 2008 and has expanded each subsequent year, all with the goal of making the US Open an environmentally responsible and eco-friendly event. In partnership with environmental consultant
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Obama Says Advanced Biofuels a Part of Making America “Number One Again”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, President Obama said that building the the next generation of manufacturing, including advanced biofuels, is “how America can be number one again. ...His proposal also called for a national infrastructure bank capitalized with
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
AMG Bioenergy Launches Jatropha, Eucalytpus Venture in China
(StreetInsider.com/AMG Bioenergy) AMG Bioenergy Resources Holdings Ltd., ... a Canadian publicly traded company, announces that it has incorporated AMG Bioenergy Plantations Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary corporation incorporated under the laws of the People's Republic of China (the "Subsidiary"). The
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Embraer and GE Successfully Conclude Bio-Jet Fuel Tests
(Embraer) Program benchmarks the performance of E-Jets and CF34-8E engines powered with sustainable HEFA biofuel Embraer and GE held a series of test flights this week (September 2, 2011), with an EMBRAER 170 jet flying from the Company’s Gavião Peixoto facilities.
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Primus Green Energy Expands Drop-In Fuel Development Plant in N.J., Increases Total Production Capacity
(BusinessWire/Primus Green Energy) Primus Green Energy (“Primus”), the leader in renewable, drop-in fuel, has expanded its U.S.-based development facility in New Jersey, enabling the company to build its complete, integrated thermal-chemical process. Primus’ game-changing process for converting biomass into gasoline
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
How 9/11 Changed the World, and Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 9/11 put energy security front and center of the political agenda. It also inspired the development of exotic biofuels feedstocks and technologies, and expanded the field of end-use customers, investors and geographies. ...Concerns about emissions, and excitement
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Exclusive: EU to Delay Action on Biofuels' Indirect Impact
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) The European Union's top climate and energy officials have agreed to delay by up to seven years rules that would penalize individual biofuels for their indirect climate impacts, details of the dealshowed. The political compromise is designed to
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo and Mansfield Oil Company Sign Commercial Off-Take and Strategic Alliance Agreements
(Gevo) Company's second definitive commercial off-take agreement expands reach into the fuel sector Gevo, Inc., a leading renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, has entered into a strategic marketing alliance with Mansfield Oil Company ("Mansfield"), to efficiently distribute isobutanol based fuel
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Landrieu Secures $1B in Emergency Funding to Restore Flood Protection Infrastructure
(Office of Senator Mary Lnadrieu (D-LA) United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today secured more than $1.26 billion for Louisiana to restore flood protection infrastructure, $30 million to invest in algae biofuel research, and new provisions to strengthen enforcement
September 10, 2011 Read Full Article
ABO Responds to USDA/DOE/Navy Biofuels Investment Promise
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Algal Biomass Organization has voiced its opinion of the US government’s recently announced $510 million biofuels investment commitment over the next three years. Following is their statement: Late last month, three federal departments came together to
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Veterans, Politicians Team Up in Battle to Change Energy Policy
by Steve Leone (Renewable Energy World) While the price of military intervention is often measured in American lives, in this case it was the staggering amount of American dollars that most clearly made his point. In today’s dollars, keeping just
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
A Day in the Life of Biofuels – Enter a Photo, Win up to $1000 DEADLINE September 20, 2011
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It has to relate to biofuels in some way – as a consumer, researcher, policymaker, producer, journalist, feedstock grower, industry supplier, student, enthusiast, carmaker, mechanic, and so on. Could be a grower riding a combine, a
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Moving Algae Biofuels from "Potential" to "Practice": Next Generation Algae Extraction and Fractionation Technology
By Brian L. Goodall, Puneet Chandra and Tom Czartoski (SRS Energy) Brian Goodall introduced SRS energy which specializes in oil and water purification, separation and related services. For four years, SRS Dexter focused their R&D on algae extraction and fractionation. Goodall
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Opening Plenary – "Industry Perspectives on Bioenergy": The Future Biobased Economy
by Matt Carr (Biotechnology Industry Organization). Matt Carr, Managing Director or BIO notes that in 2011, biofuels comprise about 10% of the US transportation fuel market; in 2025, biofuels will consist of around 25% of that market. Renewable chemicals and
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Moving Algae Biofuels from "Potential" to "Practice": General Atomics Alternative Fuels
by David Hazleback (General Atomics) Hazleback, General Atomics Biofuels Program Manager, notes that algal-derived biofuel is one of the most competitive resources to be used in the fuel market. Approximately 40 million acres of algae could meet the demand of the
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Traffic Jams Reduce Hydrolytic Efficiency of Cellulase on Cellulose Surface
by Kiyohiko Igarashi, Takayuki Uchihashi, Anu Koivula, Masahisa Wada, Satoshi Kimura, Tetsuaki Okamoto, Merja Penttilä, Toshio Ando, and Masahiro Samejima (Science Magazine) A deeper mechanistic understanding of the saccharification of cellulosic biomass could enhance the efficiency of biofuels development. We report here the real-time visualization of crystalline
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae's Second Try
by Robert Service (Science Magazine) Fifteen years ago, the United States gave up on algae-based biofuels. But since 2000, more than $2 billion in private funds have flooded into the field. In May, Solazyme, an algae biofuels company, raised $227
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Neuron Bio Acquires Pilot Plant
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Spain-based Neuron Bio recently announced it has commissioned a pilot-scale fermentation plant. According to the company, the new plant will be used to scale up the production of yeast, bacteria and algae as part of
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Guarani Indians in Southern Brazil Have Called on Shell to Withdraw from their Ancestral Land, Where the Oil Giant Produces ethanol from Sugar Cane, According to a Native Rights Group.
(Radio Netherlands Worldwide) "Shell must leave our land... The companies must stop using indigenous land," said Ambrosio Vilhalva, a Guarani from the Caarapo municipality in the southern state of Mato Grosso do Sul. "We want justice, we want our land to
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Eco-Energy to Develop Ethanol Unit Train
(Bulk Transporter) Eco-Energy Holdings Inc is developing an ethanol unit train and storage facility in conjunction with its partner J T Russell & Sons Inc at its ethanol distribution facility in Denton NC. Eco-Energy has been distributing ethanol through Denton since
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Appealing to Obama
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) President Obama’s speech to Congress on the economy has given an ethanol industry trade group to pitch biofuel as a job creator. In an ad that will run tomorrow in the Politico newspaper, the
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
GROWMARK Supplies Domestic Fuel for Farm Progress Show
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) When the cars, trucks, tractors, combines and other equipment at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois needed fueling up, GROWMARK FS was there on-site to serve up home-grown fuel. Mark Dehner, GROWMARK marketing manager for refined
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Gaetz Bill Would Let Gasoline Sellers off the Ethanol Hook
by Tom McLaughlin (TheDestinLog.com) State Rep. Matt Gaetz has proposed the repeal of the Florida Renewable Fuel Standard Act. If a bill he introduced in early August becomes law, gasoline distributors would no longer be required to sell fuel containing 9
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Newcastle University Outlines Plans for North East Carbon Capture Hub
by James Murray (Business Green) Could gasification hold the key to the decarbonisation of the North East's heavy industries? Researchers at the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability(NIReS) are working on ambitious plans that could establish the North East as a global
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Panama: $2 Million for Cassava Ethanol Plant
(Central America Data) The company Agro 2 has opened the first plant of its kind in Santiago, province of Veraguas. With an initial investment of $2 million the processing plant producing cassava-based ethanol will begin operations next week, as indicated by representatives
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
FRA and Biofuel Development
by Dick Carmical (Forest Business Network) ...The technologies to make vehicle fuel from wood on a commercial scale remain unproven. The only bioenergy technologies that are proven, making wood pellets or burning wood to make electricity, in most cases,
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Bedford Biofuels Threatens Kenya's Tana Delta
(Nature Canada) Nature Canada is concerned that a Canadian company – Bedford Biofuels – plans plans to set up a jatropha tree plantation in Kenya's Tana Delta, an area that provides refuge for 350 bird species. ...The latest news from our
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Sugar Mills not Keen on Selling Ethanol to Oil Companies as Alcohol Industry Gives Better Profit
by Jayashree Bhosale & Madhvi Sally (Economic Times) Sugar mills aren't keen on selling ethanol to petroleum marketing companies this year because the byproduct fetches more money if sold to the alcohol industry. The union government launched the ethanol-blending programme last
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
State OKs POET Plan to Recycle Storm Water at South Dakota Plant
(POET) POET Biorefining -- Mitchell to cut even more water use Mitchell is layering another level of water recycling on top of its current system with a new process to use storm water from nearby retention ponds. The plant received approval last
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
A New Nexus: Meat & Dairy, Tissue Culturing, and Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can biotech and biofuels relieve pressure on water, land, food and fuel by revolutionizing meat production? ...(O)ne sector that fell outside our focus on biofuels – but has important consequences for the production of bio-based products,
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Finds Adding DME to Ethanol/Diesel Emulsion Improves Performance and Lowers Fuel Consumption and Emissions over Emulsion or Base Diesel
(Green Car Congress) In a study published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels, M. P. Ashok of Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India reports that adding dimethyl ether to an ethanol/diesel emulsion results in an increase in brake thermal efficiency and
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Mission Signs Biodiesel Supply Deal with Global Oil Major
(Clean Technology Business Review) Mission NewEnergy has signed a contract to supply sustainability-certified biodiesel to a global oil major. The six-month contract will begin in January 2012 and is expected to generate revenue in excess of $40m. Mission NewEnergy group CEO Nathan
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
It’s All about Sugar as Prices Surge and Supply Fears Grow
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...We imagine “food vs fuel” in terms of grain shortages, but where food and fuel actually collide is on the global sugar markets. “While sugar is widely available in the west and its price
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
BIOSIRE - Sustainable Transport in Tourism Regions
(BIOSIRE) BIOSIRE aims to establish a shift towards bio-diesel and electric propulsion for fleets, ships and special vehicles in tourist areas in Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Croatia and Austria. Furthermore BIOSIRE formulates recommendations for other tourist regions and provides the
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM take Another Step on the Way to Sustainable Mobility.
(KLM) Effective today (September 6, 2011), approximately 40 ground transport vehicles in the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM fleet are powered by 100% BioDiesel. Both parties are investing efforts in introducing more sustainable transport vehicles at the airport, where a
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Metro Opens Long Island Biodiesel Blending, Distribution Terminal
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) The delivery of Bioheat and biodiesel will be moving smoother in the Northeast now that Brooklyn-based Metro Terminals Corp. completed construction of a new Bioheat and biodiesel blending and distribution facility at Enterprise Park in
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Washakie Renewable Energy Celebrates Utah Plant Opening
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Washakie Renewable Energy LLC hosted local and state dignitaries on Sept. 1 for an open house event and plant tour celebrating the start of its 10 MMgy biodiesel production facility near Plymouth, Utah. According to WRE
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Ralph Avalone Letter to Mitt Romney
Dear Mr. Romney, I have just finished watching your press conference from Las Vegas, Nevada introducing your plan for job creation here in America and I heard your question: "Where are the Green Jobs?" You said that we are an energy rich
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
An 'Energy Policy' Bought and Paid for
(Ocala.com) Editorial: Here's what's wrong with America's energy "policy." Reeling under a crippling deficit, Congress steadfastly refuses to eliminate lucrative tax breaks and subsidies for the most profitable companies in the world — the oil and gas industries. And never mind
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
NASCAR Embraces Ethanol Fuel Blend; Wallace, Childress on Hand to Discuss Partnership
by Chris Lusvardi (Herald Review) NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace is hoping ethanol can be the key to success in the race cars he drives. Wallace seems to have fully embraced NASCAR's move to use a 15 percent ethanol blend in its
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Future Ethanol Policy Changes
by Kent Theisse (Corn and Soybean Digest Blogs and Opinions) ... Many people are very excited about producing ethanol from woodchips, switchgrass, algae and other substances; however, most of this type of ethanol production is still in the early research and
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Remains a Sensible Alternative to Oil
by Stephanie Dreyer (Growth Energy/Baltimore Sun) Letter to Editor: Karen Hosler's recent opinion piece calling for an end to ethanol subsidies ("End the ethanol charade," Aug. 30) uses sweeping generalizations that distort the truth about grain ethanol's role in fostering
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patron Leads by Example in Reducing Dependence on Petroleum
(ALMS/PRNewsWire) The American Le Mans Series reports it reduced its petroleum usage by nearly 50 percent in its most recent race. Series president Scott Atherton delivered the message today to journalists and government officials in Washington at the National Press Club.
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Join the Green Revolution
(Telegraph Journal) Editorial: Two big concerns are shaping global research and development in the 21st century: the need for sustainable energy, and the need for sustainable food supplies. Canadians are increasingly engaged in energy research, but a recent report from the
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
European Partnership to Unlock the Potential of Algal Bioenergy
by Dr Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) A major new €14 million (£12.3 million) initiative - bringing together experts from across North West Europe to develop the potential of algae as a source of sustainable energy - has been
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
From Paperboard to Green Jobs, Mill Gets Makeover
by (Chron.com) An Illinois investment company that bought an old container manufacturer west of Missoula hopes to turn the 3,200-acre site along the Clark Fork River into a magnet for green jobs. ...The site has officially been renamed "M 2 Green," and
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Federal Policy for Reducing Uncertainty for Advanced Biofuels Producers
by Brent Erickson (BIO/Biofuels Digest) As any number of economic analysts have noted, continued policy uncertainty is holding businesses back from the hiring and investment needed to get the economy moving again. The advanced biofuel industry has been trying to
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Metso Signs Strategic Equipment Supplier Agreement for Biomass Refineries with Inbicon
(Metso) Metso has signed an agreement with Inbicon A/S of Denmark for the supply of technology capable of converting biomass into second generation fuel ethanol. The value of the agreement will not be disclosed. The agreement covers cooperation in designing and
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Pacific West Biomass Conference & Trade Show January 16-18, 2012 San Francisco, CA Deadline: September 23, 2011
Take advantage of the targeted audience at the Pacific West Biomass Conference & Trade Show. This event will allow you to present and connect with biomass producers and industry professionals in your region. Presentation abstracts will be accepted for the Pacific
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: Los Alamos National Laboratory's Dr. Babetta Marrone and Dr. Jim Coons
(Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Babetta Marrone and Dr. Jim Coons are in charge of developing the Ultrasonic Algae Biofuel Harvester, as their part of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)’s part of the 3-year NAABB project. ...Together, they are working to develop
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
EBRD Grants EUR 30 Million Loan to Romanian Oilseed Processing Company
(Business Review) EBRD is granting a EUR 30 million syndicated financing package to Expur S.A., a local oilseed processing company. Expur crushes rapeseed and sunflower seed, produces crude rapeseed oil, refined edible sunflower oil, as well as rapeseed meal, sunflower
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
ENERGY: Biofuels Policy Supported, but More Needs to Be Done
by Alan Van Ormer (Prairie Business Magazine) Many industry leaders support a biofuels policy, but also believe that more things can be done to help address any deficiencies in a national policy. Hunter Roberts, State Energy Policy Director for South Dakota,
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
New E85 Station Opens in St. Paul, Nebraska
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...For those flex-fuel vehicle drivers, you have a new E85 station that just may be on your travel route. Aurora Cooperative at 614 2nd Street in St. Paul, Nebraska is the home of the state’s newest
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Tanzania: Institute for Ethanol Production
(AllAfrica.com) The Muheza District-based Mlingano Agriculture Research Institute (ARI-Mlingano) is set to undertake a sisal characterisation programme aimed at developing a protocol for the production of ethanol and citric acid from liquid effluents. The programme which would be executed under the
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Rockwell Automation Launches Biofuels Customer Advisory Council
(India PR Wire) Rockwell Automation announced today that it has launched a Biofuels Customer Advisory Council (CAC) to provide customers with a forum to discuss their needs, challenges and industry opportunities. Rockwell Automation will utilize the customer feedback to guide
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Propel Blue Angels Over Labor Day Weekend
by Leon Kaye (TriplePundit.com) ...This year, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the long-form name for the Blue Angels, wowed visitors with their pilots’ stunts at the Patuxent Naval Air Station in southern Maryland over the weekend. Only this time, the weekend
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Trillium Awarded SBIR Grant from National Science Foundation
(Trillium FiberFuels/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Trillium FiberFuels Inc. has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant to further its work in developing innovative technologies for creating fuel-grade ethanol from straw and other biomass. This latest award to Trillium from the
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
ALMS: Michelin Green X Baltimore Race Report
(ALMS/MotorSport.com) Mazda Joins MICHELIN® GREEN X® CHALLENGE Winners: Isobutanol Fueled Mazda Prototype, Porsche Wins GT With E85R Mazda power and Isobutanol fuel made history in the 26th MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge as Mazda became the 12th different manufacturer to claim victory
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Dynamotive Announces that GE Joined Consortium Established to Develop Australian Biofuel
(MarketWatch/Dynamotive) GE today (September 1, 12011) announced that it has joined Virgin Australia and a consortium of other partners to research and develop commercial biofuel for the aviation industry. The consortium will focus on pyrolytic conversion of biomass from mallee eucalypt
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
New Biofuels Plant Eyes Northern Panhandle
by Linda Harris (The State Journal) Officials with a proposed $400 million plant are looking at sites in Brooke, Hancock counties. While a deal is far from final, Northern Panhandle economic development leaders are exploring the feasibility of bringing a
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Experiment to Extract Hydrocarbons from Algae to Start in Quake-Hit Sendai
(The Mainichi Daily News) An experiment to extract hydrocarbons, a main component of petroleum, from algae is set to get under way in the autumn in this quake- and tsunami-hit city. The Sendai Municipal Government, the University of Tsukuba and Tohoku
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Eight Bio-Based Technologies for 2050
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wonder how the world will ever produce enough energy and cut back enough carbon? Here are 8 technology platforms for 2050 that could make the difference. ...What kind of technologies will evolve in the 2030s, and
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
NAA Announces Completion of Commercial-Scale Pilot PBR
(Algae Industry Magazine) National Algae Association Executive Director Barry Cohen has announced the completion of additional commercial-scale pilot closed-loop photobioreactors (PBR’s) at the Biotech Institute at Lone Star College, The Woodlands, Texas. “Thanks to contributions of equipment from Solar Components Corporation,
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae's Second Try
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Fifteen years ago, the United States gave up on algae-based biofuels. But since 2000, more than $2 billion in private funds have flooded into the field. In May, Solazyme, an algae biofuels company, raised
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Offers Retailers Flex Fuel Kits
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Growth Energy is now offering retailers a complimentary flex fuel promotion kit that includes: · Pump topper · Nozzle talkers · Decals to educate motorists on mid-level ethanol blends · New E15 label recently approved by the EPA · E85 labels
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Olive Branch in Line for Biofuels Headquarters
by Phil West (The Commercial Appeal) Legislature to consider incentives to land Israeli company's 800 jobs, $1B operation Gov. Haley Barbour wants state legislators to approve $100 million worth of financial incentives to help an Israeli biofuels company establish a headquarters
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
GBL and Songyuan Laihe Chemical Company (Laihe) Enter into a Technology Collaboration Agreement
(Green Biologics) GBL and Laihe Chemical Co. a company focused on producing bio-fuels and bio-chemicals from non-food bio-mass resources have entered into a collaborative development and licensing agreement in China. Under the terms of the agreement GBL and Laihe
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Separation at the Heart of Algae Industry Challenge
by Hoyt Thomas (OpenAlgae/Biofuels Digest) ...Dealing with the separation issue is perhaps the biggest obstacle we face. But that’s not what you’ll read on most algae companies’ websites. ...Compared to the well-developed soy and palm crops that provide oils for biodiesel,
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Choosing the Right Microalgal Photobioreactor Design
by Fadhil M. Salih (ClearValue Companies/Biofuels Digest) ... (A) number of photobioreactor designs have been put into work under different environmental conditions. So far none of the existing designs has fulfilled the dream of the interested parties due to inherent problems
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
We of the Never-Never: Gumption, and the Story of Microalgal Ventures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Three companies, operating in Outback Australia, personify promise and hardiness in the microalgae corner of industrial biotech ...But out of all literature, it is the qualities that Margaret Mitchell essayed in Gone With the Wind that most
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae Industry Gets First Field Look at New OriginOil Technology
(OriginOil/Enhanced Online News) Algae World Australia delegates tour university test site, view next-generation algae harvest technologies OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today announced
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack Discusses Biorefining Industry on Platts
Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) ...Vilsack estimates that we will see commercial-scale biorefineries that were supported by the USDA begin to come online in the 2012-‘13 time frame. “When you see that, you’ll begin to create greater efficiencies,” he said. “You’ll
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Pretreatment, Proper Harvest Time Boost Ethanol from Switchgrass
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) Adding a pretreatment step would allow producers to get more ethanol from switchgrass harvested in the fall, according to a Purdue University study. Michael Ladisch, a distinguished professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and Youngmi Kim,
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Cracking Cellulose: A Step into the Biofuels Future
(University of York/EurekAlert!) Scientists from the University of York have played a pivotal role in a discovery which could finally unlock the full potential of waste plant matter to replace oil as a fuel source. Professor Paul Walton and Professor
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces up to $12 Million in Investments to Support Development and Production of Drop-In Biofuels
(US Department of Energy) In support of the Obama Administration's comprehensive efforts to strengthen U.S. energy security, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced up to $12 million to fund three small-scale projects in Illinois, Wisconsin, and North Carolina that
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
State, Local Officials Prep for Ethanol Trains
by Mariah Sondergard (Commonwealth Magazine) Global’s trains will bring in 3.6m gallons a week MOST OF THE ethanol that is mixed with gasoline in Massachusetts enters the state by ship or fuel truck, but that will change next year when Global Petroleum
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
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