by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Usina de Acucar Santa Terezinha Ltda., a Brazilian ethanol producer, plans to invest 500 million reais ($283 million) in a mill and sugar-cane plantations as the country seeks to increase its supply of the renewable
Archive
Back TO HOMEKogi to Establish Biodiesel Refinery
by Usman A. Bello (Daily Trust) The Kogi State government has said its planned biodiesel refinery would be completed on schedule in Itobe area of the state. Acting Governor of the state, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi said this yesterday when he received
March 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Nonfood Crops to Be Used at New Ethanol Site
by Leslie Brooks Suzukamo (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) Cellulosic ethanol - ethanol made from nonfood crops - has been an alluring but elusive promise. That promise might finally be taking solid form. Today, ethanol powerhouse Poet will officially break ground on a $250 million
March 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Motiva to Convert Storage to ULSD Heating Oil and Biodiesel at Sewaren Terminal
(Motiva Enterprises LLC/PR NewsWire) Motiva Enterprises LLC (Motiva) today announced plans to convert all of its High Sulfur Diesel Heating Oil (2000 ppm) storage to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) (15 ppm) at Motiva's Sewaren Terminal in New Jersey. Motiva's conversion
March 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industrials Shift Focus to Waste, Asia as World Biofuels Markets 2012 Opens
by Nadim Chaudhry (Biofuels Digest/Greenpower Conferences) 1500 industry leaders expected to gather in Rotterdam as oil prices, aviation dominate thinking on growth, in 100-leader industry survey. As we gear up for the 2012 World Biofuels Markets event in Rotterdam, March 13-15, we asked
March 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Feedstock Analysis 2nd Generation of Biofuels
(Mettler - Toledo Int. Inc/Environmental Expert) The main obstacle in biodiesel production from waste fats and oils is their high free fatty acid content. Its precise measurement helps Professor Karel Kolomaznik’s Faculty of Applied Informatics team at Tomas Bata University in Zlín
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Chinese Firm to Export Biofuel Component Derived from "Gutter Oil"
(XINHUANET.com)Twenty tonnes of oil refined from leftover cooking oil will be exported from China to the Netherlands to be processed into aviation fuel, a Chinese company said Wednesday. The oil was produced by Qingdao Fresh Bio-energy Technology Development Co., Ltd, for
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Secretary to Look at Hanford Land Transfer
(Yakima Herald) Energy Secretary Steven Chu will look at speeding the transfer of 1,600 acres of Hanford nuclear reservation land for industrial development in response to a request by Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash. Inslee, who is running for governor, asked the
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Briefing on Industry Accomplishments and Policy Needs
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) As host of an annual legislative hearing on Capitol Hill, the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) used this year’s presentation on March 1st to give a clear outline of where the industry stands on reaching
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Joint Letters Pushes For ETS Settlement
By Jens Flottau (Aviation Week) Nine European airlines and aerospace companies have sent similar letters to the Prime Ministers of France, the U.K. and Spain as well as Germany’s Chancellor to push for a negotiated settlement of the conflict surrounding
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax(tm) Files Biobutanol Patent Infringement Lawsuit to Stop Gevo's Use of Butamax KARI Enzyme Technology
(Butamax/iStockAnalyst.com) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, announced today that the Company filed a new lawsuit against Gevo, Inc. for infringing the recently awarded Butamax™ patent8,129,162. The patent covers recombinant KARI enzymes which perform a key step in producing
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
JOil Sees Tripling of Jatropha Productivity over Next Eight Years through Application of Biotechnology
(CheckBioTech/JOil) JOil (S) Pte Ltd, a scientific bioenergy crop developer of New Generation Jatropha, discussed cutting edge science and biotechnology processes that could increase the present productivity of Jatropha from the less than 1 ton of oil/hectare to 3 tons/hectare
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Barrels of Biofuel Flowing from Success at Louisiana Facility
(Advanced Biofuels Association) Better Fuels Moment With barrels of biofuel flowing from the success of America's first commercial advanced biofuels plant, the Advanced Biofuels Association, ABFA, takes its online video series, Better Fuels Moment, on the road to get a closer
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
OriginOil Facilitating Urban Algae Cultivation in Paris
(Algae Industry Magazine) OriginOil, Inc. has received an order to supply the company’s Algae Appliance™ harvester and other components for a test of urban algae production at the iconic La Défense Complex, near Paris, France. The program aims to show that algae production
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Pioneer Wants Higher Blends
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...At the recent National Ethanol Conference, where ICM, Inc. founder Dave Vander Griend was honored with the Renewable Fuels Association 2012 Membership Award, he talked about how ethanol could replace some of the additives currently found in gasoline – called aromatics
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
E15 Ethanol Blend Clears Another Hurdle
by Rick Barrett (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Efforts to increase the amount of ethanol in gasoline have cleared another hurdle, meaning a 15% biofuel blend could be available this spring if gasoline stations choose to sell it. The U.S. Environmental Protection
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Tenn. Professor Cruises Cross-Country on 2.15 Gallons of Gas
by The (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Daily News Journal (USA Today) ... (Cliff) Ricketts, a Middle Tennessee State University professor, and his eight-member support team drove three Toyota hybrid alternative-fuels vehicles approximately 2,582 miles across country, using only about 2.15 gallons of
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
E85 Available for $.85 a gallon
by Jim Whitfield (ConnectTriStates.com) As the price of regular unleaded gasoline hovers just under $4 a gallon, some drivers in Carthage caught a break when the Hancock County Farm Bureau offered E-85 ethanol for 85-cents a gallon. It was all part of a promotion to
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Ohio Airmen Help F-16 Go 'Green'
by Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes (U.S. Air Force) In a joint effort by Airmen from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing, the F-16 Fight
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Forum to Address Energy’s Role in National Security
(Midwest Energy News) Military leaders are increasingly connecting the dots between energy, climate and national security issues. We’ve reported here before on the U.S. military’s push to go green with solar, biofuels and other renewable technologies. Across the pond, defense leaders in the United
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Boosters of Butanol Say Change in Law Needed
by Leslie Brooks Suzakamo (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) A Colorado green fuels company wants a Minnesota ethanol law that expires at the end of the year to be extended and changed so gasoline can be blended with a new biofuel called butanol
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Rail Plan to Ship Ethanol Is Decried
by Katheleen Conti (The Boston Globe) Eight firefighters are seen dousing a couple of rail cars, as bright flames and a plume of dark smoke engulf parts of the freight train in a still image stamped with the message: Ready
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Land Use Debate Continues
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) he debate over ethanol, greenhouse gases and land use continues – and that was the topic of a panel discussion at the recent 17th annual National Ethanol Conference. The panel, moderated byRenewable Fuels AssociationVP of Research and Analysis
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Amendment Would Extend Domestic Energy Tax Credits
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced an amendment to the Transportation Bill (S.1813) Thursday that would extend tax incentives for domestically produced energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, cellulosic biofuels, electric vehicles, wind energy and solar. The measure would re-instate and
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. Must Use All Options to Beat High Gas Prices, Especially Biofuels
(25 x '25) While President Obama continued his “all of the above” energy campaign in North Carolina this week promoting the development and manufacturing of vehicles that run on electricity, natural gas, and even hydrogen, the element that continues to
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
US Legislation to Prohibit Airlines from Joining EU ETS Moves a Step Closer as Senate Bill Receives Bipartisan Support
(GreenAirOnline) A bill introduced into the US upper house by Republican Senator John Thune that would prohibit US aircraft operators from participating in the EU ETS has received backing from Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat. As the Democrats hold
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
What To Do About High Gasoline Prices?
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing on what to do about rising gasoline prices. Most of the hearing focused on whether increasing oil production from federal lands and off shore and reducing environmental
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces $1 Billion Fund to Promote Energy Efficient Vehicles
by Matt Compton (White House Blog) Today, (March 7, 2012) President Obama made a trip to a manufacturing plant for Daimler Trucks North America in Mount Holly, North Carolina. He was in the Tar Heel state to discuss more ways his
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China and Boeing Sign Collaboration Agreement to Partner in Areas Advancing Commercial Aviation Industry Growth
(Boeing) Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) and Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced a collaboration agreement to partner in areas that will enable commercial aviation industry growth in China and potentially around the world. This is the first collaboration agreement
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Metso to Supply a Bio Oil Production Plant to Fortum Power Plant in Joensuu, Finland
(Metso) A demonstration plant enables bio oil production from forest residue Metso and Fortum Power and Heat have signed a contract regarding a delivery of a bio-oil production plant and a related automation system to the Fortum power plant in Joensuu,
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Ecofys Launches Test Module for Seaweed Cultivation in Offshore Wind Farms
(Ecofys) Ecofys started a trial with the combination of seaweed cultivation and offshore wind energy. Thursday, 01 March, the cultivation module left the NIOZ harbour on the Dutch island of Texel for a disused sand extraction area 10 kilometres west
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt Technologies Completes Demostration Of Advanced Strain Fermentation Process
(Cobalt) Confirms 40-60% cost reduction compared to petroleum-derived n-butanol Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation technology for the production of n-butanol, announced the successful demonstration of one of its advanced biocatalyst. Partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
FCP – The Secret Magic Ingredient for Success in Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It’s called FCP. You can’t buy it in a dime bag, and you can’t synthesize it from municipal solid waste. It’s not angel-investor dust. It costs a world. ...Doesn’t matter, you make it from one part
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Speculation Blamed for Global Food Price Weirdness
by Brandon Keim (Wired Science) The link between commodity speculation and global food price weirdness just got stronger, and researchers warn that a new and potentially calamitous price bubble is imminent. Previous research had blamed a combination of food-to-fuel crop conversion
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Are We Really Exporting Ethanol So It Will Not Compete With Imported Gasoline?
by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog) Every day supertankers full of $100 per barrel oil are docking at US ports where other supertankers full of $1 per gallon ethanol have just departed for overseas markets. While some folks have trouble understanding the
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
US Celanese Eyes World Markets for Its Fuel Ethanol
(ICIS.com) US-based acetyls producer Celanese is looking at markets worldwide for its hydrocarbon-based ethanol, an executive said on Wednesday. Celanese's recently developed technology, TCX, allows it to produce ethanol from natural gas or coal by using acetic acid as an intermediary, according to a recent patent. READ MORE
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Growing Ambitions
by Pamela Glinski (Highlands Today) Vercipia is no more. The name has been changed to BP Biofuels, Highlands Ethanol LLC, explained Mike Milicevic, the agricultural operations manager for the company. Vercipia was a joint-venture company formed when Verenium and BP decided
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
LAN Chile, Air BP Copec Operate First South American Biofuels Flight
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Chile, Netherlands-based SkyNRG has supplied LAN Chile and Air BP Copec for its first commercial flight with second generation jet fuel. The flight, which operated between the Chilean cities of Santiago and Concepcion, was conducted on an
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
ANALYSIS-Doubts about Biodiesel Threaten the EU's Green Targets
by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters) The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions of fuels in the transportation sector if policymakers act on the basis of scientific warnings about the impact of biofuels
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Montana State University-Northern's Bio-Diesel Now Available Commercially in Havre
by Kay Rossi (KRTV.com) MSU-Northern's bio-diesel product is available commercially for the first time for engines in Havre. With the possibility of more distribution in the future, the school's Bio-Energy Center is working to educate the public about the
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Newt Gingrich Jumps the Shark
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ol’ Gramps Gingrich gets feisty and forgetful on the stump, mocking Obama for reviving a Reagan Administration program for algal biofuels. Today, we look at the Gingrich Test. ...Speaker Gingrich jumped the shark this week, in
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Advocacy Group Pitches 100% Ethanol over Keystone XL Pipeline
by Danny King (AutoBlogGreen) An ethanol advocacy group has got an unusual message: having 100 percent ethanol is a better way to cut gas prices and dependency on foreign oil than building the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. E100 Ethanol Group,
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Students Show off Their Clean Snowmobiles
by Gabrielle Mays (Upper Michigan's Source) For the past seven months, hundreds of students from all over North America have been working hard on their innovative designs for the Clean Snowmobile Challenge. Students take a production built snowmobile and reshape, mold and
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
More People Choosing Ethanol
(KFYR-TV) With the price of gasoline increasing to $3.70 a gallon, more and more motorists are choosing E-30 and E-85, a less expensive alternative to gasoline. In fact, sales of ethanol-blended fuel in North Dakota have jumped 97 percent since
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Why Ethanol Matters
by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) One glance at the headlines of any newspaper in America is all that is needed to appreciate the importance of America’s evolving ethanol and renewable fuel industry. Whether it is turmoil in
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit March 15 Interactive Rebroadcast
Virtual Event Summary: ARPA-E Energy Innovation Virtual Summit March 15, 2012 10am EST Rebroadcast Begins! The event is designed to bring together key players from across the energy ecosystem - researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and government officials - to share
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Algae Competition Announces Finalists
Algae Competition assembled distinguished jurors from diverse backgrounds to evaluate entries in three tracks of the competition: landscape design, production systems and food development. From the many competitive and deserving entries, these entries were selected by our panel of jurors
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Oil Prices, Gas Prices and Domestic Production
(US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources) Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, has a well-deserved reputation for focusing on facts. He worries about the many myths surrounding gasoline prices, oil prices and domestic production. Today, on
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
REG Launches New Advocacy Website
by Anne Marie Edwards (DomesticFuel.com) Renewable Energy Group® (REG) has a new policy advocacy website designed to centralize the company’s constituents and rally support for biodiesel policy issues. The new site design allows supporters to sign up for informational updates and alerts and
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
NEC Food Vs Fuel Panel Includes Fact and Fabrication
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Ethanol has been scapegoated for just about every blip in food markets in recent years, but the question of whether that is fact or fabrication was taken on during the recent 17th annual National Ethanol Conference. In keeping
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
New Holland Stresses Support for Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) New Holland Agriculture announced a major new national “blue is back” advertising campaign at the 2012 Commodity Classic last week and stressed the blue tractor company’s support for homegrown fuel. New Holland North American VP Abe Hughes says
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Urge Administration to Support Biodiesel
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Dozens of lawmakers have sent letters to the White House calling for an increase in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2013. A bipartisan group of 60 members of Congress on both the Senate side and the House signed letters urging
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report on Ethanol’s Role in Gas Prices
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...From the president to the people at the pump, everyone is talking about higher gasoline prices these days, but ethanol is actually helping to keep them lower than they could be. In a new RFA Issue Brief, the Renewable
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
USPTO Director Issues Final Decision Denying Gevo Reexamination Petition; Second Request for Reexamination Granted in Error
(PR NewsWire/Butamax) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the leading biobutanol technology company, commented on two rulings issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in response to Gevo's repeated requests to reexamine Butamax Patent 7,851,188 ('188 patent). This patent is
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
IPEA Recommends Diversifying Production to Build the Biodiesel Program
(Pernambuco.com) The Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) points as a solution to consolidate the biodiesel program in the country diversification of agricultural production, reducing dependence on tax incentives and lower costs of the final product. A study released today (1)
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
German Scientists to Conduct Cooperative Biofuels Research
by Toby Price (Renewable Energy Magazine) In an attempt to better coordinate and, ultimately, speed up research into fuels of the future, an interdisciplinary “Fuels Joint Research Group” has been founded in Germany. International research in fuel is becoming increasingly diverse.
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
US Biofuels Rules Could Lead to Surging Imports
by Christopher Cundy (Environmental Finance) US rules on ethanol usage will favour Brazilian cane sugar producers and could lead to a surge in imports in the coming years, according to a research note from Rabobank International. However, if Brazilian imports do
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Maverick BioFuels and TopLine Energy Systems Announce Joint Technology Development Initiative
(Maverick BioFuels) Companies will integrate technologies to accelerate the cost competitive production of transportation fuels and bioplastics from biomass and waste feedstocks... Maverick Biofuels, a second-generation biofuels and bioplastics technology company, and TopLine Energy Systems (TES) , an advanced technology manufacturer
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Chinese Investors to Launch Biofuel Production in Sumy Region
(Kyiv Post) Chinese investors are to change the line of business of a distillery in the Village of Popovka in Konotop district (Sumy region) to the production of bioethanol, reads a posting on the Web site of Sumy Regional State
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Jamaica: Russians Interested in Setting up Ethanol Plant
by S. Coward (Caribbean Press Releases) Jamaica could soon benefit from significant new investment in a number of sectors, coming out of the just concluded Jamaica Investment Forum. A number of the investors, who attended the event held from March 1
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt Pre-Treatment Test Clears Way for Commercial Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Cobalt Technologies announced that it has successfully demonstrated its dilute acid hydrolysis pretreatment process, the first step of Cobalt’s process for converting sugars into n-butanol for use as a renewable chemical or fuel. Cobalt’s dilute
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Grafton Ethanol Plant Could Re-open
(WDAZ-TV) The former Alchem Ethanol plant in Grafton could re-open later this year. When it does, it will be turning sugar beets into the alternative fuel instead of corn. READ MORE and MORE (Grand Forks Herald)
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Offers Farmers More Money to Idle Sensitive Land
by Tom Polansek (Reuters) U.S. officials said on Friday they would offer higher payments to certain owners of environmentally sensitive farm land if they idle it in a conservation program instead of using it to grow crops. The offer from the
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
How Not to Lose an Energy Policy in 10 Days
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) BIO’s industrial biotech czar says that governments should resist attempts to derail the commercialization of advanced biofuels, and not be beguiled by the Solyndra Syndrome In 2011, consumers spent a record $481 billion on gasoline ,
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax Expands Robust Isobutanol Patent Portfolio
(PR NewsWire) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, today announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Butamax Patent Number 8,129,162 which provides Butamax with optimal key capability for the production of isobutanol from renewable
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Says Not Now, Maybe Later to Camelina, Energy Cane, Napiergrass, and Giant Reed as Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA withdrew the direct final rule to allow camelina, energy cane, napiergrass, and giant reed to meet the RFS2. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said: “EPA published a direct final rule on January 5, 2012 (77
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Campaigners Claim Government Has ‘Not Done Its Homework’ Following Analysis of Biodiesel Prices
(Fleet News) Campaigners have accused the Treasury of ‘not doing its homework’ after analysis by the Save our Sustainable Biodiesel campaign identified a lack of demand for biodiesel certificates, calling into question the Treasury’s plans to switch incentives for used
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Is Seaweed the Future of Biofuel?
(American Friends Tel Aviv University) ...While biomasses grown on land have the potential to inflict damage on the environment, the researchers believe that producing biofuel from seaweed-based sources could even solve problems that already exist within the marine environment. Many
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Aqualia Eyes Large-Scale Algae Biofuel Production
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Water management company Aqualia plans to launch a commercial-scale demonstration project using waste water to cultivate algae for biofuel production, which could fuel 400 vehicles, the firm said on Monday. Spain's Aqualia, owned by construction and services
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Gaia Association Requests Expressions of Interest for Procurement of Ethanol Microdistillery, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
(PR.com) Request for Expression of Interest Promotion of Ethanol Microdistillery for Cooking Fuel in Ethiopia Loan No. /Credit No./ Grant No.: TF096664 Activity Title: Demonstrating the Feasibility of Ethanol for Household Cooking The Gaia Association, an Ethiopian non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 2005
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Virdia Ups the Ante in the Race for the New Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In California, Virdia, formerly HCL CleanTech, a leading developer of cellulosic sugars, today announced major company milestones, including a new brand and CEO, its latest funding round, and a $75 million deal with the Mississippi
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Electric Cars and Liberals’ Refusal to Accept Science
by Charles Lane (The Washinton Post) OpEd: President Obama boasted at a United Auto Workers conference last week that General Motors was back in business, producing cutting-edge vehicles like the plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt. He even promised to buy one when his time
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Petroleum Group Discounts Ethanol's Role in Gas Prices
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In a Feb. 22 press call to discuss rising gas prices, the American Petroleum Institute’s chief economist, John Felmy, blamed crude oil prices for high prices at the pump, and said refinery closures and
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Biomass Harvesting Guidelines for Southeast U.S. Released
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Forest Guild has released its report, “Forest Biomass Retention and Harvesting Guidelines for the Southeast,” identifying how expanding markets for forest bioenergy can enhance forests, while meeting the social and economic needs of
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Connecting Classrooms to Cutting-Edge Science
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Students in Craig Kohn’s biotechnology classroom are on the hunt for biomass degraders. Scavenging for unique samples in piles of leaves or compost bins, they can use a simple filter paper test to determine if
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol, Farm Groups File Brief Supporting Court-Ordered Injunction on California LCFS
(Renewable Fuels Association) A coalition of national ethanol groups, along with California and Midwest farming groups, filed a brief urging the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a court-ordered injunction on the California Air Resource Board’s low-carbon fuel
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Industry Re-tools As Biofuels Struggle To Scale Post-IPO
by Felicity Carus (Aol Energy) Now that almost all the gasoline in the United States is blended with up to 10% ethanol, producers are looking to export markets and refiners are looking at retooling strategies to tap into the burgeoning second
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
American Jianye Greentech Holdings in Marketing Partnership with Gulf Coast Energy Ltd. to Accelerate Retail Expansion in United States
(The Business Journals/American Jianye Greentech Holdings, Ltd.) American Jianye Greentech Holdings, Ltd., a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of alcohol-based automobile fuel and civil-use fuel in China, today announced that it has signed a marketing partnership agreement with US Gulf Coast
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
News Release: Inaugural Report Shows Impressive Uptake of RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil in 2011
(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Multi stakeholder initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) reported unprecedented growth for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in the year 2011 as accounted for in its inaugural qualitative review entitled “2011 RSPO CSPO
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
The U.S. Air Force Dares You to Laugh At Their Biofuel
by Tina Casey (Talking Points Memo) Republicans recently had themselves a good laugh over President Obama’s enthusiasm for biofuel made from algae, but they might want to stifle that chuckle when it comes to another modest-seeming but potentially important feedstock for biofuel,
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
New Patent Law Aids Algae Innovators
by Peter A. Jackman and Lori M. Brandes (Algae Industry Magazine) ...On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) was signed into law by President Obama, bringing the most significant changes to U.S. patent law since 1952. These
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Sh12 Billion Biofuel Complex Set to Be Constructed in Bungoma
(Daily Nation) A Sh12 billion biofuel complex to produce fuel ethanol from tropical sugar beet will be started in Bungoma, with construction commencing immediately. The first trail run is expected early next year. The company, Webco, which is funded by investors
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Gov't To Test Jatropha Biodiesel Offered By Company From Malaysia
(Manila Bulletin) The government is subjecting to fuel standard testing the jatropha biodiesel of Malaysia-based Bionas which is offering to supply what it claims to possibly become the world’s first jatropha biodiesel. The Department of Energy (DoE) is expected to evaluate
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Dominican Republic Signs Cooperation Agreement on Bioenergy
(Caribbean Journal) The Dominican Republic’s National Energy Commission signed a technical cooperation agreement Friday with the Inter-American Development Bank on the development of bioenergy. The agreement will develop a series of studies on bioenergy, taking into account the country’s cooperation on
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Sales Nearly Double in North Dakota
(The Jamestown Sun) State Tax Department data shows that more than 1.3 million gallons of ethanol-blended fuel was sold in the state last year. That's up from about 663,000 barrels in 2010. Officials credit the rise in ethanol use to
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Black Carbon Belchers?
by Naomi Lubick (Chemical & Engineering News) Pollution Monitoring: Cars may produce more climate-warming particles than previously thought. Tiny particles known as black carbon can pack a heavy punch when it comes to climate change, by trapping heat in the atmosphere
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
[LL] Cool Planet Rocks the Bells
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What are Google, BP, Conoco, and GE investing? Is 3,000 gallons per acre of renewable gasoline possible? In the past few weeks, news has begun to circulate around the industry – and expanded by Twitter and
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Scientists Say Cassava Will Thrive in Climate Change, Best Bet for African Farmers
(The Washington Post/AP) Calling cassava “the Rambo of food crops,” scientists Monday said the long-neglected root becomes even more productive in hotter temperatures and could be the best bet for African farmers threatened by climate change. ...The root outperformed potatoes, maize,
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Seeks Tighter CO2 Grip on Farms, Forests -Draft
by Francesco Guarascio and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The EU forestry and farming sectors will have to monitor and report from 2013 any changes to land use that could affect greenhouse gas emissions as part of the bloc's measures to curb climate change,
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Fueling Education Loud and Clear: AIDB’s Biodiesel Program Provides Unparalleled Work Experience for Its Students
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Alabama native Helen Keller once said, “No one has the right to consume happiness without producing it.” The same could be said of biodiesel at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Ala.
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
National Conference Pinpoints Latest Industry Issues
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Upholding RFS2, RIN integrity and expanding mandate lead discussions The National Biodiesel Conference & Expo took place Feb. 5-8 in Orlando, Fla., where the industry’s latest challenges were laid out: defending the renewable fuel standard (RFS2); restoring
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Piedmont Proves Out Liquid Enzyme Catalysis
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Small North Carolina producer continues to innovate The founder of Pittsboro, N.C.-based Piedmont Biofuels, Rachel Burton, gave details at the 2012 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando on the company’s new commercially proven enzymatic transesterification
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
An Endeavor into Biofuel: University of Rhode Island Fuels Its Research Vessel with Biodiesel
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) In mid-January the University of Rhode Island topped off its research ship Endeavor’s fuel tank with 53,000 gallons of biodiesel-blended fuel. The move was the initial step in URI’s plan to transform the 185-foot ship
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Delta Development: New Plant under Development in Louisiana
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A former polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pelletization plant in Plaquemine, La., will soon be home to a new biodiesel plant. Construction on the facility, which is under development by Louisiana Biodiesel LLC, is expected to begin
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Innovation Heats Up: Unique Process Heat Solutions Offer Biodiesel Producers Options to Increase Efficiency and Cut Costs
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) ...Development on innovative heating solutions will continue, but several unique heating systems are already in operation at plants across the U.S. In North Carolina, Patriot BioDiesel LLC has installed a system featuring ceramic elements that
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
US Ethanol: Evolving Export Opportunities March 22, 2012 Webinar
US ethanol exports nearly tripled in 2011 and Brazil was seen as the largest consumer of US-produced biofuel. Wide open arbitrage opportunities and demanding US regulations have meant that Brazil still sees value in sending its anhydrous ethanol back to
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
EERC to Develop Biofuel for US Military
by Kari Williamson (Renewable Energy Focus) The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) will develop alternative liquid fuels, including biofuel, for US military applications under a US$906,000 contract from the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc (CCAT). The EERC will demonstrate gasification-based technologies
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Catalyzing Biodiesel Growth: An analysis of Conventional Acid and Base Catalysts Used inToday’s Biodiesel Industry
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Minimizing catalyst use, particularly homogenous catalysts, while simultaneously maximizing product quality and process yield is a pervasive challenge that every biodiesel producer encounters daily because, after all, single digit differences in yield can determine whether
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Scholastic Beginnings: Bob Cerio Blazed the Biodiesel-Blended Heating Oil Trail—This Is His Story
by Luke Geiver ( Biodiesel Magazine) Until 2001, the electrode tip or the fuel nozzle in an oilheat burner didn’t mean much to the biodiesel industry. But after an energy resource manager for the Warwick, R.I., public schools department decided
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Open Fuel Standard Act Attached to Senate Transportation Bill
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Supporters of the Open Fuel Standard Act are still working to get the bill passed into law, which would mandate increasing levels of new vehicles manufactured or sold in the U.S. be flex-fuel capable—able
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
E85 Switzer ‘Cornzilla’ GT-R Returns With 1,000 Horsepower
by Patrick Frawley (Jalopnik) It's been almost two years since we featured an E85-fueled Nissan GT-R from Switzer. Since then, the Ohio-based tuner has been steadily improving their cornfed-Godzilla conversion package to the tune of a nearly 25% power jump. To review: The 2010-model
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Team Aims to Make Sugarcane, Sorghum into Oil-Producing Crops
(University of Illinois) With the support of a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers will take the first steps toward engineering two new oil-rich crops. They aim to boost the natural, oil-producing capabilities of sugarcane and
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Bringing Oil Intensity to the Energy Debate
by Former Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) (Bipartisan Policy Center/The Hill) ...For example, both parties have helped raise fuel efficiency standards. First under President Bush in 2007, then under President Obama in 2010, America has vastly improved
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota Biofuel Projects Awarded Money from State
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) ...Grants totaling $2.4 million announced Wednesday by the Minnesota Agriculture Department will help nine ventures trying to burn or gasify biomass or to make liquid fuel or ammonia. Biomass includes wood, plant material and farm
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Sojitz, Hitachi Zosen to Create Bioethanol from Potato Starch Residue
by Saroj Shrestha (JCN Network) Sojitz Corp. and Hitachi Zosen Corp. have launched a model project for production of bioethanol from potato starch residue in the Keshan State Farm in Harbin City, in China's Heilongjiang Province. The project is being conducted
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Chain, Chain, Chain – Chain of Fuels: Mascoma, Sud-Chemie on Short Path to Parity with Gasoline
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can companies like Mascoma and Sud-Chemie, by transforming the economics of cellulosic ethanol, compete at parity with gasoline – no subsidies, no five-years-to-commercial-scale, no kidding? Part II – “Chain-Chain-Chain, Chain of Fuels In Part II,
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Obama Calls on Congress to Repeal Federal Subsidies for Oil Industry
by David Nakamura (The Washington Post) President Obama reiterated his call for Congress to repeal federal subsidies to the oil industry Thursday, escalating a political skirmish with Republicans over rising gasoline prices amid evidence that much of the public remains
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
DSM Chief Seeks Poet-Style Ethanol Tie-ups From Brazil to China
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Royal DSM NV, the Dutch enzyme maker which last month set up a cellulosic ethanol venture with Poet LLC, is seeking similar tie-ups in Brazil, China and Europe, Chief Executive Officer Feike Sijbesma said. DSM last month said it’s providing
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo Rises as Production Plans Spur ‘Relief Rally,’ Analyst Says
by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg) Gevo Inc. (GEVO), the U.S. biotechnology company backed by oil refiner Total SA (FP) and specialty chemicals maker Lanxess AG (LXS), rose the most in two weeks after saying it expects to begin shipments in July, on schedule, from a plant
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Carbon Capture Initiative Could Benefit Ethanol Producers
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Leaders of the National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative were joined by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, on Capitol Hill Feb. 28 to unveil a set of recommendations aimed at encouraging greater use
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Va. Congressman Questions Navy's Ability to "Go Green" versus High Cost
by Mike Gooding (WVEC.com) ... Fourth district congressman Randy Forbes is challenging the Navy which is making a priority out of going green. House Armed Services Committee member Randy Forbes had harsh words for Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, saying he was focusing
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
African Wildlife Haven Threatened by Biofuels Land Grab
by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (FocusingOnWildlife.com) A Kenyan wildlife haven threatened by the rush to grow biofuels for European companies such as IKEA, has been saved. The Dakatcha Woodland in Kenya – home to several globally threatened
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Scotland Creates £3.4m Fund to Help Business Develop Green Technologies
(ClickGreen) Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney has today announced funding to increase the energy and low carbon support available to Scottish companies. The Scottish Government has awarded £3.4 million of European Regional Development Funding to six projects from leading Scottish universities and
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
China-Made Biofuel To Meet 1/3 Of Jet Fuel Needs By 2020 -Official: Sinopec
(Dow Jones Newswires/Fox Business) China's aviation regulator has begun deliberating China Petroleum & Chemical Corp.'s (SNP) application to produce aviation biofuel commercially, the refiner said Wednesday, while a senior aviation official said the country hopes that nearly a third of the fuel used by
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Meeting Biofuel Production Targets Could Change Agricultural Landscape
(American Chemical Society) Almost 80 percent of current farmland in the U.S. would have to be devoted to raising corn for ethanol production in order to meet current biofuel production targets with existing technology, a new study has found. An
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
I Want a New Bug: Sapphire Licenses Spirulina from Earthrise for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Sapphire Energy announced it has entered into a licensing agreement with Earthrise Nutritionals, to integrate Earthrise Nutritionals’ spirulina strain into Sapphire’s growing inventory of cyanobacteria and algae strains for algae-to-energy production. The impact
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Shake It Up, Baby: Rock Stars of Biofuels Unveil Their Latest Hits
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Part I – I Want a New Bug In Part I, today, “I Want a New Bug,” we look at the formation of Lygos, and the magic bugs, coming primarily out of the Keasling Lab