(Science Daily) Nearly all of the studies used to promote biofuels as climate-friendly alternatives to petroleum fuels are flawed and need to be redone, according to a researcher who reviewed more than 100 papers published over more than two decades. Once
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Back TO HOMEMinnesota Corn Growers Publishes "The Economics of Eco-Performance Fuel" Study
by Dean Drake (Minnesota Corn Growers Association) Inexpensive high‐octane gasoline disappeared when emission regulations forced leaded gasoline out of the market in the early 1970s. This in turn led to reduced engine compression ratios and diminished engine efficiency. In spite
February 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Report from the 3rd Platts Biofuel Conference, Prague, 17-18 June 2014
by Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Biofuel regulation with initiatives like ILUC (Indirect Land Use Change) and RED (renewable energy directive) were some of the key issues as the speakers in the 3rd Platts biofuel conference in Prague presented their
February 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Group Representing 187 Maine Municipalities Inks Development Deal for Hampden Waste Handling Facility
by Dawn Gagnon (Bangor Daily News) After receiving assurances that the technology is viable, members of the Municipal Review Committee board voted unanimously Wednesday to enter a development agreement with a Maryland-based company that wants to build a solid waste
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Indiana University Biologists Partner Bacterium with Nitrogen Gas to Produce More, Cleaner Bioethanol
(Indiana University Bloomington) Provisional patent filed for process using most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere Indiana University biologists believe they have found a faster, cheaper and cleaner way to increase bioethanol production by using nitrogen gas, the most abundant gas in
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Energycane Varieties Look Promising for North Louisiana
by Denise Attaway (Louisiana State University) LSU AgCenter researchers continue to evaluate energycane varieties planted in north Louisiana as a possible new crop for producers to grow as a biofuel feedstock. About 1,000 experimental varieties of energycane were planted at the LSU
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Toward the Next Biofuel: Secrets of Fistulifera solaris
( American Society of Plant Biologists/Biomass Magazine) ... One such microalga is a species of diatom called Fistulifera solaris, which is emerging as a promising candidate for next-generation biofuel technology. Diatoms are microscopic algae that are major contributors to marine ecosystems; they
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Cyanobacterium Found in Algae Collection Holds Biotech Promise
(Washington University in St. Louis) Scientists have re-discovered a fast-growing bacterial strain first described in 1955 Cyanobacteria, bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis, are of considerable interest as bio-factories, organisms that could be harnessed to generate a range of industrially
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
House Bills Aim to Alter, Eliminate the RFS
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On Feb. 4, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., announced the introduction of two bills that aim to alter the renewable fuel standard (RFS), including the RFS Elimination Act and the RFS Reform Act. Reps. Peter Welch,
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
“Wrong-Way Obama” Scores One for the Oilcos with Renewable Fuels Policy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Eight years after then-Senator Obama co-sponsored a bill in Congress calling for a 60 billion gallon biofuels target, President Obama’s EPA slashes the Renewable Fuel Standard targets to wimpy levels, despite ample production capacity, bumper
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
NRDC Airline Scorecard: First-Ever Ranking of Airline Biofuel Use
(National Resources Defense Council) Certification critical to ensuring aviation biofuels deliver on promise of long-term sustainability Air travel emits more than 650 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually – equivalent to the pollution from 136 million cars– making the increased
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Unearthed: A Rallying Cry for a Crop Program that Could Change Everything
by Tamar Haspel (The Washington Post) ...It’s crop-neutral insurance. But, dull as it sounds, it might be the key to getting our agriculture policy more in line with public health priorities. That goal is getting some attention. There’s broad-based discontent with the
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
DOE Accepting Comments on Engineered High-Energy Crop Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Engineered High Energy Crop (EHEC) Programs Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Government App to Help Companies Export Clean Energy Solutions
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The International Trade Administration has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Energy are providing U.S.-based suppliers and providers of certain
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Wyoming Task Force Report Includes Bioenergy Recommendations
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) In Wyoming, the Governor’s Task Force on Forests has issued a report featuring its recommendations for proactively managing the state’s forests. Several of the recommendations relate to bioenergy development. The report presents 12 major recommendations along
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources Selected to Manufacture First Commercial-scale, Vapor-capture System for EcoPAS
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) an innovator of sustainable energy production systems, today announced that it was selected by EcoPAS, a California company, to manufacture its PAS (Passive Alcohol System) – a revolutionary pollution control device that captures
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
California Should Stay on Track with Standard on Cleaner Fuels
by John Boesel and Michael McAdams (Sacramento Bee) Legal challenges, political battles and scare tactics have not derailed California’s low-carbon fuel standard. As the state Air Resources Board gets ready to re-adopt the standard, we have one simple message: Keep going. California’s
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
How One Bacterium Could Help Ease Reliance on Food Crops for Biofuel
by Pete Spotts (Christian Science Monitor) A lowly bacterium, once sidelined in biofuel production, may help reduce production costs in converting crop residue and other non-crop plants into fuel. In the quest for affordable, non-food sources of biofuel, biologists are recruiting an
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Biobatteries: Taking Battery Technology to the Next Level
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s a good chance that the electric battery of the future will have biobased aspects to them — or may even be powered by a biofuel. How’s that again? The Digest investigates. ... A team led by Angela
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
In Major Shift, Obama Administration Will Plan for Rising Seas in All Federal Projects
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) President Obama issued an executive order Friday directing federal agencies to adopt stricter building and siting standards to reflect scientific projections that future flooding will be more frequent and intense due to climate change. The
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
NEWBio Funds Five Seed Grants to Advance Project Goals, Expand Northeast Bioenergy
(NEWBio) Five cooperative projects have been funded that advance NEWBio goals and fill in key knowledge gaps related to bioenergy crop expansion in the Northeast U.S: Abandoned Ag. Lands in the Northeast U.S.: A GIS-based Analysis of Estimates, Causes, and Envisioned
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
World Resources Institute Wrong About Biofuels Impact on Land Use and the Environment
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (January 30, 2015), the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) criticized a new report by World Resources Institute (WRI) for its false data on the environmental and land use impacts of biofuels. The report titled, ‘Avoiding Bioenergy
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
POET to Supply Haiti with Ethanol for Cookstoves through Project Gaia
by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Haiti, POET has partnered with Project Gaia to replace wood-burning stoves with clean, ethanol-fueled cook stoves. The first 6,200 gallons of POET’s ethanol cleared Haitian customs at the end of 2014. Founder and Executive
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Big Oil Both Hope for Higher Crude Prices
by Matt Carr (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... As the global price for a barrel of oil creeps lower and lower, the US algae industry ironically finds itself in the same position as Big Oil: We’d both prefer crude oil prices
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
The (Oil Price) Crash of ’14: What Lessons Can We Learn?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 4 weeks past the helter-skelter Oil Crash, as prices plateau for now (and maybe for the long term) — what have we learned about energy markets in the Age of Alternatives? ... When prices respond vigorously to very
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Risky Business Project Finds Midwest Agriculture, Labor, and Manufacturing Industries Face Economic Risk from Climate Change
(The Risky Business Project) Results Show that America's Heartland Risks Economic Disruptions as Climate Change Advances, Reduces Labor Productivity, and Shifts Agricultural Production Patterns The Midwestern United States faces potential disruptions to its agricultural economy, and dangerous levels of heat in many
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with…Michael Sweet, Managing Director, Brilliant Adventures Australia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Jatropha agriculture in Fujian Province. Brilliant Australia came first in 2004 in Madagascar where plantations were set up on communal village lands to grow Jatropha. ... I have now moved away from mainland China and taken up residence
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Yes, We Can Live Well and Avoid Climate Disaster, Says UK Government
by Fiona Harvey (The Guardian) We can fly, drive and prosper while avoiding dangerous global warming – but only if billions remain in poverty and huge changes are made in areas such as energy and agriculture, new analysis from Decc’s
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Finding the Perfect Sustainable Fuel to Meet the Global Demand Is a Challenge: Experts at TERI Conference
(The Energy and Resources Institute/PR Newswire) The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Tata Motors today organized the International Conference on 'Sustainable Fuel for IC Engines in Emerging Nations'. The two-day conference is first in a series of biennial conferences,
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
To Avoid Worst Consequences of Climate Change, Solutions Must Include Land Use Sector
(Union of Concerned Scientists) A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) finds that reducing emissions from the land sector must be part of a global climate solution in order to close the “emissions gap,” the difference between the
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
George W. Bush’s Favorite Green Car Is Making a Comeback
by Jason Plautz (National Journal) Under President George W. Bush, hydrogen-powered cars were the automotive technology of the future, with the promise of ditching gasoline and driving for miles with only water as exhaust. But a lackluster market and tepid government
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Johan Martinez, Director of Renewable Energy and New Business, Asocaña
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Asocaña is the association of Colombian sugarcane growers and sugarcane mills. ... The competition with the fossil resources will always exist and make pressure to the governments to liberalize markets in favor of traditional fuels, but
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Biofuel Production Avoids Competition with Food Resources
(EurekAlert!) The efficient production of both biofuel and animal feed from 1 crop is now possible, and can be done on a farm without the need for off-site processes The efficient production of both biofuel and animal feed from one crop is
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Ohio Corn Marketing Program to Expand Ethanol Infrastructure
(Ohio Corn Marketing Program) The Ohio Corn Marketing Program, in partnership with the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest and the American Lung Association of the Midland States, is pleased to announce, The Ethanol Infrastructure Grant Program, a new
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
$40-Million Project Takes Plant beyond Ethanol Production
by Blair Andrews (Chatham This Week/Chatham Daily News) Expansion plans at GreenField Specialty Alcohols Inc. in Chatham are taking shape. The company announced $40-million worth of investments in capital projects at the plant on Bloomfield Road in October. Angelo Ligori, plant manger,
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Produce Two Biofuels from a Single Algae
(Phys.Org/ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) A common algae commercially grown to make fish food holds promise as a source for both biodiesel and jet fuel, according to a new study published in the journal Energy & Fuels. The researchers, led by
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
EU Must Not Turn Its Back on Biofuels
(Farming Life) Crop based biofuels are vital for animal feed, the environment, jobs and fuel, according to Copa-Cocega General Secretary Pekka Pesonen. Speaking at the recent ‘Fuels for the Future’ conference in Berlin, he added that the EU must not limit
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Punjab Plans Asia’s First Bio-Ethanol Plant
(Hindustan Times) Punjab would soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with partner companies to set up Asia's first bio-ethanol manufacturing and refining unit with a design capacity of 60,000 tonnes of cellulosic ethanol per year (75 million litres per
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Oklahoma Worries Over Swarm of Earthquakes and Connection to Oil Industry
by Lori Montgomery (The Washington Post) ... What to do about the plague of earthquakes is, however, very much an open question in Oklahoma. Last year, 567 quakes of at least 3.0 magnitude rocked a swath of counties from the state capital
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA’s Joanne Ivancic Recognized as One of Top 125 People in the Advanced Bioeconomy by Biofuels Digest
For Immediate Release January 30, 2015—Frederick, MD Readers and editors of the international online publication, Biofuels Digest, for the fifth consecutive year, recognized Advanced Biofuels USA executive director Joanne Ivancic as one of the Top 125 People in the Advanced
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Vilsack Heads “Top 125 People in the Advanced Bioeconomy” Poll for 2015
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the annual rankings, voters reward commercial deployments at scale, key figures in deployment of alternative fuels, and pioneers in renewable chemicals. International leaders gain. In Florida, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack headed the “Top 125
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
OriginOil Joins Idaho National Laboratory In Project Proving Algae For Biofuels
(OriginOil) Disinfection capabilities of OriginOil technology may help make giant open-air ponds feasible for large-scale fuels production OriginOil Inc. (OTC/QB: OOIL), developer of Electro Water Separation™ (EWS), the high-speed, chemical-free process to clean up large quantities of water, announced today that it
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Hugo Jacobs, Founder, Methyl Ester
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Promoting bio fuels over mineral fuels must take precedence and this can be achieved by lobbying local government as well as national government If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Stephen P. Toon PhD, President/Executive Consultant, GoldenBio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Moving technology from the laboratory to the complexity of an integrated commercial operation has been a stumbling point for many biotechnology companies. GoldenBio will work to provide support to “get there” via implementing structure, communication,
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Bio-Diesel Firm Plans 5 Green Corridors in Maharashtra
(The Hindu Business Line) Pune-based manufacturer and distributor of bio-fuels My Eco Energy (MEE) plans to set up green corridors along four national highways in Maharashtra, and will establish nearly 500 bio-fuel retailing outlets over the next two-odd years for
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
“Faces” Debuts: New Original Series on the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s first original series, Faces, debuts episode #1 for online viewing and download. More new episodes and new programs to come. ... the one-to-one interview program Faces. It’s here. Episode #1 features Industrial Microbes Chief Scientific
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
LANXESS Introduces New Baynox Stabilizers for Biodiesel
(LANXESS) Specialty chemicals company LANXESS Corporation has added two new highly concentrated antioxidants to its existing range of biodiesel stabilizers. The new products – Baynox Ultra and Baynox Cargo – will be introduced to the U.S. market at the National
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
25x’25 Responds to Questionable Assessment of Bioenergy Production
(25x'25) A report released today by the World Resources Institute would seem to demonstrate the old adage: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." The "change" in this instance is a massive amount of research showing the
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Is Bureaucracy Holding Back Advanced Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Why must “the entire value chain of production from feedstock to finished product be conducted at a single location” asks Antoine Schellinger, VP of Strategy and Technology at Triten IAG. Should a regulatory burden for tracking
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Clean Fuel Availability, for the Pacific Coast
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, the International Council on Clean Transportation and E4Tech released a comprehensive study of clean fuel availability for the Pacific Coast. The report is available here. ... There are four key original findings: (1) low-carbon fuels could replace over
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Looking Down the Road at Biofuels, Coal, Gas, and Oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “The short-term picture of a well-supplied oil market should not disguise the challenges that lie ahead as reliance grows on a relatively small number of producers,” warns the International Energy Agency. Why all the gloom amidst boom
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Consultation Open for Revision of the RSB Principles & Criteria
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) We are pleased to announce that the 60-day public consultation for revision of the RSB Principles & Criteria (P&Cs) begins today! It will feed into discussions among RSB members over the forthcoming P&Cs Version 3.0, expected to be approved
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Industry Honors Champions, Career Long-Achievements
(The National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) ... NBB recognizes the 2015 “Eye on Biodiesel” award winners this week. The honorees are: Innovation Tom Butcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory. Brookhaven National Laboratory is one of the premier U.S. DOE national laboratories and the leading technical institution for
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Moving Biodiesel in the Pipeline: Sequencing Matters
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The ability to move biodiesel in pipelines versus truck or rail is considered essential to lower costs and advance biodiesel into the mainstream, but contamination of jet fuel with fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) shipped
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
UN’s Pro Biofuels Stance an ‘Important Milestone’ for Agriculture
by Olivia Midgley (Farmers Guardian) Sustainable biofuel production can offer additional incomes for farmers as well as helping to achieve energy security, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) chief has said. Speaking at the Global Forum for Food and
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Report Highlights China’s Growth in Biodiesel, Ethanol Production
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Information Network shows that China’s biodiesel production grew last year, reaching an estimated 1.13 billion liters (298.5 million gallons), up 5 percent from 2013.
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
EU Legislators Called on to Recognize Advantages of Biodiesel
(The European Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) On the occasion of a high-level policy conference in Brussels organized by the biodiesel supply chain, prominent researchers have underlined the benefits of biodiesel as well as their reservations regarding the readiness of the ILUC
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Supreme Court Sides with Gevo in Long-Standing Patent Dispute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Gevo’s favor and overturned an earlier Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on the interpretation of key patent claims. On April 11, 2013, the Delaware District Court (District Court)
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Biobutanol Firms Chart Diverging Paths
By Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical and Engineering News) For years, industrial biotech companies have sought to make renewable chemicals by repurposing the corn fermentation capabilities of underutilized fuel ethanol plants. As recent news from two firms pursuing renewable butanol shows,
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Margins, Fuel, Land Prices among Concerns at Ag Summit
by Jim Offner (WCFCourier.com) ... “With crop prices going down, we think leases are going to have to start being adjustable and they’re going to have to lower land prices and lower rent prices, and that’s coming in the next couple
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Straight from the Ethanol Producer to Your Gas Tank
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Some ethanol producers are selling E85 directly to drivers like you and me. It seems they take the phrase, cutting out the middleman, very seriously! ... The company (Carbon Green Bioenergy LLC) had tried to convince a