by Jonathan Male (US Department of Energy) ... From expanding the potential of diverse microbial systems to enhancing the biocatalytic capabilities of enzymes, the application of biotechnology is accelerating the development of the advanced biofuel industry. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy
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Back TO HOMEMajor Advance in ‘Synthetic Biochemistry’ Holds Promise for Industrial Products and Biofuels
by Stuart Wolpert (University of California - Los Angeles) UCLA biochemists have devised a way to convert sugar into a variety of useful chemical compounds without using cells -- UCLA biochemists have devised a clever way to make a variety of
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Resource Maximised Using DAF Treatment System
(Water Online) Cheshire biofuel plant sources DAF wastewater treatment from WPL; DAF system captures more fats, oils and grease for recycling; Treatment process helps client meet discharge consent A new energy plant in Cheshire, which processes waste fats, oils and greases (FOG) for
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Argentina to Order Steep Rise in Ethanol Use in Fuels: Industry
(Reuters Business Insider) Argentina will steeply increase the required blend of ethanol used in gasoline from next year, as part of a policy of diversifying away from the use of fossil fuels, an executive from a bioethanol industry body told
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Scale-Up of Emerging Biofuel Technologies
by Lorenz Bauer and William Quapp (Biofuels Digest) ... However, attempts to translate these small scale successes into commercial technologies have been less successful. It is easy to blame lower oil and natural gas prices and opposition from special interest
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Pivot to Play: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of cellulosic sugars, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from industry consultant Vonnie Estes — whose latest
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol: For the Rubber or the Road? New Russian Tech Advances for One-Step Alcohol-to-Butadiene
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Russia, ETB Catalytic Technologies has received $0.6 million from ZAVKOM and Skolkovo Fund as a series A investment to build a pilot plant for the production of 1,3-butadiene from ethanol, The investors received 22%
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
B11 Iowa Average Biodiesel Blend
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) More Iowa consumers are choosing biodiesel at the pump according to a new report from the Iowa Department of Revenue. The report finds that the average biodiesel blend purchased in the state reached 11 percent, an
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Production Test Factory for Fossil Free Fuel Is Built in Bäckhammar
(Nordic Paper) RenFuel and Nordic Paper have signed an agreement to build a production test facility in Bäckhammar in the region of Värmland, in order to test manufacture an advanced biofuel based on lignin. The project has been granted 71
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Coconut Biodiesel Could Reduce Air Pollution Impacts
(The Fifth Estate) Coconut oil might be about to step off the beaches and out of the kitchen and into the tanks of Australian trucks and cars, with research released today showing that as a component of biodiesel, it may
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Coal Companies’ Secret Funding of Climate Science Denial Exposed
by Elliott Negin (Union of Concerned Scientists/Huffington Post) According to recent press reports, Peabody Energy — the nation’s largest investor-owned coal company — is now on the verge of bankruptcy. Among the many consequences: The company’s court-ordered disclosures are likely
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
EU Must Increase Ethanol Use to Meet Targets
by Robert Wright (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) Renewable energy use in transport in all 28 EU members has been much less than projected in their National Renewable Energy Action Plans, with the gap widening. Actual ethanol consumption has remained relatively flat,
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry - Challenging Near-Term Conditions
(Seeking Alpha) Ethanol producers are battling with narrowing margins and excess supply. The industry faces uncertain regulatory support and relatively mild near-term gasoline demand growth amid increasing supply. This suggests a challenging near-term outlook for the industry. ... Despite falling gasoline consumption, ethanol production
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
ECO:nomics: Koch Industries' Ethanol Business
(Wall Street Journal) Koch Industries’ Director of Environmental, Health and Safety Sheryl Corrigan talks about Koch’s involvement in the ethanol business and its’ campaign against some of the subsidies that it benefits from. She speaks at the 2016 ECO:nomics conference.
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
$85 Crude Oil By Christmas – An Interview With Mike Rothman
by Nick Cunningham (OilPrice.com) Global supply still exceeds demand, but there are solid signs that the overhang is finally starting to ease. Storage levels are high, but are expected to come down. Where does that leave us? With so many energy
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
NGOs Set out Their Vision of How a Global Carbon Scheme for Aviation Can Align with Paris Ambitions
(GreenAir Online) The International Coalition on Sustainable Aviation (ICSA), an umbrella group of six NGOs, has launched a campaign called FlightPath 1.5 to ensure emissions from international aviation are capped and then reduced in line with the climate ambitions of
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
The BioenergizeME Social Media Campaign Begins Today!
(US Department of Energy) The 2016 BioenergizeME Social Media Campaign kicks off today with high school students from all over the country sharing their infographics via social media. Check out the infographics on the BioenergizeME Challenge Map starting today through April 22, and be
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Towards a Sustainable Future
by Sarthak Saraswat (The Hindu) Shell is providing engineering students a platform to design energy-efficient vehicles and reduce carbon emissions. The recent Shell Eco-marathon Asia in Manila saw a clash of the best minds. The atmosphere is charged with excitement. As
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Urban Air Initiative, Energy Future Coalition Challenge EPA Data on Ethanol’s Lifecycle Emissions
(Urban Air Initiative) Urban Air Initiative joined the Energy Future Coalition and the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition (GBC) in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize an overwhelming body of new evidence showing fuel ethanol can reduce carbon
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Remembering Merle
by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired) Back in the early years of the biodiesel industry, Merle Haggard was one of the stars who came out in support of the American-made biofuel. The country music legend who died last week at the age of
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter: Biodiesel Fuel Part of a Great Life Cycle
by Jeff Lynn (The State Journal-Register) I farm in Cass County. I am proud my equipment runs on a biodiesel blend. The fuel is home-grown and better for the environment. I just came in from the field, where the work
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Butterfield-Odin Students Visit Heron Lake Bioenergy
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Fourteen students from Butterfield-Odin visited the Heron Lake Bioenergy ethanol plant on April 8 to get a better understanding of clean Minnesota-grown renewable energy. During the 90 minute tour, the students were briefed on the various processes of
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Trying to Put a Price on Big Oil's 'Climate Obstruction' Efforts
by Eric Roston (Bloomberg) Oil giants and trade groups spend an estimated $115 million per year blocking climate policies -- ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, and three oil-industry groups together spend $115 million a year on advocacy designed to “obstruct” climate change policy,
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Sanders and Clinton Back Bioenergy, but Activists Say It's the Wrong Alternative
by Josh Schlossberg (Truthout) Climate change is a pillar of the presidential campaigns of both Sen. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, who have both made proposals to offer tax subsidies and other financial incentives to generate more energy alternatives to
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
[Opinion] Advanced Biofuels: Nothing's Perfect, but There's a Lot of Good
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA/The Biomass Monitor) Is the glass half full or half empty? Is a feedstock sustainable or harmful to the environment? Is a conversion technology efficient or too complex? Is a familiar process too expensive or
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Growth Energy to participate in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) - The Auto Channel's Marc Rauch Part of the Presentation Team
(Growth Energy) This week, Jim Miller, Vice President and Chief Economist of Growth Energy will travel with Steve Bleyl, Executive Vice President of Green Plains Inc., and Doug Berven, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of POET to Chinese Taipei to
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
E15 Today, High-Octane E25 Tomorrow
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) One of the things that makes the American Coalition for Ethanol unique is our work alongside retailers and gas station owners to increase sales of E15 and flex fuels. ... We’ve
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Exports Give U.S. Ethanol Producers an Outlet for Surplus
(Omah.com/Bloomberg) At the Plymouth Energy plant in the heart of the U.S. Corn Belt — where homegrown fuel from grain was supposed to ease American dependence on foreign oil — every drop of ethanol goes to motorists in Brazil. Like many
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil and Gas Companies Stiff 29,000 Workers Out of $40 Million
by Alan Neuhauser (US News and World Report) America's fracking boom promised big paychecks, but thousands of workers were exploited, the Labor Department says. -- ... Despite booming industry profits and record oil and gas output – which together rejuvenated the
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Cool Planet Partners with J.R. Simplot Company to Distribute Innovative Cool Terra® Engineered Biocarbon™ Product to Improve Soil Health
(Cool Planet) Cool Planet is proud to announce a new distribution agreement with the J.R. Simplot Company, one of the largest privately held agricultural companies in the nation. Simplot will serve as a distributor for Cool Terra throughout the Western United States
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Boom-boom: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Diesel’s Growth and Horizons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the boom on in Renewable diesel. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from the upcoming Drop
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Could Renewable Diesel’s Boom Be Cut Short by Feedstock Access and Availability?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Renewable diesel demand is booming, booming, booming. We’ve tipped it repeatedly in The Digest, not least with our March Madness webinar last week on “Renewable Diesel’s Boom”. Any doubts may well have been swept aside
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Engine Design Trends Lead to Increased Demand for Higher-Octane Gasoline
(US Energy Information Administration) Since 2013, the share of premium gasoline in total motor gasoline sales has steadily increased, reaching 11.3%, the highest share in over a decade, in August and September 2015. While lower gasoline prices may be supporting demand
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Interagency Effort Provides Links to Biofuel Data on One Web Page
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuel number crunchers in the know are finding their jobs easier because of a website hosted by the USDA Economic Research Service where the Interagency Council on Agricultural & Rural Statistics pulls together links
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Help Agricultural Producers Increase the Value of Their Products
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is making up to $44 million available to farmers, ranchers and businesses to develop new bio-based products and expand markets through the Value-Added Producer Grant program. "America's farmers, ranchers
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
35,000 Students Take Virtual Field Trip
by Kelly Marshall (Precision Ag Wired) This week students across the nation had to opportunity to visit a farm without ever getting on a school bus. The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and Discovery Education have put together an unique program that
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Plans Farmers Are Making this Year in Reaction to Lower Commodity Prices.
(Zimm News) J.L.Farmakis, Inc has just released a new research study conducted in February by Millennium Research that shows plans farmers are making this year in reaction to lower commodity prices. Among the findings of the "Farmer Speaks Study" are: * Half
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Japanese Team Cracks into Biofuel with Crab Shells
by Takuro Kusashio (Nikke) Researchers at Kobe University say they have found a possible way to turn bits of crustaceans and insects into ethanol for about the same cost as producing the fuel from corn. Chitin, the stuff that gives the
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Major Regulatory Milestones in First Quarter Set Joule Up for Commercial Success
(Joule/BusinessWire) EPA Qualifies Joule Ethanol Under Clean Air Act -- Joule, the pioneer of drop-in liquid fuels from recycled CO2, today announced major accomplishments in the first quarter of 2016 that are accelerating the commercialization of environmentally sustainable ultra-low carbon
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Towns to Vote on Whether to Burn Their Trash or Convert It into Biofuel
by Andy O’Brien (The Free Press) ... With PERC out of the picture, two nonprofits are bitterly competing for thousands of tons of midcoast waste. In one corner is the Municipal Review Committee, a municipal cooperative serving PERC’s 187 user communities and
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Growth Energy: More than 150 Million Miles Driven on E15
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) An important milestone for higher ethanol fuel blends was reached recently. Major gasoline retailers working with Growth Energy have reported that over the past 12 months, using the U.S. average gas mileage of 20 miles-per-gallon, consumers
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
New Platforms, New Pathways: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Organic Acids, the Molecules and Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Late last week, Michele Rubino joined us in a March Madness webinar on the molecules and markets for organic acids, and presented the illuminating slides seen here. The main Digest slide deck can be seen
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Make Haste with Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (W)hen you compare them to homogenized, uniform, high-yield, purpose-grown energy crops. residues may be queer, but they are here. Not only available, but reliable, you can count on the fact that they will not
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Putting a Price on Carbon: Ensuring Equity
by Noah Kaufman, Michael Obeiter and Eleanor Krause (World Resources Institute) Putting a Price on Carbon: Ensuring Equity finds that the revenues form a carbon price can be used to address regional disparities and ensure that unfair burdens are not imposed
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
A Heated Mirror for Future Climate
by Richard B. Alley (Science Magazine) Climate has always changed naturally, and this is not good news when contemplating a human-forced future. The natural responses have been as large as, or larger than, those simulated by leading models for shorter time
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Observational Constraints on Mixed-Phase Clouds Imply Higher Climate Sensitivity
by Ivy Tan, Trude Storelvmo, Mark D. Zelinka (Science Magazine) How much global average temperature eventually will rise depends on the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS), which relates atmospheric CO2concentration to atmospheric temperature. For decades, ECS has been estimated to be between
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
University of Vermont Announces Online Bioenergy Professional Certificate Program Summer Session --- June 15-August 3, 2016
(University of Vermont) A new era of clean BioEnergy solutions is beginning to emerge now. Clean sustainable Bioenergy such as Bio-Electricity and Biogas production from Dairy manure and Food Waste streams is becoming a well-known phenomenon. Pellets made from wood
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: 9th Annual Dupont Summit 2016 on Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy --- December 2, 2016 --- Washington, DC DEADLINE: September 15, 2016
The purpose of the Dupont Summit is to promote interdisciplinary dialogue about pressing issues related to science, technology and the environment. The conference mirrors the interest of the PSO and its partners in promoting conversation about current policy concerns. Presented every
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Circling Opportunity
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Blue Sphere Corp.’s two-prong business development strategy in the global waste-to-energy industry is proving to be fruitful. -- ... Blue Sphere’s first two stateside anaerobic digestion (AD) projects have reached final stages of construction, and a
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Completes the Puzzle
by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) We have a tremendous opportunity to make the case in the Midterm Review in what EPA says will be a "data driven and transparent process." We can show how carbon reductions are indeed
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Branstad Signs Chemical Tax Credit Bill in Ames
by Austin Harrington (Ames Tribune) Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds came to Iowa State University Wednesday to sign a bill into law that will create a $10 million tax credit for companies in the renewable chemical manufacturing
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Minnesota Breathes Easier after 10 Years with Biodiesel Standard
(The American Lung Association in Minnesota/Biodiesel Magazine) Minnesota’s commitment to biodiesel use has paid off with an important impact on air quality, according to an analysis of the cleaner-burning fuel by the American Lung Association in Minnesota. “I think the amount
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Nigeria: NNPC Shops for Investors for Ethanol Plant
by Roseline Okere (AllAfrica) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is seeking investors for its Renewable Energy Division (RED) to implement Nigeria's automotive biofuels industry programme through a series of planned Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). The automotive biofuels industry programme, according to
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Boom Times: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Diesel’s Explosive Growth
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Boom times in Renewable Diesel” Here below is the first slide deck presented on the day, from The Digest. The recorded version of the webinar can be accessed
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Grease Is the Word
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In short, renewable fuels has reached a crisis of growth in the United States — years of expansion have halted, and everyone is entitled to ask why. ... Let’s look at the hard data. Demand signals As
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
The Problem With Hillary Clinton Isn’t Just Her Corporate Cash. It’s Her Corporate Worldview.
by Naomi Klein (The Nation) Clinton is uniquely unsuited to the epic task of confronting the fossil-fuel companies that profit from climate change. ... The Clinton camp really doesn’t like talking about fossil-fuel money. ... The very suggestion that taking this money could impact Clinton’s
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Seismic Report Links Earthquakes to Fracking
by Adam Klasfeld (Courthouse News Service) Officially linking a controversial natural gas-drilling method to earthquakes for the first time, the U.S. Geological Survey released a groundbreaking report documenting links between fracking and skyrocketing seismic activity. Released on Monday, the agency's "2016
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Fact Sheet: A Brief History of Octane in Gasoline: From Lead to Ethanol
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A cornerstone of U.S. environmental policy has been the reduction of harmful tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. Thanks to EPA regulations of mobile sources, air pollutants have been reduced by millions
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Key Enzyme Discovered in Botryococcus braunii
(Algae Industry Magazine) An enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons has been discovered by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists studying the common green microalga Botryococcus braunii. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications, could enable scientists
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Carbon Intensity Creates Opportunities
by Bernie Hoffman (K-Coe Isom/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The more proactive roles producers take in reducing carbon intensity, the more they will benefit as energy use reduction moves from an incentive to a requirement. -- ... Carbon intensity and carbon accounting have moved
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Push Poll Push Back
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The American Petroleum Institute has unveiled yet another anti-biofuel poll. The latest released during a media call today was conducted by Harris Poll. According to the poll, 77 percent of registered voters are concerned that breaching
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
California Energy Commission Grant: Altex & Unitel Partner to Demonstrate a New Technology for Making Synthetic Gasoline from Biomass
(Business Wire / Unitel Technologies) -Unitel Technologies announced that Altex Technologies has selected Unitel to provide engineering services to design and build a pilot system that will produce 1 BPD of synthetic gasoline from biomass. This project is funded by
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Clean Diesel Delivers Greenhouse Gas Reductions Targets for Maryland
(Diesel Technology Forum) Legislation signed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 relative to emissions generated in 2006. “As Governor Hogan signs legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions from Maryland,
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Importing to Meet California Demand
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. imported a record volume of biomass-based diesel in 2015. ... This increase in imports is particularly interesting because 2015 was a year with no forward-looking $1-per-gallon blender’s tax credit, and, for 11 months
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Brazil's President Rousseff Signs Biodiesel Increase into Law
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) At the presidential palace March 23, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed into law the mandatory percentage increase of biodiesel blended with diesel fuel from the current 7 percent to 8 percent by 2017, with further
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
AGQM, FAM Invite Participants in Biodiesel Round Robin Testing
(AGQM/Biodiesel Magazine) ... The analysis of components and the final product forms a major part of the quality assurance of fuels. Therefore, reliable monitoring and testing of the product properties of biodiesel and rapeseed oil fuel is an essential aspect
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Austrian Biodiesel Technology Provider Wins Award for BTL Process
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) BDI-BioEnergy International AG received an innovation award for its biomass-to-liquid technology, called BioCrack, March 29 during Austria’s State Awards Innovation 2016 ceremony held by the Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Industry. BDI was awarded
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plants in Troubles as Vietnam’s Plan to Boost Biofuel Fails
(Tuoi Tre News) An ambitious plan by the Vietnamese government to encourage the use of biofuel, or ethanol-mixed petrol, is not working as well as expected, sealing the fate of three multimillion-dollar ethanol plants. The ethanol making facilities were built in
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Second Auction for Rotten Rice Attracts Interest from Private Sector
(Thai PBS) The second government auction for low-quality rice stocks has been met with positive feedback yesterday with the private sector making bids for a total of 240,000 tons worth over 1.5 billion baht. Sixteen bidders handed in their bids for
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA Projects Seek to Accelerate Sustainable Energy Crop Development
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology,
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Carbon Levy Cash to Finance Biodiesel Refinery in Edmonton
(CBC News) Edmonton company promises cheaper, cleaner biodiesel on a commercial level -- An Edmonton based company plans to commercially produce a new biofuel capable of completely replacing diesel by the end of the year, at a lower cost than
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Up, Up & Away: The Top 10 Magic Moments in Aviation Biofuels in 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia formed a partnership to investigate options for locally produced aviation biofuel. The trans-Tasman alliance partners are issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to the market to explore the opportunity
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Market Study: Emerging Opportunities for Algae Biofuels to Supplement Fossil Fuels
(Biofuels International) Emerging opportunities for algal biofuels, particularly in the Persian Gulf region, may propel the success of the industry, a new market study by Future Market Insights finds. Algae was first discovered as a fuel alternative in 1978 under the
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
From Near-Dropout to PhD, Berkeley Lab Scientist Now at Forefront of Biofuels Revolution
by Julie Chao (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Berkeley Lab scientist Ee-Been Goh thrives on re-engineering bacteria and mentoring students. -- ... “My mom would say, ‘You used to be the worst in school—why would you want to go for more school?’” Goh
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Charting New Future for Wastewater Treatment
by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (Department of Energy) ... Unfortunately, the American Society of Civil Engineers Infrastructure Report Card gives the wastewater infrastructure in America a D-grade, and says “capital investment needs for the nation’s wastewater and stormwater systems are estimated to total $298
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
UK Biofuel Use in Transport Drops 17% y/y in 2015
by Plamena Tisheva (See News) UK biofuel consumption in road transport dropped by 17.1% last year compared to 2014, with biodiesel use slumping 30%, government statistics showed today. Bioethanol consumption recorded a smaller 2.1% decline and as a result became the leading
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Can Biofuel Crops and Cover Crops Coexist?
by Lisa Young (AgriNews) Cover crop and row crop biofuels systems can work together. They may have to as the Renewable Fuel Standard spurs increased demand for biofuels while many are calling for more controls on agricultural nutrient runoff. Researchers
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
CA Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Questioned: Study Raises Doubts About Long-Term Viability of Rule
by Todd Neeley (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) California's controversial low-carbon fuel standard may not be able to survive long term unless more biodiesel and corn-based ethanol are allowed into the state's market quickly, according to a new study. The analysis, conducted by
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Landfill Gas Project Opens in Orange County, California
(Orange County, CA/Biomass Magazine) Orange County 3rd District Supervisor Todd Spitzer recently joined with government, business and project development officials for a ribbon-cutting to ceremonially open the Bowerman Power Project renewable energy facility. The landfill gas-to-electricity plant at the Frank R.
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Requests Information on Carbon Use and Reuse Technology Opportunities for the U.S. Power Generation Sector
(Department of Energy) DOE is considering more significant support for Research & Development (R&D) in carbon use. It is surveying technology approaches and seeking up-to-date information on technologies for beneficially using CO2 captured from fossil-fuel power plants. To complement existing
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
The Roads to Decoupling: 21 Countries Are Reducing Carbon Emissions While Growing GDP
by Nate Aden (World Resources Institute) As countries embark on the transition to a new climate economy, there’s a debate about whether growth can drive, or even coexist with, climate stabilization. On the other side of the coin, it’s also
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
China's Grain Reforms to Boost Depressed Corn Processing Industry
by Niu Shuping and David Stanway (Reuters/AgWeek) China's plan to let the market set corn prices is bad news for international grain exporters, but should boost the country's struggling corn processors that use the grain in products ranging from food
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol, Biodiesel Added to Rail Report
by Mikkel Pates (Agweek) As of April 4, the federal government's Petroleum Supply Monthly report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration includes more frequent data on ethanol and biodiesel transported by railroads. The EIA now reports monthly rail movements for crude oil, ethanol
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Sweet Spot: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Organic Acids, the Molecules and Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Late last week, Michele Rubino joined us in a March Madness webinar on the molecules and markets for organic acids, and presented the illuminating slides seen below. For further illumination, Michele can be reached here.
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Farm Bill Energy Programs Enable New Feedstock Production To Help Fuel the Biobased Economy
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan Guarantee Program and the Biomass
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Trade Associations Ask Congressional Leaders to Extend Advanced Biofuel Incentives
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Business Wire) Today, six biofuel trade associations sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking Congress for a multiyear extension of advanced biofuel tax credits. The Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Algae Biomass Organization, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO),
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Germans Give Thumbs up to Biofuels
(Biofuels International) More than two thirds of Germans view biofuels in a positive light, a new study suggests. The representative survey, conducted by market survey analysts TNS Infratest, questioned more than 1,000 German residents and found that the majority of
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Fuel Option that Reduces Emissions Already Exists
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) ... A proposal introduced last week by Representative Pat Garofalo would provide rebates of up to $2,500 dollars for those who buy or lease a new electric or plug-in hybrid car. Minnesota Biofuels Association executive director
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Flammable Liquid Unit Trains Response Curriculum
(US Department of Transportation) Online Resource Offers Responders a Flexible Approach to Pre-Incident Planning for Rail Incidents -- The US Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced the launch of the web-accessible Transportation Rail Incident Preparedness
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Iowa Corn Feeds Brazil's Fuel Tanks as Demand Spurs Import Surge
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Sao Paolo ethanol now 39% more expensive than fuel from Iowa; American glut also spurs exports to China, Philippines, India -- At the Plymouth Energy LLC plant in the heart of the U.S. corn belt -- where home-grown
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE BETO Updates Multi-Year Program Plan
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office has released the 2016 update of its Multi-Year Program Plan, which serves as an operational guide to help the BETO manage and coordinate its activities. The plan
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Argentina Ups Ethanol Blending Mandate in Gasoline to 12% from 10%
by Charles Newbery (Platts) The Argentine government Friday said it has raised the ethanol blending mandate in gasoline to 12% from 10% with immediate effect, according to a decree published in the Official Bulletin, the government's newspaper of record. In February, President
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Malawi Ethanol Pricing Policy Still up in the Air a Year Later
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Malawi, the government still hasn’t approved or put forward a proposal of its own for ethanol pricing that would allow higher blends to be sold at the pump. The domestic ethanol industry proposed a
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
REG’s Rolling Thunder: What Did Not Kill Them (Falling Oil Prices), Made Them Stronger
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s been a couple of years since we visited REG and the difference is palpable. The company has become a little ADM, rather than a big Amyris or TerraVia. You see the trading desks at
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Abundant Quantity, Low Cost, Organic Acids: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Rivertop Renewables
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Rivertop has developed a way to make glucaric acid, glucarates and other biodegradable chemicals from renewable resources in abundant quantity and at a low cost. These and other renewable chemicals can reduce society’s dependence on
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
BRAG Petition Succeeds: EPA Expands Chemical Data Reporting Exemptions To Biodiesel Products
(Bergeson & Campbell/BRAG) On March 29, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Partial Exemption of Certain Chemical Substances from Reporting Additional Chemical Data final rule in the Federal Register. This final rule amends the list of chemical substances
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Biotech Breakthrough: Reverse Photosynthesis Could Be the Energy Source of Future
(I4U News) Danish researchers discover a process called reverse photosynthesis that can make chemicals and biofuels. The discovery has a potential to revolutionize industrial production -- Photosynthesis, as most of us know, is a process by which plants absorbs sunlight
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Air Canada Partners in Biojet Supply Chain Initiative to Introduce Sustainable Aviation Biofuel to a Canadian Airport
(Yahoo! Finance/Air Canada) Air Canada today announced it will participate in Canada's Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI), a three-year collaborative project with 14 stakeholder organizations to introduce 400,000 litres of sustainable aviation biofuel (biojet) into a shared fuel system at
April 05, 2016 Read Full Article
China Team Identifies New Thermophilic Bacterium for Direct Production of Ethanol from Brown Algae
(GreenCarCongress) Researchers from the Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified and characterized the first thermophilic bacterium capable (Defluviitalea phaphyphila) of direct conversion of brown algae to
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Johor Ready to Lead Production of Biodiesel Alternative Energy, Says Khaled
(Bernama/New Straits Times) Johor is ready to lead the production of biodiesel as an alternative source of fuel energy and become a major global energy generator in the future. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the objective would
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Giant Step Forward for New Biofuels Industry in Queensland
(Queensland Government) A $16 million advanced biofuels pilot plant will be built at Southern Oil Refining’s Yarwun plant at Gladstone, a ‘giant’ step towards securing a large-scale biofuels industry in Queensland. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Producers with Poor Soil Should Consider Prairie Cordgrass
by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Salt-affected land is not useful for producing food crops, but biomass producers could take advantage of salt-tolerant perennial grasses to make use of that land. --In a greenhouse study, germination of prairie cordgrass
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Ted Cruz on Energy and Climate: Free Market Directions
by Robert Bradley Jr. (Master Resource) ... 1) Do you support ending all energy subsidies, including cleaning up the tax code to treat all types of energy the same? A: Yes, I support a true all-of-the-above approach to energy, ending all
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Industry Group Drops Low-Carbon Fuel Fight
by Hillary Borrud (Portland Tribune) An oil industry group announced Thursday it will abandon a bid to get voters to weaken or repeal Oregon’s low-carbon fuel standard. The Oregon Fuels Association had filed three initiatives targeting the law for the November
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE Releases First Annual Energy Employment Report
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has released its first annual energy employment analysis. The report focuses on how changes in America’s energy profile are affecting national employment in the nation’s multiple energy sectors. According
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
After a Decade of Growth, Corn Use for Ethanol Projected to Decline
(US Department of Agriculture/Ag Professional) Ethanol production in the United States is based almost entirely on corn as a feedstock. Corn‑based ethanol production is projected to fall over the next 10 years. This reflects declining overall gasoline consumption in the United
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Election Impacts on the US Biofuels Markets
(Stratas Advisors) The 2016 elections have raised clouds of questions for many involved in the US biofuels markets. The conflicting and inflated rhetoric surrounding biofuels and climate policy gives the impression that drastic change is on the horizon with multiple
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
EEP Southern and East Africa Issues Call for Project Proposals DEADLINE: April 25, 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In South Africa, the Energy and Environment Partnership Programme with Southern and East Africa (EEP S&EA) is seeking high-quality applications for projects in the two regions that can contribute to the reduction of poverty by promoting
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
After New Orleans, “Keep It In the Ground” Movement Gears Up for More Action
(350.org) “Break Free” protests this May will see actions at fossil fuel sites around the world -- Hundreds of people marched around the Superdome in New Orleans on Wednesday and then headed inside to disrupt a federal oil and gas
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Mandates Around the World: The 2016 Visual Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 64 countries have targets or mandates - but how much where, and when, and what? The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive specified a 10 percent renewable content
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative Collaborating with Comet Biorefining to Develop Agricultural Biomass Supply Chain
(Comet Biorefining) Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative, an Ontario-based farmer's cooperative, confirms that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Comet Biorefining to collaborate on the development of a sustainable agricultural biomass supply chain in southwestern Ontario. Comet Biorefining
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Enerkem Biofuel Plant, Backed by City of Edmonton, Mired in Legal Controversy
by Sylvain Bascaron (CBC News) Lawsuits totalling $7.4 million allege unpaid services and supplies -- Already years behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget, a project to turn the city of Edmonton's waste into biofuel is now facing
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Making Lignin Pay: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Making Lignin Pay — Now, Soon, Never?” Here below are the slides presented on the day. The recorded version can be accessed here. READ MORE / MORE
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo’s Alcohol to Jet Fuel Clears Key ASTM Hurdle
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) First commercial test flight with Alaska Airlines comes closer In Colorado, ASTM International Committee D02 on Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels, and Lubricants and Subcommittee D02.J on Aviation Fuel passed a concurrent ballot this week approving the
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Redefining Renewable Biomass: A Policy Change with Cascading Outcomes
by Katie E. Moore-Drougas, Daniel T. Schwartz, Laurel James and Jim Durglo (Brookings Institution) ... One solution that has the potential to substantially curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a change in the Energy Independence and Security Act’s (EISA) definition of “renewable
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Corvallis Makes Switch to Cleaner, Renewable Fuel
(KEZI) About 40 city vehicles, including buses, will switch over to renewable diesel this summer --that's about one third of the city's vehicle pool. Renewable diesel burns cleaner and offers more power and better mileage while reducing the fleet's carbon footprint.
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Kinder Morgan Halts Work on $1B Pipeline
(Longview News Journal) Kinder Morgan is halting work on the $1 billion Palmetto Pipeline after Georgia lawmakers approved a one-year moratorium on permits for petroleum pipelines in the state. The Texas-based energy company said in a statement it "suspended further work"
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Survival of the Hardest-Working -- Cells that Work Hard Stay Alive, Lazy Cells Die
by Beth Miller (Washington University) A team of engineers at Washington University in St. Louis discovered a way to improve production of biofuels, pharmaceuticals, materials and other useful chemicals by capitalizing on the work ethic of cells. The research team, led
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute Poll on Higher Ethanol Blend Awareness Insulting to Consumers
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (March 31, 2016) , the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) released a national poll finding that awareness and knowledge of how to use higher ethanol fuel blends remains relatively unchanged among consumers over the last few years,
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Turning Gut Bacteria Into Bioplastic Factories
(Asian Scientist) E. coli, a common gut bacteria, can be engineered to produce biodegradable polymers for use in surgical sutures, among other applications. -- A Korean research team has engineered gut bacteria to create non-natural polymers in a biorefinery—allowing various plastics
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
University of Tennessee Center Continues Efforts to Develop Low-Cost Biofuels and Bio-Based Products
(AZO CleanTech) A few years ago, petroleum-based products, including gasoline, were not available at affordable prices, unlike the case today. However, the prices are likely to return to the same level in the coming years. Due to this impending scenario, researchers
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
NexSteppe Inc. CEO Selected to Receive the 2016 BIO Rosalind Franklin Award
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Businesswire) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) announced today that President and CEO of NexSteppe, Anna Rath, has been selected by a committee of her peers to be the recipient of the 2016 BIO Rosalind Franklin Award. The Rosalind Franklin Award
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada Visits the BioCube™
(BioCube™) The BioCube Corporation was delighted to have The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada visit the BioCube™ at the GLOBE 2016 Conference in Vancouver last week. Held every two years in Vancouver, BC the GLOBE Series of
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo Restarts Production of Isobutanol in March 2016 Following Completion of Capital Projects
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc.(NASDAQ:GEVO) today announced financial results for the three months endedDecember 31, 2015. Key highlights for Gevo included: Gevo restarted the production of isobutanol at its production facility in Luverne, Minnesota following the completion of capital projects designed to decrease
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Son of Billion Ton: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to the USDA Billion Ton Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 2005 report, Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply (generally referred to as the Billion-Ton Study) was an estimate of potential biomass available within the contiguous United
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Prospective Plantings: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Corn, Soy, Sorghum, Wheat Acreage
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2016 planting intentions. U.S. corn growers expect to plant 93.6 million acres to corn this year, according to the Prospective Plantings report
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Shock Rise in Corn Production Leads to Price Plunge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In grains, the big news has been the USDA prospective plantings report, which has corn up to 93 million acres in 2016, up 5 million over last year, and it was an unexpected gain given
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
The Yield Dividend: 5-10X Increase in Sorghum Opening New Options for Africa?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In South Africa,, Chromatin and Zaad Holdings have entered into an alliance to produce and distribute planting seed for grain and forage sorghum throughout the African continent. In Africa, sorghum is used in the food and
April 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Key Projects and Trends: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Drop-in Fuels 2020
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Drop-In Fuels” Here below is the second slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from the upcoming Drop In Fuels
April 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Tesla’s Model 3 Could Destroy Elon Musk’s Company
by Edward Niedermeyer (The Daily Beast) It won’t hit the road for two years, it won’t be as cheap as promised, and it will be plagued with problems. Worst of all, the firm may run out of money before the
April 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Exploring the Viability of Small Scale Anaerobic Digesters in Livestock Farming
by Clare Lukehurst and Angela Bywater (IEA Bioenergy) This report explores the viability of small scale anaerobic digestion for livestock farming where there is a need to deal with animal manure and slurry in a manner that minimises the emission of greenhouse
April 01, 2016 Read Full Article
AP Interview: Corruption Probe Holds Lessons for Monaco
by Angela Charlton (Associated Press/Washington Post) Monaco’s government says it’s investigating how an alleged vast oil corruption scandal involving a Monaco-based company long went unnoticed, even though the principality has opened up its financial sector and cracked down on tax
April 01, 2016 Read Full Article
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