by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In our March Madness series, we’ve been covering emerging markets and technological pathways – now we turn to two other key drivers, market access and carbon pricing. There are two approaches — volumetric mandates and carbon
Archive
Back TO HOMEAlgal Residue — An Alternative Carbon Resource
(Algae Industry Magazine) Many microalgae strains have received attention in biomass production due to their high biomass productivity per unit time and per unit area. Algae produce oil as well as carbohydrates, occurring mainly in the form of starch. Oil
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Indonesia Labels EU Palm Oil Resolution ‘Discriminative’ and ‘Protectionist’
by Daryl Worthington (Biofuels International) Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the European Parliament Resolution on Palm Oil and Deforestation of Rainforests, describing it as ‘discriminative’. In addition, the ministry claims the EU decision was based on “inaccurate and unaccountable
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
St Peter High School Visits Guardian Energy
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Thirty-two high school students toured Guardian Energy’s ethanol plant today to get a closer look at how renewable energy is produced. The students, from St Peter High School, toured the various processes of ethanol production at Guardian Energy, which
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Norfolk Southern Recognizes Ethanol Shippers in 2016 Safety Award
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol producers were among 55 customers recognized by the Norfolk Southern for shipping at least 1,000 carloads of hazardous products over the railroad without a single incident during 2016. Collectively, the companies safely shipped 208,503 carloads of
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Inside Edge - Trump Advisor Icahn's Big Bet against Biofuels Credits
by Chris Prentice and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters/KFGO) Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's oil refining company, CVR Energy, made a massive bet in 2016 that prices for U.S. government biofuels credits would fall - just before Icahn started advising President Donald Trump
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Survival at a Crossroads
by Larry R. Knight* (Reciclaje Pura Vida for Advanced Biofuels USA) There are those who would argue that global warming is not occurring. While the evidence suggests otherwise, it would be political and intellectual suicide to argue that our global population
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Outline 23 Barriers to Advanced Biofuels’ Success
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Virginia, researchers from Virginia Tech University have determined that 52% of advanced biofuels facilities were already closed in 2015 and have determined a list of 23 barriers that could potentially explain why these projects
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Shell Opens Technology Hub in Bangalore Where IH2 Technology Is under Development
(Shell) Shell today(March 31, 2017) opened a new major technology hub in Bangalore - a 52 acre, custom built technology centre - that can house up to 1,500 experts, who would collaboratively work on worldwide innovative energy projects. The inauguration was
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Surrey MSW-to-Biofuel Plant Seen Commissioning in June
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, the long-awaited MSW-to-biofuel plant in Surrey is preparing for commissioning in June, making it North America’s first plant of such kind. Waste collection trucks and other city vehicles will be fueled with the
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Noic, Triangle in Ethanol Talks
(AllAfrica/The Herald) The National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC) is in discussions with Triangle Limited to form a joint venture company for the production of ethanol. This comes as Government recently liberalised ethanol production following perennial failure by Green Fuel
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
New Route to FDCA: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen’s Chemo-Enzymatic Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, news arrived from MetGen that they have developed a novel chemo-enzymatic process that leads to oxidized forms of 5-HMF. They report that “this form of sugar is known to have above 90% conversion
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Biotechnology: Disrupting the Global Asset Classes of National Security
by Jim Lane (BiofuelsDigest) ... For any society, an even more perfect class of technology assets would allow us to move in either direction — perfect convertibility. When energy prices are low and supply is replete, but food prices are
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Perry: Trump Committed to Making Renewables Competitive with Fossil Fuels
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Monday that the Trump administration supports making wind and solar energy more competitive with coal and fossil fuels, while simultaneously urging the world to embrace more natural gas exports and
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
New Life Infused into Proposed Danish Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Prospects for a cellulosic ethanol plant to be built as part of the Maabjerg Energy Center in Denmark have achieved a breakthrough, according Jorgen Udby, chairman. London-based investment firm Pioneer Point Partners has confirmed in a letter
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Grains Piled on Runways, Parking Lots, Fields Amid Global Glut
by P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) ... World stockpiles of corn and wheat are at record highs. From Iowa to China, years of bumper crops and low prices have overwhelmed storage capacity for basic foodstuffs. Global stocks of corn, wheat, rice
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
POET Remains Committed to Developing Cellulosic Ethanol Blends
by Andrew Flinn (Brownfield Ag News) Matt Merritt, Director of Public Relations for POET DSM says the company’s Project Liberty cellulosic ethanol facility at Emmetsburg Iowa – which started production a year ago – is already nearing production goals. “We’re already
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
The Quest to Capture and Store Carbon – and Slow Climate Change — Just Reached a New Milestone
by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) A new large-scale technology has launched in Decatur, Illinois that, by combining together corn-based fuels with the burial of carbon dioxide deep underground, could potentially result in the active removal of greenhouse gases from the
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
RFS: New Revenue Stream for Biomass Facilities?
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Power Association/Biomass Magazine) ... Unbeknownst to many in the biomass power sector, there may be a role for biomass power producers to play in the RFS. Electric vehicles (EVs) represent an increasing share of the automotive market,
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump on Ethanol: Supportive, but Few Comments
by Patrick Anderson (Argus Leader) President Donald Trump has never tweeted about ethanol. In the course of tens of thousands of posts on his social media platform of choice, the president has posted about oil about 150 times, about Rosie
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Traders Facing Losses as Brazil Import Bet Goes Awry
by Fabiana Batista (Bloomberg) Buying of cheaper U.S. fuel made from corn surged in February; Price of local supply made from sugar plunged 20% by March 31 -- A few months ago, some ethanol traders in Brazil thought they had a
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
US-Based Researchers Develop System for Converting Waste Methane to Microbial Biomass
by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight) A new paper by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) describes a process that captures methane from natural gas and biogas and that uses photosynthesis to convert it into biomass feedstock. The new paper is called ‘A
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
From Wastewater to Sustainable Fuel
(SEAT) Turning wastewater into sustainable fuel. This is the answer to two environmental challenges, namely reusing an increasingly scarce resource, water, and finding alternative energies to counter episodes of severe pollution that impose traffic restrictions in cities such as Madrid
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Analizan alternativas energéticas ante el cambio climático: senadora Silvia Garza Galván
(Senado de la Republica) Realiza el Senado de la República la Mesa Redonda “Perspectivas y Uso del Etanol para Reducir Emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero”. La presidenta de la Comisión Especial de Cambio Climático en la Cámara Alta pidió hacer
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Sustainable Polyurethanes and the Bio Economy
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... The use of biomass to produce value added chemicals for polymer synthesis is a major focus of the effort to replace fossil carbon. The theory is that these products can lead the way
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Chemistry, Not Biology: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to C5 and C6 Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four axioms start this presentation by David Dodds, on C5 and C6 sugar opportunities, at a breezy pace: If you are making a molecule from another molecule, you are a chemist, doing chemistry. Synthetic biology is merely
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Blue Sky Science: Could the Biofuel Cycle Be Made More Efficient?
(Wisconsin State Journal/Morgridge Institute for Research) Q: Could the biofuel cycle be made more efficient? — Nikita Agrawal, 11, Skinner West Elementary, Chicago A: The production of biofuels starts by growing plants out in a field or forest. All of the
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Plastic Precursor Could Grow Cellulosic Biofuel Industry
by Krista Eastman (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A team of chemical and biological engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has found a way to produce from biomass a valuable compound used in plastic production that they estimate could lower the cost
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
India’s First Biodiesel Bus Struggling to Get Fuel
(Biofuels International) A corporation which pioneers environmentally friendly transport in India is struggling to find biodiesel for its buses, according to the Bangalore Mirror. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was the first in India to introduce buses which run
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
The EU’s Sweet 16: 16 of the Most Fascinating Projects under Development and in Deployment in Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Europe is often thought of as a dead-end for biofuels, owing to a thorny debate over fuel mandates, and agricultural protection. But it’s a reputation entirely undeserved; some of the most fascinating projects are there. In
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Analysis: Unica Pleads for Ethanol Import Tariff, but Imports to Continue
by Beatriz Pupo (Platts) Brazilian sugar industry group, Unica, is seeking the introduction of an ethanol import tariff of 16%. Unica is citing in its pleas the higher greenhouse gas emissions of corn ethanol, Brazilian imports of which have surged over the
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
DSM Ramps up R&D Capabilities with New Biotech Center
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Dutch biotech giant Royal DSM has opened a new state-of-the-art biotechnology facility on its Delft, Netherlands, campus. The Biotechnology Center will accelerate DSM's biotech research and development capabilities for applications in food and nutrition, feed, fuel, pharma
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Aromatics Poisoning Prompts Partnership with Formula Drift Racer
(Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Urban Air Initiative is proud to announce an educational partnership with Alec Hohnadell, a driver on the Formula Drift Circuit. Hohnadell not only uses ethanol race fuel for its performance capabilities but also for
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
How Ethanol Is Making North Dakota Farmland Less Fertile
by Sam Harrington (Yale Climate Connections) Until about 10 years ago, spring wheat was a favorite crop for farmers in North Dakota. Erickson: “Beginning in 2007, when the government heavily incentivized corn production for ethanol use, corn production really reached into North
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry, Small-Engine Manufacturers Clash over Damage from Fuel
by Ben Wolfgang (Washington Times) Manufacturers of lawn mowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, and other small-engine equipment continue fueling a debate over the supposed dangers of ethanol, but the ethanol industry argues that they are merely looking for a scapegoat to mask operator
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
It’s Not the Tax, It’s the EPA.
by Ben Geman (Axios-Axios Generate) Axios' Amy Harder asked an administration official about the prospects of a carbon tax, given that it has been rumored as a possible policy the White House could embrace. The official said the biggest reason it
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Oak Ridge Pioneers New Way to See Biomass Pretreatment Impacts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have reported in Nature a new high resolution approach to visioning the impact of biomass pre-treatment technology. By combining spectroscopy and emerging microscopy techniques, the team measured the
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
New Coalition Launches To Fight for US Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Main Street Energy Alliance has launched to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to resist the efforts of a small group of special interests including Valero, Monroe Energy and investor Carl Icahn who
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Chip Energy Wins Occupancy OK for Factory Building Made from Recycled Shipping Containers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, obtaining a certificate of occupancy on a building constructed of 60 Intermodal Shipping Containers is a huge accomplishment for Chip Energy, said company president Paul Wever, president of Chip Energy Inc. These types
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Florida Considers Accelerating Hemp Research as Orange Alternative
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, state legislators are looking to ease restrictions on industrial hemp research. According to the Florida State Senate, house bill 1217 that “authorizes specified universities in state to engage in industrial hemp research projects”
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Frontiers of Gene-Editing, and Why Calyxt Is One to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... At its heart, it’s a company about transformation in basic food feedstocks. But where the technological imperative for years has been about, to use an example, more corn and cheaper corn — with the
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
REDII - Taking a Look at the Impact Assessment
(ePURE) With its revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) the European Commission wants to phase out all conventional biofuels in the EU. But in making its proposal the Commission has ignored many of its own guidelines for Impact Assessments, including
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
N.J. Man Sentenced to 5 Years Prison for Biodiesel Fraud
(Reuters) The owner of a New Jersey feedstock processor was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a scheme that generated fraudulent tax and renewable fuel credits, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday. In addition to
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
EU Clamps Down on Imports of Unsustainable Palm Oil for Biofuels
(European Parliament/Biomass Magazine) To counter the impact of unsustainable palm oil production such as deforestation and habitat degradation, particularly in Southeast Asia, the EU should introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market and phase out
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
China Aims to Sow a Revolution with GM Seed Takeover
by (Science Magazine) The planned takeover of Swiss seed giant Syngenta by Chinese state-owned chemical company ChemChina stands to change the outlook for biotech research in China. Although China imports preapproved genetically modified (GM) foods and generously funds GM research,
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
A&B Planning Pongamia Project on Former HC&S Land
by Lee Imada (Maui News) Alexander & Baldwin is close to formalizing a partnership with a seed oil producing company on a 250-acre demonstration project to produce biofuels from the pongamia tree on old sugar fields with planting possibly to
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Seven Cool Biofuel Crops That We Use for Fuel Production
by Christopher McFadden (Interesting Engineering) Biofuels and biofuel crops have been vaunted by politicians, journalists and scientists for years. A method of producing fuel from plants or other sources could potentially allow us to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. ... Biofuels
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Understanding Land Use Change – Are New Tools Needed?
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at the local level, and how can understanding of land use change be improved? The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been around
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
AB Mauri Introduces AB Biotek in North America
(AB Mauri) AB Mauri, a global leader in yeast and bakery ingredient products, has launched a new business division – AB Biotek – in North America and globally. Specializing in fermentation science and yeast innovation, AB Biotek is a technology-driven division
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Bioethanol Market Expected to Reach $9,544 Million by 2022
(Allied Market Research) According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Bioethanol Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022," the global market was valued at $5,652 million in 2015, and is projected to reach $9,544 million
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Two PA Companies Partner to Fuel Economy
(Gant News) Pennsylvania Grain Processing Corn Merchandiser, Brian Kelly, was a little doubtful four years ago when he first approached Sheetz Inc. about selling new blends of ethanol at its fuel station near Interstate 80 in Clearfield. “Truthfully, I didn’t think
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Nebraska Farmers Make the Case for Higher Blends of Ethanol
by Steve White (Nebraska.TV) Pres. Trump says he wants to end job–killing regulations on ethanol, and area farmers suggest a good place to start. “Allow E15 to be sold as normal gasoline, moving forward with that is going to be great for
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Discounts API Poll
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is calling results of yet another American Petroleum Institute (API) push poll released today “skewed” and based on misleading questions. API claims its poll results show a majority of Americans are
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Could This Enzyme Help Turn Biofuel Waste into Something Useful?
by Sarah Yang (Berkeley Lab) Joint BioEnergy Institute study targets LigM for its role in breaking down aromatic pollutants -- A protein used by common soil bacteria is providing new clues in the effort to convert aryl compounds, a common
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia Attract International Interest in Developing Homegrown Jet Biofuels
(GreenAir Online) A year after issuing a joint Request for Information (RFI) from parties interested in supporting the development and production of sustainable aviation fuel in the region, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia say they have had strong interest
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Seaweed Cultivation Could Provide a Promising Source of Sustainable Aviation Biofuels, Finds Norwegian Report
(GreenAir Online) Seaweed could become a promising source of biofuels for aviation if sustainably produced and economic and policy challenges can be overcome, says a report by Norwegian NGO Bellona. Seaweeds, or macroalgae, generally contain high amounts of carbohydrates (sugars)
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
E15 Infrastructure Bill Would Add $35.9M to Minnesota GDP
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) An infrastructure bill in the Minnesota House and Senate that calls for expanding access to E15 would contribute $35.9 million to the state's GDP, according to an analysis by ABF Economics. House File 1257 and Senate
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Bio-Diesel Pumping out Safe Energy
(Sunday World) From the remotest part of South Africa, in the town of Kuruman, Northern Cape, Kealeboga Hoti and her business team are producing environment friendly carbon-free biofuel. -- Hoti, a biochemist, is the co-founder and owner of Lamo Fuel,
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Fermentation 3.0 – The Must Knows
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Now on the one hand you have the theory of alternative fuels, chemicals and materials, then there is the actual making of them — often aiming for exotically high rates, titers and yields in order
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
First-Gen Fuels under Siege, Hit Back with Hard Data
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ethanol supporters in the US and Australia and first-gen fuels advocates of conventional ethanol and biodiesel in the EU are striking out against what they see as misguided reports that have appeared across three continents
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Fueling Future from Coast to Coast
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) ...Led by Don O’Connor, a Vancouver-based international expert on greenhouse-gas emissions, the panel discussed biodiesel opportunities from coast to coast. From the west coast was Simon Mui, Director of California’s Fuels, Energy and Transportation Program for the
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuel Stations Can Submit Ethanol Grant Applications
(The Herald Tribune) The Indiana Office of Energy Development and Indiana Corn Marketing Council have announced that publicly-accessible fuel retail stations in Indiana can begin applying for a share of $122,687 through the fourth round of applications for the Hoosier
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Education and Outreach Activities in India: A Report
by Gunjan Mukherjee* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Working on Education and Outreach for Advanced Biofuels USA, I, as Professor of Biotechnology at Chandigarh University, conducted a few seminar lectures where the activities of Advanced Biofuels USA were presented and discussed with senior
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Göran Bengtsson, Director of Research and Technology, Future Business, Aeronautics, commenting on the 100% biofuel test flight of a Gripen D single engine fighter: “Gaining independence from imports of oil is important from a defence standpoint and opens the way
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Gripen Completes Test Flights with 100% Biofuel
(SAAB) Gripen has for the first time undergone a series of test flights with 100% biofuel. This demonstrates that the aircraft can be flown with an alternative fuel and gives valuable knowledge for future possible use of alternative fuel. “Demonstrating that
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
GMO-Ethanol Corn Contamination Raises Concerns about Another “StarLink” Disaster
by Ken Roseboro (Huffington Post) Food corn buyers say Syngenta’s Enogen GMO corn is contaminating non-GMO white corn fields, creating a potential “trainwreck;” may be linked to bad masa flour in California. Enogen, a genetically modified corn for ethanol production, has
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Dizzy Display of Sunflower Power
(Maui News) Early sunflowers bloom in Pacific Biodiesel’s 115-acre demonstration project between Waikapu and Maalaea as viewed from the side of Kuihelani Highway on Tuesday morning. The biofuel crop is expected to yield more than 100 gallons of oil per
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Feature: Ethanol RINs Rebound as Prospects Fade of Quick RFS Reform
by Meghan Gordon and Wes Swift (Platts) RINs bottom out March 2 after four-month slide; EPA may hold 2018 mandate steady, start easing in 2019; Point of obligation debate fades into background -- Refiners' and petroleum marketers' hopes for a quick rollback of
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Foxx: Reducing CAFE Goals Would Be ‘Setback’
by Jim Lynch (The Detroit News) Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said he believes a rollback of fuel efficiency standards for cars would be a mistake, and that the regulatory framework for self-driving cars suggested under President Barack
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Singular Focus ... Waiting for EPA
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Oil companies, gas station operators and other organizers of the just-launched Main Street Energy Alliance wanted to speak with a single voice in the intensifying wonky debate over which types of companies should be responsible
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
The Whole-Soil Carbon Flux in Response to Warming
by Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, C. Castanha, R. C. Porras, M. S. Torn (Science Magazine) Soils contain about twice as much carbon as Earth's atmosphere, so their response to warming is crucial to understanding carbon fluxes in a changing climate. Past studies have heated
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Enzymes Offer Waste-to-Energy Solution
by Mark Peplow (Science Magazine) A cutting-edge waste-to-energy plant is taking shape in the industrial heartland of the United Kingdom. When the £60 million facility opens in May, it will be the world’s first commercial-scale plant to use enzymes and microbes
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Italian Farmers Produce Low Cost Biomethane with Positive Environmental Impacts
(Ecofys) Sequential cropping can be a promising model to produce additional biomass without negative impacts on land use change or food production. In a research study for the Italian Biogas Consortium (CIB), Ecofys found that agricultural crop yields can increase
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
More Iowa Fuel Retailers Carrying Higher Blends of Biodiesel
(Iowa Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) A new state government report shows more than half of Iowa’s fuel retailers carried biodiesel in 2016, increasing six percent over 2015. Higher blends are also becoming the norm. Iowa’s proactive state policies have played a
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
California Ethanol Mill to Build Novel Biodiesel Refinery On-Site
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A California ethanol plant is being awarded a grant from the state energy commission to help build a biodiesel production facility on-site. Calgren Renewable Fuels, an ethanol refinery in Pixley, California—the heart of dairy country—already
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
US Forest Service and Biomass: A Symbiotic Partnership
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Power Association/Biomass Magazine) More than 100 million trees across California, many located in the federally managed Sierra, Stanislaus and Sequoia National Forests, are dead, owing to a years-long drought and a nasty bark beetle infestation. As many
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Addressing Biomass Energy 'Alternative Facts'
by William Strauss (FutureMetrics/Biomass Magazine) ... The recently released paper by the Chatham House is a study that contains many inaccurate statements about the use of wood for energy. Those statements are presented as facts, or as uncontested conclusions. This article
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Imports Cometh
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel hit extreme heights in 2016, fulfilling a third of the consumption market, driving the domestic biodiesel industry to more actively seek counteracting measures to protect its own investments. --
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Scientists Engineer Sugarcane to Produce Biodiesel
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Laboratory Equipment) A multi-institutional team led by the University of Illinois have proven sugarcane can be genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production. Surprisingly, the modified sugarcane plants also produced
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
South African Bio-energy Atlas Launched to Support Bio-Energy Development
by Keith Campbell (Cramer Media/Engineering News) The South Africa Bio-energy Atlas, launched in Pretoria on Friday, will allow the country to identify opportunities for sustainable bio-energy and be able to achieve much more in terms of developing a 'green' economy.
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
EP Petroecuador Signs Contracts with Alcohol Companies to Guarantee Supply of Ecopaís
(EP Petroecuador (Google Translation)) In the presence of the Minister of Hydrocarbons, Ing. José Icaza, the Petroecuador Public Company and the companies Consorcio Artesanal Cado, Producargo SA, Codana SA and Soderal SA, signed a USD 95 million contract for the
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Railways Goes Slow on Biodiesel Blending Due to Fluctuating Prices
(The Hindu Business Line) Indian Railways has gone slow on bio-diesel blending due to fluctuating prices, according to the Railway Convention Committee (RCC) report, tabled in Parliament recently. According to the Chairman of the Railway Board, earlier, the thinking was that
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
March Madness 2017: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Woody Biomass and Its Prospects and Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When they write the story of the advanced bioeconomy one day, they might just title it “Put Another Log on the Fire” because consistently you tell us that the near-term feedstock opportunities are in waste
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. Comments on Emerging Bioethanol Market Opportunity as It Commercializes Its Cellulose to Sugar Technology Process
(Alliance Bio-Products) The company's patented CTS process presents a viable option for growing biofuel production efforts with its ability to produce cellulosic ethanol at a lower cost and without harmful environmental impact -- Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. (Bio-Products), a subsidiary of
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Fighting Misinformation One Fact at a Time
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In our industry, facts are sacrosanct. You cannot fight misinformation, mistruths or alternative facts with anything other than the truth. And that’s where our “2017 Ethanol Industry Outlook” comes in handy. Our annual
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Managing Margin, Risk, Financial Transparency in the Ethanol Industry
by Steve Rosvold (KRM Business Solutions/Ethanol Producer Magazine) When it comes to margin and risk management, ethanol producers have difficult and unique choices. In most commodity processing industries, the output price is highly correlated to input price. ... The ethanol industry is different. The
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
US Biodiesel Blenders Tax Credit Should Be Considered Despite Lapse: Expert
by Eric Janssen (Platts) The US biodiesel blenders tax credit should be taken into consideration even though the credits have lapsed because it is likely to be retroactively reinstated, according to a recent analysis from an agricultural economist. Sharing agreements of the
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
White House Disavows Two Controversial Tax Ideas Hours after Officials Say They’re under Consideration
by Damian Paletta and Max Ehrenfreund (Washington Post) The White House on Tuesday disavowed two controversial options for their planned overhaul of the tax code, after two Trump administration officials earlier in the day said the president's team was exploring
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Sizing Them Up
by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine) A close look at export data for wood pellets, fuel ethanol and biodiesel reveals a varying reliance on export markets for U.S. producers. -- The combined export value of wood pellets, ethanol and biodiesel for
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
White House Explores Two New Tax Ideas — A Value-Added Tax and Carbon Tax — As Leading Proposal to Raise Revenue Falters
by Damian Paletta and Max Ehrenfreund (Washington Post) ... But many economists view a VAT as a tax that disproportionately hurts lower-income workers, who typically benefit from a progressive income-tax system. A carbon tax would target the emissions of carbon dioxide and
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE Takes RVP Message to Hill
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The American Coalition for Ethanol 9th annual DC fly-in last week brought the “Power by People” message to Capitol Hill, focused on allowing the sale of 15 percent ethanol blends all year long in every part of
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Plant Manager Launches Petition to Reform US Tax Credit
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A biodiesel plant manager in Mississippi is doing his part to bring attention to the growing momentum to reinstate the expired $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit, and to reform the incentive so that only domestic producers
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Yeast and Bakery Ingredient Leader Launches New Biotech Division Targeting Fermentation and Yeast Innovation; Biofuels
(MoveEnergy) AB Mauri, a global leader in yeast and bakery ingredient products (AB Mauri sells Fleischmann’s yeast), has launched a new business division—AB Biotek—in North America and globally. Specializing in fermentation science and yeast innovation, AB Biotek is a technology-driven
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Drain the Swamp, Clear Cut Mountains
by Trent Loos (High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) ... While there is a lot to be discussed, today it is the subsidies ethanol production gets that we should focus on. Oh wait, there are no longer any subsidies. In fact, since
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
FedEx CEO Backed by Generals Tries to Nudge Trump on Fuel Rules
by John Lippert (Bloomberg) Smith leads effort to position standards as security issue; Group calling for electric vehicles, U.S. oil production -- To get Donald Trump to come around to tougher fuel-economy standards, a corporate titan is calling in the troops
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Dumping Complaint Could Kill Argentine Biodiesel Exports, Groups Says
by Maximiliano Rizzi (Reuters) Argentina's biodiesel exports could be devastated if the U.S. government imposed anti-dumping duties on the coutrtry based on a complaint by the U.S. National Biodiesel Board, the heads of two local industry chambers said. The board last week
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
China’s Plan to Make Jet Fuel from Restaurant Leftovers
(NetralNews.com) Plans to mass-produce jet fuel from restaurants' waste kitchen oil will come a step closer in China next year when a major state-owned refiner begins construction of a full-scale production plant. Zhenhai Refining and Chemical, a Sinopec subsidiary based in
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
A&B Map Shows Possible Uses for Fallow Sugar Fields
by Lee Imada (Maui News) A general map showing possible uses of now fallow sugar fields — including areas for possible biodiesel-producing tree orchards, coffee and cacao crops and livestock-irrigated pastures — was projected on a screen as the former
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Scientists Develop ‘Grassoline’ to Power Airplanes of the Future
(Indian Express Tech) In the quest of more sustainable energy sources, scientists have developed 'grassoline' - a biofuel derived from grass that could one day power airplanes. Researchers investigated methods that can disintegrate and treat grass until it can be used
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Couple Biodiesel Oil Crops Technology Provides More Oil per Acre, Advanced Biofuel Center Announces
(Advanced Biofuel Center/AltEnergyMag.com) ... The Advanced Biofuel Center (ABC) recently announced progress on its work with its mission "more Biodiesel oil per hectare" by developing two or more dedicated Biodiesel Crops in same acreage and that without extra inputs. According to
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
MEPs to Call for Clampdown on Use of Palm Oil in Biofuels
(European Parliament News) The EU should tackle the environmental impacts of unsustainable palm oil production, such as deforestation and habitat degradation, particularly in South-East Asia, says a non-binding report to be put to a vote on Tuesday. Members advocate phasing
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
BP and DuPont’s Bio-Isobutanol Joint Venture, Butamax, Acquires Ethanol Facility in Kansas
(Biofuels International) Butamax Advanced Biofuels, a 50/50 joint venture between BP and DuPont, has announced the acquisition of Nesika Energy and its ethanol facility in Scandia, Kansas. Butamax will now start engineering work to add bio-isobutanol capacity to the facility. ... The
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates Work to Boost Demand
by Nat Willilams (Iowa Farmer Today) ... (Barry) Frazier (president of Center Ethanol) was among biofuels advocates speaking at a conference of the National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization here. More than 500 college students and ag professionals were on
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Exec Sees Growth in Exports, E-15
by Roy Leidahl (Missouri Farmer Today) ... “Science will win,” White (Robert White, vice president of industry relations at the Renewable Fuels Association) said in a speech at the Celebration of Agriculture here March 21. “Science will show them the history
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Delaware City Refinery Ethanol Project Heading to Court
by Scott Goss (The News Journal/DelawareOnline.com) The battle over Delaware City Refinery's planned expansion of its ethanol operations has been renewed. Two civic groups that unsuccessfully challenged the state's approval of the project in February are now asking a judge to let their lawsuit
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Workforce Big on Military Vets
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) A new Department of Energy (DOE) study shows that military veterans make up a significant share of America’s ethanol industry workforce which is not only larger than any other energy sector but more than twice the national
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Can Sewage Solve Our Energy Crisis?
by Len Calderone (AltEnergyMag.com) Sewage-to-energy would cut costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Industry calculations show that if all biosolids in the United States were converted into biomass energy, they would yield 7 million to 7.6 million megawatts of energy,
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Etihad Airways and Boeing Check on Biofuel Progress at Masdar
(Ehihad Airways) Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, joined Scott Fancher, Boeing Senior Vice President, at the integrated seawater and agriculture system facility within Masdar City to check on the
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Textbook: Biofuels and Bioenergy
edited by John Love and John A. Bryant (Wiley-Blackwell) With increased public and scientific attention driven by factors such as oil price spikes, the need for increased energy security, and concerns over greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, the production
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Quad County Corn Processors to Evaluate XyloFerm® on Industrial Scale
(Taurus Energy) Quad County Corn Processors, Galva, Iowa, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits and Taurus Energy has agreed to evaluate XyloFerm in the Cellerate™ process on industrial scale. After preliminary lab-scale trials of XyloFerm in the Cellerate™ process and obtained GRAS
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
QuikTrip to Begin Selling E15 Fuel
(Convenience Store News) Blend coming to 44 Dallas-Fort Worth area c-stores. -- QuikTrip Corp. will begin offering E15 fuel at 44 of its convenience stores in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metro area. E15 was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Validated, Integrated: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, followed by fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, is flexible to be used to convert different feedstocks on a regional basis, for example corn stover in
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Smoking Gun Found in Biofuels’ Billion Dollar Baby Brawl?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But almost nothing about the Billion Dollar Baby Brawl has been standard fare as Aemetis, Edeniq, a string of investors and more lawyers than you can easily chain to the bottom of the ocean
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
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