by Grant Bradley (New Zealand Herald) When a brand new Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 flies from France to Hong Kong on Wednesday it will be partly powered by biofuel. The 334-seat plane will have a 10 per cent blend of biofuel next
Archive
Back TO HOMEPreparing for Take-Off? Aviation Biofuel Research Wins £5m Boost
by Madeleine Cuff (Business Green) Waste-to-jet fuel project backed by Department for Transport, Shell, and British Airways -- A project to turn landfill waste into sustainable jet fuel has received a major boost today, securing almost £5m of funding from the government and
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Large Outdoor Study Shows Biodiversity Improves Stability of Algal Biofuel Systems
(Phys.Org/University of Michigan) ... Overall, the researchers found that diverse mixes of algal species, known as polycultures, performed more key functions at higher levels than any single species—they were better at multitasking. But surprisingly, the researchers also found that polycultures did
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
New Algae Biofuel Production Method Could Someday Compete with Petroleum
by Philip T. Pienkos (R&D Magazine) ... This time, the leading force was not the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), but the investment community acting in the belief that the power of modern biotechnology could be brought to bear against the
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Auburn Researcher: Biofuels Are Still an Important Component of Our Energy Mix
by Steven Taylor (Yellow Hammer) ... But for a moment, let’s reexamine biofuels, as they can still play an important role in our state’s energy production and economic development. According to the Energy Institute of Alabama, our state ranks fifth in the nation
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Bosnia's Fuel Distributors Agree to Cut Prices after Protests
by Daria Sito-Sucic (Reuters) Fuel distributors in Bosnia’s autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation agreed a deal with the regional government on Tuesday to cut fuel prices after drivers repeatedly blocked roads in protest against rising prices, a government minister said. ... Fuel prices were first
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Indian Researchers Create an Artificial Leaf Which Consumes Sunlight and Carbon Dioxide to Produce Energy
by Amit Jha (Crazy Engineers) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore have found a novel approach to produce energy by using sunlight and carbon dioxide. By using a collection of quantum dots made up of Copper Aluminium Sulphate and Zinc
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Fuel Delivery Services, a Specialty Carrier of Refined Petroleum Products in California, Switches to Neste MY Renewable Diesel
(Neste) Fuel Delivery Services, Inc. (FDS), a bulk transporter of refined petroleum products based in Stockton, CA, recently switched their Stockton based fleet of trucks to Neste MY Renewable Diesel™. FDS provides transportation services seven days a week, 365 days
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to The Andersons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Andersons operate four ethanol plants for respective LLCs in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Iowa that are collectively capable of producing over 475 million gallons of ethanol. The company’s Ethanol Group provides facility operations, risk management, ethanol and
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Box Elder Tax Increment Program for Biofuels Company Is on Hold
by Mark Shenefelt (Standard-Examiner) In 2014, the Box Elder County Redevelopment Agency created a $2.5 million, seven-year tax increment program to support expansions planned at the Washakie Renewable Energy plant in Plymouth. But the county economic development director said Wednesday, June
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Won't Reallocate Exempt Biofuel Obligations without Congress
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it will not reallocate exempt biofuel obligations under the small refinery waiver program without an act of Congress, setting the stage for a new clash with lawmakers in corn producing
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Laurene Powell Jobs
Laurene Powell Jobs, quoted in a recent Washington Post article, explained "Change rarely originates at the top. When you want change, lobbying Congress is important, but it can't be your whole strategy. ... The most effective way to create change
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Maine Developments – Bio News Mounts from the Pine Tree State
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... First, let’s start with the latest from the Maine Technology Institute, which just announced a request for information regarding emerging forest industry technologies, with the goal of accelerating matchmaking to connect the most viable,
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
GAO to Look into Trump's Reduction of Carbon Social Costs
by Miranda Green (The Hill) A government watchdog has agreed to review the Trump administration's method for calculating the social cost of carbon, including examining the decision to drop the rate as first determined during the Obama's administration. The Government Accountability Office
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
No Hard Feelings? President Donald Trump Will Campaign with GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) President Donald Trump will campaign with GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer next week — a trip that could extinguish any lingering tensions between the White House and the Senate hopeful, after the president has treated
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Everyone's Favorite Acronym: The Renewable Fuel Standard
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Renewable Fuel Standard will be the subject of a subcommittee hearing this week in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. On Friday the Environment subcommittee will have a hearing focused on advanced biofuels under
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Making Chemicals From Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) ... “We’re hoping to provide alternatives to the sale of ethanol into the fuels market,” said Ron Cascone, principal with Nexant, Inc. “The theme of what I’m doing here is to show that there are options for converting ethanol
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Cenergy Launches Global Biogas Capture and Utilization Program
(Cenergy Solutions/NGV Journal) Cenergy Solutions has a Biogas Capture and Utilization System (BCU System) to help farms and communities around the world economically store and use their biogas instead of venting or flaring it. It is estimated that trillions of cubic
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Critical Plant Gene Takes Unexpected Detour That Could Boost Biofuel Yields
by Sara Shoemaker (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Phys.org) For decades, biologists have believed a key enzyme in plants had one function—produce amino acids, which are vital to plant survival and also essential to human diets. But for Wellington Muchero, Meng Xie and their
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Taps Critic of Pro-Renewables Policies to Lead Renewables Office
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) President Trump is nominating a Department of Energy (DOE) official who previously fought against policies meant to promote renewable energy to lead the agency’s renewable energy office. Dan Simmons has been serving since May 2017 as the
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Mexican Court Overturns Ethanol Blending Injunction
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) A federal tribunal in Mexico Thursday overturned an injunction blocking ethanol blending from climbing to 10% from 5.8%, two sources connected to the case told S&P Global Platts. "Effectively, today the collegiate court decided to revoke the suspension,"
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
White House to Meet Automakers, California on Fuel Efficiency Rule
by David Shepardson (Reuters) White House officials will have a new round of meetings with an automakers trade group and California’s “clean air” agency next week before unveiling a proposal to reverse rules aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, participants said on
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
EU Recognises Importance of Crop-Based Ethanol to Achieving Climate Goals
(ePURE/EurActiv) RED II agreement by negotiators is a step in the right direction, allowing Member States to use sustainable biofuels in fighting climate change -- Negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission agreed early Thursday morning on a new target for
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Engineered Proteins Could Improve Biomanufacturing Production of Medicines, Fuels
(Purdue University Research Foundation News) Purdue University researchers have developed a series of engineered proteins that could improve biomanufacturing processes for the production of biofuels, pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. The buildup of toxic materials during the production process can damage cell health and
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
NMMA Provides Update on EPA Bio-Isobutanol Approval
(National Marine Manufacturers Association) Earlier this week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt approved the registration of bio-isobutanol as a fuel additive. The National Marine Manufacturers Association has been a leading voice in the effort to secure approval for bio-isobutanol, raising it
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Scania and Line 132 Will Use Pure Biodiesel
by Emiliano Huergo (Clarin Rural) Claudio Molina, Executive Director of the Argentine Association of Biofuels and Hydrogen (AABH), announced that the line of collectives 132 of the Federal Capital will begin to use pure biodiesel in some units before the end of
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Corbion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Corbion is a global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients. In 2017, the company generated annual sales of € 891.7
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
The Battle for Yeast Supremacy: DSM, DuPont, Novozymes and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Let’s review the big gambits from the likes of DSM, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Novozymes as they duke it out over market share in an era where corn ethanol gallons are, perhaps for the first
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
From Corn to Manure, Here's Why Biofuels Could Be Important in the Years to Come
by Anmar Frangoul (CNBC) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado is a hotbed of research and innovation. One field its researchers are looking at is that of biofuels, which can be produced from biomass. Breaking things down, biomass can include anything
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of June 13th, 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Chief Hints He Could Order More Ethanol in Fuel
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) A week after the White House suspended its bid to reform the nation’s biofuels policy to aid oil refiners, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday dangled a tantalizing prospect to Midwest corn farmers, saying
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Government Wants to Ease Process of Purchasing Ethanol, Says Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
(Financial Express/PTI) Just like crude oil is treated as basic raw material for making petrol and diesel, Pradhan wanted ethanol to be given the same treatment -- Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has promised to ease the process of purchasing sugarcane-extracted ethanol for
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Joint Venture Company Formed for Execution of NRL’s Bio Refinery Project
(Numaligarh Refinery Limited) Numaligarh Refinery Limited has taken a giant step forward by establishing a joint venture, Assam Bio-Refinery Pvt. Limited (ABRPL) with equity participation of M/s Chempolis Oy of Finland and M/s Fortum 3 B.V. of Netherland to build and operate the
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Archer Daniels Midland
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Archer Daniels Midland Company is one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, with approximately 31,000 employees serving customers in more than 170 countries. The company sports a global value chain that includes
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
BASF Invests in LanzaTech, ArcelorMittal’s Underway on Advanced Fuels, Syngenta Breaks 3B Gallon Mark, Leaf Gets an Accelerator: Partnership Frenzy in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But it shows also what smaller companies can do when they partner effectively – whether that means industrial giants like ArcelorMittal or BASF, technology accelerator schemes like Unreasonable Impact, or with the US ethanol industry. And
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Stubble Burning: Punjab to Manufacture Bio-CNG from Paddy Straw
(Economic Times Energy World) Seven bio-mass power plants are already underway in the state, but now steps have been taken in the direction of Bio CNG/bio-ethanol from paddy straw, the minister said. ... The government is committed to free Punjab from pollution due
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
BASF and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits to Collaborate and Leverage Synergies Bringing Increased Value to Ethanol Producers
(Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits/BASF) BASF Enzymes LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) have formally entered into a marketing and sales collaboration agreement to leverage synergies between the two companies’ products that maximize value to customers in the ethanol market in the
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Request for Information: Forest Industry Technologies DEADLINE: July 20, 2018
(Biobased Maine/Maine Technology Institute) The Maine Technology Institute is collecting publicly available information on technologies that could be deployed within Maine’s forest industry. The purpose of this RFI is to encourage technology companies to submit preliminary information on their technology and
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
CARB Lays Out Proposed Innovative Clean Transit Regulation COMMENTS DUE: July 23, 2018
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) On Monday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rolled out a draft proposal of its Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation, which is part of CARB’s strategy to transition the state’s heavy-duty mobile source sector to zero- and
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Senate Ag Committee Restores 2018 Farm Bill Energy Title Funding
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On June 13, the Senate ag committee approved the its version of the 2018 Farm Bill with bipartisan support. The legislation includes an amendment offered by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that restores mandatory funding to Farm
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
DNC Quietly Adopts Ban On Fossil Fuel Company Donations
by Alexander C. Kaufman (Huffington Post) The Democratic National Committee voted over the weekend to ban donations from fossil fuel companies, HuffPost has learned. The resolution ― proposed by Christine Pelosi, a party activist and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s daughter
June 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Senators Hope to Reap Farm Bill Amendments
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Senate Agriculture Committee will take up amendments to the farm bill today, but negotiations were still ongoing as to just which of 186 submitted would get a vote. Here are a few energy highlights
June 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Not into Octane
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ON THE HILL: GOP Sen. John Cornyn says finding common ground on an overhaul of the RFS is "like trying to come up with peace in the Middle East." Cornyn has not yet put pen
June 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Unloading Sustainability in the Most Unlikely Places: Germany’s Entrepreneurial Spirit to Realizing Closed Photo-Bioreactor Systems
by Michael Eggelston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The excessive water evaporation of open pond photo-bioreactors (PBRs) seriously limits the geographical applicability of algae as a catalyst for bio-based products. As a result, these industries in Europe have turned to closed PBR
June 13, 2018 Read Full Article
FEW Recognizes Moore, Walker for Contributions to Fuel Ethanol
by Tim Albrecht and Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Kristin Moore and Graeme Walker were recognized June 12 for their contributions to ethanol industry during the 2018 Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo in Omaha. Moore was presented with the High-Octane Award
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
French Partners to Build Photovoltaic Greenhouses for Microalgae
(Algae Industry Magazine) Global EcoPower (GEP), of Aix-en-Provence, France, has signed a 5-year partnership contract with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). This partnership, launched with the CEA’s technological research department, provides for a research and development
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Researcher Wins DOE Grant to Study Sustainability of Biofuels
(University of Idaho/Ethanol Producer Magazine) University of Idaho College of Natural Resources Assistant Professor Tara Hudiburg was awarded $750,000 to study the sustainability of biofuels. The grant, award by the Department of Energy, is part of a $104 million project to create a new
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Pruitt Heads out on Ethanol Visit
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is expected to travel to Kansas this morning, where he'll stop by East Kansas Agri-Energy's ethanol plant in Garnett. The trip comes a week after the White House quashed the release
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Ted Cruz Says Biofuel Policy Overhaul May Be Revived
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) A day after a tentative agreement to overhaul U.S. biofuel policy appeared to collapse amid farm-state concerns, EPA chief Scott Pruitt met to discuss the issue with the lead senator pushing for the changes: Ted Cruz. Pruitt had
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
EU Farmers Boss: DG Agri ‘Not Properly Consulted’ in Biofuels Talks
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) EU farmers are “quite worried” about the fact that the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG Agri) is often disregarded when it comes to policy decisions that have a direct impact on the farming
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Improving Electron Transfer in Enzymatic Biofuel Cells
by Bob Yirka (Phys.org) A team of researchers with members from institutions in Singapore, China and the U.K. has found a way to improve electron transfer in enzymatic biofuel cells. In their paper published in the journal Nature Energy, they describe
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
PNNL Technology Clears Way for Ethanol-Derived Jet Fuel
(U.S. Department of Energy/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) ASTM International updates standard for alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene based on fuel produced by PNNL partner LanzaTech -- ASTM International recently revised ASTM D7566 Annex A5 -- the Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Eleven Years After Bill, City Fleets in Washington State are Nowhere Near Abandoning Gas-Powered Vehicles
by Nicholas Deshais (The Spokesman-Review/GovTech) Seattle has the most alternative-fuel vehicles in its municipal fleet. But its fleet is supposed to be 100 percent alternative. -- ... In 2007, Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a law that said cities, counties and
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Chart of the Week (23) -- Argentina Accounts for Almost Two Thirds of EU Biodiesel Imports − Indonesia Is the Largest Palm Oil Exporter to the EU
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)) Biodiesel imports from Argentina have increased considerably over the past several months. In contrast, imports of soybean oil as feedstock from Argentina have been virtually non-existent. The reverse trend can be seen in
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Open Cell Launches Shipping Container Labs at Shepherd's Bush Market to Accelerate Biotech Start-Up Businesses
(SCIAD Newswire/Open Cell) Open Cell has joined forces with regeneration specialist, U+I, and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and SynbiCITE to launch a biolab to offer affordable spaces at the Old Laundry Yard in Shepherd’s Bush Market. A first for London,
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Thai Policy Helping to Drive Push for More Biogas and Biomass Power Production
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Thailand, a new research report says the country’s biogas market should grow 10% while its biomass market should grow 4% between 2017 and 2022 for a total installed capacity of 4,750MW. The country’s northeastern region, home to
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Waste Management
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Waste Management is the largest environmental solutions provider in North America, serving more than 21 million municipal, commercial and industrial customers in the U.S. and Canada. Today, this includes not just disposal and recycling, but personal
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
WaterKnight, Green Lizard, Solugen, Fero Labs Win at AkzoNobel’s Imagine Chemistry start-up event
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals named 10 start-ups and chemical researchers as winners of the 2018 edition of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals’ Imagine Chemistry challenge. To meet its sustainability and growth ambitions, AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals continues to forge
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to BASF
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What are the strategic plans, progress and future milestones of BASF, a major stakeholder in the Advanced Bioeconomy? In this slide deck, BASF gets into technologies, results, horizons, timelines, direct investments, partnerships and alliances with companies both heralded and
June 11, 2018 Read Full Article
World’s First Commercial Waste Gas to Ethanol Plant Now in Operation
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... In Illinois, carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, and its joint venture partner, Shougang Group, a leading Chinese iron and steel producer, announced the successful start-up of the world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol.
June 11, 2018 Read Full Article
California 2030 Natural and Working Lands Climate Change Implementation Plan Concept Paper
(California Air Resources Board | California Environmental Protection Agency California Department of Food and Agriculture | California Natural Resources Agency) This Concept Paper provides a proposed outline for the California Natural and Working Lands Climate Change Implementation Plan with the aim of
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Utilization Bill Could Create Value for CO2 Emissions
by Tim Albrecht (Biomass Magazine) Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced three bills this week to boost rural economic opportunities by expanding USDA funding eligibility for clean energy projects. This funding would help improve electric grid security, create more energy choices for
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Senate Farm Bill Expands Reach of Energy Title, But Provides Little Funding
by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On Friday, June 8, the Senate Agriculture Committee released the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. In contrast to the GOP-only bill that has advanced in the House, the bipartisan Senate farm bill refrains from eliminating
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy Jobs on the Ballot
by Matt Carr (The Hill/New Energy America) If I asked you the most important state for renewable energy, what comes to mind? Is it California? ... Let me make the case for a state that may not have immediately come to mind as
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA to Change How It Considers Costs, Benefits of Regulations COMMENTS DEADLINE: July 13, 2018
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On June 7, the U.S. EPA issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, announcing the agency is soliciting public input on whether and how to change the way it considers costs and benefits in making
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Brazilian Sugar Industry Fears More Fuel Market Manipulation on the Horizon
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, Platts and Valor Economico report that the sugarcane industry is worried further fuel market manipulation could be on the cards following the resignation of Petrobras’ CEO under pressure of the recent truckers strike that saw much
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Jenna Bloxom
Jenna Bloxom, in a recent Biofuels Digest thought piece on the need "to drastically alter the public’s understanding and attitudes about biofuels," pointed to Standing Rock as, "among many things, a prime and missed opportunity for the biofuels industry to send
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Mired in Misère: Re-Launching Political Capital and Public Trust for Biofuels; Seven Strategies to Reinstate Our Industry’s Power in Washington, D.C. through Mainstreet, USA
by Jenna Bloxom (Colorado State University/Biofuels Digest) ... Now is the critical juncture for a unified bioeconomy to re-assert biofuels as a political powerhouse and compelling policy agenda that defies partisan, geographical, and generational divisions. ... (T)his industry must take the initiative to drastically
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Higher Yields, Faster Fermentation, Reduced Energy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ XCELIS Platform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Building off the recent launch of its fuel ethanol platform DuPont XCELIS, DuPont Industrial Biosciences unveiled the first three products from the innovation hub – designed to increase yields, speed fermentation and reduce energy and chemical
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Michael Tamor
A recent Biofuels Digest article noted that Michael Tamor, a Henry Ford Technical Fellow at Ford, at a recent DOE Bioeconomy event in Washington observed that at least double our current electrical power capacity will be required to be able
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Solar Fuels Come Nearer: Direct-from-Air CO2 Capture Cost Drops below $100/Ton Threshold
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A technology for direct air capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with a cost that “fully burdened with interest on capital, ranges from 94 to 232 $/t-CO2 depending on financial assumptions, energy prices, and the
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
St1 Announces Biofuel Projects in Sweden, Columbia
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On May 25, Nordic energy group St1 announced plans for two separate biofuels projects. One aims to produce biofuels from tall oil in Sweden while the other will explore a combined carbon farming and sustainable biofuels
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
New Machine Learning Approach Could Accelerate Bioengineering
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a way to use machine learning to dramatically accelerate the design of microbes that produce biofuel. Their computer algorithm starts with abundant data about the
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste Management Opens New RNG Facility in Kentucky
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Waste Management has unveiled a $30 million renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Louisville, Ky. The new Outer Loop Recycling and Disposal Facility processes up to 5,000 standard cubic feet per minute of incoming landfill gas and turns it
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
A Green Fleet Does Not Go Unnoticed: Georgia County Wins Top Honors
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Thanks in part to its “green fleet policy,” DeKalb County, Ga., has been awarded the No. 1 spot in this year’s edition of “The 100 Best Fleets in the Americas.” Sponsored by ICOM, FuelForce, Invers, Verizon, Protec
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
CRB Innovations Inc.'s Integrated Biorefinery
(Sustainable Development Technology Canada) An integrated and energy self-sufficient biorefinery will be built and put into operation for the production of cellulosic ethanol and co-products. The sequential fractionation process will be complemented with a novel non-enzymatic technology to hydrolyze, in high
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Argus Biofuels & Carbon Markets Summit --- October 22-24, 2018 --- Napa Valley, CA
250+ Senior Fuels & Emissions Leaders | 2 Unique Tracks | 2 Full Days of Networking The Argus California Carbon & LCFS Summit is now the Argus Biofuels & Carbon Markets Summit! We are expanding our program to better meet the
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Notice for Solicitation of Members for Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee DEADLINE: June 30, 2018
(U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture/Federal Register) ... U.S. Department of Energy is soliciting nomination for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Committee). ... Deadline for Technical Advisory Committee member nominations is
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Gas Mileage With a Punch! 355-Horse 2019 L84 5.3 Chevy V-8 Can Burn E85
by John Gilbert (Super Chevy) The big draw to E85 for gearheads was its 105 octane rating that’s no longer posted on the pump. It’s been a while since there’s been any mention of E85 connected with the new vehicles, but
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
NREL Finds Easier Ways to Deconstruct Biomass
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) If there's an easier, more efficient method, science will find a way. That's certainly the case in producing cellulosic biofuels, which, at least for now, requires a two-step process to free the sugars trapped in
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Sen. Tina Smith Tells Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders that Farm Bill Energy Programs Are Key to Reviving Lagging Farm Economy
(Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)) Senator Leads Bipartisan Push for Strong Funding and Focus on Energy As Senate Begins Work on Farm Bill in Coming Days -- As the Senate prepares to begin work on the 2018 Farm Bill, U.S Senator
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Targray Opens Minnesota Biodiesel Distribution Center in Minneapolis - Saint Paul
(Targray/Sys-con Media/PR Newswire) Biodiesel supplier's new terminal will address growth in demand stemming from state's B20 mandate -- Targray, a leading North American supplier of Biodiesel, has announced the opening of its Minnesota Biodiesel distribution center, serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Strategically
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Why Nebraska’s Governor Is a Champion of Biofuels
(Urban Air Initiative) Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts recently declared May as Renewable Fuels Month to draw attention to clean burning biofuel options. He’s focused on grassroot efforts to educate and expand access of mid-level blends for his citizens. Urban Air believes
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
2nd Annual 5-Day Digester Operator Training Course --- June 18-22, 2018 --- Oshkosh, WI
Come learn from top digestion operations experts to increase biogas production, digestate quality, revenue and avoid costly, time-consuming and smelly mistakes for your digester. The American Biogas Council and UW-Oshkosh have put together a first class in-person, hands on training
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
US Still Subsidizing Fossil Fuels To Tune Of $27 Billion
by Joshua S Hill (Clean Technica) New research has shown that the United States continues to subsidize the production and consumption of fossil fuels to the tune of $27 billion, despite repeated pledges since 2009 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. In
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
In a First, Indian Oil Corporation to Channel Refinery Waste Gas for Ethanol Production
(Outlook India) In a first-of-its-kind venture in the world, Indian Oil Corporation is planning to utilise off-gases (waste gas) from various processing units of its refineries for production of ethanol. The move will reduce the carbon footprint of the state-run company’s refineries, while helping
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Kalasin Locals Kick up Stink over Molasses
by Yongyuth Phuphuangpet (Bangkok Post) Storage ponds said to be causing pollution -- Locals yesterday signed a petition to pressure Mitr Phol BioFuel Co Ltd, an affiliated firm of Mitr Phol Group, to scrap the expansion of molasses storage in the area which
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
EU Pushes Back against Weakening of Aviation Emissions Deal
by Julia Fioretti (Reuters) European countries are pushing back against any weakening of the rules underpinning a landmark global agreement to cap airline emissions at 2020 levels, especially those related to the types of aviation biofuels that can be used. France, Norway, Finland,
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Project COCONUT Launched in Quezon
by Danny Estacio (Manila Bulletin) Coconut farmers in Quezon have a brighter future to look forward to following the recent launch of COllaboration for COconut Productivity and NUrturing Farmers’ Trade or Project COCONUT of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, through its social
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Community Fuels Offers ADF-Compliant, NOx-Neutral Biodiesel
(Community Fuels/Biodiesel Magazine) Community Fuels is the first biodiesel marketer within California to offer NOx-neutral biodiesel using the new Best Corp. BC-EC1c additive. Under the California Alternative Diesel Fuel regulation, biodiesel use is subject to seasonal blend limits unless it meets
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 10 Biodiesel Trends 2018: What’s up with the World’s Favorite Advanced Biofuel?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We’ve organized the state of biodiesel into 10 areas of vital interest ranging from the development of markets to the entry of ancillary products and new feedstocks. #1 Tax & Trade Free trade vs fair trade: Dumping
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-Brazil Targets 10 pct Cut in Fuel Sector Carbon Emissions
by Leonardo Goy, Marcelo Teixeira and José Roberto Gomes (Reuters) Brazil plans to cut carbon emissions from its fuels sector by 10 percent through 2028, forcing distributors to sell more biofuels, the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) said on Tuesday. The target
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
DuPont Industrial Biosciences Launches 3 New Ethanol Products
(DuPont Industrial Biosciences/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Building off the recent launch of its fuel ethanol platform DuPont Xcelis, DuPont Industrial Biosciences unveiled the first three products from the innovation hub—designed to increase yields, speed fermentation and reduce energy and chemical consumption: DuPont Synerxia
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
UF/IFAS Researchers Hope Better Technology Produces Less Costly Ethanol
(University of Florida) University of Florida scientists wondered how cheaply fuel ethanol can be made from inedible plant material – called biomass – using currently available technology. Their goal is to make this form of ethanol less expensively than gasoline and help
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Bill Aims to Increase E15 Labeling Requirements
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In mid-May, Reps. Austin Scott, R-Ga., and Lois Frankel, D-Fla., introduced legislation that aims to introduce more stringent labeling requirements for E15. The bill, titled the Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act of 2018, or H.R.
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Changes on Hold
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ASSUME DEAL DEAD: Sen. Joni Ernst's decision to lay into embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt over his alleged about-face on ethanol appears to have paid off. Ernst spoke to President Donald Trump Tuesday night, she wrote on Twitter,
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
SLU and Stora Enso in Strategic Partnership
(Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Stora Enso. Through the agreement SLU and Stora Enso intend to establish a long-term collaboration in research and development, education, competence building,
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
RICanada and Advanced Biofuels Canada Demonstrate Significant Positive Impacts from Clean Fuel Standard
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, the country’s two largest biofuels stakeholders—Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) and Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC), together representing almost 50 member companies—have released the results of a new study on the economic impact of Canada’s upcoming Clean
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Maximizing Crop Yield: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Yield10 Bioscience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of June 6th, 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The Local School Which Makes Its Own Biofuel
by Francis Witsenhuysen (Northern Star) Learning how to turn sugar cane into biofuel in primary school is one thing, but running the school's lawnmower with biofuel is quite another. Yesterday, Empire Vale Public School raised the bar in innovation and sustainability by
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Consumers Association against Using Potatoes for Biofuel
(Cyprus Mail) The Consumers Association on Sunday said it rejected the creation of biofuels from agricultural products such as potatoes, kolokassi and other products. In an open letter sent to the House Energy Committee, the association said it rejected the use of
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Palm Oil to Be Phased out as Biodiesel Feedstock?
by Cheryl Kalisch Gordon (Rabobank/The Land) A proposal to alter the EU’s overarching renewable energy policy has been announced, which would phase-out palm oil as a biodiesel feedstock by 2021, due to production sustainability concerns. ... Malaysia and Indonesia, which account for 90 per
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Nestlé Unit Rolls out 10 Biofuel Trucks in Dubai
by Neha Bhatia (Construction Week) A unit of food and drink giant, Nestlé, has rolled out biofuel trucks in Dubai to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations. The company hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% between 2014 and 2020. As
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA's New Super Fuel Could Spell Trouble for Ethanol
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) The Environmental Protection Agency is about to allow a new renewable fuel to be sold at the pump, which could revolutionize the fuel business while eliminating the use of corn ethanol in gasoline altogether. For some, the
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump’s Support Wavering in Farm Country Over Ethanol, Trade Moves
by Alan Bjerga and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) EPA chief seen as betraying Trump’s promises on biofuels; Trade tensions put demand for agricultural goods at risk -- Even as Donald Trump tweets his support for U.S. agriculture, farmer loyalty for the president looks like it’s starting
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Beartooth Basin Will Be First Ski Area to Operate on 100% Biodiesel
(Diesel Technology Forum) One of America’s oldest ski areas, Wyoming’s Beartooth Basin, has announced plans to become the first ski area to operate all lifts on biodiesel starting this season. Accoriding to a press release, the equipment will initially run on
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Leaders in Advanced Diesel Technology Outline Innovations to Deliver Cargo and Cleaner Air
(Diesel Technology Forum) ... The other thing you’re looking at with renewable diesel – since it is diesel fuel – you don’t have a lot of logistical handling problems that you have with other alternative fuels out there. -- At the inaugural GreenPort
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Deal Coming Soon
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The White House is expected to release its final proposal on revisions to the Renewable Fuel Standard today. Pro’s Eric Wolff is hearing from two industry sources that the proposal will include reallocating some of the
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
American Researchers Get $1.8 Million from Department of Energy to Solve Biorefinery Blockages
(Bioenergy Insight) A problem facing biorefinery operations is the flow of biomass into and throughout facilities. Lignocellulosic biomass, often made up of post-harvest agricultural materials such as corn stover and soybean hulls, often accumulates and compacts while moving through augers, forcing
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Outline Plan for Subsidy-Free Biogas
(Bioenergy Insight) Scientists from Ghent University in Belgium have found that burning biogas is the least cost-effective way to use the product. Instead, they propose using biogas as the raw material for the production of chemicals. ... "Combustion has always been the easy
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Driving Toward Sustainability: How Fleets Benefit from Alternative Fuels
(REG/OPIS) From performance to sustainability, major fleet companies are switching to alternative fuels. Dive into this white paper, written by REG, and discover: • Who is putting pressure on fleets to be sustainable. • Two distinct types of advanced fuels that are meeting the
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Natural Gas Production Facility Opens in Iowa
(GAIN Clean Fuel/NGV Journal) GAIN Clean Fuel and BioResource Development (BRD) announced the start-up of a renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility located at Water and Resource Recovery Center in Dubuque, Iowa. The state-of-the-art facility will transform biomethane produced at the
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Conference and Expo (MABEX) 2018 --- September 12-14, 2018 --- Philadelphia, PA
After the success of last year’s event, the Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Council (MABEC), previously the Pennsylvania Biomass Energy Association, is bringing back the Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Conference and Expo (MABEX)! This year the conference will be in Philadelphia, PA at the Cira Centre this September 12-14. Join
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
IndyCar's E85 Fuels Competition, if Not Acceptance
by Henry Payne (Detroit News) The IndyCars racing in the Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle this weekend will carry the logos of Chevrolet, Honda, Firestone and others. With 100,000 in attendance on the island and nearly 2 million more watching on TV and
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Govt Set to Announce Rs8,000 Crore Plan to Bail out Sugarcane Farmers
(Live Mint) The move comes close on the heels of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s defeat in the Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh last week where dues to farmers were a major issue -- In a move to help sugar
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Eni Employees in Porto Marghera Begin Collecting Used Cooking Oils for Conversion into Biofuels
(Eni) Eni is the first company in the world to have taken a traditional refinery and transformed it into a Bio-Refinery using proprietary technology. As of today, Eni will begin collecting used cooking oils from the homes of its employees, which
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Total Keeps Biorefinery Launch on Track Despite Farmer Blockade Threat
by Bate Felix (Reuters) French oil major Total is continuing talks with farmers opposed to its planned La Mede biodiesel refinery and plans to use 50,000 tonnes of French rapeseed to supply the facility, Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said on Friday. Pouyanne
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to DSM
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences, DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
The Carbon Rescuers: 20 Top Waste Projects and Breakthroughs that Capture Used Carbon from the Waste Pile for New Uses
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
On The Front Lines: The Old Battle between Ethanol and Oil Takes Center Stage with the RFS.
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine recaps the many recent attempts to hinder the policy, and looks beyond 2022. -- ... But leaders in the ethanol industry are quick to point out this fight is not new; it’s the
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
A Blueprint for Keeping Midwest Dollars in the Midwest
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/ICM/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Urban Air Initiative President Dave VanderGriend says increasing the availability of ethanol blender pumps and higher blends will keep ethanol in the Midwest, pumping millions of dollars into the economy. -- ... The problem
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Need for Global Adoption of Transport Biofuels Is Pressing
by Bliss Baker (Global Renewable Fuels Alliance/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Observing these trends, scientists note that, going forward, each new month and year have the potential to be the hottest on record. The data so far in 2018 strongly suggests that
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Commentary: A Success Story Worth Repeating
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) ... The ethanol industry could provide a home-grown, energy source that lessened our dependence on foreign imports, replaced a cancer-causing chemical as the octane portion of gasoline, and reduced tail pipe emissions. It would also
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Growth Energy: RVP Period to Begin at Highest Fuel Cost to Consumers in Years
(Growth Energy) Tomorrow (June 1, 2018) marks the beginning of the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restriction on E15 sales across most of the country during the summer driving season – June 1 to September 15. The ban on E15 comes at
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Farm and Biofuel Coalition Demands that EPA Account for Lost Volumes Due to Secretive, Retroactive Small Refinery Exemptions
(Growth Energy) Coalition Petitions EPA to Revise the Way It Calculates Annual Renewable Fuel Obligations; EPA Is Failing to Comply with Statutory Mandate -- Today a coalition of biofuel and agriculture groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to change its regulations to
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Announces Rutter’s as Newest E15 Retailer
(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy and Pennsylvania-based Rutter’s announced that the convenience store chain will begin selling E15 – a fuel with 15 percent biofuel – at seven of its locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. “The success of Prime the
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Solvents Derived from Lignin Lowers Waste in Biofuel Production
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) A closed-loop biorefinery could dramatically lower the cost of biofuels and related products. In this approach, the refinery produces the solvents it needs, rather than "importing" them. Scientists at the Joint BioEnergy Institute are developing a closed-loop
June 04, 2018 Read Full Article
The West’s Pure-Play Ethanol Kings: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pacific Ethanol was founded in 2003 as the first pure-play ethanol company and today is a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels with 9 strategically located bio-refineries in the U.S., production capacity of 605M gallons/yr., a