June 2019 – Advanced BioFuels USA

Who’s Down with TCP: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Synpet Technologies

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synpet Technologiesuses Thermal Conversion Process (TCP), a patented non-combustion technology which breaks down all organic materials by using heat, pressure and water to produce renewable diesel

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Enerkem Co-Founder Vincent Chornet Dies at 45

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Enerkem announced the death of co-founder and long-time CEO Vincent Chornet following a prolonged illness. He was 45. The company noted, “faithful to himself,

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Climate Change Forum with 2020 Presidential Candidates — September 19-20, 2019 DATES UPDATED — Washington, DC

Our Daily Planet’s partnership with the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University to host a first-of-its-kind forum on climate change with presidential hopefuls this fall! All declared 2020 presidential candidates

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

The Need for a Climate Change Forum Is More Apparent than Ever Before

(Our Daily Planet) … (W)e’re proud to formally announce Our Daily Planet’s partnership with the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University to host a first-of-its-kind forum on climate change with

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Europe Faces Another Lost Decade in Decarbonising Transport

by Zoltán Szabó (Ethanol Europe/Climate Home News) An essential conversation is missing around sustainable biofuels as part of the decarbonisation solution — … Recent research carried out by Ecofys/Navigant has shown that electrification

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

How One School Is Getting Kids Fired up about Climate Solutions

by Zoe Saylor (Gist) … As the middle school humanities coordinator for Lowell School in Washington, D.C., she (Natalie Stapert) was tasked with coming up with a 6th-grade humanities curriculum that

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

European Research Project Claims Breakthrough in Production of Renewable Jet Fuels from Sunlight

(GreenAir Online) A project funded by the EU and Switzerland claims to have made a breakthrough in producing renewable jet kerosene from sunlight, water and CO2. The SUN-to-LIQUID project follows on

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

EU States Gather to Discuss Imposition of Climate Taxes and Carbon Pricing on European Aviation Sector

(GreenAir Online) A coalition of EU States came together last week in the Netherlands to discuss how carbon pricing and taxes could be applied to Europe’s air transport sector. At a conference

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: Ex-EPA Engineer Says Wheeler Is Misleading Congress about Car Rule

by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) Jeff Alson was sitting in his apartment in Ann Arbor, Mich., when he felt like he was going to explode. … (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew) Wheeler

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Australia’s Toowoomba Tires-to-Fuels Plant in Jeopardy after Govt No-No’s $5M Grant

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Green Distillation Technologies is advising that a decision by the Queensland Government to not support a Resource Recovery Grant for the proposed Toowoomba tyre recycling

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Magnificent Methanogens: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Trelys

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Trelys’ technology is based on the bioconversion of hydrogen and carbon dioxide using methanogenic archaea. While Trelys is currently focusing on feed amino acids, this technology

June 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Top EPA Official Resigns Amid Scrutiny over Possible Ethics Violations

by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) Bill Wehrum’s ties to his former law firm and power sector clients prompted a congressional probe. — Bill Wehrum spent only a year and a

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Letter from Route 12 and the Pacific Northwest: From Waste Streams, a Bioeconomy Rising

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington state, there’s a new mill near the city of Dayton that is the first to use waste straw to make pulp for paper

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Glastonbury Festival to Be Powered by Biofuels and Sunshine

(Biofuels International) Energy services provider Aggreko has renewed its contract with Glastonbury Festival to offer a number of emission-reducing power solutions at this year’s music festival. The company has been the

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

IATA Research Shows Air Passenger Demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuels

(Biofuels International) Research commissioned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has shown that air passengers support the development of new technologies and sustainable aviation fuels to reduce aviation carbon emissions.

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Future Fuels & Octane Forum — October 24-25, 2019 — Las Vegas, NV

Stricter environmental policies are likely to dictate the future of traditional hydrocarbons and turn them into something more environmentally friendly. Electric vehicles have long been considered the magic bullet for any

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

CALL FOR STARTUP PRESENTATIONS: SynBio Markets — November 18-19, 2019 — Ewerk, Berlin, Germany DEADLINE: August 23, 2019

SynBio Markets is the dedicated, market facing global event for the synbio sector — Linking science to business and focused on turning potential into profit — The 2019 event will focus on

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Argus Biofuels & Carbon Markets Summit — October 21-23, 2019 — Napa Valley, CA

North America’s leading biofuels, carbon and LCFS event — Join senior market participants to get clarity on the path forward to zero emissions in the North American biofuels and carbon market.

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Argus Biofuels — October 8-11, 2019 — London, UK

Join the market-makers at the industry’s number one event — Argus Biofuels is your critical opportunity to meet and network with the full value-chains of biodiesel and ethanol. Join with traders,

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

‘Does Your Plan Save Miami?’ Seven Minutes: The First Mention of Climate Change Came Last Night in the First Minute of Night One of the Democratic Primary Debates.

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) SEVEN MINUTES:The first mention of climate change came last night in the first minute of night one of the Democratic primary debates. The first question on

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Jenna Bloxom Joins Advanced Biofuels USA’s Board of Directors

(Advanced Biofuels USA) Jenna Bloxom, a political scientist from Colorado State University, joins the Advanced Biofuels USA board of directors to fill the position of Shannon Hollis of The Ohio

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Concerns Rise as Low Palm Oil Prices May Increase Use for Biofuel

(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)/Biodiesel Magazine) Selling prices for palm oil and diesel fuel have recently converged to the same level, after the former had even been at

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Integrated Landscape Management Reduces Biomass Production Costs By 20%

by J.Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy) A new techno-economic analysis by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) demonstrated that, by using integrated landscape management (ILM) techniques, bioenergy stakeholders could

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

FutureMetrics Criticizes Treatment of Biomass in EPA’s ACE Rule

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) … The EPA released the final rule for its ACE program June 19. The program replaces the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and establishes emissions guidelines for states to

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Europe, US Aim to Boost Ethanol Share in Gasoline, but Obstacles Remain

by Solomon Lanitis, Chrysa Glystra and Wesley Swift (S&P Global Platts) Ambitious emissions targets are driving governments across the globe to mandate greater use of biofuels in gasoline, and higher-ethanol blends of

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Rule Lets Political Officials Block FOIA Document Requests

by Meg Cunningham (Roll Call) Rulemaking follows Interior Department actions that drew congressional criticism — A new EPA rule would allow political appointees to review and withhold documents requested by the public

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Senators Urge EPA to Update Science on Ethanol

(Feedstuffs) EPA has rejected calls to update GHG calculations based on technological advancements in ethanol production. — A bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D., Ill.),

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Opens Section 610 review of RFS DEADLINE: August 22, 2019 REVISED DEADLINE: September 23, 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published a notice in the Federal Register June 24 announcing it has opened a review of the Renewable Fuel Standard under Section

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Philadelphia Energy Solutions Seeks to Permanently Shut Oil Refinery

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) will seek to permanently shut its oil refinery in the city after a massive fire caused substantial damage to the complex, the mayor

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

In Lobbying Battle for Electric Vehicle Tax Credit, It’s Car Makers vs. the Oil and Gas Industry

by Dino Grandoni and Steven Mufson (Washington Post) … GM, like a fleet of other car manufacturers, is seeking the extension of a tax break that has for a decade helped sustain the

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Up for a Climate Debate–Welcome to Miami: Presidential Contenders Lock Horns tonight in Round One of the Primary Debates

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)Presidential contenders lock horns tonight in Round One of the primary debates in Miami to prove they’re ready to take on President Donald Trump —

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

SIAM Proposes Enhanced Alternative Fuels for Vehicles in India to Lower Pollution

(PTI/Financial Express) While the electrification of the fleet will be a major help towards providing energy security and improving the environment, SIAM said that our country needs to work on other

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Creed on ‘Challenges’ Oosed by Anaerobic Digestion in Ireland

by Claire Mc Cormack (AgriLand) While the Government has committed to investigating the long-term potential of establishing a wide-scale biogas industry in its newly-published Climate Action Plan, the prospects “remain challenging”, according

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Fighting Forest Fires with Biofuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Red Rock Biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Red Rock Biofuels produces drop-in, renewable, low-carbon jet and diesel fuels. RRB makes the long-commercialized Fischer-Tropsch process economic at the biomass scale. By using forest and

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Importance of Sterile Design in Aseptic Fermentation – How to Keep from Getting Burned

by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) If you’ve spent any time in commercial fermentation facilities, then you already know it’s a hot bed of contaminants and has steam coming out all

June 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Bright Biomethane Opens North America Office to Fuel Future Growth

(Bioenergy Insight) Bright Biomethane opened its first North American office in response to growing business and increasing demand for renewable natural gas (RNG) solutions in North America. Bright Biomethane North America

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

EERE Job Fair — July 11, 2019 — Arlington, VA

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) federal career opportunities are available in Washington, D.C., and Golden, Colorado. EERE will participate in DOE’s National Nuclear

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Report on 2019 Crappie Masters

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) With retail sales of E15, or 15% ethanol, now approved in the summer months, some oil industry-backed organizations are issuing dire warnings about damage to boat engines

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Renewable Gas 360 (formerly Rethink Methane) — January 22-23, 2020 — Sacramento, CA

High in Benefits, Low in Emissions. Join us for Renewable Gas 360 (formerly Rethink Methane), a leadership summit aimed at fostering a circular energy economy that enables California to immediately and

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

King Introduces Bills Protecting RFS from Small Refinery Exemptions

(Office of Congressman Steve King (R-IA-4th) Legislation Recovers Volume Lost to Waivers by Increasing RFS Requirement Gallon -for-Gallon — Congressman Steve King releases this statement following his introduction of two bills that

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

1 Big Thing: Bill Gates’ Next Climate Moves

by Ben Geman (Axios) A Bill Gates-led venture fund that invests in next-wave climate technologies wants to get bigger. The big picture: Gates, chair of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, said Monday that the

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Announcing the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator

(Maryland Clean Energy Center) The Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) is excited to announce the launch the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator (MEIA) to help commercialize technologies and research originating within the

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Twenty-One Individuals Indicted on Charges of Conspiracy to Commit Interstate Transportation of Stolen Used Cooking Oil, Money Laundering, Harboring Aliens, and Immigration-Related Entrepreneurship Fraud

(U.S. Department of Justice) Robert J. Higdon Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned a Superseding Indictment

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Partnership for Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(NTBInfo/Avinor) Avinor has entered into an agreement with Quantafuel to buy sustainable aviation fuel based on Norwegian biomass. The fuel will be produced in a pilot plant partly funded by ENOVA*. “Sustainable

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Vietnam Ethanol Producer Purchases Equipment, U.S. Corn During Trade Team Mission

(U.S. Grains Council) The sole ethanol producer in Vietnam is preparing to test U.S. corn as a feedstock with a hammer mill purchased during a mission to the United States in

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Renewable Polymer Plant: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Avantium

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Avantium, a renewable chemicals company, develops and commercializes biobased plastics, chemicals, and fuels. The company offers polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a biobased and recyclable polymer that is

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Jim Lane

“Franklin Roosevelt named four (freedoms): freedom of expression, of worship, from want, from fear. The freedom to create value without harm to others, that could have been a fifth. That’s the

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Letter from Europe: The Bioeconomy’s Journey to Yes through the Valley of No

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Europe this past week we’ve had European Commission’s own and massive EU Sustainability Week, the ART Fuels Forum, and the Paris Air Show, and if

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Governor Jay Inslee Rolls Out More Climate Policy

(Our Daily Planet) When it comes to climate policy, Governor Jay Inslee already has a plan to address nearly every element of the climate crisis, but on Monday he rolled out a new

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

America’s Military Is Guzzling Gas and Emitting Massive Amounts of CO2

(Our Daily Planet) A recent report published by a political scientist at Boston University, found that the Department of Defense is the worlds “single largest producer of greenhouse gases”. America’s military

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Making It More Viable to Turn Agricultural Waste into Renewable Fuel

by Alayna DeMartini (Ohio State University College of Engineering) Although the stalks and leaves of a corn plant can be turned into ethanol, the high cost of collecting, storing, and transporting

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

2020 Call for Nominations: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Awards DEADLINE: July 22, 2019

(American Chemical Society) In 2020, the three ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Awards will recognize the contributions of early career investigators from around the world who are doing exceptional research that

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

25th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference — June 14-18, 2021 — ONLINE

Sustainable Production to Advance the Circular Economy is the 2021 conference theme. This theme directly links to U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. It reflects the role

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

ONLINE ONLY 2020 Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference: Systems-Inspired Design — June 16-18, 2020 and Friday Webinars — FREE

The American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) is pleased to announce the 24th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference to be held from June 16–18, 2020 in Seattle, Washington,

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Application Now Open for Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists DEADLINE: July 15, 2019

(Science Magazine) Science/AAAS and SciLifeLab, a coordinated effort of four universities, have joined forces in creating the Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists. Both Science/AAAS and SciLifeLab recognize that global economic health is

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

The Fossil Fuel Industry Is Quietly Undermining Global Climate Talks

by Luke McGrath (Bloomberg/Houston Chronicle) Fossil fuel industry giants such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell are maintaining an outsized presence at global climate discussions, working to undermine scientific consensus and slow policy progress, according to

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Norway Sees Sharp Drop in Palm Oil Biofuel Consumption after Ban on Government Purchasing

by Lauren Crothers (South Africa Today) -Norway saw drop in palm oil consumption following new regulations limiting sales in response to concerns about deforestation for plantations. -The decrease has been

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Co-Optima Identifies Innovation Needed to Continue Momentum in Fuel Economy Gains

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today’s cars are advancing at lightning speed: from electric vehicles to efficient internal combustion engines to automated vehicles. Transportation is changing. Although the fuel-economy ratings of

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Arizona Fire Highlights Challenges for Energy Storage

by Jonathan J. Cooper (Associated Press) Arizona’s largest electric company installed massive batteries near neighborhoods with a large number of solar panels, hoping to capture some of the energy from the

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

NBB Letter to EPA’s Wheeler Highlights Economic Damage from Refinery Exemptions

(National Biodiesel Board) Demand destruction for biodiesel producers cannot be made up through E15 rule, NBB says — The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) today (June 21, 2019) sent a letter to EPA

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

2016-2018 Measuring, Governing and Gaining Support for Sustainable Bioenergy Supply Chains

(IEA Bioenergy) Several systems to define and monitor performance and progress towards sustainability of bioenergy have been developed for implementation at

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

BASF and Lutianhua Plan to Pilot a New Production Process that Significantly Reduces CO2 Emissions

(BASF) Signing of Memorandum of Understanding to build a pilot plant for a new, energy-efficient one-step process in synthetizing dimethyl ether

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Hawaii’s Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Tropical Feedstocks

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Hawai’i is on top of the latest research on Hawaii’s tropical agriculture, its

June 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Electricity Share by Source: World

(Our World in Data) Electricity production (measured as the percentage of total electricity production) by source (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydroelectric

June 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Pope to Oil Execs: We Don’t ‘Have the Luxury’ to Wait to Fight Climate Change

by Inés San Martín (Crux) … The June 13-14 meeting was focused on three points: A just transition; carbon pricing; and transparency

June 23, 2019 Read Full Article

From FEW: 45Q Represents Opportunity for Ethanol; Request for Comments DEADLINE: July 4, 2019

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Under new size specifications for the 45Q tax credit, almost all ethanol plants are eligible,

June 23, 2019 Read Full Article

National Gasoline Public Education and Consumer Awareness Campaign Launched: It’s Time—EPA: Make Gasoline SAFE!

(Safe Gasoline Campaign) Gasoline and its emissions are one of the greatest threats to public health Americans face today. Transportation related

June 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Summer School in Nice: Energy Transition and You! — September 9-13, 2019 — Nice, France

The global energy transition can’t succeed without the full participation of citizens. We need a paradigm shift towards more renewable energy

June 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Centre International de Formation Européenne Offers Master in Global Energy Transition and Governance

(Centre international de formation européenne) The Master in Global Energy Transition and Governance is targeted at students and young professionals with a

June 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Households Who Use Heating Oil Should Be Preparing to Transition to Biofuel, Says Industry Body

by Ross Bentley (East Anglian Daily Times) OFTEC recommends thousands of homeowners in East Anglia who use heating oil to warm

June 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Renewable Fuels Association Features E85 Can-Am Conversion

by Chuck Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) During the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) this year the Renewable Fuels Association featured a racing Can-Am X3