by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) One of the most interesting biobased resources we have found – covering the world, but Europe-based – is the AgroBioBase, created and managed by the IAR consortium, a French organization helping to build a biobased
by Natalie Obiko Pearson (Bloomberg) Finland’s Chempolis Ltd. is in talks with Indian sugar companies to set up a biorefinery in the South Asia nation. The Oulu-based company, which provides technology that allows raw materials like sugar-cane pulp, bamboo and straw
(Argus Media) ...“There’s a lot of talk about the drought. But the biggest challenge is access to the market,” he (Jeff Lautt, CEO of POET) says. The Environmental Protection approved E15 last year. However, representatives of the grocery, auto and oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Once described as a “moon shot”, Beta Renewables’ commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol project hovers just over the lunar surface, weeks from completion. It’s transformative cost structure may well reignite the cellulosic rockets. The first thing you
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For years, National Sorghum Producers have advocated for increasing the use of grain sorghum, or milo, as an ethanol feedstock. Lately, the idea seems to be gaining steam. “There’s been increased interest over
(ConstructionWeekOnline.com) S Lootah International has teamed up with Germany company Arndt GmbH to offer fully automatic locally-manufactured biodiesel plants for the Middle East. The plants convert used cooking oil into biodiesel, which can be used to run many commercial vehicles. ...Arndt has
by Brian Winter (Reuters/Chicago Tribune) After years at each other's throats, Brazil and the United States are working together to promote the use of ethanol in a collaboration that could revolutionize global markets and the makeup of the biofuel itself. The breakthrough came
by Robert Pore (The Independent) During the last 25 years, Nebraska has seen its ethanol industry develop into the nation’s second-biggest producer at 2 billion gallons a year from 24 ethanol plants. Gov. Dave Heineman declared September as Renewable Fuels Month
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest/Energy Trends Insider) ...Methanol is cheap to produce and has been tested extensively as a gasoline replacement. It is the simplest alcohol and one of the world’s most widely used commodity chemicals. Global capacity of methanol is
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As reported elsewhere in the Digest today and throughout this week, In Brussels, a draft proposal is under consideration in the EU to eliminate food-crop subsidies for biofuels production by 2020, and cap crop-based biofuels
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A team of researchers will spend the next five years assessing the social, economic and ecological impacts of bioenergy projects happening in Michigan, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Led by Michigan Tech University Professor Kathy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New downloadable reports from Environmental Entrepreneurs and PriceWaterhouseCoopers detail strong advances in advanced biofuels, chemicals, wood, plastic and rubber sectors. In California, Environmental Entrepreneurs has just released its annual survey of advanced biofuels, the Advanced Biofuels
(BioJet) The Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) today announced the execution of the long-term Development Agreement enabling the 10-15 year major biofuel/bioenergy project between CERT, BioJet, and Tartoosh Environmental. The project, tagged “Thunderbird”, is a multifeedstock, multi-technology set of projects anticipated to
by Colleen Lerro (BIO) Wednesday at the National Press Club, several advanced biofuels companies joined BIO to showcase the progress the industry has made in recent years. U.S. companies have worked to rapidly scale up advanced biofuel technology – through pilot
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Joule announced the commissioning of its first SunSprings demonstration plant in Hobbs, New Mexico, where the company will prove its scalable platform for solar fuel production – the first of its kind –
by Paul Brinkman (South Florida Business Journal) Officials at LS9, a new biofuel plant in Okeechobee, said Monday it completed its first production run of fatty alcohols, which are used in detergents. The San Francisco-based company unveiled the Okeechobee facility this
(MentorWorks) Due to a decrease in emerging technologies there is a great barrier to market entry for many Canadian entrepreneurs, especially innovators that develop sustainable technologies. The NextGen Biofuels Fund program incorporates the same fundamental principles as the SD Tech Fund. SDTC is
by Dave Vander Griend (ICM/Ethanol Producer Magazine) I was disappointed to read the Aug. 24Wichita Eagle editorial titled “End Ethanol Mandate.” It was important for us to provide factual information instead of misinformation. First, the U.S. ethanol industry stands on its own, with
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Closely-watched green gasoline producer collapses as Waste Management declines next financing round. What does it mean for companies like Fulcrum Bioenergy, Enerkem, Agilyx, Agnion, Renmatix, Genomatica, and InEnTec? The Digest looks at the inside story. In
by John Lindt (The Business Journal) The Valley’s only ethanol production plant is encouraging local farmers to plant grain sorghum next spring, promising to buy the grain to make ethanol instead of using Midwestern corn. “We would love to buy all
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) Restaurants in Asheville, N.C., are now required to recycle their used cooking oil through local biofuels producers in order to receive Green Restaurant Association (GRA) certification. The GRA is a national nonprofit organization helping restaurants
by John Ramsey (Fayetteville Observer) The grass grows as tall as two men and thick as a jungle. This, farmers across the Cape Fear region keep hearing, is the future of ethanol. The giant miscanthus is one of the inedible crops
by Kerstin Nordstrom (News Observer) ...A Triangle-based company has now come up with a way to turn that trash into treasure. Well, fuel. The secret is using enzymes. Novozymes, a company with its North American headquarters in Franklinton, develops and
by Bruce C. Folkedahl (Biomass Magazine/Energy & Environmental Research Center) As part of the ongoing research at the Energy & Environmental Research Center, we have been developing a catalytic pathway to convert ethanol or mixtures of methanol and ethanol to higher
by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times) With new owners possibly on the horizon for the proposed Schneider trash-to-ethanol plant, some Lake County waste officials say it is the perpetuation of a four-year-old game of musical chairs. The proposed purchase of the
by Jenni Grubbs (The Fort Morgan Times) ...While most vehicles' engines cannot run on straight or even large percentages of ethanol, some of it is added to gasoline to add more oxygen, which helps the fuel burn more completely and
(WYMT-TV) Pikeville-based Patriot Bioenergy Corporation has announced it will construct an ethanol plant in Whitley County, creating more than one hundred jobs. For years now, ethanol has been used as an additive in gasoline to help offset the cost of imported
(Hydro Dynamics) - Hydro Dynamics, Inc., makers of innovative ShockWave Power Reactor (SPR) technology and longtime biodiesel industry leader World Energy, through its WMG Services, LLC business unit, announced today that the companies have teamed up to expand commercialization of the SPR for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Breakthroughs in making consistent syngas from negative-cost municipal solid waste spells “big prospects” for Enerkem in biobased fuels and chemicals. In oil we have the crack spread, corn ethanol and soy-based biodiesel we have the crush
(PR NewsWire) E2 Report: Biofuel industry well positioned to meet demand under California standard Despite a challenging year, the advanced biofuels industry continues to grow, according to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). Biofuel production capacity has increased from 437 million gallons
by Christine Stebbins (Reuters) ..."Ethanol demand is the linchpin of the current pricing model that we have," said Michael Swanson, agricultural economist at Wells Fargo, the largest commercial bank lender to U.S. farmers. "It's a completely different question whether it's
(Waste Management World) Successful field tests of vehicles powered by a biofuel derived from the black liquor wastes produced at a pulp mill have been conducted by Volvo Trucks. The company said that ten of its specially adapted trucks have been
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The new trend in biofuels is not a biofuel at all – it’s an (usually unpronounceable) intermediate that can be refined into an array of fuels, chemicals, flavors, fragrances, and construction or packaging materials. ... Amyris,
(Hanford Sentinel) ... AB 523 eliminates all future state funding for the production of ethanol derived from corn after July 2013. Valadao’s office said about $6 million is provided to a very small group of corn ethanol producers. The new
(Yahoo! News) Applied Ecological Services, The Earth Partners, LP, and POET team up to apply science to industry: Cross-sector demonstration showcases the potential of conservation biomass as an alternative energy source. It’s a very good week for the United States alternative energy industry, and an even better
by Melody M. Aguiba (Manila Bulletin) The government should now position sugarcane as an industrial commodity, particularly for bioethanol, and sugar as a mere by-product which is the way to survive in a stiffly competitive environment by 2015. This new policy
by Dan Chapman (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) ... In a blistering critique obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, (Hosein) Shapouri (a senior economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington) labeled the proposed Range Fuels plant “a high risk venture” that
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) As a part of its 10th Anniversary celebration of progress and prosperity, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today released a list of the ethanol and biodiesel industry’s Top 10 efficiency and technology innovations of the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite low levels of publicity, North Dakota and Montana are making great strides in bioeconomy development – with a combination of strong R&D, feedstock abundance and some hot processing technologies. ...The bioeconomy has been getting a
by Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) NNFCC gives its top ten of Britain's most progressive biofuel and biochemical companies. TMO Renewables ... Green Biologics ... British Airways ... Ensus ... BP ... Johnson Matthey ... Croda ... INEOS Bio ... Harvest Energy ... Greenergy ... READ MORE
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...While the economic growth in China has been drawing virtually all the headlines in recent years, the “Tiger” economies of Southeast and South Asia have been fast-growing for a long time, and with resources including
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) Gaining large biofuels production capacity across the state will require realistic juncture of feedstocks and production technologies. Grown or secured from waste materials, feedstocks must be directed to a centralized production facility, large or small.
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest/Consumer Energy Report) Distillates are petroleum products that includes diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil. Renewable distillates may be categorized as substitutes or drop-in replacements. The most common distillate substitute is biodiesel, and drop-in replacements can
(El Universal) Biofuel producers announced the investment of over $ 100 million to plant oilseeds and grasses that will be employed in the industry biocumbustible whose consumption is increasing in the world. In the meeting with the governor Egidio Torre Cantu,
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The community of Oshawa, Ontario is taking action against the recent approval of a proposed ethanol plant. On Aug. 9, the Oshawa Port Authority announced its approval for FarmTech Energy Corp. to build and
by Nick Cressey (Green Power Conferences/World Biofuels Markets News) I am a Brazilian ethanol refinery. I am not very big but I am happy and I make a comfortable profit. I have one nice big field of cane and one
(Neste Oil Corp./Biodiesel Magazine) Neste Oil has completed the first phase of its project to build a pilot plant for producing microbial oil. Construction of the plant is on-schedule and on-budget. The first phase will enable the growth of oil-producing
by Reese Ewing (Reuters Africa) Exports of Brazilian ethanol to the U.S. market are likely to grow, while still allowing Brazil to increase its blend of the biofuel in gasoline in early 2013, local sugar and ethanol analyst Datagro said. Brazilian
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) South Dakota has become one of the fastest-growing states in the US, at the same time as it has achieved energy independence through development of its biofuels fleet. Coincidence, or correlation? We look at the
by Wayne Risher (The Commercial Appeal/Equities.com) Mid-South Community College officials are betting East Arkansas has what it takes to be a leader in alternative fuels: Fertile fields, a world-class transportation hub, and, as of this week, a research, development and
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Ethanol, the best-performing energy commodity this year, is cheaper than gasoline, encouraging refiners to use the biofuel even if President Barack Obama’s administration ends a requirement to do so. A 49 cent-per-gallon discount to gasoline provides
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In one of those interesting ironies of renewable fuels, Chemtex's North Carolina proposed cellulosic ethanol project puts a sector of the hog industry rooting for the success of advanced biofuels. ...What caught my eye on
by Ken Silverstein (Forbes) ...By most standards, the hope that is such first-generation fuel additives are supplanted by next-generation ones, or those produced from cellulose. Worth it? Such fibers are abundant and could supply 130 million gallons a year of ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...You see, other states can match Minnesota for its wealth of agricultural and forest resources (though ample they are), or its foundational base in agriculture and energy (via giants like Cargill, CHS and EcoLab) and
Presentation by Helena Chum (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) US led by its State Department, and Brazil led by Department of Energy of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, have entered into an MOU to advance cooperation of Biofuels. Sharing best practices
(Business Wire/AlphaJet) ...Having successfully demonstrated its cost-effective catalytic process for making jet fuel, diesel and high-octane gasoline from renewable plant oils or animal fats, AliphaJet is beginning its commercial scale-up program. ...The company has launched a program to build a demonstration
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Minnesota Soybean Processors is the first biodiesel plant to pass Genscape’s RIN Integrity Network audit. ... The passing of its audit gives MnSP the first green icon on Genscape’s dashboard map of biodiesel producers, making it easy
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Cleaner, more sustainable, more climate-friendly, more affordable advanced biofuels are closer to reality than many outside the industry seem to think. At least three new, advanced biofuel biorefineries are being commissioned this year, and at
(Business Wire/Aemetis) Biofuels ISOCONVERSION Process licensed by Aemetis to produce 100% drop-in renewable jet and diesel fuels from plant oils Aemetis, Inc., an advanced fuels and renewable chemical company, announced today that the company signed a license agreement with Chevron Lummus
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In our investigations in Iowa this week, we noted 6 trends worth carefully watching, which take us from opportunities with existing feedstocks to exotic newcomers like algae. Our thesis now is essentially unchanged from 2010, when
by Phoebe Ho (MetroNews) With barely any background in chemistry, a University of Windsor nursing grad and her business partner spent the last two months experimenting with animal fat and vegetable oil in hopes of creating a greener city. Lois Li, a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In North Carolina, Chemtex announced that it has received a $99 million conditional loan guarantee from USDA, under the USDA’s 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program for the engineering and construction of “Project Alpha.” Chemtex is in discussions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Like many states (or countries) that have limited oil reserves or reserves that are economically unfeasible to extract at this time – the path to energy independence lies generally in Missouri’s substantial “above-ground oil fields”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Recently, with the boom in drilling operations in Wyoming and Colorado in the Niobrara shale – and some tentative exploration of the Kleinholz field – there have been renewed hopes for a return to the
By Gregg Hennigan (KCRG.com) Iowa City is considering participating in a trash-to-ethanol project that could result in an 80-percent reduction in the amount of solid waste going to its landfill. City staffers have been talking with officials from Maryland-based Fiberight about
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Steve McNinch with Western Plains Energy said his company is looking at how to move into the advanced biofuels category of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2). The biorenfinery, which produces ethanol from sorghum (milo), is currently
(PR NewsWire) POET Research Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of POET LLC, one of the world's largest ethanol producers, and Agrivida, Inc., a developer of biotechnology platforms for feedstock and feedstock processing, today announce the signing of a technology collaboration joint
(EurekAlert!/American Chemical Society) With 1.3 billion tons of food trashed, dumped in landfills and otherwise wasted around the world every year, scientists today described development and successful laboratory testing of a new "biorefinery" intended to change food waste into a
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Talk of a possible renewable fuel standard (RFS) waiver request became a reality in mid-August, when the U.S. EPA was officially petitioned. The clock starts on a 90-day deadline and a public comment period
(Syntroleum) Syntroleum Corporation, a renewable and synthetic fuels technology company, today announced that Dynamic Fuels, LLC has been granted Part 79 registration for its Renewable Gasoline Blendstock 10 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This designation enables Dynamic Fuels
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest) ...Because of the extra steps involved relative to corn or sugarcane ethanol, capital and operating costs are higher for cellulosic ethanol than for ethanol derived from carbohydrates. But the ongoing attraction of cellulosic ethanol is
(The Washington Post/Associated Press) The federal government is on the verge of approving a grain mainly used as livestock feed to make a cleaner version of ethanol, a decision officials say could give farmers a new moneymaking opportunity, boost the
(NACS Online) The station converts used fryer oil into biofuel, which it then sells at retail. A group of restaurants has partnered with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Clean Energy Biofuels to provide used fryer oil to a retail
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Alltech has installed a 60-foot ethanol distillation tower at its production facility in Springfield, Ky. The plant produces natural animal health and nutrition products. The company invested $4 million dollars in new yeast-production technology, a core
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The California Energy Commission approved $1.86 million in grant funding for the expansion and upgrade of Yokayo Biofuels Inc.’s Ukiah, Calif.-based biodiesel facility, increasing biodiesel production capacity from 1,400 gallons a day to 2,000 gallons
(Genuine Bio-Fuel/Biodiesel Magazine) Genuine Bio-Fuel Inc., headquartered in Indiantown, Fla., expands its operations to Lincoln Park, N.J., with the build-out of a state-of-the-art biodiesel refinery at the Lincoln Park Airport, while creating15 to 30 new jobs in the process. Genuine Bio-Fuel
by Thomas Corle (Leifmark LLC, Inbicon Technology Marketing Partner) Opening his presentation with imposing nature images of pristine beauty, Corle's presentation lays Denmark's aspirations on the table - to move from 2006's 15/85 (CO2 emission) to 85/15 (CO2 neutral) in
(Northwest Indiana Times) A group of contractors planning to build a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider announced Monday it has reached an agreement to purchase assets from developer Powers Energy of America. The group, SMC LLC, signed an agreement with Powers
(Drovers Cattle Network) The 2012 drought is not only taking its toll on U.S. Midwest crop and livestock producers. Ethanol plants also are succumbing as high corn prices dry up their operating margins. Suspension of operations, along with reduced production
(Renewable Fuels Association) Responding to an official waiver request of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) released the following statement: “The Environmental Protection Agency should reject Governor Perdue’s waiver request out
(PhysOrg) In separate feeding trials, nursery pigs and chickens have eaten high-protein fungi that Hans van Leeuwen and other Iowa State University researchers have produced in a pilot plant that converts ethanol leftovers into food-grade fungi. The production process also
(Times-Standard) The Arcata Planning Commission will meet to discuss clarifications about a previous approval of a Footprint biodiesel plant on Giuntoli Lane. According to staff reports, an appeal was filed by the owners of the neighboring Town and Country Mobile Home Park,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the governors of North Carolina, Arkansas, Maryland and Delaware made a formal request for a waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard, in response to the 2012 US drought, which has caused a sharp
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...As is sometimes overlooked, the advanced biofuels pool in the US Renewable Fuel Standard is not only a qualifying pool for cellulosic biofuels – which have struggled to come to market in the projected volumes.
(Algae Industry Magazine) Gas Technology Institute’s (GTI’s) new pilot-scale IH2 Plant in Chicago, Illinois, demonstrates their efforts to broaden biomass-to-liquid hydrocarbon fuel conversion. The 70-year-old research, development and training organization has turned much of its research toward renewable fuels. Their IH2 Technology,
by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg) Surging corn prices and policy changes in the U.S. and European Union mean the outlook for the EU’s ethanol industry has “improved dramatically” this year, Czarnikow Group Ltd. said. U.S. ethanol prices have rallied as drought damaged corn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, the state Energy Commission today unanimously approved funding of $1,974,330 for the expansion and upgrade of a biodiesel production facility and buy-downs of alternative-fuel vehicles. The awards improve the environment, reduce use of
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Though it sometimes can be easy to lose sight, the increasing challenges we face are directly correlated to our achievements. In particular, with higher blends of ethanol in gasoline gaining greater acceptance, we
by Sami Faour (Ethanol Producer Magazine/BetaTec Hop Products) A method for controlling infection and maximizing ethanol yields ...Growth of contaminating lactic acid bacteria is a major problem in industrial alcohol fermentations. These bacteria can grow under the conditions of yeast fermentation
by Gerard Wynn (Reuters) ...It has now become ubiquitous to quote the ethanol industry's corn consumption at 40 percent of the national crop. But the estimate is inaccurate, by assuming away ethanol co-products and in particular so-called "distillers grains" which substitute
(PRNewswire) Eco Ventures Group, Inc., an emerging producer of diversified, sustainable alternative energy, today announced that both Lake County and the City of Groveland, Florida have awarded the Company biofuel fabrication, manufacturing and sales permits. Along with the County's permits, the City of Groveland passage of ordinance
(INEOS Bio) Florida project is first large-scale facility to receive registrations for the production of advanced cellulosic biofuels from non-food vegetative waste materials INEOS Bio announced that its joint venture project in Florida has been granted Parts 79 and 80 registrations from
(City of Raleigh, NC/Biodiesel Magazine) The city of Raleigh has received a $100,000 grant from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina to purchase processing equipment and begin biofuel production at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant. In 2010, the City of
by Ashley Player (Biodiesel Magazine/Frazier, Barnes & Associates) ...One potential gray area is the treatment of off-spec biodiesel—many facilities simply sell the material without RINs to be reprocessed by other biodiesel plants. A question that might be asked is: does
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Nebraska ethanol producers are responding to a tough market. With excessive drought conditions and nearly record high corn prices, ethanol producers have decreased their consumption in recent weeks. Latest estimates show the state’s ethanol plants operating
by Daniel Grushkin (FastCoExist.com) Amyris’s breakthroughs in bioengineering--and its plans to make biofuels from Brazilian sugarcane--promised to transform how the world’s businesses produce energy, cosmetics, and medicine. Then reality (and Wall Street) got in the way. ...Already, in the short lifetime
by Brian Dowling (Hartford Current) ...Richard Parnas, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Connecticut's Institute of Materials Science, a few years ago started converting the school's used cooking oil, known as yellow grease, to biodiesel. The results
by Ian C. Campbell (The Oregonian) ...A new $6 million federal grant to develop jet fuel and clean diesel from grass and sugarcane could help. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture money to researchers at Oregon State University, the University of Hawaii and Washington
by Liang Fei (Global Times) A unit of China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec Group), China's largest oil producer by sales revenue, is seeking to produce aviation fuel from used cooking oil, The Economic Observer reported Saturday, citing a company official inside
by Sue Retka Schill (Biomass Magazine) Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc. received a $105 million condition loan guarantee from the USDA, putting its planned 10 MMgy Sierra BioFuels Plant closer to groundbreaking. "This USDA loan guarantee provides a key piece of financing to
by Tyler Kula (The Observer) A biodiesel company that creates fuel from vegetable oil and animal fat is set to begin production near Sombra next month, its president says. Mississauga-based Methes Energies Canada Inc. will host a grand opening Aug. 10
(PR NewsWire/Yahoo!Finance) The Algae.Tec advanced engineered algae to biofuels facility Shoalhaven Onewas officially opened today by the New South Wales Minister for Resources and Energy the Honourable Chris Hartcher, MP. A VIP crowd including executives from the University of Wollongong, the Manildra
by Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James & Associates) In addition to declining U.S. oil demand and surging liquids production from onshore shale plays, there is a third component to our thesis that the nation is moving towards oil independence by 2020. We project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Cobalt Technologies and Rhodia announced they will begin joint development and operation of a biobutanol demonstration facility in Brazil. The Cobalt/Rhodia plant will utilize sugarcane bagasse to make n-butanol; bagasse is used at
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee marked up the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012, which included key energy efficiency and biofuels tax credit provisions. Included in the bill: the Cellulosic Biofuels
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) BIO recently introduced a picture book of biorefineries across the United States,“Visible Progress in Commercialization of Advanced Biofuels, Biobased Products and Renewable Chemicals”, which showcases commercial, demonstration and even new pilot facilities. Some of these facilities have been in
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant is now operating its demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Straubing, Germany. With an annual capacity of up to 1,000 tons (330,000 MMgy), the demonstration facility is scaling up the
by Jane Wells (CNBC) ...Proponents say refiners can use past spending splurges on ethanol as credits against this year's purchasing requirements, and exports will also probably be cut. This should leave more corn for everyone else. However, that may not happen.
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced payments for 125 advanced Biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels from a wide variety of non-food sources, including waste products. "Advanced biofuels are
The race to create a better, less controversial biofuel has spawned plenty of research into a variety of potential new sources - including switchgrass, cornstalks and algae. One goal behind the next generation of ethanol fuel is to end the debate
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Arch-critic of the cost of military biofuels — Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe — comes under scrutiny over earmarks for natural gas-based military fuels that cost 29 times more than conventional fuels. In Washington, the battle over
by Markus Schmidt (Progress-Index) While Hopewell's lawsuit against the owner of the Appomattox Bio Energy Plant over a $5 million letter of credit is still pending and the city has not yet collected taxes from the plant, the company has
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But the 80/20 rule generally applies. 85 percent of the projects we expect to see by 2017 will be developed by 20 percent of the companies tracked in the Advanced Biofuels Project Database. (W)e can still
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest is reporting that global advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals capacity will reach 5.89 billion gallons by 2017, up from 5.11 billion gallons by 2016 reported in the November 2011 release, 4.37
by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) ...The movement towards replacing the whole barrel of oil got some momentum just in the past 2-3 years in senior US bioenergy decision-making circles. To some extent, the leadership still doesn’t quite get it – referring
by Arthur Kollaras, Paul Koutouridis, Mary Biddy and James D. McMillan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Feed yeast, green coal contribute to bottom line ...History shows that once an industry is established, significant technological improvements quickly evolve. But in the meantime, how does
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The results of a Google search of the words ethanol and water use are varied and interesting. Some of the information is up-to-date and lays out the industry’s dramatic reduction in water use in
by Frazier Barnes & Associates (Biodiesel Magazine) RIN fraud and RIN verification have emerged as key factors in a biodiesel plant’s viability as evidenced by the recent lawsuits for invalid RINs. As a result of a few bad apples, all
by Luke Geiver (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has granted KiOR Inc. the necessary permit to sell renewable cellulosic gasoline in the U.S. According to Fred Cannon, the EPA’s acceptance of KiOR’s advanced biofuel blendstock “is a landmark” for the
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The once futuristic vision of integrating traditional and second-generation ethanol facilities appears more attainable as various companies emerge with technology improvements that will allow corn ethanol producers to add cellulosic ethanol streams without taking
(Platts) Construction of Ineos' $130 million biorefinery joint venture project in the US has been completed, with production expected to begin in the second half of 2012, said Peter Williams, CEO of Ineos Bio, the Switzerland-based company's bioenergy business. The project,
by Grant Scott-Goforth (Times-Standard) The Arcata Planning Commission recently have final approval to a plan for a biodiesel facility on Giuntoli Lane after hearing concerns from neighbors about increased traffic and odors. The facility will create biodiesel from waste vegetable oil, and
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) ...A new project underway by three companies in Portland focuses on the co-location of grease recycling, biodiesel production and distribution operations. Once complete, the collaborative initiative will allow all three entities to better and more
by Franco Capaldo (ICIS.com) Clariant has inaugurated a new cellulose ethanol pilot plant in the Bavarian town of Straubing, Germany, the Swiss specialty chemicals company said on Friday. The plant – the biggest of its kind in Germany – will produce around 1,000 tonnes/year of cellulose ethanol, a
by Seth Slabaugh (The Star Press) ... “High corn prices driven by the drought have caused some ethanol plants to temporarily idle or reduce production,” Matt Hartwig of the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol trade group in Washington, D.C., told The
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the 2012 Summer Games approach, BP Biofuels launches its showcase for cellulosic ethanol, renewable diesel, and biobutanol. Amidst the blizzard of demo drives and informational marketing, why are these molecules key to “fueling the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But some of the most interesting work being done today at Joule Unlimited is of the “Don’t Bee” type: progressively knocking out characteristics and pathways that create limitations on biofuels production: “Don’t BEE a naughty
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We think that the emergence of a long-term, low-cost natural gas source will ultimately break production of fuel and chemicals into five key streams. Long chain molecules. Winning? Bio-based. These are the long molecules primarily used
by Paul Anthony a. Isla (BusinessMirror.com) THE Philippines has sufficient coconut supply to support up to a 5-percent coco methyl ester (CME) biodiesel blend, Carlos Carpio, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) deputy administrator, told reporters on Wednesday. The PCA official said in
by David Worthington (SmartPlanet.com) The allure of cheap nature gas has altered the course of a New Jersey biofuel start-up’s path to commercialization. Shale gas will serve as Primus Green Energy’s (PGE) bridge fuel until it shifts to biomass feedstocks. PGE today
(US Department of Energy) The intent of this FOA is to identify, evaluate, and select innovative pilot- or demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries that can produce hydrocarbon fuels that meet military specifications for JP-5 (jet fuel primarily for the Navy), JP-8 (jet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In this context we’d like to examine assertions made in a feature story on the Green Strike Group published this week in Wired’s online Danger Room, entitled “How the Navy’s Incompetence Sank the ‘Green Fleet”. Myth
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Coskata, looking at CAPEX opportunities, political uncertainty, and the investor climate — switches to an “all natural gas” feedstock strategy. Initiates a $100M private placement, puts Alabama project on hold. In today’s Digest, we look
(Herald Sun) The world's first industrial plant producing biofuels from seaweed will be built in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco in late 2013, the official in charge of the project says. The factory to be set up by Austrian firm
by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana Times) Powers Energy of America remained in breach of contract with Lake County's solid waste board but was given another month to try to prove it can finance its long proposed trash-to-ethanol plant. The extension until
(Citizen-Times) Farmers, area restaurants and energy-conscious drivers could benefit from a pilot program to develop homegrown biofuels in the mountains. Blue Ridge Biofuels, AdvantageWest, Biltmore Estate and other partners have been awarded a $130,000 grant from the Biofuels Center of North
by Rober Brown (Bristol Herald Courier/Tricities.com) Bristol, Va., officials might have turned down the relocation of an ethanol plant in their city, but the facility is very much wanted in Bristol, Tenn., City Manager Jeff Broughton said. The former Armour Foods
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the Pacific-based forces of Can-Do battle the Washington-based forces of Shouldn’t-Try, we look at the 6 Big Myths of Military Biofuels In Hawaii, the US Navy demonstrated its Green Strike Group as part of the 2012 Rim
by Jan Koninckx(DuPont), Adam Monroe (Novozymes), Javier Salgado (Abengoa) and Jeff Lautt (POET) (Politico) The last two presidential administrations differed on many issues, but gave us a bipartisan roadmap for achieving greater energy security and lowering our dependence on fossil
(Expansion.com) The first biodiesel plant that uses Cuban bush inedible oilseed "Jatropha curcas", popularly known in the island as "physic nut" began to produce today, according to local media reported. The facility, located in the eastern province of Guantanamo, has capacity
by Steve Clark (The Brownsville Herald) After a year in development, Tire Recycling & Processing, a facility unlike anything else in Texas and possibly the United States, has thrown the switch in Harlingen. On Friday, several large, expensive, German-made tire-processing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Argentina’s monetary policies run into big trouble, inflation mounts and the peso sinks, can the biofuels boom keep going? ...To keep the biodiesel industry growing and reduce diesel import costs, the Argentine government has also
(EcoBusiness/The Borneo Post) Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water is planning to set up a biomass refinery at a major city in Sarawak. Without going into full details, its minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said the refinery would be used to recycle
(OpenPR) Incbio (www.incbio.com), a leading company in design, build and start-up of biodiesel plants with state of the art ultrasonic reactor technology has been awarded a contract to supply a turnkey transesterification unit for N3Pharma AS, a leading Norwegian pharmaceutical
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Algae.Tec Ltd. is holding a VIP official commissioning of its Shoalhaven One showcase algae production facility in Bomaderry, New South Wales, Australia, on Aug. 2. Shoalhaven One is a series of enclosed algae photobioreactors (PBRs) co-located
(Bioenergy News) Chemical and biofuels company Gevo has signed a joint development agreement with Beta Renewables to develop an integrated process for the production of bio-based isobutanol from cellulosic biomass. The agreement anticipates production plants will be located where cellulosic feedstocks
by Meghan Schiller (Medill News Service/Wall Street Journal) The head of BP’s alternative-energy business on Tuesday said biofuel and wind are the stars of the field as the firm ramps up its presence. Katrina Landis, CEO of BP’s alternative energy business, said
(Business Lexington) Add “energy beets” to the cash crop list for Kentucky farmers. The high-sugar energy beet, a variety bred to serve the fuel/energy market, is now growing on test plots in Whitley and other Kentucky counties. Kentucky-based Patriot Bio-Energy
(The Business Journal) EdeniQ, a biofuels technology company based in Visalia, received a $3.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission to help in its efforts of researching the commercial potential of cellulosic ethanol. The grant follows $20 million in
by Bill Esler (Woodworking Network) Enerkem Inc. a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals company, says it has begun production of cellulosic ethanol from used wood telephone poles at its demonstration facility in Westbury, Québec. Enerkem CEO Vincent Chornet called it "a significant
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