by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nearly a year after Virginia’s first ethanol plant was scheduled to be producing ethanol, the grounds of Appomattox Bio Energy stand quiet, with very little activity. In fact, the rumor going around town is
by Frank Jomo (Bloomberg) Bio Energy Resources Ltd. of Malawi plans to build an $18 million plant to produce bio-fuels from jatropha seeds, the Daily Times reported, citing Chief Executive Officer Lourie Webb. The company plans to start trial output in the final
by Jim Lane and Ben Lazarus (Biofuels Digest) ...To be an ideal location for bioenergy projects, a site must have an advantaged combination of feedstock, infrastructure for production and distribution. Access to local markets is a plus, incentives help, and
(National Advanced Biofuels Consortium) This 55-slide presentation from a National Advanced Biofuels Consortium Webinar describes the organization and work of the consortium using many valuable charts, graphs and illustrations, including those that depict existing infrastructure. One of the most useful illustrations
by Cole Gustafson (Ethanol Producer Magazine/North Dakota State University) ...Why beets? The Northern Plains is the nation’s lowest-cost producer of sugar due to a favorable growing climate and cold winters that extend feedstock storage and processing. The energy beet industry
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Distillers grains as a component in plastics? You bet, if two Nebraska companies achieve their goals. It will start by building a manufacturing facility, Laurel BioComposite LLC, in Laurel, Neb. Major investors include Kearney Area
(Argus Media) State-owned Vietnamese oil firm PetroVietnam is on track to start production at its 100mn litre/yr (1,700 b/d) Dung Quat ethanol plant on schedule in October this year. Work is said to be 75pc complete. The plant, financed by Vietnamese
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In part 3, we look at 12 companies and compare and contrast the Brazilian and US paths to advanced biofuels. Does Brazil have a “must emulate” model? ...What we found is a stable, straightforward system of
(GreenAirOnline) An investment of up to $70 billion will be required to meet aviation biofuel targets, and is needed now, said Mitch Hawkins, the CEO of BioJet International, a company that aims to become a leading global feedstock producer and
by Melissa O'Neil Perdue (Washington State University) An innovative idea for making advanced biofuels such as jet fuel, diesel and gasoline from regional resources is moving forward with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). “This process will demonstrate the
(Yahoo!Finance/BusinessWire) ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced it has signed a long-term binding term sheet with GreenWood Tree Farm Fund (GTFF), managed by GreenWood Resources (GWR), to
by Clayton McNeff (Biodiesel Magazine/BioCat Fuels) In the near future, “multifeedstock” and “nonfood-based” will provide the basis for salvation of the U.S. biodiesel industry. This change will occur through necessity and it must occur quickly in order for our industry
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) How replacing natural gas with biomass as feedstock for methanol production can improve biodiesel's already good environmental footing The vast majority of methanol produced today is sourced from natural gas, but this has not always been
by Garthia Elena Burnett (Commercial Dispatch) FedEx is the latest company to sign an offtake agreement with Kior, a biofuels plant slated to begin production in Columbus in 2012. FedEx plans to use oil produced from biomass, mainly wood chips,
(XPatLoop.com) "MOL will from mid-May collect waste cooking oil at its 100 petrol stations and make bio-fuel from it,” spokeswoman Andrea Pánczél announced. The cooking oil will be processed by Rossi Biofuel’s unit in Komárom. READ MORE
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In our new three-part series, we look at attitudinal changes powering the huge growth in Brazilian renewable energy. In our last installment of the series “Attitude Before Altitude”, we looked at the rise of consensus on
(Grain Farmers of Ontario) Canadian biofuel is better for the environment than biofuel produced further south- in part due to our different agricultural practices - according to a new study released by the Grain Farmers ofOntario. The report, produced by Dr.
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Iowa Legislature today (May 4, 2011) approved comprehensive renewable fuels legislation intended to increase E15 sales and biodiesel production. ...(T)the bill includes a new 3 cent per gallon retailer tax credit for E15 sales, allowing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) An interview with James Garton, president of Mission Biofuels USA subsidiary. We look at the jatropha 1.0 catastrophe, actual biodiesel capacity in the US, palm biodiesel, the RFS, and more. ...The company broke into the US
by Ivan Castano (Renewable Energy World) Some 5 billion gallons of second-generation biofuels could hit the market in five years, a new research report by consultancy Frost & Sullivan revealed last month. However, analysts say the fledgling sector remains challenged by
(Renewable Fuels Association) The animal feed created as a byproduct of U.S. ethanol production could supply beef for 50 billion quarter-pound hamburgers every day, the Renewable Fuels Association says in a report. U.S. ethanol producers generated almost 35 million metric tons
(Yahoo!News/PRWEB) Ashland Hercules Water Technologies is launching a new corn oil extraction aid that can triple corn oil production at ethanol manufacturing facilities. PTV M-5309 corn oil extraction aid, is easily introduced into the process, requires no additional capital expenditure
(Independence Bio-Products/PR Web) Independence Bio-Products (IBP) of Dublin, Ohio has produced algae oil, which has been converted to jet fuel and then tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The algae was grown in
by Nathanial Gronewold (Greenwire/New York Times) ...Though 85 percent of Colombia's cane crop is harvested this old-fashioned way, industry leaders say they have no intention of mechanizing the harvest, for fear of mass unemployment in a rural area where people
(CORE BioFuel) CORE BioFuel Inc., a Canadian biofuel company that is commercializing an advanced biomass to gasoline production process, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a renewable energy project developer. The MOU provides for the development
(TMO Renewables) Leading Chinese corporations, COFCO and CNOOC, select TMO as second generation ethanol technology partner TMO Renewables Ltd, a leading developer of a new process for converting biomass into fuel ethanol is proud to announce that it has been selected
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Imagine filling up the car on a fuel that isn't made from oil but doesn't have the drawbacks of corn ethanol, including its lower energy content and ability to damage older cars or gas
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Prototypes of the biofuels refinery of the future sit in a 19,000-square-foot complex on the Iowa State Research Farm west of Ames. Two experimental plants, whose network of pipes and containers looks to the lay
(Biofuels Journal) Greenergy, a privately owned company that supplies one fifth of Britain’s road fuel, announced May 6 that it has begun producing biodiesel from food waste. In a unique partnership with Brocklesby Ltd, a specialist in recycling edible oils, unsaleable
(Planet Forward) The moment has arrived! On Nightly Business Report we announced Planet Forward’s Innovators of the Year! Jamie Hestekin and his research team will be joining Danny Kennedy as Planet Forward’s Innovators of the Year. Congratulations! ...Jamie Hestekin and a
by Antonio Regalado (Technology Review) As yet another biofuels company prepares for a stock offering, some wonder if the company is worthy of going public at all. ...Technology Review asked Khosla whether pre-revenue biofuels companies should be going public. Khosla sent
by Mary Meehan (Lexington Herald-Leader) The University of Kentucky has received a $6.9 million federal grant to help reduce America's reliance on imported oil, one of eight awards in the country. "It's going to be big," said UK's principal investigator, Sue
(Rentech) Province of Ontario selects Rentech’s newly-announced Olympiad Project in the Township of White River for proposed supply of up to 1.1 million cubic metres/year of wood fibre to produce renewable RenJet®, a certified low-carbon jet fuel Up to C$200 million funding
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Dedini SA Industrias de Base, a Brazilian maker of ethanol-production machinery, is developing systems that will process sweet sorghum into renewable fuel, as an alternative to the widely used used sugar cane. ...“There’s growing interest among cane mills
(Logos Technologies) DOE commits full $20.5 million to retrofit and build pilot plant in Visalia, CA Logos Technologies®, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc., announced U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval to fully fund $20.5 million in federal cost share under DOE’s Integrated
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Joule reported that they have signed a lease for 1,200 acres in Lea County, New Mexico, with the potential to scale the project up to 5,000 acres for production of renewable diesel and
(The University of Kansas) ...A University of Kansas-led research team has received a $5.6 million grant to develop clean technologies to convert biomass into chemicals that could ultimately replace the petroleum-based chemicals currently used in many household items. Bala Subramaniam, director
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Some researchers say that, at current production levels, algae biodiesel is not a commercially viable product. But some algae advocates believe researchers might have some ulterior motives for coming to that conclusion. One of the study’s authors, Dr.
(Bloomberg) Maple Energy Plc, a Lima-based oil and natural-gas producer, expects costs at an ethanol project under construction in northwest Peru to be higher than an earlier forecast. ...Most of the initial shipments will be to the Netherlands, Maple said today.
(Milken Institute Global Conference) With oil prices spiking and concern over climate change growing, biofuels hold tremendous appeal. But they must overcome considerable hurdles. Further process and technology refinements are needed to ensure that biofuels make a significant dent in
by Karen Holst (The Local) ...Earlier this year, Preem, a leading Swedish oil company, emerged as the world’s first company to offer an innovative biodiesel made from tall oil, a renewable by-product of the forestry industry. ...Known as Preem Evolution Diesel, this
by Sharon McBrayer (Hickory Daily Record) ...Catawba County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1, with Randall Isenhower voting against the measure, to award a construction bid to Hamlett Associates, Inc. of Climax for $775,786 to build a crop processing facilityat its Biodiesel Research Facility. ...County officials
by Katherine Yung (Detroit Free Press) ...Together, these deals represent $1.2 billion in new investment in the state and more than 3,800 new jobs. If successful, they would significantly boost the state's efforts to grow its clean energy industry. Last year,
by andypar (Envirogy) ...In light of all this, however, it appears British Columbia has found a way to turn their devastating Pine Beetle crisis into a source of Green Energy. ...Biofuel production uses organic materials to produce fuel to be used in transportation
by Paul Studebaker (Sustainable Planet) ...It’s too soon to talk about grain-based ethanol in the past tense, but maybe not by much. While ethanol has a place as a bio-based octane enhancer and consequently, as a means to extend oil
by Nathanial Gronewold (New York Times/Greenwire) ...Government support for biodiesel has spurred a robust demand for palm oil that has put 50 percent more income into the pocket of farmer Misael Monsalve Moreno. He is almost finished replacing his family's
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The additional capital will enable Cobalt to build out its new 470,000 gallon per year demonstration plant in Alpena, Michigan, which will be the world’s first cellulosic biorefinery for the production of the industrial chemical
by Annie Ilnicki (WANE.com) Nature's Fuel to open by end of year A company in Huntington is on its way to turning trash into liquid gold. Officials from Nature's Fuel broke ground Wednesday afternoon, on a facility that'll turn everyday
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In order for ag residues and energy crops to be profitably converted to biofuels, it is expected that biorefineries will need to acquire all of their feedstocks from within close proximities to the plants.
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Energy Information Administration released the full version of its Annual Energy Outlook 2011 (AEO2011) report on April 26. The report addresses a wide variety of energy markets and industries, including those related
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Renewable Energy Group (REG) executives hosted USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson as well as leaders from the ethanol industry at their REG Newton biorefinery to discuss the role of advanced biofuels in
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) On Friday April 15, BioProcess Algae, dedicated its Grower Harvester bioreactorssignaling the final phase of construction for its commercial scale algae biorefinery. On hand for the event in Shenandoah, Iowa, were USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack along
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded $1.6 million for 15 projects statewide to accelerate the commercialization of renewable liquid fuels. Awards are made through the 2011 Statewide Biofuels Development Grants Program. Biofuels Center president
(Renewable Energy Magazine) According to Argentina’s Renewable Energies Chamber (CADER), installed biodiesel production capacity will exceed 3 million tonnes by year end, more than 500 thousand tonnes higher than in 2010, when it amounted to 2.4 million tonnes. The expected increase
by Wang Xiaotian (China Daily) The nation has plans to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 45 percent by 2020 China can become a leader in the production of second-generation (2G) biofuels, made from agricultural waste instead of foodstuffs, such
(AllAfrica.com) The Italian company "BioEnergy" is to invest 20 million dollars to grow the shrub Jatropha in Sabie, in the southern Mozambican district of Moamba. The jatropha seeds will be exported to Italy to be processed and transformed into biodiesel. The cultivation
(Amyris) Amyris, Inc., announced the completion of the first industrial-scale facility for the production of Biofene™, Amyris’s renewable farnesene. The production facility is located in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil at a facility owned by Biomin do Brasil Nutricão Animal Ltda., a
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, today announced it has signed an engineering and consulting agreement with Mustang Engineering, LP (Mustang) to convert Gevo's renewable isobutanol to bio-jet fuel. This effort will focus on the downstream
(EurekAlert!) David Grewell flipped on the augers that carry corn from a truck to a biorefinery. Then, with a few more clicks of his computer mouse, he turned on the pumps that send grain all the way through an ethanol plant,
by Tonette Orejas (Business.Inquirer.net) Test farming of sweet sorghum in the last six years showed crop production in the Philippines to be 50 percent higher than in India, increasing the crop’s potential as a source of food, fodder and fuel
(Pakistan Today) Brazil and Pakistan produce huge amount of sugarcane and Brazil will soon establish its industry to help Pakistan in ethanol extraction or production from sugarcane which would bring about stability in petroleum prices and also control price-hiking in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Biofuels investing is not for the faint of heart – even high-flyers like Gevo, up more than 33 percent since its debut earlier this year, have been volatile – and a number of small-cap advanced
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Jim Stewart, Chairman of the Board, BioEnergy Producers Association reports: “Democrats on California’s environmental committees, for more than six years, have blocked corrective legislation that would enable the state to make constructive use of its
(JapanCorp.net) Project to Make Efficient Use of Soft Cellulose Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has successfully established technology to produce ethanol for automobile fuel, satisfying the standards of the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization (JASO), from lignocellulose (soft cellulose) such as rice
by Tom Lutey (Billings Gazette) Camelina, the biofuel that five years ago Gov. Brian Schweitzer called his new girlfriend, now struggles for a planting date with Montana farmers. "The biggest challenge of all is the price of wheat," Schweitzer said Thursday. With wheat
(Lignol) Lignol Energy Corporation, a leading technology company in the advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals sector today announced it has completed an engineering design package for a commercial-scale biorefinery that would produce up to 80 million litres of cellulosic ethanol
by Rebecca Baillie (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) With the price of fuel hitting $1.50 a litre, there's a growing push to develop renewable alternatives. Scientists in Australia are part of the global race to develop new biofuels. In fact researchers here
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) AE Advanced Fuels Keyes Inc. is aiming for the future. At the same time the company is working to restart a 55 MMgy ethanol plant located in Keyes, Calif., it announced approval of a
by Ben Lefebvre (Dow Jones Newswires/Denver Post) The U.S. Department of Agriculture is embarking on a revised biorefinery-finance program that it hopes will boost the amount of cellulosic-bio fuel production in the country. The USDA seeks to make the advanced-biofuels industry
by Abby Schultz (CNBC.com) ...“There’s a significant amount of capital required for algal oil producers to scale up to commercial meaningful quantities,” says Jim Rekoske, general manager at Honeywell’s UOP division, which provides technologies to the gas processing, refining and petrochemical
(AlbertLeaTribune.com) Get ethanol at the pumps. That’s what the farmer owners of the Poet Glenville ethanol plant told Sen. Al Franken they would like to see. The comments came during a meeting Wednesday at the plant. “We want consumers to have a
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although natural gas is king of power generation at ethanol plants, there’s increasing interest in renewable energy technologies that could help ethanol plants someday produce a domestically grown fuel without using fossil fuels.
(PRLog/Avjet Biotech) Avjet Biotech, Inc. (ABI), a leading developer of small distributive refining systems in the 10 to 15 million gallon per year range and parent company of Red Wolf Refining, has announced that it has concluded a license
by Bao Chang (China Daily) New process uses bio-waste instead of grains to make gasoline additive China should boost its fuel ethanol industry as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and oil dependency, said China National Cereals, Oils and
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The synergies between the biodiesel, ethanol and advanced biofuels industries are growing. One of the things that’s been happening over the past few years is the ethanol industry creating a new feedstock for the biodiesel industry
by Stephen Bedford Clark (Algae Industry Magazine) My introduction to algaculture began as a young Mining Engineer in Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. It was fueled by my hobby and passion for raising aquarium fish, the delicate larvae requiring
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) ...The paper industry — which in 2009 raked in billions of dollars in federal subsidiesoriginally intended to promote alternative highway fuels — is now using a different biofuel tax credit to cut its tax bills
(MarketWire/Sirona) On Earth Day, Bay Area Fuel Producer Begins Selling Eco-Friendly Biodiesel to the Public, Below Market Prices Sirona Fuels, owner of the only commercial-scale biodiesel production facility in the Bay Area, announced today that beginning on Earth Day, Friday, April
(SustainableBusiness.com) Biobutanol company Cobalt Technologies and American Process Inc. (API), a developer of lignocellulosic sugar production technologies, announced an agreement to build the world's first industrial-scale cellulosic biorefinery to produce biobutanol. Additionally, the companies agreed to jointly market a GreenPower+TMBiobutanol solution
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Paul Bryan, program manager of the DOE’s Office of Biomass, said at the Advanced Biofuesl Leadership Conference that the DOE is shifting gears from focusing solely on replacing the gasoline fraction of refined crude oil,
by Marjon Rostami (The Virginia Pilot/iStockAnalyst.com) Recycled French fry oil could soon be part of what fuels local government vehicles after the city's Planning Commission approved a conditional-use permit for a biodiesel plant in an industrial complex off Military Highway. Tidewater Biodiesel
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) ...“The single most important thing that Congress can do for advanced biofuels is to provide a stable policy environment,” Jan Koninckx, DuPont’s global biofuels business director, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
by Jean Caspers-Simmet (AgriNews.com) Dave Sovereign tries to help people see the benefits ethanol brings to the economy. ...It frustrates Sovereign when people bash ethanol. "After 9/11 the president and Congress asked all Americans to do what they could to eliminate our dependence
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Viaspace reports independent test results of Giant King Grass evaluation. Data gathered during independent evaluations of Viaspace Inc.’s Giant King Grass demonstrate the crop has essentially the same properties as corn stover and wheat straw. According
by Aaron T. Evans (Gant Daily) A spin-off industry from Bionol Clearfield’s ethanol plant is under development in Clearfield Borough. On Thursday night a representative from Air Liquide and a representative from Gannett Fleming Inc. gave a presentation during council’s committees
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...How’s an investor to parse out all these technologies. For many, it’s a case of “you’re making what, from what, using what?” ...Here at the Digest, we think of it as a kind of old fashioned
by Don Davis (Grand Forks Herald) Gov. Mark Dayton likely will sign an agriculture funding bill despite earlier demands that the Republican-controlled Legislature agree on all of its spending plans before he approves any individual bill. ...The most-discussed item in the
By Robert Kozak (Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc.) Worldwide Importance of Protein Animal Feed When I began working with sugar beet processors on our beet pulp biofuel sugar process, one of their first questions was, “Will there still be pulp available to
(vnbusinessreg.com) Vietnam said it has intensified efforts to promote biofuel production in the country under the plan on biofuel development to 2015 with a vision to 2025. According to country’s energy ministry, Vietnam is focussing on production of ‘green gasoline’ from
by Helen Murdoch (Nelson Mail) ...Biodiesel New Zealand general manager Andrew Simcock yesterday told 60 people at a Nelson seminar on the fuel that it was examining a proposal to deliver commercial-grade biodiesel into the region. ...Yesterday Mr Simcock said the
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) To support President Obama's goal of reducing America's oil imports by one-third by 2025, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE) today jointly announced up to $30 million over three to four years that
by Coral Beach (The Packer) U.S. Foodservice officials plan to fuel trucks at their Columbia division in Lexington, S.C., with biodiesel made from used vegetable oil that the company originally sold to customers in the region. U.S. Foodservice, headquartered in Rosemont,
by Mario Osava (Tierramérica/IPS) The mechanisation of sugar cane harvesting, originally aimed at curbing the pollution caused by the burning of cane fields, has resulted in an added bonus: it has helped to improve soil quality, according to growers and
(Abengoa) Abengoa, the company that develops innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, is on schedule to secure 100 percent of the biomass raw material for its Hugoton, Kansas, cellulosic ethanol plant. The company has signed
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) On April 12th at the Navy League’s 2011 Sea-Air-Space Exposition, the leaders of the US Navy’s 50% petroleum reduction by 2020 program honed in on what it means for the Navy and for
(PR NewsWire/OnSite Energy) With rising diesel prices smashing farmer, municipality and trucker budgets, OnSite Energy of Flint, Michigan announces its second generation series of automated 40-400 gallon biodiesel processors as a solution. "These processors are reliable, automated, and available now to people wishing
(Advanced Biofuels Association) A consistent commitment by Congress that avoids the ups and downs of public opinion will be crucial to the success of transforming America's energy policy to cleaner and renewable sources, that's what Michael McAdams, president of the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Khosla-backed pyrolysis venture heads for the public markets. Is the IPO window still open? Will this one fly? Should it? The Digest looks at the technology, the team, the progress, the economics, the proof, and
by Gavin Maguire (Commodities Now/Reuters) Ethanol producers often get much of the blame for driving the price of corn to its current multi-year high levels due to that industry's strong usage of corn to make fuel. But critics overlook the
(Biofuels Journal) Biodiesel Experts International LLC is prepared to provide engineering, onsite supervision, startup, training, enzyme material, and complete plants for an enzymatic process to convert waste oils or greases into ASTM spec biodiesel. The enzymatic process consist of two (2)
(Bio Crescentino) In the presence of local and national authorities, the M & G Gruppo Mossi - the world leader in the production of PET - is today celebrating the laying of the cornerstone of the system IBP (Italian Bio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Game changer, breakthrough, revolution, quantum leap. A lot of technologies arrive on the Digest’s doorstep wrapped in one of those descriptors, or another. Sometimes wrapped in all of them. But what are technologies that would really
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) R3 Fusion, Inc. has announced the availability of its commercial system for recovering ethanol from waste scrubber water. The technology is coined the SPaCeRTM. The system is designed to process 50 gallons per minute of scrubber
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Two companies working on building ethanol plants in China announced progress in their project development in late March. Construction began on a demonstration plant that will produce ethanol from steel mill off-gases
by Steve Everly and Scott Canon (Kansas City Star) This country’s battle to curb oil imports is being plotted in high-tech laboratories and elite universities hunting for breakthroughs in alternative fuels. But the frontlines in the effort to bring such fuels
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Spring 2011 Fuel Ethanol Plant Map is Ethanol Producer Magazine’s twice-yearly look at the industry, being distributed with the May issue, soon to be out. This spring, the printed wall map includes enhancements
by Charles Abbott and Christopher Doering (Reuters) The government introduced new wording on corn use on Friday following complaints from ethanol makers that they were not getting credit for the corn byproducts that are fed to livestock. Instead of saying "corn for ethanol"
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The Gevo GIFT system – three innovations in one First, its magic bug that indeed, produces isobutanol at a far higher rate, yield and concentration than traditional yeasts. Second, an extraction system that gets the
by POET (Renewable Energy World) "Voilà™" corn oil separated using POET centrifuge technology Planned expansion of corn oil production to all of POET's ethanol plants will produce enough raw material for up to 60 million gallons of biodiesel. POET is now selling Voilà™
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Will these biofuels projects make the expected steps towards commercialization? There was a strong response to yesterday’s Top Story about technologies that were approaching make-or-break milestones in 2012. But what about 2011, asked some? What
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As seven projects aim for important milestones, investors face big decisions on whether advanced biofuels companies, even after the run-up in share prices, are still undervalued. ...(I)s it time to get in, hold, or lock in
by Louise Downing (Bloomberg) GeneSyst U.K. Ltd., part of Hudson, Ohio-based Genesyst Inc., is planning to invest 435 million euros ($618 million) in three waste-to-ethanol plants in Malta. The first project will produce as much as 90 million liters of ethanol
by Nicholas Bariyo (Dow Jones Newswires) South Africa-based AGZAM Project Developers Ltd. is planning to invest at least $251 million to develop a sugar plant and at least 15,000 hectares of sugar plantations in Zambia's southern province, the state-run Zambia Development
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New Zealand, LanzaTech is partnering with China’s LCY Chemical Corporation to identify key bio-based chemicals to produce for global fuels and chemicals markets. Mr Lee says LCY plans to investigate alternative bio-C2 to C5
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Coming out of graduate school at MIT in the late 1990s,” Biofuel Energy CEO Scott Pearce recalls, “everyone was flooding into technology companies, dot coms, and I went back into the boring energy space. I
by David Beattie (Renewable Energy World Magazine) ...Importantly, and what sets these latest fuels apart from their first-generation predecessors, is the fact that they are produced using feedstock that would normally be classed as waste or non-food. These include parts
(US Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications from states, tribes, regional governments, and communities that are interested in the development of renewable energy on current and formerly contaminated properties. The opportunity is offered
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Even as President Barack Obama renewed his push for next-generation biofuels, an industry official warned that cuts in biomass subsidies could discourage farmers from providing corn residue and other needed feedstocks. If farmers “see the
by Tyler Ellyson (Columbus Telegram) Robeson, general manager of Frontier Co-op in Brainard, considers the corn-based fuel to be the crutch that the Midwest and Nebraska economies leaned on during the recent recession — keeping our heads above water while
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...For hot technology companies such as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Cobalt and Virent, it all comes down to low-cost sugars. Which brings us to the case of that other sugar source: your friend, the sugar beet. The
by Kate Galbraith (New York Times) Cellulosic ethanol could be poised for a surge — finally. Around the country and especially in the Midwest, a number of proposed plants that would turn corn cobs, wheat straw and other plant-based feedstocks
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) During a U.S. Senate committee hearing on March 30, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said that focusing on advanced biofuels for homegrown energy is in the best interest of the United States. “I think that
(Dakota Spirit AgEnergy) Dakota Spirit AgEnergy, a proposed cellulosic biorefinery near Spiritwood, N.D., has evolved from a 20 million gallon per year (MGY) cellulosic ethanol plant into a 58 MGY “hybrid” ethanol plant comprised of a 50 MGY dry mill ethanol
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Biofuels Digest) ...This faux debate is as important to future ethanol producers as it is to existing ethanol producers. And those looking to capitalize on starch-based ethanol’s public relations struggles need to be cognizant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, 34 cleantech CEOs, are trying to make sure the DOE doesn’t drop its loan guarantee program despite threats of budget cuts from Congress. Signatories to the letter include Abengoa Bioenergy EVP Christopher
(University of Missouri) Food prices could increase by more than 4 percent in 2011 as the farm sector recovers from a sharp downturn in the recession, University of Missouri economists reported to Congress. An annual MU FAPRI baseline shows net farm income
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) Research to develop second-generation ethanol is advancing globally, but Brazil, which vaunts its sugar cane as the ideal raw material for such fuels, lags in the race, industry experts said on Monday. Investments from foreign companies associated
by Ruona Agbroko (Reuters Africa) South Africa's Illovo Sugar may opt to produce biofuel from sugarcane if it makes commercial sense, its managing director said late on Wednesday. South Africa's Department of Energy said earlier this month it would make
by John Colson (The Citizen Telegram) A new kind of economic development is being pursued in the West. Area ranchers and farmers are being urged to grow grass that can be converted to a liquid “biofuel,” rather than relying solely on
by Eartha Jane Melzer (The Michigan Messenger) Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Crystal Falls) campaigned on cutting federal spending. Now some of his constituents are asking him to keep the U.S. Dept. of Energy from spending $58 million on a project to
by Kyle Alspach (Boston Business Journal) With the major costs associated with proving out new biofuels technologies, John McCarthy says he’s seen a number of Massachusetts startups in the space enticed to do larger-scale work in other states. McCarthy, CEO of
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) The U.S. DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and industrial processing firm Nalco Co. struck a licensing agreement for a novel electrodeionization technology that can be integrated into biorefineries to convert biomass into fuels and chemicals. According to
by Dean Brickley (East Oregonian) Zea-Chem’s cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant is more than one-third finished. Builders erected three 40,000-gallon fermentation tanks this week and continued bolting together the steel structure for the two-story operations building. Excavation began last fall, and contractors poured
by Jeff Zueger (Inforum.com) To read Ross Nelson’s column on ethanol (“Ethanol’s promise is empty, “ March 14, Forum), one could come away with the impression that ethanol production is an inefficient and outdated technology. The truth is, ethanol is more
by Surbhi Khyati (IndianExpress.com) The state department of science and technology is establishing a bio-diesel plant here for extraction of jatropha oil and its conversion into bio-diesel. The plant, funded by the department of science and technology, Government of India, will
(Algal Biomass Organization February 25 Newsletter) ...We are designing, manufacturing and operating systems that enable controlled, economical cultivation of algal biomass using attached growth technology. We are currently beginning the second phase of a project that utilizes waste products - including
by Caleb Denison (IBTimes.com) ...(David) Correll, (a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University’s College of Business) ... is the co-founder and president of “ISU BioBus” – a program created to convert spent cooking oil from one of the university’s
(MarketWire/Canadian Renewable Fuels Association) The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association in partnership with the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Koch Farms and Koch Logistics, and biodiesel blender and marketer FS PARTNERS, today launched a "Powered by Biodiesel" bumper sticker campaign to show
by Chet Brokaw (AP/The Republic) Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed into law Thursday a measure aimed at boosting ethanol sales at South Dakota gas stations and providing extra money for economic development loans. ...The ethanol measure was proposed by the governor and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The hottest companies in bioenergy all know it – the name of the game is low-cost sugars, or affordable syngas that competes with natural gas. For those who don’t make or use syngas and need
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A unique biorefinery being developed by Gen-X Energy Group Inc. in Moses Lake, Wash., is nearly complete. According to Ramon Benavides, the company’s co-founder and vice president of business development, Gen-X is in the final
(KRVN) The New Hampshire House has passed a bill that would ban the sale of corn-based ethanol in the state. Earlier the House Science Technology and Energy Committee voted down the piece of legislation, however, Representative David Campbell spoke up
(Novozymes) General Wesley Clark: retired US Army general, 2004 Democratic Party presidential candidate, and now Co-Chairman of Growth Energy, an ethanol lobbying group. A lot of people, when they think of biofuels – ethanol – have a picture of good grain
(Novozymes) The United States has a lot riding on the success of its biofuel industry – energy independence, job creation, and environmental stewardship. But really, how far is the country in achieving its goals? There is no definitive answer to
(Forbes) Brazil’s behemoth development bank, BNDES, offered $1 billion to the Brazilian Innovation Agency to fund research and development into second generation ethanol, the bank said late Tuesday. The money goes to support companies working on turning sugarcane biomass and sugarcane
by Kerry Reals (FlightGlobal) Airbus has teamed with Tarom to establish a facility in Romania to produce aviation biofuel from the camelina crop, as part of the European airframer's plan to develop at least one such facility on every continent. The
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...At World Biofuels Markets 2011 in Rotterdam, the overwhelmingly remarkable impression is the ramp-up in the quality and quantity of strategic investment and off-take partners. Closely followed by the rise of renewable chemicals, and the
(Logos Technologies) DOE commits full $20.5 million to retrofit and build pilot plant in Visalia, CA Logos Technologies®, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc., announced U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval to fully fund $20.5 million in federal cost share under DOE's Integrated
by Bryan Sims (Pacific Biodiesel/Biodiesel Magazine) This month Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie introduced a new oilseed crop research program—the Biodiesel Crop Demonstration Project—that will span two years as part of the state’s effort to promote energy security and sustainable local
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