University/College Programs – Advanced BioFuels USA

The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to OMC Hydrogen

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrogen is widely used throughout major industries such as petroleum and biofuels refining, ammonia production, and many other processes. When produced cleanly, hydrogen has the ability to help decarbonize these and other industries such as transportation and steelmaking. Accordingly, green hydrogen production has become a

February 6, 2023 Read Full Article

move: New Reactor Concept for Methanation — Robust and Flexible to Synthetic Methane

by Annina Schneider (EMPA) Synthetic energy carriers are carbon-neutral and make renewable energy transportable and storable in the long term. Synthetically produced methane is one of them. The problem: The production involves rather high energy losses; moreover, existing processes require the methane to be purified. To change this, Empa researchers

February 2, 2023 Read Full Article

Climate Career Expo — March 9, 2023 — Bowie, MD

Students and alumni, take the next step in your career during the FREE Climate Career Expo! Explore green job opportunities, paid internships, and graduate fellowships amongst federal, state, and local employers looking to diversify the environmental job sector with #BowieBOLD talent. Co-sponsored by the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition

February 1, 2023 Read Full Article

Collaborative Conversations: Is the Hydrogen Economy Here? — February 21, 2023 — Washington, DC

Please join GW Law’s Environmental & Energy Law Program for a roundtable discussion for a thought-provoking off-the-record discussion about the challenges facing the hydrogen industry. In 2003, President George W. Bush set forth a $1.2 billion initiative in his State of the Union address with the goal that “the first car

February 1, 2023 Read Full Article

Award Supports Biofuel Sustainability Research through Specialized Equipment Access

by Scott Weybright (Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences) Washington State University scientists are working to more precisely understand how plants use nutrients from soil at the level of single cells, with the goal of helping crop plants used for biofuels be more sustainable. A team

January 31, 2023 Read Full Article

Spinning Food Processing Waste into ‘Gold’ — Study Proposes Profitable Ways to Repurpose Industrial Waste

by Emily Caldwell (Science Daily/Ohio State University) Scientists have taken the first step at estimating the best large-scale uses for food processing waste, first analyzing its contents and, based on those findings, proposing production opportunities ranging from sustainable fuels, biogas and electricity to useful chemicals and organic fertilizer. There is money

January 30, 2023 Read Full Article

ACS Green Chemistry Summer School Accepting Applications

by Alexandra A. Taylor (Chemical & Engineering News) The 2023 session in Golden, Colorado, will mark 20 years since the program’s founding — The American Chemical Society Summer School on Green Chemistry & Sustainable Energy is open for applications. The weeklong program at the Colorado School of Mines brings together about

January 27, 2023 Read Full Article

Why This Promising Biofuel Crop Takes a Summer Break

by Matt Davenport (MSU Today) By explaining a photosynthetic peculiarity in switchgrass, MSU researchers may have unlocked even more of the plant’s potential — Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on

January 26, 2023 Read Full Article

Speeding up Sugar’s Conversion into Fuel

(University of Queensland) University of Queensland researchers have found a way to more efficiently convert sugarcane into a building block of aviation fuel and other products. By zeroing in on a specific enzyme, a UQ team working in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has sped up the slowest

January 26, 2023 Read Full Article

UNM to Lead Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Project for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(University of New Mexico) A project from The University of New Mexico has been selected for funding under a U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office interagency agreement with the Minority Serving Institution STEM Research & Development Consortium. Abhaya Datye, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, is leading the

January 26, 2023 Read Full Article

LSU First to Offer CCUS Concentration

(Louisiana State University College of Engineering) Last fall, LSU’s Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering became the first in the country to offer a formal concentration in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). While other institutions are also adding courses, tracks, or certificates related to this topic, Louisiana’s position at

January 26, 2023 Read Full Article

Researchers Capture Carbon More Effectively with New Catalyst Design

by Tyler Irving (Tech Explore/University of Toronto) A new catalyst design created by researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering could significantly improve the practicality of an electrochemical process that converts captured carbon dioxide into multi-carbon molecules—some of the key building blocks of the chemical

January 26, 2023 Read Full Article

Diesel-Hydrogen Hybrid Engines to Help Cut Emissions? New Research Says So

by Isaiah Richard (Tech Times) Diesel engines may find a new way to survive in a zero-emissions future. — Diesel engines may still get a chance to survive in the future because of the latest research and claims from the University of New South Wales. In their study, its team made

January 23, 2023 Read Full Article

New Enzyme Speeds up Sugar to Biofuel System without Using Yeast

by Jacinta Bowler (Cosmos Magazine) Australian researchers have found a way to more effectively convert sugarcane into the building block of aviation fuel, and other products like rubber and plastics. Sugarcane (and its waste product) is one of the crops that has shown promise in being turned into ‘biofuel’, which could

January 19, 2023 Read Full Article

Researchers Unravel the Complex Reaction Pathways in Zero Carbon Fuel Synthesis

(Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore/Phys.Org) Photosynthesis is the natural process of converting carbon dioxide (CO2) to useable chemical compounds. In contrast, carbon capture and utilization technologies through processes such as electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R) are the man-made equivalents that could enable the chemical industry to convert its current

January 19, 2023 Read Full Article

Chile Will Promote the Development of Clean Fuels for Aviation

(Bnamericas/Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications of Chile) This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications through the Civil Aeronautical Board ( JAC ) and in conjunction with the Energy Sustainability Agency of the Ministry of Energy , formalized the incorporation of the Catholic University of the

January 19, 2023 Read Full Article

New Solar-Powered Technology Can Transform Plastic Waste into Sustainable Fuels and Cosmetics

by Rebecca Ann Hughes (EuroNews.green) Scientists have developed a way of transforming plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels using solar power. The system, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, could address plastic pollution and become a “game-changer” in the development of a circular economy. A pioneering system

January 18, 2023 Read Full Article

A Step towards Solar Fuels out of Thin Air

(EPFL) EPFL chemical engineers have invented a solar-powered artificial leaf, built on a novel electrode which is transparent and porous, capable of harvesting water from the air for conversion into hydrogen fuel. The semiconductor-based technology is scalable and easy to prepare. A device that can harvest water from the air

January 17, 2023 Read Full Article

ACTC Diesel Students Train for Future of Biodiesel

(The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky./Yahoo!) Eleven Diesel Technology students completed a biodiesel training/information course with the Kentucky Soybean Board in November. Cody Fraley, Lucas Hammond, Bryan Reynolds, Hunter Vance, Carter Cole, Hunter Hay, Kenton Rose, Joshua Thayer, Rader Adkins, Stanley McCarty and Daniel Stewart are students in the first-year diesel engines

January 10, 2023 Read Full Article

Energy Students Take on a New Challenge – Recycling

(Freeman Business) … Fluence Analytics is a Tulane University spin-out that specializes in continuous analytics and process control solutions for the polymer and biopharmaceutical industries. Ranked by CB Insights as one of the world’s most promising advanced manufacturing startups, the company recently began developing new ways to use its propriety technologies

January 9, 2023 Read Full Article

Rolling in Benefits: New Method for Effective Compression of Plant Biomass for Alternate Fuel and Anti-viral Applications

(Okayama University/News Wise) Researchers from Okayama University have developed a novel mechanical compression method to squeeze maximum benefits from plant biomass — This process of compressing woody and herbaceous biomass generates pellets with good combustion performance and squeezed liquid extracts with water-soluble lignin that shows superior antiviral properties … However,

January 9, 2023 Read Full Article

Old Christmas Trees Could Be Recycled into Renewable Fuels and Other Useful Products

by Loukia Papadopoulos (Interesting Engineering) A new study is finding that pine needles from discarded Christmas trees could be used to produce renewable fuels and value-added chemicals using only water as a solvent, according to a press release by the University of Sheffield published on Thursday. In the U.K. alone, an estimated seven

January 4, 2023 Read Full Article

RUDN University Chemists Improve Ethanol Conversion Using Activated Carbon Based Supports

(Russian Foundation for Basic Research/News Wise) RUDN University chemists have improved the catalyst for ethanol conversion. With it, a mixture of compounds with a high octane number was obtained. This was achieved thanks to a special substrate for the activated carbon catalyst. In the future, such developments will help to obtain

January 4, 2023 Read Full Article

IIT-G Succeeds in Breaking down Woody Biomass for Conversion to Bioethanol Fuel

(The Meghalayan Bureau) The IIT Guwahati scientists have shown the efficacy of a new type of endoglucanase called RfGH5_4 in breaking down lignocellulosic and hemicellulosic biomass for the eventual conversion to bioethanol fuel. Researchers of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have studied the efficacy of a specific bacterial endoglucanase

January 2, 2023 Read Full Article

New Report: California Is Pioneering a Pathway to Significant Dairy Methane Reduction

(Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research at UC Davis) Analysis by UC Davis researchers shows continued implementation of California’s incentive-based dairy methane reduction efforts should, by 2030, achieve the full 40% reduction goal. The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) and University of California, Davis CLEAR Center today announced

December 30, 2022 Read Full Article

Synbio Powerlabs Secures € 6.6 Million Funding to Build a Revolutionary Biotechnology Plant for Precision Fermentation

(Nutrecon/NewsWires) Synbio Powerlabs Oy (“Synbio Powerlabs” or the “Company”), a leading Biotech company catalyzing the DNA-Economy by enabling the development of disruptive biotechnologies with precision fermentation, from lab-scale experiments to large scale pilot runs, is pleased to announce it has secured € 6.6 million funding for a unique biotechnology pilot plant

December 30, 2022 Read Full Article

To Battle Climate Change, Scientists Tap into Carbon-Hungry Microorganisms for Clues

by Theresa Duque (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) New technique could fast-track future carbon-free solar fuels — Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a nature-inspired technique for converting carbon dioxide into solar fuels. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated a new technique, modeled after a metabolic process found

December 30, 2022 Read Full Article

In a First in Arab World, Mwasalat Launches Green Bus Powered by Biofuel

(TAS News Service/The Arabian Stories) The fuel was made from date kernel oil by a research team at Sultan Qaboos University. — Oman’s National Transport Company — Mwasalat launched Green Bus powered by biofuel, considered to be the first in the Arab world. The fuel was made from date kernel oil

December 26, 2022 Read Full Article

International Study Develops Ground-Breaking Method of Making Biodiesel from Dirty Old Cooking Oil

(University of Plymouth) A scientist from the University of Plymouth has played a key role in new research which has developed a powerful, low-cost method for recycling used cooking oil and agricultural waste into biodiesel, and turning food scraps and plastic rubbish into high-value products. The method, outlined in a

December 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Chinese Researchers Slash Amoeba Challenges in Using Key Aquaculture Species for Biofuel

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In China, Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a commercially important species that is widely used in aquaculture. It also has the potential to be used as biofuel. However, contamination of algivorous microzooplankton has been one of the main constraints in P. tricornutum large-scale cultivation. Therefore, isolating a new strain with

December 21, 2022 Read Full Article

New Biofuel Laboratory, a Boost to the Region’s Energy Sector

(University of the South Pacific) A new accredited Biofuel Laboratory at The University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva will boost Fiji and the region’s energy sector. The laboratory which is situated with the Institute of Applied Sciences at USP’s lower campus is fully operational, thanks to the strong partnership

December 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Biochar for Energy Storage Applications

by Kent Goeking (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) Biochar is the charcoal-like carbon product obtained when biomass is heated in an oxygen deficient environment, i.e. pyrolysis. Biochar is well known for its agriculture amendment value for increasing crop yields, and as a form of activated carbon in water filtration and toxin remediation

December 19, 2022 Read Full Article

To Make Valuable Bioproducts, Pick the Right Solvent Pretreatment

(U.S. Department of Energy) Lignin and cellulose are polymers—large molecules made up of repeating modules—that are situated in a tangled braid, along with some other polymers, within the plant cell wall. Lignin and cellulose are the two main polymers and are key to the protective strength of plant cell walls. The

December 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Vertimass Opens New Laboratory Near Dartmouth College

(Vertimass) Vertimass, a company developing breakthrough technologies to expand the use of sustainable fuels, announced today it has established a new laboratory in the historic town of Enfield, New Hampshire to accelerate advancing its technology for conversion of ethanol, methanol, butanol, and other alcohols into sustainable aviation fuel. Vertimass is outfitting the 64

December 17, 2022 Read Full Article

University of Missouri Is Helping the Aviation Industry Go “Green”

(Show Me Mizzou/University of Missouri) Using part of a $12.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, MU researchers are working with an interdisciplinary group to optimize green energy for aviation use. — While biodiesel and ethanol are two forms of biofuel used to power today’s cars and trucks,

December 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Helping an Oilseed Take off as a Sustainable Fuel Source

by Matt Davenport (MSU Today) MSU earns $2M DOE grant to improve the oilseed yield of Camelina sativa, a common plant that could provide cleaner jet fuels and teach us about other important crops — Researchers at Michigan State University are working to clear the runway for a new source

December 14, 2022 Read Full Article

WPI Researchers Create Method for Making Net-Zero Aviation Fuel

(Worcester Polytechnic Institute) An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has developed a potential breakthrough in green aviation: a recipe for a net-zero fuel for planes that will pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air. The research, which used sophisticated computational modeling and analysis, was recently published in

December 5, 2022 Read Full Article

To Battle Climate Change, Scientists Tap into Carbon-Hungry Microorganisms for Clues

by Theresa Duque (Science Daily/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) New technique could fast-track future carbon-free solar fuels — Scientists have demonstrated a new technique, modeled after a metabolic process found in some bacteria, to convert carbon dioxide into solar fuels through artificial photosynthesis. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have

December 1, 2022 Read Full Article

University of Maine Outlines Ways to Recruit More Women into Forestry Bioenergy Sector

(Bioenergy Insight) University of Maine researchers have devised a roadmap to recruit more women into the forestry industry, and particularly the bioenergy sector. The team, led by Abigayl “Abby” Novak, a master’s student in forest resources at the BioEnergy Lab of the School of Forest Resources (SFR), found that attracting and

December 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Danish University Research Receives Funding to Produce Hydrogen from Biogas

(Bioenergy Insight) Denmark’s first plant to produce hydrogen by catalytic pyrolysis of biogas is due to be ready in three years. The technology can convert carbon – captured via photosynthesis – into solid form and simultaneously produce hydrogen very energy-efficiently Carbon capture and storage are necessary if the world is

December 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Urges IITians to Focus Their Research on Use of Bio-technology for Production of Bio-CNG, Bio-LNG and Green Hydrogen from Bio-mass

(Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways/ PIB Mumbai) We need to identify the commodities being imported in the country and then focus on developing Swadeshi alternatives for those: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister — “Prioritize research on forest-based industries, agriculture and rural technology, tribal sectors for upliftment of

November 29, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Conversion of Flue Gas CO2 to C2-C4 products

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this project, researchers aim to establish a mechanistic pathway and characterize vs potential and pH, and demonstrate direct conversion of flue gas at high faradaic efficiency and current density. They also aim to demonstrate that the integrated flue gas feed with an optimized flow cell

November 29, 2022 Read Full Article

TEBO Group Announces $6.6 Million Research Partnership With the University of British Columbia

(TEBO Group/Business Wire) New three-year collaboration will focus on building research capacity and developing solutions in sustainability engineering, smart cities and the circular economy. — TEBO Group of Industries, a global sustainable industrial developer, and The University of British Columbia (UBC) are embarking on an innovative research partnership aimed at driving

November 29, 2022 Read Full Article

WSU Leading in the Quest for Cleaner Air Travel

by Addy Hatch (Washington State University Insider) … WSU (Washington State University) researchers in eight programs among three colleges on two campuses are exploring energy sources, testing, supply-chain logistics and policy in the quest for sustainable air transportation. The university is a co‑leader with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of

November 28, 2022 Read Full Article

Green Energy Biofuel Encourages Recycling Food Waste, Safe Cooking This Holiday Season

(WJBF) Green Energy Biofuel is spreading the word about helping the environment. The company was recently visited by a group from the University of South Carolina. “We had some students come down, take a tour of the plant, and show them what we do here, and how we recycle food wastes, and

November 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Sequencing Project to Unleash the Biotechnology Potential of Single-Celled Algae

(University of Manchester) An ambitious plan to sequence the genomes of all known species of euglenoids over the next decade has been launched today. The network of scientists behind the initiative believe it has the potential to drive breakthroughs ranging from new biofuels and sustainable foods to cancer medicines. The Euglena

November 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Chemists Create an ‘Artificial Photosynthesis’ System that Is 10 Times More Efficient than Existing Systems

by Louise Lerner (University of Chicago News) UChicago breakthrough creates methane fuel from sun, carbon dioxide and water — For the past two centuries, humans have relied on fossil fuels for concentrated energy; hundreds of millions of years of photosynthesis packed into a convenient, energy-dense substance. But that supply is

November 18, 2022 Read Full Article

K-State Scientists Receive Collaborative Grant to Advance Biofuel Production and gricultural Economy

(Kansas State University) Kansas State University researchers are part of a five-year collaborative grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve oilseed crops for use as biofuels and other bioproducts. Timothy Durrett, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology, received nearly $1.9 million to

November 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Artificial Intelligence Makes Enzyme Engineering Easy

(Osaka University/Phys.Org) You can’t move a pharmaceutical scientist from a lab to a kitchen and expect the same research output. Enzymes behave exactly the same: They are dependent upon a specific environment. But now, in a study recently published in ACS Synthetic Biology, researchers from Osaka University have imparted an analogous

November 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Novel Waste Treatment Efficiently Converts Sewage to Biogas

by Tina Hilding (Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture/WSU Insider) A new method to treat sewage can efficiently convert leftover sludge to biogas, an advance that could help communities lower their waste treatment costs while helping the environment. Reporting in the journal, Waste Management, a Washington State University research team tested a pretreatment

November 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Researchers Discover Method to Quickly Cultivate Microalgal Strain for Biofuel Production

by Lim Chang-won (Aju Business Daily) A state-run research body in South Korea has discovered a method to quickly cultivate a microalgal strain from cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, that can produce twice as much biofuel as other microorganisms due to rapid proliferation. The study opened the way for researchers

November 3, 2022 Read Full Article

Aston University Researchers ‘Feed’ Leftover Coffee Grounds to Microalgae to Produce Low Emission bBiodiesel

(Aston University) High quality biodiesel produced from microalgae ‘fed’ on leftover coffee grounds; Breakthrough in the microalgal cultivation system; Could decrease reliance on palm oil to produce biofuel. Two Aston University researchers have produced high-quality biodiesel after ‘feeding’ and growing microalgae on leftover coffee grounds. Dr Vesna Najdanovic, senior lecturer

November 2, 2022 Read Full Article

Clean Hydrogen Fuel Is Easier to Produce from Seawater with Stable Hierarchical Electrocatalysts

(King Abdullah University of Science and Technology/Phys.Org) Seawater, which comprises more than 95% of the Earth’s water, could become a key resource in the sustainable production of clean hydrogen fuel with use of water-splitting catalysts developed by a KAUST-led team. Water splitting could offer an appealing way to carbon neutrality,

November 2, 2022 Read Full Article

’22 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum & Expo — November 8-9, 2022 — Knoxville, TN

On November 8-9, 2022, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), and Tennessee Clean Fuels (TNCleanFuels) will hold the seventh annual Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum & Expo (STFE) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville Student Union in downtown Knoxville, TN. This year’s sessions will address topics such as alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies;

October 31, 2022 Read Full Article

$2 Million FAA Grant Supports Study of Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Missouri S&T

by Andrew Careaga (Missouri University of Science and Technology) The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently awarded a $2.05 million grant to a Missouri S&T researcher to study how different types of sustainable aviation fuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. Dr. Philip Whitefield, Curators’ Distinguished Professor emeritus of chemistry

October 31, 2022 Read Full Article

UChicago Researchers Take Inspiration from Soil to Create New Material with Promise for Medical, Biofuel Technology

(University of Chicago News) … Their latest experiment mimics the structure of soil to create materials that can interact with their environment, with promise for electronics, medicine, and biofuel technology. It has multiple potential applications; preliminary tests have shown the material can boost the growth of microbes and may be able

October 28, 2022 Read Full Article

UBC and TEBO Group Launch Biofuel Research Partnership

(Biofuels International) TEBO Group of Industries and the University of British Columbia (UBC) have started a new research partnership aimed at driving highly sustainable and carbon-efficient construction and infrastructure technology. The collaboration will bring together TEBO engineers with researchers at UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses to explore and develop solutions

October 27, 2022 Read Full Article

UWO, Agra Energy Break Ground on Biogas-to-Liquid Fuel Project

by Natalie Johnson (University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh/Biomass Magazine) Marked by a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 17, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh launched a new effort with biogas partner Agra Energy to build Wisconsin’s first commercial facility to turn dairy farm waste into renewable biofuel. The $20 million facility, located at

October 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Why Scientists Want to Help Plants Capture More Carbon Dioxide

by Casey Crownhart (MIT Technology Review) Genetic tools that have helped create resilient crops could boost carbon removal, too. — … In the session, I sat down with Pamela Ronald, a plant geneticist at the University of California, Davis. She’s been working for years on helping rice survive floods, and

October 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Research Team Receives $15.8M to Modify Poplar for Bioproducts

by Maria Lameiras (UGA Today) Cutting-edge technologies will enable researchers to reengineer poplar trees to produce alternatives to petroleum-based products — A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia and two partner institutions have been awarded a $15.8 million grant over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy

October 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Gov. Ricketts Announces EPA Approval of State’s Expanded E30 Demonstration Project

(Office of Governor Pete Ricketts) Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the continuation of groundbreaking research being done in Nebraska on E30 fuel. Results of the State’s initial pilot program, launched in 2019, showed that E30 is safe and reliable fuel for use

October 21, 2022 Read Full Article

On-Site Reactors Could Affordably Turn CO2 into Valuable Chemicals

(University of Waterloo) New technology makes the process of turning CO2 into valuable chemicals economically viable for industrialization — New technology developed at the University of Waterloo could make a significant difference in the fight against climate change by affordably converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and other valuable chemicals

October 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Building the Bio-Based Chemical Economy: Circa Launches Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute

(Circa) To advance and promote the development and commercialisation of renewable chemistry, sustainable biochemicals company Circa Group AS (stock symbol: CIRCA) has launched the Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute at the University of York’s Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) in the UK. The Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute is a new industrial

October 20, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Application of a Transformational UKy3 Ton/Day CO2 Capture System at a Steel Process Plant

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The objective of this project is to demonstrate the UK CO2 capture process at Nucor Steel Gallatin treating electric arc furnace evolved gas with a CO2 concentration of ~1.5 vol%.Kunlei Liu and Heather Nikolic of the University of Kentucky showed these slides at the National

October 20, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Initial Engineering and Design For Co2 Capture from Ethanol Facilities

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to develop an initial engineering design (IED)and estimated cost for capture and compression of CO2 generated from an operational ethanol production facility. It’s a part of the search for CO2 capture, and Jason Laumb, Director of Advanced Energy Systems Initiatives at the University

October 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Magazine Podcast: New Process Yields Low-Cost Biodiesel from Food Waste

by Anna Simet (Biodiesel Magazine) This week’s Biodiesel Magazine podcast features, Michael Timko, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Heather LeClerc, Ph.D. Candidate with Worcester Polytechnic Institute Interview. READ MORE/LISTEN Hydroxyapatite catalyzed hydrothermal liquefaction transforms food waste from an environmental liability to renewable fuel (iScience)

October 13, 2022 Read Full Article

Agile BioFoundry Selects New Collaborations

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the selection of six projects to conduct research and development that

October 13, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to a Highly Efficient Microalgae-Based Carbon Sequestration System to Reduce CO2 Emission from Power Plant Flue Gas

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The objective of this project is to harness the power of photosynthetic microalgae to maintain a high-pH, high-alkalinity microalgal culture to create a carbon-negative system for carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion to value-added products from power plant flue gas. Feng Chen of the University of Maryland

October 13, 2022 Read Full Article

Turkish Airlines Signed Global SAF Declaration

(Turkish Airlines) Turkish Airlines continues its support for the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels which play a key role in reducing carbon emissions. Starting to actively use Sustainable Aviation Fuel during its operations as of 2022, Turkish Airlines emphasized the importance of the matter for the company by signing Global

October 13, 2022 Read Full Article

FAA, Universities Pursue Critical Research to Achieve U.S. Aviation Climate Goals

(Federal Aviation Administration) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued more than $16 million in grants to 14 universities across the country for research to reduce aviation emissions and noise. The university teams are members of the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT), part of the FAA’s Air Transportation Center

October 13, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Conversion of CO2 into High-Value Chemicals

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What can you actually make from CO2 that’s valuable, and more permanent? The goal of this project is to develop technology to convert CO2 to valuable products to partially offset carbon capture costs from the utility and industrial sectors. Also, to contribute to the production of

October 10, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Herbaceous Energy Crop Production in the Southeast United States

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellulosic bioenergy crop production is a nascent industry in the U.S. and has the potential to supply up to 5% of U.S. energy demand while achieving increased carbon reduction. The Southeast U.S. is ideally suited for a cellulosic industry due to plentiful land, ample rainfall,

October 6, 2022 Read Full Article

Green Living: Award-Winning Hong Kong Scientist’s Innovation Turns Sewage Sludge into Energy, Slowing Down the Impact of Climate Change

by Eric Ng (South China Morning Post) Sewage sludge used as feedstock to make methanol cuts down carbon emissions by a quarter compared to coal as the raw material, Polytechnic University professor Ren Jingzheng says; If all 1,200 tonnes of sludge generated in Hong Kong every day is converted to

October 5, 2022 Read Full Article

$2.6M DOE Grant Supports UMD-led Study on Genetics of Plant Growth for Biofuels

by Kimbra Cutlip (University of Maryland/Maryland Today) A University of Maryland researcher was awarded $2.6 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate the genetics underlying how poplar trees sense nutrients and regulate their metabolism—information that could help farmers maximize yields of this and other plants used in biofuel

October 5, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks for the Emerging Bioeconomy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of this project is to develop productive, cost-effective and sustainable warm-season perennial bioenergy feedstock production systems on marginal croplands across geographic locations in the Midwest. The University of Illinois (at Champaign-Urbana)’s D. K. Lee leads the team of researchers. READ MORE

October 5, 2022 Read Full Article

$2.25M Awarded to Develop Sustainable Energy Products from Waste Streams

by Sam Jones (North Carolina State University CALS News) Researchers will create sustainable aviation fuel and graphite from a blend of wood waste and seaweed. — A team of researchers in NC State’s College of Natural Resources and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has been awarded a $2.25 million grant funded by the Department

October 4, 2022 Read Full Article

New Method Converts Greenhouse Gas Into Fuel

(São Paulo Research Foundation/SciTech Daily) A team of researchers has successfully converted methane into methanol using light and scattered transition metals such as copper in a process known as photo-oxidation. The reaction was the best achieved to date for converting methane gas into liquid fuel at ambient temperature and pressure (25

October 4, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Improved Advanced Biomass Logistics Utilizing Woody Feedstocks

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Harvesting and transportation makes up 40 –60% of the delivered cost of SRWC and are an important source of GHG emissions. Harvesting systems are not well developed — throughput decreases up to 65% from harvester to short term storage. Changes in biomass quality and impacts

October 4, 2022 Read Full Article

Researchers Propose Novel Method to Enhance Electrocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide

(Chinese Academy of Sciences) A research team led by Profs. CHEN Wei and WEI Wei from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported a novel method that enables efficient CO2 electroreduction to CO by virtue of low-coordination chloride ion adsorption on a silver hollow fiber electrode. The results were

September 30, 2022 Read Full Article

New Catalyst Offers a More Affordable Way to Produce Hydrogen from Seawater

by Jeannie Kever (University of Houston) Researchers Discover a Single Catalyst Capable of Splitting Both Freshwater and Seawater at Low Voltage — Hydrogen has drawn attention in recent years as a potential source of clean energy because it burns without producing climate-damaging emissions. However, traditional hydrogen production methods have a substantial

September 28, 2022 Read Full Article

Avans Starts Developing New Masters in Material & Energy Transition

(Center of Expertise Biobased Economy (Google Translation)) Avans University of Applied Sciences has received permission from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) for the funding of the master Material & Energy Transition. This new master focuses on the theme of sustainability from a technical perspective. It is the

September 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Building the Bio-Based Chemical Economy: Circa Launches Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute

(Circa) To advance and promote the development and commercialisation of renewable chemistry, sustainable biochemicals company Circa Group AS (stock symbol: CIRCA) has launched the Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute at the University of York’s Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) in the UK. The Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute is a new industrial

September 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Biologists Unveil Clues to Evolutionary Origins of Brown-Colored Algae for Health, Biofuels Research

by Anne Manning (Colorado State University/Science Direct) Biologists have unveiled foundational new insights into the evolutionary steps these algae took to make their novel brown pigments, which are called fucoxanthin. — But the majority of these diverse aquatic organisms that exchange sunlight for energy are brown-colored, like the large forests of

September 25, 2022 Read Full Article

He Is Turning Waste into Commodity with DOE Grant

by Brandie Jefferson (Washington University in St. Louis) The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $2.3 million grant to a team led by Zhen (Jason) He, a professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis’ McKelvey School of Engineering. The project, which also includes researchers from

September 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Research: TotalEnergies and the Technical University of Denmark Create a Center of Excellence in Decarbonized Energies

(TotalEnergies/Business Wire) During his trip to Denmark, Patrick Pouyanné signed an agreement with the President of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) concerning the creation of the DTU-TotalEnergies Excellence Center of Clean Energy. This advanced research center will focus on developing reliable, profitable, low-emission energy solutions that will reduce the intermittence

September 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Husker-Led Team Exploiting Oilseeds’ Potential in Biofuels, Bioproducts

by Tiffany Lee (University of Nebraska) A University of Nebraska–Lincoln researcher is leading a team working to unlock the full potential of two oilseeds that may help meet the escalating demand for renewable fuels, industrial chemicals and other bioproducts. The team will produce genetically enhanced oilseeds, establish the “rules” of oilseeds’

September 16, 2022 Read Full Article

Brown Announces $2.5 Million for Biofuel Research at The Ohio State University

(Office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)) Today (September 13, 2022), U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Department of Energy has awarded a $2.5 million grant to The Ohio State University (OSU) for research on the creation of new biofuel energy to help decarbonize multiple sectors. “Biofuel energy research and

September 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Fundraising Ramps up to Continue Development of Direct-Ethanol Fuel Cells for Vehicles

by Marcus Traxler (Mitchell Republic) Iowa Corn, the advocacy organization for Iowa corn growers, is leading a drive to raise funds to continue advancing technology in order to help get direct-ethanol fuel cells, or DEFC, to the point where they can realistically use corn products to turn from ethanol to

September 15, 2022 Read Full Article

WPI Researchers Create New Method for Making Biodiesel Fuel with Food Waste

(Worcester Polytechnic Institute/Business Wire) With gas prices soaring and food costs pinching family budgets, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at WPI is looking at ways to use food waste to make a renewable and more affordable fuel replacement for oil-based diesel. The work, led by Chemical Engineering Professor Michael Timko, is detailed in

September 14, 2022 Read Full Article

SoCalGas and the University of California, Irvine Announce Hydrogen Blending Project to Promote Clean Energy and Resiliency Goals

(Electric Energy Online) Project would build upon prior research to blend electrolytic hydrogen into existing pipelines — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) today (Sept 9) announced a proposed collaboration to demonstrate how electrolytic hydrogen can be safely blended into existing natural gas infrastructure on the university’s

September 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Scientists Find a Simple Way to Produce Hydrogen from Water at Room Temperature

by David Nield (Science Alert) … In the new research, scientists describe a relatively simple method involving aluminum nanoparticles that are able to strip the oxygen from water molecules and leave hydrogen gas. The process yields large amounts of hydrogen, and it all works at room temperature. That removes one of

September 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Direct Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Bulk Chemicals and Liquid Fuels

(Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy Sciences) High-efficiency utilization of CO2 facilitates the reduction of CO2 concentration in the global atmosphere and hence the alleviation of the greenhouse effect. The chemical utilization of CO2, which refers to converting CO2 into value-added chemicals and liquid fuels, has a distinct and direct CO2 emission reduction effect,

September 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Lessons from Natural Photosynthesis: Conversion of CO2 to Raw Materials for Plastic!

(Osaka Metropolitan University) Technology sequesters CO2 emissions In plants, natural photosynthesis binds carbon dioxide (CO2) to organic compounds, which can then be converted into glucose or starch. These useful molecules can be sequestered, storing the carbon in a solid form. Artificial photosynthesis mimics this process by reducing the greenhouse gas CO2—the main

September 8, 2022 Read Full Article

One-Step Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil Using CaO Promoted Activated Carbon Catalyst from Prunus persica Seeds

by Ayesha Hameed,Salman Raza Naqvi, Umair Sikandar and Wei-Hsin Chen (MDPI Special Issue Catalysts for Biofuel and Bioenergy Production) In recent years, the scope for replacing fossil fuels has been appealing to the world, owing to limited conventional fuels, crude oil price volatility, and greenhouse gas emission concerns. In this

September 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and University of California Berkeley, to Develop Technology Converting Air to Sugar

(Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) CCEP Ventures to partner with Peidong Yang Research Group to develop scalable methods of converting captured air (CO2) into sugar; Technology could reduce some of the largest CO₂ contributors in supply chains, while saving material, transportation and logistics costs; Development of lab scale prototypes could mean in

September 7, 2022 Read Full Article

From Worm Composting to Biofuels, the Caribbean Seeks Solutions to Seaweed Influx

by Alison Kentish (Interpress Service News Agency) The increasingly severe invasion of seaweed is impacting tourism, health, livelihoods, and the economy of Caribbean countries, which are hoping for a mix of solutions to the stubborn problem. … The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that the sargassum’s production of hydrogen

September 2, 2022 Read Full Article

Easing Pain at the Pump with Food Waste: New Method for Making Biodiesel Fuel

by Jack Levy (Worcester Polytechnic Institute/ Phys.Org) … To make the fuel, the researchers employed a process called hydrothermal liquefaction, which uses heat and water to break down the food waste into a liquid. It’s a method that has been used widely in converting other materials into biofuel, including algae. However,

September 2, 2022 Read Full Article

New Algorithm Uncovers Secrets of Cell Factories

by Karin Wik and Susanne Nilsson Lindh (Chalmers University of Technology/Phys.Org) Drug molecules and biofuels can be made to order by living cell factories, where biological enzymes do the job. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a computer model that can predict how fast enzymes work, making

September 1, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $16.5 Million in Funding for Carbon Utilization Projects

(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM’s) Carbon Utilization Program announced the selection of seven projects totaling $16.5 million in federal funding. This investment will advance technologies that utilize waste carbon to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and

August 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Department of Energy Announces $29.5 Million for Improved Bioenergy Resource Recovery and Conversion Systems

( U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $29.5 million to 15 projects to improve the current science and infrastructure for utilizing waste streams, often disproportionately located in underserved communities, and support the development of improved organisms and inorganic catalysts for the production of valuable biofuels and bioproducts

August 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Floating ‘Artificial Leaves’ Ride the Wave of Clean Fuel Production

by Sarah Collins (University of Cambridge) Researchers have developed floating ‘artificial leaves’ that generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, and could eventually operate on a large scale at sea. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, designed ultra-thin, flexible devices, which take their inspiration from photosynthesis – the process by

August 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Cranfield Awarded Funding to Research Clean Hydrogen Generation from Biomass

(Cranfield University) Funding for researchers at Cranfield University to look at new ways to generate hydrogen energy from biomass has been announced by the Government. The technology would allow biomass – organic products such as wood, grasses or used brewery hops – to be used to generate hydrogen while capturing CO2 emissions

August 30, 2022 Read Full Article

Scientists Create a New Catalyst for ‘Green’ Biodiesel

( The National University of Science and Technology MISIS/Tech Xplore) An effective industrial catalyst for the faster production of biofuels at low temperatures has been synthesized by an international scientific team with the participation of scientists from MISIS University. The results of the work have been published in the Asian Journal

August 29, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Awards $29 Million to Advance Clean Hydrogen Production

(U.S. Department of Energy) Industry and Universities Will Work to Reduce the Cost of Clean Hydrogen to Deliver Cheap Electricity; New $32 Million Funding Opportunity will Support Clean Hydrogen Technologies — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the award of $28.9 million to 15 industry- and university-led projects and

August 29, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Announces $540 Million for Research Activities into Clean Energy Technologies

by JimLane (Biofuels Digest) From Washington comes news that the U.S. Department of Energy will make more than $540 million in awards for university- and National Laboratory-led research into clean energy technologies and low-carbon manufacturing. The goals Earlier this year, the DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) announced its

August 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Producing Biodiesel from Palm Kernel Shells

by Reginald Davey (AZO Materials) A new paper appearing in the journal Environmental Research has explored the production of biodiesel from palm kernel shells, an agricultural waste stream. Scientists from Malaysia, Brunei, and Oman have contributed to the research. … … Palm oil is a widely used product in the

August 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Experimental Conception and Thermo-Energetic Analysis of a Solar Biogas Production System

by Badr Ouhammou, Aggour Mohammed, Smouh Sliman, Abdelmajid Jamil, Bakraoui Mohammed, Fadoua Karouach, Hassan El Bari, Tarik Kousksou (Case Studies in Thermal Engineering) Solar biogas system production offers the possibility to simultaneously produce heat, electricity and to treat waste products as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector.