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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You’ve probably heard of Honeywell UOP, but did you know they are working on making commercial renewable aviation biofuels a reality? At ABLC Digital, they shared this illuminating slide guide on their latest projects, including ones with AltAir, United Airlines, World Energy, and others. Also take
Navy
October 21, 2020
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(TechLink Center) … But scientists at the Naval Air Warfare Center’s Weapons Division have developed and secured a newly issued patent on a unique form of biofuel that is derived from more sustainable crops while providing higher quality ratings than comparable diesel fuels. Dr. Ben Harvey and Heather Meylemans at the
July 17, 2020
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(GKN Aerospace) Contract award for continuation of RM12 engine testing with 50/50 mix of jet fuel and biofuel; Test will demonstrate and support the potential of biofuel for military aerospace, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of advanced aviation — FMV (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) has contracted GKN Aerospace Sweden to
June 30, 2020
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by Victoria Foley (DVIDS Naval Base Kitsap) Naval Base Kitsap hosts an annual base cleanup to observe Earth Day. On April 22, the installation in the Pacific Northwest had another way to celebrate it. The Office of the Secretary of Defense announced NBK as the Sustainability, Industrial Installation category winner
April 28, 2020
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by Emily Holbrook (Environment & Energy Leader) The market for renewable aviation fuel (RAF) is expected to witness a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 56.05% from 2020 to 2025. Government policies have been one of the major factors in driving the market. This is according to new research by Reportlinker.
April 14, 2020
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(Biofuels International) ASTM International has approved a new production pathway for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), created by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG). The new production pathway, which is called catalytic hydrothermolysis jet (CHJ), is expected to help meet the global need for more sustainable aviation fuels.
February 20, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are horse whisperers and there are fuel price whisperers. The latter, they beguile us with their charts and tables and reports and white papers and studies, generally aimed at making fuel prices seem awfully complex, when they’re actually not too tough to figure. These days
February 18, 2020
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by Bobby Magill (Bloomberg) Military could use carbon captured from the air and sea water to make fuel; Pentagon involvement could speed up commercialization of technology — Technology that would suck carbon dioxide from the air and ocean water could be more quickly scaled up to address climate change now that
January 22, 2020
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(University of Manchester/Phys.org) Researchers from the University of Manchester are using synthetic biology to explore a more efficient way to produce the next generation of biobased jet fuels—partly made from seawater. — The Manchester research group, led by Professor Nigel Scrutton, director of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and supported
October 18, 2019
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … (T)oday we explore 9 of those constellations building around Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Some of them are young protostars in the earliest stage of stellar evolution, while others are like the Earth’s sun, a main-sequence mid-size star, and a few are superstars like, well,
August 26, 2019
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(Our Daily Planet) A recent report published by a political scientist at Boston University, found that the Department of Defense is the worlds “single largest producer of greenhouse gases”. America’s military alone emits around 153 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually. In terms of emissions, this would make the U.S.
June 24, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) National Jet Fuels Combustion Program has a mission to help streamline the fuel approval process and has over 30 instituttions involved in their research and projects including 12 universities, 8 government agencies, 5 OEMs and several others. Med Colket, Retired Senior Fellow, United Technologies Research Center,
May 6, 2019
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … ABLC 2019 kicked off on Wednesday with about 540 delegates in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture building complete with secret service protection and escorts for some big-name super star speakers, with a pretty exciting vibe in the room. In ABLC terms,
April 8, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman noted: “Secretary Mabus advised us to set a goal. If it’s good enough for the Navy, it’s good enough for SeaTac airport, and we’ve established a partnership with 13 airlines with a goal of moving to 10 percent renewable
March 12, 2019
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by Neil Dowling (Go Auto News Premium) An Australian company funded in part by the Queensland government is now trialling the production of renewable diesel fuel for use in heavy machinery, trucks and marine engines. It is hoped that the trials, to last up to 18 months, will lead to the construction
March 11, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, former US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will be appearing as a keynote speaker at the Washington Sustainable Aviation Fuels Summit taking place March 7-8 in Seattle, and will also keynote the opening day of ABLC in Washington DC on April 3rd.
February 22, 2019
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by David Hitchcock (Atlantic Council) … However, the importance of powering the aviation sector (both military and commercial) through sustainable fuels cannot be overstated. David Hitchcock’s paper, “Ready for Takeoff? Aviation Biofuels Past, Present, and Future,” provides a keen look at the history of biofuels, current uses of biofuel, and investments
January 26, 2019
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Pentagon Report on Vulnerable Bases Incomplete: Climate Change Resilience Requires Stronger Response
by Brian La Shier (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Today (January 18, 2019), the Department of Defense released a Congressionally-mandated report on the effects of a changing climate on America’s military bases. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute welcomes the report but finds it incomplete, as it fails to list the most vulnerable bases, per
January 23, 2019
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by Danielle Ohl (Capital Gazette) The Naval Academy will raise one of its walls to combat sea level rise up to 3 feet in three decades, an environmental threat the institution shares with neighboring downtown Annapolis. At the quarterly Board of Visitors meeting Monday, Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter announced the
December 5, 2018
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(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuel Initiative) Congratulations go out to Bryan Sherbacow and the Team at AltAir Fuels! The company has won another Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy contract for the Rocky Mountain West Coast solicitation. The amount of the contract award is for 58 million gallons of a 30% blend of
October 29, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ReadiJet contains the same molecules and has the same performance as petroleum jet fuel, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It meets Jet-A, Jet-A1, JP-5, JP-8 fuel specifications without the need for blending with petroleum. ReadiJet is undergoing ASTM certification for commercial use and MILSPEC certification
August 15, 2018
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(Office of Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning The Honourable Cameron Dick) Queensland’s potential as the biofuel hub of the Asia Pacific has taken centre stage in Washington this week at a meeting with the US Department of the Navy. Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron
July 18, 2018
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by Mahmood Ebadian and James D. McMillan (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) … The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) was enacted in 2007 to enhance domestic production of fuels and spur economic development while reducing reliance on imports and improving the environment (through reducing both the absolute level of fossil fuel
May 11, 2018
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by Travis J. Tritten (Washington Examiner) … (Former Navy Secretary Ray) Mabus’ vision is, however, quietly moving forward under the Trump administration. The Pentagon has authorized $140 million to help build two biofuel refineries in recent months, a move that has agitated some top Republican lawmakers who have long opposed
March 13, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first demo flight on biofuel which was done by Virgin Atlantic. LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren shared the factoid that, since that day, more than 100,000 commercial flights have used low carbon fuels. “This is especially amazing since in 2006
February 27, 2018
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) has withdrawn support for the Farm-to-Fleet BPI Program, and is cancelling funding for the BPI payments to companies that are refining biofuel in the United States from certain domestically
February 7, 2018
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by Sean Mowbray (Pacific Standard) While the Trump administration has largely rejected climate change as an issue, the Department of Defense and Congress have identified it as a major potential threat to national security. — … On the other hand, the Republican-dominated Congress has affirmed that climate change is a prominent national
January 22, 2018
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) CAAFI announced today (January 16, 2018) that it is expanding its Administrative Leadership Team, naming Chris Tindal as CAAFI’s Assistant Director, a new role designed to enhance CAAFI’s outreach, catalyzation, and execution efforts. “I am extremely pleased that Chris Tindal has come onboard in this new
January 19, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To date, North America is the most active of all regions in terms of deploying advanced technology — whether it is cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol for fuels and chemicals, or renewable chemical plants, you see the first and the most, here. There are three drivers for that:
January 19, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the world of drop-in military biofuels, two major updates appeared this week. In Oregon, Red Rock Biofuels got good news on Monday when the governor approved $245 million in bonds that will allow the company’s planned aviation biofuel plant thanks to overwhelming support by state
January 12, 2018
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In California, researchers from the US Navy at China Lake have developed a new class of drop-in renewable diesel from biomass using acid catalyzed condensation of 2-tridecanone with a series of diols through fermentation that provide similar energy levels as traditional biodiesel while providing up to a third more
January 4, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2018? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2017 gives way to the dawn of 2018, once again roll
January 3, 2018
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(White House) President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration: Phyllis L. Bayer of Mississippi to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations, Energy, and the Environment. Ms. Bayer most recently served as Chief of Staff in the Office
For Immediate Release November 15, 2017—Frederick, MD Chris Tindal, former Director for Operational Energy working for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, has joined the Advanced Biofuels USA board of directors. Advanced Biofuels USA, an educational nonprofit dedicated to the understanding, development and use of advanced biofuels,
by Nicholas Kusnetz (InsideClimate News) The giant naval base at Norfolk is under threat by rising seas and sinking land, but little is being done to hold back the tides. — … Naval Station Norfolk, home to the Atlantic Fleet, floods not just in heavy rains or during hurricanes. It floods when the
October 30, 2017
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(University of New England) The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the University of New England was awarded a three-year, nationally competitive research grant for $1,321,039 from DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). DOE awardees are part of a new program called “Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources
October 18, 2017
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(Phys.Org/South Dakota State University) The oil extracted from ground seeds of camelina and carinata, oilseed plants from the mustard family, can be used as jet fuel. However, with oil prices at an all-time low, that is economically challenging. These promising biofuel sources may be one stop closer to reality due to
October 3, 2017
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by Peter Wilcox (Passage Maker) Having the opportunity to imagine and oversee the building of my own ideal Inside Passage vessel has been exquisitely educational—initiating a chain of engaging design, building, voyaging, and teaching adventures. … Taking a break from sailing up north, we decided to buy an interim boat
September 11, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to achieve multiple, commercial scale integrated biorefineries, cost-competitive biofuel with conventional
August 22, 2017
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by Daniel Orchard-Hays and Laura A. King (U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings Magazine) The U.S. Navy’s initiative could pave the way for a Department of Defense energy program that garners precious energy resources in peacetime and saves lives in war. — … In July 2008, world oil prices peaked at an all-time
August 10, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To explain the Navy’s marine and aviation biofuels program, Chris Tindal gave the following presentation at ABLC 2017 — focusing on efforts to internationalize the supply. As we described it earlier, “They’re here. $2.05 per gallon, at-scale, domestically produced advanced renewable fuels — utilizing non-food
August 1, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In late 2015, we reported Red Rock Biofuels will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year (at that time, from 2017 through 2024) for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, in an agreement announced by the companies today. FedEx joined Southwest Airlines
June 15, 2017
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by John Fialka (E&E News/Climatewire) In May 2016, investigators from the Government Accountability Office assembled a panel of 19 experts in Washington to explore what had happened to a program to develop a commercial market for advanced biofuels. It had been 12 years since Congress began to demand action on
May 23, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve been covering market access, and technology development, but what about accessing markets in emerging economies and around the world where feedstock is abundant, policymakers are motivated, but other risks and constraints apply that can be addressed – but how are they addressed? We’ll be looking
April 19, 2017
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(SAAB) Gripen has for the first time undergone a series of test flights with 100% biofuel. This demonstrates that the aircraft can be flown with an alternative fuel and gives valuable knowledge for future possible use of alternative fuel. “Demonstrating that Gripen can fly with 100% biofuel is an important
April 6, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last September, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus rode aboard one of the EA-18G Growler fighter jets testing 100% biofuel flights this month to demonstrate his commitment to getting biofuel mainstream within the Navy. Currently all Navy ships and planes are certified to run on 50% biofuel blends.
March 28, 2017
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The United States Department of Navy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy are co-hosting an industry roundtable for the full complement of participants in the biofuels supply chain. The purpose of the roundtable meeting is for the federal government to present details on an additional
February 21, 2017
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From Off-Take to Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the US Renewable Jet Fuels Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to achieve multiple, commercial scale integrated biorefineries, cost-competitive biofuel with conventional
February 21, 2017
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by Laura Parker (National Geographic) Ten times a year, the Naval Station Norfolk floods. The entry road swamps. Connecting roads become impassable. Crossing from one side of the base to the other becomes impossible. Dockside, floodwaters overtop the concrete piers, shorting power hookups to the mighty ships that are docked in
February 8, 2017
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by Callie Fishburn* (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the January 12th Pew Project-sponsored conference,” Power Begins at Home: Assured Energy for U.S. Military Bases,” the subject of biofuels and their contribution to military energy security failed to come up. The conference, held at the Pew Charitable Trust building in Washington D.C.,
January 20, 2017
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(Fayatteville Observer/Associated Press) … While a growing number of military leaders have declared global warming a national security threat, the strategy clashes with President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to end policies that “undermine” fossil fuel producers. Trump has a chosen a Cabinet with climate change skeptics, though his pick for defense secretary,
January 18, 2017
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by Michael Bastasch (The Daily Caller) The U.S. Navy’s biofuels program has “failed to demonstrate any operational or strategic advantages over petroleum and have actually increased costs” for the military, according to a new report by defense experts. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the biofuel-powered “Great Green Fleet” would “usher
January 6, 2017
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The USDA Commodity Credit Corp. has announced funding is available to pay a biofuel production incentive (BPI) under the Farm-to-Fleet program to companies producing drop-in biofuels from certain feedstocks. A notice published in the Federal Register explains the USDA Farm Service Agency will use CCC funds
January 3, 2017
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by Dan Macrae (UPROXX) … The Daily Show‘s Hasan Minhaj discovered, the U.S. Navy is currently embracing a new green era. … On tonight’s edition of the Comedy Central news program, Minhaj investigated the navy’s shift into employing a biofuel strategy and (more importantly) pondered whether or not the Armed Forces
December 8, 2016
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(CBS) Some of America’s best fighter jets can soar without using a drop of oil for fuel. New technology is helping the U.S. Navy power its fleet with cooking grease and plant seeds. Don Dahler reports. READ MORE WATCH VIDEO and MORE (IranTV) and MORE (Flying Magazine) Excerpts from video:
November 18, 2016
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) “I want to make this land productive again,” was a common refrain at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s 13th Annual Small Farm Conference November 11-12. Whether returning to a disused family farm or starting on a new venture, many attendees shared a desire
(Queensland Government) The Palaszczuk Government will target Australian and international biofutures investment to help boost the industry in regional Queensland. Speaking in Parliament today, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that an Expression of Interest process to attract biofuels proponents to Queensland would start tomorrow. “We know if we want to unlock
November 9, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fulcrum BioEnergy has developed a “game-changing process for converting municipal solid waste that would otherwise be landfilled, into renewable transportation fuels including syncrude, jet fuel and diesel”. The company has successfully proven and demonstrated this process for converting MSW to fuels utilizing its proprietary, innovative,
November 9, 2016
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by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) The US Department of Defense has been a main driver of the nation’s transition to renewable energy, but so far its use of biofuel in war machines has been limited to demonstration events and exercises. Now the US Navy is gearing up to deploy its
November 6, 2016
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(WJHG.com) Imagine a world in which the military’s most elite jets are fueled by a product made from kitchen grease. … Chuck Red is the Vice President of Fuels Development with Applied Research Associates. The company’s surprise finding came out of a government request ten years ago to convert plant
November 2, 2016
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Electricity. When describing the USS Zumwalt, which was commissioned in Baltimore Harbor Saturday, the first characteristic to mention is the new age design (can’t miss that); followed by the key role played by electricity (a bit less obvious). From the “all-electric” propulsion system to
October 18, 2016
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(University of Colorado Boulder) CU Boulder engineers have developed an innovative bio-manufacturing process that uses a biological organism cultivated in brewery wastewater to create the carbon-based materials needed to make energy storage cells. This unique pairing of breweries and batteries could set up a win-win opportunity by reducing expensive wastewater
October 12, 2016
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(Bioenergy Deployment Consortium) A successful BDC Fall Symposium was held in Washington DC on September 27-28, 2016. A combination of Government Agency Directors and Sr. Advisors were joined by outstanding leaders in the bio-industry to discuss the advancement of the bio-industry. … We were honored to have Wisconsin Senator Mark Pocan
October 4, 2016
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) … The Obama Administration has pursued a carefully balanced approach, deploying technologies that improve the very best of our existing energy sources, while rigorously implementing policies that invest in the second and third generations of tomorrow’s fuels. … In the last eight years, USDA has helped lead
October 3, 2016
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by Bill Loveless (USA Today) … Biofuels are not new for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, which have been experimenting with blends on aircraft and ships for several years. In fact, all Navy ships and aircraft are now certified to run on up to 50-50 blends of conventional and
September 30, 2016
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) An intimate group that shares some background or interest in forest resources meets twice each year under the Biorenewable Deployment Consortium banner for candid discussions of developments in advanced biochemicals, bioproducts, biomaterials and biofuels, with an emphasis on forest resources. The no-nonsense attitude is
September 28, 2016
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by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued an endangerment finding for aircraft, indicating that greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft are hazardous to public health. This finding requires the EPA to begin crafting regulations for aircraft emissions. At the global level, the International
September 19, 2016
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by Andrea Watters (Naval Aviation News) Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus’ energy vision came to fruition in September when the EA-18G “Green Growler” completed flight testing of a 100-percent advanced biofuel at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. The U.S. Navy is a leader in incorporating alternative fuel into operational
September 17, 2016
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(Sputnik News) The US Navy successfully tested a new advanced biofuel this month on a Boeing EA-18 “Green Growler” aircraft, a surveillance version of the Super-Hornet, the US Naval Institute reported on Friday. — The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat
September 17, 2016
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by Todd Karli (WBOC) … A group of students and scientists are exploring the idea that sugar beets, what they’re calling energy beets, can be converted into jet fuel, with the Navy keeping a watchful eye. “This is so exciting because it hasn’t been done before,” said Joanne Ivancic, Advanced Biofuels
September 16, 2016
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by Bill Loveless (USA Today) U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has made alternative energy a top priority since taking office in 2009, but this week he took his commitment to new heights, literally. The civilian leader for the Navy climbed aboard an EA-18G Growler fighter jet as a passenger on
September 15, 2016
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by Jonathan Male (U.S. Department of Energy) A large part of the solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector could be uniquely filled by biofuels and bioproducts. The Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in partnership with the national laboratories, academia, and private companies, is pursuing biofuel
August 30, 2016
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by Kent Harrington (Chenected) … For example, which country should own the emissions from a Mexico City flight to New York, or a ship moving goods between Shanghai and Los Angeles? The country of departure, or arrival? Don’t even try to wade into the swamp of national flags or legal
August 23, 2016
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(Ship & Bunker) Chuck Red, Vice President at US-based biofuels firm Applied Research Associates (ARA), says the current cost of biofuel bunkers is misunderstood, and that competitively priced sustainable products are not only possible, they will be a reality in the near future. ARA is currently working with the US
August 22, 2016
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by Scott Rutherford (Navy Daily) Alternative fuels and energy efficient systems were on everybody’s lips when American ship USS Stethem, arrived alongside Fleet Base East, Sydney, this month. Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, welcomed the ship’s company and United States Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy for Management, Thomas Hicks, at
August 22, 2016
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by Brian Parkin (Bloomberg) Renewable fuels may provide 50% of U.S. fleet’s power by 2020; Queensland seeks to create export-oriented green-fuel market — The U.S. accepted Australia’s offer to supply biofuel for its Asia-Pacific fleet, advancing the Navy’s goal of getting half its power from renewables by 2020. The premier of
August 17, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, a US Navy research team at China Lake led by Ben Harvey reported that 2,3-Butanediol, which has received a significant amount of interest based on the ability to generate it at much higher titer than n-butanol owing to the relatively low toxicity of 2,3-BD
August 15, 2016
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(ARA) For the first time ever a Navy ship has operated on a 100 percent drop-in renewable diesel fuel. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s (NSWC PHD) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) completed final-phase testing of a 100% drop-in renewable diesel fuel as part of the Navy’s MILSPEC qualification
August 8, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest and BioChannel.TV released “Sustainable Fuels on Troubled Waters”, the Inside True Story of the US Navy’s Great Green Fleet — a documentary profile on the US Navy’s success in driving down the costs of renewable fuel — up to and including
August 1, 2016
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(Aemetis) Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) today announced that Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO, accepted an invitation to join top Navy officials and a small group of leading biofuels executives in Hawaii on July 19th to participate as a guest of the US Navy in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC),
August 1, 2016
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by Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) Rising sea levels due to hurricanes and tidal flooding intensified by climate change will put military bases along the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast at risk, according to a report released on Wednesday. Nonprofit group the Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed 18 military installations that
(Ship & Bunker) … As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, the U.S. Navy has sought to develop and use drop-in biofuels as part of its energy security goals, having previously set a target of getting half its energy from non-petroleum sources by 2020. Last month it took its first delivery
by David Ignatius (The Washington Post) The week of July Fourth is a good moment to salute an unlikely champion of saving energy and switching to alternative fuels — the U.S. Navy. Once a supreme fuel-guzzler whose energy needs sometimes dictated foreign policy, the Navy has become a model for
July 6, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Australia comes the news that the country’s former Federal Resources and Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, is now the chairman of the advisory board for Byogy Renewables, the California-based alcohol-to-jet fuel pioneer that has been working towards an Australia-based first commercial project. Now, many people
July 5, 2016
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by Janweb B. Lagazo (US Navy, USS Mason) Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, along with Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Joseph M. Bryan and Chief of the Italian Navy Adm. Guiseppe De Giorgi, visited guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) to observe the ship’s role in
June 20, 2016
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by Steve Scherer (Reuters) A U.S. warship took its first delivery of Italian-made biofuel on Thursday as part of the Navy’s program to use more alternative energy. The USS Mason was refueled alongside an Italian vessel, the Andrea Doria, in the seas off of Italy’s southern coast with a mix
June 17, 2016
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by Megan Eckstein (US Naval Institute News) … For now, the Ike CSG is involved in Great Green Fleet operations, to include a multi-day passing exercise (PASSEX) with units of the Italian Navy’s Flotta Verde, according to a U.S. 6th Fleet news release. “The PASSEX will highlight energy conservation operations and will
June 10, 2016
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(MySunshineCoast) The Palaszczuk Government will invest almost $20 million to position Queensland as an Asia-Pacific hub for biofutures industries, creating next generation jobs in the state, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today. The Premier launched her Government’s Queensland Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan during the Queensland reception at the BIO
June 8, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The signals coming out of Washington DC are so confusing, you might be wondering if there’s going to be a budget for the US Department of Energy for the fiscal year starting this October. … Meanwhile, the DOE’s budget for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy —
June 2, 2016
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(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $8.8 million to boost the production of advanced biofuels and sustain jobs at renewable energy facilities in 39 states. USDA continues to lead the way in promotion of advanced biofuel production,
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) We are proud to announce the 10th Anniversary of the initiation of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) as of May 24, 2016, and more importantly, to reflect on the success we’ve achieved to date, and to similarly look ahead to solving the challenging issues
May 27, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In March, United Airlines made history by becoming the first U.S. airline to begin use of commercial-scale volumes of sustainable aviation biofuel for regularly scheduled flights with the departure of United Flight 708 from Los Angeles International Airport. It’s AltAir fuel — and United has agreed to purchase up
May 20, 2016
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by Rich Smith (The Motley Fool) … The beef tallow being used today, however, costs just $2.05 per gallon, making it cheaper than the $2.76 per gallon that the Defense Logistics Agency pays for F-76. A 90-10 diesel-tallow blend, therefore, should cost approximately $2.69 per gallon, saving the Navy $0.07 on
May 16, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To explain the Navy’s marine and aviation biofuels program, Chris Tindal gave the following presentation at ABLC 2016 in February. As we described it earlier this year, “They’re here. $2.05 per gallon, at-scale, domestically produced advanced renewable fuels — utilizing non-food feedstocks and based on next-generation
May 13, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The Def Con 2 alert from the biofuels educational and advocacy group (Advanced Biofuels USA) noted a House Subcommittee draft for defense appropriations, which had this language in Section 8132: None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enforce section
May 13, 2016
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by Vic Schoonover (The Lawton Constitution) While this isn’t information making Oklahoma oil and gas companies any happier during the downturn in oil and gas prices, the U.S. armed forces, namely the Navy and the Air Force, are actively testing biofuels to reduce their fuel costs and overseas availability of fuels.
May 4, 2016
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by Ellen KNickmeyer (Associated Press/ABC News) The U.S. Navy on Tuesday became the first branch of the U.S. military — the world’s single-largest user of fossil fuels — to say it will start requiring big vendors to report their output of climate-changing greenhouse gases and work to lower it. “We’ve
April 15, 2016
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by John Grady (USNI News) When asked what happens to the Navy’s energy initiatives when President Barack Obama leaves office in January, the service’s top civilian official overseeing those efforts said, “Nothing”—because the business and warfighting cases “just makes sense.” Retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, speaking Tuesday at the Atlantic
April 13, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Boom times in Renewable Diesel” Here below is the first slide deck presented on the day, from The Digest. The recorded version of the webinar can be accessed here. READ MORE
April 7, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In short, renewable fuels has reached a crisis of growth in the United States — years of expansion have halted, and everyone is entitled to ask why. … Let’s look at the hard data. Demand signals As we have observed in The Digest and in
April 7, 2016
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(Business Wire / Unitel Technologies) –Unitel Technologies announced that Altex Technologies has selected Unitel to provide engineering services to design and build a pilot system that will produce 1 BPD of synthetic gasoline from biomass. This project is funded by a grant from the California Energy Commission under the auspices
April 6, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia formed a partnership to investigate options for locally produced aviation biofuel. The trans-Tasman alliance partners are issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to the market to explore the opportunity to procure locally produced aviation biofuel. A few years ago,
April 6, 2016
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(Queensland Government) A $16 million advanced biofuels pilot plant will be built at Southern Oil Refining’s Yarwun plant at Gladstone, a ‘giant’ step towards securing a large-scale biofuels industry in Queensland. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant represented an exciting step in the development of
April 4, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yesterday, we held a well-attended webinar on “Drop-In Fuels” Here below is the first slide deck presented on the day. We’ll have the remainder of slides tomorrow. The recorded version can be accessed here. READ MORE
March 31, 2016
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(Applied Research Associates/ARA) No More Blending: 100 Percent Drop-In Renewable Fuel will Increase Energy Security for U.S. Military While Reducing CO2 Emissions — The Navy is performing certification testing on neat, unblended ReadiJet® and ReadiDiesel® which will result in new military specifications. When the MILSPEC certification is complete, ReadiJet® and
March 28, 2016
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by Kelli Gerry (The Collegian) South Dakota State researchers are working to perfect a process that could allow them to turn mustard seeds into jet fuel for Navy fighter planes. If people like Bill Gibbons are successful, some West River farmers could have a new crop to plant as early as
March 24, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating power, transportation fuel and heating oil from biomass using pyrolysis. READ MORE
(Industrial Biotechnology) … My current assessment is that there exists an unlimited sense of opportunity in the biobased products and bioenergy sector. I look at the work being done at the USDA, which is extensive and has been helpful in getting the word out about this industry. We prepared a report
March 8, 2016
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On Feb. 24, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on the state of the rural economy. Biofuels and bioenergy were among the topics discussed during the nearly three-hour event. When asked to characterize the state of the biofuels industry, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
March 4, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The following slides and comments are excerpted and expanded from remarks by Digest editor & publisher Jim Lane at the Energy Security Breakfast at ABLC 2016, held last week in Washington. The premise I’d like to explore today is a simple one to describe, and
February 24, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, ARA completed the delivery of over 150,000 gallons of 100% drop-in jet and diesel fuel to fulfill its DLA/US Navy certification fuel contract, two months ahead of schedule. For the first time ever, renewable jet and diesel fuels that meet petroleum fuel specifications
February 15, 2016
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(Biofuels International) The Australia-based Queensland Government is to investigate the establishment of a biofutures industry development fund, which would look to financially assist first mover investment in the biofuels industry. According to local news website Daily Mercury, Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk made the announcement following the second meeting of her Biofutures
February 10, 2016
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by Kalyan Ray Visakhapatnam (Deccan Herald) When President Pranab Mukherjee will review the naval fleet on Saturday, a small Indian naval vessel with green bands on both sides may emerge as the centre of attraction as it would be the first Indian ship to run completely on biofuel. “At the international
February 8, 2016
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by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In looking at a way to jump-start this country’s bogged down production of biomass-based jetfuel (Jet-A, JP-5, JP-8) and rocket fuel (RP-1/2), the early history of the US space program should serve as a guide. Walter McDougall’s 1986 Pulitzer Prize winning book “the
February 8, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) $2.05 per gallon for drop-in, non-food advanced biofuels blends. Who would have thought it possible a few years ago. Well, the Navy for one. Their remarkable vision results in Carrier Strike Group 3 operating in a world where “energy can no longer be used as a
January 22, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Department of the Navy is now buying advanced, drop-in, cost-competitive, next gen renewable fuels. The biofuels sought can be blended in a range of 10 to 50 percent with conventional petroleum products and must meet all military fuel specification properties which make handling requirements and
January 20, 2016
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by David Alexander (Reuters/Yahoo!) The U.S. Navy will formally deploy its so-called “Great Green Fleet” on Wednesday, sending warships to sea on biofuels even though oil prices have dropped 70 percent since congressional Republicans first criticized the high cost of alternative fuels. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told Reuters the deployment
January 20, 2016
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(Navy Times) … The future fleet is poised to operate more on alternative fuels and be less dependent on Middle Eastern oil. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has transformed the services he leads during what has become the longest tenure of a Navy secretary in a century. The former lieutenant j.g. has emerged as
by Sam LaGrone (US Naval Institute News) Carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) departed Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Wash. for a seven-month Western Pacific deployment on Friday, Navy officials told USNI News. The Stennis Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will be the center of the Great Green Fleet “a year-long initiative highlighting
January 18, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Department of the Navy is now buying advanced, drop-in, cost-competitive, next gen renewable fuels. The biofuels sought can be blended in a range of 10 to 50 percent with conventional petroleum products and must meet all military fuel specification properties which make handling requirements and
January 8, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) They’re here. $2.05 per gallon, at-scale, domestically produced advanced renewable fuels — utilizing non-food feedstocks and based on next-generation technology. The Navy’s 7-year quest to diversify its fuel supply without paying more or changing its fuel spec reaches a key milestone. In Washington, The Department
January 8, 2016
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by Tom Ewing (Renewable Energy World) As oil prices plummet, are drop-in aviation biofuel refineries ever going to be built? — In September 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE), along with the Departments of the Navy and Agriculture, announced a significant financial partnership to advance the construction of three biorefineries,
December 22, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As ASTM technical balloting is underway and as experts sift through and request revised submissions of technical data, insiders are pointing to an early 2016 approval for Gevo’s renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel. In Washington, CAAFI Executive Director Steve Csonka declared a “high confidence level” in the
December 17, 2015
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by Meghann Myers (Navy Times) More than six years after it was first announced, the Great Green Fleet will makes its maiden voyage in late January. The carrier strike group will deploy, fueled with a mix of biofuel and fossil fuel to showcase the Navy’s goal to cut petroleum use
December 16, 2015
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel producer and technology developer Biodico has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 4 for its 20 MMgy biodiesel production facility in Five Points, California. The facility, called Biodico Westside, is designed as a multifeedstock plant that will specialize in producing low carbon intensity fuels under California’s
December 4, 2015
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by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Defense has yet to purchase alternative fuels beyond testing and demonstration purposes, but intentions remain. — In July, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report observing U.S. Department of Defense investments in alternative fuels. Its purpose was to review the
November 3, 2015
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by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine) The enormity of the military’s fuel usage is still very much on the industry’s radar, but the exuberance of 2012-‘13 has largely been replaced with the more measured tone. — Three years ago, in the months leading up to the publication of Biomass Magazine’s first issue
November 3, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating power, transportation fuel and heating oil from biomass using pyrolysis. UOP also owns a Renewable
October 30, 2015
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Biodico Presents Results of Five-Year Biofuel Study to Navy, Energy Commission and Governor’s Office
(Business Wire/Biodico) Biodico, a sustainable biofuel and bioenergy company, today announced that the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center presented the results of a five-year joint research and development project with Biodico to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, The Honorable Dennis McGinn, the California Energy Commission, and
October 23, 2015
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by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Todd Gardner, CEO of Protec Fuel, has more than 30 years in the fuel business. As such, he has been able to launch an interesting model in how they bring more choice at the pump by helping retail stations offer E15 and E85. The company started
August 27, 2015
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by Marty McCarthy and Arlie Felton-Taylor (ABC Rural) Could Australian agriculture help to literally fuel the United States Navy’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific? — That is the question a Queensland researcher is trying to answer, as the US moves towards powering its navy war craft with a biofuel blend by 2020.
August 24, 2015
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by Beverly James (University of Florida) Imagine jet fuel made from a crop that’s renewable, brings in income and can feed cattle. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have found a way to turn mustard seed into a winning solution for farmers and the United
August 19, 2015
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by Charlie Peel (Townsville Bulletin) Up to 30 mini biofuel plants could be rolled out across North Queensland as part of an ambitious plan to make the region Australia’s renewable fuel capital. The centrepiece of the project would be a $150 million refinery built near Townsville, which would turn oil produced
August 17, 2015
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by Duane Shimogawa (Pacific Business News) Maui’s Pacific Biodiesel Technologies is looking to help move the Big Island to 100 percent renewable energy through the use of its renewable fuel, the company’s vice president confirmed to PBN. Earlier this month, Pacific Biodiesel acquired Big Island Biodiesel, which became a subsidiary of the
August 5, 2015
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(SustainableBusiness.com) A few years ago, we were hearing a lot about airlines testing and beginning to run on biofuels (combined with petroleum). With the latest announcements, are we ready for take off? This summer, United Airlines begins flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco on 30% non-edible oils like camelina and agricultural waste and 70% jet
July 28, 2015
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Red Rock Reaches Agreement with FedEx Express to Provide Biofuels for Renewable, Low-Carbon Jet Fuel
(Red Rock Biofuels LLC) Red Rock Biofuels LLC, a pioneer in renewable biofuels, announced today that it will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX). The agreement runs through 2024, with first delivery expected in 2017.
July 21, 2015
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by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/Biotechnology Industry Organization) … Stakeholders are all well aware of the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard) waiver provision that allows EPA to rewrite the statutory volumes after 2016, if it is required to waive volumes by more than 20 percent in two consecutive prior years. The overall volumes
July 8, 2015
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(Australian Associated Press/The Guardian) Queensland premier visits Pentagon in trade mission to US and says navy’s goal to shift to renewable energy could aid industry at home — The US navy could help create a thriving biofuels industry in regional Queensland, the state’s premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, says. Palaszczuk visited the Pentagon
June 16, 2015
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest up to $100 million in a Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership to support the infrastructure needed to make more renewable fuel options available to American consumers. Specifically, USDA will administer competitive grants to
May 29, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Electrics, fuel cell vehicles, smart cars, biofuels for road and sky, and greening the grid come under the microscope Down Under. In Sydney this week, a number of US and Australian leaders gathered at the Australian Technology Park to debate the models and options offered
May 15, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Survive — First-Gen ethanol producers. So-so. Corn prices have fallen, and though margins have been compressed and gone negative in some cases, balance sheets remain strong and the margin outlook is improving and positive news from the US on Renewable Fuel Standard may provide
May 14, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Alaska Airlines ups the ante in the search for sustainable, affordable jet fuels. In Colorado, Gevo and Alaska Airlines announced a strategic alliance to purchase Gevo’s renewable jet fuel and fly the first-ever commercial flight on alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ). The demonstration flight is expected to occur
May 8, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 44 deals, 37 companies; deal count jumps 16% but deal size drops 17% Here’s the complete skinny on who got what. In Florida, The Digest reports that 12 advanced bioeconomy ventures raised $1.262 billion in new capital in Q3 2014 through Q1 2015 for company
April 29, 2015
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Over the past year, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) increased its work with the biofuels sector of renewable energy, upped its presence and activity at biofuels-related conferences and events, and got into the weeds, leading some Renewable Fuel Standard policy implementation and
April 24, 2015
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(Green Car Congress) The US Defense Logistics Agency-Energy (DLA-Energy) has posted the Rocky Mountain/West Coast/Offshore (RMW) solicitation (SPE600-15-R-0711) on behalf of the US Navy for fuel deliveries from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016. Vendors can submit bids with a minimum of 10% alternative fuel up to the maximum
April 13, 2015
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by Tim Sklar (Biofuels Digest) Looking to turn vicious project financing cycles into virtuous cycles? This case study in developing a small-scale Bio-LNG plant offers cautionary tales and a way forward. In July 2014, Biofuels Digest had published an article titled “Connecting The Dots” that describes how we reached a
April 7, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can you make ultra-performing diesel and jet fuels from essential oils found in hemp, a/k/a cannabis sativa, a/k/a marijuana? Turns out, you can. … Beta caryophyllene — regardless of source — is in the news this month because of Ben Harvey and his troop of advanced
March 27, 2015
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