Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues

Palm Oil No Longer Considered ‘Biofuel’ in France

by Cécile Barbière (EURACTIV.fr |translated by Rob Kirby) In a rare revolt against the government, the French National Assembly has passed a bill explicitly saying palm oil “is not a biofuel” and won’t be eligible for tax breaks as of 1 January 2020. In Europe, a decision is expected in the

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

India Needs to Focus on Alternative Fuels Like Ethanol and Electric, Says Nitin Gadkari

(PTI/Financial Express) Gadkari was speaking at a symposium on ’empowering mobility – the safe and intelligence way’, organised by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). — Union minister for transport Nitin Gadkari Thursday stressed the importance of moving towards alternative fuels like methanol, ethanol and electric and said that it will

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Malaysia Plans to Double Palm Oil Use in Biodiesel by 2020 – Government

by Joseph Sipalan (Market Screener/Reuters) Malaysia plans to double the mix of palm oil in its biodiesel programme by 2020 in a bid to reduce high domestic stockpiles and boost sustainable energy sources, the government said on Thursday. Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said the government intends to increase the amount of palm

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

USGC Expands Its Ethanol Offerings At Grains.org

(U.S. Grains Council) New information about global market development efforts for U.S. ethanol and the benefits of the biofuel to global customers is now available online at www.grains.org. The United States is the world’s low-cost ethanol producer and captured more than 65 percent of global ethanol trade in the 2017/2018

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

A Sensible Approach to Climate Change Policy

(Solutions from the Land) … That opening now allows for the presentation and consideration of a more centered and pragmatic approach like that promoted by Solutions from the Land (SfL) and the other members of the North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (NACSAA). NACSAA is a producer-led alliance focused on utilizing climate-smart

January 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Etihad Airways Flies the World’s First Flight Using Fuel Made in The UAE From Plants Grown in Saltwater by Khalifa University

(Etihad Airways/Aviation Pros) The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity established by Masdar Institute that is part of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, announced the world’s first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 powered by GE’s GEnx-1B engines. The flight from

January 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Biocrude: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ensyn

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn produces a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues using its proprietary thermal technology. Dr. Robert G. Graham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ensyn gave this illuminating overview of their growth in RFO, advancement in refinery co-processing, and start-up of a new 10 million gallon/year production facility

January 17, 2019 Read Full Article

ENI Launches New Biofuel Production Project

(ANSA Med) From castor oil plants, experimentation in Gafsa, Tunisia — ENI has launched a biofuel pilot project in Gafsa, Tunisia, using castor oil plants, which will be used in the ENI biorefinery in Venice and subsequently in the biorefinery in Gela on the island of Sicily. The experimental project aims to

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Pushing Microbes to Deliver Preferred Products

by Tom Ziemer (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) If environmental engineer Daniel Noguera had his way, he would orchestrate a microbiome to pump out higher-value chemical products. In that vein, Noguera, the Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with graduate student Matt Scarborough and collaborators in the

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Greenbelt Resources Receives PURNOL Funding and Commences Enhancements to Production Facility and Supply Chain Logistics

(MarketWatch/Greenbelt Resources Corporation ) PURNOL to market premium brand bioethanol for extraction solvent — Greenbelt Resources Corporation GRCO, (Greenbelt), the developer of a sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms waste into revenue generating bioproducts including bioethanol, today announced initial funding for a licensing and exclusive distribution rights agreement from PURNOL, a California-based distribution company. In accordance

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Total Says French Palm Oil Curb Threatens Biofuel Facility

(The Star) French energy group Total said a move by lawmakers to exclude palm oil from raw materials approved for use in biofuel would put at risk its La Mede facility in southern France. French lawmakers last month voted to remove palm oil from the country’s biofuel scheme as of 2020,

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

BTA International Completes Organic Waste to Biogas Plant in Quebec

by Ben Messenger (Waste Management World) BTA International GmbH, a specialist for the wet-mechanical pre-treatment and subsequent digestion of organic waste containing impurities, have completed a major waste to gas facility in Varennes, Quebec. … The biogas is used to fuel the boilers which provide the required heat for the facility

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

We’ll Begin Production of Ethanol, Glucose Syrup from Sweet Sorghum Soon

by Vincent A. Yusuf (Daily Trust) Nigeria will in the first quarter of 2019 begin the production of ethanol and glucose syrup from sweet sorghum for industrial use. In this interview, the Director General of Raw Materials Research Council (RMRDC), Dr. Ibrahim Hussaini Doko, explained the journey so far and the

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Integrated Bioenergy Crops: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to EFC Systems

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) EFC Systems recently bought AgSolver which helps farmers maximize profit on every acre via tools that give them the power to analyze their fields’ financial performance. David Muth from EFC Systems gave this illuminating presentation on integrated bioenergy crops to improve profitability and environmental outcomes at

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

The World Has Loads of Sustainable Palm Oil… But No One Wants It

by Anuradha Raghu (Bloomberg) Certified variety costs more and buyers won’t pay premium; Only half of the sustainable output is actually being sold — The world’s biggest growers of palm oil say they’re stepping up efforts to produce the contentious commodity more sustainably, but consumers are unwilling to pay more for environmentally friendly

January 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Risk Rating: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ecostrat

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ecostrat has over 20 years experience sourcing and supplying over 5 million tons of wood fiber and organic feedstock in markets across North America. They offer biomass feedstock supply and analytics to understand and minimize supply chain risk. Jordan Solomon, Managing Director & CEO of Ecostrat

January 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Why Investors Ditched Sh2tr Biofuels Projects

by Ludger Kasumuni (The Citizen) Several investors have abandoned their $1 billion (Sh2.3 trillion) biofuels projects in Tanzania, according to a survey by BusinessWeek. Mtamba Biofuel Farm in Kisarawe, Coast Region. It has been estimated that between 2007 and 2008, the Southern African Development Community got more than $3 billion in

January 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Neste Is Not Using Palm Oil as a Raw Material for Renewable Aviation Fuel

(Neste) Biofuel Watch published a report “Neste: The Finnish company preparing to put palm oil in aircraft fuel tanks” on 9 January 2019. The report suggests that Neste is looking to palm oil as a key raw material for the expansion of its aviation fuel production, and that the firm cannot

January 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Study Argues Sustainable Palm Oil Should Be Easily Accessible

(Biofuels International) A new research study from the University of Cambridge is arguing that sustainable choices on palm oil should be made easier to understand and more accessible to consumers. The study is to be published in Environmental Research Letters. The study outlines how consumer goods companies and retailers need to be

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

VERBIO North America Finds New Site for Planned Kansas Biogas Plant after Community Upset with Original Plan

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) … The zoning change coupled with a conditional use permit would have allowed VNA to construct its first US biomethane production facility. It was anticipated that the zoning and conditional use permit would be issued by no later than October 2018. Unfortunately, a group of Sumner

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Cellulosic Ethanol and DDGS: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to D3MAX

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) D3MAX is a corn fiber-to-ethanol technology provider. Mark Yancey, D3MAX’s CTO, gave this illuminating overview of the technology and process behind the cellulosic ethanol and high protein DDGS from corn kernel fiber with D3MAX at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready for you

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Don’t Mess with My Toot Toot: The Zydeco of Xyleco

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … This week on 60 Minutes, another unlikely character burst onto the national scene, courtesy of one of the lightest technologies profiles ever investigated on 60 Minutes by the otherwise redoubtable Lesley Stahl, who offered up the story of Xyleco, presumably as a proxy for the efforts of the

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Farmland Expansion Increases Carbon Footprint across Northern Corn Belt

(Illinois Farmer Today) Faster conversion of land into agricultural production in recent years has raised the region’s carbon cost of producing grains, according to recently published research from an Iowa State University scientist. The study, published in the academic journal Environmental Research Letters, shows that increases in crop production due

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Top 10 Bioeconomy Markets and Predictions for 2019

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2019? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2018 gives way to the dawn of 2019, once again roll the

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

USGC Finds Potential for Growing Ethanol Markets in Nigeria and Ghana

(U.S. Grains Council) The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently conducted a market assessment mission to Nigeria and Ghana gauging the potential for U.S. ethanol exports to these countries. “The mission identified a need for higher ethanol volumes and engaged government and industry directly on enforceable biofuels policy as well as demonstrated

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

The Unlikely, Eccentric Inventor Turning Inedible Plant Life into Fuel

by Lesley Stahl (60 Minutes/CBS News) Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products — … What (Craig)Masterman helped implement was Medoff’s novel idea of using these large blue machines called electron accelerators to break apart nature’s chokehold on the valuable

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Past, Present and Future

by Marc Kellens (Biodiesel Magazine) Marc Kellens, the global technical director for Desmet Ballestra, takes us through the history and future of biodiesel production, identifying key milestones and cultural shifts, including the introduction and proliferation of renewable diesel. — … The food-vs.-fuel debate forced the industry to look for alternative biomass sources—wood,

January 5, 2019 Read Full Article

A Geospatial View of Biodiesel Activity

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine provides a visual of prominent project development activities over the past year. READ MORE

January 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Cutting Edge

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine profiles nine companies whose process technologies, products and services are on the frontline of change in this industry. Third Coast Commodities Biodiesel feedstock trading is evolving, and Third Coast Commodities is one of the firms ushering in this change. … The only way to

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

IOT Infra Plans to Manufacture Bio-CNG in Tamil Nadu

by Rachita Prasad (Economic Times) IOT Infrastructure and Energy Services, a joint venture of state run-Indian Oil Corporation and Oiltanking GmbH of Germany, is tweaking its biogas plant to manufacture bio-CNG for vehicles and has plans to set up more greenfield projects for the clean auto fuel. “We have been running

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life : Insights from CSA Country Profiles Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America (English)

(The World Bank) Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life: Insights from CSA Country Profiles across Africa, Asia, and Latin America The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Country Profile Series assesses climate change challenges and solutions in the agricultural sectors of more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

UN Food and Agriculture Organization Highlights Climate Smart Agriculture

(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate. CSA aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

India Makes Breakthrough in Biofuel Development

by Haley Zaremba (OilPrice.com) … The latest headline to come from efforts of scientists around the globe is a new discovery by a team of scientists based in the west Indian city of Pune at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), which offers a quicker, eco-friendly technique for converting industrial biomass into biodiesel.

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Aviation Solutions: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Neste

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste has a strong history of developing, commercializing, and marketing new fuels, including diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable jet fuel, and more. Neville Fernandes from Neste, gave this illuminating overview of their plans for the production and expansion of renewable jet fuel as well as plans for

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Europe’s Next Biofuels Move: Promoting European Ethanol Key to Europe’s Long-Term Environmental Goals.

by Emmanuel Desplechin (ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … First, it opens the door to a more effective approach to decarbonizing EU transport, as long as member states find ways to turn that ambition into action. And second, it puts the EU on record as saying that sustainable biofuels

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

The Most of Every Kernel: Two Corn Kernel Fiber-to-Ethanol Plants are under Construction, Stirring Hope that the Concept Is Gaining Steam.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In October 2018, construction began on Ace Ethanol’s cellulosic ethanol plant in Stanley, Wisconsin. The plant will be the first to incorporate D3Max’s corn kernel fiber-to-ethanol process, and will help the plant increase its yields and produce higher-protein distillers dried grains with solubles, all without

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Impact: Iowa’s Status as the Largest Ethanol-Producing State Means Its Ethanol Economy Affects the Entire Industry.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … A waiter in a Cedar Rapids restaurant, for instance, recently asked Shaw (Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) about Trump’s E15 waiver, upon hearing that Shaw advocates for biofuels and ethanol through the IRFA. “So here’s a waiter in the

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

African Centre for Crop Improvement Sweet Sorghum Varieties Poised to Boost Biofuel Industry

(African Centre for Crop Improvement) A breakthrough by the African Centre for Crop Improvement in the breeding of sorghum could have far-reaching implications for the biofuel and bioplastic industries in South Africa. For the last decade, ACCI director Professor Mark Laing has been working on developing sorghum and sugar beet varieties,

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

HVO Biodiesel from Colabitoil Makes the Alpine World Cup Roll

(Via TT (Google Translation)) During the Alpine World Championships in Åre, all pistols and buses run on fossil-free fuel HVO. A large part of the buildings that are set up temporarily for the Alpine World Cup will be heated by the biodiesel. Even the SJ’s mini train that operates the village

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Project to Create 1,000 Jobs in Kawambwa

(Zambia Daily Mail Limited) Over 1,000 jobs are expected to be created from the US$800 million ethanol project by Sunbird Bio-Energy that has started in Kawambwa with the planting of cassava to be used as feedstock. The project, situated on the Luena farm block, was commissioned by President Edgar Lungu in

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Biogas Innovations: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 37

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy has several member countries involved in Task 37 which aims to improve innovations in biogas systems. Professor Jerry Murphy from IEA Bioenergy Task 37 gave this illuminating presentation on innovations in biogas systems at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready for you

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Top 18 of 2018 – Looking Back to Look Forward

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … So on this last day of 2018, join the Biofuels Digest in looking back at our most visited and popular stories of 2018. … In today’s Digest, the hottest technologies, aviation developments we only dreamed of, cash out of trash innovations, biogas, cellulosic biofuels, lignin,

December 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Malaysia Says Norway Move to Ban Palm-Based Biodiesel Could Hinder EFTA Trade Talks

(Reuters/Investing.com) Norway’s plans to ban biofuels containing palm oil from 2020 are set to provide a major obstacle to long-running trade talks between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Malaysia, a Kuala Lumpur government minister said on Friday. A Norwegian parliament recommendation to ban biodiesel “with high deforestation risk” was

December 28, 2018 Read Full Article

Corn Ethanol Production Has Minimal Effect on Cropland Use, Study Shows

by Madhu Khanna (Farms.com) Ethanol production has increased sharply in the United States in the past 10 years, leading to concerns about the expansion of demand for corn resulting in conversion of non-cropland to crop production and the environmental effects of this. However, a new study co-authored by a University of

December 28, 2018 Read Full Article

Govt Issues Another Ethanol Licence

by Ishemunyoro Chingwere (The Herald) Government has issued another ethanol licence in an effort to curb shortages. Green Fuel on the other hand is in the process of planting an additional 1 500ha of sugar cane in order to increase production — Government has issued a third ethanol production licence to a

December 28, 2018 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Rebecca (Becky) Ong majored in chemical engineering and tacked on a degree in plant biology. “I had no plan to integrate them at all,” she says, “I was just interested in plants.” All of that changed, however, when Ong attended a lecture by Michigan State University professor Bruce Dale on

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Love of Plants and Problem-Solving Drives Bioenergy Researcher Rebecca Ong

(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) … “My parents really instilled in me the importance of conservation,” says (Rebecca) Ong, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University and researcher at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). “From an early age, I had this idea of sustainability and the

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Scania Gives Arla the Keys to Sustainable Transport

(Volkswagen) Symbolic presentation heralds deal to supply dairy giant with completely fossil-free fleet — Like Scania, global dairy company Arla has been at the forefront of sustainable business initiatives in recent years, and the two have become willing partners in the transport and logistics industry’s efforts to combat climate change. Arla, which

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Catalysis Rocking: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries into commercial processes and grow the bioeconomy in the United

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

The Wonders Down Under: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Australia and the Bioeconomy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced biomass (wood, crops, residues, etc.) as base for a global

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Leads UK in Biofuels that Meet Sustainability Criteria

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.K. Department for Transport has published preliminary data on its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation for a portion of 2018, including data on how much biodiesel met U.K. sustainability requirements. The quarterly report, published in early November, covers the supply of renewable fuels from April

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia to Meet over French Anti-Palm Oil Vote

(Free Malaysia Today/Bernama) Malaysia is scheduled to hold a meeting with Indonesia and Colombia in Jakarta next February to discuss the French National Assembly’s decision to exclude the use of palm oil as a biodiesel feedstock. Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said the French National Assembly’s decision posed a challenge to

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

The Tiny Money App Running ahead of M-Pesa in Ethiopia

(Standard Media) … Part of the reforms involve opening up the telecommunications sector to limited private investment through floating shares in the State-owned monopoly Ethio Telecom and granting licences to new service providers. One of these providers slowly building traction in Ethiopia is a small payments app called Amole. Developed by Moneta Technologies, a firm

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

China’s Ethanol Love May Be Antidote for Slumping U.S. Farms

by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Producers hopeful Chinese ethanol purchases are coming next; Biofuel, made from corn, helps support farm-belt growth — A little love from China in the U.S. ethanol market during the trade-war detente between Washington and Beijing could go a long way in soothing the ailing American farm economy. That’s according

December 24, 2018 Read Full Article

New Study Shows that Corn Acreage and Total Crop Acreage Are Not Very Responsive to Local Ethanol Production and Crop Prices

by Ruiqing Miao, Yijia Li and Madhu Khanna (FarmDocDaily) Land-use change is in the forefront of human-nature interaction and is the nexus of food security, farm economy, greenhouse gas emission, and ecosystem services. How the development of corn-based biofuel affects land-use change, particularly at the extensive margin, has been the focus of the

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Investors Turn Kenya’s Troublesome Invasive Water Hyacinth into Cheap Fuel

by Benson Rioba (Inter Press Service) Water hyacinth is a weed and if not controlled on Lake Victoria, experts are concerned that the lake’s water levels might drop by 60 percent. — Currently 30 square kilometres of Lake Victoria, which stretches to approximately 375 kilometres and links Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, is

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

PKN ORLEN Invests in Biofuels of the Future

(Petrol Plaza) PKN ORLEN is launching an operational programme for biofuels to be based on three pillars – building biofuel production facilities, research and development work and operational adaptation of the logistics function. With its biofuels programme, the Company is preparing for the new renewable energy directive (RED II), which gives

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

OMCs Blend Record 1.5 Billion Litres Ethanol with Petrol in 2017-18

Ajay Modi (Business Standard) OMCs had entered into contracts with sugar mills to procure 1.6 billion litres of ethanol during the last ethanol year. … In June this year, the Centre, for the first time, fixed a separate price for ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses and C-heavy molasses. The former, along

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Midwest AgEnergy Surpasses 1 Billion Gallons Produced

(AgWeek) Midwest AgEnergy, the parent company to ethanol biorefineries, Blue Flint, near Underwood, N.D., and Dakota Spirit, near Spiritwood, N.D., recently surpassed production of more than one billion gallons of ethanol produced company-wide. “Congratulations and thank you to our employees at Midwest AgEnergy. We are proud of the commitment and

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Plant Moving ahead as Planned

by Collin Gallant (Medicine Hat News) An effort to build renewable diesel refineries in Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie could see a small delay but investors behind the push are “confident” they will exercise their option to build a local plant. Raphael Bohlmann, president of Renewable U, stated Tuesday that the

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Improved Catalyst Can Speed up Conversion of Industrial Biomass into Biofuel

by Monika Kundu Srivastava (TechExplorist) … Scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, have developed a faster, environment-friendly method for conversion of industrial biomass into biodiesel. An organic compound called furfural is produced from agricultural waste biomass like bagasse, cottonseed hulls, sawdust, oat hulls, rice hulls, wheat husk, and bran. Typically furfural

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Bioenergy in California: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to California Energy Commission R&D

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) California Energy Commission Research & Development aims to improve bioenergy’s value proposition and role in supporting California’s clean energy and carbon neutrality goals. Rizaldo Aldas from the California Energy Commission Research & Development gave this illuminating overview of how bioenergy, including biomass, biogas, and biomethane fits into the

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuels Production and Consumption in the European Union (EU): Status, Advances and Challenges

by Laura Lonza and Adrian O’Connell (EAI Bioenergy Task 39) 1. Status of the biofuels industry in the EU The EU is the third largest producer of biofuels in the world. In 2017, North America, South & Central America and Europe had world shares of 45.5%, 26.9% and 16.8%, respectively. The EU’s biofuels production

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Govt Links Ethanol Export to In-House Use of Molasses

(The News) The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of cabinet on Monday bound ethanol manufacturers to directly purchase its raw material from sugar mills or use the in-house by-product for the biofuel production. The decision was taken during a Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting presided over by the Finance Minister Asad Umar.

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers Argue Bioenergy Crops Could Damage Biodiversity

(Bioenergy Insight) Research from Durham University has suggested that the increasing use of bioenergy could be just as damaging to global biodiversity as climate change. Durham University researchers have suggested that familiar UK species including red squirrels, hedgehogs and red grouse could be affected by the increasing use of bioenergy. Researchers

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

ICM to Design, Engineer ACA Bio Plant Expansion in Argentina

(ICM, Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) ICM Inc. continues to expand its international reach. In early December, ACA Bio Cooperativa Limitada, the ethanol arm of the Asociación de Cooperativas Argentinas, announced its plans to invest $53 million to expand its existing production facility in Argentina. ICM will design, engineer and provide equipment for

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

5,000 Compressed Bio Gas Plants Will Be Set up by 2023

(India Brand Equity Foundation) Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday said around 5,000 Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants will be set across the country by 2023. He said these plants meant for extracting biogas from agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste will have an estimated annual CBG

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

India’s First Military Flight Using Blended Bio-Jet Fuel Flown by IAF

(Government of India Ministry of Defence) On 17 December 2018, Experimental Test Pilots and Test Engineer from IAF’s premier testing establishment ASTE, flew India’s first military flight using blended bio-jet fuel on the An-32 transport aircraft.The project is a combined effort of IAF, DRDO, Directorate General Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) and

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

The Blues of the Green: How Can Biofuel Be Used

by Shailaja Tripathi (The Hindu) Close on the heels of the experiment done by a SpiceJet flight using biofuel, we take a look at the scope and potential of this green fuel– … While CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) is using jatropha seed oil for its biofuel, other tree-borne oils — Nahor

December 17, 2018 Read Full Article

The Malaysian Biodiesel Mandate – Outlook to 2020: Growth Opportunities & Companies to Action

(GlobeNewswire/ResearchAndMarkets.com) The “Malaysian Biodiesel Mandate”report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. This study offers a detailed overview of the biodiesel mandate in Malaysia and the steps taken by the Malaysian government to protect the Malaysian palm oil industry. Palm oil is a key ingredient in the biodiesel produced in Malaysia. Biodiesel is the main

December 17, 2018 Read Full Article

It’s a Bitter End for Sugar as Investors Line Up for 2019 Losses

(Bloomberg) … Millers could make more sugar as oil drop damps ethanol view … The one thing that kept the rout from being even deeper: robust demand for ethanol in Brazil, the world’s biggest sugar grower and exporter. But now that backstop looks like it’s going away. … Cane millers can

December 17, 2018 Read Full Article

The FORBIO Project: A Sustainable Alternative for Contaminated and Underutilized Lands

(Global Bioenergy Partnership) The FORBIO (Fostering Sustainable Feedstock Production for Advanced Biofuels on underutilized land in Europe) Project gave stakeholders in Italy, Germany and Ukraine a strategy for the market uptake of sustainable advanced bioenergy value chains. Through a thorough assessment of the real sustainable potential for bioenergy in these countries,

December 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Energy Department Seeks Information on Algae, Biomass, and Waste Feedstock Research — DE-FOA-00002020 FY 2019 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic RFI DEADLINE: extended to January 18, 2019

(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting information on research opportunities related to outdoor algae research, biomass characteristics and feedstock performance, and renewable energy from urban and suburban wastes to help inform its research

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

São Paulo Invests in Pioneering Biogas Plant

(Investe São Paulo/NGV Journal) The companies Raízen and Geo Energética have merged in a joint venture to create the first plant in Brazil to generate electricity on a commercial scale from by-products of sugarcane. With an investment of R$ 153 million and expected to generate 20 new job vacancies, the project

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

The Andersons to Implement ICM Technologies at Multiple Plants

(ICM/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ICM Inc. and The Andersons Inc. have announced plans to implement value-added technologies in multiple ethanol plants operated by The Andersons. The Andersons will license Fiber Separation Technology Next Gen (FST Next Gen), Selective Milling Technology V2 (SMT V2), and Thin Stillage Solids Separation System (TS4). … SMT V2

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Maharashtra Government to Produce Ethanol, CNG from Cashew Apple

(DNA India) Amidst rising chorus for green fuel, the Maharashtra government has proposed to produce ethanol and compressed natural gas (CNG) through cashew apple and cashew apple cake. The government has shortlisted the coastal districts, Ratnagiri and Sidhudurg, large-scale producers of cashew nuts, to set up two pilot projects. The government

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: White House Delays New Farm Aid Payments on China Trade Hopes – Sources

by Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The White House is delaying additional payments from a $12 billion aid package for farmers stung by President Donald Trump’s trade war with China because it expects Beijing to resume buying U.S. soybeans, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move comes despite

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers at IT Tralee Secure over €1.2m in Funding for Research in Bioeconomy and Marine Sectors.

(Institute of Technology Tralee) Institute of Technology Tralee has been awarded €1.26 million in new funding to partner in two new research initiatives. This brings to over €11m the total value of research grants secured by IT Tralee from competitive national and EU funding bodies in the past 12 months.

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Torrefaction of Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to International Biomass Torrefaction Council

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The International Biomass Torrefaction Council aims to promote biomass torrefaction and let the world know that integrated torrefaction process technology is mature, available and happening. Michael Wildfrom Wild & Partner LLC gave this illuminating overview of biomass torrefaction’s status, market requirements, and supply chain efficiency comparison

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuels Lead Efforts to Protect the Climate

by Craig Willis (EurActiv/Growth Energy) With every passing year, the pathway to a stable climate gets narrower and more difficult to navigate. Meanwhile, the reports from our planet’s top scientists paint an increasingly grim picture of what to expect if the swing in global temperatures cannot be limited to 1.5 degrees

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

UNILORIN to Commence Installation of Mini-Refinery for Biodiesel

(News Diary Online) The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, says the university will soon install a mini-refinery equipment for processing of Jatropha a flowering plant. Abdulkareem said this on Thursday inhis welcome address at the 8th International Jatropha Conference, tagged:“Jatropha 2018,” organised by the University of Ilorin

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Neste Strengthens Its Global Leading Position in Renewable Products with a Major Investment in Singapore

(Neste) Neste Corporation has made the final investment decision on additional renewable products production capacity in Singapore. The decision is based on a growing global market demand for low-carbon solutions in transport and cities, aviation, polymers and chemicals. The investment worth approximately EUR 1.4 billion will extend Neste’s renewable product overall

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Scaling the Ethanol ‘Blend Wall’ Ultimately Consumers’ Decision

by John Duff (Delta Farm Press/National Sorghum Producers) … The Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership program is a grassroots effort to fund new infrastructure for e15. Selling higher blends of ethanol at convenience stores sometimes requires new equipment or modifications to existing equipment, and both require investment. With this in mind, the sorghum,

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

How Poverty Is Causing Deforestation Across Africa

by Obed Owusu-Adda (Chatham House) Gitika Bhardwaj speaks to campaigner Obed Owusu-Addai about why solving the problem of deforestation across Africa requires tackling one of its biggest causes – poverty. — Deforestation is directly being caused by activities such as illegal logging, agricultural development, mining and infrastructure projects – but there are

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Commission Begins Anti-Subsidy Process against Indonesia

(Union zur Förderung von Öl- und Proteinpflanzen (Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants – UFOP)) UFOP demands the expedited introduction of preliminary counter measures – customs duties on biodiesel imports should not be circumvented via palm oil imports Berlin, 11th December 2018. The Union zur Förderung von

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Mahathir Throws out B20 Biodiesel Challenge

by Amar Shah Mohsen (Sun Daily) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has challenged Malaysia to emulate Indonesia’s move to introduce a higher biodiesel mandate — the B20 biodiesel fuel — by 2020 and become the world’s top biodiesel-producing country. The Prime Minister noted that neighbouring Indonesia has surpassed Malaysia as the largest palm

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

India Set to Double Ethanol Blending into Gasoline to 8% in 2018-19: ISMA

by Ratnajyoti Dutta (S&P Global Platts) India is set to double its blending in the 2018-19 (October-September) season and achieve an 8% blending of ethanol with gasoline following government incentives such as making a higher price mandatory to be offered by state-owned oil companies to sugar mills, industry officials said Tuesday. India,

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

China Set to Triple Its Ethanol Production Capacity: Government Researcher

by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton (Reuters) China is set to more than triple its ethanol production capacity by 2020, a government researcher said on Tuesday, with demand for the commodity expected to surge as the country shifts toward cleaner fuels. The nation is currently building or seeking approval for new

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Farm Carbon and Biofuels: Focus of Carbon Sequestration and Farming More Practical Than Global Climate Talks

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Ohio corn farmer Fred Yoder returned late Friday from a frustrating week in Poland listening to foreign ministers and others talk about what they think farmers globally must do to address climate change. As chairman of the North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance, Yoder

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

More Bioplastics Do Not Necessarily Contribute to Climate Change Mitigation

(University of Bonn) Study from the University of Bonn assesses potential implications of transitioning to plant-based plastics — Bioplastics are often promoted as an environmentally and climate-friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. However, a recent study from the University of Bonn suggests that shifting to plant-based plastics could have less positive effects

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Residual Biomass to Gasoline: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Bioliq Pilot Plant

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Karlsruher Institut für Technologie’s Bioliq pilot plant is producing synthetic fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic, ash rich biomass. Bernd Zimmerlin from Karlsruher Institut für Technologie gave this illuminating presentation on the technology behind the magic, from fast pyrolysis to entrained flow gasifier at ABLC Global 2018

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Iowa: Cultivating Growth in Bioprocessing

by Debi Durham (Iowa Economic Development Authority/Biofuels Digest) … Nearly $4 billion dollars was infused into capital investments in the U.S. for renewable and bioscience projects in 2018. This significant investment is merely part of an upward trend that’s yielded more than 273,000 new jobs at bioscience companies across the country since

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Q&A: RED II Offers Flexibility to EU Member States

(Argus Media) Angel Alvarez Alberdi is secretary general of the European Waste-to-Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA). He spoke to Argus about the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) beyond 2020, the role of waste-based biofuels in Europe’s future renewable energy mix and legislation on indirect land use change (Iluc). Below is an edited transcript of

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

A Visit to Advanced Biofuels USA from a Chinese Government and Industry Delegation

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA was pleased to host a meeting with a dozen government representatives and business leaders from Jiangsu Province, China to discuss implementation of biofuels policies and promotion of biofuels in the US and China. In the US for a brief educational tour,

December 10, 2018 Read Full Article

New Energy Presses on with Cellulosic Ethanol

by Mikkel Pates (AgWeek) New Energy Blue LLC is about five months away from finishing engineering and permitting on a $150 million plant project that would turn wheat and corn field residue into ethanol for high-end renewable markets. If everything goes perfectly, a plant could open in 2021, says Thomas

December 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Norway to Heavily Restrict Palm Oils Linked to Deforestation

by Josh Gabbatiss (Independent) ‘The Norwegian parliament’s decision sets an important example to other countries and demonstrates the need for a serious reform of the world’s palm oil industry,’ activist says — Norway is to become the first country to stop its biofuel industry buying palm oil that is linked to catastrophic deforestation.

December 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Penny for Your Corn? Stingy Trade-War Aid Irks U.S. Farmers

by P.J. Huffstutter and Mark Weinraub (Reuters) … Federal economists have calculated that the nation’s losses in corn – its largest crop by harvest and export volume – amount to just a penny per bushel, a pittance farmers call absurd. That’s in stark contrast to the substantial $1.65 per bushel the

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

New Refinery Floated for Western North Dakota

by John Hageman (The Dickinson Press) A new refinery has been proposed for oil-rich western North Dakota, prompting questions from a local township chairman. AIC Energy Corp. filed an application earlier this month with Williams County planning and zoning officials. It described the so-called “Bakken Oil Refinery” as a 28,000

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Delays in Biofuel Framework Hinder Industry

by Paige Müller (Creamer’s Engineering News) Despite the local sugar industry championing a bioethanol fuel subsidy as a potential method to relieve the burden on sugar through demand diversification, Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa secretary Alf Stevens suggests that this may not have the timely impact that the local

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Renmatix, Gevo Ink Deal to Develop Cellulosic Hydrocarbons for Jet Fuel, Gasoline Markets

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We have word bubbling up simultaneously from Pennsylvania and Colorado that Gevo and Renmatix inked a joint development agreement to evaluate the commercial feasibility of creating renewable jet fuel by integrating Renmatix’s Plantrose Process with Gevo’s GIFT technology and alcohol to jet process. The key word

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

C.J.’s Back and REGI’s Got Her: Warner Tapped as New Renewable Energy Group CEO

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Iowa, white smoke has emerged from the REGI conclave: Tesoro EVP and former Sapphire Energy CEO C.J. Warner has been named chief exec of Renewable Energy Group, at a pivotal moment for biodiesel in Washington and around the world and amidst a boom for renewable diesel

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to ARPA-E’s Agro-Energy Programs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E projects have the potential to radically improve U.S. economic

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Closed Doors, Open Windows: Tariffs in China and Brazil …

by Lisa Gibons (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Tariffs in China and Brazil have deeply affected U.S. ethanol exports, but other markets remain, new ones are opening and opportunities still abound for the world’s lowest-cost octane. Despite a 20 percent tariff rate quota implemented in 2017, Brazil has continued to purchase significant amounts

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

NCERC Pumped up with 15 Years of Success

by Karen Binder (AgriNews) While most talk these days about ethanol swirls around fuel credits and marketing needs, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center has quietly celebrated its 15th anniversary. And what a 15-year run it’s been. “The difference is that as policies, technologies and products have evolved, the center has evolved

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Back Food Min to Seek further 74-bln-rupee Loan for 168 Ethanol Projects

By Ashna Mishra (Cogencis) After facilitating a soft loan of 61.39 bln rupees, the food ministry will soon seek Cabinet approval to facilitate additional loans worth around 74 bln to sugar mills to enhance their ethanol production capacity, sources said. The loans would cost the government around 16 bln rupees as interest

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

BP Sees Brazil’s New Biofuels Policy Boosting Investment

by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) Brazil’s latest policy to boost biofuels use has improved the outlook for ethanol production and should attract new investment in plants, BP Plc’s chief executive for biofuels, Mario Lindenhayn, said on Wednesday. Brazil is advancing with additional regulation for the policy, called RenovaBio and expected to be enacted

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

‘CSIR Searching for Commercial Partner to Run Flights on Biofuel’

by Santosh Patnaik (The Hindu) Move will help India reduce oil import bill to almost zero, says CSIR D-G — The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the largest research and scientific body in the country, is scouting for a commercial partner to run commercial and defence aircraft on biofuel,

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

DA to Lobby for Increase of Biofuel Content in Diesel for Gov’t Use

by Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio (Business World) Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said he will lobby for the increase of coconut oil content in fuel to 5% from 2% for fuel used by the government, bringing the biofuel standard to B5 from B2. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Piñol said, “We will be

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Government to Raise Target for Ethanol Blending of Petrol

(Economic Times) The government intends to further increase the target level for the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme that aims to bring down India’s imports of petroleum products, as also provide cleaner fuel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) currently implement the EBP programme with