(Vermont Public Service Board/Biomass Magazine) The Vermont Public Service Board recently authorized the construction and operation of a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility on a farm in Salisbury, Vermont. The project will use primarily manure, corn silage, and brewery waste to
by Christopher Teh Boon Sung (International Council on Clean Transportation) Reviews the environmental impacts of removing palm residues from plantations and estimates how much of this resource could potentially be used for advanced biofuels in Indonesia. ICCT commissioned this study by Dr.
by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, testing on Clariant’s sunliquid technology has confirmed that the cost per liter of cellulosic ethanol can achieve price competitiveness with sugarcane ethanol prices in Brazil. Clariant’s testing evaluated over 40 containers of sugargane
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Green Earth Institute Co., Ltd. is focused on producing carbon-neutral biofuels and green chemicals derived from non-food biomass, such as leaves and stems of plants, instead of using food and feed crops. Using technology originally invented
(Algae Biomass Organization) As we noted in a recent post, Carbon Balance and Management journal published a study in late 2015 touting the emissions reduction potential of algae when used as animal feed. The authors highlight the tension between food
by Adam Wilmoth (The Oklahoman/Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise) An oil-field waste product that poses environmental challenges and is linked to earthquakes could become a valuable economic resource if the efforts of Oklahoma State University researchers are successful. Biosystems and agricultural engineering professor Nurhan
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, seven Republican US Representatives led by Randy Weber of Texas have submitted a bill to disallow certain biodiesel and alternative fuel tax credits for fuels derived from animal fats which has since been
by Jorge Castañeda (ADNSURESTE.INFO (google translation)) A scientific study that helped experts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the University of Newcastle, UK, concluded that our country is ideal for developing the growth of certain species of microalgae,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In India, the first demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant will open this week at Indian Glycol Limited, Kashipur in Uttarakhand, with the Indian Minister of Science and Technology & Earth Sciences on hand for the ceremonies. The
by Brittany Patterson (E&E/Climatewire) Two amendments tucked inside the bipartisan energy bill that passed the Senate yesterday are elevating the question of whether biomass is a renewable energy source on par with wind and solar in the eyes of federal policy. Both
(American Chemical Society) "SiO2 Beads Decorated with SrO Nanoparticles for Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil Using Microwave Irradiation" -- Weaning cars and trucks off of gasoline and diesel made from fossil fuels is a difficult task. One promising solution
by Seth Stephenson (WMCActionNews5.com) A Rhode Island science teacher made a stop in Walnut Ridge Sunday during his cross country flight using a Cessna powered by biofuel. Ross McCurdy, the pilot, teaches science and alternative energy at a high school on the
(The Peninsula/Agence France Presse) Boko Haram has been forced to produce its own fuel to power its motorbikes because of an acute petrol shortage caused by a military squeeze on supply lines. A senior military source said the Islamists were paying huge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As part of March Madness, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of 5C and 6C sugars, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day. The recorded
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Ontario, Comet Biorefining has signed an off-take agreement with bio-succinic acid producer BioAmber for cellulosic dextrose from Comet’s upcoming first commercial plant in Sarnia, Ontario. The dextrose will be produced from agricultural residues using
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers and others interested in establishing a sustainable bioeconomy in the U.S. are taking part in a five-day study tour led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Approximately 70 attendees from DOE
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renmatix is a technology licensor that enables the production of petrochemicals from plants. The company’s water-based Plantrose process is the lowest cost method for converting a wide range of non-food biomass into cellulosic sugars, used
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the world of fuels, Neste Oil has backed away from palm oil in order to expand in the US market on more favorable terms, with palm’s lowly status after indirect land use change modeling
(UPM Biofuels) UPM Biofuels has extended sustainability certification to cover all of its output streams from the Lappeenranta Biorefinery in Finland under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Scheme ISCC PLUS. UPM Biofuels produces renewable diesel and naphtha at the
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Climate change and poor returns on wheat and dairy drive rural revolution in ‘future-proof’ agriculture -- ... In Essex, David Eagle is growing acres of sea buckthorn, a salt-tolerant plant that grows wild in Siberiacorrect and
by Caroline Knight (Platts) Increasing the depth and width of feedstocks in the biofuels blend was needed if Europe was serious about lowering reliance on fossil fuels, members of a panel discussing the matter said Wednesday at Platts annual biofuels
by Stephanie Searle, Chelsea Petrenko, Ella Baz, and Chris Malins (International Council on Clean Transportation) Describes case studies of energy cropping in Europe in the context of advanced biofuel and bioproducts sustainability. -- European biofuel policy has been dominated by discussions
(U.S. Department of Energy) Algae absorb nutrients and produce oxygen—ecosystem services that are vital to the health of impaired water bodies like the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico. Energy Department-funded researchers are investigating how to mimic these natural services,
by Kurt A. Rosentrator (Distillers Grains Technology Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Altered, novel products may require new AAFCO definitions, GRAS affirmations. -- ... During the past two years, we have reviewed and commented on two key rulings in the Food Safety Modernization Act,
by Don McLellan (AFC Yeast/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Typically, in ethanol production the nonfermentable leftovers from the feedstocks and yeast are combined and sold either as wetcake or dried distillers grains for feed. But the yeast included in that sale of animal
by Dave Elsenbast (Renewable Energy Group/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biodiesel proves to be a major, and growing, market for distillers corn oil. -- ... The industry nearly reached record production levels last year and, according to U.S. EPA data, U.S. consumers used a
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nebraska’s Laurel Biocomposite produces biomaterials for thermoset applications. -- Laurel Biocomposite LLC is using distillers grains to create biomaterials that will be used in lawn and gardening products across the United States this spring. The
by Holly Jessen and Kassidi Andres (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Two companies gain traction in the quest to produce high-protein feed products from ethanol coproducts. -- Novita Nutrition and Nutrinsic Corp. approach producing high-value feed products from ethanol coproducts differently—Novita removes unsaturated
by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biodiesel tanks are popping up in the tank farms at some ethanol plants these days. -- During the past decade, there has been a great deal of innovation and thought put into the synergies between
(Biofuels International) ... In a statement, North Carolina-based Forset2Market said wood works as a logical choice for biofuels because “the number of trees growing in the US has increased by more than 50% in the past 60 years” and “the
(Tennessee Today) ... Enter Tony Bova and Jeff Beegle, a pair of doctoral candidates in the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, which is run jointly by UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The pair has developed a process to
by Jan Suszkiw (US Department of Agriculture) ... At the Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant pathologist Lisa Keith has spent the past 5 years fine-tuning conditions under which Chlorella
by Tom Thoma (Globe Gazette) Alan Guebert’s recent column (“The ethanol trap”) asks, “Where would the nation, its farmers, livestock growers, and rural America be today had ethanol not been given … a role in U.S. farm and energy policy
by Elizabeth Warmerdam (Courthouse News Service) California sued a bioenergy company, claiming it improperly spent as much as $1.7 million in public money targeted for equipment purchases for a project to refine sugar beets into ethanol fuel. ... The commission helps fund
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers for chemical intermediates, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Enerkem Senior Vice President Tim Cesarek,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... This week, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced an amendment that would provide tax credit support for carbon capture and utilization technologies that enable the conversion of CO2 into valuable products such as advanced biofuels,
by Keith Norman (Jamestown Sun) Plans for a $150 million cellulosic ethanol plant at the Spiritwood Energy Park Association industrial park are underway, according to Thomas Corle, founding partner of New Energy Investors, a Pennsylvania company. If built, the ethanol plant
(Water Online) Cheshire biofuel plant sources DAF wastewater treatment from WPL; DAF system captures more fats, oils and grease for recycling; Treatment process helps client meet discharge consent A new energy plant in Cheshire, which processes waste fats, oils and greases (FOG) for
by Lorenz Bauer and William Quapp (Biofuels Digest) ... However, attempts to translate these small scale successes into commercial technologies have been less successful. It is easy to blame lower oil and natural gas prices and opposition from special interest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of cellulosic sugars, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from industry consultant Vonnie Estes — whose latest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Russia, ETB Catalytic Technologies has received $0.6 million from ZAVKOM and Skolkovo Fund as a series A investment to build a pilot plant for the production of 1,3-butadiene from ethanol, The investors received 22%
(Nordic Paper) RenFuel and Nordic Paper have signed an agreement to build a production test facility in Bäckhammar in the region of Värmland, in order to test manufacture an advanced biofuel based on lignin. The project has been granted 71
(The Fifth Estate) Coconut oil might be about to step off the beaches and out of the kitchen and into the tanks of Australian trucks and cars, with research released today showing that as a component of biodiesel, it may
by Robert Wright (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) Renewable energy use in transport in all 28 EU members has been much less than projected in their National Renewable Energy Action Plans, with the gap widening. Actual ethanol consumption has remained relatively flat,
(Seeking Alpha) Ethanol producers are battling with narrowing margins and excess supply. The industry faces uncertain regulatory support and relatively mild near-term gasoline demand growth amid increasing supply. This suggests a challenging near-term outlook for the industry. ... Despite falling gasoline consumption, ethanol production
(Urban Air Initiative) Urban Air Initiative joined the Energy Future Coalition and the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition (GBC) in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize an overwhelming body of new evidence showing fuel ethanol can reduce carbon
by Jeff Lynn (The State Journal-Register) I farm in Cass County. I am proud my equipment runs on a biodiesel blend. The fuel is home-grown and better for the environment. I just came in from the field, where the work
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the boom on in Renewable diesel. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from the upcoming Drop
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Renewable diesel demand is booming, booming, booming. We’ve tipped it repeatedly in The Digest, not least with our March Madness webinar last week on “Renewable Diesel’s Boom”. Any doubts may well have been swept aside
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuel number crunchers in the know are finding their jobs easier because of a website hosted by the USDA Economic Research Service where the Interagency Council on Agricultural & Rural Statistics pulls together links
(Zimm News) J.L.Farmakis, Inc has just released a new research study conducted in February by Millennium Research that shows plans farmers are making this year in reaction to lower commodity prices. Among the findings of the "Farmer Speaks Study" are: * Half
(Joule/BusinessWire) EPA Qualifies Joule Ethanol Under Clean Air Act -- Joule, the pioneer of drop-in liquid fuels from recycled CO2, today announced major accomplishments in the first quarter of 2016 that are accelerating the commercialization of environmentally sustainable ultra-low carbon
by Andy O’Brien (The Free Press) ... With PERC out of the picture, two nonprofits are bitterly competing for thousands of tons of midcoast waste. In one corner is the Municipal Review Committee, a municipal cooperative serving PERC’s 187 user communities and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (W)hen you compare them to homogenized, uniform, high-yield, purpose-grown energy crops. residues may be queer, but they are here. Not only available, but reliable, you can count on the fact that they will not
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Blue Sphere Corp.’s two-prong business development strategy in the global waste-to-energy industry is proving to be fruitful. -- ... Blue Sphere’s first two stateside anaerobic digestion (AD) projects have reached final stages of construction, and a
by Roseline Okere (AllAfrica) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is seeking investors for its Renewable Energy Division (RED) to implement Nigeria's automotive biofuels industry programme through a series of planned Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). The automotive biofuels industry programme, according to
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
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
(Algae Industry Magazine) An enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons has been discovered by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists studying the common green microalga Botryococcus braunii. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications, could enable scientists
(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
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. imported a record volume of biomass-based diesel in 2015. ... This increase in imports is particularly interesting because 2015 was a year with no forward-looking $1-per-gallon blender’s tax credit, and, for 11 months
(Thai PBS) The second government auction for low-quality rice stocks has been met with positive feedback yesterday with the private sector making bids for a total of 240,000 tons worth over 1.5 billion baht. Sixteen bidders handed in their bids for
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology,
(CBC News) Edmonton company promises cheaper, cleaner biodiesel on a commercial level -- An Edmonton based company plans to commercially produce a new biofuel capable of completely replacing diesel by the end of the year, at a lower cost than
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
(Biofuels International) Emerging opportunities for algal biofuels, particularly in the Persian Gulf region, may propel the success of the industry, a new market study by Future Market Insights finds. Algae was first discovered as a fuel alternative in 1978 under the
by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (Department of Energy) ... Unfortunately, the American Society of Civil Engineers Infrastructure Report Card gives the wastewater infrastructure in America a D-grade, and says “capital investment needs for the nation’s wastewater and stormwater systems are estimated to total $298
by Lisa Young (AgriNews) Cover crop and row crop biofuels systems can work together. They may have to as the Renewable Fuel Standard spurs increased demand for biofuels while many are calling for more controls on agricultural nutrient runoff. Researchers
(Orange County, CA/Biomass Magazine) Orange County 3rd District Supervisor Todd Spitzer recently joined with government, business and project development officials for a ribbon-cutting to ceremonially open the Bowerman Power Project renewable energy facility. The landfill gas-to-electricity plant at the Frank R.
(Department of Energy) DOE is considering more significant support for Research & Development (R&D) in carbon use. It is surveying technology approaches and seeking up-to-date information on technologies for beneficially using CO2 captured from fossil-fuel power plants. To complement existing
by Niu Shuping and David Stanway (Reuters/AgWeek) China's plan to let the market set corn prices is bad news for international grain exporters, but should boost the country's struggling corn processors that use the grain in products ranging from food
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan Guarantee Program and the Biomass
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Sao Paolo ethanol now 39% more expensive than fuel from Iowa; American glut also spurs exports to China, Philippines, India -- At the Plymouth Energy LLC plant in the heart of the U.S. corn belt -- where home-grown
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office has released the 2016 update of its Multi-Year Program Plan, which serves as an operational guide to help the BETO manage and coordinate its activities. The plan
by Charles Newbery (Platts) The Argentine government Friday said it has raised the ethanol blending mandate in gasoline to 12% from 10% with immediate effect, according to a decree published in the Official Bulletin, the government's newspaper of record. In February, President
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s been a couple of years since we visited REG and the difference is palpable. The company has become a little ADM, rather than a big Amyris or TerraVia. You see the trading desks at
(Yahoo! Finance/Air Canada) Air Canada today announced it will participate in Canada's Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI), a three-year collaborative project with 14 stakeholder organizations to introduce 400,000 litres of sustainable aviation biofuel (biojet) into a shared fuel system at
(GreenCarCongress) Researchers from the Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified and characterized the first thermophilic bacterium capable (Defluviitalea phaphyphila) of direct conversion of brown algae to
(Bernama/New Straits Times) Johor is ready to lead the production of biodiesel as an alternative source of fuel energy and become a major global energy generator in the future. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the objective would
(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
by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Salt-affected land is not useful for producing food crops, but biomass producers could take advantage of salt-tolerant perennial grasses to make use of that land. --In a greenhouse study, germination of prairie cordgrass
(Comet Biorefining) Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative, an Ontario-based farmer's cooperative, confirms that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Comet Biorefining to collaborate on the development of a sustainable agricultural biomass supply chain in southwestern Ontario. Comet Biorefining
by Sylvain Bascaron (CBC News) Lawsuits totalling $7.4 million allege unpaid services and supplies -- Already years behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget, a project to turn the city of Edmonton's waste into biofuel is now facing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Making Lignin Pay — Now, Soon, Never?” Here below are the slides presented on the day. The recorded version can be accessed here. READ MORE / MORE
by Katie E. Moore-Drougas, Daniel T. Schwartz, Laurel James and Jim Durglo (Brookings Institution) ... One solution that has the potential to substantially curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a change in the Energy Independence and Security Act’s (EISA) definition of “renewable
(AZO CleanTech) A few years ago, petroleum-based products, including gasoline, were not available at affordable prices, unlike the case today. However, the prices are likely to return to the same level in the coming years. Due to this impending scenario, researchers
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Businesswire) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) announced today that President and CEO of NexSteppe, Anna Rath, has been selected by a committee of her peers to be the recipient of the 2016 BIO Rosalind Franklin Award. The Rosalind Franklin Award
(BioCube™) The BioCube Corporation was delighted to have The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada visit the BioCube™ at the GLOBE 2016 Conference in Vancouver last week. Held every two years in Vancouver, BC the GLOBE Series of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 2005 report, Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply (generally referred to as the Billion-Ton Study) was an estimate of potential biomass available within the contiguous United
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2016 planting intentions. U.S. corn growers expect to plant 93.6 million acres to corn this year, according to the Prospective Plantings report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In grains, the big news has been the USDA prospective plantings report, which has corn up to 93 million acres in 2016, up 5 million over last year, and it was an unexpected gain given
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In South Africa,, Chromatin and Zaad Holdings have entered into an alliance to produce and distribute planting seed for grain and forage sorghum throughout the African continent. In Africa, sorghum is used in the food and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Drop-In Fuels” Here below is the second slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from the upcoming Drop In Fuels
by Clare Lukehurst and Angela Bywater (IEA Bioenergy) This report explores the viability of small scale anaerobic digestion for livestock farming where there is a need to deal with animal manure and slurry in a manner that minimises the emission of greenhouse
(Newswire.com) KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today launched a series of around 80 biofuel flights from Oslo to Amsterdam operated with an EMBRAER 190. The flights are marking yet another step in the right direction towards phasing in jet biofuel in
(Phys.Org/VTT Technical Research Center of Finland) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Aalto University investigated how willow biomass can be utilised more efficiently. When processed correctly, willow is eminently suitable as a source of sugar in the production of
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
by Jussi Rosendahl (Reuters Canada) It has created a modest 200 jobs in a Finnish forestry industry that has lost around 20,000 in the past decade, but UPM-Kymmene's new biofuels plant offers long-awaited growth and hope. The 180 million euro ($200
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Queensland, the state premier Anna Palaszczuk, the Minister for State Development Anthony Lynham, and the Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply Mark Bailey jointly announced that a AUD $16 million advanced biofuels pilot plant will
by Allison Ong (Daily Bruin) ... UCLA researchers have been using bacteria, microscopic organisms responsible for disease and digestion, to convert living matter into liquid fuel. (Paul) Lin, a chemical engineering graduate student, is one of many students who work to
(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
by Joanna Wavrunek (WHTC) Well, not exactly, it is time we have a conversation about ethanol. It was technically started in the 15th century in the form of Moonshine Whiskey in Scotland. It was used as liquor and fuel. Samuel
by Lee Seo-young (Korea Herald) GS Caltex will begin the construction of a plant for mass-production of biobutanol, a renewable biofuel for cars that can be used as a substitute for gasoline, during the first half of this year, the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We knew that Stora Enso has become awesomely serious about the advanced bioeconomy when news emerged in 2014 that the company had acquired Virdia for $33 million with additional potential payouts totaling approximately $29 million following
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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we conducted a webinar on the state of cellulosic fuels as part of our 2016 March Madness series. You can experience the recorded version of the webinar here. Meanwhile, here is the primary slide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Edeniq and Aemetis have entered into a License Agreement under which Aemetis will deploy Edeniq’s Pathway technology at its 60 million gallon per year ethanol production facility located in Keyes, California. Edeniq’s Pathway Technology integrates Edeniq’s Cellunator equipment with cellulase
(Greenbelt Resources/PR Newswire) As a result of recent changes to Commerce Department regulations by the Obama administration regarding trade with Cuba, the advanced modular technology available from Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO), an innovator of sustainable energy production systems, is
(Algae Industry Magazine) Sean Myers reports that University of Calgary researchers have found a way to program algae with bacterial genes to target unwanted chemicals and pharmaceuticals that end up in wastewater. Lee Jackson, scientific director of the Advancing Canadian
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, news arrived that Aemetis has acquired 12 years of exclusive rights in California (based upon achieving certain milestones) to LanzaTech’s technology for the conversion of agricultural waste, forest waste, dairy waste and construction
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Science and Technology has completed the scale-up of its biorefinery in Wausau, Wisconsin. The scale-up increase’s the processing capacity of AST, an emerging technology company in the biochemicals and renewable fuel sector, from 100 kilograms
by William Westhoven (Parsippany, NJ Daily Record) A Lincoln Park educator has been awarded a $450,000 grant to help fund continued research into the development of biofuel alternatives in certain regions of the United States. Montclair State University announced Tuesday that Pankaj
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Poet Inc. is shipping fuel from Iowa facility, which could hit full output by year's end. -- Poet Inc., the nation’s first commercial-scale producer of cellulosic ethanol, is shipping the fuel from its plant in
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg Business) ... Back in 2007, when crude oil was headed toward a record $147.27 a barrel, ethanol was being touted as a cheap alternative from abundant domestic resources. The U.S. is the world’s biggest corn grower and
by Megan Elliott (Flying Magazine) First transcontinental flight using aviation biofuel in a certified light aircraft. -- High-school science teacher Ross McCurdy is planning the first transcontinental flight using aviation biofuel in a certified light aircraft. McCurdy will launch from North
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last year, we reported that Research & Markets projected the “Nanocellulose Market by Type (Cellulose nanocrystals, Cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocomposites, and others) to reach $250 Million by 2019, signifying annualized CAGR of 19% between 2014 and 2019. Heft growth
(National Biodiesel Board/PR Newswire) North America's top fleets have spoken, and their #1 choice for greening their fleet operations is biodiesel. According to a new 2016 Fleet Purchasing Outlook study conducted by the NTEA - The Association for the Work
by Alexis Bateman and Yossi Sheffi (MIT Sloan Management Review) How a Lack of Systemic Thinking Threatens a Sustainable U.S. Energy Policy -- ... In 2011, a combination of market conditions and government policies in the U.S. and Brazil led to a
(Southeast Farm Press) Corn growers push to increase ethanol demand, explore new uses, increase livestock exports and improve transportation infrastructure. -- National Corn Growers Association finalized a new strategic plan March 5 to focus on four major strategic priorities that reflect
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) I just finished reading your article "Renewable Fuel Standard Continues To Devastate," published in February on the High Plains Leader & Times website. ... In fact, your article looks suspiciously like an article that
(RPA News) Our top story this month is a blunt reminder of how deeply U.S. policy uncertainty cut down and yanked back the progress of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol over the past few years. The U.S. EPA’s epic indecision and sometimes indifference
(Bioenergy Insight) Finnish energy solutions provider Wärtsilä has been awarded an order to supply the largest biogas liquefaction plant in the Nordic Countries to produce fuel for public transport vehicles. The supply contract was signed in December 2015, and is with
by Keona Gardner (TCPalm) ... Indian River Bio Diesel is seeking city approval to operate a plant that would process 250,000 gallons of its product a month in the now-vacant Egan packinghouse, 1103 N. Second St. The plant is a subsidiary
by Cécile Barbière (EurActiv) French MPs have approved an additional tax on palm oil. But sustainably-produced oil and imports for biofuels will be exempt from the tax. -- France has increased the tax on palm oil imports, amid heated protests from
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In June 2014 the 6th adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This classified formaldehyde as carcinogenic and
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) In the small country of Ecuador, all environmental risks of the production and consumption of fossil fuels can be observed by damages through oil exploration in the amazon rainforest and tank ship accidents close by Galapagos
(PHYCO2) PHYCO2 -an emerging algae growth and carbon dioxide sequestration company- has made a technology breakthrough in Phase I of the multi-year trial with Michigan State University (MSU). The technology partnership set out to capture manmade carbon dioxide (a greenhouse
by Grant Gerlock (Harvest Public Media) ... Fridays between Ash Wednesday and Easter you’ll find hundreds of hungry parishioners lining up at church fish frys around the Midwest. All of that frying uses up vegetable oil that can just go to waste,
by Ann Purvis (Heartland Institute) ... (A) new study from researchers at Strata Policy (SP) and the Institute of Political Economy (IPE) at Utah State University suggests RFS also harms the very farmers the ethanol mandate was designed to help. ... According to
(Daily Hunt) Concerned over slow progress of ethanol blending in petrol and diesel, a parliamentary committee has expressed that the government should implement the Ethanol Blending Programme in order to cut down on crude oil import in the future and
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Arpa-E project deploys drones and robots to breed fast-growing, drought-resistant and greener biofuel from sorghum which could replace corn ethanol -- A US government agency is trying to build a better biofuel, using a higher energy-producing
(PHYCO2) PHYCO2, an emerging algae growth and carbon dioxide sequestration company, and Michigan State University (MSU) have announced a partnership designed to generate sustainable, clean energy sources through a new method to produce algae. The partnership will demonstrate the patent-pending PHYCO2-developed technology to sequester CO2, reclaim
by Holly Jessen and Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although there are challenges facing the second generation ethanol industry, progress is being made -- U.S. EPA data shows 2.18 million cellulosic ethanol D3 RINs (renewable identification numbers) were generated in 2015.
by Donnelle Eller and Christopher Doering (Iowa City Press-Citizen) Ethanol producers across the Corn Belt are being battered by tumbling gasoline prices and a glut of the corn-based fuel, pushing some companies to consider scaling back production or merging with another plant to
(U.S. Department of Energy) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) updated its annual survey of U.S. non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels producers. The survey report, titled 2015 Survey of Non-Starch Ethanol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers, documents important changes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal: Transforming Solazyme into a food, nutrition, and specialty ingredient innovation platform harnessing the power of algae: The mother of all plants and earth’s original superfood. The new company identity? TerraVia. Let’s take a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... a fascinating look at the evolution in the fuels, renewable chemicals, specialty products and nutrition that make up the advanced bioeconomy. ... The most spectacular news of the week belonged to TerraVia, which landed a
by Jim Lemon and Michael Lemon (BioCycle/Biogas Researchers, Inc.) Michael Lemon describes steps to move EPA forward on the RFS renewable electricity pathway on Tuesday, April 5 at BioCycle WEST COAST16. ... Steps to expand deployment of clean energy technologies like renewable
by Reed Fujii (Recordnet.com) Water weed holds promise as biofuel -- Water hyacinth, the invasive water weed that carpets San Joaquin Delta channels in the warm season, choking out native species, degrading water quality, blocking recreational boaters and interfering with
(Algae Biomass Organization/MarketWired) Use of Algae as Animal Feedstock Has All of the Benefits of Biomass Without Land Use Concerns -- A new peer-reviewed study has shown that widespread use of algae in animal feed could help limit the rise
by Lizzy Schultz (AgWired) Twenty-five more farms have joined in on the groundbreaking research effort from Soil Health Partnership (SHP) that could change the way farmers take care of their land. SHP works to test and measure farm management practices that
by Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) The illegal activity of passing off used cooking oil (UCO) as non-brand cooking oil (NBCO), which is allegedly becoming widespread on a massive scale in the country, may be disrupting the government’s biofuel program, observers
by David Nield (Science Alert) A new plane powered solely by biofuels and solar energy is about to make the first zero-carbon-emission flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Seven years in the making, the 'Eraole' has been developed by French pilot, scientist,
by Doug Durante (The Hill/ Clean Fuels Development Coalition) With regard to the recent opinion expressed by Rob Green of the National Council of Chain Restaurants, all I can say is gosh, what a better source for an objective assessment
by Peder Holk Nielsen (Novozymes/EurActiv) If Europe is serious about its climate commitments, and if Europe wants to reduce its dependence on imported oil, then we need to increase the amount of low-carbon biofuels in the energy mix, writes Peder
by Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat (Bangkok Post) Rising ethanol demand this year, coupled with expected sugar-cane production cuts due to the severe drought, are likely to force ethanol producers to switch to cassava as their feedstock instead of molasses, industry officials say. Weaker oil
(Tyton/Digital Journal) Tyton BioEnergy Systems announced today a major technological advancement in the production of sustainable jet fuel. Tyton filed a patent application for a new method and system of converting oil extracted from plant biomass or seeds directly into
(Ecofys) Land Use Change effects differ significantly for various types of biofuels consumed in the EU. Today, the European Commission has published a report by Ecofys, IIASA and E4tech that quantifies the ILUC emissions from EU biofuel consumption. ILUC, or
by Jan Koninckx (DuPont/Biofuels Digest) ... (O)ur call is clear: we must act with the utmost urgency as we work toward solutions to help slow man-made climate change. Transportation contributes a quarter of all man-made CO2 emissions, and it needs
by James L. Stewart (California’s BioEnergy Producers Association/Technikon/Biofuels Digest) A major worldwide effort is underway through the non-profit organization R20 Regions of Climate Action to assist sub-national states and jurisdictions in developing projects that promote clean energy and combat climate change. Currently, R20
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