by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With proven technology at the nexus of two mandated markets, industrial and consumer — LanzaTech has been on fire in recent months. Here’s more on their commercial operating plants, plants scheduled to complete construction in 2023 and additional plants in engineering, and all the details
History of Advanced Biofuels
(Toyota Tsusho) Toyota Tsusho Corporation (“Toyota Tsusho”) announced today that, together with Group company Toyotsu Energy Corporation (“Toyotsu Energy”), it launched Japan’s first continuous supply of biodiesel blended fuel (“biofuel”) on a commercial basis (“this supply”) to ships operated by Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd. (“Toyofuji Shipping”) at the Port of Nagoya
May 12, 2023
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited World Energy’s Paramount, California, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility May 1 to spotlight California’s transition to clean fuels and broader commitment to green jobs. The World Energy site is a converted a petroleum refinery that became the
May 9, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Boeing’s Director of Environmental Sustainability Ryan Faucett gave this presentation at ABLC 2023 in Washington, DC examining global emissions, the rise of SAF in the context of other emissions-limiting measures, and the progress and plans of Boeing in the support of SAF development. READ MORE
May 1, 2023
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(Cummins) Rudolf Diesel and Clessie Cummins have many things in common. The most notable being their desire to find efficient solutions to problems with one goal in mind – making the world a better place. The invention of advanced diesel engines has continued and will continue to shape our world. With organizations
April 24, 2023
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by Brooke Staggs (Southern California News Group/Orange County Register) … But Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, who worked to bring green jobs to Southern California before he got elected, argues that tax provisions for renewables make sense for the environment and the economy. Levin cited research from the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
April 24, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Wagner Companies has actively been working toward implementing more green business practices since 2004, when they first participated in the Queensland Focus on Energy program. As a result, they have upgraded to more energy-efficient lighting; and hot-water boiler and air compressor systems. They also
April 24, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up with the Wonder from Down Under? Licella’s Cat-HTR decarbonization platform could help customers meet their net-zero carbon commitments. How do they use water as the agent of change and turn biomass and mixed plastics into low CI biocrude? What is their multi-year path
April 21, 2023
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by Joseph Glauber and Charlotte Hebebrand (International Food Policy Research Institute/Daily Star) … Despite the recurring food versus fuel debate and criticism expressed during previous price spikes, biofuel policies have grown in popularity. That growth will likely continue. The International Energy Agency projects that from 2022-2027 biofuel demand will increase by
April 14, 2023
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by Sean Mowbray (Mongabay) • Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a “miracle” biofuel. An unassuming shrubby tree native to Central America, it was wildly promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that could grow on degraded lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia. • A jatropha rush ensued,
April 7, 2023
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by Laura Guedes and Vinicius Damazio (Argus Media) The transformation to a greener future for cars will require time and a steadfast policy commitment, but the sustained popularity of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) has already put Brazil some way down the road towards sustainability. As it turns 20, the flex-fuel engine is
March 28, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … It is with pleasure that the 2023 William C. Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Bioeconomy is awarded to Michael McAdams, founder and president of the Advanced Biofuels Association. At a ceremony on Thursday, March 23rd at 8am ET at ABLC 2023, we
March 8, 2023
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(Swedish Biofuels/PR Newswire) Swedish Biofuels AB announced today an investment by Mitsubishi Corporation to jointly accelerate commercial deployment of clean renewable fuels using Swedish Biofuels advanced alcohol to jet (ATJ) technology. The technology produces fully formulated sustainable aviation fuel (FFSAF) from a variety of biogenic feedstocks. Swedish Biofuels FFSAF is different
March 1, 2023
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(BNN Bloomberg) There’s a ritual involved in creating the perfect Sichuan hot pot and it involves fat — lots of it. Diners first immerse slivers of meat in a spicy soup rich in molten animal tallow, then dip each morsel in a plate of vegetable oil, before finally devouring it. It’s a rich delicacy, one that produces about 12,000 tons of
February 22, 2023
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(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP)) Controversial debates about the impact of European biofuel policy on cultivation of agricultural commodities in other regions, i.e. indirect land use change (iLUC), have been underway since the target of 10% renewable energy in the transport sector was made legally binding
February 13, 2023
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by Craig Bettenhausen (Chemical & Engineering News) After decades of false starts, cellulosic ethanol may arrive just as the chemical and fuel industries clamor for a low-carbon feedstock — Cellulosic ethanol has been 5 years away for decades. It’s a trope, but it’s been true as plant after plant trying to
February 13, 2023
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(Alder Fuels/Biofuels Digest) … Building on our recent announcements regarding the appointment of Tim Obitts as Acting CEO of Alder Fuels and award selection by the Department of Energy (DOE), we wish to provide an updated statement regarding the company. First, Alder Fuels has secured new multimillion-dollar investments from its existing
February 8, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New sustainability standards no longer focus solely on bio-based carbon content. The focus has shifted to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and overall carbon footprint –in which biomaterials have a role to play. The transition towards climate neutrality and circular economy will have a profound impact
January 26, 2023
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(World Bio Market Insights) With big oil moving into biofuels, Shell is one to watch. — … From another angle, biofuels are an already-lucrative global commodity attracting attention from some of the biggest corporate entities in the world: oil majors. The oil companies say renewable fuels are central to their long-term
January 19, 2023
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by Karen Bonhert (AgWeb) … Recently, Bar 20 received the 2023 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year award by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) because of the sustainable and innovative advancements made on their Kerman, Calif., dairy. In 2022, they were also honored with the U.S. Dairy Sustainability award. “What
January 13, 2023
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by Patrick Miller (UND Today/EERC Solutions) Nearly 15 years ago, before he became CEO of UND’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, Charlie Gorecki worked on carbon capture systems with an eye on a specific North Dakota industrial facility where he believed carbon dioxide could be extracted and safely stored underground. The idea was to remove
January 10, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where does forestry fit into the RFS and with the biofuels industry, asks Lee Enterprises Consulting’s Larry Sullivan in this enlightening tour of the past, present and future of forest-based feedstocks. Sullivan goes back to the Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model or FASOM followed
January 6, 2023
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by Keith Loria (Biodiesel Magazine) City by city, Greasezilla is conquering problems derived from excessive fats, oils and grease waste. — When fats, oils and grease (FOG) separation technology Greasezilla was developed by Downey Ridge Environmental Co. nearly 20 years ago, the system was never expected to become the impressive
January 4, 2023
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Kern Energy is the only refiner between the Bay Area and Los Angeles producing clean gasoline and renewable diesel, Kern Energy was just the second refinery in the U.S. to produce renewable diesel by co-processing bio-feed, and the first small refiner in California to blend
January 4, 2023
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(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the public comment period for the draft document titled, “Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress (External Review Draft).” The document was prepared by EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) and Office of Air and Radiation
January 4, 2023
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) For the better part of my 35-year tenure with RFA, I have prepared a hopefully humorous list of what’s in and what’s out as the year ends and a new one begins. Change can be scary. But if we recognize it, and prepare for it,
December 30, 2022
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by Jan Tenbensel (Lincoln Journal Star) Reduced air pollution and energy security are crucial issues in Japan, which recently committed to achieving carbon neutrality, including through increased use of bioethanol. I was honored to represent the Nebraska Ethanol Board on a trade mission to Tokyo in late November, alongside Gov.
December 22, 2022
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by Nora Goldstein (BioCycle Magazine) Acquisition of a composting facility to handle solids from used oil processing has led to a full-service organics recycling enterprise. — Joe Renwick got his feet wet in the biofuel business when he bought 55-gallon drums and water heaters to make biodiesel in his garage in
December 21, 2022
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(Wisconsin Clean Cities) Kwik Trip, Inc. – headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin – has been a Wisconsin Clean Cities member since 2011. Joel Fasnacht, Business Development Alternative & Commercial Fuels for Kwik Trip, serves on the Wisconsin Clean Cities Board of Directors. The family-owned business was founded in 1965 and owns and
November 29, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) In a letter sent yesterday to U.S. Senate and House leadership, a broad coalition of energy and agriculture organizations called on Congress to quickly adopt legislation that would resolve inconsistent fuel volatility regulations. Specifically, the groups expressed support for legislation that would result in equal regulatory treatment for all gasoline
November 22, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)In Kansas, Western Plains Energy is pioneering carbon neutral ethanol production by replacing molecular sieves with fully integrated membrane separation solutions in a quest to become the first zero emissions ethanol producer. Whitefox, is the bioethanol membrane engineering innovator supplying the innovative technology. Engineering phase 1 is already in progress
November 14, 2022
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The major biofuels interest groups and National Farmers Union are trying to intervene in a lawsuit challenging EPA’s recent decision to reject 69 pending applications for small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard, according to a motion filed with a federal appeals court on Tuesday.
November 3, 2022
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by Kong Lingyu (China Dialog/Transport Energy Strategies) Prices for China’s biodiesel exports have been rising significantly, from less than 7,000 yuan (US$1,050) a tonne in January last year to a record high of over 12,000 yuan (US$1,723) in July this year. The average price in the first seven months of this year
November 3, 2022
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by Brian Werner (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) … Often referred to as the “Minnesota Model,” the ethanol industry’s foundations began here in the Upper Midwest with the dedicated, grassroots efforts of our farmers, and the partnerships they formed with one another and private and public entities. If kick-starting the homegrown energy
October 31, 2022
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by Natalie Johnson (University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh/Biomass Magazine) Marked by a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 17, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh launched a new effort with biogas partner Agra Energy to build Wisconsin’s first commercial facility to turn dairy farm waste into renewable biofuel. The $20 million facility, located at
October 26, 2022
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(Inventiva) The principal energy sources derived from biomass and food crops like sunflower seeds, palm fruit, Jatropha seeds, rapeseed, soybean, etc. are designated as biofuels. These energy sources have huge promise in a rising country like India. India has an annual biomass supply of about 500 million tonnes, of which
October 24, 2022
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(CoBank) … The cooperative (Hopkinsville Elevator) has also been successful because of its forward-thinking board of directors. One truly successful undertaking was the founding in 2004 of Commonwealth Agri-Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary and also a CoBank customer. Commonwealth buys more than one-third of Hopkinsville’s corn to convert into ethanol.
October 20, 2022
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EPA Abused Discretion by Denying Suncor Colorado Refineries Exemption from Clean Air Law, Court Says
by Michael Karlik (The Gazette) The federal appeals court based in Denver has overturned a 2019 decision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that refused to grant Suncor Energy’s Commerce City Refinery an exemption to a key environmental law. Although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit cautioned the
October 18, 2022
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by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) Following an April 12 announcement by President Biden, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a series of emergency waivers allowing E15 (gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol) to be sold during the 2022 summer driving season. Without this action, E15 could not have been used in most
October 18, 2022
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by Cameron Gerber (News Tribune) Clean energy and fuels are becoming more and more prominent all across the country, and a Jefferson City native is helping to lead the charge at the helm of a nationwide group from his hometown. A Helias Catholic School and Missouri State University graduate, Donnell Rehagen
October 12, 2022
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by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) As prices at the pump spiked this past summer, a special E15 sales promotion by fuel retailer Sheetz offering the 15 percent ethanol blend (marketed by the company as UNLEADED 88) at $3.99 made national news—and also made a lot of drivers happy
October 6, 2022
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by Mary Ann Showalter (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) The American Chemical Society (ACS) has announced that development of a catalytic process and catalyst to create sustainable aviation fuel is receiving the 2023 ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry. The team named in the award includes Richard Hallen, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) scientist emeritus;
September 30, 2022
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Reuters is withdrawing a Sept. 8 article that compared carbon emissions from U.S. ethanol plants and oil refineries because of its flawed interpretation of data on ethanol-plant pollution and fuel-production capacity. That led to inaccurate estimates of carbon emissions for individual ethanol plants named in the story. STORY_NUMBER: L8N30E5AE STORY_DATE:
September 26, 2022
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by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) Algae biofuel could have another moment in the sun, now that more federal dollars are pouring into carbon capture-and-recycling technology. — Algae biofuel stakeholders have been stuck in the doldrums for years, but in an odd twist of fate, the fossil fuel industry could help
September 9, 2022
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by Stella Kusumawardhani – Tenggara Strategics (The Jakarta Post) Indonesia is at the forefront of biofuel advancement worldwide, especially with regard to biodiesel, both in terms of blending rate and production scale, but its contribution to decarbonization is questionable since the biodiesel is heavily dependent on palm oil as the
September 9, 2022
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Sept 23 (Reuters) – Reuters is withdrawing a Sept. 8 article that compared carbon emissions from U.S. ethanol plants and oil refineries because of its flawed interpretation of data on ethanol-plant pollution and fuel-production capacity. That led to inaccurate estimates of carbon emissions for individual ethanol plants named in the
September 8, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Anellotech has developed Plast-TCat technology to address the gap. Now, we have news that Anellotech has, for the first time, continuously processed solid, post-consumer plastic waste into light olefins and aromatics using its Plas-TCat catalytic pyrolysis technology. The waste consisted of a mixture of all major
August 30, 2022
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(Biofuels Digest) Now on ROBIN, up to the minute video and presentations, events and background from Europe’s dominant player in 2G ethanol and in many chemicals markets. All content is available on THE CLARIANT CHANNEL, part of your ROBIN streaming experience, on-demand and free. CLARIANT’S SUN LIQUID PROCESS- STRAW TO
August 26, 2022
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by Ron Lamberty (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) … I came from the “dark side” of petroleum marketing to help other fuel retailers see the light of higher ethanol blends and promised myself I wouldn’t call out retailers on pricing of ethanol blends. Instead, I informed ethanol people the
August 26, 2022
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(Biofuels International) The collection of used cooking oil is crucial to the supply of biodiesel feedstock. Biofuels International spoke to Pol Van Pollaert, Commercial Director of Quatra, a market leader in the collection and recycling of used cooking oil. … Quatra is a Belgian company founded by the Van Pollaert
August 25, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The company has moved past an ethanol and protein positioning to “a leading agri-tech company committed to transforming our platform to process annually renewable crops into more sustainable, high-value ingredients” High-value they are — but also of great value are the underlying ethanol assets and
August 25, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … You can finance a bioenergy project making gases and solids, so long as your gas is a solid stream, and, solidly sold, and your market for solids is liquid, and your liquidity is solid. If you have lots of liquidity, you’re solid, and then
August 22, 2022
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by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) Recently, RFA member company Mid-Missouri Energy honored one of its founding fathers, Ryland Utlaut, by naming its administrative building after him. To say this honor was well-deserved would be a huge understatement. In addition to being one of MME’s founders, Ryland served a stint as
August 12, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of the most interesting journeys in all of biotech — from jeans to jeans, and from cellulosic fuels over to pharma. Welcome to the story of Dyadic. Here are the markets, technologies, sources of revenues, trends, lines of business — launch-stage, growth-stage, maturity and
August 12, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been more than 10 years since the celebrated IPOs of Amyris, Codexis and Gevo showed that the second wave of industrial biotechnology (after the first wave of ethanol companies) was producing mature companies of size and substance. Since then, the crash of oil prices in
August 10, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This hydrocarbons firm has for the sake of higher margins to support smaller build-outs to profitability has pivoted to converting plant-derived resources into a key family of ingredients used in the cosmetics industry — a new presentation covers the new targets — all the markets,
August 3, 2022
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by Anusha Krishnan (Mongabay/Genetic Literacy Project) The main advantages of biofuels over conventional fossil fuels is that the world is unlikely to deplete its sources of biofuels, as they are renewable. In addition, most biofuels have lower greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. For many countries such as India, domestic
August 2, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The world is short on hydrogen for all its ambitions in renewable energy and transformative chemicals and materials — and especially in green and low carbon hydrogen. Fortunately, new technology and carbon strategies have emerged to meet the market opportunity, and we looked into the
August 1, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We started the Digest on July 27, 2007 because it seemed to me, then as now, that the industry could use a good 5-minute round-up of what’s going on around the globe. … Some 3,900 editions and 42,000 stories later, we’re humbled by the
July 27, 2022
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by Eric Marks (This Is Reno) fficials from Fulcrum BioEnergy hosted Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and members of the press Friday at the company’s new plant east of Sparks off of USA Parkway. The facility is part of a new generation of industry technology featuring a “revolutionary process” which turns garbage,
July 25, 2022
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by Lauren Moffitt (Argus Media) New Zealand (NZ) fuel distributor Z Energy will permanently close its tallow-based Te Kora Hou biodiesel plant in south Auckland, deeming its production uneconomic compared with the global biofuels market. Te Kora Hou had been scheduled to reach a capacity of 20mn litre/yr, but was mothballed
July 25, 2022
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by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) A little over ten years ago, E15 was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 2001 and newer vehicles, along with all flex-fuel vehicles. A chief reason for this success was the Renewable Fuels Association’s hard work on the only approved Misfueling Mitigation Plan that would
July 21, 2022
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(Clean Fuels Alliance America) As the 1990s dawned, more than a decade of renewed research had been performed on various straight vegetable oils and esterified varieties by a number of individuals and universities both in the U.S. (North Dakota State, Idaho, Illinois, etc.) and globally. “Carroll Goering at the University of
July 18, 2022
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Twenty years ago, Minnesota became a trailblazer in biodiesel policy by passing the first-ever state biodiesel mandate in 2002. The accomplishment was the result of years of work by many groups, perhaps most notably the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the farmers of which the
July 18, 2022
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by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb) … “A small fraction of the field corn we grow goes to actual food products such as cornflakes or sweeteners or such,” explains (Carroll County farmer Adam) Casner. “It’s actually less than 10% that goes towards those products.” … Casner says the majority of the field
July 11, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Steeper Energy’s President, Perry Toms, shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC on how hydrofaction – a proven thermochemical is advancing biofuels commercial acceptance. From milestones to commercialization partners, get all the details on how Steeper Energy is building an advanced biofuels future through hydrofaction,
July 6, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, ethylene, propylene – They can all be produced with low carbon intensity. Check out this illuminating slide guide from Steven Slome at NexantECA on how while methanol and ammonia have larger implications beyond their large existing markets, low carbon intensity hydrogen’s implications
July 5, 2022
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(The Canadian Press/Castanet) The federal government is delaying new emissions standards on gasoline and diesel another year but is demanding the oil and gas sector make bigger cuts to fuel emissions by 2030 given how much more money the companies are now making. Cabinet approved the final regulations for the long-awaited
June 29, 2022
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by Chen Aizhu (Reuters) China’s Sinopec Corp produced its first aviation fuel from used cooking oil at an industrial-scale facility in east China, the state refining giant said on Tuesday. The biojet facility, built in Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co and able to process 100,000 tonnes of used cooking oil
June 29, 2022
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by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) Biofuels have been proven to emit significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum-based fuels, and recent scientific studies indicate that net-zero emission biofuels are not only possible, but achievable. Corn ethanol and other biofuels are essential in America’s transition to a clean energy economy
June 24, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News has arrived from Houston that Ara Partners, regularly seen around the halls of ABLC and known as a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments, has acquired Genera Energy. Genera, in latter days, has emerged as a top manufacturer of non-wood agricultural pulp and
June 24, 2022
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) With prices for cleaner feedstocks through the roof, Tactical Fabrication and Smisson-Mathis Energy have forged an all-inclusive, turnkey model for biodiesel production based on the least desirable and lowest-cost materials. After years of development, they are now ready to roll it out to the world.
June 21, 2022
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(Lhyfe) Lhyfe (EURONEXT: LHYFE), a world pioneer and pure player in renewable green hydrogen and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, one of the world’s leaders on the shipbuilding market for highly complex ships and in offshore engineering, announce today at the Seanergy forum dedicated to renewable offshore energy, that they have signed a
June 16, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today congratulated Board Member and former Chairman Randy Doyal on receiving the prestigious High Octane Award at the 2022 Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo. The award honors a person who has helped the ethanol industry mature and progress over the years and whose passion
June 15, 2022
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by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) … In case you’ve forgotten, refiners use the term “blend wall” to refer to what they view as the upper limit of feasible ethanol use in the United States, which they peg at 10 percent of the nation’s gasoline supply. This purported blend wall is
June 9, 2022
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by Munawar Hasan (The News International) Pakistan should focus on introducing use of biofuel in the domestic market in financial year 2022-23 to save nearly a billion dollars coupled with slashing petrol price by 10 to 20 percent. Despite immense potential, the agriculture sector of the country is completely devoid of
June 8, 2022
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by Scott Marion (Edwardsville Intelligencer) Nearly 20 years after it opened, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continues to make an impact on a national and worldwide level. The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels,
June 8, 2022
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(The Statesman) … For the past two decades, India has been making progress towards putting in place an ecosystem to increase the quantities of fuel-grade ethanol blended into petrol under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) program for its use in vehicles, particularly two and four-wheelers. This effort has ramped up
June 6, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella’s Cat-HTR decarbonization platform could help customers meet their net-zero carbon commitments, said Dr. Alan Del Paggio, Licella’s SVP Americas, at the recent ABLC. How do they use water as the agent of change and turn biomass and mixed plastics into low CI biocrude? What
June 3, 2022
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by Shailesh Menon (Economic Times) The government’s roadmap for blending ethanol with petrol has cheered sugar manufacturers and could trim oil import bills. But its role in a renewable energy future needs more clarity. There are several challenges and questions. … Early this year, Triveni Engineering switched its focus yet
May 31, 2022
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by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The world’s second-largest corn producer, Brazil is continuing to see a rise in grain ethanol production and new plant construction. U.S. ethanol producers may gain some insight about how biomass power can be used to bring down carbon intensity. … The Brazilian ethanol industry
May 23, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Judge Evelio Grillo of the Superior Court of Alameda County has unsealed a Propel Fuels-Phillips 66 lawsuit, ordered that Propel Fuels file an unredacted copy of the suit. According to Propel, the suit alleges hat “the Texas-based oil company misappropriated Propel’s trade secrets and engaged in unlawful
May 19, 2022
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by Zack Budryk (The Hill) Seventeen Republican state attorneys general on Friday announced a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for allowing California to set its own vehicle emissions standards. The lawsuit alleges EPA Administrator Michael Regan violated the Constitution’s doctrine of equal sovereignty by allowing California an exemption from the Clean
May 16, 2022
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(Green Rock Energy Partners/Business Wire) Green Rock Energy Partners LLC (“Green Rock” or “the Firm”), a sustainable infrastructure focused private equity firm which invests in renewable energy companies and projects, acquired a stake in Bio Town Biogas LLC (“Bio Town”), a producer of renewable power that is expanding into renewable natural
May 13, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … When news arrived that Bunge and CoverCress signed commercial partnership to support the expansion of CCI’s CoverCress technology, a new winter oilseed crop, and that Bunge Ventures recently increased its stake in CCI through a Series C-1 round, we were suitably impressed. Buried in the
May 10, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC this spring, Mike DeCamp, CEO of CoverCress shared this emerging seed technology slide guide all about a novel winter oilseed crop that enables Midwest farmers to grow three crops in two seasons! With an ultra low carbon intensity score, find out why CoverCress
May 4, 2022
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Alder Fuels’ Chief Technology Officer, Derek Vardon, shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC highlighting how they are seeing a future of gathering energy instead of drilling for it and how the solution for sustainable fuel is a load of rubbish – literally forest
May 2, 2022
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by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) The April announcement by Joe Biden that E15 would be allowed to be sold year-round set off a frenzied spate of new attacks on the good fuel…the clean fuel…the 100% domestically produced fuel: ETHANOL. TV and radio stations all over the country have been
April 27, 2022
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(Advanced Biofuels USA) This is the first video in a series of stories about people who work with biofuels–and their motivations. This video features Advanced Biofuels USA’s executive director, Joanne Ivancic, talking about childhood experiences with pollution alerts that prevented swimming in Lake Erie and activities on the first Earth
April 27, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you missed the recent Digest Connect with two of the most important energy security hawks in the United States (Graham Noyes, Executive director of the Low Carbon Fuels Coalition, and former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, father of the Great Green Fleet) outlining practical actions
April 27, 2022
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(Dane County/NGV Journal) Dane County has acquired its 100th vehicle that runs on renewable natural gas. The announcement comes as the county celebrates Earth Week and recognizes the investments it has made over the last decade to transition to alternative fuels. By growing its green energy fleet to more than 115 vehicles,
April 25, 2022
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In a sweet SAF switcheroo, huge news arrived from California-based World Energy, a carbon-net-zero solutions provider, that it secured the critical permits required to completely convert and increase output by 700 percent at its Southern California renewable fuels production facility, the world’s first and North America’s
April 25, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here’s a short but sweet look at California Ethanol + Power and their Sugar Valley Energy site of sugarcane feedstock for ethanol production. In today’s Digest, from their sugarcane yields, carbon intensity, acreage, infrastructure, market, jobs, and more. READ MORE CE+P Invited to Submit Part II
April 22, 2022
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(Economic Times Energy World) Brazil’s experience of creating an ethanol economy has the potential to support others in developing their strategies and selecting the best pathways. … Biofuels have been a part of Brazil’s National Energy policies for nearly half a century. As a result, the country’s experience of creating
April 20, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BTG Bioliquids develops fast pyrolysis technology and FPBO applications as well as the commercialization of such technology and production of fast pyrolysis bio-oil. The BTG team gave this illuminating overview of their fast pyrolysis technology and commercial scale demo plant in the Netherlands at ABLC 2022
April 18, 2022
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by Peeping Tom (Kaieteur News – In 2009, there was a pushback against plans, by then President Bharrat Jagdeo, to use agricultural lands for the cultivation of crops for biofuels. At the time, the world was reeling from the triple effects of the global financial crisis, the global food crisis
April 18, 2022
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by Chip Flory (AgWeb) The soybean industry continues to prep for what’s expected to be demand growth for renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), “green” marine fuels and higher blends of biodiesel in home heating in the eastern U.S. Here are a few numbers for perspective: Soybean oil use for biofuels
April 7, 2022
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(University of Hohenheim) European collaborative project led by the University of Hohenheim shows: Combining bioethanol production with carbon storage can effectively reduce CO2. — A significant reduction in greenhouse gas is feasible. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. The trick: A combination of
April 6, 2022
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(GTI) GTI Senior Institute Engineer and Bioenergy Initiatives Manager, Terry Marker, will be presented with the prestigious 2022 Don Klass Award for Excellence in Thermochemical Conversion Science on April 20th at tcbiomass2022, being held in Denver, Colorado and co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
April 5, 2022
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(University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health) Scientists are investigating the contamination of water, soil, and air caused by a closed ethanol plant that is being sued by the State of Nebraska. Toxic piles of ethanol byproduct — called wet cake — are rotting on the grounds of the
April 5, 2022
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by Madelyn Ostendorf (Successful Farming) In a first-of-its kind study, researchers at Purdue University have illustrated the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the production of biofuels. Over the past 15 years, production and consumption of biofuels have increased in the United States, caused by a variety of market
April 5, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) Standards to require fleet average of 49 mpg by 2026, save consumers money, and advance U.S. energy independence — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced new, landmark fuel economy standards which follow President Biden’s executive order to drive American leadership forward
April 1, 2022
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(RTVEFone Foundation/Federal University of Goiás) Mundo UFG, programming on the campus-based TV UFG at the Federal University of Goiás, highlighted renewable fuels in four of its approximately hour-long segments recently. This episode focuses on ethanol and related research and business topics, including Brazil’s history with ethanol dating back to initiating
March 29, 2022
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by Shomik Mukherjee (Mercury News) Opponents: New project still poses environmental harm — After sitting mostly idle since late 2020, Marathon Petroleum’s refinery plans to fire up again soon — but this time to produce liquid biofuels instead of gasoline. It’s a shift the company is framing as a green-friendly alternative, but one
March 27, 2022
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by Bernardo Caram and Peter Frontini (Reuters) Brazil’s government announced on Monday it will cut to zero import tariffs for ethanol and six food products until the end of 2022. READ MORE Brazil to suspend tariff on ethanol imports (Agri-Pulse) Brazil suspends tariff on ethanol imports (World Grain) Brazil tax cut
March 22, 2022
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(Placer County, California/Biomass Magazine) The Placer County Board of Supervisors on March 8 authorized staff to restart the feasibility evaluation for a biomass to energy facility in North Lake Tahoe. A plan for the project was initially approved in 2013, however Placer paused moving forward due to uncertainty surrounding the long-term economic feasibility.
March 21, 2022
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(GreenBiz) A visit with ‘badass’ LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren (29:10) Jennifer Holmgren was thinking about retirement when she was recruited to lead the carbon recycling company LanzaTech. Under her leadership, the company has forged high-profile relationships to turn captured CO2 into materials for the likes of Zara, L’Oreal and Coty.
March 20, 2022
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(Clean Fuels Alliance America) National Biodiesel Day takes place March 18, in honor of Rudolf Diesel’s birthday. In the 1890s, Rudolf invented the diesel engine, which was designed to run on peanut oil. This year it was especially meaningful as our industry celebrates 30 years of clean fuels innovation and
March 18, 2022
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(Diesel Technology Forum) … Diesel would be right at home today working to develop new fuels and energy sources to tackle a major sociological need, meeting the challenge of climate change. Indeed, thousands of engineers around the world are doing just that, reducing emissions, and making technology more efficient and boosting
March 15, 2022
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(Signature Flight Support/Biobased Diesel Daily) Signature Aviation, the world’s largest private aviation terminal operator, has introduced a permanent supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the Eagle County Regional Airport near Vail, Colorado. The Signature Renew-branded SAF is responsible for a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from jet-powered aircraft, driving
March 14, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How does Praj do simultaneous production of 2G ethanol and RNG from bagasse? What made the 3 cellulosic ethanol for Oil Marketing Cosin India successful? Where do Praj’s Celluniti and enfinity platforms fit in for woody biomass conversion for ethanol and sugars? Who are they
March 10, 2022
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(Biofuels International) Sikorsky together with GE Aviation and Milestone Aviation have announced that a S-92 helicopter successfully used a blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) during its flight. The helicopter utilised a combination of biofuel, as well as traditional jet fuel in the 1,500 mile cross country flight. “As a
March 8, 2022
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by Fungmin Eric Liew (Lanza Tech/Nature Bioengineering Community) Industrial waste gas can serve as feedstock to manufacture fuels and chemicals through gas fermentation. Our work describes a collaborative and multidisciplinary team effort to engineer gas-utilizing microbe to produce acetone and isopropanol at industrial pilot scale in a carbon-negative fashion. Back
March 8, 2022
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by Promit Mookherjee (Observer Research Foundation) Transport activity in India has increased more than sevenfold over the last two decades, its gasoline-fuelled pathway leading to a rapid rise in negative environmental externalities. To decouple the sector’s growth from high emissions, policymakers are scaling up efforts to deploy cleaner fuels for
March 8, 2022
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by Tammy Klein (Transport Energy Strategies) On this episode of the Fueling the Future podcast, I spoke with Dr. Dev Shrestha of the University of Idaho about the recent paper he co-authored, “Biofuel Impact on Food Prices Index and Land Use Change.” The paper found, among other things that short term food price
March 4, 2022
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Ethanol Mergers, Acquisitions Rebound in 2021; Renewable Diesel Construction Booms — U.S. ethanol companies pursued more mergers and acquisitions than they have in five years, and the renewable diesel industry continued to grow and expand in 2021, according to a new report by the preeminent
March 3, 2022
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by Andrew Marantz (The New Yorker) … “The biggest driver of emissions is . . .” The others joined him, in unison: “. . . the political power of the fossil-fuel industry, not individual behavior.” In other words, if you want the beef, get the beef. During the retreat, the activists recycled, but they didn’t compost.
March 2, 2022
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(Growth Energy) Following settlement discussions with Growth Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will file a notice in the Federal Register tomorrow seeking comment on a proposed judicial consent decree that would require EPA to finalize the 2021 and 2022 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), which are the subject of a pending rulemaking,
February 23, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Converting low-value biomass to bio-crude oil upgradable to advanced biofuels and chemicals at existing refineries via hydrofaction is hot. Find out how Steeper Energy is using hydrofaction for advanced biofuels in cost-effective ways and at scale, the latest on commercialization partners, and more. READ MORE
February 23, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Enacted in 2005 and expanded in 2007, the Renewable Fuels Standard has been a “resounding success” by any measure, the Renewable Fuels Association told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in testimony submitted today ahead of a hearing on the landmark energy and environmental policy. “In addition to
February 16, 2022
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by Rebecca White, Lieve Laurens, Nate Kommers (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Diges) Among the dozens of policy innovations that Congress must consider in climate change legislation is a tool that could help trigger the next stage in decarbonizing one of the most significant industries in the world: aviation. The provision is a
February 15, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The remarkable story of Zero Acre Farms leaked into the public domain this week with the news that the company, focused on the production of “healthy, more sustainable oils and fats” from sugars has raised $37 million in an oversubscribed Series A. Co-founders include Steve del
February 8, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, The Daily Digest announced that Alder Fuels CEO Bryan Sherbacow will receive the 2022 Global Bioeconomy Leadership Award and will give the Global Leadership Address at ABLC 2022, the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, on March 17, 2022. The Award recognizes world and world-class leadership
February 8, 2022
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by Emily Holbrook (Environment + Energy Leader) Boeing today announced a supply agreement for two million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with EPIC Fuels to power its commercial airplanes operations in Washington state and South Carolina through 2022. The agreement is the largest announced SAF procurement by an airframer and further demonstrates Boeing’s commitment to decarbonizing
February 8, 2022
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(Indonesia Investments) Biodiesel, which is a form of diesel fuel that is derived from plants or animals (in the case of Indonesia it mainly uses fatty acid methyl ether, FAME, which is derived from palm oil), has been on the political agenda of Indonesia since the 1990s when the first
February 4, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Raven SR’s tech addresses 3 markets – waste handling, hydrogen and biofuels – by converting global pollution into clean fuels and removing carbon from the environment. Learn about their process that creates a syngas that has more hydrogen and less GHG than other processes, their site
February 2, 2022
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by Catherine Clifford (CNBC) • Chicago-based start-up LanzaJet is scaling one potential solution for the airline industry: jet fuel made with low carbon intensity ethanol. • The aviation sector causes 11% of transportation-related emissions in the United States, and virtually all of that comes from jet fuel. • Other solutions
February 2, 2022
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by Chris Calvey (National Renewable Energy Lab/Biofuels Digest) … Simply put: synthetic biology is a revolutionary new field of science which involves genetically modifying lifeforms – usually simple ones like bacteria or yeast – and redesigning them to do something interesting or useful for us humans. In practice, this typically involves
February 1, 2022
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)At the National Biodiesel Conference last week, attendees were introduced to a new book o the history of biodiesel – “The Birth of American Biodiesel: Biographical Accounts Celebrate 30 Years of Pioneers, Leaders and the Bold Vision for the National Biodiesel Board,” by Ron Kotrba. The book was commissioned
January 25, 2022
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) The most recent DigestConnect took a special look at carbon markets — measuring reductions, qualifying for markets such as those created by the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the CA-GREET Calculator, pathway verification, and more. Turner, Mason analyst Eamon Culliname’s presentation on all the
January 24, 2022
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by Andrew Janes and Serene Cheong (Bloomberg/Yahoo!) … Global benchmark Brent crude has jumped 25% to around $88 a barrel since the end of November. Some in the market now think it’s now a question of when — not if — oil hits triple digits, somewhere it hasn’t been since 2014.
January 19, 2022
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by Chris Malins and Cato Sandford (International Council on Clean Transportation) This report provides an overview of the U.S. renewable diesel market and explores the potential market and environmental impacts of increased renewable diesel capacity. The United States currently supports renewable diesel supply through the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, a biomass-based
January 19, 2022
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(National Biodiesel Board) Industry name change reflects growing demand for low-carbon fuels — The past year has presented a dizzying array of business and policy decarbonization efforts in the transportation and home heating sectors as the United States continues to work toward a common goal of a better, cleaner future. The
January 17, 2022
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by Annie Hammang (Slate) … Amyris also isn’t alone in this shift; Solazyme, Lanzatech, Neste, LiveFuels, LS9, and Pacific Biodiesel are all biofuel companies that also got their start in the early aughts and have since expanded their business into cosmetics, fragrances, and household cleaners. From the outside, this shift may seem rather bizarre. But I
January 12, 2022
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) … “For four decades strong, RFA’s member companies have worked together to move the renewable fuels industry forward,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Whether innovating new technologies, shaping policies and regulations, or opening new markets, RFA’s members remain at the forefront of the low-carbon
January 7, 2022
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by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) … When Bob Dole agreed to co-sponsor an amendment with Tom Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, it set in motion a series of events that became the building blocks for the modern ethanol industry. If we sketched out a family tree of
January 7, 2022
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by Douglas L. Faulkner and Michael McAdams (Leatherstocking LLC /“The Cleantech Conservative” and Advanced BioFuels Association/Biofuels Digest) … The Agency has now moved to approve bio-intermediates, so that manufacturers could earn compliance credits for upgrading feedstocks such as woods and municipal solid wastes at a first facility into a renewable oil
January 6, 2022
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(Owatonna People’s Press/Renewable Fuels Association) The author claims that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in the wake of 9/11. That is not true. The RFS was enacted after the petroleum industry was unsuccessful in getting Congress to protect the use of a petroleum product called MTBE as an oxygenate
January 5, 2022
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Ekrem Korkut and Lara B. Fowler (Frontiers in Energy Research) The United States, spurred in part by international developments, is expanding its law and policy to incentivize the use of sustainable aviation fuels. While the U.S. has agreed to participate in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) Carbon Offsetting and
January 3, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association closes out its yearlong 40th anniversary celebration this week with a fitting milestone, welcoming more than 20 new members in 2021. “For four decades strong, RFA’s member companies have worked together to move the renewable fuels industry forward,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff
December 29, 2021
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by Mallikarjun Navalgund (Praj Industries/Biofuels Digest) … Ethanol is a currently available solution and is being deployed to mitigate emissions from the transportation sector via the legacy energy infrastructure that has existed for over a century. The first generation(1G)/conventional ethanol industry is well established all over the world and more than
December 29, 2021
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Biogas Poised to Seize RFS Potential — While Environmentalists Push to Kill RFS e-RINS Proposal, Biogas Industry Ready to Grow
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) … During a recent public hearing, environmentalists expressed concern the new program would lead to a proliferation of new confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, as more farmers try to capture the potential value of methane from increased manure production. Adrian Busby, senior food and