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by Paige Short (Michigan Technological University) Switchgrass is a promising biofuel alternative to corn, but farmers, environmentalists and biofuel developers, find deciding on the right time to harvest particularly thorny. … The current viable harvest window for switchgrass extends from peak biomass, when the grass is at its biggest before it
Farming/Growing
(Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) … A U of I Crop Scientist will lead a team of researchers on a five-year study of new crops that could contribute to the production of affordable, sustainable sources for market-ready fuels and other valuable products. U of I College of Agricultural, Consumer, and
September 20, 2018
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Resilience through Regional Partnership: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the SPARC Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC) is a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead), the University of South Florida, the University of Georgia, Auburn University, and other institutions, government agencies, the civil aviation industry, and Agrisoma Biosciences and Applied Research Associates (ARA) from
September 20, 2018
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by Scott Henry (Des Moines Register) … A study from Environmental Defense Fund and managerial accounting firm K·Coe Isom AgKnowledge finds that conservation can boost farm profitability. The analysis includes detailed financial case studies of three Midwestern corn, soy and wheat farmers — including my fourth-generation farm — as well as a
September 14, 2018
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by Igor Houwat (Michigan State University) Michigan State University scientists have found a solution to enhance oil production and harvest using what many consider sea sludge. The new proof of concept, published in Biotechnology for Biofuels, is a biofuel production platform that uses two species of marine algae and soil fungi. It
September 14, 2018
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(MarketWatch/Cyanotech) Cyanotech [®] Corporation (nasdaq capital market:CYAN), a world leader in microalgae-based, high-value nutrition and health products, is pleased to announce that it has signed an Asset Purchase Agreement with Cellana LLC to acquire a six-acre production and research facility, known as the Kona Demonstration Facility (KDF), located adjacent to Cyanotech’s
September 10, 2018
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by Simon Granovsky-Larsen (The Conversation) … Ixpátz and four other rivers in the Champerico area had been re-routed from their natural courses and into large plantations. Joining forces with other small farmers, Santiago set out with pickaxes and sticks to break up dikes by hand. … A growing number of communities are
September 10, 2018
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Like a beautiful unicorn flying in the sky, biogas production is taking off in Denmark, accounting for almost 19% of the gas used in Denmark this July – an impressive 50% increase from last year! The Danish state company Energinet, which owns and runs the
September 10, 2018
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by Barbara Gibbs and Gloria Rodriguez (ABC11.com) It’s time to say goodbye to the immensely popular sea of sunflowers at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park. The good news, the five acres of beautiful blooms will be put to good use. Hundreds of people came out to see the field of bright golden stems all
September 6, 2018
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by V. Ragananthini (Sun Daily) Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said the ministry will assist FGV Holdings Bhd in attracting investors to develop the downstream palm oil segment and in turn look to it for help with getting small palm oil growers obtain Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification. Kok said at
September 5, 2018
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by Bruce Lieberman (Yale Climate Connections) They think nutrients in farm runoff could feed algae for biofuel. — When fertilizer and pesticides run off farmland, they can contaminate waterways with nutrient pollution. Davis: “A classic example is the Mississippi Basin.” That’s Ryan Davis of Sandia National Laboratories. He says a lot of
August 30, 2018
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by Michael Taylor (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil must include a commitment to zero deforestation in new standards, environmental experts say — The global watchdog for the palm oil industry must strengthen its standards to require all members to commit to ending deforestation – or risk becoming irrelevant, an
August 28, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Founded in 1902 and NYSE listed Since 1924, ADM is one of the premier global agribusinesses and a leading food ingredient provider with 31,000 employees, serving 170 countries and with 500 crop procurement locations, 270 ingredient plants and 44 innovation centers. The company gave this recent overview of its strategy, progress, promise
August 28, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) exander Richter writes in thinkgeoenergy.com that Israel-based Algaennovation last week signed a 15-year contract with Icelandic energy utility and operator ON Power for the purchase of energy and other inputs for small-scale algae production, which the companies say will be the first of its kind in the world. Icelandic engineering group Mannvit
August 22, 2018
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(EU Science Hub: The European Commission’s science and knowledge service) Future expansion of the palm oil industry could have a dramatic impact on African primates, according to the findings of a new study led by the JRC. The study has been published today (August 14, 2018) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
August 17, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
August 16, 2018
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by Caroline Ochieng, Francis X. Johnson and Anne Nyambane (Stockholm Environment Institute) This paper synthesizes the current knowledge about the impact of biofuels on ecosystem services. — Biofuel feedstock production can be a significant driver of landscape modification, ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. There is a growing body of literature that shows
August 15, 2018
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by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … Biogas – Turning Hog Waste into Resources — Biogas technologies turn organic wastes, including manure, into energy and compost. When manure is turned into biogas, the smells, poor health effects, and methane emissions associated with hog farms are drastically reduced. At a
August 10, 2018
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by Tom Joslin (Bio-Based World News) … Few of you will have escaped the heatwave that seems to have enveloped most of the northern hemisphere. Soaring temperatures exceeding 46°C have been recorded in Alvega, Portugal, while seventeen of eighteen of the countries regions experienced temperatures above 45°C. This follows recent headlines reporting
August 10, 2018
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by Joe Wertz (NPR/StateImpact Oklahoma) The American West appears to be moving east. New research shows the line on the map that divides the North American continent into arid Western regions and humid Eastern regions is shifting, with profound implications for American agriculture. … Scientists say this shift — from grains
August 10, 2018
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(Florida Department of Environmental Protection) On July 9, 2018, Governor Rick Scott issued an Executive Order for Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties to help combat algal blooms (HABs) caused by Lake Okeechobee water discharges from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Executive Order directed DEP to
August 6, 2018
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(ICRISAT) To help the government achieve the national ethanol blending targets of 20% by 2017, private sugar mills and the public sector research institutes are collaborating with ICRISAT to identify and test sweet sorghum varieties suitable for ethanol production. A total of seven sugar mills are associated with ICRISAT in this
August 3, 2018
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by O.C. Cluss (Daily Trust) The Federal Government is to focus more on the development of jatropha production as part of efforts to diversify the nation’s economy, the Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Hussaini Doko Ibrahim, has said. The DG, who spoke at the distribution of improved
August 3, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Jags Pandhal is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, at the University of Sheffield, in the UK. His research involves biological resource recovery utilizing algae from landfill leachate at 300L scale. This project is in cooperation with Viridor, one the of UK’s largest
Deeper into the Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available by 2030, for conversion into biofuels. Compared to the original
August 2, 2018
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(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) A digitized sourcebook that offers a wide range of knowledge and expertise on the concept of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is among a series of products put out by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in recent months. The CSA sourcebook is a resource that can
August 1, 2018
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(Purdue University) Hoosier farmers will have to adapt management practices and the types of crops they plant over the next several decades as they deal with the repercussions of climate change. That’s according to a new report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment team based at Purdue University. The report, “Indiana’s
August 1, 2018
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(The Soil Health Institute/Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire) Soil health policies are growing in number and importance across the United States but are widely dispersed across a variety of academic institutions, state agencies and legislative bodies. This catalog brings these policy efforts together to facilitate cross-pollination, learning and coordination. Developed by the Soil Health
August 1, 2018
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by Will Brandau (Association of Warm Season Grass Producers) The Association is experiencing success meeting our primary objectives. 1. Promotes the planting and use of warm-season grasses I know of 4 producers expanding the acreage they maintain. We have 3 new producers planting for the first time. 2. Works to maximize
August 1, 2018
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by Catherine Clabby (NC Health News/Carolina Public Press) Good news about hog waste can be scarce in this swine-rich state. But success at converting swine waste into usable renewable energy seems to be gaining steam. For the first time, this year a bioenergy project in hog-packed Duplin County injected natural gas harvested from hog
July 30, 2018
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by Bethany Jensen (Ignite Utah State University) With the increase of global climate change effects, many local bodies of fresh water are experiencing dangerous toxic algae blooms. These are detrimental to water recreation, to agriculture, and to the natural ecosystem. They are potentially harmful to humans. Bethany has chosen a project
July 23, 2018
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The idea of bacteria as diverse, complex perceptive entities that can hunt prey in packs, remember past experiences and interact with the moods and perceptions of their human hosts sounds like the plot of some low-budget science fiction movie. But these are exactly some of the traits
July 20, 2018
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(Attis Industries) Agreement Creates Feedstock Advantage for First Commercial Facility — Attis Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: ATIS) (the “Company” or “Attis”), a diversified innovation and technology holding company, today announced the execution of a letter of intent with Jordan Forest Products, LLC (“Jordan”) to provide raw material feedstock procurement services for its recently
July 20, 2018
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(Benson Hill Biosystems/PR Newswire) New Company Will Provide R&D Infrastructure to Harness the Genetic Potential of Canola for More Healthy and Sustainable Food and Feed Ingredients — Benson Hill Biosystems, a crop improvement company unlocking the natural genetic potential of plants, today announced formation of Saturn Agrosciences, a new subsidiary focused on canola
July 18, 2018
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(University of California-Santa Cruz/EurekAlert!) Gains of only 22 percent over the next six decades represent best-case scenario — Researchers have calculated the capacity of North American forests to sequester carbon in a detailed analysis that for the first time integrates the effects of two key factors: the natural process of forest growth
July 18, 2018
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by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Renaissance-era facades capped with green copper patina and orange clay shingles harmonize seamlessly with imaginative, hallmark-of-Scandinavia, hyper-modern structures in downtown Copenhagen. The city provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2018), where European and international companies and organizations promoted
July 17, 2018
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by Markus Rarbach (Clariant/EurActiv) The recent agreements on the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) are setting the tone for creating a stable and predictable business environment that will trigger the development of and investment in advanced biofuel production within the EU. — The transport sector has one of the highest growth rates
July 17, 2018
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by Harrison Edeh (Business Day) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has commenced comprehensive community integration and stakeholders’ engagement to sensitize dwellers of Iwure, Ojor and Osomba/Akin communities of Cross River State ahead of planned oil palm-based biodiesel project in that part of the state. A release by Corporation’s Group General Manager,
July 17, 2018
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by Frank Eleanya (Business Day) Cassava farmers under the aegis of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Edo State chapter, mull plans to establish N450 million ethanol plants in the three senatorial districts of the state. Donatus Imaghodor, state chairman of the association, said this in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay at
July 17, 2018
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(Clarin Rural (Google Translation)) By a calculation of the INTA and the Argentina Chamber of Biofuels (Carbio), Argentina can certify that almost 100% of the biofuel exported to the European Union is sustainable — …And the certification of environmental sustainability is one of the main requirements imposed for the trade of
July 17, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellana uses the most productive plants on earth—marine microalgae—to photosynthetically produce its ReNew line of Omega-3 EPA and DHA oils, animal feed, and biofuel feedstocks. Cellana’s patented ALDUO system, a series of photobioreactors coupled with open ponds, enables low-cost, continuous production of diverse strains of microalgae.
July 17, 2018
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, researchers from Luleå University of Technology (LTU), IIASA, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden found that increased biofuel production will not affect the production of wood products and that increased biofuel targets will introduce fringe feedstocks to the fuel mix. An opportunity that the
July 16, 2018
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by Glenneis Kriel (Farmer’s Weekly) Christo Smit, a former researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, is working on developing a sustainable biofuel industry from the diesel tree. — The South African government lost interest in biofuels when oil prices fell from about US$150 (approximately R1 780) to $40 (R474) a barrel at the
July 16, 2018
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(CNH Industrial/NGV Journal) In Cestas, southwest France, the CNH Industrial brands, including IVECO, New Holland and FPT Industrial, are partners in an initiative promoted by Pot au Pin Energie (a local energy company), Air Liquide and Carrefour to create the first real example of a methane-based circular economy, centered at a
July 12, 2018
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by Rachel Lau (Borneo Post) Palm oil will not be discriminated as a biofuel in the European Union, but the oil’s sustainability remains a key concern for its consumers and its industries. Earlier this year in January, the European Parliament (EP) voted to ban the use of palm oil for the production
July 12, 2018
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(IUCN) Banning palm oil would most likely increase the production of other oil crops to meet demand for oil, displacing rather than halting the significant global biodiversity losses caused by palm oil, warned an IUCN report published today (June 26, 2018). The IUCN report, Palm Oil and Biodiversity, is an objective analysis
July 11, 2018
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(Appalachian State University/Biomass Magazine) Thanks to a $98,599 grant from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), a team of professors in Appalachian State University’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, along with Hei-Young Kim, research assistant in the Appalachian Energy Center, will study the effects of biochar combined
July 11, 2018
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(University of Michigan) University of Michigan scientists grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds at U-M’s E.S. George Reserve near Pinckney, Michigan in the first large-scale, controlled experiment to test the widely held idea that biodiversity can improve the performance of algal biofuel systems in the field.
July 10, 2018
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(5 Dariya News) To curb the menace of crop residue burning and create a positive atmosphere for industrialization, Punjab Government has taken a decision to set up a Bio-ethanol project. In this regard, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed today between Government of Punjab and M/s SAB Industries Ltd. with
July 10, 2018
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by Tom Rickey (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Last month a rocket thundered off a NASA launch pad in Virginia, destined for the International Space Station. Nestled among the 7,400 lbs. of supplies was a handful of seeds designed to open new windows into our knowledge of how plants grow in space
July 6, 2018
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by Lisa Weismann (Live5News) … The South Carolina Department of Agriculture will select 40 farmers to receive industrial hemp permits. These permits will allow farmers to grow up to 40 acres of hemp. … Hemp can be used to make products including rope, clothes, food, paper, textiles, plastics, insulation and biofuel, according to
July 6, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist? The Why is simple. #1 issue plaguing High and Low Temperature IBR projects is consistent operability of preprocessing and primary deconstruction. In response, researchers have joined together from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, DOE,
July 6, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine/Vice News Tonight/HBO) The Department of Energy is trying to turn the Salton Sea, a lake in the California desert, into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea Biomass Remediation (SABRE) Project harnesses algae’s ability to grow in
June 29, 2018
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(MIghty Earth) A new investigation, “Burned: Deception, Deforestation, and America’s Biodiesel Policy” by the organizations Mighty Earth and ActionAid USA has found that biodiesel is not the environmentally friendly, “green” fuel claimed by industry producers. On-the-ground investigators documented bulldozing, burning and the recent clearance of 30,000 acres of forest to plant
June 27, 2018
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(GreenAir Online) A new EU-backed project has been launched to demonstrate the first industrial-scale production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Europe. The four-year BIO4A initiative will also investigate the potential of reclaiming dry marginal land at risk of desertification in the Mediterranean region for cultivating the Camelina crop
June 25, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Evogene develops novel products for life science markets through the use of a unique computational predictive biology platform. Currently, the Company focuses on three key target markets: Seeds – addressing essential seed traits such as: yield, environmental stresses and resistance to insects and diseases; Ag-Chemicals –
June 25, 2018
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by Katie Peikes (Delaware Public Media) Long considered the most beneficial way to dispose of dead chickens, composting has become a management tool of the past for some Delmarva poultry farmers. Some local growers have shifted to a more environmental practice – freezer technology. … When farmers compost their chickens, they
June 22, 2018
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(University of Minnesota) Process Converts Scum to Biodiesel — A new waste remediation process converts scum from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) into ASTM compliant biodiesel. The six-step method begins with a filtration step that separates water/oil/solid while converting soap to free fatty acid (FFA). A combination of acid washing and acid
June 20, 2018
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(5 Dariya News) The Government is committed to free Punjab from pollution due to paddy straw burning and every possible effort is afoot for the same. The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) is serious on the issue and is working consistently in this direction.This is opined by the Minister of
June 19, 2018
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(Phys.Org/University of Michigan) … Overall, the researchers found that diverse mixes of algal species, known as polycultures, performed more key functions at higher levels than any single species—they were better at multitasking. But surprisingly, the researchers also found that polycultures did not produce more algal mass, known as biomass, than the
June 18, 2018
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by Philip T. Pienkos (R&D Magazine) … This time, the leading force was not the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), but the investment community acting in the belief that the power of modern biotechnology could be brought to bear against the hurdles that stymied the ASP (Aquatic Species Program). Dozens of
June 18, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … But it shows also what smaller companies can do when they partner effectively – whether that means industrial giants like ArcelorMittal or BASF, technology accelerator schemes like Unreasonable Impact, or with the US ethanol industry. And BASF, Lallemand, Leaf Resources and Syngenta’s Enogen corn are
June 14, 2018
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(Economic Times Energy World) Seven bio-mass power plants are already underway in the state, but now steps have been taken in the direction of Bio CNG/bio-ethanol from paddy straw, the minister said. … The government is committed to free Punjab from pollution due to stubble burning and every possible effort is afoot
June 14, 2018
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by Michael Eggelston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The excessive water evaporation of open pond photo-bioreactors (PBRs) seriously limits the geographical applicability of algae as a catalyst for bio-based products. As a result, these industries in Europe have turned to closed PBR systems which only use a fraction of the water consumed
June 13, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Global EcoPower (GEP), of Aix-en-Provence, France, has signed a 5-year partnership contract with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). This partnership, launched with the CEA’s technological research department, provides for a research and development program on the cultivation of microalgae in photovoltaic greenhouses; on
June 12, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On May 25, Nordic energy group St1 announced plans for two separate biofuels projects. One aims to produce biofuels from tall oil in Sweden while the other will explore a combined carbon farming and sustainable biofuels concept in Columbia. With regard to the project in Sweden,
June 7, 2018
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(Outlook India) In a first-of-its-kind venture in the world, Indian Oil Corporation is planning to utilise off-gases (waste gas) from various processing units of its refineries for production of ethanol. The move will reduce the carbon footprint of the state-run company’s refineries, while helping to gainfully use waste gas produced for the production of
June 7, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased by over 70% in the next 35 years to feed
June 6, 2018
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(Algae Biomass Organization) ABO’s ongoing work in Washington, DC, to educate Congress and federal agencies on the importance of robust algae research, development and demonstration has resulted in the release of an unprecedented series of funding opportunities for algae. Deadlines for letters of intent are fast approaching. Four major algae funding
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have announced a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025. With that, it feels like the circle has turned again. Which
May 25, 2018
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(Tribune News Service) The Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNEST), Panjab University (PU), has got a grant of Rs 2.57 crore for projects in food and agriculture processing.“The government wants us to suggest ways of converting biomass into high-value product. We will fund five start-ups which would work in this
May 24, 2018
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(SKYnrg) Airlines are facing increasing pressure to become more sustainable, yet options to reduce carbon emissions in aviation are limited. Electric planes for example are not foreseen to have a significant share of passenger movements before 2040. Besides efficiency gains, through technical and operational improvements, the use of sustainable aviation fuels
May 23, 2018
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by George Poikayil (Indian Express) The “path-breaking” findings were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Plant Physiology in May. — A team of 14 scientists from Korea, Spain and India discovered a key to increase biofuel from algae by 30%. Their “path-breaking” findings were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Plant Physiology
May 21, 2018
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by Sarah Tan (WCAI) Kelp farming is on the rise around the Cape and Islands, as more growers are finding reasons to love this ocean crop. From researchers like Scott Lindell at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute who want to farm the crop for biofuel, to shellfishermen in Chatham who want to sell it to
May 14, 2018
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by Ernie Shea (Solutions from the Land/25 x ’25) Over the past 10 years, Solutions from the Land (SfL) and 25x’25, our clean energy platform, has been supporting a group of knowledgeable, experienced and visionary farmers, ranchers and foresters who have been working to shape the role of agriculture and forestry
May 11, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (O)ne of the topics under discussion was 40 percent or higher maize crop losses now being experienced in Africa because of the Fall Anyworm pest. The losses are causing up to 10 percent GDP drop in some countries because of the importance of maize
May 11, 2018
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(Solutions from the Land) U.S. agricultural producers have long understood that healthy soil is a critical requirement for the production of our nation’s food supply. They also know that as the world’s population grows by more than 25 percent over the next 30 years, meeting the increased global demand for food
May 7, 2018
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(Chempolis) The biorefining technology company Chempolis, the Finnish energy company Fortum, and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), a state-owned Indian oil company, have formed a joint venture to construct a biorefinery in the state of Assam in Northeast India. The joint venture will own the biorefinery. Construction work will begin in the
May 4, 2018
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by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In an article published last summer in Science, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) reported on ten years of work assessing the potential climate benefit of producing dedicated bioenergy crops such as switchgrass, poplar, or restored prairie. The mood? Cautiously optimistic. “The
April 30, 2018
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by Agnes Walton (Vice News) The Department of Energy is trying to turn a lake in the California desert called the Salton Sea into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea Biomass Remediation Project harnesses algae’s ability to grow in
April 27, 2018
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Mexico, researchers from the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research are making headway on the production of biodiesel from pine nuts with three high oil yielding varieties have been selected from clones sourced from the national germplasm bank. The three varieties will be promoted to
April 27, 2018
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(Syngenta/Ethanol Producer Magazine) As ethanol plants seek new ways to be more competitive, advances in corn kernel fiber to ethanol processes have shown significant promise in adding value through the diversification of product streams. “Over the last decade, existing dry grind ethanol plants have strived to extract value out of the
April 26, 2018
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by Joanna McWilliams (Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has received support from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ARPA-E has poured over $22 million into their Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program, with the aim of establishing
(Globe Newswire) UPM Biofuels’ continuous efforts for a more sustainable supply chain and operations has been recognized by the world’s first RSB (Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials) low ILUC (indirect land use change) risk certification. The certificate was received for crude tall oil, the feedstock used for UPM BioVerno renewable fuels production
April 25, 2018
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Georgia, in a meeting with members of the forestry community, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency announced the Agency issued a statement of policy making clear, that future regulatory actions on biomass from managed forests will be treated as carbon neutral when used for energy production
April 24, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On April 12, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, bipartisan legislation that aims to legalize and clearly define hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list of controlled substances. A statement released by McConnell explains that
April 18, 2018
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(Phys.Org/Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has received support from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ARPA-E has poured over $22 million into their Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program, with the aim of establishing
April 17, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case. As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead), the University of South Florida, the University of Georgia,
April 16, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Er, what are AHB, SUBI, BANR, SBAR, NARA, CENUSA, SPARC, IBSS and NEWBIO? You’d be forgiven if you mistook Ahb Subi Banr-Sbar for a well-placed official in the Iranian government — but, in fact, it’s a 9-project network to facilitate the development of regionally-based industries producing advanced biofuels, industrial chemicals, and
April 10, 2018
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by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois) Growing in its native Australia, the unobtrusive perennial vine Glycine tomentella could easily be overlooked. But the distant relative of soybean contains genetic resources that can substantially increase soybean yield, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. “We saw yield increases of 3.5 to
April 9, 2018
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by Chris Lee (Ars Technica) Future biofuel production requires new catalysts—or better training for stubborn enzymes. … I thought New Zealand would offer some chemistry-minded contrast. The country makes a lot of money on timber exports, but this profit is generally not from primary forest. Rather, New Zealand moves a lot of fast growing exotic
April 6, 2018
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by Claire Stam (EURACTIV.com) The Brazilian Senate is considering lifting a ban on sugarcane production for ethanol fuel in the Amazon. The plan, supported by the country’s president, has sparked protests from environmentalists and the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, UNICA. The decision is due by 6 April and UNICA fears the
April 6, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For a number of years we have been pointing to Iowa’s intriguing combination of feedstock, infrastructure and political consensus on renewables as a potent force in bioeconomy deployment. But these days, toss in some serious innovation chops, too — a corridor of invention stretching from St.
April 5, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The production of Agrisoma’s Resonance Carinata is being expanded to multiple locations globally to provide a supply of sustainable, non-food oils for meeting the demand for sustainable biofuels. Resonance Carinata is certified sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the global standard and certification scheme
April 3, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Sunup’s ultimate goal is to clean up wastewater in Oklahoma to a level that it can be recycled or reused for crop irrigation. See how they do it. WATCH VIDEO
April 2, 2018
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(Advanced Biofuel Center/AltEnergyMag.com) With introduction of Camelina and Castor Bean crops with MOMAX3 Moringa, as much as 1450 gallon of oil can be produced per year from a well developed, properly cared and efficiently managed Moringa Farm The Advanced Biofuel Center (ABC) reported its progress on its work with its mission
(Algae Industry Magazine/Science Trends) enguang Zhou writes in Sciencetrends.com about work recently published in the journal Bioresource Technology regarding why Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of microalgae — a bio-oil technology which does not require dewatering and drying of algal biomass — up to now, has rarely been commercialized. One of the problems impeding its industrialization is
(25 x ’25/North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Last November, we wrote here of a major breakthrough occurring at the global climate talks in Bonn, Germany, where, for the first time, delegates approved plans to establish an agricultural work program. What that meant is that representatives of nations around the
March 30, 2018
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(Algae Biomass Organization/Globe Newswire) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today applauded the introduction of the Algae Agriculture Act of 2018, a bill that would give algae cultivators and harvesters many of the same advantages as other traditional crops in United States agricultural policy. The bill was
March 23, 2018
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by Kaleyesus Bekele (AIN Online) The Boeing Company has teamed with the South African government, South African Airways (SAA), the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and U.S. energy firm SKYNRG, to identify biofuel feed stocks in Africa. Boeing Commercial Airplanes regional director for environmental
March 22, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you haven’t been to Ankeny, Iowa in recent years — situated between Des Moines and Ames, which is to say between the political and financial capital of the state and Iowa State University and its ag-intellectual engine — you’ll find that it has become one
March 21, 2018
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by Joshua D. Rhodes (University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute) Expanded Carbon Credit Could Spur New Coal Power Investment — The Furthering carbon capture, Utilization, Technology, Underground storage, and Reduced Emissions (FUTURE) Act, part of the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, extended and expanded the 2008 tax credits for capturing
March 19, 2018
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by John Abraham (The Guardian) Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax — We’re not yet optimizing biofuel production for both economic and environmental factors … These are great starts but we will still need some liquid fuels and for those, we can make decisions about the best fuels
March 15, 2018
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(Latin American Herald Tribune) A $1.6 billion investment by 2025 will allow ethanol made from sugarcane represent 25 percent of fuels used in Bolivia, President Evo Morales said on Thursday. The president was speaking at an event in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, where the investment agreement was signed by
March 15, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Combined, guayule (perennial) and guar (annual) feedstocks can provide biomass year round for biofuel production. Both crops are drought and heat tolerant,
March 15, 2018
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TREATED sewage water is being used to irrigate paddocks of crops that can be used for biofuels in a trial at Cloncurry. Sorghum, soy beans, sun hemp and leucaena are being irrigated with the treated sewage water at a trial site, to see how the crops react to the harsh
March 14, 2018
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(Neste Corporation) … In order to truly have impacts in human rights, we have started identifying potential human rights issues and put in motion a plan to manage the associated risks, particularly in our palm oil supply chain. Engagement to ensure capacity building “Collective awareness and understanding of issues that have
March 13, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algenol is a global, industrial biotechnology company that is commercializing its patented algae technology platform for production of ethanol and other biofuels, chemicals and biobased materials. Formed in 2006, and headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida with an R&D facility in Berlin, the company operates in multiple sectors: AgTech,
March 13, 2018
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by Mary Guiden (Colorado State University) … A study from Colorado State University finds new promise for biofuels produced from switchgrass, a non-edible native grass that grows in many parts of North America. Scientists used modeling to simulate various growing scenarios, and found a climate footprint ranging from -11 to 10
March 12, 2018
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by Bradley J. Fikes (San Diego Union Tribune) Advancing work under a collaboration established a decade ago, ExxonMobil and La Jolla’s Synthetic Genomics said they will begin outdoor growth of naturally occurring algae for biofuel. The research could lead to the technical ability to make 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel a day
March 12, 2018
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by Adele Peters (Fast Company) The oil and gas giant says it could be making 10,000 barrels a day within a few years–a small drop in the amount of oil it produces, but a huge boost in the amount of algae-based biofuel. In the California desert near the Salton Sea and
March 7, 2018
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by José Roberto Gomes (Reuters) Brazilian sugar mills looking to grow the world’s first variety of genetically modified (GM) sugarcane have planted an initial area of 400 hectares (988 acres), according to the research firm behind the project. Developed by Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC) with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) genes
March 6, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Source Integration has developed a technology that creates a 12x surface area for a 12x algae harvest and expects expects an optimized production of 8 – 10 times plain algae raceway for same (water/land) surface area. Source — which aims at discussing licensing, joint ventures or other
March 5, 2018
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by Jennifer M. DeBruyn, et al (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) Cell wall recalcitrance poses a major challenge on cellulosic biofuel production from feedstocks such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). As lignin is a known contributor of recalcitrance, transgenic switchgrass plants with altered lignin have been produced by downregulation of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT).
March 5, 2018
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by Richard A. Lovett (Cosmos) Could green microorganisms be the geoengineering fix the world’s needs? — … Not only can these fast-growing single-celled plants provide biomass for carbon-neutral fuels, they can provide animal feeds and high-quality protein supplements for a human population that looks to be headed for a peak of about
February 27, 2018
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Last spring, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) conducted its seventh biennial external review of its research, development, and communications portfolio. More than 40 external subject matter experts from industry, academia, and federal agencies reviewed over 277 projects across BETO’s nine technology
February 27, 2018
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(Scion/Scoop) Study proves New Zealand could forge a green transport fuels future — New Zealand could build a renewable low-carbon transport fuels industry – but only if the nation decides to act. A report by Crown Research Institute Scion outlines how the country could grow, process feedstock crops into green fuels particularly
February 27, 2018
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(International Energy Agency) IEA Bioenergy has produced a brief on the question ‘Is energy from woody biomass positive for the climate?’ The brief provides background and a number of concise arguments on this question. Overall, energy from woody biomass can be very positive for the climate, particularly when applying sustainable forest
February 27, 2018
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by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, associate crop science professor at the University of Illinois, tells Brownfield most of the CRP
February 21, 2018
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by Sanjoy Sanyal (World Resources Institute/Clean Technica/The Beam) … Taher Zavery’s company, Kitui Industries, started experimenting with biodiesel in 2008, when oil prices were peaking. This alternative fuel produced from vegetable oil is obtained from crushing cotton seed, and can replace conventional diesel. … Mr. Zavery then set up a small
February 21, 2018
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(The Herald) Fuel prices shot up recently before Government intervened by reducing import duty on fuel to stem the price madness that rose as a result. Questions have been raised as to the contribution of the multi-million dollar investment by Green Fuel in Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi into ensuring affordable fuel
February 19, 2018
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(Unilever) Unilever and Indonesian government-owned palm oil plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together in Indonesia to support local mills and smallholder farmers to produce palm oil according to the standards of no deforestation, no development on peat and no exploitation of people
February 19, 2018
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(Agencia Brasil/South America Times) Petrobras has been working on the development of pioneering technology for the production of biodiesel from microalgae-an alternative to oil-derived fuels used in cars or any other diesel-powered vehicles. In an interview granted to Agencia Brasil, Juliana Vaz, Biotechnology Manager at Petrobras’s Research Center (CENPES), mentioned the pioneering
February 16, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DSM and Evonik have given a name to their joint venture to produce omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from natural marine algae for animal nutrition — something that’s been traditionally been made from wild-caught fish oil. They’re calling it Veramaris — and they’re cutting out
by PTI, Guwahati (India TV) Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) will utilise bamboo as main biomass for producing bioethanol under the project at Owguri Chapori village in Golaghat (Assam). … The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by wildlife activist Rohit Choudhury seeking quashing of the environment clearance granted to the project on
February 13, 2018
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by Melissa Tanji (Maui News) … Around 1,330 gallons of sunflower oil was generated from the first 14-acre field farmed by Pacific Biodiesel last year. Company founder and President Bob King said this past week that most of last year’s initial crops went to making oils for cosmetic use and to
(South Dakota State University/Biomass Magazine) Can farmers produce at least 1 billion tons of biomass per year that can be used as biofuels feedstock? That’s the question that researchers are trying to answer, according to North Central Regional Sun Grant Center Director Vance Owens. The goal is to replace 30 percent of
February 11, 2018
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by Jeff Mulhollem (Penn State News) Agroforestry could play an important role in mitigating climate change because it sequesters more atmospheric carbon in plant parts and soil than conventional farming, according to Penn State researchers. An agricultural system that combines trees with crops and livestock on the same plot of land, agroforestry
February 7, 2018
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the 2017 Project Peer Review on March 6–9, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. During the event, approximately 192 projects in BETO’s research, development, and demonstration portfolio were presented to the public and systematically reviewed by more than
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) In 2007 the US government established a national strategy for the development of advanced biofuels made using non-edible biomass. After 10 years we are still short of achieving the targets of this plan but there has been considerable progress. Worldwide there is continued
February 6, 2018
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(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) (Google translation)) Global standard values overestimate nitrous oxide emissions in rapeseed cultivation — A network of eight partners under the coordination of the Thünen Institute (TI) for agri-climate protection engaged in a research project on the cultivation of rapeseed and the associated
February 5, 2018
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(World Agroforestry Centre) While India has a world-first national policy for agroforestry, aka trees on farms, farmers in different agro-climatic zones need help with which trees to grow. A new book is now here to help. “With multiple research initiatives underway, a lot of scientific knowledge on different species of agroforestry
February 5, 2018
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byJulie Wurth (News Gazette) A Midwest crop of the future: grasses and other plants that produce their own oils to be used as fuel or byproducts. That’s the vision behind a new bioenergy research center being launched today at the University of Illinois with help from a five-year, $115 million grant
February 1, 2018
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(Enviva/Biomass Magazine) Enviva, the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets, has released its latest Track & Trace sourcing data, marking one year of public reporting and two years of tracking the company’s sustainable sourcing practices. These data are a key tool used to measure, maintain and validate the Enviva’s sustainability
January 31, 2018
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Letter to the Editor: Renewable Fuel Standard Threatens New Jersey Wildlife & Worsens Climate Change
by Kelly M0oij (Audubon Society/Tap Into New Brunswick) … A decade removed from RFS beginnings has given ample time for evaluation and it’s time to reform the program. As a start, Congress must work to promote biofuels made from sources other than corn, and prohibit conversion of rare native habitat that
January 31, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists at Swansea University are taking the lead on a €5.5 Million eco-innovative project developing new technology to clean up waste. The ALG-AD project could potentially result in a circular economy solution whereby excess waste nutrients produced from anaerobic digestion of food and farm waste are used
January 31, 2018
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(Bangkok Post) OPG Tech Co, a local palm oil trader, is gearing up for oil palm plantation and biodiesel production in Laos after seeing limited business opportunities in Thailand. OPG plans to develop the plantation on a 16,000-hectare plot, about 100,000 rai, over a few years to increase biodiesel production to
January 30, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The world’s first dedicated biofuel flight between the United States and Australia, QF96 from Los Angeles to Melbourne, has departed from LAX and arrives roughly at Digest press time. The trans-Pacific 15 hour flight will operate with approximately 24,000kg of blended biofuel, saving 18,000kg in
January 30, 2018
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by Mayank Aggarwal (LiveMint) Survey also recommends ‘congestion pricing’ for vehicles, expanding and improving public bus system to reduce private vehicle use, and phasing out old vehicles to reduce pollution — The Economic Survey released on Monday suggested conversion of agricultural waste into usable fodder or biofuels to tackle one root cause of
January 29, 2018
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by Louis Verchot (Quartz) … Positive agricultural interventions could achieve up to 6% of reduction emissions needed to achieve the Paris Agreement goals—showing that this sector is not only part of the problem, but part of the solution to climate change. … In Bonn at the latest round of climate talks, a compromise was
January 26, 2018
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by Richard Perrin (University of Nebraska IANR News) A team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is exploring sweet sorghum ethanol as a future income source for dryland agriculture in western Nebraska. Sweet sorghum is a cultivar of sorghum primarily developed for the harvest of juice. Due to its high sugar content
January 26, 2018
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(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants, UFOP)) Strong global harvest yields mean that supply on international markets is more than sufficient. The figures indicate that there is enough to meet worldwide demand, as the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen
January 22, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Scale up to profitable production, however, requires feedstock improvements, expansion of cultivation, agronomic knowledge and practices, and economic crop residue utilization. Researchers
January 22, 2018
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by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) New research from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago at Illinois and the International Food Policy Research Institute shows that incorporating conservation practices can both increase soil organic content and improve the greenhouse gas profile of biofuels produced from crop residues. A
January 22, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case. As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead), the University of South Florida, the University of Georgia,
by Dan Charles (the salt/NPR) … The story, however, is more complicated than it seems. For one thing, that boom in Argentine biodiesel exports is over, at least for now. Last summer, the United States accused Argentina of subsidizing its biodiesel producers and “dumping” cheap biodiesel on the world market. In
January 18, 2018
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(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences/Science Daily) A new report provides practical agronomic data for five cellulosic feedstocks, which could improve adoption and increase production across the country. — … “Early yield estimates were based on data from small research plots, but they weren’t realistic. Our main goal
January 17, 2018
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by Kenneth Tee (MalayMailOnline) About 1,700 Malaysian palm oil smallholders today rallied against the European Union’s (EU) move to remove palm oil from its biofuels mix. The protest demanded that the EU withdraw its proposal to ban, after 2020, palm oil biofuels from a list of renewable fuels, claiming that it
January 17, 2018
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