by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste Oil, which had been criticized for its sourcing of deforestation-based palm oil, has pledged to shift away from palm oil sourced from primary forests, high conservation value and natural forests, and high carbon stock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...You’ve probably seen it, in some way, for years — a local pond seems suddenly crowded with algae — or there’s news of a “red tide” blooming at sea — as quickly as it forms,
by Tom Marshall (Planet Earth Online) Adding charcoal to land used to grow bioenergy crops can greatly increase their overall benefit in helping cut our greenhouse-gas emissions, scientists have shown. Applying so-called 'biochar' before planting energy crops can cut soil greenhouse-gas
by Amanda Peterka (Governors Biofuel Coalition) Cellulosic biofuels can become profitable for farmers and help displace oil, but they must use already-available agricultural land, according to a study released by a nonprofit yesterday. Commissioned by the Council for Agricultural Science and
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Biofuels Center of North Carolina recently awarded $684,058 for six projects to accelerate the renewable fuels industry in western North Carolina. Awards are made through the 2012-2013 targeted biofuels development funding program, entitled Catalyzing Production
by Louise Downing (Bloomberg) SG Biofuels Inc., the green fuel biotech company working with Airbus SAS, is seeking a partner in Southeast Asia or Africa and expects to complete a cooperation deal within 180 days to expand its business into new markets. ...The company
by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) In Florida, BioNitrogen Corp. announced that it has signed a supply agreement with United Suppliers, Inc. for the offtake of urea fertilizer for its planned plants in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. United Suppliers is owned by
by Eriosi Nantaba (AllAfrica.com) A private Firm African Power Initiative Limited (API) recently announced its plans and commitment to start mass production of bio diesel in Uganda with a capacity of more than 4000 litres. East African Business Week's Eriosi
(Associated Press/Quad Cities Times) U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed an agreement Friday with DuPont that will help establish guidelines for how the company will collect corn-plant residue for a new ethanol plant in central Iowa while maintaining soil quality. DuPont
by Ken Anderson (Browfield Ag News) A combination of dry weather and increased demand from the ethanol sector could have grain sorghum poised for a comeback in Nebraska. Grain sorghum plantings in the state plummeted from 550-thousand acres in 2000 to just
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) There is enough land available to produce more food, more feed and more biofuels, which are not the cause of global malnutrition problems, according to the World Bioenergy Association. WBA makes this declaration in a recently
(U.S. Department of Energy) Supplying high-quality feedstock for use in a broad range of sustainable conversion processes to produce advanced biofuels is a complex, multi-step process. Each step in the feedstock supply and logistics chain—from harvesting, preparing, and packaging, to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...As can be seen in the research by Perrine, Negi, and Sayre — a more optimal light distribution strategy is available to algae but they don’t take it, because they find themselves in the Prisoner’s
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) ...And some, such as the folks at Algae.Tec, are looking to green shipping containers to grow a literal green feedstock. “What we wanted was a significant bulk outcome, in other words fuels and possibly food, producing the algae
by Jim McMahon (Biodiesel Digest) Since 2008, the San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology (SD-CAB) has been conducting research into algal applications for biofuel. This has been a joint collaboration between several departments of the University of California/San Diego faculty
(BioNitrogen) BioNitrogen Corporation, a cleantech company that utilizes proprietary technology to build environmentally-friendly plants that convert biomass into urea fertilizer, announced today that it has signed an agreement with the Battle River Agri-Ventures Co-op in Killam, Alberta to conduct feasibility
(EurActiv) Several European ministers are blocking the EU’s proposal to curb the use of conventional biofuels, while some dispute claims the demand for crop-based oils drives deforestation and food insecurity in other parts of the world. A majority of EU environment
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The world will be capable of meeting its needs for food, fuel and fiber in 40 years, according to a paper from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, “Food, Fuel, and Plant
Dr. Mike Strain (Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry/25 x '25) ... However, many do not realize that Louisiana’s strong agriculture and forestry industries have also primed us to be a national leader in new forms of energy: like advanced
(25 x '25) The ethanol industry has some good news to share. And it comes in an arena where the domestically produced biofuel has often been challenged – carbon sequestration and the life-cycle assessment of ethanol made from corn. A study
(Associated Press/Washington Post) Amid the vast almond orchards and grape fields that surround Five Points in California’s Central Valley, a once-dominant crop that has nearly disappeared from the state’s farms is making a comeback: sugar beets. But these beets won’t be
by Thomas H. Clarke (The Daily Chronic) A bill that would establish a two-year hemp pilot program in Hawaii passed a second reading with amendments on the floor of the Senate last week, and has been referred to the Ways
by Ian Branam (Scientific American) Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found that nearly 14 percent of land in the continental United States, or roughly the combined area of Texas and New Mexico, could be used for converting
(SG Biofuels/Biodiesel Magazine) ...Through the use of new genetic technologies, SGB’s scientists have revealed that the company’s germplasm collection can be divided into a number of distinct heterotic clades, or genetically related groupings of plants. In contrast to previous studies, these
(Tucson News/Sapphire Energy) Sapphire Achieves Major Milestone with Continuous Green Crude Oil Production Sapphire Energy, Inc., a leader in algae-based Green Crude oil production, today announced it has entered into a commercial agreement with Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company, LLC, a
by John Ramsey (FayObserver.com) Construction on a $170 million refinery in Clinton to convert 20 million tons of grass into fuel each year could start as early as this fall. Chemtex, an international company with offices in Wilmington, plans to build
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...This past week in Rotterdam, I ran into algae biofuels’ very own “Dr. No”, John Benemann — known for his succinct and characteristic analysis of new ventures aimed at making renewable fuels from algae: “It
(Algaetech International) AMIC, Malaysia, and Algaetech International Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, announces the signing of a Research & Technology agreement on a “Waste to Fuel” project today 4th March 2013, at Algaetech International corporate head office. With the signing of this agreement,
by Intan Farhana Zainul (The Star) ...I was given a chance to attend the Palm and Lauric Oils Conference & Exhibition Price Outlook 2013/2014 (POC 2013) recently. More than 2,000 participants from over 50 nations were there and the two-day
by Dr. Hector Hernandez (The National) ...One area of particular interest is the energy potential of algae that live in the desert’s saltflats – known as sabkha. Algae is one of the many forms of plant life that can be used
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) It was in 2001 when Dr. Isaac Berzin, a PhD Chemical Engineer at MIT’s Center for Space Research, started to question the work of the Department of Energy’s Aquatic Species Program, the first major
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Global Clean Energy Holdings announced that it has acquired Sustainable Oils, a leader in Camelina genetics and production. The acquisition includes 100% ownership interest of Sustainable Oils and the ownership of the key intellectual
by Tom Philpott (Mother Jones) In a recent Nation piece, the wonderful Elizabeth Royte teased out the direct links between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and the food supply. In short, extracting natural gas from rock formations by bombarding them with
(Home Grown Cereals Authority) An HGCA-led review of regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions figures has reopened market opportunities in the biofuels supply chain potentially worth several million pounds each year. Revised GHG figures, supplied by HGCA, have been approved by the
(Chromatin) Chromatin, Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, said today it has entered into an agreement with POET, LLC, one of the world’s largest ethanol producers, to use sorghum grown in South
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Jatropha developer JOil Pte. Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with West Africa alternative energy grower and jatropha processor Agritech Faso SA. JOil and Agritech will explore the development of more than 600,000 acres
by Tom Lutey (Billings Gazette) When it was first promoted as a biofuel source perfect for the Montana plains, camelina looked to many like a weed. Seven tough years later, its persistence is being tested. Acres planted in the crop have plummeted
by Debra Fiakas (Alt Energy Stocks) As part of its program to promote beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide, the Department of Energy awarded a total of $27.2 million ($3.0 million in the first phase and $24.2 million in a second phase)
(AMEInfo.com) Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies announced it presented details on the UAE's growth and export potential in the biofuels-from-algae sector to a delegation of industry and
(Vermont Bioenergy) Vermont researchers and entrepreneurs demonstrate their innovations in algae to biofuel R&D in the Northeast WATCH VIDEO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the Netherlands, PANGEA (Partners for Euro African Green Energy) is launching today a booklet outlining Myths and Facts about Bioenergy in Africa. The brochure is intended to demystify the manipulated data and misinformation that
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae pioneer now at 50% above original productivity target — aims to complete demo in 2013, head for commercial-scale in 2014. In Florida, Algenol confirmed that the company had exceeded production rates 9,000 gallons of ethanol
(Bangkok Post) Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong wants new passenger buses in Thailand to run on ethanol instead of natural gas, while PTT Plc assures it can supply the fuel as is needed. Mr Kittiratt made his preference
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A Virginia Tech researcher, along with several others, have offered a way to ensure that plants grown for biofuels do not become an invasive weed. According to Jacob Barney, an assistance professor of plant pathology, physiology
(Biofuels International) Australian research company Agritechnology has found a location as it further develops a biofuels demonstration plant. A site for the plant has been chosen in Orange, New South Wales and it will aim to convert sweet sorghum, native grasses
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Louisiana — hot as cayenne pepper in biofuels capacity development, but some cautionary tales there in the sauce. When it comes to the first generation of ethanol and biodiesel-based biofuels, Louisiana didn’t figure much into the
(PHYCO2/Biodiesel Magazine) ...The partnership will demonstrate the patent-pending PHYCO2-developed technology to sequester CO2, reclaim water and continuously grow multiple types of algae at an accelerated rate without sunlight. The goal of the demonstration project is to meet the growing demand
(SFN Today) At the North Carolina Board of Agriculture’s meeting on Tuesday, whether or not to classify Arundo donax as a noxious weed in the state was at the top of the agenda. Vernon Cox, Division Director of the Plant
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Perennial Grass Grower Assistance program was established in 2011 by N.C. State University with funding by the Biofuels Center of North Carolina to support the expansion of biomass acreage for biofuels production in the
(Science Daily) With projections of 9.5 billion people by 2050, humankind faces the challenge of feeding modern diets to additional mouths while using the same amounts of water, fertilizer and arable land as today. Cornell researchers have taken a leap toward
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Star Journal) ...On a much brighter note, the managers of ethanol plants in Trenton and Ravenna are pushing hard to make a crop also known as milo the main ingredient in their renewable fuels recipes. ...Drought hardiness
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae, drop-in fuels get a kick-start from $3.2 billion ARENA funds In Australia, two key projects focused on algae biofuels and drop-in fuels from wood biomass and residues took major steps forwards with an Australian Government
(GreenAirOnline) Once touted as a wonder-crop that would become a staple feedstock for jet biofuels, jatropha suffered a fall from grace as yields failed to live up to overblown claims. However, California-based alternative energy crop company SG Biofuels (SGB) says
(The Business Journal) Developers of a planned biorefinery in Mendota are hoping to get $5 million from the California Energy Commission as part of a program to encourage the development of alternative fuels. The pilot-scale biorefinery broke ground last October following
(American Chemical Society) Amid efforts to expand production of biofuels, scientists are reporting new estimates that downgrade the amount of additional land available for growing fuel crops by almost 80 percent. Their report appears in the ACS journal Environmental
by Katie Fehrenbacher (GigaOm) The leader of the 210-year-old science giant DuPont, Ellen Kullman, sits down with GigaOM to give us her take on the future of energy for a world population that will boom to 9 billion in 2050. The
by Janet Patton (Kentucky.com) Kentucky's debate on hemp so far has centered on the marijuana question and the market question. But Roger Ford has one of his own: What about the energy question? Ford, CEO of Patriot BioEnergy in Pikeville,
(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) The way certification schemes for biofuels are structured makes it difficult for smallholder producers and many developing countries to participate in export markets, according to a new report from FAO. The report, Biofuels and the Sustainability Challenge,
(Algae Industry Magazine) Australia’s State Development Minister Colin Barnett has announced a $10 million government sponsored project for construction of a seawater pipeline to support the expansion of an algae industry at Karratha, in Western Australia. The pipeline would initially
(EurActiv.com) Biofuels made from food crops indirectly generate net emissions of greenhouse gases in the future, confirm the preliminary results of two studies on the history of the change in land use. If the peer does not affect the conclusions of
(Chromatin/MarketWatch) Chromatin, Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, and Calgren Renewable Fuels, a leading ethanol producer located in Pixley, CA, announced today an alliance to develop a local supply chain for sorghum
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As journalists, at the Digest our job is to ask the 7 Questions. Who, What, Where, When, How Much, How and Why. In aviation biofuels the task is made easier because we can say with
(Chromatin/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Chromatin Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, and Aemetis Inc., an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company, have announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to source
by Col. Bill Holmberg (ret.) (American Council On Renewable Energy) “Up with octane, down with aromatics, and embrace the needs of people and nature,” says ACORE’s legendary biomass guru. But less freak-out, more reach-out is needed, he cautions. ...However, certain forces
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Nature hasn’t (so far) selected algae for long life. Generally, the little one-celled growth factories survive by blooming slightly faster than they get eaten. Making a world that’s safe for algae is like breeding ice
by Jessica Holdman (Bismark Tribune) Research scientists at Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory are testing sugar beets as a new source of ethanol. Igathi Cannayen presented his research this week at the lab’s annual research conference held at the Seven Seas
(Michigan State University) In our ongoing quest for alternative energy sources, researchers are looking more to plants that grow in the wild for use in biofuels, plants such as switchgrass. However, attempts to “domesticate” wild-growing plants have a downside, as it
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 22 projects around the world show the multi-faceted promise of algae. Concrete, polyurethane, bioplastics, cosmetics and, oh, fuels — so many big things to make from algae, it’s become a big deal. ...While fuels remain the
(FIS.com) A team at the University of Kansas has demonstrated the feasibility of an integrated wastewater algae-to-biocrude process using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) that can sustainably cultivate algal biomass for biofuel production. A paper on their work is published in the
by By Brian Bienkowsk (Environmental Health News) As a growing population stresses the world's food and water supplies, corporations and investors in wealthy countries are buying up foreign farmland and the freshwater perks that come with it. From Sudan to Indonesia,
by Christopher K. Wright and Michael C. Wimberly (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) In the US Corn Belt, a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for landowners to convert grassland to corn and soybean cropping. Here,
(VayuGrid/PR NewsWire) EEP-SEA Selects VayuSap™ Among 168 Other Projects for a Grant of Over $1 Million India-based VayuGrid and Zambia-based BetterWorld Energy have inked an agreement to partner on VayuSap™ biofuel development zones in Zambia. The development zones, based on Elite VayuSap™ trees, will
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the new USDA long-term forecasts, rising global meat consumption stands out as a driver of rising food prices, exports. ...But you might ask yourself — in a world where you can find hyperbole linking hunger
(Bioenergy Crops) There is an increasing interest worldwide on developing sustainable bioenergy alternatives for low competitive lands where food production profitability is scarce or where soils and climates are not suited for traditional activities or have no market access and
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released two comprehensive reports today that synthesize the scientific literature on climate change effects and adaptation strategies for U.S. agriculture and forests. The reports, entitled Climate Change and Agriculture: Effects and Adaptation and the Effects of
(The Fish Site) Hiep Thanh Seafood Processing Corporation (HTFood) has successfully produced bio-diesel from catfish fat. Waste catfish material such as intestine, bone and fat are all used in the process of converting catfish waste material into bio-diesel, reports The Saigon Times. This
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Corn crop residues are often left on harvested fields to protect soil quality, but they could become an important raw material in cellulosic ethanol production. USDA research indicates
(Mongabay.com) Degradation of peat swamps for oil palm and timber plantations is a substantially larger source of greenhouse gas emissions than previously believed, finds a new study published in the journalNature. An international team of researchers tested the water chemistry of
(Arcadia Biosciences) New Tree Crops To Increase Productivity While Preserving Natural Resources and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, and FuturaGene, Inc., a
(Lux Research) Growing demand will place stress on feedstocks, requiring new innovations if more bio-based products are to replace petroleum-based ones, says Lux Research Driven by aggressive biofuel mandates, rapid growth will cause great strain on biomass by 2030, according to Lux Research. Using today’s
(National Biodiesel Board) It's Vegas, and the winning bet is on growth for biodiesel, America's advanced biofuel. American jobs and clean air stand to benefit as the industry pushes towards its new 10-year vision: 10 percent of the on-road diesel
(Algae Industry Magazine) Neste Oil, ranked the world’s fourth most sustainable company on The Global 100 list at the World Economic Forum in Davos, has been investigating the suitability of algae for its renewable fuels production for some years; its
by Nina Chestney (Reuters/Huffington Post) Growing palm oil trees to make biofuels could be accelerating the effects of climate change, new research showed on Wednesday, adding further weight to claims the crop is not environmentally sustainable. In a paper published in the
(UPI) Corn crop residue often left behind on harvested fields to protect soil quality could become an important raw material for biofuels, U.S. researchers say. A study by scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated soil quality would not decline
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Like it or not, corn and corn ethanol production are large, established industries in the U.S. While they provide significant economic, energy, and environmental benefits for our society, they also come with
by W.M.J. Achten, A. Trabucco, W.H. Maes, L.V. Verchot, R. Aerts, E. Mathijs, P. Vantomme, V.P. Singh, B. Muys (ScienceDirect.com/Journal of Arid Environments) Biofuels are considered as a climate-friendly energy alternative. However, their environmental sustainability is increasingly debated because of land
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It is becoming increasingly evident that, in the near-term, acute demand for aviation biofuel is going, one way or another, to result in heavy demand for jatropha and jatropha oil-based fuels. New deals for SGB in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The metrics? A commercial scale project of 4,000 hectares would supply enough power for the project and export 325GWh a year in addition to 7,500 tonnes of algae oil, and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of food
(Algae Industry Magazine) West Virginia-based Touchstone Research Laboratory, is experimenting with three new technologies at their raceway farm testing center built around four 30-by-200-foot ponds in Wooster, Ohio. Funded by close to $7 million in grants from the U.S. Department
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The USDA estimates that farmers in the U.S. will plant nine million more acres in corn in 2013 than they did in 2011, an increase of almost 10 percent. Over the same period,
(Menafn /The Record/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services) A seed producer is recruiting area farmers to produce sorghum, a grain crop also known as milo, for use in ethanol production, including at the Pacific Ethanol Inc. plant in Stockton. Chromatin Inc. will host a
by Katie Fehrenbacher (Gigaom) ... One of the companies that’s the farthest along is Solazyme, a South San Francisco-based company that went public in the spring of 2011. Solazyme was one of the first firms to focus on the alternative chemicals and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Maryland, The Wildlife Society released a Technical Review, “Effects of Bioenergy Production on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat,” to provide answers to questions on bioenergy development and wildlife so that site managers might better predict
(News Day) The multimillion dollar ethanol project in Chisumbanje is set to re-open after villagers and the company agreed on a wide range of issues meant to avert social disaster in Chipinge. Agreed issues include the immediate release of farmers arrested
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) The technologies out there are five in number. They are all in commercial deployment now, though some are at the capacity-construction stage. Some of them vary the feedstock, some vary the products produced. What they
by Rudy Ruitenberb (BusinessDay/iAfrica.com) Biofuel output from agricultural commodities has contributed to surging world food prices in the past decade, says Nestle chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe. ...Mr Brabeck-Letmathe described making biofuels from food crops as "nonsense". The agriculture ministers gathered in Berlin said in
by Ilya Gelfand, Ritvik Sahajpal, Xuesong Zhang, R. César Izaurralde, Katherine L. Gross & G. Philip Robertson (Nature) ...An alternative is to grow lignocellulosic (cellulosic) crops on ‘marginal’ lands9. Cellulosic feedstocks can have positive environmental outcomes10, 11 and could make up a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DOE sets goal of 2,500 gallon per acre algae biomass demonstration by 2018. In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced a “Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield” Funding Opportunity of up to $10 million to help
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bio-Refinery Begins Operations Turning Co-Cropping into Fuels, Chemicals Deep in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam a small bio-refinery is converting seaweed into protein, fuel-blendable alcohol, and a bacterial soil product. It is part of a
by Daniel C Marotta and Jennifer Coute-Marotta (Truthout) All names are fictitious as sources requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Anonymity and people's requests that no pictures be taken were prerequisites for attaining interviews. No one wanted to go
(Ashville Citizen-Times) Thanks to an innovative program aimed at helping North Carolina become more self-sufficient when it comes to energy, Asheville’s popular Biltmore Estate, that venerable bastion of the region’s travel and tourism industry, soon may become a source for
(Nanowerk.com) Researchers working on the biofuel crop Miscanthus sacchariflorus, commonly known as Asian Elephant Grass, have shown that delaying flowering in the plant can result in a 50% growth increase.The discovery could have important implications for biofuel production, leading to higher
by Alister Doyle (Reuters) Green schemes to fight climate change by producing more bio-fuels could actually worsen a little-known type of air pollution and cause almost 1,400 premature deaths a year in Europe by 2020, a study showed on Sunday. The report
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Biomass Crop Assistance Program may have been extended through 2013 with the passing of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, but the program’s usefulness in the coming year is still uncertain. Although
by Larisa Brass (KnoxvilleBiz.com) Van Shaver got into the farming business by planting switchgrass on 90 acres in Loudon County for a brand new biofuels market. This year's crop will be fed to his cows. Four years after the state launched a
by Bradley Frieze (Advanced Biofuels USA) Dr. Jennie Hunter-Cevera and Dr. Mark Jones of the National Academy of Science Division on Earth and Life Studies gave a public webinar on November 27th, 2012 about the sustainable development of algal biofuels
(Algae Industry Magazine) Streamline Automation, of Huntsville, Alabama, has been assigned a patent (8,303,818) developed by four co-inventors for a “method and apparatus using an active ionic liquid for algae biofuel harvest and extraction.” The co-inventors are Roberto Di Salvo,
by Mary Rosenthal (Biomass Magazine) Just a few weeks ago, the National Research Council released its report on the sustainability of biofuels derived from algae, affirming the potential of our industry to meet global fuel challenges in a sustainable manner. The
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Following an October partnership between Petrobras Biofuel and the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture to intensify research into producing biodiesel from waste fish oil, Petrobras Biofuel recently participated in the release of “Machine Biopeixe,” equipment to
(University of California-San Diego/Biodiesel Magazine) Biologists at UC San Diego have demonstrated for the first time that marine algae can be just as capable as fresh water algae in producing biofuels. The scientists genetically engineered marine algae to produce five different
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Hopefully, European regulators will take note of what has happened. If they are intellectually honest, they should acknowledge that if the U.S. biofuel policy has no real negative impact on the food/feed
(Kansas City Business Journal) Kansas City isn't exactly flush with cash, but it has managed to make $2 million the past few years through its innovative handling of sludge, The Kansas City Star reports. The city has turned a profit from handling sludge
by Obey Manayiti (News Day) Dozens of angry villagers last week fought running battles with Zimbabwe Republic Police officers over disputed land between villagers and Green Fuel in Chisumbanje. The clashes started last Monday, but turned nasty over the weekend after
(Forest Products Society) Biofuels made from high-yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sorghum is poised to come into its own as an alternative to corn. It proved its mettle in the 2012 drought, producing decent dryland yields with very little rainfall. And, with the U.S.
(Committee on the Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Board on Energy and Environmental Systems; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; National Research Council) Biofuels made from algae are
(Algae Industry Magazine) Researchers from Federal University of Santa Catarina, in Brazil, are investigating how well microalgae can grow using concentrated desalination from inland desalination of brackish water. Dr. Ernani Sebastião Sant’Anna and research assistant Ângelo Paggi Matos are growing a
by Gerald Kitabu (IPP Media) The government of Tanzania has been urged to localise biofuel commercial production by empowering small farmers in terms of training, loans and marketing. The call was made by Tanzanian researchers and scientists during a recent visit
by Roy Robertson (Southeast Farm Press) • Steve Kresovich is part of a team of USC researchers looking for crops that can be adapted to less productive and often under-utilized South Carolina soils. • The end goal, Kresovich says, is to
(Associated Press/Times Union) Energy from willows is moving out of the experimental stage and into commercial production in New York. Farms are growing willow shrubs and selling them to a utility, a nursery sells them commercially and plans are being made for refineries. "The
by Chris Berendt (The Sampson Independent) Chemtex International Inc. is currently involved in a permitting process that will see a $200 million biofuels refinery production plant open at the start of 2015, creating around 350 direct and indirect jobs and anticipated
(Associated Press/The State) Clemson University researchers are joining with a commercial forestry company to try to figure out what variety of poplars are best to make biofuels. ArborGen planted four species of poplars last year at Clemson's Pee Dee Research and
(Platts) The European Commission does not plan to "cap the production and consumption" of first-generation biofuels as it moves to overhaul its biofuels policies, but it will "cap the incentives" for their production, Hans van Steen of the EC's Directorate-General
by Amy Mayer (KBIA.org) Since the introduction of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005, the EPA has had to radically reduce expectations. Today, there still isn’t a single commercial-scale plant producing cellulosic ethanol. Several plants are being built now, though, so cellulosic ethanol
(WebWire) Biofuels made from high yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of articles
by Mohammad Shoeb (The Peninsula Qatar) Qatar has launched a novel pilot project, ‘Sahara Forest’ in collaboration with a Norwegian company, which will help produce food crops (such as tomatoes, cucumber, melon), fodder crops, freshwater, clean energy, salt, algae (for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But very few are working in solid phase – where essentially instead of working with a liquid vat, microbes are growing on a fabric or film — and the organisms are provided with a
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) An alternative energy company looking to build multiple energy beet-to-biofuel plants in Kentucky recently became the first corporation to join the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association. Although federal rules currently prohibit the growth of
(XS4Green.com) ...John Benemann, Ian Woertz, and Tryg Lundquist, MicroBio Engineering, Inc. (Walnut Creek, CA) and California State Polytechnic University (San Luis Obispo, CA), present the results of an engineering and economic study of vegetable oil production from microalgae grown in
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) EESI Policy Associate Ned Stowe recently gave a presentation on biomass, bioenergy, and sustainability to the 11th Annual Great Lakes Environmental Legislators Forum of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators in Chicago,
by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) DuPont is building one of the world’s largest cellulosic biofuel plants in Nevada, Iowa; and it’s going to take a lot of corn stover to keep this baby humming, to the tune of 30 million gallons of ethanol
by Max Paris (CBC News) U.S. Steel Canada announces pilot project that will test Pond Biofuels technology U.S. Steel Canada announced Tuesday it will partner with Union Gas and Pond Biofuels to test an innovative system that pulls carbon dioxide directly
(Alternative Energy Africa) A public-private partnership (PPP) has been launched to promote the production of ethanol from cassava and sugarcane in Cote d’Ivoire which would be used for clean cook stoves. READ MORE
by Julia Bayly (Bangor Daily News) ...The Center for Rural Sustainable Development at the University of Maine at Fort Kent last week announced it has received a $62,334 grant to study farmer interest in large-scale grass biomass production and the economic feasibility of
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should immediately initiate a process to update its obsolete lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analyses of corn and sugarcane ethanol for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2), according to a letter sent Friday to EPA Administrator
(AP/Oregon Live) Portland General Electric is in its second year of testing the giant cane known as Arundo donax as a potential replacement for coal at the Boardman Power Plant. But the utility is also looking at other biomass sources that
(Chromatin/BusinessWire) Chromatin’s Sorghum Seed Recognized for Water Use Efficiency and Versatility Chromatin, Inc., a privately held provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, announced it has generated the first crop of sorghum that has been grown and
by Sara Mojtehedzadeh (Edmonton Journal) Bedford Biofuels’ plantation is stalled, and along with it the company’s promise to provide jobs and cash for community development ...Though this is an arid and unforgiving area, the land surrounding Garsen should have been green with
by Jennifer Alsever (CNN Money) ... While most of its rivals raced to commercialize the fuel, San Diego-based SG Biofuels took a different path: It hired plant geneticists. They hunkered down in the laboratory to come up with the best genetic variations
(FuturaGene) FuturaGene, a world leader in the enhancement of yield and sustainability of woody crops for plantation forestry, biopower and biofuel markets, is pleased to announce the signing of a Cooperation Framework Agreement with EMBRAPA, (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária)
by Craig Hanson (WRI Insights) At the 10th Annual Meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), WRI launched two new online mapping applications designed to help the palm oil industry grow while avoiding deforestation. These free tools enable palm oil producers, buyers,
by Nigel Sizer (WRI Insights/The Jakarta Post) ...The world’s top scientists are also raising concerns. According to a recent study in Nature Climate Change, from 1990 to 2010, 90 percent of lands converted to oil palm plantations in Kalimantan were forested. There need not,
(StarAfrica/PR NewsWire) Starting With a 2,000 Plus Acre, the Long Term Goal is to Create a Cluster of 1,00,000 Acres Under a Collaborative Model VayuGrid, a biofuel supply chain company based in Bangalore, has signed a MOU to create a biofuel cluster
by Jason Motlagh (The Washington Post/Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting) Long a preferred cooking ingredient in developing countries, palm oil is now in greater demand in Western markets because of its low price and long shelf life. Derived from the
(Algae Industry Magazine) French biotech startup Ennesys will today launch its first demonstrator system for “truly green” buildings – in the Nanterre district of La Defense near Paris. It’s a simple idea: to turn buildings into energy production units by
(Stabroek News) A plant to produce ethanol from sweet potatoes is in the pipeline, according to Dr Leroy McClean, chief executive officer of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC). Without providing details, he said, “I have a Chinese company .
by Dallas Kachan (Renewable Energy World/Kachan & Co.) ...In its new report on agricultural cleantech, Kachan uses the following criteria to differentiate cleantech developments from generic agricultural innovations: improved efficiency of resource use reduced ecological impact smaller carbon footprint sustained or enhanced profitability Technologies that reduce
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Generally, renewables compete in the short term against fossil fuel prices – but in the long-term, against fossil fuel extraction costs. Even if a new process produces a renewable at less then, say, the equivalent of
by Matthew Wald (New York Times) The company, SEE Algae Technology of Austria, is building a 2.5-acre factory on a sugar plantation near Recife, Brazil, that will use genetically modified algae that can eat carbon dioxide from the sugar. Adding urea and
(E! Science News) Biologists at UC San Diego have demonstrated for the first time that marine algae can be just as capable as fresh water algae in producing biofuels. The scientists genetically engineered marine algae to produce five different kinds
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