by Fadhil M. Salih (ClearValue Companies/Biofuels Digest) ... (A) number of photobioreactor designs have been put into work under different environmental conditions. So far none of the existing designs has fulfilled the dream of the interested parties due to inherent problems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Three companies, operating in Outback Australia, personify promise and hardiness in the microalgae corner of industrial biotech ...But out of all literature, it is the qualities that Margaret Mitchell essayed in Gone With the Wind that most
(OriginOil/Enhanced Online News) Algae World Australia delegates tour university test site, view next-generation algae harvest technologies OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today announced
by Ed Marcum (KnoxNews.com) The University of Tennessee showed off its biofuel facilities here Tuesday to top state officials as the school works to increase efficiencies so that the experimental project can become a commercial operation. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen.
(Sustainable Development Technology Canada) If you have an innovative clean technology, we want to hear from you. That is the message Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) sent out today as it announced its 20th round of funding, which will be
by Steve Olson (California Agricultural Technology Institute/Western Farm Press/Fresno State University) A study indicates possibilities for new farming methods on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley, which is challenged by selenium-laden irrigation effluent. One method of using excess selenium in
by Liz Ahlberg (University of Illinois) Many energy researchers and environmental advocates are excited about the prospect of gaining more efficient large-scale biofuel production by using large grasses like miscanthus or switchgrass rather than corn. They have investigated yields,
by Monika Bertzky, Valerie Kapos & Jörn P.W. Scharlemann (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) Inference from production statistics and modelling studies suggest that iLUC has occurred, is likely to increase with increasing demand for biofuels and needs to be considered when assessing the
(Utah State University) Biological Engineering students and faculty at Utah State University transform waste water into biofuels and other bio-products. WATCH VIDEO
(HDS International/PR NewsWire) HDS International Corp., a provider of industrial ocean-based biomass production and other high-value eco-sustainability solutions, today provided additional details regarding the project scope for its targeted production site in Back Bay, New Brunswick, Canada. "To date, most commercial initiatives
by Florentino Lopez (United Sorghum Checkoff Program/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Just like our dedication in promoting grain sorghum for biofuels production, the Sorghum Checkoff is now looking to the future to find the most profitable possibilities for all sectors of the
(elEconomista.es) Scientists at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), associated with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have managed to make biodiesel from the cultivation of three species of marine algae. ...Additionally, the three species that have proved viable,
by Benjamin Burroughs (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol has some distinct advantages as a fuel, and sweet sorghum promises even better input/output ratios ...In addition to having a higher ratio, the cost of production for sweet sorghum is lower than for corn. For
by Michael K. Bullard (Ethanol Producer Magazine) How the 2008 Recession Halted the Progress of Louisiana’s Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative ...The Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative (Act 382) represents a complete strategy to not only address the aggressive federal mandates
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Not content to let Brazil hog all the glory, three development-stage companies eye sugar-based ethanol feedstocks ...If successful, California Ethanol & Power LLC will be the first ethanol production company bankrolled partially by Brazilian money,
(AllAfrica.com/The Herald) Traditional leaders have identified unnecessary politicking as a challenge to the successful completion of the Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant. The task-force chaired by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development secretary Mr Ngoni Masoka visited the project yesterday. In his submission to the
(The Record) Farm officials, hoping to get California farmers to plant as much as 25,000 acres of camelina, an oilseed, for a biomass start-up project are offering incentives to growers in San Joaquin County and other areas of the Central
by Gouri Shankar Mishra and Sonia Yeh (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Study recalculates water consumption with expanded system boundaries and coproduct credit Recent studies have estimated the “consumptive water use,” “water embodied,” and “water footprint” of corn-based ethanol in the U.S, with
by Cole Gustafson, Thein Maung and David Ripplinger (Ethanol Producer Magazine/North Dakota State University) If cellulosic biofuel development remains on track, several commercial firms will be contracting for corn stover in 2012. How will farmers balance the field workload of harvesting
by Mario Osava (Aljazeera) Biofuels are an alternative energy source that can drive local development by generating jobs, know-how and technology. But they can also cause social damage, as locals fear in the case of industrial-scale exploitation of babassu palm
(Algae Industry Magazine) NASA scientist – the inventor, heart, and soul of the OMEGA system (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae) – Dr. Jonathan Trent received his PhD in biological oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He went on to
(Biofuels Journal) Five undergraduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign received a $5,000 grant from British Petroleum to research the engineering properties of biomass. The students wrote the grant to develop a virtual database that will tell end users the properties
by Don Comis (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at the biorefinery's loading dock. That future has been made possible by
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ...In this week’s installment of the RFA’s series on efficiency, RFA Vice President Geoff Cooper takes on the critics who contend that both farming and ethanol production is simply too energy-intensive. Critics of farmers, and by
by Laea Medley (Independent Online) ...The iLembe District Municipality and Dr Samson Tesfay, a post-doctoral student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s discipline of horticultural science, are planning a plantation project for the plant. The project will harvest Moringa pods for
by Bv Mahalakshmi (The Financial Express) Nandan Biomatrix Ltd, an integrated R&D company for neutraceuticals and medicinal plants, has signed agreements with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Shapoorji and Pallonji Ltd to form a JV company for producing biodiesel
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) With new research on environmental and biomedical benefits of Jatropha is appearing regularly, it’s no wonder that the race for patents is heating up, and fast. Last year Mission New Energy began a joint venture
by Steve Everly (Kansas City Star) Say “biofuel,” and most people think “ethanol.” But someday they might think “algae-diesel.” And if they do, Missouri is likely to have helped make it happen. The idea of turning algae, also known as pond
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) ...According to Greg Springer, president of Green Fuels America Inc., interest in community-scale biodiesel production is increasing all around the world. He attributes this to both high fuel prices and the specific advantages community-scale production
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Inbicon conducted an extensive crop study and biomass research project to show just how much biomass is available in the Midwest. “Our findings confirm that North America’s great abundance of corn stover and wheat
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is looking for the best biofuels crops to grow in the northeast Illinois Indian Creek Watershed. During a recent field tour of the watershed sponsored by theConservation Technology Information Center, Argonne
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Richard Sayre keeps his plate full as both the Director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and as the CTO of the high
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With help from the USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Abengoa is on its way to establishing a significantly sized switchgrass plantation in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma surrounding the site of the company’s proposed
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) When Eric Woodford began harvesting biomass 15 years ago, he realized that existing farm equipment wasn't up to the job. So he invented something better, and now sells it. It began more than 15 years ago
(US Department of Energy) ...More than 600 speakers, moderators, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees were able to listen to discussions about the ongoing challenges and achievements in the bioenergy industry. Biomass 2011 addressed key issues in important areas, such as feedstock supply, conversion pathways,
(Yahoo!Finance) At a time when the global economy is in need of every boost possible, Mission NewEnergy ... is teaching impoverished farmers in India how to operate a small business by cultivating Jatropha plants for world consumption. Over 1,940,000 acres of otherwise
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA and DOE have awarded 10 grants totaling $12.2 million to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy crops. The USDA and DOE
by Zak Richards (University of Virginia) Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New University of Virginia research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use,
by Tiffany Stecker (ClimateWire/Scientific American) A study looks into giving farmers permission to harvest cellulosic feedstocks on land set aside for wetlands and wildlife conservation Growing cellulosic feedstocks on federally subsidized conservation land could balance the biofuels emissions equation to be completely carbon-neutral,
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Power and Thermal) A follow-up report to the U.S. DOE’s 2005 “Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply,” commonly referred to as the Billion-Ton Study, has
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Over the past 30 years, and in particular in the past decade, ethanol production has quietly become increasingly efficient. From improvements in corn production to greater efficiencies at ethanol biorefineries, America’s leading renewable fuel
(OriginOil) Sensor array will manage hundreds of interactions critical to large production operations. OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technologyto extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today announced it has developed a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In India, SG Biofuels and Bharat Renewable Energy, a unit of India’s second largest oil company, Bharat Petroleum, signed a landmark commercial agreement to develop and deploy elite hybrids of Jatropha across a total 86,000
by Brian Westenhaus (OilPrice.com) According to Promode Kant from the Institute of Green Economy in India and Shuirong Wu of the Chinese Academy of Forestry some 12.8 million ha (49,421 square miles) are expected to be planted with jatropha by
(AirportBusiness.com) Today (August 9, 2011) U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) toured the cutting-edge laboratories at Targeted Growth in Seattle and announced the launch of Washington state's first large-scale program for the growth of camelina sativa, a promising non-food feedstock for
by Graham Warwick (Aviation Week) The U.S. aviation industry is pressing Congress to extend funding for goverment programs providing support to start up commercial-scale production of renewable biofuels. ...Work on the 2012 Farm Bill is getting under way, and witnesses at
by Hari Pulakkat (Hispanic Business/The Economic Times India ) ...Macroalgae is a technical term for seaweed. It seemed an extremely attractive proposition as an oil source even at first look. Seaweed grows in the shallow ocean waters and doesn't
by Ben Edwards (Bloomberg) ...The Plymouth, Michigan-based company is raising $500,000 to complete demonstration plants and will seek the remaining funds in the next six to nine months, Chief Science Officer Geoff Horst said in a telephone interview. The plants
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Agrisoma may be the least known 10-year-old renewable energy company, as Steven Fabijanski told Biodiesel Magazine, but that hasn’t stopped a Canadian development fund from granting the Ottawa-based firm with roughly $425,000 in research funding. Agrisoma
by Niluksi Koswanage (Reuters Africa) Malaysia, the word's No.2 palm oil producer, will come up with a certification scheme to ensure the tropical oil is grown without clearing forests and destroying wildlife, a newspaper reported on Monday. The Business Times quoted
by John Farrell (Forbes) ...A prime example: biofuels from the by-products of tequila production. In particular, the tough, fibrous leaves of the blue agave plant. A recent paper Valenzuela published in the February issue of the journal Bioenergy, A New Agenda for Blue
by Von Philip Bethge (Der Spiegel Online) Genetically modified blue and green algae could be the answer to the world's fuel problems. Bioengineers have already developed algae that produce ethanol, oil and even diesel -- and the only things the
by Megan Cassidy (Columbia Missourian) Shibu Jose and his team believe that today’s soggy river bottoms could be untapped grounds for the largest advanced biofuel economy in the nation. Jose, director for MU’s Center for Agroforestry, is proposing to cultivate and harvest
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) The second year of DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC’s corn stover collection program is under way in Iowa as the company prepares to construct Project Blackhawk - a 25 MMgy stover-to-ethanol plant which will be located adjacent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the creation of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of
(defenseWEb) Mozambique’s Sun Biofuels has made its first export by selling 30 tons of jatropha oil to German airline Lufthansa. The company’s director of corporate affairs Luis Gouveia on Friday told the Mozambican newspaper Diario de Mozambique of the sale. He
Roger Rainville is ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing costs on his farm near Alburgh, Vermont. ...Rainville first got interested in oilseed production when University of Vermont Extension approached him about growing canola seed on his farm. Initially,
by Benjamin Burroughs (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol has some distinct advantages as a fuel, and sweet sorghum promises even better input/output ratios Traditionally agriculture has been in food/feed stock production for humans and livestock, but as we move farther into this
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) In Catawba County, N.C., a partnership between the county and Appalachian State University is planning to commemorate the completion of the Catawba County-Appalachian State University Biodiesel Research, Development and Production Facility on Aug. 15. The
by Perrin H. Beatty and Allen G. Good (Science Magazine) Nitrogen availability is limiting to plant growth and has long been overcome through applications of synthetic nitrogen-rich fertilizer. This has revolutionized crop yield and food production worldwide, but at substantial economic and environmental
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Martin Sabarsky was promoted to President and CEO of Kona, Hawaii-based Cellana in April of 2011. He now has the challenging and, if all goes well, rewarding job of escorting Cellana into
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On July 19, 2011, the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) and Environmental and Energy Study Institute(EESI) held a briefing on the energy title of the Farm Bill, with a special focus on the Rural Energy for
(American Soybean Association/Southeast Farm Press) Newly published research from the University of Idaho and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 5.54 units of renewable energy. A
by Virendra Pandit (ETCGreen.com) The global giant recently joined a tripartite agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, in a $950,000 project in Gujarat for five years. CSMCRI on
(InfoZine) A Kansas State University geographer is part of a research team out to prove what environmental scientists have suspected for years: Increasing the production of soybean and biofuel crops in Brazil increases deforestation in the Amazon. ...Although this cause-and-effect finding
by Keith Robinson (Purdue University) Growing demand for corn to use in biofuels and for soybeans to help feed a booming Chinese economy are among key forces driving commodity prices higher this year, according to a report by three
by Charles Abbott and Karl Plume (Reuters) Ethanol appears almost certain to win the food-versus-fuel contest in the United States. But not just yet. The Agriculture Department forecast that a tad more corn will be used to make ethanol than to feed livestock
(AllAfrica.com/The Herald) Zimbabwe is trying to resurrect its biofuels energy sector after needlessly crucifying the ethanol project in the Lowveld 20 years ago. More than anything else, this has been a direct response to the country's fuel crisis of 2003-2009 and
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) In December 2009, Seambiotic announced that they would be building an algae production plant that will use flue gas in China. Though originally scheduled to be operational in 2010, the plant will open in September
(25 x '25) The National 25x'25 Alliance released this morning a new National Wood-To-Energy Roadmap - A Guide for Developing Sustainable Woody Biomass Solutions. The report that shows how focused use of woody biomass can help meet America's energy needs
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) The EU will protect existing investment in its $13 billion biodiesel sector even as it acts on new evidence that suggests making the fuel from food crops can do more harm than good in fighting climate
(United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) A safe integration of food and energy production may be one of the best ways to improve national food and energy security and simultaneously reduce poverty in a climate smart way. This study on Integrated Food-Energy
(Yahoo!Finance/Neste Oil Oyj) Neste Oil will expand the raw material base used to produce NExBTL renewable fuel with jatropha and camelina oils. By introducing these new raw materials in its feedstock base, Neste Oil increases the proportion of non-food materials
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) The link between increased insecticide use and landscape simplification has now been documented by a team of researchers from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. ...But, while the research showed the upwardly trending use of insecticides
by Bob Moser (The Advertiser) Lacassine Syrup Mill will be joined by nation's first sugar-to-ethanol facility Bonds worth $70 million to help build the nation's first sugar-to-ethanol plant in Lacassine passed a first step of approval Monday by the Louisiana Public
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) New Holland Agriculture, a manufacturer and seller of agricultural equipment and a division of CNH Global N.V., announced that it has signed on as a Gold Sponsor of the Climate Action Networking Reception. The event
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report
(US Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory) The United States is increasing the use of lignocellulosic biomass as part of a portfolio of solutions to address climate change and improve energy security, in addition to other benefits that an invigorated agricultural industry can provide. One
(AllAfrica.com) President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Masaka district and Uganda at large to work with the Pegasus Investments Limited in the cultivation of jatropha (ekiroowa) plant as one of the means to boost household incomes. The seeds of the
(Virgin Australia) Virgin Australia today announced that it has partnered with Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (DYMTF) and Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that also has benefits for the Australian farming
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ...Today’s carbon capture process requires separating and condensing CO2, then transporting it in dedicated pipelines to distant locations where it can be stored. Processing CO2 close to power plants eliminates the capital and operating
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Carolyn Hoagland was recently awarded the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholar for her work in learning about how farmers choose to grow bioenergy crops. Hoagland, an adult student, is an environmental science major at the University of Tennessee at
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Southeast is ripe for energy crop development, according to several panelists who spoke during a session devoted to next-generation feedstock strategies June 28 at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in
by Christopher Mims (Grist) Production of biofuel from palm oil has been an unmitigated disaster for the rainforest, leading to clear-cutting throughout Indonesia and propelling that country to the top ranks of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters. That's
By Carole Shifrin (Air Transport World) Detroit Metro operator Wayne County Airport Authority said it has agreed to partner with Michigan State University Extension to grow, harvest and process bioenergy crops on the property of DTW and another of the authority's
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Algae.Tec Limited in collaboration with Manildra Group have announced the construction of an algae demonstration facility in Shoalhaven One, in Nowra south of Sydney, Australia. Manildra Group is the country’s largest ethanol producer. Algae.Tec Executive Roger Stroud
by Lynn Hicks (Des Moines Register) Nevada will be the site of one of the few next-generation ethanol plants in the world, DuPont announced today. The biorefinery will use corncobs, leaves and stalks as feedstock rather than corn. It will join
by Tom Beres (WKYC) Farmers in Northeast Ohio and Pennsylvania are being recruited to grow a special grass that can be converted to biofuel energy. Some are already planting miscanthus, a durable grass that won't spread and requiries little fertilizer and care. It
(Business Wire) Addax Bioenergy S.A. (“Addax Bioenergy”), a subsidiary of the Swiss-based energy group, The Addax and Oryx Group Limited (AOG), announced today the signing of a loan agreement with seven European and African development institutions for an integrated renewable
(PR Newswire) Today (June 21, 2011) Inbicon, inventor of the biomass conversion technology driving the Inbicon Biomass Refinery, announced a summary of its private crop studies and confidential biomass research. "Our findings confirm that North America's great abundance of corn
(IBN Live/The New Indian Express) Governor H R Bhardwaj inaugurated a biofuel plant established by Rural Bio-Fuel Growers Association and promoted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) at the Rural Bio-Resource Complex Project (RBRC) at Hadonahalli on Saturday (June
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mendel CEO Neal Gutterson talks about miscanthus, and the role of the power sector as the driver of a global supply chain for biomass. ...The company’s IP lies in its understanding of a large class of
by Daryl Huff (KITV 4) Military, Local Company Testing Plants To Replace Petroleum ... Pacific Bioldiesel, which has succeeding in recycling used cooking oil into vehicle fuel on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, is managing the Hawaii Military Biofuels Crop Demonstration
(The Assam Tribune) The Department of Agriculture has taken up a scheme to promotejatropha (Bhot Era) cultivation in Assam for production of bio-diesel. Altogether 137.4 ha of land will be covered under this crop, in the districts of Barpeta, Kokrajhar, Kamrup,
(US Department of Agriculture) Projects Further Obama Administration's Effort to Produce Clean Home-Grown Energy, Create Sustainable Rural Jobs Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the establishment of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas to promote the cultivation of
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ...While capital is rightly pouring into gigantic projects that we need to begin to compete with oil and gas, there is a parallel business model that takes advantage of algae’s unique ability to be
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nebraska-based Pellet Technology LLC is teaming up with CPM to offer second-generation biofuels producers a solution to the logistical issues surrounding the use of bulky biomass as feedstocks. Pellet Technology, which became commercially active
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A pilot-scale project in Olgergen, Holland, is investigating the use of algae cultivation as a method to remove nutrients from wastewater. The project, under development by Ingrepro Renewables, is housed at Waterstromen bv, a water
by Damian Carrington and Stefano Valentino (The Guardian) British firms have acquired more land in Africa for controversial biofuel plantations than companies from any other country, a Guardian investigation has revealed. Half of the 3.2m hectares (ha) of biofuel land identified –
(MarketWire/World Health Energy Holdings, Inc.) Joint Venture Agreement With Serial Business Founder, David J. Lobo, of Deejay Coconut Farm PVT World Health Energy Holdings, Inc., a public holding company focused on developing algae farms for the production of biodiesel and fish
(Jagran Post) The project of deriving ethanol, a bio-fuel for blending with petrol, from a seaweed is all set to get a major boost, with the Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) deciding to ramp up off-shore production
by Tyler Hamilton (Clean Break) I had the opportunity this week to visit a St. Marys Cement plant in the small and scenic town of St. Marys, Ontario. A subsidiary of Brazilian cement giant Votorantim Cimentos, the company is working with Toronto-based Pond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In California, energy crop breeder Ceres has filed for a $100 million IPO on Nasdaq, with Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital as underwriters. ...From the S-1: “We are an agricultural biotechnology company selling seeds to produce renewable
(GreenAirOnline) Global industrial crops technology company Quinvita is the latest to join a new biofuel alliance that has come together to produce sustainable jet biofuel from Brazilian-grown jatropha. The Brazilian Bio-Jetfuel Platform is a collaboration led by Curcas Diesel Brasil
by Andy Humbles (The Tennessean) He lauds TN's key role in development of rising biofuel ...U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Nashville on Monday, speaking at a Thorntons gas station in West Nashville on the advantages of ethanol and the
(PR-Inside) Nine partners from seven countries have joined in an innovative project to show that ethanol, biodiesel and bioproducts can be produced from algae on a large scale. The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies (BIOFAT) project, largely funded by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework
(Monsters and Critics) Scientists are to plant and harvest grass inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in an experiment to determine if biofuel can be safely produced in the region, an alternative-energy company said Monday. PhotoFuels, a Belgian-Ukrainian joint venture, has obtained approval
by Kurt Batdorf (Snohomish County Business Journal) Thain Boatworks' effort to bring reliable ferry service back to east Africa's Lake Victoria is about to bear fruit, albeit two years late. Rob Smith, chief executive and president of EarthWise Ventures Inc. and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In part 3, we look at 12 companies and compare and contrast the Brazilian and US paths to advanced biofuels. Does Brazil have a “must emulate” model? ...What we found is a stable, straightforward system of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...AER Sustainable Energy – enzymatic hydrolysis This Ireland-based group, set up in 2006, applied for license to supply ethanol into the Irish market, and by 2010 was supplying up to 25 percent. The company reinvested a
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Before the advent of cheap petroleum, farmers often had their own “fuel patch” of local oilseed crops that served as feedstock for the biodiesel needed to power pumps, generator sets, tractors and other farm
by Donna Goodison (Boston Herald) Greater Boston doesn’t usually rate as a Hub of agriculture but yesterday U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Medford to praise start-up Agrivida Inc. as an example of how renewable energy research could help
(University of Hawaii) A two-pronged University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa project to advance the use of biofuels in the Islands has won a $1 million sustainability research competition. The two-year project, led by Michael J. Cooney from UH Mānoa’s Hawai‘i Natural
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A start-up company, Tyton BioSciences, is looking for a new outlet for tobacco – biodiesel and ethanol. The company is developing genetically modified tobacco that will, according to their website, “produce both ethanol and biodiesel at yields
(SG Biofuels/PRNewsWire) SG Biofuels, a bioenergy crop company using breeding and biotechnology to develop elite hybrid seeds of Jatropha, today announced it has signed customers for the deployment of 250,000 acres of Jatropha using its JMax™ hybrid seeds. Jatropha is
(Grain Farmers of Ontario) Canadian biofuel is better for the environment than biofuel produced further south- in part due to our different agricultural practices - according to a new study released by the Grain Farmers ofOntario. The report, produced by Dr.
by Martin Brown (GreenTechMedia) By 2050, for example, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion, and in order to feed all these people, we’ll have to increase the world’s food production by 70 percent. On its own, this 70 percent figure is
by Harry Cline (Western Farm Press) Camelina, a weed in the mustard and distant relative to canola, may be emerging as the front runner in California agriculture’s continuing search for a biofuel crop. It captured the most attention at a field
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) An interview with James Garton, president of Mission Biofuels USA subsidiary. We look at the jatropha 1.0 catastrophe, actual biodiesel capacity in the US, palm biodiesel, the RFS, and more. ...The company broke into the US
(PR NewsWire) The technology group, The Linde Group, and Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world's leaders in algae-based crude oil, today announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to co-develop a low-cost system to deliver carbon dioxide
(KOLD/Aquatic Energy, LLC/PR Newswire) Following a rigorous 3-Phase review process, Louisiana-AgCenter (LSU-AgCenter) and Aquatic Energy LLC (AE) have been recommended 1st for state research funds by the Industrial Ties Research Subprogram (ITRS) component of the Board of Regents Support Fund
(Independence Bio-Products/PR Web) Independence Bio-Products (IBP) of Dublin, Ohio has produced algae oil, which has been converted to jet fuel and then tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The algae was grown in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Over the past 12 months, it has become hard to count the number of advanced biofuels companies that are setting up partnerships, or exploring them, in Brazil – but it is in the dozens. Hard
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTechMedia) ... Aurora grows algae and converts it to biodiesel, omega-3 oils for food producers and algae power that can be sold as pet food or protein. If you starve the algae, they produce more oil: roughly 30 percent
by Nathanial Gronewold (Greenwire/New York Times) ...Though 85 percent of Colombia's cane crop is harvested this old-fashioned way, industry leaders say they have no intention of mechanizing the harvest, for fear of mass unemployment in a rural area where people
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) The time could come when farmers aren't getting on their tractors every spring to plant their crops, or even plowing their fields, exposing them to erosion. At least that's the vision of a few scientists
(Show Me Energy) The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) congratulates the Show Me Energy Cooperative for its selection by USDA as the first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project area. The designation creates a “fuel shed” of 30 counties in
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Prototypes of the biofuels refinery of the future sit in a 19,000-square-foot complex on the Iowa State Research Farm west of Ames. Two experimental plants, whose network of pipes and containers looks to the lay
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...Highlights of the discussion included updates on GPRE’s recently announced BioProcess Algae joint venture. Following are some comments by Mr. Becker and his answers to some shareholder questions regarding their algae ventures: ...The technology represents a true intersection
(World Health Energy Holdings/MarketWire) World Health Energy Holdings, Inc., a public holding company operating in the alternative energy sector, announced today that the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, GNE-India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Prakash Anthony for a joint
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) As an environmental engineering professor at California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, CA, Dr. Tryg Lundquist researches how wastewater can make algae biofuel and how algae biofuel can be the impetus for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Joule reported that they have signed a lease for 1,200 acres in Lea County, New Mexico, with the potential to scale the project up to 5,000 acres for production of renewable diesel and
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million
by Shelley Littin (Algae Industry Magazine) In a collaborative research effort between several departments, scientists and engineers at the University of Arizona are studying ways to optimize the environmental factors to control the rate at which algae grow and produce
(Algae Industry Magazine) Intel’s Brad Biddle discusses what has been learned in the research project to determine if the carbon emissions from Intel’s chip factory produces an environment suited for algae growth. Biddle also discusses the next phases of the
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) This was one of the best weeks yet in the Asian biofuels industry. China decided to promote 2G biofuels production and reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 45 percent by 2020. India moved to
(India Infoline NewsService) Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K.V.Thomas launched the Negotiable Warehouse Receipt System (NWRs) here today. Henceforth, farmers can seek the loan from banks against the warehouse receipts issued to them against their storage.
(INS-News/Walki) Logging residue is an inexpensive and easily accessible source of biofuel, but to improve the energy content it must first dry on the ground and after that it can be stored in piles for several months. To shelter the
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...Leading the change is Joel Butler, who assumed the role of CEO this past December. The fact that Joel is a product development and commercialization specialist means there is no coincidence that Solix
(Milken Institute Global Conference) With oil prices spiking and concern over climate change growing, biofuels hold tremendous appeal. But they must overcome considerable hurdles. Further process and technology refinements are needed to ensure that biofuels make a significant dent in
by Kerry Reals (FlightGlobal) Iberia has teamed up with Spanish airports operator AENA and AlgaEnergy to establish a microalgae-based biofuel research project at Madrid Barajas Airport. ...The research plant will capture and use carbon dioxide from Iberia's aircraft engine bench test
(Cellana) Company Is Leveraging Technology Investments to Date of Over $100 Million; Company Is Focused on Government Programs and New Corporate Partnerships; Plan for Maui Commercial Algae Facility on Track for 2014 Cellana LLC is positioned to be the first algae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Aurora Algae opened its demonstration facility in Karratha, Western Australia, where the Company’s algae-based biomass is being harvested for products in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, aquaculture and renewable energy markets. ...The company has also secured
by Nathanial Gronewold (New York Times/Greenwire) ...Government support for biodiesel has spurred a robust demand for palm oil that has put 50 percent more income into the pocket of farmer Misael Monsalve Moreno. He is almost finished replacing his family's
(Radio New Zealand) /...Stuart Locke, who heads Waikato University's Institute of Business Studies, says the need to free up land to produce ethanol will put pressure on farmers to house cattle and feed out supplements, rather than graze cows on
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) On Friday April 15, BioProcess Algae, dedicated its Grower Harvester bioreactorssignaling the final phase of construction for its commercial scale algae biorefinery. On hand for the event in Shenandoah, Iowa, were USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack along
(PBS) ...SESNO: Mendez and his company, Sapphire Energy, brought us an algae- to-fuel idea they say can have real world impact soon. They plan to begin commercial production in 2012. MENDEZ: So algae -- using photosynthesis to actually make a fuel
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded $1.6 million for 15 projects statewide to accelerate the commercialization of renewable liquid fuels. Awards are made through the 2011 Statewide Biofuels Development Grants Program. Biofuels Center president
The Brazilian Bio-Jetfuel Platform and the Industrial Crops Technology Company, QUINVITA announces today they entered into a strategic alliance on Research and Development of Jatropha production and processing. Under the signed agreement, QUINVITA joins the Brazilian Bio-Jetfuel Platform and will
(AllAfrica.com) The Italian company "BioEnergy" is to invest 20 million dollars to grow the shrub Jatropha in Sabie, in the southern Mozambican district of Moamba. The jatropha seeds will be exported to Italy to be processed and transformed into biodiesel. The cultivation
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