R & D Focus – Advanced BioFuels USA

LanzaTech Aims to Fuel Jets and Make Consumer Goods from Recycled Carbon Pollution

by Tom DiChristopher (CNBC) -LanzaTech sells technology that transforms carbon pollution into ethanol, a renewable fuel and feedstock for chemicals. -Founded in 2005, the start-up is now aiming to produce sustainable jet fuel and chemicals that can be used in consumer goods. -The company ranks No. 15 on CNBC’s 2019 Disruptor

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

California Energy Commission Awards Nearly $11M to Support Biofuels, Renewable Gas and Microgrids

(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission approved nearly $11 million for clean energy demonstration projects, including biofuels, renewable gas, and microgrids. The Energy Commission approved a $2-million grant to Technology & Investment Solutions to demonstrate a more sustainable and cost-effective process of creating biomethane from food waste at an existing anaerobic

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol: Let’s Ride the Wave–Making Ethanol Part of the “Green Wave” by Debunking Environmental Misinformation.

by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative) Now that we are well into the current Congress, it is clear that many new members are riding in on a green wave with a renewed emphasis on climate, carbon and pollution. Committees in the House of Representatives are fighting for attention as they all

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Breakthrough Technique for Studying Gene Expression Takes Root in Plants

(U.S. Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) Berkeley Lab scientists adapt open-source genetic analysis method for use in plant cells for the first time — An open-source RNA analysis platform has been successfully used on plant cells for the first time – a breakthrough that could herald a new era of fundamental

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

J-ENG and NYK Line Cooperate for Biofuel Research and Test

(Japan Engine Corporation) Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) has announced to cooperate with NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA (NYK Line) to start the research and development of biofuel using a test engine as one of solutions for decarbonization. The biofuel is a fuel derived from organic substance (biomass) and regarded as carbon-neutral fuel, because the

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Signing Ceremony of MoU between UNCTAD and Stockholm Environment Institute: SEI and UNCTAD to Cooperate on Trade and Environment

(UNCTAD) Stockholm Environment Institute and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement is an overarching mechanism to foster cooperation on trade and environment, backed up by the research and convening capacities of SEI and UNCTAD. The main purpose of collaboration

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Greening the Chemical Industry Requires Massive Amount of Renewables

by Michael Le Page (New Scientist) … While in theory carbon dioxide captured from the air could replace fossil fuels as a feedstock for the global chemicals industry, in practice it would likely require vastly more clean electricity than we currently have. … They calculated that capturing carbon from the air to use as

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Ireland’s First Grass-Fed Biorefinery Hits the Road to Help Farmers Go Green

(European Science Communication Institute/Phys.org) A New Mobile Refinery Is Travelling Across The West Of Ireland To Turn Grass Into Sustainable Materials — Along the windy west coast of Ireland a biorefinery on wheels is turning grass into a series of different green products that could give farmers a more diversified source

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Bioprivileged Molecules: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Northwestern University

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Northwestern University has been conducting research on the identification of bioprivileged molecules using computational approaches at their Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Linda J. Broadbelt from Northwestern University, gave this illuminating overview of novel pathways to propionic acid, identifying putative enzymes, evaluation of candidate bioprivileged molecules using

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Carbon Removal Takes Hold on Hill

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) CAPTURING HEARTS AND MINDS: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will dive into the Energy Department’s carbon capture, utilization and storage programs during a hearing this morning (May 16, 2019), where Assistant Energy Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg will testify. The panel

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Running on Refuse

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Enerkem is producing methanol and ethanol at its Edmonton, Alberta, plant, diverting up to 24 percent of the city’s landfill waste. The company has partners for another project in the Netherlands. — A Canadian company is furthering ethanol’s environmental benefits, using municipal solid waste (MSW) as

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

New Study: Renewable Fuel Standard Saves Consumers 22 Cents on Every Gallon of Gas

by Kelsey Quargnenti (Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has lowered gas prices by an average of 22 cents per gallon in recent years and saved the typical American household $250 annually, according to a study published today by economist and energy policy expert Dr. Philip K. Verleger, Jr. The

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Converting CO2 to Carbon at Mild Conditions

by Paul Grad (Chemical Engineering) … (C)onverting CO2 into a solid offers an attractive alternative method for safely and permanently removing CO2 from the atmosphere. To date, CO2 has only been converted into a solid at extremely high temperatures, making it industrially unviable. The team created a liquid metal electrocatalyst that contains metallic elemental cerium nanoparticles, which facilitate

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Indian Perspective on Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IndianOil Corp.

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IndianOil has a 33,000-plus work-force, extensive refining, distribution & marketing infrastructure and advanced R&D facilities. In the country’s pursuit of alternative sources of energy, IndianOil is focusing on CNG (compressed natural gas), Autogas (LPG), ethanol blended petrol, bio-diesel, and Hydrogen energy. Dr SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D),

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Leads the Drive toward a Renewable Future

(University of Wisconsin-Madison) … Transportation, heating and the plastics and chemicals we use every day all rely on petroleum products, but our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels will have catastrophic consequences for the health of the planet if left unchecked. That’s why engineers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), which

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Mallorca: Europe’s Largest Hydrogen Production Plant Will Open in 2021

(Cemex/NGV Journal) The president of the Government Francina Armengol headed the presentation of the Power to Green Hydrogen Mallorca project promoted by the regional government and the companies CEMEX, Enagás, Acciona and Redexis. The execution of the project will provide a green hydrogen production plant in 2021 to supply vehicles with

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels and Chemicals: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Vertimass

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vertimass technology converts renewable ethanol into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel blend stocks and high value chemicals. They recently had $2 million scale-up and $500k catalyst optimization awards by DOE BioEnergy Technology Office (BETO) accelerating commercialization. Charles E. Wyman, PhD,President and CEO, Vertimass, gave this illuminating overview

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomethane Business Is Booming – From Waste to Watts and Wonder Chemicals

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … First, let’s make sure we aren’t confusing biogas with biomethane. Biogas is mostly methane and carbon dioxide but that doesn’t mean it’s biomethane. You see, biogas is produced from organic matter breaking down in the absence of oxygen, but biomethane is biogas that has been upgraded

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Feedstock Flexibility

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Beyond Enerkem, a few companies around the world are looking to feedstocks outside of corn to produce cellulosic ethanol. — A few well-known ethanol producers are developing cellulosic pathways that use feedstocks other than elements of corn. … Waste Gas LanzaTech, a U.S.-based carbon capture and

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Aemetis Details Progress with RNG, Cellulosic Ethanol Projects

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. released first quarter 2019 financial results May 9, reporting progress with its advanced biofuel projects, including its proposed cellulosic ethanol plant and its dairy digester project to produce renewable natural gas (RNG). During an earnings call, Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis,

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

FLAGSHIPS Project to Deploy Two Hydrogen Vessels

(Norled) The European innovation project FLAGSHIPS has been awarded 5 Million Euros from the EU to support deploying two commercially operated zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vessels in France and Norway — … “Norled has taken a leading role in the development of zero emission ferries. This innovation project will be

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

California Certifies Two Edeniq Customers for Corn Kernel Fiber Ethanol

(Edeniq/Business Wire) Siouxland Ethanol and Elite Octane received LCFS approvals using Edeniq’s Intellulose 2.0 corn fiber technology — Edeniq, Inc. (“Edeniq”), a leading biotechnology company that develops processes for producing and measuring cellulosic ethanol, today announced that the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) approved its first two Intellulose 2.0 customers for cellulosic

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

ExxonMobil Promises $100m for Biofuels and CCS Research

(Business Green) Oil giant ExxonMobil this week promised a fresh wave of up to $100m R&D cash to support the development of carbon reduction technologies. The company announced a 10-year agreement with the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory to fund research into biofuels and carbon capture technologies,

May 12, 2019 Read Full Article

The Case for a Credit

by Steffen Mueller and Sam Rushing (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The role of ethanol-based carbon dioxide is often underappreciated, both as an important source for the nation’s carbon dioxide market and for its carbon-reduction impact. Fermentation CO2 is captured, cleaned and condensed at 49 ethanol plants in the U.S., contributing between 30

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Novel Process Derives Algae-Based Biofuel from Wastewater

by David Wagman (Engineering 360) … However, growing cyanobacteria at an industrial scale requires a lot of water and nutrients. The Idaho researchers decided to grow cyanobacteria at a wastewater treatment facility, producing algae to grow biofuels and also reducing blooms downstream. The researchers worked with the Drake Water Reclamation Facility

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

DE-FOA-0002029: FY19 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement DEADLINE: June 3, 2019

(U.S. Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to address the highest priority R&D areas within biofuel technologies, bioproducts, and biopower. It includes Areas of Interest (AOIs) from all five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced Algal Systems; Conversion; Advanced Development and Optimization; and Sustainability and

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

The Secrets of Secretion: Isolating Eucalyptus Genes for Oils, Biofuel

(Michigan Technological University/Science Codex) What is the genetic basis for eucalyptus trees to produce that fragrant oil many of us associate with trips to the spa? Carsten Külheim, associate professor in Michigan Technological University’s School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, has spent the past 10 years of his career studying eucalyptus.

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

BP, Nouryon, and Port of Rotterdam Explore Green Hydrogen via Water Electrolysis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From the Netherlands arrives the news that BP, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), and the Port of Rotterdam have joined forces to explore the opportunity of making ‘green hydrogen’ via water electrolysis for BP’s refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which has the potential for significant reductions

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Refuel as You Sail with Hydrogen

by Nick Savvides (Freight Waves) … One company has gone a step further and is looking at developing the zero-fuel ship. That is a vessel that creates its own fuel as it moves. … Madadh (pronounced Maddy) MacLaine, CEO of Zero Emissions Maritime Technology, Ltd. believes that hydrogen’s time has come.

May 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Experts Secure £200,000 from the Department for Transport for Research into Greener Travel

(Loughborough University) Loughborough University has been awarded £200,000 for two projects which aim to make the transport sector more environmentally friendly. Dr Jin Xuan, a Senior Lecturer in Low Carbon Processes, Dr Tanja Radu, a Lecturer in Water Engineering, and Dr Jonathan Wagner, a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, successfully bid for the grant which

May 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Greening the Gas Grid: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Netherland Enterprise Agency

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Netherland Enterprise Agency is a government agency which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. The Netherland Enterprise Agency stimulates entrepreneurs in sustainable, agricultural, innovative and international business. It aims to improve opportunities for entrepreneurs, strengthen their position and help

May 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Record Solar Hydrogen Production with Concentrated Sunlight

(EPFL) EPFL researchers have created a smart device capable of producing large amounts of clean hydrogen. By concentrating sunlight, their device uses a smaller amount of the rare, costly materials that are required to produce hydrogen, yet it still maintains a high solar-to-fuel efficiency. Their research has been taken to the

May 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Big Car Brands to Join B30 Biofuel Test at End of May

by Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (Jakarta Post) Stakeholders comprising private and state institutions will kick off a maiden road test for vehicles using diesel fuel containing 30 percent palm oil-based biofuel, known as B30 biofuel, at the end of this month. The road test, which will involve carmakers such as Nissan, Toyota, Isuzu

May 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Paper Sludge to Biogas, 3D Printed House, Cocoa Bean Waste-to-Fuel, Vegan Silk Biopolymers, Biobased Adhesives, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of May 8th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of May 8th. In today’s Digest, paper sludge to biogas, 3D printed house, cocoa bean waste-to-fuel, vegan silk biopolymers, biobased adhesives, paper and pasta straws —

May 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Petition Urges Car Makers to Build More FFVs

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) A grassroots effort has begun to let auto manufacturers know American drivers want more flex-fuel vehicle options. In recent months, auto manufacturers have signaled they are pulling back on the production of flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on a variety of higher ethanol blends up to E85. Two

May 8, 2019 Read Full Article

What’s in Our Gasoline Is Killing Us: New Report Documents Connection Between Toxic Fuel Additives, Vehicle Emissions and Human Health Threats

(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The fuel we use in our vehicles may actually be killing us. That’s the conclusion in a new report released today which calls emissions from consumer gasoline one of the biggest health threats facing the American public. The report links a wide range of respiratory and even

May 7, 2019 Read Full Article

VTT and RISE Strengthening Collaboration in Bio- and Circular Economy

(Research Institutes of Sweden) The objective of the new agreement between VTT and RISE is to establish a framework for collaboration in the field of bio- and circular economy test and demo infrastructures. The purpose is to create a comprehensive infrastructure portfolio for the benefit of their customers, and to plan

May 7, 2019 Read Full Article

After Yearlong Delay, New Fiberight Waste-to-Energy Plant Fires up Residential Garbage Processor

by Meg Robbins (Morning Sentinel) The plant started taking in waste last week even as key officials from the group representing towns’ interests in the facility have stepped down. — The Fiberight waste-processing facility in Hampden accepted its first loads of municipal trash last week, a year after its expected opening and

May 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Thomas Midgley, Jr. May Have Been the Most Environmentally Disastrous Person of All Time

by Tom Phillips (Popular Science) … In the 1910s and 1920s, he was working on the problem of car engines “knocking”—a persistent problem where engines would stutter and jerk, especially when put under strain. Midgley and his boss Charles Kettering suspected that knocking was down to the fuel used burning unevenly,

May 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Alternative Jet Fuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to National Jet Fuels Combustion Program

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) National Jet Fuels Combustion Program has a mission to help streamline the fuel approval process and has over 30 instituttions involved in their research and projects including 12 universities, 8 government agencies, 5 OEMs and several others. Med Colket, Retired Senior Fellow, United Technologies Research Center,

May 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Anellotech’s Bio-TCat Technology Viability Confirmed during Pilot Plant Campaign – Moving forward with Commercialization

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) We hear the theme song to Disney’s Carousel of Progress… “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…” but it’s also a great big beautiful today because the viability of Anellotech’s Bio-TCat technology has been proven by achieving commercially-targeted yields in its TCat-8 pilot unit in Silsbee,

May 6, 2019 Read Full Article

The Plan to Grab the World’s Carbon with Supercharged Plants

by Emily Dreyfuss (Wired) … Plant biologist Joanne Chory thinks plants can do more. She has studied the genetics of plants at the Salk Institute in San Diego for more than 30 years, and she and the rest of the five-person Harnessing Plants Initiative team are convinced that photosynthesis itself can

May 4, 2019 Read Full Article

A Tesla Model 3 Produces More CO2 than a Diesel Car, Says New Study

by Loukia Papadopoulos (Interesting Engineering) New research out of German think tank ifo is arguing electric vehicles are not the environmental heroes they are touted to be. — A new study by German think tank ifo is putting a damper on the eco-friendliness of electric vehicles (EVs). The research is revealing that these cars

May 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Government, National Labs, Academia, and Industry Convene at the 2019 BETO Peer Review! Presentations Now Available

(U.S. Department of Energy) From March 4–8, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review in Denver, Colorado. This was the largest Peer Review in BETO history—almost 600 people attended the event! Bioenergy researchers

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

What if Air Conditioners Could Help Save the Planet instead of Destroying It?

by Matt Simon (Wired) … But what if we could weaponize air conditioning units to help pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere instead? According to a new paper in Nature Communications, it’s feasible. Using technology currently in development, AC units in skyscrapers and even your home could get turned into machines

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Ruan’s Fleet Runs Smoothly on Biodiesel

(Trucking Info/Renewable Energy Group) Working with Renewable Energy Group, trucking giant Ruan Transportation has confirmed that using biodiesel blends is both sustainable and profitable. The Iowa-based trucking firm has more than 300 locations nationwide and a fleet that travels 350 million miles a year. Among the benefits of biodiesel blends to

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Comparison of Biofuel Life-Cycle GHG Emissions Assessment Tools: The Case Studies of Ethanol Produced from Sugarcane, Corn, and Wheat

by L.G.Pereira, O.Cavalett, A.Bonomi, Y.Zhang, E.Warner, H.L.Chum (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews) Highlights: Emissions ranged from 16 to 45 for sugarcane and 43–62 g CO2eq MJ−1 for corn ethanol. LCA tools produce similar results when harmonized to the maximum possible extent. Models are sensitive to methodology, which is a risk factor in policy arena. We recommend strengthened

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

DE-FOA-0002029: FY19 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement

(U.S. Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to address the highest priority R&D areas within biofuel technologies, bioproducts, and biopower. It includes Areas of Interest (AOIs) from all five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced Algal Systems; Conversion; Advanced Development and Optimization; and Sustainability and

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Too hard to handle? Biomass Handling Challenges: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Jenike & Johanson

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jenike & Johanson is a specialized engineering firm focused on providing clients solutions to material handling applications. They have tested over 13,000 materials and worked on over 7,500 projects and utilize a scientific approach based on your materials, not a trial and error approach. Carrie Hartford,

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Why a Drop of Oil Bounces in a Water/Ethanol Gradient and Eventually Falls to the Bottom of a Jar

by Bob Yirka (Phys.org) A team of researchers working at the University of Twente has solved the mystery of why a drop of oil bounces repeatedly when dropped in a water/ethanol gradient but eventually falls to the bottom of a jar. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters,

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels in Canada 2019: Tracking Biofuel Consumption, Feedstocks and Avoided Greenhouse Gas Emissions

(Navius Research) Navius Research has released the 2019 edition of the “Biofuels in Canada” report. This report uses public data to catalogue the volume of transportation biofuels consumed in each Canadian province while estimating the impact of biofuel consumption on greenhouse gas emissions and transportation energy costs. Highlights: Ethanol consumption

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Better Biomaterials: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the “new ideas” laboratory, was established in 1952 at the height of the Cold War to meet urgent national security needs by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology and they continue to aspire to intellectual leadership, originality, and audacity. A.J. Simon, Group

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Of Renmatix and All These Pivots

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pennsylvania bioeconomy pioneers debuts Celltice, a “Petro-Free Breakthrough in Clean Cosmetic Formulations” — From Pennsylvania, comes the news that Renmatix is introducing Celltice, its “zero-chemical self-emulsifying active,” built from cellulose and lignin, and aimed at the clean beauty movement towards petro-free, plant-based ingredients for clean cosmetics with

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Bacteria Turn Agri Waste to Biofuel, First-of-Its-Kind Research

by Himanshu Nitnaware (Pune Mirror) … The researchers worked to find an alternative to fossil fuels through biodegradation of agricultural waste such as wheat straw, and sugarcane bagasse as substrates. The biodegradation was brought about by busing cellulose-degrading bacteria and their enzymes for sustainable development and an environment-friendly approach. … The experts discovered a

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Scientists Making ‘Aviation Fuel of the Future’ in Scotland

by Kevin Keane (BBC News) … The fuel is made from waste wooden pellets which are heated, turned into a gas and mixed with other ingredients. A team from Heriot-Watt University is close to working with a major airline on piloting the biomass fuel. … The Edinburgh-based university is one of three which

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Flex Fuels and Hybrid Electrification Will Change Heavy Trucks

by Kevin Clemens (Design News) … “We’ve been working for a number of years on ways to make engines for cars and trucks cleaner and more efficient, and we’ve been particularly interested in what you can do with spark ignition [as opposed to the compression ignition used in diesels], because it’s intrinsically

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Yes, Tin Lizzie Was an Alcoholic

by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) Correcting Bad Revisionist History About Ford’s Model T Automobile — The most venerated automobile of all time is Henry Ford’s Model T. Nicknamed “Tin Lizzie,” “Leapin’ Lena,” and sometimes “Flivver,” the Model T went into production in 1908 and the last models rolled off the assembly

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Spain: Chiclana Launches First Minibus Powered by Biomethane

(Chiclana Natural/NGV Journal) The mayor of Chiclana José María Román presented the first minibus fueled by the biogas generated at the WWTP of Torno, through the All Gas project. This renewable fuel has already been experienced in the fleet of the municipal company Chiclana Natural. In addition to the city council

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Teresa Kok Announces RM5m for B10 Biodiesel Insurance

by Ida Nadirah Ibrahim (Malay Mail) The federal government has allocated RM5 million insurance for vehicles fuelled with B10 biodiesel, which contains 10 per cent palm oil. Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said consumers can claim the insurance if proven that the vehicle engine has broken down as a result of

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Algal Biofuel: The Long Road to Commercial Viability

by Chris Lo (Power Technology) The green technology sector has fallen out of love with algae as a feedstock for biofuel production, but there is hope yet for algae-derived fuel in the long-term. What are the recent advances that are refining the production processes that could see algal biofuel compete with

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Urban Air Initiative Comments on E15 Proposed Regulations focus on Sub-Sim

(Urban Air Initiative, et al.) EPA’s proposed rule is inconsistent with the text of the sub-sim law, because ethanol is now a fuel additive used in vehicle certification. The proposed rule would codify a “no more than 15%” ethanol limit for the 1 psi RVP waiver. EPA’s 15% limit is based on EPA’s misinterpretation

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

This Biotech Turns Paper Waste into Biogas Using Enzymes

(LABIOTECH) In sunny Turkey, the company Episome Biotech is developing a fermentation technique that digests paper waste and turns it into useful products such as biogas, biofuel, and fertilizer. — Mission: To transform paper waste from garbage into a metaphorical gold mine. The company’s enzyme-based method is designed to make it easy

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Solar Fuel Turns to Plants for Inspiration

(European Commission) An ‘artificial leaf’ being developed by EU-funded researchers to produce fuel from sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, could tackle soaring global energy demands, the growing impact of climate change, and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. — Developing new sources of clean, renewable energy that can compete against fossil fuels is

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Quality Challenges: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Idaho National Laboratory

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) INL is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Chenlin Li,

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Power of Biology for Algae Biofuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Synthetic Genomics

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synthetic Genomics is a San Diego biotechnology company harnessing the power of living cells — nature’s most efficient machines — to create transformative medicines and bio-based products. Their teams of data and biological engineers have developed the leading set of synthetic biology capabilities, tools, and intellectual property

April 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuel Market Is Nearing a Tipping Point

by Kerry Reals (Aviation Week & Space Technology) After years of talking about the potential of biofuels and conducting sporadic demonstration flights powered partially by alternatives to kerosene, experts in the field of sustainable aviation detect that the industry could be moving toward a tipping point where more meaningful volumes are

April 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Scientists Explore Using Bacteria as Building Blocks fior Alternative Fuels

by Valerie Nikolas (Medill Reports) Researchers at Northwestern University’s Jewett Lab use E. coli and other strains to innovate new renewable compounds — At Northwestern University’s Jewett Lab in the Center for Synthetic Biology, researchers aim to create sustainable chemicals and materials out of existing organic compounds. Using cell-free metabolic

April 29, 2019 Read Full Article

WATCH: Maersk’s Biofuel Pilot Reaches Hong Kong

(Port Technology/Maersk) A.P Moller-Maersk, the largest container shipping line in the world, has released a video of the Maersk Mette’s historic eco-friendly Rotterdam-Shanghai voyage, which was taken by the vessel’s Captain Thomas Hvilborg. The video shows the Maersk Mette, a large triple-E vessel, entering the Port of Hong Kong as it

April 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Quantum Fuel Systems and Quantitative BioSciences Partner to Develop Biofuels Production Facility at California “Farm of the Future”

(ACT News) A promising new partnership demonstrates how dairy farms can realize the many benefits of capturing and selling biomethane as fuel. Quantum Fuel Systems just announced that Quantitative BioSciences, Inc. is partnering with and purchasing the company’s newest 10-foot Virtual Pipeline trailers to be used in a California dairy biogas

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

DFDS Invests in Biofuels Developer MASH Energy

(DFDS/MASH Energy/Globe Newswire) DFDS is investing in the start-up company MASH Energy ApS that produces biofuel from agricultural waste, currently from the by-products of nut processing in Tanzania and India. The biofuel is CO2 neutral and can be used in ships. In addition, the residual product is an effective fertiliser and will

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Study of Sorghum-Munching Aphids Earns NSF Award

(University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources) … University of Nebraska–Lincoln entomologist Joe Louis is investigating ways to help sorghum naturally resist sugarcane aphids, the crop’s most damaging pest in the United States. Louis earned a five-year, $1.5 million Faculty Early Career Development Program award from the National Science Foundation to

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Reducing Energy Required to Convert CO2 Waste into Valuable Resources

(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Phys.Org) Surplus industrial carbon dioxide creates an opportunity to convert waste into a valuable commodity. Excess CO2 can be a feedstock for chemicals typically derived from fossil fuels, but the process is energy-intensive and expensive. University of Illinois chemical engineers have assessed the technical and economic feasibility

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

(A)lgae + (B)iomass = (C)onstructive: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Sandia National Labs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sandia National Laboratories shares a famous acronym with Saturday Night Live but the work they have done is key to the future of the bioeconomy, having delivered essential science and technology to resolve the nation’s most challenging security issues for over 60 years. One piece of

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuel Made from Roadkill, Cardboard Café, Wheat Straw Transformed to Isobutene, 3D Printed Biobricks, Algae Plastic, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of April 25th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of April 25th. In today’s Digest, biofuel made from roadkill, cardboard café, wheat straw transformed to isobutene, 3D printed biobricks, algae plastic — these and more,

April 25, 2019 Read Full Article

UMD College Park Engineering Sustainability Day Highlights Real Projects and Difficulties

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) No matter what you think of engineers, they have an important role to play in achieving goals of the Green New Deal and climate change mitigation. It was a great way to spending Earth Day — at University of Maryland College Park as a

April 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Duke University Researchers Develop Robotic System that Sniffs Ethanol Leaks

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In North Carolina, engineers at Duke University are developing a smart robotic system for sniffing out pollution hotspots and sources of toxic leaks. Their approach enables a robot to incorporate complex calculations of airflows in confined spaces made on the fly, rather than simply guide the robot

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Tech Taiwan Makes Advance in Biofuel Production Technique

by Yu Hsiao-han and Chung Yu-chen (Focus Taiwan News Channel) Academia Sinica Thursday unveiled a technique that facilitates the production of more biofuel using cryo-electron microscopy, a technology that enables researchers to better capture the structure of enzymes — biological catalysts that accelerate the process by which biomass is transformed

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Sustainable Way to Increase Seed Oil Yield in Crops

(Science Daily/Nanyang Technological University) Scientists have developed a sustainable way to demonstrate a new genetic modification that can increase the yield of natural oil in seeds by up to 15% in laboratory conditions. — The new method can be applied to crops such as canola, soybean and sunflower, which are in a

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Ameresco Opens Biogas-to-RNG Plant in Phoenix

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Ameresco Inc. has announced the commercial operations of a renewable natural gas (RNG) plant in Phoenix. The facility, which entered operations earlier this year, is located at 91st Ave. According to Ameresco, the plant is the largest wastewater treatment biogas-to-RNG facility of its kind in the

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Quantum, Quantitative BioSciences Partner for Biogas-to-RNG Project in Modesto

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) In a new partnership with Quantum Fuel Systems LLC, Quantitative BioSciences Inc. (QBI) is purchasing Quantum’s newest 10-foot virtual pipeline trailers to be used in a dairy biogas project. QBI, with funding from the California Energy Commission, has partnered with the family-owned and -operated Fiscalini Cheese Co.

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

REACHing for the Stars: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Mercurius Biorefining

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mercurius Biorefining is developing its novel REACH process, which converts cellulosic biomass to hydrocarbons in the renewable diesel, aviation, and marine fuel ranges. Valuable by-products include bio-char and a bio-plastic monomer, FDCA. REACH (Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating) is a novel application of proven technologies which is both

April 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Earth Day 2019 – A Look at Carbon Negative and Carbon Capture Technologies, Advancements, and Possibilities

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … What was a nationwide celebration and peaceful demonstrations for environmental reform in the U.S. by some estimated 20 million Americans, Earth Day events have now expanded to over 193 countries and more than a billion people every year. … The top 5 CO2 producing countries in the

April 23, 2019 Read Full Article

A Different Animal: Ethanol Producers Are Increasingly Turning to a Burgeoning Aquaculture Industry for Another Coproduct Revenue Stream.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) While ethanol’s coproducts are well-known to the livestock industry, innovative technologies and processes are opening new markets for dried distillers grains with solubles. The aquaculture industry is one of those new markets, and a partnership between White Dog Labs and Midwest Renewable Energy LLC positions

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Helps Develop a Novel Extraction Process that May Provide a More Economical Way to Make a Promising Biofuel

(Worcester Polytechnic Institute/PR Web) Isobutanol has been hailed as a possible green replacement for fossil fuels like gasoline, but producing it has proven difficult and costly. In a paper in Nature Communications, a research team that includes a WPI chemical engineer shows how a novel process may make producing this and

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Putting CO₂ Emissions to Work: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Opus 12

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Opus 12 has developed a device that recycles CO₂ into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels. Their technology bolts onto any source of CO₂ emissions, and with only water and electricity as inputs, transforms that CO₂ into some of the world’s most critical chemical products. Opus 12 was

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

New Study Underscores the Need to Make Rare Earth Metal Use More Sustainable

(Our Daily Planet) We don’t recycle these metals and their extraction is rife with human rights abuses. As Phys reported, a new study, commissioned and funded by the non-profit EarthWorks, “shows that as demand for minerals such as lithium and rare earths skyrockets, the already significant environmental and human impacts of hardrock mining are likely to rise

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Neste Partners with Air BP to Deliver Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(Biofuels International) Renewable fuel producer Neste has announced an agreement with aviation fuel supplier Air BP to deliver sustainable aviation fuel to Swedish customers. This latest agreement will build on their existing partnership, which was established last year to develop solutions to deliver sustainable aviation fuel to airports and airlines, according

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Florida Climate-Smart Ag Initiative Announced

(Solutions from the Land) Florida agricultural leaders are calling for deeper exploration of farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners as suppliers of environmental protection as well as of food and fiber. The Florida Climate-Smart Agriculture Work Group has declared its ambitions to craft a plan for how the state’s 26 million acres of

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

New Corolla Made in Brazil Will Be the World’s First Flex Hybrid Vehicle

(Toyota (Google Translation)) With this motorization, the New Corolla will be the most efficient ethanol-powered car in the country and the cleanest hybrid on the planet; Ad meets efficiency requirements established by Rota 2030 Program; With launch scheduled for the last quarter of 2019, model will be mounted on the modern platform

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

India’s Ethanol Scenario: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj Americas, Inc.,subsidiary of Praj industries ltd, is a unique technology and engineering company in the ethanol arena in the Americas. What started off as an entrepreneurial venture three decades ago, the parent company, Praj Industries, is today a leader in India in the field of

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Volvo Joins Project to Test Bio-LNG Trucks for Nordic Distribution Center

(Gasum/NGV Journal) Elgiganten, Gasum and Volvo Lastvagnar are now entering a testing period in which Elgiganten’s transport partners will run the outgoing transport from Elgiganten’s Nordic distribution centre in Jönköping on bio-LNG. On the procurement of Elgiganten’s new transport agreement in spring 2020, there will be requirements for parts of the