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An engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth around US$ 60 million for building a bio-ethanol plant was signed between the Petrolchemical and Bio Fuel Joint Stock Company (PVB) under the National Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) and a joint venture of contractors including the Petrovietnam Construction Joint Stock Company
Feedstock
Agragen, a leader in using biotechnology to modify Camelina sativa to increase agronomically desirable traits, announces the acquisition of intellectual property rights that will increase oil content in the second generation oilseed crop. Through an agreement with the University of Alberta and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), signed May, 2,
June 17, 2009
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Metso and UPM have developed a new concept for the production of biomass-based bio-oil to replace fossil fuels in heating and power generation. Test production will begin at Metso’s test plant in Tampere, Finland, in June 2009. Bio-oil can be manufactured by UPM’s renewable energy power plants which are equipped
June 17, 2009
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by Lisa Gibson, Biomass Magazine. Brazil could produce 4.6 billion to 8.2 billion liters (1.2 billion to 2.2 billion gallons) of biofuel from sugarcane residue by 2020, in addition to that made from sugar itself, according to a recently released Novozymes report. Development, however, will depend on the industry’s ability
June 17, 2009
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ATI Petroleum, a petroleum exploration management and operations company, announced that the US Department of Commerce awarded the first patent on bioreactor technology to ATI Petroleum. The bioreactor technology was created through a collaborative effort with the US Department of Energy, the EPA, and ATI Petroleum’s renewable energy division. ATI Petroleum
June 17, 2009
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Lignol Energy Corporation a cellulosic ethanol and biorefining company, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd., has been awarded $3.4 million in funding to produce cellulosic ethanol and other biochemical products from under-utilized forest resources, including lodgepole pine killed by mountain pine beetle. Premier Gordon Campbell announced the award
June 17, 2009
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In California, SG Biofuels announced that it has identified multiple strains of cold tolerant Jatropha capable of thriving in climates outside the crop’s traditional subtropical habitat. The strains are included among thousands of variations of Jatropha curcas the firm has collected from a range of climates and geographies around the
June 16, 2009
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by Ron Kotrba. A group of Spanish developers working under the company name Ecofasa, headed by chief executive officer and inventor Francisco Angulo, has developed a biochemical process to turn urban solid waste into a fatty acid biodiesel feedstock. “It took more than 10 years working on the idea of
June 16, 2009
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by Susan Wilson. Algae has been cultivated primarily as a source of biofuel, but Renewed World Energies (RWE) is taking it one step further. The company wants to clean up power plant and industrial plant emissions using algae and then have the algae turn the CO2 captured to generate both
June 16, 2009
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Industrial-scale production of bioenergy from algae, or seaweeds, can be expected in 10 to 15 years, helping Europe to reach its green energy targets, the top official at a newly created bioenergy body said on Wednesday. … Research into algae-made biofuels has been active in the last 3 to 5
June 16, 2009
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Gold Star Biofuels a subsidiary of Gold Star Farms Ltd., is cultivating five million acres of land in Ghana to plant jatropha for the production of biofuels for export. According to the firm it has secured commitment from farmers to grow the plant in the country. The company began cultivating
June 16, 2009
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Ghana is becoming the Jatropha centre in Africa south of the Sahara. The attraction which the country has as a welcoming place for investors interested in the wonder plant, Jatropha which hopefully, would be the world’s answer to alternative energy sources is resonating across the globe even in such difficult
June 16, 2009
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As part of an effort to develop a new collection of alternative fuels, ecologist Julie Jastrow and her colleagues from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago planted seven different combinations of native Midwestern prairie grasses on the 13-acre site at Fermilab’s campus.
June 3, 2009
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Every spring, the US Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Biomass Program hosts a FREE 2-day conference and expo exploring biomass as an energy source. The Biomass Program works with industry, academia and national laboratory partners on a balanced portfolion of research in biomass feedstocks and
SCIENTISTS in Wales are working on a ground-breaking £1m scheme to turn grass into fuel. The Assembly Government- backed “grassohol” project aims to develop a commercially viable way to make ethanol which is used as an alternative to petrol. The project, which has been funded by the UK government, the
June 1, 2009
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Biofuels Digest reports that in Ethiopia, Ardent Energy Group announced an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MOARD) of Ethiopia to transfer 15,000 hectares, approximately 37,000 acres, to AEG for the purpose of cultivating jatropha and castor. The resultant crop will be refined into usable biodiesel fuel.
June 1, 2009
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Corn cobs are both economical and environmentally friendly as a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol, university and government reports indicate, reaffirming POET’s strategy for commercializing its new technology. Removing corn cobs from fields for use in cellulosic ethanol production appears to have no substantial impact on soil nutrient content, based on
May 29, 2009
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Waste Management, Inc. and InEnTec LLC announced the formation of S4 Energy Solutions LLC, a joint venture to develop, operate and market plasma gasification facilities using InEnTec’s Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM™) technology. The joint venture is expected to process waste from the country’s increasingly segmented commercial and industrial waste streams
May 29, 2009
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With their sweet, refreshing juices and succulent interior, watermelons are a favorite summertime treat, especially around July 4th. But now this Independence Day favorite could become even more of a patriotic commodity. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies in Lane, Okla., have shown that simple sugars in watermelon juice can be
May 28, 2009
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U.S. Freedom Bio Fuels, LLC, manufacturer of Biodiesel production equipment for the commercial end user, has developed a processor for converting animal fat to fuel. There BD65AF processor will produce 200 gallons of fuel per day without acid pre-treat. READ MORE
May 26, 2009
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The Crowley County Commissioners announced the award of a $9,000,000 Private Activity Bond Allocation through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. This allocation authorizes the issuance of $9 million in tax free bonds to support the development of an animal waste-to-energy production facility at Ordway Feedyard, Ordway, Colorado. This innovative
May 25, 2009
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Biofuels Digest presents a special report on biofuels aviation, including coverage of feedstocks, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine makers and policy. READ MORE
May 25, 2009
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According to Biofuels Digest, in Florida, PetroAlgae said that it believes it is now the closest company to commercialization of micro crops as a biofuel will complete its microcrop demonstration farm in Florida this year and will commence booking revenues from technology licenses this year. The company revealed that it
May 22, 2009
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Scientists in California are reporting use of a first-of-its-kind approach to craft genetically engineered microbes with the much-sought ability to transform switchgrass, corn cobs, and other organic materials into methyl halides — the raw material for making gasoline and a host of other commercially important products. The new bioprocess could
May 22, 2009
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Honeywell Aerospace is gearing up for biofuel tests on its APUs and engines this summer in a bid to stay ahead of the alternative fuel push. … That project is now entering a second phase with biofuel tests, and Honeywell will piggyback testing of civilian engines with a mix of
May 22, 2009
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Diesel Brewing announced the company has launched its initiative to manufacture cellulosic bio-butanol from Oregon’s ample supplies of biomass and dairy farm manure. Bio-butanol is a 100% “green” liquid fuel that can be blended into conventional gasoline or diesel stocks without engine modifications. Compared to corn-based fuel additives, bio-butanol has
May 22, 2009
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GreenFuel Technologies, one of the first companies to enter the algae biofuels business, is shutting down after running out of money. Investor Duncan McIntyre of Polaris Venture Partners on Wednesday confirmed GreenFuel Technologies’ demise, saying that the company is a “victim of the economy.” The closing was initially reported by
May 22, 2009
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Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation, a leader in second generation biomass-to-biofuel technology, and BlueLeaf Inc., a Canadian private social purpose enterprise active in applied research concerning the environment, announced results of a year long test in application of Dynamotive’s CQuest™ Biochar into commercial farming test plots. Biochar is a byproduct of
May 22, 2009
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Süd-Chemie AG (Germany), a leading manufacturer of catalysts and adsorbents, and The Linde Group (Germany), a leading global company in the sector of gases and engineering, have launched the production of climate-friendly biofuels based on lignocellulosic biomass in Munich. The two companies recently started a pilot plant at Süd-Chemie’s research
May 22, 2009
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(US Department o fAgriculture) The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). BCAP is a new program authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). The EIS will assess the potential environmental
May 15, 2009
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At the time, jatropha’s promise seemed boundless. APJ Abdul Kalam, the president, even used his presidential address that year to extol its virtues. Jatropha can survive in the most arid wastelands, the story went, so vast barren swathes of India could be put to productive use. It is inedible so
May 13, 2009
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… “Developing the next generation of biofuels is key to our effort to end our dependence on foreign oil and address the climate crisis — while creating millions of new jobs that can’t be outsourced,” Secretary Chu said. “With American investment and ingenuity — and resources grown right here at
May 13, 2009
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Rentech, Inc., announced a plan to build a plant in Rialto, California for the production of ultra-clean synthetic fuels and electric power from renewable waste biomass feedstocks. The Rialto Renewable Energy Center (Rialto Project) is designed to produce approximately 600 barrels per day of pure renewable synthetic fuels and export
May 13, 2009
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The seeds of a lowly weed could cut jet fuel’s cradle-to-grave carbon emissions by 84 percent. David Shonnard, Robbins Chair Professor of Chemical Engineering, conducted an analysis of jet fuel made from camelina oil to measure its carbon dioxide emissions over the course of its life cycle, from planting to
May 13, 2009
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Farming Biodiesel, Inc., a sustainable, social Jatropha farming organization, in association with New Eye Productions and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), announces they will be featured in the upcoming television series titled Worldview Program. Breaking ground since 2007, Desert Center, California based Farming Biodiesel, Inc. is the only USDA registered Jatropha
May 12, 2009
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Scientists have combined a discovery from a French garbage dump with breakthroughs in synthetic biology to come up with a novel method for turning plant waste into gasoline, without the need of any food sources. A synthetic biology lab at the University of California San Francisco identified a compound able
May 8, 2009
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Originally formed in March 2006 as H2Diesel, Inc., New Generation Biofuels is commercializing a second generation biofuel using a proprietary process. NGB Biofuel is a precision blended product made from any number of new or recycled vegetable oil or animal fat feedstock’s without using a complicated chemical reaction and without
May 8, 2009
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Genifuel has teamed up with Pacific Northwest National Labs to make natural gas out of algae. Why? It’s cheaper and easier than producing liquid fuel. Why crush algae when you can incinerate it? That’s one way to describe a shift in strategy at Genifuel. The company, which started out as
May 8, 2009
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A 76-year-old manufacturer of car wash soaps says it’s developed a new line of clean biofuel products that could revolutionize alternative fuels. Stone Soap Co. Inc. has applied for a patent for the chemistry behind three related products: a so-called hybrid biodiesel, a biofuel for blending with gasoline and a
May 8, 2009
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…At The University of Texas at Austin, the scope of the project includes identifying the best strains of algae for producing oil from sites in Texas and from the university’s algal culture collection, harvesting the algal strains, breaking the algal cells to extract oil, purifying the algal oil for jet
May 8, 2009
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The greatest irony of America’s 21st Century quest for energy independence is that it – whatever “it” turns out to be – most assuredly has been here all along! And none of the emerging cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks fits that description better than switchgrass, which once covered the continent from sea
May 7, 2009
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Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc., and BioProcessAlgae LLC have executed a grant award agreement with the Iowa Office of Energy Independence for a $2.1 million research and development grant from the Iowa Power Fund to build an algae pilot project at Green Plains’ ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. “Algae has
May 6, 2009
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Armenia’s climatic conditions are not suitable for sugarcane production; however, there are several alternative crops suitable to Armenia’s climate for cultivation on available agricultural land that is not intended for the production of food crops. In particular, Jerusalem artichoke has been identified as a crop with great potential as a
May 5, 2009
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The Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources, in Danville, Va., is studying the potential to use the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosis), a perennial native sunflower species, as a feedstock for producing ethanol. The institute is a research center jointly affiliated with the departments of horticulture and forestry at Virginia Polytechnic
May 5, 2009
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A technological breakthrough that dramatically reduces the cost of removing water from algae – making algae an economically feasible source of fuel was announced by Algae Venture Systems, an Ohio company. Algae VS process slashes the cost of harvesting, dewatering and drying, reducing processing costs by more than 99 percent. READ
May 5, 2009
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Part 1: Global Palm Oil Demand Fueling Deforestation The benefits of the oil palm are difficult for Indonesia to ignore. Once planted, the tropical tree can produce fruit for more than 30 years, providing much-needed employment for poor rural communities. And its oil is highly lucrative, due largely to the
May 4, 2009
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The World First Racing team at the Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Center in Britain announced late last month that it has built an environmentally friendly Formula Three car powered by vegetable oil and waste chocolate. The car also includes a steering wheel derived from carrots and other root vegetables, a
May 1, 2009
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Sirona Fuels, an emerging leader in alternative fuels, announced that it has begun Jatropha planting operations in Haiti over the past month in a joint venture with 3C Missions, an organization that has established a relief fund for over 1,100 orphaned children in Haiti. Sirona intends to harvest and crush
May 1, 2009
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With virtually all of the biofuels currently produced in the United States sourced from either soybeans or corn, there is significant interest in developing a diverse array of biomass feedstocks that will not compete for food resources. Dedicated energy crops such as switchgrass and hybrid poplar have caught the public’s
May 1, 2009
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Dynamotive USA, Inc. executed a long-term contract for the supply of feedstock for a planned 200 TPD BioOil® plant to be developed in southern Arkansas. Contract envisages the supply of 220,000 green tons per year of green residues (sawdust) for an initial term of 10 years with pricing linked to
May 1, 2009
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San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and others said the San Diego region, now home to more than 500 biotechnology companies, could become a major center for renewable energy development, as scientists from UC San Diego, The Scripps Research Institute and other local research institutions join with their industry counterparts in
May 1, 2009
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Researchers funded by a consortium of European governments and institutions to investigate algae strains most optimal for remote rural biofuel production. BioMara, a Scottish-Irish research project, has secured €6 million ($8.1m) to produce biofuel from algae. Research is to be led by Michele Stanley of the Scottish Association of Marine
April 30, 2009
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Camelina sativa is a member of the mustard family, a distant relative to canola, and the new darling of biodiesel production. Camelina plants are heavily branched, growing from one to three feet tall producing seed pods containing many small, oily seeds. READ MORE
April 28, 2009
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A life cycle analysis (LCA) comparing camelina-derived renewable jet and diesel fuels to petroleum fuels and biodiesel found that the green jet and green diesel fuels are lower in fossil energy demand and also lower in GHG emissions compared to biodiesel, and that all the biofuels are lower in these
April 28, 2009
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Most Jatropha growers currently plant and harvest Jatropha curcas primarily for its pure plant oil (PPO) for use as biofuel and biodiesel. However, it is shown that PPO only accounts for a mere 14% of the usable resources in every fruit. … During “Utilization Technology of Jatropha Seedcake and Residues,”
April 28, 2009
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CHEMREC is helping pulp and paper mills transform into Biorefineries with a unique, proprietary black liquor gasification technology. Opening up new markets in sustainable, low-carbon chemicals and fuels will be a step-change in the industry. Full implementation of the Chemrec technology in all Swedish pulp mills would yield about 6 000
April 24, 2009
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UOP is focused on developing profitable and efficient ways to convert biofeedstocks, such as oils from plants and algae, greases and certain waste products into valuable fuel and chemicals. UOP focuses on technologies that maximize the use of existing infrastructure and whose production does not compete with valuable land and
April 6, 2009
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Providing a local source of fuel is a critical element of energy independence and the jatropha plant has several qualities that make it an ideal choice as a fuel provider for a multi-function power unit (MPU) that can be used in extremely impoverished rural communities in many parts of the
April 6, 2009
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Solazyme’s unique microbial conversion technology process allows algae to produce oil in standard industrial facilities quickly, efficiently and at large scale. These oils are tailored not only for advanced biofuel production, but also as replacements for fossil petroleum and plant oils in a diverse range of products running from green
April 6, 2009
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MixAlco™ is a biomass conversion technology that transforms low-cost, readily available, non-food and non-sterile biomass into carboxylic acids, the chemical precursors to valuable industrial chemicals and transportation fuels. READ MORE.
April 6, 2009
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Carbon Diversion, Inc., has been operating for two years at the Campbell Industrial site in Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii, testing and refining the CDI Carbonization™ equipment for managing various feedstocks including rubber tires, macadamia shells and other green wastes, sewage sludge, and Municipal Solid Waste/Refuse-Derived Fuel (MSW/RDF). The company is partnering with
April 6, 2009
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Many technologies have been used over the years to destroy troublesome waste, including incineration, but at an expense to the environment. Now, technological development at Changing World Technologies, Inc., has produced a new process that allows waste to be reformed into renewable fuels, thereby minimizing the environmental effects from the
April 6, 2009
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Mascoma’s R&D team is focused on developing biofuels from non-food biomass wood, straws, fuel energy crops, paper pulp and other agricultural waste products. The knowledge and expertise being generated by Mascoma’s R&D activities can be transferred to target other high-value products beyond ethanol, including the transformation of biomass into valuable green
April 6, 2009
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Coskata’s biology-based technology enables production of ethanol from a wide variety of input material including biomass, agricultural and municipal wastes, as well as other carbonaceous material. Using proprietary microorganisms and patented bioreactor designs, the goal of Coskata is to play a major role in creating economic fuels from renewable resources,
April 6, 2009
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Willow Biomass is an environmentally sound, locally produced, renewable source of energy and bio products. Driven by concerns about global warming, air pollution, rural development, and national security, research conducted by SUNY-ESF has reconnected the historic willow cultivation industry to central New York. For almost two decades, SUNY-ESF has teamed
April 5, 2009
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Feedstock Production for Biofuels: Economic Drivers, Policy Implications, and the Role of Research advises on the economic feasibility of developing both farm- and forest-derived biofuel feedstocks for expansion of the national fuel mix. The report looks at the potential impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on domestic production of
April 5, 2009
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Sapporo Breweries Ltd. and Brazil’s state-run oil producer, Petrobras, will execute a trial – beginning as early as September – to make hydrogen gas from sugar cane waste and other farm leftovers. They will use a technology developed by Sapporo to make “biohydrogen” from food waste with fermentation methods derived
April 2, 2009
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by Richard Hamilton (Ceres) This presentation was part of “Growing Energy” at Biomass 2009 in March. The President and CEO of Ceres, Hamilton promoted breeding hardier plants, resulting in more efficient harvesting of their stems, stalks and leaves for cellulosic biofuels. His presentation included photos of more robust plants that
March 30, 2009
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Photosynthesis produces the food that we eat and the oxygen that we breathe ― could it also help satisfy our future energy needs by producing clean-burning hydrogen? Researchers studying a hydrogen-producing, single-celled green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, have unmasked a previously unknown fermentation pathway that may open up possibilities for increasing
March 30, 2009
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Univenture, Inc. and AlgaeVenture Systems, announced the details of a disruptive solid liquid separation and dewatering technology specifically designed for microalgae which reduces the cost barrier for harvesting, dewatering, and drying by over 99.75%. Prototype and laboratory testing has successfully been achieved with three species attempted including Chlorella vulgaris, Euglena
M. Christina Negri, Argonne National Laboratory, presentation for the “Defining Sustainability: Science, Standards and Scorecards” session of the US Department of Energy’s Biomass 2009 conference. The goal of the project is to develop and analyze system-based resource recovery strategies to increase biofuel feedstock production that by design offer substantial improvements in
March 17, 2009
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Richard Hamilton, Ceres, discusses indirect land use change theories and development of improved energy crops and cultivation around the world. Download PDF
March 17, 2009
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Research to turn trees into liquid fuel gets a boost with approval of the $410 billion federal omnibus spending bill today. The bill allocates $1.4 million for a new biofuel research program at the Michigan State University Upper Peninsula Tree Improvement Center in Escanaba. The funds will allow MSU and
GREAT FALLS, Mont., — Thirteen seed companies, processors and researchers of camelina have formed the first trade association focused on camelina production and processing in North America. The North American Camelina Trade Association (NACTA) will work to promote research, production and the development of new markets for camelina – a
March 4, 2009
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Planting agricultural crops in poorly drained or marginal soil areas may be delayed, prevented or unprofitable for traditional farming. However, these areas may be ideally suited for native, mixed-species grasslands that can withstand harsher conditions, yet still be harvested for bio-fuel production, researchers say. Starting in July, University of Wisconsin-Green
March 2, 2009
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Research shows that, as a fuel for heat and power applications, corn stover reduces the life-cycle fossil-fuel emissions of carbon dioxide by factors of approximately 15 and 25 compared to natural gas and coal, respectively. This means significant amounts of renewable electricity can be generated in a distributed fashion with
University of Illinois plant geneticist Stephen Moose has developed a corn plant that yields corn that would make good silage, due to a greater number of leaves and larger stalk, which could also make it a good energy crop. READ MORE
by Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Sarah C. Davis, Michael D. Masters and Evan H. Delucia (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) One potentially significant impact of growing biofuel crops will be the sequestration or release of carbon (C) in soil. Soil organic carbon (SOC) represents an important C sink in the lifecycle C balances
February 27, 2009
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Mascoma Corporation, a leader in the development of low carbon cellulosic ethanol, announced that the company’s demonstration facility in Rome, New York, is now producing ethanol from non-food cellulosic biomass. The demonstration facility has the flexibility to run on numerous biomass feedstocks including wood chips, tall grasses, corn stover (residual
February 25, 2009
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California Energy Commission awards $100k grant to turn algae blooms in the Salton Sea into methane, hydrogen, and synthetic gasses. READ MORE
A leading U.S. ethanol producer, Poet, announced the opening of an $8 million pilot plant that will produce cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs and other crop residue. READ MORE
Harvesting cobs will provide an additional revenue stream for farmers, without requiring them to change their planting practices. Agriculture equipment manufacturers are developing a wide range of options for farmers to ensure that harvesting cobs will not significantly slow the harvest and will require little to no additional labor. READ
February 12, 2009
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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ — A new crop management guide is available for producers interested in learning more about growing switchgrass as a non-food, low-carbon source for biofuels and biopower. Published by Blade Energy Crops, a seed brand of Ceres, Inc., the guide features the latest thinking among
Following three years of research, a team of energy, biotechnology and agribusiness veterans announced the formation of SG Biofuels, a San Diego, CA-based plant oil company specializing in the development of Jatropha as a low-cost, sustainably produced source of oil. READ MORE
February 10, 2009
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Researchers from Idaho’s three largest public universities are seeking to create ethanol from the Gem state’s agricultural waste. And they have a realistic shot at converting potato, sugar beet and other agricultural waste – perhaps even cow manure – into a fuel that can run in your car. READ MORE
February 9, 2009
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by Andrea Zippay (Farm and Dairy) A rather low-budget, low-input crop may be a boon to northwest Pennsylvania farmers. Camelina sativa, an oilseed from the Brassica family, is a valuable crop for biofuel production. Already in production in Crawford County, with a demanding market in place nearby, camelina is poised
February 8, 2009
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Following three years of research, a team of energy, biotechnology and agribusiness veterans today announced the formation of SG Biofuels, a San Diego, CA-based plant oil company specializing in the development of Jatropha as a low-cost, sustainably produced source of oil. The company’s Latin American Jatropha recently out performed palm,
Japan Airlines (JAL) became the first airline to conduct a demonstration flight using a sustainable biofuel primarily refined from the energy crop, camelina. It was also the first demo flight using a combination of three sustainable biofuel feedstocks, as well as the first one using Pratt & Whitney engines. READ
February 2, 2009
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Through its purchase of Blue Sky Biofues, Sirona has acquired an Oakland, CA-based refinery that produces high-quality biodiesel from both virgin and non-virgin feedstocks. READ MORE
February 2, 2009
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Also known as gold-of-pleasure or false flax, camelina, the main feedstock used for the recent Japan Airlines test flight, is good candidate for a sustainable biofuel source, given its high oil content and ability to grow in rotation with wheat and other cereal crops. READ MORE Also known as gold-of-pleasure
January 30, 2009
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Southerners may best know sorghum as sweet, biscuit-topping syrup. But the small grain’s uses range from a dependable, drought-tolerant food crop to biofuel source, says a University of Georgia researcher who led a team that recently sequenced the plant’s genome. READ MORE
January 29, 2009
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At the University of Nottingham, two of six research projects being run by the national £27m BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre hope to lead the way in the development of sustainable bioenergy fuels — Ethanol and Butanol using non-food crops, such as willow, industrial and agricultural waste products and inedible parts
January 28, 2009
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Following a successful start-up in the fourth quarter of 2008, POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. is now producing cellulosic ethanol at a pilot scale, completing a crucial step toward development of commercially viable cellulosic ethanol. The Scotland plant is producing ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year
On January 7, 2009, Continental Airlines flew a successful demonstration out of Houston in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation/CFM International, and Honeywell’s UOP. One of the Boeing 737’s two engines was powered with standard A1 aviation fuel. The other ran on a 50-50 mix of standard A1 fuel and a
January 12, 2009
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Verenium operates one of the nation’s first cellulosic ethanol pilot plants, an R&D facility, in Jennings, Louisiana and has recently entered the start-up phase at its 1.4 million-gallon-per-year demonstration-scale facility. Stacks of crushed sugar cane stalks pile up waiting to be used as feedstock for the plant. READ MORE
A New Zealand Air passenger jet partially powered by a 50-50 blend of oil from jatropha plants and standard A1 jet fuel successfully completed a two-hour flight December 30 to test a biofuel that could lower airplane emissions and cut costs. READ MORE 05 2009 Update
January 7, 2009
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California scientists say they can use E.coli, a strain of bacteria present in the human digestive tract, to make a fuel that is twice or three times more efficient than ethanol. READ MORE: Article 1 | Article 2 | Abstract
January 7, 2009
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Switchgrass grown for biofuel production produced 540 percent more energy than needed to grow, harvest and process it into cellulosic ethanol, according to estimates from a large on-farm study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. READ MORE: Article | Abstract
January 6, 2009
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University of New Brunswick forestry professor Paul Arp has devised a tool that shows how removing the forestry sector’s leftovers – the biomass – will affect how much wood the Crown forests produce sustainably by looking at the soil, water table and a slew of other considerations. READ MORE.
December 20, 2008
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Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a new modeling tool to help prospective biofuel producers better estimate sorghum crop yield potential in a given region under various conditions. READ MORE.
December 19, 2008
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Two German scientists investigated the feasibility of replacing fossil fuels with biomass as the primary energy supply. Their paper, published in the journal Naturwissenschaften, posited a scenario in which degraded lands were planted with fast growing trees, which were then harvested, converted via fast pyrolysis into a liquid bioslurry, and
December 19, 2008
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Researchers in Nevada are reporting that waste coffee grounds can provide a cheap, abundant, and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel fuel for powering cars and trucks. READ MORE.
December 15, 2008
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Shifting more acreage to corn production may not be the best way to meet increasing renewable fuel production requirements, researchers at Michigan State University and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center are finding. Growing a variety of different crops is key to promoting and sustaining beneficial insects, limiting harmful pests,
December 15, 2008
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California-based crop company Ceres Inc. has introduced two varieties each of switchgrass and high-biomass sorghum specifically designed to boost energy crop yields. Early buyers of the seeds include DOE-backed biofuels companies building demonstration cellulosic ethanol refineries as well as forward-thinking farmers seeking a toehold in an emerging market. It is
December 11, 2008
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For every tonne of biodiesel made from vegetable oil, 100kg of thick, viscous glycerol is produced as a byproduct. The annual 6.8 billion liters of biodiesel production in the EU yields around 680,000 tonnes of crude glycerol. Although some of the sweet-tasting liquid can be purified for pharmaceutical or food
December 10, 2008
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by April Sorrow (University of Georgia) Half of all the fruit grown in Georgia is never eaten by people or animals. It rots in the fields. A University of Georgia researcher says that spoiled fruit could fuel cars. That wasted fruit can be converted into bioethanol through a fermentation process,
December 10, 2008
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University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists, in partnership with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), have synthesized a new form of lignin that breaks down more readily than that which occurs in nature. Lignin is the mortar that holds cellulose (the thick, undigestable portion of plant cell walls) together; the fact that it
December 9, 2008
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by Dallas Hanks and Ralph Whitesides (Utah State University) … Nearly all highway, airport, railway and military areas in the United States have fallow agronomic areas that require regular maintenance to keep them from becoming unsightly and unsafe. In addition to costly maintenance, these areas can harbor noxious weeds and
November 30, 2008
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Great Plains-The Camelina Company has studied the science and agronomy of camelina for over 10 years and for the past three years has contracted with growers throughout the United States and Canada to grow the crop. Currently, the company is processing camelina seed to create biodiesel. The Energy & Environmental
Following independent paths of investigation, two research teams are announcing this month that they have successfully converted sugar-potentially derived from agricultural waste and non-food plants-into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and a range of other valuable chemicals. READ MORE
September 19, 2008
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Until recently, Americans thought very little of filling up our gas tanks. Gas was gas. Where it came from was of little concern, as long as it powered our cars to get us where we needed to be, when we needed to be there. Now, more aware of the consequences
August 28, 2008
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Several thousand gallons of bio diesel fuel that meets ASTM specification D-975 have been produced, road tested in diesel vehicles and declared ready for volume production, according to Harrison Dillon, President and Chief Technology Officer, Solazyme, Inc. South San Francisco, California. Automotive Industries interviewed Mr. Dillon in his office recently
August 28, 2008
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ScienceDaily (Aug. 4, 2008) — In the largest field trial of its kind in the United States, researchers have determined that the giant perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus outperforms current biofuels sources – by a lot. READ MORE
August 4, 2008
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(Farm and Dairy) In most places in the East, they’re still talking about the coming biofuels revolution. But in Crawford County, Pennsylvania — thanks largely to Penn State Cooperative Extension — farmers already are involved in it. The local extension office has taken the lead in organizing a group of
June 15, 2008
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(New Energy and Fuel) A new bacterium, a cyanobacterium that is energized by sunlight and excretes the sugars glucose and sucrose with some cellulose has been created by Dr. R. Malcolm Brown and Dr. David Nobles at the University of Texas at Austin. The life of the bacteria based in the
April 30, 2008
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Sugar beet pulp left over from sugar production is rich in 5-carbon (C-5) and 6-carbon (C-6) sugars that are ideal for the production of advanced biofuels. Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., is currently developing “evolved” enzyme sets to release C-5 and C-6 sugars from low-value plant biomass that can be used
April 30, 2008
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Mike Edgerton (Monsanto) from the Global Stewardship session at the Biomass 2008 conference. Download PDF.
April 17, 2008
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Neal Gutterson (Mendel Biotechnology) from the plenary sesssion at the Biomass 2008 conference.
April 17, 2008
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GeneSyst upgraded the weak acid hydrolysis process to convert biomass from municipal waste to fuel ethanol by making it a ‘continuous (flow) process ‘ using the patented Gravity Pressure Vessel instead of the former ‘pump and pressure’ tanks (batch). READ MORE and MORE
March 30, 2008
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by Jennifer Holmgren (UOP) This March 2008 presentation reviews biomass-based manufacturing technologies and aviation fuel requirements. READ MORE
March 29, 2008
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U.S. Department of Energy has included Pacific Ethanol in a matching award totaling $24.32 million to build the first cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant in the Northwest United States. The plant will employ a technology to produce ethanol from wheat straw, wood chips and corn stover and will be co-located at
January 30, 2008
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(Science News) Until 1977, the known classes of life included eukaryotes and bacteria. When microbiologist Carl Woese announced the discovery of a third class, most academics scoffed. Yet today, barely 30 years later, archaea are known to be at least as abundant as bacteria. They are among the oldest life
January 2, 2008
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by Jonathan Gressel (Plant Science) Petroleum dependency is a challenge that can potentially be partly offset by agricultural production of biofuels, while decreasing net, nonrenewable carbon dioxide output. Plants have not beendomesticated formodern biofuel production, and the quickest,most efficient, and often, the only way to convert plants to biofuel
December 3, 2007
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(Science Daily) Oklahoma State University’s sorghum-related biofuels research is taking a localized approach, with the aim of making possible the effective production of ethanol in the farmer’s own field. Sweet sorghum can be grown throughout temperate climate zones of the United States, including Oklahoma. It provides high biomass yield with
September 30, 2007
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University of Delaware researchers are interested in developing a type of mallow, the seashore mallow, for biodiesel and ethanol production: And unlike soybeans and corn, which require annual plantings on valuable farmland to feed the growing appetite for biofuels, the pink-flowered seashore mallow is both a perennial and a halophyte,
August 30, 2007
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Syngenta has introduced sugar beet in India for cultivation in tropical climatic conditions. Tropical sugar beet brings significant agronomic, environmental and output advantages to Indian farming and the Indian economy. The beet delivers similar output yields to sugar cane and can be used both for processing sugar for food and
by Jeremy Elton (Treehugger) A team of scientists led by James Dumesic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has discovered a way (subscription needed) to turn the sugar commonly found in fruits like apples and oranges into a biofuel with 40% greater energy density than ethanol. This two-stage process, which essentially
June 30, 2007
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A NASA scientist is confident that within five years commercial aircraft could be powered using a type of biofuel derived from saltwater plants, or halophytes, grown in desert areas and irrigated using sea water. While the concept may sound far-fetched, engine manufacturer General Electric says it is following developments in
January 20, 2007
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Thanks to recent hikes in gasoline prices, there is a renewed interest in finding a cheaper way to fill up the gas tank. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Citrus and Subtropical Products Laboratory in Winter Haven, Fla. have been working on a potential substitute: citrus peels. In 1992,
April 30, 2006
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