(Yle) Finnish-Swedish forest products giant Stora Enso, which announced lower profits on Friday, plans to begin producing biofuel for sale to other manufacturers. Stora Enso, Europe’s second-largest paper manufacturer, said on Friday it will invest 32 million euros in building a
by Chidambaram Gunanathan, David Milstein (Science Magazine) Conventional oxidations of organic compounds formally transfer hydrogen atoms from the substrate to an acceptor molecule such as oxygen, a metal oxide, or a sacrificial olefin. In acceptorless dehydrogenation (AD) reactions, catalytic scission of
by Owen Fletcher (Dow Jones Business News) --DuPont seeks partners for joint ventures in production of cellulosic ethanol --Company is talking with potential partners in U.S., China, Brazil, Europe, Southeast Asia --DuPont is investing more than $200 million in cellulosic ethanol plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – mirage or reality? In January we wrote: “When these 12 projects open for business (or not) in 2013, you’ll know for sure.” So, what do we know? ... We identified 12 “Bellwether projects” in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Singapore, Wilmar International and Elevance Renewable Sciences have just announced that they have begun shipping commercial products, including novel specialty chemicals, to customers from their first world-scale joint venture biorefinery, located in Gresik, Indonesia.
(Sapphire Energy/PR NewsWire) Companies Partner to Commercialize Hydrothermal Treatment Technology Used to Upgrade Algae into Crude Oil Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world leaders in algae-based Green Crude oil production, and the technology company The Linde Group today announced they
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Energy costs are a significant drain on defence budgets. This could impact on the resources available for Allies to acquire and maintain defence capabilities as well as limit their capacity to undertake military operations. Reducing the energy
(The Fresno Bee/Associated Press) A company that has developed a process for converting beetle-killed trees and corn cobs into gasoline says it plans to open its global headquarters in Greenwood Village, south of Denver. Cool Planet Energy Systems said Wednesday it also
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite negative press from Bloomberg, biobased investing is surging, both direct and via strategics. The Digest has the data and the scoop. After we profiled, last April, 17 biobased ventures who raised $434 million in new
(Carbo Analytics) Carbo Analytics, developers of sugar analysis systems, today announced that it has been awarded a Department of Energy (DoE) grant for the development of a biofuels sugar analysis system. Selected from over 750 applicants, Carbo Analytics was awarded a $150,000
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A number of federal agency initiatives are already underway in the biofuels, agriculture, and forestry sectors to help mitigate climate change and adapt to it. In a posting July 2, Doug O’Brien, Acting Under Secretary of the
by Thomas Anderson (TG Daily) According to the new research results of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, lignocellulosic biomass can be used in the production of high-quality biofuels for the price of less than one euro per litre. A new technology
(JustMeans.com/Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology) Promising biofuels research at a Wisconsin biotech company and a partner university is getting a boost from a $224,967 National Science Foundation grant. C5.6 Technologies of Middleton, Wis., and the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST)
by Leon Kaye (SustainableBrands.com) Whether one believes corn-based ethanol is a viable long-term solution for the United States’ energy portfolio or not, the reality is that 280 plants across the country will continue to produce biofuels. And with the constant
(Ecoticias.com) The production of ethanol from municipal solid waste is a major technological advance in the waste management model. Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B), a company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, today opened the
(US Department of Energy) Following last week's rollout of President Obama's plan to cut carbon pollution, the Energy Department today announced four research and development projects to bring next generation biofuels on line faster and drive down the cost of
Jack Rogers (Novozymes/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Novozyme’s R&D group has been successful extracting and converting more starch from corn, so we decided to investigate opportunities to increase corn oil yields as well. Our research started with the insight that a significant amount
by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Mendota Bioenergy’s plan to turn energy beets to ethanol moves to demonstration scale in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The future of advanced biofuels is in beets. At least that’s the thinking of those behind Mendota Bioenergy
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Process applies forestry products know-how to cellulosic conversion. Though a relative newcomer to the ethanol world, Georgia-based American Process Inc. is no stranger in the forest products industry. The company has demonstrated its consulting
by Courtney Whalen (DraytonValleyWesternReview.com) ...Mascoma Alberta Drayton Valley is in the process of solidifying the necessary financing to bring the bio-refinery, which would produce cellulosic ethanol and related products, to the community’s Bio-Mile. The bio-refinery project is supported by the federal
by Judy Newman (Wisconsin State Journal) Virent, the Madison company working on non-petroleum fuels, will receive up to $4 million for a project designed to improve the efficiency of turning plant material into fuel, the U.S. Department of Energy said
(Science Daily) All chefs know that "you have to break some eggs to make an omelet," and that includes engineers at Iowa State University who are using high-frequency sound waves to break down plant materials in order to cook up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, KiOR announced that its Columbus, Mississippi facility made its first shipment of cellulosic gasoline on June 28, which represented the first fuel shipment since March, 2013. The company added that it has “commenced regular
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Green Biologics heads for scale – pilot complete, demo ready in 2014. The race for n-butanol from cellulosic materials is on. The prize for a transformative breakthrough on n-butanol’s cost, performance and sustainability? Could
by Bob Brooks (Automotive Industries) Bio diesel and JetA have moved a giant step ahead in the race to provide renewable, price competitive fuels that drastically cut GHG emissions and the need for imported fuel. At the heart of one of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A now-complete 142 million gallon green diesel monster project will easily deliver big on renewable energy targets and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. But it also offers a material path to profits for its parents, Valero Energy
(Wall Street Daily) ...Meet the gribble. Essentially, gribbles are the termites of the sea. That is, they’re marine pests that feed exclusively on wood. As you can imagine, that doesn’t make them very popular with the seafarers of the world. But thanks
(Digital Journal/FedDev Ontario) Woodland Biofuels Inc. is receiving a contribution to operate a plant that will produce low-cost biofuel from waste. Patricia Davidson, Member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton, announced the funding today on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister
by Dahai Gao, Shishir P. S. Chundawat, Anurag Sethi, Venkatesh Balana, S. Gnanakaran, and Bruce E. Dale (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Substrate binding is typically one of the rate-limiting steps preceding enzyme catalytic action during homogeneous reactions. However,
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) In the final breakout session of the BIO World Congress on June 19, there was a second panel on scale-up and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. As with the session on the conference’s first day,
Technip was awarded by Forest BtL Oy a contract, worth approximately €5 million, for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a new second generation biomass-to-liquid* (BTL) plant to be built on Ajos island, Finland. This plant will produce approximately
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) One of the morning sessions at the Tenth Annual BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology put four of the companies in the forefront of commercial development of cellulosic ethanol on the same panel. Although
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Not quite a year after opening a demonstration facility, Switzerland-based specialty chemicals company Clariant AG announced that it has expanded the feedstocks successfully converted to cellulosic ethanol beyond wheat straw to include corn stover
by Seán Ottewell (Chemical Processing) Biotechnology efforts in the United States and Europe are on the rise. For instance, Algenol Biofuels, Ft. Myers, Fl., developer of direct-to-ethanol technology for the production of advanced third-generation biofuels, has surpassed one of its own important
by StellavBezergianni and AthanasiosvDimitriadis (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews/Science Direct) Renewable fuels, as an alternative fuel, can be produced from different biomass types such as vegetable oils of various origins, waste cooking oils and fats. The most common biofuel is
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is the ultimate industrial fuel system going to be based on electricity, waste CO2 and brackish water – to return society to the days of energy abundance? It will take a mighty production microorganism, but R&D
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new proposed rulemaking from the U.S. EPA includes several possible modifications to the renewable fuel standard program, including categorizing as advanced biofuels ethanol produced from corn fiber and butanol that meets the 50
(University of Illinois/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Two University of Illinois scientists have developed an environmentally friendly and more economical way of pretreating miscanthus in the biofuel production process. "We pretreat the biomass with switchable butadiene sulfone in the presence of water to break
(Enerkem/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Enerkem Inc. announced the launch of a new research project with the government of Canada. The objective of the project is to develop new catalytic processes for the conversion of waste into drop-in biofuels that are fully
by Dan Seif (Mother Earth News/Rocky Mountain Institute) Advanced, non-food biofuels are gaining momentum in 2013 as several new plants have gathered the capital and momentum for large-scale production. ... Despite sparse media coverage, significant volumes of non-food biofuels have been produced
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DoD goes forward, after internal wrangle, with advanced biofuels program via $16M phase 1 investment. With industry cost share, project totals $33M: aims for sub-$4, drop-in military biofuels. In Washington, the DoD will award three contracts totaling
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beyond biomass, beyond fossil fuels, beyond light itself. And now, the direct production of drop-in biofuel blendstocks. All available from a microbial “cow”. This week in California, a research team from Shota Atsumi’s lab at the
by Lynn Yarris(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Develop Enzyme-free Ionic Liquid Pre-treatment Advanced biofuels – liquid fuels synthesized from the sugars in cellulosic biomass – offer a clean, green and renewable alternative to gasoline, diesel and jet fuels.
(United Sorghum Checkoff Program) The Sorghum Checkoff in collaboration with the NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (formerly the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center) is pleased to announce a successful bench-scale evaluation of sweet sorghum juice sugars with corn mash for
(Edeniq/Yahoo! News) Visalia Plant Milestone Signifies Greater Commercial Viability for Cellulosic Ethanol and Sugars Edeniq, a biomaterials and sustainable fuels company, today announced the company's first demonstration plant, located at its Visalia, CA headquarters, has completed a successful "performance test" that
by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association/PR Log) The DoE has spent $2.5 billion on algae research but to date nothing has been commercialized. Why? Because their mission is to develop technologies. It's not their problem or concern what happens to them
by Adam Wilmoth (News OK) OSU researcher Gerald Schoenknecht and his team recently completed genome sequencing for an algae that thrives inside active volcanoes. The researchers hope to use their findings to help make tough algae for use in manufacturing
(Enerkem/PR NewsWire) Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals company, announces the launch of a new research project with the Government of Canada. The objective of the project is to develop new catalytic processes for the conversion of waste into
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In an exclusive Digest interview, Shell’s VP for Alternative Energy, Matthew Tipper, reveals the company’s thinking about RFS2, their increasing re-focus on North America and the EU. Plus, Shell’s ambition to “build, own and operate”
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) During a call to discuss its first quarter financial results, Syntroleum Corp. announced that Dynamic Fuels LLC’s renewable diesel plant in Geismar, La., is expected to resume operations in July. The facility was idled in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels’s Montagues and Capulets were at it again last week — with a flurry of press releases about court decisions and commercial timelines regarding their respective isbutanol technologies. At the heart of it — a dispute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World’s #1 chemical company to produce renewable Butanediol using Genomatica’s process. The Digest has a one-on-one with Genomatica CEO Christophe Schilling to explore the deal in-depth. In Germany, BASF announced that it plans to begin production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“Building on the first gallons of cellulosic diesel we shipped in March, we continue to make progress with operations at our Columbus facility,” said KiOR CEO Fred Cannon. “The on-stream percentage of our core technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Raises $80M at $10 per share; becomes first new industrial biotech company to complete IPO in more than a year. What went right and how? Is the IPO window re-opening? ... First and foremost, there’s the modesty
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Gevo Inc. provided updated information on it Luverne, Minn., plant and patent dispute with Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC as part of its recent first quarter 2013 financial announcement. During a call to discuss the first
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 group recently published a report that outlines progress on more than 100 advanced biofuel projects under development worldwide. The report, titled “Status of Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Facilities
by Fritz Bush (The Journal) A Sibley East High School sophomore earned a spot at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ESEF) in Phoenix next month for his research on the use of anaerobic fermentation on pre-treated biomass to
(American Chemical Society) Scientists today reported a discovery that could speed an emerging effort to replace ethanol in gasoline with a substantially better fuel additive called butanol, which some experts regard as “the gasoline of the future.” Their report on
by Kathy Robertson (Sacramento Business Journal) Novozymes Inc. is staffing up to support a $2.5 million Department of Energy contract to find new and more efficient enzymes for turning corn leaves and stalks into fuel for cars and trucks. The two-year project
by Carlin Rosengarten (Fueling Growth) Nearly 30 years ago, Paul Woods invented the Direct to Ethanol technology that his company, Algenol Biofuels, utilizes today to produce ethanol from blue-green algae at its state-of-the-art commercial development campus in Fort Myers, Fla. Algenol’s
(Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper) The Government of Canada is committed to investing in innovative clean energy technologies that create high-quality jobs, generate new economic opportunities and protect the environment. To this end, on May 3, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen
(SEKAB) SEKAB E-Technology welcomes SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden’s (SP) engagement in the Biorefinery Demo Plant in Örnsköldsvik, previously known as the Ethanol Pilot. SP and SEKAB have signed an agreement, which ensures continued operations of the demonstration plant.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, Norwegian Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen officially inaugurated the Borregaard biorefinery demonstration plant in Sarpsborg, which will produce green chemicals and sugars based on biomass from wood and agricultural and forestry waste. ... The aim is
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With a fresh investment from Brazil’s GranBio, American Process Inc. is poised to develop its first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefineries in both the U.S. and Brazil. API CEO Theodora Retsina, said the companies hope
by Russ White (MLive) ... Michigan State University leads research of bioenergies and biofuels through AgBioResearch and the Kellogg Biological Station and partnerships with coalitions such as the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Global Center for Food Systems Innovation. ... The
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) A new strain of yeast that could help streamline cellulosic ethanol costs and production has been developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers. This work, which supports the USDA
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Enzymes could break down cell walls faster – leading to less expensive biofuels for transportation – if two enzyme systems are brought together in an industrial setting, new research by the Energy Department’s National
(Metso) Domtar has successfully started up a commercial-scale LignoBoost™ lignin separation plant at its Plymouth, North Carolina mill, in the USA. This is the first commercial installation of a LignoBoost plant in the world and the technology is supplied by Metso. The
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Promiscuous, because a zillion organisms know how to use photosynthesis, under a zillion set of circumstances, to turn simple and abundant molecular compounds — like carbon dioxide and water — into longer-chain and useful molecules
by Min Zhang and Randy Schekman (Science Magazine) Most eukaryotic secretory proteins are directed into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by an amino-terminal signal peptide (leader sequence) and progress to the cell surface through vesicular flow via the Golgi apparatus (1, 2). However,
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Biodiesel Magazine) ...Los Alamos scientists and collaborators from The University of Guelph in Canada published an article in the scientific journal Nature Chemistry this week that could offer a big step on the path to renewable energy. The April journal
(American Chemical Society) The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green. That’s the topic
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The stock has not recovered much — but it’s remarkable the progress the company has made, all the same. Analysts are now expecting the company to bring its first production train up later this month
(Fresh Plaza) Bananas in poor condition could become a type of biofuel thanks to a study by the Canary Islands Technological Institute (ITC) with the support of the DISA Foundation. Douglas Escalante (an intern of the study) stated that the first
by Andrew Noel (Bloomberg) Clariant AG (CLN) said it’s prepared to take on a partner and help fund a second-generation bioethanol plant to prove the effectiveness of its biotechnology and compete against Royal DSM NV (DSM) and Novozymes A/S. (NZYMB) Clariant,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Energy cane for California’s Imperial Valley? Canergy lines up Beta, CHS, Certis as partners for greenfield low-carbon fuel project slated for 2016 opening. In California, Canergy announced that it has selected Chemtex and Beta Renewables for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It used to be that the outskirts of Honolulu had the dual scent of diesel and pineapple processing — but now, all you really smell is the diesel. Sugarcane and pineapple are every year less
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Advanced Biofuels Corp. has bought a legacy 7 MMgy ethanol plant in Moses Lake, Wash., with plans to retrofit existing systems and install new pretreatment process equipment, converting the facility into a 6
(The Wall Street Journal/Dyadic) ...We are using that technology to produce enzymes for converting biomass into cellulosic sugars to produce second-generation fuels and chemicals, like ethanol, butanol, succinic acid, lactic acid, etc. We are also using that same technology to
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) Promising results are a step toward a range of renewable energy strategies fueled by Nature In a paper to be published in an upcoming issue of Energy & Environmental Science (now available online), researchers at the U.S. Department
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On April 23 Joule Unlimited announced it was selected as a 2013 Bloomberg New Energy Pioneer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The award aims to recognize game-changing clean energy companies. A total of 10 winners
by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA) Steve Csonka, as director of Enviro Strategy and Ecomagination, GE Aviation, the world-leading provider of jet engines, gave an overview of the importance of renewable jet fuel specifications leading to commercialization at the Biomass
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers from U.K.’s University of Bristol reported the development of new catalysts that are able to convert ethanol to butanol at the national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society. Duncan Wass, professor at the
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A team of Virginia Tech researchers have adapted existing technologies to make a new product, transforming cellulose into amylose. One target market for the amylose would be functional foods, said lead researcher Y.H. Percival Zhang,
by Charles Q. Choi (TechNewsDaily/LiveScience) A new synthetic type of biofuel created by mixing and matching bits of DNA from different organisms could one day replace diesel and jet fuel, scientists say. ...The researchers devoted a decade to finding a way
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pilot-scale biorefineries for drop-in military diesel, jet fuel the focus of the DOE’s latest grant round. In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $17.7 million in grants to four pilot-scale biorefinery projects aimed
by Stuart Radnedge (GasWorld) Air Liquide has just signed a partnership agreement with the CEA (Commission for atomic energy and alternative energies in France) aiming to develop a second-generation biofuel production pilot unit in France. As part of this partnership, the CEA
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Aemetis announced that its 60 million gallon per year capacity ethanol facility in Keyes, CA has completed maintenance and Advanced Biofuels retrofit, and is now restarting production. Last December, the EPA issued a final
by Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James and Associates/Biofuels Digest) ...There is no question that there have been growing pains along the way, more than we would have hoped, but the industry continues along its trajectory towards scale. We expect 2013 to be a
(Science Daily) Stepping into unexplored territory in efforts to use corn stalks, grass and other non-food plants to make biofuels, scientists have described the discovery of a potential treasure-trove of candidate enzymes in fungi thriving in the feces and intestinal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The end-goal? High-value oils. Low-cost sugars become shock troops in the war for sustainability. In New York, we’ve learned that Sweetwater Energy will announce a project today to provide Naturally Scientific with customized industrial sugars over
by Anneli Waara (Algae Industry Magazine) ...However, a group of researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University, led by Senior Lecturer Fikret Mamedov and Professor Stenbjörn Styring, have just announced a discovery that changes the view on hydrogen production from green algae.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... LS9 CEO Tjerk de Ruiter announced the expansion of its operations at the Company’s Okeechobee, Florida demonstration facility with a successful customer trial. The Florida facility was initially designed, and has been used, to scale-up LS9′s
by Aldo Svaldi (The Denver Post) Cool Planet Energy Systems took a step closer Friday to a corporate relocation and expansion that could bring nearly 400 jobs to the metro area and place the state at the center of a
(XS4Green.com) Ductor, the Finnish biotechnology company specializing in disruptive algae technology, announce today that Red Herring, a global media company, has named Ductor a winner of the Red Herring Europe 100 awards. Ductor’s products and business model will disrupt several traditional
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Delaware, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware entered a final judgment in favor of Gevo and against Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC (Butamax), a 50/50 joint venture between DuPont and BP,
(Algae Industry Magazine) Premier of Queensland, Australia, Campbell Newman, has cut the ribbon on an advanced solar biofuels pilot plant designed to develop microalgae-based systems as a source of clean fuel and animal feeds. The $3.5 million project had the potential,
by Emily Pickrell (FuelFix) On Jan. 1, Congress made algae-based fuel production eligible for a $1.01-per-gallon cellulosic biofuel production federal tax credit. Cellulosic biofuels typically are made from woody, non-food material such as grasses or wood chips, in contrast to ethanol, which
by David Wogan (Scientific American) The idea is straightforward: grow algae in large quantities and harvest the energy dense byproducts as an alternative to fossil fuels. Like larger plants, microalgae use solar energy to fix carbon dioxide into energy dense
(EurekAlert!/American Chemical Society) Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea and nata de coco have become stars in a project — which scientists today said has reached an advanced stage — that would turn algae into
(ENP Newswire/Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production) Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B), the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, has started operations at the demonstration plant that uses waste-to-biofuels technology. The plant has a
(Star-Advertiser) The state has invested $200,000 toward a initiative that seeks to develop an economically sustainable zero-waste conversion project in Hilo that will turn unmarketable papaya into biofuel and high-protein animal feed. Gov. Neil Abercrombie presented a check from the state
(Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute/PR NewsWire) The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge, a business plan competition supported by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) encouraging students from universities in the southeastern United States to develop business plans
(Virginia Tech News) A team of Virginia Tech researchers has discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, a breakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel source to the world. “Our new
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The International Energy Agency, through its Task 39 group, has published its 207-page report on the “Status of Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Facilities in 2012″. The report, in its pages, contains detailed project summaries as well as
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Algenetix, an industrial biotech company incubated from the pipeline of Kapyon Ventures has closed $2.0M in Series A-1 funding to further commercialize its PhotoSeed platform. The groundbreaking technology vastly improves oil productivity in microbes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A numbers of readers responding to “Biofuels from a raging fireball” (Friday’s Top Story, on research work with the raging fireball, Pyrococchus furiosus, to make biofuels and renewable chemicals from hydrogen gas and CO2) raised
by James Hataway (UGA Research) ... Li Tan was examining some of the sugars, proteins and polymers that make up plant cell walls, which provide the structural support and protection that allow plants to grow. Yet his samples contained a mixture of
(Lund University) ...The ash is what is left when rubbish has been burnt in thermal power stations. A researcher from Lund University in Sweden has now developed a technique to use the ash to produce hydrogen gas. The method is
by James Hataway (University of Georgia) Excess carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over are looking for new ways
by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine) Southern Research Institute won a $925,000 energy award from the U.S. DOE to develop a mild liquefaction process to convert biomass to petroleum refinery-ready bio-oils. “We hope the project will advance liquefaction by demonstrating cost-effective biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost. ... A barrier to long term deployment? The $11 per gallon average capital
by Dana Blankenhorn (TheStreet) These are desperate times for Big Oil. Fracking (which involves shooting water and sand into a wellhead, at high pressure, fracturing the surrounding rock) brings enormous profits, but anyone can frack. The price of natural gas has rolled
by Jessica Nelson (Auburn University) Maobing Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has received a $401,155 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for his research in biofuels and bioenergy. The CAREER program offers
(Ship & Bunker) A.P. Møller-Maersk (Maersk) says it is working with partners on two projects designed to develop biomass-based marine fuels. Both projects involve work on an organic polymer called lignin found in plants, which is released during the production of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although no commercial-scale cellulosic biofuels facilities are operating in the United States at present, at least ten projects exceeding 20 million gallons per year are expected to begin operations by 2014. Tristan R. Brown and Robert
by Katie Feherenbacher (Gigaom) Companies that are still looking to produce biofuels from plant waste (and not corn) are making slow, but steady progress on milestones in 2013. On Monday, KiOR, which was largely funded by Khosla Ventures before it went
(Southern Research Institute) Research could encourage blending of bio-oils into refinery streams for producing renewable diesel and gasoline Durham, North Carolina — Southern Research Institute today announced it has entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Energy to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, KiOR announced the initial shipments of cellulosic diesel from its first commercial-scale facility in Columbus, Mississippi. KiOR’s facility uses pine wood chips previously feeding a shut down paper mill at Columbus and produces gasoline
by John Ramsey (FayObserver.com) Construction on a $170 million refinery in Clinton to convert 20 million tons of grass into fuel each year could start as early as this fall. Chemtex, an international company with offices in Wilmington, plans to build
by Scott M. Paapa, Todd H. West, Dawn K. Manley, Eric J. Steen, Harry R. Beller, Jay D. Keasling, Dean C. Dibble, Shiyan Chang, Blake A. Simmons (Biomass and Bioenergy) As advances in biotechnology have continued at a rapid pace,
by David Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) ...What makes it more valuable? The variety, called Enogen, is genetically engineered to boost ethanol output and reduce energy costs and water use. The hybrid, developed by Syngenta, contains a gene that promotes an enzyme
(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by DONG Energy has technology that
by James Frugé and Raul Gamboa (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With corn costs comprising over 87 percent of the cost of ethanol production, a small improvement in corn-to-ethanol yield can have a large impact on plant profitability. Three reasons suggest why improvements
(Biomass Magazine) Applied Research Associates Inc. and Blue Sun Energy Inc. are partnering to develop a demonstration-scale facility to scale up the Biofuels Isoconversion Process system using technology developed by ARA and Chevron Lummus Global. The process converts renewable oils
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) In early March, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany announced the successful commissioning of the second stage of its bioliq pilot plant. The achievement was made in cooperation with technology partner Air Liquide Global
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Interest in the Beta Renewables SpA commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant undergoing commissioning in Crescentino, Italy, has been high. “I was surprised,” said Guido Ghisolfi, CEO. “I expected perhaps 10 groups a month would be
(Domtar) Plymouth Mill to produce bio-material with wide range of industrial applications as petro-chemical alternative - the first of its kind in over quarter century Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today announced that it has successfully installed a commercial-scale lignin separation
(SEKAB/Davy Process Technology) Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, andSEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are embarking on a collaboration to
(Direvo) Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH (Direvo) today announced that it reached an important milestone in developing a consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid production from lignocellulose. Up until now, there has not been any known consolidated bioprocess for producing lactic acid from
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Compared to prior generations, CodeXyme 4 and CodeXyme 4X significantly reduce the cost of cellulosic sugar production for biofuels and bio‐based chemicals. ...Codexis’ latest generation of advanced cellulase enzymes, CodeXyme 4 for dilute acid pretreatments and
(PR NewsWire/ZeaChem) Facility will prove biorefining process for commercial-scale production ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has produced commercial-grade cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) biorefinery in Boardman, Ore. Among the first operational cellulosic
by Debra Fiakas (Alt Energy Stocks) As part of its program to promote beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide, the Department of Energy awarded a total of $27.2 million ($3.0 million in the first phase and $24.2 million in a second phase)
by Pedram Fatehi (Biotechnology Progress) In this review, the recent advancements and technical challenges associated with the production of ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol via bioconversion routes from celluloses of woody materials are reviewed. Physicochemical processes, e.g. steam explosion, seem to be
by Stuart Radnedge (GasWorld) Air Liquide, in a joint project with the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) in Germany, has successfully completed the second stage of a second generation biofuels pilot unit at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. This pilot unit will demonstrate the viability
(Associated Press/WJTV.com) Four years after announcing plans for an ethanol plant in Pontotoc, a Canadian company has yet to begin construction. Enerkem Inc. spokeswoman Annie Pare tells The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (http://bit.ly/WCsH7v ) the company remains committed to building the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fast pyrolysis developer plans to rapidly expand green benzene and toluene production in 2013 for downstream product development purposes. Opens new pilot plant, R&D facility in New York; green BTX platform ready to emerge. ...In
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae pioneer now at 50% above original productivity target — aims to complete demo in 2013, head for commercial-scale in 2014. In Florida, Algenol confirmed that the company had exceeded production rates 9,000 gallons of ethanol
by Richard C. Baliban, Josephine A. Elia, Christodoulos A. Floudas, Xin Xiao, Zhijian Zhang , Jie Li , Hongbin Cao, Jiong Ma §, Yong Qiao, and Xuteng Hu (Industrial Engineering and Chemistry Research) Duckweed biomass is gasified in a thermochemical-based superstructure
by Joe Carroll (Bloomberg) Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)’s $600 million foray into creating motor fuels from algae may not succeed for at least another 25 years because of technical hurdles, said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson. So far, scientists
by Bill Hagstrand (Crain's Cleveland Business) Do you know your trashcan probably contains materials that can be converted into crude oil? Or that a couple of trailblazing companies in Northeast Ohio are creating energy from discarded plastics and old rubber
(Biofuels International) Australian research company Agritechnology has found a location as it further develops a biofuels demonstration plant. A site for the plant has been chosen in Orange, New South Wales and it will aim to convert sweet sorghum, native grasses
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Louisiana — hot as cayenne pepper in biofuels capacity development, but some cautionary tales there in the sauce. When it comes to the first generation of ethanol and biodiesel-based biofuels, Louisiana didn’t figure much into the
by Kristi Pihl (Tri-City Herald) A pilot project to produce biofuel using agricultural and organic municipal waste has reached levels that makes the process commercially viable, researchers say. The project, paid for by the Department of Energy, is within six months of
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) * U.S. cellulosic biofuel goals not reached * Beta sees industry stepping up output by 2015 * New players could emerge from eastern Europe Biofuels made from wood waste and sugarcane have languished well below expectations for years but
by Jane Yu (Orange County Business Journal) Irvine-based renewable fuels maker BlueFire Renewables Inc. has halted construction work on a plant planned for Fulton, Miss. plant. BlueFire converts non-food resources, such as trash, wood waste and other agricultural residues, into ethanol.
by Jeff Matthews (The Town Talk) Sundrop Fuels Inc. closed on the purchase of more than 1,213 acres of land in the Rapides Station area Thursday where the biofuels company plans to locate its plant manufacturing "green gasoline." Sundrop Fuels has
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Rentech announced plans to cease operations at, reduce staffing at, and mothball its research and development Product Demonstration Unit, in Commerce City, CO, and to eliminate all related R&D activities. As a result of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae, drop-in fuels get a kick-start from $3.2 billion ARENA funds In Australia, two key projects focused on algae biofuels and drop-in fuels from wood biomass and residues took major steps forwards with an Australian Government
by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg) People attending a Washington event this week may witness something almost unheard of in political circles: Republicans praising a clean-energy program supported by President Barack Obama. The Advanced Research Projects Agency -- Energy, originally funded through the 2009
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