by Katie Fehrenbacher (Earth2Tech) Craig Venter, considered to be the father of genomics and the founder of synthetic biology startup Synthetic Genomics, said there’s a fundamental problem with algae fuel at the Wall Street Journal’s Eco:nomics conference on Thursday: in
by Riggs Eckelberry (Origin Oil) In his presentation at the World Biofuels Markets conference March 2010 in The Netherlands, Eckelberry reviewed current industry approaches to extraction and harvesting in depth. These approaches typically require high capital investment, heavy energy usage,
by Joseph B. Binder and Ronald T. Raines (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Abundant plant biomass has the potential to become a sustainable source of fuels and chemicals. Realizing this potential requires the economical conversion of recalcitrant lignocellulose
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In the Joule technology, biomass is not used as an intermediate. Via a solar converter unit, the microorganism obtains carbon and oxygen by fixing atmospheric CO2 or utilizing direct fed waste CO2, and obtains hydrogen
by Serkan Toto (Crunch Gear) Major Japanese oil wholesaler Nippon Oil and Hitachi subsidiary Hitachi Plant Technologies are developing a technology that’s supposed to make it possible to mass-produce eco-friendly jet fuel from Euglena, single-celled organisms that live in ponds
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded a Technology Investment Agreement to DuPont for the development of a process to convert sugars produced by macroalgae into next-generation biofuels called isobutanol. Bio Architecture Lab (BAL)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Starting off the call, BIO section EVP Brent Erickson compared the scale up of the advanced biofuels industry to the scale up and evolution of the oil industry which took place over 120 years as
(MFRTech) Two Kentucky companies have been awarded a combined $530,000 in funding from the Kentucky New Energy Ventures Fund. The state program provides public funds to promising, early-stage Kentucky companies developing and commercializing alternative fuels and renewable energy technologies. ...Southeast Biofuels,
by Tina Casey (CleanTechnica.com) Leave it to Harvard University to invent an entire laboratory the size of an iPod nano. The device, which actually is slightly smaller than an iPod nano, makes it possible to sort enzymes and compounds 1,000
Virent Energy Systems, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a $33.8 million grant to the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC). The NABC aims to develop technologies to
UOP, a Honeywell ( HON) company, announced today that it has been awarded a $1.5 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy for a project to demonstrate technology to capture carbon dioxide and produce algae for use in
(TodayOnline) Can algae oil be viably converted to kerosene for jet fuel that might one day power the world's aircraft? This is something a new 12-month collaboration between A*Star's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences and global aerospace and defence
by Nathan Crabbe (Gainsville Sun) The farms and forests of the state could be providing more fuel for its vehicles in the future if a new University of Florida plant is a success. UF officials held a groundbreaking Monday for the
by Tony Prehm (Virtuoso Biofuels Services) Prepared for the March 2010 National Algal Association conference in Las Vegas, reviews a variety of processes used in algal biomass-to-biofuels production, including separating solids, drying the product and extracting oils. The processes are
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) was a cold Wednesday afternoon in January when the news came through that a consortium called the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts had received a $44 million grant from the Department of Energy.
by Shawn McCarthy (Globe and Mail) Three years ago, a tiny Ottawa biotechnology firm, Iogen Corp., had the very rare privilege of being singled out by the government as a company that would benefit directly from a federal budget measure. As
byJesse Q. Bond, David Martin Alonso, Dong Wang, Ryan M. West, James A. Dumesic (Science) Efficient synthesis of renewable fuels remains a challenging and important line of research. We report a strategy by which aqueous solutions of gamma-valerolactone (GVL), produced
(Mytum & Selby Waste Recycling, Ltd) “The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumach out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust, and even municipal waste - almost anything.” Henry Ford, 1925 This quote
(GeneSyst International, Inc.) This presentation from a 2009 Virginia Energy Summit explains, complemented by charts and graphs, GeneSyst's combination of patents and proprietary technologies for converting waste to energy, utilizing the Gravity Pressure Vessel (GPV). Of particular interest may be a quote from a local
by Ben A. Thorp (TAPPI BioEnergy Technologies Quarterly) (T)he modern pathways for cellulose biofuels are pyrolysis, gasification, acid hydrolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis. … Commercial efforts in cellulosic biofuels are new and data to compare a specific offering with others within a
by Holly Jensen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Process Inc. (API), an Atlanta, Ga., based company, held a ribbon cutting ceremony this week at its pilot plant. It will utilize a trademarked process, called American Value Added Pulping (AVAP), to fractionate
by Mark Fischetti (Scientific American) ...But as more new and established companies examine how to scale up lab processes to commercial levels, scientists and engineers seem to be finding that standalone operations may not be economically viable. Co-locating algae farms
(AllAfrica.com) ...The latest achievement which comes to us from Sfax, is the development of a new technique for extracting biodiesel from olive water (a black liquid formed primarily by water discharged from olives during oil extraction). Developed by Dr Kamel Halouani,
(PRInside.com) This summer, Butalco will use its proprietary new yeast technology to produce biofuel from agricultural waste in a pilot plant in Southern Germany. Butalco’s new microbial catalysts will enable up to 30% increased yields in cellulosic ethanol production. ...Traditionally, yeasts are
(The Hindu) Chemists at UC (University of California) Davis have developed a new process that enable oilseed crops such as safflower to be made into a fuel cocktail that could increase yields of bio-diesel by up to 24 per cent. The
(ScienceBlog) University of Central Florida professor Henry Daniell has developed a groundbreaking way to produce ethanol from waste products such as orange peels and newspapers. His approach is greener and less expensive than the current methods available to run vehicles
by Jessica Leber (ClimateWire New York Times) Many cellulosic fuel producers are working with enzymes to break down tough, inedible plant parts, such as corncobs or switch grass, into simpler sugars that can be fermented to ethanol. Now enzyme companies
by Philip H. Steele (Mississippi State University) This presentation explains the work being done by the Forest Products Department, Forest and Wildlife Research Center at MSU to develop bio-oil and drop-in biofuels using a fast pyrolysis process. The PowerPoint provides
ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into fuels and chemicals, today announced it has produced bio-based acetic acid at the purity concentration level of a salable product. Acetic acid is a commercial product and
Novozymes launches the first commercially viable enzymes for production of biofuel from agricultural waste. Breakthroughs in enzyme technology enable cellulosic biofuel as a competitive alternative to gasoline. Novozymes’ new Cellic® CTec2 enzymes enable the biofuel industry to produce cellulosic ethanol at
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) The brains trust of the Pentagon says it is just months away from producing a jet fuel from algae for the same cost as its fossil-fuel equivalent. The claim, which comes from the Defense Advanced Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... A few years back, when reporting on field work at the Sustainable Power complex in Baytown, Texas — the hoots from a significant section of the Digest readership reverberated in skeptical comments on pyrolysis
Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, introduced Accellerase® DUET at the Renewable Fuels Association’s 15th Annual National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, Fla. This product is the latest generation in the company’s line of enzymes used to convert biomass into sugars,
Verenium Corporation, a pioneer in the development of next-generation cellulosic ethanol and high-performance specialty enzymes, announced the introduction of Xylathin, a highly active enzyme designed to significantly improve the economics of fuel ethanol production from cereal grains. Xylathin rapidly breaks
by Anna Austin (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In roughly one month’s time, North Dakota growers harvest close to 5 million tons of sugar beets. North Dakota and Minnesota combined produce about 55 percent of the nation’s sugar beets every year. With
Rentech, Inc. and ClearFuels Technology Inc., jointly announced that their project to construct a biomass gasifier at Rentech's Energy Technology Center ("RETC") in Denver has been awarded a conditional $22.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE"). The
(CheckBiotech) Part of the greenhouse complex at University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Beadle Center will be revamped into an algal biofuels research facility this year. Scientists will begin growing algae in small containers, then move on to five-foot long bags and, finally,
(MidWest AgNet) Using algae, brine shrimp and tilapia, researchers have designed a novel system that extracts oil for use as biofuel, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a proposed electric power plant. Microalgal biomass production offers the potential to reduce
(Queensland Business Review) The University of Queensland (UQ) has entered into a new agreement with an American alternative energy company to turn Queensland sugar cane into jet biofuel. Researchers from UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology (AIBN) will work with
Will Thurmond (Biofuels Digest) In 1973 the world experienced the first major supply shock from OPEC, leading to petrol shortages, and a sustained period of economic stagnation, and rampant inflation. As a response, US President Carter established the National Renewable
by Camille Ricketts (Venture Beat) LS9, one of the biggest names in the burgeoning biofuels market, just took a giant step closer to making cost-effective renewable petroleum on a commercial scale. Armed with $25 million in capital raised in September, it
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The Washington Auto Show is in full swing and for the first time ever, a car is being fueled on government paper waste. The two companies behind this feat are Novozymes and Fiberight. Novozymes has been
by Mike Wall (Idaho National Lab) While oil companies drill deeper and deeper for increasingly hard-to-find petroleum, legions of mini-gushers lie untapped right on the surface. There's one behind every restaurant, for example, and in the heart of every potato-processing
Gerard Wynn (Reuters) Danish biotech company Novozymes would launch in the first quarter this year a new enzyme to produce transport fuel from agricultural waste, its chief executive Steen Riisgaard told Reuters on Saturday. That was the company's firmest guidance yet
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, unveiled a comprehensive pilot system for algae growth and harvesting at an exclusive event held at
by David Plazas (News-Press) The Lee County Commissioners on Tuesday changed the rules on doling out economic development incentive money, and maybe that’s a good thing. We’ll have to see because Algenol Biofuels— which is now getting $10 million of
by Tamsin Carlisle (The National) Just six months after ExxonMobil agreed to invest US$600 million (Dh2.2 billion) in a six-year project to develop biofuel from microscopic plants, teams of researchers are performing their first experiments. ... “We’re at full speed
Alan Fischer (University of Arizona and Western Farm Press) University of Arizona (UA) researchers believe the microscopic organism algae will be providing fuel to power vehicles within the next five years. Joel Cuello, UA professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, said
The new research center, Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology National Laboratory, in Campinas, São Paulo State represents a strategic move by the Brazilian Government toward strengthening the country’s leadership in sustainable production of ethanol from sugar cane and fostering innovation
LS9, the Renewable Petroleum Company(TM), today announced a major breakthrough in the ability to make cellulosic-derived advanced biofuels. A collaborative team of researchers from LS9, Inc, the University of California at Berkeley, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy
(The Hindu) The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has sanctioned Rs. 13.33 lakh to the Department of Botany, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women here, to undertake research on biodiesel production in a cost-effective method from karanja oil
Scientists have found a way to increase fermentable sugar stores in plants which could lead to plant biomass being easier to convert into eco-friendly sustainable biofuels. Their research is highlighted in the latest issue of Business, the quarterly highlights magazine of
Massachusetts-based renewable energy company Bodega Algae and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine, have received a six-month, $150,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and test a prototype for
by John Holland (Modesto Bee) ...The Keyes plant, the only ethanol operation in Stanislaus County, has dominated the landscape but produced little fuel since it was finished next to a feed mill on the west side of the highway. ...
[caption id="attachment_6035" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Last year DOE displayed the Green Challenge winner, but not in 2010. DOE also recognized young innovators and educated the public on its projects and investments in biofuels. Not in 2010."][/caption] by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)
by Michael Kannellos (GreenTechMedia) Take marginal land, fish waste and a plant that's not currently cultivated for human purposes and what do you get? Hopefully jet fuel. The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Honeywell UOP, Boeing and Ethiad Airways announced
Sixteen clean technology projects from across Canada will receive $58 million in funding to help move innovative technology solutions to the market. The announcement, confirming the decision of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), was made
(Newswise) With many companies investing heavily in algae-based biofuels, researchers from the University of Virginia's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have found there are significant environmental hurdles to overcome before fuel production ramps up. They propose using wastewater as
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Two global powerhouses, Bayer Technology Services GmbH and Dow Water and Process Solutions, joined forces recently to offer a new biodiesel process, trademarked BayFAME. Based on the Dow Amberlyst BD20 solid acid catalyst, which Dow
by Jeffrey Decker (FlightGlobal) Interview with Richard Altman, executive director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, working closely with aviation's private and public sectors in a bid to achieve carbon neutral growth by 2020 ... Are there sectors you would like
(Renewable Energy Focus) The University of Glamorgan in the UK has been awarded £630 000 (US$1m) to develop its research into biological fuel cells. The work at Glamorgan’s Sustainable Environment Research Centre is looking at how microbial fuel cells can be
by Amy Westervelt (Solve Climate) There was a sense of deja vu in the biofuels sector this week when U.S. Energy Secretary Chu announced nearly $80 million in funding for research and development of algae-based fuels. The dream of turning pond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Qteros unexpectedly dumped CEO Bill Frey and installed former Verenium EVP John McCarthy — one of the key players in the Celunol-Diversa merger that became cellulosic ethanol pioneer Verenium. McCarthy lost no time
Swedish SunPine is aiming to be the first company worldwide producing biodiesel from tall oil. At the plant site of SunPine, in Piteå harbor in northern Sweden, the building activity is intense. In the spring of 2010 the plant will
Evolution Resources, Inc., an advanced biofuels production company focused on the production of cellulosic ethanol using the latest in modern processes and technologies, today announced the signing of a Testing Services Agreement with North Carolina State University. Under the terms of
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced it has been selected for negotiation of a $25 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to build a demonstration unit in Hawaii to convert cellulosic biomass into green transportation fuels. As part
by Eric Mcguinness (Hamilton Spectator) SunOpta BioProcess Inc. of Brampton is getting $5.5 million from the federal government to demonstrate that it can turn wood chips into fuel-grade ethanol and the sugar substitute xylitol. The cellulosic ethanol would replace gasoline, reducing
On Friday, Jan. 29, DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE) and University of Tennessee/Genera Energy LLC will hold a grand opening celebration for one of the nation’s first cellulosic ethanol demo plants, and the only one dedicated to converting both
Los Alamos National Laboratory has teamed with Solix Biofuels, Inc. to use an award-winning LANL sound-wave technology to optimize production of algae-based fuel in a cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally benign fashion. Acoustic focusing—the novel use of sound waves at the heart
Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTI) is pleased to announce filing a Nonprovisional Utility Patent Application titled "Method for Processing an Algae to Produce Algal Oil and By-Products" CTI successfully completed development and testing of its Algae reactor. This technology is able
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the investment of nearly $80 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for advanced biofuels research and fueling infrastructure that will help support the development of a clean sustainable transportation
Novozymes, has received an Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit of USD 28.4 million from the Obama Administration for the construction of its new enzyme manufacturing facility in Blair, Nebraska. The facility, which will produce enzymes used to make advanced biofuels, will
by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Renewable Energy World) ...Integrated production of biomass-based products in large biorefineries creates cost advantages and competitiveness, and it is expected to be the most viable in the first stage, although small distributed biorefineries
by Joe Caspermeyer (Renewable Energy World) An Arizona State University research team has developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing lower cost, renewable biofuels. The team has programmed a photosynthetic microbe to self-destruct, making the recovery of
by Megan Kuhn (Flightglobal) Four companies with biorefinery projects targeting alternative jet fuel production will receive grant money totalling up to $100 million from the US Energy Department. Honeywell subsidiary UOP, algae-based fuel developer Sapphire Energy, chemical producer Elevance Renewable Sciences
J.B. Smith (Waco Tribune-Herald) To critics who object to making ethanol fuel out of grain, Larry Lehr, of Waco, has an ecology-minded answer: Run it through a cow first. Lehr, who teaches environmental science at Baylor University, is planning to build
Montana State University professors are taking the next step in research that could make it possible to produce biofuel from wood chips using a fungus discovered in South America. This fall, the university received a four-year, $2 million grant from
... “The Government of Ontario has recognized the need to move the Province to the forefront of the commercialization of chemicals, fuels, fibres and energy that can be produced from forests,” added Lorne Morrow, Chief Executive Officer for CRIBE. “There
(Science Daily) A team of scientists from the University of Sheffield have developed an innovative device which will make the production of alternative biofuels more energy efficient. The research team has adapted a unique bioreactor for use in the production of
Robert F. Service (Science) Even with a major push, commercial plants capable of turning CO2 or water into liquid fuels are still likely to be 2 decades away. A simpler version of the technology, however, already appears headed to market.
Syntec Biofuel Inc., is pleased to announce that it has entered into a joint development program with the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks for converting a wide variety of
(GreenCarCongress) BP and DuPont have formed Kingston Research Ltd, which will focus on the commercialization of advanced biofuel technology—specifically biobutanol—at a £25-million (US$41-million) purpose-built development and demonstration facility at BP’s Saltend site, near Hull. Kingston Research will construct a facility to
Swedish SunPine is aiming to be the first company worldwide producing biodiesel from tall oil. At the plant site of SunPine, in Piteå harbor in northern Sweden, the building activity is intense. ... “The tall oil diesel is unique in that
by Tim Sklar (Biomass Digest) ...Woody biomass is ideally suited not only to the manufacture of 2nd generation liquid biofuels. Woody biomass is even better suited to producing TW. When woody biomass undergoes torrefaction all of the components are used,
by Alexis Madrigal (Wired Science) For nearly 20 years, a government laboratory built a living, respiring library of carefully collected organisms in search of something that could grow quickly while producing something precious: oil. But now that collection has largely been
by Tony Henderson (The Journal) Scientists in the North East are to enlist soil bacteria to help produce the biofuels of the future. … It is a problem facing scientists around the world and Prof Black and his team are
Funding Opportunity Announcement for Fuels from Sunlight Hub is Issued. U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu outlined the Department’s plans to invest up to $366 million to establish and operate three new Energy Innovation Hubs focused on accelerating research
Australian scientists are achieving the world's best production rates of oil from algae grown in open saline ponds, taking them a step closer to creating commercial quantities of clean biofuel for the future. A joint $3.3 million project led by Murdoch
by Greg Kelton (Adelaide Now) THE U.S. parent company of uranium producer Heathgate Resources has held talks with the State Government over developing a renewable energy fuel in South Australia - from algae. Premier Mike Rann met for an hour yesterday
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 2009 has taught us that the excess of emissions in the skies and shortage of land on the ground may well be solved underwater, through microcrops: algaes. diatoms, cyanobacteria and microscopic flowering plants like
by J.W. Walkinshaw and S.E. Poniatowski (University of Massachusetts and Terrasonics) This presentation illustrates the usual process of breaking cellulose into sugars for ethanol fermentation by using an enzymatic process and, then illustrates the results of speeding up that process by using
Robert C. Brown and Jennifer Holmgren (Iowa State University and UOP) This presentation describes the fast pyrolysis process and products. READ MORE
Martin Keller, Ph.D. (BioEnergy Science Center) Presentation details biomass recalcitrance and various methods being researched to break down cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, lignins into sugars as an intermediary step to ethanol production or to serve as "green crude." READ MORE
by Curt Rich (VanNess Feldman) Presentation from the Algae Biomass Summit, October 2009 reviews federal grant and loan programs, climate change legislative proposals from an algal biofuels perspective. READ MORE
by Jeremy Hsu (Space.com) NASA may concern itself largely with space exploration, but it also wants to keep Earth on a steady course in the face of rising energy costs and climate change. Now the U.S. space agency has thrown its
Dynaflow, Inc.®, a leader in R&D services and products in fluid dynamics and applied sciences, today announced that it has been awarded a Department of Energy (DOE) Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to develop and demonstrate a
by Mritunjay Kumar Shukla†, Thallada Bhaskar, A.K. Jain, S.K. Singal, M.O. Garg (Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun) A presentation that details the emissions, yields, costs and advantages of bio-based DME, compared to conventional diesel fuel, is here for free download,
by Charlotte LoBuono (heatingoil.com) A Canadian energy company has proposed building a biorefinery to produce dimethyl ether, or DME, the CBC reported Wednesday. In November, Calgary-based GV Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Terrance, British Columbia,
by Amy Lorentzen (AP) A central Iowa plant could soon begin producing jet fuel from poultry fat. Bolingbrook, Ill.-based Elevance Renewable Sciences plans to build a $15 million plant in Newton, adding onto an existing biodiesel operation. The experimental operation plans
Sandra W.A. Hintz, et al. (Journal of Cereal Science) Filamentous fungi are widely used for enzyme production for the biofuel industry. The ascomycetous fungus Chrysosporium lucknowense C1 was isolated as a natural producer of neutral cellulases. It is at present
North Carolina's traditional tobacco farms are switching to other crops, so the state’s Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, has initiated a program to educate farmers on the ins-and-outs of biodiesel manufacturing, anticipating producers will be growing more oilseeds in the
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced it has selected INEOS Bio and its partner, New Planet Energy, for a $50 million dollar grant for its advanced bioenergy facility in Indian River County, Florida. The grant was announced jointly by DOE Secretary
(Biomass Magazine) The Energy & Environmental Research Center Foundation and Whole Energy Fuels Corp., headquartered in Bellingham, Wash., are poised to commercialize a novel and groundbreaking cellulosic biofuel technology developed at the EERC at the University of North Dakota. Whole
(Biodiesel Digest) Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), and Bayer Technology Services GmbH (BTS), announced a licensing agreement for the worldwide marketing of the registered BayFAME technology, a continuous process developed by
by Matthew Chin (Science Daily) In a new approach, researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have genetically modified a cyanobacterium to consume carbon dioxide and produce the liquid fuel isobutanol, which holds great potential
by Heather Lammers, NREL (Renewable Energy World) Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and ethanol producers are racing to come up with ways to make ethanol from cellulosic biomass that are cheaper and easier to produce than current
PetroAlgae Inc., announced today that its has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Foster Wheeler AG’s Global Engineering and Construction Group for engineering services to be performed in conjunction with PetroAlgae’s micro-crop technology, which allows for the production of dry
What’s brewing in Caye Drapcho’s bioreactor may well be a fuel of the future. Drapcho, a biosystems engineer at Clemson University, is investigating a bacterium that produces hydrogen. The microbe is called Thermotoga neapolitana. And it has a taste for
Logos Technologies, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc. announced that they have been awarded a $20.4 million grant to modify and operate a pilotscale bio‐refinery plant to produce low‐cost ethanol bio‐fuel from cellulosic feedstock, such as corn stover and switch grass. Logos
(Atlantic Biomass) Research reported in the December issue of the American Society of Microbiology’s journal Applied and Environment Microbiology on the development of a thermostable enzyme opens the way to a new pathway for low-cost biofuel production using sugar beet
Amyris Brasil, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced that it has entered into letter of intent agreements with three sugar and ethanol producers in Brazil, Bunge Limited, Cosan and Açúcar Guarani, with the purpose of partnering
(Science Daily) An Arizona State University research team has developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing lower-cost, renewable biofuels. The team has programmed a photosynthetic microbe to self-destruct, making the recovery of high-energy fats--and their biofuel byproducts--easier
Rentech, Inc., and ClearFuels Technology Inc. (ClearFuels) jointly announced that they have been selected to receive up to $23 million as a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) to construct a biomass gasifier at Rentech’s Energy Technology Center
PetroSun, Inc., announced that the Department of Energy has advised Gas Technology Institute of Des Plaines, Illinois that its Integrated Biorefinery application has been selected for negotiations leading to an award. The GTI team members include PetroSun, Cargill, Blue Marble
The U.S. Department of Energy today awarded Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) a $24.8 million grant to develop and construct a facility that will convert biomass into renewable fuel. One of 19 biofuel projects to receive Department of Energy
Algenol Biofuels, in partnership with The Linde Group, have agreed to collaborate in a joint project that will attempt to identify the optimum management of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen for Algenol’s algae and photobioreactor technology. The goal is to
Myriant Technologies LLC (as successor to BioEnergy International), a leading biotech developer and manufacturer of renewable biochemicals, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $50 million for its planned biobased Succinic Acid facility
by Tina Casey (CleanTechnica.com) One barrier to cost-competitive biofuel from algae is about to fall, and we may have nanofarming to thank for that. The new technology uses tiny nanoparticles to absorb free fatty acids from living microalgae. It is being
by Christain Macavei (Daily Californian) UC Berkeley researchers now have a better understanding of algae, which may have implications for making biofuels more economically feasible. In a study published in the journal Nature Nov. 26, the researchers determined the role that a
by Ph.D. Angelo DePalma (CheckBiotech, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News) ...“It is about systems,” says A. Malcolm Campbell, Ph.D., professor of biology at Davidson College, “not manipulating one or two genes, but whole pathways.” For example, producing a compound in
by Charles E. Wyman, Bin Yang (California Agriculture) Cellulosic biomass, which includes agricultural and forestry residues and woody and herbaceous plants, is the only low-cost resource that can support the sustainable production of liquid fuels on a large enough scale
by Laura E. Bartley, Pamela C. Ronald (California Agriculture) A key strategy for biofuel production is making use of the chemical energy stored in plant cell walls. Cell walls are a strong meshwork of sugar chains and other polymers that encircle
(Living on Earth) University of Minnesota biochemistry professor Larry Wackett's team won support from the US Dept. of Energy for their approach to direct solar fuel. Wackett's wants to mimic symbiosis in nature by teaming up microbes. … YOUNG: One
(Newsobserver) Piedmont Biofuels Industrial will receive a $139,249 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for innovative clean energy research and development, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan announced. ... Piedmont Biofuels will use the money to develop biodiesel production processes that reduce water
With financial support of DOE and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, the bilateral BIRD Foundation Energy Executive Committee has competitively selected four cooperative clean energy projects in the United States and Israel. This initiative will award up to $3.3
by Dina Fine Maron (New York Times Greenwire) Seaweed holds promise as more than an ingredient in a purifying face mask or a maki roll. So say researchers at E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., which alongside Seattle-based Bio
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The former Xethanol LLC ethanol production facility in Blairstown, Iowa, has been purchased by Fiberight LLC and will soon be producing cellulosic ethanol at a demonstration scale. The company recently acquired the shuttered plant
The California Energy Commission has awarded a $1 million grant to UC Riverside’s College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) to build a process demonstration unit (PDU) to convert biosolids to clean synthetic diesel fuel. The PDU will be
(Tennessean) A panel of state lawmakers approved plans to amend a $70 million research effort to produce ethanol in East Tennessee, blaming a lack of communication for a hearing two weeks ago in which some members suggested pulling the plug
by Cristen Conger (Discovery News MSNBC.com) Although algae is currently the most energy-dense biofuel source, the cost of producing algae oil is prohibitively expensive. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the biofuel would cost around $8 per gallon at the
POET announced that cost reductions achieved over the past year of operating their cellulosic ethanol pilot plant have exceeded expectations in their drive to commercialize the process. Reductions in energy usage, enzyme costs, raw material requirements and capital expenses have
by Emma Ritch (CleanTech Group) Denmark’s Inbicon today opened its first demonstration facility producing cellulosic ethanol, but potential customers will have to wait. Inbicon has already sold its first year of production to Statoil, which plans to blend the ethanol into
(UPI) ... University of Illinois scientists, led by agricultural engineering researcher Esha Khullar, said the wet ethanol process involves soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, resulting in more gallons of ethanol ... and better quality co-products than does the
by Yvonne Chan (BusinessGreen.com) Australian biofuel specialist MBD Energy is poised to unveil a new facility that it claims will be the world's largest refinery for producing algae-based biofuels and high-protein livestock feed. The Melbourne-based company plans to showcase its
(Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the Journal of the American Society for Microbiology) Directed evolution approaches were used to construct a thermally stabilized variant of Erwinia chrysanthemi pectin methylesterase A. The final evolved enzyme has four amino acid substitutions that together
by Sharon Begley (Newsweek) Interview with Al Gore: ... But next-generation biofuels are a different story, he says. "The pathway that I think is likely to be the winner is enzymatic hydrolysis, which essentially uses engineered enzymes to break down the cellulose,
(Renewable Energy Magazine) In this, Renewable Energy Magazine’s latest in-depth interview, Mark Emalfarb describes the interesting path that led him to develop Dyadic’s patented C1 technology platform and his thoughts on the future of the production of sugars from biomass
(Science Daily) In the quest to make hydrogen as a clean alternative fuel source, researchers have been stymied about how to create usable hydrogen that is clean and sustainable without relying on an intensive, high-energy process that outweighs the benefits
BP has added to its web site page on dedicated energy crops a video describing cellulosic ethanol and BP's cellulosic refinery projects. View the video. See also BP's video on sustainable biofuels development with a focus on biobutanol. View the video.
by Mark Barkoviak (Daily Tech) The United States Air Force hopes to conduct research related to alternative fuels that could one day help the military transition away from gasoline. The $2.5 million Assured Aerospace Fuels Research Facility, located at the
by Craig A. Johnson (Biomass Magazine) At the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison, Wis., researchers are looking to leafcutter ants for new enzymatic processes that will further progress to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. Leafcutter ants, which are found in
Joule Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced a major step forward in its development of renewable fuels, achieving direct microbial conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy. Joule is advancing a new, photosynthesis-driven approach to producing
(Science Daily) ... (I)n two studies published online in Genome Research, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production on a global scale. yeast
Neste Oil and St1 have begun working together on a fuel project as part of the TransEco development program coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The project will focus on developing cost-efficient solutions tailored to Finnish conditions that
by Ronald G. Bray (SRI Consulting) The majority of the biodiesel production facilities utilize a homogeneous alkaline catalyst, either sodium hydroxide or sodium methoxide. Axens has commercialized a process for the production of biodiesel via heterogeneous catalysis at elevated temperatures
by Mike Musgrove (Washington Post) Plastic soda bottles, Big Gulp cups and empty sour cream containers get fed into the top of the three-story machine. About 10 minutes later, out the other side comes a light-brown synthetic oil that can
by Scott Smith (Kokomo Tribune, Ind., Waterworld) Microorganisms, it seems, can live in about anything -- including diesel fuel. That's why it's taken the city of Kokomo several months to -- quite literally -- work the "bugs" out of the
by Katie Howell (New York Times/Greenwire) Backers of algae-based biofuels tout the simplicity of their feedstock. Sunlight and water are all that's needed to convert carbon dioxide into fuel. Now, some scientists are testing the notion that sunlight might be
by Jan Battles (The Sunday Times) It will be centuries before Belarus is completely free from the radio-activity that fell after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 23 years ago. But an Irish company has come up with an innovative way of
PetroAlgae Inc. announced that its operating subsidiary has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into an agreement to license the Company’s proprietary micro-crop technology to Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for its future large-scale production of renewable fuels.Under
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