by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) How replacing natural gas with biomass as feedstock for methanol production can improve biodiesel's already good environmental footing The vast majority of methanol produced today is sourced from natural gas, but this has not always been
by Garthia Elena Burnett (Commercial Dispatch) FedEx is the latest company to sign an offtake agreement with Kior, a biofuels plant slated to begin production in Columbus in 2012. FedEx plans to use oil produced from biomass, mainly wood chips,
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jamie Hestekin and his team of undergraduate engineering students at the University of Arkansas have won Planet Forward’s Innovator of the Year contest. As one of two Innovators of the Year, Hestekin and his team will be
(University of Hawaii) A two-pronged University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa project to advance the use of biofuels in the Islands has won a $1 million sustainability research competition. The two-year project, led by Michael J. Cooney from UH Mānoa’s Hawai‘i Natural
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Advanced biofuels – liquid transportation fuels derived from the cellulosic biomass of perennial grasses and other non-food plants, as well as from agricultural waste – are highly touted as potential replacements for
(OriginOil) OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technologyto extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, yesterday announced that Ennesys, its joint venture partner in France, is working with large institutions to develop two
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, GreenNH3 has developed the patent-pending GreenGas machine that makes anhydrous ammonia fuel for use in cars, trucks, and a wide range of other vehicle for just 50 cents a liter. READ MORE and MORE
by Kerry Reals (FlightGlobal) An Argentinian company claims to be at the forefront of producing affordable jet fuel from microalgae, and is confident that its product will be widely available to the aviation industry "very soon". Biocombustibles del Chubut(BC) has developed
(Yahoo!News/PRWEB) Ashland Hercules Water Technologies is launching a new corn oil extraction aid that can triple corn oil production at ethanol manufacturing facilities. PTV M-5309 corn oil extraction aid, is easily introduced into the process, requires no additional capital expenditure
(CORE BioFuel) CORE BioFuel Inc., a Canadian biofuel company that is commercializing an advanced biomass to gasoline production process, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a renewable energy project developer. The MOU provides for the development
(TMO Renewables) Leading Chinese corporations, COFCO and CNOOC, select TMO as second generation ethanol technology partner TMO Renewables Ltd, a leading developer of a new process for converting biomass into fuel ethanol is proud to announce that it has been selected
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Prototypes of the biofuels refinery of the future sit in a 19,000-square-foot complex on the Iowa State Research Farm west of Ames. Two experimental plants, whose network of pipes and containers looks to the lay
(Biofuels Journal) Greenergy, a privately owned company that supplies one fifth of Britain’s road fuel, announced May 6 that it has begun producing biodiesel from food waste. In a unique partnership with Brocklesby Ltd, a specialist in recycling edible oils, unsaleable
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...Highlights of the discussion included updates on GPRE’s recently announced BioProcess Algae joint venture. Following are some comments by Mr. Becker and his answers to some shareholder questions regarding their algae ventures: ...The technology represents a true intersection
by Mary Meehan (Lexington Herald-Leader) The University of Kentucky has received a $6.9 million federal grant to help reduce America's reliance on imported oil, one of eight awards in the country. "It's going to be big," said UK's principal investigator, Sue
(Logos Technologies) DOE commits full $20.5 million to retrofit and build pilot plant in Visalia, CA Logos Technologies®, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc., announced U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval to fully fund $20.5 million in federal cost share under DOE’s Integrated
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Joule reported that they have signed a lease for 1,200 acres in Lea County, New Mexico, with the potential to scale the project up to 5,000 acres for production of renewable diesel and
(The University of Kansas) ...A University of Kansas-led research team has received a $5.6 million grant to develop clean technologies to convert biomass into chemicals that could ultimately replace the petroleum-based chemicals currently used in many household items. Bala Subramaniam, director
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million
by Mark Rosenzweig (Sustainable Planet) ...However, moving promising biofuels technology from the lab to demonstration scale often poses a significant financial as well as technical hurdle. Now, though, developers can take advantage of an expanded government research facility. Indeed, the U.S.
by Alexey G. Sergeev and John F. Hartwig (Science) Selective hydrogenolysis of the aromatic carbon-oxygen (C-O) bonds in aryl ethers is an unsolved synthetic problem important for the generation of fuels and chemical feedstocks from biomass and for the liquefaction
by Paul Studebaker (Sustainable Planet) ...It’s too soon to talk about grain-based ethanol in the past tense, but maybe not by much. While ethanol has a place as a bio-based octane enhancer and consequently, as a means to extend oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The additional capital will enable Cobalt to build out its new 470,000 gallon per year demonstration plant in Alpena, Michigan, which will be the world’s first cellulosic biorefinery for the production of the industrial chemical
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In order for ag residues and energy crops to be profitably converted to biofuels, it is expected that biorefineries will need to acquire all of their feedstocks from within close proximities to the plants.
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) A team of researchers at State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry are experimenting with different strains of microorganisms to efficiently ferment sugars, extracted from woody biomass, into biobutanol and
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Renewable Energy Group (REG) executives hosted USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson as well as leaders from the ethanol industry at their REG Newton biorefinery to discuss the role of advanced biofuels in
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded $1.6 million for 15 projects statewide to accelerate the commercialization of renewable liquid fuels. Awards are made through the 2011 Statewide Biofuels Development Grants Program. Biofuels Center president
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/PBS) Can emerging technology defeat global warming? The United States has invested tens of billions of dollars in clean energy projects as our leaders try to save our crumbling economy and our poisoned planet in one bold,
by Wang Xiaotian (China Daily) The nation has plans to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 45 percent by 2020 China can become a leader in the production of second-generation (2G) biofuels, made from agricultural waste instead of foodstuffs, such
(Columbia University) A team of scientists from Columbia University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Granada in Spain have successfully reconstructed active enzymes from four-billion-year-old extinct organisms. By measuring the properties of these enzymes, they could examine the conditions in which
(Dyadic) Dyadic International, Inc. ("Dyadic") (OTC Pink: DYAI), a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzyme and protein products for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme and biopharmaceutical industries, announced today that it has been issued
(Amyris) Amyris, Inc., announced the completion of the first industrial-scale facility for the production of Biofene™, Amyris’s renewable farnesene. The production facility is located in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil at a facility owned by Biomin do Brasil Nutricão Animal Ltda., a
(India.gov.in) The Department of Biotechnology has launched a mission programme on biofuel from biomass. The thrust is on developing ethanol using Lignocellulosic waste as a raw material, identifying recombinant microbial strains for enhanced ethanol recovery, producing high quality raw material
(ManufacturingChemist.com) Researchers at Glyndwr University looking at the commercial potential of high-sugar perennial rye-grass as feedstock for the production of bio-ethanol and other chemicals will also consider the fibre’s potential for pharmaceutical applications. High-sugar perennial rye-grass has the potential to
(JapanCorp.net) Project to Make Efficient Use of Soft Cellulose Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has successfully established technology to produce ethanol for automobile fuel, satisfying the standards of the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization (JASO), from lignocellulose (soft cellulose) such as rice
(Lignol) Lignol Energy Corporation, a leading technology company in the advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals sector today announced it has completed an engineering design package for a commercial-scale biorefinery that would produce up to 80 million litres of cellulosic ethanol
by Amiram Barkat and Yael Gruntman (Globes Israel's Business Arena) Primus Green Energy has an agreement with Lockheed Martin to develop bio-jet fuel for the US Defense Department. Primus Green Energy Ltd., a US subsidiary of Israel Corporation's renewable energy unit IC
by J. Sadhik Basha and R. B. Anand (Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy) Biodiesel emulsions are considered as the propitious alternative fuels for diesel engines. The need of biodiesel emulsion fuels for the diesel engines is to curtail the dependency
by Rebecca Baillie (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) With the price of fuel hitting $1.50 a litre, there's a growing push to develop renewable alternatives. Scientists in Australia are part of the global race to develop new biofuels. In fact researchers here
by Andrew Duffy ( The Victoria Times Colonist) ...Victoria's Novaera Fuels has managed to concoct a fuel with most of its components derived from renewable resources and the company has completed its initial testing on a used Volvo sedan. Now armed
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) AE Advanced Fuels Keyes Inc. is aiming for the future. At the same time the company is working to restart a 55 MMgy ethanol plant located in Keyes, Calif., it announced approval of a
by Melissa Domsic (LSJ.com) Michigan State University has received $2.9 million in federal grants for bio-based energy research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded five-year grants for three projects focusing on various aspects of producing biofuels, which use renewable plant materials
by Abby Schultz (CNBC.com) ...“There’s a significant amount of capital required for algal oil producers to scale up to commercial meaningful quantities,” says Jim Rekoske, general manager at Honeywell’s UOP division, which provides technologies to the gas processing, refining and petrochemical
(PRLog/Avjet Biotech) Avjet Biotech, Inc. (ABI), a leading developer of small distributive refining systems in the 10 to 15 million gallon per year range and parent company of Red Wolf Refining, has announced that it has concluded a license
by Bao Chang (China Daily) New process uses bio-waste instead of grains to make gasoline additive China should boost its fuel ethanol industry as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and oil dependency, said China National Cereals, Oils and
(SustainableBusiness.com) Biobutanol company Cobalt Technologies and American Process Inc. (API), a developer of lignocellulosic sugar production technologies, announced an agreement to build the world's first industrial-scale cellulosic biorefinery to produce biobutanol. Additionally, the companies agreed to jointly market a GreenPower+TMBiobutanol solution
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) ...“The single most important thing that Congress can do for advanced biofuels is to provide a stable policy environment,” Jan Koninckx, DuPont’s global biofuels business director, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...How’s an investor to parse out all these technologies. For many, it’s a case of “you’re making what, from what, using what?” ...Here at the Digest, we think of it as a kind of old fashioned
By Robert Kozak (Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc.) Worldwide Importance of Protein Animal Feed When I began working with sugar beet processors on our beet pulp biofuel sugar process, one of their first questions was, “Will there still be pulp available to
(BIOeCON) BIOeCON a leading pioneer in the field of non-edible biomass conversion, has raised an additional 1 million Euro’s from existing shareholders, including a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Economic affairs, to design and build a prototype of a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Khosla-backed pyrolysis venture heads for the public markets. Is the IPO window still open? Will this one fly? Should it? The Digest looks at the technology, the team, the progress, the economics, the proof, and
(Reuters) French green biotech firm Deinove, which hopes to use a 4 billion year old bacterium to develop the fuel of the future, is eyeing new projects in the United States and Brazil, its chief executive told Reuters. The company is in
(Biofuels Journal) Biodiesel Experts International LLC is prepared to provide engineering, onsite supervision, startup, training, enzyme material, and complete plants for an enzymatic process to convert waste oils or greases into ASTM spec biodiesel. The enzymatic process consist of two (2)
by Steve Everly and Scott Canon (Kansas City Star) This country’s battle to curb oil imports is being plotted in high-tech laboratories and elite universities hunting for breakthroughs in alternative fuels. But the frontlines in the effort to bring such fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The Gevo GIFT system – three innovations in one First, its magic bug that indeed, produces isobutanol at a far higher rate, yield and concentration than traditional yeasts. Second, an extraction system that gets the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As seven projects aim for important milestones, investors face big decisions on whether advanced biofuels companies, even after the run-up in share prices, are still undervalued. ...(I)s it time to get in, hold, or lock in
(KQED/Quest/Planet Forward) For years there’s been buzz — both positive and negative — about generating ethanol fuel from corn. The Bay Area is rapidly becoming a world center for the next generation of green fuel alternatives. Meet the scientists investigating
(Agrivida) —New Data Presented at Annual American Chemical Society Meeting— Agrivida's engineered feedstock and proprietary low temperature, low cost processes release over 80 percent theoretical glucose yield from cellulosic biomass, according to data presented today at the annual meeting of
by Mihai Sandru (UK.IBTimes Green Economy) Princeton-based startup Proterro has announced the development of a technology that can produce sugar, the main source for ethanol, by using engineered cyanobacteria, photosynthetic organisms that can produce sucrose through a normally-occurring defense system. ...Their
by Brian Liberatore (News-Press) ..."I'd like to be able to get excited about this," said Ken Langeland, a professor of agronomy with the University of Florida. "But I've seen too much money go down the tubes in the past trying
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...For hot technology companies such as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Cobalt and Virent, it all comes down to low-cost sugars. Which brings us to the case of that other sugar source: your friend, the sugar beet. The
(US Department of Energy) To support the goal announced by President Obama today to reduce America’s oil imports by one-third by 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will be accepting applications for $12 million in funding for
by Will Thurmond (Renewable Energy World/Emerging Markets Online) The following article is an excerpt from a technology, investment, and market study titled Algae 2020, Vol 2 (2011 update) from market research firm Emerging Markets Online. The excerpt provides a summary
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) Research to develop second-generation ethanol is advancing globally, but Brazil, which vaunts its sugar cane as the ideal raw material for such fuels, lags in the race, industry experts said on Monday. Investments from foreign companies associated
by Kyle Alspach (Boston Business Journal) With the major costs associated with proving out new biofuels technologies, John McCarthy says he’s seen a number of Massachusetts startups in the space enticed to do larger-scale work in other states. McCarthy, CEO of
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) The U.S. DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and industrial processing firm Nalco Co. struck a licensing agreement for a novel electrodeionization technology that can be integrated into biorefineries to convert biomass into fuels and chemicals. According to
by Dean Brickley (East Oregonian) Zea-Chem’s cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant is more than one-third finished. Builders erected three 40,000-gallon fermentation tanks this week and continued bolting together the steel structure for the two-story operations building. Excavation began last fall, and contractors poured
(Algal Biomass Organization February 25 Newsletter) ...We are designing, manufacturing and operating systems that enable controlled, economical cultivation of algal biomass using attached growth technology. We are currently beginning the second phase of a project that utilizes waste products - including
by Kay Rossi (KXLH.com) ...Five years ago, Montana State University-Northern received $800,000 in grant funding for infrastructure and staffing for a new biofuel lab at the MSU-N Bio-Energy Center Now the nationally-certified facility performs a variety of functions, from researching
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A unique biorefinery being developed by Gen-X Energy Group Inc. in Moses Lake, Wash., is nearly complete. According to Ramon Benavides, the company’s co-founder and vice president of business development, Gen-X is in the final
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Butamax has received another patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) number 7,910,342 entitled “FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF ISOBUTANOL USING HIGHLY ACTIVE KETOL-ACID REDUCTOISOMERASE ENZYMES.” The patent was awarded to protect a key step
(Logos Technologies) DOE commits full $20.5 million to retrofit and build pilot plant in Visalia, CA Logos Technologies®, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc., announced U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval to fully fund $20.5 million in federal cost share under DOE's Integrated
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) This week I read the book called “The Green Miracle,” by Clayton McNeff who is one of the creators of the Mcgyan Process. It’s the story of how in less than four years, with the inkling
(Dyadic International) Dyadic International, Inc., a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzyme and protein products for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme and biopharmaceutical industries, announced today the introduction of its most advanced biofuels enzyme, AlternaFuel®
by Annie Snider (Greenwire/New York Times) ...Nelson, who has already served two tours in Iraq, spent this past winter tinkering with combinations of cottonseed oil and JP-8, the military's universal fuel, to find a blend that works best in
by Kerry Reals (FlightGlobal) One or two pioneering airlines may begin using jet fuel derived from algae and use it to create a competitive advantage in the nearer term, but the commercial airline industry as a whole will
(PhysOrg.com) Deep inside the University of Connecticut’s chemical engineering building in Storrs, Professor Richard Parnas and a team of students quietly monitor a murky brown emulsion bubbling inside an enormous 6-inch diameter glass tube like doctors carefully observing a patient
by Allison Arieff (Good) Two innovative companies, Blackgold Biofuels and FogBusters, are unlocking the power of fat, oil, and grease (more pleasingly referred to in aggregate as "FOG"). The two startups are the runners-up in Imagine H20's Water-Energy Nexus Prize, which
(Lignol) Lignol Energy Corporation, a leading technology company in the advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals sector, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd., has recently completed a major body of work with Novozymes in producing cellulosic ethanol at Lignol's pilot-scale biorefinery. Lignol and
(peHUB) CoolPlanetBiofuels Gets Series B Funding from Google Ventures Imagine a world where fuel doesn’t have to be pumped, dug out or extracted from the ground, and can be locally sourced. CoolPlanetBiofuels, located in Camarillo, Calif., is developing an innovative solution
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Amongst the various projects that received support under the 2009 Recovery Act were an algal R&D consortium called the NAABB, and a drop-in biofuels R&D consortium called the NABC, of the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium. ...Within
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...(P)atent attorney Lawrence B. Ebert notes the first claim of US 7,905,930 issued to Genifuel on March 15, 2011 for “A process for production of biofuels from algae, comprising: a) cultivating an oil-producing algae by promoting sequential
by Philip Case (Farmers Weekly Interactive) Sugar beet is on the cusp of benefitting from a host of technological advances that could increasingly see it grown for uses other than to create sugar, according to the director of Rothamsted Research. Maurice Moloney said
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“I’m not saying that any of the companies, including us, should not be pursuing fuels. The markets are huge and the molecules work. But the country has got all its priorities screwed up. Here
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...So we drive over to the Arizona State University Algae Farm, at the Polytechnic campus located in Mesa, AZ, and drop in on Dr. Qiang Hu at his Laboratory for Algae Research and
by Kristi Eaton (Bloomberg Business Week) An Oklahoma State University professor says she's found a way to turn byproducts from the production of soda pop into ethanol. Biosystems and agricultural engineering associate professor Danielle Bellmer said that by adjusting the pH
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(C)an the company make oil fast enough to meet the demand and capture all the opportunities? ...“Our proprietary technology transforms a range of low-cost plant-based sugars into high-value oils. Our renewable products can replace or
(IEA Bioenergy Task 39) The EU project AquaFUELs intends to establish the state of the art on research, technological development and demonstration activities relevant to producing 2nd generation biofuels from non-food aquatic biomass, including algae. More information on the project
(Algal Industry Magazine) Joyce Yang, Technology Manager at U.S. Department of Energy talks to Tyler Suiters about the College of William & Mary’s algal fuel research program and the state of that science as well. Yang says the DOE is funding
by Mitchell Anderson (EnergyBoom) Proprietary technology owned by VG Energy could create algal biofuel at costs competitive with current prices for conventional crude according to a report released by the company this week. The study was authored by John Sheehan, former project manager at
(Morningstar Business Wire/Phytonix) Asheville, NC-based Phytonix Corporation now owns the exclusive worldwide licensing rights for a cutting-edge technology to create an environmentally friendly fuel that replaces gasoline. It also has partnered with a top European University laboratory to create the biosafe bacteria
(Lund University) The researcher in question is Nadia Skorupa Parachin and the secret of her technique is enzymes that she extracted from garden soil. If ethanol can be successfully made from xylose then ethanol production could increase by over 20
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) High oil prices are generally bad news for American companies, but one, Gevo of Englewood, Colo., says that $100-a-barrel oil is opening up a niche. The company bought a factory in Luverne, Minn., that makes ethanol
(Ohio State University Extension) Waste is a terrible thing to waste. That’s the mantra guiding an OhioState University researcher and a bioenergy entrepreneur in the development of a brand-new, renewable source of polyurethane foam that’s expected to create up to 30 jobs in Mansfield, Ohio,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) But this week in the little burgh of Boardman, Oregon (population 3,300), which happens to sit adjacent to the second-largest inland port in the western United States (the port of Morrow, on the Columbia
(Algae Industry Magazine) V iral Genetics Energy (VG) has recently announced that it has been able to translate a research discovery related to cancer treatment into a potential breakthrough for biofuels made from algae. According to the company, laboratory experiments
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New isobutanol-producing and protein-munching microbes from UCLA remind us that biofuels remain in the anything-but-static, eye-popping era of their development. The Digest’s “mind-bending breakthrough” in-basket is overflowing this week with advances in the fermentation of protein
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTechMedia) Enzymes will take off once the cellulosic economy gets moving, says Alan Shaw. ...Codexis meanwhile, has seen its stock go to $10.56, or $2.50 below the IPO price. CEO Alan Shaw, however, says that one has to
(Delft University of Technology) TU Delft and the Kluyver Centre have developed an innovative technology for efficient production of bioethanol from agricultural waste and licensed it to the Life Sciences and Material Sciences company DSM. As part of this
by Thomas Saidak (Biofuels Digest) In New York, DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig F. Binetti, speaking at the Jeffries 11th Annual Clean Technology Conference, talked about Dupont’s intentions regarding biotechnology and biofuels. Dupont currently estimates the biofuels industry worldwide will
by Ryan McBride (Xconomy Boston) ...Agrivida also gained attention in July when it showed that its engineered crops could greatly boost the efficiency of the process of extracting sugars from the crops for biofuel production. Michael Raab, the firm’s president and
by Robert Sanders (UC Berkley News Center) University of California, Berkeley, chemists have engineered bacteria to churn out a gasoline-like biofuel at about 10 times the rate of competing microbes, a breakthrough that could soon provide an affordable and “green”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Solazyme teaming up with Qantas for a renewable jet fuel project. A Dunaliella salina plant at Hutt Lagoon in Western Australia, co-developed by Murdoch University. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), which has
(Red Orbit) Gaining new insight into how efficiently the microbes in large bioreactors produce methane from brewery waste, Cornell scientists hope to use their new knowledge to shape these microbial communities to produce liquid biofuels and other useful products. The scientists
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) "The conclusions from the Aquatic Species Program are not correct,” says Algenol CEO Paul Woods, taking issue with the 1980’s assessment that photobioreactors cannot be a cost effective means for biofuel creation. He
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Is there enough energy, food, fiber and feed for all? Advances in industrial fermentation – a/k/a an incredulous “you’re making what? from what? using what? – will be the key to answering that question. The stars of this drama
by Heather Lammers (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The scenario for your business dream plays out like this. You have an idea to make a fuel from biomass using a biochemical conversion processes. You and your investors have completed bench-scale
(The Local) Swedish oil and energy firm Preem has announced the development of the "world's first" green diesel developed using residue from the Swedish forestry industry. Describing the development of the product, which hits the market in April, as "unique", the firm
(MarketWire) Diversified Technologies, Inc. has introduced a low-cost process (patent pending) for the pre-treatment of algae using pulsed electric field (PEF) technology to streamline the extraction of oils from algal cells early in the biorefining process. The Diversified Technologies' PEF Pre-Treatment of Algae
by Graham Cooper (OilPrice.com) BP is poised for a major advance in its biofuel operations, as it is completing commissioning of the world’s first biobutanol pilot plant and plans to begin full–scale production later this year at its Vivergo Fuels
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig Binetti told attendees of a recent clean technology conference that DuPont expects the biofuels industry worldwide to grow by $25 billion in the next five years and it plans
(Virginia Tech/EurekAlert) Conversion of biomass to fuel requires several steps: chemical pretreatment to break up the biomass – often dilute (sulfuric) acid, detoxification to remove the toxic chemicals required in pretreatment, and microbial fermentation to convert the soluble sugars to
(SmartFlow Technologies) SmartFlow Technologies announces that it will supply its advanced continuous processing solids separation and cell concentration systems to INEOS New Planet BioEnergy for use in their commercial-scale advanced bio-energy facility, the first to use the INEOS Bio technology. The
(GlobeNewsWire) American Jianye Greentech Holdings, Ltd. , a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of alcohol-based automobile fuel and civil-use fuel in China, today announced that AJGH has received approval to undertake a new project in alcohol-based biodiesel fuel production. Specifically, AJGH
(Amyris, Inc.) Amyris, Inc., announced that it has completed multiple runs of its fermentation process using Amyris engineered yeast to produce Biofene™, Amyris renewable farnesene, in 100,000 and 200,000 liter capacity fermentors. These runs were completed through contract manufacturing operations
by Vinod Khosla (GreenTechMedia) Mr. Khosla comes out swinging at the Wall Street Journal’s take on Range Fuels and biofuels. ...Regarding certain “facts” in the editorial, “The Range Fuels Fiasco” (Review & Outlook, Feb. 10): The WSJ persists in mischaracterizing my relationship
(Biofuels International) Technology provider for the energy and environment sectors Abengoa will implement its enzymatic hydrolysis process technology to produce bioethanol at a commercial-scale in the US. The news comes after the company's second generation bioethanol pilot production plant, located in
by Will Thurmond (Emerging Markets Online/Biofuels Digest) ...Digest columnist Will Thurmond released Algae 2020, Vol. 2 highlighting why some algae companies will be winners and some will be losers bringing their product from pilot to commercial scale from 2011-2020. ...The study
(Clarksville Online) ...Dr. Sergi Markov, associate professor of biology at Austin Peay State University, has an idea that could help push the alternative fuel race to new levels of possibility. For the last several years, Markov and two of his APSU
(Joule) Peer-reviewed article addresses the advances made by Joule to achieve direct, continuous conversion of solar energy to renewable diesel at 15,000 gallons/acre/year Joule Unlimited, Inc., pioneer of Liquid Fuel from the Sun™, today supported the high-productivity potential of its production process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the pulp and paper industry reels from the internet’s impact, biofuels and renewable chemicals are offering value-adds, waste remediation, and new markets In Florida, the affable Rod Young, perhaps the most pre-eminent analyst and forecaster
(Green Car Congress) A team from the Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy and Gas Hydrate, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences reports on a pilot-scale biomass-gasification-reforming system with optimized catalyst to produce synthesis gas for liquid fuel
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Cuts to the government's low-carbon agency will cancel grants to biofuel projects and cause dozens of redundancies The government's leading low-carbon agency has had its funding cut by 40%, causing the cancellation of grants to a major
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) KL Energy Corp. is preparing to validate its modified process technology to turn sugarcane bagasse into ethanol. As the bitter winter turns to spring in the tiny town of Upton, Wyo., located on the northern
(Trend) Iranian experts and scientists for the first time managed to produce biodiesel fuel using the oil extracted from Jatropha curcas plant cultivated in Southern Iran, FARS news agency reported. "Iran could produce biodiesel fuel through extracting oil from Jatropha plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...From the low points like the closure of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Aquatic Species Program to highs like 2009′s “Summer of Algae”, aquatic organisms from cyanobacteria to macroalgae have maintained a hold
(Dyadic) Dyadic International, Inc., a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzyme and protein products and solutions for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme and biopharmaceutical industries, announced today that it has been issued U.S. Patent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Solazyme announced that it has begun a collaboration with Qantas, to pursue the potential for commercial production of Solazyme’s microbial derived aviation fuel, Solajet, in Australia. This represents the first collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region
by Bill Brandon (Advanced Biofuels USA) On February 10 & 11, about 120 participants gathered in chilly Chicago for the first Municipal Solid Waste to Biofuels Summit presented by the British firm, Eye for Energy. The conference drew participants from
by Tara Alatorre (Cronkite News) ...Bruce Rittman, director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, said in a telephone interview that he thinks the technology needed to mass-produce algae probably is more like
by Annie Snider (New York Times/Greenwire) The Navy Research Laboratory's alternative energy projects -- each costing less than $500,000 -- are modest ventures that barely register in the Pentagon's gargantuan budget. But if history's a guide, what happens there
(OriginOil) Government-funded ‘Manhattan Project’ to pursue aggressive national jet fuels goal OriginOil, Inc., the developer of breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, has agreed to participate in a pilot scale
by Frank Jackson III (Medill Reports Chicago) A map of nearly 30,000 new microbial genes shows the path to enzymes that could provide improvements in biofuels, federal researchers are reporting. The microbes are easy to find – they are located in
(MarketWire) GNE-USA Will Have Exclusive US Rights to Breakthrough Bio-Diesel Technology Solar Acquisition Corp. and Global Natural Energy Cyprus Ltd today announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a joint venture, GNE USA, to produce algae-based bio-diesel
(INEOS) $130 million facility to produce ethanol and renewable power from waste; major first step in INEOS Bio global licensing strategy * Today the Indian River BioEnergy Center officially started construction; it will be the first commercial-scale facility in the United
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Highlights from the road show, according to our Digest spies. The company (Gevo) is touting that it will cost $40-45 million for each conversion of an existing ethanol facility to the production of biobutanol. The
(University of Tennessee) Facilities expected to advance biobased research for energy, fuels, chemicals and materials The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has opened a comprehensive research facility to accommodate faculty and industry initiatives through the new Center for Renewable Carbon
by Eduard Gismatullin (Bloomberg) Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s largest oil company, and Codexis Inc. will roll out technology this year to make biofuels from wheat straw and sugar-cane bagasse, the cellulose-rich waste from cane processing. Shell and Codexis have been researching enzymes to
(Technische Universitat Muenchen) Food versus fuel - this rivalry is gaining significance against a backdrop of increasingly scarce farmland and a concurrent trend towards the use of bio-fuels. Researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) are helping to resolve this
(Wayne State University) NextCAT Inc., a Detroit-based company, announced that it has received $250,000 in seed funding from Automation Alley in Troy, Mich. NextCAT is commercializing biodiesel catalyst technology developed at the National Biofuels Energy Lab at Wayne State University
by Maggie Fox (Reuters) Researchers looking for better ways to make biofuels turned to experts at breaking down grass -- cattle -- and found more than a dozen new compounds in their guts that might help make new, cheap sources
by Vinod Khosla (GreenTechMedia) Imagination is in shortest supply when it comes to agronomic econometrics that extrapolate the past instead of inventing a new future. Part II: Feedstock. Feedstock cost, environmental impact and even its politics are critical variables. With each
(ME NewsWire) Research confirms viability of using saltwater and arid land to create new forms of sustainable bio energy Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MI), the Boeing Company, Etihad Airways, and Honeywell’s UOP announced today the completion of a Sustainability
(KiOR) Project would produce drop-in fuels from wood biomass at four facilities across three states KiOR, Inc., announced today that it has received a term sheet for a loan guarantee supporting an over $1 billion biofuels project from the U.S. Department of Energy’s
(BioJet International Ltd.) BioJet International Ltd. announced that it has received a US $1.2 Billion funding facility from Cayman based Equity Partners Fund SPC. The funding structure is a 3 year facility, further terms of the funding were not disclosed. BioJet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Codexis yesterday announced a stunning 29% increase in revenue, ...What’s driving the numbers in Redwood City? ”We achieved our technical milestones with Shell, we made our first shipments of two important enzymes to Merck and
by Dr. F. David Doty (GreenTechMedia) A startup proposes using off-peak excess wind energy to recycle CO2 into standard transportation fuels. For many years, greentech leaders have been saying renewables are never going to make a major contribution to our energy
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Kent Bioenergy has been harvesting algae for years, as part of their aquaculture business that dates back the the 1970s. The original company needed to learn how to clean the water used for fish farms and
(Novozymes/Bradenton.com) The road to commercialization of cellulosic biofuels may be bumpy and less traveled, but it’s actually an easier road than many might think. This week at the DC Auto Show, Novozymes and POET will celebrate being one mile closer to their destination --
by Jenette Sturges (Naperville Sun) In only a few short years, it could be fueling cars and trucks while producing 90 percent less greenhouse gas, providing energy security for the nation, and creating high-tech jobs in the Naperville area. It’s a process
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