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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech, Purdue and PNNL are working together to develop a commercially viable process to convert an ethanol-derived olefin intermediate into a jet-range hydrocarbon with 60 wt.% yield to cycloalkanes and demonstrate its commercial utility as a jet blendstock via fuel property analysis, ASTM characterization, and
Illinois
July 14, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Evaluating sustainable scale up of algae production systems, algal biofuels, and algal bioproducts is no easy task, but scientists at Argonne National Lab are looking into this by looking at the life cycle analysis of advanced algal systems to see just how feasible it really
July 13, 2021
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Returning to Chicago this fall, the 13th Annual OPIS RFS, RINs & Biofuels Forum will be in-person! This means you’ll have the chance to experience the same unsurpassed regulatory and marketplace discussions that you’ve come to rely on at this event in addition to essential in-person networking. Refiners, blenders, retailers, importers
July 8, 2021
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(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) Bioenergy from crops is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. New crops such as energycane can produce several times more fuel per acre than soybeans. Yet, challenges remain in processing the crops to extract fuel efficiently. Four new studies from the University of Illinois explore chemical-free pretreatment methods,
July 8, 2021
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(Fulcrum BioEnergy/PR Newswire) World’s First Garbage to Zero-Carbon Transportation Fuels Plant Has Begun Start-up and Commissioning — Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., a pioneer in the production of low-carbon fuels, announced today that it has completed construction on the world’s first commercial-scale plant converting household garbage into low-cost, zero-carbon transportation fuels. Through Fulcrum’s
July 7, 2021
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by Ian Palmer (Biofuels Digest) … Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an escape hatch, or an offset, to be used if there are “leftover” GHG emissions. If a country is on a pathway to reduce GHG to zero by a certain date, but leftover GHG are still being emitted at
July 7, 2021
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(U.S. Department of Energy/Biomass Magazine) A multi-laboratory team of scientists led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory is studying the feasibility of using energy-dense biofuels such as biocrude and bio-oil to meet new emissions regulations for cargo ships. Cargo vessels ferrying commodities around the world are powered by two-stroke engines that are
June 30, 2021
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today (June 23, 2021), the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced $8 million in federal funding for four projects to develop and test technologies that capture and utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) from power systems or other industrial sources to create
June 28, 2021
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by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) … For corn ethanol, most greenhouse gas emissions can be mapped to the fuel’s production, transportation, and combustion, but a large portion of the greenhouse gas calculation can be traced right back to the farm. Because of privacy concerns, however, scientists can’t access individual
June 18, 2021
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(Navigator CO2 Ventures/CISION) Successful non-binding open season of Midwest carbon capture and sequestration project complete; pipeline project would benefit agricultural, liquid fuels and other industrial emission sources — Navigator CO2 Ventures (“Navigator”) announced today the successful conclusion of the non-binding open season of its carbon capture pipeline system (“CCS”). The proposed
June 4, 2021
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(United Airlines) New aircraft will operate on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel and cut travel times in half. First U.S. airline to sign commercial agreement with Boom Supersonic — United Airlines today announced a commercial agreement with Denver-based aerospace company Boom Supersonic to add aircraft to its global fleet
June 3, 2021
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by Rod Nickel and Karl Plume (Reuters) … Botanists, businessmen, farmers and federal lawmakers, they all gathered to peer at the waist-high plant usually considered a pest and uprooted on sight because of its foul odor, toxicity and the grim taste it leaves in the milk of grazing cattle. This was
June 2, 2021
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by Diana Kenney (University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory) A team of researchers led by Loretta Roberson, associate scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, has installed the first seaweed farm in Puerto Rico and U.S. tropical waters. The research array furthers the design and development of a system for
June 1, 2021
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(Office of Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE)) U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan RFS Integrity Act of 2021. This legislation would provide more certainty for rural America by bringing transparency and predictability to EPA’s small refinery exemption process.
May 26, 2021
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) With a trial possibly years away in an ongoing ethanol market manipulation case, plaintiffs are waging a fight for the disclosure of information from Archer Daniels Midland, according to court documents. Four cases have been combined in the U.S. District Court for the Central District
May 25, 2021
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(Green Car Congress) ADM and the University of Illinois announced the successful completion of the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project (IBDP), a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project designed to evaluate and test the technology at commercial scale. This is one of two CCS projects located adjacent to ADM’s corn processing plant in Decatur, Illinois.
May 24, 2021
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by Tom Doran (AgriNews) A diverse group including corn growers, ethanol producers, manufacturers, the construction industry and minority organizations are expressing concerns over new legislation that passed the Illinois House and is now in the Senate’s hands. The Illinois House passed the Illinois Hazardous Materials Workforce Training Act by a 70-44
May 20, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bioenergy switchgrass feedstock – can it be the next-generation feedstock we’ve been looking for in the Midwest? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is looking at perennial bioenergy feedstock production on marginal croplands across geographic locations in the Midwest. What did they find? What had the highest-yield?
May 19, 2021
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by Talib Visram (Fast Company) … In Oakland, California, the circularity of the model is most clear. Since 2019, it’s been in a partnership with the city, where it’s helping Oakland’s plans to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 56% by 2030, compared to its 2005 levels. Here’s how it works. Neste’s collection partner
May 18, 2021
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Big Oil brought Ron Miller to ethanol. The son of a man who worked at Texaco for nearly 40 years, Miller found himself working there, too, out of Chicago, just as the oil embargoes of the 1970s were sending the American fuel industry into a major transition. Miller
May 17, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm briefly discussed how biofuels will into the U.S. Department of Energy’s priorities under the Biden administration during a House Committee on Appropriations hearing on May 6. The hearing was held by the Subcommittee on Energy Water Development and Related Agencies to
May 17, 2021
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (May 14, 2021) announced $35 million in funding that will help slash carbon emissions and scale up the volume and efficiency of renewable biofuel. The 15 awarded research projects are housed at colleges, universities, and labs across nine states and
May 17, 2021
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by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) US Representative from Illinois Cheri Bustos (D-17) continues to advocate for biofuels and the positive role they play in climate change mitigation. During a House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee hearing last week, Bustos asked Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm how the Biden administration will
May 12, 2021
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(ADM) ADM also adding refining and storage capacity to crush facility in Quincy, Illinois — ADM (NYSE: ADM) today (May 10, 2021) announced its plan to build North Dakota’s first-ever dedicated soybean crushing plant and refinery to meet fast-growing demand from food, feed, industrial and biofuel customers, including producers of renewable
May 12, 2021
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(Illinois Soybean Association) ISG Government Relations Committee Chairman, Ron Kindred, a soybean and corn farmer from Atlanta, Ill., has released the following statement in reaction to Governor Pritzker’s proposed Consumers and Climate First Act: “ISG is encouraged by the Governor’s actions in proposing to decarbonize fuels by using biodiesel blends, and we
May 12, 2021
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of four projects totaling $1 million to conduct cutting-edge applied research and development concerning the interaction between promising biofuels and combustion engines. The projects will leverage a range of National Laboratory capabilities as part of the Co-Optimization of
May 10, 2021
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The carbon footprint of corn ethanol shrunk by 23% between 2005 and 2019 as farmers and ethanol producers adopted new technologies and improved efficiency, according to a new analysis published in the academic journal Biofuels Bioproducts and Biorefining by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. By 2019,
May 6, 2021
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by Lauren Zumbach (Chicago Tribune) United Airlines is giving customers who want to reduce the environmental impact of their travel a way to buy sustainable jet fuel that releases fewer emissions than traditional jet fuel. The Chicago-based airline has already secured commitments from about a dozen companies using the program
May 5, 2021
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(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment) CABBI studies on the Renewable Fuels Standard indicate a need for more targeted policies that value the environmental benefits of perennial bioenergy crops over cheaper options – and provide incentives for farmers to grow them — New studies from the
April 28, 2021
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(Advantage News) The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is leading the way in converting municipal solid waste to biofuel through two proposals submitted for funding. The NCERC has received funding from a grant proposal that was submitted to SIUE’s Transitional and Exploratory Projects grant program by Jie Dong, NCERC’s fermentation scientist
April 27, 2021
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by Christopher Helman (Forbes) … “Nobody wants to send that material down the drain,” says Rick Sabol, president of the Mahoney division. And not just because fat globules can clog up sewer systems — but because that grease is valuable — if you gather up enough of it. “We always thought
April 23, 2021
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(Unilever) Unilever has partnered with LanzaTech and India Glycols to produce a surfactant made from industrial carbon emissions instead of from fossil-fuels. The innovative shift in production utilises biotechnologies and a newly configured supply chain between the three partners, who are working together for the first time. Typically derived from
April 21, 2021
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(Chicago Sun Times/Diesel Technology Forum) … Even more surprising is that by advocating for electrification, the Sun-Times is taking a direct stand against a major home-grown industry and employer. Illinois is home to the fourth-largest production of biodiesel in the country, a low-carbon renewable fuel that today is reducing emissions from all
April 13, 2021
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(Illinois Soybean Association/Biobased Diesel Daily) The Illinois Soybean Association is rolling out a new era of biodiesel work in a big way. Elliot Uphoff, ISA District 10 director, gave his grain truck a brand-new look this week, debuting ISA’s new biodiesel artwork. The new artwork is part of a recent
April 6, 2021
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(Norfolk Daily News) … Sen. (Mike) Flood is sponsoring Legislative Bill 650, which would set up the legal and regulatory framework for the development of carbon sequestration wells, which would be at least 2,600 feet deep and store carbon in a gas/liquid state in underground formations conducive to storage. …
April 6, 2021
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(Greasezilla) Greasezilla is investing $1 million per facility in joint ventures to build FOG processing facilities nationwide. — Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla™, announces its work with a rising number of pumpers seeking end-to-end solutions from pumping through to processing, embracing new profitable technologies, and reducing landfilling. This new generation
April 5, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Association, Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, the National Biodiesel Board and a group of eight states on March 31 filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the court to affirm the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals’ January 2020 ruling
April 1, 2021
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by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives aims to create a B20 biodiesel standard in the state by 2024. Illinois currently has a tax exemption for B11 and higher to incentivize use of the fuel. With the expiration date for that exemption quickly approaching, the Illinois
March 31, 2021
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Epichem Pty Ltd, through its subsidiary Epichem OHD Pty Ltd, has entered into a licensing agreement with Illinois-based Thermaquatica Inc to research, develop and promote a novel, innovative and disruptive waste to fuels technology. Epichem Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of PharmAust Limited.
March 24, 2021
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(BusinessWire) Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO, “Valero”) and BlackRock Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Fund III announced today (March 16, 2021) that they are partnering with Navigator Energy Services (“Navigator”) to develop an industrial scale carbon capture pipeline system (“CCS”). The initial phase is expected to span more than 1,200 miles
March 17, 2021
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by Kellan Heavican (Brownfield Ag News) A group of midwestern corn growers associations is attempting to raise fuel efficiency standards by increasing the ethanol blend. … Nebraska Corn introduced a resolution at the recent Corn Congress calling for 95 RON E15, a 15-percent blend of ethanol to raise octane to help
March 15, 2021
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by Janet Kubat Willette (Farm Progress) Madhu Khanna, distinguished professor of environmental economics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that CRP acres have the potential to produce harvestable bioenergy crops. Speaking at a Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics webinar earlier this year, Khanna addressed the food v. fuel debate and
March 11, 2021
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(Illinois Soybean Association/Biobased Diesel Daily) The Illinois Soybean Association is welcoming a new era of biodiesel work in Illinois and recently rebranded its biodiesel program, rolling out new logos for both ISA Biodiesel and the B20 Club. The brand redesign reflects the new audiences that ISA is now targeting in
March 10, 2021
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(Illinois Soybean Association) Last month brought record cold temperatures to the entire country, and Central Illinois was not excepted. The common misconception of biodiesel is that cold weather limits performance, but in fact temperatures plunging as low as negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit were no trouble for a fleet of ADM trucks
March 5, 2021
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(LanzaTech/Business Wire) Fragrance products to contain sustainable ethanol, created using carbon-capture technology; Coty targets majority of fragrance portfolio using carbon-captured ethanol by 2023; Planned partnership supports Coty’s ‘Beauty That Lasts’ sustainability program — Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY), one of the world’s largest beauty companies and the global leader in fragrances, today
March 3, 2021
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(The Center Square/WMAY) Some are taking issue with Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget proposal which would bring an end to the sales tax exemption for biodiesel fuel in Illinois. Pritzker said accelerating the expiration of the sales tax exemption for biodiesel will increase the state general funds revenues by
February 22, 2021
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by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) The director of the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center says they have some big research projects in the works paving the way to new uses for US corn. John Caupert tell Brownfield they are finding more and more products can be made from corn
February 19, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been a rough 2020 for aviation with COVID-19’s impact on travel. Yet, climate goals remain in place, and the pivot from petroleum to renewable fuels continues, the sky is in focus. 2021 has started off with dramatic advances. So who’s making what, where, when, how and who’s
February 17, 2021
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by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) Interest and growth in carbon market programs is booming. A recent ecosystem markets webinar hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership had more than 1600 participants registered with more than 600 questions submitted ahead of time. Speaker Kari Hernandez, Global Head of Carbon Operations and Offer Marketing with Indigo
February 15, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renewable diesel, all 9 billion gallons built, under construction, in planning – Take a deep dive into the latest hot renewable diesel news and a special Digest presentation that asks will all of these billions of gallons fleet get built? If not, who are the potential
February 9, 2021
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(Bioenergy Insight) The Integrated Biogas Alliance (IBA) is in final stage development of a seven dairy, 16,500-head biogas project in Idaho. Working with EIP Ventures, the project represents the IBA’s first dairy biogas project in North America and is expected to close this quarter. … The project is set on
February 5, 2021
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by John Steppe (The Gazette/SoutherMinn.com) Gov. Kim Reynolds is looking forward to “building those same relationships” with President Joe Biden and his Environmental Protection Agency staff that she had with the Trump administration to protect biofuels, Reynolds said during Tuesday’s virtual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. … “I will hold this
January 28, 2021
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by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds says any new fuel pumps installed in Iowa should be able to dispense gas with at least a 10 percent blend of ethanol and the governor says B11 — 11 percent biodiesel — should be the standard for diesel pumps. …
January 27, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s A.J. Simon shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC 2020 to look at the role that bioeconomy pathways play in drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere. From pathway selection, corn starch, switchgrass, forest residue, and a comparison of their net emissions
January 19, 2021
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by Kristoffer Tigue (Inside Climate News) The new state laws address the disproportionate impact of climate change and pollution on communities of color. Joe Biden is promising to do the same in Washington. — In Oregon, new legislation would require state officials to consider the “cumulative” impact on neighborhoods already overburdened
January 15, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of six democratic senators sent a letter President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 11 urging his administration to support U.S. farmers and the biofuels industry by restoring the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The letter, signed by Sens. Tammy Duckworth. D-Ill.; Amy Klobuchar,
January 13, 2021
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(Honeywell UOP) Honeywell UOP Ecofining™ single-stage process produces cleaner-burning high-cetane transportation fuels chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel — Honeywell today announced that it has introduced a single-stage UOP Ecofining™ technology offering for the production of renewable diesel fuel. The new single-stage technology is a fast-to-market, low capital cost solution that is
January 13, 2021
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The Supreme Court will review a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver that found EPA mishandled the small-refinery exemptions program in the Renewable Fuel Standard. The 10th Circuit ruling in January 2020 led the EPA to reject more
January 11, 2021
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by Julie Wurth (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) … A study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) found that energy sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) behaves more like miscanthus in the way it efficiently captures light and uses
January 8, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renewable Energy Group is the largest operator of renewable diesel and biodiesel plants in the US, with 12 refineries and a fast-growing capacity, especially in red-hot renewable diesel. In today’s Digest, we take a DigestData DeepDive™ with Actionable, Relational, Granular, Global Hard Data on REG’s Bioeconomy
January 8, 2021
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(Biofuels International) Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla, confirmed new installations will be completed in the next three months with at least 10 additional systems anticipated before the end of 2021. Chicago, New Orleans, Austin and Jacksonville will have the first Greasezilla systems to come online building upon the
December 24, 2020
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In China, LanzaTech’s Shougang commercial carbon recycling facility reached 150 days of full capacity continuous operation in November, a significant achievement for a first of a kind technology at scale. Production at the site itself has exceeded 20 million gallons of ethanol since startup which
December 22, 2020
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by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) Clean Fuel Standards like the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) have been around for more than a decade but have not attracted the attention of more narrowly targeted policies promoting electric vehicles, biofuels, or renewable power. Recently, however, Clean Fuel Standards are enjoying something of
December 16, 2020
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Illinois-based Lewis and Clark Community College is making progress toward “building a pipeline of biodiesel technicians,” according to a recent presentation given by Chris Reynolds, the school’s associate professor of automotive technology. Year one’s objectives toward this end included building awareness and interest in
December 8, 2020
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by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Fuel retailers are beginning to implement a wide range of infrastructure projects across the country. This comes as USDA’s new Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program is being fully implemented, something farmers and the ethanol industry played an instrumental role in helping to make
December 4, 2020
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(Growth Energy) Today, U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) introduced the Streamlining Advanced Biofuels Registration Act of 2020 to encourage low-carbon fuel production and increase production of cellulosic biomass into renewable fuels. This legislation would expedite the approval process at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for low-carbon biofuel
November 19, 2020
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Add six more ethanol companies to the list of plaintiffs suing Archer Daniels Midland, alleging one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers manipulated the market. Wisconsin producers United Wisconsin Grain Producers, Didion Ethanol, Ace Ethanol, Fox River Valley Ethanol, Badger State Ethanol and Iowa producer Pine
November 16, 2020
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(Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights) The Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights (MDEHR) hosted a webinar by the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic about recent state activity on environmental justice. The webinar focused on two areas: (1) recent state environmental justice laws and (2) how the courts have
November 13, 2020
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Movements at Ginkgo BioWorks, Pacific Ethanol, Lygos, LanzaTech Show Where the Bioeconomy Is Heading
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So many re-naming and brand extension efforts are underway this week, let’s look at those to see what’s working, what’s popular, when it comes to building trusted brands. … The Re-Branding: Pacific Ethanol This past week we reported that Pacific Ethanol announced the company’s strategic
November 4, 2020
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by Jenna Kurtzweil (Brookhaven National Laboratory/Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation) From southeastern Florida to northern Mississippi to the Midwestern Corn Belt, CABBI scientists have struck sustainable oil with sugarcane. But the crop’s potential value to the renewable energy sector earns this particular variety a more appropriate designation: oilcane.
November 3, 2020
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Archer Daniels Midland argues a Green Plains’ lawsuit alleging ethanol-market manipulation should be transferred from a federal court in Nebraska and consolidated with other similar cases in an Illinois court, ADM said in a court brief. ADM argues in a recent brief filed with the
October 29, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Partnership Watch: Lummus Technology, New Hope Technologies In Texas, Lummus Technology and New Hope Technologies today announced that the companies have entered into a cooperation agreement for the marketing and further development of a leading plastic waste conversion technology based on thermal pyrolysis. The
October 27, 2020
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(ClearFlame) Company’s clean engine technology drives reductions in particulate, CO2 emissions without complex aftertreatment systems — ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a start-up dedicated to the development of clean engine technology for the heavy-duty truck, off-highway and industrial markets, today announced that it has successfully matched the torque and power of a commercial
October 16, 2020
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(Southern Illinois University Edwardsville) The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has launched a new initiative “Future Leaders of Future Fuels,” focused on developing its own employees’ knowledge of the biofuels industry. The Future Leaders group consists of Scientific Analysts Rachel Carpio and Kaitlin Lasseigne, Operations Manager
October 16, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center on Oct. 9 announced the 2020 release of the suite of Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) models. GREET is a life-cycle analysis tool that can be used to examine the energy and environmental effects
October 13, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales. These funds were made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to
October 9, 2020
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(Illinois State University/Biomass Magazine) David Kopsell, professor of horticulture at Illinois State University, and LC (Liangcheng) Yang, assistant professor of environmental health at ISU, have received a two-year, nearly $150,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The purpose of this USDA-NIFA grant program is to increase the capacity
October 7, 2020
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(Newsbreak/BizJournals) Chicago-based Emerald Biofuels LLC has won nearly $15 million in Texas tax incentives on a renewable diesel project in Port Arthur, Texas, about 90 miles east of Houston. Emerald has reached an agreement under Texas Tax Code Chapter 313 with Port Arthur Independent School District to limit the taxable value of the project
October 7, 2020
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(Sustainable Brands/Illinois Soybean Association) For Hornblower, the integration of biodiesel into its latest boats was a natural evolution of its environmental stewardship. The company has led the charge in the industry, in terms of reducing its fleet’s impacts on the environment. In April of last year, the Hornblower Group announced
October 6, 2020
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(Bioenergy Insight) The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected 12 organisations and projects to receive around $3 million (€2.55 million) in funding to help reduce food loss and waste and divert food waste from landfills by expanding anaerobic digestion (AD) capacity in the US. The project types chosen for
October 6, 2020
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(Illinois State University) Though farmers consider pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) nothing more than a weed, Illinois State Professor of Genetics Dr. John Sedbrook is working to change their perspective—and the plant itself. Sedbrook and his student researchers in the School of Biological Sciences are genetically modifying pennycress as part of a
September 29, 2020
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by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) …What did become clear was Democrats in both the House and the Senate are paying more attention to biofuels at the moment. And yet, given that Congress is going to pass a temporary funding bill, and then go campaign, it’s probably going to take
September 28, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … So as we look for better biofuel feedstocks, we look at switchgrass because of new U.S. Department of Energy AND U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study it for biofuels. Could it be the next biofuel feedstock Rockstar? Or will it be a
September 28, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., on Sept. 24 introduced the Next Generation Fuels Act, a bill that establishes a minimum octane standard for gasoline and requires sources of added octane value to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 percent when compared to baseline gasoline. The
September 25, 2020
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(National Biodiesel Board) “Better, Cleaner, Now” message delivered from coast to coast — Newly branded vehicles highlighting biodiesel’s sustainability and emissions reduction benefits are rolling along city streets and interstate highways from the nation’s capital, to Texas oil country, up the California coast and throughout the Midwest. The National Biodiesel
September 22, 2020
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(Business Airport International) The impact of Covid-19 on the fuel market has been pronounced, but the virus could also spur a move to more sustainable sources of fuel. … Avfuel has experienced interest in the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from business aviation operators, airports and maintenance stakeholders during the
September 8, 2020
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(Houston Chronicle) Using current and past Census data, Stacker tracks the way the American farming industry has changed over the past century. Over the past century, American farming has changed dramatically. Crops with long histories like tobacco are still prevalent throughout the South, while many farmers across the country are now
September 5, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy/ARPA-E) Today, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced $16.5 million in funding for six projects as part of the Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management (SMARTFARM) program. These projects will develop technologies that bridge the data gap in the biofuel
September 4, 2020
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(Western Illinois University) Just 12 months after Western Illinois University Agriculture Professor Win Phippen announced the award of a $10 million federal grant to investigate the use of Pennycress as a commercial cash crop, a second grant has been awarded that dovetails into the initial grant and helps ensure a
September 1, 2020
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol producers are investing in high-end alcohol production after seeing its value during the pandemic. And it’s not just alcohol for hand sanitizer, but other disinfectants, as well as pharmaceuticals, fragrances, cosmetics and more. … Homeland Energy Solutions in Lawler, Iowa, expects to have
August 28, 2020
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(Office of the Illinois Governor) Governor JB Pritzker today announced eight principles that will serve as a foundation to begin transitioning Illinois to a clean energy economy. Building upon the progress Illinois has made as a leader in fighting climate change, the Governor is committed to supporting Illinois’ communities as the
August 28, 2020
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by Peter Murphy (University at Buffalo) UB engineering professor Ian Bradley and his research group are collaborators on a $2 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that will study the use of algae to purify wastewater while simultaneously producing biomass for fuel production. The project is led by
August 28, 2020
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The Digest recently reported on CoverCress and why the U.S. Department of Energy’s $13 million grant for new high-value feedstock, pennycress, is so key. For an in-depth visual guide on how CoverCress is delivering new farm income and low carbon intensity feedstocks while producing cover crop benefits, how it fits between
August 28, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a five-year, $13 million grant to a nationwide research project to genetically strengthen Thlaspi arvense, commonly known as pennycress, for use in sustainable energy efforts. CoverCress is an unfunded co-participant in this work, and you can see CoverCress
August 25, 2020
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(ClearFlame) Funding will support R&D for clean engine technology on heavy-duty engines — ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a start-up company dedicated to the development of clean engine technology, has been awarded a two-year, $1.1 million Phase II grant from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The
August 24, 2020
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(Inside HPC/Northern Illinois University) By supercomputing standards, Argonne National Lab’s Bebop (stood up in 2017, 1.75 teraflops, bumped off the Top500 list after the June 2019 ranking) seems something of a second-tier player. But non-Top500 systems like Bebop can still take a star turn, as shown by the results of a research team
August 21, 2020
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by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Democratic leaders put a heavy emphasis on rural broadband and health care while criticizing the Trump administration and President Trump directly on trade, biofuels, climate change and the pandemic response. A western Pennsylvania soybean and hay farmer who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 spoke
August 20, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention featured a lengthy 11-minute take on Joe Biden’s climate and clean energy strategy that hammered home some of his big themes rather than the wonky details (which you can read here). The segment was heavy on optimism and
August 20, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At DigestConnect this past Thursday, we talked about the latest the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, how the LCFS relates to the Renewable Fuel Standard and energy values, we compared the value stack for 5 popular transport molecules – gasoline, diesel, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, and renewable
August 19, 2020
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(Canton Daily Ledger/US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) Lesquerella (a.k.a. Fendler’s bladderpod and Yellow Top) is a member of the mustard family that’s native to the U.S. Southwest. But Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are now eyeing it as a home-grown source of butanol. Butanol is a cleaner-burning alternative to
August 14, 2020
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by Thi Dao (Government Fleet) The Leading Fleets program recognizes public sector fleet organizations for their leadership, efficiency, ability to overcome challenges, and vision for the future. The award is sponsored by Ford. Applicants are judged on their organizations’ leadership within their operation, with customers, within the local community, and within
August 12, 2020
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(Office of Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)) Today (August 7, 2020), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced the introduction of America’s Clean Future Fund Act, a bill that would spur job creation by investing in a clean energy economy, achieve critical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, facilitate a fair transition for workers from
August 12, 2020
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by Joseph E. Harmon (Argonne National Laboratory) New electrocatalyst efficiently converts carbon dioxide into ethanol. … A research team, led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory in collaboration with Northern Illinois University, has discovered a new electrocatalyst that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into ethanol
August 11, 2020
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) … The number of farm bankruptcies continues to rise and a struggling livestock industry is putting increasing pressure on loan portfolios, both adding to concern about the farm economy. … A University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics analysis on Tuesday showed
August 6, 2020
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by Rachel Hatch (News Illinois State University) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $13 million grant to a nationwide project led by Illinois State University. Professor of Genetics John Sedbrook will head up the project aimed to genetically strengthen a plant for use in sustainable energy efforts. “We’re
August 4, 2020
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(Department of Energy) Studies Will Focus on Improving Crop Productivity and Resiliencen — Today (July 28, 2020) the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $68 million in funding over five years for basic research aimed at making bioenergy feedstock crops more productive and resilient. “One key requirement for sustainable bioenergy
July 29, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you missed last week’s DigestConnect webinar, have no fear, the full deck is here! From 11 pathways on who’s doing what, how and with what, 21 projects and who’s running them and where, 13 fast emerging projects and who’s converting, constructing, planning and where,
July 27, 2020
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by Anna Marie Tomczyk (Argonne National Laboratory/Phys.Org) … The practices that grain farmers use to produce their crops—managing fertility, tillage practice and crop rotations—influence the overall carbon footprint of U.S. agriculture. By using sustainable practices, farmers could substantially reduce their carbon footprint and become a vital partner to the biofuel
July 24, 2020
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(Kansas Ag Connection/US AgNet) U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) are pressing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to allow businesses that have received grants under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to use grant funds to cover project costs incurred any time in
July 17, 2020
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by P.J. Huffstutter (Reuters) Green Plains Inc, one of the biggest U.S. ethanol producers, sued Archer Daniels Midland Co on Tuesday, accusing the global grain trader of manipulating the price of the biofuel to profit from its positions in the derivatives market. Green Plains filed the proposed class action with
July 15, 2020
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by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A novel engine technology could make it possible for ethanol to be used in compression-ignition engines, opening up a potential multi-billion-gallon market. With $3 million in financing secured, Clear Flame Engines is poised for commercialization. — It sounds almost too good to be true,
July 14, 2020
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(Office of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL)) Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL) helped pass a comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development funding bill out of the powerful House Appropriations Committee that would deliver more than $152 billion in agriculture and rural support. “Democrats are building up our rural communities, and this package reflects the critical
July 13, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of eight projects totaling over $5 million to conduct research and development (R&D) needed to accelerate the US biomanufacturing sector. Part of the Agile BioFoundry (ABF) consortium, these projects will leverage National Laboratory capabilities to address challenges in biomanufacturing. DOE
July 10, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today (July 2, 2020), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of seven projects totaling $1.94 million to conduct research and development to accelerate the adoption of performance-advantaged biofuel blendstocks. These fuels are derived from renewable feedstocks, and can deliver exceptional efficiency with low emissions.
July 2, 2020
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(Commerical Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative) Over the last few weeks, several announcements were made concerning the increased domestic production of renewable diesel fuel, adding to the already significant number of announced plans. The CAAFI community looks forward to engaging with these entities from the following perspectives that are likely to
June 30, 2020
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by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) The Chicago Park District, Illinois Soybean Association and American Lung Association have teamed up to create better air quality though biodiesel. By running 100% biodiesel in park garbage trucks, the team has improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions equivalent to planting 419 trees in
June 29, 2020
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by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Positioning into the low-carbon biofuels marketplace, ethanol producers are moving forward with sequestration strategies. A more lucrative federal tax credit, along with a reduced minimum production requirement, is making the economics attractive. After more than 20 years of research, sponsored largely by the U.S.
June 16, 2020
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by Rachel Hatch (Illinois State University News) … An ISU professor of genetics, (John) Sedbrook is devoted to integrated plant biology and bioenergy, meaning his research focuses on bringing out positive genetic traits in plants. “We’re making mutations that are good,” he said. “That is the whole story behind domestication,
June 15, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) But there is a huge transformation happening with growth in the conversion of petroleum refineries to renewable diesel. Just look at how renewable diesel went from 78MMGY in 2010 to 397MMGY in 2018 and Fuels Institute’s latest reports estimates it will grow to 3,000MMGY by
June 15, 2020
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by Andrew Maloney (Chicago Daily Law Bulletin) A federal judge will allow price-manipulation claims against food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland to go forward in a central Illinois courtroom. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce last week found plaintiffs made plausible claims that ADM artificially lowered ethanol prices to boost the value
June 11, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) After what could be considered a lengthy out-of-town tryout, LanzaJet is now officially launched as a LanzaTech spin-off — Suncor Energy and Mitsui & Co. are investing $15 million and $10 million, respectively, to establish the new venture. All Nippon Airways is also contributing in exchange for accessing off
June 3, 2020
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(Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation) Scientists engineering valuable microbes for renewable fuels and bioproducts have developed a fast, efficient way to identify the most promising varieties. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a novel mass spectrometry-based screening technique to rapidly profile medium-chain fatty acids produced
May 21, 2020
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(Journal Standard) Adkins Energy LLC recently announced Aaron Folk, Kayla Runkle and Hannah Pickard as the recipients of this year’s scholarship awards. The scholarship provides each student with $500 scholarships to help them further their higher education. Entries for this year were judged on academic achievement and an essay answering the
May 19, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy on April 24 announced plans to award funding to a carbon capture and storage (CCUS) project under development at an Illinois ethanol plant. The agency is also soliciting applications for a new round of CCUS project funding. The DOE announced
May 18, 2020
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(Business Wire) The City of Newton, Ill., Jasper County, and St. Joseph Renewable Fuels, LLC announced plans to build a $400 million renewable diesel plant in Southern Illinois that envisions utilizing innovative technologies and a new healthcare protocol to test and certify a COVID-19 free workforce. The 40-acre site in
May 13, 2020
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(Nexstar Media Wire/Fox40) Midwest lawmakers say biofuel producers should be getting the same support and protection as oil companies. Coronavirus shutdowns have slashed the demand for gasoline, and while the White House is pledging to buy 75 million barrels of oil, ethanol producers say their requests for help have gone ignored. “We’re
May 5, 2020
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by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) A University of Illinois ag economist says he does not expect a bounce back from ethanol demand destruction anytime soon. “I think it’s going to be a long, hard road to recovery.” Todd Hubbs tells Brownfield COVID-19 related stay at home orders have dropped ethanol production
April 30, 2020
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(Illinois Soybean Association/Biodiesel Magazine) Two Chicago-area fleets rank among the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas, an annual list of the top public fleets in North and South America. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County ranks 28 on the list and Village of Arlington Heights is named honorable mention. Now
April 30, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As I write, the May contract for West Texas Intermediate is selling for -$40.21 a barrel, or a negative cost of $240 per tonne. Let’s put that in context, you can throw unmixed useless garbage into a US-based landfill for an average price of around $75
April 22, 2020
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) … “We are surviving day by day,” Peterson (Chris Peterson, president of Hero BX) said. “All our people are still employed.” According to Peterson, Hero BX owner Pat Black strives to provide stability for his staff to assure them with confidence that, no matter what
April 15, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) The Midwestern Clean Fuels Initiative, facilitated by the Great Plains Institute, is a broad coalition of fuels producers and marketers, nonprofit and research organizations, scientists and engineers, and agriculture and industry stakeholders. The coalition works to create economic benefits for the region through policy,
April 10, 2020
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Rex American Resources Corp. released fiscal fourth quarter financial results on March 26. The company discussed a potential carbon capture and sequestration project under development at its One Earth Energy plant in Illinois and discussed the impact of COVID-19 on plant operations. During an earnings call, Stuart Rose, executive chairman
March 27, 2020
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by Scott Irwin and Todd Hubbs (FarmDocDaily) … One implication of the virus-related restrictions is that people are driving much less than before, which means that gasoline and ethanol use are declining. The impact on the price of ethanol has been swift and severe, as shown in Figure 1. The
March 27, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) created exemptions allowing certain alcohol fuel permit holders to sell ethanol (alcohol) for use in the production of hand sanitizers. Consequently. Aemetis, Inc. said its 65 million
March 24, 2020
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by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) … With many ethanol plants on the verge of shutting down, we implore the Trump Administration to take action that equitably supports all liquid fuel industries—including ethanol producers—during this time of unprecedented market uncertainty and unrest,” RFA CEO Geoff Cooper said in a new release.
March 18, 2020
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by Marianne Stein (Illinois Aces) Dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS), a co-product from corn ethanol processing, is commonly used as feed for cattle, swine and poultry. However, DDGS contains more phosphorus than the animals need. The excess ends up in manure and drains into the watershed, promoting algae production and
March 10, 2020
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) When ClearFlame Engines CEO B.J. Johnson told ethanol industry representatives about the potential ethanol market for the company’s all-ethanol diesel engine, those at the recent National Ethanol Conference in Houston could have kissed him. While concerns continue about the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard
March 5, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We are very honored at The Digest each year to select the William C. Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Bioeconomy, and to make the award presentation at ABLC. Especially this year when our honoree is Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. If you’ve heard
March 3, 2020
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by Julie Wurth (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Perennial grasses can be converted into everything from ethanol to bioplastics, but it’s unclear which bioproducts hold the greatest potential. BioSTEAM, a new open-source simulation software package in Python developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, gives scientists, engineers, biotechnology companies,
February 20, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sean Simpson and Michael Köpke from LanzaTech and researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on developing and scaling up a novel technology platform for direct conversion of biomass syngas to acetone, which can be converted into a range of fuels and commodities via existing
February 18, 2020
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(Chicago Area Clean Cities/FuelFix.com) The Greater Chicago I-55 Truck Plaza, one of the first, family-owned and operated, independent truck plazas in the U.S., recounts its biodiesel tale. — The Greater Chicago I-55 Truck Plaza was one of the first, family-owned and operated, independent truck plazas in the U.S. to start selling B11 biodiesel in 2006.
February 18, 2020
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Policy obstacles—especially ongoing trade disputes and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s granting of RFS compliance waivers to dozens of small refineries —dampened the U.S. ethanol industry’s economic contributions in 2019, according to a new study released today at the Renewable Fuels Association’s 25th annual National Ethanol Conference. Still,
February 13, 2020
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(Agricultural & Applied Economics Association/Cision) Four AAEA members publish research in AEPP — Electric vehicles are being introduced gradually, and even with aggressive policy support they are expected to reach 50% of total fleet by 2050, making it imperative to use low carbon biofuels to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation
February 6, 2020
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by Amie Simpson (Brownfield Ag News)An Illinois farmer has seen advancements in technology and biodiesel first-hand after being away from the farm for several years. Scott Gaffner grew up on a grain and dairy farm in Greenville. High operating costs and low commodity prices led him to look for different opportunities.
February 1, 2020
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