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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Regardless of its naming deficiencies, waste has been hot and getting hotter as a bioenergy feedstock because it solves three of the most pressing problems blocking capacity expansion. 1. The feedstocks are available at fixed, affordable prices – sometimes free, sometimes even transitionally available with
Sustainability
by James Fallows (Popular Science) The largest nation on Earth is flying more people more places than ever before. Its struggle to do so without (further) destroying the environment could show the rest of the world a greener way to travel … The immediate threat posed by airline emissions in China
May 25, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Mozambique, the first sustainable cooking fuel facility was inaugurated by Federal Minister of Agriculture José Pacheco. The CleanStar project will produce ethanol-based cooking fuel for sale with the company’s cookstoves, an affordable new form of cooking that is cleaner, faster and safer than using charcoal.
May 25, 2012
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by Noah Haglund (The Weekly Herald) The company has agreed to compensate the county for $143,000 in goods and services it didn’t deliver for a canola project. Snohomish County’s experiment helping farmers turn crops into biodiesel hasn’t been a failure, but it’s hardly a success either, according to an entrepreneur
May 24, 2012
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(Radio New Zealand International) Pacific nations which are most under threat from rising seas have vowed to abandon diesel and other dirty, expensive fuels and replace them with clean sources of energy. Using coconut biofuel and solar panels, Tokelau plans to become self-sufficient in energy this year. The leaders of
May 24, 2012
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by Margaret Ryan (AOL Energy) While the “food versus fuel” debate has grabbed headlines, biofuels technology worldwide has been accelerating down the learning curve and is at a “tipping point” for commercialization. That was the consensus of an expert panel last week at the International Finance Corporation’s Cleantech Workshop. The IFC is part
May 23, 2012
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(CNN) The U.S. Navy for the first time will demonstrate what it calls a Great Green Fleet, a carrier strike group operating in large part on nonfossil fuels, during a larger, 22-nation exercise this summer. The Navy’s two-day demonstration, which will happen during the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise
May 21, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The first World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates for 2012, from the US Department of Agriculture, give us an opportunity to review that debate. Let’s go back 10 years ago, before the first Renewable Fuel Standard was passed, when there was 1.1 billion bushels of corn
May 21, 2012
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(PhysOrg) The drive to develop crops for use as biofuel, continues to raise questions about additional uses of forest land. A cutting edge computer model developed at North Carolina State University offers detailed insight to predict the environmental impact – along with understanding forest ecosystem response to global climate change. “We
May 21, 2012
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by Rosemary Westwood (Columbia Reports) Colombia’s biofuels exceed international standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – advancing the country’s goal to become a leading ethanol producer, according to a new government report. The study commissioned by the Ministry of Mines and Energy found that Colombian ethanol made with sugar cane emits
May 21, 2012
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(Renewable Energy Magazine) The European renewable ethanol industry is contributing substantially to the European economy according to ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, in response to a new report published today. The report “Contribution of Biofuels to the Global Economy”, published by the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance, reveals that in 2010
May 21, 2012
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(Parabel (formerly PetroAlgae)) Parabel, Inc. new, economical sources of feed, food, and fuel, today announced that it has finalized a restated Master Framework Agreement with CECEP – Chongqing Industry Co., Ltd. (An absolute holding subsidiary of China Energy Conservation and Environment Protection Group) for the implementation of its technology in China as
May 21, 2012
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(Global Renewable Fuels Association/Cardno ENTRIX) …As is the case with virtually all other emerging and developing countries, biofuels offer the prospects of a new cash crop for farmers, increased employment in rural areas, expanded manufacturing output, reduced fuel import costs, and foreign exchange earnings. Africa stands to benefit significantly from the development of
May 21, 2012
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(PRNewswire) — At a time when regulatory agencies are increasing pressure for the disposal of wastewater containing soluble sugars, ThermoEnergy Corporation’s CASTion® Sugar Recovery System is a proven, cost-effective technology to capture and recover sugar in wastewater. Food and beverage wastewaters have high biological oxygen demand (BOD) from dissolved sugars, fiber,
May 21, 2012
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by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) In a recent editorial, What Keystone Won’t Do, the Washington Post mused about “the best way to insulate Americans from oil-price volatility and other drawbacks of oil use,” concluding that it “would be to use less oil.” It continued with a list of “sensible
by Meg Cichon (Renewable Energy World) The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources released a new set of strict standards for biomass in early May that have the potential to cut subsidies for developing plants. According to these new requirements, all qualifying biomass plants must generate power at 50 percent efficiency
May 9, 2012
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by David Brough (Reuters) Global biofuel demand fell in 2011 due to the impact of government requirements and greater incentives in food markets, but usage is set to grow driven by new technologies, commodities house Czarnikow said on Friday. “This comes despite a rise in crude oil prices that should make renewable
May 7, 2012
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(Ceres) • Pilot project validates U.S.-produced sweet sorghum as a potential feedstock for advanced biofuels and bio-products. • Conversion efficiency of sweet sorghum sugars were similar to sugarcane. Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE) today announced its improved sweet sorghum hybrids were successfully processed into renewable diesel by Amyris,
May 4, 2012
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(UK’s National Center for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials) This report investigates the importance of allocation procedures in reporting and understanding energy and greenhouse gas balances from life cycle assessment of biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Life cycle assessment (LCA), or life cycle analysis as it is also known, is a
May 3, 2012
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(FarmingUK.com) Latest government figures reveal that the vast majority of biofuels supplied in the UK are made from imported feedstock, with almost nine out of every 10 litres of foreign origin. The NFU have said that UK biofuel growers have been subject to poor policy making by the Department of
May 3, 2012
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The symposium “Sustainable Production of Food and Fuel for the 21st Century (FF21)” will be held May 11th, 12th, and 13th at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. This symposium will focus on the potential of using genetics, genomics, and molecular and synthetic biology to enable increased productivity of photosynthetic
May 2, 2012
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by Margaret Broeren (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) …Much more than a buzzword, “sustainable” means that trade-offs—social, environmental and economic factors—have been measured, modeled and validated against actual “boots on the ground data” measured at agricultural research stations and on Midwestern farms, says Randy Jackson, a grassland ecologist and UW-Madison professor
April 30, 2012
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(Wall Street Journal/Governors Biofuels Coalition) Top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe’s most controversial climate policies, as they consider whether biofuels do more harm than good when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The 27 European commissioners will for the first time discuss
April 30, 2012
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by Jack Eidt (WilderUtopia) Fossil Fuel Alternatives: Our Way Out of the Heat and Smog …Institutionally-Supported Industrial Monocrop Supercedes Peasant Agriculture. The search for alternatives to fossil fuels has created a land boom in Latin American-African- and Southeast Asian-produced agrofuels. Sugarcane and corn ethanol and soy and palm oil biodiesel have
April 30, 2012
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by Julia Pyper (E&E/Governors’ Biofuel Coalition) The Audi R18 Ultra, a turbocharged-diesel prototype running on bio-to-liquid fuel, won the 2012 Sebring race and the Michelin Green X Challenge. The checkered flag dropped at the Le Mans Series Toyota Grand Prix this weekend, and the most efficient, least carbon-emitting cars dominated
April 30, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Finding synergy between biogas, ethanol and power generation – the Maabjerg Energy Concept promises a new approach to energy economics and sustainability, through the capture and repurpose of industrial byproducts. …Last August, the Danish prospects for expansion took a leap forward with the launch of
April 26, 2012
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(EurActiv) Conventional biofuels like biodiesel increase carbon dioxide emissions and are too expensive to consider as a long-term alternative fuel, a draft EU report says. The study ‘EU Transport GHG [greenhouse gases]: Routes to 2050’ estimates that before indirect effects are counted, the abatement cost of reducing Europe’s emissions with biofuels
April 25, 2012
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by Paul Douglas (Bloomberg Business Week) When will American business wake up to the scientific reality of climate change? When the common-sense moderate middle wakes up. When pragmatic entrepreneurs and investors realize an intransigent, inflexible and, worst of all, factually incorrect political stance could lose the U.S. global influence and
April 25, 2012
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by Robert F. Service (Science) If drivers switch from gasoline to biofuels, will it lessen the air pollution that shrouds cities around the world? Studies of auto emissions have indicated it might. But the first citywide air quality study of its kind, reported at the meeting, suggests that unless more than
April 25, 2012
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(GreenAir Online) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises the UK government on national carbon targets, has recommended international aviation and shipping emissions be included in carbon budgets and the UK’s 2050 overall target to reduce emissions 80 per cent below 1990 levels. International emissions from the two sectors
April 23, 2012
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(NFU Online) The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted across the EU in time for this year’s harvest, the NFU said today. The move is designed to help give crops and sugar beet producers a head start in the
April 20, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ehtanol Producer Magazine) A recently published article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Royal Society Interface suggests that in order for life cycle analyses (LCA) of biomass-based products such as biofuels to be most accurately calculated, modelers should develop a hybridized methodology that considers both direct and indirect effects,
April 18, 2012
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by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH) …The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. In the area of biofuels and liquid biomass for electricity and heat production, the EU set sustainability requirements for renewable
April 16, 2012
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by Peter Byrne (The Energy Report) Believe it or not, industry experts see biofuels accounting for up to 25% of global energy consumption by 2050. With this long-term vision in mind, Mark McHugh, president and CEO of consultancy firm CenAm Energy Partners SA, assesses the current biofuel industry from his
April 16, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s water, water everywhere, hardly a drop to use. The latest on Sustainable, Affordable, Reliable, Available biomass feedstocks that keep down the stress on our water tables. …The basic dilemma in perennial biomass crops is well understood. There’s established demand in depth for animal feed.
April 13, 2012
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by Aviva Glaser and Patty Glick (National Wildlife Federation) Without question, America needs to transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. As we move forward with our energy choices, we must be mindful of how short term economic decisions can come with unintended consequences and high long-term costs to society
April 12, 2012
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by J.E. Anderson, D.M. DiCicco, J.M. Ginder, U. Kramer, T.G. Leone, H.E. Raney-Pablo, T.J. Wallington (FUEL/ScienceDirect.com) Ethanol provides a significant contribution to road transportation fuel in the US, Brazil, and elsewhere. Renewable fuels regulations in the US and EU imply that ethanol use will continue to increase in the near future. The high octane rating of ethanol
April 11, 2012
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by Greg Breining (University of Minnesota/Bioenergy Connection) …Did demand for biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, rapeseed, and soybeans, drive the high cost of food? Many analysts later pinned most of the blame on commodities speculation, oil prices, and weather—not biofuels production. Indeed, while biofuels production continued to expand, crop
April 11, 2012
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(US Department of Agriculture) A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) highlights the potential for alternative energy production at airports. The study findings were published in an article titled “Airports Offer Unrealized Potential for Alternative Energy Production”
April 10, 2012
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(U.S. Geological Survey) USGS scientists have developed a new method for mapping grasslands that demonstrate high potential for growing biofuel crops with relatively little energy input and environmental impact. The pioneering investigation used remote sensing data from satellites to identify detailed areas of the Greater Platte River Basin (most of
April 10, 2012
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by James Stafford (OilPrice.com) Rising geopolitical tensions and high oil prices are continuing to help renewable energy find favour amongst investors and politicians. Yet how much faith should we place in renewables to make up the shortfall in fossil fuels? Can science really solve our energy problems, and which sectors
March 29, 2012
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(Bernama) Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s largest producers of palm oil, are on a joint mission to correct and update a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that could impact future exports of palm oil-based biofuels. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who is leading the
March 29, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last July, the Digest launched a project called “Victory Plants” and set about recruiting a Biofuels Council of Advisors on Science, Technology and Economics to define a threshold standard for advanced manufacturing in biofuels, by April 2012 (for the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, in DC). An organization
March 29, 2012
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by Cori Anne Natoli (DelawareOnline) The DuPont Co. won the 2012 Sustainable Biofuels award for its research project on the transport and storage of corn stover for conversion to biofuel. The Stover Harvest Project is a collaborative effort led by DuPont’s Iowa-based Pioneer Hi-Bred business and Iowa State University with farm equipment
March 28, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. is expanding its research activities related to the use of distillers grains and corn stover to replace corn in cattle diets, recently announcing a two-year research project to be conducted in China to explore the potential for the alternative feeds
March 28, 2012
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(Algae Industry Magazine) A team of scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory has published a paper in IOP Science’s Environmental Research Letters comparing the emissions performance of algal biofuels to petroleum fuels. In their qualified life-cycle study, algal-based diesel out-performed low-sulfer petroleum diesel nearly two to one. The researchers identified
March 28, 2012
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(Business Day) State wants industry to source feedstock from small-scale farmers, writes Hopewell Radebe The government has not moved an inch on the proposal by the farming community to include maize as an alternative crop for biofuel production since the Department of Energy published the draft Mandatory Blending Regulations in
March 28, 2012
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by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Problem Definition: The production of biofuels in the US is at a substantial roadblock. Due to the high cost of transporting large quantities of low density, low value biomass to biorefineries, the economies of scale that allow the US petroleum industry to minimize production
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction of its Sustainable Grower Program in connection with the sustainability certification it has earned from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system. According to information released by ADM, the Lloydminster,
March 27, 2012
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(Platts) A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in “a matter of weeks,” a European Commission source said Monday. UK bioethanol producer Ensus received the support of EU member states’ experts on the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels and Other
March 27, 2012
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by Syed Isa (Algae Industry Magazine) The International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS-UNIDO) presented an Expert Group Meeting on Emerging Technologies for the Production of Biofuels and Chemicals from Algae, March 19-21, in Trieste, Italy. The basic issues discussed related to the questions: will algae shape the future
March 27, 2012
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by Kelly Madsen (IowaStateDaily.com) The Iowa State University-led Cenusa Bioenergy project works to develop a biofuel with both a Midwestern and environmental focus. Through a five-year, $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the project will develop a holistic plan to create
March 26, 2012
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by Stefaniya Becking (Advanced Biofuels USA) The World Biofuels Markets conference that took place on March 13-15, 2012 in Rotterdam provided an excellent environment for attendees to network with decision-makers from 80 countries and learn about prevailing concerns in the biofuel industry. In the multitude of presentations and discussions, two
(PRNewsWire/Yahoo!) Partnership will advance research in automotive renewable diesel solutions for current and next-generation TDI® Clean Diesel applications Volkswagen of America today announced partnerships with Solazyme and Amyris, two of the world’s leaders in renewable fuels, to evaluate emissions reductions and demonstrate the performance of TDI® Clean Diesel technology when
March 23, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Here are five types of technologies that straddle the political divide between green and black. Re-using industrial waste gases Here are three companies aiming at capturing CO2 and either directly converting to fuels, or using it as a means of mitigating the impact of a high-carb
March 23, 2012
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by John DeCicco (The Energy Collective) If biofuels benefit the climate, it’s not when they’re burned; those CO2 emissions are the same as from the fossil fuels they replace. Any potential benefit is due to the CO2 uptake when plants are grown. Society should maximize that uptake and, once carbon is absorbed,
March 22, 2012
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(4-Traders) Petrotec AG (ISIN DE000PET111), the largest European producer of waste to biodiesel mainly used cooking oil based, reported a 97% sales increase in financial year 2011 (January 1 to December 31, 2011). …Backed by an increased demand for sustainable waste-based biodiesel, and efficiency improvements Petrotec ramped up production by
March 22, 2012
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by John Maday (Drovers Cattle Network) A couple weeks ago, we ran an article titled “Feeding the biofuels beast,” which documented a University of Montana study suggesting current production methods and policy for biofuels are unsustainable. The article drew a number of comments, several of which disputed the study’s findings without presenting
March 22, 2012
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by Paul Gottlieb (Peninsula Daily News) A state Department of Natural Resources study has concluded that 3 million tons of bone-dry wood slash and other wood waste — double the existing amount that’s extracted — can be removed from Washington forests for biomass fuel production without harming forest health. Released
March 22, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield unlocks value, and especially feedstock yield. What’s the latest? What feedstocks are reporting yields that could support 1000+ gallons per acre for terrestrial crops? …Yield from the acre, yield from the ton, yield from the dollar. Yield is the to key to parity, survival,
March 22, 2012
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By Meng Yew Choong (The Star) Palm oil milling is far from benign, but the industry is frantically conducting research to realise low-emission technologies. The zero-discharge plant is one such bold concept. THE extraction of palm oil involves a number of steps: fruit bunch sterilisation, stripping, digestion, pressing, classification, purification,
March 22, 2012
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by Sarah Bittleman (USDA/25 x ’25) America needs and is developing a reliable, sustainable, fuel supply. If we are able to produce more of it here at home – rather than relying on foreign oil – we’ll generate good, middle-class jobs and strengthen our economy in the long run. That is
by Laura Layden (Naples News) State concerns with a Southwest Florida company’s plans to make ethanol from algae may have stalled the business’s expansion. Tucked inside an energy bill the Legislature approved in the final hours of its recent session is a change that’s meant to address state concerns about
March 14, 2012
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by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) An agricultural economist says hog producers are now able to compete with ethanol producers for corn. “This is an amazing difference from just five years ago,” said Purdue agricultural economist Dr. Chris Hurt. “The hog industry was largely set up with $2-2.50 corn going into 2006.
March 14, 2012
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by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …First, with E15 market ready in many states, the U.S. EPA ought to ensure summer Reid vapor pressure (RVP) limitations do not stand in the way of consumers having access to the most affordable fuel available for most cars. As
March 14, 2012
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by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …In my opinion, the delay in putting a bill on the table is caused by the fact that the ILUC ‘science’ is simply not conclusive. A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute assessing ILUC caused by biofuel policy does not seem to
March 14, 2012
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(FreshFruitPortal.com) Indonesia and Malaysia have questioned a U.S. decision that their palm oil fails to meet regulatory greenhouse gas reduction standards, website Antaranews.com reported. They disagreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ruling that biofuels from Indonesia and Malaysia cut only 17% of climate emissions, falling short of the 20% needed
March 13, 2012
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by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Palms are said to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, but you can’t prove it by the past few weeks of heated debate over palm biofuel. Last week, we looked at the discrepancy between the EU and EPA findings on the emissions reduction value
March 13, 2012
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by Theodore Kouadio (AllAfrica.com) Senegal’s government has called on the expertise of the country’s researchers in drafting a new national law to regulate the production and environmental impact of biofuels. The law was developed in collaboration with scientists from the country’s Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), who had recommended that
March 13, 2012
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by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) he debate over ethanol, greenhouse gases and land use continues – and that was the topic of a panel discussion at the recent 17th annual National Ethanol Conference. The panel, moderated byRenewable Fuels AssociationVP of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper, consisted of Thomas Darlington with Air Improvement
March 9, 2012
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by Brandon Keim (Wired Science) The link between commodity speculation and global food price weirdness just got stronger, and researchers warn that a new and potentially calamitous price bubble is imminent. Previous research had blamed a combination of food-to-fuel crop conversion and financial speculationfor driving food prices up in sudden,
March 8, 2012
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by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters) The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions of fuels in the transportation sector if policymakers act on the basis of scientific warnings about the impact of biofuels on climate. Several studies have questioned the benefits of biodiesel
March 8, 2012
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by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) One glance at the headlines of any newspaper in America is all that is needed to appreciate the importance of America’s evolving ethanol and renewable fuel industry. Whether it is turmoil in the Middle East, tens of millions of Americans still out
March 8, 2012
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by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Ethanol has been scapegoated for just about every blip in food markets in recent years, but the question of whether that is fact or fabrication was taken on during the recent 17th annual National Ethanol Conference. In keeping with the NEC’s tradition of generating constructive debate by
March 7, 2012
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(PR.com) Request for Expression of Interest Promotion of Ethanol Microdistillery for Cooking Fuel in Ethiopia Loan No. /Credit No./ Grant No.: TF096664 Activity Title: Demonstrating the Feasibility of Ethanol for Household Cooking The Gaia Association, an Ethiopian non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 2005 has received financing from the World
March 6, 2012
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by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Forest Guild has released its report, “Forest Biomass Retention and Harvesting Guidelines for the Southeast,” identifying how expanding markets for forest bioenergy can enhance forests, while meeting the social and economic needs of society. The guidelines are also meant to fill the gap
March 5, 2012
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(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Multi stakeholder initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) reported unprecedented growth for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in the year 2011 as accounted for in its inaugural qualitative review entitled “2011 RSPO CSPO Growth Interpretation Narrative” (2011 GIN). The 2011 GIN, the first
March 5, 2012
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(The Washington Post/AP) Calling cassava “the Rambo of food crops,” scientists Monday said the long-neglected root becomes even more productive in hotter temperatures and could be the best bet for African farmers threatened by climate change. …The root outperformed potatoes, maize, beans, bananas, millet and sorghum in tests using a
March 5, 2012
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by Francesco Guarascio and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The EU forestry and farming sectors will have to monitor and report from 2013 any changes to land use that could affect greenhouse gas emissions as part of the bloc’s measures to curb climate change, under a draft law seen by Reuters. …One of its
March 5, 2012
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by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (FocusingOnWildlife.com) A Kenyan wildlife haven threatened by the rush to grow biofuels for European companies such as IKEA, has been saved. The Dakatcha Woodland in Kenya – home to several globally threatened bird species – would have been destroyed if proposals
March 1, 2012
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(Project Gaia) Nigerian Government Agency Launches Microdistillery and Stoves to Provide Sustainable Ethanol Fuel for Household Cooking, Lighting and Small-Scale Power Generation The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), a parastatal under the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, has commissioned the installation of an efficient microdistillery (EMD) with a
(UPI) Growing crops for fuel as opposed to refining fossil fuels and substituting bioethanol for gasoline is a sustainable energy strategy, Japanese researchers say. In a study published in the International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy, researchers analyzed the overall life-cycle impact on raising fuel crops and the energy
February 27, 2012
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by Katherine Tweed (GreenTechGrid) There is a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is that if you are just asking about CO2, the electric vehicle, even from the dirtiest of U.S. coal plants, is still cleaner than a traditional internal-combustion vehicle. However, toss hybrid vehicles, e-bikes, buses, renewable energy
February 24, 2012
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by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Union of Concerned Scientists is applying some energy to supporting ethanol. Well, not corn ethanol, I doubt they’ve made an about face there. But they are coming out in support of cellulosic ethanol. …”A detailed analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests
February 22, 2012
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by Professor Chris Rhodes (OilPrice.com) The depletion of world rock phosphate reserves will restrict the amount of food that can be grown, a situation that can only be compounded by the production of biofuels, including the potential large-scale generation of diesel from algae. …A peak in worldwide production of
February 22, 2012
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by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Global warming will get worse as agricultural methods accelerate the rate of soil erosion, which depletes the amount of carbon the soil is able to store, a United Nations’ Environment Programme report said on Monday. Soil contains huge quantities of carbon in the form of organic
February 20, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and a handful of bioenergy stakeholders were given the opportunity to present the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry with their opinions on the importance of the Farm Bill’s energy programs during a Feb. 15 committee hearing focused on
February 16, 2012
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by Peter Hemphill (Weekly Times Now) …While ethanol production has become the largest use of the corn crop, it has also developed a high protein byproduct – dried distillers grains with solubles – now highly prized around the world as an animal feed. China is one of the biggest animal
February 16, 2012
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by Louise Downing (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) A.P. Moeller Maersk A/S, the world’s biggest container ship owner, is leading its industry in developing biofuels made from organic waste that could cut its carbon emissions and reduce a $6 billion-a-year fuel bill. Maersk is conducting tests with companies including Man Diesel & Turbo
February 15, 2012
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(EurActiv) The European Commission has asked airlines to report on “the amount of biomass” they use so that biofuels can be accounted as “zero emission” in the greenhouse gas emissions reports they are requested to produce each year under the EU’s carbon scheme for the aviation sector. The plan, detailed
February 15, 2012
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(25 x ’25) While much of the recent Congressional discussion of renewable energy has focused on failed high risk clean energy startups, what’s gone largely unnoticed by federal policy makers is the incredible overall progress that our nation has made in scaling up and reducing the cost of renewable energy
February 14, 2012
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(Americans for Informed Democracy) Biofuels were supposed to be the solution to global climate change. We could slowly reduce our dependence on crude oil by using fuels from corn or sugar cane instead. This fuel would be renewable, because we could just keep growing more! These plants would help to
February 14, 2012
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(European Commission) The European Commission has today presented its strategy and action plan for a sustainable bioeconomy in Europe, called “Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe”. The goal is a more innovative and low-emissions economy, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food security, and the sustainable use of renewable
February 14, 2012
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by Jeff Wilson and Whitney McFerron (The Washington Post) …Global food costs are down 11 percent from a peak a year ago as grain output rises from China to Canada, U.N. data show. …The Agriculture Department affirmed its forecast for moderating food costs last month. Prices will increase 2.5 to 3.5 percent in 2012, below
February 14, 2012
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(NCS International) NCS International (“NCSI”) has certified the world’s first organisation against the Principles and Criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (“RSB”). RSB is a new international standard that can be applied across the entire biofuel supply chain, from farmer, processor to fuel blender and aims to ensure biofuels
February 13, 2012
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(Neste Oil) Neste Oil and Raisio have worked together for a number of years on how by-products and sidestreams generated by Finnish agriculture and food manufacturing can be used as inputs for producing biofuels. The two companies held a joint seminar today, 9 February, entitled ‘From Sidestreams to Highways’ in
February 13, 2012
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by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) …Rules aimed at curbing emissions from cars and light trucks are on hold because the White House has yet to give the Office of Management and Budget the go-ahead to review them. …The fight over whether to propose a new federal fuel and vehicle
February 13, 2012
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(US Department of Energy) The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible development of future chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production programs. Information obtained may be used by ARPA-E on a non-attribution basis. This RFI provides biofuel and bioproducts stakeholders with an opportunity
February 13, 2012
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by Joe Romm (ThinkProgress.org) Air sampling by NOAA over Colorado Finds 4% Methane Leakage, More Than Double Industry Claims How much methane leaks during the entire lifecycle of unconventional gas has emerged as a key question in the fracking debate. Natural gas is mostly methane (CH4). And methane is a far more potent greenhouse
February 13, 2012
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(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) today announced the first completed commercial certification of the Manildra Group of Australia. The certification was conducted by NCS International, an RSB-accredited certification agency. The Manildra Group, through its subsidiary Shoalhaven Starches Pty Ltd, is producing bioethanol from starchy wastewater
February 11, 2012
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(BioJet) BioJet International Ltd. announced today that its Chairman Mitch Hawkins has been elected Chair of the Board of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels Services Foundation. The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, yesterday announced that it has officially started operations as an independent entity Concurrently, the
February 11, 2012
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(Renewable Energy Magazine) Recent studies commissioned by NGOs Friends of the Earth and ActionAid claim that biofuels, including ethanol, will cost EU consumers €126 billion at the petrol pump between now and 2020. ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, considers the reports flawed, factually incorrect, out of sync with reality and
February 9, 2012
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(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) There is mounting concern that increasing biofuels production is having significant biodiversity impacts. A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute estimated that achieving the EU target would lead to a global increase in cropland of more than 17,000 square km, primarily in Brazil, sub-Saharan Africa and
February 9, 2012
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by Ken Field (Financial Post) Ethanol reduces the price of gasoline Ethanol’s chief benefit is environmental. …Last summer, there were no smog alerts in the GTA and 5.5 million Canadians breathed easier. Ethanol was a major factor in cleaning the air above Canada’s biggest metropolis. A lesser-known fact is that
February 8, 2012
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by Barry Amundson (Tri-State Neighbor) Gregg Carlson doesn’t like to hear the negative comments about ethanol. The SDSU Extension farm precision agronomist has been telling farmers at crop expos this winter and others he talks with that producers wouldn’t have the prices they do today on their crops without the liquid
February 7, 2012
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by Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol and grain producers in Canada reacted to a report by the George Morris Centre charging it misinterprets the connection between clean-burning, renewable ethanol and the livestock and meat markets. A joint statement from the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association and the
February 6, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BioProcess Algae LLC and Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. announced Feb. 1 that they have begun constructing a five acre algae production facility in southwest Iowa at the site of Green Plains’ 65 MMgy ethanol plant near Shenandoah. Construction of the algae facility is
February 6, 2012
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By Alessandro Torello (Wall Street Journal) …But this plant, with a capacity of 800,000 metric tons a year, and others built by different companies around Europe face a new challenge: a possible shift in EU policy that could undermine their profitability. …However, less than three years after adopting a key
February 6, 2012
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(Equipment World) States considering a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will be watching the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to see if it will overturn a lower court’s decision that California’s LCFS is unconstitutional. The appellate court has set an April 16 deadline for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to file its
February 6, 2012
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by Alex Morales (Reuters) European Union policies to promote the use of biofuels for transportation will cost consumers as much as 126 billion euros ($166 billion) between now and 2020, two environmental groups said. The fuels, gasoline substitutes derived from plants, probably won’t cut greenhouse gases because forests are chopped
February 6, 2012
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(NewEurope Online) More Lithuanian logging waste could make way for usage in biofuels production. The ‘national forestry sector development programme’ submitted recently to the government of Lithuanian by the ministry of environment proposed for maximising the use of logging waste for biofuels raising the usage from 80,000 cubic metres to
February 6, 2012
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by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Looking for a middle ground where environmentalists and ethanol advocates could meet, the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy released a paper by Julia Olmstead reflecting on the lessons learned regarding the debate over indirect land use change (ILUC). Nearly a year ago, IATP invited
February 3, 2012
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by Skip Derra (Arizona State University/Western Farm Press) A team of researchers from Arizona State University, Stanford University and Carnegie Institution for Science has found that converting large swaths of land to bioenergy crops could have a wide range of effects on regional climate. …“Almost all of the work performed
February 2, 2012
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(25 x ’25) The effects of changing weather and climate present new challenges for farms, forests, and ranches which in 2009 had a combined value of $645 billion and generated over $1.2 trillion in related economic activity. Though the causes of climate change are widely debated, weather and climate related
February 1, 2012
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by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) A recently released study authored by nine scientists from multiple organizations and universities, including the U.S. Forest Service, may be poised to clear up some confusion. With no motive other than to scrutinize, hash out and compare the best and most recent
February 1, 2012
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(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) As a potential substitute for fossil fuels, wood energy can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. FAO’s programme on wood energy promotes sustainable wood energy systems as a contribution to sustainable forest management, livelihoods and food security. To this end, FAO and the International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 31
January 31, 2012
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(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) This report was prepared as a joint effort by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, University of Rostock, Chalmers University of Technology, Georg-August University of Goettingen, University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Biop Institut and Buro for Applied Landscape Ecology and Scenario Analysis. The
January 31, 2012
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(EcoGreen4US) … Cellulosic ethanol is produced from plant fibre which is widely available almost anywhere in the world. Today, producing cellulosic ethanol is not in a laboratory anymore. A number ofmanufacturing plants around the world have been producing cellulosic ethanol asalternative to diesel and gasoline orpetrol. Some of the plant fibres which have been studied could be used for raw materials of producing cellulosic ethanol are:
January 30, 2012
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by Alvaro Cordero (Ethanol Producer Magazine/U.S. Grains Council) From a barely recognized feed alternative 10 years ago, distillers dried grains with solubles continues to gain recognition and markets. DDGS is now widely recognized internationally, where its use continues to evolve. Forty-four countries imported DDGS in the first nine months of
January 26, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Corn stover has been used in small amounts as cattle feed for more than 100 years. Separately, distillers grains has grown in popularity as a cattle feed over the past few decades as ethanol plants have established themselves throughout the Midwest, often in close
January 26, 2012
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by Gus Trompiz (Reuters) French state support for crop-based biofuels has brought benefits for farming but also hidden costs for motorists who have ended up having to consume more fuel and pay higher prices, the government’s auditor said on Tuesday. With investments in biofuel production now mostly paid off and
January 26, 2012
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by Rudy Ruitenberg (Bloomberg Business Week) Criticism of biofuels and their impact on commodity prices by the new director general of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization is “simplistic and misinformed,” an industry lobby said. Higher energy prices are the “primary driver” for increased costs of commodities including corn and
January 25, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bloomberg New Energy Finance launched its report “Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy”. Commissioned by Novozymes, the report estimates the socioeconomic prospects of deploying advanced biofuels in eight of the highest agricultural-producing regions in the world, i.e. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, EU-27, India, Mexico and the USA.
January 25, 2012
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Earthquakes, Water Pollution and Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Fracking – Strike Number Three?
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) …While U.S. energy companies began fracking for gas in the late 1990s, there was a dramatic increase in 2005 after the administration of President George W. Bush exempted fracking from regulations under the U.S. Clean Water Act. According to Washington’s energy Information Agency, shale gas production
January 24, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill denied the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) motion to stay the decision he issued on December 29, 2011 that had halted the enforcement of the California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation because that regulation is unconstitutional. …For a
January 24, 2012
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(National Corn Growers Association) Ongoing media coverage on corn usage tends to sensationalize trends by pitting demand from the ethanol industry against that from livestock, but Corn Board member Wesley Spurlock, a Texas farmer, has been speaking to groups across the Midwest on why this so-called “feed versus fuel” debate
January 24, 2012
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by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) California’s low carbon fuel standard is a hot topic at this week’s California Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Conference in San Francisco. During a panel titled “California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and its Implications for Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Production,” attendees were offered a petroleum marketer’s
January 23, 2012
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by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Is there sufficient supply of feedstock to support the build-out of a 6 billion gallon biodiesel industry over the next decade? …If the industry stands a chance competing with Big Oil over the next decade, it will need hard data and realistic feedstock projections to
January 23, 2012
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by Ezra Klein, Brad Plumer (The Washington Post) …In 2010, the world spent $409 billion on fossil-fuel subsidies to artificially lower the price of coal, gas and oil. Eliminating those subsidies would curb fuel use and lead to half the emissions cuts necessary to avoid 2°C of warming. That’s all according to
January 23, 2012
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by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …(Addison) Lawrence, a project leader and scientist in charge at Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory at Port Aransas, Texas, explains that two things have hit the U.S. domestic shrimp industry hard. No. 1 is the extremely high cost of shrimp feed, which can add
January 23, 2012
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(PRNewsWire/Moneylife) Scientific findings and process on biofuel crop presented in a paper delivered at INSULA (International Scientific Council for Island Development) / RSB (Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels), Conference in UNESCO, Paris JOil (S) Pte Ltd, a scientific bioenergy crop developer of New Generation Jatropha, discussed cutting edge science and biotechnology processes
January 23, 2012
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by Rudy Ruitenberg (Sydney Morning Herald) The US policy to produce ethanol biofuel from corn is raising prices for the grain across the world, said Jose Graziano da Silva, the new director-general of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation. ”FAO has been raising its voice against using food to
January 23, 2012
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by Michael Hogan (Reuters) Govt advisors warn against biofuel feedstock imports * Importing foods for biofuels could endanger supplies * Biofuels industry says claims reckless Germany should not increase imports of food to produce biofuels, because this could threaten the supply of food in developing countries, a report from a German
January 23, 2012
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by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A Texas corn grower says the “feed versus fuel” debate is based in fallacy. Texas Corn Producers Board member Wesley Spurlock of Stratford has been speaking to groups across the Midwest explaining how U.S. corn farmers continue to grow a crop abundant enough to meet all growing
January 20, 2012
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by Peter A. Letvin (Biomass Power and Thermal/Energy & Environmental Research Center ) Algae holds promise as a next-generation biofuel, both for heat and electricity and especially for transportation fuels. Algae could potentially be a game changer for biofuels in the future. Critical to algae entering this game as a true
January 20, 2012
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(Iowa State University) Now, an Iowa State University-based study over the next five years will examine whether a single, coordinated production system can address all of these concerns while making profits for producers. A multi-state, interdisciplinary team led by Ken Moore, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in the Department of
January 19, 2012
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by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) In last days of the 2011 session the US Congress, with a job approval rating of 11% , cancelled the VEETC ethanol subsidy and dropped the tariff on Brazilian ethanol imports. These major events have caused soul-searching on how the renewable fuel industry
January 19, 2012
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by Mario Giampietro (Cassandra’s Legacy) …(Y)ou may find a lot of help in the recent book “The Biofuel Delusion” by Mario Giampietro and Kozo Mayumi. If you are unsure about why exactly biofuels are the disaster that they are, this book will explain to you that on the basis of a
January 17, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …In July 2011, the European Union belatedly approved the first seven voluntary sustainability schemes for biofuels as required by the Renewable Energy Directive. The directive, commonly referred to as RED, requires all 27 EU member states to increase the amount of renewable energy they
January 16, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …Power plants were found to be the largest stationary source of direct emissions, producing a combined total of more than 2,300 million metric tons of CO2e from 1,555 facilities in 2010. Petroleum refineries were the second largest source of GHG emissions in 2010. The
January 13, 2012
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by Bob Dineen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …The scientific community has better data, improved modeling tools, and a better appreciation of the uncertainty and complexity involved in ILUC analysis. But, above all, they have the benefit of some experience and hindsight. Real world data show that (Timothy) Searchinger
January 12, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The cost to remove corn oil from distillers grains (DGs) is high, but even so, an increasing number of ethanol producers are expected to begin extracting the valuable product from DGs in the coming year as they seek out additional revenue sources from the
January 12, 2012
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(Cool Planet BioFuels/MarketWatch) Cool Planet BioFuels announced today it has received approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to begin fleet-testing its negative carbon gasoline. Cool Planet BioFuel’s technology converts low-grade biomass — such as grass and woodchips — into high-grade fuel. This process also produces a byproduct, which
January 12, 2012
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(Australian Aviation) Boeing and CSIRO have launched a year-long study on the potential for growing new feedstocks in northern Queensland that could be turned into sustainable aviation biofuels. The first phase of the study will focus on current and potential biomass production systems based on grasses and fast growing trees
January 12, 2012
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by Damian Carrington (Government Online) For the first time in a decade, the vast biofuel industry has stalled. But with crude prices still high, charting a course towards biofuels that do more good than harm is more vital than ever. … “The less biofuel you have the more gasoline you need,”
January 12, 2012
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(Market Watch/Gevo) Plans Include Working with Land O’Lakes Purina Feed’s Renowned Research Center to Explore Opportunities to Upgrade Value-Added Applications in Animal Feed Products Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, today (January 10, 2011) announced it had signed an off-take and marketing agreement with Land O’Lakes Purina
January 12, 2012
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by Victoria Bryan (Reuters) German carrier Lufthansa is ending the trial use of a biofuel mix for its planes because it has used up stocks of certified biofuel and no other reliable supplies are available. The trial, which ran on flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg, will end January 12 on a
January 10, 2012
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Case Competitions have emerged as a vital learning opportunity for students. ISEEESA has identified this, and will host its 1st Annual International Case Challenge in Calgary, Canada. This Challenge is offered to all students in post-secondary institutions (undergraduate & graduate) from across the globe. The ICC is a tremendous opportunity
January 9, 2012
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