by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Biofuels Digest's Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference started with an afternoon ABLC Feedstock Summit at the US Department of Agriculture. Three points jumped out. The value of the farmers/growers perspective of biofuels; rethinking the value
by Amy Mayer (Iowa Public Radio) The agriculture sector needs to ramp up its response to climate change, especially in the Midwest, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ... Lead author Xin-Zhong Liang, a
(Embrapa (Google translation)) Embrapa Agroenergia (DF) was able to identify species of microalgae that can be cultivated in liquid waste from agroindustrial processes, effluents. This crop can generate renewable raw material for biofuels, feed, cosmetics and various other products. The research,
(The Crop Science Society of America/Biodiesel Magazine) ... In California, growers usually choose warm-season crops: ones that grow from March to October. But extension agronomist Stephen Kaffka and his team at UC Davis, including project scientist Nic George, explored growing
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation/PR NewsWire) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO), an innovator of sustainable energy production systems, announced today the Paso Robles ECOsystem, known as PRECO, a waste-to-energy interconnected system (ecosystem) designed to produce half a million gallons of bioethanol from
(Bioenergy Insight) US-based science and engineering centre Argonne National Laboratory has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts and enhance the process of anaerobic digestion (AD). According to the organisation, the digestion of wastewater can
(Bioenergy Insight) There has been excessive use of land for bioenergy crops in Germany which has led to a loss of species, according to the German environment minister Barbara Hendricks. Hendricks, speaking to the magazine Mehrwert, included energy as part of
by Carlos Calvo Ambel (Transport & Environment/EurActiv) ... Sustainable feedstocks available for the production of non-land using biofuels, made of waste and residues, are limited and other sectors want to use them as well. Some advanced biofuels, such as those derived from
by Stan Boney (WKBN) Youngstown Thermal is now burning a more environmentally-friendly fuel -- Youngstown Thermal supplies the steam used to heat most of the buildings in downtown Youngstown. Recently, the company made a million dollar investment, now burning a new form of
by Marika Andersen (Bellona) Today, Bellona publishes its new report on the potential and challenges of using seaweed biofuels in aviation. The report provides comprehensive recommendations for researchers, public authorities and consumers. By mapping existing knowledge and practice, sustainability and
by Carlos Correa (CW6 San Diego) The City of San Diego is making the switch in an effort to reduce greenhouse gases. They have now switched the fuel used by all fire engines. They’re changing from diesel to renewable diesel, in the
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The Governors' Biofuels Coalition on Monday asked President Donald Trump to support a number of changes to federal law to support biofuels production. In a letter signed by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, chairman of
by Maina Waruru (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Growing use of electric vehicles around the world is helping lower climate changing emissions, but some means of transport will be hard to electrify, particularly air travel and shipping, energy experts say. To “decarbonise” those,
by Silke Schmidt (Phys.Org) ... Genetically modifying switchgrass could boost crop yields and its commercial viability. But to close in on realizing that potential requires one small tweak: a genetic sterility switch that prevents the modified grass from contaminating the genes of nearby
(FG Insight) Vivergo Fuels, which converts 1.1m tonnes of feed-grade wheat a year into bioethanol, has said it could face closure if the Government ploughs on with plans to restrict crop-based biofuels in petrol. The UK must ensure 10 per cent
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) ICM Inc. will build a new state-of-the-art biorefinery—dubbed ICM Element—next to its headquarters in Colwich, Kansas. The facility will showcase the company’s cutting-edge technologies. ... Elements are nature’s building blocks and the world is searching for cleaner, sustainable, renewable
by Darren Fishell (Bangor Daily News) The company EMEP LLC wants to buy the shuttered East Millinocket paper mill to build a biorefinery that it said would be a centerpiece of a larger $240 million plan for biomass energy parks
(The Sun) From Uche Usim, Abuja -- When the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, assumed office in 2015, one of the programmes he highlighted the Muhammadu Buhari administration would face headlong was biofuels production which he described
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ABLC guests heard Governor Paul LePage from Maine invite all of us to his beautiful Northern state that has many existing and promising biomass projects and even backyard farms that grow tomatoes year round
(FutureMetrics) Providing misleading, inaccurate, and sometime outright fiction as facts could be called propaganda. With overtones of Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the term "alternative facts" has recently been coined. Either way, it is information that is biased and misleading that is
by Jon LeSage (OilPrice.com) Alternative and renewable aviation fuels such as biofuel blends won’t be replacing traditional jet fuels any time soon, but the aviation industry continues to take them very seriously. On average, the aviation sector consumes 10 percent of
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... While there were big questions, there were big answers, beginning with a panel on The Sustainable Agriculture Imperative. John Pieper from Dupont Industrial Biosciences shared their latest work with cellulosic ethanol in the corn
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This morning at the "Defense Production Act (DPA) Advanced Drop-in Biofuels Production Project Round 2 Industry Roundtable" held at the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Zia Haq, Senior Analyst and DPA Coordinator
(U.S. Department of Energy) ... U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the publication of a report, titled Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams: Challenges and Opportunities. The report is the first comprehensive assessment of
by Kristen Johnson (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Growing deep-rooted perennial crops, like switchgrass or willow, together with annual crops and livestock in a farming system is starting to gain traction. This is due in large part to the potential economic and
(U.S. Department of Energy) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts. The technology enhances the process of anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge by incorporating biomass-derived, carbon-sequestering char within the
(German Bioethanol Industry Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A large majority of Europeans want biofuels production and use to grow, according to the German Bioethanol Industry Association. A recent Europe-wide opinion poll found that 69 percent of consumers surveyed in the 28 EU
(Bioenergy Insight) The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (SFTA) is repeating its warning to the UK government that the "headlong drive to produce renewable energy from by-products of the distilling industry through anaerobic digesters and biomass plants will cause severe damage
by Anna Hirtenstein (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) The U.K. government’s view of biomass as a carbon-neutral energy source is a “flawed assumption,” according to report from Chatham House. The U.K. counts emissions from the supply chain that produces and delivers wood pellets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The production of Agrisoma’s Resonance Carinata is being expanded to multiple locations globally to provide a supply of sustainable, non-food oils for meeting the demand for sustainable biofuels. Resonance Carinata is certified sustainable by the
(PTI/The Financial Express) The Centre will soon come out with policies on the second-generation ethanol as well as methanol, non-conventional fuel resources, which will bring down the crude import bill by Rs 1 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said
(SciDev.Net) Research team produces aviation fuel from jatropha plants grown in desert with sewage water; Aim is to cut aviation emissions, but high cost remains a challenge for use by the end of 2017; Semi-industrial experiments kicked off to develop a production method
by Judith Garfield (San Diego Community Newspaper Group) ... In my first article “Scripps research on biofuels hits close to home Part 1,”readers traveled with me on Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s R/V Sproul as I helped carry out research on
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Below50 is an initiative that brings businesses together with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) to promote the best-of-breed of sustainable fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So there’s this gap, say researchers at Utrecht University in their report on aviation biofuels, between the emission goals that airlines have set themselves (call this, carbon-neutral growth), and what is going to be achieved
by Stephen Rapundalo (Morning Consult/MichBio) The United States Department of Agriculture just dropped a truth bomb. According to the agency’s new landmark report, the carbon benefits associated with homegrown ethanol have far surpassed previous expectations and continue to improve thanks
(GreenAir Online) Although sustainable alternative fuels are key to meeting the aviation sector’s long-term emissions goals, supportive government policies are required to bring these fuels to global deployment. This was a central theme of last week’s ICAO Seminar on Alternative
(Propel Fuels/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Propel Fuels, the nation’s leading retailer of E85 Flex Fuel, welcomed the 2017 National Ethanol Conference to California, America’s largest E85 market. Having cracked the code to high volume E85 sales, Propel sells more than 500
by Dani Bozzini (WMDT) The governor of Maryland toured the Eastern Shore today and one of his stops was to a farm in Dorchester County with a ground breaking new program, converting animal waste into energy. Governor Larry Hogan, along with
(Neutral Fuels) Recycling waste dairy products to help meet Dubai ' s Zero Waste target -- After two years of research into new and improved ways to create biofuels, Neutral Fuels has become the first company to successfully use butter, cream
by Jeff Mulhollem (Penn State News) Africa and agroforestry — defined as agriculture that incorporates the cultivation and conservation of trees — are in Penn State professor Michael Jacobson's blood, and the combination has helped shape his career. In turn, the
By Matt McGrath (BBC) Up to 16% of hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells spill liquids every year, according to new research from US scientists. They found that there had been 6,600 releases from these fracked wells over a ten-year period
by Tex Turkel (Portland Press Herald) Ensyn Corp., which makes heating oil from wood waste, already supplies Bates College and needs more customers before it can build a plant here. -- A Canadian company that turns leftover wood from forestry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (S)omething less than $200 million has been so far positively and affordably earmarked by lenders to revolutionize the entire supply chain of US air transportation fuels. Which is to say, you can just about get
(Bioenergy Insight) Waste recycling company Asticom K reports that construction is underway on a biogas plant in Kenya on a five acre plot of land donated by a local housing co-operative. The plant is being built with $12.7 million (€11.9m) funding
by Steffen Mueller (University of Illinois at Chicago/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Strategically located ethanol sources cannot be economically replaced. -- Carbon dioxide sourced from corn-ethanol plants is not a waste-recovery product but a coproduct that, in many regions, can only be
by Debbie Sniderman (Ethanol Producer Magazine/VI Ventures LLC) New DDGS additive saves ethanol plants energy and improves flowability. -- A new mineral additive technology offering energy and yield benefits to DDGS processing has been developed by Nucleus Ag & Bio
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The ethanol industry sees one-pound waiver for E15 as a no-brainer. -- Perplexed about why E15 does not get a one-pound waiver? That’s a sign you clearly understand the issue, says Monte Shaw, Iowa
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Glacial Lakes challenge in Watertown, SD, demonstrates E30 is a winner. The midlevel ethanol blend caused no check engine lights, mileage was virtually unchanged and resulted in real savings. -- The E30 Challenge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, farmers from the Midwest are in California’s Central Valley touring the first-of-its-kind Zero Net Energy Farm, or “ZNEF,” to learn how to generate all electrical and heating power needs from on-site renewable resources,
Don Siefkes (E100 Ethanol Group/Biofuels Digest) ... When the CARB (California Air Resources Board) refers to Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), they are talking only at the tailpipe and every time they or the Wall Street Journal uses the ZEV designation, it
by Don Siefkes (E100 Ethanol Group/Biofuels Digest) In an unpublished letter to the Wall Street Journal, Don Siefkes, Executive Director of the E100 Ethanol Group writes: Regarding Mike Spector’s Feb. 13 article, “Biggest Driver of Cleaner-Car Rules …,” Ms. Mary Nichols, Chairwoman
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) According to this presentation deck from NREL’s Melvin Tucker, “to produce high concentration sugar and reactive lignin streams at high yields and low costs from biomass to meet BETO’s 2017 ($5/GGE) and 2022 ($3/GGE) Goals and Targets,
by Emily Witty (MD Biz News) ... (Ryan) Powell and his business partner Onur Unal are the founders of Manta Biofuel, a Baltimore-based biotechnology firm producing renewable crude oil through the harvesting and processing of algae. Just two and a half
(Phys.Org) A new study published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters by researchers at the University of Puerto Rico offers the first regional look at lands being converted to palm oil plantations in Latin America. Palm oil is
(RightsAndResources.org) Experts at Dakar event point to a significant cause of investment losses, work stoppages and violence across Africa: the failure of governments and companies to respect the land rights of indigenous and local communities Sixty-three percent of disputes related to
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) D3MAX has announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. The pilot facility will be installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, in late February. Installation is
(International Energy Agency) Bioenergy is the largest source of renewable energy today, providing heat and electricity, as well as transport fuels. Yet, more so than for other low‑carbon energy technologies, the complex and multi‑faceted supply chains of bioenergy projects call
(POET) POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels will build an on-site enzyme manufacturing (OSM) facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa, pending state and local approvals. The facility will be integrated into the Project Liberty technology package, replicable in future facilities. For Project Liberty, the OSM
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels, here’s the basic recipe, according to a research team led by David Dayton at RTI
(Pacific Ethanol/Globenews) Edeniq’s yield-enhancing Pathway Technology will now be installed at two Pacific Ethanol plants -- Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEIX), a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels in the United States, and Edeniq, Inc., a biorefining and cellulosic
(Biofuels International) ... "... We are highly excited to participate in the domestic cellulosic ethanol opportunity, which has the potential to redefine energy matrix for the country,” said Pramod Chaudhari, executive chairman at Praj Industries. The company also reiterated its plans about
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But there’s something so cool in that technology that we can’t take our eyes off the company and its progress, even though looking at the balance sheet can feel like watching a car crash in slow
by Rick Fox (Ohio Ethanol Producers Association/The Courier) ... Back in 1996, well before the Renewable Fuel Standard was ever implemented, corn was $3.67 a bushel. Today it is $3.64 a bushel. Why? Thanks to technology and improvements in farming practices, farmers are
by Umberto Bacchi (Reuters) A British supermarket has become the first retailer in Europe to use a new type of tank that keeps trucks motoring on fuel made from food waste for 500 miles, almost twice the current average. The longer driving
by David Hallberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) Candid discussions at the Health Effects Institute offer hope ethanol's positive emissions profile will be taken seriously, writes a UAI advisor and Siouxland Ethanol board member in the Clearing the Air column
by Meadhbh Bolger (Friends of the Earth Europe/EurActiv) It took years for politicians to wake up to the destructive impact of biofuels, in no small part because of their green-sounding name. With bioplastics we risk falling into the same trap,
(AFP/China Post) The air transportation sector is turning slowly toward sustainable fuels as part of the global fight against climate change. But adoption has been delayed due to a lack of incentives and low oil prices. ... Even partially replacing jet fuel with
(PHYCO2/Biodiesel Magazine) PHYCO2 LLC, an emerging algae production, waste water treatment and carbon dioxide sequestration company, announced the successful treatment of wastewater from breweries to comply with state water discharge limits for nitrates and phosphates. During Phase 4 of the multiyear trial
by Jessica Lyons Hardcastle (Environmental Leader) The number of commercial airplanes in service is projected to nearly double by 2030. At the same time, international agreements and individual countries’ laws require the aviation industry to reduce carbon emissions. Advances in biofuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal? Develop microbial biocatalysts to convert lignin-rich streams into value-added products. That’s subject which this project — “Synthetic Metabolic Pathways for Bioconversion of Lignin Derivatives to Biofuels,” led by Oak Ridge National Lab’s Adam Guss
by Steffen Mueller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Strategically located ethanol sources cannot be economically replaced. -- Carbon dioxide sourced from corn-ethanol plants is not a waste-recovery product but a coproduct that, in many regions, can only be replaced by higher-emitting, less-economical
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BPA designs, builds, and operates commercial scale Grower Harvester bioreactors that enable efficient conversion of light and CO2 into high value microbial feedstock. BioProcess Algae LLC is based in Omaha, Neb. and is currently running
(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine) ... UFOP and FOP focused their meeting in Berlin on the last energy proposals from the European Commission. In its “winter package,” the commission proposed to limit first-generation biofuels from 7 percent in 2020 to 3.8 percent in 2030.
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The food and livestock industries have railed against biofuels for years, based on the argument that corn ethanol and soy biodiesel raise food prices. More recently, some have suggested that soy biodiesel emits more greenhouse
by Mark Drewes (The Courier) The irony of a recent letter from a think tank policy analyst was compelling. In a reference to the EPA, Greg Lawson (letter, Feb. 6) states that they should discontinue the one size fits all policy
(Latin American Herald Tribune) Two Brazilian researchers are expected to arrive Thursday in Montevideo, setting a distance record for a vehicle powered by biomethane, a gas obtained from anaerobic digestion of organic matter. On arrival, the researchers will complete a journey
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Oklahoma, the team behind the ENVIA Energy gas-to-liquids plant confirmed that the first Fischer-Tropsch product has been successfully produced at the company’s first commercial-scale plant in Oklahoma City. What makes it special is that the source
by John Downey (Charlotte Business Journal) Piedmont Natural Gas has reached an interconnection agreement with Optima KV for construction of natural gas lines that would put swine-waste gas on Piedmont’s system for use by Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) at two of its
(RISI) Lignin could become a new profit center for the forest products industry – and perhaps for your business. -- This study provides a primer and forecast for a material that has many current applications, and the potential for more. Lignin:
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A group of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have completed a survey of the economic activities and rural jobs that a corn stover bioeconomy can offer, which is currently featured on the cover of the latest
(Bio-Based News) There is a clear link between bio-based economy and sustainability as well as green economy. This is not surprising as the use of biomass induces a sustainable use of carbon i.e. carbon absorbed by plants is used to
by Roz Pidcock (Carbon Brief) Replacing traditional wood and coal-burning cookstoves with cleaner technology could trim nearly a tenth of a degree from global temperature and save more than 10 million lives by 2050. This is according to a new study
(GreenAir Online) United Airlines has pledged it will have a lower gross carbon footprint this year than its two main US rivals, Delta and American, as part of its 2017 Global Performance Commitment to corporate account customers. If the
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) Climate Researchers Study Impacts of Land-use Change on Carbon Dioxide - Reforestation Is Important to Climate Protection and Species Diversity – Study in Nature Geoscience -- CO2 emissions caused by changes of land use may possibly
(Clariant) A plus for the environment: Improves particle count emissions and guarantees significant reductions in CO2 emissions using sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol; Field test confirms: Excellent combustion characteristics without additional consumption -- Clariant, a leading global specialty chemicals company, together with Mercedes-Benz
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been the big, big problem in biomass deconstruction and cellulosic fuels — the finicky nature of biomass. We’ve learned to get past the main line of cellulosic defenses — but by and large it’s
(Donald Danforth Plant Science Center) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, one of the world’s largest independent plant science institutes, today announced a three-year $6.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand and accelerate the development
by Nat Williams (Illinois Farmer Today) A handful of farmers are not just raising the crops that can be used as biofuels. They’re also working on producing the fuel itself. A Minnesota-based company is in the developmental stage of offering
(Neste/Biomass Magazine) Neste recently announced the rebranding of its renewable diesel fuel in San Diego, California, during its customer seminar and appreciation event. Neste replaces its "Neste Renewable Diesel" and earlier brand name "NEXBTL" with "Neste MY Renewable Diesel" brand
(Global Bioenergies) Process expected to be profitable starting at $45 per barrel – Further improved environmental benefit; Dilution of 1.1% for existing shareholders, possibly reaching 3.1% -- Global Bioenergies (Alternext Paris: ALGBE) has finalized the acquisition of Syngip B.V. at the close of
(Biofuels International) A new study shows Nova Scotia has strong potential to develop an innovative biorefinery that produces an advanced biofuels from renewable sources of fibre. The liquid biofuel could be used to heat homes and power marine vessels, among other
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Jeremey Roswell, a UK-based pilot and environmentalist, has made history by flying a light aircraft more than 500 miles from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia, using fuel made from plastic waste. Conventional fuel was blended with 10%
(Biofuels International) Hong-Kong headquartered Cathay Pacific will start to use biofuels on select long-haul flights in an effort to cut its carbon emissions, according to a media report in the South China Morning Post. Cathay flights to Hong Kong from the US, where
by Jussi Rosendahl (Reuters) Finnish pulp and paper maker UPM-Kymmene is planning its next step in wood-based renewable fuel products after a successful ramp-up at its initial biofuels plant, the head of UPM's biofuels business said on Wednesday. UPM says the plant
(Biofuels International) Swedish regional carrier BRA has operated a flight from Stockholm Bromma Airport to Umeå in northern Sweden with an ATR-72-600 using a fuel blend comprised 45% of used cooking oil. Turboprop manufacturer ATR said it was the first biofuel-powered flight of an
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... And it (the history of fracking) reminds us that one of the great tipping points for world civilization is when technology liberates a value great enough that the fear of the risk fades for
(Environmental Defense Fund) Oil and gas operators needlessly waste hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of methane, the main component of natural gas every year through leaks and intentional venting and flaring. This lost American energy resource could be used to
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) CarbonCure Technologies strengthens concrete while reducing its carbon footprint. -- Carbon dioxide from a Wisconsin ethanol plant is strengthening the cement in pours at sites in Chicago. Ozinga, a fourth-generation, family-owned business in Illinois
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Successful water reduction and recycling require close attention to treatments and system impacts in ethanol production. -- ... As the industry has improved its efficiency and recycling, water use has dropped by more
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The American Lung Association continues to advocate on behalf of the U.S. renewable fuels industry. Association director of communications in Minnesota Robert Moffitt says cleaner burning fuels like ethanol are proven to reduce air pollution. “Ethanol
(St1) Finnish technology turns cassava waste into ethanol -- St1 signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a bioethanol pilot project in Thailand. St1, a Finnish energy company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ubon Bio Ethanol to launch a
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Renewable diesel company Neste has produced 10,000 litres of renewable diesel from waste produced from ham fat. It took the waste fat from 40,000 Finnish households last Christmas. The households donated the waste fat from their
by Ivy Ashe (Hawaii Tribune Herald) ... The latest stop along that path comes from researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, who are investigating potential dual contributions of crops used to
by Ismail Musa Ladu (The Monitor/All Africa) President Museveni has directed the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Ms Amelia Kyambadde to bring to Parliament, within six months, a law that will allow for the blending of fuel with Ethanol
by Sandeep Chaturvedi (Biodiesel Association of India/Business Standard) Biodiesel is being promoted world over as a green fuels to mitigate harmful exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles. Biodiesel besides helping in reducing the air pollution, improves lubricity of low sulphur diesel fuels
by Ryan Cooke (CBC News) Forestry minister confident in project, says resources are sufficient -- ... NewGreen Technology Inc, the company behind the project, will soon be offered a tentative deal by Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial government for the allocation of wood fibres
(United Airlines) United receives highest recognition from Air Transport World magazine for its leadership in environmental action; Airline commits to having a lower carbon footprint than its two largest U.S. competitors in 2017 -- For the second time since launching its
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) A UK sustainable energy company is the first ever to have successfully converted actual landfill gas into usable diesel fuel with no fossil fuel additives, during recent trials. Renovare Fuels, which has its headquarters in London,
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Europeans overwhelmingly support the use of conventional biofuels made from crops and believe EU policy should encourage it, according to an EU-wide opinion survey released today (23 January, 2017). More than 69% of Europeans surveyed say
by Pat Hannen (Queensland Country Life) Damaged bananas and banana bunch stalks can be converted into a gaseous fuel by anaerobic digestion. -- ... The aim is to utilise a number of ‘waste steams’ as feedstocks in the future to generate
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) On BDI-BioEnergy International's 20-year anniversary, Biodiesel Magazine takes a look back at the company's beginnings, accomplishments and biodiesel production technology. -- In September, dozens of biodiesel producers from around the world gathered in Vienna, Austria,
by Anthony Hulen (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S.'s largest biodiesel manufacturer, Ames, Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group Inc., matures from its single plant, single feedstock origins to a multifeedstock, multinational business. -- ... “For the petroleum and ethanol industries, 50 million gallons
(U.S. Department of Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The 2016 Billion-Ton Report (BT16), Volume 2: Environmental Sustainability Effects of Select Scenarios from Volume 1, jointly released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a pioneering
by Mark Chesworth (Vivergo Fuels/Politico) Growers in the EU are helping meet climate and energy goals. Don’t abandon them now -- Biofuels are essential for meeting EU climate and energy goals by helping to decarbonize transport, but they are also
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Led by Don O’Connor, a Vancouver-based international expert on greenhouse-gas emissions, the assembled panel detailed efforts that spanned from municipal victories to boost biodiesel use to the Paris Climate Agreement that aims to significantly reduce
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food published an English-language edition of its Evaluation and Progress Report 2015 under the Biomass Energy Sustainability Ordinance. Biofuel Sustainability Ordinance The FOAF reports that in the biofuels sector,
(Project Gaia) Clean Cooking Madagascar (CCM), an NGO based in Antananarivo, Madagascar, is seeking proposals for an ethanol micro distillery (EMD) for its national Ethanol Stove Program in Madagascar. CCM plans to create a market for 100,000 ethanol cookstoves over
by Blaine Friedlander (Phys.Org) To unravel how intricate waste biomass converts to biofuels, a Cornell professor studied the bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum to decipher its metabolism. Understanding the bacterium's sugar-processing complexities may lead to improved biofuel yields. "It is recognized for over
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Nebraska, Flint Hills Resources will invest more than $50M in its Fairmont, Neb. ethanol plant to install a new technology that will produce a high protein animal and fish feed ingredient from a portion
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has approved the pathway for isobutanol produced at Gevo’s Luverne, MN plant to be an advanced biofuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program (“RFS”). This is the first
(Argus Media) Recently appointed secretary of the European renewable ethanol association (ePURE) Emmanuel Desplechin told Argus the continent's ethanol industry is facing a crucial battle for survival. He said the EU should reverse European Commission (EC) proposals for a gradual
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A USDA report this week showing corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43% compared to gasoline, came with a silver lining for a Washington, D.C., group that has been pressing the U.S. Environmental
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) finds that food prices declined for the fifth year in a row in 2016, down 1.5 percent from 2015. That included a steady decline
(Port of Seattle) Existing pipeline, transportation resources, zoning and land use laws could accommodate new aviation biofuel blending, storage and delivery infrastructure -- The Port of Seattle, Boeing and Alaska Airlines today released a first-of-its-kind study that identifies the best infrastructure
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week we reported that Toray Industries has teamed with Mitsui to produce cellulosic sugars from bagasse leftover from the sugar production process at Thai sugar mills. The companies will invest up to $51 million to build
(CleanTech Finland) Neste has launched a renewable diesel made entirely from waste and residues. The name of the new 100% renewable fuel is Neste MY Renewable Diesel, and the product enables up to 90% lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout the
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Highlighting Advanced Biofuels USA's work on a feasibility study of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore energy beet project proved to attract many visitors and a bit of buzz at the Keystone Farm Show,
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today (January 10, 2017) the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the publication of a report, titled Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams: Challenges and Opportunities. The report is the
(PR Web/American Process/MYBiomass) American Process Inc. (API) and MYBiomass Sdn. Bhd. (MYBiomass) will work together to develop technology to produce nanocellulose and cellulosic sugars from oil palm empty fruit-bunches, a lignocellulosic feedstock widely available in Malaysia. -- API and MYBiomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, energy experts told members of the European Parliament in hearings this week that the European Commission’s proposed phase-out of conventional biofuels by 2030 threatens to remove one of the EU’s best options
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... This week, a company known as Oberon Fuels running a DME technology is coming Straight Outta New York City with the idea that you can make it out of the the boutique world of
(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) Today many biofuel refineries operate for only seven months each year, turning freshly harvested crops into ethanol and biodiesel. When supplies run out, biorefineries shut down for the other five months. However, according to recent research, dual-purpose
(Transport & Environment) Food-based biofuels can still be counted towards the EU’s renewable energy target, the European Commission has proposed – in a stunning U-turn on its commitment to phase-out first-generation biofuels that are worse for the climate than fossil
(Bangkok Post) PTG Energy Plc (PTG), a SET-listed oil retailer, and Eiamburapa Co (EBP), a top producer of tapioca products, have teamed up to develop what they say will be the world's first facility that makes ethanol from cassava pulp. The project
(Aberystwyth University) ... Now a new eco-friendly process developed by Aberystwyth University biology graduate Joe Freemantle could provide a solution. Joe has devised a process to turn disposable nappies, incontinence pads and sanitary products into valuable products including pure cellulose fibre and
by Elisa Raffa (Sioux Land Matters) Sioux city is moving ahead with plans to sell a methane product similar to what big ox produces, but city leaders contend that's where the similarities end. Methane is a biofuel byproduct produced at the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We reported this week that an explosive new peer-reviewed report from ICF found that greenhouse gas emissions reductions from typical corn-based ethanol production have soared to 43 percent compared to 2005-era gasoline. The report projects that
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Analysis finds that U.S. corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent compared to gasoline, with additional benefits projected through 2022 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the release of a report studying the
(Environmental Research Web) Cultivating algae for food and biofuel could make a serious dent in our greenhouse gas emissions, as well as helping to save freshwater resources and reduce deforestation. Currently the emissions associated with land-use change and agriculture account for
(Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops: Past Experience and Future Prospects; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Division on Earth and Life Studies; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) ... We received impassioned requests to give the public a simple, general, authoritative answer about
by Jan Rocha (Climate News Network) A sharp increase in the predicted global number of EVs prompts Brazil to rev up its promotion of low-carbon biofuels. -- By 2040, the number of electric cars in the world could have reached
by Bevin Fletcher (Bioscience Technology) Some semi-arid plants use a specific type of photosynthesis known as crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM, to conserve water and flourish in semi-arid climates. Now scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory
by Paul Krajewski (High River Times) A waste diversion company is working toward constructing a one-of-a-kind clean refinery near High River to produce renewable diesel from landfill debris. After years of research and development, Cielo Waste Solutions is set to use
(EurekAlert!/PLOS) Two potential biofuel crops in Hawaii--sugarcane and napiergrass--may sequester more carbon in soil than is lost to the atmosphere, according to a study published January 4, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Meghan Pawlowski from University of
(PR Newswire) Coalition of 12 organizations set to launch FurtherWithFood.org, an online hub for information and solutions to cut food waste -- Today, The Rockefeller Foundation announced its collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection
by Robin Booker (The Western Producer) There are many innovative products and services available to Canadian crop producers that could help improve sustainability. However, the global food sector is struggling to find ways to reward growers who adapt sustainable technologies and
(New York State Senate) Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit: The 2016-17 budget extended the Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit from Jan. 1, 2017 until Jan. 1, 2020. It also requires that beginning in 2017, to qualify for the credit, each
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