by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been a very busy week in Washington DC, the high point being a letter to seven senators sent late Thursday by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who took significant (and as of a few days ago,
Iconic Species May Hold Clues on Low Quality Forage Digestion
by Robert Arnason (Western Producer) ... But the beaver also has a lesser known skill: it can survive on a diet of branches and twigs. Scientists with Agriculture Canada want to know how the beaver pulls off that trick, because the knowledge
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Urge Consistent Approach to Federal Regulation of Biotechnology
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) In a letter to three federal agency heads on Tuesday, a group of 79 bipartisan members of the United States House of Representatives expressed concern about the direction being taken to regulate agriculture biotechnology, http://bit.ly/…. In
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Will N. Korea Sanctions Trigger Algal Biofuel Production?
(Algae Industry Magazine) Brandon Jacobs reports in 38North.com that a new algal research facility just outside of Wonsan, North Korea, suggests a growing interest in developing algae as a strategic resource to diversify sources of energy supplies and improve agricultural production, which
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
$7M Grant Helps Sheetz Expand Biofuel Availability
by Paul J. Gough (Pittsburgh Business Times) Ethanol-added gasoline is available in more places in Pennsylvania, thanks to a $7 million federal grant to Sheetz. The Altoona-based convenience store operator, which has locations all over southwestern Pennsylvania, added 340 biofuel-capable fuel pumps
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Better Together: A Bacteria Community Creates Biodegradable Plastic with Sunlight
by Igor Houwat, Taylor Weiss (Michigan State University) ... “But this pair has complementary strengths: the cyanos are constantly producing sugar, and the bacteria are constantly beefing up on it, which encourages the cyanos to keep producing.” Looking ahead, Taylor wants to
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Opinion: Biofuels Sustainable, Essential To Aviation’s Future
by Adam Klauber, Isaac Toussie, Steve Csonka and Barbara Bramble (Aviation Week & Space Technology) To some, biofuels conjure negative images of industrial-scale agriculture with cornstalks as far as the eye can see, or worse, displaced orangutans squatting dejectedly beside burning
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Expanding Brazilian Sugarcane Could Dent Global CO2 Emissions
(Phys.org/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Vastly expanding sugarcane production in Brazil for conversion to ethanol could reduce current global carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 5.6 percent, researchers report in the journal Nature Climate Change. This would be a massive undertaking,
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Feature: Mexican Ethanol Blending Faces Legal Hurdles Following Injunction
by Josh Pedrick and Silvia Struthers (Platts) A future that once looked rosy for climbing ethanol blends with gasoline in Mexico could be in jeopardy as legal challenges to a new fuel regulation have found traction in court. A Mexican federal judge has issued
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Brazil's Biofuel Push Is Threatened by Too Much Cheap Oil
by Vanessa Dezem and Fabiana Batista (Bloomberg Technology) Brazil leading international effort to expand industry; Biofuel investments worldwide are down 25% this year ... Brazil is positioning itself as a global biofuels ambassador, fighting climate change by spurring demand for ethanol. It will be
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Tehran City Buses to Run on Biodiesel
(Tehran Times) ... About 300 diesel buses are running in Tehran and 20 buses are now running on biodiesel, he (Peyman Sanandaji, the director of Tehran bus transport company affiliated with the municipality) added. ... It has proven a reliable and effective fuel
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Biorefinery Desperate to Get 'Off the Grid' with $1.5m Power Bill
by Mike Richards (The Observer) ... Northern Oil Refinery managing director Tim Rose said the site, which turns tyres into diesel, needed to cut costs and think innovatively to continue doing business amid high power prices. The company is investing in ways
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Losses Mount for RTC as Biofuel Supply Cut Abruptly
by Abhinay Deshpande (The New Indian Express) As many as 18 biodiesel buses, operated by Greater Hyderabad zone of State Road Transport Corporation, are currently being run on conventional diesel owing to non-availability of biodiesel. This is causing the cash-strapped TSRTC a
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Sustainable Chemistry’s Drivers: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Capricorn Venture Partners Sustainable Chemistry Fund
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Changing expectations, changing demographics in a fragile world. Those are just some of the drivers for sustainable chemistry. Performance or sustainability? Consumers demand both. Those drivers are behind a surge in sustainable chemical venture investing, and
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Keeping Yeast Fit and Healthy: Combating Organic Acids in Fermentation
by Amanda Moser (Novozymes/Biofuels Digest) ... A yeast that is less susceptible to stressors is the best way to create a solid foundation for your fermentation. It also helps, however, to have a strategy for keeping your yeast fit and healthy.
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
A Spirit of Kuleana: Renewable Fuels Ventures Strive for New Geographies, Feedstock, Products
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Nothing rang clearer as an industry imperative at ABLC Next last week than the theme of diversification in a Year of Living Dangerously, and we saw it in the news this week from Velocys, Pacific Biodiesel
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
A Dozen Global Cities Commit to Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets
(Next-Gen Transportation News) The mayors of London, Paris, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Seattle, Auckland and Cape Town have signed the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration. Under the declaration, the city leaders have pledged to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
POET “Breakthrough" in Cellulosic Ethanol Production
by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) The nation’s largest ethanol producer says it’s made a breakthrough in cellulosic ethanol production. Matt Merritt with POET-DSM tells Brownfield they are using a combination of heat, pressure and acid to break down materials to
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
UK’s ‘First’ Vehicle to Collect and Run on Commercial Food Waste – Floats Like a Butterfly, Stings Like a Bee
(Bioenergy Insight) Resource management company GENeco has launched a vehicle called the Bio-Bee that collects commercial food waste and runs on the same material in Bristol, UK. With Bristol among 40 places in the UK that consistently exceeds air quality limits for
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Unprecedented Insight into ‘Miraculous’ Biochar
(Bioenergy Insight) ... Led by the University of Tuebingen in Germany, and involving researchers from the US Colorado State University, the new research published in the journal Nature Communications has provided a mechanistic understanding of biochar’s properties. The research revealed how
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Ottawa Looking into Low-Carbon Fuels as It Develops New Clean Fuel Standard
by Maura Forrest (National Post) A major question the government appears to be grappling with is where a new supply of low-carbon fuels will come from -- The federal government is looking into the potential for low-carbon fuels in Canada as it
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Novel and Bio-Based Chemicals: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Elevance
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Elevance Renewable Sciences is a world leader in natural oil metathesis, with a commercial-scale biorefinery in Gresik, Indonesia and a group of collaborators including Stepan, P&G, Wilmar, Materia and Clariant. In 2015, the company introduced Elevance Clean
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner co-authored a Biofuels Digest article with some ideas that show the benefits bioenergy could bring to Africa: "Africans should strive for sustainable fuels from native feedstocks in a modern infrastructure and thriving economy ... Renewable diesel
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Growing the African Biofuel Sector: What’s Not to Like?
by Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner (Biofuels Digest) ... (I)n Sub-Saharan Africa a thriving indigenous bioenergy industry can play a positive and productive role in modernizing economies and improving the quality of human life. One challenge for African bioenergy development though
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
C3E STEM Teadchers' Workshop Applications Open DEADLINE: November 1, 2017
Do you know a female Middle or High School STEM teacher in the Boston area? The U.S. Department of Energy would like to welcome teachers to apply to participate in the second annual C3E science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers’
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
BASF to Buy Bayer’s Seed Assets for Billions
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In New Jersey, BASF agreed to buy almost all of Bayer’s seed assets including LibertyLink seeds and chemistry for $7 billion, assuming the Bayer acquisition of Monsanto goes through. If all goes as planned, BASF will gain
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Putting Major RFS Concessions into Writing
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Sen. Joni Ernst released a letter late Thursday from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt outlining a number steps the agency intends to take on the Renewable Fuel Standard that will be music to the ears
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
SimPath Licenses Novel ORNL System for Enhanced Synthetic Biology
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) SimPath has licensed a novel cloning system developed by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that generates and assembles the biological building blocks necessary to synthetically bioengineer new medicines and fuels. Knoxville, Tennessee-based startup SimPath
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
New York City Submits Strong Comments to EPA Supporting Biodiesel
(NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services/Biodiesel Magazine) New York City submitted comments to the U.S. EPA Oct. 19, protesting any rollback of the Renewable Fuel Standard, which calls for minimal use levels for renewable fuels like biodiesel. Biodiesel has proven a
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
NBB Holds Firm In Its Request for 2.5 Billion Gallons of Biomass-Based Diesel, 4.75 Billion Gallons of Advanced Biofuels
(National Biodiesel Board) EPA Letter Does Not Include a Commitment to Raise Biomass-Based Diesel Volumes -- Yesterday the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) responded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Notice of Data Availability (NODA), focusing on the advanced biofuel standard for
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Ribbon-Cutting for First-of-Its-Kind Chemical Manufacturer in Delaware
by Zoë Read (WHYY) A specialty chemical company said its Delaware plant can now make a key chemical bonding agent, common in household products, from 100 percent renewable resources. This is a first in North America. On Wednesday, company executives for Croda and
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Four Swedish NGOs Write MEPs Demanding a Shift in Biofuels Policy
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, a group of four NGOs have written an open letter to members of European Parliament urging them to rethink the proposals for the second version of the Renewable Energy Directive, claiming that Swedish
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Methane for Supper: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial Microbes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) iMicrobes designs and builds microorganisms, including industrial strains of bacteria and yeast to produce chemicals from natural gas and carbon dioxide. Their green, bio-based methods are “more cost effective than sugar or oil, helping to make
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
The Brazilians Are Coming!! The Brazilians Are Coming!!
by Dave VanderGriend (ICM/Biofuels Digest) ... The recent effort by Brazil to impose import duties on U.S. ethanol has received considerable press coverage and should send a clear message that we need to develop long term reliable markets here at home
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Purdue Continues Important Biofuels Research
by Gunner Greene (Iroquois Bio Energy/Journal & Courier) Purdue University has received an important grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to continue its important research into homegrown biofuels. Purdue will continue its research into how corn and other biomass moves through
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Marketing Sustainability: How Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) Are Planning to Take Flight
By Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Flying in Formation: Since the first test flight almost 10 years ago, there have been over 40,000 commercial flights supported by four international airports supplying SAFs. Michael Gill, Executive Director of the cross-industry Air
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
ExCo79 Workshop Publication ‘The Role of Industrial Biorefineries in a Low-Carbon Economy- Summary and Conclusions’
(International Energy Agency) Biorefineries are generally expected to play an important role in decarbonising the energy and transport sectors with bioenergy and biofuel products. In addition, national and regional economies would benefit the most from a production portfolio that favours high-added
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Shift to Sustainable Food System in Europe Is Possible, but Faces Challenges
(European Environment Agency) Making Europe’s production, consumption and trade in food environmentally sustainable is possible, but it will require a major shift in public attitudes, policies and knowledge and seizing current opportunities for change, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA)
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Green Chemistry for Life Grant Programme: Green Chemistry Research Grants for Young Scientists DEADLINE: February 28, 2018
(UNESCO) Fifth call for applications - 2017/2018 Deadline: 28 February 2018 The grant programme aims to promote the implementation of innovative research projects in green chemistry by young scientists that respect the 12 principles of green chemistry. Young scientists aged with a
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Postgraduate Summer School on Green Chemistry --- July 7-14, 2018 --- Venice, Italy
(International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) The present edition of the Postgraduate Summer School on Green Chemistry will be managed by IUPAC Interdivisional Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development (ICGCSD). This edition of the Post-graduate Summer School on Green Chemistry will
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
CALL FOR STUDENT STORIES: American Chemical Society National Meeting --- March 18-22, 2018 --- New Orleans, LA DEADLINE: unclear
There is also an exciting opportunity for American Chemical Society student chapter leaders to share their teams’ successes with the broader chemistry community at the next ACS National Meeting in New Orleans. ACS GCI and Beyond Benign will be partnering to
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
2017 Green Chemistry Student Chapter Award Winners Announced
(American Chemistry Society Green Chemistry Institute) What better place than the classroom for green chemistry – the “field open for innovation, new ideas, and revolutionary progress” – to flourish? In the years since its inception, green chemistry has been increasingly implemented in
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
US Grains Council : Ethanol Summit Of The Americas Enlivens Discussions Of Global Ethanol Use
(4-Traders) Industry and government officials from more than 15 countries in the Western Hemisphere are meeting this week at the Ethanol Summit of the Americas to discuss current and future opportunities for ethanol in the region. The event is underway until Friday
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Obstacles Hinder the Switch to E5 Biofuel
(Vietnam.net) There are only two months left until January 1, 2018, the date set for the nation to switch from RON A92 petrol to bio-fuel E5, but the plan is facing problems. -- According to calculations by the Ministry of Industry and
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
New Talks on Paris Climate Pact Are Set, and That’s Awkward for U.S.
(New York Times) READ MORE UN partners with ethanol producers to boost biofuels at COP23 (EurActiv)
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Tells EPA to Boost Biofuels After Iowa Uproar
by Jennifer A Dlouhy , Jennifer Jacobs, Ari Natter (Bloomberg) Market for biofuel credits rebounds after lawmakers weigh in; Iowa governor says Trump affirms commitment to biofuel program President Donald Trump intervened personally with the Environmental Protection Agency amid pressure from Republicans in the politically important state of
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
UH Hilo Researchers Designing Sustainable Wastewater Systems for Local Industries
(University of Hawaii) ... Shihwu Sung, professor of applied engineering at UH Hilo, is currently conducting research on converting waste into biodiesel energy. ... Sung’s research is currently being conducted in the Renewable Energy Lab on the UH Hilo campus, where he has built a lab scale
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Blocks Key EPA Nominees, Cites Ethanol Stance and Ties to Koch Industries
by Ben Wolfgang (The Washington Times) Citing one nominee’s stance on the federal ethanol mandate and another’s supposed ties to Koch Industries, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Democrat, on Wednesday placed holds on two key nominations for top-level jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency. The move
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Aemetis Signs Long Term Lease for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Site in California
(Aemetis) 55 year Lease Agreement at Former Army Munitions Facility -- Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today that its Aemetis Advanced Products Keyes subsidiary signed a 55 year lease at a former US Army munitions facility located in Riverbank, California which is near
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Awaiting Final US Ruling over Indonesia's Alleged Biodiesel Dumping
(Indonesia Investments) Stakeholders in Indonesia's biodiesel industry are waiting for the final ruling of the US Commerce Department regarding the dumping of biodiesel products on the American market. The USA accuses Indonesia and Argentina of subsidizing biodiesel exports, hence leading to
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Work with UN to Accelerate Shift to Low Carbon
(Ethanol Europe Renewables, Ltd./EurActiv) EERL partners with UN Climate Change for COP 23 -- Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Bonn (COP 23, 6-17 November), Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd (EERL) and UN Climate Change have partnered to boost the deployment of
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at ABLC Next 2017: Fulcrum Prices Bonds, GOP Governors’ Pro-Biofuels March on DC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the biggest news sweeping the floor at ABLC Next 2017 and perhaps the biggest industrial biotechnology update of 2017, the long-awaited financing is approaching completion for Fulcrum Bioenergy’s highly-anticipated waste-to-fuels project in Nevada, that
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: 14th International Conference and Exhibition on Metabolomics and Systems Biology --- October 15-16, 2018 --- Rome, Italy DEADLINE: uncertain
Metabolomics & Systems Biology will be organized around the theme Metabolomics: Diagnosing the Undiagnosed metabolomics-conference-2018 is comprised of 16tracks and 116 sessions designed to offer comprehensive sessions that address current issues in metabolomics-conference-2018 Submit your abstract to any of the mentioned tracks. All related abstracts are accepted. READ MORE
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
14th International Conference and Exhibition on Metabolomics and Systems Biology --- October 15-16, 2018 --- Rome, Italy
Our aspiration is to gather peer researchers, young scientists, academicians & industrialists to meet, discuss and share the knowledge that’s still more to be revealed. Gain and grab the knowledge. Conferences and symposia provide invaluable opportunities to extend and strengthen
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Wide Range of Issues Covered at Argus Biofuels Conference
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) New ethanol market developments, legislation and trading were just some of the themes analysed at this year’s Argus Biofuels conference. The conference, which is taking place in London at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower over three days, focused on
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
More than Half of EU Biodiesel Made from Imported Crops, Study Finds
by Samuel White (EurActiv) Some 53% of EU biodiesel is made with imported feedstock, according to a recent analysis of European Commission data by NGO Transport and Environment, and almost half of imported palm oil is burned in car engines. “EU car
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Countries Reject Plans for the Expansion of Aviation Biofuels
(Transport & Environment) Today, 25 countries convened by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) rightly rejected the 2050 Vision on Sustainable Aviation Fuels that included volume-based targets as originally proposed by the ICAO Secretariat. Brad Schallert, Deputy Director at World Wildlife Fund and a
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Argentina’s Biodiesel Plagued by Commercial and Environmental Challenges
by Daniel Gutman (Inter Press Service) The Argentine biodiesel industry, which in the last 10 years has become one of the most powerful in the world, has an uncertain future, faced with protectionist measures in the United States and Europe and
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Industry Helps Drive American Manufacturing
(National Biodiesel Board) Biodiesel is a driving force in America’s manufacturing sector, supporting more than 64,000 good paying, clean energy jobs across the country. These jobs are contributing to a vibrant manufacturing sector, reinvigorating rural economies and driving innovation. “Manufacturing Day 2017
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Low Carbon Demand Regears Biodiesel Inputs
by Niamh Boyle (Prima Markets/Biodiesel Magazine) Prima Markets provides a comprehensive summary of the growing international demand for low carbon fuels, including U.S. policy drivers and waste feedstock consumption, along with a detailed overview of the international trade of low carbon
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Industry in Full Court Press on DC Priorities
by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) ... Our big three in D.C. remain the Renewable Fuel Standard, the trade case and the biodiesel tax incentive. All three issues require a comprehensive, multifaceted approach made up of advocacy efforts in Congress, various
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
30% Ethanol Blend Plan Coming for County’s Vehicle Fleet
by Shannon Marvel (Farm Forum) Brown County officials will develop a plan to use a 30-percent ethanol blend in the county’s vehicle fleet. The move, discussed at Tuesday’s county commission meeting, is in response to Glacial Lakes Energy’s E30 Challenge. Watertown-based Glacial Lakes
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Offer Grants to Put in More Flex Fuel Pumps
by Jerry Oster (WNAX/Nebraska Radio Network) Gas stations across Nebraska are being offered cash incentives of up to $50,000 to install flex fuel pumps. Roger Berry, the market development director for the Nebraska Corn Board, says the goal is to get higher
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
RFA Receives Grant for Ethanol Safety Training
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association has received a $50,000 federal grant to help continue the its ethanol safety training program efforts. The Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grant, from the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
A Vote for Bill Wehrum Is a Vote against the RFS
by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (The Hill) There is a reason that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), our nation's policy governing the production and sale of biofuels, has broad bipartisan support in Congress. This policy is helping us revive rural economies,
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Grassley Says Midwestern Senators Who Are Upset over EPA's New Renewable-Fuel Proposals Could Hold up Agency's Nominees
by Joseph Morton (Omaha World-Herald) The head of the Environmental Protection Agency sought Tuesday to calm Midwestern senators who could block his nominees if the agency sets renewable fuel mandates too low. All four GOP senators from Iowa and Nebraska attended Tuesday’s
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Farmers Push for Support of Renewable Fuels
(Public News Service) Farmers in North Dakota and across the country are pushing policymakers in Washington to support renewable fuels. The National Farmers Union, in conjunction with the North Dakota Farmers Union and counterparts in other states, wants Congress and the Trump
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Department of Energy Awards University of New England $1,321,039 to Develop New Technologies for Seaweed Production
(University of New England) The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the University of New England was awarded a three-year, nationally competitive research grant for $1,321,039 from DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). DOE awardees are part of
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
AEBIOM 2017 Statistical Report Is Out!
(AEBIOM) Rewarded by the European Association Awards as the “Best Provision of Industry Information and Intelligence”, AEBIOM Statistical Report has been enriched with new figures every year since its first release in 2007, collecting unique data on European bioenergy from a
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
IKEA Signs Circular Economy Deal
(Innovators Magazine) Finland is a global leader of the burgeoning circular economy. ... Now IKEA Finland is getting in on the action. It has signed a deal with natural gas company, Gasum, to use food waste from its Finnish stores to
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Iowa Plant Receives EPA Approval for Cellulosic Production
(Edeniq Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) Edeniq Inc., a leading cellulosic and biorefining technology company, recently announced that the U.S. EPA has approved Flint Hills Resources’ registration of its 100 million gallons per year Iowa Falls, Iowa, ethanol plant for cellulosic ethanol production
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Pruitt's Charm Offensive Has Few Actual Promises
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Seven corn-state Republican senators emerged smiling from what they deemed a "good" meeting with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Tuesday but they got no concrete policy promises on the Renewable Fuel Standard from him, Pro's
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
A Perspective on the Value of Cooking with Off-Grid Power
by Mahesh Bhave (Renewable Energy World) Why should rural electrification efforts worldwide — in Africa, India, Central and South America — isolate cooking from other core applications such as lighting, fans, phone charging, and TV? Why can’t electricity for cooking be
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
UA to Head New Center Focusing on Biofuels and Bioproducts
(University of Arizona News) The goals of the Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions Center will be to address the nation's needs for biofuels and bioproducts, strengthen Arizona's bioeconomy, and provide training for the next generation of scientists and engineers. The University of
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
BDI to Construct Innovative Algae Production Plant in Austria
(BDI-BioEnergy International AG/Biodiesel Magazine) Internationally renowned company BDI-BioEnergy International, so far known for development and construction of biodiesel plants, now takes the first step into implementation of an in-house developed algae technology, together with its subsidiary BDI-BioLife Science GmbH. The Styrian plant
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Plans for Dorcrecht Inland Seaport to Host Bunker Station for LNG and Other Cleaner Fuels
(PitPoint Clean Fuels) The Port of Rotterdam wants to realise a new multifuel bunker station for the refuelling of LNG and other cleaner fuels. Krabbegors/Duivelseiland at Dordrecht Inland Seaport has been designated as the location for this bunker station. Port of
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Palm Oil Ban ‘Has Little Impact on Reducing Deforestation’
(Biofuels International) A general ban on palm oil in biofuels in Europe punishes the wrong producers while having little impact on reducing deforestation, according to Jaboury Ghazoul, a professor of ecosystem management at ETH Zurich. He claims in an article published
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Oil Firms Float Country's Biggest Ethanol Purchase Tender
by Ajay Modi (Business Standard) Oil marketing companies — IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum — have floated the country’s biggest ethanol procurement tender to buy 3.13 billion litres. The value of ethanol desired by companies for blending with petrol is estimated at
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Think Transportation GHG Emissions Targets Can Be Reached without Biofuels Mandates? Think Again.
by Gordon Quaiattini (Biofuels Digest) Governments serious about climate change should be wary about eliminating the mandate for renewable fuels, and those promising a low carbon fuel market without it. Earlier this month Canada’s Environment Commissioner urged MPs to push the government from
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
The Hot 40: 40 Hottest Emerging Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy, 2017-18
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 40 Hottest Emerging Companies in the Advanced Economy, as voted by a panel of invited international selectors organized by the Digest and Nuu, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy dailies. The rankings recognize biotechnology innovation and achievement
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Airbus Exec.: EU ‘Bonus’ for Aviation Biofuels May Be Too Little
by Frédéric Simon (EurActiv) The European Commission’s proposal to incentivise the production of biofuels for aircraft with a 20% “multiplier” goes in the right direction, says Thierry Nowaczyk from Airbus. The question is whether this is enough to fill the price
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
China Needs Tougher Clean Fuel Targets to Meet Paris Climate Pact -Report
by Muyu Xu and Josephine Mason (Reuters) China will have to launch more ambitious renewable energy and non-fossil fuel targets and ramp up efforts to enforce them to avoid missing global climate accord requirements, two government think tanks said on Monday. China’s
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
5 Years in, Fuel Economy Standards Put Savings in Drivers' Pockets
by David Friedman (The Hill/Consumers Union) What if our government rolled back a program that saved consumers over $45 billion on fuel since 2010? What if they did this despite the fact that the industry involved enjoyed record sales and profits
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Has Replaced Oil Trains as Hidden Safety Risk in N.J.
by Curtis Tate (NorthJersey.com) ... The flammable biofuel is transported in trains that look virtually identical to the oil trains that have attracted so much attention, and controversy, in the country's energy boom of the past decade. But according to federal data, 1
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
The Tantrum That Saved The World: Carbon Neutral Kids' Book--Kickstart Campaign
(World Saving Books) Written in entertaining language kids can understand, this book explains climate change to kids and empowers them to act. ... We looked for a kids’ book to help us discuss the issue of climate change and discovered… there wasn’t
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Republican Governors Express Concern to President Trump Over EPA Actions on RFS
(National Biodiesel Board) “We Were Drawn to Your Explicit Promises to Our Farmers… But Now We Are Concerned” -- Today four Republican Governors sent a letter to President Trump with concerns on the recently proposed changes to America’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS),
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
ABFA Sends Letter to President Trump Opposing Proposed Decreases to 2018 RVOs
(Advanced Biofuels Association) On October 13, members of the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) sent a letter to President Trump expressing their opposition to the proposals in the EPA’s October 4th Notice of Data Availability (NODA), which requests comments on “potential options for
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Natural Resources Canada Launches Tender for Drop-In Fuels Study
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Natural Resources Canada has launched a tender for a study to assess the technological and market-related challenges associated with producing and deploying liquid drop-in fuels in the Canadian market, including evaluating the production potential and capacity
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Advance to Go!: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference on Next-Gen Technologies and Markets opens in San Francisco with a record audience size, with diversification as its theme and “Go!” as the takeaway message — with investment and technologies arriving
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2017
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “Never fall in love with a feedstock”, LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren spends a considerable amount of time reminding us here in Digestville, and that pertains to any area of industrial activity. ... It’s not your Dad’s ethanol,
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil Expanding New Jersey Research and Engineering Center
(ExxonMobil/Business Wire) Expansion will improve collaboration and enhance research and development capabilities; Focus on accelerating development of scalable energy solutions with reduced environmental impact; New facilities include an engine test center and a lubricant research and development blend plant ExxonMobil announced today (October 13, 2017)
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
City Buses to Soon Run on Methane
(The Hindu) Mumbai: The State government will rely on Swedish biogas technology to make urban transport in Mumbai compliant with emission standards. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met officials in Sweden on Thursday and announced that sewage treatment plants (STP) in Mumbai
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Vegetable Oil as Fuel in Agriculture
(OWI (Google Translation)) Retrofitting of tractors for multi-fuel use -- In agriculture, widening the use of vegetable oil as fuel in tractors could contribute to greater sustainability and climate protection within the framework of a resource-conserving bioeconomy. However, the compatibility of fuel-carrying components
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Cut Uruguay's Annual CO2 Emissions by 7%
by Adam Critchley (BN Americas) Uruguay's transportation sector has achieved an average annual reduction of 7% in CO2 emissions since 2015 as a result of increased use of biofuels, according to a press release from the presidency. Citing a study by state-owned
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Jumping for Joy for Qantas Biofuel Powered Aircraft
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Qantas will buy eight million gallons of renewable jet fuel each year from U.S. based bio-energy company, SG Preston, in order to fuel its Los Angeles based aircraft. Their goal is to have the LAX to
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Productionizing Synthetic Biology: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Agile BioFoundry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agile BioFoundry, designed to productionize synthetic biology, is a public infrastructure investment aimed at increasing U.S. industrial competitiveness and enables new opportunities for private sector growth and jobs. Specifically, the foundry aims to enable a biorefinery
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Hirono Secures Federal Funding for Clean Energy Research and Development in Hawaii
(Office of Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)) Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that two Hawaii businesses will receive $1.5 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding to develop offshore seaweed as a potential clean energy source. The funding was awarded
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Highwater Ethanol Hosts Wabasso High School
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Sixteen students from Wabasso High School toured Highwater Ethanol today to learn more about home-grown renewable energy production. During the tour, the students learned about the various processes in ethanol production at Highwater Ethanol, which produces 59.5 million gallons
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Heitkamp Leads Bipartisan Effort to Protect Biofuel Production & Support Rural Jobs
(Office of Senator Heidi Heitkamp) Senators: EPA Proposal to Cut Renewable Fuel Standard Would Cost Jobs in Rural America -- U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today led a bipartisan letter with U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuels of the Future:15th Annual Conference on Renewable Mobility --- January 22-23, 2018 --- Berlin, Germany
Climate protection in transport has evolved into a key issue; however, the necessary, sustainable reduction of emissions can only occur by being open to new technologies. What role will the combustion engine play in mobility in the future? The increasing diversification
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels International 2017 Conference in Edinburgh - A Peek into EU’s Biofuel Industry and Policy Outlook
by Aino Siirala* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 10th Biofuels International Conference and Expo took place in Edinburgh this year. The conference was co-located with Bioenergy Insight 2017 conference which gave the participants an opportunity to attend both events at the
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Found a Carbon Rule It Can Like
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Sure EPA is proposing to roll back the Clean Power Plan, but that doesn't mean all carbon rules are off the table: The agency is even now working on a rule to regulate carbon from
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
New Statistical Analysis: No Relationship Between RIN Credits and Retail Gasoline Prices
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) Despite continued claims by opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), prices of the Renewable Identification Number (RINs) credits used for RFS compliance have not caused changes in retail gasoline prices, according to a new analysis by Informa
October 16, 2017 Read Full Article
The World Must Spend $2.7 Trillion on Charging Stations for Tesla to Fly
By Kana Nishizawa (Bloomberg) Infrastructure spend is ‘so large,’ it will force innovation; China to account for third of global EV infra spend by 2040 -- A $2.7 trillion chasm stands between electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to make them popular. That’s how
October 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Making Capacity Will Swell if There Are Incentives: ISMA D-G
by Kunal Bose (Business Standard) Interview with Abinash Verma -- Sugar prices at mill gate and retail outlets will remain at the levels seen in recent months, benefiting all stakeholders, says Abinash Verma, director-general of the Indian Sugar Mills Association, tells Kunal Bose.
October 14, 2017 Read Full Article
E15 Fuel Makes Its Way to the Panhandle
by Jillian Parker (NBC Nebraska) A fuel containing 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, otherwise known as E15, has made its way to the Panhandle. Western Travel Terminal in Scottsbluff began selling the fuel on September 18th in place of E85. ... The University
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Coordinated Introduction of E10 Petrol Can Help Meet Transport Carbon Targets and Support the UK Economy
(Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership) In support of the UK government’s decision to increase the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, the LowCVP today published its report ‘Successfully Deploying E10 Petrol’. The expert group convened under the auspices of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership concluded
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Imdaad Furthers Its Environmental Drive With Launch of a Biofuel Station in Jebel Ali
(Albawaba.com) Affirming its commitment to playing an active role in UAE’s sustainability drive, Imdaad, a Dubai-based integrated facilities management (FM) solutions provider with a strong presence in the GCC, has launched a new biofuel station in Dubai, which will provide an
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Enerwhere Powers DIFC Construction Site with Largest Lithium-Ion Battery in the Middle East
(PV Magazine) Enerwhere recently completed the installation of a solar hybrid generator system for Multiplex’ site offices at ICD Brookfield Place in the Dubai International Financial Centre. A first in the Middle East, the power system uses a combination of solar
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Success in Succinic, Succinctly: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to BioAmber
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioAmber’s Mission? To be a fast growing producer of chemical intermediates that uses sugars instead of fossil fuels and sells competitively priced, sustainable chemicals with strong profit margins and the cleanest environmental footprint in the industry. The
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
2017’s Agriculture Revolution Is Gaining Pace, Getting Faster
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Agriculture, that is — our original industry, is being turned upside down. Data, genetics, intelligence, transmission, storage, processing, sustainability, and mobility are the drivers. Not since the heady days of the Summer of Algae almost 10 years ago has
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
These Countries Want to Ban Gas and Diesel Cars
by Alanna Petroff (CNN) China, the world's largest car market, is working on a plan to ban the production and sale of vehicles powered only by fossil fuels. It has plenty of company: India, France, Britain and Norway want to ditch gas and diesel cars in favor
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Slovenia to Ban Sale of New Petrol and Diesel Cars from 2030
(STA) The Slovenian government adopted on Thursday a strategy on alternative fuels in the transportation sector under which the registration of new diesel and petrol cars would be prohibited after 2030. The government has not opted for an outright ban, instead it
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
MEPs Vote to Ban the Use of Palm Oil in Biofuels
by Arthur Neslen (The Guardian) MEPs have voted overwhelmingly to ban biofuels made from vegetable oils including palm oil by 2020, to prevent the EU’s renewable transport targets from inadvertently contributing to deforestation. A new palm oil regulation, minimum sustainability criteria, customs
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
EU Ministers Agree National Climate Goals ahead of U.N. Talks
(Reuters) EU environment ministers agreed national emissions-reduction targets on Friday in a push to show how the bloc is delivering on its climate goals ahead of United Nations talks next months to fight global warming. ... Hours of talks over reforms to the
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
The Other General Waiver: RFS and Severe Economic Harm
by Jonathan Coppess and Scott Irwin (Farms.com/University of Illinois/farmdocdaily) As discussed last week, the Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting data and feedback on the biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels components of the Renewable Fuels Standard, including the general waiver authority (see, farmdoc
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Enzymes at Work: Breaking Down Stubborn Cellulose for Biofuels
(Science Daily/Graz University of Technology) Researchers have observed enzymes breaking down cellulose to aid the production of biofuels. ... Typically, biorefineries use a mix of hydrolytically active enzymes which utilize water molecules to breakdown plant material -- as happens in natural degradation processes.
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
US EPA Gives Green Light for Flint Hills Resources’ Edeniq Technology-Based Ethanol Plant
(Biofuels International) The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Flint Hills Resources’ registration of its 100 million gallons per year Iowa-based ethanol plant. The plant will use Edeniq’s technology. Flint Hills Resources’ Iowa Falls plant is the fifth existing ethanol
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In a recent Washington Post column, George Will bemoaned governments' announcements to "ban, at an undetermined date, sales of vehicles powered by fossil fuels in their tanks. (Electric vehicles will be powered mostly by fossil-fuel-generated electricity.)" And, “'zero emissions' (zero from tailpipes,
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Dem Introduces Bill to Boost Clean Vehicle Technology
by Melanie Zanona (The Hill) ... Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who has also been leading a House push to pave the way for autonomous vehicles, reintroduced a bill that would promote investments in the research and development of cutting-edge technologies that
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Rep. Upton Files Bill to ‘Harmonize’ MPG Rrules
by Keith Laing (Detroit News) U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, has introduced legislation that would allow automakers to apply credits for gas mileage improvements from model years as far back as 2009 to help comply with emission rules that require
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Giant Bacteria Make Algae Easy to Stomach
(EurekAlert!/King Abdullah University of Science & Technology) Red Sea surgeonfish use metabolically diverse giant bacteria to digest different types of algae, according to new research. Not only do these findings explain the basis of surgeonfish diversity, but they may also provide
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Princeton Grads' Energy Startup Provides Power To Native Americans Protesting Oil Pipeline
by Neil Yeoh (Forbes) ... Under-resourced and living in makeshift tepees on the off-grid Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp in Mahwah, New Jersey, the Ramapough Lenape Tribe has been doing their best to stand against the construction of the Pipeline. ... In mid-August BoxPower,
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Qantas to Use Biofuel Blend on Los Angeles Flights
by Ellen Read (Stuff) Qantas aircraft based in Los Angeles will use a renewable biofuel blend from 2020. The airline said on Friday it would buy eight million gallons of the fuel each year, for the next decade, from United States bio-energy company SF Preston. Qantas trialled domestic
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Houston Companies Join High-Octane Battle over Fuel in Mexico
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) At a Rice University forum last year, Mexican Energy Secretary Pedro Joaquin Coldwell was asked whether his government would allow refiners to increase the concentrations of ethanol in gasoline beyond the 5.8 percent that it had
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
All Your Biobase Are Belong to Us: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to BioBase Europe pilot plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is an independent, state-of-the-art facility that operates from a laboratory level to a multi-ton scale. Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is a service provider for process development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of biobased products and processes. A wide
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
SPARC in the Engine: Florida Aims to Be an Alternative Jet Fuels Hub as New Public/Private Project Debuts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case. As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead),
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Video Tour of Portugal’s Algafarm
(Algae Industry Magazine) Portuguese cement facility, Secil, and microalgae biotechnology company, A4F, also based in Portugal, have formed AlgaFarm, a joint venture to develop the use of cement factory flue gas in microalgae production. The industrial production facility is the expansion
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo --- June 11-13, 2018 --- Omaha, NE
With a vertically integrated program and audience, the National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo is tailored for industry professionals engaged in producing, developing and deploying advanced biofuels including cellulosic ethanol, biobased platform chemicals, polymers and other renewable molecules that have
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
CALL FOR SPEAKERS: International Biomass Conference & Expo — April 16-18, 2017 — Atlanta, GA DEADLINE: December 1, 2017
International Biomass Conference & Expo is where future and existing producers of biobased power, fuels and thermal energy products go to network with waste generators and other industry suppliers and technology providers. It’s where project developers converse with utility executives; where
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
22nd Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference --- June 18-20, 2018 --- Portland, OR
GC&E provides an opportunity for a diverse network of over 500 academic, industrial and government stakeholders to network and learn about the newest ideas in sustainable approaches to chemistry, chemicals and processes and products. This year’s conference is highlighting the
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) — June 11-13, 2018 — Omaha, NE DEADLINE: February 16, 2018
Now in its 34th year, the FEW provides the global ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. The FEW is the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world—and the only event powered
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) --- June 11-13, 2018 --- Omaha, NE
Now in its 34th year, the FEW provides the global ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. The FEW is the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world—and the only event powered
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Grant Opportunity: Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) DEADLINE: December 8, 2017
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
E20 for the EU?
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) A recent study by the European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action identifies E20 as the optimal ethanol blend for the EU. The study, which outlines an extensive economic and environmental analysis of increasing biofuel blends, said biofuel blends are crucial
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative November 2017 Meetings
(U.S. Food and Drug Administration) The U.S Food and Drug Administration is announcing public meetings to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Francisco, California, regarding its Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative. Congress appropriated $3 million to fund this
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
American Ethanol and NCGA to Roll Out Big Promotion at Talladega Race
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) ... NCGA (National Corn Growers Association) will be partnering with corn farmers from across the U.S. – including Alabama, Kansas, Iowa and Michigan – to promote E15 American Ethanol all weekend in the popular Fan
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Bioenergy and Biofuels Highlighted in UK’s Clean Growth Strategy
(Biofuels International) A plan for cutting carbon emissions while growing the economy has been released by the UK government. ‘The Clean Growth Strategy: Leading the way to a low carbon future’ has been published by Greg Clark, the UK’s Business and Energy
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-Paris Plans to Banish All but Electric Cars by 2030
by Brian Love (Reuters) Target is 10 years ahead of national deadline; Goal is to fight smog in host city of 2024 Olympics (Updates) -- Paris authorities plan to banish all petrol- and diesel-fuelled cars from the world’s most visited city by 2030,
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Experts Urge Railroads to Improve Tracks, Tank Cars for Hazardous Fuel Shipments
by Bart Jansen (USA Today) Railroads need to repair tracks better and continue to upgrade tank cars as they haul more hazardous cargo such as crude oil and natural gas, says a report Wednesday from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
The Top Legislative Threats Facing Convenience Stores Today
by Tammy Mastroberte (Convenience Store News) ... One of the top issues right now is the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which provides for the inclusion of increasing volumes of renewable fuel into the marketplace each year. With the convenience store industry selling more
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Farm Bill Energy Issues Essential for State, Franken Says
by Trey Mewes (Mankato Free Press) As federal officials back off of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, U.S. Sen. Al Franken believes there's going to be more work to do to ensure farmers and rural communities benefit from renewable energy sources. The
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Randy Krehbiel: Did Scott Pruitt Just Declare War on Renewables?
by Randy Krehbiel (Tulsa World) Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt may have declared an end to the "war on coal" earlier this week, but what some consider Pruitt's own war on alternative energy seems to be just getting started. Largely unnoticed
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
UBC Researchers Take the 'Stink' out of Wastewater Treatment
(University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus/Biomass Magazine) A foul smell and safety concerns can leave many residents turning their nose at the idea of a wastewater treatment plant in their neighborhood. But researchers from UBC's Okanagan campus have developed a new way
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
One-Step Reforming of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Yields Fuels, Chemicals
by S. Himmelstein (Engineering 360/IEEE) A new plasma synthesis process promises to enhance greenhouse gas emissions control while producing valuable chemical feedstocks. The technology developed at University of Liverpool allows for the direct, one-step activation of carbon dioxide and methane into higher value liquid
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Peter Erickson, Adrian Down, Michael Lazarus & Doug Koplow, in a Nature Energy article, find that at recent oil prices of US$50 per barrel, tax preferences and other subsidies push nearly half of new, yet-to-be-developed oil investments into profitability, potentially
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Effect of Subsidies to Fossil Fuel Companies on United States Crude Oil Production
by Peter Erickson, Adrian Down, Michael Lazarus & Doug Koplow (Nature Energy) Countries in the G20 have committed to phase out ‘inefficient’ fossil fuel subsidies. However, there remains a limited understanding of how subsidy removal would affect fossil fuel investment returns and production,
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
St1 Progresses with Renewable Diesel Production Plans at Its Refinery in Gothenburg
(St1) Energy company St1 continues its series of investments targeting to begin the production of renewable diesel in 2020 at its refinery in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company has now signed an Engineering design package and license agreement with Haldor Topsoe for
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Drag Racing With E85: Green Is Mean - E85 Isn't Just For Tree-Huggers
(Quick Fuel Technology/Holley) As a renewable energy source championed by environmentalists, racers often think of E85 as a wimpy fuel that has no place in a drag car. However, many bracket racers have shattered that perception by taking advantage of E85’s
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
EU Member States, Commission Have No Position in European Parliament's Resolution
by Sangeetha Amarthalingam & Wong Ee Lin (The Edge Markets) The European Union (EU) member states and Commission have no position in the European parliament's resolution to discontinue the usage of vegetable oils in biodiesel by 2020, according to Ambassador of The
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
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