Advanced BioFuels USA – Truly Sustainable Renewable Future

2016 Billion-Ton Report Volume 2 Analyzes Environmental Effects

(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

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Why The Ethanol Industry Should Fear President Trump

by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ... Trump’s pick to head the EPA -- Scott Pruitt -- has repeatedly fought against the RFS. As EPA Administrator, Pruitt would have the authority to invoke a waiver to lower the volume of ethanol that

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

How a Biofuels Phase-Out Would Hit Europe’s Struggling Farmers

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

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

A Double Whammy for Corn and Ethanol Industries

(Michigan Farmer) China imposes additional tariffs on DDGS and ethanol. -- ... Inevitably, changes in trade could bludgeon an already wounded ag economy. A tug of war with punitive tariffs has already started with the world’s second-largest economic powerhouse — China. In

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Trump Advisor Sam Clovis Takes Job at U.S. Ag Department

(Radio Iowa) An Iowan who has been an advisor to Donald Trump during the presidential campaign is moving into a job in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sam Clovis of Hinton, Iowa was sworn in soon after Trump was sworn in

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Reserved about Trump Agriculture Secretary Pick

by Ilari Kauppila (Biofuels International) US President Donald Trump has selected former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture. Perdue previously ran a grains and fertiliser company, and said he was chosen based on his business and

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Trump's EPA Pick Says He Would Honor Timelines, Intent of Biofuels Program

by Valerie Volcovici, Timothy Gardner and Chris Prentice (Reuters) Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said on Wednesday he would honor the intent of the U.S. biofuels program, but remained open

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Biofuels Champ Richard Childress Makes NASCAR Hall of Fame

(Growth Energy) This week, Growth Energy will join racing fans across the country to celebrate the induction of NASCAR’s 2017 Hall of Fame honorees, including racing legend Richard Childress, a longtime champion for ethanol-based fuels. “Richard Childress purchased his first racecar

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Backers: Build on 2016 Momentum for 2017 and Beyond

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

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Germany Cuts Palm Oil Use for Biodiesel by 1/3: Report

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,

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Gigabase Is the New Megabase: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gen9

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The company manufactures custom, high-quality, synthetic DNA used by scientists to construct genes, pathways, genomes and organisms that will enable the next generation of breakthroughs in biology. Word came through this week that Gingko BioWorks

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

The Emerging Synthetic Biology Ecosystem: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gingko BioWorks

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Recently, Ginkgo BioWorks announced the launch of their next generation foundry, Bioworks2. With 125,000 square feet and an 6X expected increase in capacity compatred to BioWorks 1, Bioworks2 represents a step change in what is possible for

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Government 'Tried to Bury' Its Own Alarming Report on Climate Change

by Ian Johnston and Tom Batchelor (The Independent) The five-yearly assessment of what will happen to the UK as the world warms says one of an array of potential threats is the ‘significant risk’ to supplies of food -- The Government has

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Successful Biofuels Industry Awaits Trump

(Forum News Service/The Daily Journal) Minnesota’s plant-based fuel industries of ethanol and biodiesel are success stories, but their future depends on the new Trump administration. “We are a little nervous,” Assistant Commissioner Andrea Vaubel of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

(Politico's Morning Energy) Eventually, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's nomination to be ambassador to China came up, prompting (U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy )Pelosi to interject: "I was hoping he would get natural resources, because he's for the renewable

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Clean Cooking Madagascar Issues Request for Proposals to Build Ethanol Micro Distillery for Stove Fuel Production with a Capacity of up to 5,000 Liters/Day

(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

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Trump Era Biodiesel? What’s Going to Happen?

(Triangle Biofuels Industries, Inc.) For most, it’s hard to guess what is going to happen for biodiesel under the Trump administration. On the one hand, President Trump appears to be in favor of conventional petroleum for fuel and against the

January 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Biofuels Play a Role in Military Energy Security

by Callie Fishburn* (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the January 12th Pew Project-sponsored conference," Power Begins at Home: Assured Energy for U.S. Military Bases," the subject of biofuels and their contribution to military energy security failed to come up. The conference,

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Montana State University Scientist Wins Grant to Improve Camelina Seed Qualities

(Montana State University/Biomass Magazine) A Montana State University scientist has received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science to research ways to improve the usefulness of camelina, an ancient crop that the modern world

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

ORNL: Populus SNP Dataset Holds Promise for Biofuels

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have released the largest-ever single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset of genetic variations in poplar trees, information useful to plant scientists as well as researchers in

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Soup-to-Nuts Review Finds CA Clean Cars Program Working

by Simon Mui (National Resources Defense Council) The California Air Resources Board (ARB) released a soup-to-nuts review of its Advanced Clean Car (ACC) program today. The 658-page report confirms that the popular program, which establishes smog-forming and carbon pollution limits for

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Trump Releases "An America First Energy Plan"

(White House) Energy is an essential part of American life and a staple of the world economy. The Trump Administration is committed to energy policies that lower costs for hardworking Americans and maximize the use of American resources, freeing us

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

MIT Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars into Oils

by Anne Trafton (MIT/Biomass Magazine) MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers,

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Ghana’s First Ethanol Producer Diversifying and Seeking More Cassava

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Ghana, the country’s only ethanol producer—Caltech—has produced 150,000 liters of ethanol from cassava since starting up the 3 million liter per year facility in August. The company is also expanding into biogas, liquefied carbon dioxide

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Novozymes Cuts Jobs, Says U.S. Policy, Monsanto Deal Pose Risks

by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Teis Jensen (Reuters) To cut 198 jobs, invest more in emerging markets; Says could take time to return to past growth rates; Bayer takeover of Monsanto, US energy policy pose risks; Q4 earnings beat expectations, to buy back shares --

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Boosting Ethanol’s Value via CO2 Use: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to White Dog Labs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) US-based White Dog Labs have developed a new process that eliminates the production of CO2, a potent greenhouse gas, during fermentation and instead shifts the carbon to added ethanol production, boosting fermentation yields by around

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Quo Vadis, Mr. President-Elect?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... This Administration is a team, so long as you generally understand that there’s one guy with the ball, he’s calling all the plays, and members of the Cabinet can block and tackle and get to

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Decoded Microbial Metabolism Explains Biofuel Yield

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

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Investigation: INEOS Failed Despite $129 Million in Taxpayer Subsidies

by Lucas Daprile (TC Palm) TCPalm examined thousands of government documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and Florida public records requests, to determine what taxpayers got in return for their $129 million investment in INEOS' Indian River County biofuel

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Scaling-up through Contract Manufacturing

by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) As companies consider options to commercialize their advanced biotechnologies, they are faced with the decision to either build their own demonstration scale facility or utilize existing contract manufacturing operations (CMOs). There are benefits and

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Power Sector Carbon Dioxide Emissions Fall Below Transportation Sector Emissions

(U.S. Energy Information Administration) U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the transportation sector reached 1,893 million metric tons (MMmt) from October 2015 through September 2016, exceeding electric power sector CO2 emissions of 1,803 MMmt over the same time period. On

January 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Notice of Analysis of the GHG Emissions Attributable to the Production and Transport of Sugar Beets for Use in Biofuel Production

(Environmental Protection Agency) On January 18, 2017, EPA issued a notice of opportunity to comment on the Agency’s analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the production and transport of sugar beets for use as a biofuel feedstock. The

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

Zimbabwe: Zim Fuel Prices Up

by Phillimon Mhlanga (All Africa) Zimbabwe's major fuel retailers have raised fuel prices by at least US$0,04 a litre due to a serious shortage of anhydrous ethanol in the country and a surge in international petroleum price, the Financial Gazette's Companies

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

BRAG® Biofuels Industry Outlook For 2017

(Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group) ... Throughout his campaign for President, Trump repeatedly pledged his support for biofuels and the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Indeed, it is this support that helped Trump win in key Midwestern battleground states, including

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

EPA Denies Petition to Waive Advanced Biofuels Requirements

by Chris Prentice (Reuters) U.S. environmental regulators have denied a request from oil refiners to waive some of their advanced biofuels use requirements from 2016, in what is likely to be one of the Obama administration's final decisions on the

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

Prebiotics: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to ISOthrive technology

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Each microbe makes a contribution to your health; some directly, indirectly, it’s an orchestra and they have to be in tune,” says our old friend Jack Oswald, a serial entrepreneur well-known in industrial biotechnology circles

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

FHR Unveils a $50M Gambit to Make Überprotein at Ethanol Plants

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

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

UK-Based Researcher Gains European Grant to Fund Work on Lignin Biomass Production

by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Roberto Rinaldi FRSC, a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant to fund his world-leading work on lignin valorisation. According to

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

Donald Trump Taps Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture

by Kristen Welker, Hallie Jackson, Phil McCausland and Emma Margolin (NBC News) President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to lead the Department of Agriculture, senior transition officials tell NBC News. Perdue, 70, served on Trump's agricultural advisory

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

Synthetic Genomics and ExxonMobil Renew Algae Biofuels Research Agreement

(Algae Industry Magazine) Synthetic Genomics and ExxonMobil have announced that they have extended their agreement to conduct joint research into advanced algae biofuels, after making significant progress in understanding algae genetics, growth characteristics and increasing oil production. The two companies have

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

More Pruitt Highlights

by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) During the second half of more than six hours of questioning for Scott Pruitt, the EPA pick said he saw no reason to review the agency’s 2009 endangerment finding, the scientific conclusion that climate

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

Perry's Time to Shine Today

by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) PERRY PARTY: Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry finally has his day in the spotlight this morning to make his case for running the Energy Department. Given the agency’s mishmash of responsibilities — which outgoing

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

U.S. Energy Department Publishes "The Transforming Mobility Ecosystem: Enabling an Energy-Efficient Future"

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department published a report titled, “The Transforming Mobility Ecosystem: Enabling an Energy-Efficient Future.” Over the next decade, the transportation sector is poised for rapid change, propelled toward a new mobility future by strong technology currents

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

LEAF Opens New Yeast Facility and Launches New Product

by Doris de Guzman (Green Chemicals Blog) Leaf – Lesaffre Advanced Fermentations has inaugurated its the new Lesaffre Yeast Corporation drying facility in Headland, Alabama, last week, which is reportedly the company’s first yeast drying facility in the United States. The

January 19, 2017 Read Full Article

SUNY Morrisville Leads NY Back To Industrial Hemp Production

by Jeff Kulikowsky (MyTwinTiers.com) Morrisville partners with JD Farms in Eaton on industrial hemp pilot program -- Hemp may not be what you'd think of as the next big cash crop but plenty in New York, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, think

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Thanks Trump in New Ad

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The renewable fuels industry is thanking incoming President Donald Trump with a new television ad airing this inauguration week. The new ad will be airing during MSNBC’s Morning Joe program and will also appear on digital channels. ... The

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Neste and Bioenergy La Tuque to Start R&D Cooperation on Utilizing Forest Residues in Biofuel Production

(Neste/Globe NewsWire) Neste and Bioenergy La Tuque have started R&D cooperation with the objective of studying the potential of using forest residues as a raw material in biofuel production in La Tuque, Canada. The cooperation supports Neste's goals to expand

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Military’s Shift Away from Oil Clashes with Trump’s Promises

(Fayatteville Observer/Associated Press) ... While a growing number of military leaders have declared global warming a national security threat, the strategy clashes with President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to end policies that “undermine” fossil fuel producers. Trump has a chosen a Cabinet

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

EPA Approves Pathway for Isobutanol as an Advanced Biofuel Provides Route for Gevo to Generate Potentially More Valuable D5 RINs at Luverne

(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

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Hawaii 5-Oleo: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Cellana’s Kona-Based Marine Microalgae System

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellana uses the most productive plants on earth—marine microalgae—to photosynthetically produce its ReNew line of Omega-3 EPA and DHA oils, animal feed, and biofuel feedstocks. Cellana’s patented ALDUO system, a series of photobioreactors coupled with

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Biodiesel 2017: What’s up with Earth’s Favorite Advanced Biofuel?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Uncertain the future may be, but the immediate past was no bed of thorns for biodiesel and renewable diesel. NBB policy guru Anne Steckel said that the industry produced 2.6B gallons of renewable diesel and

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Industry Honors Year of Achievements, Industry Growth

(National Biodiesel Board) Clean air champions, policy drivers, fleet influencers highlighted with industry awards -- The biodiesel industry saw record market growth in 2016 and this year’s National Biodiesel Board industry awards highlight champions who have had a major

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

General Motors Announces 20 for B20 in Its Diesel Vehicle Lineup

(National Biodiesel Board) GM Expands its B20 Biodiesel Capable Lineup with New Cars, Crossovers, Trucks -- General Motors is taking bold steps to expand the U.S. diesel vehicle market beyond its traditional stronghold in full-size pickups, and providing more options

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

By Their Powers Combined, They Hope to Stop Change to RFS

by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Railroads and truckers are joining the fight to leave refiners as the obligated party under the Renewable Fuel Standard. As ME readers are keenly aware, a few independent refiners, led by Valero and Carl

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Unlike Trump, Americans Want Strong Environmental Regulator

by Chris Kahn (Reuters/Ipsos) More than 60 percent of Americans would like to see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's powers preserved or strengthened under incoming President Donald Trump, and the drilling of oil on public lands to hold steady or drop,

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

BIOX Announces Commissioning of 90 Million USG Biodiesel Production Facility in Houston

(BIOX/NewsWire Canada) BIOX Corporation ("BIOX" or the "Company") (TSX: BX), a renewable energy company that owns and operates biodiesel production facilities, today announced that World Energy BIOX Biofuels LLC (WEBB), a 50/50 joint venture between World Energy and BIOX, has

January 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Q&A: Tough EU Battle ahead for Ethanol Says ePURE

(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

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

DOE Jobs Report Features Data on Bioenergy, Biofuels Employment

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Jan. 13, the U.S. Department of Energy released its second annual analysis of how changes in America’s energy profile are affecting national employment in key sectors of the economy. To complete its analysis,

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Environmentalists Appeal PBF Ethanol Permit

by Scott Goss (News Journal/Delaware Online) A legal fight over Delaware City Refinery's plans to expand its ethanol operations officially began this week. Two groups filed fundamental challenges Friday to a recently issued state permit that – for the first time – allows

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

High Octane Group Vindicated by EPA Ethanol Assessment

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

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

New UN Report Shows Food vs Fuel Fallacy

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

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Port of Seattle, Boeing and Alaska Airlines Release Aviation Biofuel Infrastructure Findings

(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

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

B10 Biodiesel Is Cleaner, Better for Engines – MPIC

by Jonathan Lee (Paultan.org) The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) has released a statement clarifying the facts regarding the oft-delayed B10 biodiesel. The fuel, which uses a blend of 10% palm methyl ester and 90% diesel, was supposed

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Taking the Financial Step to Scale: The Digest’s 2017 8-Slide Guide to Bioeconomy Project Finance

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bottom line, if you’re in the business of financing a renewable fuels project with a loan guarantee in the mix, you’re probably talking with Stern Brothers and managing director John May, and some combination of

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Sugar, Sugar: Toray, Mitsui Set out to Build Monster Cellulosic Sugar Plant in Asia

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

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Automakers Fuel the U.S. Market With More Biodiesel Capable Diesel Vehicle Models

(National Biodiesel Board) U.S. auto manufacturers have introduced a record number of new biodiesel capable diesel vehicle options for consumers as the push for increased fuel efficiency, performance, and sustainability in America’s transportation sector grows. Despite a challenging marketplace, automakers

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

CARB Supports EPA’s Final Determination on Emissions Standards

by Lauren Tyler (Next-Gen Transportation News) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced its support for the EPA administrator’s determination that the adopted light-duty vehicle greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission standards for model years 2022-2025 are appropriate. In 2012, CARB agreed to a

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Biofuel Matchmaker: Finding The Perfect Algae for Renewable Energy

by Frances White (Renewable Energy World/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) A dozen glass cylinders containing a potential payload of bright green algae are exposed to hundreds of multi-colored lights, which provide all of sunlight's natural hues. The tiny LEDs brighten and

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Neste Launches Neste MY Renewable Diesel Made 100% from Waste and Residues

(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

January 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Energy Beet Display and Children's Carbon Cycle Handout Big Hits at Keystone Farm Show

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,

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

BETO Publishes Analysis of Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams

(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

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Voting Begins for Biofuels Digest's Top 100 People in the Advanced Bioeconomy

(Biofuels Digest) It's time for voting for the Top 100 People in the Advanced Bioeconomy together, and as with all Digest rankings and lists, we'd like you to participate. It's easy, Just check the ones you want to vote for

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Iowa State Engineer Helps Journal Highlight How Pyrolysis Can Advance the Bioeconomy

(Iowa State University) A special issue of the journal Energy Technology details the latest advances in pyrolysis technologies for converting biomass into fuels, chemicals and fertilizers. Two pyrolysis experts are guest editors of the issue: Robert C. Brown, the director of

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

API and MYBiomass Announce Joint-Development Agreement for the Production of Nanocellulose for Downstream Applications

(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

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

EU Carbon Targets at Risk from Conventional Biofuels Phase-Out: Experts

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

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Hero BX Offers Branded Bioheat Distributor Program

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Erie, Pennsylvania-based biodiesel producer Hero BX announced a new business enterprise Jan. 12, the Hero BX-branded Bioheat program. Bioheat is a blend of biodiesel and heating oil in varying concentrations. Hero BX’s new program offers

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Lessons from 102 Years of Licensing: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Honeywell UOP

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating power, transportation fuel and heating

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Walk This Way: NYC Agrees to Run D.M.E. in New Fuels Trial

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

January 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Dual-Purpose Biofuel Crops Could Extend Production, Increase Profits

(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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

U-Turn on Phase-Out of Food-Based Biofuels

(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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

PTG to Make Ethanol from Cassava Pulp

(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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

From Waste CO2 to Everyday Products: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Liquid Light Technology

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We reported this week that Avantium has acquired Liquid Light’s assets and will take the technology forward. Liquid Light developed electrocatalytic technology to make major chemicals from low-cost, globally abundant carbon dioxide. The company’s technoloigy

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Poll: Trump Voters Overwhelmingly Support Ethanol

(Growth Energy) A new post-election survey released today shows that decisive voters in the 2016 presidential election are staunch supporters of American ethanol. The survey of 3,000 Trump voters in the Midwestern battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

The Bioeconomy, #1 Catalyst for Rural Development: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA and Rural Development

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Outgoing Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack put it best: “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing in the businesses and

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Catalysis in Renewable Chemicals: Noteworthy Developments, 2015 – 2016

by Bernard Cooker (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) The use of catalysts, both living entities, such as microorganisms, and otherwise inert synthetic and biologically-derived materials, such as supported transition metals and enzymes, are frequently key to the development of technically efficient and

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

The Industrial Status of Biofuel Technologies

by Gerald Kutney (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) A myriad of biofuel technologies exist, but which ones are truly industrial processes? The question is not always easy to answer. And one must define what is meant by an industrial process. To facilitate

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Northey Recognizes Efforts by Fuel Marketers to Offer and Promote Renewable Fuels

(Iowa Department of Agriculture) Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced that Charlie Good from Good & Quick in Nevada and Richard Weiner from Cartersville Elevator, Inc. in Nora Springs are the 2017 winners of the Secretary’s Ethanol and Biodiesel

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Want to Drain the Swamp? Start with the Renewable Fuel Standard

by David Williams (The Gilmer Mirror) Incoming President Donald Trump's promise to "drain the swamp" is getting an early test from one of his closest friends. Billionaire investor and Trump confidant Carl Icahn is requesting changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard,

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Scientists Have a New Way to Calculate What Global Warming Costs. Trump’s Team Isn’t Going to Like It.

by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) How we view the costs of future climate change, and more importantly how we quantify them, may soon be changing. A much-anticipated new report, just released by the National Academy of Sciences, recommends major

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Converting Disposable Nappies into Bio-Fuel and Textiles

(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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Competitive Enterprises Institute Wants RFS Frozen and Sunsetted

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Competitive Enterprises Institute has put forth proposals for the next session of Congress including freezing the Renewable Fuel Standard below the blend wall while setting a sunset period for 2022. The CEI

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Council Approves Funding for Biofuel Plan at Wastewater Treatment Facility -- $1.3 Milllion OKed for Engineering

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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Queensland Biofuels Company Set to Deliver Employment, Economic Development and Affordable Ethanol for Australia

(My Sunshine Coast/Queensland Renewable Fuels Association) Renewable Developments Australia Pty Ltd (“RDA”) is fast approaching the delivery of the first of its planned five large scale bio-ethanol farms and production facilities to supply ethanol for the Australian and export markets. The fully integrated

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Breakthrough in the Corn Belt: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Corn Ethanol and Greenhouse Gas Savings

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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Glyphosate Paper Claims Liver Disease Link in Rats: Findings Disputed by Monsanto as Using 'Flawed Data'

by Matthew Appleby (Horticulture Week) The active ingredient in herbicide Roundup has been cited as a cause of liver disease after experiments on rats, but Monsanto has refuted the claims as "bad science". -- The study, published in Nature Scientific reports,

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

How Fiat Chrysler's Diesel Woes Differ from Massive VW Scandal

by Brent Snavely and Nathan Bomey (Detroit Free Press) The U.S. EPA said Thursday it notified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of Clean Air Act violations for the diesel emissions of 104,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pickups, a move that immediately

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

USDA Releases New Report on Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Balance of Ethanol

(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

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

EPA Administrator Signs Final Determination for Model Year 2022-2025 Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Standards

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has signed a final determination, finding that the light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for Model Years 2022-2025, adopted in 2012, are feasible and appropriate under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act and do

January 13, 2017 Read Full Article

Species Diversity Reduces Chances of Crop Failure in Algal Biofuel Systems

(Science News/University of Michigan) When growing algae in outdoor ponds as a next-generation biofuel, a naturally diverse mix of species will help reduce the chance of crop failure, according to a new study. -- ... Algae-derived biocrude oil is being

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

AFPM Petitions EPA to Waive Portion of 2016 Cellulosic RVO

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Dec. 28, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers filed a petition with the U.S. EPA asking the agency to waive the 2016 renewable fuel standard (RFS) cellulosic volume obligation, citing a shortfall in

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

Growing Algae for Food and Biofuel Could Cut Greenhouse Emissions

(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

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

The Algae Fuel Debacle: How Much More Information Does the Department of Energy Really Need?

(National Algae Association) 2016 Algae Year in Review – Nothing has Changed -- 2016 (U.S. Department of Energy) Funding Opportunities: ... • Global Algae Innovations (San Diego, California)— ... • Algenol Biotech LLC (Ft. Myers, Florida)-- ... • MicroBio Engineering, Inc. (San Luis Obispo,

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

Uganda: Kakira Sugar Opens Shs130 Billion Ethanol Plant

by Isaac Mufumba (All Africa/The Monitor) Kakira Sugar Limited, a local sugar producer, has started commercial production of ethanol at a $36.6 million (Shs133b) distillery. The joint managing director, Mr Mayur Madhvani, told Daily Monitor in an interview last week that

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

Ethanol Increasingly a Stabilizing Factor for Iowa Farmers' Income

by Jon Leu (Daily Nonpareil) At a time when Iowa farmers produced a second consecutive record corn crop amid falling prices for their commodity, the state’s growing ethanol industry remains a stabilizing factor. National crop production reports released in mid-December showed

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

Switchcraft: Metabolix Bioconverts Itself into Yield10, Focuses on Crop Yields

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts we have had more signs of the pivoting underway in the advanced bioeconomy with the news that Metabolix is changing its name to Yield10 Bioscience and will focus on developing disruptive technologies for

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

White House Announces Release of Final Update to the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology

(Bergeson & Campbell) On January 4, 2017, the White House announced the release of the 2017 Update to the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology. The 2017 Update provides a comprehensive summary of the roles and responsibilities of the

January 09, 2017 Read Full Article

Gearing Up for Farm Bill Season

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) EESI will take periodic looks at the ongoing debate surrounding the anticipated 2018 Farm Bill. This article is the first in the series. -- ... Amidst a backdrop of plunging commodity prices and