by Kevin Kelley (The East African) A leading US environmental group is opposing the planned purchase of 325,000 hectares of land in Tanzania by an American company. ...Opponents charge that the deal amounts to a “land grab” that would result in
Feature: Algal Biofuels and the Future of Renewable Energy
by Fiona Wylie (Australian Life Scientist) A group of specially adapted green algae may hold the answer to sustainable and renewable energy for the future, helped by the Sun and more than a pinch of clever science. ...According to Associate Professor
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Chevron: Oil... Yes, but Geothermal, Solar and Biofuels Too
by Toby Price (Renewable Energy Magazine) ...Calculations by Bloomberg New Energy Finance using the most recent data show that more is being spent on new rolling out new renewable energy capacity than on new fossil fuels projects for the first
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel an Energy Resource Idea for Pakistan in Recent Energy Calamity
by Naseem Sheikh (Business Recorder) ...A research Study conducted by the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, suggests that the country’s energy demand is expected to increase three fold by 2050, but supply position is not inspiring in anyway. In such alarming
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Dangote Stakes $7.7bn in Rivers Energy City
by Ignatius Chukwu (Business Day) Aliko Dangote, president, Dangote Group, has directed his investment gaze in the direction of Rivers State with initial $7.7 billion (N1.2 trillion) stake in the state’s emerging energy city. Rivers Energy City is part of the
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Coping with the Cost of Heat: Alternative Energy Sources Available
by Thomas Caywood (Worcester Telegram & Gazette) Rising heating oil prices and dire forecasts predicting the most expensive heating season ever have left many local homeowners feeling anything but warm and fuzzy, with some scrambling to find cheaper ways to
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Bagasse – the Big Prize
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Then, there’s bagasse. That leftover residue at the sugar mill after squeezing out all the cane juice. Exciting enough that Cobalt recently signed an agreement with the 10th largest global chemical company, Rhodia, to pursue
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Free Job Training: 55 Grants Available to Retrain Workers for Biofuels Industry
(University of California San Diego Extension/PR NewsWire) If algae is to be the solution for America's pain at the gas pump, trained workers are needed to make that a reality. Applications are now available for continuing education grants at the University
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Mast from Classic Racing Yacht Holds One of the Keys to Sustainable Biofuels
...A detailed structure of crystalline cellulose in algae was produced a decade ago. But only about half of the cellulose in wood fibres and crop plants is crystalline, the rest is disordered. The challenge was to find out how the
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
DOD Steps Up Innovation in Installation Energy, Recognizes Limits in Biofuels
by Matt Hourihan (The Energy Collective) ...In the other development, a report released earlier this month by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs and the Defense Logistics Agency released a report (PDF)
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
AMG Bioenergy Resources Holdings Ltd.: Update on Acquisition of Plantations
(AMG/MarketWire) AMG Bioenergy Resources Holdings Ltd. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:ABG), a Canadian publicly traded company, wishes to provide an update on the progress of its acquisition of a 133 hectare jatropha plantation and a 201 hectare eucalyptus plantation, and the
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Sundrop Announces $450M Biofuels Project in Louisiana
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Sundrop Fuels announced that they have agreed to purchase about 1,200 acres of land near Alexandria, Louisiana to build their first plant. Using forest waste and hydrogen from natural gas, their plant will produce
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Testing Demonstrates Gevo's Isobutanol-Gasoline Blend is Superior to E15 Fuel for Boaters
(Gevo) The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) just released a report evaluating isobutanol, provided by Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO), that shows great promise for it as a petroleum blendstock for the boating industry. Over the summer, NMMA conducted two tests, an emissions test and
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Monster Mash, or the Case of the Micro-Spider’s Web
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Philippe Marlière, co-founder of Global Bioenergies and president of its Scientific Advisory Board, comments: “Carbon monoxide combines the attractive features of biochemical versatility and virtuous sourcing. Most importantly, carbon monoxide retains a large part of
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Senegal: Biofuels Boost Land-Grab Conflict in Country
(AllAfrica.com) A biofuels project in northern Senegal has triggered violent clashes between villagers, leaving one person dead and two seriously wounded. A police source says residents of Fanayé village "fought with sticks and machetes" in a disagreement over the project. ...According to
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Bio-Ethanol from Norwegian Timber in Statoil Fuel
(Statoil) For the first time ever bio-ethanol from Norwegian timber will be blended into transport fuel. The bio-ethanol is produced by the bio refinery Borregaard and will be available to Statoil customers who tank fuel95 at Statoil stations in the
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Leaf Energy Adds Third Cellulosic Energy Technology to Portfolio with Exclusive Agreement
by Angela Kean (Proactive Investors Australia) Leaf Energy (ASX: LER) has signed worldwide exclusive licence agreement with Texas A & M University to develop the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii as a production platform for high value biofuels and proteins. Debaryomyces hansenii
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
The Garbage Anomaly: What is a Dirty Murf and What Can You Do about It?
by David Bransby (Auburn University/Biofuels Digest) ...In contrast, infrastructure for collection of municipal solid waste (MSW) is already in place and paid for, and those who collect and dispose of it get paid for their services. This results in very
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Clean Food, Via Clean Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The secret that “food vs fuel” proponents don’t want you to think about? Not all food is created equal. Dirty food, made using dirty process, makes a dirty world. And then there’s clean food. Here’s
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
SADC Urged to Consider Biofuel Regulations
(Alternative Energy Africa) Foreign firms are increasing their interest in the biofuel sector resulting in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) being urged to implement policy and legal mechanisms to foster responsible investments. The World Wild Fund (WWF) for Nature discussed
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Shows High Emissions from Growing Biodiesel from Palm Oil
(Transport & Environment) Biofuels produced from palm oil grown in tropical peatlands are a significant source of greenhouse gases. This is the finding of a new study done for the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) which, if taken on
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
South African Airways Mulls Big Biofuels Shift in Bid to Avoid Possible Carbon Penalties
by Terence Creamer (Engineering News) Biofuels may need to comprise as much as half of South African Airways’ (SAA’s) fuel supply by 2020 if the national carrier is to avoid future carbon penalties, Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba... But he
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
CORE BioFuel Completes Tests on Wood-to-Gasoline Process
(Energy Business Review) Canada-based CORE BioFuel has tested the last step in its wood-to-gasoline process to produce high-octane, benzene-free, drop-in gasoline. Under contract with CORE, RECAT Technologies completed a set of test runs of the catalytic reaction producing gasoline from dimethyl
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Crop of the Week: Sugar Cane
by Kurt Nolte(Yuma Sun/Yuma County Cooperative Extension) • Sugar cane is an exploratory crop in Yuma County and, like sweet sorghum, is being researched for the production of biofuels in Arizona. • Sugar cane is considered as one of the top
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
A Day in the Life of Biofuels, 2011
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels Digest announced the winners of its “Day in the Life of Biofuels” photo contest, and published the winning entries. ...Grand Prize and First Prize winners have been published at biofuelsdigest.com, with Second and Third Prize
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Carbon Dioxide Applications – A Key to Ethanol Project Developments
by Sam A. Rushing (Biofuels Digest) ...All ethanol ventures should take a fresh look at CO2 as a great opportunity for future revenue developments, probably as a primary reason, would be for CO2 recovery and marketing. The second reason, of
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa State University Scientists Genetically Increase Algae Biomass by More Than 50 Percent
(Iowa State University) Research at Iowa State University has led to discovery of a genetic method that can increase biomass in algae by 50 to 80 percent. The breakthrough comes from expressing certain genes in algae that increase the amount of
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Town of Gunning Are Turning Used Cooking Oil into Biodiesel Fuel for a School Bus
by Samantha Townsend (The Daily Telegraph) With the price of fuel skyrocketing, residents in the tiny town of Gunning have come up with an environmentally friendly and cost-effective answer to running their school bus. They are turning used cooking oil
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Second-Generation Ethanol Processing Cost Prohibitive: Study
(PhysOrg) Costs for second-generation ethanol processing, which will ease the stress on corn and sugarcane, are unlikely to be competitive until 2020, according to a unique Queen's University study. ...The researchers found that building large scale facilities for second-generation ethanol production
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil CEO Says Energy Demand Set to Rise by 30% to 2040
(Platts) Global economic output is set to double as the global population grows to 8.7 billion people by 2040, when global energy demand will be 30% higher than it was in 2010, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson said Monday (November 21,
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Neb. Enzyme Plant Readies to Supply Biofuel Plants
by Josh Funk (Yahoo!News/AP) The leading maker of the enzymes used to produce biofuels says the declining political support for ethanol hasn't diminished the long-term prospects for the industry making fuel from plants. Novozymes plans to open a major new enzyme plant in eastern
November 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Cheap ethanol assets a thing of the past – Green Plains
(Argus) The days of snapping up undervalued ethanol plants for expansion are over, Green Plains Renewable Energy's chief executive told investors on its most recent conference call. Plants with the right equipment and good locations could no longer be bought up
November 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Chopping the Cellulosic Ethanol Down Payment: Is
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Finding it hard to spare that $350 million for your cellulosic ethanol project? Here’s a system, available for licensing in 2012, that can bring down the upfront cost by a factor of three. ...And now, along
November 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Meeting Green Transport Targets May Need £895m Biofuels Spend
by Will Nichols (Business Green) Government research body says next generation biofuels made from waste are a feasible low carbon option The UK could miss its renewable transport targets unless it spends £900m over the next 20 years on advanced biofuels,
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Nearing Deal on Farm Subsidies
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) A draft summary of the new farm bill that lawmakers have been finalizing says farmers will have a new subsidy system to supplement the coverage they now have through crop insurance. ...The Senate and House
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Analysis: U.S. Government a Tenuous Beachhead for Biofuel Firms
(CNBC/Reuters) The U.S. military has emerged as a key ally for fledgling producers of non-food-based biofuels, who find themselves threatened by looming budget cuts and growing political hostility to renewable energy funding. A U.S. Navy plan to cut its fossil fuel
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Naperville Yard Waste to Become Fuel Treasure
by Mick Swasko (Chicago Tribune) ... The city will unveil a new "green fuels depot" next week. The facility will be used to convert yard waste into electricity, ethanol and hydrogen. The city can put the electricity back into the power grid
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Is U.S. Farm Boom Sitting on an Ethanol Bubble?
By Christine Stebbins (Reuters) Grain farmers in the Midwest may want to pinch themselves. In recent years they have been buoyed by a dream scenario. Record high prices. Record high profits. Record high farmland values. Near record production. Farm debts paid
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
City Sues Failed Osage Ethanol Plant
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The city of Hopewell, Va., has moved forward with a court case against Osage Bio Energy LLC and its wholly owned subsidiary, Appomattox Bio Energy LLC, after the company failed to meet a deadline
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Supercommittee Should Preserve Farm Energy Programs in the Farm Bill for in the Best Interest of the Nation: William Richards and Dennis McGinn
by William Richards and Dennis McGinn (The Plain Dealer) Guest Columnists: The future of the government's role in U.S. agriculture remains about as uncertain today as it was before the 1933 enactment of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the nation's first
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Reflections on Advanced Biofuels Markets Conference, San Francisco, November 8-10
by Stefaniya Becking (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels Markets conference held in San Francisco on November 8-10 provided a great gateway to get plugged into the biofuels industry. The conference offered an excellent line-up of speakers and provided plenty of
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Working Together On Fuel - Biofuels Are an Industry Priority
(International Air Transport Association) The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on stakeholders in the aviation and air transport fuel supply value chains to join together on three critical areas for innovation: safety, environment and commercial issues. “Air transport needs fuel
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Corn Gene Boosts Biofuels from Switchgrass
(Science Daily) ...Unlike the starch sugars in grains, the complex polysaccharides in the cellulose of plant cell walls are locked within a tough woody material called lignin. For advanced biofuels to be economically competitive, scientists must find inexpensive ways to
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Venture Capitalist Marianne Wu On Why Now Is The Right Time For Biofuels
by Rachel Z. Arndt (Fast Company) "It's a really exciting time in biofuels and biochemicals," VC Marianne Wu says. "We're looking at massive markets, increased demand, and significant advances in biology and chemistry. A lot of people assume that green
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Impact Of Ethanol Industry In Canada Assessed In New Conference Board Report
(Conference Board of Canada) The Conference Board of Canada today released a study assessing the economic impact of the ethanol industry in Canada, its environmental and health effects, and the balance between the energy required to produce ethanol and the
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Ondo to Establish Ethanol Plants, Sugarcane Plantations
(The Nation) Ondo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Ademola Olorunfemi, has said that the current administration in the state had perfected arrangements to establish three ethanol plants in the state. Olorunfemi, who stated this in an interview with journalists in his
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Hot Commodity: Thieves Acquire Taste for Used Cooking Oil
by Richard Blackwell (CTV News/The Globe and Mail) ...The theft of used oil and grease has become a big problem in Canada, mirroring a trend south of the border. The price of “yellow grease” – what kitchen oil is called
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Waste Management Invests in Fulcrum, Provides $70M Debt for First Commercial Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Waste Management announced that it has closed an equity investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy. In connection with this investment, WM agreed to a secured loan facility that provides for WM’s funding of up to $70
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe Embarks on Eco Friendly Fuel Project
by Paul Nyakazeya (The Independent) Zimbabwe through Green Fuel has joined a growing list of world economies taking up the call to reduce carbon emission while enjoying local benefits of a homegrown solution to fuel independence. Green Fuel ethanol is
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Hoosier Implement Dealer Develops Corn Stover Harvest Solution
by Andy Eubank (Hoosier Ag Today) Homegrown Indiana innovation for farmers was displayed Tuesday in Fulton County when the New Holland Rochester manager climbed aboard a combine with his patented Cornrower and created a windrow of corn stover while shelling
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
UGA Creates “Super Yeast” to Aid Ethanol Production
(Atlanta Business Chronicle) The University of Georgia researchers created a “super strain” of yeast that ferments ethanol from pretreated pine as part of an effort to help biofuels take the place of gasoline for fuel. … UGA said their research shows
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Opinion: Columnist Ignores Realities of Our Overreliance on Oil
By Kevin Skunes (INFORUM) As the thousands of North Dakotans whose livelihoods depend on the farming and energy industries know, this state is playing a critical role in decreasing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Unfortunately, in his Nov. 5 column,
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA, DOE Release 2012 Fuel Economy Guide
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Want to know what the best vehicles are for fuel economy, including flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs)? Consult the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide, released by the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE on Nov. 16. The annual guide
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
SIGMA Joins Coaltion for E85
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) has officially joined the Coalition for E85 in the effort to have 85 percent ethanol designated as an alternative fuel under the tax code. … “E85 as an alternative fuel is defined everywhere
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Toward More Cost-Effective Production of Biofuels from Plant Lignocellulosic Biomass
(Science Daily) ...However, technologies are being developed to generate bioethanol from non-food sources, such as the lignocellulosics present in switchgrass and trees. The sugars locked in the polymers of cell walls, i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, can be extracted and
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Airbus Video Series Highlights Advanced Biofuels
(Airbus) This video spotlights Airbus’ alternative fuels research programme, which is a core tenet of the company’s initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of air transport. Programme head Sebastien Remy reviews a range of viable options, from blends using existing
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Shell Believes Biofuels Will Play Major Role in Future
by Louise Hutchinson (Credit Plus) ...The General Manager of fuel development strategy and alternative energies at Shell, Arthur Reijnhart, sees a landscape with a much more diverse energy supply emerging over the next few decades. This, he says, will be driven
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
South Africa: Govt Sign Accord to Inject Billions Into Green Economy
(All Africa) On the eve of a major International Climate Change Conference to be hosted by South Africa, social partners and government signed a Green Economy Accord at parliament in Cape Town today (November 17, 2011), which commits signatories to
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Philippine Senator wants accountability on failed bio-fuel project
(SunStar) Senator Francis Pangilinan has called on the Department of Agriculture to look into the P1 billion that the government lost to an abandoned project to produce biodiesel from jatropha plants. The Philippine National Oil Company-Alternative Fuels Corp. announced in October
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy Launches Its Largest Biofuel Test for Ship
by Julie Watson (AP/Yahoo! News) The U.S. Navy launched its largest alternative fuel test to date on Wednesday, pumping 20,000 gallons of algae-based fuel into a destroyer ship that will embark on a 20-hour trip along the California coast. The success of the Paul H.
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
POET Targets Additional 10% GHG Reduction, 500 Million Pounds of Biobased Products
(POET) Goals part of Ingreenuity, the company's initiative to enhance the environmental performance of ethanol At the NASCAR Green Summit today (November 17, 2011), POET announced plans to decrease the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of ethanol production 10 percent this decade
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Turning Over a New Leaf
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Electricity is difficult to store on a large scale, making the effort to store sunlight's energy in chemical fuels one of the grand challenges of the 21st century. Today the world consumes power at an
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Preparing to Manage Climate Change Financing
by Simon D. Donner, Milind Kandlikar, Hisham Zerriffi (Science Magazine) At the 2010 Cancun Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international community agreed in principle to one of the largest development programs in history.
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
UK-India Collaboration on Algal Bioenergy
(Algae Industry Magazine) In New Delhi, India, the Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, announced plans for a £10M joint call for sustainable bioenergy research between the UK and India. The call will support collaborative science which
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Report: 2011 Algae Biomass Summit
by Forrest Seltz (for Advanced Biofuels USA) My name is Forrest Seltz. I am a student at Jennings Community Learning Center (JCLC) in St. Paul, which is a project based school. I have been interested in botany for a
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
'If You Build It, We Will Buy It' Says Airline CEO on Biojet Fuel
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) The second week in November could go down as one of the most significant weeks for advanced biofuels, airline companies and the use of biofuel-blended jet fuel in the U.S. Early in the week, United
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Solar Energy Consultant Partners with Advanced Biofuel Developer
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) Australia’s Sunshine Coast could be home to an energy park that combines solar energy and a biomass-to-energy process developed by Aquaflow Bionomic Corp. The future energy facility will hinge on the recently formed partnership between
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels Collaborative Efforts in Full Force
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) ... “This regular commercial route powered by Honeywell Green Jet Fuel is a huge step in establishing the market for aviation biofuels and widespread use of these fuels,” said Jim Rekoske, vice president and general manager
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Firm Says it Was Sold Phony Fuel Credits
(Courthouse News Service) A fuel distributor claims two companies sold it millions of "fraudulently created, and thus invalid" renewable fuel identification numbers. RIN numbers are part of the U.S. EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard program, to encourage use of renewable fuels. ...Vinmar
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Sorghum: Researchers Develop High-Biomass Sorghum that Bypasses Flowering
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) What happens when sorghum doesn’t have to put energy into flowering and grain production? High-biomass sorghum that grows up to 20 feet tall, that’s what. Texas AgriLife Research, part of the Texas A&M University System,
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Divergent Feedstocks: One Pine Tree as good as Another? Guess Again
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In the process of researching various feedstocks for their startup company clients, Golden, Colo.-based Hazen Research Inc. noticed a trend. Feedstocks are not all created equal—even if that feedstock bears the same plant name. In
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
First Dual-Biofuels Station Opens in Raleigh
(NBC17) The first alternative fuels station in Raleigh opened Wednesday afternoon on New Bern Ave. selling E-85 Ethonal and B-20 Bio-diesel. The Crown Express Mart is one of a tiny number of alternative fuel stations in the state, but experts those
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Want Fuel Cells? Think Outside the Hydrogen Tank
(MarketWatch) ...When most people hear the words "fuel cell," they think of eco-friendly, hydrogen-powered cars that emit nothing more than water. And that, says Professor Eric Wachsman, director of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center (UMERC), is one of the
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Powers Officials Claim Money Is on Way for Trash-to-Ethanol Plant
by Marc Chase (Northwest Indiana) Offering no firm timeline on when money for a proposed trash-to-ethanol plant would be in the bank, a man claiming to be the owner of a Nevada-based hedge fund said he is committed to funding the
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
EIA Issues 2012 Cellulosic Biofuel Predictions
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. DOE’s Energy Information Administration predicts that only six cellulosic biofuel producers will make fuel available for sale in 2012, producing a total of just 6.9 million gallons of fuel over the course
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Large Differences in the Climate Impact of Biofuels
(PhysOrg.com) When biomass is combusted the carbon that once was bound in the growing tree is released into the atmosphere. For this reason, bioenergy is often considered carbon dioxide neutral. Research at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, however, shows that
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Biofuel Target Seen Driving Species Loss: Study
(Reuters) A European Union target to promote the use of biofuels will accelerate global species loss because it encourages the conversion of pasture, savanna and forests into new cropland, EU scientists have warned. ...The scale of species loss in areas converted
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Natural Gas Threatens Biofuels?
by Carrin Hall (Energy Digital) As the natural gas industry targets vehicles, what will happen to biofuels development? Clean Energy Fuels, a leading natural gas provider in Seal Beach, has teamed up with Quarles Petroleum Inc. to bring customers alternative fuel,
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Smallholder Farmers Risk Being Forgotten in Sustainable Biofuels Race
by Maya Thatcher (Center for International Forestry Research) Smallholder farmers in developing countries risk being left behind in the push to produce sustainable biofuels, deterred by complex and expensive certification schemes, according to a recent CIFOR study. With limited scope to
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Maybank Launches US$500m Clean Energy Fund
by Premalatha Jayaraman (The Sun Daily) Malayan Banking Bhd has launched a US$500 million (RM1.57 billion) private equity fund to invest in the wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro, biomass, biofuel and energy efficiency sectors in the region. Maybank Investment Bank Bhd
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Critical Success Factors
By B.A. (Ben) Thorp, Harry Seamans and Masood Akhtar (Bioenergy Deployment Consortium/Biofuels Digest) The Bioenergy Deployment Consortium identifies the four deciding factors in a company’s success or failure. Do you have the right stuff for bioenergy? It’s one of the most
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Out from Solyndra’s Shadow
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/BIO) Federal loan guarantees may be scuttled after the Solyndra affair – but should the baby really be thrown out with the bathwater? ...But the programs’ untimely end may coincide with the first commercial successes for advanced
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
S-Day: US Must Keep Its Eyes on the Clean Energy Prize, Despite Setbacks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Here the Digest’s take: for bioenergy, S-Day is about Solyndra and Secretary Chu, but it isn’t really much about bioenergy. Out of an $80 billion authorization for clean energy loan guarantees, and over a six-year
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
New Report Highlights Growth of Advanced Biofuels in US
(The National Non-Food Crops Centre) Renewable Waste Intelligence have published a free municipal solid waste to biofuel report, which explores the current state of the market in the US. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is increasingly being used to drive biofuels
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
What's Not to Like about Developing and Using Biofuels? Nothing
(Highlands Today) Editorial: ...We believe ethanol is a big part of the immediate solution to U.S. fuel shortages. Our country must become energy independent. Nothing can bring us to our knees quicker than having someone shut off oil to our
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
DuPont’s Cellulosic Plans
by Melody Bomgardne (Central Science/Cleantech Chemistry) DuPont has been digesting its acquisition of Danisco for a while now, and has sent out an update about what used to be called DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol – now shortened, as you might
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
AE Biofuels, Now Aemetis, To Add Renewable Rubber to Tthanol Line
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) AE Biofuels Inc. has a new name and, with it, a plan to expand the product line at existing ethanol plants. The company announced Nov. 15 that its shareholders have approved the company’s name
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Can Algae Feed the World and Fuel the Planet? A Q&A with Craig Venter
by David Biello (Scientific American) Microbes will be the (human) food- and fuel-makers of the future, if J. Craig Venter has his way. The man responsible for one of the original sequences of the human genome as well as the team
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Outlook 2012: VEETC is Old News--Matt Horton, CEO, Propel Fuels
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) From the standpoint of Matt Horton, CEO of Propel Fuels, efforts in 2011 to extend the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit imperiled the future of the industry. “For so long, the industry has been
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Companies Cited by EPA for Fake Biofuel Credits
by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters) ...The EPA has issued 24 notices of violation to more than a dozen companies, including units of Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Morgan Stanley, for the use of invalid renewable identification numbers, or RINs, according
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Proposes Historic Fuel Economy Standards to Reduce Dependence on Oil, Save Consumers Money at the Pump
(US Environmental Protection Agency) Next phase in national program for light-duty vehicles will save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump while saving billions of barrels of oil, curbing pollution, enabling long-term planning for automakers Building on President Obama’s historic national
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Validation: USDA Report Confirms Value of Distillers Grains
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent USDA report echoes what ethanol producers have said for years: distillers grains are a valuable addition to the nation’s feed supply and can be used to reduce any impact of increased corn
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
State of Play
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The vast majority of progressive, forward-looking policies that have helped to build America’s ethanol industry into the largest alternative fuel industry in the world have emanated from Washington. Smart, productive policies such
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Aviation Standards: Algae Oil’s Threshold Market
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ...Almost a decade after the start of Kyoto deliberations, Europe will become the first major power to enforce emissions standards for aviation. Emissions trading emerged as the EU’s strategy after five years’ review of
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Subsidy Foes Sponsor $64,000 Per Truck Natural gas Subsidy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Recently, it became clear what fuel Rep. Boren did like in his truck, natural gas, when the Oklahoma congressman co-sponsored legislation that would pay American truck owners up to $64,000, per vehicle, for converting their fueling
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Firm Nandan Targets 25 Percent Sales Rise
(Reuters) India-based biofuel producer Nandan Cleantec expects to grow sales by at least 25 percent every year till 2014-15, on the back of strong demand for its high yielding variety of oilseeds, a top executive said. Nandan develops hybrid varieties of
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
OriginOil Announces Commercial Algae Harvesting System
(OriginOil) Algae Appliance set for commercial release in early 2012 will help producers meet rising demand OriginOil, Inc. , the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels, Chemicals Capacity to Reach 5.11B Gallons by 2015: 207 Projects, New Database
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels Digest is reporting that global advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals capacity will reach 5.11 billion gallons by 2015, up from 4.37 billion reported in May, and 3.95 billion gallons reported in January, based on
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Japanese Researchers See Future of Oil in Beakers of Algae
(The Mainichi Daily News) Could Japan become a major oil-producing nation? That's the dream of researchers at IHI NeoG Algae LLC, which is working on extracting oil not from new holes in the ground, but from algae. The company -- a
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
E. coli a Prime Engine for Biofuels Production
Louis Bergerson (Stanford University/Western Farm Press) When it comes to making biodiesel cheaply and efficiently enough to be commercially feasible, E. coli may prove to be "the little bacterial engine that could," say Stanford researchers. ...The bacteria, often discussed in terms
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
E-commerce Streamlines Ethanol Transportation
by Matt Soberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Norfolk Southern Corp. reports that a new transload system decreased the time of operations from an average of 90 minutes to just 30 minutes in its first year of use at its Alexandria, Va.,
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Farm Fields Could Yield Jet Fuel of the Future
by Heather Lammers (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World) ...In June, DOE announced an award of up to $13.4 million dollars to Virent and its partners to develop a process to cost effectively convert cellulosic biomass — in this case
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Webinar: Accessing USDA Loans for Advanced Biofuels and Chemicals November 28, 2011 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern
A brief overview of the numerous programs within USDA that support the President’s Clean Energy Blueprint and how you might be able to access these programs. The rapidly-expanding bio-based sector is just as critical to the US economy as it is
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
New Collaborative Industrial Photobioreactor Testing Facility Opening January 2012
(National Algae Association) Due to the lack of sufficient data on the performance of industrial-scale photobioreactors, fermentation, dewatering/harvesting and extraction equipment, the NAA is announcing a new collaborative testing center starting in The Woodlands, Texas beginning in January, 2012. "If we
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Future Fuels Institute at Florida State University Recognized as a Waters Center of Innovation
(PR NewsWire/MarketWatch) Analytical Technology Fueling Institute's Fundamental Energy Research Waters Corporation today (November 15, 2011) welcomed the Future Fuels Institute at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida into its Centers of Innovation Program. The Future Fuels Institute under its director, Dr. Chang
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Indonesian, Taiwanese Venture to Develop Jatropha-Based Biodiesel
(Soya Tech) Indonesia's Confederation of Primary Cooperatives Association (Inkud) is teaming up with Taiwan in developing jatropha curcas-based fuel, its vice president director Yusri Suhud said. "We are cooperating with Taiwan to develop jatropha curcas as an alternative fuel," he said
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Festivals Told to Switch to Greener Energy
(GreenWise) UK festivals are being encouraged to switch to biodiesel and other renewable energy forms, as a new report shows the energy consumed by the sector could power 10,000 homes. The research, to be released today at the industry’s annual conference, reveals UK
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Faces Headwinds
by Abby Schultz (CNBC) ...“We have a lot of customers who are ethanol investors and plants have been very diligent paying down debt in 2011,” says Jason Ward, director of grain and energy for Northstar Commodity. “Kudos to them, but
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Switchgrass Ethanol Research Looks to Yield Big Benefits
by Larry Dreiling (High Plains MidWest Ag Journal) Construction has begun in Hugoton, Kan., on the nation's first commercial scale biomass fuel refinery. Abengoa Bioenergy's new, 23 million-gallon annual throughput refinery will take biomass, mainly switchgrass, and turn it into ethanol. One
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Raleigh Gets E85 Ethanol Station
by John Murawski (News Observer) Raleigh now has a gasoline station that sells E85 ethanol fuel - the 18th such facility in the state built in recent years. The Crown Express Mart on New Bern Avenue began selling the 85 percent-ethanol
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
IEA: Rising Demand and Declining Resources Confirms The End of Cheap Oil
(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance) Today’s release of the IEA’s annual World Energy Outlook in London has again confirmed the end of cheap oil blaming growing energy demand and declining oil reserves. According the Report, oil demand will rise 14% between 2010
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Area Employment: CAC Offering Free Job Training for Renewable Energy Fields
by Susan Randall (Maricopa Monitor) Central Arizona College’s renewable energy technology program hopes to put 400 people to work — 140 of them in one of the fastest growing industries in Arizona. The program, funded by a $2.2 million U.S. Department
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels: Not the Savior We Hoped For
by Tom Murphy (OilPrice.com) When we enter the decline phase of conventional oil—likely before 2020—we will scramble to fill the gap with alternative liquid fuels. The Hirsch Report of 2005, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy, took a hard
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Mission to Extract Biodiesel from Palm Oil Waste in Malaysia
by Isaac Leung (PACEToday.com) Mission NewEnergy will construct a major waste material processing facility in Malaysia which will recover palm oil from waste material in the palm oil refining process. The Spent Bleaching Earth Extraction Plant will be located in Sandakan,
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Kansas Group Works to Turn Crop Stubble into Energy
by Dan Voorhis (The Wichita Eagle) ...The Kansas Alliance for BioRefining and BioEnergy was created in 2009 and was originally funded by the Kansas BioScience Authority to help commercialize research and technology that turns plants into energy and products. ...Its
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Green Plains' BlendStar to Build New 96-Car Unit Train Terminal
(Green Plains Renewable Energy) Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc., announced today (November 10, 2011) that its wholly-owned subsidiary, BlendStar LLC, will build, own and operate a new ethanol unit train terminal in Birmingham, Alabama on the BNSF Railway. The new
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Society of Biological Engineering's Conference on ElectroFuels Research
by Vidya Ramanathan (Advanced Biofuels USA) A clear view of coppery miniature treetops, brilliant skies and shimmering coastline. This is the sight that welcomed the attendees of the first ever conference on ElectroFuels, conducted by the Society of Biologigal Engineering, under
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Butanol Producers Target Biofuels Market
by Philip Brasher (Argus Leader) ... A top official with the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates motor fuels, told lawmakers recently butanol is one of the nation’s “most promising biofuels.” However, the product faces potential government barriers that provide an advantage
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Patent pending — Two West High Students Invent New Way of Making Fuel
by John Hollenhorst (Deseret News) West High School students David Larkin and Andy Law have apparently invented a new way of making fuel, and they've applied for a patent. It's the kind of success story that would make many former students
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Shell Exec Says Biofuels are the Most Important Alternative to Fossil Hydrocarbons in Mobility for the Next 20 Years
(Green Car Congress) In a keynote interview to open F.O. Licht’s World Ethanol & Biofuels in Barcelona on 8 November, Arthur Reijnhart, General Manager, Alternative Energies and Fuel Development Strategy for Shell, described a scenario of an increasingly diverse energy
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Qantas Plans Bio-Fuel Flight
by Tony Moore (Sidney Morning Herald) Qantas will run Australia's first commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel, CEO Alan Joyce has told an aviation conference in Brisbane today. ..."This is by no means the first bio-fuel flight, but it will be
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Ex-Obama Operative Urged White House to Oust Energy Secretary Chu, Emails Show
(Fox News/AP) ...A February email from an ex-campaign operative for President Obama explained at length why Chu should be demoted and replaced with a new team of energy leaders. Dan Carol, also a prominent clean-energy activist, complained about rising gas
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Tongaat Sees Big Potential for Jobs in Ethanol and Power Projects
by Brindaveni Naidoo (Engineering News) Electricity generation and ethanol production from sugarcane could save and create thousands of local jobs, mainly in rural areas, agriculture and property group Tongaat Hulett CEO Peter Staude said on Monday. ... Turning to ethanol production, the
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Construction to Begin on New Mexico Biofuels Plant
(Ventura County Star/AP) ... Joule Unlimited Inc. plans to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide waste into biofuel at the planned facility in Hobbs. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2012. ...State officials say Joule has the potential to expand
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Finger Lakes Economic Council Beats Deadline, Submits Project Wish List to State
(Democrat and Chronicle) Beating the state’s deadline by hours, the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council today submitted its five-year economic strategy, keeping it in contention for up to $1 billion in state support. The proposal includes 10 projects that, if funded,
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
BioAmber’s $150 Million IPO: The 10-Minute Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Minnesota, BioAmber has filed an S-1 registration statement for a proposed $150 million initial public offering. The number of shares to be offered in the proposed offering and the price range for the offering
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
RETECH 2012 October 17-19 Washington, DC Request for Proposals DUE February 17, 2012
Share your expertise. Submit an abstract for consideration on the RETECH 2012 Conference Program. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 17th, 2012. Contact Mark Glazer, Show Director to learn how to apply! RETECH 2012 is the only event dedicated to delivering coverage on
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Flights Signal Demand From U.S. Airlines
by Graham Warwick (Aviation Week) As airlines launch the first commercial biofuel flights in the U.S., the government is working with industry to scale up production of biomass-derived jet fuel to commercial quantities beginning in 2012. Following the lead set by
November 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Gen2 Biofuels: Despite Growing Pains, Billion-Gallon Milestone Within Reach
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellulosic biofuels are behind schedule. Can they catch up? What are the barriers, the roles to be played by Washington, developers alike? What are the opportunities for the retail investor? A downloadable report from Pavel
November 14, 2011 Read Full Article
A New Generation of Renewable Fuels Is on the Horizon
by Wayne Seames (American Oil Chemists Society/Inform Magazine) A new generation of technologies to generate renewable fuels is nearing commercialization. Some of these are focused on producing ethanol and other alcohols from cellulosic biomass using fermentation technologies. These alcohol-based fuels
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
In Search of New Biofuels: UD Wins $2.2 Million Grant for Bioenergy Research
(University of Delaware) ...Eleftherios (Terry) Papoutsakis, Eugene du Pont Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, is working to create hardy organisms for producing biofuels and chemicals from renewable sources – microorganisms that are more resistant to toxic chemicals and
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fundamental Discovery Casts Enzymes in New Light
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) A tree outside Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Pratul Agarwal's office window provided the inspiration for a discovery that may ultimately lead to drugs with fewer side effects, less expensive biofuels and more. Just as a breeze
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Marcellus Shale Gas Exploration, Ethanol Production Net New-Business Growth for Norfolk Southern
by Julie Sneider (Progressive Railroading) ...Both ethanol production and Marcellus gas exploration have been among NS’ fastest-growing traffic opportunities — ethanol over the past decade and the shale-related activity just since 2008 — as a result of U.S. efforts to
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Wind Power Show Gains, but Hurdles Remain
by Ronald D. White (Los Angeles Times) Biofuels and wind power are having the biggest new impact in American power generation, according to a report released today by the U.S. Energy Department. Consumption of biofuels has risen 16-fold since 2000 and wind
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Environmental Outlook: Declining Political Support for Ethanol
host: Laura Knoy (NPR/The Diane Rhem Show) America’s ethanol industry is booming. The U.S. is projected to become the world’s biggest ethanol exporter by the end of the year. In the past, Congress has strongly supported the industry. Now it
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Ethanol Board Part of New Flex Fuel Campaign
(Nebraska Farmer) USDA grant intended to make drivers more aware of flex fuel vehicles and ethanol's benefits involves Nebraska and five other states. A grant awarded by USDA will be used to promote flex fuel vehicles, flex fuel pumps, and driver
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Other Bioliquids—Facts and Perspectives
by Igor Dormuth and Elena Schmidt (Biomass Power and Thermal/TÜV SÜD Industrie Service) New EU sustainability criteria for biofuels and other bioliquids must be complied with and verified by an independent third party at every stage of the production
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Boeing and Hawai'i BioEnergy to Work on Renewable Biofuel for Aviation
(Boeing/PR NewsWire/Yahoo!) Collaborative efforts to focus on regionally produced, sustainable fuel options Boeing today announced a collaborative agreement to work with Hawai'i BioEnergy on renewable energy sources for creating aviation fuel. Announced on the eve of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Support for Federal Backing of Renewables Slips, Driven by GOP Skepticism
By Juliet Eilperin and Jon Cohen (The Washington Post) Support for putting federal funds into alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen has slipped to its lowest point in polls since 2006, driven by growing Republican opposition to such initiatives,
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Feedstocks – Who’s Got Game?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As POET lands a record biomass harvest in prep for a 2013 cellulosic ethanol launch, the Digest looks at stover, jatropha, miscanthus, switchgrass, MSW, wood and animal residue. Are costs going down, and capacity going
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Synergy by Design
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) ...Co-founded in 2002 by Randy Cortright, Virent’s current chief technology officer, and James Dumesic, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Virent deepened its relationship with Shell and refocused its business strategy in 2008 to produce
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
The BP Biofuels Story
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...“I came to the U.S. four years ago to really make what we wanted to be on a piece of paper a reality,” she (Sue Ellerbusch, president of BP Biofuels North America) tells Biorefining Magazine. That reality for
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Betting on Biorefining
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Valero Energy Corp.’s investment in the advanced biofuels sector benefits startups and lends an increased aura of confidence to the industry ...One company that has traditionally been active in petroleum refining has been particularly supportive of
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Process Engineering: From Beakers to Barrels
by Roman Wolff (Biorefining Magazine/Enhanced Biofuels) There has been a great deal of effort in recent years to develop algae growth technology; and for good reason, since some algae can produce biomass (and in particular lipids) at rates 10 times
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
A Big Bang for Algae: South Dakota State University Researchers Develop an Algae Production System for Use in Space … and on Earth
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Single cell photosynthetic organisms, such as blue-green algae, could play an important role in the future of our nation’s space program. Not only could they be used to supply valuable oxygen to fuel life-support systems,
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
YouTube Video Documents Alabama Biodiesel Success Stories
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) For several years the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition has been providing informative workshops, seminars and just about everything else to help Alabamans understand the benefits of biodiesel. Now, led by Mark Bentley, executive director, the
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Nebraska Corn Completes Ethanol Co-Product Research Initiative
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A three-year initiative by Nebraska corn growers to fund research into feeding the ethanol co-product distillers grains to cattle has resulted in some new breakthroughs. The initiative created a beef cattle advisory committee to work with University
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Six Times More Than Renewable Energy
by Ben Sills (Bloomberg) Fossil-fuel consumers worldwide received about six times more government subsidies than were given to the renewable-energy industry, according to the chief adviser to oil-importing nations. State spending to cut retail prices of gasoline, coal and natural gas
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
New Energy Farm's New Planting System Speeds up Miscanthus Development
by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Themal) Energy crop developer New Energy Farms says it has developed a new system for establishing miscanthus that takes one-third the time of previous planting methods. ...The first is a bulked up miscanthus breed that
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
MATT HARTWIG: Ethanol's critics cite outdated, misleading data
by Matt Hartwig (Northwest Florida Daily News) Opinion: In a Nov. 2 editorial (“Florida’s ethanol escapade”), the Northwest Florida Daily News mischaracterized my remarks to a reporter and extrapolated conclusions that simply were not there. ...First, America produced more than 13