Advanced BioFuels USA – Truly Sustainable Renewable Future

Synthetic Fuel Firm Targets International Adoption

by Bob Brooks (Automotive Industries) Possibly the most innovative new synthetic fuel, developed by privately financed Joule Unlimited, has proven the cost effectiveness of its system during 18 months at a pilot plant in Arizona. It is now under way

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. and BP Biofuels to Conduct Demonstration Field Trial of PowerCane(tm) Miscanthus

(iStockAnalyst) Four-Year Agreement Includes 100 Acres of PowerCane Miscanthus Near BP Biofuels' Demonstration Plant in Jennings, Louisiana Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. (MBI) and BP Biofuels have signed a four-year agreement to conduct a demonstration field trial of Mendel's PowerCane™ Miscanthus and evaluate

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

USS FORD on Alternative Fuel Blend

by Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate Communications (MarineLink.com) USS Ford Conducts Operational Transit on Alternative Fuel Blend. USS Ford (FFG 54) successfully transited from the ship's homeport in Everett, Wash., to San Diego, March 2, using 25,000 gallons of

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Indonesia and Malaysia Launch Palm Oil Offensive against U.S. Ruling

(FreshFruitPortal.com) Indonesia and Malaysia have questioned a U.S. decision that their palm oil fails to meet regulatory greenhouse gas reduction standards, website Antaranews.com reported. They disagreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ruling that biofuels from Indonesia and Malaysia cut only 17%

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Mission New Energy Develops Indonesian Palm Oil Complex

by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) In Indonesia, Mission New Energy is developing a new downstream palm oil and oleo-chemical complex, in partnership with PTPN III. The complex will be located located at PTPNIII’s Sei Mangkei Industrial Zone in North

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

The Palms Of Controversy

by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Palms are said to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, but you can’t prove it by the past few weeks of heated debate over palm biofuel. Last week, we looked at the discrepancy between

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

U.S. Report: Oil Imports Down, Domestic Production Highest since 2003

by Neela Banerjee (Los Angeles Times) The report by six federal agencies was released early Monday on the first anniversary of a speech by President Obama in which he pledged to reduce American dependence on foreign oil imports by one-third in about

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Mabus Defends Biofuels during Hearing on Navy Ship

by Brock Vergakis (AP/Wisconsin Rapids Tribune) Navy Secretary Ray Mabus defended the service's investment on biofuels Monday, saying that it is a "false choice" for critics to suggest the Navy should focus on building more ships instead of finding alternative fuels to

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Briefing: Advanced Biofuels in the Public and Private Sectors

(Pew Charitable Trusts) On Thursday, March 8, the Pew Project on National Security, Energy, and Climate held a briefing on the outlook for advanced biofuels, the roles of the federal government and private industry in developing this resource, and predictions for commercialization. Speakers included: Phyllis

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Steven Chu Discusses 'All of the Above' U.S. Energy Strategy

by David Biello (CNET.com/Scientific American) The U.S. government aims to improve energy production from renewables to oil, but what does that mean in practice? Energy Secretary Steven Chu explains. ..."We're not going to be able to just drill our way out

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

36 Billion Gallons of Biofuels by 2022?

by Cory Nealon (Daily Press) U.S. must "hustle" to reach goal, Ag. Secretary Tom Vilsack says ...Vilsack expects the U.S. will eventually produce 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol, a target set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But the rest

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF Chiefs Plan to Grab Ethanol Project

by Patrice Makova (AllAfrica.com) THE US$600 million Chisumbanje ethanol project is threatened with collapse as Zanu PF chiefs, including Cabinet ministers, demand free shares in the lucrative venture under the guise of indigenisation. Sources close to the project told The

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Senegal: Researchers Help Draft Biofuel Law

by Theodore Kouadio (AllAfrica.com) Senegal's government has called on the expertise of the country's researchers in drafting a new national law to regulate the production and environmental impact of biofuels. The law was developed in collaboration with scientists from the country's

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

US Group Files Suit against Federal Cellulosic Ethanol Mandate

A US energy industry group on Monday said it has filed suit to challenge the federal government’s mandate for US cellulosic ethanol consumption, charging that it is unrealistic and constitutes an illegitimate tax. The American Petroleum Institute (API) said that it filed a petition for review in

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Plugging into Algal Power

by Peter Spinks (Sydney Morning Herald) ...And now, to help ameliorate the ravages of global warming, algae are being used to produce biofuels for vehicles and aviation fuels to power tomorrow's airliners. Algae, the world's fastest-growing photosynthetic organisms, accumulate up

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Santa Terezinha Invests $283 Million in Brazil Ethanol Projects

by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Usina de Acucar Santa Terezinha Ltda., a Brazilian ethanol producer, plans to invest 500 million reais ($283 million) in a mill and sugar-cane plantations as the country seeks to increase its supply of the renewable

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Kogi to Establish Biodiesel Refinery

by Usman A. Bello (Daily Trust) The Kogi State government has said its planned biodiesel refinery would be completed on schedule in Itobe area of the state. Acting Governor of the state, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi said this yesterday when he received

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Nonfood Crops to Be Used at New Ethanol Site

by Leslie Brooks Suzukamo (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) Cellulosic ethanol - ethanol made from nonfood crops - has been an alluring but elusive promise. That promise might finally be taking solid form. Today, ethanol powerhouse Poet will officially break ground on a $250 million

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Motiva to Convert Storage to ULSD Heating Oil and Biodiesel at Sewaren Terminal

(Motiva Enterprises LLC/PR NewsWire) Motiva Enterprises LLC (Motiva) today announced plans to convert all of its High Sulfur Diesel Heating Oil (2000 ppm) storage to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) (15 ppm) at Motiva's Sewaren Terminal in New Jersey. Motiva's conversion

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Biofuels Industrials Shift Focus to Waste, Asia as World Biofuels Markets 2012 Opens

by Nadim Chaudhry (Biofuels Digest/Greenpower Conferences) 1500 industry leaders expected to gather in Rotterdam as oil prices, aviation dominate thinking on growth, in 100-leader industry survey. As we gear up for the 2012 World Biofuels Markets event in Rotterdam, March 13-15, we asked

March 13, 2012 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Feedstock Analysis 2nd Generation of Biofuels

(Mettler - Toledo Int. Inc/Environmental Expert) The main obstacle in biodiesel production from waste fats and oils is their high free fatty acid content. Its precise measurement helps Professor Karel Kolomaznik’s Faculty of Applied Informatics team at Tomas Bata University in Zlín

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Chinese Firm to Export Biofuel Component Derived from "Gutter Oil"

(XINHUANET.com)Twenty tonnes of oil refined from leftover cooking oil will be exported from China to the Netherlands to be processed into aviation fuel, a Chinese company said Wednesday. The oil was produced by Qingdao Fresh Bio-energy Technology Development Co., Ltd, for

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Energy Secretary to Look at Hanford Land Transfer

(Yakima Herald) Energy Secretary Steven Chu will look at speeding the transfer of 1,600 acres of Hanford nuclear reservation land for industrial development in response to a request by Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash. Inslee, who is running for governor, asked the

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Algal Biomass Organization Briefing on Industry Accomplishments and Policy Needs

by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) As host of an annual legislative hearing on Capitol Hill, the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) used this year’s presentation on March 1st to give a clear outline of where the industry stands on reaching

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Joint Letters Pushes For ETS Settlement

By Jens Flottau (Aviation Week) Nine European airlines and aerospace companies have sent similar letters to the Prime Ministers of France, the U.K. and Spain as well as Germany’s Chancellor to push for a negotiated settlement of the conflict surrounding

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Butamax(tm) Files Biobutanol Patent Infringement Lawsuit to Stop Gevo's Use of Butamax KARI Enzyme Technology

(Butamax/iStockAnalyst.com) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, announced today that the Company filed a new lawsuit against Gevo, Inc. for infringing the recently awarded Butamax™ patent8,129,162. The patent covers recombinant KARI enzymes which perform a key step in producing

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

JOil Sees Tripling of Jatropha Productivity over Next Eight Years through Application of Biotechnology

(CheckBioTech/JOil) JOil (S) Pte Ltd, a scientific bioenergy crop developer of New Generation Jatropha, discussed cutting edge science and biotechnology processes that could increase the present productivity of Jatropha from the less than 1 ton of oil/hectare to 3 tons/hectare

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Barrels of Biofuel Flowing from Success at Louisiana Facility

(Advanced Biofuels Association) Better Fuels Moment With barrels of biofuel flowing from the success of America's first commercial advanced biofuels plant, the Advanced Biofuels Association, ABFA, takes its online video series, Better Fuels Moment, on the road to get a closer

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

OriginOil Facilitating Urban Algae Cultivation in Paris

(Algae Industry Magazine) OriginOil, Inc. has received an order to supply the company’s Algae Appliance™ harvester and other components for a test of urban algae production at the iconic La Défense Complex, near Paris, France. The program aims to show that algae production

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Pioneer Wants Higher Blends

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...At the recent National Ethanol Conference, where ICM, Inc. founder Dave Vander Griend was honored with the Renewable Fuels Association 2012 Membership Award, he talked about how ethanol could replace some of the additives currently found in gasoline – called aromatics

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

E15 Ethanol Blend Clears Another Hurdle

by Rick Barrett (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Efforts to increase the amount of ethanol in gasoline have cleared another hurdle, meaning a 15% biofuel blend could be available this spring if gasoline stations choose to sell it. The U.S. Environmental Protection

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Tenn. Professor Cruises Cross-Country on 2.15 Gallons of Gas

by The (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Daily News Journal (USA Today) ... (Cliff) Ricketts, a Middle Tennessee State University professor, and his eight-member support team drove three Toyota hybrid alternative-fuels vehicles approximately 2,582 miles across country, using only about 2.15 gallons of

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

E85 Available for $.85 a gallon

by Jim Whitfield (ConnectTriStates.com) As the price of regular unleaded gasoline hovers just under $4 a gallon, some drivers in Carthage caught a break when the Hancock County Farm Bureau offered E-85 ethanol for 85-cents a gallon. It was all part of a promotion to

March 12, 2012 Read Full Article

Ohio Airmen Help F-16 Go 'Green'

by Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes (U.S. Air Force) In a joint effort by Airmen from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing, the F-16 Fight

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Forum to Address Energy’s Role in National Security

(Midwest Energy News) Military leaders are increasingly connecting the dots between energy, climate and national security issues. We’ve reported here before on the U.S. military’s push to go green with solar, biofuels and other renewable technologies. Across the pond, defense leaders in the United

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Boosters of Butanol Say Change in Law Needed

by Leslie Brooks Suzakamo (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) A Colorado green fuels company wants a Minnesota ethanol law that expires at the end of the year to be extended and changed so gasoline can be blended with a new biofuel called butanol

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Rail Plan to Ship Ethanol Is Decried

by Katheleen Conti (The Boston Globe) Eight firefighters are seen dousing a couple of rail cars, as bright flames and a plume of dark smoke engulf parts of the freight train in a still image stamped with the message: Ready

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Ethanol Land Use Debate Continues

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) he debate over ethanol, greenhouse gases and land use continues – and that was the topic of a panel discussion at the recent 17th annual National Ethanol Conference. The panel, moderated byRenewable Fuels AssociationVP of Research and Analysis

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Amendment Would Extend Domestic Energy Tax Credits

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced an amendment to the Transportation Bill (S.1813) Thursday that would extend tax incentives for domestically produced energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, cellulosic biofuels, electric vehicles, wind energy and solar. The measure would re-instate and

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

U.S. Must Use All Options to Beat High Gas Prices, Especially Biofuels

(25 x '25) While President Obama continued his “all of the above” energy campaign in North Carolina this week promoting the development and manufacturing of vehicles that run on electricity, natural gas, and even hydrogen, the element that continues to

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

US Legislation to Prohibit Airlines from Joining EU ETS Moves a Step Closer as Senate Bill Receives Bipartisan Support

(GreenAirOnline) A bill introduced into the US upper house by Republican Senator John Thune that would prohibit US aircraft operators from participating in the EU ETS has received backing from Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat. As the Democrats hold

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

What To Do About High Gasoline Prices?

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing on what to do about rising gasoline prices. Most of the hearing focused on whether increasing oil production from federal lands and off shore and reducing environmental

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

President Obama Announces $1 Billion Fund to Promote Energy Efficient Vehicles

by Matt Compton (White House Blog) Today, (March 7, 2012) President Obama made a trip to a manufacturing plant for Daimler Trucks North America in Mount Holly, North Carolina. He was in the Tar Heel state to discuss more ways his

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China and Boeing Sign Collaboration Agreement to Partner in Areas Advancing Commercial Aviation Industry Growth

(Boeing) Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) and Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced a collaboration agreement to partner in areas that will enable commercial aviation industry growth in China and potentially around the world. This is the first collaboration agreement

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Metso to Supply a Bio Oil Production Plant to Fortum Power Plant in Joensuu, Finland

(Metso) A demonstration plant enables bio oil production from forest residue Metso and Fortum Power and Heat have signed a contract regarding a delivery of a bio-oil production plant and a related automation system to the Fortum power plant in Joensuu,

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Ecofys Launches Test Module for Seaweed Cultivation in Offshore Wind Farms

(Ecofys) Ecofys started a trial with the combination of seaweed cultivation and offshore wind energy. Thursday, 01 March, the cultivation module left the NIOZ harbour on the Dutch island of Texel for a disused sand extraction area 10 kilometres west

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Cobalt Technologies Completes Demostration Of Advanced Strain Fermentation Process

(Cobalt) Confirms 40-60% cost reduction compared to petroleum-derived n-butanol Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation technology for the production of n-butanol, announced the successful demonstration of one of its advanced biocatalyst. Partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

FCP – The Secret Magic Ingredient for Success in Bioenergy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It’s called FCP. You can’t buy it in a dime bag, and you can’t synthesize it from municipal solid waste. It’s not angel-investor dust. It costs a world. ...Doesn’t matter, you make it from one part

March 09, 2012 Read Full Article

Speculation Blamed for Global Food Price Weirdness

by Brandon Keim (Wired Science) The link between commodity speculation and global food price weirdness just got stronger, and researchers warn that a new and potentially calamitous price bubble is imminent. Previous research had blamed a combination of food-to-fuel crop conversion

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Are We Really Exporting Ethanol So It Will Not Compete With Imported Gasoline?

by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog) Every day supertankers full of $100 per barrel oil are docking at US ports where other supertankers full of $1 per gallon ethanol have just departed for overseas markets. While some folks have trouble understanding the

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

US Celanese Eyes World Markets for Its Fuel Ethanol

(ICIS.com) US-based acetyls producer Celanese is looking at markets worldwide for its hydrocarbon-based ethanol, an executive said on Wednesday. Celanese's recently developed technology, TCX, allows it to produce ethanol from natural gas or coal by using acetic acid as an intermediary, according to a recent patent. READ MORE

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Growing Ambitions

by Pamela Glinski (Highlands Today) Vercipia is no more. The name has been changed to BP Biofuels, Highlands Ethanol LLC, explained Mike Milicevic, the agricultural operations manager for the company. Vercipia was a joint-venture company formed when Verenium and BP decided

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

LAN Chile, Air BP Copec Operate First South American Biofuels Flight

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Chile, Netherlands-based SkyNRG has supplied LAN Chile and Air BP Copec for its first commercial flight with second generation jet fuel. The flight, which operated between the Chilean cities of Santiago and Concepcion, was conducted on an

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

ANALYSIS-Doubts about Biodiesel Threaten the EU's Green Targets

by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters) The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions of fuels in the transportation sector if policymakers act on the basis of scientific warnings about the impact of biofuels

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Montana State University-Northern's Bio-Diesel Now Available Commercially in Havre

by Kay Rossi (KRTV.com) MSU-Northern's bio-diesel product is available commercially for the first time for engines in Havre. With the possibility of more distribution in the future, the school's Bio-Energy Center is working to educate the public about the

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Newt Gingrich Jumps the Shark

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ol’ Gramps Gingrich gets feisty and forgetful on the stump, mocking Obama for reviving a Reagan Administration program for algal biofuels. Today, we look at the Gingrich Test. ...Speaker Gingrich jumped the shark this week, in

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Advocacy Group Pitches 100% Ethanol over Keystone XL Pipeline

by Danny King (AutoBlogGreen) An ethanol advocacy group has got an unusual message: having 100 percent ethanol is a better way to cut gas prices and dependency on foreign oil than building the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. E100 Ethanol Group,

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Students Show off Their Clean Snowmobiles

by Gabrielle Mays (Upper Michigan's Source) For the past seven months, hundreds of students from all over North America have been working hard on their innovative designs for the Clean Snowmobile Challenge. Students take a production built snowmobile and reshape, mold and

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

More People Choosing Ethanol

(KFYR-TV) With the price of gasoline increasing to $3.70 a gallon, more and more motorists are choosing E-30 and E-85, a less expensive alternative to gasoline. In fact, sales of ethanol-blended fuel in North Dakota have jumped 97 percent since

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Why Ethanol Matters

by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) One glance at the headlines of any newspaper in America is all that is needed to appreciate the importance of America’s evolving ethanol and renewable fuel industry. Whether it is turmoil in

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit March 15 Interactive Rebroadcast

Virtual Event Summary: ARPA-E Energy Innovation Virtual Summit March 15, 2012 10am EST Rebroadcast Begins! The event is designed to bring together key players from across the energy ecosystem - researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and government officials - to share

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Algae Competition Announces Finalists

Algae Competition assembled distinguished jurors from diverse backgrounds to evaluate entries in three tracks of the competition: landscape design, production systems and food development. From the many competitive and deserving entries, these entries were selected by our panel of jurors

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

Oil Prices, Gas Prices and Domestic Production

(US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources) Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, has a well-deserved reputation for focusing on facts. He worries about the many myths surrounding gasoline prices, oil prices and domestic production. Today, on

March 08, 2012 Read Full Article

REG Launches New Advocacy Website

by Anne Marie Edwards (DomesticFuel.com) Renewable Energy Group® (REG) has a new policy advocacy website designed to centralize the company’s constituents and rally support for biodiesel policy issues. The new site design allows supporters to sign up for informational updates and alerts and

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

NEC Food Vs Fuel Panel Includes Fact and Fabrication

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Ethanol has been scapegoated for just about every blip in food markets in recent years, but the question of whether that is fact or fabrication was taken on during the recent 17th annual National Ethanol Conference. In keeping

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

New Holland Stresses Support for Ethanol

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) New Holland Agriculture announced a major new national “blue is back” advertising campaign at the 2012 Commodity Classic last week and stressed the blue tractor company’s support for homegrown fuel. New Holland North American VP Abe Hughes says

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Lawmakers Urge Administration to Support Biodiesel

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Dozens of lawmakers have sent letters to the White House calling for an increase in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2013. A bipartisan group of 60 members of Congress on both the Senate side and the House signed letters urging

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Ethanol Report on Ethanol’s Role in Gas Prices

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...From the president to the people at the pump, everyone is talking about higher gasoline prices these days, but ethanol is actually helping to keep them lower than they could be. In a new RFA Issue Brief, the Renewable

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

USPTO Director Issues Final Decision Denying Gevo Reexamination Petition; Second Request for Reexamination Granted in Error

(PR NewsWire/Butamax) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the leading biobutanol technology company, commented on two rulings issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in response to Gevo's repeated requests to reexamine Butamax Patent 7,851,188 ('188 patent). This patent is

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

IPEA Recommends Diversifying Production to Build the Biodiesel Program

(Pernambuco.com) The Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) points as a solution to consolidate the biodiesel program in the country diversification of agricultural production, reducing dependence on tax incentives and lower costs of the final product. A study released today (1)

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

German Scientists to Conduct Cooperative Biofuels Research

by Toby Price (Renewable Energy Magazine) In an attempt to better coordinate and, ultimately, speed up research into fuels of the future, an interdisciplinary “Fuels Joint Research Group” has been founded in Germany. International research in fuel is becoming increasingly diverse.

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

US Biofuels Rules Could Lead to Surging Imports

by Christopher Cundy (Environmental Finance) US rules on ethanol usage will favour Brazilian cane sugar producers and could lead to a surge in imports in the coming years, according to a research note from Rabobank International. However, if Brazilian imports do

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Maverick BioFuels and TopLine Energy Systems Announce Joint Technology Development Initiative

(Maverick BioFuels) Companies will integrate technologies to accelerate the cost competitive production of transportation fuels and bioplastics from biomass and waste feedstocks... Maverick Biofuels, a second-generation biofuels and bioplastics technology company, and TopLine Energy Systems (TES) , an advanced technology manufacturer

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Chinese Investors to Launch Biofuel Production in Sumy Region

(Kyiv Post) Chinese investors are to change the line of business of a distillery in the Village of Popovka in Konotop district (Sumy region) to the production of bioethanol, reads a posting on the Web site of Sumy Regional State

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Jamaica: Russians Interested in Setting up Ethanol Plant

by S. Coward (Caribbean Press Releases) Jamaica could soon benefit from significant new investment in a number of sectors, coming out of the just concluded Jamaica Investment Forum. A number of the investors, who attended the event held from March 1

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Cobalt Pre-Treatment Test Clears Way for Commercial Scale

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Cobalt Technologies announced that it has successfully demonstrated its dilute acid hydrolysis pretreatment process, the first step of Cobalt’s process for converting sugars into n-butanol for use as a renewable chemical or fuel. Cobalt’s dilute

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Grafton Ethanol Plant Could Re-open

(WDAZ-TV) The former Alchem Ethanol plant in Grafton could re-open later this year. When it does, it will be turning sugar beets into the alternative fuel instead of corn. READ MORE and MORE (Grand Forks Herald)

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

USDA Offers Farmers More Money to Idle Sensitive Land

by Tom Polansek (Reuters) U.S. officials said on Friday they would offer higher payments to certain owners of environmentally sensitive farm land if they idle it in a conservation program instead of using it to grow crops. The offer from the

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

How Not to Lose an Energy Policy in 10 Days

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) BIO’s industrial biotech czar says that governments should resist attempts to derail the commercialization of advanced biofuels, and not be beguiled by the Solyndra Syndrome In 2011, consumers spent a record $481 billion on gasoline ,

March 07, 2012 Read Full Article

Butamax Expands Robust Isobutanol Patent Portfolio

(PR NewsWire) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, today announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Butamax Patent Number 8,129,162 which provides Butamax with optimal key capability for the production of isobutanol from renewable

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

EPA Says Not Now, Maybe Later to Camelina, Energy Cane, Napiergrass, and Giant Reed as Biofuels Feedstocks

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA withdrew the direct final rule to allow camelina, energy cane, napiergrass, and giant reed to meet the RFS2. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said: “EPA published a direct final rule on January 5, 2012 (77

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Campaigners Claim Government Has ‘Not Done Its Homework’ Following Analysis of Biodiesel Prices

(Fleet News) Campaigners have accused the Treasury of ‘not doing its homework’ after analysis by the Save our Sustainable Biodiesel campaign identified a lack of demand for biodiesel certificates, calling into question the Treasury’s plans to switch incentives for used

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Is Seaweed the Future of Biofuel?

(American Friends Tel Aviv University) ...While biomasses grown on land have the potential to inflict damage on the environment, the researchers believe that producing biofuel from seaweed-based sources could even solve problems that already exist within the marine environment. Many

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Aqualia Eyes Large-Scale Algae Biofuel Production

by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Water management company Aqualia plans to launch a commercial-scale demonstration project using waste water to cultivate algae for biofuel production, which could fuel 400 vehicles, the firm said on Monday. Spain's Aqualia, owned by construction and services

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Gaia Association Requests Expressions of Interest for Procurement of Ethanol Microdistillery, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

(PR.com) Request for Expression of Interest Promotion of Ethanol Microdistillery for Cooking Fuel in Ethiopia Loan No. /Credit No./ Grant No.: TF096664 Activity Title: Demonstrating the Feasibility of Ethanol for Household Cooking The Gaia Association, an Ethiopian non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 2005

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Virdia Ups the Ante in the Race for the New Sugars

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In California, Virdia, formerly HCL CleanTech, a leading developer of cellulosic sugars, today announced major company milestones, including a new brand and CEO, its latest funding round, and a $75 million deal with the Mississippi

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Electric Cars and Liberals’ Refusal to Accept Science

by Charles Lane (The Washinton Post) OpEd: President Obama boasted at a United Auto Workers conference last week that General Motors was back in business, producing cutting-edge vehicles like the plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt. He even promised to buy one when his time

March 06, 2012 Read Full Article

Petroleum Group Discounts Ethanol's Role in Gas Prices

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In a Feb. 22 press call to discuss rising gas prices, the American Petroleum Institute’s chief economist, John Felmy, blamed crude oil prices for high prices at the pump, and said refinery closures and

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

Biomass Harvesting Guidelines for Southeast U.S. Released

by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Forest Guild has released its report, “Forest Biomass Retention and Harvesting Guidelines for the Southeast,” identifying how expanding markets for forest bioenergy can enhance forests, while meeting the social and economic needs of

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

Connecting Classrooms to Cutting-Edge Science

(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Students in Craig Kohn’s biotechnology classroom are on the hunt for biomass degraders. Scavenging for unique samples in piles of leaves or compost bins, they can use a simple filter paper test to determine if

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

Ethanol, Farm Groups File Brief Supporting Court-Ordered Injunction on California LCFS

(Renewable Fuels Association) A coalition of national ethanol groups, along with California and Midwest farming groups, filed a brief urging the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a court-ordered injunction on the California Air Resource Board’s low-carbon fuel

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

US Ethanol Industry Re-tools As Biofuels Struggle To Scale Post-IPO

by Felicity Carus (Aol Energy) Now that almost all the gasoline in the United States is blended with up to 10% ethanol, producers are looking to export markets and refiners are looking at retooling strategies to tap into the burgeoning second

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

American Jianye Greentech Holdings in Marketing Partnership with Gulf Coast Energy Ltd. to Accelerate Retail Expansion in United States

(The Business Journals/American Jianye Greentech Holdings, Ltd.) American Jianye Greentech Holdings, Ltd., a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of alcohol-based automobile fuel and civil-use fuel in China, today announced that it has signed a marketing partnership agreement with US Gulf Coast

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

News Release: Inaugural Report Shows Impressive Uptake of RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil in 2011

(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Multi stakeholder initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) reported unprecedented growth for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in the year 2011 as accounted for in its inaugural qualitative review entitled “2011 RSPO CSPO

March 05, 2012 Read Full Article

The U.S. Air Force Dares You to Laugh At Their Biofuel

by Tina Casey (Talking Points Memo) Republicans recently had themselves a good laugh over President Obama’s enthusiasm for biofuel made from algae, but they might want to stifle that chuckle when it comes to another modest-seeming but potentially important feedstock for biofuel,

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New Patent Law Aids Algae Innovators

by Peter A. Jackman and Lori M. Brandes (Algae Industry Magazine) ...On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) was signed into law by President Obama, bringing the most significant changes to U.S. patent law since 1952. These

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Sh12 Billion Biofuel Complex Set to Be Constructed in Bungoma

(Daily Nation) A Sh12 billion biofuel complex to produce fuel ethanol from tropical sugar beet will be started in Bungoma, with construction commencing immediately. The first trail run is expected early next year. The company, Webco, which is funded by investors

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Gov't To Test Jatropha Biodiesel Offered By Company From Malaysia

(Manila Bulletin) The government is subjecting to fuel standard testing the jatropha biodiesel of Malaysia-based Bionas which is offering to supply what it claims to possibly become the world’s first jatropha biodiesel. The Department of Energy (DoE) is expected to evaluate

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Dominican Republic Signs Cooperation Agreement on Bioenergy

(Caribbean Journal) The Dominican Republic’s National Energy Commission signed a technical cooperation agreement Friday with the Inter-American Development Bank on the development of bioenergy. The agreement will develop a series of studies on bioenergy, taking into account the country’s cooperation on

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Ethanol Sales Nearly Double in North Dakota

(The Jamestown Sun) State Tax Department data shows that more than 1.3 million gallons of ethanol-blended fuel was sold in the state last year. That's up from about 663,000 barrels in 2010. Officials credit the rise in ethanol use to

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Black Carbon Belchers?

by Naomi Lubick (Chemical & Engineering News) Pollution Monitoring: Cars may produce more climate-warming particles than previously thought. Tiny particles known as black carbon can pack a heavy punch when it comes to climate change, by trapping heat in the atmosphere

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[LL] Cool Planet Rocks the Bells

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What are Google, BP, Conoco, and GE investing? Is 3,000 gallons per acre of renewable gasoline possible? In the past few weeks, news has begun to circulate around the industry – and expanded by Twitter and

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Scientists Say Cassava Will Thrive in Climate Change, Best Bet for African Farmers

(The Washington Post/AP) Calling cassava “the Rambo of food crops,” scientists Monday said the long-neglected root becomes even more productive in hotter temperatures and could be the best bet for African farmers threatened by climate change. ...The root outperformed potatoes, maize,

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EU Seeks Tighter CO2 Grip on Farms, Forests -Draft

by Francesco Guarascio and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The EU forestry and farming sectors will have to monitor and report from 2013 any changes to land use that could affect greenhouse gas emissions as part of the bloc's measures to curb climate change,

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Fueling Education Loud and Clear: AIDB’s Biodiesel Program Provides Unparalleled Work Experience for Its Students

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Alabama native Helen Keller once said, “No one has the right to consume happiness without producing it.” The same could be said of biodiesel at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind in Talladega, Ala.