Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Bangkok to Fargo, biofuels scientists have hit back at what they term faulty research and misguided priorities – with a series of presentations on palm oil, indirect land use change, and food vs fuel. READ
DOE Awards Poet US $6.85M for Cellulose Supply Sourcing
(Renewable Energy World) Poet's ambitious goal of securing 700 tons of cellulosic biomass per day got a big boost this week from a US $6.85 million funding increase to an existing grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This
October 01, 2009 Read Full Article
Chinese Technology Converts Biomass Directly to Fuel
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Magazine) Researchers with China-based Ji Zhong Wei New Energy Technical Development Ltd. have discovered a way to convert biomass directly to regular gasoline and diesel, according to the company. The same international standard fuels many of
October 01, 2009 Read Full Article
Algenol Biofuels: Harnessing the Sun to Fuel the World
(Algenol Biofuels) In this presentation, Algenol Biofuels provides a description of it's developing Direct To Ethanol TM technology, taking algae, sunlight, salt water and CO2 to make ethanol and other bio-based products. Illustrations and diagrams generally explain the process of
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Canadian Biofuel Seen Rising 76 pct in Two Years
(Reuters) Canadian biofuel production should rise 76 percent in two years, as government subsidies for production plants and renewable-fuel requirements take effect. Total biofuel production will reach 2.5 billion litres (660 million gallons) annually by 2011, including 2 billion litres
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Fuel Requirements for Diesel Fuel Injection Systems Diesel Fuel Injection Equipment Manufacturers Common Position Statement 2009
The continuous world-wide tendency to increase engine performance and reduce emissions has necessitated the development of new generations of enhanced diesel fuel injection equipment, supporting the achievement of stringent legislation targets. Rising injection pressures and multiple injections result in higher
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Novel Biogasoline Group Suggests Jojoba Plant as US Energy Crop
Dr. Osayed S.M. Abu-Elyazeed, an Egyptian researcher posits the following reasons, among others, for choosing the Jojoba plant for plantation in the US: 1. The shrub can be grown in virtually un-arable land -typically the deserts available in the US, leaving the fertile
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Road Atlanta: Michelin Green-X Challenge and Dyson BioButanol Racing Reports
(Motorsport.com) "The competition to win the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge continues to grow," said Silvia Mammone, Michelin Motorsport manager. "Seeing manufacturers like Audi, Porsche and Mazda; energy producers like Shell and BP, and teams like Audi, Flying Lizard Motorsports and
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
OriginOil Execs Unveil New Algae Productivity Model at National Algae Association’s Quarterly Conference
... “We knew that the first company to actually come out and openly document the real productivity picture would face a tough challenge,” said Barry Cohen, executive director of the National Algae Association. “OriginOil did it and now we have
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
B10 Biodiesel Tests to Start in Thailand
by Yuthana Praiwan (Bangkok Post) Local field tests will start soon on biodiesel B10, a blend of 10% methyl ester with 90% diesel fuel, according to an Energy Ministry official. PTT Plc and the ministry's Department of Energy Business are
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Urban Algal Biofuel Project Proposed for Boston High-Rise Exterior
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Massachusetts, algae biofuels have been proposed by Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Squared as an answer to the stalled Filene’s construction site at Downtown Crossing in Boston. The Eco-Pod, as designed, is a vertical algae bioreactor
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Connecticut Biodiesel Manufacturer BioPur Launches Green Power Project
A joint project between the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition, BioPur and the Department of Energy (DOE); BioWatz provides multiple benefits and solutions for future alternative energies. The project not only yields a new and innovative way to generate
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Gore-Backed Car Firm Gets Large U.S. Loan
by Josh Mitchell and Stephen Power (Wall Street Journal) A tiny car company backed by former Vice President Al Gore has just gotten a $529 million U.S. government loan to help build a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Chinese Ethanol Demand Lifts Vietnam Cassava Exports
(Alibaba.com) Vietnam's cassava chip exports are soaring because of demand from China to make ethanol and earnings for the whole of 2009 could be $800 million, nearly double those in the first eight months, state-run Vietnam Television said. China, which
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Pursuing a Roadside Harvest: Researchers Work to Grow Biofuel
by Joseph M. Dougherty (Deseret News) ... The test plot of ground where the seeds were harvested Wednesday is designed to mimic the side of Utah highways, which could be used to grow safflowers instead of the grasses that the Utah
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Department of Agriculture Rural Business-Cooperative Service Announce Value-Added Producer Grant
USDA Rural Development welcomes projects that highlight innovative uses of agricultural products. This may include using existing agricultural products in non-traditional ways and/or merging agricultural products with technology in creative ways. As with all value-added efforts, generating new products, creating
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Obama Wants Worldwide End of Fossil Fuel Subsidies
by Seth Borenstein (AP) President Barack Obama is calling on the world to end massive government subsidies that encourage the use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming. The president, who is set to host the G-20 economic summit opening
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
U.S. Tax Breaks Subsidize Foreign Oil Production
(Environmental Law Institute) The largest U.S subsidies to fossil fuels are attributed to tax breaks that aid foreign oil production, according to research released by the Environmental Law Institute in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
EPA Rule Will Reflect 'Uncertainty' on Indirect Biofuels Emissions, Fending Off Amendment
Letter from EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson to Senator Tom Harkin, former chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (below). Upon receiving these assurances, Senator Harkin and co-sponsors withdrew an amendment to the EPA's fiscal 2010 spending bill that
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Chevron Invests in LS9; Microbe Diesel by 2011?
by Michael Kanellos (Greentech Media) With an investment from Chevron, LS9 joins the small club of biofuel startups getting support from big oil. It hopes to prove its case in two years. In biofuels, the contestants for the next round
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
PARC’s Solution for Algae Fuel: Going Down the Drain
by Michael Kanellos (Greentech Media) A technology for water purification and toner cartridges could cut the onerous cost of getting algae out of water. It started as a way to purify water, but the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) believes
September 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Are Biofuels Ready for a Comeback?
by Stephen Lacey (REnewableEnergyWorld.com) ... Biofuels typically get a lot of attention as gas prices go up in the summer driving season. This year was different. After the love affair with biofuels throughout 2006 and the bitter attack on biofuels
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Bill Introduced to Include Algae-Based Biofuels in Renewable Fuel Standard
Representative Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and a bipartisan group of representatives introduced HR 3460, an amendment to the Clean Air Act to include algae as an eligible feedstock in the Renewable Fuel Standard (as amended by the Energy Independence and Security
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $300 Million in Clean Cities Grants to Support Clean Fuels, Vehicles, and Infrastructure Development
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu announced the selection of 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program that will be funded with nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects will speed the
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
DOE Selects Biofuels Projects to Receive up to $21 Million in Funding
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on August 31, 2009, that up to $21 million will be made available for the selection of five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver high tonnage biomass feedstocks for cellulosic
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Red Algae to Ethanol Project in the Philippines
by Natalia Real (FIS) Korean scientists have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bohol governor to test the waters of Bohol for growing red algae for ethanol production. READ MORE
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Data Management in the Clean Energy Economy
by Aaron W. Perry (Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises) While much attention is currently being paid by policy makers, financiers and industry to the development of advanced biorefining and bioprocessing technologies (and for good reason), many of which contain data-intensive, precision controls
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Bond Commission Renews St. Rose Biodiesel Project Bonds
by Matt Scallan (NOLA.com) The Louisiana state Bond Commission has renewed its approval for $100 million in GO Zone bonds to continue construction of a biodiesel refinery in St. Rose. REG Destrehan stopped construction of a 60 million gallon per year
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Mafuta Sasa Goes into Biodiesel Production
by Zaynab Turuku (The East African) In the wake of efforts to clean up the environment and mitigate against climate change through a reduction in the burning of fossil fuels, Dar es Salaam-based Mafuta Sasa Ltd is now producing biodiesel
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
See-O-Two Seeing Potential from Algal Biomass Tech
(Cleantech) Austrian startup says it can grow algae at three to six times higher productivity and at about 80 percent of the cost of competing systems. Vienna, Austria-based See-O-Two has developed what it says is an industrial scale system to
September 29, 2009 Read Full Article
ADM Says Crop-Yield Gains Enough to Meet Food, Ethanol Demand
by Alan Bjerga and Peter Cook (Bloomberg) Archer Daniels Midland Co., the world’s largest grain processor, expects improved yields will deliver enough crops during the next 40 years to supply rising demand for ethanol without hurting the food supply. Archer
September 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Rwanda Develops Biofuel Production
(Biofuels International) ... Since 2007, the Rwandan Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (ISTR) has experimented with a number of feedstocks including palm, jatropha, moringa, castor and soy oils, in a 2,000 litre per day pilot facility at Kigali, Rwanda’s
September 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest Publishes 5-part Series on the New Rules for Financing Bioenergy
Biofuels Digest published a 5-part series on where the industry is obtaining financing in the year since the seizure of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the global financial meltdown. In Part I of the series,
September 23, 2009 Read Full Article
White House Eyeing Phasing Out of Fossil Fuel Subsidies
(Chattahbox) The new study released by the Environmental Law Institute entitled, “Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008,” provides the Obama administration with an additional weapon for the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies in the United States. According
September 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Pioneer Explores Alfalfa’s Role in Cellulosic Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel) The lowly alfalfa crop could play a role in the future of cellulosic ethanol. Alfalfa is the nation’s most popular legume and actually our third most valuable crop, but it is often taken for granted and
September 21, 2009 Read Full Article
World Wildlife Fund Releases Report on Positive Effects of Industrial Biotech
With this report (Industrial Biotechnology: More than Green Fuel in a Dirty Economy?), the World Wildlife Fund sets out to explore the magnitude and nature of this (industrial biotechnology) sector in (its) search for pathways toward a green economy and
September 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plants Using Hops To Eliminate Bacteria
(WCCO) ... Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration said it was finding antibiotic residue in an ethanol byproduct. That byproduct is sold as feed for cattle and other livestock, which is a problem. For the ethanol industry, the findings
September 21, 2009 Read Full Article
A Conversation on Southern Energy—The 2009 Report on the Future of the South—Now Available
A Conversation on Southern Energy describes the current and future role of energy in Southern economic development. The report is full of regional and individual state data about existing and alternative energy sources. The report also includes recommendations necessary to
September 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Council on Sustainable Biomass Production Invites Comments on Draft Standards
The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) is a multi-stakeholder organization established in 2007 to develop comprehensive voluntary sustainability standards for the production of biomass and its conversion to bioenergy. CSBP intends for its Standard to serve as the foundation
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Brazil Increases Environmental Preservation Measures With Sugarcane Zoning Proposal
In an unprecedented initiative, Brazil proposed a new bill of law that will restrict the lands permissible for sugarcane farming and processing. If passed, the bill sent today to the National Congress by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
DOE Secretary Chu Examines Modular Ethanol Production System
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu examined three Minnesota renewable energy projects in August, including a mobile self-contained ethanol plant developed by Welcome, Minn.-based Easy Energy Systems Inc. The technology, trademarked as the Modular Ethanol
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Algae as Fuel of the Future Faces Great Expectations -- and Obstacles
by Anne C. Mulkern (New York Times/Greenwire) ... It is a big bet with high stakes. Venture capitalists, including Bill Gates' financing arm, infused Sapphire Energy with a combined $100 million. Exxon Mobil Corp. this summer invested $600 million in a
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Greater Distinction Needed for Biofuels as Fuel Component under Cap and Trade
(25 x '25) As Congress continues its debate on comprehensive climate legislation, any measure adopted must adequately recognize and incentivize the extensive benefits biomass and the production of biofuels can provide to address global climate change. The 25x’25 Carbon Work
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Freeways-to-Fuel Harvest Paves the Way for Biodiesel Production on Unused Municipal, Military and Other Lands
Twenty miles north of Salt Lake City, a flowery, red and yellow safflower crop is being harvested. These test plots at the roadside simulation lab at Utah Botanical Center are part of an innovative “Freeways-to-Fuel” project sponsored by the Utah
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Ohio's Meigs County Commissioners Back U.S. 33 ‘Biofuels Corridor’
by Brian J. Reed (Pomeroy Daily Sentinel) Meigs County Commissioners have agreed to work with Rural Action of Trimble and other organizations to develop a “biofuels corridor” between Columbus and the Ohio River. Robin Kinney, a volunteer with Rural Action, met
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Trans-Asia Junks Biofuels Venture
by Amy R. Remo (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. has dropped its alternative fuels operations, citing the problems it encountered with its pilot jatropha project. “We found out early in the game that there was a problem on
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Inter-American Development Bank Releases New Version of Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard
The Inter-American Development Bank has released a new version of its Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard, which will enable users to better anticipate the impacts of potential biofuel projects on sensitive issues such as indigenous rights, carbon emissions from land use change,
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Interest in Algae's Oil Prospects is Growing
by Tiffany Hsu (Los Angeles Times) Firms and scientists are racing to figure out how best to separate the oil produced in algae organisms for biofuel. The San Diego area has become a hotbed for these efforts that are drawing investors. To
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Arizona Public Service Co Gets $70.5 mil for Emissions Study
by Ryan Randazzo (Arizona Republic)Arizona Public Service Co. will get $70.5 million in stimulus funds to study cutting greenhouse-gas emissions from coal power plants that contribute to global warming, the Energy Department said Tuesday. APS will use the money for a
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Mid-level Ethanol Blend Bill Introduced in Senate
(Trade Only Today) Legislation designed to protect boaters and manufacturers from the problems associated with mid-level ethanol blends in gasoline was introduced Monday in the U.S. Senate. The Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Act of 2009, S. 1666, was introduced by U.S.
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Enerkem Announces Construction Start on Advanced Energy Research Facility in Edmonton, Alberta
Enerkem, a leading waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today participated in the sod-turning event held by its partners, the City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta, to signify the start of construction on their joint advanced energy research
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Iowa Interstate Railroad to Test Biodiesel; Special Railroad Biodiesel Update
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Iowa, the Iowa Interstate Railroad in Cedar Rapids, Iowa announced it has commenced testing B10 and B20 biodiesel blends supplied by Renewable Energy Group. As part of the study, REG, IAIS and Kansas University are
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
DOE Provides Loan Guarantee Application Tips
by Anna Austin (Biomass Magazine) ... DOE Program Manager Michael Fraser identified characteristics to strengthen the financial review of project applications. Information on third–party supply and off-take agreements to support revenue and cost projections, or having a reliable source of
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
State of the Argentine Biodiesel Industry Report Explains Biodiesel Relationship with EU
Europe has established a floor of 35%, i.e., any biofuel entering Europe must reduce emissions by at least that amount when compared to a diesel benchmark. According to the European analysis, using palm oil to make biodiesel results in GHG
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Manitoba Truckers Brace for Flawed Biodiesel Rule
(Today's Trucking) In just a few weeks Manitoba will become the first province in Canada to mandate biodiesel. ... All diesel fuel sold in the province as of Nov. 1 must contain a B2 average (2 percent biodiesel), Energy Minister
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuels to Be Made Out of Rotting Dates
(Reuters) Iraq's prime minister has approved a project by a United Arab Emirates-based company to make biofuel from dates that would otherwise be wasted because they have started to perish, Iraqi officials said. Iraq has the world's third largest oil reserves
September 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Urge Study of International Indirect Land Use Change Analysis
... We believe scientific data aren't available on a global basis to be able to accurately determine the extent to which biofuel production causes land use changes in remote locations or the greenhouse gas emissions that might exist. The possible
September 16, 2009 Read Full Article
Comet Biorefining Develops Low-Cost Cellulosic Sugar Technology with Focus on Pre-Treatment Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Comet Biorefining announced its patent pending cellulosic sugar technology, which will produce cellulosic sugar from a wide range of cellulosic sugar from a wide range of cellulosic materials including wood chips, switchgrass and corn cobs. The company, founded by former Mascoma CTO Dr. Andrew Richard,
September 14, 2009 Read Full Article
Kentucky Sets Biomass, Biofuel Production Goals
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Kentucky has developed a 21-member executive task force to facilitate the development of a statewide sustainable biomass and biofuels industry and to educate state legislators on the ability to utilize local biomass to achieve
September 14, 2009 Read Full Article
BP Comments at Society of Petroleum Engineers Offshore Europe Conference
by Katrina Landis, CEO BP Alternative Energy ... Biofuels provide a useful case study to illustrate some of the most important factors involved in developing renewable sources of energy. While demand for oil is projected to remain strong in most
September 14, 2009 Read Full Article
Sarkozy Unveils New Carbon Tax for 2010
(AFP)French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced plans to impose a new carbon tax next year on oil, gas and coal as part of a drive to combat global warming. The plan would make France the biggest economy in Europe to impose
September 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Manitoba to Mandate Biodiesel Blends
(CBC News) Manitoba is about to become the first province in Canada to mandate the use of biodiesel. Starting Nov. 1, all diesel fuel sold in the province must contain an average of two per cent biodiesel, Energy Minister Jim
September 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Looking for a Biofuels Breakthrough in Boardman, OR
by Amy Hsuan (The Oregonian) ... former oil executive Jim Imbler, who now heads a Colorado biofuels company called ZeaChem Inc., thinks he might have found the key to profitability in Oregon. And it lies in Boardman, home to one
September 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Penn State Energy-Crops Field Display is Now Open to Visitors
The Penn State energy-crops field display, created by Penn State Farm Services, is now open to visitors on land across from the old armory building on Fox Hollow Road, University Park, Pa., showing a variety of energy crops in production.
September 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Energy, National Security and Defense Department Solutions
On September 10, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about the national security threats posed by our reliance on fossil fuels and efforts underway by the U.S. armed services to reduce total energy use and transition
September 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Charlotte gets $55K for biofuel project
(Charlotte Business Journal) Fourteen organizations, including one in Charlotte, have been awarded grants totaling $950,000 from the 2009 N.C. Green Business Fund. The Charlotte area has received $55,000 to help develop a Greater Charlotte Region Biofuel Facility that will turn
September 10, 2009 Read Full Article
New Fuels Alliance and 20 Companies Send ILUC Letter to Senators Kerry and Boxer
... The New Fuels Alliance submitted a letter co-signed by 20 leading advanced biofuel companies to Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Kerry (D-MA) asking for balanced carbon accounting in any upcoming climate legislation. The letter comes in the wake of the
September 10, 2009 Read Full Article
Sustainable Oils to Supply Navy with Camelina-based Jet Fuel
Sustainable Oils, a producer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based fuels, announced today it has been awarded a contract by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel. The fuel will be delivered to
September 10, 2009 Read Full Article
To Make Better Biofuels, Researchers Add Hydrogen
by Martin LaMonica (Green Tech) Research on nuclear energy and hydrogen has yielded what backers say is a technology that could replace U.S. oil imports with biofuels made from agricultural by-products. Scientists at Idaho National Laboratory have been working for
September 10, 2009 Read Full Article
Far North Canada Embraces Biodiesel
by tbnewswatch staff Remote communities in Ontario's far North are increasingly turning to biodiesel as its source of energy. Last year, Hydro One started using biodiesel in the fly-in community of Deer Lake for power generation. Now, almost all
September 09, 2009 Read Full Article
Florida Sugar-Based Ethanol Company Projects 80 Percent Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions than Gasoline
Highlands EnviroFuels LLC has completed a life-cycle analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that demonstrates that the company’s planned sugar–based ethanol process will result in 80 percent lower GHG emissions than the equivalent petroleum-based gasoline. The detailed study, completed by Life
September 09, 2009 Read Full Article
Solazyme Signs U.S. Department of Defense Contract to Develop Navy Fuels from Algae
Solazyme, Inc., the renewable oil production company and leader in algal synthetic biology, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to research, develop, and demonstrate commercial scale production of algae-derived advanced biofuel that meets the United States
September 09, 2009 Read Full Article
25 x '25 Offers Recommendations to Make Cap & Trade Work with BioSequestration
The 25x'25 Carbon Work Group (CWG) has been engaged for more than a year in a process of identifying key policy options for delivering climate change solutions from the land and allowing the agricultural and forestry sectors to be rewarded
September 09, 2009 Read Full Article
German Researchers Target Winter Sugar Beet as Biofuel Feedstock
In Germany, researchers from Christian-Albrecht University in Kiel have commenced a project, titled “Bioenergy 2021: winter sugar beet as energy crop” , to improve breeding of winter sugar beet as a biofuel feedstock. The Institute of Plant Production and Plant
September 09, 2009 Read Full Article
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels Announces New Governance System
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels is an international initiative bringing together farmers, companies, non-governmental organizations, experts, governments, and inter-governmental agencies concerned with ensuring the sustainability of biofuels production and processing. The Roundtable is hosting a series of meetings, teleconferences, and
September 09, 2009 Read Full Article
Two EPA Administrators Tour Farms, Visit Biorefinery
by O.Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Two top officials in the Environmental Protection Agency who've never visited an American farm were in Iowa today, at Senator Chuck Grassley's invitation. They toured Grant Kimberly's farm near Maxwell. ... Senator Grassley says he wants
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
Minnesota Project Releases New Report: Transportation Biofuels in the United States: An Update
"(W)e do intend for Transportation Biofuels in the United States to act as a tool to provide an overview of the current status of major developments in the biofuels industry. We highlight recent changes in biofuels production processes, biomass development,
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
Vietnam Produces First Batch of Ethanol
(ChinaView.cn) Vietnam successfully produced the country's first batch of 2,000 tons of ethanol, a bio-fuel for motor vehicles, local newspaper the People reported Friday. The fuel is made from sugar cane and cassava. ...The plant is expected to turn out 100,000
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
Taiwan Oil Firm Signs Deal to Produce Biofuels in Indonesia
(M&C Business) Taiwan's state-run Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) signed an agreement Wednesday to plant 100,000 hectares of crops for biofuels in Indonesia. ... Under the MOU, in the next five years, CPC is due to plant 100,000 hectares of Jatropha
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
World's First Racing Car Made from Cashew Nut Shells
(Belfast Telegraph) The world's first racing car made from cashew nut shells has been assembled with the help of Northern Ireland researchers. Potato starch and recycled bottles were also used in the construction of the Formula 3 vehicle. It can
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
LanzaTech Develops Waste Gas-to-Ethanol Technology
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) New Zealand-based LanzaTech NZ Ltd. recently announced it has developed a proprietary fermentation technology that can be used to produce ethanol using the carbon monoxide and hydrogen components of industrial waste gases and biomass-based
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
Fulcrum BioEnergy Makes Ethanol from Garbage
Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., a leader in the next generation of advanced biofuels, announced today that it has successfully demonstrated the ability to economically produce renewable ethanol. This milestone – achieved at the company’s TurningPoint Ethanol Demonstration Plant – confirms the
September 08, 2009 Read Full Article
US DOE Funds Research on Novel Energy Initiatives
Washington University and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have received two awards totaling $35 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to do research on novel energy initiatives. At $20 million, the Washington University research award is the
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Funding Available for Clean Technology Projects: SDTC Calls for Statements of Interest for its Sixteenth Round of Funding
Clean technology developers from across Canada are invited to submit Statements of Interest to the $550-million SD Tech Fund(TM), as Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) opens its sixteenth funding round. ... SDTC is a not-for-profit corporation created by the Government
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
NBB Applauds Ford's B20 Approval in 2011 F-Series Super Duty(R) Trucks
Biodiesel supporters are cheering Ford Motor Company's announcement that its all-new Ford-built 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty(R) diesel pickups will be fully compatible with a 20 percent biodiesel blend (B20). Ford's new diesel engine -- equipped with the latest technology
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Sugar Cane to Return to Angola in Biofuel Move
by Louise Redvers (AFP) Angola will begin planting sugar cane for the first time in more than 30 years this month as the oil-rich country takes its first step toward biofuels. A 30,000 hectare (74,000-acre) site in Malanje province, hundreds
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Swiss Aid Study: „Jatropha! – A Socio-Economic Pitfall for Mozambique“ - Review by the Jatropha Alliance
The study “Jatropha! – A socio-economic pitfall for Mozambique” prepared by UNAC and JA for Swiss Aid (referred in the following to as Swiss Aid Study) provides a very one-sided and negative picture of the Jatropha sector in Mozambique. The
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Odessa Biodiesel Firm Celebrates Plant Completion
... "With the addition of the crusher, (Inland Empire Oilseeds) becomes the first biodiesel company in Washington to fully integrate all production steps into one place - from crushing to rail tank car," said Steve Starr, company general manager. "Our new crush line
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Farmers Raise Biomass Logistics and Legislative Issues
By Todd Neeley (The Progressive Farmer) Cattleman Bill Couser hit on the crux of the matter when it comes to the future of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol, during a U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing on biofuels Tuesday. Couser, from
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Grant: Value-Added Producer Grants for Alternative Uses of Agricultural Products
Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) help independent producers of agricultural commodities, agricultural producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures develop strategies to create marketing opportunities and to help develop business plans for viable marketing opportunities. This may include
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Improvements in Life Cycle Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Ethanol
(Journal of Industrial Ecology) Corn-ethanol production is expanding rapidly with the adoption of improved technologies to increase energy efficiency and profitability in crop production, ethanol conversion, and coproduct use. Life cycle assessment can evaluate the impact of these changes on
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Leading Brazilian Organizations Unite in Alliance to Fight Climate Change
Fourteen major Brazilian organizations representing the agribusiness, planted forests and bioenergy sectors announced today the creation of the Brazilian Climate Alliance, to provide concrete, constructive proposals in global climate change negotiations. The group's main focus is Brazilian government's positioning in
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
How Extremophiles Might Help Us Save Our World
by Asrat Kebede (Ethiopian Review) Perhaps they are the superheroes of tomorrow. Living and thriving in the most inhospitable conditions on Earth, tiny bacteria-like microbes known as extremophiles might soon have an oversized effect on our human world. We currently
September 02, 2009 Read Full Article
As Hybrid Cars Gobble Rare Metals, Shortage Looms
by Steve Gorman (Reuters) The Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods. That
September 02, 2009 Read Full Article
DME as Diesel Fuel Alternative Gaining Ground as Engine Manufacturers, BioDME Biorefineries Gear Up for Renewable Motor Fuels
... DME or dimethyl ether, a diesel fuel alternative made from a variety of renewable materials and fossil fuels, burns soot-free, produces almost no GHG upon combustion and is very energy efficient. With a high cetane number (the measure of
September 02, 2009 Read Full Article
An Innovative New Technology to Reduce Recalcitrance of Cellulose
An innovative technology developed by Cellulose Sciences International (CSI) dramatically reduces the recalcitrance of cellulose so that lignocellulosic biomass can be more rapidly converted to glucose. The glucose can be fermented to ethanol or any of the other advanced biofuels.
September 01, 2009 Read Full Article
DOE Selects Biofuels Projects to Receive up to $21 Million in Funding
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $21 million will be made available for the selection of five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver high tonnage biomass feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels
September 01, 2009 Read Full Article
Memphis' and the Mississippi Delta's Opportunity in the $140 Billion Bioeconomy Highlighted in 5-State Regional Study
The Memphis Bioworks® Foundation announced the conclusion of the "Regional Strategy for Biobased Products in the Mississippi Delta," a 5-state, 98-county examination of the potential for agriculture and forestry revitalization through the development of new markets, and the related industrial
September 01, 2009 Read Full Article
Fueling the "Balance" A Defense Energy Strategy Primer
by Jerry Warner and P.W. Singer (Brookings Institution) ... Underlying this effort are two complementary objectives. First, a significant percentage of the overall reduction in baseline energy will come from the department converting from petroleum to alternative forms of energy
August 31, 2009 Read Full Article
Fueling Our Security: The Need for a Defense Energy Strategy
by Peter W. Singer (The Washington Examiner) ... Our Department of Defense is the largest consumer of energy not just in America, but the world. It burns more petroleum in the course of its operations than any other private or
August 31, 2009 Read Full Article
Algae Biofuels Economic Viability: A Project-Based Perspective
by Jeff H. Hassannia (Diversified Energy Corporation) ... Instead of forecasting the likely costs for capital and O&M for a given architecture and its reported yield, let’s assess what a project would require in order to make it commercially viable. That
August 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Ethanol Race Fuel - Why Ethanol? Because It Will Save You Money With No Performance Loss
By Rob Fisher, Forrest Jehlik (Circle Track) Shortly after the first installment of Circle Track's Project G.R.E.E.N. hit the newsstand it became apparent that the project had a multitude of different dimensions, all of which can positively impact the oval track
August 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Native Hawaiian Owned Company To Invest $200 Million in Vietnam Ethanol Plants
(FullOn Holdings, Inc./MMD Newswire) Richard Kamahele Figueroa, President and CEO of FullOn Holdings, Inc., a Native Hawaiian owned company, announed today that its Honolulu based division, Golden State Biofuels, has been awarded a forty nine year exclusive agreement by the
August 30, 2009 Read Full Article
The Rise of Biofuels from Algae
(ClearSkies.com) Clean Skies News Dipka Bhambhani reports on the rise of biofuels from algae as part of the nation's energy portfolio. WATCH VIDEO
August 30, 2009 Read Full Article
Rethinking the Value of Corn Ethanol Co-Products in Lifecycle Assessments
by Dave Vander Griend (Ethanol Across America) ...As commodity prices have returned closer to norms prior to the dramatic speculation-driven increase, we need to take a deep breath and understand the truth. We are meeting the increase in demand for
August 29, 2009 Read Full Article
USU Research: Algae May Fix Logan's Sewage Mess
by Brian Maffly (Salt Lake Tribune) For the past several years, detergents and agricultural runoff have turned Logan's five wastewater lagoons into a phosphate-filled soup, posing a menace to sensitive wildlife habitat downstream and racking up costly clean-up bills. But nature
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Mexico Plans Ethanol Push to Reduce Pollution
(Latin American Herald Tribune) The Mexican government said it will invite tenders next month for a contract to produce 176 million liters (46 million gallons) of ethanol for use as a transport fuel, part of a plan to curb pollution
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Anellotech Launches; Latest Fast Pyrolysis Venture Expands Growing Field of Biocrude Companies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst recently granted a biofuels startup company, Anellotech, exclusive global rights to the university’s catalytic fast pyrolysis technology developed by chemical engineer and UMass Amherst faculty member George
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $300 Million in Clean Cities Grants to Support Clean Fuels, Vehicles, and Infrastructure Development
Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the selection of 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program that will be funded with nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects will speed the transformation of the
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Life-Cycle Assessment of Biodiesel
by Laurent Lardon, Arnaud Helias, Bruno Sialve, Jean-Philippe Steyer and Olivier Bernard (Environmental Science and Technology) This paper provides an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of biodiesel production from microalgae. High production yields of microalgae have called forth interest of
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Industry Responds to Biodiesel Tax Reform Proposition
by Nicholas Zeman (Biodiesel Magazine) The National Biodiesel Board said last week that the Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension Act, a piece of legislation introduced to the U.S. Senate last week by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
BEI International Demonstrates Mechanical Jatropha Harvester; Potential Breakthrough in Productivity
In Honduras, BEI International has demonstrated its mechanical harvesting of jatropha at Agroipsa Farm in Choluteca, Honduras this month, harvesting 550 hectares. “If your field conditions are accommodating you can harvest about one hectare per hour with one person operating
August 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Debunking The PHEV Mythology
by John Petersen (Alt Energy Stocks) ... We've all heard the mythology that PHEVs will save users buckets of money by using cheap electricity instead of expensive gasoline. The hard reality is that none of the HEV or PHEV options
August 27, 2009 Read Full Article
Biochar's Likely Market Impacts
by Tom Konrad, Ph.D., CFA (Alt Energy Stocks) Biochar, or amending soil with biomass-derived carbon, shows great potential to improve the productivity of soils, as well as to increase the utilization of fertilizers by plants, while sequestering carbon to reduce
August 27, 2009 Read Full Article
New Vision on Biofuels is Urgently Needed
... (Christian Aid's report)Growing Pains urges governments to adopt a new vision on biofuels, seeing them as a force for rural development in poor countries, rather than a silver bullet solution to climate change. ‘Christian Aid believes that the best approach
August 27, 2009 Read Full Article
Missouri Cooperatives Partner with Universities on Carbon Capture Research
... Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) and Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPC) are partnering with Lincoln University and Missouri University of Science and Technology to grow algae using the carbon produced by a coal-burning power plant. Researchers have been eyeing algae,
August 27, 2009 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Boom Running on Empty
by Ann Davis and Russell Gold (Wall Street Journal) The biofuels revolution that promised to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil is fizzling out. Two-thirds of U.S. biodiesel production capacity now sits unused, reports the National Biodiesel Board. Biodiesel, a
August 27, 2009 Read Full Article
Resource Documents on Ethanol Importation and Tariffs
Doug Newman, Ethanol Trade Analyst for the US International Trade Commission, has provided tables and a presentation which summarize amounts of ethanol imports to the US by source location and tariffs paid, along with a presentation which includes an outline
August 27, 2009 Read Full Article
Applications Being Accepted for Recovery Act 1603 Cash Grants in Lieu of Tax Credits
U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy announced at the end of July that they would be accepting applications for a program that will make direct payments in lieu of tax credits to companies that create
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Australians Evaluate Native Oil-Bearing Tree
by Susanne Retka Schill (Biodiesel Magazine) Early tests by Australia’s CQUniversity researchers show promise for a new biodiesel feedstock – the native Australian Beauty Leaf Tree. The wild tree grows well throughout coastal areas of tropical Australia on salty, drought-affected,
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Microbiogen Develops Yeast that Can Utilize Both C5 and C6 Sugars
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Microbiogen, an Australia-based developer of non-genetically modified yeast, recently announced it has secured a $2.5 million government grant. The grant, which was awarded under the Australian government’s $15 million Second Generation Biofuels Research and
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology 'Algae Platform' Develops Efficient Photoreactors and Novel Cell Decomposition Methods
... (C)ultivation of microalgae may contribute decisively to tomorrow's energy supply. For energy production from microalgae, KIT scientists are developing closed photo-bioreactors and novel cell disruption methods. ... Professor Clemens Posten, directs this research activity at the KIT Institute of
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Ghana Debates Viability of Biofuels
by Scott Stearns (Voice of America News) Africa is central to the worldwide growth in biofuels, with Dutch, American, Swedish, Japanese, German, and British firms all competing for farmland to grow the next generation of energy producing crops. Some farmers
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuel projects in South Florida Have Promising Future, Challenging Present
by Doreen Hemlock and Jaideep Hardikar (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) The neatly planted rows of jatropha trees in Delray Beach are sprouting round, green fruit that can be crushed into oil to run diesel engines. Teri Gevinson founder of Ag-Oil LLC,
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
Synthetic Life By the Year’s End? Yes, Proclaims Craig Venter.
(Discover) ... Synthetic biology experts say that re-engineered microorganisms may take on all sorts of jobs. For now, gene researchers are particularly excited about using energy-producing microbes as single-celled refineries for ethanol, biodiesel or other petroleum substitutes without using food
August 26, 2009 Read Full Article
AdvBiofUSA Disappointed in DOE Failure to Include Advanced Biofuels in SBIR/STTR Grant Program
by Joanne Ivancic Although U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu claimed to "(emphasize) the Department’s commitment to developing near-term, clean energy technologies while allowing small businesses (to) take part in the new industrial revolution that the sustainable energy economy will bring,"
August 25, 2009 Read Full Article
DOE Announces $37 Million for Small Business Research and Technology
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that $37 million in funding from the Recovery Act will be made available to qualified small businesses through the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This funding
August 25, 2009 Read Full Article
25 x 25 Publishes Assessement of Ag/Forestry Costs Due to Proposed Climate Change Legislation
From the report: ... Objective independent studies now emerging on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 suggest that the costs to the agriculture and forestry sectors from its cap and trade provisions are on net modest. At
August 24, 2009 Read Full Article
US DOE Accepting Applications for Loans to Leading Edge Biofuels Projects
Section 1705 of Title XVII authorizes the Secretary of Energy ("Secretary") to make loan guarantees under this section, notwithstanding Section 1703, for only three categories of projects that commence construction no later than September 30, 2011: (1) "renewable energy systems,
August 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Harvesting Hemp at Hartacre Farms for Biofuel
by Aimee Pianosi (NapaneeGuide.com) In a white cloud of pollen, 43 acres of hemp was harvested from Hartacre Farms last Tuesday. Herb Hart grew the crop in partnership with Performance Plants Inc. of Kingston, as part of a biofuels project
August 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Project Runs Out of Gas
by Colin Bettles (FarmWeekly) WestPetro, the proposed ethanol production plant to be built in East Rockingham, changed ownership last week. The Oswal Group, who built the Burrup fertiliser plant, has decided not to proceed with the WestPetro project. The decision
August 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Scripps Photobiology Group Presentations on Algae
The Scripps Photobiology Group has been hosting a series on the commercialization of algae, with a focus on the possible production of biofuels from algae. The purpose of this forum is to exchange information and spur collaborative conversation about the
August 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series Powers Ahead on Biodiesel Blends
(Biodiesel Magazine) The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup racing series had just passed the half way point at press time, when race organizers, drivers, and fans alike acclaimed this biodiesel-powered “green racing” series an utter success. Volkswagen of America named Hyperfuels,
August 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Michigan Researchers Look at Rutabagas for Biofuel
by David Runk (AP) Researchers at Michigan State University are working to turn the rutabaga into an oil-producing powerhouse that could make the turnip-like vegetable a better source of biofuel than other food crops. The idea is that the rutabaga,
August 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Nigerian,Oni, Donates Land for Chinese Ethanol Project
by Toba Suleiman (This Day) Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni, has donated 15,000 hectares of land to Chinese investors handling the ethanol project at Oke-Ayedun, Ikole Local Government area of the state, for cassava plantation. His media aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka,
August 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Researchers Boost Production of Biofuel that Could Replace Gasoline
(Newswise) Engineers at Ohio State University have found a way to double the production of the biofuel butanol, which might someday replace gasoline in automobiles. The process improves on the conventional method for brewing butanol in a bacterial fermentation tank. Normally,
August 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Semi-Serious Quiz: How to Rate An Algae Company
by Michael Kanellos (Greentech Media) Five years ago it was easy to divide up companies trying to make fuel out of algae. There were only a handful in the market and all were in and around the "science experiment" phase.
August 21, 2009 Read Full Article
Potential for Sweet Sorghum Ethanol is Very Sweet, Indeed
by Barney DuBois (BioBasedNews.com) ... Sorghum – and particularly sweet sorghum – seems finally prepared to emerge from behind the dense biomass shadows it casts with its giant 15-foot stalks! Sweet sorghum – a resilient grass that can be grown
August 20, 2009 Read Full Article
Automotive Materials Life Cycle Assessment Model Released for Use
WorldAutoSteel has released a 2nd iteration of the automotive materials parametric Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model, which allows for broader evaluations of automotive materials, powertrains, fuels and vehicle total energy consumed. Automakers can now evaluate more comprehensively material selections decisions and
August 20, 2009 Read Full Article
Tanzanian Jatropha Agriculture Gains Momentum with USAID
by Happy Lazaro (Arusha Times) The United States of America has given Tanzania Tsh.6.5 billion (US Dollars 5.4 million) for development of Jatropha farming in rural areas. The American government issued the money through its development agency (USAID) under a
August 20, 2009 Read Full Article
Company Planting Camelina Crops for Biodiesel
by Nathan Phelps (Green Bay Press Gazette) An upstart seed and biodiesel plant is harvesting the first seed crop of camelina — the plant that makes up the basis of the biofuel of the same name — in eastern Wisconsin. JR
August 20, 2009 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Makers Want CO2 Credits in Climate Bill
(Reuters) Makers of biofuels and plastics and chemicals made from crops want U.S. senators to change the climate bill to give them free pollution permits that would be needed to emit greenhouse gases under the legislation. Companies that make the alternative
August 19, 2009 Read Full Article
NASA Looks at Plant Biomass as New Source of Biofuel in Space
by Lisa Sibley(Cleantech Group) NASA research scientist Chad Paavola has a problem to solve: When astronauts leave the earth for long periods of time, they’re going to need to produce plants for food and the air they breathe. Some of the crops
August 19, 2009 Read Full Article
Aurora Biofuels Breakthrough Doubles CO2 Uptake and Fuel Production
Through a series of biotechnology achievements, Aurora has succeeded in optimizing its base algae strains to more than double CO2 consumption and fuel production, and has proven these results in an outdoor open system over the last several months. Using tools
August 19, 2009 Read Full Article
Banned in Boston: Massachusetts Moves to Strike Algae, Miscanthus, Switchgrass, Oil from Microorganisms, from Qualifying Under Clean Energy Biofuels Act
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, the state Department of Energy Resources, in coordination with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, announced that it would ban all biofuels not made using waste feedstocks from qualifying under the
August 19, 2009 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Non-Profit Receives Tax Exemption Status
by Rachel Gantz (Oil Price Information Service) ... As Ivancic explained to OPIS, Advanced Biofuels USA launched in April 2008 with the intention of being a new trade organization representing second and third generation biofuels. However, around that time, biofuel
August 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Greener Dawn Research Releases 90-Page Algae Biofuels Report
A report by Greener Dawn Investment Group's research arm "aims to provide an in-depth and unbiased review of the algae industry’s market potential, current technologies and processes, from the point of view of a financial investor. Considering the fate of
August 17, 2009 Read Full Article
G20 Countries Practice ‘Agricolonialism’ in Developing Countries
by Betsey Piette (Worker's World) Collectively the countries which participate in the Group of Twenty comprise 85 percent of the global gross national product, 80 percent of world trade and two-thirds of the world’s population. What many G-20 countries lack,
August 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Pakistani State Oil Launches Ethanol Blended Fuel in Karachi
(The International News) The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) launched ethanol blended fuel called ‘E10 gasoline’ here on Saturday which would be cheaper by Rs2.40 per litre compared to petrol. ... Federal Minister for Privatisation and Petroleum and Natural Resources Syed
August 17, 2009 Read Full Article
Trillium FiberFuels Awarded $750,000 Grant to Develop Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has just announced the 2009 awardees of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. This award is a Phase II continuation that follows Trillium’s successful completion of Phase I during 2008 and early
August 17, 2009 Read Full Article
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