by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This year at ABLC Next, Bill Orts, a Research Leader for Bioproducts at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, gave us an overview of partnership opportunities at USDA and through ARS. One of the vehicles is known as a
anaerobic digester/digestion
Back TO HOMEPanning for Green Gold: Developing the Algal Bioeconomy--VIDEO
(Enalgae) EnAlgae has been about finding sustainable pathways for algal biomass. Initially the focus was all about energy, specifically as a biofuel. But our journey over the past four years shows that there's likely to be a different future ahead
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Rule Recognizes Biogas's Leading Role in the Advanced Biofuel Industry
(American Biogas Council) Rule falls short of recognizing biogas industry's full potential. -- The EPA released its long anticipated final rule for the renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the years 2014-2016. The action recognizes the
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
CEFC Commits $100 Million to New Australian Bioenergy Fund to Unlock the Potential of Bioenergy
(The Clean Energy Finance Corporation) The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is aiming to accelerate investment in Australia’s bioenergy sector through a $100 million cornerstone commitment to the new Australian Bioenergy Fund. The Australian Bioenergy Fund will support investment in a broad
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. Climate Smart Farm Leaders Call on COP21 To Address Role of Ag in Battling Climate Change
(Oklahoma Farm Report) Leaders of the North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (NACSAA) told policy makers and others attending climate talks here this week that agriculture can provide impactful and measurable contributions to global efforts to reverse climate change. Speaking at
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Biogas Integration for Cellulosic Ethanol Production
by Amanda Bilek (Biomass Magazine) As cellulosic ethanol production facilities have come online, anaerobic digesters have been colocated at the plants to recover biogas from soluble residues inherent in the ethanol production process. These soluble residues contain a source of energy
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Roeslein Halfway Done with First Phase of Massive AD Project
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Construction of phase one of Roeslein Alternative Energy’s $80 million anaerobic digestion project is about halfway complete and on schedule to be operational by the middle of next year, the company reported. Work at the site,
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
A Time to Take Stock: Advanced Biofuels as a Solution
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) A time for taking stock and giving thanks; for appreciating the value of creating a truly sustainable renewable energy future. A recent press release, Vapor Capture System Fabricated by Greenbelt Resources Exceeds Performance Expectations, caught my
November 25, 2015 Read Full Article
SD, VA Projects Receive USDA Value-Added Grant Funding
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Five bioenergy projects in two states were among the 258 businesses nationwide receiving a total of nearly $34 million from the USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant program. The grants were announced last week
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
ICM Aims for Strong Legacy
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For two decades, ICM has adapted with the changing times, bringing technology solutions to the ethanol industry. -- In 1995, ICM Inc. got its start with the purchase of the engineering, manufacturing and marketing
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Wastewater Treatment Facilities Turning to Anaerobic Digestion for Energy Uses
by Richard Lowrie (KROHNE/Biofuels Digest) Many US wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are beginning to use anaerobic digesters to produce biogas that can be used in their combined heat and power plants to generate electricity and heat. In addition, the plants
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Horse Is Your Own Micro-Power Generator that Turns Waste into Biofuel and Fertilizer - Video
(AutoEvolution) A report by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) has found that about one-third of all food produced worldwide gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems. We’re talking about throwing away $1
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Spanish Company Launches Energy Island Project Using 100% Renewables
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Spain, PlanetEnergy has launched its energy island project, producing 100% of household energy requirements from organic waste, wastewater, and manure waste with solar, wind, batteries and biodiesel backup. The company says the project is
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Twofold Renewable in Tulare County
by Keith Loria (Biomass Magazine) California’s Calgren Renewable Fuels uses renewable energy generated onsite to power its renewable fuel production process. When the Calgren Ethanol Biodigester officially opened in Tulare County, California, early this year, it represented a major commitment by the
September 23, 2015 Read Full Article
CC&R-Greenlane Truck Biomethane
(Fleets & Fuels) Greenlane Is Supporting a New Digester in Southern California With an Initial Production Target of One Million DGEs Per Year: State’s First for ‘Pipeline-Quality RNG from Organics Recycling’ -- CR&R Waste & Recycling expects by this coming fourth quarter to
September 23, 2015 Read Full Article
California’s Legislature Drops Petroleum Reduction to Pass SB 350; Approves Escalating State Procurement of Very Low Carbon Fuels; and Leaves Nearly $1B of Cap and Trade Revenue on the Table
by Graham Noyes (Biofuels Digest/Low Carbon Fuels Coalition) The first year of California’s legislative session ended dramatically with a mix of successes and setbacks for the low carbon fuel industry. California leads the nation on policies to combat climate change
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Regenis Application Wins Dairy Digester Grant in CA
(Merlo Farming Group) California Department of Food and Agriculture announced the AgPower Visalia, LLC project in Tulare Co. has been awarded a three million dollar dairy digester research and development grant yesterday. The project, developed by Camco Clean Energy, will be
September 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Methanol’s Moment: With Low Prices, and Proven Process, Is Meth Your New Best Friend?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Methanol is gaining momentum as a low-carbon fuels target, as Enerkem starts producing in Edmonton. Why methanol, why now? Here, we look at the technology and market rationale for this rising trend. As we reported earlier
September 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Synthesizing Substrates: Biogas Facilities Taking in a Wide Variety of Mixed Organic Waste Have a Few Extra Steps Involved in Feedstock Prep.
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) At Bio-En Power’s Elmira, Ontario, biogas plant, it isn’t unusual for odd items including trailer hitches, steel bars, and garbage cans to show up in the waste streams the facility takes in, but they usually
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Food Waste And Beef Fat Will Be Making Airplanes Soar
by Abbie Fentress Swanson (National Public Radio) ... A growing number of biofuel producers are teaming up with farms, meatpackers and waste management companies to tap gassy waste to meet new demand for renewable jet fuel and diesel for vehicles. Lots of
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Group Protests Methane Plant in West End
by Deborah Yetter (Courier-Journal) A spirited group of protesters marched more than 20 blocks along West Broadway Sunday afternoon to show their opposition to a proposed plant in the area that would produce methane by composting spent grain used to produce
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
MassCEC Awards $1.1 Million to Biogas Projects
(Massachusetts Clean Energy Center/Biomass Magazine) Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton recently announced $1.1 million in funding for three projects across Massachusetts that will convert organic materials into energy. ... Each award will support the development of anaerobic digestion facilities
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Wisconsin Program Offers Funding for Small-Scale Farm AD Systems
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Wisconsin-based Focus on Energy, a statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, recently announced it is soliciting proposals for a program focused on small, farm-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) systems. According to Focus on Energy, Wisconsin
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Reproducible Research for Biofuels and Biogas
(EurekAlert!/GigaScience) Biofuels and biogas bioinformatics: Virtual containers unload a wealth of resources to tackle climate change -- New research in the Open Access journal GigaScience presents a virtual package of data for biogas production, made reusable in a containerized form
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Biogas! The Big Cellulosic Fuel Breakthrough?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Already, biogas as a renewable fuel is accounting for 90% of all cellulosic RIN production under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Food and paper manufacturers, ethanol & biodiesel plants, cities, landfill operators, and animal feeding operations
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers from Israel and Florida Awarded Funding for Biogas
(American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev/Biomass Magazine) Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and University of Florida researchers have been awarded a United States-Israel Bi-national Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) grant to improve the production of biogas
July 17, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Michael R. Schuppenhauer, Ph.D. President & CEO, Farmatic
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Farmatic is since 50 years an internationally successful biogas and waste water EPC and technology provider to customers from agriculture, industry and municipalities. With over 300 completed anaerobic digesters globally, Farmatic plants are technology leaders
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Cactus as Biofuel Could Help with Food-Versus-Fuel Fight
by Jack Busby (ChemistryWorld/Scientific American) Plants on arid land, rather than food crops like corn, could be turned into gasoline, new research shows New analysis from UK researchers suggests a previously overlooked group of plants could be key to providing sustainable bioenergy
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Udder Confusion: Dairy Digester Development in California
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) The Golden State has borderline personality disorder regarding promotion and discouragement of dairy biogas projects. -- California is by far the No. 1 dairy state in the U.S. with roughly 1.8 million head, concentrated mostly
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Metro Councilwoman: We Won't Let Biofuel Plant Build in West Louisville
by Caitlin Bowling (Louisville Business First) An informational meeting Thursday evening between a couple dozen community members and a representative from Nature's Methane LLC became heated yesterday as the residents repeatedly stated that they don't want the Indiana company to build a
June 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy and Biofuels Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass via Anaerobic Digestion and Fisher-Tropsch Reaction
(US Department of Agriculture/Ohio State University) The long term goal of this project is to commercialize an integrated anaerobic digestion system (iADs) that promises cost competitive bioenergy and biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass. The specific objectives of this proposal are
June 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Ox Energy Breaks Ground in South Sioux City
by Bret Hayworth (Sioux City Journal) ... Big Ox Energy, a Denmark, Wis.-based firm, has begun construction on a $30 million plant that will take organic waste from industrial plants and turn it into methane. ... Big Ox's technology includes an anaerobic
April 29, 2015 Read Full Article
AgEnergy USA, Perdue Farms Partner on Clean Bay Biogas Project
by Megan Greenwalt (Waste 360) ... Anaerobic digester developer AgEnergy USA and Perdue Farms, a major chicken processing company based in Salisbury, Md., recently signed a letter of intent for a project that will use poultry waste to develop biogas while reducing
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Bill Aims to Alter RVO Process, Definition for Cellulosic Biofuel
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sen. Jeff Flake, R, Ariz., has introduced legislation that aims to amend the renewable fuel standard (RFS) to require the cellulosic requirement to be based on actual production and alter the statutory definition of
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
From Food Waste to Fuel, CEAS Does Energy Sustainability Better
By: Ashley Duvelius (University of Cincinnati) CEAS researchers take aim at reducing the United States' annual 40 percent of food waste and are now able to convert waste into solid fuels, biodiesel and other products. The Food and Agriculture Organization of
April 17, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Chris Brown, CEO, Environmental Proteomics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We are biochemists/entrepreneurs making products for basic and applied research into methane production. ... We want to put our technology in the hands of anyone who takes a rigorous approach to optimizing biogenic methane
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
New Plan Seeks to Turn Chicken Manure to Energy
by Timothy B. Wheeler (Baltimore Sun) A New Hampshire-based company has teamed with poultry giant Perdue to propose a $200 million plant on the Eastern Shore to extract energy from chicken manure, offering its plan as a viable remedy for
March 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Good Policy Should Float All Bio-Boats
by Amanda Bilek (Biomass Magazine/Great Plains Institute) Exciting biobased industry developments are occurring across the U.S. Although there are challenges, there are also opportunities at the state and local level. Minnesota is one state with many of the essential ingredients
March 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Waste-Biogas Is at Least Ten Times More Effective than Crop-Biogas at Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Bangor University) In a paper just released in the leading bioenergy journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, researchers from Bangor University and the Thünen Institute in Germany conclude that crop-biogas and liquid biofuels are at best inefficient options for greenhouse gas
March 06, 2015 Read Full Article
The Cellulosic-RIN Revolution
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) Expanded cellulosic fuel pathways have led to a surge of biogas-based fuel credits, and producers are taking advantage of a significant boost to project economics. Traditionally, the biogas project end market has been the sale of
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Maverick Announces Its Oasis BG Gas-to-Liquid Methanol Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here we highlight an interesting solution to the problem of organic waste. In North Carolina, Maverick Synfuels announced the availability of the Maverick Oasis BG Gas-to-Liquid methanol plant product line. These plants convert biogas from sources such
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Tulare County Collaboration Changing Cow Waste Into Clean Energy For Calgren
(Regenis) Sustainable energy production entered a new era in California today as a consortium of American companies joined together with state energy officials to launch the Calgren Ethanol Biodigester, which utilizes waste from dairy farms to power the production of
February 10, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Douglas Furtek, Director, Operational Innovation, R&D, Teck Guan Group
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Teck Guan Group is a progressive multinational (Malaysia, China, Indonesia) oil palm plantation, palm oil mill, and oleochemical company. We are now converting our massive amounts of agricultural residues into biogas and liquid biofuels. The
February 09, 2015 Read Full Article
CPI Work to Transform Food Waste into Graphene and Renewable Hydrogen
(Centre for Process Innovation) The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is leading a European collaborative project that aims to transform food waste into a sustainable source of significant economic added value, namely graphene and renewable hydrogen. The project titled ‘PlasCarb’ will
January 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Brazil: Scania Biomethane Powered Bus Hits Roads of PTI Area in Paraná
(NGV Journal) Inhabitants of the Itaipu Technological Park (PTI) now have a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transport. Recently, the bus fleet that offers internal transport services introduced a vehicle driven by the fuel obtained from the purification of biogas
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Gaz Métro & ANGI for Quebec BioNGVs
by Rich Piellisch (Fleets & Fuels) Compost Collection Supports Saint-Hyacinth Fleet Vehicles Canada’s Gaz Métro utility and the compressed natural gas infrastructure provider ANGI Energi have played key roles in the commitment by the Quebec town of Saint-Hyacinthe to run fleet
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Process Converts Human Waste into Rocket Fuel
Brad Buck (University of Florida) Buck Rogers surely couldn’t have seen this one coming, but at NASA’s request, University of Florida researchers have figured out how to turn human waste -- yes, that kind -- into rocket fuel. Adolescent jokes aside, the
December 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Elsevier Science Publishes "Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels" by Anju Dahiya (Editor)
(Elsevier) Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels examines all current and emerging feedstocks and the advanced processes and technologies enabling the development of their end products, ranging from solid (wood energy, grass energy, and other biomass) to liquid (biodiesel from oil seed
December 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Good Neighbors (Anaerobic Digesters)
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) Lately, cellulosic ethanol plant startups have basked in the bioenergy limelight. While less celebrated, anaerobic digesters are adding value to operations and seem to be trending in blueprints. When ethanol plants can provide excess sugar to
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
UK's First Ever Bus to Run on Human and Food Waste Launched
(Geneco) The UK's first ever bus powered on food waste and human poo has taken to the road today which engineers believe could provide a sustainable way of fuelling public transport - cutting emissions in polluted towns and cities. The 40-seater
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Beet Ethanol Demonstration Project to Begin Next Month
by Ben Keller (The Business Journal) A new source of transportation fuel may soon flow from the Central Valley if a pilot-scale biorefinery wrapping up later this year in Fresno County proves successful in converting thousands of tons of beets
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Seaweed Shortage Sets Back Dunbar Biofuel Plans
(East Lothian Courier) A Study involving seaweed washed up at Dunbar has been delayed – due to a lack of seaweed! Earlier this year, it was announced a project could be created to use the seaweed from the town’s East
October 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Rules Give Boost to Biogas
by Amanda Bilek (Biomass Magazine) There is little doubt that allowing biogas-based transportation fuel projects to sell either advanced biofuel or cellulosic compliance credits will give a big boost to U.S. projects. In early July, the U.S. EPA published a final
August 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Meet Me at the World’s Flare; Methane Gas Flaring, and the Role of Biobased Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The flares — Dakota fireflies — dot the landscape like pin-lights. They burn natural gas escaping from the unconnected Bakken oil field wells, which are coaxing energy out of 9,000 working sites in the area.
November 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute—Includes Renewable Energy/Bioenergy Specialization Associate of Science Degree
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Although biofuels certainly provide bioenergy, they remain a bit outside the usual use of the term, bioenergy. That said, the bioenergy degree at Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute can provide the foundation for
October 09, 2013 Read Full Article
The Hydrogen Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A numbers of readers responding to “Biofuels from a raging fireball” (Friday’s Top Story, on research work with the raging fireball, Pyrococchus furiosus, to make biofuels and renewable chemicals from hydrogen gas and CO2) raised
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol Plant Poised to Start up Anaerobic Digester Soon
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) If all goes as planned, a 50 MMgy ethanol plant in Oakley, Kan., will someday produce advanced biofuel from sorghum. To qualify as advanced biofuel, the company will power the plant with methane from
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Biogas from Human Waste
(Consortium on RuralTechnology) Biogas plants have been accepted by now in the country~as a device for improving the quality of the life of the people. They help in recycling of the cattie wastes and produce both fuel and manure from