(New Holland) Following the United States Department of Energy’s announcement to award State University of New York up to $3.5 million to fund a research project that seeks to develop ways to reduce the cost of delivering biomass for refinement,
Belgium
Back TO HOMESeaweed as a Sustainable Feedstock of the Future
(Algae Industry Magazine) Studies conducted by EnAlgae partners in Ireland, France and Belgium point the way to seaweed being a viable and sustainable feedstock for the future in North West Europe (NWE). This is the conclusion of a new paper
July 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Steel’s Big Dog Jumps into Low Carbon Fuels: ArcelorMittal, LanzaTech, Primetals Technologies to Construct $96M Biofuel Production Facility
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) First plant will produce 14 million gallons per year by 2018; first production train online in 2017. More plants to come? Up to 150 mgy potential in Europe, ArcelorMittal says; culmination of work since 2011. In
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Flogas Group Signs Letter of Intent with Sparks-based Alkcon Corporation
(Alcon Corporation) Alkcon Corporation (the "Company"), a developer of natural gas processing equipment, has entered into an exclusivity agreement and a Letter of Intent with Flogas Group ("Flogas") of Leicestershire, England. The agreement grants Flogas the exclusive right to market and sell the
July 10, 2015 Read Full Article
European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 2015: Biomass: Challenges and Promises
by Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE) held in Vienna 1-4 June was a massive event with nearly 1300 participants from 76 countries and some 800 presentations. The event consisted of multiple parallel
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
EnAlgae Research on Algae’s Sustainability
(Algae Industry Magazine) Two research papers recently published by EnAlgae scientists point to real potential advantages in using algae as a feed ingredient and as a wastewater treatment, but only with further improvements in algal technology. ... The first paper is an
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Nebraska Governor Talks Biofuels in Europe
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is on an agricultural trade mission trip to the European Union with stops in Italy, Belgium, and Denmark. The trade mission, being coordinated jointly by the Nebraska Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development, includes
June 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Way to Turn Sawdust into Gasoline
(KU Leuven/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at KU Leuven’s Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis have successfully converted sawdust into building blocks for gasoline. Using a new chemical process, they were able to convert the cellulose in sawdust into hydrocarbon chains. These
December 05, 2014 Read Full Article
EU Encourages Action on Advanced Biofuels
(Biofuels International) Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB), an industry coalition to promote advanced biofuels, met on 4 December at the European Parliament with Members of the European Parliament, Commission representatives, and stakeholders in Brussels. LSB, which is chaired by
December 05, 2014 Read Full Article
EnAlgae Publishes “State of the Industry” Guides for NW Europe
(Algae Industry Magazine) EnAlgae, a research partnership drawing on expertise across seven EU Member States, has announced the publication of six reports on their website looking at the state of the algae industry across countries in North West Europe. Produced by FNR
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Innovations in PLA Technology: Review of OBIC Webinar
by Milsa Vijayadharan* (Advanced Biofuels USA) PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a polyester derived from renewable raw materials such as corn, cassava (tapioca) and other plants. Compared to other bio-based polymers (such as PET, PE) PLA is considered a greener alternative
August 15, 2014 Read Full Article
New Council of International Biotech Associations Formed
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) An international confederation of biotechnology trade associations announced today the ratification of bylaws creating the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA), with the expressed purpose of advocating for public policies that support the growth of the innovative
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Celtic Renewables Raises $2M, Partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Celtic Renewables raises $2M, partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant Celtic Renewables, the Edinburgh-based biofuel company, has signed an agreement with Europe’s foremost biotechnology pilot facility to undergo next stage testing of its process to
June 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Fishing For Profit
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol producers looking for the next big market for distillers grains may want to seriously consider aquaculture feed. “For a variety of reasons, we’re just at beginning phases of seeing the potential for a significant
June 04, 2014 Read Full Article
InteSusAl Project Building One-Hectare Demo Unit
(Algae Industry Magazine) The InteSusAl Consortium of biotechnology experts has started building a one-hectare unit in Southern Portugal that will demonstrate an innovative integrated approach to produce microalgae biomass with biodiesel validation in a sustainable manner. The demonstration pilot unit is one of
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol from Energy Beets: A Viable Option?
by Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Fuel World) US farmers are exploring the use of energy beets to produce ethanol. Requiring less water and containing more sugar than corn, they could be just what the market needs. Corn remains the undisputed ethanol king.
April 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Axens, Total And IFPEN Launch Ethanol-To-Ethylene Technology
(Axens/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Axens, Total and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) have launched Atol, an innovative technology for bioethylene production through dehydration of bioethanol. Atol is a technology for the profitable production of polymer grade bio-ethylene by dehydration of 1G and 2G-renewable
April 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Transgenic Trees Make Easy-Chew Wood for Biofuels
by Richard Van Noorden (Science Magazine) The poplars in the greenhouse near John Ralph’s laboratory show no outward signs of weakness, but they have a secret soft spot. Thanks to genetic engineering, their wood contains an artificial molecule that makes it
April 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Paraguay Exports Fuel Ethanol to Brazil: Sources
by Alessandra Rosete (Platts) Small volumes of fuel ethanol from Paraguay were recently exported to Brazil, sources said Thursday. Brazilian trading houses purchased 5 million liters (1.32 million gallons) to be delivered in trucks to the states of Mato Grosso do
April 01, 2014 Read Full Article
EU’s Struggle for E10
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) For European ethanol producers, E15 is still a distant dream. In the EU, the struggle is to get from E5 to E10. The legislation to offer E10 has been in place since 2009 but its
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Lignin’s Big Leap
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Still seeking commercial-scale opportunities, Lignol continues to collaborate with companies that are eager to buy high-purity lignin in bulk. Is this abundant byproduct of pulp and paper milling and biorefining poised for new and
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Supercomputer Exposes Biofuel Enzyme's Secrets
by Heather Lammers (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World Magazine) Thanks to newer and faster supercomputers, today's computer simulations are opening hidden vistas to researchers in all areas of science. These powerful machines are used for everything from understanding how proteins work
February 27, 2014 Read Full Article
Field Trial with Lignin Modified Poplars Shows Potential for Bio-Based Economy, but Also that Work Still Needs to Be Done
(VIB) The results of a field trial with genetically modified poplar trees in Zwijnaarde, Belgium, shows that the wood of lignin modified poplar trees can be converted into sugars in a more efficient way. These sugars can serve as the
January 02, 2014 Read Full Article
More Efficient Production of Biofuels from Waste with the Help of Modified Yeasts
(Phys.Org) ... Researchers from VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) who are associated with KU Leuven have developed yeast strains that produce bio-ethanol from waste with an unprecedented efficiency. As a result, they are well placed to become important players on a
August 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Want Better Biofuels? Get the Wood Out
(Science Magazine) Addition by subtraction. By removing a specific gene, researchers reduced the amount of lignin (stained red) by 36% in cells in a plant’s stem, making it easier to recover sugar-rich parts of the plant that can be converted to
August 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Innovation Coupons Worth € 10.000 to Assess the Feasibility of an Innovative Bio-Based Idea
(Bio Base NWE) The project Bio Base NWE is funded under the Interreg IVB NWE framework and has the objective to support the development of the bio-based economy in North West Europe (see www.biobasenwe.org for additional info). Within Bio Base
May 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Ministers Block EU Proposal to Limit Some Biofuels
(EurActiv) Several European ministers are blocking the EU’s proposal to curb the use of conventional biofuels, while some dispute claims the demand for crop-based oils drives deforestation and food insecurity in other parts of the world. A majority of EU environment
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Energy Farms: Is the Time Ripe?
by Peter Brown (Biodiesel Magazine/ Euro Marketing Tools) Biodiesel, ethanol and livestock production, wind turbines and photovoltaic installments situated in close proximity make energy—and economic—sense The concept is that if alternate forms of energy can be produced that are nonpolluting, renewable, provide
March 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Global Greenhouse Gas Implications of Land Conversion to Biofuel Crop Cultivation in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands – Lessons Learned from Jatropha
by W.M.J. Achten, A. Trabucco, W.H. Maes, L.V. Verchot, R. Aerts, E. Mathijs, P. Vantomme, V.P. Singh, B. Muys (ScienceDirect.com/Journal of Arid Environments) Biofuels are considered as a climate-friendly energy alternative. However, their environmental sustainability is increasingly debated because of land
January 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Heard it Through the Grapevine: Useful Facts and Scuttlebutt from the Algae Biomass Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jobs, global expansion, proteins vs fuels, new R&D funding – all the big issues are under debate both on and off the floor at the Algae Biomass Summit. ...Jobs Dr. John Benemann projected on stage that,
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Jatropha Trials Planned to Help Boost Rural Panamanian Economy
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Panama Green Fuels, an entity working to establish biodiesel infrastructure within Panama, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the director of the country’s National School of Agriculture (IDIAP) to use the school’s land to
May 02, 2012 Read Full Article
European Partnership to Unlock the Potential of Algal Bioenergy
by Dr Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) A major new €14 million (£12.3 million) initiative - bringing together experts from across North West Europe to develop the potential of algae as a source of sustainable energy - has been
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Addax Bioenergy Signs Loan Agreement for €258 Million Renewable Energy Project in Sierra Leone
(Business Wire) Addax Bioenergy S.A. (“Addax Bioenergy”), a subsidiary of the Swiss-based energy group, The Addax and Oryx Group Limited (AOG), announced today the signing of a loan agreement with seven European and African development institutions for an integrated renewable
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Scientists to Grow Experimental Biofuel Grass at Chernobyl
(Monsters and Critics) Scientists are to plant and harvest grass inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in an experiment to determine if biofuel can be safely produced in the region, an alternative-energy company said Monday. PhotoFuels, a Belgian-Ukrainian joint venture, has obtained approval
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Thailand to Shift Focus on Jatropha for Biofuel
(Financial Express) Shifting focus to its biodiesel programme, Thailand is planning to open large scale jatropha seed based plants to produce the much needed commodity. Analysts said long-neglected jatropha ready for a starring role and a rival to palm oil as
November 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Bio Base Europe’s GM Poplars Are Popular for Ethanol
(Biofuels International) According to Bio Base Europe the first crop of genetically modified poplar plants will be converted into ethanol in a Flemish-Dutch pilot installation. The poplars were planted in May 2009 in an outside field in Ghent, Belgium. The crop