(Globe Newswire/Gevo) United States Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado toured and met with Gevo, Inc. (Nasdaq:GEVO) today to discuss the importance of renewable fuels and chemicals for Colorado and the U.S. economy. Senator Bennet met with Gevo executives including chief executive
BioChemicals/Renewable Chemicals
Back TO HOMETurning Grass into Gas
by Bruce Barcott (OnEarth.org) Imagine a future in which airliners run on cornstalks and Navy ships ply the oceans on tanks of switchgrass. That day may at last be inching closer. The promise of cellulosic biofuels sounds like a fable out
August 26, 2013 Read Full Article
TMO Renewables to Produce PLA
by Doris de Guzman (Green Chemicals Blog) An official from UK-based cellulosic ethanol developer/producer TMO Renewables announced today it is expanding its portfolio to include polylactic acid (PLA) that will be produced at their Dunsfold Airfield site near Guildford, Surrey,
August 23, 2013 Read Full Article
4C-Able Future: Biobased Butanol, Butadiene and BDO Are Having a Hot Year
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s been quite a year on the four-carbon platform — also known as C4, 4C, buta-something, Fantastic Four, or what have you. Though two-carbon fuels such as ethanol have long dominated the biofuels market — and
August 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Biomass 2013: How The Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy
by Nicholas De Filippis (Advanced Biofuels USA) On July 31 experts on bio-based products from around the world converged on the Washington Convention Center to attend the two day Biomass 2013 Conference hosted by the U. S. Department of Energy
August 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest’s 5-Minute Guide to Loan Guarantees: Who Got ‘Em, What’re They Doing?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest – visit our 5-Minute Guide to Loan Guarantees — INEOS Bio, Myriant, Sapphire Energy, Abengoa, Chemtex, Enerkem, Fiberight, Fulcrum, ZeaChem – Plus POET-DSM, Diamond Green Diesel, Coskata and Range Fuels Projects open for business INEOS Bio ... Myriant ... Sapphire
July 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Rochester Institute of Technology Students Learn About Sweetwater’s Plant-Sugar Mixture for Production of Biofuels
(AZOCleanTech) A collaboration between Rochester Institute of Technology’s Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences and Sweetwater Energy Inc. will give students experience with the Rochester-based company that has a sweet and sustainable niche. Sweetwater Energy provides its industry partners with
July 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Inventure International (Pte) Limited Closes $7.2 Million Financing Round
(Inventure/PR NewsWire) Inventure International (Pte) Limited, holding company of renewable process technology leader Inventure Renewables Inc., recently closed a $7.2 million round of financing that the company will use to establish a plant for the conversion of biomass into mixed industrial sugars,
July 22, 2013 Read Full Article
12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects – Where Do They Stand?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – mirage or reality? In January we wrote: “When these 12 projects open for business (or not) in 2013, you’ll know for sure.” So, what do we know? ... We identified 12 “Bellwether projects” in
July 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Elevance and Wilmar Begin Commercial Shipments of Biobased Chemicals from Newly Commissioned Refinery
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Singapore, Wilmar International and Elevance Renewable Sciences have just announced that they have begun shipping commercial products, including novel specialty chemicals, to customers from their first world-scale joint venture biorefinery, located in Gresik, Indonesia.
July 18, 2013 Read Full Article
United Is a Key Partner in Biofuel Advances
(United Hub) As a major airline, we have made a commitment to take actions today that shape an environmentally sustainable future. A key component of that promise is to advance the use of environmentally responsible and cost-efficient alternative aviation fuels.
July 17, 2013 Read Full Article
Momentum: 12 Biobased Ventures Raise $435M in Q2 2013; 32 Projects Being Built off the Balance Sheet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite negative press from Bloomberg, biobased investing is surging, both direct and via strategics. The Digest has the data and the scoop. After we profiled, last April, 17 biobased ventures who raised $434 million in new
July 10, 2013 Read Full Article
INTRATEC Evaluates the Economic Potential of Renewable Ethylene Production
(Brazil Business Today/EIN NewsWire) Intratec has released the publication “Green Ethylene from Ethanol” detailing the economics of an ethylene via ethanol dehydration process suggested by BP Chemicals R&D staff Seeking to reduce the chemical industry’s dependence on fossil raw materials, several companies
July 09, 2013 Read Full Article
NSF Grant Boosts Promising Biofuels Research
(JustMeans.com/Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology) Promising biofuels research at a Wisconsin biotech company and a partner university is getting a boost from a $224,967 National Science Foundation grant. C5.6 Technologies of Middleton, Wis., and the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST)
July 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Technology— Pulp and Paper Style
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Process applies forestry products know-how to cellulosic conversion. Though a relative newcomer to the ethanol world, Georgia-based American Process Inc. is no stranger in the forest products industry. The company has demonstrated its consulting
July 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Green Biologics Inks Iowa Demo Plant Deal with Easy Energy Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Green Biologics heads for scale – pilot complete, demo ready in 2014. The race for n-butanol from cellulosic materials is on. The prize for a transformative breakthrough on n-butanol’s cost, performance and sustainability? Could
July 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol: Scale-Up and Commercialization - Part 2
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) In the final breakout session of the BIO World Congress on June 19, there was a second panel on scale-up and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. As with the session on the conference’s first day,
June 21, 2013 Read Full Article
BIO World Congress Cellulosic Ethanol Panel: The Latest on Commercialization Progress
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) One of the morning sessions at the Tenth Annual BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology put four of the companies in the forefront of commercial development of cellulosic ethanol on the same panel. Although
June 18, 2013 Read Full Article
The Renewable Chemical Industry Must Speak with One Voice
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) ...Renewable chemicals offer cost-competitiveness with petrochemicals or new properties and features that add value to innovative consumer products. In that way, they’ve captured some market share and created demand. But many renewable chemical
May 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Doing it in the Dark: Fuel from Thin Air, and beyond Light
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beyond biomass, beyond fossil fuels, beyond light itself. And now, the direct production of drop-in biofuel blendstocks. All available from a microbial “cow”. This week in California, a research team from Shota Atsumi’s lab at the
May 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Sugar for Food, Fuel and Power: The ISO Datagro Sugar & Ethanol Conference in New York City
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) What used to be known as “The New York Sugar Conference” has become “The ISO and Datagro Sugar & Ethanol Conference” with a record-setting number of attendees (350 from 25 countries) demonstrating the growing
May 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Setting the Record Straight: Gevo and Butamax
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels’s Montagues and Capulets were at it again last week — with a flurry of press releases about court decisions and commercial timelines regarding their respective isbutanol technologies. At the heart of it — a dispute
May 13, 2013 Read Full Article
The Greening of BASF: #1 Chemco Commits to Biobased BDO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World’s #1 chemical company to produce renewable Butanediol using Genomatica’s process. The Digest has a one-on-one with Genomatica CEO Christophe Schilling to explore the deal in-depth. In Germany, BASF announced that it plans to begin production
May 13, 2013 Read Full Article
BioAmber Completes IPO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Raises $80M at $10 per share; becomes first new industrial biotech company to complete IPO in more than a year. What went right and how? Is the IPO window re-opening? ... First and foremost, there’s the modesty
May 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Two Thumbs Up for Solazyme: AkzoNobel Deal, New Technology for Structured Oils
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The sector’s perennial hottest company strikes again — with “potentially disruptive” new technology to change the positioning and performance of triglyceride oils. In California, Solazyme and AkzoNobel announced an agreement targeting the development of advanced tailored
May 09, 2013 Read Full Article
ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative
(Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper) The Government of Canada is committed to investing in innovative clean energy technologies that create high-quality jobs, generate new economic opportunities and protect the environment. To this end, on May 3, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen
May 08, 2013 Read Full Article
SEKAB Welcomes SP’s Engagement in the Biorefinery Demo Plant
(SEKAB) SEKAB E-Technology welcomes SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden’s (SP) engagement in the Biorefinery Demo Plant in Örnsköldsvik, previously known as the Ethanol Pilot. SP and SEKAB have signed an agreement, which ensures continued operations of the demonstration plant.
May 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Official Inauguration of Borregaard’s Biorefinery Demonstration Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, Norwegian Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen officially inaugurated the Borregaard biorefinery demonstration plant in Sarpsborg, which will produce green chemicals and sugars based on biomass from wood and agricultural and forestry waste. ... The aim is
May 07, 2013 Read Full Article
API Lands Brazil Investment to Commercialize Cellulosic Process
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With a fresh investment from Brazil’s GranBio, American Process Inc. is poised to develop its first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefineries in both the U.S. and Brazil. API CEO Theodora Retsina, said the companies hope
May 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Clariant Looks to Biofuel Amid Disposals of Older Assets
by Andrew Noel (Bloomberg) Clariant AG (CLN) said it’s prepared to take on a partner and help fund a second-generation bioethanol plant to prove the effectiveness of its biotechnology and compete against Royal DSM NV (DSM) and Novozymes A/S. (NZYMB) Clariant,
May 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Toray Succeeds in Production of Bio-Based PBT
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Toray demonstrates products made from renewable PBT — another landmark step in “replacing the whole barrel of oil”. In California, Toray Industries announced that it has successfully made a partially bio-based PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) using 1,4-butanediol
April 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Tap, Enhance, Process Stream to Create Value-added Products
by Dil Vashi (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Solutions 4 CO2) Stillage, CO2 become valuable inputs in synergistic design Many ethanol producers look for additional revenue streams beyond the core ethanol and distillers grains to extract corn oil and capture CO2. Opportunities exist
April 24, 2013 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PAPERS: 4th Biobased Chemicals: Commercialization & Partnering Conference September 16-17, 2013 San Francisco, CA DEADLINE August 16
This two day conference brings together top representatives who are engaged in establishing a major transformation in the global chemical and energy industries - from petroleum to bio-based. The conference will look to examine new supply chain developments and business models
April 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Cobalt, Mercurius, BioProcess Algae, Frontline Land $17.7M in Military Biofuels Grants
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pilot-scale biorefineries for drop-in military diesel, jet fuel the focus of the DOE’s latest grant round. In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $17.7 million in grants to four pilot-scale biorefinery projects aimed
April 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Cobalt Signs Strategic Partner and Investor to Commercialize Bio-Based Butadiene Solution
(Cobalt/PRNewswire) Strategic Partnership Opens Pathway to $40 Billion Butadiene Market Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation bio-based chemicals, today announced a strategic relationship with two prominent Asian chemical companies for the development of a complete biomass-to-butadiene solution, to be
April 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Sugar Shock: Sweetwater, Naturally Scientific Ink $250M Pact for Biobased Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The end-goal? High-value oils. Low-cost sugars become shock troops in the war for sustainability. In New York, we’ve learned that Sweetwater Energy will announce a project today to provide Naturally Scientific with customized industrial sugars over
April 19, 2013 Read Full Article
BioGasol Delivers First CarboFrac Units to Sweetwater Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Sweetwater Energy announed that BioGasol completed delivery of its first commercial biomass pretreatment system. The cellulosic sugar producer will use the unit, a Carbofrac 10, in its demonstration facility to produce pretreated biomass for use in
April 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Oxygen for High Altitudes: 17 Biofuels Ventures Raise $434M in Equity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite the sluggish economic recovery and questions over policy stability — biofuels ventures have been busy raising lots of capital. In the past 6 months, $434 million. Who got what, where, when and why? ...supplemental oxygen,
April 08, 2013 Read Full Article
SG Biofuels Sees Deal in Southeast Asia or Africa in Six Months
by Louise Downing (Bloomberg) SG Biofuels Inc., the green fuel biotech company working with Airbus SAS, is seeking a partner in Southeast Asia or Africa and expects to complete a cooperation deal within 180 days to expand its business into new markets. ...The company
April 05, 2013 Read Full Article
IEA Says Cellulosic Biofuels Capacity Has Tripled since 2010: New Task 39 Global Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The International Energy Agency, through its Task 39 group, has published its 207-page report on the “Status of Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Facilities in 2012″. The report, in its pages, contains detailed project summaries as well as
April 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Growing Forward 2 is Good News for Canadian Biofuels
(Canadian Renewable Fuels Association) Homegrown renewable fuels drive economic growth in rural Canada and are a key part of our Bio-Economy future The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) applauds the official launch of the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) policy framework announced
April 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Turning Cow Manure Into Brown Gold
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) In the heart of Wisconsin, a project is underway to produce energy from a resource that is in little danger of running low: cow manure, or “brown gold.” Thanks to a $7 million grant from the United
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Auburn Researcher Receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award to Study Biofuels
by Jessica Nelson (Auburn University) Maobing Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has received a $401,155 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for his research in biofuels and bioenergy. The CAREER program offers
March 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Next-Gen Biofuels Making Slow, Slow, Slow Progress in 2013
by Katie Feherenbacher (Gigaom) Companies that are still looking to produce biofuels from plant waste (and not corn) are making slow, but steady progress on milestones in 2013. On Monday, KiOR, which was largely funded by Khosla Ventures before it went
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
ETH Bioenergy, Inbicon Partner on Cellulosic Ethanol in Brazil
(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by DONG Energy has technology that
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Pixley Plant to Recover Ethanol Emissions
(The Business Journal) A new facility opening in Pixley this year will use emissions from a nearby ethanol plant to make liquified carbon dioxide. The plant will be the sixth carbon dioxide liquefaction plant in California built by Air Liquide Industrial
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Camelina on the Move: Global Clean Energy Holdings Acquires Sustainable Oils
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Global Clean Energy Holdings announced that it has acquired Sustainable Oils, a leader in Camelina genetics and production. The acquisition includes 100% ownership interest of Sustainable Oils and the ownership of the key intellectual
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Domtar Inaugurates Commercial Lignin Production
(Domtar) Plymouth Mill to produce bio-material with wide range of industrial applications as petro-chemical alternative - the first of its kind in over quarter century Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today announced that it has successfully installed a commercial-scale lignin separation
March 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Davy Process Technology Ltd and SEKAB E-Technology Form Strategic Partnership
(SEKAB/Davy Process Technology) Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, andSEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are embarking on a collaboration to
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Direvo Reaches Milestone in Consolidated Bioprocessing of Lignocellulose to Lactic Acid
(Direvo) Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH (Direvo) today announced that it reached an important milestone in developing a consolidated bioprocess for lactic acid production from lignocellulose. Up until now, there has not been any known consolidated bioprocess for producing lactic acid from
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
ZeaChem Begins Production of Cellulosic Chemicals and Ethanol, Advances Toward Commercialization
(PR NewsWire/ZeaChem) Facility will prove biorefining process for commercial-scale production ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has produced commercial-grade cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) biorefinery in Boardman, Ore. Among the first operational cellulosic
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Anellotech and the Advent of the Green ‘Enes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fast pyrolysis developer plans to rapidly expand green benzene and toluene production in 2013 for downstream product development purposes. Opens new pilot plant, R&D facility in New York; green BTX platform ready to emerge. ...In
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Amyris Embraces Bonsucro Sustainability Standard for Sugarcane
(Sustainable Plant) Renewable chemicals company Amyris, Inc. has joined the Bonsucro sugarcane sustainability standard. Amyris is the first advanced biofuels and chemicals company of its kind to join Bonsucro, paving the way for certification of Amyris's renewable products. Bonsucro is a
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Algenol Hits 9K Gallons/Acre Mark for Algae-to-Ethanol Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae pioneer now at 50% above original productivity target — aims to complete demo in 2013, head for commercial-scale in 2014. In Florida, Algenol confirmed that the company had exceeded production rates 9,000 gallons of ethanol
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Answers to Your Questions about Parity-Priced, Algae-Based Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wondering when affordable algae-based transportation fuels might arrive at your local retail outlet? Might be sooner than you think. Here’s the lowdown. ...Further, we have to take into account that, unless Solazyme is interested in
March 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Hot Sauce! 5 Lessons Louisiana Can Teach Us about Advanced Bayoufuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Louisiana — hot as cayenne pepper in biofuels capacity development, but some cautionary tales there in the sauce. When it comes to the first generation of ethanol and biodiesel-based biofuels, Louisiana didn’t figure much into the
March 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Project in Tri-Cities Using Ag Waste to Create Biofuel Becoming Commercially Reliable
by Kristi Pihl (Tri-City Herald) A pilot project to produce biofuel using agricultural and organic municipal waste has reached levels that makes the process commercially viable, researchers say. The project, paid for by the Department of Energy, is within six months of
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Unleashing the Power of the Bio-Economy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Recommendations from the Milken Institute — and a group of industry heavyweights — to accelerate the bioeconomy revolution. In California this week, the Milken Institute released a good read on the future of the bioeconomy, based
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Beta Renewables Sees 2015 as Boom Year for Cellulosic Biofuels
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) * U.S. cellulosic biofuel goals not reached * Beta sees industry stepping up output by 2015 * New players could emerge from eastern Europe Biofuels made from wood waste and sugarcane have languished well below expectations for years but
March 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Australia at the Crossroads – Import or Export Aviation Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As journalists, at the Digest our job is to ask the 7 Questions. Who, What, Where, When, How Much, How and Why. In aviation biofuels the task is made easier because we can say with
February 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Great Big Things from Tiny Lil’ Algae: 10 Algae Trends for 2013
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 22 projects around the world show the multi-faceted promise of algae. Concrete, polyurethane, bioplastics, cosmetics and, oh, fuels — so many big things to make from algae, it’s become a big deal. ...While fuels remain the
February 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Canadian Government Invests in Biofuel Initiatives
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Canadian government has announced investments in two projects that will benefit the biofuel and biorefining industries. On Feb. 13, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced a $600,000 investment that will help the Alberta Sugar
February 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Harper Government Helps Find Sweet New Uses for Sugar Beets
(MarketWire/Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Sugar beet growers are finding new and innovative uses for their crops thanks to support from the Harper Government. Member of Parliament LaVar Payne (Medicine Hat), on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced today an
February 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Lignol Makes Progress in Cellulosic Ethanol, Lignin Development
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Lignol Innovations Ltd. has landed a commercial supply agreement with a European producer of sustainable thermoplastics. The subsidiary of Lignol Energy Corp. has delivered samples of its trademarked HP-LTM lignin for evaluation and
February 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Verdezyne: It’s Nylonic, Baby
by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) ... When last we checked in with Verdezyne at length, the company had a transformative cellulosic biofuels fermentation technology and a real foothold en route to bioadipic acid as well – a key component of
February 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Genomatica and The Art of Big Wave Surfing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In synthetic biology these days, there are the Big Wave surfers too — companies like Amyris, Solazyme, Gevo, Genomatica, Verdezyne, Rivertop Renewables, Myriant, Segetis, BioAmber, Cobalt, Green Biologics, Butamax, LanzaTech, INEOS Bio, LS9, Elevance, and
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Biomass for Biofuels, Biochemicals Will More than Triple to 3.7 Billion Tons in 2030
(Lux Research) Growing demand will place stress on feedstocks, requiring new innovations if more bio-based products are to replace petroleum-based ones, says Lux Research Driven by aggressive biofuel mandates, rapid growth will cause great strain on biomass by 2030, according to Lux Research. Using today’s
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Engineer Gets NSF CAREER Grant to Study Biofuel Process
(University of Massachusetts-Amherst NewsWise) Paul J. Dauenhauer, a chemical engineer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a five-year, $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s CAREER program to conduct basic research on the chemical reactions that create biofuel
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
LS9: Hail and Farewell
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of biofuels’ most-celebrated technologies falters; the struggle to raise capital claims a high-profile victim. ...The company had been known for its awesomely promising technology, leisurely pace towards commercialization compared to synth-bio companies like Amyris, brutal
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
The Oilcane Boom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Though building capacity globally, Solazyme’s operations in Brazil are getting traction fast – and raised $235M last week. How much oil could be produced in Brazil via sugar-munching microalgae? Today, the Digest looks at
January 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Seaweed-Based Ethanol Technology Gets Boost in Vietnam
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bio-Refinery Begins Operations Turning Co-Cropping into Fuels, Chemicals Deep in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam a small bio-refinery is converting seaweed into protein, fuel-blendable alcohol, and a bacterial soil product. It is part of a
January 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Investing in Biofuels and Biobased Intermediates
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) ...What exactly are they? As the name suggests, they are products made from renewable sources that are not sold directly into the end-user market but are, instead, sold to other manufacturers who refine, upgrade, blend,
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
LSU AgCenter to Open Pilot Biofuels Plant Jan. 25
(The Town Talk) The LSU AgCenter Audubon Sugar Institute plans a Jan. 25 opening for a pilot plant designed to produce biofuels and biochemicals from agricultural crops and byproducts. The centerpiece of the AgCenter's sustainable bioproducts initiative, the plant focuses on
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Energy Department Awards $10 Million to Develop Advanced Biofuels and Bio-based Products
(Department of Energy) As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, Washington, Maryland, and Texas that
January 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Amyris Hits the Comeback Trail
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But Amyris is still there, and this week achieved what, for many, was the last-chance, must-hit milestone. The company’s purpose-built, 50 million liter industrial fermentation facility in Paraiso, Brazil has successfully begun production of Biofene,
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects for 2013
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters. Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. When these 12 projects open
January 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Makers Get Creative With Corn
by Owen Fletcher (The Wall Street Journal) ...U.S. ethanol producers are finding creative ways to earn more money as demand for their flagship product stagnates. These companies are using corn not only to make ethanol but also ingredients for products
December 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Chemtex Officials Offer City Timeline that Points to 2015 Plant Opening
by Chris Berendt (The Sampson Independent) Chemtex International Inc. is currently involved in a permitting process that will see a $200 million biofuels refinery production plant open at the start of 2015, creating around 350 direct and indirect jobs and anticipated
December 26, 2012 Read Full Article
NNFCC Review of the Year: 2012's Biggest Bioenergy, Biofuels and Bio-Based Products News Stories
by Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) NNFCC take a look back at the bioenergy, biofuels and bio-based products stories making the headlines in 2012. ... In Europe, both Vivergo and Ensus started producing bioethanol made from wheat this year but the use of food
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0000812: Carbon, Hydrogen and Separation Efficiencies in Bio-Oil Conversion Pathways(CHASE BIO-OIL PATHWAYS)
(US Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will address research and development (R&D) challenges that were identified at a stakeholder workshop held in December 2011 called “Conversion Technologies for Advanced Biofuels” (CTAB) and from a Request for Information (RFI)
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Grants Support Sustainable Bioenergy Production
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
By-Products: The Key to Ethanol’s Struggles
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest/S4CO2) ...An entirely new use of the by-products that can deliver returns directly to the plants is required in order to offset the losses and sustain the ethanol plants. ...CO2 from ethanol plants are regarded as high
December 12, 2012 Read Full Article
CU-Led Team Receives $9.2 Million DOE Grant to Engineer E. coli into Biofuels
(University of Colorado--Boulder) A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded $9.2 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to research modifying E. coli to produce biofuels such as gasoline. ...The team is working
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
US Company in Refinery Search
by Peter Hemphill (Grain & Hay WeeklyTimes) An American biofuels company is looking to build a refinery in Australia to produce ethanol from wheat straw and other residues. ...Investors in the biorefineries include Australia's Macquarie Bank and Japanese commodity trader Itochu Corporation. ZeaChem
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Little Big Tech: Can Fischer-Tropsch Technology Work at Smaller Scale?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) While companies pursue alternatives to Fischer-Tropsch technologies, Velocys is seeking to make F-T work economically with micro-reactors. In last week’s Digest, Robert Rapier aptly stated the challenge in front of XTL technologies – companies whose primary focus is
November 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Ensyn: Biofuels’ Big, Fast Cracker, in Pictures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn – moving rapidly towards scale as a transport fuel technology after decades in smaller, high-value markets. What does Ensyn’s signature RTP technology, that’s making such a splash, look like? ...Ensyn has become a signature part
November 19, 2012 Read Full Article
$500 Million and No One to Dance with? Canada and Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Canada’s $500 million NextGen Biofuels Fund, five years after formation, gets close to making its first investments just as Canada’s leaders consider pulling the plug It was the most amazing sovereign commitment to biofuels of its
November 18, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Conversion Process Cuts Costly Separating Step
(University of Wisconsin-Madison) Using a biomass-derived solvent, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineers have streamlined the process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-demand chemicals or energy-dense liquid transportation fuel. Their new method eliminates the need for costly pretreatment steps that
November 18, 2012 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: Incitor’s Jacob Berman and Troy Lapsys
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) There is a new process that algae producers can use in the conversion stage to help increase their capacity and add to the bottom line, says Incitor’s VP of Business Development Jacob Berman.
November 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Promethean Wins Award for Recycling, Waste Reduction Program
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Promethean Biofuels, a community-scale biodiesel producer in Temecula, Calif., stood with giants such as Sony and BP Arco at the recent Environmental Excellence Awards Summit in San Diego. The awards were given by the Industrial
November 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Berkeley Fermentation Process Converts Sugar Directly to Diesel
by Robert Sanders (Biodiesel Magazine/UC Berkeley) A long-abandoned fermentation process once used to turn starch into explosives can be used to produce renewable diesel fuel to replace the fossil fuels now used in transportation, University of California, Berkeley, scientists have
November 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Perspectives on 2013: Ethanol Industry Executives Approach 2013 with Optimism and Concern.
by Holly Jessen & Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Looking into the future, Jeff Roskam, CEO of the Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy, fears any modification of the renewable fuel standard (RFS). “Period,” he says. “Not only would this
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Vnesheconombank, Bright Capital, and Renmatix Consider Implementation of an Investment Project in Biochemical and Biofuels Industries
(MSN Money/PR NewsWire) During the first Moscow International Forum for Innovative Development Open Innovations, the State Corporation 'Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs' (Vnesheconombank), venture capital firm Bright Capital Management, and Renmatix, the leading manufacturer of biobased sugar intermediates,
October 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Bio Architecture Lab, Xunshan Group to Co-Develop Integrated Biorefinery
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) Partnership aims for fuels, chemicals & co-products from brown seaweed In California, Bio Architecture Lab announced an agreement with China’s Xunshan Group, the world’s largest grower of brown seaweed and a global ocean fishery and aquaculture
October 31, 2012 Read Full Article
ZeaChem Completes Construction of Cellulosic Ethanol Biorefinery
(ZeaChem) ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has completed construction of its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The project was completed on budget and is expected to begin production of
October 30, 2012 Read Full Article
The 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy and 30 Hottest Companies in Renewable Chemicals and Biobased Materials for 2012-13 Are Announced
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Renewable oils developer Solazyme took the #1 spot in the 2012-13 “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings, announced today by Biofuels Digest at Advanced Biofuels Markets in San Francisco. KiOR (#2), LanzaTech (#3),
October 30, 2012 Read Full Article
The October Surprise: BP Cancels Plans for US Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, BP announced it is canceling plans to build a 36 million gallon commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County. The company said that it would refocus its US biofuels strategy on R&D, as
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Makers Weigh Switch to Butanol
by Henry Fountain (New York Times) Nearly a decade after the adoption of federal renewable fuel standards led to a sharp increase in production of ethanol, some producers in the Corn Belt are considering making a different fuel. The fuel, butyl alcohol,
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Evonik Produces BioMTBE with Material Refined from Crude Glycerin
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) While petroleum-based methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) has largely been replaced with ethanol as a gasoline additive in the U.S. due to environmental concerns of groundwater contamination, Evonik recently announced it has been producing commercial volumes
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
The Dandelion Model: Two-Step Biofuels Technologies and the Emergence of Super-Refineries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can local communities pyrolize their wastes and residues, to make renewable fuels and chemicals at biobased super-refineries? Two-step processes could be the ticket to the future, according to an Iowa State team. Imagine, for a
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biorenewables Technology Moves Closer to Marketplace Licensing Agreement between Startup Hyrax and WARF to Accelerate Commercial Development
(Hyrax Energy) A licensing agreement for a novel renewable chemical and biofuel production method between Hyrax Energy and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation promises to accelerate commercial development of the technology and lead to high-quality U.S. jobs. Developed in the laboratory
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
The Big Bagasse Biofuels Boom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Deployment of next-gen bagasse-to-biofuels technologies could expand ethanol production in Brazil, India by 35 percent without land, water intensification. ...Guidance being given by the projects is that capacities could increase by up to 35 percent at
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
I Just Want to Say One Word to You. Just One Word. Are You Listening? Biocatalysts.
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) Could enzyme biocatalysts replace fermentation among the hottest process platforms in industrial biotech? Newlight thinks so, as it applies its supercatalyst to low-cost plastics. And no petroleum or food crops required. In the weeks and months
October 18, 2012 Read Full Article
BDC Members Tour American Process Inc.'s Cellulosic Ethanol Facility in Alpena, MI, Which Started Up in June 2012
(Bioenergy Deployment Consortium/MarketWire) BDC held its 2012 Fall Symposium in Alpena, MI on September 18 & 19, capping the event with a tour of the new cellulosic ethanol plant owned by American Process Inc. (API), a BDC member. API's facility is
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
LS9 Scales Up in Chemical Business As Biofuels Industry Re-Tools
by Bernadette Tansey (Xconomy) The South San Francisco company LS9 recently produced five tons of industrial chemicals from plant sugars at a Florida demonstration facility, a step toward proving that its genetically engineered microbes can manufacture carbon compounds and fuels at a commercial
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
The Greening of Petronas: Oil Giant Signs with LanzaTech to Turn Waste CO2 into Sustainable Chemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Malaysia, LanzaTech and the Malaysian national oil company, Petronas, announced they will work together to accelerate the development and commercialization of technologies to produce sustainable chemicals from carbon dioxide (CO2) and natural gas. ...The good
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Gretna Pushing Biofuels Project
by John Crane (GoDanRiver.com) The CEO of a company that wants to build commercial refinery that would convert feedstock hopes to locate at Gretna Industrial Park. The town of Gretna and Ken Moss, CEO of Piedmont BioProducts, will jointly apply for
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
The Greening of Dow, the Dao of Dow
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The story goes back some time, at least to the formation of Cargill Dow – now NatureWorks – a joint venture which Dow eventually left to Cargill as Dow’s views on the sector changed with
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
'An Ohio State Story': Lab Idea Yields 60 Local Jobs, New Green Industry
(Ohio State University) Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee liked what he saw at the Mansfield, Ohio, factory: a syrupy mixture made from crop and biodiesel-processing wastes being turned into polyurethane foam. But he was more fascinated by the story of how
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
The Hillary Step: 7 Biofuels Contenders, 7 Routes to Scale, Who’s Near the Summit, Who Will Plant the Flag?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every biofuels contender has its own route to the top – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who is nearing the Summit, what’s their Hillary Step, who’s got Sherpas, who’s got oxygen? It’s the race
October 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Incitor and the Birth of a New Low-Cost Fuel Molecule
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new drop-in, low-cost, high-octane fuel molecule? How does that work, and why, and when? How does it change the energy independence equation? Today, the Digest visits Incitor to find out about Alestron. ...Back in 2008,
October 04, 2012 Read Full Article
15 Biobased Companies in the 2012 Cleantech 100
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...15 biobased and biofuels companies were named to the Global Cleantech 100 by the Cleantech Group, which said that it examined more than 6,000 companies in the Cleantech 100 process. Overall, nine of the companies
October 03, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuel Startups Turn to Cosmetics, Supplements for Profits
by Tia Ghose (California Watch) Once a promising source of green energy, high-tech biofuel is being eclipsed by skin cream and food products as manufacturers shift to more lucrative products. After Congress enacted a renewable fuel standard in 2005, more than a dozen
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Renmatix Unveils State-of-the-Art R&D Facility at Pennsylvania Headquarters
(Renmatix) U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) visits facility to discuss job creation and growth of biobased markets Renmatix, the leading manufacturer of cellulosic sugars for biobased chemical and fuel markets, marked the opening of a new research and development center in
September 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Sorghum Demonstrates Potential During Dry Summer
by Dan Conable (Cato Analytics LLC/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite weather challenges and the learning curve for farmers unfamiliar with this energy sorghum, one of the first commercial-scale plantings of the crop in the northeastern U.S. has been a success. More than 400
September 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Agrobiobase – Looking at the Global Bioeconomy One Factoid at a Time
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) One of the most interesting biobased resources we have found – covering the world, but Europe-based – is the AgroBioBase, created and managed by the IAR consortium, a French organization helping to build a biobased
September 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Er, Did the EU Really Just Abandon Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As reported elsewhere in the Digest today and throughout this week, In Brussels, a draft proposal is under consideration in the EU to eliminate food-crop subsidies for biofuels production by 2020, and cap crop-based biofuels
September 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Council of Energy Resource Tribes-BioJet-Tartoosh Biofuel/Bioenergy Project Ready for Takeoff
(BioJet) The Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) today announced the execution of the long-term Development Agreement enabling the 10-15 year major biofuel/bioenergy project between CERT, BioJet, and Tartoosh Environmental. The project, tagged “Thunderbird”, is a multifeedstock, multi-technology set of projects anticipated to
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
The Trash Spread: Enerkem Heads for Scale, with Advanced Biofuels from MSW
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Breakthroughs in making consistent syngas from negative-cost municipal solid waste spells “big prospects” for Enerkem in biobased fuels and chemicals. In oil we have the crack spread, corn ethanol and soy-based biodiesel we have the crush
September 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Super-cali-thali-terpa-butyl-peta What? The Hockey-Stickin’, Flash-Mobbin’ Growth in Biobased Intermediates
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The new trend in biofuels is not a biofuel at all – it’s an (usually unpronounceable) intermediate that can be refined into an array of fuels, chemicals, flavors, fragrances, and construction or packaging materials. ... Amyris,
September 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Top Ten: Britain's Most Progressive Biofuel and Biochemical Companies
by Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) NNFCC gives its top ten of Britain's most progressive biofuel and biochemical companies. TMO Renewables ... Green Biologics ... British Airways ... Ensus ... BP ... Johnson Matthey ... Croda ... INEOS Bio ... Harvest Energy ... Greenergy ... READ MORE
September 04, 2012 Read Full Article
The Top 10 Advanced Biofuels and Biorefining Companies in Asia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...While the economic growth in China has been drawing virtually all the headlines in recent years, the “Tiger” economies of Southeast and South Asia have been fast-growing for a long time, and with resources including
September 04, 2012 Read Full Article
BIOTECH: Carlsbad Firm Uses Yeast for 'Green' Chemicals from Veggie Oil to Nylon
by Bradley J. Fikes (North County Times) Vegetable oils are versatile substances. They're used not only for cooking, but also for making soaps and for biofuels. If Carlsbad-based Verdezyne Inc. is successful, you may soon be wearing them, in a
September 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Iowa Aims for Next-Gen Biofuels Leadership: 18 Hot Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In our investigations in Iowa this week, we noted 6 trends worth carefully watching, which take us from opportunities with existing feedstocks to exotic newcomers like algae. Our thesis now is essentially unchanged from 2010, when
August 24, 2012 Read Full Article
The Rise And Fall Of The Company That Was Going To Have Us All Using Biofuels
by Daniel Grushkin (FastCoExist.com) Amyris’s breakthroughs in bioengineering--and its plans to make biofuels from Brazilian sugarcane--promised to transform how the world’s businesses produce energy, cosmetics, and medicine. Then reality (and Wall Street) got in the way. ...Already, in the short lifetime
August 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels, Chemicals Capacity to Reach 5.89 Billion Gallons by 2017
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest is reporting that global advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals capacity will reach 5.89 billion gallons by 2017, up from 5.11 billion gallons by 2016 reported in the November 2011 release, 4.37
July 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Replacing the Whole Barrel of Oil and the Need for Biobased Chemicals Policy Now
by Stephen J. Gatto (Biofuels Digest/Myriant) Post Kitty Hawk: 2012 and Beyond: Overwhelming Evidence in Support of Replacing the Whole Barrel of Oil and the Need for Biobased Chemicals Policy Now We in the biobased chemicals industry have had our Kitty
July 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota Roadmap: Recommendations for BioIndustrial Processing
This report is designed to provide a pathway to accelerate the industry’s development. The report details factors influencing the development of the global advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals industry, identifies opportunity areas for Minnesota, and sets forth strategic recommendations. The policy
July 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Clariant Inaugurates Germany Cellulose Ethanol Pilot Plant
by Franco Capaldo (ICIS.com) Clariant has inaugurated a new cellulose ethanol pilot plant in the Bavarian town of Straubing, Germany, the Swiss specialty chemicals company said on Friday. The plant – the biggest of its kind in Germany – will produce around 1,000 tonnes/year of cellulose ethanol, a
July 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Current Biofuels Policy Helps Drive Economy
by Jan Koninckx(DuPont), Adam Monroe (Novozymes), Javier Salgado (Abengoa) and Jeff Lautt (POET) (Politico) The last two presidential administrations differed on many issues, but gave us a bipartisan roadmap for achieving greater energy security and lowering our dependence on fossil
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
ERDA Hopes to Turn Red Cedar Liability into National Asset
by James Neal (Enid News and Eagle) Enid Regional Development Alliance is hoping to turn one of Oklahoma’s liabilities into a national asset, and boost the local economy in the process, with an ambitious plan to turn eastern red cedar
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo and Beta Plot Joint Future Bioisobutanol Projects
(Bioenergy News) Chemical and biofuels company Gevo has signed a joint development agreement with Beta Renewables to develop an integrated process for the production of bio-based isobutanol from cellulosic biomass. The agreement anticipates production plants will be located where cellulosic feedstocks
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Incitor Receive Backing for Low-Temperature Biofuel Demonstration
(Biofuels International) US-based biomass company Incitor will use new funding to demonstrate its low-temperature biofuel production technology. The funding amounts to $1.5 million (€1.1 million) and comes from an investment group, led by Cottonwood Technology Fund, that hopes to finance an
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Myriant’s Debt Deal: A Light at the End of a Long, Bio-Based Tunnel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Myriant closes first bio-based chemicals loan under USDA’s Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program. Industry’s first private bond placement under innovative structure developed to finance advanced industrial scale-up; Q1 2013 commercial start-up in sight In Massachusetts,
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Tamil Nadu to Have World’s First Biorefinery Using Tannery Waste
by Kumar Chellappan (Daily News and Analysis India) Tamil Nadu will be home to the world’s first biorefinery which will use solid waste generated from tanneries in Vellore district. The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) at Chennai, a unit of the
June 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Who Shall Dare: Biobutanol and the Intrepid Ethanol Producer
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Declining ethanol margins and plant idlings; ethanol price gloom; controversy over RFS2 targets. Despair? Bah! It all spells “opportunity” for the intrepid ethanolista. This week in biofuels, two storylines that have been gaining a lot
June 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Tobacco, Alcohol And … Seaweed? Three Innovative Methods For Producing Biofuels
by Max Frankel (ThinkProgress) ...But in the world of science, researchers around the world are working on some very innovative ways to produce gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from more sustainable feedstocks. Here’s a look at three cool recent developments
June 14, 2012 Read Full Article
BioTork Announces Collaboration with BASF
(BioTork) Harnessing the Power of Adaptive Evolution to Further Improve the Efficiency of Metabolic Engineering BioTork announces collaboration with BASF to optimize certain microbial strains for the industrial production of bio-based polymers and green chemicals. After six months of collaboration, BASF and
June 14, 2012 Read Full Article
The Future for Corn Stover in Biofuels
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The future of using corn stover for advanced biofuels was one of the discussion topics at last week’s Corn Utilization Technology Conference in Indianapolis. ...(Nathan) Mosier (with the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue University) says he’s been working
June 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Incitor Incorporated Receives $1.5 Million Series A Investment
(BusinessWire) Rapidly Growing Renewable/Biomass Energy and Chemical Company Receives Funding Led by the Cottonwood Technology Fund Incitor Incorporated ("Incitor"), a Delaware Corporation based in Albuquerque, N.M. ( http://www.incitor.com ), announced today that the Cottonwood Technology Fund ("Cottonwood") ( http://www.cottonwoodtechnologyfund.com/ ) led an
June 13, 2012 Read Full Article
LS9 Opens Its Innovative Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Plant in Florida
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of biofuels’ hottest companies transitions from research phase to operating phase with opening of demo plant in Okeechobee – what’s next, and where? ...The opening of that fermenter column is what the VIPs are coming
June 13, 2012 Read Full Article
The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota Releases Roadmap for Minnesota's Advanced Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals Industry
(Enhanced Online News/Live Science Alley) Today (March 28, 2012), The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota released a comprehensive white paper detailing the extent and impact of the advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals industry and providing a roadmap for their continued growth
March 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Ionic Solvents Make Timber-to-Biofuels More Energy-Efficient
by Simon Levey (Industry Intelligence, Inc.) Key part of biomass processing could be made 80% more energy-efficient, reducing cost of biofuels by 10%, by treating timber with ionic solvents, find Imperial College London scientists A little bit of lubrication could make
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Thai Biochemical Plant Converts Glycerin into Epichlorohydrin
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Solvay, an international chemical group, recently announced that its Thai affiliate Vinythai successfully commissioned a biobased chemical plant. The $157 million facility, based in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, utilizes Solvay’s Epicerol technology to convert glycerin
March 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Feeding the Chemical Market
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol serves as not only a liquid transportation fuel but also as a feedstock for biobased chemical production Although ethanol is generally associated with the transportation fuel market, it is in no way limited to
March 14, 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
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
Gevo Rises as Production Plans Spur ‘Relief Rally,’ Analyst Says
by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg) Gevo Inc. (GEVO), the U.S. biotechnology company backed by oil refiner Total SA (FP) and specialty chemicals maker Lanxess AG (LXS), rose the most in two weeks after saying it expects to begin shipments in July, on schedule, from a plant
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Shake It Up, Baby: Rock Stars of Biofuels Unveil Their Latest Hits
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Part I – I Want a New Bug In Part I, today, “I Want a New Bug,” we look at the formation of Lygos, and the magic bugs, coming primarily out of the Keasling Lab
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
ZeaChem Signs Contract to Develop "Drop-In" Advanced Biofuels
(MarketWatch) ZeaChem Commences USDA-Funded Initiative to Build a Bioenergy Industry in the Pacific Northwest ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced that it has successfully completed contract negotiations to