by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) Advanced biotechnology has historically focused on fermentation as the key technology for development, with synthetic biology and proprietary organisms the key intellectual property. As any biotechnology moves toward commercialization, recovery and purification of the
BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production
Back TO HOMEThe Low pH Edge: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Reverdia
by Eduardo Baral (Novvi/Biofuels Digest) Reverdia is a joint venture between Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives company. Reverdia is dedicated to be the global leader in the
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
RFS Has Been ‘Tremendous Success’ Since Adoption, According to RFA Analysis
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) More than a decade after the original renewable fuel standard (RFS) was signed into law, tremendous progress has been made toward its goals of energy security, clean air and boosting local economies, according to
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
'First' Biomethane Plant Opened in Brazil
(Bioenergy Insight) The ‘first’ plant in Brazil to make biomethane for fuelling vehicles has been opened in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná. Brazilian company Intaipu Binacional, the ‘world’s largest’ generator of renewable clean energy, opened
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Blend with Diesel Oil Obligatory by 2018
(Daily Sabah) Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) will make it obligatory to blend diesel oil - a kind of fuel like gas produced from oil - with at least five per thousand biodiesel by the beginning of 2018. According to the
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Biogas – What, Why, When and How? The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to RNG and Its Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As we wrote in our Digest Top 10 Predictions for 2017: Whether it is Intrexon, Calysta or potentially Synata Bio, companies have been switching to methane as a source of cleaner yet cheaper carbon, compared to
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
What’s My Feedstock Worth? A Primer for Measuring Bio-Value
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Whether you are owner or seller, you need to know the underlying value of a feedstock in the advanced bioeconomy — and that is not the same thing as its current market price. In fact, what
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel in Minnesota: 15 Years in the Blink of an Eye
by Tom Slunecka (Biodiesel Magazine) ... Fifteen years ago, March of 2002, a gallon of unleaded gas averaged around $1.36 a gallon. ... Minnesota became the first in the nation to require that all diesel fuel sold in the state contain at
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
DTE Biomass Acquires RNG Facilities to Fuel Texas Transit Buses
by Lauren Tyler (NGT News) DTE Biomass Energy, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based subsidiary of DTE Energy, says it has acquired two landfill gas-to-energy projects in Texas, which will generate enough renewable natural gas (RNG) to fuel more than 1,000 transit buses each
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Virent Moves Biofuels Closer to Market as New CEO Takes Over
by Judy Newman (Wisconsin State Journal) If Madison-based Virent‘s biofuels are going to fill the tanks of cars and airplanes, it will be up to Stacey Orlandi to drive the company there. Orlandi, 45, took over as chief executive of Virent,
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Koehler Letter: Renewable Energy
by Neil Koehler (Pacific Ethanol/Idaho Statesman) ... The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has played a vital role in protecting the environment and American consumers. Without it, oil companies would once again have free rein to limit choices at the pump, eliminating competition
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
KnipBio’s Microbe Technology Creates Better Fish Feed
by Debbie Sniderman (Ethanol Producer Magazine) KnipBio, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, has developed a series of microbes that converts low-cost feedstocks into premium, nutritious, single-cell proteins that are an alternative to fishmeal in aquaculture. Its fermentation process yields a protein flour
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
A Decade of Bioenergy Research
by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Department of Energy’s three bioenergy research centers have no intention of resting on their accomplishments. -- In the 10 years since the U.S. DOE established three bioenergy research centers with the goal
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Champions of Change
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Past FEW Award of Excellence winners reflect on decades of research advocacy and leadership -- Marty Andreas, the late Archer Daniels Midland Co. executive, once followed Charles Abbas out of a boardroom after a
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Sustaining Opportunities
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The ethanol industry provides young people with wealth of job opportunities. -- Nineteen-year-old Marcus Niehaus sees a future in the ethanol industry. The Southeastern Illinois College student said he wants to make a
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Jet Fuel’s Progress: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo’s ATJ
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Alcohol-to-jet. Several are working on it – Byogy, for example, and Vertimass, Virent and LanzaTech. But Gevo has been working through the rigorous ASTM process for six years, which includes extensive engine testing and data analysis
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
New Gladstone Plant a Boost for Biofuel Industry in Queensland
(Queensland Government) Queensland is now home to the first commercial-scale advanced biofuels pilot plant and on the cusp of a new biofuel production-based industry for the State, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. Speaking from Gladstone where the Premier officially opened the $18
June 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Worthington High School Visits Heron Lake BioEnergy
(Minnesota Bi0-Fuels Association) Eleven students from Worthington High School visited Heron Lake Bioenergy on May 30 to learn about ethanol production. The students, all 12th graders, were briefed on the various processes of ethanol production at Heron Lake Bioenergy, which produces
June 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Carbon Dioxide from Flue Gas v. Concentrated By-Product Chemical Sources; and the Impact of Distribution Costs on Economic Feasibility
by Sam A. Rushing (Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd./Biofuels Digest) ... Concentrated by-product sources such as ethanol v. Lean flue gas fermentation is a critical part of the merchant co2 supply network in north america, particularly in the united states. The lion’s share of
June 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Clariant Cellulosic Ethanol Donation Lets 1,000 Malagasy Families Cook Safer and Cleaner
(Project Gaia) Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals and one of the leading providers globally of cellulosic ethanol production technology, and Project Gaia, a non-profit promoting the use of alcohol fuels (ethanol and methanol) for household energy, announced the
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Neutral Fuels Unveils ‘World’s First’ Commercialised Enzymatic Biofuel
(Biofuels International) Neutral Fuels, a biodiesel producer based in the UAE, has become the first company in the world to commercialise an enzymatic biofuel. For six years Neutral Fuels has been producing biodiesel using cooking oil, supplying high profile clients such
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Colombia Eyes Higher Ethanol Blends in Gasoline
(Your Renewable News) The start-up of commercial operations at Colombia’s largest ethanol plant will allow the blend of the biofuel in gasoline to be raised to 10% by year-end, senior official at biofuels federation Fedebiocombustibles told NewsBase Intelligence (NBI). Existing ethanol
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Mexican Researchers Study Bio-Diesel Use in Cowichan Valley
by Amy Smart (Times Colonist) ... Five researchers from the Ibero-American University are spending the month of May in Duncan studying the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op, in partnership with Vancouver Island University. The group is interested in understanding what motivates someone to
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Anellotech Confidential: Pilot Running, New Mystery Investor as Catpyro Begins to Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Anellotech’s Bio-TCat process is designed to produce cost-competitive renewable aromatic (BTX) chemicals (benzene, toluene and xylenes) from non-food biomass for use in making plastics such as polyester, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or for renewable transportation
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
POET Founder, Chairman and CEO Jeff Broin to Receive 2017 BIO George Washington Carver Award
(Business Wire/Biotechnology Innovation Organization) Broin to accept award and deliver remarks at 2017 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology -- The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today announced that POET Founder, Chairman and CEO Jeff Broin will receive the 10th annual
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Owning The Ethanol Exec Role
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) One year into her role as Guardian Energy CEO, Jeanne McCaherty has tapped into her previous experience at Cargill and the unique make-up of the ethanol industry. -- It’s hard to believe that Jeanne
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
UPM Biofuels Gains the World's First RSB Certification for Wood-Based Liquid Biofuels
(UPM Biofuels) UPM Biofuels has again received a new acknowledgement of the sustainability of its value chain by receiving an RSB (The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) certificate for both UPM BioVerno renewable diesel and naphtha, as well as production sidestreams
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
US Biofuels Producer REG Opens Centre in Amsterdam
(Biofuels International) US advanced biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group (REG) has hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the company’s operations centre in Amsterdam. The team in Amsterdam will support the company’s international operations and work closely with the
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
The Resources for Scale-up: The Digest’s 2017 Multi Slide Guide to Passmore Group’s View on Sustainable Project Development
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Passmore Group? It’s like global advanced technology wrapped up inside a maple leaf. There’s hardly a technology wave that’s in any way sustainable or renewable that Jeff Passmore et al have not played a Canadian
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Roll-Out of Smaller-Scale GTL: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Presentations from BETO’s 2017 Project Peer Review Now Online
On March 6–9, 2017, BETO hosted its biennial Project Peer Review in Denver, Colorado. During the event, approximately 192 projects in BETO’s research and development (R&D) portfolio were presented to the public and a panel of external subject matter experts.
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Larsen Arm LTHE Inks Pact with ICT to Build Ethanol Plants
(Business Standard/Press Trust of India) L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering has signed an agreement with Institute of Chemical Technology to build ethanol plants based on indigenous technology. "Today, India is producing about 3 per cent bioethanol blending with ethanol derived from molasses, which
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Activities in South Korea, Vietnam Highlight Importance of Policy’s Role In Trade
(U.S. Grains Council) Developing markets for U.S. ethanol involves a complex combination of trade policy and marketing work. Two U.S. Grains Council (USGC) activities this past week aimed to not only provide insights on ethanol policy development with a role
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Ohio Ethanol Tour Highlights Efforts to Break the Blend Wall
by Matt Reese (Ohio's Country Journal) ... This summer, Ohio’s corn farmers and their checkoff are chipping away at the ethanol blend wall in the state by highlighting opportunities to buy higher ethanol blends at fueling stations on the 2017 Ohio
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Aemetis Enters into Multi-Year Biodiesel Supply Agreement with BP
(Aemetis, Inc.) Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today that its Universal Biofuels subsidiary in India has signed a three-year biofuels supply agreement with BP Singapore Pte Limited (BPS), the regional trading arm of BP Plc, which has an expanding biofuels
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
10 Industrial Biotechnology Wave Trends to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are news items, then there are trends, and finally there are wave trends — trends of critical importance and that carry the likelihood of having long-lasting impact. Like the fast ripples that presage a fearsome tsunami,
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
GreenField Specialty Alcohols, Inc. Announces Name Change to Greenfield Global, Inc.
(PR Newswire/The Business Journals/GreenField Global) New Name Reflects Strength of Product Lines, Global Reach, and Scale -- GreenField Specialty Alcohols, Inc., Canada's largest ethanol producer and a world leader in high-purity specialty alcohols, announced today it has changed its name
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant Opening
by Francesca Brindle (Hydrocarbon Engineering) Southern Oil has announced that Queensland Premier, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, will officially open the Northern Oil advanced biofuels pilot plant in Gladstone on 1 June 2017. The $18 million project brings together all
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Advancing the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the USDA and Feedstock R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Former Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack put it best: “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing in the businesses and technologies
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
NexSteppe Launches Metano Alto to Catalyze New Growth in Biogas Markets
(NexSteppe Inc.) NexSteppe Inc., a company dedicated to pioneering the next generation of sustainable feedstock solutions for biobased industries, announced today the world wide launch of a new product line: Metano Alto. Metano Alto Industrial Sorghums are bred to deliver
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Gevo’s Isobutanol Cleared for Use in On-Road Vehicles in Arizona
(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Bill HB2368 Permits Isobutanol to be Used as a Fuel Additive for On-Road Vehicles -- Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), announced today that a bill recently signed by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey will let gas stations sell isobutanol-blended gasoline for on-road
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Are Advanced Biofuels Ready for Takeoff?
by John Fialka (E&E News/Climatewire) ... As a major U.S. exporter that has dealings with over 150 countries, Boeing had worked with airlines in the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft and better flying practices. Now it helped form and lead the Sustainable
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Hope Glimmers in the Garbage for Advanced Biofuels
by John Fialka (E&E News/Climatewire) In May 2016, investigators from the Government Accountability Office assembled a panel of 19 experts in Washington to explore what had happened to a program to develop a commercial market for advanced biofuels. It had been
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel Boost Bottom Line for Farmers
by Steve White (Nebraska TV) ... Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board said, “You're talking about 1,300 direct employ jobs across the state, across rural Nebraska, that's key. Having those jobs and tax base there.” ... “It's building because of
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Adamawa Govt. to Partner NNPC on Biofuel Project – Commissioner
(Daily Trust) Adamawa Government is to partner with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) on the Mayine Sugar Investment project for the production of biofuel and ethanol. The State Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Umar Daware, made this known in an interview
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Driving GHG Down, Bringing Capacity Up
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increasing efficiency is the ethanol industry’s top goal, and proving it to the U.S. EPA opens the way for expanded ethanol production. -- The number to beat to be named an efficient ethanol
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Scale-up, Efficiency, Available Markets: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to BioAmber
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioAmber reported an unsurprisingly lackluster sales figure and a Q1 loss of $10.5M compared to a loss of $8.1M for Q1 2016 – unsurprising given the delays at major customer PTT. We covered the fortunatelys and
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Nigerian Oil Billionaire Igho Sanomi Signs Joint Venture Deal to Build Biofuel Refinery in the US
(Ventures Africa) Nigerian Oil Billionaire and Non-Executive Chairman/Founder of Taleveras, Igho Sanomi has signed a Joint Venture deal to build a biofuel refinery in the United States of America (USA) with African feedstock. Igho Sanomi, was featured in the last
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
KNM's Phase 2 of Bio Ethanol Project to Provide Long Term Recurring Income
by Daljit Dhesi (The Star) : KNM Group Bhd’s investment in the second phase of its bio ethanol plant project in Thailand is expected to provide long term recurring income for the group, according to Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research. ... Based
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
My Eco Energy to Set up a Network of Franchise Fuel Bunks for Biofuel Indizel
by V Rishi Kumar (The Hindu Business Line) My Eco Energy plans to set up a network of franchisee operated fuel dispensing stations for its non-petroleum based fuel Indizel, which the company states can be safely used in diesel vehicles. The
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
HPCL to Set up Rs 600-Crore Bio-Ethanol Unit in Bathinda
by Aruna Sharma (khabar India/Tribune) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) has roped in Engineers India Ltd (EIL), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for setting up India’s first second generation (2G) ethanol bio-refinery
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources Executes Letter of Intent with the Andrew J. Young Foundation
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO), an innovator of sustainable energy production systems, announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (the LOI) by the Andrew J. Young (AJY) Foundation to build a biorefinery in the southeast U.S.
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Eni and CONOE Sign Agreement for the Transformation of Used Vegetable Oils into Biofuels
(Eni) The agreement will see Eni’s refineries in Italy capitalize on a national energy resource by creating high quality biofuels from used vegetable oils, representing the final stage of the virtuous cycle of the “circular economy”. Used vegetable oils can be transformed
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Approves Fuel Pathway for REG Geismar
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA recently posted a notice to its website approving a fuel pathway for Renewable Energy Group Inc.’s Geismar, Louisiana, biorefinery. The plant can now generate D5 advanced biofuel renewable identification numbers (RINs) for
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Turning Sewage Sludge into Fuels and Hydrogen
(Recycling Magazine) TO-SYN-FUEL is a project funded by Horizon 2020 EU’s new research and innovation programme, with the aim to build-up, operate and demonstrate the production of Synthetic Fuels and Green Hydrogen from waste biomass. ... Twelve SME, industrial, and scientific partners,
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Expert: Biofuels Tug-of-War Is an EU Invention
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) The conflict between second and first generation biofuels – depicted as good and bad for the environment – only exists in Brussels. In fact, it’s the brainchild of the European Commission, Eric Sievers told EURACTIV.com. Eric Sievers
May 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Aemetis Wins $6 million Biodiesel Supply Contract with India Government Oil Companies
(Aemetis) Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today (May 10, 2017) that its Universal Biofuels subsidiary has won its first contract to supply biodiesel to the India government-owned Oil Marketing Companies (“OMC”) in a public tender process. The total diesel market
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Canada Adds Six Members as Canadian LCFS Approaches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Advanced Biofuels Canada revealed a signficant expansion of its membership. New members include: Cellufuel Inc. is currently operating a demonstration-scale facility producing clean synthetic diesel from lowvalue forestry residues. Ensyn Corporation has a 30-year history of
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide to ICM Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ICM is a company on the leading edge of an exciting industry—one dedicated to realizing every benefit of biofuels technology. Our equipment and processes are already used in the majority of U.S. ethanol plants, and
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
BioAmber and the Charm of Making
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... If you’re not chasing biosuccinic or at least salivating over it, check your pulse. DSM, PTT, Mitsui, Roquette, Corbion, Vinmar and BASF are just a few of the major players around the world chasing
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Central High School Tours Heartland Corn Products
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty-six students from Central High School in Norwood Young America visited Heartland Corn Products today to learn more about renewable energy production. The students, from grades nine to 12, toured the various processes of ethanol production at the
May 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Cooperative Sugar Mill Shahabad in Haryana Moving Forward with $12.7 Million Ethanol Plant
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In India, following the implementation of a 24MW cogeneration plant, the Cooperative Sugar Mill Shahabad in Haryana is looking to invest $12.7 million in a new 60,000 liter per day molasses-based ethanol plant that could
May 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel A-Go-Go: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Neste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste is a refining and marketing company, with a production focus on premium-quality, lower-emission traffic fuels. The company produces a comprehensive range of major petroleum products and is the world’s leading supplier of renewable diesel.
May 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Gevo Discusses Future Plans for Luverne Plant
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) ... During an investor call, the company described plans to convert its Luverne, Minnesota, biorefinery to exclusively produce isobutanol and hydrocarbon products. ... Gevo produced approximately 100,000 gallons of isobutanol at its Luverne facility during the first
May 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Houston Firm Proposes $500 Million Biofuel Refinery in Longview
by Marissa Luck (The Daily News) A Houston-based group of investors is once again looking to develop a biofuel refinery in Cowlitz County, more than a year after their plans for oil, propane and biofuel projects were rejected by the
May 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Bioenergies, Clariant and INEOS Receive Major EU Funding to Demonstrate the Production of Isobutene Derivatives from Straw
(Global Bioenergies) European financing package amounting to €9.8 million, of which €4.4 million for Global Bioenergies; Industry consortium led by Global Bioenergies and bringing together Clariant, INEOS, IPSB, TechnipFMC and Linz University; Aim: converting agricultural residues (wheat straw) into isobutene derivatives
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Progress on Transport Biofuels in Korea
by Jin-Suk Lee and Kyu-Young Kang (IEA Bioenergy Task 39) Since Korea imports over 95% of its energy demand, thus energy security has always been an important driver in the national agenda. In addition, CO2 mitigation has become another important driver as
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
IEA Bioenergy Task 39, (Liquid Biofuels) Updated Report, “State of Technology Review -Algae Bioenergy”
(IEA Bioenergy Task 39) As described in the report and covered in the associated webinar, some of the reports key conclusions were: • Algae exhibit high photosynthetic efficiency and high yields (~55 tonnes ha-1yr-1), at least twice that of terrestrial plants. Thus, algae
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Praj Celebrates Inauguration of Second-Generation Ethanol Plant
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On May 7, Praj Industries Ltd. unveiled a demonstration-scale biorefinery capable of producing 1 MMly of cellulosic ethanol. The facility, located near Pune, India, is expected demonstrate the production of additional renewable fuels and
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
In Jobs Push, PM Prioritises Solar Gear Manufacture, Drives Ethanol Blending
(The Hindu Business Line) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised that manufacturing of solar equipment should be given priority to drive employment generation. In an official statement after a meeting to review the progress of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Power,
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Hydrofoil Impellers vs. Pitched Blade Turbines in Lignocellulosic Slurries
by Gregory T. Benz (Biofuels Digest/Benz Technology International/Lee Enterprises Consulting) In a previous article (ref 1), it was stated that both pitched blade turbines and hydrofoils could be successfully used to agitate high-solids lignocellulosic materials, but that the hydrofoil could do
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to DSM in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences, DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
EU Biofuels Policy: What Is the Impact on Rural Development?
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) EU farmers are “very concerned” about the impact of the European Commission’s change of heart on biofuels, claiming the EU’s restrictive policy is putting thousands of rural jobs at risk. Yet, the EU executive defended its proposed
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
More More RHD: REG Expanding Drop-In Diesel?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Iowa we received news that Renewable Energy Group has agreed to acquire approximately 82 acres of land at its Geismar, Louisiana biorefinery from Lion Copolymer, for $20M. The goal? To improve and utilize to
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest's Complete March Madness Webinars Available Online
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest's Complete March Madness webinars - 700+ slides available for your on-demand review. -- The Digest's March Madness series - 20 webinars covering the hottest topics as selected by Digest readers - featuring dozens
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Praj Commences 2G Smart Bio-Refinery
(Business Standard/Press Trust of India) Praj Industries, the global process solutions company, today said it has commenced its first integrated second generation technology (2G) smart bio-refinery to produce ethanol from agri-waste in Gujarat. The 2G demo plant produces ethanol by processing
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Biofuels – When, Where and How?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on cellulosic ethanol, featuring in-demand industry consultants Michele Rubino and Michael Schultz, on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of approaches to making cellulosic biofuels from wastes, energy
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
CAAFI’s R&D Team SOAP-Jet Webinar Series: INL Presented on the Development of Advanced Feedstock Supply Systems
(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuel Initiative) CAAFI’s R&D team continued the Seminars on Alternatives to Petroleum (SOAP)-Jet webinar series on March 24th. This webinar series is intended to provide a forum for members of the alternative jet fuel R&D community to
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Algae Bioenergy State of Technology Review
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) Even though algae remain an attractive target for bioenergy applications over the longer term because of their high photosynthetic efficiency, the near-term prospects for primary algae-based energy/fuels production are poor due to the relatively high cost of cultivating
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Turning Chicken Poop and Weeds into Biofuel
(American Chemical Society/EurekAlert!) Chicken is a favorite, inexpensive meat across the globe. But the bird's popularity results in a lot of waste that can pollute soil and water. One strategy for dealing with poultry poop is to turn it into
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial 5C and 6C sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on C5 and C6 sugars, featuring in-demand industry consultant David Dodds and Fluid Quip exec Jeffrey Robert — looking at transformative approaches to making sugars and the chemistry that we can
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
SkyNRG, CAO and EPIC Fuels Supply Singapore Airlines to Operate Its First Sustainable Biofuel Flight
(SkyNRG) On Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) 70th anniversary, the carrier operated its first flight on sustainable biofuel. The morning flight departed from San Francisco Airport on May 1st and arrived in Singapore the next day. SIA partnered with the Civil Aviation
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Plan May Fail as Ethanol Plants Face Production Problems
(VietNamNet Bridge) The plan to make a switch from the popular RON A92 petrol to biofuel E5 by January 1, 2018 may fail as ethanol plants have become bogged down in difficulties. ... The representative of a fuel distribution company
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Haryana Government Agrees to Indian Oil’s 2G Ethanol Investment Plan
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In India, the Haryana state government has approved Indian Oil’s investment proposal for a $93.3 million 100,000 liter per day second-generation ethanol plant using crop waste including 50 acres of free or nearly free land
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
NEWBio Commercial Collaborators: Building a Sustainable Energy Future in the Northeast United States
(Extension.org) The Northeast region of the United States (from the Ohio River to the New England coast) has the natural, social, and technological resources needed to help create a sustainable, rural renaissance by using biomass to create biofuels, biopower, and
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Drop-In Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on drop-in renewable fuels, featuring Drop-in Fuels 2020 author and in-demand industry consultant Will Thurmond on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of approaches to
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Great Leaf Forward: The Top 10 Trends Driving the Canadian Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although the bigger players — China, the US, Brazil and the EU take most of the headlines in the advanced bioeconomy, Canada is definitely “boxing above its weight class” these days, as the saying goes. In
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Waterloo Stoops to Turn Dog Poop into Energy, Fertilizer
by Nicole Thompson (Toronto Star/The Canadian Press) ... Waterloo will soon host a pilot program that will turn dog waste into energy, using a process called anaerobic digestion, which happens when organic waste breaks down in an environment without oxygen. The city’s
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Poet Accuses Engineering Company of Failure in Quest for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jonathan Ellis (Argus Leader) Ethanol producer Poet is suing an international engineering company that was hired to create a system to help convert biomass into ethanol, underscoring the challenges of creating inexpensive cellulosic ethanol. Poet Design & Construction Inc. hired Andritz
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Thermochemical Technology Horizons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-receive webinar on thermochemical technology horizons, featuring former DOE Biomass Program manager and in-demand industry consultant Paul Bryan on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of non-biological
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Think of it as 100+ acres of energy storage and carbon sequestration,” said Kelly King, Vice President and Co-Founder of Pacific Biodiesel and recently inaugurated member of the Maui County Council. “There are 36,000 acres of fertile sugar cane lands
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Kings of the Bioeconomy: Pacific Biodiesel Keeps Getting It Done
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There just isn’t an organization out there like Pacific Biodiesel. Labors on, fighting the good fight, hitting every sustainability grace note, and always surprising the industry with one more innovative way of doing things. And here’s
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces New National Laboratory Collaborations with 38 Small Businesses
(U.S. Department of Energy) At Earth Day Texas 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the 38 small businesses that will collaborate with national lab researchers through the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. SBV facilitates access to the DOE
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Minneota High School Visits ADM Corn Processing
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Twenty-one students from Minneota High School visited the ADM Corn Processing ethanol plant here on April 19 to learn more on how Minnesota-grown renewable energy is produced. The students, from grades nine to 12, toured the various production
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Skybound: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Aviation Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we hosted a webinar what is universally agreed to be the single largest new application of advanced industrial biotechnology — this is the Big Kahuna, or sustainable aviation fuel. Sustainability is critical to airlines, and
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
KiOR – In Hindsight
by KSL (E2IG Solutions Pvt Ltd / Biofuels Digest) ... The overall failure of KiOR can essentially be narrowed down to three text-book cases: I. Utilizing (Incorrect/Underdeveloped) Catalyst Systems for Upgrading Biomass, II. Disregarding Inherent Oxygen Content in Biomass, III. Diseconomies of Scale. ... Whilst
April 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Petrobras Opposes Brazil Plan to Boost Biofuels after Selloff
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters/NASDAQ) Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA has expressed strong opposition to a government-led program to increase the use of biofuels following its recent decision to completely withdraw from the sector. In a document the energy ministry posted
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
National Biodiesel Board Applauds New Biodiesel Tax Credit Bill
(National Biodiesel Board) Grassley-Cantwell bill would modify the biodiesel tax credit to a production credit -- Today the National Biodiesel Board applauded the introduction of a bipartisan biodiesel tax credit bill that would convert the blender’s credit for biodiesel to
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Unstash That Trash: Material(s) Progress in Making Fuels, Chemicals from Municipal Solid Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News this week arrived from Canada that Enerkem has received the lowest carbon intensity value ever issued by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines for its ethanol product under the Renewable and Low
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
South Dakota State University Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Projects Use Cutting-Edge Science to Feed and Fuel the Future
(Farm Forum) ... Through Senior Capstone Design projects, the senior engineering students partner with innovators in the ag industry using the latest technology. The experience provides an opportunity to work on projects that will impact agriculture for future generations. The designs and
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Commercializing Biobased Chemicals: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Reverdia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reverdia is a joint venture between Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives company. Reverdia is dedicated to be the global leader in the
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Zambian Mine in First-of-a-Kind Tailings Dump Site Rehab, Hopes to Eventually Produce Biodiesel
by Mia Breytenbach (Mining Weekly) Zambia’s largest integrated copper producer, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), owned by global conglomerate Vedanta Resources, has launched the first project of its kind in Zambia to rehabilitate a mining site. The project, launched earlier this month,
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Brazil Weighs Biofuel Mandates for Fuel Distributors to Cut Emissions
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters/CNBC) The Brazilian government is evaluating setting biofuel mandates to fuel distributors with the aim of increasing consumption of renewable fuels and cutting carbon emissions, the countrys biofuels director Miguel de Oliveira said on Tuesday. Ethanol and biodiesel
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
The Doughnut Trick: Renewable Fuel from May Day Doughnut Waste Fat
(Neste/Globe Newswire) In the spirit of circular economics, Neste and Fazer Bakery are joining forces with their Doughnut Trick campaign. The oil that was used to fry Fazer Bakery's May Day doughnuts will be recycled by refining it to produce
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
EXCLUSIVE-Vomitoxin Makes Nasty Appearance for U.S. Farm Sector
by P.J. Huffstutter and Michael Hirtzer (Reuters/Times of India) Wet harvest, slow grain sales encourage growth of toxins; Scope of problem in U.S. grain supply not yet known -- A fungus that causes "vomitoxin" has been found in some U.S. corn
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Opportunities to Transition Ethanol Facilities to Biochemical Refineries
by Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... As the market for gasoline grew, a shortage soon developed for the lighter fractions of crude oil. This shortage led to the development of the catalytic cracker, which breaks
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
DCO Extraction Optimization Adapts to Changing Properties of Stillage
by Jennifer Aurandt (Valicor/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Centrifugal separation of corn oil from stillage is the accepted method for distillers corn oil (DCO) recovery throughout the ethanol industry. While plant operating parameters influence a plant’s oil yield and performance, the efficiency is
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Opportunity in the Chemical Market
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A Nebraska-focused tech startup and a Latin American chemical supplier highlight two options for using ethanol as the building block for intermediate chemicals. -- The future of ethanol for intermediate chemical production can be
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Bioenergies' First Success in Scaling up the Isobutene Process in the Leuna Demo Plant
(Global Bioenergies) Global Bioenergies today announces that it has succeeded in producing Isobutene by fermentation at the scale of the Leuna Demo plant (a 5,000 litre fermenter), with run length and performances exceeding those performed on the pilot plant in
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Virent Aspirant: A New CEO, and Revving towards Commercialization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Wisconsin we have huge news from Virent, which has appointed one of Shell New Energies’ gurus, Stacey Orlandi, as Virent CEO, succeeding Lee Edwards who is headed into retirement after a distinguished 8-year run. Most recently,
April 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Portland Votes 'Yes' On Plan To Turn Poop Into Vehicle Fuel
by Amelia Templeton (OPB FM) For years, the sewage flushed away by Portland households has decomposed into methane gas captured by the city’s wastewater plant and turned into energy and electricity. Now, the city’s wastewater agency, the Bureau of Environmental Services, has a
April 21, 2017 Read Full Article
US VP Pence Celebrates Greenbelt Resources and Jababeka Infrastruktur Waste-to-Resources Project MOU Signing
(Greenbelt Resources/PR Newswire) JababECO is the first U.S.-Indonesia municipal waste-to-bioproducts project -- United States Vice President Mike Pence participated in a ceremony celebrating the signing of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in Jakarta today, including between Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC:
April 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Vertimass to Present at U.S. Department of Energy's Annual Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) Conference
(Vertimass, LLC) One of four advanced biofuels and bioproducts technology companies invited to present -- Vertimass LLC is proud to announce that it is one of four companies selected to present at the "Pitch for a Green Future" session at
April 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Potential Biofuel Feedstocks and Production in Zambia
by Paul C. Samboko, Mitelo Subakanya, Cliff Dlamini (United Nations University-WIDER) The need for energy security and climate change mitigation have increased blending mandates worldwide; in Southern Africa, demand for biofuels could increase following South Africa’s planned blending mandates. However, land constraints
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
A Global BioFuture: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Developing Biobased Projects around the World
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve been covering market access, and technology development, but what about accessing markets in emerging economies and around the world where feedstock is abundant, policymakers are motivated, but other risks and constraints apply that can be
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Here Comes BioChina: Amyris, Others Bypass the 4 Myths of Business in the Middle Kingdom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California arrives the very interesting news that Amyris has entered into an agreement with Blue California whereby its affiliates will provide access to its fermentation manufacturing in China and provide the necessary capital to
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Research Focus: Improving the Conversion Process for Sorghum Bagasse Biomass
by Abdul-Sattar Nizami (King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES)) (RenewableEnergyFocus.com) The conservation of biomass is essential for ensuring a continuous and quality supply of feedstock for biofuel facilities around the year. However, the conservation of biomass
April 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Syngenta Touts Potential for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Developments in cellulosic ethanol technology are creating opportunities for American ethanol producers. Miloud Araba, head of Enogen® technical services at Syngenta, says cellulosic innovation could enable dry grind ethanol producers to meet the increasing Renewable Fuel Standard
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
An Alternative View of Biodiesel Production Profits: The Role of Retroactively Reinstated Blender Tax Credits
by Scott Irwin (Farm Doc Daily/University of Illinois) Previous farmdoc daily articles (e.g. January 28, 2015; February 11, 2016; March 1, 2017) have documented a "feast or famine" pattern in production profitability of the U.S. biodiesel production industry. The feast or
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
D3Max Pilot Test Results at ACE Ethanol Exceed Expectations
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) This February, D3MAX announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. Installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, the testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
In Fulton, a Malt House Is Ready to Open -- in an Ethanol Plant
by Payne Horning (WRVO) Nearly 20 years after the Miller Brewing Plant in Fulton closed its doors, a new craft malt house is opening in the same factory. The 1886 Malt House is setting up shop in what is now the
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
St Peter High School Visits Guardian Energy
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Thirty-two high school students toured Guardian Energy’s ethanol plant today to get a closer look at how renewable energy is produced. The students, from St Peter High School, toured the various processes of ethanol production at Guardian Energy, which
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Survival at a Crossroads
by Larry R. Knight* (Reciclaje Pura Vida for Advanced Biofuels USA) There are those who would argue that global warming is not occurring. While the evidence suggests otherwise, it would be political and intellectual suicide to argue that our global population
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Outline 23 Barriers to Advanced Biofuels’ Success
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Virginia, researchers from Virginia Tech University have determined that 52% of advanced biofuels facilities were already closed in 2015 and have determined a list of 23 barriers that could potentially explain why these projects
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Surrey MSW-to-Biofuel Plant Seen Commissioning in June
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, the long-awaited MSW-to-biofuel plant in Surrey is preparing for commissioning in June, making it North America’s first plant of such kind. Waste collection trucks and other city vehicles will be fueled with the
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Noic, Triangle in Ethanol Talks
(AllAfrica/The Herald) The National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC) is in discussions with Triangle Limited to form a joint venture company for the production of ethanol. This comes as Government recently liberalised ethanol production following perennial failure by Green Fuel
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
New Life Infused into Proposed Danish Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Prospects for a cellulosic ethanol plant to be built as part of the Maabjerg Energy Center in Denmark have achieved a breakthrough, according Jorgen Udby, chairman. London-based investment firm Pioneer Point Partners has confirmed in a letter
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
POET Remains Committed to Developing Cellulosic Ethanol Blends
by Andrew Flinn (Brownfield Ag News) Matt Merritt, Director of Public Relations for POET DSM says the company’s Project Liberty cellulosic ethanol facility at Emmetsburg Iowa – which started production a year ago – is already nearing production goals. “We’re already
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
The Quest to Capture and Store Carbon – and Slow Climate Change — Just Reached a New Milestone
by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) A new large-scale technology has launched in Decatur, Illinois that, by combining together corn-based fuels with the burial of carbon dioxide deep underground, could potentially result in the active removal of greenhouse gases from the
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
From Wastewater to Sustainable Fuel
(SEAT) Turning wastewater into sustainable fuel. This is the answer to two environmental challenges, namely reusing an increasingly scarce resource, water, and finding alternative energies to counter episodes of severe pollution that impose traffic restrictions in cities such as Madrid
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Sustainable Polyurethanes and the Bio Economy
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... The use of biomass to produce value added chemicals for polymer synthesis is a major focus of the effort to replace fossil carbon. The theory is that these products can lead the way
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Chemistry, Not Biology: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to C5 and C6 Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four axioms start this presentation by David Dodds, on C5 and C6 sugar opportunities, at a breezy pace: If you are making a molecule from another molecule, you are a chemist, doing chemistry. Synthetic biology is merely
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
The EU’s Sweet 16: 16 of the Most Fascinating Projects under Development and in Deployment in Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Europe is often thought of as a dead-end for biofuels, owing to a thorny debate over fuel mandates, and agricultural protection. But it’s a reputation entirely undeserved; some of the most fascinating projects are there. In
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Chip Energy Wins Occupancy OK for Factory Building Made from Recycled Shipping Containers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, obtaining a certificate of occupancy on a building constructed of 60 Intermodal Shipping Containers is a huge accomplishment for Chip Energy, said company president Paul Wever, president of Chip Energy Inc. These types
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
REDII - Taking a Look at the Impact Assessment
(ePURE) With its revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) the European Commission wants to phase out all conventional biofuels in the EU. But in making its proposal the Commission has ignored many of its own guidelines for Impact Assessments, including
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Understanding Land Use Change – Are New Tools Needed?
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at the local level, and how can understanding of land use change be improved? The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been around
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Two PA Companies Partner to Fuel Economy
(Gant News) Pennsylvania Grain Processing Corn Merchandiser, Brian Kelly, was a little doubtful four years ago when he first approached Sheetz Inc. about selling new blends of ethanol at its fuel station near Interstate 80 in Clearfield. “Truthfully, I didn’t think
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia Attract International Interest in Developing Homegrown Jet Biofuels
(GreenAir Online) A year after issuing a joint Request for Information (RFI) from parties interested in supporting the development and production of sustainable aviation fuel in the region, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia say they have had strong interest
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Bio-Diesel Pumping out Safe Energy
(Sunday World) From the remotest part of South Africa, in the town of Kuruman, Northern Cape, Kealeboga Hoti and her business team are producing environment friendly carbon-free biofuel. -- Hoti, a biochemist, is the co-founder and owner of Lamo Fuel,
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Fermentation 3.0 – The Must Knows
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Now on the one hand you have the theory of alternative fuels, chemicals and materials, then there is the actual making of them — often aiming for exotically high rates, titers and yields in order
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
First-Gen Fuels under Siege, Hit Back with Hard Data
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ethanol supporters in the US and Australia and first-gen fuels advocates of conventional ethanol and biodiesel in the EU are striking out against what they see as misguided reports that have appeared across three continents
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Enzymes Offer Waste-to-Energy Solution
by Mark Peplow (Science Magazine) A cutting-edge waste-to-energy plant is taking shape in the industrial heartland of the United Kingdom. When the £60 million facility opens in May, it will be the world’s first commercial-scale plant to use enzymes and microbes
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
California Ethanol Mill to Build Novel Biodiesel Refinery On-Site
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A California ethanol plant is being awarded a grant from the state energy commission to help build a biodiesel production facility on-site. Calgren Renewable Fuels, an ethanol refinery in Pixley, California—the heart of dairy country—already
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Imports Cometh
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel hit extreme heights in 2016, fulfilling a third of the consumption market, driving the domestic biodiesel industry to more actively seek counteracting measures to protect its own investments. --
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
EP Petroecuador Signs Contracts with Alcohol Companies to Guarantee Supply of Ecopaís
(EP Petroecuador (Google Translation)) In the presence of the Minister of Hydrocarbons, Ing. José Icaza, the Petroecuador Public Company and the companies Consorcio Artesanal Cado, Producargo SA, Codana SA and Soderal SA, signed a USD 95 million contract for the
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Railways Goes Slow on Biodiesel Blending Due to Fluctuating Prices
(The Hindu Business Line) Indian Railways has gone slow on bio-diesel blending due to fluctuating prices, according to the Railway Convention Committee (RCC) report, tabled in Parliament recently. According to the Chairman of the Railway Board, earlier, the thinking was that
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. Comments on Emerging Bioethanol Market Opportunity as It Commercializes Its Cellulose to Sugar Technology Process
(Alliance Bio-Products) The company's patented CTS process presents a viable option for growing biofuel production efforts with its ability to produce cellulosic ethanol at a lower cost and without harmful environmental impact -- Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. (Bio-Products), a subsidiary of
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Fighting Misinformation One Fact at a Time
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In our industry, facts are sacrosanct. You cannot fight misinformation, mistruths or alternative facts with anything other than the truth. And that’s where our “2017 Ethanol Industry Outlook” comes in handy. Our annual
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Managing Margin, Risk, Financial Transparency in the Ethanol Industry
by Steve Rosvold (KRM Business Solutions/Ethanol Producer Magazine) When it comes to margin and risk management, ethanol producers have difficult and unique choices. In most commodity processing industries, the output price is highly correlated to input price. ... The ethanol industry is different. The
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
China’s Plan to Make Jet Fuel from Restaurant Leftovers
(NetralNews.com) Plans to mass-produce jet fuel from restaurants' waste kitchen oil will come a step closer in China next year when a major state-owned refiner begins construction of a full-scale production plant. Zhenhai Refining and Chemical, a Sinopec subsidiary based in