by Nancy Stauffer (MIT Energy Initiative) Chemical engineers and biologists at MIT have found a simple way to make yeast produce more ethanol from sugars: Spike the mixture they’re growing on with two common chemicals. Adding potassium and an acidity-reducing compound helps
butanol/biobutanol
Back TO HOMEGlobal Second Generation Biofuels (Advanced Biofuels) Market Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Research, Demand And Forecast to 2020: Big Market Research
(Big Market Research/PR Newswire) Second generation biofuels yield more energy efficient output than conventional fossil fuels and are environment-friendly as well. Other enabling factors such as favourable environmental regulations & policies, investments/funds provided by the North American and European
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
The 35 Hottest Companies in Feedstock Development & Supply in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Solazyme took the #1 spot in the 2015 “35 Hottest Companies in Feedstock Development & Supply” rankings, announced today by The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily, at the Advanced Bioeconomy Feedsrtocks Conference (ABFC
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
RIP Cobalt Technologies or…How Commercializing Butanol Technology is Like Riding the Tour de France
by Sam Nejame & James Evangelow (Biofuels Digest/Promotum and Chemical Strategies) Sad to say Cobalt Technologies is dead – no really they’re dead – it’s not just double secret probation anymore. Although you’d almost not even know it given how quiet the
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Butanol: Symbiotic Partners for a Modern Fuel
by Bill Brandon and Richard Ezike (Biofuels Digest) The debate touting butanol over ethanol as a ‘better’ fuel component has gone on for quite some time in biofuel circles. Those who support butanol point to three key factors: • Butanol has
June 11, 2015 Read Full Article
GS Caltex to Build Biobutanol Plant
(Yonhap News Agency) GS Caltex Co., South Korea's second-largest refiner, plans to build a 50 billion won (US$44 million) plant to produce biobutanol, a biofuel, the presidential office said Tuesday. The announcement, which was made as President Park Geun-hye toured a
June 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Isobutanol: It’s Time for a Truce
by James Evangelow (Chemical Strategies) & Sam Nejame (Promotum) (Biofuels Digest) If an advertising professional were writing the copy, renewable isobutanol would be called “The new and improved ethanol”. It overcomes essentially all the major deficiencies of ethanol as a fuel and
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Oakbio Announces New Green Biofuel Production Platform
(Oakbio/Digital Journal) his ecoli based microbe platform expands the sources of waste materials Oakbio can convert to green, renewable fuels and other chemicals to include agricultural and municipal waste products. Oakbio announced today (May 14, 2015) the development of a novel
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Auctions for All Assets of Two Silicon Valley-Based Clean Technology Firms: Biofuel producer, Cobalt Technologies and Flow Cell Energy Storage Company, EnerVault
(Silicon Valley Disposition/PRNewswire) Silicon Valley Disposition (http://www.svdisposition.com) announced today that it will simultaneously run online auctions of all of physical assets from the head quarter facilities for Cobalt Technologies located in Mountain View, California and EnerVault located in Sunnyvale,
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Thrive, Survive, Jive or Take Five: Who Is Weathering the $50 Oil Storm in Biofuels, and How?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Survive -- First-Gen ethanol producers. So-so. Corn prices have fallen, and though margins have been compressed and gone negative in some cases, balance sheets remain strong and the margin outlook is improving and positive
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Alaska Airlines, Gevo to Demonstrate Renewable Alcohol-to-Jet Fuel in Upcoming Flight
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Alaska Airlines ups the ante in the search for sustainable, affordable jet fuels. In Colorado, Gevo and Alaska Airlines announced a strategic alliance to purchase Gevo’s renewable jet fuel and fly the first-ever commercial flight on
May 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Minnesota, the Green Giant: Going All out on Agrastructure and the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Today, we look at how Minnesota, too, has been experiencing success via its bioeconomy, and how and why. The traditional view of “Minnesota”? A giant metropolis in the Twin Cities, replete with giant ag-focused corporations
April 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Bioproducts and Sustainable Agriculture.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amazing questions get asked at ABLC — and except for attendees, you generally don’t hear them, or the answers. Let’s change that. With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Mie Grad Students Make Biofuel from Unwanted Fruit
(Japan Times) Graduate students at Mie University have produced biofuel from the region’s tangerines, saying the technique provides a use for unwanted fruit. They believe it could be promoted as a locally sourced form of renewable energy. The researchers at the
March 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Small Ethanol Plants Struggle for an Edge
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) As production plants have grown larger and more efficient, small, older ethanol plants risk being left behind. ... Most vintage ethanol plants, including Buffalo Lake, expanded over the years, but that isn’t always enough to stay competitive.
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Build or Conquer? 3 Companies Battling Over the Future of Biofuels
by Maxx Chatsko (Motley Fool) ... Yet, to date only three commercial scale cellulosic ethanol facilities have been built in the United States. Why aren't there more? The technology is more complicated than most think. The first facility, which churns out 25
March 01, 2015 Read Full Article
World's First Biofuel from Whisky Residues Aim for Lead in £100m Market
(The Engineer) A Scottish company has revived a defunct fermentation technology to create biofuel from the residues of whisky production. Edinburgh-based Celtic Renewables said it now plans to build a production facility in central Scotland after manufacturing the world’s first
February 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Biobutanol Firms Chart Diverging Paths
By Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical and Engineering News) For years, industrial biotech companies have sought to make renewable chemicals by repurposing the corn fermentation capabilities of underutilized fuel ethanol plants. As recent news from two firms pursuing renewable butanol shows,
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Biobutanol Firms Chart Diverging Paths
By Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical and Engineering News) For years, industrial biotech companies have sought to make renewable chemicals by repurposing the corn fermentation capabilities of underutilized fuel ethanol plants. As recent news from two firms pursuing renewable butanol shows,
January 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel from Unmarketable Oranges
by Floro Mercene (Tempo) The town of Mihama in Mie Prefecture, Japan, is known as “the town where you can pick Mikan (Mandarin oranges) all year long. The mikan is the most popular fruit in winter in Japan. It has
January 05, 2015 Read Full Article
The 41 Weirdest Things Ever Used to Make Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bunnies, liposuction fat, Prince Charles’ leftover wine, day-old whale, the human poo bus, fire ants dipped in hexane, old beer, raging fireballs, vibrating blobs, dope, and even the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Take your pick and,
December 31, 2014 Read Full Article
10 Biggest Bioeconomy Blockbuster Stories of 2014 (EU, Middle East and Africa)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aviation biofuels on the rise, in the skies” tops the trend list; drop-in and cellulosic ethanol projects; M&A and cap raises, and action from strategic investors and customers dominate the headlines this year. You might know
December 29, 2014 Read Full Article
ASTM Approves New Standard for Butanol Purity Testing
(ASTM International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) With several beneficial attributes that make it a good blending agent in gasoline, butanol continues to hold promise for use as a biofuel. It is compatible with existing vehicles and refueling infrastructure. ... Now, a new ASTM
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Celtic Renewables Opts For A Well-Oiled Remedy
by Ann M. Thayer (Chemical and Engineering News) Scottish startup to make biobased chemicals from the leftovers of whisky production The process for making Scotch whisky uses three ingredients: water, yeast, and a grain, primarily barley. About 10% of the output is
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Closing In on Butanol for Biofuel
by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) Butanol is the go-to industrial solvent for products such as lacquers and enamels, but it might also play a substantial role in the production of renewable fuels. Gallon for gallon,
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Global Biodiesel Additive Research Roundup
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A recent report issued by Grand View Research indicates the global market for specialty fuel additives is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2020. Clearly there is money to be made, and room for improvement,
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
Mie University Researchers Convert Discarded Oranges into 'Juiced-Up' Biofuel
By Fumiko Takaki (The Asahi Shimbun) Scientists at Mie University here have developed a biofuel from unmarketable oranges and waste left over after making orange juice that may put the squeeze on existing bioethanol as a more efficient and less-corrosive
November 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Gevo Finds a Way
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Like Rocky Balboa, no matter how many punches they take, Gevo just won’t fall over. In fact, the company’s prospects have brightened considerably in recent months — is the company “gonna fly now”? How and
November 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Indo-US Joint Effort to Derive Non-Food Biofuels from 2017
by N Madhav (Business Standard) The initiative would work to deliver a model for production using crops like energy sorghum, bamboo, pearl millet and switch grass In a significant step towards generating biofuels from non-food plant sources, the US-India joint consortium for
November 12, 2014 Read Full Article
California Energy Commission to Award up to $3M for Advanced Biofuel Projects
(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) announced (PON-14-602) the availability of up to $3 million in grant funds for biofuels projects that are in the early/pre-commercial technology development stage. This
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Gulf Racing Fuels Selling High Performance Fuels Using Gevo's Renewable Isobutanol
(Gevo) Initial Focus on Marine and Off-Road Fuel Markets -- Gevo, Inc.(Nasdaq:GEVO), the world's only commercial producer of renewable isobutanol, announced that it is selling renewable isobutanol to Gulf Racing Fuels for their new line of marine and off-road fuels. The new biofuels
October 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Celtic Renewables Wins Top Motor Vehicle Sustainability Award
(Celtic Renewables) Celtic Renewables has been recognised by the motor industry, winning a top honour at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP)’s annual Low Carbon Champions awards. The company won the Low CVP’s award for Low Carbon Innovation by an SME at a gala dinner in Milton
September 15, 2014 Read Full Article
$15 Million Available for Advanced Biofuels Payment Program
by Anna Austin (Biomass Magazine) The USDA recently issued a notice of contract proposals for its Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which provides payments to producers to support and expand production of advanced biofuels. According to the NOCP, $15 million is available for
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Gevo Boosts Revs in Q2, but Losses Widen; Aims for Break-Even at Luverne by Year End
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The increase in revenue during 2014 is primarily a result of the production and sale of ethanol and distiller’s grains of $5.5 million following the transition of the Luverne plant to the side-by-side ethanol-butanol
August 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about the Bioeconomy, Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals and Bioproducts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of the powerpoint decks. But how do you get a hold of the great Q&A that follows the presentations — or the
August 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Enhancing Biofuel Yields from Biomass with Novel New Method
by Sean Nealon (UCR Today) A team of researchers, led by Professor Charles E. Wyman, at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering have developed a versatile, relatively non-toxic, and efficient way to convert raw agricultural and forestry
August 05, 2014 Read Full Article
The Greensome Foursome: POET, Novozymes, Abengoa, NexSteppe on the Industry Outlook for 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As several major cellulosic biofuels ventures head for scale in 2014, we look at the companies, the major barriers (as they see them) for further capacity-building, sources for future investment, and a focus on feedstock. In
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Celtic Renewables Raises $2M, Partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Celtic Renewables raises $2M, partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant Celtic Renewables, the Edinburgh-based biofuel company, has signed an agreement with Europe’s foremost biotechnology pilot facility to undergo next stage testing of its process to
June 26, 2014 Read Full Article
“But I Won’t Cry for Yesterday”: The Re-Making of the US Ethanol Industry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The migration from first-gen to next-gen biofuels is becoming less ‘Invisible’ — and the new landscape is not, by anyone’s estimation, an ‘Ordinary World’. If Aemetis’ latest earnings hadn’t rocked your world quite enough, here
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
How Laboratory Information Management Systems Can Prepare Labs for Biofuels Growth
by Colin Thurston (Thermo Fisher Scientific) With dramatic drops in U.S. energy imports, a clear sign of our growing energy independence, it would appear that renewables investment is at risk, including within the biofuels market. There’s certainly some evidence to
May 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Asheville Entrepreneur Aims to Harness Cyanobacteria's Photosynthetic Prowess
by Mary-Russell Roberson (News Observer) Bruce Dannenberg is a big fan of cyanobacteria – the ancient lineage of organisms you may remember from high school as blue-green algae. Turns out cyanobacteria aren’t algae after all; hence the name change. But
May 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Long-Term Growth in Today’s 53.2 BGY Biofuel Market Will Be Led by Novel Fuels and Novel Feedstocks
by Andrew Soare (Lux Research, Inc.) The 53.2 billion gallon biofuel industry has enjoyed capacity growth of 19.6% annually since 2005, but growth will slow to just 3.2% annually through 2017. Ethanol represents 65.9% of global biofuel capacity in 2013
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
The Digest's Bioeconomy Achievement Awards for 2013-14
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beta Renewables, Abengoa, Enerkem, Proterro among the winners for Project of the Year — as residues and waste are keys to the big wins. For Fuel of the Year, Renewable Chemical of the Year, Product
January 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Gevo Biofuel Produced in Luverne, Minn., Passes Army Helicopter Test
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Gevo Inc., which produces an alternative alcohol in a former ethanol plant in Luverne, Minn., said Monday that the Army has successfully flown a Black Hawk helicopter using a 50-50 blend of jet fuel and
December 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Special Asia Biofuels Report: The Top 10 Stories of the Year, and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Asia looks at petroleum reserves and exploration and concludes: our future is in biomass. As we wrote in 2012: “There’s only one complete region for biofuels where abundant feedstock, lack of oil & gas production, rising energy
December 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Bio-Isobutanol Wins Key Thumbs-up from Underwriters Labs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, Underwriters Laboratories announced a joint research program has determined that gasoline fuel storage and dispensing equipment meeting latest UL standards can safely and successfully use blends of up to 16% biobutanol. This is
December 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Senate Hearing Addresses 2014 RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works held a hearing Dec. 11 on the U.S. EPA’s proposed rule to set 2014 volume requirements under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The hearing, titled
December 12, 2013 Read Full Article
How Whisky Makers Could Soon Be Providing A Superior Biofuel
by Jeff Spross (ThinkProgress.org) With any luck, future whisky fans may be able to enjoy their three fingers in the afternoon with the added knowledge they’ve contributed to a climate-friendly energy economy.According to E&E News, a biochemist in Scotland recently
November 21, 2013 Read Full Article
The Four Horsemen of the Financials: Gevo, Solazyme, Amyris Report for Q3
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In years gone by, it was not too hard to write up a summary of Gevo, Solazyme and Amyris — all aimed at fuels, all in the development stage, all used synthetic biology in closed
November 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Carbon-Negative Biobutanol for $2 per Gallon? ITRI Says Its ButyFix Technology Has the Right Stuff
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Seeking low-carbon fuels, even negative carbon? Or, looking for a low-cost, cellulosic renewable fuel? Or, in search of a capital-light, bolt-on technology to drive better economics for first-yen ethanol plants? Well, what about all three,
November 04, 2013 Read Full Article
The DIY Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biobutanol, ethanol, renewable diesel, renewable gasoline and biodiesel — five renewable fuels. By what combination could they meet the titanic US target of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022? Try your own ideas?
November 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Isobutanol to the Rescue
by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Coast Guard is testing isobutanol gasoline blends in its marine engines. Since its founding in 1790 as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, the U.S. Coast Guard has had a history of implementing new technology
October 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Bunge Signals a Shift from Sugar; What’s the Impact for Advanced Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, in the wake of a $37 million Q1 loss in its sugar unit, Bunge CEO Soren Schroder, who took the reins of the company in June, announced yesterday that the trading giant
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Industrial Biobased Ventures Raise $364M in Q3 2013; 5-Minute Guide to the Bioinvesting Landscape
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biobased investing continues surging, both direct and via strategics. The Digest has the data and the scoop in our 5-Minute Guide. In Florida, Biofuels Digest reports that 9 biobased ventures raised $363.8 million in new capital
October 23, 2013 Read Full Article
ASTM Publishes D7862 Standard for Butanol
by Sue Retka Schill (Biomass Magazine) Butanol has a new ASTM International standard, intended for blends with gasoline at 1 to 12.5 percent volumes to be used as an automotive spark-ignition engine fuel. ASTM D7862 establishes performance requirements and test
October 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Butamax and Highwater Ethanol Break Ground on Biobutanol Retrofit Project Including Installation of Novel Corn Oil Separation Technology
(GlobeNewsWire) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels LLC, the leading biobutanol technology company, and Highwater Ethanol LLC, a leading producer of first generation ethanol, have begun to retrofit Highwater's ethanol plant in Lamberton, Minnesota for the production of biobutanol. Butamax's cutting edge technology
October 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Bureau of Energy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) : Significant Advancement in BOE-Funded Biofuel Technolgy International Award Recognizes Cellulose Butanol Technology
(4-Traders) The Bureau of Energy, MOEA has been funding long-term R&D on biofuel, and new biofuel technology has successfully been developed. The project, entitled "Carbon loss-free cellulose butanol production technology" won the 2013 R&D 100 Awards. This technology has the
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Helping Bacteria Tolerate Biofuels
by Erika Gebel Berg (Chemical and Engineering News) Protein Engineering: Scientists evolve a bacterial protein pump that pulls butanol out of cells to make microbes into better biofuel factories Biologists can engineer microorganisms to make biofuels, such as butanol or octanol,
September 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Brazil’s Big Six in Advanced Biofuels & Chemicals: Who’s Doing What Now?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) After taking a leading role in the global first generation wave of ethanol production, here come the Brazilians — with some hot North American technologies in tow — to take on next-generation biofuels and chemicals.
September 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Ohio Firm Will Buy Little Falls Ethanol Plant: Green Biologics to Make Butanol with Facility
(St. Cloud Times) The Central Minnesota Ethanol Co-op on Wednesday made a deal to allow Green Biologics Inc. to acquire substantially all of its assets. CMEC was established in 1995 as an ethanol company based in Little Falls. Green Biologics, which specializes
September 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Whiskey and Me
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In China, Dr. Martin Tangney recently appeared at the TEDxWanChai meet-up in Hong Kong, with a talk entitled “Biofuels, Whiskey and me”. It reflects on Tangney’s experience of establishing the UK’s first Biofuel Research Centre and spinning
August 27, 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
Bacteria and Fungi Together: A Biofuel Dream Team?
by Erin Brodwin (Scientific American) A group of researchers enlist fungi and E. coli to make the first biofuel of its kind ... The team took Trichoderma reesei, a fungi widely known for its ability to efficiently decompose the non-edible parts of plants, plus a specially
August 20, 2013 Read Full Article
The Need for the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) ...The state of Iowa is proving that our farmers can simultaneously produce the food, feed, fuel and fiber that our country needs. During the past 30 years, we’ve witnessed tremendous growth in the renewable biofuel industry.
August 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels At A Crossroads
by Mike DeVito (PlanetForward) Can biofuels play a significant part in the fuel market by 2030? In partnership with National Geographic’s Great Energy Challenge, we ask some of the experts in the biofuels arena what it will take to make it happen, and
August 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Is 2014 the Year of E85?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As a Perfect Storm of price problems ends, will E85 finally find its market and help end a divisive debate over ethanol distribution? 2014 is the year of E85, if there ever was one. Or will
August 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Gevo Reports Q2 Results; Expanding Production; Cap Raise Looms
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) In Colorado, Gevo announced a net loss for Q2 2013 of $15.2 million compared to $16.2 million for the second quarter of 2012. Revenues were $1.9 million compared to $7.0 million in Q2 2012. The
August 07, 2013 Read Full Article
EPA Comment Period Closed on Corn Fiber as Ag Residue, Biobutanol
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In all, the U.S. EPA received 117 comments on a proposed rule on renewable fuel standard (RFS) pathways, including corn kernel fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol and issues relating to biobutanol. The comment period ended July 15. The Renewable Fuels Association
July 22, 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
Scottish Startup Thinks Whiskey Can Fuel More than an Epic Bender
by Signe Brewster (GigaOm/The Washington Post) That 15-year Macallan you’ve been saving for a special occasion has a dark side: It was extremely inefficient to produce. The Scottish malt whiskey industry currently disposes of 90 percent of the liquid it produces because it
July 01, 2013 Read Full Article
BP Not in Step with Industry on Renewable Fuel Regulations
by Mark Drajem (The Washington Post/Bloomberg) As Congress considers scaling back or abolishing U.S. rules that mandate the use of renewable fuels, it has the full-throated support of the petroleum industry — with one major exception. BP, one of the world’s
June 24, 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
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
Gevo Provides Update of Luverne Operations
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Gevo Inc. provided updated information on it Luverne, Minn., plant and patent dispute with Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC as part of its recent first quarter 2013 financial announcement. During a call to discuss the first
May 09, 2013 Read Full Article
Cost-Saving Measure to Upgrade Ethanol to Butanol — a Better Alternative to Gasoline
(American Chemical Society) Scientists today reported a discovery that could speed an emerging effort to replace ethanol in gasoline with a substantially better fuel additive called butanol, which some experts regard as “the gasoline of the future.” Their report on
May 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Gevo’s Gevolution
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The stock has not recovered much — but it’s remarkable the progress the company has made, all the same. Analysts are now expecting the company to bring its first production train up later this month
May 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Minnesota Bill Would Allow Other Biofuels to Meet Ethanol Mandate
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Pending legislation in Minnesota could alter the state’s ethanol mandate, allowing for the use biofuels under than ethanol to meet the current 10 percent renewable content requirement for gasoline. ... Current bill text posted to the legislature’s website specifies
April 24, 2013 Read Full Article
New Catalysts to Convert Ethanol to Butanol Fuels
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers from U.K.’s University of Bristol reported the development of new catalysts that are able to convert ethanol to butanol at the national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society. Duncan Wass, professor at the
April 23, 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
Gevo Wins a Judgment in Latest Butamax vs Gevo Dust-Up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Delaware, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware entered a final judgment in favor of Gevo and against Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC (Butamax), a 50/50 joint venture between DuPont and BP,
April 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Global Biofuels Production Will Reach Nearly 62 Billion Gallons by 2023, Forecasts Navigant Research
(Yahoo!Finance/Navigant Research) After more than a decade of healthy growth for conventional biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel, the next wave of advanced biofuels is nearing commercialization. The pool of commercially available biomass-derived fuels is expanding to include advanced fuels derived
April 09, 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
7 Steps to Meeting US Renewable Fuels Targets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We go through the renewable fuels math — and find that the nattering nabobs of negativism might have crowed too soon. ...Lately, the nattering nabobs appear to have landed at the American Petroleum Institute — which
April 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Biorefinery 2015 – The Shape of Advanced Biofuels to Come – Part II
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost. ... A barrier to long term deployment? The $11 per gallon average capital
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Desperate Times for Big Oil
by Dana Blankenhorn (TheStreet) These are desperate times for Big Oil. Fracking (which involves shooting water and sand into a wellhead, at high pressure, fracturing the surrounding rock) brings enormous profits, but anyone can frack. The price of natural gas has rolled
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
Gevo vs Butamax: Butamax Heads for Appeal after Court Setback
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...To Gevo, Butamax we now attend, And their legal record, we now amend. The Federal judge overseeing the complex patent infringement litigation between Gevo and Butamax has issued a series of pre-trial rulings and orders, days before
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at World Biofuels Markets 2013
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Neste Oil confirmed that they are using 65% virgin oils, primarily palm oil, and 35% waste residues, but that they are seeking to increase that percent of waste supplied, Neste’s P for Renewable Fuels, Kaisa
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Recent Advancements in Various Steps of Ethanol, Butanol, and Isobutanol Productions from Woody Materials
by Pedram Fatehi (Biotechnology Progress) In this review, the recent advancements and technical challenges associated with the production of ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol via bioconversion routes from celluloses of woody materials are reviewed. Physicochemical processes, e.g. steam explosion, seem to be
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Gevo, Amyris, Solazyme — When Will the Fog Lift for Investors?
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) GEVO, SZYM, AMRS — (investor) take off delayed by fog. How soon will the potential of three of the hottest companies in the field be realized? What are the key milestones coming up for the
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Can the US Still Meet Its 2022 Biofuels Targets?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As cellulosic biofuels technologies start to deploy — critics and friends ask, 36 billion gallons by 2022, can it still be done? Yep, there’s a pathway. In Washington, the US Energy Information Administration released a map
February 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Minnesota Legislature: Bill Would Broaden Biofuels Additives in State
by Leslie Brooks Suzukamo (TwinCities.com) Minnesota legislators will get a chance Wednesday, Feb. 27, to look at a bill that would allow a different kind of corn-based biofuel besides ethanol to be mixed with gasoline. The bill also would set an
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Engineered Yeast Makes More Biofuels
by Helen Tunnicliffe (TCE Today) Moving process to mitochondria ups production 260% Chemical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have engineered yeast to increase production of isobutanol, a promising biofuel, by 260%. Isobutanol, a heavy alcohol, contains more energy than ethanol and is
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
The 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard: Biofuels Digest’s 10-Minute Guide
by Jim Lane ( Biofuels Digest) ...In Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its proposed 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS2). The proposal will be open for a 45-day public comment period and EPA will consider feedback from a range
February 01, 2013 Read Full Article
The 8 Upsides of the New Ethanol
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) The technologies out there are five in number. They are all in commercial deployment now, though some are at the capacity-construction stage. Some of them vary the feedstock, some vary the products produced. What they
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
7 Bleeding-Edge Technologies Unlocking Mighty Value in the First-Gen Ethanol Fleet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The most popular technologies that are targeting the corn ethanol fleet? 1. Feedstock switching. Sorghum as the new corn? ... 2. Advanced extraction and yield technologies. ... 3. Advanced enzymes. ... 4. Enzymes in corn. ... “These enzymes accumulate in
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
ENEnergy Gets Ethanol, Butanol Project Support from Australian Government
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, ENEnergy Australia (ENA) announced approval has been received from the Australian Government for its first project in Northern Australia under the R&D tax incentive scheme. The project approval covers the development of a
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
A Look at DuPont Biofuel’s Work on Cellulosic Ethanol and Butanol
by Robert Rapier (Consumer Energy Report) ...DuPont is currently engaged in two major projects to commercialize advanced biofuels. The first is a 30 million gallon per year corn stover-fed facility in Nevada, Iowa. DuPont has been working on this technology for about 10
January 11, 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
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
Financing in Place, Cobalt Ready to Deploy n-butanol in Brazil
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With the announcement of new investment from Bunge Global Innovation LLC, Cobalt Technologies’ n-butanol development is ready for deployment in Brazil. “We’re in a position now where the demonstration plant is fully funded and
November 06, 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
Butamax Fuel Product Manager James Baustian Discussed Biobutanol at the Petroleum Equipment Institute Convention at the National Association of Convenience Stores Show
(Butamax/PR NewsWire) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, the leading global biobutanol technology development company, announced that last week Fuel Product Manager James Baustian discussed the integration of biobutanol gasoline blends in retail fuel dispensing systems at the Petroleum Equipment Institute Convention. The convention took
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Highly Efficient Production of Advanced Biofuel by Metabolically Engineered Microorganism
(Science Daily/The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)...Utilizing systems metabolic engineering, a Korean research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has succeeded in demonstrating an optimized process to increase butanol production by generating an
October 25, 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
Gevo to Switch Back to Ethanol Production, from Biobutanol, at Minnesota Integrated Biorefinery
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reoptimizing its technology, now expects return to reach target isobutanol production rates in 2013. In Colorado, Gevo announced that, while making significant progress towards economic production levels, the company does not now expect to achieve its
September 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Butanol Backers Push Retrofit Effort as Ethanol Boom Fades
by Nicholas Zeman (Engineering News-Record) As U.S. subsidies for ethanol continue to disappear, retrofit installations to produce butanol—touted as a superior fuel with superior financial incentives—are catching on at plants, says butanol technology provider Butamax, the joint venture between BP
September 20, 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
South Dakota’s Biofuels and Economic Boom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) South Dakota has become one of the fastest-growing states in the US, at the same time as it has achieved energy independence through development of its biofuels fleet. Coincidence, or correlation? We look at the
August 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Minnesota: The Bioeconomy’s “Get it Done, Make it Happen State”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...You see, other states can match Minnesota for its wealth of agricultural and forest resources (though ample they are), or its foundational base in agriculture and energy (via giants like Cargill, CHS and EcoLab) and
August 27, 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
Ethanol Biorefining Innovations
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Steve McNinch with Western Plains Energy said his company is looking at how to move into the advanced biofuels category of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2). The biorenfinery, which produces ethanol from sorghum (milo), is currently
August 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax Granted Biobutanol DHAD Enzyme Patent 8,241,878; Files Additional Lawsuit against Gevo for Patent Infringement
(Butamax) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, announced today the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Butamax™ Patent Number 8,241,878. This patent provides early protection for high activity enzymes that perform a key a step in the pathway
August 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Court: Gevo Again Free to Sell Isobutanol into Auto Fuels Market
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A little more than a month after a temporary court order prohibited Gevo from selling bio-isobutanol into the automotive fuels market, the company announced Aug. 13 that the order has been reversed in federal
August 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt, Rhodia Ink Joint Development Deal for Biobutanol Demonstration Plant in Brazil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Cobalt Technologies and Rhodia announced they will begin joint development and operation of a biobutanol demonstration facility in Brazil. The Cobalt/Rhodia plant will utilize sugarcane bagasse to make n-butanol; bagasse is used at
August 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Upgrading Ethanol: Local Man’s Project Earns ACGA Award
by Larry Kershner (The Messenger) A post-graduate student at Michigan State University thinks that upgrading ethanol to a higher grade of alcohol - 1-butanol - will help the ethanol industry get past the "blender's wall," especially as the price of
July 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo Sues Butamax, DuPont and BP for Infringement of New Patent
(Gevo/Reuters) Gevo, Inc. has been awarded an additional patent covering further improvements in the efficiency of bio-based production of isobutanol. The new patent extends Gevo's lead over competitors in technological innovations that enable commercially viable production of bio-based isobutanol at
July 31, 2012 Read Full Article
The 2012 London Olympics, Biofuels-Style: BP to Showcase Its Three Most Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the 2012 Summer Games approach, BP Biofuels launches its showcase for cellulosic ethanol, renewable diesel, and biobutanol. Amidst the blizzard of demo drives and informational marketing, why are these molecules key to “fueling the
July 23, 2012 Read Full Article
USPTO Grants Butamax a Further KARI Enzyme Patent
(PRNewsWire/MarketWatch) Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, today announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Butamax Patent Number 8,222,017 which protects a subset of key enzymes in the isobutanol production pathway. ...This latest patent issued
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
Air Force Tests Jet Using Gevo Biofuel
by Mark Harden (BizJournals.com/Denver Business Journal) The U.S. Air Force has flown the first successful test flight using a type of biofuel provided by Colorado’s Gevo Inc. The single-seat, twin-engine Air Force A-10 Thunder Bolt jet flew June 28 at Eglin
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo vs Butamax: Biofuels’ Montagues and Capulets Race for Scale with New Agreements
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Colorado, Gevo announced completion of their preliminary evaluation of technical feasibility under a collaboration with BioFuel Energy, designed to explore high-volume production of isobutanol. The companies plan to continue working to develop large-scale production of isobutanol
June 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo v. Butamax: Judge Denies Injunction Request
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The latest chapter is near closure on the butanol patent dispute between Gevo Inc. and Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC. In an opinion filed June 19, U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson denied Butamax’s request for a preliminary injunction.
June 25, 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
More Fuel Plants Are Eyeing Isobutanol
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Four more ethanol plants are considering retrofits to produce the new biofuel, bringing planned conversions to seven. A third Minnesota ethanol plant is considering a shift in production to a new biofuel called isobutanol. Butamax Advanced Biofuels,
June 22, 2012 Read Full Article
DuPont, BP Win Temporary Halt to Rival Isobutanol Sales
(Bloomberg BusinessWeek) A joint venture between DuPont Co. (DD) (DD) and BP Plc (BP/) won a court order temporarily preventing a competing biofuel company from trying to sell isobutanol produced at a plant that came online last month. U.S. District Court Judge Sue
June 14, 2012 Read Full Article
New Early Career Awards Support Biofuels Research
by Jill Sakai and Renee Meiller (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A young generation of researchers are seeking biofuels in some unlikely sounding places: toxic algae blooms and cow stomachs. Two University of Wisconsin-Madison professors are drawing on these robust yet simple natural
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Party in Minnesota: Gevo Starts up Commercial Scale, Advanced Biofuels Plant, Ahead of Schedule
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Gevo announced it has begun startup of the world’s first commercial biobased isobutanol production plant located in Luverne, Minn. “At 1 p.m. MDT yesterday we made history by initiating production of biobased isobutanol at commercial scale,”
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Princeton Senior Exploring Solution Of Bamboo As Biofuel
(Climate Central/OPB.org) ...But a Princeton University senior named Amanda Rees may have come up with the most promising solution so far. Rees, 22, is convinced that an important part to the world’s energy future may lie in a fast-growing, nearly
May 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax and Gevo: Bio’s Montagues and Capulets Get It On, and On, and On
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here’s a 2-Minute Guide to all the Gevo and Butamax hollerin’, and how to separate the alcohol from the folderol. In case it has escaped your attention, Butamax is suing Gevo and Gevo is suing Butamax.
April 17, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Could Have an Edge over Ethanol
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Scientists who have tested isobutanol, a fuel alcohol made from corn, say it packs more energy and has other pluses over ethanol. A biofuel that will be produced commercially in Minnesota is turning out to have
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Has Ethanol Lost Its License To Drive The Corn Market?
by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog) ...Now the bloom is off the rose. Gasoline demand is down, the blend wall is pushing ethanol demand down, and corn prices are not as strong as they once were. ...He (Bob Wisner, biofuels economist at Iowa
March 23, 2012 Read Full Article
BP and Biofuels: Beyond Petroleum, Big Plans, Brazil Principally
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BP to showcase capabilities in low-carbon fuels at 2012 London Olympics. BP Biofuels chief Phil New outlines the BP’s path towards “getting biofuels right”. “6 percent of the entire BP workforce is now working in biofuels,”
March 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt and the Naval Air Warfare Center Team Up to Produce a Renewable Jet Fuel From Bio N-Butanol
(Cobalt Technologies/Sacramento Bee) Contract Issued to Albemarle to Process First Run of N-Butanol Into Jet Fuel Today, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), China Lake announced a contract award to Albemarle Corporation, a leading specialty chemicals company, to complete its first biojet fuel production run
March 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax(tm) Files Biobutanol Patent Infringement Lawsuit to Stop Gevo's Use of Butamax KARI Enzyme Technology
(Butamax/iStockAnalyst.com) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, announced today that the Company filed a new lawsuit against Gevo, Inc. for infringing the recently awarded Butamax™ patent8,129,162. The patent covers recombinant KARI enzymes which perform a key step in producing
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Boosters of Butanol Say Change in Law Needed
by Leslie Brooks Suzakamo (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press) A Colorado green fuels company wants a Minnesota ethanol law that expires at the end of the year to be extended and changed so gasoline can be blended with a new biofuel called butanol
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt Technologies Completes Demostration Of Advanced Strain Fermentation Process
(Cobalt) Confirms 40-60% cost reduction compared to petroleum-derived n-butanol Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation technology for the production of n-butanol, announced the successful demonstration of one of its advanced biocatalyst. Partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Redfield Ethanol Plant to Convert to Butanol Plant
by Dirk Lammers (NewsOK) A South Dakota corn ethanol plant will soon begin producing a fuel additive with a wider variety of uses. Tom Hitchcock, chief executive of Redfield Energy, said the 50 million gallon-per-year plant is teaming with Englewood, Colo.-based Gevo to convert the facility in
February 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Target For Transformation: Can Biobutanol Provide Ethanol Producers New Paths towards Diversification?
Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Diversification has been a topic of interest for some time now, but this is the year producers need to move toward incorporating alternative revenue streams into their operations. High on the list of contenders is
February 27, 2012 Read Full Article
A Low-Cost, Low-Risk Path to Meeting US Biofuels Targets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The challenges? Well, there have been three grand ones. First, the development of economically feasible technologies. Second, the financing and construction of new capacity, including any bolt-ons, restarts or retrofits of existing capacity. Third, the
February 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Butamax™ Refutes Unfounded Allegations of Infringement
(Butamax) Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels, LLC, the biobutanol technology leader, responded to the latest lawsuit filed by Gevo, Inc. related to isobutanol flash fermentation technology. "Let us state emphatically, Butamax does not infringe the generic product separation technology claims in Gevo's recent
January 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Gevo Wins Key Patent, Sues Dupont, Butamax
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Gevo has received a patent on its GIFT separation unit, addressing the separation technology used to produce propanols, butanols, pentanols, and hexanols. The claims also address how ethanol plants can be retrofitted to produce
January 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels - Coast Guard Going Green
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) To comply with the mandate to increase the use of alternative fuels, the Coast Guard has enlisted the help of Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers with expertise in fuels and engines. "The Coast Guard has decided
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
2012 Merger Mania Gets Underway: Green Biologics, Butylfuel Merge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, Green Biologics Limited announced the merger between GBL and butylfuel Inc., a US-based renewable chemicals and biofuels company. The new company will operate under the Green Biologics name and continue to be
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Highwater Ethanol Looking toward Something Better
by Troy Krause (Redwood Falls Gazette) ...The Highwater board recently approved a move to a new product called butanol through a letter of intent it signed with Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels. The agreement, which was announced in December, would result in
January 17, 2012 Read Full Article
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