by Philip Blenkinsop (Reuters) The European Union agreed on Monday a compromise over how sharply to curb carbon dioxide emissions from cars and vans, finally settling differences between car-producing countries and more environmentally conscious lawmakers. “We reached a compromise to cut emissions
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Back TO HOMEStudy: 'No Scientific Basis' For Challenges To EPA Endangerment Finding
by Barbara Moran (WBUR News) There’s more proof that greenhouse gases are dangerous to human health. That’s the conclusion of a study published Thursday in the journal Science, for which researchers reviewed hundreds of scientific papers on climate change published since 2009. The study supports the U.S. Environmental Protection
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
New Climate Response Model Calculates Impact of Road Traffic Fast
(Delft University of Technology/Phys.Org) Vanessa Rieger created a model which assesses the impact and the contribution of road traffic emission scenarios on O3 and CH4 concentration and the subsequent climate effect. She will defend her Ph.D. thesis at TU Delft on
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Bosch Trialing Fully Renewable Diesel Fuel
(Automotive World) Since early November, the cars chauffeuring the management board members of Robert Bosch GmbH have been running on fully renewable diesel. Known as “C.A.R.E. diesel,” this fuel is synthesized mainly from by-products and waste materials. Its supplier Toolfuel claims
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
CleanBC Climate Plan Boosts British Columbia’s Signal for Renewable Fuel Use and Production
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN Presswire) Advanced Biofuels Canada lauds the Government of British Columbia for its new climate plan, with critical role for low-carbon renewable fuels -- The Government of British Columbia released on December 5th its CleanBC climate plan, which charts a path
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Cars and Coal Help Drive 'Strong' CO2 Rise in 2018
by Matt McGrath (BBC) A booming global market for cars has helped drive CO2 emissions to an all-time high in 2018, say researchers. The main factor in the near 3% rise has been coal use in China, driven by government efforts to
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 4 Techs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Carbon Capture, Gas-to-Liquids, Bio-Based Ethylene Glycol, Biomass to Commodity Chemical Application
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Carbon Capture, Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Technologies, Bio-Based Ethylene Glycol, and Biomass to Commodity Chemical Application. EPIC Modular Process writes that “through our work scaling technologies for pilot plants or commercial systems, we often get exposed to the up-and-coming processes on the verge of
December 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Coffee Sunglasses, Cotton Biofuel Cells, Evolving Yeasts, Biobased Boat Stickers, Microalgae Chemicals, Potato Plastic, Bioplastic Shoes: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of December 5th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 5th. ... #7 Cotton-based hybrid biofuel cell could power pacemakers In Georgia, a glucose-powered biofuel cell that
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
How the Airline Industry Is Cleaning up Its Climate Act
by Adele Peters (Fast Company) At a steel mill outside Beijing, reactors attached to the building capture emissions from the factory. Those waste gases can then be turned into fuel. LanzaTech, a biotech startup that designed a way to turn those
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
New Regenerative R33 BlueDiesel Fuel Helps Reduce CO₂ Emissions of Fleets
(Volkswagen) CO2 emissions* can be sustainably reduced thanks to R33 BlueDiesel fuel; Old cooking fat is partly converted into fuel; CO2 savings of at least 20 percent compared to conventional diesel fuel; Introduction at major customers such as Bosch Test phase successfully completed: Volkswagen has
December 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Setting European Aviation on a Pathway to Decarbonisation by 2050
(GreenAir Online) A new study, one of the first, examines whether a credible pathway to zero or near zero emissions exists for European aviation. The report, published by Transport & Environment (T&E), looks at flights within and departing Europe thus matching
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Brain Regeneration, Data Storage with Biocomputers, Plastic from Waste Gases, Bamboo Diapers, Gene-Edited Wheat, Jackets from Bison Fluff : The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of November 29th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 29th. ... #3 Munich researchers use algae to convert waste gas to carbon fiber In Germany, researchers
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $98 Million for 40 Transformative Energy Technology Projects; Fuel Cell Projects Funded for $12.5M
(FuelCellsWorks) The U.S. Department of Energy announced $98 million in funding for 40 new projects as part of OPEN 2018, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA‑E) latest open funding opportunity. These funds will support some of America’s top energy innovators’ R&D
November 22, 2018 Read Full Article
National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Publishes "Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization: Status and Research Needs"
(U.S. Department of Energy) The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, Office of Fossil Energy, and Office of Science, and Shell, which resulted in a report
November 18, 2018 Read Full Article
ASU Teams Find New Ways to Harness CO2 to Reduce Biofuel Costs
(Arizona State University/Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced 36 projects that together have been awarded $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development. Two Arizona State University research teams are among the grantees, with the grants to
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor: Reflections and the Buzz from ABLC Global 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was, at times, not unlike the old trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and that was no coincidence, for there was optimism abounding and the deal-talk that flows from a general feeling that
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Graphene Takes a Step toward Renewable Fuel
(Linköping University/Phys.Org) Using the energy from the sun and graphene applied to the surface of cubic silicon carbide, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, are working to develop a method to convert water and carbon dioxide to the renewable energy of the
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Climeworks Launches Latest DAC Plant in Italy
by Rob Cockerill (GasWorld) Switzerland-based Climeworks has just launched another of its second-generation Direct Air Capture plants (DAC-3) in Troia, Apulia in Italy. Climeworks has been developing the technology since 2009 and commissioned its first industrial-scale CO2 capture unit in late 2014
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
German-Language STEM Workshops at University of Rhode Island for High School Students--CO2 Experiment
by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) For scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, Germany offers a broad range of opportunities when it comes to higher education and professional development. The University of Rhode Island’s (URI) German International Engineering Program (GIEP), together with
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Rule Change Likely to Take Months, Even Years
by Charles Dunlap (The Mexico Ledger) ... “The question is whether there will be a restraining order prohibiting the rules to go forward or not,” Murphy (Steve Murphy, POET general manager at the Laddonia refinery) said, adding the EPA is trying to
October 29, 2018 Read Full Article
Growing Algae More Sustainably for Biofuel Production
by Jessica Cox (Colorado State University/Phys.Org) ... Another source used to create biofuel is algae – both single-celled microalgae and macroalgae such as kelp. Though algal biofuels are a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there remains room to improve the production of the algae used
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Senators to Trump Administration: Don’t Challenge California’s Clean Car Standards
(Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein) Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today was joined by 22 senators in calling on the Trump administration to end its challenge of California’s authority to set vehicle emission standards. The senators represent states that follow California’s standards. "The changes
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Production of Renewable Gas from Waste Wood
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) KIT’s researchers succeeded in producing renewable methane from a biomass-based synthesis gas mixture in their pilot plant for honeycomb methanation. The quality of this synthetic natural gas (SNG) is comparable to that of fossil natural gas and
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Harvesting Solar Fuels through a Bacterium’s Unusual Appetite for Gold
by Theresa Duque (University of California Berkeley) A bacterium named Moorella thermoacetica won’t work for free. But UC Berkeley researchers have figured out it has an appetite for gold. And in exchange for this special treat, the bacterium has revealed a more
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
IPCC Report Says Biofuel Necessary to Keep Climate Change under Control
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In South Korea, AFP reports the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change has launched a new report saying time is running out to stop climate change but that significant investment in biofuels and associated carbon capture and storage could
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Convert Ethanol Plant to Methane
(Quay County Sun) If all goes according to plan, a long-closed ethanol plant in Tucumcari may be converted into a methane plant and become fully operational by mid-2020. Tucumcari Bio-Energy Co. is hunting for investors and may begin converting the plant to
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
From Waste to Fuel: Researchers to Develop Next-Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts
by Julianne Beck (Northwestern University Campus News) A new collaboration led by Michael Jewett, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University, will combine recent technological advancements in bioengineering to develop a transformative production system for next-generation biofuels and bioproducts. The
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Canadian University and Xebec Embark on Power-to-Renewable Gas Project
(Xebec/McGill University/NGV Journal) Xebec Adsorption Inc. will co-develop a prototype reactor to produce renewable natural gas using a power-to-gas (P2G) process with McGill University. This process combines electricity generated from renewable sources with CO2 generated from waste. The project is being
October 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Everything You Need to Know about Wednesday’s Cars CO2 Vote
by Greg Archer (Transport & Environment/EurActiv) While most of the political attention is – rightly – focused on the headline target for CO2 reduction, the discussion on car emissions has also much more to it, writes Greg Archer. ... The main fight is over
October 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Chemists Demonstrate Sustainable Approach to Carbon Dioxide Capture from Air
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Chemists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a practical, energy-efficient method of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from air. They report their findings in Nature Energy. If deployed at large scale and coupled to geologic
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
On the Origin of the Elusive First Intermediate of CO2 Electroreduction
by Irina V. Chernyshova, Ponisseril Somasundaran and Sathish Ponnurangam (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) The understanding of a catalytic reaction starts with understanding its first elementary step. Surprisingly, despite the large number of studies, it is unclear whether one
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Shell-backed Startup Creates Fuel from Carbon Dioxide and Fake Sunlight
by Cole Latimer (Sydney Morning Herald) startup company backed by energy giant Shell has developed a method to turn carbon dioxide into fuel by adding fake sunlight. US company Dimensional Energy has developed an “artificial photosynthesis” process with a photoreactor that converts carbon
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA’s SAB to Address Biogenic CO2 Framework at Sept. 26 Meeting
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced its Chartered Science Advisory Board will hold a teleconference Sept. 26 to address several issues, including a new draft SAB review of EPA’s Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces 36 Projects for Bioenergy Research and Development
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 36 projects totaling $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development (R&D). This R&D will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products, and power from
September 04, 2018 Read Full Article
The Silent Fuel: Methanol for Power, Fuels and Chemistry in a Low-Carbon Economy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Switzerland comes word of a technology for methanol synthesis plants which capture CO2 from the environment to create renewable methanol fuel. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s appropriately named Silent-Power. The company produces both
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Transforming Carbon Dioxide
(University of Delaware/Phys.Org) A team of researchers at the University of Delaware's Center for Catalytic Science and Technology (CCST) has discovered a novel two-step process to increase the efficiency of carbon dioxide (CO2) electrolysis, a chemical reaction driven by electrical currents
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Ingenza Embarks on Collaborative Project to Recycle CO2
(Ingenza) Ingenza is pleased to announce a collaboration with the University of Dundee and Drochaid Research Services on a highly innovative project that aims to reduce the waste carbon dioxide generated by industrial biotech manufacturing applications. Funded by Zero Waste Scotland,
August 15, 2018 Read Full Article
New Approach Derives Hydrogen from Algae
by Elizabeth Montalbano (Design News) Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have discovered a novel way to develop biofuel from green algae. -- ...One of the most promising alternatives has been molecular hydrogen, which provides carbon-free power in one of the
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Federally Funded Project Uses Microbes to Convert CO2 to RNG
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has announced new grant funding for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNNL) and Stanford School of Engineering’s Spormann Laboratory to conduct new power-to-gas research. The two entities will also receive $800,000 from the
August 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Carbon is Key to a Sustainable and Future-Oriented Chemical Industry
(nova-Institute) The equivalent to decarbonisation in the energy sector is a transition to carbon from renewable sources in the chemical and plastics industries. The nova-Institute published a position paper on the future of chemistry. The chemical industry may only develop into
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Capture, Solar Fuels, Fossil Bubble
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Spain, BIOCON-CO2, a new €7 million EU Horizon 2020-funded research project, has recently kicked-off with intentions of supporting EU leadership in carbon dioxide (CO2) re-use technologies. BIOCON-CO2 aims to re-use excess CO2 produced from the iron, steel,
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
This Start-Up Turns Pollution from Factories into Fuel That Powers Cars — and One Day Planes
by Catherine Clifford (CNBC) A bacteria found in the gut of a rabbit can now help cars run in a more eco-friendly way. The bacteria, identified by biotech start-up LanzaTech, helps turn factory carbon emissions, a.k.a. pollution, into ethanol .... ... "While there are many sustainable
July 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Osaka City University Develops CO2 Consuming Biofuel Cell Utilizing Microalgae Spirulina
(Japan for Sustainability) Osaka City University announced on April 25, 2018, that it succeeded in developing a new biofuel cell system with the functions of a solar cell and the ability of carbon dioxide conversion. Utilizing the photosynthesis function of spirulina,
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
NPPD Part of DOE Study to Develop Integrated CO2 Collection, Transportation, and Storage Infrastructure
(Nebraska Public Power District) Nebraska Public Power District is taking another step forward in the carbon world with a second Department of Energy (DOE) study. This most recent initiative has a goal of developing an integrated carbon dioxide (CO2) collection,
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 18th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In today’s Digest, wool without the sheep, fuels from water and C)2, bacteria-powered solar cells, spectral imagery in the sky, artificial intelligence in the crop field, sugar-based straws and more, ready for you now at The
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Climate Pollutants Fall Below 1990 Levels for First Time
(California Air Resources Board) Emissions down 13% since their 2004 peak while economy grew 26% -- ... The transportation sector, the state’s largest source of greenhouse gases, saw a 2 percent increase in emissions in 2016 because of increased fuel consumption. But
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Royal Netherlands Air Force First to Operate F-16 Fighting Falcon on SAF
(Bioenergy International) Over the next fortnight, one F-16 Fighting Falcon of the Royal Netherlands Air Force will operate from Leeuwarden Air Base on a 5 percent blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), supplied by SkyNRG, a Netherlands-headed sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
July 11, 2018 Read Full Article
An FAQ on 45Q: What Federal Carbon Storage Tax Credit Means for Midwest
by Frank Jossi (Energy News) A federal tax credit passed earlier this year could increase the amount of carbon being stored underground. The revamped “45Q” tax credit boosts the amount of money available to companies willing to capture and store carbon
July 11, 2018 Read Full Article
From Water to Hydrogen Biofuel – ASU Uses Light-Driven Energy Extraction
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Arizona, Arizona State University researcher Kevin Redding is working on biological, light-driven energy extraction. Redding, a biochemist who leads the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis at ASU, is producing hydrogen biofuel from water instead of
July 09, 2018 Read Full Article
From LanzaTech to Sierra Energy and the Latest Research, Syngas Is on Fire
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Syngas, or synthesis gas, is on fire lately, with new technologies making the most of waste products like CO2 or low-grade biomass and converting them into useful hot stuff like syngas that can then be
July 09, 2018 Read Full Article
In a Q&A with The Washington Post on Friday, Wheeler Showed He Differs from Pruitt
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) In a Q&A with The Washington Post on Friday, (EPA Acting Administrator Scott) Wheeler showed he differs from Pruitt in at least one major way. He said he considers an endangerment finding that is the agency's
July 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Boss of Teesside Plant at Centre of Beer CO2 Shortage Explains How to Stop Future Problems
by Kelly Price (Teeside Live) Ensus says a change in the law on PETROL could secure its future - and keep the CO2 flowing to the food and drink industry -- Bosses of a Teesside ethanol plant at the centre of the
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
ICAO Council Reaches Landmark Decision on Aviation Emissions Offsetting
(International Civil Aviation Organization) The ICAO Council made important headway today on the key international standards supporting the UN aviation agency’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or ‘CORSIA’. Its adoption of the First Edition of Annex 16, Volume IV,
July 03, 2018 Read Full Article
AAPCA Releases 2018 Edition of The Greatest Story Seldom Told
(Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies) Today, the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) released the 2018 edition of The Greatest Story Seldom Told: Profiles and Success Stories in Air Pollution Control. State and local air agencies have been at the
July 03, 2018 Read Full Article
The Yosemite Sam of the Microbial World, Hot Rodded Lichen, BYO Nitrogen, The Microbial Marx Brother, Sexy Hexy and More: The DOE Delves into New Orgamsism for Fuels & Chems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The meanest, nastiest, ornierest, heat-seeking organism ever found that munches biomass and other microbes that got a booster via the DOE’s $40M grants for advanced microbes R&D. And aromatics without the mess, a sky-vacumming organism and
June 28, 2018 Read Full Article
New Catalyst Upgrades Carbon Dioxide to Fuels Found by USTC
(EurekAlert!/University of Science and Technology of China) Liquid multi-carbon alcohols such as ethanol and n-propanol are desired as renewable transportation fuels. They offer high energy densities, ease of long-range transport, and direct drop-in usage in existing internal combustion engines. Engineering catalysts
June 26, 2018 Read Full Article
How Induced Innovation Lowers the Cost of a Carbon Tax
by Joe Kennedy (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation) Evidence shows a carbon tax will induce innovation that will lower the cost of reducing CO2 emissions. If the revenues are recycled to expand tax incentives for research and capital investment, a modest
June 25, 2018 Read Full Article
High-Performance: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Avantium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The company is now safely emerged from its celebrated IPO, and is embarked on the development of the first commercial plant project with its JV partner BASF — so, its been a big period and even
June 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Can Climate Change Be Stopped by Turning Air into Gasoline?
by David Fridley and Richard Heinberg (Renewable Energy World) The headline of this article was composed simply by rephrasing the title of a popular recent piece in The Atlantic — “Climate Change Can Be Stopped by Turning Air into Gasoline” — as a question.
June 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Indian Researchers Create an Artificial Leaf Which Consumes Sunlight and Carbon Dioxide to Produce Energy
by Amit Jha (Crazy Engineers) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore have found a novel approach to produce energy by using sunlight and carbon dioxide. By using a collection of quantum dots made up of Copper Aluminium Sulphate and Zinc
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA to Change How It Considers Costs, Benefits of Regulations COMMENTS DEADLINE: July 13, 2018
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On June 7, the U.S. EPA issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, announcing the agency is soliciting public input on whether and how to change the way it considers costs and benefits in making
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
The Carbon Rescuers: 20 Top Waste Projects and Breakthroughs that Capture Used Carbon from the Waste Pile for New Uses
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
ABO Secures Unprecedented $136 Million For Algae and Related Projects — Deadlines Approaching
(Algae Biomass Organization) ABO’s ongoing work in Washington, DC, to educate Congress and federal agencies on the importance of robust algae research, development and demonstration has resulted in the release of an unprecedented series of funding opportunities for algae. Deadlines for
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre Officially Opens
(InnoTech Alberta) InnoTech Alberta, an applied research subsidiary of Alberta Innovates, today announced the official opening of the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre (ACCTC). InnoTech Alberta is the owner and operator of this pioneering clean technology centre. Users of the ACCTC will
May 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Waiver Wire: Why Is the Biofuels Industry up in Arms about Oil Refinery Waivers?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But they’re part of the Washington dialogue this month, waivers and easy outs, since reports surfaced in media that the US Environmental Protection Agency granted a Renewable Fuel Standard hardship waiver for CVR Energy’s Wynnewood, Oklahoma
May 22, 2018 Read Full Article
The Interaction of the Clean Air Act, California's CAA Waiver, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Renewable Fuel Standards and California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Trump Administration is taking a new look at Obama Administration era Co2 regulations. On the transportation side, these include reviewing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards; threatening to take away California’s authority to set
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Congressman Veasey Introduces Bipartisan Energy Research Legislation
(Office of Congressman Marc Veasey) The Fossil Energy Research and Development Act would set the course for the next generation of climate change mitigation -- Today, Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Science Committee’s Energy Subcommittee, along with Congressman David
May 15, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Manhattan Institute
The Manhattan Institute looked at "zero emission vehicles" and found: Broad-based adoption of ZEVs will increase overall emissions of sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and particulates, compared with the same number of new internal combustion engines. The simple fact is
May 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Short Circuit: The High Cost of Electric Vehicle Subsidies
(Manhattan Institute) Many claim that “zero-emissions vehicles” (ZEVs), especially battery-powered electric vehicles, should replace most, if not all, cars and trucks powered by gasoline-burning internal combustion engines. The primary rationale is to reduce air pollution and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. To effect
May 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Electricity-Based Fuels: As Much as Needed for the Sake of the Climate, as Little as Possible for the Sake of Efficiency
(Agora Verkehrswende and Agora Energiewende) ... The production of power-based synthetic fuels is a multi-stage process. First, clean energy from wind or PV electrolyzes water into hydrogen and oxygen. Then, the hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide to create gaseous or
May 09, 2018 Read Full Article
New Research Shows the Health Benefits of Ethanol-Fueled Cookstoves
by Jieyi Lu (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Today, about three billion people still cook and heat their homes with traditional stoves and solid fuels worldwide. These fuels and stoves are major contributors to household air pollution in the developing world.
May 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Secretary Perry Announces Up to $78 Million for Bioenergy Research Funding Opportunities LOI due May 30, 2018
Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced four funding opportunities totaling up to $78 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office. “The Department of Energy is focused
May 03, 2018 Read Full Article
What’s the Latest in Bioenergy R&D, DOE? The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to US DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office establishes partnerships with key public and private stakeholders to develop technologies for producing cost-competitive advanced biofuels from non-food biomass resources, including cellulosic biomass, algae, and wet waste (e.g.,
May 03, 2018 Read Full Article
To Meet Emission Reductions Objectives in Transport, Sustainable Renewable Fuels Are an Important Part of the Solution
(Methanol Institute/EIN Presswire) The Methanol Institute (MI), the trade association representing the global methanol industry this week released a paper providing input for the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) trilogue procedure currently underway between the European Council, Parliament and Commission. The Methanol
May 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Syngenta: Cellerate Technology Can Benefit Ethanol Producers
(Syngenta/Ethanol Producer Magazine) As ethanol plants seek new ways to be more competitive, advances in corn kernel fiber to ethanol processes have shown significant promise in adding value through the diversification of product streams. “Over the last decade, existing dry grind ethanol
April 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Ace Ethanol to Install D3MAX Technology at Its Stanley, Wisconsin Facility
(BBI International/PR Newswire) Adoption of both D3MAX and Whitefox Technologies will result in making the Stanley ethanol plant one of the most efficient ethanol facilities in the world. -- D3MAX, LLC and Ace Ethanol, LLC announced today that Ace Ethanol will be the first ethanol
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Capture Could Be a Financial Opportunity for US Biofuels
(Stanford University/Phys.Org) Although considered critical to avoiding catastrophic global warming, the feasibility of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it underground - known as negative emissions - has been in question. But researchers at Stanford and other institutions have found
April 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Tapping Biogas for the Renewable Hydrogen That We Really, Really Need
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... For those newer to the field, one of the problems of using biomass to make a fuel is that a carbohydrate contains around 53% oxygen by weight and needs about 16% more hydrogen that it
April 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Chemicals, a Second Life for Carbon: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech has developed a fully sustainable integrative gas to fuels and chemicals platform that has no impact on food, water security or high biodiversity land use. LanzaTech’s gas fermentation platform disrupts the current highly centralized global energy
April 19, 2018 Read Full Article
The $20 Million Carbon XPRIZE: The 10 Finalists, Revealed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, XPRIZE announced the 10 teams advancing to the final round in the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. The 10 finalists, each taking home an equal share of a $5 million milestone prize, were revealed
April 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Algae with Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage
(Algae Industry Magazine) The University of Hawaii at Hilo announced that in affiliation with Duke and Cornell Universities, researchers have authored a study that suggests making croplands more efficient through algae production could unlock an important negative emission technology to combat
April 16, 2018 Read Full Article
CO2 Use Is Slowly Picking up Speed
(Bio-based News/nova-Institut) First semi-commercial facilities, technical advances, but political support still unclear -- 6th Conference on Carbon Dioxides as Feedstock for Fuels, Chemistry and Polymers in Cologne, 15-16 March, showed state of the art technologies, current levels of investment as well as
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
What’s Next in Cellulosic Biofuels and Biogas?: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Iogen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Iogen says it has “one of the world’s largest and most experienced teams in developing, designing, de-bugging, scaling-up and deploying cellulosic biofuel technology. We’re using innovative thinking and disciplined engineering to transform cellulosic biofuels into real, reliable
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
New Federal Budget Puts Price on Carbon
by Joshua D. Rhodes (University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute) Expanded Carbon Credit Could Spur New Coal Power Investment -- The Furthering carbon capture, Utilization, Technology, Underground storage, and Reduced Emissions (FUTURE) Act, part of the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of
March 19, 2018 Read Full Article
CO2 Reuse Summit --- May 16-17, 2018 --- Zurich, Switzerland
The world is constantly looking for pathways to sustainable future. One of the biggest issues are increasing CO2 emissions, which are causing the global warming. Scientists from around the globe developed several technologies enabling us to turn carbon dioxide into
March 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Airgas to Build Two Production Facilities in California
(Airgas/Business Wire) Airgas USA, LLC, an Air Liquide company, today announced plans to increase its presence in California with the construction of a new liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) production facility in Stockton, CA and the expansion of an air separation unit
March 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Engineering Clostridia: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to n-Butanol Production from Biomass and CO2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE is supporting a project to develop engineered clostridia strains and fermentation process that can directly utilize cellulose and fix CO2 for n-butanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. The engineered strains can be used in fermentation to
March 05, 2018 Read Full Article
BETO Publishes Engineered Carbon Reduction Listening Day Summary Report, Announces Rewiring Initiative
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Rewiring the Carbon Economy: Engineered Carbon Reduction Listening Day Summary Report is now online! Read this new workshop summary for an overview of advanced strategies to use carbon dioxide
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Bio-CCS and Bio-CCUS in Climate Change Mitigation--Market and Regulatory Issues Related to Bio-CCUS
(International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 41) The fourth IEA Bioenergy Task 41 workshop on Bio-CC(U)S was organized in Brussels 16 January 2018. The topic of the workshop was Market and regulatory issues related to Bio-CCUS. The workshop was a full day event divided
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon-Negative Fuels in the Spotlight as Ohio State, Argonne National Labs, Energy Vision Make Material Progress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The biggest news along that front represents early-stage technology, but we read here that engineers at Ohio State announced that they’ve devised a process that under certain circumstances can convert coal, shale gas and biomass into electricity or syngas,
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Catalysts, Cleaning and Cook
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s not every day that scientists stumble upon novel ways to make biofuel, but that’s exactly what Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have done by discovering that a simple catalyst based on carbon, nitrogen and
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In his article suggesting scrapping Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in favor of a Clean Air Act life cycle analysis-based methodology for CO2 transportation emission reduction, Bob Kozak advised, "(I)f anyone asks what will be the economic incentive for a
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Let’s Regulate CO2 Emissions, and Forget the 55.4 MPG 2025 Corporate Annual Fuel Economy Standard: The Inexpensive Way to Quickly Reduce Green House Gases
by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard of 54.5 miles/gallon has become a significant issue since the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Besides the Administration’s near religious fervor against
February 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Air Liquide Opens a Unique CO2 Recovery Plant in Johnstown, ON
(Air Liquide) Air Liquide invested over $30 million these past two years to build this new facility and enhance its bulk distribution fleet in Ontario and Quebec. Air Liquide Canada, a subsidiary of the Air Liquide Group, world leader in gases, technologies
February 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Emergent Research Could Forge New Paths to Biodiesel's Future
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Young scientists presented their ongoing biodiesel research projects during a panel at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo last week in Fort Worth, Texas. The students are part of the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel, a
February 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol's Next Breakthrough? Turning Greenhouse Gas into Fuel.
by Kevin Hardy (Des Moines Register) ... Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory unintentionally uncovered a process that uses tiny bits of carbon and copper to convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into ethanol fuel. While the research remains in its preliminary phase, it could
February 05, 2018 Read Full Article
European Union to Prioritize Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(Air Transport Action Group) The aviation industry today welcomed a move by the European Parliament to ensure that sustainable aviation fuel is a key component of the future of air transport. The European Parliament this week adopted its position on
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Illinois Soybean Association : B20 Biodiesel Use Translates To $1.2M Health Cost Savings
(4-Traders) New calculations show an estimated $1.2 million in health cost savings for Illinois communities where B20 biodiesel fuel is used routinely in diesel vehicles. The calculations come from data submitted by 15 members of the B20 Club, a partnership between the Illinois
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Soaring SUV Sales Drive Record-Low Carbon Emissions, EPA Says
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) ... "Sport utility vehicles reached record-high market share, while also achieving record-low CO2 emissions and record high fuel economy," according to the Environmental Protection Agency's report on model-year 2016 vehicles' fuel economy trends. Smaller two-wheel drive
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Air Traffic Control the Netherlands Becomes KLM’s Latest Biofuel Partner
(SkyNRG) Air Traffic Control the Netherlands is joining KLM’s Corporate BioFuel Programme. This will enable KLM to increase investment in sustainable biofuel. Air Traffic Control the Netherlands will buy sustainable biofuel for all its business flights. “Sustainable biofuel makes a structural contribution
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Dioxide to Chemicals and Fuels
by Ron Cascone (Nexant, Inc.) Shown here is a current version of an iconic cost curve, or “stack chart” generated in an ongoing analysis started by the Scandinavian utility, Vattenfall, and carried on by McKinsey & Co and the US EPA, of
January 18, 2018 Read Full Article
New Process for Producing Methane Discovered by American Biochemists
by JP Casey (Power Technology) ... A team of biochemists from Utah State University and the University of Washington has reported a variation in the process of nitrogenase which can “transform carbon dioxide into methane in a single, enzymatic step”. Typically,
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
From CO2 to Algae
(Algae Industry Magazine) How can the construction industry do its share to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases connected to global warming? In the urgent search for answers, Votorantim Cimentos and Pond Technologies are taking part in a cutting edge project
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Boosting Ethanol’s Value via CO2 Use: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to White Dog Labs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) US-based White Dog Labs have developed a new process that eliminates the production of CO2, a potent greenhouse gas, during fermentation and instead shifts the carbon to added ethanol production, boosting fermentation yields by around 50
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Projects Named as Semi-Finalists in Ontario Competition
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Ontario Centres of Excellence have announced 20 semi-finalists for Ontario’s Solutions 2030 Challenge, which calls on innovators to propose solutions to help the province’s industry reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution. Several of the finalists
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
As Ships Risk “Unseaworthy” Rating, Warns IMO, Bioenergy Is a Key to Saving Them
by Ron Cascone (Nexant) Reuters reported on November 16, 2017 an International Maritime Organization (IMO) declaration that ships not meeting stack sulfur emission limits through reductions in the sulfur content of their fuel or by installing scrubbers risk being declared “unseaworthy”. Ship
December 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Brazilian Ethanol Can Replace 13.7 Percent of World's Crude Oil Consumption
( São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP/EurekAlert!) Expansion of sugarcane cultivation for biofuel in areas not under environmental protection or reserved for food production could also reduce global emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 5.6%, according to a study by
November 30, 2017 Read Full Article
From Conventional to Advantaged: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis owns and operates 110 million gallons per year of ethanol and biodiesel facilities in the US and India, and is upgrading the plants using patented technology to produce lower carbon, higher value advanced biofuels and
November 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Carbon Emissions by Plant Respiration Will Have Large Impact on Climate
(EurekAlert!/University of Minnesota) Study finds that emission rates are 30 percent higher than previously predicted -- New findings by researchers from the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), who partnered with scientists from across the world,
November 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Does Regulating Indirect Land Use Change Work? The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to ILUC Reform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana professor Madhu Khanna has been raising issues with including an indirect land use change factor for compliance with low carbon fuel standards. Why, since ILUC is a required calculation for the Renewable Fuel
November 20, 2017 Read Full Article
A Green Take on Carbon Dioxide
by Sam A. Rushing (Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd./Biofuels Digest) ... This thought represents giving hope to CO2 recovery from biofuels, via understanding uses for the commodity; as well as helping our planet. ... Many experts remain optimistic about taming the GHG beast, through renewable energy,
November 15, 2017 Read Full Article
30 Hot Cellulosic Technologies, 30 Quick Takes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, DowDuPont said it was exiting the cellulosic biofuels business and you’d think that the company just burned down the warehouse with the original text of the Renewable Fuels Standard — the coverage of the
November 14, 2017 Read Full Article
New England Power Generators Association/Environmental NGO Letter on Regional Transportation Emissions
(New England Power Generators Association) NEPGA letter – with the Acadia Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists – calling for a regional approach to lowering transportation emissions in a market based manner. READ MORE Excerpts from
November 07, 2017 Read Full Article
KLM and Costa Rica Start Unique Cooperation to Make Aviation More Sustainable
(KLM) The Costa Rican government and KLM have joined hands to combat carbon dioxide emissions. Over the coming months, they will research the possibilities of flying from San Jose using bio-based jet fuel. Right now, sustainable aviation fuel is the most
November 07, 2017 Read Full Article
10 Disruptive Israeli Companies that Can Wean the World off Fossil Fuels
by Abigail Klein Leichman (Israel 21c) ... H2 Energy Now is building a prototype battery-free solution for storing and increasing the usability of alternative energy from intermittent sources – sun and wind – to meet times of peak demand reliably. Radio
October 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Carbon Negative, Compression Ignition: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Oberon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oberon Fuels is facilitating the growth of the DME transportation industry by converting biogas and other hydrocarbon rich waste streams to higher valued commodities such as DME. Using its proprietary small-scale process, Oberon makes DME and
October 26, 2017 Read Full Article
One-Step Reforming of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Yields Fuels, Chemicals
by S. Himmelstein (Engineering 360/IEEE) A new plasma synthesis process promises to enhance greenhouse gas emissions control while producing valuable chemical feedstocks. The technology developed at University of Liverpool allows for the direct, one-step activation of carbon dioxide and methane into higher value liquid
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Production with the Sun, the Sea and Thermochemical Reactions
by Marcius Extavour (XPRIZE/Biofuels Digest) ... Hydrocarbon drop-in fuels are among the leading products targeted by the CO2 conversion community, be it diesel, methanol, butanol, or others. New approaches to the science and technology of CO2-to-fuels may alter the energetics, the economics,
October 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Ideal Carbon Source for Advanced Oil Recovery
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Occidental Petroleum Corp. injects about 1 billion cubic feet per day of carbon dioxide into oil reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), said Daniel Keiser, the company’s manager of commercial development. That CO2 comes mostly from
October 03, 2017 Read Full Article
MSU Research to Harness Algae to Contain Power Plant Emissions
(Michigan State University) Michigan State University scientists will explore new algae-based technologies to capture power plant emissions and sustainably turn them into valuable products. The research project, funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, unites faculty from
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Solar-to-Fuel System Recycles CO2 to Make Ethanol and Ethylene
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Solar-to-Fuel System Recycles CO2 to Make Ethanol and Ethylene -- Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and alcohols
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Investing in Sustainable Greenhouse Growing Systems
(Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/Cision) Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry is an important driver of economic growth in Canada. The Government of Canada continues to support the sector as it reduces emissions and adopts sustainable practices that lead to more efficient use of water and
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
How Two Microbes Joined Forces to Produce Bio-diesel from Carbon Waste
by Tv Jayan (The Hindu) JNU researchers discover bacteria from Rajasthan, Ladakh, use them as catalysts -- Using microbes growing in two diverse climatic conditions, Indian scientists have found a way to convert carbon-rich waste materials into bio-fuel. A team of
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Plastic Stretches Towards the New: Top 10 Trendlines in Bioplastics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Plant Bottle has generated so much goodwill and publicity for its 30% renewable, sustainable content (and that biobased MEG) that it’s easy to forget that there are several paths being chased to 100% renewable
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Cyborg Bacteria Outperform Plants When Turning Sunlight into Useful Compounds
(American Chemical Society) ... “Rather than rely on inefficient chlorophyll to harvest sunlight, I’ve taught bacteria how to grow and cover their bodies with tiny semiconductor nanocrystals,” says Kelsey K. Sakimoto, Ph.D., who carried out the research in the lab
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Methanol and Bio-Economy: Now and the Future
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Methanol and bioeconomies are two of the buzz words of the last decade. They had their origin in the “peak oil” scare and the predicted sky rocketing oil prices. They were further
August 25, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Posts Materials for SAB Review of Biogenic CO2 Framework
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has posted new materials related to a quality review scheduled to be conducted by the Scientific Advisory Board on the agency’s draft framework for assessing biogenic carbon dioxide emissions from stationary
August 25, 2017 Read Full Article
6th Conference on Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock for Fuels, Chemistry and Polymers --- March 15-16, 2018 --- Cologne, Germany
Meet leading international experts at one of the leading events on Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) in the world! Big visions – and also real potential! The usage of carbon dioxide, among experts referred to as Carbon Capture & Utilization
August 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Carbon Conversion
by Whitney Clavin (California Institute of Technology) A new additive helps researchers more selectively convert CO2 to multicarbon fuels -- Chemists have figured out a new, more efficient way to create carbon-based fuels from carbon dioxide (CO2). In chemical reactions performed
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
A Smart, Faster Path to Zero Lifecycle Emission: Advances from the EU in Direct Carbon Capture from Air
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The most scalable solution is liquid fuels that use water, captured CO2 and renewable electricity. ... Thinkers have been coming around to the realization that this might be the most sustainable path, notwithstanding the joys of
August 08, 2017 Read Full Article
HGVs Fuelled with Compressed Biomethane Emit 84% Less CO2
(Bioenergy Insight) Lorries using the UK’s first gas filling station emitted 84% less carbon dioxide (CO2) than equivalent diesel vehicles, a newly released study claims. The UK’s biggest gas network, Cadent, commissioned independent analysis of the first 14 months of operation
August 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Italy’s ‘First’ Municipal Waste to Methane Plant Inaugurated
(Bioenergy Insight) A new plant for the production of biomethane and carbon dioxide has been inaugurated and started operation in Montello, Italy. The biogas upgrading plant is the ‘first’ in Italy able to produce biomethane and carbon dioxide exclusively from
July 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Becoming a Carbon Superhero: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech has developed a fully sustainable integrative gas to fuels and chemicals platform that has no impact on food, water security or high biodiversity land use. LanzaTech’s gas fermentation platform disrupts the current highly centralized global
July 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Indian Oil’s Landmark Project for Fuels+, from Refinery Waste CO2: The Partner? It’s LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Turkey, at the World Petroleum Congress, India’s flagship national oil company Indian Oil Corporation and carbon recycler LanzaTech unveiled a Statement of Intent to construct the world’s first refinery off gas-to-bioethanol production facility in
July 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Capturing CO2: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae-Based CO2 Sequestration
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE completed an illuminating workshop on Carbon Capture and Sequestration with relation to algae-based technologies, and The Digest has prepared a selection of key slides presented by AquaFiber, Pacific Northwest National Lab, University of
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Stanford Discovery Could Lead to Sustainable Source of the Fuel Additive Ethanol
by Mark Schwartz (Stanford News) Most of the fuel additive ethanol used in the U.S. is made from corn. But new research reveals that copper can turn carbon dioxide into ethanol without using corn or other plants. ... A recent discovery by
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
From Sun to Pump: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Direct Photosynthetic Production of Biodiesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Arizona State’s Wim Vermaas gave this illuminating overview of Direct Photosynthetic Production of Biodiesel by Decoupled Cyanobacteria at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Algae from Thin Air: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae Biofuels Using Atmospheric CO2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Michael Huessmann and John Benemann gave this illuminating overview of Microalgae Biofuels Production on CO2 from Air at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
BIC Announces New SIRA Roadmap to Develop Europe’s Bioeconomy
(Bio-based Industries Consortium) To help build a resource-efficient, circular and bio-based economy, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) has announced its new Strategic and Research Agenda (SIRA). The SIRA identifies the activities needed to speed up the development of sustainable and
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuels from Thin Air: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Soletair Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Soletair process, developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology, is using carbon dioxide and solar power to produce renewable fuels and chemicals and has reached an end-to-end small
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Making Ethanol from CO2 at ORNL Sparks Considerable Interest
by Carolyn Krause (OakRidger) ... According to the video, the ORNL nanotechnology researchers were experimenting with graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms linked together in hexagons somewhat like chicken wire. Their intention was to use this nanomaterial to stimulate
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
ND Ethanol Plant Could Become First in US to Store Carbon Underground
by Ellie Potter (Grand Forks Herald) Red Trail Energy may soon be the first ethanol plant in the United States to store carbon dioxide underground as part of an environmental and economic effort. Last month, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., secured
June 07, 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
Scania Euro 6 Ethanol Truck Joins the Exhibition Next Week!
(Svebio) We’re pleased to inform that the Scania Euro 6 ethanol truck joins the vehicle exhibition at Advanced Biofuels Conference next week. Time to change the game Globally, transport is a major source of fossil CO2 emissions. On the bright side, this
May 15, 2017 Read Full Article
The Commission's Proposal on the Revision of the Renewable Energies Directive (RED II): Impacts on Bio-Based Materials and CO 2 Use
(Bio-Based News (Google Translation)) The nova Institute has analyzed the Commission's new RED II proposal and presented the most important results in one paper. CO 2 -based fuels are on the up, but the uneven treatment of the bio-based materials remains.
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
COSIA NRG Carbon XPRIZE: Tech Innovators Stalk a Stealthy WMD
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Among the climate warriors fighting CO2 build-up, perhaps the most ambitious are those who are seeking to use CO2 to make industrial materials, fuels or chemicals — displacing the need to use oil or gas
April 25, 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
US-Based Researchers Develop System for Converting Waste Methane to Microbial Biomass
by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight) A new paper by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) describes a process that captures methane from natural gas and biogas and that uses photosynthesis to convert it into biomass feedstock. The new paper is called ‘A
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
UAI Challenges CRC Ethanol Study, Calls Test Procedures Flawed
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Urban Air Initiative is calling the results of a new Coordinating Research Council emissions study “one more example of the biased and flawed testing procedures used to penalize ethanol.” The ethanol advocacy group said Wednesday CRC’s match
March 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Develops New System to Enhance AD Process
(Bioenergy Insight) US-based science and engineering centre Argonne National Laboratory has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts and enhance the process of anaerobic digestion (AD). According to the organisation, the digestion of wastewater can