by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here are the Top 10 Trendlines we saw and heard from the 8000+ delegates and viewers at ABLC 2020. 1. The thundering herd. One informed firm that does extensive amounts of technology scouting, due diligence and market price
conversion technology
Back TO HOMEBioenergy Technologies Office 2019 R&D State of Technology
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) funds research and development (R&D) on technologies necessary for the deployment and production of costcompetitive bioenergy, primarily biofuels. Results of experimental efforts are periodically compiled and compared
July 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Way to Improve the Production of Renewable Biofuels and Bioproducts
by Liz Gyekye (BioMarket Insights) Researchers at the US-based Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have used neutron scattering and supercomputing to better understand how an organic solvent and water work together to break down plant biomass, creating a
July 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the City of Calgary with Steeper Energy Canada Ltd.
(Steeper Energy Canada) The City of Calgary “The City” and Steeper Energy Canada Ltd. (“Steeper Energy”) are pleased to announce a new cooperation agreement, by way of an MoU, regarding the future transformation of The City’s sewage sludge and other
July 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Without Advanced Renewable Fuels, EU Will Not Meet Climate Objectives
(Advance Fuel) Long-term policy support is crucial to the market rollout of RESfuels to remedy transport’s reliance on fossil fuels, leading European research institutes confirm. -- Transport makes up one-quarter of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe and is
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Towards a Green Future: Efficient Laser Technique Can Convert Cellulose into Biofuel
(Tech Xplore/Tokyo University of Science) ... The plant-based polymer cellulose is the most abundant form of biomass globally and can be converted into raw materials such as glucose and xylose for the production of bioethanol (a type of biofuel). But
June 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Publishes Updated "What's the Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable (Green) Diesel?" Adds "What Renewable Fuels Can Be Used in Compression Ignition Engines?"
(Advanced Biofuels USA) Since 2011, one of Advanced Biofuels USA's most popular publications has been "What's the Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable (Green) Diesel?" The update of this paper has been expanded to answer the question, "What Renewable Fuels Can
June 08, 2020 Read Full Article
The 4 Pillars for Successful Biofuels Project Investment
by David P. Smoot (Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, LLC) Increased investment interest is on the horizon for companies working in the renewable energy sector. One of these long-term investment opportunities that’s timely and tangible is in renewable biomass to fuel initiatives. One very
June 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Bioliquids and Their Use in Power Generation – A Technology Review
by T.Seljak, M.Buffi, A.Valera-Medina, C.T.Chong, D.Chiaramonti, T.Katrašnik (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews) -A systematic and holistic assessment of relevant properties of bioliquids. -New technical advances of piston engines and micro gas turbines using bioliquids. -A detailed analysis of required power
June 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Licella and Unnmukt Urja Sign MOU to Explore Rice Straw Residues to Biofuel Opportunity in India
(Licella) India generates approximately 683 million tons of dry agricultural biomass every year. Biomass residues generated from rice crops account for approximately 178 million tons of this. The current practice to deal with rice straw residues (the waste biomass left behind
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Q&A on Cellulosic Ethanol with Clariant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect hosted a wildly popular webinar in late April with Clariant’s Head of Business Line, Biofuels & Derivatives at Clariant but there were so many fantastic audience questions we didn’t to, that we decided to follow
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
15 Newest Projects – Who’s Got What Underway?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) While the world may be at a standstill,there are still many projects going on and moving forward. But where are these projects? Who’s involved? How far along are they? What are they working on? From
April 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Retrofits for Europe’s Industry – Handbook Published
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) The BIOFIT consortium has now published a handbook on “Technical options for retrofitting industries with bioenergy”. The handbook includes arguments for retrofitting, describes the retrofitting process and its impact on public perception, summarizes the European biomass potential and logistics
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
The Competitive Edge: Vertimass LLC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vertimass seeks to commercialize novel catalytic technology for low cost conversion of ethanol into hydrocarbon fuels to overcome obstacles that limit ethanol use in gasoline for light duty vehicles and open up new ethanol markets for
March 20, 2020 Read Full Article
A Decade of Progress in California? Not for Its Recycling Rate
by Jim Stewart (Bioenergy Producers Association/Renewable Energy Project Development and Finance/Biofuels Digest) The volume of post-recycled municipal solid waste (MSW) being placed in California’s landfills has been steadily climbing for the past decade, during which time the state’s legislature, with its
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production Pathway Approved by ASTM
(Biofuels International) ASTM International has approved a new production pathway for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), created by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG). The new production pathway, which is called catalytic hydrothermolysis jet (CHJ), is expected to
February 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Direct Funding Opportunity (DFO) for Computational Science to Enable Bioenergy DEADLINE March 31, 2020
(Consortium for Computational Physics and Chemistry (CCPC) of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) of the U.S. Department of Energy) Overview: The Consortium for Computational Physics and Chemistry (CCPC) of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is offering directed funding assistance for interested
February 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Engineered Bacteria for Acetone and Drop-in Fuels from Syngas: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech’s Acetone Platform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sean Simpson and Michael Köpke from LanzaTech and researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on developing and scaling up a novel technology platform for direct conversion of biomass syngas to acetone, which can be
February 18, 2020 Read Full Article
From Woody Biomass to Renewable Fuels: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Red Rock Biofuels’ Lakeview Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Red Rock’s Lakeview site broke ground in July 2018 but what’s the status now? Just ask Red Rock’s Jeff Manternach, Co-founder and CFO, who gave this illuminating presentation at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco. He
January 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Making Biodiesel Profitable Without Tax Credits?
by Etienne Sturm (Air Liquide/Biodiesel Magazine) Many U.S. biodiesel producers have faced financial challenges due to absence of the blenders tax credit, but a novel process can be retrofitted into existing facilities and improve economics by up to $1.30 a
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
A Look into the Maximum Potential Availability and Demand for Low-Carbon Feedstocks/Fuels in Europe (2020–2050) (Literature Review)
(Concawe) In light of the EU’s ambitious targets for achieving a lowcarbon economy by 2030, Concawe has completed a study of the long-term availability of low-carbon feedstocks and fuels, and the associated costs, based on a literature review. This article
December 21, 2019 Read Full Article
First Joint Workshop -- Five European H2020 Projects and the Norwegian National Centre Bio4Fuels : Potential of Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) Routes for Biofuel Production
(HyFlexFuel) The first joined Expert Workshop took place on the 19th November 2019 in Brussels. Almost 100 participants attended, making the workshop very successful. A number of industry speakers, as well as research speakers have given presentations which can be found
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Confessions of a Biorefiner: Green Plains’ Journey into the Land of High-Value Proteins, and the Who, What and Why of That
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week news came out of a partnership between Novozymes and Green Plains to use biological technology to extract more value from corn protein, at what used to be known as corn ethanol plants, but with
December 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Biotech Breakthrough Turns Waste Biomass into High Value Chemicals
(University of Manchester) A move towards a more sustainable bio-based economy has been given a new boost by researchers who have been able to simplify a process to transform waste materials into high value chemicals. A collaboration between the UK and
November 26, 2019 Read Full Article
LanzaTech Moves Forward on Sustainable Aviation Scale Up in the USA and Japan
(LanzaTech) Carbon recycling pioneer, LanzaTech, continues to make strides in scaling up its alcohol to jet (ATJ) platform. Commercialization of the ATJ process has been years in the making, starting with the partnership between LanzaTech and the U.S Energy Department’s Pacific
November 26, 2019 Read Full Article
The Role of Chemical Recycling in a Circular Economy and Effective Waste Management
by Zoltan Kish (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... At the same time, we have a tremendous business opportunity to convert waste into usable sustainable products. According to a market study report prepared by Market Insights Reports, the smart waste management market was valued at
November 19, 2019 Read Full Article
“The Thing to Remember Is that It’s Agriculture.” Manta's New Way to Think about Algal Biofuel
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Not only is the Manta Biofuel system a way to grow, harvest and process algae into oil that can be used for heating or powering heavy duty engines or ocean-going vessels, or as a
November 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Galicia-Based Project Has Produced Enough Biogas to Travel 135,000 km
(NGV Journal/EnergyLab) With the assistance of the Minister of Economy, Business and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia, Francisco Conde López, the presentation of the results of the Renewable Gas Mixed Research Unit, developed by Naturgy and the EnergyLab Technology
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
The Bioeconomy Initiative: Implementation Framework Published by Interagency Collaboration under the Biomass Research and Development Board
(Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board) Created through the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, the Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board facilitates coordination among federal government agencies that affect the research and development of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. Since
November 01, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Breakthroughs at the Bioenergy Research Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Over 10 years (2007–2017), three Bioenergy Research Centers produced multiple breakthroughs in the form of deepened understanding of sustainable biomass production practices, targeted re-engineering of biomass feedstocks, development of new methods for deconstructing feedstocks, and
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
The Potential of Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) Routes for Biofuels Production
(Netwerk Betreibstoffe/BEsustainable Magazine Autumn 2019) Hydrothermal Liquefaction is one of the most promising technologies for the conversion of sustainable biomass into renewable transport fuels. Five European research and innovation projects and the Norwegian National Centre Bio4Fuels are jointly organizing an expert
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Catch & Kill: The Velocys, Oxy, Cemvita, Carbon Engineering, BHP, Ginkgo Chase to Catch Waste, Kill Emissions, Armed with New Organisms to Liberate Value
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Mississippi, Velocys’ Bayou Fuels project has signed with Oxy Low Carbon Ventures to capture carbon dioxide from Velocys’ planned Bayou Fuels biomass-to-fuels project in Natchez, Mississippi, and securely store it underground in a geologic
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Algae Harmony with HTL: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrothermal Liquefaction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Converting algae to fuels is challenging. But PNNL is working on developing process models and techno-economic analysis to inform hydrothermal liquefaction algae conversion research for fuels and chemicals. Check out what Susanne Jones and others
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Replacing the Barrel: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Conversion Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Developing efficient and economical biological and chemical technologies to convert biomass feedstocks into energy-dense liquid transportation fuels, such as renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, as well as bioproducts, chemical intermediates, and biopower is the primary goal
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Use It or Lose It: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Waste Carbon Utilization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) CO2 is one of those things you love to hate, but it’s there and it’s not going away, so if we don’t find a way to use it, isn’t it a missed opportunity? As part
September 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Development Renewable Fuels Paper as Support to the UPEI 2050 Vision
by Eric van den Heuve (VOF studio Gear Up/UPEI) In the world and in the EU in majority fossil liquid and gaseous fuels are the dominant fuels used in the transport sector. Renewable fuels only contribute about 5-6% of total
August 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Mimicking the Diving Bell Spider to Improve Carbon Conversion into Fuels
by Bob Yirka (Phys.org) A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in France has found a way to improve the conversion of CO2 into fuels by mimicking the behavior of the diving bell spider. In their paper published in the
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
New Energy Blue Buys Inbicon’s Low-Carbon Fuel Technology
(Oil and Gas 360/New Energy Blue) NewEnergyBlue acquired exclusive rights to Inbicon bio-conversion technology throughout the Americas and will first employ it to turn North Dakota wheat straw into a high-value, carbon-neutral automotive fuel. The technology license was purchased from Ørsted, a Danish
August 13, 2019 Read Full Article
New Publication – Technical, Economic and Environmental Assessment of Biorefinery Concepts: Developing a Practical Approach for Characterisation
(IEA Bioenergy) The idea of biorefining in general is considered a promising concept for the processing of biomass into a spectrum of bio-based products and bioenergy. It is seen as one of the enabling technologies of the circular economy, closing loops
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
City-Based Scientists Develop New Biodiesel Plant Tech -- Biodiesel from Feedstock with Free Fatty Acid up to 10%
(Tribune News Service) Scientists at the Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery (CoEFM) here have developed the technology of 'Semi-continuous Biodiesel Plant'. This technology represents a simplified process to produce biodiesel from any feedstock having free fatty acid content up to
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Importance of Sterile Design in Aseptic Fermentation – How to Keep from Getting Burned
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) If you’ve spent any time in commercial fermentation facilities, then you already know it’s a hot bed of contaminants and has steam coming out all over the place. This is because heat (in the form
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Demise of the Diva: The New Organisms Are Workhorses Not Show Ponies, but They Do the Most Amazing Tricks.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... What we would like to train our focus on is two-fold, the advances in systems biology — elsewhere, you’ve heard it described as synthetic biology, but it’s really all a part of systems biology, which
June 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Scientists Develop a Chemocatalytic Approach for One-Pot Reaction of Cellulosic Ethanol
(Chinese Academy of Sciences/Phys.Org) Scientists at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a chemocatalytic approach to convert cellulose into ethanol in a one-pot process by using a multifunctional Mo/Pt/WOx catalyst. This approach
June 13, 2019 Read Full Article
It’s a Yeast Feast, Enzyme Showtime: The Majors Break through with New Cost-Busting Solutions for Ethanol Production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Three big product announcements just in… DSM (e) breaks through on yield, efficiency with new yeast, enzyme offerings for corn fiber conversion. Novozymes launches breakthrough techs “Fortiva” and “Innova Force”. Dupont extends with corn oil extraction tech. In
June 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Containing Malaysian Palm Oil to Be Tested on Chinese Vehicle
by Beh Yuen Hui (The Star) Some 180 sanitary trucks will use biodiesel containing Malaysian palm oil in a pilot project to test its feasibility on Chinese vehicles. The programme will be carried out by Tsinghua University in collaboration with Beijing TUS-Deqing Bioenergy
June 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Solving Feedstock Challenges Today
(Department of Energy) The INL (Idaho National Laboratory) Bioenergy Program's mission is to support DOE in achieving their vision by developing processes and technologies through applied science and engineering that remove the barriers associated with accessing a sustainable, efficient feedstock supply. INL
June 03, 2019 Read Full Article
EU-India Conference on Advanced Biofuels
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) The 2nd EU-India Conference on Advanced Biofuels was organised by the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India under the framework of the India-EU CECP. The conference aimed at
June 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Government, National Labs, Academia, and Industry Convene at the 2019 BETO Peer Review! Presentations Now Available
(U.S. Department of Energy) From March 4–8, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review in Denver, Colorado. This was the largest Peer Review
May 03, 2019 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0002029: FY19 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement
(U.S. Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to address the highest priority R&D areas within biofuel technologies, bioproducts, and biopower. It includes Areas of Interest (AOIs) from all five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced
May 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Sustainable Super JET Fuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to High Performance Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Researchersfrom several labs and universities like Georgia Tech, Sandia National Labs, University of Dayton, and others are working together on Engine Optimized Sustainable Drop-in JET High Performance Fuels (HPF). Anthe George manages the Biomass Science and Conversion Technologies
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
The Advanced Bioeconomy: State of the Industry 2019 -- 25 Key Trends for 2019 and Beyond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In any discussion of decarbonizing transport, we start with the bioeconomy itself. It’s an unfamiliar term to many — some people think it’s a fast-growing but small segment, some think of it as a sleeping giant. In
April 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Disruptive Technologies: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj Industries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj Industries is an end-to-end solutions provider in the ethanol arena from concept to commissioning and feedstock handling to effluent treatment. They have technology and engineering solutions for biofuels, biochemicals and water. Dr. Pramod Kumbhar, Chief Technology
March 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Bright Skies for Plant-Based Jet Fuels
by Aliyah Kovner (Berkeley Lab) Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers demonstrate that jet fuels made from plants could be cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels -- ... However, a new analysis by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass Breakdown: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Sweetwater Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sweetwater Energy has developed a unique and patented technology for producing low-cost sugars and clean lignin fiber from multiple non-food plant materials to help meet the modern world’s increasing demand for biochemicals, bioplastics and biofuels. Jack Baron,
March 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Brazil’s GranBio Acquires USA’s American Process
by Helena Taveres Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... The acquisition of American Process Inc’s technologies, intellectual property portfolio and physical assets strengthens GranBio’s market position in the deployment of highly competitive industrial processes for conversion of biomass to renewable fuels, chemicals, and
March 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Pilot Plants: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Zeton
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) David Edwards,VP Sales and Marketing at Zeton and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this overview of the types of Zeton’s 800+ projects in over 45 countries in relation to the design and fabrication of
March 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Let’s Get Agitated: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Biomass Conversion Agitation Strategies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gregory Benz, from Benz Technology International and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview of wet conversion agitation systems like solids mixers and turbine agitators, various test summaries, and more. READ MORE
March 13, 2019 Read Full Article
BioTork and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits Enter Joint Development Collaboration
(BioTork/PR.com) BioTork, LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) a business unit of Lallemand Inc. are pleased to jointly announce the formalization of a collaboration for the development of improved yeast strains for the ethanol industry. “BioTork has been working with
March 12, 2019 Read Full Article
ReactWell Licenses ORNL Catalyst for Energy Conversion Applications
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) ReactWell, LLC, has licensed a novel waste-to-fuel technology from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to improve energy conversion methods for cleaner, more efficient oil and gas, chemical and bioenergy production. ReactWell will bring ORNL’s electrochemical
March 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Federal Agencies Release Framework for Advancing the Bioeconomy
(US Department of Agriculture) The federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board today unveiled a multi-agency strategy to accelerate innovative technologies that harness the nation’s biomass resources for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. The Bioeconomy Initiative: Implementation Framework was developed by the B&RD
March 05, 2019 Read Full Article
BP Partners with Virent and Johnson Matthey on Virent’s Bioforming® Process for Production of Bio-Paraxylene
(Virent) BP, Virent Inc. and Johnson Matthey (JM) have signed an agreement that will further advance the commercialization of Virent’s Bioforming® process for production of bio-paraxylene (PX), a key raw material for the production of renewable polyester. Virent’s Bioforming® technology, which is
March 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Commercialization: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Douglas B. Rivers, PhD,from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview and more READ MORE
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Challenges and Opportunities: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Biomass Gasification
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mark Robertson, from Small Planet Engineering and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview of the global potential for biomass gasification, current status and technologies, challenges and opportunities facing these types of bioenergy projects
February 27, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA Releases Three Videos Aimed at Educating Consumers
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to announce the release of three new educational videos that will help the public learn more about the advantages of using more renewable fuels like ethanol. The videos, released last week at
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
10-Slide Guide to the US Ethanol Industry
by Douglas B. Rivers (Biofuels Digest/Lee Enterprises, Inc.) Past, Present and Future Douglas B. Rivers, PhD, from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting, offers this illuminating overview of the U.S. ethanol industry’s history, current technologies, new developments
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Changing of the Guard: Legendary Association Heads, Technologists Head off to New Adventures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With the news that Matt Carr is leaving his post as the Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization, it’s beginning to feel like a real changing of the guard is taking place on the watchtowers
February 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Biorefineries Assessment: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 42
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42 is working on the analysis and assessment of biorefining in the whole value chain in order to meet its mission to facilitate the commercialisation and market deployment of biorefinery systems & technologies. Johannes Lindorfer from
February 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Growth of Engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 on Glucose, Xylose and Arabinose: Hemicellulose Hydrolysates and Their Major Sugars as Sustainable Carbon Sources
by Yan Wang, Felix Horlamus, Marius Henkel, Filip Kovacic, Sandra Schläfle, Rudolf Hausmann, Andreas Wittgens, Frank Rosenau (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant bioresource on earth containing polymers mainly consisting of D‐glucose, D‐xylose, L‐arabinose and further sugars.
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
From Take-Off to Offtake – Driving Sustainable Aviation Fuels to Commercial Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In a tale of two Washingtons, the sustainable aviation fuels movement will gather in Washington state in March and in Washington, D.C. in April to seek breakthroughs in the adoption rate of jet biofuels, which have
January 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Don’t Mess with My Toot Toot: The Zydeco of Xyleco
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... This week on 60 Minutes, another unlikely character burst onto the national scene, courtesy of one of the lightest technologies profiles ever investigated on 60 Minutes by the otherwise redoubtable Lesley Stahl, who offered up the story
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Rebecca (Becky) Ong
Rebecca (Becky) Ong majored in chemical engineering and tacked on a degree in plant biology. “I had no plan to integrate them at all,” she says, “I was just interested in plants.” All of that changed, however, when Ong attended
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Love of Plants and Problem-Solving Drives Bioenergy Researcher Rebecca Ong
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) ... “My parents really instilled in me the importance of conservation,” says (Rebecca) Ong, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University and researcher at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). “From an
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Catalysis Rocking: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries
December 26, 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
DOE Announces SBIR/STTR FY 2019 Phase I Release 2 Topics
(U.S. Department of Energy) As part of last week's posting of topic areas for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development proposals, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced 12 topics to fund
November 14, 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
The 40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Impossible Foods took the #1 spot in the 2018 “40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The announcement was made live at
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Department of Energy 2019 Project Peer Review --- March 4-8, 2019 --- Denver, Colorado
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is hosting the 2019 Project Peer Review on March 4-8, 2019, in Denver, Colorado. Approximately 90% of projects in BETO’s early-stage research and development portfolio will be presented to the public
October 29, 2018 Read Full Article
The Transition: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioproducts Transition Dynamics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BETO has been developing a broad understanding of different conversion processes that produce bioproducts and the associated market attributes. However, there is not much understanding around how investment decisions are made and the possible successful
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Argonne GREET 2018 Update
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, a research team at Argonne National Lab released its GREET 2018 update. GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
The 40 Hottest Technologies of 2018 – As Voting Gets Underway, the Nominees in Depth
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All through this month, Digest subscribers have been voting on the 40 Hottest Transformative Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy. While the Hot 50 concentrates on organizations — this set of rankings could include a complete process, a
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0001951: Request for Inforamtion (RFI): Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories DEADLINE: October 22, 2018
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting input from industry (including but not limited to contract research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations, catalyst manufacturers,
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Grand Forks Officials Seek Biofuel Connections in Poland
by Tess Williams (Grand Forks Herald) Mayor Mike Brown is heading to Poland with Keith Lund, president of the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp., and City Administrator Todd Feland to build partnerships and talk about biofuels. The Red River Biorefinery,
September 24, 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
Bacteria Could Be Used as 'Cell Factories' to Produce Biofuels
(Biofuels International) Scientists at the University of Kent, UK, have developed a new technique for manipulating small cell structures for use in a range of applications, including the production of biofuels and vaccines. Key to the breakthrough are tiny bacterial cellular structures
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Cielo Announces Achievement of Milestone: First Production of Raw Distillates from Renewable Diesel Refinery
(Cielo Waste Solutions Corp/Digital Journal) ("Cielo" or the "Company") (CSE: CMC) announces that it has achieved a milestone with the first production of raw distillate (renewable fuels) from its first commercial refinery in Aldersyde, Alberta (the " Refinery") that uses its
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Pennsylvania’s Next Biorefinery: Discussion Held at the Penn State Energy Days Annual Conference, 2018
by Anahita Bharadwaj (Pennsylvania State University for Advanced Biofuels USA) Energy Days, 2018 at The Pennsylvania State University- University Park, brought together leading researchers, government agencies, industries, non-profit organizations and academics in the field of energy to understand the current challenges
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Request for Information (RFI): Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories RFI Released RESPONSES DUE: September 14, 2018
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office issued a request for information (RFI) titled, Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories. Catalysts increase the rate of a chemical reaction and are used in
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Seeking a Friend for the End of Unreliability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist? The Why is simple. #1 issue plaguing High and Low Temperature IBR projects is consistent operability of preprocessing and primary deconstruction. In response, researchers have joined
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Industrial Enzyme Frontiers: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MetGen’s MetZyme enzymatic solutions cover the entire bio-based value chain from feedstock to high-value chemicals and enable the use of cellulosic feedstocks as well as the creation of entirely new bio-based materials. Alex Michine and the MetGen
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Accelerating Ag Innovation: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the USDA Agricultural Research Service
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to:
May 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Bioenergy (Biofuels/Biomass) Low-Carbon Biofuels, Bioproducts Crucial to Two Degree Scenario
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In April, the European Commission, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), below50, the Biofuture Platform, and the ART Fuels Forum formally expressed the sense that low-carbon fuels will be required as part of capping
May 07, 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
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Prairie Catalytic, LanzaTech, Synvina, Fulcrum BioEnergy, POET-DSM, Cargilla/Calysta, Enerkem, and REG Geismar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ABLC 2018 wrapped up with the ABLC Wolfpack including James Iademarco from Strategic Avalanche, David Dodds with Dodds & Associates, Ron Cascone from NEXANT, independent consultant Paul Bryan, and Joel Stone from ConVergince. While they didn’t howl at the moon,
April 24, 2018 Read Full Article
BBI JU Announces a further € 115 Million of Funding to Boost the Development of EU's Bio-Based Industries Sector DEADLINE: September 6, 2018
(BBI-Europe) The BBI JU is the largest and most ambitious initiative ever launched in the EU to develop competitive and sustainable bio-based industries. The ambition that drove its creation was to bring about the systemic change needed to develop a European
April 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Messages from Brussels: More Biofuels for Transport Are Badly Needed and Can Be Produced Sustainably
(BioFuture Platform) Several international initiatives and organizations met in Brussels to discuss the need and the ways to scale up low carbon fuels in transport. The international conference, titled “The role of low carbon fuels in decarbonising transport: the emerging consensus
April 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Contract Fermentation Landscape: Facility Selection in an Environment of Limited Options
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) Funding for early stage advanced biotechnology is ramping up and companies commercializing fermentation-based technologies are faced with the decision to either build their own demonstration-scale facility or utilize existing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). There
April 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Improve Method to Convert Food Waste into Biofuels
by Sharon Gaudin (Worcester Polytechnic Institute/Biomass Magazine) Funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is creating a better way to convert waste food into biofuels that are environmentally friendly, a project that
April 04, 2018 Read Full Article
DSM Announces Broad Product Offering for the Biofuels Industry
(DSM/Newswire Today) Royal DSM announces its commitment to bring innovative solutions to the biofuels industry with a full portfolio offering of yeast and enzymes for starch, fiber and biomass conversions - DSM.com. Euronext: DSM KON -- Royal DSM, a global science-based company
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
LanzaTech is #1!
(Lanza Tech) In Washington, LanzaTech took the #1 spot in the 2018 “50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. It was the third year at the top for LanzaTech, which
March 22, 2018 Read Full Article
What Happened? Pyrolysis Breakthrough Could Cut Drop-In Biofuels Cost to $2.58 per Gallon
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We have a breakthrough in pyrolysis to report today that could reduce the estimated cost of producing fuel from $3.27 per gallon to $2.58 per gallon. And no one quite understands how the new process works —
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Diesel with 89% Lower GHGs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Synpet Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synpet was founded in 2014 as a developer of a synthetic petroleum (SYNPET) business using its Thermal Conversion Process. TCP breaks down organic waste materials by using heat, pressure and water to produce oil and other co-products. SYNPET uses
March 08, 2018 Read Full Article
BETO 2017 Peer Review Results Are Now Online!
(U.S. Department of Energy) Last spring, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) conducted its seventh biennial external review of its research, development, and communications portfolio. More than 40 external subject matter experts from industry, academia, and
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Making It Count: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Consortium for Computational Physics and Chemistry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Consortium for Computational Physics and Chemistry (CCPC) is a joint core research and development activity among five national laboratories that has been created to utilize unique DOE computational modeling facilities and experience in order to
February 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Better, Faster, Cheaper Bio-Oil: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Fractionation and Catalytic Upgrading of Bio-Oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the world of bio-oil production, current technologies have low carbon retention in fuel range and high hydrogen consumption. The DOE is supporting a project led by Daniel Resasco at the University of Oklahoma to develop
February 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy's 2017 Project Peer Review Report
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the 2017 Project Peer Review on March 6–9, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. During the event, approximately 192 projects in BETO’s research, development, and demonstration portfolio were
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Drop-in Biofuels, More Please Sir: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Jumping Bio-Oil Yields
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Improving hydrogen utilization and carbon recovery, as a pathway to higher efficiency bio-oil production using thermochemical process? That’s the focus for a project from RTI International that picked up significant DOE support in the search for
January 29, 2018 Read Full Article
Top Cat: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries
January 02, 2018 Read Full Article
BETO Launches New Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium
(Department of Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is proud to announce the establishment of the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium—a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming technical uncertainty in research and development of robust biomass supply,
December 05, 2017 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil, University Extend Research for Transportation Biofuels
by Lauren Tyler (NGT News) The University of Wisconsin-Madison and ExxonMobil have announced a two-year renewal of an agreement to research the chemistry of converting biomass into transportation fuels. According to ExxonMobil, the research is part of a broad effort to identify scalable and
July 20, 2017 Read Full Article
ChemCatBio Launches 2017 Directed Funding Assistance Opportunity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, ChemCatBio announced a new 2017 directed funding assistance opportunity. It’s an opportunity for industry and academia to engage with ChemCatBio to tackle challenges associated with these core research themes, to leverage our capabilities and expertise to overcome any
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
In Search of Next-Gen Bioproducts and Fuels, DOE Invests $40M in 4 Bioenergy Research Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today (July 17, 2017) announced $40 million in Department of Energy awards for the establishment of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs), which will provide the scientific breakthroughs
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Norway's Statkraft to Make Biofuel from Wood Chips and Other Waste
by Geert De Clercq (Reuters) Norwegian utility Statkraft has found a way to produce biofuel from wood chippings and other solid organic waste, which it says replicates in minutes a process that made crude oil underground over millions of years. Using high
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Biomass Pyrolysis Comes of Age
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) After many years of development biomass pyrolysis is finally maturing as a commercial technology. Pyrolysis is not incineration. The goal is to use heat in the absence of oxygen to convert the biomass
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
What’s My Feedstock Worth? A Primer for Measuring Bio-Value
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Whether you are owner or seller, you need to know the underlying value of a feedstock in the advanced bioeconomy — and that is not the same thing as its current market price. In fact, what
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Research and Innovation Project Will Foster Europe-Brazil Cooperation on Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuels
(BECOOL/AltEnergyMag) A new Horizon 2020 project will foster cooperation between Europe and Brazil in the development of advanced biofuels from sustainable agricultural value chains, based on lignocellulosic biomass. Coordinated by the University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural Sciences, the four-year
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest's Complete March Madness Webinars Available Online
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest's Complete March Madness webinars - 700+ slides available for your on-demand review. -- The Digest's March Madness series - 20 webinars covering the hottest topics as selected by Digest readers - featuring dozens
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Biofuels – When, Where and How?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on cellulosic ethanol, featuring in-demand industry consultants Michele Rubino and Michael Schultz, on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of approaches to making cellulosic biofuels from wastes, energy
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
NREL Finds 6 Billion Gallons of SAJF Per Year Could Enter U.S. Market by 2030
(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuels Initiative) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released the aviation biofuels report, “Potential Avenues for Significant Biofuels Penetration in the U.S. Aviation Market.” The report finds that it is possible to displace 30 percent of
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Thermochemical Technology Horizons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-receive webinar on thermochemical technology horizons, featuring former DOE Biomass Program manager and in-demand industry consultant Paul Bryan on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of non-biological
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
The King of Biofuels: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Pyrolysis’ Progress and Prospects, Pt 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Not long ago, George Huber and Robert Brown wrote in a special issue of Energy Technology of their desire to “highlight recent advances in pyrolysis technologies and to discuss the critical research needs of this
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Chip Energy Wins Occupancy OK for Factory Building Made from Recycled Shipping Containers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, obtaining a certificate of occupancy on a building constructed of 60 Intermodal Shipping Containers is a huge accomplishment for Chip Energy, said company president Paul Wever, president of Chip Energy Inc. These types
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Tech for the Cheap Oil Era: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Mercurius and REACH Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mercurius says it “has the technology and processes that will, for the first time, make the production of cellulosic biofuels profitable while meeting the needs of the diesel and jet fuel markets and satisfying government
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Any Alcohol into Any Drop-In Fuel: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Byogy Renewables
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Make Cellulosic Ethanol at under $1 per Gallon
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) After announcing plans to purchase an aspirant cellulosic ethanol plant in Florida, Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc. has released a bold cost-of-production estimate after researching the economics of its patented cellulose-to-sugar (CTS) conversion process. The company’s independent research found
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
The Justice League of Pyromaniax
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The High Lords of Pyrolysis travel under the unlikely cover identities of “George Huber” and “Robert Brown” — but we know them in their true superhero identities of “The Catalyst” and “The Godfatha”. ... Instead,
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Hydrothermal Processing Bench-Scale Technology Evaluation Project
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe/WERF (Water Environment and Reuse Foundation)) This project was conducted in order to determine if hydrothermal processing (HTP) technology has potential for treating wastewater solids. In particular, it looked at the Genifuel HTP technology which converts organic material into
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
ICM to Build Showcase Biorefinery Next to Its Kansas Headquarters
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) ICM Inc. will build a new state-of-the-art biorefinery—dubbed ICM Element—next to its headquarters in Colwich, Kansas. The facility will showcase the company’s cutting-edge technologies. ... Elements are nature’s building blocks and the world is searching for cleaner, sustainable, renewable
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
The Sunliquid Technology – A Unique and Validated Pre-treatment Approach to 2G Ethanol
by Markus Rarbach (Clariant) ... Our approach at Clariant when developing the sunliquid® technology was to deliver an entirely integrated process from feedstock to finished product including our proprietary enzyme and fermentation organism platform, where all process steps are optimized to guarantee
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Advances in Biofeedstocks and Biofuels, Volume One: Biofeedstocks and Their Processing
(Scrivener Publishing) The most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of all the possible aspects for biofeedstock processing and the production of energy from biofeedstocks. Audience Chemical engineers, petroleum engineers, process engineers, students in chemical engineering, biotechnology, petroleum engineering, agricultural biotechnology, applied microbiology, environmental
February 18, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Hydrocarbon Brew: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Technical Market Analysis for Biochemical Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the project team behind this presentation explains, there’s trouble right here in River City when it comes to accessing good market and technical data on making hydrocarbons from a biochemical process. Process and economic data
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Biofuels to Rise to 67 Billion Gallons in 2022 as Next-Generation Technologies Take Over
(Lux Research, Inc.) Advanced biofuels will nearly double in five years to 9.6 billion gallons per year as first-generation fuels like traditional biodiesel lose out to newer low-carbon fuels, says Lux Research -- New biofuel technology is finally starting to
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
MSW as a feedstock: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Ionic Liquid Pre-treatment
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been the big, big problem in biomass deconstruction and cellulosic fuels — the finicky nature of biomass. We’ve learned to get past the main line of cellulosic defenses — but by and large it’s
February 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Advanced Drop-In Biofuels Production Project (ADBPP) Biofuels 2 Solicitation Number: FOA-RQKM-2017-0006
(U.S. Air Force) This Title III project is to further increase domestic advanced biofuels production capacity by establishing additional Integrated Biofuel Production Enterprise (IBPE) capabilities that represent a complete value chain including Feedstock production, Chemical conversion and processing, and Fuels
January 24, 2017 Read Full Article
JBEI Releases 4 New Biobased Technologies for Licensing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed four new technologies available for license: Streamlined Saccharification from Lignocellulosic Biomass, 2015-143 Translation Control Tool for Plans, 2013-166 Determining Ligninases
December 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Beyond Petroleum: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioenergy Technologies Office
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BETO. I think it’s Latin for “I forbid petroleum.” So while presidents have the Veto, technologists have the Beto. It’s most widely known in its modern variant, as the acronym for the DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, the hearth and
December 05, 2016 Read Full Article
CWS to Buy Western Biodiesel Plant, Convert to Renewable Diesel
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. has signed a commercial purchase agreement with XR Resources Inc. to buy property in High River, Alberta, near Calgary, which includes a 16 MMly (4.2 MMgy) biodiesel plant formerly owned by
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
How an Effective Risk Management Strategy Can Contribute to Unlocking the Full Potential of a Billion-Ton Bioeconomy
by Mahmood Ebadian (Biofuels Digest/Biomass Supply Chain Consulting Ltd.) The procurement of low-cost feedstock has been the focus of the pioneering bio-conversion technology developers in commercializing their first industrial-scale projects. Low-cost feedstock is critical in such projects as most of the
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
NREL Researchers Discover How a Bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum, Utilizes both CO2 and Cellulose to Make Biofuels
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) made the surprise discovery that a metabolic pathway to take up CO2 exists and functions in a microorganism capable of breaking down and fermenting
November 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Reaching Scale: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Leveraging Supply Chain Investments
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, Faegre Baker Daniels’ John Kirkwood outlined the latest on leveraging supply chain investments into debt and equity placements to bring commercial projects to life. READ MORE
October 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to LeSaffre, Corbion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at LeSaffre and
October 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Davis, Mercurius Advance on Ultra Low-Cost Renewable Chemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Mercurius Biorefining has furthered its partnership with UC Davis to develop first-of-its-kind technology for production of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA). While current approaches to the commercialization of FDCA use fructose as a feedstock, the
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Understanding Biofuel Standards
By Angela Fivga and Zsuzsa A. Mayer (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) The analysis and standardization of biofuels are in constant development, therefore in many studies they follow a historic view or borrow unsuitable methods from fossil fuel analysis. An
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Alliance Releases Data from CTS Cellulosic Ethanol Multiple Feedstock Testing. Results Conclusive: CTS Economically Superior to Existing Cellulosic Conversion Processes
(Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc.) Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. (OTCQB:ALLM) (the "Company"), is very pleased to release the results from months of testing and data collection on dozens of lignocellulose feedstocks utilizing the patented CTS conversion process. Corn stover, sugar cane bagasse,
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Petroleum Today, Bio Tomorrow, BIOFOREVER
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, the BIOFOREVER consortium of 14 European companies emerged from stealth with the news that they have started their demonstration project for the conversion of woody biomass to value adding chemical building blocks. BIOFOREVER intends
September 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Early-Stage, Breakthrough Technologies: Biofuels, 10 of the Best
by Lorenz Bauer and Gerald Kutney (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... In this report, we are focused on bioenergy and biofuels (and not bioproducts) that are moving from the lab to initial commercial demonstrations and that potentially solve significant barriers
August 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Biorenewables Megatrends: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to the Advanced Bioeconomy’s Progress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we conducted a webinar on Biorenewables Megatrends with NEXANT principal Ron Cascone, who gave these incisive slides on the state of commercialization in fuels, chemicals, biomaterials and nutrition. READ MORE and MORE (Singularity Hub)
August 26, 2016 Read Full Article
A Successful Supply Chain Strategy: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Equinox
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In developing a bioconversion project, the steps are numerous, interconnected and complex. Conducting a feasibility study, feedstock supply & market analysis, developing a business plan, funding initial development, choosing process technology, selecting a design/builder, selecting a site,
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as a Biofuel Feedstock
(Environmental Research and Education Foundation) Using a first-of-its-kind Life-Cycle Assessment model of biofuel production using MSW, this report includes an assessment of the environmental impacts associated with MSW conversion via landfill gas-to-energy, waste-to-energy, and gasification/Fischer-Tropsch. How current infrastructure could be used
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Charting A Path for Sustainable Jet Fuels
by Zia Haq (U.S. Department of Energy) Renewable biofuel alternatives can help replace conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. -- New White House reportoutlines the federal government’s plans to lower the cost of alternative jet fuels. -- Bioenergy Technologies Office supports R&D of