(The Maritime Executive) Maersk and the U.S. Navy are testing algae-based biofuel on the container ship Maersk Kalmar. The ship is en route from Northern Europe to India. Maersk Kalmar has two key attributes that make it a suitable vessel for
Department of Defense (DOD)
Back TO HOMEDynamic Fuels and Solazyme Partner to Supply Renewable Fuel to U.S. Navy
(Solazyme) Dynamic Fuels, LLC, a joint venture between Tyson Foods, Inc. and Syntroleum Corporation, has been awarded a contract to supply the U.S. Navy with 450,000 gallons of renewable fuels. Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, will help
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy Maritime Surface Craft Sets Speed Record on Algal Fuel Blend
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) In a continued effort to test and validate advanced biofuel utilization in both air and sea crafts, the U.S. Navy successfully concluded its final demonstration of the year Dec. 7-9 with operational testing of a
December 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy Energy Director Speaks on US Need for Global Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) The military has been especially active in the push to develop biobased jet fuel, but the U.S. Department of Defense’s interest in biomass-based energy sources is not limited to biofuels. Biomass-based power is also part
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
DOD Steps Up Innovation in Installation Energy, Recognizes Limits in Biofuels
by Matt Hourihan (The Energy Collective) ...In the other development, a report released earlier this month by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs and the Defense Logistics Agency released a report (PDF)
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Analysis: U.S. Government a Tenuous Beachhead for Biofuel Firms
(CNBC/Reuters) The U.S. military has emerged as a key ally for fledgling producers of non-food-based biofuels, who find themselves threatened by looming budget cuts and growing political hostility to renewable energy funding. A U.S. Navy plan to cut its fossil fuel
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Supercommittee Should Preserve Farm Energy Programs in the Farm Bill for in the Best Interest of the Nation: William Richards and Dennis McGinn
by William Richards and Dennis McGinn (The Plain Dealer) Guest Columnists: The future of the government's role in U.S. agriculture remains about as uncertain today as it was before the 1933 enactment of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the nation's first
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy Launches Its Largest Biofuel Test for Ship
by Julie Watson (AP/Yahoo! News) The U.S. Navy launched its largest alternative fuel test to date on Wednesday, pumping 20,000 gallons of algae-based fuel into a destroyer ship that will embark on a 20-hour trip along the California coast. The success of the Paul H.
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Society of Biological Engineering's Conference on ElectroFuels Research
by Vidya Ramanathan (Advanced Biofuels USA) A clear view of coppery miniature treetops, brilliant skies and shimmering coastline. This is the sight that welcomed the attendees of the first ever conference on ElectroFuels, conducted by the Society of Biologigal Engineering, under
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Flights Signal Demand From U.S. Airlines
by Graham Warwick (Aviation Week) As airlines launch the first commercial biofuel flights in the U.S., the government is working with industry to scale up production of biomass-derived jet fuel to commercial quantities beginning in 2012. Following the lead set by
November 14, 2011 Read Full Article
The 10 Biofuels Priorities for 2012
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, more than 350 delegates gathered at Advanced Biofuesl Markets to set industry priorities for the next six months,seal partnerships, and exchange outlooks on 2012. It didn’t take long for the Top 10 priorities
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Funds Project To Encourage Renewable Fuel Production, Job Creation In New Mexico
(Sapphire Energy) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA has issued a loan guarantee that will allow a biofuels firm to construct a facility in New Mexico to produce "green crude" oil from algae which can be refined into
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
7 Decision Points in the Race for Scale in Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In the Race for Scale, the industry has excelled in driving down operating costs. Capital costs have proven more perplexing, and sticker shock has been a hold-back. Feedstock availability at affordable cost and appropriate scale
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Navy Expands Algae Biofuel Testing At Sea And In The Air
by Tina Casey (Talking Points Memo) ...Earlier this year, the Navy successfully tested a 50-50 algae aviation biofuel blend on a Seahawk helicopter in flight, and now an algae biodiesel blend has passed muster during tests on a 135-foot landing vessel. The ship,
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
What’s the Buzz? The 10 hottest topics in biofuels right now.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But here are 10 themes that are shaping up to be the Buzz of the conference. 1. RFS. Hold or Fold? 2. Can Obama find the $510 million? 3. Elections. 4. Fuels, or chems, or something else? 5.
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Air Force And Navy Turn To Biofuels
by Elizabeth Shogren (National Public Radio) The Pentagon's hunt for an alternative to petroleum has turned a lowly weed and animal fat into something indistinguishable from jet fuel, and now the military is trying to kick-start a new biofuel industry. "To flip
October 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Tallow Replaces Crude Oil as Biofuels Head to War: Commodities
by Alex Morales and Louise Downing (Bloomberg News/San Francisco Chronicle) Biofuels face their biggest test yet -- whether they can power fighter jets and tanks in battle at prices the world's best-funded military can afford. The U.S. Air Force is
October 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Maersk Uses Emsys for USN Biofuel Trials
(Maersk/MarineLink.com) W R Systems, Ltd (WRSystems) was asked to supply its Emsys laser-based Emissions Monitoring System (EMS) for the purpose of emission verification for an ongoing fuel trials on-board the AP Moller-Maersk vessel Maersk Kalmar. WRSystems was asked to provide
October 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Fiscal 2012 Director’s Guidance Outlines Priorities in Three Focus Areas
by Beth Reese (Defense Logistics Agency) ...The new guidance includes 16 initiatives designed to steer employees’ efforts in three focus areas: Warfighter Support, Stewardship Excellence and Workforce Development. Its opening paragraphs forecast fiscal 2012 as a tough year for DLA
October 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Fire Scout Completes First Navy Unmanned Flight On Biofuel
(Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs) The Navy reached a milestone in its quest to gain energy independence today, when an MQ-8B Fire Scout successfully flew the first unmanned biofueled flight at Webster Field in St. Inigoes, Md. The Unmanned
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting Addresses Algae, Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The production of advanced biofuels was one of many renewable energy topics addressed by speakers at the recent annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. During a keynote lunch address on green technology, Jonathan Wolfson,
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Pew Charitable Trusts Releases Report on Department of Defense Renewable and Alternative Energy Programs
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Today Phyllis Cuttino, director of Pew’s Clean Energy Program, joined by John Warner, former five-term U.S. Senator from Virginia and senior policy adviser to the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate; Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant
September 21, 2011 Read Full Article
'Salty Dogs' Prowler Undertakes Its First Biofuel Flight
by Dave Allport (Key.Aero/military) A US Navy EA-6B Prowler has made the type's first flight on a biofuel blend at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. An EA-6B Prowler successfully completed its inaugural biofuel flight at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, on September 16,
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
The A.I.M. Interview: Sandia and DOE's Ron Pate
(Algae Industry Magazine) A Principal Member of the Technical Staff of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Sandia National Laboratories, serving in the Earth Systems Analysis – Energy, Resources, and Systems Analysis division, Ron Pate has been on M&O Contractor assignment in Washington, DC
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Memo to Microalgae, Frankencritters and Biovarmints: Aloha Means I Love You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hawaii goes all in on microalgae to provide fuel, food, fiber and power to grow its energy-starved Mid-Pacific economy and fit its environmental values ...Hawaii has no fossil fuel resources of its own. Not to mention
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
The Green Strike Group: The Fuels, The Force, The Skinny
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Tactically, a Green Strike Group, powered by renewable diesel-electric engines, nuclear power and aviation biofuels, is able to operate independent of fossil fuel supply line threat or disruption. In the near term, this is
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
ABO Responds to USDA/DOE/Navy Biofuels Investment Promise
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Algal Biomass Organization has voiced its opinion of the US government’s recently announced $510 million biofuels investment commitment over the next three years. Following is their statement: Late last month, three federal departments came together to
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Veterans, Politicians Team Up in Battle to Change Energy Policy
by Steve Leone (Renewable Energy World) While the price of military intervention is often measured in American lives, in this case it was the staggering amount of American dollars that most clearly made his point. In today’s dollars, keeping just
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Propel Blue Angels Over Labor Day Weekend
by Leon Kaye (TriplePundit.com) ...This year, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the long-form name for the Blue Angels, wowed visitors with their pilots’ stunts at the Patuxent Naval Air Station in southern Maryland over the weekend. Only this time, the weekend
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA, Departments of Energy and Navy Seek Input from Industry to Advance Biofuels for Military and Commercial Transportation
(US Department of Agriculture) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus today announced the next step in the creation of a public-private partnership to develop drop-in advanced biofuels. The Secretaries
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
First Navy Trainer Flies on Biofuel
(U.S. Naval Air Systems Command) The Navy’s alternative energy program expanded yesterday when a T-45 training aircraft completed a successful biofuel flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The “Salty Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Investor Interest in U.S. Biofuel Production Set to Soar
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) ...While it remains to be seen how the joint investments between the U.S. government and private sector will work in practice, the announcement nevertheless represents an unprecedented commitment by several federal departments to stimulate the production
August 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of the Navy Goes Green with Osprey
(US Navy/Naval Air Systems Command) The Navy and Marine Corps team reached another milestone toward achieving the Secretary of the Navy’s energy goals by successfully flying a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey on biofuel Aug. 10 at Naval Air Station
August 24, 2011 Read Full Article
The XTL Diet: New Paths to Feasible, Domestic Low-Carb Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can synthetic biology capture and utilize CO2 to such an extent that it not only can make money – but can mitigate the carbon intensity of no-no feedstocks like coal, gas and oil, opening up
August 23, 2011 Read Full Article
The True Cost of the Military's Oil Addiction
(CNN Money) Among the many incentives pushing the military to use less oil, reducing the number of casualties it takes to protect vulnerable fuel convoys is one of the most important. 1 in 8 soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq in
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Peterson Questions Federal Biofuels Plan
by Don Davis (Duluth News Tribune) Minnesota’s senior congressman said that the plan administration officials announced this week probably will not work and threatens Minnesota’s 21 ethanol plants. “I think that is a big a problem,” said U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson,
August 18, 2011 Read Full Article
CTSI Announces Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions
(Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization/PR Newswire) The Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) recognizes the 2011 Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions. From over 220 global applicants spanning the energy spectrum, the organizations with the most promising military-related technologies were
August 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Senator Warner and Vice Admiral McGinn Discuss Energy Security, Fuel Economy
(The Pew Charitable Trusts) This week, former Navy secretary and U.S. senator John W. Warner (R-Va.) is traveling with Vice Adm. Dennis V. McGinn (Ret.), vice chairman of the CNA Military Advisory Board, as part of a national tour to discuss
August 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Is Disappointed in White House Plan for National Security Drop-In Biofuels Investment
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) As a tie-in to President Obama’s current bus tour promoting his job creation plans, the White House has issued a press release promoting a three-year $510 million dollar plan to fund “drop-in” biofuel
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces Major Initiative to Spur Biofuels Industry and Enhance America's Energy Security
(The White House) USDA, Department of Energy and Navy Partner to Advance Biofuels to Fuel Military and Commercial Transportation, Displace Need for Foreign Oil, and Strengthen Rural America President Obama today (August 16, 2011) announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Army to Spend Billions to Save Billions (Hopefully)
by Paul McLeary (Aviation Week) The Army says that it wants to drop about $7.1 billion over the next decade on renewable-energy technologies, in order to try and shave some zeros off of the annual $15 billion it currently spends on
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
The Loaves and the Fishes: Drop-In Renewable Biofuels, from Unlikely Sources
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...A conversation with Terrabon COO Simon Upfill-Brown ...BD: Fuels or chemicals, for the first project? SU-B: We are still very much focused on fuel, we feel that fuel is the way to go for the first plant
August 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Chu, Vilsack, Pfannenstiel Headline, Light up BIOMASS 2011 Congress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and US Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackalyne Pfannenstiel provided a rousing opening to the DOE’s annual BIOMASS congress in Washington. Opening
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
US Air Force Wants Biofuel Switch
(News24) The US Air Force is ready to switch to biofuels to help power its warplanes but the price of alternative fuels remains too high, military officials said. Anxious to reduce its reliance on oil, the Air Force has approved the
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Air Force, Army Team Up to Explore 'Green' Solutions
by Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle (U.S. Air Force) Senior leaders from the Department of Defense, federal agencies, Air Force and Army discussed the strategic importance and way ahead for energy solutions during the Army-Air Force Energy Forum here (Arlington, VA)
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
National Security, Energy Security, and Environmental Imperatives
by General Charles F. Wald and David W. Conover (Bipartisan Policy Center/The Hill/Congress Blog) News reports indicate that some Senators may seek to repeal a provision of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) during Thursday’s consideration of
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Shipment Could Be First Step in Fueling Base
by Suzanne Ulbrich (ENCToday) A delivery aboard Camp Lejeune Monday morning marked the culmination of a test project to provide renewable fuels for North Carolina’s military. Officials aboard Camp Lejeune received 800 gallons of state grown and processed biodiesel fuel as part
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Oil Is Biggest Military Weakness
by Senator Mark Udall (Politico) The Pentagon released its first-ever operational energy strategy last month — a plan that could dramatically cut costs and save service members’ lives. The plan is not about fielding a new weapons system, but rather
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
CTSI Defense Energy Technology Challenge: Deadline August 5
Energy security and independence are two goals at the heart of the U.S. Military’s investment in clean energy technologies. From it’s own research labs to partnerships with start-ups and major contractors, the U.S. Department of Defense is seeking innovative energy
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Leading By Example: How Energy Innovation is Strengthening America’s Military
by Aaron Hull (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Pew Project on National Security, Energy, and Climate hosted an event titled Leading By Example: How Energy Innovation is Strengthening America’s Military on July 7, 2011. Those in attendance included former Senator John
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
House Science Subcommittee for Energy and Environment Holds Hearing on EPA E15 Waiver
by Aaron Hull (Advanced Biofuels USA) On July 7, 2011 the House Science Subcommittee for Energy and Environment held a hearing to discuss the EPA’s decision to issue a waiver for E15 usage in light-duty motor vehicles. The hearing
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy Secretary Mabus Unabashed about ‘Choosing Winners’ in Fuel Market
by John Tomasic (Colorado Independent) Makes case again for Udall Energy Security Act Coming on the heels of Colorado Senator Mark Udall’s reintroduction of the Energy Security Act, which would boost efforts to power the military with alternative energy, U.S. Navy Secretary
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
US Navy Issues 350K Gallon RFP for Advanced Biofuels
(US Department of Defense; Navy) The Government has a requirement for 100,000 USG of Hydrotreated Renewable JP-5 (HRJ5) and 350,000 USG of Hydrotreated Renewable F-76 (HRD76) to support the Navy's "Sail the Great Green Fleet" initiative. This requirement is for
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
DARPA Wants Artificial Lifeforms
by Katherine Bourzac (Technology Review) The agency will fund projects aimed at speeding up synthetic biology, and creating new kinds of materials. Yesterday (June 15, 2011) morning, at the Fifth International Meeting on Synthetic Biology at Stanford University, a representative from
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Concerns Could Make Panetta First Green DOD Chief
by Annie Snider (New York Times/Greenwire) When Leon Panetta was sworn in this morning as the 23rd secretary of Defense, he inherited a force that is more fuel-dependent than ever -- a fact that those inside the Pentagon increasingly say
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Policy Alert Section 526 of EISA
by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization) A few weeks ago we let you know of attempts being made to repeal Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which prohibits the Department of Defense from procuring fuels
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
GI Joe, Funding Man from Head to Toe: The DoD and Drop-In Biofuels at Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the Defense Department looks at its options to directly jump-start drop-in biofuels production at scale, we look at the Defense Production Act – the rationale, the process, the funding, and energy’s role In Washington, a
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Led By DoD, Federal Government Hoping To Fund Biorefineries
by Yuliya Chernova (Wall Street Journal) The Department of Defense, an emerging market force in biofuels, is working on a new program to finance non-petroleum fuel production, in collaboration with the departments of energy and agriculture, according to people familiar
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
The Jobless Recovery, Biofuels, Eency-Weency Balance Sheets, and You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, President Obama launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership – ho-hum, you say, and I think I hear you yawning. ...“Invent here, make elsewhere” is a failed industrial policy, according to a PCAST report, “Ensuring Leadership
June 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Queensland's Push to Sell the US Biofuel
(Co-Generation and On-Site Power Production) ...Queensland wants to be a Pacific leader in biofuels. That's the message Premier Anna Bligh has delivered at a biotechnology conference in Washington. She's says Queensland researchers are bidding to supply the US Navy with biofuels
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
The New "30 Years War"
by Michael T. Klare (CBS News) ...Over the coming decades, we will be embroiled at a global level in a succeed-or-perish contest among the major forms of energy, the corporations which supply them, and the countries that run on them. The
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Solazyme Announces Successful MH 60S Seahawk Helicopter Test Flight on a 50/50 Blend of Algal Derived Solajet HRJ-5® Jet Fue
(Solazyme) Applauds ASTM International historic preliminary approval of algae based biofuels for aviation Solazyme, Inc. (NASDAQ: SZYM), a renewable oil and bioproducts company, announced today that the US Navy successfully demonstrated Solazyme’s 100% algal-derived jet fuel, SolajetHRJ-5®, in an MH-60S Seahawk
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Are Creating a Big Buzz in Military
by Renee Schoof (McClatchy Newspapers/Seattle Times) Maj. Aaron Jelinek of the Air Force Thunderbirds flies his F-16 upside down, rolls it, thunders past his teammates in breathtaking close charges and joins five other fighter jets in precision formation. And for the
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
First Large-Scale Oahu Biofuel Crops Planted
by Daryl Huff (KITV 4) Military, Local Company Testing Plants To Replace Petroleum ... Pacific Bioldiesel, which has succeeding in recycling used cooking oil into vehicle fuel on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, is managing the Hawaii Military Biofuels Crop Demonstration
June 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Pentagon's First Energy Plan
by Keith Johnson (The Wall Street Journal) ...The goals of the new strategy are to cut energy demand by forces in the field and to accelerate the development of alternative-energy supplies, such as renewable sources and biofuels. The military hopes
June 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy on Coal-to-Liquids: No, Thanks
by Ben Geman (The Hill/E2Wire) A top Navy official said Friday (June 3,2011) that the department isn’t interested in developing coal-based transportation fuels as an alternative to oil, noting there are more promising options. Tom Hicks, the Navy’s deputy assistant secretary
June 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Military and Aviation Industry Outline Need for Sustainable Biofuels
(BIO-Tech Now) The World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology explored ways that biotechnology can help meet both military and commercial aviation fuel needs. BIO’s World Congress in Toronto hosted a general plenary session, “Civilian and Military Aviation Fuels: Can Biotech Make a
June 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Independence Bio-Products Receives Patent for Low-Cost Algae Production System
(PRWeb/Independence Bio-Products) Independence Bio-Products (IBP) of Dublin, Ohio has received a patent from U.S. Patent Office covering the company’s low-cost open-pond system for producing algae for biofuels and animal feeds system year-round, regardless of climate or season. IBP’s system uses
June 03, 2011 Read Full Article
The Defense Department Is a Significant Driver of New Technology
by Brent Erickson (BIO/Biofuels Digest) To carry out military and humanitarian missions around the world, U.S. forces require reliable fuel supplies and secure supply lines. The military is as much at the mercy of high oil and gasoline prices as
June 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Plan Needs Nudge from Congress
by Robert F. Dorr (Air Force Times) ...Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has been the driving force behind the service’s conservation movement, both because it saves the environment and it saves money. And for that he deserves a salute. Schwartz couldn’t
June 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Defense Energy Reform Efforts Divorced From Political Reality
(National Defense) The Obama administration essentially has given up on sweeping energy reform. But the U.S. military nonetheless is plowing ahead with an ambitious agenda aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption, switching to renewable energy sources and planning for a
May 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels and the Uncle Sam: How Much Can You Produce and When can You Produce It?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(T)he US Navy released an RFI that indicated that it will fuel the first 450,000 gallon fuel order for the Great Green Fleet via the small hamlet of Manchester, Washington, less than 10 miles from
May 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Air Force Thunderbirds to Demonstrate Flights with Biomass Fuels
(WJLA TV ABC7) The United States Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team has been testing the use of "green" biomass fuels. The public is invited to watch flights burning the alternative fuel for the first time at the Joint Services Open
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Bill Would Extend Defense Dept.'s Biofuels Contracting Ability
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) On May 11, Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., introduced legislation that would authorize the U.S. Department of Defense to engage in 15 year contracts for advanced biofuels. The bill, titled the “Domestic Fuel for Enhancing National
May 18, 2011 Read Full Article
House Armed Services Committee OK’s “Filthy Fuels” in New DOD Budget Bill
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the House Armed Services Committee OK’d a defense budget bill that exempted the Department of Defense from Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which had since 2007 required that fuels purchased
May 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Cobalt Raises $20M in Series D Round; Parsons & Whittemore Joins
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The additional capital will enable Cobalt to build out its new 470,000 gallon per year demonstration plant in Alpena, Michigan, which will be the world’s first cellulosic biorefinery for the production of the industrial chemical
May 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Solix BioSystems™ Sells and Delivers First Commercial Lumian™ AGS4000
(Solix BioSystems) Solix BioSystems today announced the first sale and delivery of its Lumian AGS4000 high productivity, fully integrated algae cultivation system to New Mexico State University (NMSU), Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Lumian AGS4000 is located at NMSU’s Fabian Garcia
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo and Mustang Sign Agreement for Bio-Jet Fuel
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, today announced it has signed an engineering and consulting agreement with Mustang Engineering, LP (Mustang) to convert Gevo's renewable isobutanol to bio-jet fuel. This effort will focus on the downstream
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
GEISS: Biofuel Takes Off with U.S. Air Force
by Kevin Geiss (The Washington Times) ...Since that first well, our national demand for fuel has grown astronomically. We have seen this in the Defense Department as well. Since the Vietnam War, there has been a 175 percent increase in the
April 15, 2011 Read Full Article
US Navy Spartan Energy Ethos Means Biofuels (Four Commercial-Scale Biorefineries) and Energy Efficiency for the Fleet and the Country. For How Long? In Perpetuity ...
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) On April 12th at the Navy League’s 2011 Sea-Air-Space Exposition, the leaders of the US Navy’s 50% petroleum reduction by 2020 program honed in on what it means for the Navy and for
April 14, 2011 Read Full Article
The Great Green Fleet
by James Marvin (The Virginia Pilot) ...Off the capes of Virginia, a modern Navy swift boat cuts a wake at more than 50 miles per hour on fuel made from algae and petroleum. High over Maryland's Patuxent River, a Navy
March 23, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Military Supports Hawaii Biodiesel Demonstration Program
by Bryan Sims (Pacific Biodiesel/Biodiesel Magazine) This month Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie introduced a new oilseed crop research program—the Biodiesel Crop Demonstration Project—that will span two years as part of the state’s effort to promote energy security and sustainable local
March 23, 2011 Read Full Article
F-22 Raptor Flown on Synthetic Biofuel
by 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs (Edwards Airforce Base) An F-22 Raptor successfully flew at supercruise March 18 on a 50/50 fuel blend of conventional petroleum-based JP-8 and biofuel derived from camelina, a weed-like plant not used for food. The
March 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Arizona State University's Dr. Qiang Hu
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...So we drive over to the Arizona State University Algae Farm, at the Polytechnic campus located in Mesa, AZ, and drop in on Dr. Qiang Hu at his Laboratory for Algae Research and
March 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Solazyme Files $100M IPO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(C)an the company make oil fast enough to meet the demand and capture all the opportunities? ...“Our proprietary technology transforms a range of low-cost plant-based sugars into high-value oils. Our renewable products can replace or
March 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Raptor Reveals Algae-Based Jet Fuel Project
(Algae Industry Magazine) Raptor Technology Group, Inc., of Groveland, FL, has announced their involvement in an advanced algae-based jet fuel project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the Department of Defense. The goal of the project
February 27, 2011 Read Full Article
INTERVIEW-Mideast Unrest Shows Need for Alternative Fuels-Mabus
by Andrea Shalal-Esa (Reuters) Oil price rises spurred by spreading unrest in the Middle East underscore why the U.S. military should reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, said U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Every $10 increase in the price of a
February 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Abercrombie Introduces Biodiesel Crop Research Project
by Lance Cpl. Vanessa American Horse (Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System) A project that is expected to help reduce dependence on fossil fuels kicked off here (Marine Corps Base Hawaii – Kaneohe Bay) Feb. 4. The 24-month research project will focus on sustainable
February 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Big Ambitions, Tiny Budget for Navy's Alternative Energy Researchers
by Annie Snider (New York Times/Greenwire) The Navy Research Laboratory's alternative energy projects -- each costing less than $500,000 -- are modest ventures that barely register in the Pentagon's gargantuan budget. But if history's a guide, what happens there
February 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Officials Certify First Aircraft for Biofuel Usage
by Maj. Richelle Dowdell (US Air Force) The C-17 Globemaster III was recently certified for unlimited usage of hydroprocessed blended biofuels known as hydrotreated renewable jet fuels, officials said here Feb. 9. "This certification marks the Air Force's first platform to be
February 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Military Defends Alternative Fuel Efforts
by Joshua Philipp (The Epoch Times) A movement in the military to develop affordable alternative fuels may be moving the industry toward fruition, yet has fundamental gaps, according to a recent report from the RAND Corporation. ...Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy
February 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Air Force Tells Biofuels Industry to ‘Bring It’
by Grace V. Jean (National Defense Magazine) The Air Force within the next five years wants to be able to go on a shopping spree to snap up several hundred million gallons of alternative fuels produced within U.S. borders. As
February 05, 2011 Read Full Article
What the RAND Report on Biofuels Really Said
by Robert Rapier (Consumer Energy Report/R Squared Energy Blog) The just-issued RAND report Alternative Fuels for Military Applications has generated quite a bit of controversy. However, in my opinion many of the news stories covering the report got the gist of
February 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Association Responds to Faulty Study by RAND
(Advanced Biofuels Association) ABFA President Michael McAdams responded to the RAND Corporation’s release today of results of its study, Alternative Fuels for Military Applications: “Shame on the RAND Corporation as it does a great disservice to itself and our nation by
January 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Questions Flawed RAND Report
(Algal Biomass Organization) Today, the RAND Corporation published a study and accompanying press release calling into question the effectiveness of renewable fuels for military use. The report can be found here:http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG969.pdf A copy of the press release can be found here:http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/01/25.html It is
January 25, 2011 Read Full Article
No Direct Military Benefit from Use of Alternative Fuels by Armed Forces
(RAND Corporation) If the U.S. military increases its use of alternative fuels, there will be no direct benefit to the nation's armed forces, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Any benefits from investment in alternative fuels by the U.S. Department of
January 25, 2011 Read Full Article
National Energy Security: U.S. Government Eyes Biofuels
(BiotechNow) ...Paul Bryan, biomass program manager for the Energy Department, who also spoke at the Pacific Rim Summit, points out that the government’s transition to biofuels must be careful and deliberate. “We get a lot of products from a barrel of
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Turbine Bio Fuel: the “Future of Modern Flight”
(Renewable Energy Magazine) Compact Contractors for America (CCA) has developed a dry process biofuel from algae which the company hopes will power military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles such as Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk in the not too distant future. CCA’s founder
December 23, 2010 Read Full Article
Navy Drives Biofuel Production With Goal to Buy 336M Gallons a Year by 2020, Enhancing San Diego’s Role as Center for Algae Biofuels
by Bruce V. Bigelow (Xconomy.com) The U.S. military’s interest in developing algae biofuels dates back at least three years, when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began to assess the technical capabilities needed to produce JP-8 grade jet fuel. By
December 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel Close to Certification but Scale-Up Challenges Remain
by Jeffrey Decker (FlightGlobal) Commercial production of jet biofuels could find authorisation in December under fuel specification amendments being considered by certificating body ASTM International.Enormous investments and economies of scale are far behind testing that consistently confirms the safety and
December 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Legislation Could Ensure National Security by Encouraging Development of Domestic Advanced Biofuels
(Biotechnology Industry Organization/MarketWire) A newly introduced bill will authorize the Department of Defense (DOD) to continue its leading role in helping to commercialize next generation biofuels. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today thanked Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) for introducing the “Domestic
December 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Military Signals Advanced Biofuels Demand: 336 Million Gallons per Year by 2020
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...This week in Honolulu, Chris Tindal of the US Navy joined advanced biofuels CEOs Jason Pyle of Sapphire Energy and Jonathan Wolfson of Solazyme at BIO’s Pacific Rim Summit, to discuss the scope and scale
December 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Drop-In Biofuel Developer Dorsan Joins ATI-Clean Energy Incubator
(University of Texas at Austin) The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a not-for-profit unit of The University of Texas at Austin, announced today that Dorsan Biofuels, Inc., joined as a member company of the ATI-Clean Energy Incubator. Dorsan uses proprietary technology to create
December 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Logos Technologies Receives Phase-2 BioJET™ Fuel Award
(PR NewsWire) Cellulosic biomass from agricultural wastes converted to low-cost jet fuel Logos Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded the second phase of BioJET™ from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce fully compatible jet fuel
December 17, 2010 Read Full Article
New USDA Loan Guarantees, $50 Biofuels, Asia, Syngas among New Biofuels Trends, Gossip at Pacific Rim Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Honolulu, much of the leadership of the advanced biofuels and renewables chemicals industries have gathered this week at BIO’s Pacific Rim Summit. ...(W)hat are the key trends? Here are 11 that the Digest spotted. 1.
December 13, 2010 Read Full Article
New Mexico State University Funded to Study Algae-based Jet Fuel
(Algae Industry Magazine) he U.S. military wants New Mexico State University to find improved ways to turn algae into a sustainable source for jet fuel. The research project is part of a $2.346 million grant funded by the Air Force where
November 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Young Algae Industry Getting Government Push
by Matthew Rivera (MSNBC.com) ...Not only has the federal government invested heavily in the emerging biofuel, but the military has stepped up as a potential customer. Algae biofuel, while still experimental, also is attracting the attention of big oil companies
November 12, 2010 Read Full Article
U.S. Navy, Cobalt to Develop Military Jet Biofuel
by Andrew Nusca (SmartPlanet) The U.S. Navy and Mountain View, Calif.-based biofuel outfit Cobalt Technologies on Wednesday agreed to jointly develop military jet fuel converted from biobutanol. Under the new agreement, Cobalt’s biobutanol will be converted to bio-jet and biodiesel fuels using
November 03, 2010 Read Full Article
The Algae Bears Give Their Growl
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pike Research released a report projecting the growth of algal fuel production to only 61 million gallons per year by 2020. Interestingly, the Pike Group projected an overall value of $1.3 billion, or more than $20
October 28, 2010 Read Full Article
Aloha Delivers First Supply of E85 in Hawaii
(CSP) Believes new E85 station at Marine base will help pave way for wider use in Islands Aloha Petroleum Ltd. last week delivered the state's first supply of E85 fuel (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline). The fuel was
October 26, 2010 Read Full Article
REVIVAL! Hawai’i Bi-O Style: Elite Squad of Scientists Aim to Boost Hawaii via Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Hawaii is a code word meaning “paradise” not only to sun-starved tourists, but to bioenergy developers. It has all the hallmarks of the “perfect market”. 1. A state that generates no energy from fossil fuels and
October 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Navy Unveils Its 'Mean, Green Riverine Machine' in Norfolk
by Bill Sizemore (Virginia-Pilot) The Navy took a step toward breaking its dependence on petroleum Friday, powering up a boat with fuel derived in part from seaweed. In a demonstration at Norfolk Naval Station, an experimental boat was put through a series
October 25, 2010 Read Full Article
U.S. Military Plan: Get Off Oil By 2040
by Bill Moore (Reuters/EV World) In September, the Center for New American Security (CNAS) issued a 36-page study entitled Fueling the Future Force: Preparing the Department of Defense for a Post-Petroleum Era (PDF). ...Why the urgency and why get off of
October 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Montana Senators Push Military Option on Biofuels
by James Cartledge (BrighterEnergy.org) As the Senate debated and ultimately failed to pass reforms in the military this week, two Senators from Montana introduced legislation to boost markets for biofuel. Sens. Max Baucus and John Tester’s bill, American Security and Freedom Fuels
September 27, 2010 Read Full Article
Can Biofuels Beat Drugs Crops and Save Lives in Afghanistan?
by Dean Irvine (CNN) ...Wayne Arden, who has a background in technology and finance, and John Fox whose career has been in the renewable energy field, published a White Paper on producing and using biodiesel in Afghanistan earlier this summer. ...With
September 22, 2010 Read Full Article
C-17 Using Combination of Bio- and Synthetic Fuels in Flight Tests
(Green Car Congress) A C-17 Globemaster III based at Edwards Air Force Base is conducting flight tests to see how it performs with different combinations of biofuels. The aircraft was powered by 50% JP-8, 25% hydro-treated renewable jet fuel (HRJ) and
September 02, 2010 Read Full Article
On Land, Air and Sea, a Retrofit Mission
by Todd Woody (New York Times) Want to stimulate demand for renewable energy? Send in the Marines. That was Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’s message when he outlined plans to slash the Navy and Marine Corps’ dependence on fossil fuels during an appearance
August 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Marines Look to Biofuels for Energy
by Laura Oleniacz (ENC Today) The commanding general in charge of many of the Marines Corps’ installations on the East Coast said that locally produced biofuels could help the Marines meet the “considerable” renewable energy goals required by federal law. Maj. Gen.
August 18, 2010 Read Full Article
U.S. Army Investigates Salt Lake Biofuel Crop
by Jeremiah Stettler (Salt Lake Tribune) The prickly leafed crop is hardly inviting — it is like a weed sprouting atop 20 acres of parched government land near Salt Lake City International Airport. And yet, the safflower planted as part of Salt
August 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Energy and Defense Departments Announce Agreement to Enhance Cooperation on Clean Energy and Strengthen Energy Security
At a White House Forum on Energy Security July 27, 2010, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate clean energy
July 28, 2010 Read Full Article
Pew Study: Department of Defense Embracing Clean Energy
(Pew Charitable Trusts) Pentagon, Service Agencies Working to Enhance Security, Save Money and Reduce Emissions The Department of Defense has initiated ambitious clean energy programs in service of economic, security and environmental goals according to "Reenergizing America's Defense," a report released today
April 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Honeywell Green Jet Fuel(TM) Powers U.S. Navy Green Hornet for Biofuels Certification Flight
(UOP) Fuel produced using process technology from Honeywell's UOP under contract from U.S. Defense Energy Support Center. UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced April 22, 2010, that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel(TM) produced using Honeywell UOP's renewable jet fuel process technology powered a U.S.
April 22, 2010 Read Full Article
US Military Warns Oil Output May Dip Causing Massive Shortages by 2015
by Terry Macalister (The Guardian) ...The US military has warned that surplus oil production capacity could disappear within two years and there could be serious shortages by 2015 with a significant economic and political impact. The energy crisis outlined in a
April 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Hawaiian Sugarcane Firm to Drive Navy Biofuel Development
by James Cartledge (BrighterEnergy.org) The Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company (HC&S) has said it is aiming to become a large-scale “energy farm” to provide biofuels for the US Navy and Hawaii itself. The company based in Pu’unene, Hawaii, is set to
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
First Flight Takes Place of an Aircraft Solely Powered by Jet Biofuel Blend Derived from Plant Biomass
(GreenAirOnline) The US Air Force has carried out the first-ever feasibility flight powered solely by a blended hydrotreated renewable jet fuel. The twin-engined A-10C Thunderbolt used a 50/50 blend of conventional military JP-8 jet fuel and a biofuel derived from
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
ARIES Biodiesel System Delivered to Naval Base Ventura County
The first ARIES biodiesel production system has been delivered to Naval Base Ventura County. ARIES is the result of a collaborative effort by the U.S. Navy, Biodiesel Industries and Aerojet to produce a sustainable and reliable renewable fuel, biodiesel, using
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
President Obama Recognizes Military Leadership in Advanced Biofuels Development
...Well, if there’s any doubt about the leadership that our military is showing, you just need to look at this F-18 fighter and the light-armored vehicle behind me. The Army and Marine Corps have been testing this vehicle on a
April 06, 2010 Read Full Article
Air Force Officials Take Step toward Cleaner Fuel, Energy Independence
by Samuel King, Jr. (Air Force Material Command) Air Force officials, embracing the national priorities of cleaner fuel and energy independence, took a step toward a greener, energy independent future when an A-10C Thunderbolt II here took to the air
April 05, 2010 Read Full Article
Air Transport Association/Defense Energy Support Center Announce Strategic Alliance for Alternative Aviation Fuels
The Defense Logistics Agency’s Defense Energy Support Center and Air Transport Association of America, Inc., signed a strategic alliance agreement today in Washington, D.C., recognizing a partnership for the development and deployment of alternative aviation fuels. The agreement highlights the shared
March 24, 2010 Read Full Article
Navy’s Energy Reform Initiatives Raise Concerns Among Shipbuilders
by (National Defense Magazine) The secretary of the Navy’s announcement last fall of several initiatives to wean the sea service off fossil fuels has generated excitement but also some trepidation among energy researchers and defense contractors. Much of the hope for
March 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review Gives Insight to Biofuels Priorities for Next 4 Years
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) The QDR (Quadrennial Defense Review), which sets the Department of Defense's priorities for the next four years, came out February 1, 2010. The QDR, because it is much more detailed than the FY 2011
February 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Solazyme Signs U.S. Department of Defense Contract to Develop Navy Fuels from Algae
Solazyme, Inc., the renewable oil production company and leader in algal synthetic biology, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to research, develop, and demonstrate commercial scale production of algae-derived advanced biofuel that meets the United States