by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why is working with biomass so challenging? Jonathan Male, Director at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) set out to answer that question at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco. Check out his illuminating
Department of Energy (DOE)
Back TO HOMEBiofuel Producers Make Gains in Efficiency, Productivity
(Argonne National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The nation’s biofuel producers have made significant gains in both energy efficiency and water conservation in recent years, according to a report released by the U.S Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The findings were derived from a recent
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Caribou Biofuels, Research Foundation for SUNY Sign Agreement
(Caribou Biofuels/Biomass Magazine) Caribou Biofuels Inc., a company that develops hardware and systems to cost-effectively process biomass, has entered into an agreement with the Research Foundation for SUNY, on behalf of SUNY Cobleskill, to develop and commercialize a rotary gasifier that
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces 2019 U.S. Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Awardees
(U.S. Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E)) The U.S. C3E Awards recognize mid-career women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishments in clean energy. C3E Ambassadors select the winners and these remarkable Awardees are recognized for their work at the C3E
December 12, 2019 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0002202: Notice of Intent: FY20 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “FY20 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic FOA”. BETO develops technologies that convert domestic biomass
December 11, 2019 Read Full Article
On the Road to Success from Research to Product: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Cyclotron Road
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cyclotron Road is a partnership between the non-profit Activate.org and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to empower scientists to advance their technologies from concept to first product through a fellowship program. It’s a home for hard tech innovators. Companies
December 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Choices at the Pump: Convenience Matters Dives into What It Will Take to Add E15 to Your Fuel Lineup.
(National Association of Convenience Stores) On this week’s episode of Convenience Matters, “Increasing Fuel Options for Consumers,” NACS hosts John Eichberger, executive director for the Fuels Institute, and Donovan Woods, director of operations for the Fuels Institute, discuss the future of
December 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Argonne Collaboration Shows Benefits of Better Corn Residue Management Strategies
(U.S. Department of Energy) As the global population swells, boosting the demand for both food and energy, land management has never been more important. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are conducting pivotal research that
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineered Strains for Fermentation: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to n-Butanol from Biomass and CO2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) $2.25/gal or less than $3/gge (gallon gasoline equivalent) sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? That is one of the goals of a project that is working on developing engineered clostridial strains and a fermentation process that can
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels Could Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 96%
by Steve Hanley (Clean Technica) There is nothing inherently wrong with internal combustion engines. The problem is the fuels we use to run them emit billions of tons of greenhouse gases every year, gases which cause the Earth to get hotter.
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
More than 11,700 Comments Filed on EPA’s SRE Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The public comment period of U.S. EPA’s supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that addresses the agency’s plan to reallocate future Renewable Fuel Standard volumes lost to small refinery exemptions (SREs) closed Nov. 29. More than
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Wanted – Stronger Microbial Strains: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biological Sugar Upgrades
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Microbial strains convert lignocellulosic sugars to fuel precursors, but Jeff Linger from National Renewable Energy Laboratory gave this illuminating presentation at the DOE’s BETO 2019 Project Peer Review that details how they are looking to
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Aircraft
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Hüseyin Turan Arat of İskenderun Technical University and Meryem Gizem Sürer observed in a recent paper, “With the increasing world population and the energy consumption, the aviation industry has led the technology and researches to
December 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Pathway to Fuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Bio-Syngas and Fatty Alcohols
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Did you know that Dow and LanzaTechpreviously validated syngas conversion to fatty alcohols via the +1 pathway (LeuABCD) in Clostridium? There is a project underway now to develop a new bio-syngas fermentation process using engineered bacteria
November 29, 2019 Read Full Article
BECCS to the Future: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ARPA’s Methane Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you missed ABLC NEXT in San Francisco, let’s go back to the future and look at BECCS – Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage – and examine the challenges, how it is fueled by methane
November 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Verdict’s in for Vertimass: Yep, It’s Commercially Viable
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California the jury’s come in for Vertimass. We received word of a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, which summarizes key attributes of Vertimass’ unique technology
November 27, 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
TEA Tornado Plot, Technical Hurdles, and Driving Down MFSP: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Algal Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The commercialization of algae has several challenges, but Lieve M. Laurens from National Renewable Energy Laboratory gave this illuminating presentation at the DOE’s BETO 2019 Project Peer Review that details how they are trying to reduce
November 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Oh So Sweet! Amyris’s Look at Farnesene Production from Sugars: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to MegaBio and Farnesene
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amyris is working on a MegaBio goal. Mega because it’s a big goal – develop a fully integrated and scalable process to produce farnesene from cellulosic sugars at $2 per liter in the U.S. Quinn Mitrovich from Amyris
November 25, 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
EPA Small Refinery Exemptions in the Renewable Fuel Standard Explained
(U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration) ... The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates the amount of renewable fuels refineres must blend into the U.S. transportation fuel supply. As part of the RFS program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can grant
November 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces 2019 U.S. Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Awardees
(C3E Awards) Tomorrow, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will recognize nine accomplished women for their achievements and leadership in clean energy as part of the U.S Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative. The winners of the 2019 U.S. C3E awards, which
November 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Court Dismisses ABFA’s Petition for Review of EPA SRE Methodology
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Nov. 12 dismissed a petition for review filed by the Advanced Biofuels Association challenging the U.S. EPA’s methodology for granting small refinery exemptions (SREs). The
November 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Producers Make Significant Gains in Efficiency, Productivity and Conservation, Argonne Survey Shows
(U.S. Department of Energy Newswise) Survey results conclude that there have been significant improvements in energy efficiency and water conservation. -- The nation’s biofuel producers have made significant gains in both energy efficiency and water conservation in recent years, according to
November 13, 2019 Read Full Article
UCSB Chemical Engineer Looks at Microbes Found in Herbivores’ Guts to Turn Plant Waste into Fuel
by Soe Han Tha (Santa Barbara News Press) Households and businesses typically regard as waste the parts of plants that cannot be consumed, whether that be stems, roots, inedible leaves. What if this waste could be used as fuel or other commodity
November 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Are Ancient Bugs the Key to Storing Wind and Solar?
by Stephen Lacey (GreenTechMedia) In this special podcast episode: We tour NREL’s new bioreactor that creates renewable methane from microorganisms, hydrogen and CO2. NREL and SoCalGas are finally running their novel power-to-gas system. -- As grids get saturated with wind and
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
SOFAST It’s Scary!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Arthrospira/Spirulina Algae Strains
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Streamlined Optimization of Filamentous Arthrospira/SpirulinaTraits (SOFAST) is looking at algae in a whole new way. Lumen Bioscience in particular has been working on a unique, patented technology to genetically enhance Arthrospira for improved growth and biomass composition
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Releases 2019 GREET Model
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Argonne National Laboratory’s 2019 GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) models include changes and updates to carbon calculations for land use change from the production of biofuels, as well as
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Rural Leaders Ask President Trump to Uphold Biofuel Promise
(Renewable Fuels Association) A broad coalition of biofuel and farm advocates today sent a letter to the White House calling on President Trump to fix a flawed proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which “fails in its mission to reinvigorate farm
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
ABLCNext Top 10 Takeaways – What Was the Industry Buzzing about in San Francisco?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Next last week, there was lots of buzz and tons of discussion about all sorts of things, but what were the key takeaways? Let's start with Sustainable Aviation Fuels, CRISPR, new food, the
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Aircraft
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Hüseyin Turan Arat of İskenderun Technical University and Meryem Gizem Sürer observed in a recent paper, “With the increasing world population and the energy consumption, the aviation industry has led the technology and researches to
November 04, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Refinery Exemptions Reduced Renewable Fuel Blending Requirements in 2018
(U.S. Energy Information Administration) On August 9, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had granted 31 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) for the 2018 compliance year, or 4 fewer than were approved for the
November 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Energy and Water Sustainability in the U.S. Biofuel Industry
by May Wu (Argonne National Laboratory) The progress of technology development for conventional and advanced biofuel production processes in the U.S. has been reviewed by several groups over the last two decades (Warner et al. 2017; Mueller and Kwik 2013;
November 01, 2019 Read Full Article
How Lithium Could Be Calif.'s Next 'Gold Rush'
by David Ferris and David Iaconangelo (E&E News) ... EnergySource, based in San Diego, is making an expensive gamble that it can be the first to tap a vast reserve of lithium here that has frustrated engineers for decades. Lithium
October 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee Announces Open Meetings --- November 19-20, 2019 --- Washington, DC
(U.S. Department of Energy/Federal Register) Purpose of Meeting: To develop advice and guidance that promotes research and development leading to the production of biobased fuels and biobased products. Tentative Agenda will include thefollowing: • Update on USDA Biomass R&D Activities • Update
October 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Vertimass Selected by U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technology Office to Receive Up to $1.4 Million Award to Optimize Renewable Jet Fuel
(Vertimass/PR Newswire) Vertimass to optimize renewable jet fuel blendstocks to maximize energy content and reduce emissions -- Vertimass LLC announced today that Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) within the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy will receive
October 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Just Announced at ABLCNEXT 2019: Energy Department Announces $14M Investment in Demonstration-Scale Integrated Biorefineries
(Department of Energy)Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Selection for EERE Project Development for Pilot and Demonstration Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower -- Today, the Energy Department announced a $14 million investment in demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries. This investment, a continuation of
October 31, 2019 Read Full Article
USDA, DOE Sign Major MOU to Promote Rural Energy, Advance Rural Communities, Domestic Manufacturing.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Donald “DJ” LaVoy and U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes today (October 24, 2019) announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the two
October 25, 2019 Read Full Article
New Court Documents Detail Rampant EPA Abuse of Small Refinery Exemption Program
(Renewable Fuels Association) Newly available court documents assert that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inappropriately granted Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance exemptions to certain small refineries that did not even qualify for the waivers, and that there was division within the
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
UPDATED — Trump Lays RFS Egg and Perdue Hatches It
by Jim Wiesemeyer (Pro Farmer) President Donald Trump today said a plan to recalculate biofuel-blending requirements to offset waivers exempting refineries from the mandates is approved, done and ready to sign and that the deal is “going to be terrific for
October 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Phase Genomics Lands DOE Grant as Pest-Detecting Tech for Algae Wins Support
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington state, Phase Genomics will receive $325,000 as part of the $73 million Department of Energy (DOE) Office Efficiency and Renewable Energy funding. Phase Genomics’ proximity-ligation metagenomic technology will be leveraged to sequence the genomes of
October 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Climate Change, Advanced Biofuels and Clean Diesel
(Diesel Technology Forum) When Rudolph Diesel patented his engine over a century ago, it was designed to operate on vegetable oils. Today, most diesel engines are still capable of operating on high quality fuels derived from vegetable oils. Whether it
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA: 5 SRE Applications Filed for Compliance Year 2019
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Oct. 17 that shows the agency has received five SRE applications for compliance year 2019. All five applications are listed as pending. No other changes
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Paper Beer Bottles, 3D Printed Boats, Hydrogen-Powered Rescues; the New Mirai, Plastics from Potato, Hallowe’en Biobased Coffins, The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of October 18th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week there’s Hallowe’en around the corner and we’ll point to the very latest in biobased DIY coffins, but leading this week is the unexpected ways to make the ordinary stuff we know — like,
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Iowa Farm Leaders Warn Trump Could Lose Rural Voters unless He Makes Good on Ethanol Deal
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Angry over proposed ethanol changes, Iowa agriculture leaders warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump will lose rural voters next year unless he makes good on a deal to restore millions of gallons of lost renewable fuel demand. "No more
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Do You Have a Game-Changing Energy Innovation? Now Accepting Applications for Cohort 4. DEADLINE: October 31, 2019
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Energy entrepreneurs all over the country are coming up with revolutionary ideas that have the potential to change how America uses energy. However, these same innovators frequently face daunting challenges that delay promising ideas from entering commercial
October 17, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to the Agile BioFoundry and the Transformation of Markets through Genetic Innovation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agile BioFoundry brings together a specialist team of scientists, engineers, and technical staff from eight of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories, with the aim that their collective skills, expertise, and experience lead
October 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021: Supplemental Notice COMMENT DEADLINE: November 29, 2019
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On October 15, 2019, EPA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking additional comment on the recently proposed rule to establish the cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel volumes for 2020 and the biomass-based diesel
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
“EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”: Shocker Details Emerge on US Oil Industry Waivers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”, said the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association in reacting to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s new plans for fulfilling federal renewable fuel requirements. EPA released a proposed supplemental rule for the Renewable Fuel
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Kelp Elevator Could Give Biofuels a Lift
by Katharine Gammon (Inside Science) An experiment off the coast of California may bolster efforts to make biocrude from "the Sequoia of the sea." --- Catalina Island, .... Its waters are also home to an unsual-looking science experiment: a floating bed
October 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Leveraging Biofuels for a Cleaner Mobility Future
by Jonathan Male (U.S. Department of Energy) Biofuels are critical to our energy future. No matter how far electric vehicles come in the next 25 years, the internal combustion engines of today will continue to be a big part of
October 14, 2019 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Drop-In Biofuels: The Key Role that Co-Processing Will Play in Their Production
(IEA Bioenergy/Netzwerk Betreibstoffe) Presentation online This webinar presents the 2019 update of the 2014 IEA Bioenergy Task 39 “drop-in” biofuels report. It reviews the status of technologies, the progress of the various technical approaches and updates the successes, challenges and
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Scientists Mimic Natural Decay to Break Down Plant Material for Biofuel Production
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Inspired by bacteria’s role in natural plant decay, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and Michigan State University have mimicked a bacterial pathway to break down the toughest parts of a plant in preparation
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Trash to Treasure: Scientists Convert Municipal Waste to Biofuel Precursors
by Emily Scot (Berkeley Lab) As the need for energy security grows, scientists are investigating nonfood biomass sources that can be used to create valuable biofuels and bioproducts. Among these sources is municipal solid waste (MSW) — in other words, trash
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
New Report Boosts Development Options for Most Promising Biofuels
by Lynne Roeder (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Assessment identifies top ten blendstocks for efficiency in turbo-charged engines -- ... This environmental benefit could be maximized with biofuels suitable for use in turbocharged engines that pack more horsepower in a smaller,
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Charting your Bioenergy Pathway
(U.S. Department of Energy) Are you a student looking to jumpstart an exciting career in the field of bioenergy? Or are you already employed in a STEM field and looking for additional education and workforce training to pivot into the bioenergy
October 09, 2019 Read Full Article
The 10 Most Overlooked Stories in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This is such Top Secret stuff that every announcement was, we surmise, buried in the hardest-to-find hole, on the loneliest street, of the most out-of-the-way town on Planet Neptune. Just shows what you might find down a
October 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Reg Modlin High Octane Low Carbon Fuel Blog Series
(Natual Resources Solutions) Reg Modlin is a senior NRS Advisor and a veteran of 40-plus years in the automotive industry. In the following posts, he examines the steps that have been taken – and need to be taken – to
October 07, 2019 Read Full Article
National Academies of Science Panel Calls for Review of Truck GHG Rules
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A National Academies of Science panel on Friday called for EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct an "interim evaluation" of federal fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas regulations for medium- and
October 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Tolerating Even More: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Improving Yeast Tolerance to Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wouldn’t it be great if we could boost fermentation of high-toxicity biomass hydrolysates? Well, folks are working on this via enhanced biocatalytic tolerance. At the recent DOE BETO 2019 Project Peer Review, Felix Lam and
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
National Labs Entrepreneurial Fellowships DEADLINE: October 31, 2019
(U.S. Department of Energy) Three of the Department of Energy’s National laboratories are now accepting applications for their respective Cohort of Innovators through October 31st: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Chain Reaction Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Innovation Crossroads, and Lawrence
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
An Identity Crisis—Ethanol Blending is a Refinery?
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Biofuels Digest) ... (A)nyone who owns a blender pump woke up one day in June to find out they were a refiner! Actually, a “fuel manufacturer” to be exact, with all the numbing, strangling regulations that
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineering Thermophiles to Produce Drop-in Fuels from Syngas: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Syngas Bioprocess
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Drop-in fuels from syngas are in. Syngas feedstocks are relatively inexpensive and diverse, thermophiles have several unique advantages, and end products have value as fuel and solvent applications among others. Sounds like win, win, win, right?
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Better Breakdown: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to PET Upcycling
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As frustrated as you may get with your pet sometimes, we aren’t talking about upcycling dogs and cats here, but PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic that is typically landfilled. One group at NREL and ORNL are working
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
$73 Million, 35 Projects, Who Won, for What and Why: The DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office 2019 Project Selections
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy has selected 35 projects totaling $73 million for bioenergy research and development support. Funded through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects will help reduce
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Magnificent Microbes: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Targeted Microbial Development
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The industry is always on the look for microbial pathways that are capable of producing high carbon efficiency intermediates that are amenable to economic bioconversion, separation, and catalytic upgrading to hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. At
October 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Making Enzymes More Effective: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Enzyme Engineering
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Enzyme technology enables advanced biofuels. But can we do better? Can enzymes improve conversion? Can understanding enzyme structure, function, activity technology enable industrial enzyme improvement while reducing company R&D cost? Michael Himmel, Senior Research Fellow from NREL’s Biomolecular
September 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Assessing the Stability and Techno-Economic Implications for Wet Storage of Harvested Microalgae to Manage Seasonal Variability
by Lynn M. Wendt, Christopher Kinchin, Bradley D. Wahlen, Ryan Davis, Thomas A. Dempster & Henri Gerken (Biotechnology for Biofuels) Seasonal variation in microalgae production is a significant challenge to developing cost-competitive algae biofuels. Summer production can be three to five
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Interdisciplinary Team Gets $2M Grant for Bioenergy Conversion
by David Nutt (Cornell University) The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded an interdisciplinary team of Cornell researchers $2 million to study the combination of inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles and bacterial cells for more efficient bioenergy conversion. ... The Cornell project was one
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Increase Value, Reduce Costs: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced Algal Systems. Maybe you’ve heard of it but did you know that technologies are being developed as part of a DOE program to enable production of sustainable algal feedstocks that perform reliably in conversion processes
September 24, 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
Increase Value, Reduce Costs: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)Advanced Algal Systems. Maybe you’ve heard of it but did you know that technologies are being developed as part of a DOE program to enable production of sustainable algal feedstocks that perform reliably in conversion processes
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Grab It and Use It: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Carbon Capture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At the recent Algae Biomass Summit, John Litynski, Deputy Director of Advanced Fossil Technology Systems at the DOE gave this illuminating overview of the federal government’s role in CCUS and detailed some of the major
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
The Algae Summit, Groups to Know, Slides to See, and the Megatrends
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We’ve managed to get a hold of three presentations that really were the bomb at ABS 2019. Jonathan Male, director of the Bioenergy Technologies Office and one of the original Pyromaniax himself, gave this one
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Want More Miles per Gallon? Start Planting Some Trees
by Beth A. Russell (Idaho National Laboratory) It turns out that trees (or as researchers refer to them, woody biomass) can be refined to produce a carbon-rich wood alcohol that is excellent for use in high-octane fuel blends. Lest one imagine a
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at the Algae Biomass Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Couple of good trends to point to: 1. Lot more emphasis on farms and farming these days. It’s still an industry dominated by people in white coats, but there are some more overalls around the ABS
September 19, 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
DOE Taps Danforth Plant Science Center for Research to Improve Sorghum as a Bioenergy Crop
(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), has launched a major initiative to develop bioenergy crops through genomics-based research. Danforth Center Principal Investigator, Andrea Eveland, Ph.D., will lead a multi-institutional project
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Full Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Hearing on Minerals and Clean Energy Technologies
(Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources) Opening Statement Hearing to Examine the Minerals Needed for Clean Energy Senator Lisa Murkowski -- ... Minerals are the fundamental building blocks for any modern technology, whether they are light bulbs or computers
September 17, 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
ORNL Develops Method to Customize Microbes for Better Biofuel Production
by Kimberly A Askey (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a method to insert genes into a variety of microorganisms that previously would not accept foreign DNA, with the goal
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Friday Fun with Fungus: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Fungal Biotech for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Noone knows fungus like these guys. A PNNL team has been developing fungal genetic engineering tools for industrially relevant fungi (filamentous and yeasts) and applying them to development of biofuel and bioproduct bioprocesses in stirred tank
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Betting on Waste
(EurekAlert!/University of California - Santa Barbara) Most of the materials that maintain our modern lives -- fuels, pharmaceuticals and other commodity chemicals -- come from non-renewable sources. Over time the acquisition of these materials becomes more costly as their supplies diminish.
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Lube It up with Sugar: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Lubricants from Cellulosic Sugar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Petroleum based lubricants are everywhere, but Cargill is working on producing lubricants from cellulosic sugars instead. Utilizing a novel bioprocess that converts lignocellulosic hydrolysate sugars to caprylatemethyl ester, they are laying the foundation for this product
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Come on, Camelina: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Camelina’s Potential Yield
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Camelina is one of those fascinating feedstocks but often the yields aren’t high enough to be profitable for farmers. That’s a problem Kristi Snell from Yield10 Bioscience is tackling by developing a camelina feedstock with
September 11, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algal Biomass Yield Improvements
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations is working on a trifecta of goals: 1) to develop improved strains and cultivation methods to increase the algal biofuel intermediate yield by at least 70% AND 2) to develop new drying and
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
MU’s Cheng Utilizing Deep Learning Expertise for Key Federal Biofuel Project
(University of Missouri College of Engineering) Mizzou Engineering’s Jianlin Cheng has put his world-class protein prediction skills to stellar use in the field of healthcare, and now, he’s part of a critical effort in bioenergy — one that could dramatically improve the prospects
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Highest Yield, Lowest Cost: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to 2nd Gen Mixotrophy for Biochemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Shawn Jones from White Dog Labs shared this as part of the of U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office presentations on second-generation mixotrophy for the highest yield and least expensive biochemical production. Check out
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee Meeting --- October 24, 2019 --- North Bethesda, MD
(Federal Register) This notice announces a meeting of the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee (BERAC). Purpose of the Committee: To provide advice on a continuing basis to the Director, Office of Science of the Department of Energy, on the
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Rice Reactor Turns Greenhouse Gas into Pure Liquid Fuel
by Mike Williams (Rice University) Lab’s ‘green’ invention reduces carbon dioxide into valuable fuels -- A common greenhouse gas could be repurposed in an efficient and environmentally friendly way with an electrolyzer that uses renewable electricity to produce pure liquid fuels. The catalytic reactor
September 05, 2019 Read Full Article
On Climate Change, Senator Warren Has a New Plan — Inslee’s Old Plan
(Our Daily Planet) ... Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is known for having a plan for everything, put out a “new” climate-related plan — that is basically Jay Inslee’s clean energy plan. Senator Warren, in announcing the plan on Medium said,
September 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Five Reasons Why Big Oil Is Wrong
by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) On Wednesday, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute sent a letter to President Trump in response to reports that the administration is considering measures to mitigate the harm that the
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
US-India Consortium for Development of Sustainable Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuel Systems
by Vermerris, Wilfred; Ingram, Lonnie O.; O'Connor, George; Pullammanappallil, P.; Shanmugam, K. T.; Tong, Zhaohui; Wilkie, Anne; Jose, Shibu; Bardhan, Sougata; Kitchen, Newell; Fritschi, Felix; Alavalapati, Janaki; Quesada-Pineda, Henry J.; Smith, Robert; Lal, Pankaj ; Gan, Jianbang (University of Florida/U.S.
August 30, 2019 Read Full Article
SoCalGas Project Uses Renewable Electricity for RNG Production
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Electrochaea have commissioned a new biomethanation reactor system, which uses renewable electricity to convert hydrogen into pipeline-quality methane for use in homes, businesses and transportation. The pilot project is located at
August 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $64 Million for Research on Plants and Microbes: Genomics-Based Research Will Help Develop Crops for Bioenergy
(U.S. Department of Energy) oday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $64 million in funding for 25 university-led genomics research projects on plants and microbes for bioenergy and bioproducts. The plant research—12 projects totaling $29 million over three years—focuses on expanding knowledge of
August 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Waste-to-Energy from Municipal Solid Wastes Report Released!
(U.S. Department of Energy) In the United States, municipal solid waste (MSW) is both a potentially valuable resource and often a significant disposal problem in many locations. The United States produced more than 260 million tons of MSW in 2015.
August 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Internal White House Documents: EPA Ignored Trump Administration Recommendations to Redistribute Small Refinery Waived Volumes
(Renewable Fuels Association) Documents obtained by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) show that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignored strong recommendations from within the Trump Administration to redistribute Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations lost to small refinery exemptions in the
August 27, 2019 Read Full Article
For The Sake Of Our Biofuel, We Must Stop This Feral Hog Menace
by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) ... Aside from scaring the children and scattering the chickens, they are genuinely a major threat to US agriculture and yet another headache for farmers who are already suffering under the impacts of climate change
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Leveraging First Generation Bioethanol Production Facilities Workshop --- September 25-26, 2019 --- Ames, IA
On September 25 and 26, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE's) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is planning to host a workshop / industry listening day to discuss research and development related to the
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $40 Million in Funding for 29 Projects to Advance H2@Scale
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced approximately $40 million in FY 2019 funding for 29 projects to advance the H2@Scale concept. The focus of H2@Scale is to enable affordable and reliable large-scale hydrogen generation, transport,
August 23, 2019 Read Full Article
UNL Researchers Leading Biofuel Studies
(KFORNOW) Sorghum, the third most abundant cereal crop in the United States, is emerging as a star player in the biofuels industry. Right now, however, maximizing the crop’s potential is challenging. The function of much of its complete set of DNA remains
August 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Set to Discuss Biofuels Thursday with USDA, EPA: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump, faced with mounting anger in the farm belt over policies that allowed oil refineries to use less corn-based ethanol, is set to meet with cabinet members on Thursday to discuss ways to
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
From Chicken Kiev to ZEV: The Birth of Electro-Active Technologies, and Hydrogen Fuel for Zero Emission Vehicles, the Newfangled Way
by jmlhydrogen (Hydrogen Digest) From Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee comes news that Electro-Active Technologies has exclusively licensed two biorefinery technologies to convert organic waste into renewable hydrogen gas for use as a biofuel. The Technology The system combines biology and electrochemistry
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
New Catalysts, Improved Genetic Tools Bring New Opportunities: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ORNL’s Biomass to Bioproducts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Organisms are interesting creatures and genetic tools and biochemical pathway knowledge is changing the way we look at them. Brian Davison, Chief Scientist for Biotechnology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, gave this knowledge-filled presentation on how
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to DOE’s Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae has a lot of recent federal support, and this presentation takes us there. The Advanced Algal Systems is working on a host of strategies to focus on enhacing productivity, feedstock, quality and robust yields
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
It’s Time to Rebuild: Farmland as Critical Infrastructure
by Michael A. Fatigati (Vantaggio Renewables/Biofuels Digest) ... We believe that one of our nation’s important natural resources, while protected in some ways, is being neglected to our peril and should be re-classified as infrastructure. This segment of infrastructure supplies
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
DOE Announces $59 Million and 43 Projects to Accelerate Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research
(U.S. Department of Energy) U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes announced $59 million for 43 projects for new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies research. Funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Wound up over Waivers
by Alex Guillén (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA's internal watchdog is being asked to determine how the agency decided to grant the vast majority of exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard that oil refiners have requested. EPA approved 31 petitions for waivers
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Startup Licenses ORNL Food-Waste-to-Fuel System
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Electro-Active Technologies, Inc., of Knoxville, Tenn., has exclusively licensed two biorefinery technologies invented and patented by the startup’s co-founders while working at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The technologies work as a system that
August 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Environmental Advocates Should Take Another Look at Biofuels
by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and former Sen. Timothy Wirth (D-CO) (The Hill) ... But public policy to date has put almost the entire burden of the sector’s transformation on the nation’s vehicles. Shouldn’t the fuels they burn get equal attention? Look
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
SoCalGas and Electrochaea Announce Commissioning of New Biomethanation Reactor System Pilot Project
(Southern California Gas Co./PR Newswire) Innovative project with U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory converts renewable electricity into renewable methane for storage in existing natural gas pipelines -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Electrochaea today announced the commissioning of the nation's
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
DOE Seeks Information on Opportunities to Leverage Bioethanol Production Facilities, Food Waste Streams, High-Impact Data, and Algal Biomass to Advance the Domestic Bioeconomy --DE-FOA-0002150: FY 2019 BETO-WIDE RFI DEADLINE: September 6, 2019
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting information on the following research opportunities to help inform its priorities and funding strategies: advanced processes and
August 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Can They? Should They?: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to DOE’s Biofuels in Marine Engines
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The fuels market and demand for jet fuels is big, but what about the marine sector? After all, over 90% of all goods are shipped via marine vessels fueled with high sulfur (3.5 wt.%) heavy residual
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Supercomputing Improves Biomass Fuel Conversion
by Holly Ober (Univesity of California Riverside News) Researchers combine supercomputing with nano-imaging to reveal how to efficiently break down plant biomass and transform it into transportation fuels -- ... In order to access the energy-rich sugars found in the plant
August 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Vampire Algae Killer's Genetic Diversity Poses Threat to Biofuels
(Science Daily/U.S. Department of Energy Los Alamos Laboratory) New DNA analysis has revealed surprising genetic diversity in a bacterium that poses a persistent threat to the algae biofuels industry. With the evocative name Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus, the predatory pest sucks out the
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
MARINER’s Magnificent Macroalgae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ARPA-E
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oceans are the largest untapped growth opportunity for biomass and that macroalgae is the quintessential ocean crop, according to ARPA-E. But, it says that with the current state of technology, it will never scale to meet
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Blazing Pathways through the Clean-Tech and Governmental Wilderness
by Douglas L. Faulkner (The Cleantech Conservative/Leatherstocking LLC/ Biofuels Digest) ... (W)e first addressed bio-based plastic research needs; second, we reviewed government regulations preventing the growth of advanced biofuels, a controversial action; then we launched an effort for 2019 for an intensive look
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Chief Defends Biofuel Waivers in Meeting with Farm Senators: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defended his agency’s expanded use of waivers exempting refineries from the country’s biofuel law during a closed-door meeting with farm state senators last week, arguing the program
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
The Future of Hydrogen, and the Debut of Hydrogen Digest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In a new report from the International Energy Agency, the IEA’s executive director Dr. Fatih Birol writes, “This is a critical year for hydrogen. It is enjoying unprecedented momentum around the world and could finally be set
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
EERE Helps American Small Businesses with $43.6 Million for Phase II Innovation Projects
(U.S. Department of Energy) American small businesses received a near-$44 million boost from the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. As part of last Monday’s announcement, small businesses are receiving Phase
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $50 Million for Commercial Truck, Off-road Vehicle, and Gaseous Fuels Research
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $50 million for new and innovative research of technologies for trucks, off-road vehicles, and the fuels that power them. Funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Energy Department Says EPA Issued RFS Exemptions Against DOE Advice
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) Contrary to assertions by the EPA, the Energy Department confirmed in a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that the EPA has issued so-called “economic hardship” exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to small refineries, often
July 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Vampire Algae Killer's Genetic Diversity Poses Threat to Biofuels
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org) New DNA analysis has revealed surprising genetic diversity in a bacterium that poses a persistent threat to the algae biofuels industry. With the evocative name Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus, the predatory pest sucks out the contents of the algae cells
July 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Algae Technology Educational Consortium Prepares Students for Careers in Algae Cultivation and Technologies
by Jonathan Male (U.S. Department of Energy) Algae is a fast-growing industry that needs a skilled workforce of scientists, researchers, and engineers to advance algae technology and the commercialization of algal products to support the bioeconomy. With funding from the Bioenergy
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. Public-Private Cooperation Funds Biogas Production & Upgrading
(Xebec/NGV Journal) Xebec Adsorption Inc. announced its inclusion in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) US$24 million commitment to a public-private collaboration funding 77 energy technology projects. One of these initiatives includes the collaboration of Xebec, Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
POET Outlines Lessons from 4-Year Long Startup of Project Liberty Cellulosic Ethanol Project
(Green Car Congress) Commercially viable cellulosic ethanol plants has proven devilishly difficult to bring to fruition. The primary outlier from the list of efforts that have shut down over the past few years is POET/DSM’s Project Liberty (earlier post). In an
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Eco-Friendly Biofuels Made from Food Waste Could Cut 'Flight Shame' among Air Travelers
by Jeremy Deaton (NBC News) “Biofuels are what’s going to save us when it comes to aviation." -- ... The airline industry has expressed concern that flight shame will put a dent in their bottom line, and they are taking steps to
July 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Small U.S. Refiners Vow to Sue EPA If It Fails to Issue 2018 Waiver Rulings in 60 Days
by Humeyra Pamuk (National Post/Reuters) Small U.S. refineries plan to sue Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 60 days, if the agency by then fails to issue its decisions on 2018 petitions for waivers from the nation’s biofuel laws, refiners said in a
July 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Public-Private Partnership Works on ‘Economical’ Biomethane Production
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Xebec Adsorption Inc. is working with federal research facility Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and a California treatment facility on a research project to improve biomethane production. The project received $500,000 in funding from
July 18, 2019 Read Full Article
A Bill Bonanza: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Will Consider 23 Bills
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will consider 23 bills this morning on issues ranging from carbon capture to nuclear energy. Texas Sen. John Cornyn's bill, S. 1685 (116), for one, would require
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Relieving Two Headaches with One Process: Acetaminophen from Lignin
by Jill Sakai (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) With a new method to synthesize a popular pain-relieving medication from plants rather than fossil fuels, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have found a way to relieve two headaches at once. A
July 12, 2019 Read Full Article
NovoNutrients Gets $300K from DOE Program for CO2 to Feed Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $600,000 in federal funding for two projects that fall under the High Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) program. One of the projects caught The Digest’s eye in particular – California-based NovoNutrients‘ fermentation
July 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Intervention Delaying EPA Biofuel Waiver Action, Sources Say
by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for a review of the administration’s expanded use of biofuel waivers for oil refiners is holding up its decisions on 2018 applications, according to three sources familiar with the matter, two of
July 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Solving the Puzzle Surrounding Algae for Biofuels
by Asanga Padmaperuma (U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) PNNL team develops new model for analyzing biocrude yield and economics Scientists have made significant strides in transforming algae to biocrude using a process called hydrothermal liquefaction, or HTL. Still, the long
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Paper Pen, Bioasphalt, Water Activated Bio Shampoo, Lignin Self-Healing Elastomer, Bio Crop Coating, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 10th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) While many are on vacation this time of year, the bioeconomy is not even close to taking a break. In fact, bioeconomy innovations, are like a beach goer in Florida this time of year – hot!
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
AFPM Launches Ad Campaign Urging the President to Protect Refinery Jobs
(American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers) Today (July 8, 2019), AFPM launched an advertising campaign asking President Trump to keep his promise to protect U.S. refiners from unchecked ethanol mandates that threaten to kill our jobs. This campaign comes on the heels
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ABO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae Biomass Organization advocates for algae-advancing policy and funding, serves as a hub for innovation and networking, and drives demand for “made with algae” products and services. Mark Allen, Chairperson of ABO, offers this enlightening overview of
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
The Push for Year-Round E15 Is upon Us, but Is It the Best Biofuel Option?
by Jeff Wasil (Washington Examiner) ... There's also a better option than E15, one that only requires cutting red tape hindering the widespread usage of a next-generation biofuel: biobutanol. Unlike ethanol, biobutanol contains nearly 90% of the energy content of gasoline (compared
July 08, 2019 Read Full Article
RE-CORD Signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
(RE-CORD) The Renewable Energy Consortium for Research and Demonstration (RE-CORD) signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, www.nrel.gov ) for coordination on thermochemical conversion of biomass for the production of biofuels and
July 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Researchers Build Catalyst to Generate Electrical Energy From Ethanol
(University of Arkansas) Jingyi Chen, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas, worked with scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory to develop a highly efficient catalyst for generating electrical energy from ethanol. Ethanol is
July 03, 2019 Read Full Article
EIA to Update Data Reporting for Biofuels COMMENTS DUE July 24, 2019
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Energy Information Administration is seeking a three-year extension with changes to its Petroleum Supply Reporting System. The proposed changes include those related to biofuels reporting. The PSRS consists of six weekly surveys that make
July 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Pressure Builds on US EPA to Process e-RINs
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Magazine/U.S. Biomass Power Association) The RFS Power Coalition met with the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as part of its public outreach process, to share a few thoughts about electric renewable identification numbers. Across from the
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Daily on Energy: Biden’s Electric-Car Plan Could Suffer from Obama’s Lackluster Legacy
by John Siciliano & Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) ... Former vice president Joe Biden has some scratching their heads over a climate plan he introduced last week during the Democratic debates to deploy 500,000 electric-car charging stations if elected president in 2020. The
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
NREL Announces Participants for 2019 Executive Energy Leadership Program
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 21 leaders to participate in its 2019 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs), which provides non-technical business, governmental, and community leaders an opportunity to learn
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Integrated Landscape Management Reduces Biomass Production Costs By 20%
by J.Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy) A new techno-economic analysis by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) demonstrated that, by using integrated landscape management (ILM) techniques, bioenergy stakeholders could produce biomass at costs 20% lower than previous assumptions.1 The efficiencies
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Senators Urge EPA to Update Science on Ethanol
(Feedstuffs) EPA has rejected calls to update GHG calculations based on technological advancements in ethanol production. -- A bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition &
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
EERE Job Fair --- July 11, 2019 --- Arlington, VA
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) federal career opportunities are available in Washington, D.C., and Golden, Colorado. EERE will participate in DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) job fair. Join us for a one-day hiring
June 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Co-Optima Identifies Innovation Needed to Continue Momentum in Fuel Economy Gains
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today’s cars are advancing at lightning speed: from electric vehicles to efficient internal combustion engines to automated vehicles. Transportation is changing. Although the fuel-economy ratings of today’s cars are dramatically higher than those of just 10
June 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Arizona Fire Highlights Challenges for Energy Storage
by Jonathan J. Cooper (Associated Press) Arizona’s largest electric company installed massive batteries near neighborhoods with a large number of solar panels, hoping to capture some of the energy from the afternoon sun to use after dark. Arizona Public Service has been
June 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Hawaii’s Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Tropical Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Hawai’i is on top of the latest research on Hawaii’s tropical agriculture, its hot zone and tropical feedstocks for the bioeconomy. Peter Matlock, Strategic Advisor for Aviation Fuels and Special Projects for Joint BioEnergy
June 24, 2019 Read Full Article
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