by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTechhas over 20 years experience sourcing and supplying over 5 million tons of wood fiber and organic feedstock in markets across North America. They offer biomass feedstock supply and analytics to understand and minimize supply chain
Department of Energy (DOE)
Back TO HOMECongress Retains Most Energy Programs in 2018 Farm Bill through Fiscal Year 2023
by Steve Hanson (U.S. Energy Information Administration) On December 20, 2018, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) was signed into law, continuing federal support to a number of renewable electricity and bioenergy-related programs. Authorizations in the 2018 Farm Bill cover
February 03, 2019 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Projects to Develop Sensors for Bioenergy, Agriculture
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy recently awarded nearly $6 million to four projects under its OPEN+ program for the Sensors for Bioenergy and Agriculture cohort team. According to ARPA-E, the team will
January 31, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. Groups Support Expansion of Biofuels in Ontario
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) U.S. Grains Council and Growth Energy submit comments in support of 15% renewable fuel content in gasoline use by 2025. -- This week, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) jointly submitted comments to the Canadian province of
January 31, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. Energy Outlook Report Underscores Need for Higher Ethanol Blends
(Growth Energy) Federal forecasts in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) newly released Annual Energy Outlook 2019 (AEO2019) underscore the importance of delivering cleaner, lower cost options to the fuel pump, said Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs at Growth
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Announces $11 Million for Fourth, Fifth OPEN+ Cohorts
Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $11 million in funding for 7 projects in the next two cohorts of the agency’s OPEN+ program: Energy-Water Technologies and Sensors for Bioenergy and
January 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Algae: As Different from Each Other as They Are from You and Me
by Amanda Barry (U.S. Department of Energy) ... In a recent project funded by the Advanced Algal Systems (AAS) Program, researchers from LANL and the New Mexico Consortium are exploring the biofuel candidate Chlorella sorokiniana, developing genetic engineering tools in order to introduce novel traits
January 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Advancements in Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Give Biofuels a Boost
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National laboratory researchers demonstrate improvements in bio-oil yield through catalyst and process development. -- Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have identified an approach to improve
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Proposed Changes to EIA-819 Monthly Biofuels, Fuel Oxygenates, and Motor Gasoline Blending Components Report COMMENT DEADLINE: February 25, 2019
(U.S. Department of Energy) On December 27, 2018, a Federal Register Notice (FRN) was published announcing proposed survey changes to the Petroleum Supply Reporting System. These changes enhance collection and reporting of biofuels a number of ways: EIA-819 Monthly Oxygenate
January 09, 2019 Read Full Article
More Designer Peptides, More Possibilities
(U.S. Department of Energy) With their tiny scaffolds of atoms, peptides hold the promise of creating catalysts for biofuels, capturing hazardous waste, and delivering new therapies to improve health. While nature offers a few peptides with the perfect characteristics for such
January 07, 2019 Read Full Article
The Unlikely, Eccentric Inventor Turning Inedible Plant Life into Fuel
by Lesley Stahl (60 Minutes/CBS News) Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products -- ... What (Craig)Masterman helped implement was Medoff's novel idea of using these large blue machines called
January 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Breaching the Biomass Problem: ORNL Team Provides Supercomputer-Aided Insights for How to Turn Plants into Fuel and Materials
by Jonathan Hines (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Humans have found uses for woody plants since time immemorial—tools, shelter, firewood. Today, scientists are working to add more major uses to the list: renewable, cost-competitive biofuel and value-added materials. Turning trees and waste
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Catalysis Rocking: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Enemy Submarine Detecting Microorganisms, Algae-Based Polymers, Edible Antimicrobial Film, Limestone-Based Bags, Soybean Oil Based Road Sealant: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of December 26th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 26th. In today’s Digest, enemy submarine detecting microorganisms, algae-based polymers, edible antimicrobial film, limestone-based bags,
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
New Composite Advances Lignin as a Renewable 3D Printing Material
by Stephanie Seay (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a recipe for a renewable 3D printing feedstock that could spur a profitable new use for an intractable biorefinery byproduct: lignin. The discovery, detailed in Science
December 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Grease. Gunk. Sludge. Where Most People See a Nasty Nuisance, These Scientists See Powerful Potential.
(U.S. Department of Energy) Join us on this episode as we wade into the world of bioenergy and learn about the folks working to turn noxious waste into useful energy. Then read on for more bioenergy stories and background from the Department of Energy and
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Grants Fund Research on Biofuel Production, Reduced Fertilizer Use
(University of Arkansas News) A University of Arkansas biologist working on research that could decrease the need for agricultural fertilizers and boost the production of biofuels recently received grants totaling more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation and the
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Greener Days Ahead for Carbon Fuels
by Theresa Duque (Berkeley Lab) Researchers discover copper has potential as a catalyst for turning carbon dioxide into sustainable chemicals and fuels without any wasteful byproducts, creating a green alternative to present-day chemical manufacturing -- For decades, scientists have searched for effective
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Exxon Mobil Secured U.S. Hardship Waiver from Biofuels Laws - Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted oil major Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) a financial hardship waiver this year temporarily freeing its Montana refinery from U.S. biofuel laws, three sources familiar with the matter told
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
The BioIncredibles 2: iMicrobes Is Using Methane to Produce Chemicals, and Mikey the Microbe Likes It
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The achievement of a major proof of concept is the news, in the case of Industrial Microbes — the ability to show that they can convert methane into multiple products (albeit at low efficiency, in
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Coming Changes in Marine Fuel Sulfur Limits Will Affect Global Oil Markets
(U.S. Energy Information Administration) International regulations limiting sulfur in fuels for ocean-going vessels, set to take effect in January 2020, have implications for vessel operators, refiners, and global oil markets. Stakeholders will respond to these regulations in different ways, increasing uncertainty
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Awards $1M to UMass Lowell-Led Team to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Wood Byproducts; Co-Optima Project
(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers led by a UMass Lowell mechanical engineering professor that is working to develop renewable fuel additives from sawdust and other wood byproducts. The
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
New SBIR and STTR Bioenergy Projects Announced! FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) NUMBER: DE-FOA-0001941 DEADLINE: January 7, 2019
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced 12 topics to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million as part of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Kampachi Company Wins $3.3m Grant to Turn Seaweed into Food, Feed, Fuel
by Jason Huffman (Undercurrent News) The Kampachi Company may be best known for its recent efforts to grow “king kampachi”, aka kahala or almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana), in ocean-based cages, but it also is performing research with plans to make a
December 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels for Marine Engines and Pathways to Success: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to BETO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) focuses on several bioproducts for R&D and has been assessing the value proposition of biofuels for marine engines. Zia Haq and Jim Spaeth, both from the U.S. DOE’s
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
School of ExxonMobil: Algae Biofuel
(ExxonMobile)Discover the wonderful world of algae, along with a very inquisitive young scientist. WATCH VIDEO NREL, ExxonMobil Teams Imagine, Research New Solutions for Tomorrow’s Energy Challenges (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Congress Urged to Investigate Why DOE Is Sitting on $600 Million in Clean Energy Funding
(Natural Resources Defense Council) The Natural Resources Defense Council today urged Congress to investigate why the Department of Energy (DOE) still has not distributed as much as $600 million in congressionally approved clean energy research and development funding more than two
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Year of the Tree, CORSIA Fuels, Mabus’ Remarks, a Breakthrough on Woody Biomass?: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI General Meeting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When the world’s leaders for sustainable aviation fuels have a general meeting the week before the COP24 global climate sessions (this year in Poland), you can bet that the focus will be breaking the “You Can
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Meet the Scholar Crafting the 'Green New Deal'
by Hannah Northey (E&E News) Think of it as the policy muscle behind the promised "Green New Deal." A policy group is being formed to support an energized progressive movement that's taken Capitol Hill by storm under the leadership of Rep.-elect Alexandria
December 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to ARPA-E’s Agro-Energy Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
To Fulfill Biofuels’ Promise, Scientists Boost Plant Oils with Gene Editing
by Cici Zhang (Chemical and Engineering News) Increasing the fatty acids in crops’ seeds, leaves, and stems could make biofuels more economically viable -- ... Plant scientist Heike Sederoff of North Carolina State University, however, is very familiar with the oils
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
A Summary of Federal Programs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A wide array of federal incentives supports the development and deployment of alternatives to conventional fuels and engines in transportation. These incentives include tax deductions and credits for vehicle purchases and the installation of refueling systems,
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
The Laws of Biofuels Deployment, and TACs that Whack: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI Annual Meeting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... This year, the TAC (Technical Advisory Committee of the Biomass R&D Board) did something about as audacious and rare as shouting loud praise of open markets and democratic values on the streets of Pyongyang. The
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
How the Airline Industry Is Cleaning up Its Climate Act
by Adele Peters (Fast Company) At a steel mill outside Beijing, reactors attached to the building capture emissions from the factory. Those waste gases can then be turned into fuel. LanzaTech, a biotech startup that designed a way to turn those
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Biomass Production and Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin --- December 6, 2018
![](https://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/uploads/old/DOE.jpg)
Join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office on Dec. 6, 2018, at 1 p.m. CST for a webinar on “Biomass Production and Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin.” In this webinar, Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Florida ‘Best Site’ for Algae Cultivation
(Biofuels International) New research has evaluated a number of specific regions across the United States and concluded Florida is the best for algae production. According to a statement, the 19 month long study involving scientists from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
How AFD Cracked the Code for Extracting 30 HP More from E85
by Jeff Smith (Hot Rod Network) By now, everybody knows about ethanol and E85. If you don’t, it’s time you caught up with the rest of the world. ... Today, the U.S. Department of Energy defines E85 as actually any blend of
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
EIA Study: Refiners Could Meet 95 RON Standard Without More Ethanol
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new Energy Information Administration (EIA) study concludes that U.S. petroleum refineries would have “no problem” meeting a requirement to produce gasoline with a higher minimum octane rating (95 Research Octane Number, or “RON”) beginning in 2022, and assumes that
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Brain Regeneration, Data Storage with Biocomputers, Plastic from Waste Gases, Bamboo Diapers, Gene-Edited Wheat, Jackets from Bison Fluff : The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of November 29th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 29th. ... #3 Munich researchers use algae to convert waste gas to carbon fiber In Germany, researchers
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Fueling the Future: Developing a More Efficient Process for Producing Biobased High-Octane Gasoline
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Over the past five years, the market share for premium gasoline in the United States has increased from 9% to 12%.1 To help meet the growing demand for high-octane gasoline, the Bioenergy Technologies Office and
November 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $98 Million for 40 Transformative Energy Technology Projects; Fuel Cell Projects Funded for $12.5M
(FuelCellsWorks) The U.S. Department of Energy announced $98 million in funding for 40 new projects as part of OPEN 2018, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA‑E) latest open funding opportunity. These funds will support some of America’s top energy innovators’ R&D
November 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Company Removing Nitrates from Water Using Algae
by Jon Vanderford (1011 Now) The algae found in a lab at the University of Nebraska's Beadle Center may hold the key to clean water. Research on algae first started several years ago with a goal of producing oil. "The initial impetus
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
It Might Be Giant: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Nanocellulose, American Process Style
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A few years back, Research & Markets startled the bio world when they projected that the “Nanocellulose Market by Type (Cellulose nanocrystals, Cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocomposites, and others) would reach $250 Million by 2019, signifying annualized CAGR of 19%
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Announces SBIR/STTR FY 2019 Phase I Release 2 Topics
(U.S. Department of Energy) As part of last week's posting of topic areas for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development proposals, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced 12 topics to fund
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Report on the Thermochemical Sciences Symposium at Auburn University
by Leyla Battista-Channell* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Auburn, Alabama: Home to the Auburn tigers, the “loveliest village on the plains,” and this year’s host to the Thermochemical Sciences Symposium. Previously held at other universities, why Auburn University this year? The Biosystems
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Broad Genome Analysis Shows Yeasts Evolving by Subtraction
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin--Madison) An unprecedented comparison of hundreds of species of yeasts has helped geneticists brew up an expansive picture of their evolution over the last hundreds of millions of years, including an analysis of the way they
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
ASU Teams Find New Ways to Harness CO2 to Reduce Biofuel Costs
(Arizona State University/Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced 36 projects that together have been awarded $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development. Two Arizona State University research teams are among the grantees, with the grants to
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
2018 Midterm Elections—Implications for the Bioeconomy
by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) And while the bioeconomy – biofuels, biobased products, chemicals, and more – enjoy bipartisan support, the new political landscape means that the biobased sector and stakeholders still need to be on their
November 10, 2018 Read Full Article
The 40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Impossible Foods took the #1 spot in the 2018 “40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The announcement was made live at
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Entrepreneurial Impact: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Cyclotron Road NEXT APPLICATIONS FALL 2019
Cyclotron Road is a fellowship program affiliated with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that supports leading entrepreneurial scientists as they advance a project with the potential for global impact. Since 2015, more than $15 million has been awarded to 41
November 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Federal Investments in Algae Cultivation Technologies Paying Big Dividends
by Matt Carr (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Digest) Algae-derived products and technologies are on the cusp of changing nearly everything. Algae will transform how we eat; will make the materials in your shoes more sustainable; provide fuel for vehicles and planes; recycle greenhouse gases and deliver many more products
November 06, 2018 Read Full Article
For the Times They Are a Changin’ – Conversions Abound from Diesel to Renewable Diesel
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Phillips 66 and REG’s announcement about a new renewable diesel plant on the U.S. West Coast planned for 2021 comes after a notable increase in refineries that are being converted and changed over to renewable diesel. Change
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought ... and the Salt and the Heat
(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Poplar saplings being grown at the University of California Davis are not expected to survive the rigorous conditions simulating prolonged droughts and heat waves that are being imposed on them. But they are helping a
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler, USDA Secretary Perdue, and DOE Secretary Perry Send Letter to Congress on Biomass Carbon Neutrality -- Managed Forests Can Bolster Domestic Energy Production
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, along with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry, sent a letter to the House and Senate
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
New Report on Cell-Free Synthetic Biology and Biocatalysis!
(U.S. Department of Energy) Cell-Free Synthetic Biology and Biocatalysis Listening Day Summary Report Published -- The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted a listening day in Denver, Colorado, last year to discuss research and development opportunities related to
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Growing Algae More Sustainably for Biofuel Production
by Jessica Cox (Colorado State University/Phys.Org) ... Another source used to create biofuel is algae – both single-celled microalgae and macroalgae such as kelp. Though algal biofuels are a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there remains room to improve the production of the algae used
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Engineering Prof. Receives $2 Million Grant to Research Biofuel
by Rochelle Li (The Cornell Daily Sun) A Cornell professor believes biofuel can make fuel cleaner, and was recently granted $2 million by the Department of Energy to research the future of biofuel use in diesel engines. Prof. Thomas Avedisian, mechanical and
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break down Biomass
(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants such as moose help break down recalcitrant plant biomass into carbon nutrients, but how do they do this over the course of seasons when the moose diet changes, and what
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Texas A&M AgriLife Research Wins $2 Million for Biofuel Research
(Texas A&M AgriLife Research/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to Texas A&M AgriLife Research will help researchers investigate potential discoveries for waste products used in lignocellulosic biofuel production, turning them into
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Saudi Arabia Shows Need to End Addiction to Middle Eastern Oil
by Jim Talent (The Hill/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) Following the mysterious death of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Washington was hit with a stark reminder that America remains glaringly vulnerable to economic threats from the oil oligarchs of the world. Saudi
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
JBEI Researchers Produce High Density Jet Fuel Precursors from Bacteria
(Green Car Congress) Researchers with the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), with colleagues in China, have produced the tricyclic sesquiterpenes epi-isozizaene, pentalenene and α-isocomene—promising jet fuel feedstocks—at high production titers, providing novel, sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based jet
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
The Transition: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioproducts Transition Dynamics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BETO has been developing a broad understanding of different conversion processes that produce bioproducts and the associated market attributes. However, there is not much understanding around how investment decisions are made and the possible successful
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
New Research Looks beyond Carbon Efficiency to Improve Advanced Biofuel Strategy Development
by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) ... For researchers, this means that the more carbon in the crop that ends up as carbon in the fuel, the better. But carbon efficiency may not be the whole story: fuel quality and
October 22, 2018 Read Full Article
The R&D Platform: 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioeconomy Technologies Office Strategic Vision
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) establishes partnerships with key public and private stakeholders to develop technologies for producing cost-competitive advanced biofuels from non-food biomass resources, including cellulosic biomass, algae, and
October 22, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Energy Department, the Army Join Forces on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Deal
(U.S. Department of Energy/NGV Journal) The Energy Department announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Army to collaborate in the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for military and civilian use. Signed by the Director of the U.S.
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 26 Advantaged Biobased Chemical Platforms
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The problem: The vast number of potential chemicals and products that could be made from biomass makes prioritization of research difficult for optimizing market viability, cost competitiveness, environmental benefits, and supply chain development. The project: This CEMAC/DOE initiative studied
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Argonne GREET 2018 Update
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, a research team at Argonne National Lab released its GREET 2018 update. GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Department and Army TARDEC to Collaborate on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells for Military Use
(U.S. Department of Energy) In celebration of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, the Energy Department announces a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Army to collaborate in the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for military and civilian use.
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
How Some Algae May Survive Climate Change
(Rutgers Today) Green algae stole genes from bacteria to survive in harsh environments, Rutgers-led study suggests -- Green algae that evolved to tolerate hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes and inland salt flats are expected to survive climate change, thanks to hardy
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Interest in DOE Algae Biomass Program/BETO Technologies Diminishes Because They Have Proven to Not Be Scalable Outside the Lab in Demonstration or Pilot Tests.
by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association) After over 10 years of attempts at collaboration between the DOE Algae Biomass Program/BETO, university algae researchers and commercial algae producers over highly advertised pay-to-play taxpayer funded technologies, NAA and its algaepreneurs have no further
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Value in Unusual Type of Plant Material
by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) An ideal biorefinery would turn renewable crops into a variety of fuels and products with little waste. A significant challenge in realizing this vision is what to do with lignin, a fibrous and difficult-to-break-down material
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Of Flying Peaches and Barrels of Monkeys: The Quest for Sustainable Flight by World-Scaling a Neurotransmitter
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... And that’s the story of the bioeconomy in some ways — the search for ways to use the things we have too much of, so that we can stop using the things that lead to imbalances
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Convert Ethanol Plant to Methane
(Quay County Sun) If all goes according to plan, a long-closed ethanol plant in Tucumcari may be converted into a methane plant and become fully operational by mid-2020. Tucumcari Bio-Energy Co. is hunting for investors and may begin converting the plant to
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Sawdust
by Edwin L. Aguirre (University of Massachusetts Lowell) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers from UMass Lowell, the University of Maine and Florida-based Mainstream Engineering Corp. to develop renewable fuel additives
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
From Waste to Fuel: Researchers to Develop Next-Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts
by Julianne Beck (Northwestern University Campus News) A new collaboration led by Michael Jewett, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University, will combine recent technological advancements in bioengineering to develop a transformative production system for next-generation biofuels and bioproducts. The
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0001951: Request for Inforamtion (RFI): Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories DEADLINE: October 22, 2018
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting input from industry (including but not limited to contract research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations, catalyst manufacturers,
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
From Ponds to Power: $2M to Perfect Algae as Diesel Fuel
by Nicole Casal Moore (University of Michigan) U-M becomes one of the few institutes in the world working on the problem end-to-end -- With $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, University of Michigan researchers aim to make the long-touted promise
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Development, Deployment of Integrated Biorefineries: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Biorefining in the US
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced
October 02, 2018 Read Full Article
ABO Secures $44 million for Algae, Carbon Utilization Research in FY 2019
(Algae Biomass Organization) Following close on the heels of the U.S. Department of Energy’s latest round of algae funding awards, President Trump Friday (September 21, 2018) signed into law a Fiscal Year 2019 spending bill providing an additional $44 million in FY2019 for algae
October 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Thermal Gasification of Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to TGoB in the United States
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Kevin Whitty gave this illuminating overview of the progress
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Enerkem Produces a New Clean, Renewable Alternative Solution to Diesel Fuel for the Transportation Sector
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, we hear that Enerkem has tested and validated the production of fuel-grade bio-DME made from unrecoverable carbon-rich municipal solid waste. More than 1,000 hours of operations at its Innovation Centre in Westbury, Quebec have
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Chemists Demonstrate Sustainable Approach to Carbon Dioxide Capture from Air
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Chemists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a practical, energy-efficient method of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from air. They report their findings in Nature Energy. If deployed at large scale and coupled to geologic
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
LanzaTech's Low-Carbon Jet Fuel Ready for Take-Off as Virgin Atlantic Plans for First Commercial Flight in October
(GreenAir Online) Virgin Atlantic will undertake a passenger flight in October using for the first time low-carbon fuel produced through its partnership with LanzaTech. This follows a decision by members of the fuel standards body ASTM in April to include alcohol-to-jet synthetic
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
iSEE Helps Secure $6M+ in New Research Grants for U of I Agriculture Studies: $5M DOE Grant for Energy Crops Study
(Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) ... A U of I Crop Scientist will lead a team of researchers on a five-year study of new crops that could contribute to the production of affordable, sustainable sources for market-ready fuels and other
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
The Idaho Team that Lopped $1 a Gallon off the Cost of Fuel, and How They Did It
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Idaho, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have have cut the modeled cost of harvesting, storing, transporting, and preprocessing biomass from $149.58/dry ton to $82.86/dry ton. As INL’s Kevin Kenney explained, “when applying least-cost formulation and blending
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Research Brief: Researchers Discover How Caged Molecules ‘Rattle and Sing’
(University of Minnesota) A team of energy researchers from the University of Minnesota and University of Massachusetts Amherst has discovered that molecular motion can be predicted with high accuracy when confining molecules in small nanocages. Their theoretical method is suitable for
September 17, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Funds 6 Projects for Co-Optimization of Engines and Fuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced it will award 42 projects a total of $80 million to support advanced vehicles technologies research. Approximately $10.1 million of that funding will support six projects focused on
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy E3 to Build Innovation Center, Increase Access to Sustainable Energy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
(U.S. Department of Energy) It powers nearly every aspect of our daily lives, but in low- to middle-income countries, more than one billion people live without electricity. The issue is particularly overwhelming in sub-Saharan Africa where, according to the U.S. Agency
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Could Bacteria Fuel the Future? With $1.5 Million Grant, UD Engineers Study Microbes for Biofuel Production
by Julie Stewart (University of Delaware) A group of bacteria best known for causing stomach trouble could also be a source of sustainable energy. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Eleftherios (Terry) Papoutsakis a three-year, $1.5 million grant to study the
September 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces 36 Projects for Bioenergy Research and Development
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 36 projects totaling $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development (R&D). This R&D will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products, and power from
September 04, 2018 Read Full Article
RFA, Growth Energy Demand Transparency for Small Refinery Exemptions in New Lawsuit
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy today filed a lawsuit in federal district court, alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) have improperly denied agency records requested by RFA, Growth
September 04, 2018 Read Full Article
New Members of Biomass Research and Development TAC Announced DOE Office of Energy Efficien
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the newest members of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC provides advice and makes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the DOE concerning
September 03, 2018 Read Full Article
SD Mines Researcher Receives $2.2 Million DOE Grant to Turn Biorefinery Waste into Valuable Products
(South Dakota School of Mines and Technology) Rajesh Shende, Ph.D., associate professor in the chemical and biological engineering department at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology has received a $2.16 million grant from the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to
September 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Six States Account for More than 70% of U.S. Fuel Ethanol Production
(U.S. Energy Information Administration) Six states accounted for 72% of U.S. fuel ethanol production in 2016, according to the most recent estimates from EIA’s State Energy Data System. Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and South Dakota collectively produced 265 million barrels of
September 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog -- Ethanol Groups Seek EPA Documents on Small Refinery Waivers
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Two leading ethanol interest groups and one of the nation's largest ethanol producers asked a federal court on Thursday to force two federal agencies to hand over records related to the issuance of small
August 31, 2018 Read Full Article
These Researchers Want to Use Pollution to Make Fuel
by Bruce Lieberman (Yale Climate Connections) They think nutrients in farm runoff could feed algae for biofuel. -- When fertilizer and pesticides run off farmland, they can contaminate waterways with nutrient pollution. Davis: “A classic example is the Mississippi Basin.” That’s Ryan Davis of
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Put Algae in the Farm Bill!
(Algae Biomass Organization) ... Algae are fast becoming a significant component in food and health products, and it is time that this new crop was afforded the support by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that other crops have seen for decades. Thanks
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Locating the Production Site of Glucan in Grass Cell Walls
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... To learn more about glucose, the sugary feedstock of biofuel refineries, scientists want to know where a polymer of glucose, mixed-linkage glucan (MLG), resides in grasses as grass species are a major potential renewable biomass feedstock.
August 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Corymbia Genome Expands Terpene Synthesis Knowledge
(Joint Genome Institute) ... A diverse group of plant-produced organic compounds, terpenes play key roles in plant growth, defense, and environmental interactions. Terpenes are also economically important because of their use in industrial materials, pharmaceutical products, and as biofuel precursors. Collectively,
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Reebok’s Plant-Based Shoe, Fish-Free Seafood, Mango-Based Bioplastic, Breakthrough Plant Breeding, Autosteer for Small Farms, biosand Water Filters, Concrete from Waste: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of August 22nd
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Complex Networks Identify Genes for Biofuel Crops
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) To improve biofuel production, scientists must understand the fundamental interactions that lead to the expression of key traits in plants and microbes. To understand these interactions, scientists are using different layers of information (about the relationships
August 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Secretary Perry Announces $38 Million in New Projects to Support Innovative Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced the selection of 28 projects totaling $38 million to support early-stage research and development of innovative hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The Secretary is in Golden, Colorado touring the
August 15, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Announces Open Meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee --- August 22-23, 2018 --- Arlington, VA
![](https://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/uploads/old/DOE.jpg)
(U.S. Department of Energy) 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: Agenda will include the following: Update on USDA Biomass R&D Activities Update on DOE Biomass
August 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Complex Networks Identify Genes for Biofuel Crops
(U.S. Department of Energy Newswise) Systems biology leads the way to exascale computing on Summit supercomputer. -- ... To improve biofuel production, scientists must understand the fundamental interactions that lead to the expression of key traits in plants and microbes. To understand
August 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Discover How to Protect Yeast from Damage in Biofuel Production
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Some chemicals used to speed up the breakdown of plants for production of biofuels like ethanol are poison to the yeasts that turn the plant sugars into fuel. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and several
August 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Cannabis, Canola, Solids, Hog Fuel, Wheat: What’s New with Food and Feedstocks?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We eat it, we wear it, we burn it, we glue it, we live in it and more. Feedstock that is — crops and residues of the municipal, industrial, agricultural and forest type. We’ve been reporting
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Federally Funded Project Uses Microbes to Convert CO2 to RNG
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has announced new grant funding for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNNL) and Stanford School of Engineering’s Spormann Laboratory to conduct new power-to-gas research. The two entities will also receive $800,000 from the
August 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Biomass, Biomass and More Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
New Membrane Technology May Aid Biofuel Production
(Argonne National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Named for the mythical god with two faces, Janus membranes –double-sided membranes that serve as gatekeepers between two substances—have emerged as a material with potential industrial uses. Creating two distinct "faces" on these delicate surfaces, however, is
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to the US Department of Energy’s Demonstration and Market Transformation Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of the US Department of Energy’s Demonstration and Market Transformation focus at the BioEnergy Technologies Office is to de-risk bioenergy production technologies through validated proof of performance at the pilot, demonstration, and pioneer scales
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
The Top 10 Advances in Renewable Butanol: What’s Speeding up, Where Are the Slow-Downs?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Portugal comes the news that SilicoLife was awarded with a SME instrument phase 1 grant for the commercial evaluation of its BUTANOVA technology, a new biological process to produce n-butanol. BUTANOVA technology consists on a novel
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Department Releases Request for Information on Multi-Sector Uses of Hydrogen DEADLINE: October 31, 2018
(U.S. Department of Energy) At today’s (August 1, 2018) H2@ Scale project kickoff meeting in Chicago, EERE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Steven Chalk announced the release of a request for information (RFI) soliciting stakeholder feedback on opportunities to enable high volume production
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Deeper into the Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Request for Information (RFI): Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories RFI Released RESPONSES DUE: September 14, 2018
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office issued a request for information (RFI) titled, Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories. Catalysts increase the rate of a chemical reaction and are used in
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Cutting Bio-Project Costs via Supply Chain Standards: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Biomass Supply Chain Risk Standards
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In March, EcoStrat CEO Jordan Solomon announced the US Standards for Biomass Supply Chain Risk (BSCR) this year. This has been an ongoing 3 year USDOE/BETO project which we are leading with Idaho National Labs for
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of August 2nd: Waste Plastics for Fuels and Sneakers, Eggs without the Chicken, 3D Printing, Algae-Based Ketchup Packaging, Green Funerals, Biodegradable Grills
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Internship & Fellowship Opportunities 2018 Update
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) regularly engages interns and fellows in the sciences, engineering, and liberal arts through a variety of internship and fellowship programs, including the following: American Association for the Advancement of Science
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
High-Yield Hydrocarbons from Ethanol: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Vertimass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vertimass technology was originated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where scientists discovered novel catalysts that convert a wide range of alcohols into various hydrocarbon blend stocks which can be used in existing gasoline, diesel and jet
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Capture, Solar Fuels, Fossil Bubble
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Spain, BIOCON-CO2, a new €7 million EU Horizon 2020-funded research project, has recently kicked-off with intentions of supporting EU leadership in carbon dioxide (CO2) re-use technologies. BIOCON-CO2 aims to re-use excess CO2 produced from the iron, steel,
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
High Performance Fuels & Vehicles, Both: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to DOE’s Co-Optima Project and HP Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has a key project called Co-Optima, which aims to determine key fuel properties that enable improved engine efficiency, provide key science to enable high efficiency combustion modes, and capitalize on unique
July 31, 2018 Read Full Article
LANL Researching Algae to Convert to Affordable Fuel
by Andy Stiny (Santa Fe New Mexican) ... And those lawn clippings? They could be used to convert algae into a mass-produced, economical biofuel to be used in cars, trucks and airplanes. Molecular biologist Amanda Barry and a team at Los
July 31, 2018 Read Full Article
“There’s No Place Like Home” Grown Sorghum
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Sorghum sights are set high with EPA approval and recent genetic improvements -- ... U.S. EPA opened up pathways for sorghum oil to become renewable fuels. ... Sorghum is a grass grown in many places and regions around
July 30, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 27th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
July 28, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Launches New Lab Partnering Service
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On July 10, the U.S. Department of Energy officially launched the Lab Partnering Service, an online, single access point platform for investors, innovators, and institutions to identify, locate, and obtain information from DOE’s 17 national
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
With Friends Like This... ... EPA's Proposed Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support Rule
by Doug Sombke (Ethanol Producer Magazine/South Dakota Farmers Union) South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke discusses how the EPA's proposed Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support rule would hurt both the ethanol and agriculture industries -- ... There is no precedent for the
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Help Or Hinder? Federal Agencies At Odds Over Biofuels
by Madelyn Beck (Harvest Public Media/KUNC) ... That’s because for the last few years, the EPA and the Department of Energy have been at odds, with taxpayer money creating a new biofuel industry that may not have the room to grow
July 22, 2018 Read Full Article
NPPD Part of DOE Study to Develop Integrated CO2 Collection, Transportation, and Storage Infrastructure
(Nebraska Public Power District) Nebraska Public Power District is taking another step forward in the carbon world with a second Department of Energy (DOE) study. This most recent initiative has a goal of developing an integrated carbon dioxide (CO2) collection,
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Did Trump’s Renewable Fuels Policy Really Cost Corn Growers $3.65 Billion in 2017?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, new evidence has appeared that a Trump Administration shift on US low carbon fuel policy may have cost US corn growers an estimated $3.65 billion. The mechanism? A secretive effort by Administration officials installed at
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Feeding Plants to This Algae Could Fuel Your Car
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source. The research shows that a freshwater production strain of microalgae, Auxenochlorella protothecoides,
July 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Boyle Selected for DOE Early Career Research Program
(Colorado School of Mines) Nanette Boyle, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Colorado School of Mines, has been awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Early Career Research Program. Boyle will receive $750,000 over five years to develop predictive metabolic
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Taming the Tasmanian Devil of Polymers: Lignin, the Orneriest, Roughest, Toughest, Most Un-cooperative and Abundant Natural Polymer Ever
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Lignin has developed into a sustainable and very satisfactory alternative to fossil fuels. But applications have been needed. Firstly, applications that work, then applications that pay, then applications at scale. Let’s see how that work has
July 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Q.E.D.: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s known by the ungainly acronym ABPDU, which might as well decode as “All Bioeconomy Processes Developed Upstairs,” but actually stands for the far more modest “Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit.” It’s run out of the Berkeley Lab,
July 12, 2018 Read Full Article
EVs Could Drive 38% Rise in US Electricity Demand, DOE Lab Finds
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) Rising electricity demand could lead to sustained absolute growth of 80 terawatt-hours per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. -- ... The study considers three scenarios, a reference case and medium-
July 12, 2018 Read Full Article
NREL: Novel Genetic Method Improves Efficiency of Enzyme
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Georgia developed a new genetic engineering technique to dramatically improve an enzyme’s ability to break down biomass. The new method, Evolution by
July 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Neutrons—Making Sustainable Biofuels
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using neutrons to understand why certain hydrocarbons produced by blue-green algae are important to their biology, so new strains can be engineered to sustainably produce biofuels. Neutron scattering makes
July 10, 2018 Read Full Article
The 10 Green Chemicals Driving a Disruptive New Biobased Industry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A Petro Brexit (a/k/a, British companies exiting petroleum for the sustainable bioeconomy) : New report highlights how to ensure Britain becomes a world leader in bio-based chemicals In the UK, a recent report identifies 10 specific bio-based chemicals, in
July 10, 2018 Read Full Article
The 'Octane Olive Branch' Is Full of Thorns
by Doug Durante (The Hill/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) With a final rule on fuel economy likely to come out in the near future, a considerable amount of attention has centered on higher octane fuels as a pathway to increased efficiency in
July 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Creative Debt and Equity: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Structures for Bioeconomy Project Finance
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bottom line, if you’re in the business of financing a renewable fuels project with a loan guarantee in the mix, you’re probably talking with some combination of New Energy Risk, Stern Brothers, Faegre Baker Daniels partner John
July 09, 2018 Read Full Article
A Matter of Gravity—Understanding How Plants Grow in Space
by Tom Rickey (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Last month a rocket thundered off a NASA launch pad in Virginia, destined for the International Space Station. Nestled among the 7,400 lbs. of supplies was a handful of seeds designed to open new
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
BETO Issues Workshop Summary Report On Performance-Advantaged Biobased Chemicals
by Lynn L. Bergeson (Bergeson & Campbell/Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group) On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) issued a new report, Moving Beyond Drop-In Replacements: Performance-Advantaged Biobased Chemicals Workshop Summary Report, that summarizes
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Seeking a Friend for the End of Unreliability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist? The Why is simple. #1 issue plaguing High and Low Temperature IBR projects is consistent operability of preprocessing and primary deconstruction. In response, researchers have joined
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Materials – Printing with Plants
by Kim Askey (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) A scalable processing technique developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory uses plant-based materials for 3D printing and offers a promising additional revenue stream for biorefineries. Scientists created a new material with excellent printability and performance by
July 03, 2018 Read Full Article
New ‘Promiscuous’ Enzyme Helps Turn Plant Waste into Sustainable Products
(University of Portsmouth) A new family of enzymes has been discovered which paves the way to convert plant waste into sustainable and high-value products such as nylon, plastics, chemicals, and fuels. The discovery was led by members of the same UK-US enzyme
July 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Synthetic Methylotrophy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Engineering Platform Organisms for Methane & Methanol Conversion to Fuels & Chemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Harnessing Methane & Methanol as Feedstocks, that’s the subject of this overview of the uses of methanol when used by engineered platform organisms for fuel and chemical production. The background is the abundant CH4supply of recoverable
July 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Appoints New Biomass R&D TAC Members
by Helena Taveres Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee has appointed several new volunteers from industry, academia, nonprofits, and local government to the TAC which advises the federal government about its bioenergy R&D programs. These
July 02, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE’s Scum Ranchers
(Algae Industry Magazine/Vice News Tonight/HBO) The Department of Energy is trying to turn the Salton Sea, a lake in the California desert, into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea
June 29, 2018 Read Full Article
Grassley Statement on EPA’s Proposed 2019 RFS Biofuels Levels
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) ... “As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I also have concerns that EPA may be ignoring or abusing the Administrative Procedure Act as they continue to grant waivers in secret and refuse to respond
June 28, 2018 Read Full Article
The Yosemite Sam of the Microbial World, Hot Rodded Lichen, BYO Nitrogen, The Microbial Marx Brother, Sexy Hexy and More: The DOE Delves into New Orgamsism for Fuels & Chems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The meanest, nastiest, ornierest, heat-seeking organism ever found that munches biomass and other microbes that got a booster via the DOE’s $40M grants for advanced microbes R&D. And aromatics without the mess, a sky-vacumming organism and
June 28, 2018 Read Full Article
A First-of-a-Kind Algal-based College Certificate Program Sends Off Its First Graduates
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-funded Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) is proud to announce its first graduates from the algal certificate program at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These first ATEC graduates