by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy initiated a project to identify and mitigate the challenges of moving new fuels and vehicles into markets. Specifically, engaging with all critical stakeholders (OEM’s, fuel producers, distribution networks, gas station
Department of Energy (DOE)
Back TO HOMEPartner Power in Process Piloting: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit, where is it, who does it serve and how? Located at Berkeley Lab, the ABPDU aims to “support the commercialization of industry-, academic-and DOE-driven biofuels and bio-products by providing
August 16, 2017 Read Full Article
The Valley of Fog: As Sundrop Moves on from Louisiana, What’s up and What’s Wrong with Loan Guarantee Programs?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Louisiana, reports surfaced in Alexandria’s TownTalk online paper that Sundrop Fuels has struck an agreement to sell the 1200-acre site where it once planned to build its $450 million, 50 million gallon capacity first commercial plant
August 16, 2017 Read Full Article
You Just Can’t Have Enough Hydrogen: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Hydrogen via Biomass Pyrolysis Aqueous Phase
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen — the most abundant element in the universe, but the advanced bioeconomy can never seem to get enough of it, and finding ways to produce renewable, affordable hydrogen — well, that’s real gold. A
August 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Hot Path for Waste to Fuels: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrothermal Liquefaction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrothermal liquefaction has a huge fan base in the biorefinery R&D sector. There’s lots to like. It’s robust tech and can be applied to attractive, low-cost wet feedstocks (ag resid, sludge, manure) that exploit HTL
August 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Carbon Conversion
by Whitney Clavin (California Institute of Technology) A new additive helps researchers more selectively convert CO2 to multicarbon fuels -- Chemists have figured out a new, more efficient way to create carbon-based fuels from carbon dioxide (CO2). In chemical reactions performed
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Make Energy Great Again, via BIOmass: The DOE’s MEGA-BIO Project Expands
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Long ago, the DOE shifted from a “biofuels and nothing else” focus to integrated biorefineries that can compete “across the whole barrel” with petroleum — recognizing that while chemicals make up a small fraction of
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
What Price Biomass? The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Feedstock Supply Forecasting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How much biomass is there? What types, prices, when will they be available, and produced by whom, and how? These are questions that the US Department of Energy undertook to answer, to address a program-wide need
August 10, 2017 Read Full Article
The Good, the Bad and the Algae
(Sandia National Laboratory) Sandia National Laboratories is testing whether one of California’s largest and most polluted lakes can transform into one of its most productive and profitable. Southern California’s 350-square-mile Salton Sea has well-documented problems related to elevated levels of
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Industrially-Relevant Strains: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has a goal of developing industrially-relevant strains to meet titer, rate, and yield targets for fuel precursors for the 2022 BC Platform cost target goals of $3/GGE. A project led by
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE Biomass Technical Advisory Committee to Meet in August
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee Aug. 15-16 in Los Angeles, California. The meeting aims to develop advice and guidance that promotes
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Deep Stabilization: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Fast Pyrolysis and Bio-Oil Upgrading
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Within the ChemCatBio set of core catalysis projects lies Fast Pyrolysis and Upgrading, which has as its goal “to develop cost competitive biofuels through catalytic stabilization and deoxygenation of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil. The near-term DOE goal
August 08, 2017 Read Full Article
From Sugars to Affordable Hydrocarbon Fuels: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Upgrading R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has set a goal to “Select and develop at least one route for catalytic upgrading of sugars/related intermediates and/or biologically derived intermediates into fuel blendstockswith conversion performance than can achieve
August 07, 2017 Read Full Article
A Better Fuel Mix Can Be 'Made in America'
by Rick Santorum (Des Moines Register/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) ... American ethanol now replaces more than 500 million barrels of imported oil annually and shields drivers from price manipulation by hostile forces within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
August 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Research Aims to ‘Co-Optimize’ Biofuels for Future Engines
(Agri-Pulse) Research aimed at finding the right combination of fuels and engine technology that would maximize a car's performance while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions has reached a milestone that ethanol advocates hope gets wider acknowledgement from policy makers. The Co-Optimization of
August 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Materials – Cooking up Biofuel
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Using a novel, reusable carbon material derived from old rubber tires, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory-led research team has developed a simple method to convert used cooking oil into biofuel. The team’s approach combines modified, recovered
August 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Catalysis on a Hot Tin Roof: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the ChemCatBio Consortium
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 national laboratories, the consortium works “with industry to rapidly transition R&D
August 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces Additional MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Award
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) selected three projects for
August 02, 2017 Read Full Article
New Grant Will Shift Focus of UW-Madison Alternative Fuel Research Center away from Ethanol
by Nico Savidge (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A UW-Madison research center that has used the university’s largest-ever federal grant to develop ethanol technology over the past decade will shift its focus to other alternative fuels after winning another major award from
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Rice Aids in the Study of Biofuel Feedstocks
(U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population and a model for studies of candidate bioenergy grasses such as sorghum, switchgrass, and Miscanthus. To optimize crops
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
University of Kentucky CAER’s Biofuels Group Receives $2M to Support Novel Emissions Research
(University of Kentucky) The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research’s (CAER) Biofuels and Environmental Catalysis Group has received a $2 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant to develop new emissions technology for low-temperature gasoline. The project is titled “Research and
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
War on Recalcitrance: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the BioEnergy Science Center
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) is a multi-institutional (18 partners), Department of Energy-funded research organization performing basic and applied science dedicated to improving yields of biofuels by focusing on the fundamental understanding and elimination of biomass
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Loosening of Lignocellulose: Switchgrass and Success in Sugar Release
(U.S. Department of Energy) Introduced traits remain stable, improving biofuel production in a field setting. -- ... Near-term fossil fuel alternatives could reduce carbon emissions and ensure U.S. energy security. One alternative uses switchgrass, a perennial plant, that is
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Senate Passes Ag, Energy Appropriations Bills – Increases Over House Package
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On Thursday, July 20, Senate Appropriators reported several spending bills for FY2018 out of committee, including budget proposals for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Energy. Both bills
July 21, 2017 Read Full Article
What’s In a Number?
by Dave VanderGriend (ICM/Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Plenty of talk circulates around ethanol blends above E10. Clearly, E15 is the next milestone. But as we work to capture ethanol's octane benefits and its ability to replace some of the
July 21, 2017 Read Full Article
A Push for Low-Carbon Fuels Pays off in California
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Long a leader in environmental regulation, California is pushing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automotive fuels. At the center of this effort is the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), which promotes the use
July 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Will Proposed Cuts Undermine Trump’s Vision of ‘Energy Dominance’?
by Steven Mufson and Chris Mooney (Washington Post) ... The proposal would mean a 30 percent reduction in staff. “Achieves cost savings by aligning workforce to smaller EERE program,” the slide said blandly. The next day, about 100 federal employees filed into the
July 20, 2017 Read Full Article
ChemCatBio Launches 2017 Directed Funding Assistance Opportunity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, ChemCatBio announced a new 2017 directed funding assistance opportunity. It’s an opportunity for industry and academia to engage with ChemCatBio to tackle challenges associated with these core research themes, to leverage our capabilities and expertise to overcome any
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) commenting on US Department of Energy funding for bioenergy research centers, "However, one caveat. The funding here is for just one year of these BRCs. The Trump budget slashes energy research and these centers will have
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
In Search of Next-Gen Bioproducts and Fuels, DOE Invests $40M in 4 Bioenergy Research Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry today (July 17, 2017) announced $40 million in Department of Energy awards for the establishment of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs), which will provide the scientific breakthroughs
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
$8 Million for Algae Biofuel from U.S. Department of Energy
by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) ... DOE is pushing ahead with another round of $8 million in funding aimed squarely at developing next-generation biofuel from algae, leading to “a bioeconomy that can help create jobs, spur innovation, improve quality of life,
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
'On Your Mark, Get Set' Neutrons Run Enzyme's Reactivity for Better Biofuel Production
by Jeremy Rumsey and Heidi Hill (U.S. Department of Energy) Producing biofuels like ethanol from plant materials requires various enzymes to break down the cellulosic fibers. Scientists using neutron scattering have identified the specifics of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction that could
July 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Why High-Octane Gas Costs So Much More Than Regular
by Clifford Atiyeh (Car and Driver) ... As gas prices tumbled over the past three years, the premium-fuel premium skyrocketed from 35 cents per gallon in 2013 to 47 cents in 2015 and reached 50 cents in late 2016. According
July 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Into the Wild: Exploring Yeast Biodiversity for Better Biofuel
by Leslie Shown (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In the world of biofuels research, the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae gets a lot of love, with scientists commonly tweaking the yeast’s fermentative qualities to enhance ethanol production. Researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
From Coal-Fired CO2: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Capturing Flue Gas via Microalgae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A recent DOE project with MicroBio Engineering had the primary objective of a detailed techno-economic and life cycle assessment for a coal-fired power plant with two microalgae CO2 utilization and mitigation options. First, biogas production
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
House Bill Would Fund DOE at Higher Levels than Trump Budget, but Still Axe ARPA-E
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) A U.S. House appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday advanced a spending bill for the Department of Energy that would impose deep cuts on renewable energy and efficiency programs and eliminate the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The $37.5
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump’s Pitch for U.S. ‘Energy Dominance’ Is Dominated by Misleading Claims
by Steven Mufson and Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) The White House has branded this week “energy week,” rolling out a buzzword, “dominance,” and replaying lines from last year’s Trump campaign in an effort to portray the United States as
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
5 Things You Need to Know about Algae
by Alison Goss Eng (U.S. Department of Energy) We routinely field questions about algae-based biofuels and bioproducts. What is it? How does it work? Does it smell? To help you answer some of these questions, we’ve consolidated a few of
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Analyzing Air Pollutant Emissions from the Biofuel Supply Chain
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) NREL's sustainability analysis program studies air pollutant emissions from the entire biofuel supply chain and their implications on air quality and human health. Additionally, we study how air quality regulations can affect the cost, operation, and sustainability
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
'On Your Mark, Get Set' Neutrons Run Enzyme's Reactivity for Better Biofuel Production
by Jeremy Rumsey and Heidi Hill (Newswise/Department of Energy) Producing biofuels like ethanol from plant materials requires various enzymes to break down the cellulosic fibers. Scientists using neutron scattering have identified the specifics of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction that could significantly reduce
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Capturing CO2: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae-Based CO2 Sequestration
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE completed an illuminating workshop on Carbon Capture and Sequestration with relation to algae-based technologies, and The Digest has prepared a selection of key slides presented by AquaFiber, Pacific Northwest National Lab, University of
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Tasty Energy Treats You Can Make From Brownies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Terpenes may be the most unloved class of energy molecule of all time, if you compare R&D spending to potential. Even ARPA-E, the home of high-risk, high-reward government research into energy, hasn’t delved into terpenes since
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Things to Do with Lignin: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Upgrading Biorefinery Waste to Chemicals and Hydrogen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review, John Staser of Ohio University gave this illuminating overview on a continuous electrochemical process to convert biorefinery waste lignin to substituted aromatic compounds for resins and resin binders. The
June 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Can’t Get No (Liquefaction): The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide Liquefaction of Forest Biomass to Drop-in Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lysle Whitmer on behalf of an Iowa State-led group of researchers gave this illuminating overview of Liquefaction of Forest Biomass to Drop-in Fuels, at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE Awards STTR, SBIR Grants to Several Bioenergy Projects
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On June 20, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it will award 263 grants totaling $116 million to 184 small businesses under the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Several
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
And No Extra Hydrogen: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to One-Step, High-Yield, Drop-In Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vertimass’ John Hannon gave this illuminating overview of one-step, high-yield production of drop-in fuels without added hydrogen, at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Algaemagic: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the MAGIC Marine Algae Consortium Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mark Huntley and Zackary Johnson gave this illuminating overview of the MAGIC Marine Algae consortium project at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
From Sun to Pump: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Direct Photosynthetic Production of Biodiesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Arizona State’s Wim Vermaas gave this illuminating overview of Direct Photosynthetic Production of Biodiesel by Decoupled Cyanobacteria at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Algae’s PACE: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae for Co-Products and Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Los Alamos National Lab’s Dick Sayre gave this illuminating overview of the PACE project for Producing Algae for Co-Products and Energy at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Algae from Thin Air: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae Biofuels Using Atmospheric CO2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Michael Huessmann and John Benemann gave this illuminating overview of Microalgae Biofuels Production on CO2 from Air at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $116 Million for Small Business Research and Development Grants
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today (June 20, 2017), U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced that the Department of Energy will award 263 grants totaling $116 million to 184 small businesses in 40 states. Funded through DOE’s Small Business Innovation
June 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Wazzup with Algae? The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Algae Systems Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s the Department of Energy working on with respect to algae? The Bioenergy Technologies Office’s Alison Goss-Eng answered the question in this update, given at DOE Project Peer Review 2017. In this deck, she looks at milestones ahead,
June 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Making Ethanol from CO2 at ORNL Sparks Considerable Interest
by Carolyn Krause (OakRidger) ... According to the video, the ORNL nanotechnology researchers were experimenting with graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms linked together in hexagons somewhat like chicken wire. Their intention was to use this nanomaterial to stimulate
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
360º NREL Algae Lab Tour
(Algae Industry Magazine) Explore the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s algae lab as researcher Nick Sweeney takes you on a 360-degree tour of the algal biofuels research facility. Discover how NREL is growing algae to learn how it can be used
June 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Strive to Reduce Cost and Time of Algal Biofuel Production
(U.S. Department of Energy) Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) Marine Sciences Laboratory in Sequim, Washington, are working to lower the cost of producing biofuels from algae by utilizing an indoor system that mimics the conditions of outdoor ponds.
June 12, 2017 Read Full Article
VIDEO: Biodiesel
(Soundings.com) Biodiesel: it's safe, it's biodegradable, and it's produces less pollutants than petroleum-diesel. WATCH VIDEO
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
After The Trump Paris Pullout, US Energy Dept. Comes Through With $$ For The Clean Cars Of The Future
(CleanTechnica) ... Last Thursday, the same day Trump announced the Paris pullout, the Energy Department’s funding arm ARPA-E clapped back with a promise to follow through on $20 million in funding for 10 projects in two cutting edge fuel efficiency and
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $15.8 Million Investment for Innovation in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced approximately $15.8 million for 30 new projects aimed at discovery and development of novel, low-cost materials necessary for hydrogen production and storage and for fuel cells onboard light-duty
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Understanding Why Cellulose Resists Degradation Could Lead to Cost-Effective Biofuels
(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) A major bottleneck hindering cost-effective production of biofuels and many valuable chemicals is the difficulty of breaking down cellulose—an important structural component of plant cell walls. A recent study addressed this problem by characterizing molecular features
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Departments of Agriculture and Energy Announce Up to $9 Million through the Interagency Biomass Research and Development Initiative
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced that up to $9 million in funding will be made available through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) to
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Exports Dip in April, as India and Philippines Disappear from Market
(Renewable Fuels Association) ... Noticeably absent from the April roster were India and the Philippines. Together, the two counties imported more than 50 mg of U.S. ethanol in March, and India had been the third-leading market for U.S. export in the
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
A Decade of Bioenergy Research
by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Department of Energy’s three bioenergy research centers have no intention of resting on their accomplishments. -- In the 10 years since the U.S. DOE established three bioenergy research centers with the goal
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Fungi the Key to Efficient Biomass Breakdown and Cheap Biofuels?
(Biofuels International) ... A team from the University of California, Santa Barbara are focusing their research on the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi on earth which can collectively break down almost any substance. In an article published in Nature
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE Seeking Candidates for Biomass Research Advisory Committee
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of Energy is soliciting nomination for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Committee). Deadline for Technical
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Presentations from BETO’s 2017 Project Peer Review Now Online
On March 6–9, 2017, BETO hosted its biennial Project Peer Review in Denver, Colorado. During the event, approximately 192 projects in BETO’s research and development (R&D) portfolio were presented to the public and a panel of external subject matter experts.
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
The 2017 BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge Winner Is… “Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae”!
(U.S. Department of Energy)The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the winner of the 2017 BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge on May 4 during a special awards ceremony. The winning infographic, titled “Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae,” was created by two students from Normal
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
BETO Announces Third Round of Small Business Vouchers Pilot
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is proud to announce five businesses that will collaborate with national labs as part of the third round of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot! The
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
The Energy 202: Trump Administration Has New Energy Buzzword
by Dino Grandoni (The Washington Post) In the Trump administration, “energy dominance” has replaced “energy independence” as the go-to phrase for describing the federal government’s broad energy goals -- in President Trump’s case, to promote as much oil, gas and coal
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump’s Proposed Budget Includes Cuts to EPA, DOE and USDA
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) President Donald Trump has released his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2018, which includes $3.6 trillion in cuts. According to the White House, the reductions are the most proposed by any president. The proposal
May 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Supplying the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to DOE Feedstocks R&D Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) More than 1 billion tons of biomass could be domestically converted into biofuels and products, say DOE. Biomass could displace 25% of U.S. petroleum use annually by 2030, keeping $260 billion in the United States, adding 1.1 million direct jobs, and
May 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewables Nuked; Nukes Renewed: Bioenergy Slashed 69% as US DOE Budget Gets Detail; The Digest’s 7-Minute Guide to the DOE Budget
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Department of Energy submitted a request for a $1.433B cut, or 69.3 percent to the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy annual budget, and targeted a $168.4M cut in the budget for
May 24, 2017 Read Full Article
New Insights into 3rd Method of Microbial Energy Production
(Bioenergy Insight) Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding the workings of the ‘third’ method of microbial production, known as ‘flavin-based electron bifurcation’ (FBEB). Their findings could be hugely significant for the world of microbial energy and biofuels. The discovery of
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Peters, Alexander & Stabenow Reintroduce Vehicle Innovation Act Bipartisan Bill Boosts R&D for Fuel Efficient Vehicle Technologies
(Office of Senator Gary Peters) U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced they are reintroducing the bipartisan Vehicle Innovation Act to encourage investments in research and development of clean vehicle and advanced safety
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Livin’ La Vida Octane: The Quest for Torque and Affordable, Sustainable Vroom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In recent days. we’ve been updating some very useful industry charts relating to costs, carbon, and biofuels — and here’s another highly useful chart from the University of Illinois that looks at ethanol as a
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Insight into Enzyme’s 3D Structure Could Cut Biofuel Costs
(Los Alamos National Laboratory) Neutron crystallography maps LPMOs that break down fibrous cellulose -- Using neutron crystallography, a Los Alamos research team has mapped the three-dimensional structure of a protein that breaks down polysaccharides, such as the fibrous cellulose of
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
NREL Research Takes Off For International Space Station
by Wayne Hicks (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Experiments bear repeating, especially when they explode on their way to the International Space Station. Almost two years ago, on June 28, 2015, the rocket carrying experiments from Chatfield High School to the orbiting
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Helping Trump Help Bioenergy
by Douglas L. Faulkner (Cleantech Conservative/Biofuels Digest) ... The Trump Administration’s two recent Executive Orders on “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth” and especially, “Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America” (March 28 & April 25, respectively), not only highlight renewable
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Rapid Advancement: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Nation’s 10th Manufacturing USA Institute – RAPID
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last December , the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would support the country’s 10th Manufacturing USA Institute with $70 million over five years, subject to federal appropriations. Another $70 million is expected from RAPID’s partners, including
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory Receive Funding to Support the Blending of Gevo’s Isobutanol with Gasoline
(Gevo) Funding Being Provided Through Department of Energy’s Small Business Voucher Program -- Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO) announced today that it was selected to collaborate with researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of DOE’s Small Business Vouchers (SBV)
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
ORNL: Bacterial Boost for Biobased Fuels
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) "Electrical” bacteria are the key ingredient in a new process developed by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that recycles wastewater from biofuel production to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used
May 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Trash into Treasure: Sandia Could Help Biofuel Pay for Itself with Goods Made from Waste
(U.S. Department of Energy/Sandia National Laboratories/EurekAlert!) A recent discovery by Sandia National Laboratories researchers may unlock the potential of biofuel waste -- and ultimately make biofuels competitive with petroleum. Fuel made from plants is much more expensive than petroleum, but one
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
CAAFI’s R&D Team SOAP-Jet Webinar Series: INL Presented on the Development of Advanced Feedstock Supply Systems
(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuel Initiative) CAAFI’s R&D team continued the Seminars on Alternatives to Petroleum (SOAP)-Jet webinar series on March 24th. This webinar series is intended to provide a forum for members of the alternative jet fuel R&D community to
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
NREL Finds 6 Billion Gallons of SAJF Per Year Could Enter U.S. Market by 2030
(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuels Initiative) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released the aviation biofuels report, “Potential Avenues for Significant Biofuels Penetration in the U.S. Aviation Market.” The report finds that it is possible to displace 30 percent of
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Biogas to Fuels and Chemicals: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Methanotroph R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can we enable the sustainable, nationwide production of biofuels that are compatible with transportation infrastructure, displace a share of petroleum‐derived fuels to reduce U.S. dependence on oil, and encourage the creation of a new domestic
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Puts Critic of Renewable Energy in Charge of Renewable Energy Office
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (The Washington Post) President Trump has appointed Daniel Simmons, a conservative scholar who sharply questioned the value of promoting renewable energy sources and curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, to oversee the Energy Department’s Office of
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE Publishes 2017 US Energy and Employment Report
The 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) finds that the Traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors today employ approximately 6.4 million Americans. These sectors increased in 2016 by just under 5 percent, adding over 300,000 net new jobs, roughly
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Explore Bioeconomy Careers with the Interactive Bioenergy Career Map Published by the U.S. Department of Energy
(U.S. Department of Energy) Are you looking to understand how you fit within the changing bioenergy landscape or how to jumpstart your career in bioeconomy? Check out the Bioenergy Career Map—an interactive, educational tool that explores the growing network of
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Internship & Fellowship Opportunities
(U.S. Department of Energy) 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
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Publishes Educational Resources: Bioenergy in the Classroom including Coloring Book
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Department of Energy's Education and Workforce Development resources include: CLASSROOM RESOURCES Lesson Plans Search through the Education Toolbox to find lesson plans and lab activities for use in your classroom. Filter by subject, grade level, and energy literacy
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces New National Laboratory Collaborations with 38 Small Businesses
(U.S. Department of Energy) At Earth Day Texas 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the 38 small businesses that will collaborate with national lab researchers through the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. SBV facilitates access to the DOE
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
BETO Launches Interactive Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Projects Map
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announces the launch of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Projects Map, an interactive map depicting all of BETO’s recent projects throughout the United States that
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Optimizing Cyanobacteria for Biofuel Production
(Phys.Org) Cyanobacteria have attracted significant attention as potential biocatalysts for production of clean energy and green chemicals from sunlight and atmospheric CO2. A recent study investigated effects of altering large cellular complexes called phycobilisomes, which cyanobacteria use to efficiently capture
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Changes to Energy Dept. Websites Downplay Renewables as a Replacement for Fossil Fuels
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) The Energy Department is changing its website to cut down on Obama-era language touting renewable energy sources as a climate-friendly replacement for fossil fuels, according to reports from an environmental watchdog group. ... the department’s website now focuses
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
US Wood Pellet Exports Are Sustainable, Despite Growth: Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Tennessee, officials at Oak Ridge released a report on an ongoing debate about costs and benefits of wood-pellet based bioenergy production in the southeastern United States (SE US) requires an understanding of the science
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Center for Climate Strategies Builds Economic Transition Modeling Capacity in Cameroon
(Center for Climate Strategies) As a part of the Africa Low Emissions Development Strategies (ALEDS) project, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) is supporting local self-determination and global integration by providing training, capacity building, and technical assistance to the government
April 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Vertimass to Present at U.S. Department of Energy's Annual Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) Conference
(Vertimass, LLC) One of four advanced biofuels and bioproducts technology companies invited to present -- Vertimass LLC is proud to announce that it is one of four companies selected to present at the "Pitch for a Green Future" session at
April 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Tar Sands/Oil Sands Carbon Footprint Underestiated by Nearly 25%
by Lisa Song (The Energy Mix) In a finding that should resonate strongly for Canadian decision-makers charged with meeting the country’s climate targets, new research reveals that the carbon footprint of a litre of synthetic crude extracted from tar sands/oil
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Perry: Trump Committed to Making Renewables Competitive with Fossil Fuels
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Monday that the Trump administration supports making wind and solar energy more competitive with coal and fossil fuels, while simultaneously urging the world to embrace more natural gas exports and
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
The Quest to Capture and Store Carbon – and Slow Climate Change — Just Reached a New Milestone
by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) A new large-scale technology has launched in Decatur, Illinois that, by combining together corn-based fuels with the burial of carbon dioxide deep underground, could potentially result in the active removal of greenhouse gases from the
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
US-Based Researchers Develop System for Converting Waste Methane to Microbial Biomass
by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight) A new paper by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) describes a process that captures methane from natural gas and biogas and that uses photosynthesis to convert it into biomass feedstock. The new paper is called ‘A
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Oak Ridge Pioneers New Way to See Biomass Pretreatment Impacts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have reported in Nature a new high resolution approach to visioning the impact of biomass pre-treatment technology. By combining spectroscopy and emerging microscopy techniques, the team measured the
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Could This Enzyme Help Turn Biofuel Waste into Something Useful?
by Sarah Yang (Berkeley Lab) Joint BioEnergy Institute study targets LigM for its role in breaking down aromatic pollutants -- A protein used by common soil bacteria is providing new clues in the effort to convert aryl compounds, a common
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
The Whole-Soil Carbon Flux in Response to Warming
by Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, C. Castanha, R. C. Porras, M. S. Torn (Science Magazine) Soils contain about twice as much carbon as Earth's atmosphere, so their response to warming is crucial to understanding carbon fluxes in a changing climate. Past studies have heated
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Workforce Big on Military Vets
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) A new Department of Energy (DOE) study shows that military veterans make up a significant share of America’s ethanol industry workforce which is not only larger than any other energy sector but more than twice the national
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
In Response: Study, Article Misrepresented, Did Disservice to Ethanol
by Ashwin Raman (Duluth News Tribune/Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) I believe the March 21 story, “Habitat loss highest near ethanol plants,” did a disservice to readers because it cited a study that contains dubious and inaccurate conclusions. The study focuses on the period
March 30, 2017 Read Full Article
BETO Publishes Alternative Aviation Fuels Report
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) published a report titled Alternative Aviation Fuels: Overview of Challenges, Opportunities, and Next Steps. This new report provides an overview of the current state of alternative aviation fuels,
March 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Preliminary Assessment of Spatial Competition in the Market for E85
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Preliminary Assessment of Spatial Competition in the Market for E85 presentation and supplementary report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory examine how the spacing of E85 fueling stations impacts E85 retail
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Find New Way to Typify Cellulose, Advance Bioproducts
(Washington State University/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new way to define the molecular structure of cellulose, which could lead to cheaper and more efficient ways to make a variety of
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Proteins Interactions Hold Key for Maximizing Oil Production in Plants for Biofuels and Biomaterials
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Lab Manager) Findings point to new biochemical strategies for increasing oil yield from crops grown to produce biofuels and biomaterials -- ... By exploring the details of this delicate energy balance, a group of scientists from the U.S.
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
California Actively Reviewing LFCS Including LCA Models and Aviation Biofuel
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In California, review of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard is well underway with a public meeting looking scheduled for April 4 looking at lifecycle assessment modeling for fuels and feedstocks including potential updates to CA-GREET
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
New Study Sets the Stage for Engineering Fungi to Make Fuels instead of Toxins
(Phys.Org) Molds produce a wide range of both valuable and toxic molecules, which have important implications for energy production, agriculture and human health. A recent study revealed that an organelle within fungal cells called the endoplasmic reticulum acts as a
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Wassup, DOE? The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioenergy Technologies Office
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up at the DOE? Bioenergy Technologies Office Director Jonathan Male answered the question in this update, given at ABLC 2017 in Washington. In this deck, he looks at milestones ahead, programs, goals and challenges.
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Big Bird, You’re Fired! And All of You Enviros, too! Trump Thumps, Dumps in New Budget
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Good-bye ARPA-E, DOE, Loan Guarantee program, Energy Star, OPIC, USTDA, NEA, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. Even Big Bird gets the guillotine. In Washington, the White House released its budget requests for 2018,
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
2016 Survey of Non-Starch Alcohol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The reports tracks the status of non-starch alcohol and renewable hydrocarbon projects. What it is: Publicly available annual report summarizing U.S. advanced biorefinery projects and global trends in the deployment of commercial technologies as of year-end
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Sandia Purposefully Crashing Algae Ponds
(Algae Industry Magazine) For algal biofuels to compete with petroleum, farming algae has to become less expensive. Toward that goal, Sandia National Laboratories is testing strains of algae for resistance to a host of predators and diseases, and learning to
March 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Develops New System to Enhance AD Process
(Bioenergy Insight) US-based science and engineering centre Argonne National Laboratory has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts and enhance the process of anaerobic digestion (AD). According to the organisation, the digestion of wastewater can
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
ARPA-E 2017: Optimism Turns to Tension as Sector Prepares to Protect Energy R&D Funding
by Krysti Shallenberger (Utility Dive) ... At stake is funding for the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy, more commonly known as ARPA-E. Created in 2007 as a technology incubator under the purview of the Department of Energy, ARPA-E’s mission is to drive innovation
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
EIA Data Shows Blend Wall Broken in 2016 with Production at 15.33 Billion Gallons
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. ethanol production set a new record of 15.33 billion gallons (bg) in 2016, according to data released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA data also show that the average
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Yale, Penn State Team Receives $1.2M Co-Optima Award to Investigate Sooting Behavior of Biofuels
(MoveEnergy) Penn State Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Yuan Xuan and researchers at Yale University will work together to identify clean-burning biofuels for next-generation internal combustion engines under to a $1.2 million award from the Energy Department’s Co-Optimization of Fuels
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Could Biofuel Save Maine’s Timber Industry?
by Darren Fishell (Bangor Daily News) The company EMEP LLC wants to buy the shuttered East Millinocket paper mill to build a biorefinery that it said would be a centerpiece of a larger $240 million plan for biomass energy parks
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor: Disruptive Technology, Feedstocks under the Microscope at ABLC 2017’s Opening Day
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... While there were big questions, there were big answers, beginning with a panel on The Sustainable Agriculture Imperative. John Pieper from Dupont Industrial Biosciences shared their latest work with cellulosic ethanol in the corn
March 02, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office Sees Greater Collaboration with DOE Office of Fossil Energy in Its Future
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This morning at the "Defense Production Act (DPA) Advanced Drop-in Biofuels Production Project Round 2 Industry Roundtable" held at the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Zia Haq, Senior Analyst and DPA Coordinator
March 01, 2017 Read Full Article
BETO Publishes Analysis of Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams
(U.S. Department of Energy) ... U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the publication of a report, titled Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams: Challenges and Opportunities. The report is the first comprehensive assessment of
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Meet the Plant that is Bridging Renewable Energy, Rural Development, and Environmental Benefits
by Kristen Johnson (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Growing deep-rooted perennial crops, like switchgrass or willow, together with annual crops and livestock in a farming system is starting to gain traction. This is due in large part to the potential economic and
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Technology Converts Wastewater Sludge to Renewable Natural Gas
(U.S. Department of Energy) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has developed technology that synergistically uses two waste biomass streams to generate two bioproducts. The technology enhances the process of anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge by incorporating biomass-derived, carbon-sequestering char within the
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Report Analyzes the Use of Biogas-Derived Electricity To Power Electric Vehicles
(U.S. Department of Energy) With joint funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Strategic Programs, Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), and Vehicle Technologies Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) published a report titled Analyzing the Impacts of a Biogas-to-Electricity
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
BETO Announces Launch of Consortium of National Laboratories To Overcome Catalysis Challenges
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announces the launch of its Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio), a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
How Brown Rot Fungi Could Lead to More Efficient Biofuels Production
(Lab Manager/U.S. Department of Energy) Wood’s complex structure makes it highly resistant to biological or chemical decomposition. The structure includes cellulose, long chains of linked sugar molecules, embedded in a scaffolding of a chemical known as lignin. Brown rot fungi,
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Biorefinery Optimization Workshop Summary Report Published
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Biorefinery Optimization Workshop Summary Report is now online! Read this new report for an overview of industry challenges and opportunities discussed during the Biorefinery Optimization Workshop, which was held on October 5–6, 2016, in Chicago, Illinois. The
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol to Drop-In Fuels: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Oak Ridge’s Catalytic Ethanol Upgrade Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The program objective seen in these slides is to take a technology from Technical Readiness Level 2 to TRL 3/4 — a technology that directly upgrades ethanol to a drop-in hydrocarbon fuel at a high
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
From Off-Take to Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the US Renewable Jet Fuels Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Low Cost Sugars and Lignin Streams: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Pretreatment and Process Hydrolysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) According to this presentation deck from NREL’s Melvin Tucker, “to produce high concentration sugar and reactive lignin streams at high yields and low costs from biomass to meet BETO’s 2017 ($5/GGE) and 2022 ($3/GGE) Goals and Targets,
February 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Makin’ Hydrocarbons: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Upgrading of Thermochemical Intermediates
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels, here’s the basic recipe, according to a research team led by David Dayton at RTI
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Hydrocarbon Brew: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Technical Market Analysis for Biochemical Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the project team behind this presentation explains, there’s trouble right here in River City when it comes to accessing good market and technical data on making hydrocarbons from a biochemical process. Process and economic data
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
A Step toward Renewable Diesel: Chemical Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars into Oils.
by Anne Trafton (MIT News) MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers,
February 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Montclair State University Professor Receives PECASE Award
(Montclair State University/Biomass Magazine) Pankaj Lal, associate professor of Earth and Environmental Studies and associate director of the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies at Montclair State University, is among 102 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
The Next Step in the Bioeconomy – Looking Beyond Fuels
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) The Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in the Office of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy (EERE), released its updated strategic plan in January. Revised every five years, the strategic plan refreshes and
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Sequim Lab Looks to Find the Best Biofuel in Algae
(Associated Press/SFGate) Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Marine Sciences Laboratory are turning algae inside out to find the best biofuel possible. Dr. Michael Huesemann, a lead researcher, said algae is a promising clean energy but expensive to harness effectively. "The
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Bioconversion of Lignin Derivatives to Biofuels: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Value from Lignin
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal? Develop microbial biocatalysts to convert lignin-rich streams into value-added products. That’s subject which this project — “Synthetic Metabolic Pathways for Bioconversion of Lignin Derivatives to Biofuels,” led by Oak Ridge National Lab’s Adam Guss
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Benefits 'Global Food System' as GHG Profile Improves
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The food and livestock industries have railed against biofuels for years, based on the argument that corn ethanol and soy biodiesel raise food prices. More recently, some have suggested that soy biodiesel emits more greenhouse
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
New Enzyme Has Potential to Turn Plant Biomass into Biofuel
by Kenny Walter (R&D Magazine) ... Scientists have studied these enzymes in pure cultures of microorganisms, despite the fact that microorganisms break down cellulose as communities in the environment. To examine this further, a multi-institutional team of researchers led by scientists
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Waste to Fuels Viability: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys Economics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Bio-Oil and Beyond: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to RTI’s Catalytic Upgrading tech for Thermochemical Intermediates to Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To “Demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels,” that’s the ratuional behind a DOE project with RTI in the lead, aimed
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
The Leftover Makeover Once-Over: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Corn Stover
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A group of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have completed a survey of the economic activities and rural jobs that a corn stover bioeconomy can offer, which is currently featured on the cover of the latest
February 06, 2017 Read Full Article
MSW as a feedstock: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Ionic Liquid Pre-treatment
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been the big, big problem in biomass deconstruction and cellulosic fuels — the finicky nature of biomass. We’ve learned to get past the main line of cellulosic defenses — but by and large it’s
February 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Gates Foundation Extends Sorghum Research with a $6.1 Million Grant to the Danforth Center
(Donald Danforth Plant Science Center) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, one of the world’s largest independent plant science institutes, today announced a three-year $6.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand and accelerate the development
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE and USDA Issue Notice of Intent for Biomass Research and Development Initiative
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is announcing its
January 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Duckworth to Perry: American-Made Renewable Energy Reduces Reliance on Foreign Oil, Improves National Security
(Senator Tammy Duckworth) U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared with the nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Governor Rick Perry, how her military service in Iraq taught her about the danger of our country’s dependence on
January 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Will Renewable Jet Fuel Fly with Trump in the Cockpit?
by Kerry Reals (Runway Girl Network) ... But despite widespread concerns, Kevin Weiss, the chief executive of Byogy Renewables – the developer of an alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel process for the aviation industry – tells RGN he is optimistic that the Trump
January 23, 2017 Read Full Article
2016 Billion-Ton Report Volume 2 Analyzes Environmental Effects
(U.S. Department of Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The 2016 Billion-Ton Report (BT16), Volume 2: Environmental Sustainability Effects of Select Scenarios from Volume 1, jointly released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a pioneering
January 23, 2017 Read Full Article
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