(ePURE/EurActiv)  RED II agreement by negotiators is a step in the right direction, allowing Member States to use sustainable biofuels in fighting climate change   —  Negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission agreed early Thursday morning …

(University of Idaho/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  University of Idaho College of Natural Resources Assistant Professor Tara Hudiburg was awarded $750,000 to study the sustainability of biofuels. The grant, award by the Department of Energy, is part of a $104 million …

(Cyprus Mail)  The Consumers Association on Sunday said it rejected the creation of biofuels from agricultural products such as potatoes, kolokassi and other products.
In an open letter sent to the House Energy Committee, the association said …

(Solutions from the Land)  One of the three pillars of climate-smart agriculture is actions that farmers can take to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and simultaneously improve profitability. A principal means by which the agriculture …

(Times of India)  The Cabinet today approved the National Policy on Biofuels which allows doping of ethanol produced from damaged foodgrains, rotten potatoes, corn and sugar beet with petrol to cut oil imports by Rs 4,000 …

by Géraldine Kutas (The Parliament Magazine/Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA))  Ahead of this week’s RED II negotiations, Géraldine Kutas explains where policymakers are getting it wrong on biofuels – and how they can fix their mistakes before …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  We usually say, ICYMIs for those In Case You Missed Its that show up in someone’s inbox.  This week, we might re-purpose that useful acronym to:  In Case Your Money Isn’t Sufficient — because …

by Claire Stam (EurActiv)  A coalition of Czech and Slovak NGOs has called on the European Commission to draw a line in the Renewable Energy Directive revision (RED II) between more sustainable ethanol and the high greenhouse gas emitting …

Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced four funding opportunities totaling up to $78 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office.
“The …

by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center)  In an article published last summer in Science, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) reported on ten years of work assessing the potential climate benefit of producing …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sweetwater Energy has developed a unique and patented technology for producing low-cost sugars and clean lignin fiber from multiple non-food plant materials to help meet the modern world’s increasing demand for …

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv)  Not all second-generation biofuels listed by the European Commission are sustainable, critics warn, urging policymakers to use the indirect land use change (ILUC) factor to “clean up” the list.
The Commission’s proposed revision …

John Abraham, in an article in The Guardian, notes, “Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax  —  We’re not yet optimizing biofuel production for both economic and environmental factors.” And, “If society …

by John Abraham (The Guardian)  Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax  —  We’re not yet optimizing biofuel production for both economic and environmental factors
… 
These are great starts but we will still need some …

by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News)  Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, …

(Biofuels International)  The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) based out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) is moving from the development of crop-based ethanol to creating fuels and chemicals that are fungible with their petroleum-based …

(South Dakota State University/Biomass Magazine)  Can farmers produce at least 1 billion tons of biomass per year that can be used as biofuels feedstock? That’s the question that researchers are trying to answer, according to North Central …

by Scott Warfield (CERES Project Services/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest)  … The big game changer for financing, profitability and financial returns of anaerobic digester (AD) projects regardless of feedstock is carbon offset credits and specifically California’s low carbon …

by Katrina Cornish and Corinne Young (re:chem/Bioemergent Materials, The Ohio State University/Biofuels Digest/Lee Enterprises)  Bioenergy/biofuel/platform chemical biomasses, whether grown (crops) or collected (forestry waste and municipal wastes of various kinds), still struggle with commercial competitiveness against the low …

byJulie Wurth  (News Gazette)  A Midwest crop of the future: grasses and other plants that produce their own oils to be used as fuel or byproducts.
That’s the vision behind a new bioenergy research center being launched …

(Deutsche Welle) Members of the European Parliament have rejected an attempt to phase out support for crop-based biofuels. So what’s next in the food versus fuel debate? — … The legislative shift, set to take effect in …

(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences/Science Daily)  A new report provides practical agronomic data for five cellulosic feedstocks, which could improve adoption and increase production across the country.  —  … “Early yield estimates …

(ePure)  2030 EU target for renewables in transport leaves an opening for sustainable crop-based biofuels to help reach Paris goals  —  The European Parliament’s vote to phase out palm oil and allow some crop-based biofuels is a …

by Katie Nichols (Alabama Extension Daily)  Alabama growers are sowing the seeds of a new biofuel oil crop this winter. Brassica carinata, informally known as carinata, is similar to canola (Brassica napus L.)—a crop many producers introduced to rotations several …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2018? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead.
As …

(The EU Biodiesel Chain)  On Dec. 18, the EU Energy Ministers agreed on the Council General Approach for the post-2020 EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). The EU Biodiesel Chain welcomes the council decision to increase …

by Marianne Curtis (Farmers Guardian)  The biofuels market for Red Tractor assured crops has been secured with the news that the European Commission will continue to recognise the scheme under the Renewable Energy Directive, says Red Tractor.
Since …

by M. Cristina Negri (U.S. Department of Energy)  Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in Argonne, Illinois, are examining innovative new agricultural landscapes that incorporate perennial bioenergy crops to provide environmental benefits, such as improved nutrient management and …

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  On November 7th, 2017, industrial experts, leaders and policy makers alike met for the 20th Annual World Ethanol & Biofuels Conference held in Brussels, Belgium to discuss how the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is working with bioenergy industries and leaders to assist them in the sustainable development of bioenergy that includes our fish and wildlife resources, in …

(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN Presswire) Advanced Biofuels Canada applauds government for new funding to support biofuels in Alberta and expand the province’s lower carbon economy. —  The government of Alberta announced today new initiatives to strengthen the biofuels …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In the Netherlands, a team of scientists charted greenhouse gas emissions resulting from biofuel production, presenting them as global maps. Dedicated crops grown on grasslands, savannahs and abandoned agricultural lands could provide around …

by Paola Tamma (EurActiv)  The lawmaker in charge of steering the EU’s biofuels reform in the European Parliament is looking for compromise after MEPs last week rejected his proposal to phase out crop-based biofuels entirely by 2030 …

by Zoltán Szabó (EurActiv)  Advanced biofuels are proposed as the fuels of the future to replace oil, but the EU regulatory environment is fuzzy and uncertain to lure investors and some questionable solutions may benefit the most …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … You’d be forgiven if you mistook Ahb Subi Banr-Sbar for a well-placed official in the Iranian government — but, in fact, it’s a 9-project network to facilitate the development of regionally-based …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Sweden, a group of four NGOs have written an open letter to members of European Parliament urging them to rethink the proposals for the second version of the Renewable …

By Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Flying in Formation: Since the first test flight almost 10 years ago, there have been over 40,000 commercial flights supported by four international airports supplying SAFs. Michael Gill, Executive …

by Aino Siirala* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The 10th Biofuels International Conference and Expo took place in Edinburgh this year. The conference was co-located with Bioenergy Insight 2017 conference which gave the participants an opportunity to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sweet sorghum stardom! In possibly one of the largest government grants given to anyone for research on a single feedstock, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is receiving a 5-year $16 million …

by Paola Tamma (EurActiv)  Sugar molasses, which the European Commission sees as “advanced” biofuel, present many of the same problems as conventional biofuels – including a potential increase in food prices and land competition for food production. …

by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International)  The UK government has made proposals to introduce a cap on crop-based biofuels in order to meet its renewable fuel obligations.
The maximum level for the use of fuels made from …

(NNFCC Ltd./Biodiesel Magazine)  Following years of policy uncertainty and market stagnation, the U.K.’s Department for Transport has announced its intention to raise the target under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, paving the way for future …

by M. P. Reynolds, et al. (Science Magazine) In recent decades, the scientific, development, and farm communities have contributed to substantial gains in crop productivity, including in many less developed countries (LDCs) (1), yet current yield …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In today’s Digest, let’s look at trends driving the industry’s results at scale — and while money is not the measure of all progress, it is the ultimate yardstick and …

(International Renewable Energy Agency) Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply. Fulfilling the region’s biofuel potential would depend on …

by Francis X. Johnson (Stockholm Environment Institute/Euractiv)  The European Commission’s tinkering on biomass policy effectively promotes oil over economically viable and sustainable biofuels …  —  … In its proposed legislative changes, the European Commission abandoned the position …

(GreenAir Online)  North America has a higher potential for the production of sustainable alternative jet fuels than other regions of the world because of its available resources but it is unlikely that switching to low-carbon …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Not long ago, we updated on Steeper Energy, which has been executing on a $3m grant from Sustainable Development Technology Canada towards development of a $30M 100 barrel per day demonstration project …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Digest had a well-received webinar on cellulosic ethanol, featuring in-demand industry consultants Michele Rubino  and Michael Schultz, on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of approaches to making …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Digest had a well-received webinar on drop-in renewable fuels, featuring Drop-in Fuels 2020 author and in-demand industry consultant Will Thurmond on hand to detail the very latest in a …

Laís F. Thomaz*  (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The GAF Talk was held last month, in Sao Paulo, to present some agriculture trends and to promote a debate on the new technologies that will surely be on …

by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute)  Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at the local level, and how can understanding of land use change be improved?
The Renewable Fuel …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating …

by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Investment in ethanol production from waste biomass could have great economic environmental benefits, according to a new study from researchers from the Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory.
In this study, the …

(The Crop Science Society of America/Biodiesel Magazine)  …  In California, growers usually choose warm-season crops: ones that grow from March to October. But extension agronomist Stephen Kaffka and his team at UC Davis, including project …

(Bioenergy Insight)  There has been excessive use of land for bioenergy crops in Germany which has led to a loss of species, according to the German environment minister Barbara Hendricks.
Hendricks, speaking to the magazine Mehrwert, …

by Maina Waruru  (Thomson Reuters Foundation)   Growing use of electric vehicles around the world is helping lower climate changing emissions, but some means of transport will be hard to electrify, particularly air travel and shipping, …

(FG Insight)  Vivergo Fuels, which converts 1.1m tonnes of feed-grade wheat a year into bioethanol, has said it could face closure if the Government ploughs on with plans to restrict crop-based biofuels in petrol.
The UK …

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 …

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv)  If the EU wants to avoid a U-turn on advanced biofuels, then it has come up with a “clear and robust” sustainability framework that will provide policy certainty and investment security, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, farmers from the Midwest are in California’s Central Valley touring the first-of-its-kind Zero Net Energy Farm, or “ZNEF,” to learn how to generate all electrical and heating power …

(Renewable Energy Association)  DfT publishes consultations on the future of renewable transport, setting out long term targets towards 2030.  Consultation proposes capping fuel crops to below EU levels, risking existing UK plants and supply chain. …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …  Proof positive on the “best is yet to come” — check out the Danforth Plant Science Center. It’s tucked away in the major agri-complex that built up around Monsanto …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that $1.5 million will be available in fiscal year 2017 for farmers and foresters who harvest and deliver …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  his season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy.  In this slide deck, we looked …

by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  … The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued an endangerment finding for aircraft, indicating that greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft are hazardous to public health. This finding requires …

(Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc.) Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. (OTCQB:ALLM) (the “Company”), is very pleased to release the results from months of testing and data collection on dozens of lignocellulose feedstocks utilizing the patented CTS conversion process.  …

For Immediate Release, September 7, 2016:  Frederick, Maryland — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided $16,893 to Advanced Biofuels USA, a Maryland based  501(c) 3 nonprofit educational organization, for a feasibility study of producing …

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  … Many respected laboratories, agencies, and researchers have used a lifecycle analysis to show that biofuels, particularly advanced biofuels, provide significant carbon benefits compared to gasoline. These benefits have increased in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Belgium, the BIOFOREVER  consortium of 14 European companies emerged from stealth with the news that they have started their demonstration project for the conversion of woody biomass to value …

(European Biogas Association) A report on different scenarios and their cost-efficiency in reducing national transport emissions by 40% by 2030.  —  The most cost-efficient scenario to reduce transport emissions would be to invest in domestic drop-in …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News)  …  The Argonne modeling shows that when grassland, cropland and pasture in the Midwest are converted to corn for biofuels, the level of carbon sequestration in the soil stays roughly …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  … Regarding the Edeniq acquisition, McAfee indicated Aemetis is in the process of completing the documentation and approvals required to close the transaction. He also said Edeniq is expected to …

by Zia Haq (U.S. Department of Energy)  Renewable biofuel alternatives can help replace conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. — New White House reportoutlines the federal government’s plans to lower the cost of alternative jet fuels.  —  Bioenergy …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Last month, the DOE released the first volume of its monumental two-volume update of the Billion Ton report, looking not only at the economics of biomass but also the environmental …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  “What color is your parachute?” went the title of a best-selling book from the 80s on job hunting. The concept applies equally to biomass feedstock in the 2010s. There’s one …

by Irshad Ahmed (Lee Enterprises)  … I believe cellulosic ethanol is here to stay for the long haul and it is finally exhibiting real potential to establish a critical-mass commercial base alongside the corn-ethanol industry. Its commercial …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NexSteppe is dedicated to pioneering the next generation of scalable, reliable, cost-effective feedstock solutions for the biofuels, biopower and biobased products industries. Using advanced breeding techniques and cutting-edge analytical technologies, NexSteppe …

by Paul Hudman (Renewable Energy World)  … For many governments, part of this shift involves adopting a circular economy approach, utilising all aspects of ‘waste’ throughout the production chain.
The concept of the biorefinery embraces this standard by …

by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict which counties in Illinois could see increases in soil organic carbon from crops such as …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Genera Energy “leads the nation in the commercialization of integrated biomass supply chain solutions for the biofuels, biopower and biochemicals markets.”
Initially formed in 2008, Genera works with leading technology providers …

(Renewable Energy Magazine)  A team of scientists at West Palm Beach, Florida-based Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc.’s subsidiary Ek Laboratories have developed a pathway to produce JP-8, an advanced military grade aviation biofuel.
…
The team is reportedly …

(The Street/Globe Newswire)  Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. (OTCQB:ALLM) (the “Company”) , is pleased to announce that as the scientific and engineering team at subsidiary Ek Laboratories continues to optimize the CTS process for dry distiller’s …

(Genetics Society of America/Biomass Magazine)  The bioenergy crop sorghum holds great promise as a raw material for making environmentally friendly fuels and chemicals that offer alternatives to petroleum-based products. Sorghum can potentially yield more energy …

(BWSC North Lincs/Biomass Magazine)  This month the Brigg Renewable Energy Plant hosted a visit from scientists and farmers to explore the use of miscanthus as a fuel for renewable energy and support groundbreaking research into …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Alison Goss Eng, of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, Tim Theiss, Laboratory Relationship Manager of the Bioenergy Technologies Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Tim Rials, Director …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bioenergy Feedstock Library is a physical sample repository and database for physical, chemical and conversion performance characteristics of biomass feedstock.
The library provides tools to store, record, track, retrieve, and analyze data to help …

(Viaspace/PR Newswire)  VIASPACE CTO, Dr. Carl Kukkonen, made an invited presentation on Giant King Grass at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference – Feedstocks held in Miami, Florida June 6-8, 2016.

The Conference, organized by Biofuels Digest …

(Michigan State University/AgProfessional.com)  … The study, conducted by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and Michigan State University, found that using nitrogen fertilizer on switchgrass crops sharply  increases the amount of nitrous oxide emitted. Switchgrass has …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …  The headline from the event is that projects and feedstock providers are more engaged than we have seen previously — a wave of technology development that once took place …

by  Jennifer Blackburn (United Sorghum Checkoff Program/MyPlainView.com) The Sorghum Checkoff announced Thursday a $500,000 investment in sorghum research, made at the inaugural Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture (TERRA) program field day at the University of …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that incentives resume this month for farmers and foresters who grow and harvest biomass for renewable energy …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Lux Research projects that the emergence of low-carbon fuels and vehicle efficiency will cut emissions by 29% in 2030 compared to a business as usual scenario, with biofuels and natural …

by John Vidal (The Guardian)  Climate change and poor returns on wheat and dairy drive rural revolution in ‘future-proof’ agriculture  —  …  In Essex, David Eagle is growing acres of sea buckthorn, a salt-tolerant plant that …

by Stephanie Searle, Chelsea Petrenko, Ella Baz, and Chris Malins  (International Council on Clean Transportation)  Describes case studies of energy cropping in Europe in the context of advanced biofuel and bioproducts sustainability. — European biofuel policy …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest)  … Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan …

(Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Businesswire)  The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) announced today that President and CEO of NexSteppe, Anna Rath, has been selected by a committee of her peers to be the recipient of the 2016 BIO Rosalind Franklin …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In grains, the big news has been the USDA prospective plantings report, which has corn up to 93 million acres in 2016, up 5 million over last year, and it …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Drop-In Fuels” Here below is the second slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) updated its annual survey of U.S. non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels producers. The survey report, titled 2015 Survey of Non-Starch Ethanol and Renewable Hydrocarbon …

(Biodico/BusinessWire)  Program Part of Commitment to Spur Job Growth in San Joaquin Valley; Train Engineers in Next-Generation Bioenergy Technologies — Internship Program Aligns with Curricula at University of California Santa Barbara and West Hills Community College
To …

by Dan Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  This article is the result of a technical trip to Germany and the UK to participate in strategic meetings and visit labs; to attend seminars, an expo, a short …

(US Department of Energy)  Argonne National Laboratory released a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) that examines the potential effects of future biofuel production on freshwater resources in the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A primer worth knowing is “The Feasibility of Producing and Using Biomass-Based Diesel and Jet Fuel in the United States”, prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory . It evaluates …

by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) On January 7th, the Florida Treasure Coast Education, Research and Development Authority (TCERDA) held a Kickoff Meeting in Ft. Pierce for their Farm-to-Fly Aviation Biofuel feasibility study. This …

by Mark E. Griffin (Wisconsin Energy Institute/University of Wisconsin)  A six-year Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study on the viability of different bioenergy feedstocks recently demonstrated that perennial cropping systems such as switchgrass, giant …

by Kay Ledbette (Texas A&M AgriLife)   …  Russ Jessup, an AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, said he is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, …

(Bioenegy Insight)  The Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK and the supply chain specialist Terravesta are running new trials to examine how the energy crop miscanthus survives in water-logged land and its effect on the soil …

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine)  U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced that the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has awarded $125 million to 41 energy technology projects, four of which involve bioenergy or …

(VIASPACE/PRNewswire)   VIASPACE Inc. (OTC: VSPC) has been working intensively on growing Giant King®Grass (GKG) in California at the VIASPACE nursery, the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center, and with our partner Almaden …

by Kay Ledbetter (AgriLife Today)  Dr. Russ Jessup, an AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, said he is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, seedless grapes …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  At ABLC NEXT,  PrecisionHawk and Genera Energy announced a partnership to develop new analysis algorithms specific to improving the efficiency and quality of sustainable biomass crop production and distribution. The …

by Kristen Johnson and Alicia Moulton  (U.S. Department of Energy)  At the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, we’re actively working to develop the advanced biofuels industry in a way that leads to positive impacts and …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)   A multitude of questions surround the challenge of bringing in the mountains of biomass needed to feed a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant: Are crop residues a reliable resource? …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Alberta Council of Technologies/Advanced Biofuels USA)  Myths and misunderstandings about biofuels abound.  You’ve heard them–food vs. fuel, land use change, energy return on energy invested, decreased mileage, harmful to engines, and more.
Nevertheless, …

(Michigan State University)  Michigan State University has earned a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to better understand how biofuel crops acquire nitrogen, insights that could help maximize yields while minimizing fertilizer …

(Globe Newswire/Benzinga)  A technological and commercial partnership between Deinove and Tyton BioEnergy Systems, the leader in tobacco technology for green chemicals production  —  T he synergistic technologies are expected to provide techno-economic benefits in the …

by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine)  IEA Bioenergy Task 39, a group of international experts working to commercialize sustainable transportation biofuels, recently released its latest newsletter, featuring an update on opportunities for biofuels in New Zealand.
Newsletter …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In a remarkable presentation at the Infocast Methane Bioengineering Summit in San Diego this week (and earlier at the Advanced Bioeconomy Feedstocks Conference in New Orleans, in June), Farmatic CEO …

UVM’s Bioenergy Professional Certificate provides alternative approaches to traditional energy sources in Biofuels, including:

Liquid Biofuels (seed-based biodiesel; bioethanol; algae-biofuels)
Solid Biofuels (wood and grass energy)
Biogas (farm-based energy)

This Certificate Program offers college graduates, farmers, teachers,and entrepreneurs technical exposure to Biofuels science and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Tennessee, Genera Energy has launched its first mobile agriculture app, Biomass, developed to serve as a tool for planning, selecting and calculating biofuel crop needs, for use with Android …

TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology, and engineering communities to design …

by Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Around 770,000 BC, it was fire, at some point – wood, dung and coal, to the now-ominous fossil fuels. This is the evolution of energy, and today the evolution …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Six projects land major multi-year awards for Project TERRA, Tramsportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture
In Washington, ARPA-E announced awards totaling $30 million for projects seeking to accelerate the development of …

by Scott Miller (Clemson University)  A new public-private partnership led by Clemson University and a worldwide biomass and bioenergy producer will research the use of crops that can both open new markets for South Carolina …

(The American Society of Agronomy/Biodiesel Magazine)  In the U.S., federal mandates to produce more renewable fuels, especially biofuels, have led to a growing debate: Should fuel or food grow on arable land? Recent research shows …

(US Department of Agriculture)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that incentives will resume this summer for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners interested in growing and harvesting biomass for renewable energy. The support …

(Southern Bioenergy Network News/SAFER Alliance/University of Tennessee) Southeastern Biomass Interactive Mapping Service (IMS)–The Interactive Mapping Service (IMS) allows you to explore the woody resource market in the southeast (currently North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama), …

(Total) The BioTfueL project focuses on producing second-generation biodiesel and bio-jet fuel via thermochemical conversion. Total is working with five partners to bring the process to commercial-scale production.
In the BioTfueL project, Total is working with five …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Though challenges remain, particularly in affordable feedstock, the US National Research Council says “Despite impressive recent and projected growth, the manufacturing of chemicals using biological synthesis and engineering could expand …

(The Washington Times/AP)  Backers of a proposed project in North Dakota that would turn sugar beets into ethanol are holding educational meetings in three cities this week.  KOVC radio reports that the Green Vision Group …

(SunHerald.com/Associated Press/Maui News)  Hawaii’s last sugar cane plantation wants to transition to growing plants for energy. But it hasn’t found another crop that grows as well as sugar cane in a variety of soils or …

Speaker:  Eric Fabio, Cornell University:  Controlling weed competition is a critical component of shrub willow establishment due to low planting density and initially poor competitive ability.  Recommendations formed in the US fifteen years ago stress …

by Wally Tyner (The Conversation/Purdue University)  … One challenge to commercializing biofuel made from non-food sources — called cellulosic biofuels — has been cost.
Unlike ethanol made from corn, cellulosic biofuels are made from the inedible parts …

by Denise Attaway (Louisiana State University)  LSU AgCenter researchers continue to evaluate energycane varieties planted in north Louisiana as a possible new crop for producers to grow as a biofuel feedstock.
About 1,000 experimental varieties of …

by Tamar Haspel (The Washington Post)  …It’s crop-neutral insurance. But, dull as it sounds, it might be the key to getting our agriculture policy more in line with public health priorities.
That goal is getting some attention. …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Engineered High Energy Crop (EHEC) Programs …

(NEWBio) Five cooperative projects have been funded that advance NEWBio goals and fill in key knowledge gaps related to bioenergy crop expansion in the Northeast U.S:
Abandoned Ag. Lands in the Northeast U.S.:  A GIS-based Analysis …

(U.S. Department of Energy/Breaking Energy)  America is the largest biofuels producer in the world — accounting for 48 percent of global output. To remain the global industry leader, the Energy Department is investing in projects …

by Mateusz Perkowski (Capital Press)  Ceres Inc. has developed a biotech variety of sorghum for ethanol production but USDA is thinking of regulating it as a noxious weed.
Genetically modified sorghum used for ethanol production doesn’t fall …

(University of Arkansas at Little Rock/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Arkansas Science and Technology Authority has approved grant funding for a UALR biology professor who says nanomaterials could increase the germination rate and biomass yield of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Feedstock costs and challenges come under the microscope as the DOE reports new data on algae-based feedstocks and terrestrial crops too.
Can algae-based biofuels reach full commercial scale by 2030? The …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that greater protection is now available from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for crops that traditionally have been ineligible for federal crop …

(Elsevier)  Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels examines all current and emerging feedstocks and the advanced processes and technologies enabling the development of their end products, ranging from solid (wood energy, grass energy, and other biomass) to …

(University of Illinois)  Farmers interested in bioenergy crops now have a resource to help them determine which kind of bioenergy crop would grow best in their regions and what kind of harvest to expect.
Researchers at …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Shell VP Matthew Tipper, at ABLCNext:  “We will likely begin manufacture in the southeast United States. We plan to be operational by late this decade.  “We believe our best bet …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Regardless of the conversion technology or end product, the biomass must still be produced in an economic and environmentally sound method for the industry to be successful. I believe …

by Al Costa (Global Biobusiness)   …To this end, it becomes increasingly clear that “verticality” is a key issue. This means crops which occupy little space horizontally and as much space vertically. After all, a …