by Boyd Webb (IOL News) Once home to millions of displaced black South Africans, former homelands are expected to become the heart of the country's biofuels production. Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulama Xingwana said on Tuesday the presidential commercial
Feedstocks
Back TO HOMESeeking Take-Off and Off-Take: Why Do Some Renewable Technologies Soar and Others Stall?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The high-octane idea that inexplicably struggles, the mid-grade idea that rocks. Here, we look at the critical success factors that provide tail-winds for some technologies and head-winds for others. ... To explain a conundrum, we need a
October 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Oil Palm and Agribusiness in Southeast Asia – Planning for Sustainability?
(Stockholm Environment Institute) This brief draws together SEI research done between 2011 and 2014 on agribusiness developments – especially of oil palm – in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The brief presents overarching insights from that work, along with recommendations
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Break out the Bubbly: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Champagne-Ardennes in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Addressing the Western Europe market, creating a European unit with optimal operating range, or seeking to operate a facliity and watching the opex? We can send you in the right direction with three magic words:
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Bringing in the Biomass for Cellulosic Ethanol
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? Will farming communities support the
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Grease Collection in the US: Feedstock for Biodiesel
by Ian Winner* (Optimus Technologies/special guest author for Advanced Biofuels USA) Grease Collection Overview -- When we talk about grease, what do we mean? Grease can refer to yellow grease, choice white grease, edible or inedible tallow, lard, trap grease
September 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Southeast Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems Posts Annual Meeting Presentations and Posters
(Southeast Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems) The meeting presentations are now available for download on the IBSS website: IBSS 2015 Annual Meeting Presentations IBSS 2015 Annual Meeting Posters READ MORE
August 31, 2015 Read Full Article
8 Ways to Win with $30 Oil: “Energy at the Extremes”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What works, what struggles, what changes when oil prices head into the tank? Who will feed China’s manufacturing monster? -- At Clariant’s “Defining the Future VII” conference in San Francisco, the delegates were leaning forward, straining
August 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Changing the Biomass Dialogue (The Earth Partners): The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide
(Biofuels Digest/Bloomberg) The Earth Partners, LLC restores and develops degraded lands. The company also engages in the production of biomass, which restores the land’s soil health and water resources; restoration of mined land; development of forest plantations on properties that
August 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Yep, There’s a Biomass Crop Planning App for That, Says Genera Energy
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 and Apple smart devices. The
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Is Biomass Expanding Faster than Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With 3 acquisitions, the biomass consolidation czars consolidate as markets expand. Funding will enable company to expand biomass supply chain services across U.S. In Oregon, Pacific Ag has received a $7M investment from Advantage Capital Agribusiness
August 07, 2015 Read Full Article
A Report from EnergyPath 2015: NetZero
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic area is fortunate to benefit from funds derived from a settlement approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission during the Commonwealth’s electric deregulation proceedings. As part of its educational mission, Sustainable
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Southeastern Biomass Interactive Mapping Service
(Southeastern Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems) The Southeastern Biomass Interactive Mapping Service (IMS) is a tool for exploring the biomass resources and the competitors who use these resources in the southeast US. It allows users to spatially examine feedstock, competitors
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Chemical Firms Seek Better Grasp of Biomanufacturing
by Andy Extance (Chemistry World) Hope and expectation surround the chemical industry’s increasing adoption of biotechnological manufacturing – but today, their lengthy development times and complex processes mean frustration is a major by-product. ‘The process of developing industrial biomanufacturing [IB] processes
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
New Corn Traits Yield Homegrown Enzymes for Ethanol
by Tim Tierneyn (Syngenta) Plymouth Energy collaborates with corn growers to increase plant efficiency and make ethanol more sustainable. ... Sourcing alpha amylase enzyme directly from area corn growers and working with them to enhance grain quality is not only helping Plymouth
July 21, 2015 Read Full Article
The 35 Hottest Companies in Feedstock Development & Supply in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Solazyme took the #1 spot in the 2015 “35 Hottest Companies in Feedstock Development & Supply” rankings, announced today by The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily, at the Advanced Bioeconomy Feedsrtocks Conference (ABFC
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Sustainable, Available, Reliable Affordable Bioeconomy Feedstocks: The Hottest Slides from ABFC 2015
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the advanced bioeconomy, the question for some time has been “how do you fund it?” or “how do you make it?”. But now, feedstock is becoming the key variable, it’s a case of “where
June 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Innovations Presented at Department of Energy BETO Project Peer Review
by Osaretin Omorodion* (Advanced Biofuels USA) During late March 2015, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) offered what amounted to a seminar for the public consisting of a series of presentations from industry professionals and researchers
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
ACORE Brings Together Biofuel Industry to Publish Comments Addressing RFS Rules which Impede Advanced Biofuels Development
(American Council on Renewable Energy) ACORE Brings Together Biofuel Industry to Publish Comments Addressing RFS Rules -- Industry leaders and ACORE members take up issues with co-location requirements under the RFS which impede advanced biofuels development. Today, the American Council On Renewable
May 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy & Sustainability: Bridging the Gaps
(SCOPE) Bioenergy & Sustainability is a collective effort with contributions from 137 researchers of 82 institutions in 24 countries. The volume is the outcome of an assessment that included a meeting held at UNESCO, Paris, in December 2013. Fifty experts
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
New Web-based Tools for Biomass Mapping and Biomass Crop Production Decisions
(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), both supply and demand. You
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Pennsylvania State University (PSU): An Example to Follow
by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) I had heard about Pennsylvania State University's bioenergy and biofuels educational initiatives from Advanced Biofuels USA's Joanne Ivancic, just after starting to work on a project to identify college level biofuels education
May 13, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO’s 2015 Project Peer Review Presentations Now Online
(US Department of Energy) Visit the 2015 Project Peer Review Web page to download individual project and plenary presentations from BETO’s 2015 Project Peer Review. The peer review process provided BETO with feedback about the management of each of its technology
April 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Downsize Bioenergy Risk while Approaching Scale: Partnering with ZeaChem’s Technology Institute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For most investors, building a demonstration-scale facility in order to get, and validate, data for the last pre-commercial stages, is a necessary evil somewhere between diaper-changing and a colonoscopy on the “revolting, yet inevitable” meter. Those who
April 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Telling the Biofuels Story to Students: Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Teacher Resources
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Understanding role of biofuels in meeting our energy needs and mitigating global climate change is a complex task. Telling stories is an effective way to help students make sense of science ideas and important societal
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Bioproducts and Sustainable Agriculture.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amazing questions get asked at ABLC — and except for attendees, you generally don’t hear them, or the answers. Let’s change that. With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
US Poised for Biobased Chemicals Breakout, Says National Research Council
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 even faster.” ... In Washington, the National
April 06, 2015 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: Advanced Bioeconomy Feedstock Conference June 9-10, 2015 New Orleans, LA DEADLINE: open
ABFC is the gathering point for the top supply chain leaders in the Advanced Bioeconomy — bringing together the entire spectrum of CEOs and senior executives in business development, R&D, strategic partners, finance, policy and equipment suppliers — looking at
March 20, 2015 Read Full Article
St. Louis Startup Turning Weeds into Biofuel
by Jim Bafaro (St. Louis Business Journal) Some call it the "stinkweed." Yet despite that inglorious moniker, there's an awful lot to like about pennycress, say officials with one St. Louis startup company. That's because pennycress seeds — five to
March 10, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO’s 2015 Project Peer Review March 23-27 Alexandria, VA
The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is hosting the 2015 Project Peer Review on March 23–27, 2015, at the Hilton Mark Center, in Alexandria, Virginia. Approximately 185 projects in BETO’s research, development, and demonstration portfolio will be presented to the public
March 04, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Publishes Final BCAP Rule
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) The USDA has released the final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, and though the general scope of BCAP is not changing with the recently published rule, there are some key changes being made
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Department of Agriculture and Energy Department Announce Up to $8.7 Million through the Interagency Biomass Research and Development Initiative
(US Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Energy Department announced that up to $8.7 million in funding will be made available through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) to reduce the nation’s dependence
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
2015 Sun Grant Conference: Academia Jumps One Step Forward and Shows What Will Be the Future of Lignocellulosic Biomass Production and Utilization in the Southeastern USA
Author, Dan Quadros, in Auburn, Alabama.by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) After two days (February 2-3, 2015) in “Sweet Home Alabama” at Auburn University, we got overwhelmed with the most recent discoveries of cutting-edge research that were presented
February 25, 2015 Read Full Article
New Farmer Co-Operative to Help Build Ontario Bioeconomy
(Farmers.com/Cellulosic Sugar Producers Co-operative) A group of Ontario farmers have a plan to convert crop residue into cellulosic sugar to help fuel the province’s bioeconomy. Based in Sarnia, the Cellulosic Sugar Producers Co-operative (CSPC) will work to develop a market
January 14, 2015 Read Full Article
VC Surprise: Spruce Capital, Xeraya Capital Announce First Close of New $150M Biogreentech Venture Fund
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As a newly-closed venture fund opens for business with a distinctly Malaysian flavor, we look at the state of venture capital and the new role of integrated sovereign investment. From California and Malaysia comes the news
January 09, 2015 Read Full Article
All I Need is the Air That I Breathed: Microbial Dairies Using CO2, Sunlight and Water
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take CO2, add water and an energy source: voila, Fuels & Chemicals from Microbial Dairies. We revisit 3 top practitioners of the art and one outlier, and their progress. ... There are a number of technologies based on
December 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Hottest Slides from ABLCNext 2014 – the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sapphire Energy’s new multi-market product approach Joule’s breakthrough photosynthetic efficiency Cellana – multi-products for algae, just like petroleum READ MORE
November 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Boosting Biomass for Bioenergy
by Katie Fletcher (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Many dedicated energy crops hold promise as feedstocks for next-generation ethanol. Extensive R&D is still needed, however, to overcome the challenges in making these plants viable for commercial applications. ... This year, $12.6 million was awarded to
October 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Neste Oil Announces Off-take Agreement with U.S. Algae Producer
(Neste Oil/Biomass Magazine) Neste Oil and Renewable Algal Energy, a U.S.-based algae biomass producer, have signed a contingent commercial algae oil off-take agreement. Algae oil is one of the alternatives being researched by Neste Oil for use as a feedstock
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about the Bioeconomy, Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals and Bioproducts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of the powerpoint decks. But how do you get a hold of the great Q&A that follows the presentations — or the
August 14, 2014 Read Full Article
New Energy-Rich Sorghum Offers Ethanol without the Corn
by Marc Gunther (The Guardian) California startup NexSteppe presents a new brand of sorghum, bred for optimal energy production, designed as a greener alternative to corn for ethanol fuels and biomass boilers As scientists around the world research biomass feedstocks —
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Nexant Launches Biorenewable Insights
(Chemical Online/Businesswire) Nexant announced today that it has launched Biorenewable Insights—its new subscription program that provides in-depth evaluations and reliable data on the technology, cost competitiveness and industrial developments of biorenewable chemicals and fuels. “Nexant is the first major consultancy in this space
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Increasing Ethanol Plant Throughput
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Syngenta’s Enogen corn trait technology is the first genetically modified output trait in corn specifically for the ethanol industry and in the past two years since it has been released the industry has seen increasing adoption. ... “Our
August 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Japanese Initiative Launched to Develop Next-Generation Sustainable Aviation Biofuel Sector by 2020
(GreenAir Online) Japan has become the latest country to launch a government-backed initiative to investigate the potential of developing a domestic sustainable aviation biofuel industry. Over 30 companies and organisations from the aerospace, fuel, engineering, finance and research sectors have formed
August 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Research Projects to Improve Plant Feedstocks for Bioenergy Production: Departments of Agriculture and Energy Announce Projects in 10 States
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (July 17, 2014) announced the selection of 10 projects that are being awarded funding aimed at accelerating genetic breeding programs to improve
July 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Washington State the Center of Climate Change Solutions
by Gleen Farley (KING 5 News) In 2011, Alaska Airlines was the first carrier in the country to fly regular passenger carrying flights using bio-fuel. It replaced 20 percent of the jet fuel with a crystal clear liquid - refined industrial
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Algae Biofuel Can Help Meet World Energy Demand, Researchers Say
by Mary-Ann Muffoletto (Phys.org) Microalgae-based biofuel not only has the potential to quench a sizable chunk of the world's energy demands, say Utah State University researchers. It's a potential game-changer. "That's because microalgae produces much higher yields of fuel-producing biomass than other traditional
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Pond Biofuels: Algae Eats Cement Plant Pollution
by David Dodge and Duncan Kinney (Beacon News) Algae is a pretty important organism. It’s used in food, fertilizer and sewage treatment. Oh, and algae can also eat raw industrial smokestack emissions for breakfast to create pond biofuels. Steve Martin was so
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Report: Jobs Added, Investments Made in County’s Industrial Base
by Christopher Edmunds (The Selma Times-Journal) Dallas County gained 246 new jobs in 2013, according to a recent report released by the governor’s office. In addition to the new jobs, the 2013 New & Expanding Industries Report showed that seven companies invested
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Students get First-Hand Look at STEM
by Ashley A. Smith (News-Press) Groups of high school students walked past cylinders of green liquids and watched scientists experiment on algae. As each of the Algenol Biofuels scientists explained to the students the process of turning algae into ethanol, they also
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Aurora Algae Farm Throws Down Green Guantlet in Oil State
by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) We’ve been following the Aurora Algae company’s progress in Australia for a couple of years, so imagine our surprise when all of a sudden the company popped up deep in the heart of oil country. Earlier
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Sustainable Algae Cultivation Making Headway
(Phys.org) Four years after the first optimistic calculations, the experimental cultivation of algae appears to be meeting expectations. Production costs have been more than halved, while the profit made on some crop components already exceeds production costs. According to René Wijffels,
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Duckweed Has Great Potential as Biofuel
by Sue Pike (seacoastonline.com) Duckweeds are the world's smallest flowering plants. These tiny plants float on still and slow-moving water the world over. With the warm spring weather you can find duckweed growing along the edges of most local ponds and
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Calysta Produces Lactic Acid in NatureWorks Partnership Ahead of Schedule
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest has heard from California that Calysta has successfully produced lactic acid – a key building block for industrial bioplastics – from methane at lab scale for NatureWorks. NatureWorks is one of the world’s largest makers
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Sustainable Feedstock Contracts
by Todd A. Taylor (Biodiesel Magazine) If you are a biodiesel producer, you already believe in sustainability and taking care of our natural resources. You already have your renewable fuel standard (RFS) pathway and are making the best biodiesel you can
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
The Myth and Reality of Biodiesel Feedstock Availability
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Since its commercial inception in the 1990s, the biodiesel industry has faced obstacles from all sides. The technical merits of the fuel have been challenged time and time again. Manufacturing costs and fuel pricing have been
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
After False Start, Biofuels Industry May Yet Impact Highlands County
by Marc Valero (Highlands Today) SEBRING — Three years ago, Highlands County was on the cusp of a bio boom time with hundreds of jobs looming in construction, agriculture and technology with buzz words such as biofuels, ethanol production and renewable
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
18 Free Studies on 21 Next-Wave Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Thought you knew everything there was to know about some of biofuels’ favorite feedstocks? Here are 18 free reports that may dampen or re-ignite your enthusiasm. ...To bring you up to speed on the latest about
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Sorghum May Be a “Sink” For Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Texas A&M Study Finds
by Rafaela Relvas (BioNews Texas) Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a study that brought new insights regarding bioenergy sorghum, finding that, more than an energy supply, it may offer a “sink” for greenhouse gases. ... The team worked in a field near
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Producers, Farmers Take to The Hill
by John Davis (domesticfuel.com) Biodiesel producers and farmers who raise the feedstocks for the biodiesel industry took to Capitol Hill this week, joining a group of U.S. Senate Democrats in their calls to end policy uncertainty that is hurting their industry. “The uncertainty
June 02, 2014 Read Full Article
The Bio-Fuel Sector Is Attracting Some Big Names
by Reuben Brewer (The Motley Fool) Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM ) and FutureFuel (NYSE: FF ) are two relatively small companies largely focused on the emerging bio-fuel market. However, they aren't the only players in the space. And some of the other companies, like DuPont (NYSE: DD ) , operate on a
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Brazil: Biofuels Digest’s 10 Top Trends For 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest's) ... 1. Feedstock diversification. If you thought it was all cane, cane, cane, think again. There’s a lot of movement on sorghum, and castor beans — and even some on corn. Sorghum. The biggest news of late
May 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Nexant Analyzes Next-Generation Sugar Technologies
(Virtual-Strategy.com) Nexant today announced the release of an assessment of next-generation and cellulosic sugar technologies. This new Nexant report—Cellulosic Sugars: Unlocking Biomass’ Potential—examines the different technology choices available. “Cellulosic and other next-generation sugar processes are becoming technically robust, although commercial challenges remain to
May 02, 2013 Read Full Article
The Sustainability of Advanced Biofuels in the EU
(Institute for European Environmental Policy) This report focuses on the potential sustainability of an advanced biofuel industry relying on mainly wastes and residues as the feedstock base. Presented as a series of ‘factsheets’ we consider various feedstocks put forward by
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Corncobs Seen as Possible Biofuel Source
(UPI) Corn crop residue often left behind on harvested fields to protect soil quality could become an important raw material for biofuels, U.S. researchers say. A study by scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated soil quality would not decline
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Looks at Environmental Benefits of Ethanol
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a new study performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn grown using no-till methods may sequester larger amounts of carbon than previously believed. The study was published in BioEnergy Research and showed that
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
S.J. Farmers Sought for Ethanol Project
(Menafn /The Record/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services) A seed producer is recruiting area farmers to produce sorghum, a grain crop also known as milo, for use in ethanol production, including at the Pacific Ethanol Inc. plant in Stockton. Chromatin Inc. will host a
January 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Europe Needs Stable Legal Framework for Biofuels to Prosper: Neste
by Sean Bartlett (Platts) Europe needs a stable legal framework if biofuels research and development is to prosper, Neste Oil's Executive Vice President, Oil Products, Matti Lehmus, said at a conference Monday. A proposal in October by the European Commission to cap
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Five Questions with Tom Brutnell
by Jeffrey Tomich (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) ...A local hub for biofuels research is the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Creve Coeur. Much of the biofuels work there is funded by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, a scientific center established
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
The Cellulosic Biofuels Tipping Point
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As cellulosic biofuels reach commercial-scale, is the tipping point for wide deployment near – and will it be based on breakthroughs in capex, opex or yield? Actually, it may be feedstock costs, in the end. ...What
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest Announces Awards for Achievement in Development of Bio/Renewable Fuels, Chemicals, Materials
Biofuels Digest announced its annual awards for achievement in the development of biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased materials - all available with background on the who, what and why of each award - today at biofuelsdigest.com. Best Project (thermochemical) Best Project (fermentation) Best
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Program Launched to Authenticate Feedstock as 'Renewable Biomass'
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) ...While the biodiesel industry is working with EPA, obligated parties under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) and third-party verifiers to ensure valid generation of renewable identification numbers (RINs)—credits generated with biofuel that can be bought,
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Affordable Naval Biofuel: First Comes the Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is the US government right in aiming to commercialize aviation biofuels production – or should it be aimed at ensuring affordable feedstock? Pain at the pump. $5 gasoline in California. $8 gasoline in the EU. We
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
New Calculator Helps Farmers Determine Costs, Benefits of Switching to Energy Crops
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) Agricultural economists at the University of Illinois have been calculating the costs for farmers to produce biomass energy crops as renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. In fact – they have created a feedstock cost
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
BSR Publishes Sustainability Report, Seeks Public Comments
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BSR, a nonprofit membership organization focused on consulting, research and cross-sector collaboration, has released a new report that assesses the sustainability impacts of commercial transportation fuels, as well as the market outlook for a
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
The Red-Light District in Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In biofuels, feedstocks come in many shapes, phases, and sizes — but only three colors – red, yellow and green. That’s what our friends in the financial world tell us. Now, sometimes even a red-light
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Feedstock Flexibility: Key to Future Profitability?
by Pete Moss (Biodiesel Magazine/Frazier, Barnes & Associates) ...Refined soybean oil is more expensive than degummed. Tallow is more expensive than yellow grease and so on. But why is soybean oil more expensive when it is the most abundant oil
January 23, 2012 Read Full Article
A Critical Component
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Choosing the most appropriate feedstock pretreatment method for a given facility can make or break plant economics A wide variety of feedstock pretreatment materials and technologies is readily available in the marketplace. From steam stripping, to
January 23, 2012 Read Full Article
From Farm to Biorefinery: Ethanol Production Efficiency Improves
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ...According to a landmark study by the Keystone Alliance (a group including both farm groups and environmental organizations, such as Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy) the amount of water, energy, and land required
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA Approves Canadian Renewable Biomass for RFS2
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) After roughly seven months of thorough consideration and review, the U.S. EPA has approved a petition put forth by the government of Canada to allow renewable biomass grown in Canada to comply with the Renewable
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Production: A Threat to Livelihoods
by Mario Osava (Aljazeera) Biofuels are an alternative energy source that can drive local development by generating jobs, know-how and technology. But they can also cause social damage, as locals fear in the case of industrial-scale exploitation of babassu palm
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Biomass 2011: Replace the Whole Barrel, Supply the Whole Market Presentations Posted
(US Department of Energy) ...More than 600 speakers, moderators, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees were able to listen to discussions about the ongoing challenges and achievements in the bioenergy industry. Biomass 2011 addressed key issues in important areas, such as feedstock supply, conversion pathways,
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Agrisoma Eyes North American Feedstock Opportunity
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Agrisoma may be the least known 10-year-old renewable energy company, as Steven Fabijanski told Biodiesel Magazine, but that hasn’t stopped a Canadian development fund from granting the Ottawa-based firm with roughly $425,000 in research funding. Agrisoma
August 03, 2011 Read Full Article
The Reality We Are Living in Now: Biofuels and the New DC, Part II
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In a swirling stew of change regarding US federal incentives, tariffs, tax credits and loan guarantees, the most consistent mechanism driving the expansion of renewable transport fuel has been the US Renewable Fuel Standard. Though
July 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Cornoil – A Growing Feedstock for REG
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The synergies between the biodiesel, ethanol and advanced biofuels industries are growing. One of the things that’s been happening over the past few years is the ethanol industry creating a new feedstock for the biodiesel industry
April 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Next-Gen Biofuel Depends on Subsidies, Senate Told
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Even as President Barack Obama renewed his push for next-generation biofuels, an industry official warned that cuts in biomass subsidies could discourage farmers from providing corn residue and other needed feedstocks. If farmers “see the
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Saint Michael’s Receives $766,000 NSF Grant as Part of Plant Genome Project
(VermontBiz.com) Saint Michael's College biologist Dr Mark Lubkowitz and his students join a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, University of Florida, Purdue University and the University Nebraska-Lincoln, on a five-year project to study the genes that control
March 24, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory Launches One-Stop Shop Biofuels Website
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched a new interactive website meant to integrate a wide variety of data and resources related to bioenergy in an attempt to provide a holistic view
February 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Growing Biofuel Crops in Unusual Places
(Michigan State University) Michigan State University researchers are finding new locations to grow crops used for biofuel. The land they’ve identified might surprise some because it’s right next to where the fuel is being used. Dennis Pennington, an MSU Extension bioenergy educator,
February 13, 2011 Read Full Article
The Charge of the Capital Light Brigade
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a new generation of companies has come along with new ideas about how to develop scale in a world of empty wallets. You might have heard of them as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Gevo, Joule
December 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Summary of Cellulosic Biofuels Feedstock Supply Chain Forum
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Animated discussion characterized the fourth day of the Infocast series on cellulosic biofuels. Much is at stake. The industry is so close to being able to find success. If gasoline was $4.00/gallon, implementation would
December 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Biofuels Done Right: Land Efficient Animal Feeds Enable Large Environmental and Energy Benefits
by Bruce E. Dale, Bryan D. Bals, Seungdo Kim and Pragnya Eranki (Biomass Conversion Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University) There is an intense ongoing debate regarding the
October 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Giant Sweet Potato May Be Viable Ethanol Feedstock
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Letterman was doing a special featuring giant vegetables and North Charleston native and horticulturalist, Janice Ryan-Bohac, was selected to showcase her 15 pound sweet potato. She did, only she threw a few extra messages into the mix.
October 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Brazil Set to Assist Tanzania Survey Biofuel Farming Areas
by Beatrice Philamon (IPP Media) Tanzanian and Brazilian experts are expected to carry out a countrywide survey to identify and propose strategic areas that would be allocated for biofuel farming. “Our intention is to have special areas or land that will be
October 15, 2010 Read Full Article
Purdue Receives Nearly $1.6 Million for Biofuels Crop Research
(AgriMarketing/Purdue) Purdue University is receiving $1.59 million in federal funding for a project to conduct a sustainability assessment of energy crops for biofuels. The funding is part of a $16.5 million renewable fuel initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy to
September 30, 2010 Read Full Article
The Biorefinery Project of the Future: A 10-Part Series
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We have spoken to farmers, local business owners, environmentalists, community development officials, engine developers, scientists, policy makers, producers, investors, lenders, blenders, wholesalers, retailers, and end users. We have visited development projects on four continents. We have
September 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Ban on Field Burning Prompts Plan to Convert Straw to Energy
by Dana Tims (The Oregonian) ...They propose breaking ground next year on a $25 million bioenergy park somewhere in the Willamette Valley. The multi-faceted facility would convert straw and other waste materials into saleable products such as ethanol, electricity, fertilizer, compost
September 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Public Consultation on Version 1.1 of the RSB Principles & Criteria and Guidance for P&Cs
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) In November 2009, the RSB Steering Board approved Version One of the RSB Principles & Criteria (P&Cs) and the Certification System for pilot testing after public regional outreaches and extensive consultation of the RSB Chambers. While
September 10, 2010 Read Full Article
Florida Farm Service Agency Holding Feedstocks for Florida Biofuels Townhall Meetings
by Julie (SoutheastAGNet) Florida Farm Service Agency State Director, Tim Manning, wants to inform and educate producers about the need to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels through their statewide “Feedstocks for Florida Biofuels” town hall meetings. ...The next Feedstocks for
September 09, 2010 Read Full Article
USDA and DOE Partnership Seeks to Develop Better Plants for Bioenergy
(US Department of Energy) Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced research awards under a joint DOE-USDA program aimed at improving and accelerating genetic breeding programs to create plants better suited for bioenergy production. The $8.9 million
September 03, 2010 Read Full Article
Ag Secretary Candidate Thicke Promotes 'New Vision'
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Francis Thicke of Fairfield, the Democratic candidate for Iowa agriculture secretary, used his State Fair Soapbox speech Wednesday to call for a "new vision" for Iowa agriculture based on renewable fuels, ecologically sustainable production
August 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Growing Fuel by the Roadside
by Sam Harris (Charlotte Observer) ...In conjunction with a national program known as "FreeWays to Fuel" ( freewaystofuel.org), researchers at N.C. State University are working to grow canola and sunflower crops along the wasted edges of highways and other marginal
August 10, 2010 Read Full Article
25 Million Acres of Corn with Nowhere to Go, by 2030? A Digest Special Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(D)oomsayers who have been predicting an inevitable conflict between food and fuel appear to have been completely off the mark. Rather than a shortage of food, the increased pace of biotechnology innovation associated with bioenergy is
July 07, 2010 Read Full Article
Sustainable Oils Opens Expanded Camelina Research Facility in Bozeman
(Sustainable Oils) North America's Largest Camelina Research Program Expands to Deliver Improved Varieties to Growers Even More Quickly. A new, larger camelina research facility in Bozeman will allow Sustainable Oils to deliver improved camelina varieties to growers even more quickly. Sustainable Oils'
June 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Novozymes and Ceres Partner on Biofuel Crops
(Ceres) Companies take step towards commercialization of low-carbon biofuels from switchgrass and other energy crops. Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. and Novozymes, the world’s largest enzyme provider, have entered a research collaboration to co-develop customized plant varieties and enzyme cocktails for
May 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Virginia Barley Plantings Surge, Ethanol Plant Credited
(Bloomberg Business Week, AP) ...Federal statistics show barley acres jumped from 67,000 in 2009 to 105,000 this year. David Coleman with the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation says Osage Bio Energy's plant in Hopewell has created a market for barley. In the
May 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Is Switchgrass In Your Future, And If So, Will It Be Profitable?
(Cattle Network) ...One of the first products that may be digested in a cellulosic ethanol plant is switchgrass, which is a warm-season grass native to this part of the world. Agronomically it can be produced, but will it be economically
April 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Agricultural Research Service Researching Camelina as a New Biofuel Crop
by Stephanie Yao (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have long-term studies underway to examine growing camelina as a bioenergy crop for producing jet fuel for the military and the aviation industry. This research supports the recently signed memorandum of
April 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Sustainable Feedstock Resource Availability: Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels
Zia Haq (Biomass Program, U.S. Department of Energy) focused his presentation on efforts that the Biomass R&D Board Interagency Working Group makes in order to increase the feedstock production. The priorities he pointed out in his talk are sustainability, modeling,
April 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Sustainable Feedstock Resource Availability: Overview
Moderator Laura Neal (Biomass Program, U.S. Department of Energy) emphasized the resources availability to ensure a sustainable supply of feedstock in order to meet increased biofuels demand. The presentation mainly pointed out three focused areas of feedstock platform: feedstock analysis, feedstock
April 13, 2010 Read Full Article
New Barley Market Spurs Research Effort
by Roy Roberson (Southeast Farm Press) Research under way at Virginia Tech Universitiy’s Tidewater Research and Extension Center near Suffolk, Va., is geared to giving area growers better information on the benefits of barley/soybean double-crop rotations versus wheat/soybean double-crop, full-season
April 07, 2010 Read Full Article
Developing the Feedstock for Biofuels Supply
by Bill Belden (Prairie Lands Bio-Products, Inc.) This presentation at the 4th Cellulosic Ethanol Summit describes developing a sustainable “fuel,” i.e., “feedstock” supply for biofuels and biomass-to-energy projects. Prairie Lands Bio-Products, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization with a current membership of
January 09, 2010 Read Full Article
Engineered Tobacco Plants Have More Potential as a Biofuel
Researchers from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson Universityin Philadelphia have identified a way to increase the oil in tobacco plant leaves, which may be the next step in using the plants for biofuel. Their paper was published online
January 04, 2010 Read Full Article
Market Interactions, Farmers' Choices, and the Sustainability of Growing Advanced Biofuels: a Missing Perspective?
by Yong Jiang and Scott M. Swinton (International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology) Advanced biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol are of great interest in the USA. With agriculture being the major source of feedstock for advanced biofuels, how farmers would
December 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy Group Publishes "Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report"
... The goals of this project were to produce biodiesel from a wide variety of feedstocks and to provide the characteristics of both the feedstock and biodiesel. The project is unique because it encompasses an extensive range of feedstocks and
November 22, 2009 Read Full Article
Safflower Topping Rest as Best Oilseed for Biodiesel
by Sue Roesler (The Priairie Star) Just ask Chuck Flynn, research chemist at Montana State University's Eastern Ag Research Center, how many oilseed crops can actually be turned into biodiesel. He has tried every oilseed crop that can be grown
August 11, 2009 Read Full Article
Biggie Smalls: Microcrops Go Mainstream and Head for the Big Time
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All microalgae are microcrops, but not all microcrops are microalgae: a larger family of diatoms, cyanobacteria, and tiny aquatic flowering plants such as the lemna family are increasingly in the mix for biofuels commercialization. As
August 05, 2009 Read Full Article
The Water Footprint of Bioenergy
All energy scenarios show a shift toward an increased percentage of renewable energy sources, including biomass. This study gives an overview of water footprints (WFs) of bioenergy from 12 crops that currently contribute the most to global agricultural production: barley,
August 05, 2009 Read Full Article
Corn Farmers Coalition Publishes The Corn Fact Book
.... There is plenty of corn to eat and plenty for making ethanol and plenty for feeding cattle and plenty more to export and still more to make chemicals and fabric. After peaking briefly in July 2008 at more than
August 05, 2009 Read Full Article
Wyoming Plant Making Ethanol from Trees
by Bob Moen (Forbes) ... The business plan of KL Energy, which has been funded mostly through private investment, is to build plants based on its Upton (WY) model near forests around the country. The plants would produce up to 5 million gallons
July 09, 2009 Read Full Article
Chromatin Licenses Gene Stacking Technology for Sugar Cane to Syngenta
Chromatin Inc. announced today that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide research and commercial license agreement with Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. for Chromatin's proprietary gene stacking technology in sugar cane. Chromatin has developed a novel approach to gene stacking, using the
July 01, 2009 Read Full Article
Resources Lost if Congress Fails to Broaden Definition of Renewable Biomass
Efforts continue to amend federal policy and widen the availability of renewable biomass resources that would be available from agriculture and forestry to meet the nation’s renewable energy goals. A number of advocacy groups and their allies in Congress are
June 24, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest Publishes Special Online Report on Aviation Biofuels
Biofuels Digest presents a special report on biofuels aviation, including coverage of feedstocks, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine makers and policy. READ MORE
May 25, 2009 Read Full Article
International GeneSyst Converts Municipal Waste to Ethanol
GeneSyst upgraded the weak acid hydrolysis process to convert biomass from municipal waste to fuel ethanol by making it a 'continuous (flow) process ' using the patented Gravity Pressure Vessel instead of the former 'pump and pressure' tanks (batch). READ
March 30, 2008 Read Full Article
Who is Driving the Biofuels and Biobased Products Industry?
One of the common frustrations that these leaders face is that the research and government organizations come to them for ideas or product samples, but instead of treating them as the drivers of innovation, they are treated as one of
January 10, 2008 Read Full Article
Nonwood Fiber Raw Materials and the Biorefinery
by Robert W. Hurter (HurterConsult, Inc.) The biorefinery is being touted as the way for the North American pulp and paper industry to reinvent itself. Feedstock for biorefineries includes virtually any biomass including forest waste, bark, fiber bearing sludge, construction waste,
December 29, 2007 Read Full Article
Roadmap for Bioenergy and Biobased Products in the United States
The United States has become increasingly dependent in recent decades on imported petroleum to meet its energy needs. A portfolio of more diverse and domestic feedstocks for our nation's energy and chemical supply must be found to reduce our dependence
October 31, 2007 Read Full Article
'Sweet' Biofuels Research Goes Down On The Farm
(Science Daily) Oklahoma State University’s sorghum-related biofuels research is taking a localized approach, with the aim of making possible the effective production of ethanol in the farmer’s own field. Sweet sorghum can be grown throughout temperate climate zones of the United
September 30, 2007 Read Full Article
Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply
USDA and DOE put together this study finding that there could be adequate biomass to displace 30% or more of current US annual petroleum consumption. READ MORE