(Allied Market Research/PR Web) According to a new report by Allied Market Research titled, "Global Second Generation Biofuels - Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 - 2020", the global second generation biofuels (Advanced Biofuels) market would reach
Financing
Back TO HOMEFinancing, Supply Chain Are Top Advanced Bioeconomy Priorities for 2015, Say Readers in New Digest Poll.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Blend Wall Busters, R&D Bang for the Buck and Policy Stability rate slightly behind. Better Technical Readiness Assessment rates much lower. Readers come up with 63 alternative “calls to action”. A new Digest poll
December 22, 2014 Read Full Article
New report available: Biorenewables Financing Under the Microscope
(Nextant) Broadly felt concerns about the long-run economics of petroleum-based feedstocks, the future of the global economy, and the environment have motivated industries and governments to pursue avenues to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Consequently, some of the world’s biggest players in
December 22, 2014 Read Full Article
BNDES OKs $116M in Financing for Abengoa Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in Sao Paulo State
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) approved $223.38 in financing for four sugarcane projects. The largest announced financing is for Abengoa Bioenergy SA Agribusiness, which will receive $116.8M to implement its second-generation
December 19, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with…Cindy Thyfault, CEO, Westar Trade Resources
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We specialize in assisting companies with new or emerging technologies that are ready for commercial financing. ... I am also interested working with developers in key areas of the world that are under-served both technologically and
December 18, 2014 Read Full Article
A Black Hole for Our Best and Brightest: Wall Street Is Expanding, and the Economy Is Worse off for It.
by Jim Tankersley (The Washington Post) ... Years later, she (Deborah Jackson) would come to see it differently, growing disenchanted with an industry she didn’t think was fixing much anymore. Economic research suggests she was onto something. Wall Street is bigger and
December 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Rautenbach's Mwenezi Ethanol Project Gets Nod
by Godfrey Mtimba (Daily News) The new Zanu PF provincial executive here has promised to give businessman Billy Rautenbach the green light to continue his multi-million ethanol project in the vast Nuanetsi ranch in Mwenezi. Zanu PF acting chairman Paradzai Chakona
December 17, 2014 Read Full Article
A New Three-Legged Platform for the Advanced Bioeconomy? The Castor, Jatropha, Pongamia Strategy.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Castor, jatropha, pongamia — the three steps that Bosques Energeticos is taking in piloting its way to success in fuels, chemicals and other markets. Can the early-stage company thrive, based on its uncommon approach to
December 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Time for Teddy Talk
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are times for TED Talks about wondrous advances in technology and the future that awaits us. Then, there are times for Teddy Talks: of practical progress, problem solving, and turning wondrous advances into
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Genera Receives Growth Investment from WindSail Capital Group
(Genera Energy) Biomass supply company, Genera Energy, receives strategic financing to support business growth Leading biomass supply company, Genera Energy Inc., has received a strategic financing commitment from WindSail Capital Group, a Boston-based investment firm that provides growth financing to companies
December 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Boeing, South African Airways Look to First Harvest of Energy-Rich Tobacco to Make Sustainable Aviation Biofuel
(Boeing) Pioneering project supports South Africa’s rural economy, environment, public health Boeing [NYSE:BA] and South African Airways (SAA) announced today that South African farmers will soon harvest their first crop of energy-rich tobacco plants, an important step towards using the plants
December 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuel Promise Evaporates as Algae.Tec Moves Offshore
by Adam Wright (South Coast Register) In December 2013 Algae.Tec announced plans for an $80 million facility at South Nowra that would employ 100 people. The company signed a long-term lease with Shoalhaven City Council for a shed at Flinders
December 07, 2014 Read Full Article
4 minutes with…Basil Karampelas, President, American Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve developed 2 proprietary biorefinery technologies producing low-cost cellulosic sugars from non-food based biomass. Our Green Power+ technology produces low-cost cellulosic sugars from the hemicelluloses. AVAP technology produces cellulosic sugars from cellulose and hemicelluloses. Our
December 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Edeniq Heads down Success-at-Scale Avenue, in China
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Virtuosos of Visalia land a major contract with China giant Global Bio-chem — a 50KT cellulosic sugars plant is underway in Jilin province. In California, Edeniq announced a Joint Development Agreement with Global Bio-chem Technology Group
December 03, 2014 Read Full Article
14 for ’15: The Bioeconomy Agenda, 2015
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 14 perspectives on policy, technologies and geographies of compelling interest in the new year -- At ABLC Next this year in San Francisco — naturally, the focus is on “what’s next” in technology, finance, deployment
December 01, 2014 Read Full Article
The Radical Re-Sourcing of Tires, Nylon, Parachutes and Balloons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies achieves one-step renewable butadiene via fermentation. Who’s in the global chase for a process to make one of the world’s Big 7 industrial chemicals via a renewable process — and how did Global
November 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuels Sector on the Edge
by Emily Parkinson (Financial Review) Australia’s struggling biofuels industry has had an annus horribilis. First came the budget decision to scrap the excise-free status the sector believed would be in place until 2021. “It threw us completely,” Andrew White, chief
November 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Vitruvian Energy Crowdfunding to Make EEB, a Trashy Biofuel
By John Beltz Snyder (AutoBlogGreen) When sewage is treated at a wastewater treatment facility, biosolids are the byproduct. After being separated from the water, biosolids are usually sent to a landfill or incinerated. That doesn't mean that they're without value,
November 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Good Neighbors (Anaerobic Digesters)
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) Lately, cellulosic ethanol plant startups have basked in the bioenergy limelight. While less celebrated, anaerobic digesters are adding value to operations and seem to be trending in blueprints. When ethanol plants can provide excess sugar to
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Analyst: KiOR Columbus Plant May End up Sold as Scrap
by Jack Weatherly (Mississippi Business Journal) Finding a buyer for the idled KiOR biofuels plant at Columbus would be a tough sell, according to Pavel Molchanov, an equity analyst who had covered Pasadena, Texas-based KiOR Inc. until it filed
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Shell: Expects to Be Producing Advanced Biofuels at Scale, in US, by End of Decade
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 is woody biomass and energy
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
‘Welcome to the Future’
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Construction on Abengoa’s self-powered cellulosic ethanol facility is complete. But that doesn’t mean efforts to innovate are over. Javier Garoz Neira, CEO of Abengoa Bioenergy, told attendees at the company’s grand opening celebration they were
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Tulsa Man Leverages Biodiesel to Change Food Truck Industry Image
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Tulsa, Okla.-based food truck entrepreneur Wil Braggs, known as The Cheese Guy, is working to change people’s perceptions of the food truck industry by going green. “There is a reputation among the food truck industry that
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
Enerkem, Akzo Nobel to Explore European Market
(Canadian Biomass Magazine) Enerkem Inc. announced it has signed an agreement with AkzoNobel to develop a project partnership to explore the development of waste-to-chemicals facilities in Europe. "Enerkem's global expansion follows the launch of our waste-to-biofuels and chemicals full-scale commercial facility
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
B.C. Company Greasing the Wheels with Biodiesel Push
(CleanTech Canada/CanadianManufacturing.com) Greasecycle Inc. has found a new deep-fry devotee in the University of British Columbia (UBC). When the school’s kitchens are busy pumping out French fries and chicken wings to warm bellies this winter, the leftover cooking oil will
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with…Peter Brown, Founder, FFA Fuels and Euromarketingtools.com
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We are focussed on installing more diverse renewable energy solutions from methane digesters to biodiesel processors. Working on the idea of an energy farm where several fuels are made from similar sources and sold into
November 18, 2014 Read Full Article
10 Must-See Hot Slides from ABLC Next 2014 – the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 10 hot companies, 10 hot slides explaining where they are, what they’re up to, and where they are going, and when and how and why. Here are new slides from the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference – ABLC
November 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Set up Biofuel Fund, Government Urged
by Kennedy Mupeseni (Times of Zambia) An energy expert has said Government should establish a low interest-rates biofuel fund to be accessed by Zambians for various operations in biofuel value chains. Biofuel Association of Zambia (BAZ) chairperson Thomson Sinkala said Government
November 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Gevo Finds a Way
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Like Rocky Balboa, no matter how many punches they take, Gevo just won’t fall over. In fact, the company’s prospects have brightened considerably in recent months — is the company “gonna fly now”? How and
November 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Khosla-Backed Biofuel Firm Kior Files Bankruptcy, Plans Sale
by Dawn McCarty and Justin Doom (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) Kior Inc., a maker of biofuels from crops such as switchgrass, wood chips and corn husks, filed for bankruptcy protection with a plan to sell its assets to affiliates of backer
November 11, 2014 Read Full Article
The Inside Story of Renewable Energy Group, as CEO Dan Oh Visits with The Digest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In many ways, REG is the entire industrial biotech business in a nutshell. They’re fermentation (through REG Life Sciences), and thermocatalytic (through REG Geismar and their extensive biodiesel business). They use both sugars and
November 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Enerkem: Alberta’s Municipal Waste to Fuels Juggernaut, in Pictures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How does a technology take municipal solid waste and turn it into liquid fuels and chemicals? What’s the “death of landfill” all about in terms of creating value streams from waste streams? We take you
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Tips for Biofuel Investment In Turbulent Times
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) As a biofuels plant, how do you make sound plant management and investment decisions in an environment of political turmoil? This was the theme of one of the panel discussions during the 2014 National Advanced Biofuels
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Five Things to Know about Biorefinery Investments
by Alicia Moulton (U.S. Department of Energy) ... These cellulosic ethanol plants managed by Abengoa, POET-DSM, and INEOS are three of the fifteen active integrated biorefinery projects under the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office. Also, three new companies were awarded contracts
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…Scott Chabina, Director, Carl Marks Advisory Group
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We have extensive experience in the Advanced Bioeconomy, notably having completed more transactions in the domestic ethanol industry than any other financial advisor in recent history. ... Our current engagements range from assisting a number of conventional,
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
The Strange World of Super-Strong, Super-Light Nanocellulose
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Flexible electric circuits and solar panels? Advanced biofuels? New concretes and steel-like materials? New medical implants and sutures? Drug delivery vehicles? Cosmetics? Lightweight armor? That’s just a sample of the potential apps for nanocellulose and
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Fiberight Still Working toward MSW Plant in Iowa
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite delays, Fiberight’s plans to produce cellulosic ethanol from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Iowa are moving forward. In fact, an equity drive happening now is attracting quite a few interested people and money
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Mayor Finch Holds Groundbreaking at Tri-State Biodiesel, Creating 25 New Green Jobs at Eco-Technology Park
(Tri-State Biodiesel) ... The Tri-State Biodiesel project is part of a significant green investment into the Bridgeport Eco-Industrial Park that supports the creation of new “green collar” jobs. Tri-State Biodiesel expects to create an additional 25 jobs, targeted to residents
October 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Enerkem Announces New Project Partnership in China
(Enerkem/PR NewsWire) Enerkem Inc. (http://www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, today announced it has signed an agreement with Qingdao City Construction Investment Group Co. Ltd. to develop a project partnership to jointly build a municipal solid waste-to-biofuels facility in Qingdao. The
October 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Liquid CO2, or Liquid Gold? Maybe Both, as Aemetis Adds CO2 Liquefaction at Its Keyes, CA Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... To Aemetis, a route to improved margins that will also help the environment. Here’s how. News arrives from Aemetis, via its latest SEC filings, that the company has “entered into an agreement with Denmark-based Union
October 28, 2014 Read Full Article
BlueFire Plays the China Card? Ex-Im Bank of China Issues $270M LOI for Mississippi Biofuels Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, BlueFire Renewables has received a Letter of Intent from The Export Import Bank of China (China EXIM) to provide up to $270 million in debt financing for its 19 million gallon bioenergy project
October 27, 2014 Read Full Article
BlueFire Renewables Receives Unprecedented Export-Import Bank of China Letter of Intent to Provide Debt Financing for a U.S. Bio-Energy Project
(Globe Newswire/BlueFire Renewables) BlueFire's Mississippi Fulton Project Paves the Way for Other U.S./China Renewable Energy Projects BlueFire Renewables, Inc. (OTC:BFRE), a company focused on changing the world's transportation fuel paradigm through the production of renewable fuels, announced that it has received
October 24, 2014 Read Full Article
National Algae Association Encourages US Algae Producers to Label Algae-based Products “Made in the USA”.
(National Algae Association) The National Algae Association is pleased to see commercial algae production taking place in the US, and is encouraging all US-based algae producers to label their algae products made in America “Made in the USA.” Those that qualify should
October 20, 2014 Read Full Article
DuPont, Ethanol Europe Renewables Ink Pact for Cellulosic Ethanol in Macedonia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Macedonian government joins as signatory for MOU. 100 million liter cellulosic refinery could start construction in 2016. ... (N)ews arrives from Skopje, Macedonia that the Republic of Macedonia today joined a MOU to facilitate the development of
October 17, 2014 Read Full Article
GranBio Planing Second Brazil Site for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Vanessa Dezem and Gerson Freitas Jr. (Bloomberg) GranBio Investimentos SA, the Brazilian biotechnology company that opened the southern hemisphere’s first cellulosic ethanol plant last month, is close to announcing a partner for its second facility. The new plant will be comparable
October 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Cool Planet Takes Big Steps toward Scale for Waste-to-Gasoline, Soil Amendment
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) USDA issues $91M loan guarantee conditional commit to Cool Planet. Obama Administration back building of the company’s first commercial plant in Louisiana, as it opens its first commercial-scale Cool Terra operation in California. In California, Cool
October 15, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…John Reilly, Managing Director, WestPark Capital
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We finance alternative energy companies especially in biofuels and chemicals. ... In the next twelve months would like to finance $100 million into alternative energy companies with breakthrough proven technology. ... You must go to a different level
October 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuel Leaders Says EPA Has Treated Industry Unfairly
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) In Minneapolis, industry officials say federal government erred in setting low targets for biofuels delivered at the pump. Leaders of the nation’s biofuels industry on Monday accused the Obama administration of undermining the commercial success
October 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Baker Commodities Acquires New Leaf Biofuel
(Feedstuffs.com) Baker Commodities, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has acquired a controlling interest in San Diego, CA-based New Leaf Biofuel. Baker Commodities, Inc., a leader in the rendering and recycling industry since 1937, has been a long-time supporter
October 10, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…Chris Groobey, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Our energy practice focuses solely on renewable and other advanced forms of energy, including fuels and chemicals. ... We in this industry absolutely must finance and complete a handful of successful projects in the very near
October 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Ex-Cofounder at KIOR Claims Technology not Working
(Global BioBusiness) A former cofounder of biofuel maker KiOR says he tried to warn other board members about problems with KiOR’s technology. The claims come from Mr. Paul O’Connor, who cofounded the company and worked there until June 2012 and
October 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Earth to Cellulosic Ethanol: Glad You’re Here, Buddy, What Took so Long? Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellulosic ethanol arrives at scale — “The five years away forever” put to rest — but are there troubling waters still ahead? For whom, and why? Part I of II There’s a gigantic disconnect between two sections
October 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Algae: Will Bossie Like It?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Most algae strains — though far from all — have protein content in the 40-60% range. Which, at the end of the day, puts any algae farmer into the meal market. There’s too much value
September 30, 2014 Read Full Article
GranBio Starts Cellulosic Ethanol Production at 21 Million Gallon Plant in Alagoas, Brazil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World’s largest-known cellulosic ethanol project to date comes online in Brazil in record time. In Brazil, GranBio has initiated production at the first commercial-scale plant for second-generation ethanol in the Southern Hemisphere. The Bioflex 1, unit
September 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Green Growth: A U.S. Program for Controlling Climate Change and Expanding Job Opportunities
by Robert Pollin, Heidi Garrett-Peltier, James Heintz, and Bracken Hendricks (Center for American Progress) ... This report quantifies the level of investment required for the United States to align emissions reductions with international goals in an economically beneficial and
September 18, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Rules for Becoming an Investment Winner in Industrial Biotech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s hard to make a valuable molecule out of low-value biomass. And even harder to make money out of it. What are the rules of the road, as understood by those who have dared, and
September 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuels in Brazil
by Antonio Maria Bonomi, Paulo Barbosa and Susan van Dyk (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter #37) Brazil was the leader in biofuels production and exports until the USA became the world’s largest biofuel producer in 2006 and the leading exporter of biofuels
September 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Meetings to Examine Biofuel Production
(GSA Business) The S.C. Clean Energy Business Alliance will host two meetings this week as part of a $150,000 federal grant program aimed at linking economic development officials in Colleton and Clarendon counties with industrial biofuel companies. The first meeting will be held Wednesday
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Marion Trash-Sorting Facility Delayed
by Rick Smith (The Gazette) Fiberight opening pushed later into 2015 Maryland-based Fiberight LLC had expected to begin construction in June on a $15 million facility to grab organic material in garbage to convert into ethanol at a corn-ethanol plant it
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Shift to Low-Carbon Systems to Save Future Financial, Environmental Costs: Report
(RIA Novosti) Shifting to a low-carbon economy over the next 15 years could save worldwide financial and environmental costs, a report from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate said on Tuesday. "The next 15 years will be critical, as
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…John M. May, Managing Director, Stern Brothers & Co, Industry Financier
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Innovative finance? We think that’s John May’s middle name; it’s certainly his trademark. Stern Bothers rolled up a tremendous clientele in the Advanced Bioeconomy — primarily on its innovative bond financing approach to first commercial
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Virent to Expand Demo Plant Capabilities to Scale Plant-Based Paraxylene
(Virent) Virent announced today that The Coca-Cola Company is making an additional investment in the company’s development and commercialization of its bio-based paraxylene, BioFormPX™. This investment will enable Virent to scale up separation and purification of BioFormPX™ material at their
September 08, 2014 Read Full Article
POET-DSM’s Project LIBERTY Opens, as Fantasy Becomes Real
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET-DSM’s 20 million gallon cellulosic ethanol plant opens with hoopla, and heartfelt messages about the spirit of innovation, and a time for technology change and policy firmness. “Once, we all lived off the land, sun, wind
September 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Brazil to Provide $843.5 Million for Sugar Cane Research Program
(Bloomberg Businessweek) Brazil’s state-development bank BNDES agreed to provide 1.9 billion reais ($843.5 million) in funding to companies seeking to increase productivity at ethanol and sugar plants. Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social, along with Brazil’s research-financing agency Finep, selected
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…John Kirkwood, Partner, Kreig Devault
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Our team of attorneys in the Alternative Energy Group has a national practice and reputation. We cover every aspect of “project finance,” including project contracts, environmental diligence, intellectual property, tax, tax equity, securities law, and
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Gevo Boosts Revs in Q2, but Losses Widen; Aims for Break-Even at Luverne by Year End
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The increase in revenue during 2014 is primarily a result of the production and sale of ethanol and distiller’s grains of $5.5 million following the transition of the Luverne plant to the side-by-side ethanol-butanol
August 21, 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
Bio Revolution America Uses Crowdfunding
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Crowdfunding is coming to biofuels. On August 3, 2014, Bio Revolution America launched a 45 dayIndiegogo crowdfunding campaign to fund its biofuels projects in Appalachia and within one week is reporting reaching 30 percent of their goal. The company
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
A Biodiesel Family Affair
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The Renwicks of South Carolina, owners of Winnsboro-based Midlands Biofuels, persevere through the biodiesel industry's instability with ingenuity, passion and teamwork. This is their story. What do an emergency room medical doctor, gardening and a community-scale
August 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Geismar Biofuel Plant Getting $15 Million Investment
by Ted Griggs (The Advocate) Renewable Energy Group plans to spend $15 million in the next 12 months on the company’s Geismar facility, which makes diesel from animal fat. “Some of that you’d probably consider just normal startup and ramp-up procedures
August 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Retailer Roundtable: Giving People the Choice of Higher Blends
by Katie Fletcher (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Much discussion of the E10 blend wall was to be found at the 2014 American Coalition of Ethanol conference. The last day of events began with retailers who were able to get over the
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
The Clean Plate Club: The Search for Value from Food Waste Finds a Center of Gravity in Hawaii
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All that food waste, all that potential value. What’s being done about all that material heading from the garbage pail to the landfill? Turns out, the State of Hawaii and BioTork are doing a lot.
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
8 Trends Driving Aviation Biofuels Today
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... SkyNRG is undertaking its first major feedstock project in South Africa, featuring a nicotine-free energy tobacco crop that’s developed by Sunchem under the name of Solaris. Which is an excellent reminder of how much activity
August 07, 2014 Read Full Article
UOP’s Ecofining Tech Linked to Massive Renewable Diesel Project in Ohio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Will the old Buckeye Ethanol site in South Point, Ohio be transformed into an ultra-modern base for renewable diesel and jet fuel blendstocks? That’s the vision for a new project origination team that is talking about
August 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Algae’s Secret Investor Trims the Sails: Reliance Re-Ups Algenol, Algae.Tec, Drops Aurora Algae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Though neither Reliance, Algenol nor Aurora Algae have agreed to go on the record and comment on the state of relations, we can now report that the Digest has learned that, according to sources, Reliance
August 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Jet Fuel or Liquid Natural Gas: Now Available from a Trash Bin near You, Parts I and II
by Tim Sklar (Biofuels Digest) Anyone that has followed the evolution of processes that are used to make fuels out of waste recognizes that the permutations and combinations of processes that can be used has become mind-boggling, as the pathways
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
$5 Million Waste Biomass Processing Plant Planned in Michigan
by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BioCycle plans to make use of agricultural scrap and waste materials and other biomass sources as manufacturing precursors, via a $5 million bioprocessing facility that is currently in final financing stages. According to President and
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Mascoma Confirms Strategy Shift, Outlines Plans for Technology
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Larry Klein and the Sierra Club sued Frontier and the DOE after the DOE issued a finding of “no significant impact” and granted a Frontier funding application which pledged about $100 million, or about
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Why Were This Company’s Computers Attacked Millions of Times This Year? Algae.
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) About 16 months ago, a Florida-based biofuel company called Algenol noticed that its Internet service was slowing down. In checking that out, Jack Voth, Algenol’s information technology chief, stumbled on something odd: a telnet
July 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Gettin’ Yer Benjamins: DOE Finalizes $4B Loan Guarantee Program for Renewables
by Jim Lane and Mark Riedy (Biofuels Digest) This week in Washington, the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office announced the Final RenewableEnergy and Energy Efficiency Projects Solicitation for its up to $4 billion loan guarantee program under Section 1703
July 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Ottawa Biofuel Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Expand Production
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Ottawa Biofuel has launched a $50,000 crowdfunding campaign through IndieGoGo to fund expansion. Specifcally, the company is looking to make the transportation, storage, and processing cleaner and more efficient and improve on-site safety, including
July 03, 2014 Read Full Article
The Greensome Foursome: POET, Novozymes, Abengoa, NexSteppe on the Industry Outlook for 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As several major cellulosic biofuels ventures head for scale in 2014, we look at the companies, the major barriers (as they see them) for further capacity-building, sources for future investment, and a focus on feedstock. In
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Are We There Yet? The Positioning and Repositioning of the Algae Industry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Today, we look at algae’s promise in 2008 and progress now. Has the industry repositioned? ... Then, it was Aurora Biofuels — now it’s Aurora Algae. Them, it was Solix Biofuels, now it is Solix Biosystems. Then,
June 30, 2014 Read Full Article
SkyNRG Nordic, Powered by Statoil Aviation, Announces Bioport Karlstad
(SkyNRG) SkyNRG Nordic, the recently established cooperation between SkyNRG and Statoil Aviation, announces Karlstad as its first BioPort in Sweden. Starting today (June 26, 2014), with the launch of BioPort Karlstad, SkyNRG Nordic will make the first volumes of sustainable jet
June 27, 2014 Read Full Article
Celtic Renewables Raises $2M, Partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Celtic Renewables raises $2M, partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant Celtic Renewables, the Edinburgh-based biofuel company, has signed an agreement with Europe’s foremost biotechnology pilot facility to undergo next stage testing of its process to
June 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Branson: “We’re Killing the World”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Branson at BIO. Branson on bio. And some of Branson’s bio. Sir Richard Branson joined BIO CEO Jim Greenwood on stage at the BIO International Convention for a talk on enterprises, the entrepreneurial spirit, a spirit
June 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Oil Industry Kills California Assembly Bill to Support Biofuel Expansion
by Peter Waldman (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) The oil industry did some intellectual gymnastics last week over California’s low-carbon fuel standard, a 2007 mandate that gasoline refiners reduce the carbon intensity of their transportation fuels 10 percent by 2020. After arguing for
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Developers of the First Cellulosic Plants Share Updates at FEW
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... A week before the FEW, Enerkem Inc. celebrated the inauguration of its 10 MMgy facility in Edmonton, Alberta. Commissioning is nearly completed, reported Tim Cesarek, senior vice president of business development. The thermochemical process
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Funding Availability for Turning Biomass Material into Energy
(US Department of Agriculture) Now Apply for Renewed Biomass Crop Assistance Program. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (June 9, 2014) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications June 16 from energy facilities interested in receiving
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Japanese Cars Soda Drinks Show Future for Abengoa Biofuel
by Rodrigo Orihuela (Bloomberg) Abengoa SA (ABG/P), the Spanish renewable energy company investing in biofuels, is in talks with Japanese car manufacturers and soft-drink makers to help them develop products ranging from bottles to chemicals. “All types of companies -- automotive,
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
ACORE Announces Submission of Comments on DOE's Biofuel Research and Development Pathways
(American Council On Renewable Energy) Today (June 2, 2014), the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) announced that it has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) which sought stakeholder input regarding the biofuel pathways that the DOE's Bioenergy Technologies
June 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Future Uncertain for Ukiah Biodiesel Producer
by Justine Fredericksen (Daily Journal News) Cash-strapped Yokayo Biofuels is for sale ... "The grant was to install an enzymatic process that would increase our capacity by about 75 percent, which would dramatically increase the yield we get, and dramatically change
May 27, 2014 Read Full Article
“But I Won’t Cry for Yesterday”: The Re-Making of the US Ethanol Industry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The migration from first-gen to next-gen biofuels is becoming less ‘Invisible’ — and the new landscape is not, by anyone’s estimation, an ‘Ordinary World’. If Aemetis’ latest earnings hadn’t rocked your world quite enough, here
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy Group Agrees to Acquire Tyson Foods’ Half Ownership of Dynamic Fuels
(Renewable Energy Group) Deal to Result in REG Owning All of 75-Million Gallon Renewable Diesel Biorefinery Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) has reached an agreement with Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) to acquire Tyson’s 50% ownership position in Dynamic Fuels,
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
'Green Bank' Would Fund Private Eco-Energy Projects
by Hamish Rutherford (Stuff Business Day) Increased royalties from oil and gas would be used to create a profit-oriented Green Investment Bank under Green Party proposals. Co-leader Russel Norman has unveiled plans for "an enduring, government-owned, for-profit bank" that would partner
May 15, 2014 Read Full Article
KiOR update: “We do not believe we can restart the Columbus facility on an economically viable basis at this time.”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The following is excerpted from KiOR’s most recent 10-Q quarterly report, as filed with the SEC. “We have substantial doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern. To continue as a going concern, we must
May 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producer Brings Biodiesel to Cambridge
by Cole Epley (Omaha.com) The Michigan-based parent company of a southwestern Nebraska ethanol plant has opened a new travel center in Cambridge, Neb., adding to the state’s short list of retail locations where consumers can purchase biodiesel blends at the pump. ... Anew
May 13, 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
Biofuels and the Debt Offensive: Parts 1, 2 and 3
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Interested in transforming liquid fuels – and wondering “where are the gallons”? The secret lies in re-structuring the financing of alternative fuels. Today, in part I of three: the Situation. A Digest reader this week sent
May 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Obama, Malaysia, Verdezyne, and Business as Unusual in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How a small, development-stage industrial biotech company, making chemicals you never heard of, landed $48M in new investment and a $100M valuation from investors like BP. And how they got so hot that figures like President
April 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Alternative Financing Options Subject of Calif. Workshop
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The California Energy Commission Lead Commissioner on the 2014 Integrated Energy Policy Report Update conducted a workshop aimed at alternative financing options and strategies to support the development and implementation of transportation technologies which
April 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest Posts "Hot Slides" from Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) On ABLC's opening morning, we have some of the top slides -an inside look from Inbicon, Ensyn, GranBio, Sapphire Energy, LanzaTech - hot topics such as product portfolios, refinery integration, policy cliffs, the use of
April 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Clean Energy Victory Bond Push In Congress Would Generate $150 Billion In Financing, 1 Million Jobs
(PR NewsWire) Updating WWII "War Bond" Model to Spark Job Creation, Energy Security, Clean Energy, and Increased Energy Efficiency Clean energy boosters on Capitol Hill are borrowing a page from World War II "war bonds" by introducing today a new bill
April 16, 2014 Read Full Article
A Rivertop Runs Through It: Rivertop Renewables lands $26M as Cargill, First Green Partners climb aboard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Rivertop to accelerate commercialization of novel, sustainable chemicals for consumer products and industrial applications. How does an early-stager get to the next level? Try a hot anchor product, innovative technology, and the right connections. In Montana,
April 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Biobased Investment Triples, to $391M for Q1; Biofuels Digest’s 5-Minute Guide to the Investment Landscape
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest reports that 9 biobased ventures raised $391 million in new capital in Q1 2014, while 8 biobased ventures raised $128.6 million in Q4 2013. This compares to $363.8M million in Q2,
April 03, 2014 Read Full Article
X-Crobes: Kuraray Invests in Amyris, What’s Next for Synth-Bio and Performance Molecules?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In California, Amyris and Kuraray announced the expansion and extension of their ongoing collaboration in high performance polymers using Biofene, Amyris’s brand of renewable farnesene. Amyris and Kuraray launched the collaboration in 2011 with an initial
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Gevolution 2014: Gevo’s Forward Progress, and Some Side-by-Side
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Gevo reports its 4Q results and adds back some ethanol production, we look at the short-term gains and the long-term implications. Why ethanol, why now — what’s the latest news mean from this signature
March 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Solazyme Launches Drilling Fluid Product, Encapso, and Embarks on $150M Debt/Equity Raise
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Solazyme announced its entry into the oil and gas drilling fluids additive market. Building upon its proprietary platform of high performance, sustainable Tailored oils, Solazyme has introduced Encapso, the world’s first encapsulated biodegradable
March 27, 2014 Read Full Article
Council Considers Ethanol Plant Grant
by Caitlin Davis (The Hopewell News) A $250,000 grant to aid the Vireol ethanol plant in Hopewell has reached a roadblock. The grant would help facilitate the opening of the plant, which currently has not begun operations. Vireol, a British company, purchased
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Closed over $7m Debt
by Ray Bande (Manica Post) Production of ethanol at the embattled Greenfuel Chisumbanje plant stopped after Zinwa disconnected water supplies owing to a $7,3 million debt. In a statement on Wednesday, Zinwa public relations manager Ms Majory Munyonga confirmed that her
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Waste Management, Velocys, NRG, Ventech Form Renewables, Natgas-to-Fuels JV
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) First plant go/no-go expected in 2014; target: Oklahoma. Future expansion in North America, UK, China. In Oklahoma, Velocys, Waste Management, NRG Energy, and Ventech Engineers International announced a joint venture to develop gas-to-liquids plants in the
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
As KiOR Stumbles, Aemetis Soars: What Made the Difference?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Both companies produce advanced biofuels for the American domestic market. Both utilize advanced technologies deployed at commercial-scale in the past 24 months. Both are publicly-traded stocks. Both were founded in 2006-07, after the Energy Policy
March 20, 2014 Read Full Article
AIM Interview: Scripps’ Dr. Mark Hildebrand
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) A new report issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) ranked 28 Algae Technology Area projects. Dr. Mark Hildebrand and his team at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego
March 19, 2014 Read Full Article
Growing the Green Bond Market to Finance a Cleaner, Resilient World
(The World Bank) Story Highlights: Green bonds give investors an innovative way of supporting clean energy, mass transit, and other low-carbon projects that can help countries adapt to and mitigate climate change. The World Bank has mobilized over $5.3 billion
March 19, 2014 Read Full Article
KiOR Announces $347M Loss for 2013: “We Have Substantial Doubts about Our Ability to Continue as a Going Concern.”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Delayed 2013 results includes going concern statement. Future Khosla financing contingent on milestones. Default looms as soon as April. Financing after August unclear. In Texas, KiOR announced a $347.5M net loss for 2013, and issued a
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Billionaires With Big Ideas Are Privatizing American Science
by William J. Broad (The New York Times) ... Absent from his (President Barack Obama's) narrative, though, was the back story, one that underscores a profound change taking place in the way science is paid for and practiced in
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Upbeat Update on Waste-to-Energy Plan Is Music to Marion’s Ears
by Rick Smith (The Gazette) Keynote speaker Craig Stuart-Paul, chief executive officer of waste-to-energy company Fiberight, told a luncheon crowd of 315 here on Wednesday that his company will be able to keep 80 percent of what they toss in
March 14, 2014 Read Full Article
PeaceEnergy Launches Crowd-Sourced Fundraising to Fuel Motorbikes with Ethanol in Vietnam
(PeaceEnergy) Mobile Payment Technology for E-85 Fuel KIOSK Vietnam 40 million motorbikes Vietnam's mandate is to reduce Green House Gases for a cleaner Planet. PeaceENERGYs Mobile Payment Fuel KIOSK will use E-85 & E-100 for 40 million motorbikes. PeaceENERGY's Technology can implement
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Petrixo to Invest $800 Million in Fujairah Bio-Fuel Refinery
(Arab News) Dubai-based Petrixo Oil & Gas has decided to invest $800 million in bio-fuel refinery in Fujairah. The company, which has been investing in the green fuels for several years, has plans to be a leader in bio-fuel production
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
State May Issue $50M in Bonds for Biofuel Effort
by Tom Callis (Stephens Media Hawaii/West Hawaii Today) Hawaii could issue up to $50 million in special purpose revenue bonds to support a company’s plans to turn agricultural waste into biofuel and animal feed. Since 2011, the Pacific Basin Agricultural
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
2014 Farm Bill Provides New and Expanded Funding for Section 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program
by Chris Groobey and Taite McDonald (Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati) ... Since the changes surrounding the Section 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program of Title IX (9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program or the program) are the most substantive and have been the most difficult for industry
February 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources: Why Small Is the New Big
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ... Greenbelt’s strategy is working with local communities to convert their waste to biofuels that are then used locally. And for a small community, a “small-scale,” system can range between 500,000 gallons per year (gpy) up to
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Brazil Providing $618 Million for Sugar-Based Ethanol Innovation
by Justin Doom (Bloomberg) BNDES, Brazil’s national development bank, and the state research-financing agency Finep are providing 1.48 billion reais ($618 million) to encourage agricultural innovation in its sugar-based ethanol industry. READ MORE
February 19, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA and US Navy Explain the Ins and Outs of the Farm-to-Fleet Program at Industry Day: Presentations Available
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the US Department of Agriculture headquarters building in Washington, DC, on January 30, representatives of the USDA and Navy provided an overview of the newly announced Farm-to-Fleet program which will provide a format
February 19, 2014 Read Full Article
Open Letter to 60 Minutes and CBS
(Khosla Ventures) To: 60 Minutes and CBS Attn: Lesley Stahl, Jeff Fager, David Rhodes, Leslie Moonves On January 5, 2014, CBS’ 60 Minutes aired a segment titled, “The Cleantech Crash” that grossly misrepresented the state of the sustainable energy industry. At
February 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Green Banks, Green Bonds, Green Principles: 3 New Paths for Renewable Project Financing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Developers: is affordable project finance tough to find? Lenders: want to support green projects, but find that traditional deal structures defeat your best intentions? Help is on the way, via green bond principles and green
February 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Search Is Underway for Site of First Industrial Sugarbeet Plant
by Dale Hildebrant (Minnesota Farm Guide) Tuesday, Jan. 28, marked the beginning of a five-city tour for the steering committee of BeetsAll Biofuel in their search for a site for the first industrial beet plant site. The committee’s first stop was
February 11, 2014 Read Full Article
GranBio’s Alagoas Cellulosic Ethanol Project, in Pictures and Video
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Down in the northeast of Brazil, a signature cellulosic biofuels project nears completion. What does it look like? Here’s our biggest picture set ever. It’s the GranBio first commercial project in 122 pictures and a
January 15, 2014 Read Full Article
The Digest's Bioeconomy Achievement Awards for 2013-14
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beta Renewables, Abengoa, Enerkem, Proterro among the winners for Project of the Year — as residues and waste are keys to the big wins. For Fuel of the Year, Renewable Chemical of the Year, Product
January 03, 2014 Read Full Article
DOE Pulls Funding for Bluefire Mississippi Project over Financing Woes; BFRE to Appeal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The following notice was filed Friday with the SEC by Bluefire Renewables: On December 23, 2013, Bluefire Renewables received notice from the Department of Energy indicating that the DOE would no longer provide funding under
December 30, 2013 Read Full Article
European Investment Bank Provides Loan for Second Generation Ethanol Project
(European Investment Bank/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The European Investment Bank is providing a €65 million loan to support the research and development projects of Biochemtex, an engineering subsidiary of the Mossi and Ghisolfi Group, a world leader in the field of
December 16, 2013 Read Full Article
New Financing Option Within Reach
by Mary Rosenthal (Biomass Magazine/Algae Biomass Organization) Algae Biomass Organization Executive Director Mary Rosenthal discusses what Master Limited Partnerships would mean for the algae and other renewable energy sectors. ... In October, I sat on a roundtable discussion at the launch of
December 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Sarnia Group Sees Ethanol Gold in Corn Stalk
by John Phair (Petroliatopic.com) The ethanol industry has a strong presence in Southwestern Ontario, converting corn into fuel at plants in Chatham and in Sarnia's Chemical Valley. But now a Sarnia-based organization is proposing that the stalk from the corn
December 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Nightmare Scenario: Renewable Fuels’ Defenders Pull out the Stops to Persuade EPA to Continue the War on Imported Oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, the EPA has scheduled a day of testimony on its proposed 2014 Renewable Fuel volume targets — and a proposed 40 percent slash in the advanced biofuels category to 2.2 billion (ethanol equivalent) gallons,
December 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Whatever Happened to Aviation Biofuels? New Report from Australia Rates the Prospects.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Qantas, Shell, AISAF, SkyNRG, Solena and others collaborate on on an illuminating supply chain analysis of sustainable aviation fuels. Which one is technically ready, but feedstock-starved? Which one has affordable feedstock but the technology
December 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Brazil Considers Corn Ethanol as Grain Prices Decline
by Lucia Kassai (Bloomberg) Brazil, the world’s largest producer of ethanol from sugarcane, may start producing the biofuel from corn after a record crop prompted domestic prices to slump below costs, the country’s agriculture policy secretary said. “We’re studying to provide
December 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Petrobras, Embrapa Developing Sugarcane Ethanol Production Tech
(The Daily Fusion) Petrobras, a Brazilian multinational energy corporation, and Embrapa, a state-owned company affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, are developing a new technology for sugarcane ethanol production. The project will generate knowledge for the expansion of sugar
December 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels Manufacturer to Create 65 Jobs in Sampson County, N.C.
(Thrive in North Carolina/North Carolina Governor's Office) Biochemtex will be locating its new cellulosic biofuels production operations in North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced today that Biochemtex will be locating its new cellulosic biofuels
December 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Firm to Build $500 Million Dam
(New Zimbabwe/The Source) THE country’s sole ethanol producer Green Fuel on Wednesday said it plans to start construction of the $300 million Kondo Dam in 2015 after completing financial due diligence. Green Fuel general manager Graeme Smith told The Source that
December 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Brazil Sugar-Mill Shutdowns Seen Enduring After Fuel Subsidy Cut
by Isis Almeida (Bloomberg) Sugar and ethanol mills in Brazil probably will keep shutting even after the government raised prices for gasoline, because it won’t be enough to lift demand for the competing biofuel. About 20 mills are likely to shut in the next two
December 03, 2013 Read Full Article
The Password Is….Bagasse: Raizen, Iogen Get Going on Cellulosic Ethanol at Industrial Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In Brazil, Raizen has started construction on a 10 million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol plant using Iogen Energy technology. The $100 million project, located adjacent to Raízen’s Costa Pinto sugar cane mill in Piracicaba,
December 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Tap into Sugar Cane, Sorghum for Fuel-Grade Ethanol
by James Palen (The Daily Transcript/San Diego Source) ... Brawley-based California Ethanol + Power is bringing the matter closer to home. The company has yet to build its first facility, but by possibly the first quarter of 2014, it looks to break ground on
November 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Why Have Expectations for Sweet Sorghum Soured?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Ceres points towards minimal plantings of its sweet sorghum hybrids in its key market of Brazil for next year, investors ask two questions. Will sweet sorghum realize its vast potential, and when? Just when many
November 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Finland Corporate Cleantech Venture Day: Panel Discussions, Pitches and Speed Dating
by Aino Siirala* (Advanced Biofuels USA) It is natural that a cleantech company requires capital and time to reach markets. A speaker at the 20th November 2013 Corporate Cleantech Venture Day in Lahti, Finland, compared cleantech start ups to IT
November 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Financing Bioenergy, and Making Better Investment Decisions – via Renewable Proved Reserves
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In November 2011, the Digest ran a story on a remarkable proposition — advanced by Richard Hamilton, CEO of Ceres — that biofuels companies – on the “level playing field” theory advanced by opponents of
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Obama Messes with the RFS
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA released its 2014 proposed standards and volumes for renewable fuels. The volumes, as widely expected, include substantial reductions from the statutory standards in the original Energy Independence & Security Act. The announced proposed volumes
November 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels, True North, Natural Gas, and Primus Green Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Primus Green Energy recently completed a landmark technology demonstration — and heads off to scale with a catalytic technology for making $2.00 gasoline. But, in shifting to natural gas as a feedstock for the first
November 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Peyton Pace: As a Soap Opera Bubbles over KiOR’s Speed-to-Profits, Revenues and Production Triple
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Slow pace, low yields have depressed KiOR’s share prices, but tripled production and revenue has recently delighted the markets. What’s up with the cellulosic biofuels leader? Good news, bad news? ... You have one of the first
November 13, 2013 Read Full Article
The Four Horsemen of the Financials: Gevo, Solazyme, Amyris Report for Q3
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In years gone by, it was not too hard to write up a summary of Gevo, Solazyme and Amyris — all aimed at fuels, all in the development stage, all used synthetic biology in closed
November 07, 2013 Read Full Article
10 Time Machines for Making Biofuels and Chemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The new technologies that come along have to provide pressure, temperature and feedstock at their own cost. So it’s the cost of those three elements, competing against the cost of locating, drilling and pumping. In