by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To date, North America is the most active of all regions in terms of deploying advanced technology — whether it is cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol for fuels and chemicals, or renewable chemical plants, you see the first
Fischer-Tropsch/FT
Back TO HOMEVelocys: Envia Seeks EPA Approval to Generate D7 RINs
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Velocys plc has announced that Envia Energy, the joint venture plant that utilizes its technology, has applied for a fuel pathway approval under the Renewable Fuel Standard to produce D7 cellulosic diesel renewable identification numbers (RINs). According
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
The Story of Red Rock Biofuels and the Bond Market Breakthroughs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the world of drop-in military biofuels, two major updates appeared this week. In Oregon, Red Rock Biofuels got good news on Monday when the governor approved $245 million in bonds that will allow the company’s planned
January 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Affordable, Low-Capex GTL Is Here: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is at commercial-scale. The
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 10 Asia Bioeconomy Trends
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With apologies to every other region around the world. we continue to see Asia as the epicenter of the biobased revolution over the next 20 years. The reasons are three and relatively straightforward: 1. Continued and robust
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Perspectives on Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa
by Susan van Dyk, Emile van Zyl, Brett Pletschke (International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39) This short contribution provides some perspectives on opportunities for biofuel production on the African continent. Africa has a large land base, with only 27% of its arable
December 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuel Market Foraying Into Emerging Economies 2017-2027
(SB Wire) Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the “Aviation Biofuel Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012 – 2016 and Opportunity Assessment; 2017 – 2027" report to their offering. 'Green Development' is the first priority for large scale industries around the
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
E4Tech Report Shows Opportunity for Advanced Biofuels in UK but Policy Framework Needed
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, the Department for Transport published a new report commissioned from E4Tech showing that advanced biofuels can play a key role in decarbonizing transportation by 2030. Gasification combined with Fischer Tropsch are seen as the rising
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Modular Fuel Technology to Boost Bio-Share of Oil Refineries
(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Biomass Magazine) EU-funded project COMSYN aims to develop a production concept for competitive biobased fuels by means of a compact gasification and synthesis process. The target reduction of the biofuel production cost is up to
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Life-Cycle Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Renewable Jet Fuel Production
by Sierk de Jong, Kay Antonissen, Ric Hoefnagels, Laura Lonza, Michael Wang, André Faaij and Martin Junginger (Biotechnology for Biofuels) The introduction of renewable jet fuel (RJF) is considered an important emission mitigation measure for the aviation industry. This study compares
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Heat Death: Joule Unlimited Collapses as Oil Prices Flag, Time Passes, Pressure Mounts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of the more striking outcomes from the DOE Bioeconomy 2017 conference in Washington DC was confirmation of the demise of Joule Unlimited. “We had a lot of prospects last year,” former CEO Brian Baynes
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Velocys Pivots from “FT Tech Co” to “Renewable Fuels Company”, Eyes California
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, Velocys CEO David Pummell said that “Our new strategy is for Velocys to be at the heart of building plants that convert woody biomass to high specification renewable diesel and jet fuel
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Jet and Diesel from the Sticks: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Red Rock Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In late 2015, we reported Red Rock Biofuels will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year (at that time, from 2017 through 2024) for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, in
June 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Don’t Spill That Ethanol! Those Cellulosic Fuels Are Worth $4.33 a Gallon.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The value of cellulosic fuels has reached $4.33 per gallon in the California market. That’s real-world, today, including the energy and the low-carbon attributes, and not based on speculation. The value has risen 59 cents,
June 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuels from Thin Air: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Soletair Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Soletair process, developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology, is using carbon dioxide and solar power to produce renewable fuels and chemicals and has reached an end-to-end small
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuels from Thin Air: Drop-In Liquid Fuels from Sky CO2, Water and Solar Power
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the latest news, the Soletair process, developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology, is using carbon dioxide and solar power to produce renewable fuels and chemicals and has
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Roll-Out of Smaller-Scale GTL: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Hope Glimmers in the Garbage for Advanced Biofuels
by John Fialka (E&E News/Climatewire) In May 2016, investigators from the Government Accountability Office assembled a panel of 19 experts in Washington to explore what had happened to a program to develop a commercial market for advanced biofuels. It had been
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
From Off-Take to Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the US Renewable Jet Fuels Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Waste to Fuels Viability: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys Economics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Austria – Biofuels Technology, Research and Development
by Dina Bacovsky, Andrea Sonnleitner (Task39 Newsletter) ... Domestic FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) production in 2014 was 292,009 tonnes based on rapeseed (72%), used cooking oil (19%), animal fat (8%) and fatty acids (1%). The feedstock was sourced mainly from the
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Scientists Find Way to Turn Waste Gas into Biofuel
by Brooks Hays (UPI) Chemical engineer Jae Sung Lee said the research will offer a "new opportunity for recycling CO2 into valuable fuels and chemicals." -- Researchers have developed a new way to turn captured CO2 into liquid biofuel capable
November 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo, Lufthansa Rock Markets with Renewable Jet Fuel Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Gevo has entered into a heads of agreement with Lufthansa to supply Gevo’s alcohol-to-jet fuel from its first commercial hydrocarbon facility, intended to be built in Luverne, MN. The terms of the agreement
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as a Biofuel Feedstock
(Environmental Research and Education Foundation) Using a first-of-its-kind Life-Cycle Assessment model of biofuel production using MSW, this report includes an assessment of the environmental impacts associated with MSW conversion via landfill gas-to-energy, waste-to-energy, and gasification/Fischer-Tropsch. How current infrastructure could be used
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Alternative Fuels for Marine and Inland Waterways Transport
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) A recent JRC (Joint Research Center) report finds that fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol are the most promising alternatives to drive decarbonisation of the shipping sector and ultimately contribute to the fight against climate change.
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol, What Happened, What’s Happening?
by Irshad Ahmed (Lee Enterprises) ... I believe cellulosic ethanol is here to stay for the long haul and it is finally exhibiting real potential to establish a critical-mass commercial base alongside the corn-ethanol industry. Its commercial success will come from the
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Will the Gas Bubble Burst? More Projects Struggle for GTL Finance
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Remember how natural gas was the no-brainer of all time. Gas-to-Liquids was the rage, and a gold rush of companies popped up such as Siluria Technologies, Calysta, and Mango Materials. Fuels, chems, materials and more.
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Proves Viable for Construction Trucks and Equipment
(Gas & Electricity) By now, most are familiar with biodiesel. It is a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based diesel fuels when used in the correct applications. ... However, there are limitations when compared to petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel typically
June 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Where Did Biofuels Technologies Come from?
by Gerald Kutney (Lee Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... From the time of the caveman until the early Industrial Revolution, biofuels – namely wood and the advanced biofuel of the day, charcoal – reigned supreme. Both fossil fuels and biofuels originate from biomass. The
June 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Commercial Aircraft Propulsion and Energy Systems Research: Reducing Global Carbon Emissions (2016)
by Committee on Propulsion and Energy Systems to Reduce Commercial Aviation Carbon Emissions; Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies Press) The primary human activities that release carbon
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
New Alternative Jet Fuel Approved
(Federal Aviation Administration) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has played an integral role in development, testing and recent approval of a new alternative, environmentally-friendly, bio-based jet fuel, bringing the total number of these approved products for use in air travel
April 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Boom-boom: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Diesel’s Growth and Horizons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the boom on in Renewable diesel. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from the upcoming Drop
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Tyton BioEnergy Systems Announces Technology Breakthrough, New Method for Turning Plant Oils into Jet Fuel
(Tyton/Digital Journal) Tyton BioEnergy Systems announced today a major technological advancement in the production of sustainable jet fuel. Tyton filed a patent application for a new method and system of converting oil extracted from plant biomass or seeds directly into
March 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel or Biofraud? The Vast Taxpayer Cost of Failed Cellulosic and Algal Biofuels
by Almuth Ernsting (Independent Science News) ... The disastrous experience with Fischer-Tropsch biofuels is just one part of a much larger failure of cellulosic and algal biofuels, on which billions of dollars of public subsidies have been spent. ... Those are just the largest
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
The Usual Suspects in Renewable Jet Fuels
by KSL (Lee Enterprises/Renewable Energy World) As renewables are moving from niche to mainstream, the industry is facing a paradigm shift in cost, quality, complexity, and scale — creating opportunities to develop new and different technologies and operating models. Achieving
February 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Strong 2015 Places Joule as a Global Leader in Scalable Ultra-Low Carbon Fuel Technologies
(Joule/BusinessWire) Major milestones include acquisition of Red Rock Biofuels, expanded partner relationships, continued strong technology development backed by strong financing partners -- Joule, the pioneer of drop-in liquid fuels from recycled CO2, announced today that it has gained significant traction in
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Lux Research Highlights Top 10 Innovative Companies From 2015
by Michael Holman (Lux Research) In 2015, Lux Research analysts profiled 1,189 companies across 20 different emerging technologies. As the year end approaches, we polled the analyst team to select the top 10 companies we covered in 2015 that are
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Joule and Red Rock Biofuels Announce Intent to Merge, Creating an Industry-Leading Carbon-Neutral Fuel Production Platform
(Joule/Red Rock Biofuels/BusinessWire) Joule, the pioneer of liquid fuels from recycled CO2, and Red Rock Biofuels, a leading developer of renewable jet and diesel fuel bio-refineries, today announced their intent to merge. Red Rock adds a proven technology pathway to
November 12, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Still Have to Solve Economic Conundrum
by Thierry Dubois (AIN Online) Biofuels for aviation are still facing multiple challenges, the greatest being finding ways to make production economical, according to a report jointly released in September by the French Académie des Technologies and Académie de l’Air
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Turn Your Halloween Pumpkins Into Power
(U.S. Department of Energy) ... The Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is working together with industry to develop and test integrated biorefineries—facilities capable of efficiently converting plant and waste material into affordable biofuels, biopower and other products. These projects are located around the country
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
A Secret Password for Advanced Biofuels at Scale? Forget “Open Sesame”, Try “Velocys Inside”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four new technologies approach scaled operations, all with one element in common – Velocys technology on the back-end. Why Velocys, why now? The Digest investigates. In Oklahoma, Southeast Oregon, Eastern Ohio, and a site near London
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Waste Makes Haste: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Fulcrum BioEnergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fulcrum BioEnergy has developed a “game-changing process for converting municipal solid waste that would otherwise be landfilled, into renewable transportation fuels including syncrude, jet fuel and diesel”. The company has successfully proven and demonstrated this
September 08, 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
GAO Report Addresses DOD Alternative Fuels Investments
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) In late July, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report focused on U.S. Department of Defense investments in alternative fuels. The report notes that while the DOE has purchased small quantities of alternative fuels
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Red Rock Reaches Agreement with FedEx Express to Provide Biofuels for Renewable, Low-Carbon Jet Fuel
(Red Rock Biofuels LLC) Red Rock Biofuels LLC, a pioneer in renewable biofuels, announced today that it will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX). The
July 21, 2015 Read Full Article
BioPower Operations Corporation's Subsidiary Green3Power Wins Award to Build a $175 Million Renewable Energy Facility in St. Lucie County, Florida Using the G3P Gasification Technology
(BioPower Operations Corporation) BioPower Operations Corporation (OTCQB: BOPO) ("BioPower" or the "Company") announced today (June 30, 2015) that its wholly-owned subsidiary Green3Power Operations Inc. (G3P) has won the award to build a $175 Million renewable energy facility which will convert
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
G3P to Develop Waste-to-Diesel Plant in Florida
(BioPower Operations Corp./Biomass Magazine) BioPower Operations Corp. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Green3Power Operations Inc. (G3P) has won an award to build a $175 million renewable energy facility that will convert waste into ultra-low sulfur synthetic green No.
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
United Airlines Purchases Stake in Fulcrum BioEnergy with $30 Million Investment
(United Airlines/PR Newswire) Airline has opportunity to purchase at least 90 million gallons of sustainable aviation biofuel a year -- Single largest investment by a U.S. airline in alternative fuels United Airlines today announced an historic $30 million equity investment in U.S.-based
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy and Biofuels Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass via Anaerobic Digestion and Fisher-Tropsch Reaction
(US Department of Agriculture/Ohio State University) The long term goal of this project is to commercialize an integrated anaerobic digestion system (iADs) that promises cost competitive bioenergy and biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass. The specific objectives of this proposal are
June 17, 2015 Read Full Article
18 Pilot and Demonstration DOE Bioenergy Projects, Reviewed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s the latest with such projects such as Frontline BioEnergy, Myriant, POET-DSM, INEOS Bio, Sapphire Energy, Abengoa, Haldor Topsoe, UOP. ZeaChem, Mercurius, and American Process, among others? In Washington this June 25th, the Department of Energy
May 18, 2015 Read Full Article
15 Hot and Novel Low Carbon Fuel Technologies to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) An effort is underway in the UK to classify, within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, “novel low carbon fuels” made by companies such as LanzaTech, Joule, Solar Jet, Velocys, Sunfire, Pyreco and others. -- In the
April 28, 2015 Read Full Article
US Navy’s 2015-2016 Solicitation for Biofuel Blends Now Posted
(Green Car Congress) The US Defense Logistics Agency-Energy (DLA-Energy) has posted the Rocky Mountain/West Coast/Offshore (RMW) solicitation (SPE600-15-R-0711) on behalf of the US Navy for fuel deliveries from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016. Vendors can submit bids with
April 13, 2015 Read Full Article
BioTfuel: A Project to Produce Biofuels via Thermochemical Conversion
(Total) The BioTfueL project focuses on producing second-generation biodiesel and bio-jet fuel via thermochemical conversion. Total is working with five partners to bring the process to commercial-scale production. In the BioTfueL project, Total is working with five partners to develop technologies for
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Confronting and Solving “Chicken or Egg” Conundrums in Renewable Project Development
by Tim Sklar (Biofuels Digest) Looking to turn vicious project financing cycles into virtuous cycles? This case study in developing a small-scale Bio-LNG plant offers cautionary tales and a way forward. In July 2014, Biofuels Digest had published an article titled
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Investment from Flagship Ventures Brings Red Rock Biofuels Closer to Construction of its First Commercial Biofuel Refinery
(Red Rock Biofuels) Red Rock Biofuels LLC, a pioneer in renewable biofuels, today unveiled a strategic partnership with Flagship Ventures that sets the stage for the construction of its first commercial scale refinery in Lakeview, OR. As part of this partnership,
March 17, 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
Will Low Oil Prices Be the Downfall of Cellulosic Biofuels?
by Wally Tyner (The Conversation/Purdue University) ... One challenge to commercializing biofuel made from non-food sources — called cellulosic biofuels — has been cost. Unlike ethanol made from corn, cellulosic biofuels are made from the inedible parts of plants or organic materials,
February 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Eight under $70: Which Biofuels Ventures Can Beat out Cheap Oil?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oil prices continue to show incredible volatility. $106 in June, $50 today. Which biofuels ventures have the pro-formas to make money in a tough market? The Digest investigates. ... Avello Bioenergy Cost: $57.50 per barrel (gasoline, diesel) Stage: Preparing for
January 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Airbus Signs MOU with Emerging Fuels Technology
(Airbus/Biomass Magazine) Airbus Group Inc. continues its commitment to promote innovation and advance environmentally-friendly aviation initiatives by supporting development of sustainable fuels with the potential of reducing lifecycle carbon emissions. Airbus Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with…Tim Sklar, President, Sklar & Associates
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Sklar & Associates is a South Carolina based consulting firm now specializing in Biofuels project development. ... S&A is actively engaged in development of a biorefinery converting 360,000 dry tons per year (~1,000 dTPD) of Refuse
December 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Animal Fat in Airplanes: Could Biofuels Help Airlines’ Bottom Lines?
by Benét J. Wilson (BusinessJournalism.org) Right now, oil prices are down, but nobody expects them to stay there. That is why Airlines for America, the trade organization for the largest U.S. carriers, says its members are working to develop environmentally
November 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Beginning in 2016, Southwest Airlines Will Use Biofuels
(Dallas Morning News) Southwest Airlines announced Wednesday that it plans to buy some biofuels made from waste wood for use in its San Francisco Bay airports beginning in two years. To use Southwest’s phrasing, it is purchasing “low-carbon renewable jet fuel,
September 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Fulcrum BioEnergy and Cathay Pacific Announce Strategic Investment
(Fulcrum BioEnergy/PRNewswire) -- Cathay Pacific Airways announced today that it is the first airline investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. ("Fulcrum"), a US-based sustainable biofuel developer, as part of the airline's biofuel strategy and to help it achieve a target of
August 07, 2014 Read Full Article
GTL Joint Venture
(Velocys plc) Velocys plc (VLS.L), the technology innovator for smaller scale gas-to-liquids (GTL), is pleased to announce that it has entered a joint venture (JV) with Waste Management, NRG Energy (NRG), and Ventech Engineers International (Ventech) to develop gas-to-liquids (GTL)
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
Advanced Drop-In Biofuels for Commercial Aviation, Marine Shipping, and Military Applications: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts
(Navigant Research) Viewed as a game changer in the race to commercialize advanced biofuels, aviation and marine biofuels represent a very significant opportunity for emerging producers in the advanced biofuels industry. Demand for advanced biofuels produced from sustainable, non-food feedstocks
July 18, 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
US Navy Approves Biofuels MILSPECS, Opens Pacific Fuel Buy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Washington, the Navy’s Director of Operational Energy, Chris Tindal, advises the Digest: “As of two weeks ago, the Navy has fully approved MILSPECs for JP-5, JP-8, and F-76 for the F-T and HEFA pathways. As
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
GreenSky Project Prepares to Land in Thurrock
(Solena Fuels) Solena Fuels in partnership with British Airways has committed to building the world’s first facility to convert landfill waste into jet fuel. This comes just two weeks before the global aviation community joins forces to discuss ways to
April 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Making Silk Purses from Sows Ears: Converting Waste Into Energy and Biofuels, Pt 1 and 2
by Tim Sklar (Biofuels Digest) Part 1 ... It seems that many of the companies providing new biofuels technologies do not fully understanding the competitive environment that they must navigate. As a consequence they fail to develop strategies that will allow
March 27, 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
The Hydrogen Spring
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reminiscent of 2009′s Summer of Algae, when those technologies were coming out of the woodwork, we appear to be in the Hydrogen Spring. Every time we write about them, more pop up, like a Prairie
March 14, 2014 Read Full Article
The Hunt for Hydrogen and Hydro-Riches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “You will never have enough affordable hydrogen.” Perhaps that is the attractor in the news from little-known Solarvest Bioenergy, when they announced third party confirmation of their bio-hydrogen expression system following the successful completion of a six
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
KiOR Provides Operational Update on Columbus Facility
(MarketWatch/KiOR) KiOR, Inc., provided today (December 23, 2013) an update on the operations at its Columbus, Mississippi, facility. KiOR expects that, given current and anticipated operations through the remainder of the year, the Columbus facility will produce approximately 410,000 gallons of
December 26, 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
Chennai Garbage Can Generate 12 Crore Litre of Aviation Fuel
by C Shivakumar (New India Express) The 5,000 tonnes of garbage generated in the city per day has the potential to be converted to 12 crore litre of aviation fuel and 4.5 crore litre of diesel per year. An expert told
November 06, 2013 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Awards $34M in R&D for Advanced Liquid Fuels from Methane
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced that 15 breakthrough energy projects will receive approximately $34 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) via the REMOTE program (Reducing Emissions using Methanotrophic Organisms for
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Waste Gasification to Biofuel Project to Mine Landfill in Maryland
by Ben Messenger (Waste Management World) Washington County, Maryland is pursuing a project that will develop a refused derived fuel (RDF) facility to process municipal solid waste, followed by a waste gasification facility that will produce biofuels. Mining previously landfilled
August 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Beyond Ethanol: Drop-In Biofuels Squeeze Gasoline From Plants
by Patrick J. Kiger and Marianne Lavelle (National Geographic) ... KiOR's breakthrough is one part of a wide-ranging effort by a number of companies and government-supported researchers to develop and perfect "drop-in" biofuels—fuels so similar to their petroleum-based counterparts that they
July 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Turning Forest Residues to Biofuel
by Thomas Anderson (TG Daily) According to the new research results of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, lignocellulosic biomass can be used in the production of high-quality biofuels for the price of less than one euro per litre. A new technology
July 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Technip Awarded FEED Contract for a New Biomass-to-Liquid Plant in Finland
Technip was awarded by Forest BtL Oy a contract, worth approximately €5 million, for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a new second generation biomass-to-liquid* (BTL) plant to be built on Ajos island, Finland. This plant will produce approximately
June 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Comparison between Different Types of Renewable Diesel
by StellavBezergianni and AthanasiosvDimitriadis (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews/Science Direct) Renewable fuels, as an alternative fuel, can be produced from different biomass types such as vegetable oils of various origins, waste cooking oils and fats. The most common biofuel is
May 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Cobalt, Mercurius, BioProcess Algae, Frontline Land $17.7M in Military Biofuels Grants
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pilot-scale biorefineries for drop-in military diesel, jet fuel the focus of the DOE’s latest grant round. In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $17.7 million in grants to four pilot-scale biorefinery projects aimed
April 23, 2013 Read Full Article
The Hydrogen Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A numbers of readers responding to “Biofuels from a raging fireball” (Friday’s Top Story, on research work with the raging fireball, Pyrococchus furiosus, to make biofuels and renewable chemicals from hydrogen gas and CO2) raised
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Biorefinery 2015 – The Shape of Advanced Biofuels to Come – Part II
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost. ... A barrier to long term deployment? The $11 per gallon average capital
March 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels in the US: How Much and How Soon? 2014′s Terrific Ten
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although no commercial-scale cellulosic biofuels facilities are operating in the United States at present, at least ten projects exceeding 20 million gallons per year are expected to begin operations by 2014. Tristan R. Brown and Robert
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Thermochemical Conversion of Duckweed Biomass to Gasoline, Diesel, and Jet Fuel: Process Synthesis and Global Optimization
by Richard C. Baliban, Josephine A. Elia, Christodoulos A. Floudas, Xin Xiao, Zhijian Zhang , Jie Li , Hongbin Cao, Jiong Ma §, Yong Qiao, and Xuteng Hu (Industrial Engineering and Chemistry Research) Duckweed biomass is gasified in a thermochemical-based superstructure
March 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Rentech to Close Colorado Demo Unit, Drop Advanced Biofuels R&D Activities
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Rentech announced plans to cease operations at, reduce staffing at, and mothball its research and development Product Demonstration Unit, in Commerce City, CO, and to eliminate all related R&D activities. As a result of
March 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Biowaste: Driving Fuels
by Mona-Maria Brinker & Roger Coombs (Waste Management World) Rising prices, continued conflict in producing regions and the spectre of peak oil have highlighted uncertainties about the future of fossil transport fuels in Europe. Mona-Maria Brinker and Roger Coombs examine how
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: Are you Getting on Board?: Sustainable Aviation Biofuels Unified, Focused Transport Leaders Ready for Takeoff!
by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA) Richard L. Altman, Executive director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), gave a presentation to DOE Biomass 2012. CAAFI is a coalition of airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, energy producers, researchers, international participants
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
British Airways’ Jet Biofuel Plant Will Open in 2015
by Leon Kaye (TriplePundit) ...British Airways (BA) announced that it has found a site for a bio-refinery that will generate up to 50,000 tons of jet fuel annually. In a partnership with the American aviation biofuel company Solena Fuels, BA will
December 09, 2012 Read Full Article
British Airways Pledges 10-Year Offtake Agreement as GreenSky Project with Solena Gathers Momentum
(GreenAirOnline) The British Airways and Solena GreenSky London project to build a sustainable jet biofuel facility in East London is gaining momentum, say the two partners. They won’t reveal the location but an exclusive option on a site for the
November 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Little Big Tech: Can Fischer-Tropsch Technology Work at Smaller Scale?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) While companies pursue alternatives to Fischer-Tropsch technologies, Velocys is seeking to make F-T work economically with micro-reactors. In last week’s Digest, Robert Rapier aptly stated the challenge in front of XTL technologies – companies whose primary focus is
November 20, 2012 Read Full Article
The Lowdown on Making Jet Fuel and Diesel from Biomass
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest/Consumer Energy Report) Distillates are petroleum products that includes diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil. Renewable distillates may be categorized as substitutes or drop-in replacements. The most common distillate substitute is biodiesel, and drop-in replacements can
August 31, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Production Technologies: Overview of These Expanding Sectors and the Challenges Facing Them
(IFP Energies Nouvelles) The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now starting to bear fruit. Although no plants are producing and marketing biofuels yet, the large-scale, industrial feasibility of second-generation biofuel production at
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
How Waste Management Treats Waste as Resource
by Tilde Herrera (GreenBiz.com) ...That's because for Waste Management, garbage isn't just garbage anymore. "You can begin to extrapolate some pretty interesting business models when you think of waste as a resource," said Tim Cesarek, managing director of Waste Management's Organic
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Nuke It, Baby: Plasma2Energy’s Microwaves Aim for Super Low-Cost Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A lesser-known pilot project in Mexico says it can produce biofuels at parity with $33 oil. Can this ultra-low cost project replicate its results at scale. Where is it deploying, and when? ...With gasification technologies, the
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Phase Shift: 12 Hot Gas-Based Biofuels Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a new generation of technologies is coming along fast, primarily in advanced biofuels, which is gasifying biomass at the front end along its path towards making fuels, chemicals or other biomaterials – or in
August 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Optimized Catalyst for Biomass Gasification for Production of Synthetic Fuels
(Green Car Congress) A team from the Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy and Gas Hydrate, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences reports on a pilot-scale biomass-gasification-reforming system with optimized catalyst to produce synthesis gas for liquid fuel
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
No Direct Military Benefit from Use of Alternative Fuels by Armed Forces
(RAND Corporation) If the U.S. military increases its use of alternative fuels, there will be no direct benefit to the nation's armed forces, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Any benefits from investment in alternative fuels by the U.S. Department of
January 25, 2011 Read Full Article
The New Economics of Next-Gen Gasification: ClearFuels Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(S)team reformation, a process by which gasified biomass is converted into a useful balance of hydrogen and carbon monoxide ... itself has struggled with high costs associated with the high temperatures at which the system operates.
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Developers Get a Taste for Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...a lot of strong commentary from the readership on the potential for Fischer-Tropsch technologies. And brought out some very strong feelings about waste. On F-T, one reader wrote: “Expansion of FT? Hardly. Its the narrowing of
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Biorefinery Town of Tomorrow
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) The work of ThermoChem Recovery International has already changed the future for one small Wisconsin community. A small town in the woods of Wisconsin, fresh off the bankruptcy and closing of its century-old paper mill, might
September 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Hydrocarbon Fuels: The Thermochemical Biorefinery
by Dan Burciaga (President & CEO, TRI) Burciaga discusses TRI's proprietary steam reforming gasification system, and its applicability to the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and renewable power. TRI's biorefineries are feedstock-flexible, controlled to maximize thermal efficiency, scalable, and potentially self-powered. The
July 07, 2010 Read Full Article
Southern Research Institute Signs an Agreement with HCL CleanTech to Help Develop a New Biofuel Production Process in Durham, North Carolina
HCL CleanTech, a US-Israeli biofuels technology development company, has selected Southern Research Institute in North Carolina as the hosting site and operator of its first pilot plant to produce low cost fermentable sugars, high-quality lignin and tall oils from North
April 06, 2010 Read Full Article
Commercial Jet Biofuel: Sooner Than We Think? Who Will Win the Race between Fischer-Tropsch and Hydroprocessed Aviation Fuels?
by Joshua Kagan (GreenTechMedia) This week's announcement that the Air Force successfully tested a A-10C Thunderbolt "Warthog" plane on a 50:50 blend of petroleum jet fuel and camelina-based biofuel has brought the two disparate ways of producing aviation biofuels into
April 06, 2010 Read Full Article
British Airways Signs Deal to Make Biofuel for Aircraft
by Gerard Wynn (Reuters) British Airways will start sourcing a small portion of its jet fuel from municipal waste from 2014, under a deal with U.S.-based biofuel company Solena Group, the two companies announced on Monday. British Airways, one of the
February 17, 2010 Read Full Article
New Low Carbon Synthetic Fuels Association (LCSFA) Forms; Urges EPA to Promote the Cleanest Renewable Fuels Compatible with Existing Fuels Infrastructure
Advanced biofuel producers announced the formation of the Low Carbon Synthetic Fuels Association (LCSFA), with members including TRI, Rentech Inc., Velocys, CHOREN, Flambeau River Biofuels/Johnson Timber, AP Fuels and World GTL. The LCSFA was formed to address existing legislative and
October 06, 2009 Read Full Article
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