by Pharoah Le Feuvre (International Energy Agency) Transport biofuel production expanded 7% year-on-year in 2018, and 3% annual production growth is expected over the next five years. This falls short of the sustained 10% output growth per year needed until
life cycle analysis (LCA)
Back TO HOMEFossil Fuels Offer a Poor Return on Energy Investment
(University of Leeds) An evaluation of the global energy return on investment for fossil fuels and renewable sources reveals a much more level playing field than previously believed. An enduring argument for the ongoing use of fossil fuels is their high
August 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Improves Air Quality: Nations around the Globe Need to Follow Brazil, U.S.'s Lead in Ethanol Adoption to Lower GHG Emissions.
by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) We celebrated World Environment Day on June 5 and, although the date has passed, I believe the theme of this year’s event, air pollution, still deserves our attention. What are we doing locally, nationally or
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Letter: Protect Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lykam (Quad City Times) I respectfully disagree with Kerry Etringer’s July 18 letter in which he described homegrown ethanol as a "sop" to farmers rather than a "good renewable source of energy." The truth is that Iowa farmers deserve credit
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Opportunities and Risks for Continued Biofuel Expansion in Brazil
by Nikita Pavlenko and Carmen Araujo (International Council on Clean Transportation) Brazil’s advanced biofuel industry lags far behind the production capacity of its first-generation biofuel industry. Brazil’s reliance on crop-derived biofuel feedstocks, in conjunction with its vulnerable forests and savannah, presents
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
American Coalition for Ethanol : ACE Calls on EPA to Rely on the GREET Model as It Considers Future RFS Volumes
(American Coalitin for Ethanol/Market Screener) American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings highlighted the important role corn ethanol could have in further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if properly valued under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a letter to Environmental Protection
July 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Hydrogen: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to SBI BioEnergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today’s top story talks about the value of hydrogen so what better Multi-Slide Guide than SBI BioEnergy and their renewable fuel process including their new venture of what they call bio-hydrogen using a proprietary catalytic technology.
July 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Carbon-Negative Fuels Come Clearer, Closer with Oberon’s Leap to Demo Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California comes news that Oberon Fuels has been officially awarded a grant for $2,876,139 from the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a first-of-its-kind, multi-phase project to produce the first renewable dimethyl ether (rDME), with what
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
How Low Can You Go with Carbon?: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis is an international renewable fuels and biochemicals company using patented industrial biotechnology for the construction and operation of advanced biorefineries. They own and operate a 60+ million gallon ethanol plant in California, a 50 million gallon
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Europe Faces Another Lost Decade in Decarbonising Transport
by Zoltán Szabó (Ethanol Europe/Climate Home News) An essential conversation is missing around sustainable biofuels as part of the decarbonisation solution -- ... Recent research carried out by Ecofys/Navigant has shown that electrification and European sourced biofuels are the only feasible technologies available
June 28, 2019 Read Full Article
FutureMetrics Criticizes Treatment of Biomass in EPA’s ACE Rule
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) ... The EPA released the final rule for its ACE program June 19. The program replaces the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and establishes emissions guidelines for states to use when developing plans to limit carbon dioxide at coal-fired
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Senators Urge EPA to Update Science on Ethanol
(Feedstuffs) EPA has rejected calls to update GHG calculations based on technological advancements in ethanol production. -- A bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition &
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
The “Ready Now” Alternative Fuel
by Erik Neandross (ACT News/FleetOwner) In May, global fleet UPS announced a seven-year agreement to purchase 170 million-gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas (RNG) from leading natural gas fuel provider, Clean Energy Fuels—the largest purchase of RNG in US history. This massive commitment
June 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Maersk to Offer Customers Carbon-Neutral Transport
(Maersk) A new carbon neutral product – the first of its kind in the industry - is being piloted with select Maersk customers who are highly engaged in sustainable solutions for their supply chain. H&M Group is the first company to
June 21, 2019 Read Full Article
United’s June 5 ‘Flight for the Planet’ Fueled with Biofuel Blend
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) United Airlines made history June 5 with the departure of the Flight for the Planet, the most eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of aviation. The flight was fueled with biofuel and featured
June 06, 2019 Read Full Article
European Ethanol Scores Higher Greenhouse Gas Savings – Again
(ePURE) EU ethanol production and use resulted in more than 71% average savings over fossil fuels in 2018, according to the latest certified producer data; it’s the seventh straight year ethanol’s decarbonisation performance has improved -- European renewable ethanol delivered an average
May 31, 2019 Read Full Article
ACE Elevates Low Carbon White Paper to Senate AG Committee
(American Coalition for Ethanol) ACE CEO Brian Jennings sends Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) data on the positive impact agriculture and low carbon fuels like corn ethanol can have as a hearing takes up the policy
May 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Air BP and Neste Offer Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Stockholm Arlanda and Caen Airports in Support of SAJF Industry Initiative
(British Petroleum) Air BP is offering sustainable aviation fuel at Stockholm Arlanda and Caen Carpiquet airports for both general and business aviation customers and aircraft manufacturers. -Through this offer Air BP is supporting the business aviation sector’s Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
World Fuel to Supply Gevo’s Sustainable Jet Fuel for First of Its Kind European Demonstration Event
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today that it is supplying its sustainable and renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ) to World Fuel Services Corporation, for use in business jets at the first ever European Fueling the Future: SAJF demonstration held at TAG
May 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Doing the Heavy Lifting in Transport Climate Action
by James Cogan (Ethanol Europe/Climate Change News) New E5, E10 and B7 labels recently appeared on petrol and diesel nozzles across Europe with hardly a mention. Behind them is the intriguing story of one of the world’s major efforts to stave off climate
May 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Let’s Ride the Wave--Making Ethanol Part of the "Green Wave" by Debunking Environmental Misinformation.
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative) Now that we are well into the current Congress, it is clear that many new members are riding in on a green wave with a renewed emphasis on climate, carbon and pollution. Committees in the
May 17, 2019 Read Full Article
GREET Advances Understanding of the Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model is a tool that examines the life-cycle impacts of vehicle technologies, fuels, products, and energy systems. It provides a transparent platform through which energy and vehicle producers,
May 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Executive Interview: Driving Efficiency and Reducing Emissions at United Airlines
(ACT News) An ACT News Executive Interview with Aaron Stash, Manager, Environmental Strategy and Sustainability, United Airlines, the first airline to use biofuels in its daily operations. United Airlines remains the only US airline regularly using biofuels for the operations—which they implemented more
May 09, 2019 Read Full Article
A Tesla Model 3 Produces More CO2 than a Diesel Car, Says New Study
by Loukia Papadopoulos (Interesting Engineering) New research out of German think tank ifo is arguing electric vehicles are not the environmental heroes they are touted to be. -- A new study by German think tank ifo is putting a damper on the eco-friendliness of
May 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Comparison of Biofuel Life-Cycle GHG Emissions Assessment Tools: The Case Studies of Ethanol Produced from Sugarcane, Corn, and Wheat
by L.G.Pereira, O.Cavalett, A.Bonomi, Y.Zhang, E.Warner, H.L.Chum (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews) Highlights: Emissions ranged from 16 to 45 for sugarcane and 43–62 g CO2eq MJ−1 for corn ethanol. LCA tools produce similar results when harmonized to the maximum possible extent. Models are sensitive to methodology,
May 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels in Canada 2019: Tracking Biofuel Consumption, Feedstocks and Avoided Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Navius Research) Navius Research has released the 2019 edition of the “Biofuels in Canada” report. This report uses public data to catalogue the volume of transportation biofuels consumed in each Canadian province while estimating the impact of biofuel consumption on
May 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Better Biomaterials: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the “new ideas” laboratory, was established in 1952 at the height of the Cold War to meet urgent national security needs by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology and they continue to
May 02, 2019 Read Full Article
USDA Study Shows Significant Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Ethanol Compared with Gasoline
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) A new study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol are about 39 percent lower than gasoline. The study also states that when ethanol is refined at natural gas-powered
April 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Modifying the Message: With a Democratic-Majority House of Representatives, the Ethanol Lobby Emphasizes Carbon Reduction.
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The ethanol industry has done a great job making friends throughout the political spectrum, says John Fuher, vice president of government affairs for Growth Energy. “You have to have support from people across the divide,”
April 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Annual ‘Biofuels in Canada’ 2019 Report Shows Record Reductions and Effectiveness of Canada’s Renewable Fuel Regulations
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN News) Advanced Biofuels Canada commissions fourth annual report, with expanded coverage of Canadian biofuel use, greenhouse gas reductions, and costs -- Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC) announced the release of the Biofuels in Canada (BIC) 2019 report, which updates and
April 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Neste, City of Oakland Partner to Fuel City Fleet with Biofuel
(Neste/Biomass Magazine) The city of Oakland and Neste announce that waste feedstock from the city is now being converted to Neste MY Renewable Diesel and fuels the city's fleet. The city, Neste, fuel distributor Western States Oil and local collectors for used
April 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Earth Day 2019 – A Look at Carbon Negative and Carbon Capture Technologies, Advancements, and Possibilities
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... What was a nationwide celebration and peaceful demonstrations for environmental reform in the U.S. by some estimated 20 million Americans, Earth Day events have now expanded to over 193 countries and more than a billion people
April 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Neste Partners with Air BP to Deliver Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(Biofuels International) Renewable fuel producer Neste has announced an agreement with aviation fuel supplier Air BP to deliver sustainable aviation fuel to Swedish customers. This latest agreement will build on their existing partnership, which was established last year to develop solutions to
April 18, 2019 Read Full Article
New Corolla Made in Brazil Will Be the World's First Flex Hybrid Vehicle
(Toyota (Google Translation)) With this motorization, the New Corolla will be the most efficient ethanol-powered car in the country and the cleanest hybrid on the planet; Ad meets efficiency requirements established by Rota 2030 Program; With launch scheduled for the last quarter
April 18, 2019 Read Full Article
India’s Ethanol Scenario: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj Americas, Inc.,subsidiary of Praj industries ltd, is a unique technology and engineering company in the ethanol arena in the Americas. What started off as an entrepreneurial venture three decades ago, the parent company, Praj Industries,
April 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Natural Gas On-Road Fuel Reaches Historical High
by Erick Sanchez (Natural Gas Vehicles for America) Biomethane Motor Fuel Use Marks 577% Increase Over Last Five Years -- Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) today announced that 32 percent of all
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Gets Welcome News: USDA Study Shows It’s More Environmentally Friendly than Gasoline
(The Messenger) ... The United States Department of Agriculture has just released the findings of a USDA study about the environmental impact of the corn-ethanol industry. The conclusions are superb news — ethanol has significant greenhouse gas benefits when compared to
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Technical Report Comparison of Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis Tools
(Task 39 – Commercializing Liquid Biofuels/International Energy Agency (IEA Bioenergy)) ... Bioenergy plays an important role in the decarbonization of the transportation sector. Its medium and long-term benefits depend on the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions brought forth by the conversion
April 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Alternative Protein Startups: Let’s Get the Facts Straight about Livestock’s Carbon Footprint
by Lauren Manning (AgFunder News) ... the issue of livestock farming’s impact on the environment is not as clear cut as many of these businesses would have you believe. In fact, many of the data dairy and meat alternative businesses are
March 23, 2019 Read Full Article
The Cost of Supporting Alternative Jet Fuels in the European Union
by Nikita Pavlenko, Stephanie Searle, and Adam Christensen (International Council on Clean Transportation) Alternative jet fuels (AJFs) are among the few available in-sector approaches to reduce aviation sector emissions. Although the aviation sector has not played a prominent role in fuels
March 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Bright Skies for Plant-Based Jet Fuels
by Aliyah Kovner (Berkeley Lab) Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers demonstrate that jet fuels made from plants could be cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels -- ... However, a new analysis by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass for Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) International Energy Agencyis an autonomous organization that works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member countries and beyond. Professor Mark Brown, Director of Forest Industries Research Centre – USC, IEA Bioenergy Exco Rep for
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Washington State Tackles Transportation Emissions
by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) ... The largest source of pollution in Washington state is transportation, which is another way to say burning petroleum-based fuels like gasoline and diesel. Tackling emissions from transportation requires policies that focus on vehicles
March 09, 2019 Read Full Article
LCFS in California Means Big Gains for RNG
by Todd Campbell (California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) began the new year with significant and positive changes, which are looking very beneficial for renewable natural gas (RNG). In ACT News last July, we defined what RNG
March 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Growing a Sustainable Bioeconomy: More Urgent than Ever
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... Today, the need for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels couldn’t be clearer. Fossil fuels are not only causing the climate crisis, fossil fuel use is causing devastating health impacts. Over the past several years,
March 01, 2019 Read Full Article
GTI Quantifies Opportunity to Produce Low-Carbon Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from Wood Wastes
(GTI/Green Car Congress) GTI has released a site-specific engineering design titled “Low-Carbon Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from Wood Wastes”. GTI led a team of engineers and scientists to produce a blueprint for converting an existing biomass facility into an RNG production
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
NEXT Renewable Fuels Secures Land at Port Westward
(NEXT Renewable Fuels) NEXT Renewable Fuels has agreed to purchase a 25‐acre parcel at the Port of Columbia County’s Port Westward Industrial Park. The land is zoned industrial and was purchased from Teevin Bros, a local material handling and timber company. “We are
February 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Open the Door to Higher Blends
by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Union Enterprise/Biofuels Digest) ... The reality is that the RFS is going backwards, we have effectively capped the use of corn ethanol in the United States, and the EPA continues to play lip
February 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Set to Replace Petro Diesel in Calif.
(The California Advanced Biofuels Alliance/Biodiesel Magazine) Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stated goal of eliminating petroleum diesel emissions in California by 2030 is achievable through the growth in the market for clean, sustainable diesels, according to a new report from the California Advanced Biofuels
February 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Finding the Best of Both Worlds: Energy Abundance and Clean Energy Transition
(Diesel Technology Forum) ... An increasing number of diesel engines aren’t running on diesel fuel at all. In 2017, an estimated 2.6 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel were consumed in the U.S. by a growing number of public and private
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The GHG emissions of petroleum are higher than the baseline estimates originally projected by EPA" That's one finding in a new study by Life Cycle Associates. It's also one reason biofuels entering the marketplace thanks to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) exceed
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
New Study: RFS2 Has Reduced GHG Emissions by 600 Million Metric Tons, Beating EPA Expectations
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new study released today finds that the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) has been a tremendous success in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with nearly 600 million metric tons of GHG reduction since 2007. Actual GHG reductions under the
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Commentary: Bring California’s Low-Carbon Wisdom to Washington, D.C.
by Andy Foster (Capital Press/Aemetis Inc.) ... With the election behind us and new leadership in the House, it’s time to take another look at the IPCC warnings and examine bipartisan solutions that Congress can work toward — immediately. High on
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
UFOP Report on Global Market Supply 2018/2019: Combining Economically Viable Agriculture with Appropriate Agricultural Market and Climate Protection Policies
(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP)) The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP) has formulated its policy expectations on the occasion of the presentation of the third edition of the Global Market Supply
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
BHP and NYK Use GoodFuels Biofuel to Progress Decarbonisation Goals
(GoodFuels) BHP, NYK, GoodFuels and BLOC collaborate to progress sustainable biofuel bunkering in Rotterdam, verified with blockchain. -- Today (February 4, 2019) global mining company BHP, Japanese shipping company NYK, leading sustainable biofuel company GoodFuels and BLOC (Blockchain Labs for Open Collaboration)
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Fulcrum Announces Location of Its Next US Waste-to-Fuels Plant, as Bizav Sector Showcases Sustainable Jet Fuels
(GreenAir Online) Waste-to-fuel company Fulcrum BioEnergy has selected Gary, Indiana, as the location for its Centerpoint BioFuels Plant, which will have the capacity to produce three times the amount of renewable transportation fuels compared to its first Sierra plant in Nevada
January 31, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. Groups Support Expansion of Biofuels in Ontario
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) U.S. Grains Council and Growth Energy submit comments in support of 15% renewable fuel content in gasoline use by 2025. -- This week, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) jointly submitted comments to the Canadian province of
January 31, 2019 Read Full Article
NGVA Europe Calls for Method to Account Biofuels from 2025 Target
(NGVA Europe/NGV Journal) In this transitional period for the European transport and energy sectors towards zero- and low-emission driving and in these crucial last steps of the negotiation for a final agreement between the European Parliament and Council on the new
January 30, 2019 Read Full Article
The 7 Most Promising Aviation Biofuels
by Jeff McMahon (Forbes) ... "We really need to focus on the feedstocks that are cheapest and most abundant," said Jeff Skeer, a senior program officer for the International Renewable Energy Agency. "And I think there’s a lot out there, not just from the
January 26, 2019 Read Full Article
California Carbon Check
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With values better than 1.6 cents per gallon per point, driving down carbon intensity brings a nice payback in the Golden State. -- From solar power to dairy biogas to membrane dehydration, not to mention
January 25, 2019 Read Full Article
VTT Develops New Wood Gasification Method to Produce Biofuel, Chemicals
( VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Canadian Biomass) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a new technique based on gasification, which offers a sustainable way to turn forest industry byproducts, such as bark, sawdust and forestry waste, into
January 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Advancements in Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Give Biofuels a Boost
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National laboratory researchers demonstrate improvements in bio-oil yield through catalyst and process development. -- Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have identified an approach to improve
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy Markets and Predictions for 2019
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2019? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2018 gives way
January 08, 2019 Read Full Article
The Unlikely, Eccentric Inventor Turning Inedible Plant Life into Fuel
by Lesley Stahl (60 Minutes/CBS News) Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products -- ... What (Craig)Masterman helped implement was Medoff's novel idea of using these large blue machines called
January 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Assessing Bioenergy Sustainability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy conducted work on sustainability assessments of bioenergy systems and the carbon balance of forest-based bioenergy. Annette Cowie and Göran Berndes from Chalmers University of Technology and IEA Bioenergy gave this illuminating overview of the methods
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Congressionally-Proposed Octane Standard Would Decrease Biofuels Use, Increase Greenhouse Gases
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The 21st Century Transportation Fuels Act, sponsored by outgoing House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee Chair Shimkus (R-IL), would phase out portions of the Renewable Fuel Standard, replacing it with an octane standard by
December 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Commercializing Conventional and Advanced Liquid Biofuels from Biomass: Task 39 Update
(IEA Bioenergy Task 39) ... Task work that has recently been completed and will soon be posted on the “publically available” sections of the Task 39 website (http://task39.ieabioenergy.com/) includes the final report entitled, “Survey of Advanced Fuels for Advanced Engines” which Task 39 carried
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
The Blues of the Green: How Can Biofuel Be Used
by Shailaja Tripathi (The Hindu) Close on the heels of the experiment done by a SpiceJet flight using biofuel, we take a look at the scope and potential of this green fuel-- ... While CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) is using jatropha
December 17, 2018 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Producers: We Are Oil’s Biggest Competitor, Cleaner Too
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV) Increasing ethanol use will help countries around the world meet their Paris Agreement climate goals in a cheaper way, US producers told EURACTIV.com, staking their claim to a higher role for the fuel, alongside electricity, in decarbonising transport. Speaking
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Farm Carbon and Biofuels: Focus of Carbon Sequestration and Farming More Practical Than Global Climate Talks
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Ohio corn farmer Fred Yoder returned late Friday from a frustrating week in Poland listening to foreign ministers and others talk about what they think farmers globally must do to address climate change. As chairman
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
More Bioplastics Do Not Necessarily Contribute to Climate Change Mitigation
(University of Bonn) Study from the University of Bonn assesses potential implications of transitioning to plant-based plastics -- Bioplastics are often promoted as an environmentally and climate-friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. However, a recent study from the University of Bonn suggests
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Increasing the Role of Advanced Biofuels in the US
by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...But EPA could still strengthen the RFS in ways that would encourage advanced biofuels to play a greater role greening the U.S. transportation sector. Here are our top two suggestions. • Expect more from advanced biofuels We
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Finland: Grocery Store Uses Its Own Biowaste to Power Delivery Truck
(Gasum/NGV Journal) The grocery store chain Lidl and the energy company Gasum are partnering to promote the circular economy. As part of their collaboration, Lidl will deliver its stores’ biowaste to biogas plants where they are used to produce environmentally friendly
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
More Sustainable: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Intensification Response & Landscape Design in Bioenergy Production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Many prominent bioenergy critiques are feedstock-focused — for example, iLUC (Searchinger et al. 2008), carbon debt. Marginal land strategies identify areas where energy crops likely have competitive advantage for productivity and/or conservation based on Biophysical characteristics
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
EEA Report Confirms: Electric Cars Are Better for Climate and Air Quality
(European Environment Agency) Battery electric cars emit less greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their entire life cycle than petrol and diesel cars, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today (November 22, 2018). Promoting renewable energy and circular
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The Renewable Fuel Standard has successfully driven the production and use of low carbon fuels in the U.S. transportation fleet. Corn ethanol has replaced 10 percent of climate change causing petroleum. The RFS was enacted, in
November 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Reforms Must Prepare the UK Countryside for Climate Change and Ensure that Our Use of Land Supports Reduced Emissions
(Committee on Climate Change) The Paris Agreement demands tougher action to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. We must, at the same time, prepare for the inevitable climate change that is already happening. In this context, current uses of land
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
A Fuel Value over $7.00 per Gallon, and Everyone’s Chasing It: The Birth of USA Bioenergy and the Surge in Renewable Diesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, we are now seeing project flow projecting a sustainable $7.63 price for renewable diesel in the California market, where the Low Carbon Fuel Standard stacks on top of the RIN values from the federal
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Anaergia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Anaergia is the world leader in solving waste problems by recovering energy, water, and fertilizer from virtually any waste stream. While Anaergia was built on the foundations of highly capable and experienced acquisitions, focused investments on
November 20, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Approves Renewable Fuel Pathway for Andersons Ethanol Facility
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Indiana, Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a pathway for the generation of renewable fuel Renewable Identification Numbers under the renewable fuel standard program for the production of non-grandfathered
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Publishes "Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization: Status and Research Needs"
(U.S. Department of Energy) The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, Office of Fossil Energy, and Office of Science, and Shell, which resulted in a report
November 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Is Increasingly Used to Meet California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Steve Hanson and Neil Agarwal (U.S. Energy Information Administration) ... Renewable diesel net supply to California’s fuel market has increased since the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program went into effect in 2011, reaching 100 million gallons during the second
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
For the Times They Are a Changin’ – Conversions Abound from Diesel to Renewable Diesel
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Phillips 66 and REG’s announcement about a new renewable diesel plant on the U.S. West Coast planned for 2021 comes after a notable increase in refineries that are being converted and changed over to renewable diesel. Change
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Mazda Backs Carbon-Neutral Biofuel Research
(Mazda/Automotive World) Mazda is currently involved in joint research projects and studies as part of an ongoing industry-academia-government collaboration to promote the wide-spread adoption of biofuels from microalgae growth -- As part of its ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030’ long-term technology development programme, the
November 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Finnish Dairy Manufacturer Rolls out First Biomethane Delivery Truck
(Gasum/NGV Journal) The Finnish dairy manufacturer Valio’s first biogas-fueled delivery vehicle was taken into service in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in September. Valio also takes part in the biofuel production by supplying waste generated in food production to Gasum’s biogas plants.
October 29, 2018 Read Full Article
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Big Oil Looks to Stop Utilities' Charging Investments
by Jeffrey Tomich (E&E News Energywire) State utility regulators across the Midwest are revving up their interest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. And the petroleum industry and its allies are urging them to hit the brakes. The American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel and
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Argonne GREET 2018 Update
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, a research team at Argonne National Lab released its GREET 2018 update. GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Help Wanted: Job Interview for High Octane & Low Carbon
by Doug Durante and Doug Sombke (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/South Dakota Farmers Union/Biofuels Digest) ... However, we may have a unique and perhaps unprecedented opportunity for a do-over with the proposed fuel economy rule. While we take no position on exactly what
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Industry Urges EU to Update CO2 Standards and Include Biofuels
(NGVA Europe/NGV Journal) In view of the European Parliament plenary vote, the European Biogas Association (EBA), EUROGAS, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) and the Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) have jointly underlined the importance of natural and renewable gas
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
US Court Dismisses Industry Challenge to Oregon Fuel Standards
by Brian Scheid (SP Global/Platts) A federal appeals court on Friday upheld Oregon's low-carbon fuel standards, dismissing a challenge brought by US refiners and truckers. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Trucking Associations and the Consumer Energy Alliance challenged Oregon's standards,
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant Biotechnology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s Group Biotechnology — responsible for the Technology Platform Biotechnology — develops tailor-made biotechnological processes for the economic and sustainable production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. It focuses on bio-catalysis and bio-refining. Innovative technologies for the sustainable conversion of
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Driving Decarbonization: How California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Is Helping the Environment While Saving Lives and Growing the Biobased Economy
by Bryan Sherbacow (World Energy) ... To understand a low carbon fuel standard, it’s best to look at California as an example. California is one of two states (neighboring state, Oregon, is the other) to enact a low carbon fuel standard. Typically,
September 13, 2018 Read Full Article
An Open Letter to EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler
by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Consider this a blueprint for restoring the trust EPA has broken with farmers and rural America. 1. Make good on the president’s promises to allow E15 use year-round. Trump has made three or four
September 03, 2018 Read Full Article
The Establishment of a Marine Focused Biorefinery for Bioethanol Production Using Seawater and a Novel Marine Yeast Strain
by Abdelrahman Saleh Zaky, Darren Greetham, Gregory A. Tucker & Chenyu Du (Scientific Reports) Current technologies for bioethanol production rely on the use of freshwater for preparing the fermentation media and use yeasts of a terrestrial origin. Life cycle assessment has suggested
August 25, 2018 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Industry Razzes 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard Proposal: The Why and the Who
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 2019 proposed US Renewable Fuel Standard proposed volumes attracted a major raspberry from the ethanol industry. As the American Coalition for Ethanol noted: “Unfortunately, EPA continues to take actions which undermine the letter and spirit of the
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
ACE Releases White Paper on the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol during 31st Annual Conference
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) announced the official release of a White Paper today (August 17, 2018) entitled “The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol,” coinciding with a general session panel
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Canola Council Secures Continued Access to European Union Biofuel Market
(Canola Council of Canada) Today (December 19, 2017) the European Commission published an implementing decision that will allow Canadian canola continued access to the EU biodiesel market. The decision affirms the greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved when Canadian canola is used to
August 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Pohl & Holmes Switches to Neste MY Renewable Diesel
(Neste US Inc./Biomass Magazine) Pohl & Holmes Inc., a Hughson, California-based almond hulling and shelling services provider, recently switched their vehicles to running exclusively on Neste MY Renewable Diesel. Pohl & Holmes provides California almond growers with quality hulling and shelling services,
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Lifecycle Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Corncob Ethanol in China
by Yu Wang, Ming‐Hsun Cheng, Mark Mba Wright (Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining) Converting corncobs into fuel ethanol is different from converting stover because cobs have higher hemicellulose and lower lignin than stover. Current research provides life‐cycle assessments of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Issues Notice of Data Availability on Grain Sorghum
(National Sorghum Producers) On May 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of data availability (NODA) concerning renewable fuels produced from grain sorghum under the RFS program. EPA’s analysis shows grain sorghum, when used to make ethanol at
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Is Renewable Natural Gas a Fossil Fuel?
by Todd Campbell (ACT News/California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership) Is natural gas renewable? What is renewable natural gas? Is renewable natural gas a fossil fuel? To those of us in the industry, these questions may sound like no-brainers. However, I have found
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Trade Agreement Access Sparks Record-Setting Exports To Colombia
(U.S. Grains Council) U.S. corn exports to Colombia have set a new record every year since the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) entered into force into 2012, showing the effectiveness of strong trade policy and subsequent market development work to increasing
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
One Day at the World’s Leading Biomass Technology Conference, EUBCE 2018
by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Renaissance-era facades capped with green copper patina and orange clay shingles harmonize seamlessly with imaginative, hallmark-of-Scandinavia, hyper-modern structures in downtown Copenhagen. [caption id="attachment_99349" align="alignleft" width="212"] Setting of the EUBCE 2018 Copenhagen[/caption] The city provided the perfect backdrop
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Climate Pollutants Fall Below 1990 Levels for First Time
(California Air Resources Board) Emissions down 13% since their 2004 peak while economy grew 26% -- ... The transportation sector, the state’s largest source of greenhouse gases, saw a 2 percent increase in emissions in 2016 because of increased fuel consumption. But
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Boskalis Westminster : Nederland Aiming for 35% CO2 Reduction with GoodFuels Biofuel
(Boskalis) Boskalis Nederland and biofuel supplier GoodFuels have announced a long-term partnership aimed at furthering Boskalis' sustainable practices. Reducing CO2emissions is one of Boskalis' long-term objectives. A 35% reduction in the CO2emitted by the fleet and equipment in the Netherlands will
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Annual ‘Biofuels in Canada’ Report Released with Expanded Coverage of Canadian Biofuel Use, GHG Reductions, and Costs
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN Presswire) Advanced Biofuels Canada commissions third report, now addresses tax impacts. -- Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC) announced the release of the Biofuels in Canada (BIC) 2018 report, which updates and expands upon the last annual report by Navius Research. “Data
July 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard: Program Unlikely to Meet Production or Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets
(U.S. Government Accountability Office) The Renewable Fuel Standard aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the nation’s renewable fuels sector through 2022. It requires that transportation fuels (such as gasoline and diesel) sold in the U.S. contain annually increasing amounts
July 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels and the Environment: Second Triennial Report to Congress
(Environmental Protection Agency) This report is the second of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) triennial reports to Congress required under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). EISA Section 204 calls for EPA to report to Congress on the environmental
July 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Mazda: 'Well-to-Wheel' Gives ICE the Advantage over Electric, Manufacturer Claims
by Stephen Briers (Fleet News) Change the debate to get true global picture on emissions says manufacturer as it continues to examine powertrain technology options. -- At a time when most of its rivals are distancing themselves from diesel by publicising their
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Air Liquide Inaugurates a Biomethane Production Unit in France
(Air Liquide/Biomass Magazine) On June 22, in Cestas, near Bordeaux, France, Air Liquide inaugurates a biomethane production unit and a multi-energy distribution station nearby. Thanks to its complete mastery of the biogas recovery chain, Air Liquide is deploying its clean mobility
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Minister Humphreys Announces College Group’s €10m expansion
(College Group) Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD today announced that College Group will invest €10m in building a new renewable energy facility producing biofuel from used cooking oil and animal fats in north Co. Meath. The investment
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
European Ethanol Sets New High Level for Greenhouse Gas Savings
(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 70 percent greenhouse-gas savings compared to fossil fuels in 2017, according to new certified data from European ethanol producers. The number represents the latest of a string of annual increases
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
EU Ethanol Delivers over 70% GHG Savings on Average: ePure
by Chrysa Glystra (Platts) European ethanol delivered an average of more than 70% greenhouse gas savings compared with fossil fuels in 2017, according to new data from European ethanol producers, the European renewable ethanol association, ePure, said Wednesday. This has been certified by
June 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuel Partly Powers Cathay Pacific Flight from Airbus
by Grant Bradley (New Zealand Herald) When a brand new Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 flies from France to Hong Kong on Wednesday it will be partly powered by biofuel. The 334-seat plane will have a 10 per cent blend of biofuel next
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 10 Biodiesel Trends 2018: What’s up with the World’s Favorite Advanced Biofuel?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We’ve organized the state of biodiesel into 10 areas of vital interest ranging from the development of markets to the entry of ancillary products and new feedstocks. #1 Tax & Trade Free trade vs fair trade: Dumping
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Interaction of the Clean Air Act, California's CAA Waiver, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Renewable Fuel Standards and California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Trump Administration is taking a new look at Obama Administration era Co2 regulations. On the transportation side, these include reviewing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards; threatening to take away California’s authority to set
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Stay Vigilant: The Importance of Paying Attention and Remaining Active in Ethanol Advocacy.
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol ) ... The timing of this year’s fly-in was fortuitous, amid talk of “win-win” deals for refiners and biofuel producers and a snowstorm that put the citizens of D.C. on edge. Our
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
RFA to CARB: Ethanol Plays a Key Role in LCFS Success Story
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) Ethanol has played a key role in the success of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and is poised to make even greater contributions to the state’s climate policy objectives if certain regulatory actions are
April 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Is the EU Killing the Magic Plant? The Emerging International Consensus on Low Carbon Fuels Takes Center Stage in (Spite of) Brussels
by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) At one of a series of bioenergy conferences in Brussels, April 10-12, 2018, some combination of hearty guffaws, inward chuckles and solemn nods greeted the predictable but well-delivered punchline from Miguel Ivan Lacerda de
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Seaweed-into-Biofuel Project Gets Department of Energy Support
by Joanna McWilliams (Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has received support from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ARPA-E has poured over $22 million into their Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Market Development Organizations Applaud Japan Policy Shift To Allow Use Of U.S. Ethanol
(U.S. Grains Council) The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Growth Energy and their member organizations welcome the news Tuesday that the Japanese government’s new biofuel policy will allow imports of ETBE made from U.S. corn-based ethanol. “The U.S.
April 18, 2018 Read Full Article
ACE Addressing Ethanol Marketing Challenges at NEB Forum
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Coalition for Ethanol board member and past board president Ron Alverson of Dakota Ethanol speaks today at Nebraska Ethanol Board’s 2018 Emerging Issues Forum in Omaha, Nebraska, about assessing new markets based on ethanol’s
April 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Isobutanol’s Horizons: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have developed an industrial scale
April 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Talking Carbon: Europe’s Prejudice towards Carbon Capture Utilization (CCU) Technology
by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) With over 260 million cars on the road in Europe, industry leaders and governmental representatives alike are putting the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) under fire for its lack of clarity surrounding its impact
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
John Abraham, in an article in The Guardian, notes, "Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax -- We’re not yet optimizing biofuel production for both economic and environmental factors." And, "If society is willing to pay a
March 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels Can Help Solve Climate Change, Especially with a Carbon Tax
by John Abraham (The Guardian) Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax -- We’re not yet optimizing biofuel production for both economic and environmental factors ... These are great starts but we will still need some liquid fuels and for those,
March 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Report on 8th ISCC Global Sustainability Conference; Presentations Published
(International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Tuesday 20 February 2018, Brussels, Belgium high profile speakers discussed on the latest updates on a broad range of topics: The future of bioenergy discussed by the European Commission and Member States RED II negotiations Implementation of
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Good Energy Ad Banned for 'No Carbon Dioxide' Claim
(AOL) An advert for one of Britain's largest renewable energy suppliers has been banned for claiming the electricity it supplies emits no carbon dioxide. Good Energy's website said in September: "An average unit of electricity in the UK (a kilowatt hour or
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
How Biofuels from Plant Fibers Could Combat Global Warming
by Mary Guiden (Colorado State University) ... A study from Colorado State University finds new promise for biofuels produced from switchgrass, a non-edible native grass that grows in many parts of North America. Scientists used modeling to simulate various growing scenarios,
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
IATA Sets Goal for Flights Using Sustainable Fuels
(International Air Transport Association/Biomass Magazine) The International Air Transport Association set out an aim for 1 billion passengers to fly on flights powered by a mix of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025. This aspiration was identified on
March 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Computer Model Offers New Insights into Biofuel Emission Numbers
by Angelica Bottaro (Engineering.com) A new sophisticated computer model to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from biorefineries has been developed to ensure that the total carbon footprint of these biofuels is being considered when regarding environmental initiatives. The model was developed using a
February 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Calls on US Government to Support Biofuels Sector
(Biofuels International) Growth Energy calls on US government to support biofuels sector -- Biofuels are crucial to improving the US energy outlook, according to an expert from ethanol trade association Growth Energy. Chris Bliley, Growth Energy’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, says that the
February 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon-Negative Fuels in the Spotlight as Ohio State, Argonne National Labs, Energy Vision Make Material Progress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The biggest news along that front represents early-stage technology, but we read here that engineers at Ohio State announced that they’ve devised a process that under certain circumstances can convert coal, shale gas and biomass into electricity or syngas,
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Dairy Fuels Kicks off Construction of Indiana Biogas Facility
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Renewable Dairy Fuels (RDF), a business unit of AMP Americas, has announced that construction has begun on what the company calls the U.S.’ biggest on-farm anaerobic-digester-to-vehicle-fuel operation. Located in Fair Oaks, Ind., the dairy project will be the company’s
February 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Stands Its Ground, Won’t Back Down: New B20 Vehicles, Emissions Cuts, Highlight NBC 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The makers of the world’s favorite advanced biofuel — a/k/a the biodiesel industry — descended upon Texas to mingle, make and renew ties at the 2018 National Biodiesel Conference. And, to champion new ideas and find
February 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Neste's Renewable Fuels Reduced Global Climate Emissions by 8.3 Million Tons in 2017
(Neste/Globe Newswire) Replacing fossil fuels with Neste's renewable fuels reduced global climate emissions altogether by a staggering 8.3 million metric tons or 8.3 billion kilograms in 2017. The figure equals removal of 3 million passenger cars from the roads for a
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Building Blocks from Biocrude: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Biobased Methoxyphenols
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To develop and optimize a hybrid separation method to recover high-value methoxyphenols to improve the process economics and environmental impact for the production of advanced biofuels from catalytic pyrolysis, integrated with hydroprocessing. That’s the ambitious R&D
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Calculating the CO2 Emissions of Biofuels Is Not Enough
(Science Daily/Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)) A new EU regulation aims to shrink the environmental footprint of biofuels starting in 2021. But a scientist thinks we should go one step further and take into account all compounds produced at biorefineries,
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
More Countries Adopting Ethanol Policies
by Bliss Baker (Global Renewable Fuels Alliance /Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Encouragingly, despite an extended period of uncertainty and less-than-ideal market circumstances, free trade has enabled global biofuel production to continue its incremental growth year after year. This resilience has been
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
US Government Report Strengthens Consensus on Biodiesel Benefits
(National Biodiesel Board) Argonne National Laboratory, US Dept. of Agriculture, and Purdue University affirm impressive emissions reductions -- A new study on biodiesel’s lifecycle energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission effects updates and reaffirms the long-understood benefits of using the renewable fuel.
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Research Finds Land Management Practices Matter in Cellulosic Biofuels Production
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) New research from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago at Illinois and the International Food Policy Research Institute shows that incorporating conservation practices can both increase soil organic content and improve the
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
My Voice: A ‘Swing and a Miss’ from the USDA
by Doug Sombke (Argus Leader/South Dakota Farmers Union) Our esteemed U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released a report of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. While it is hard to get excited over any government report, I had high hopes
January 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The European Parliament Just Avoided a Biofuels Fail. Now Here’s How to Move forward on Decarbonising Transport
(ePure) 2030 EU target for renewables in transport leaves an opening for sustainable crop-based biofuels to help reach Paris goals -- The European Parliament’s vote to phase out palm oil and allow some crop-based biofuels is a welcome recognition that the EU
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Estimation of a 69 % Reduction in Greenhouse Gases Emissions for Fully Renewable ETBE Compared to Fossil Gasoline
(Global Bioenergies) Global Bioenergies (Euronext Growth: ALGBE) has entrusted EVEA, a company specialized in calculation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), with a study focused on the products to be manufactured in the future IBN-One plant. Fully renewable ETBE is estimated to
January 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Ontario Proposal Aims to Double Ethanol Blend in Fuel
by John Greig (Manitoba Co-operator) An Ontario government proposal could dramatically increase the amount of Ontario corn going into ethanol production and help bring consistency to the basis price for corn in the province. The government has posted its proposal to increase
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuture Platform: Insights from COP23
by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In order to meet the global temperature reduction target which was agreed upon at the Paris Climate Accord, delegates from the Biofuture Platform met in Bonn, Germany for the 23rd Conference of the Parties
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
U Can’t Have Enuf H2: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Hydrogen via Pyrolysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen — the most abundant element in the universe, but the advanced bioeconomy can never seem to get enough of it, and finding ways to produce renewable, affordable hydrogen — well, that’s real gold. A
January 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Australian Canola for European Biodiesel Emits Half the Greenhouse Gas of Fossil Fuels
by Sarina Locke (ABC Rural) Australia has secured access to a billion-dollar European biodiesel market for canola, just two weeks away from a cut-off date. The CSIRO has found that using Australian canola in the biodiesel supply chain produced half the greenhouse
December 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Canola Council Welcomes Continued Access to EU Biodiesel Market
(Real Agriculture) The European Commission published its decision to allow Canadian canola to have continued access to the EU biodiesel market this week. “This decision means continued access to an important market for Canadian canola,” says Jim Everson, president of the Canola
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Editorial: Keep Biofuel Benefits Flowing
(Wisconsin State Journal) ... A study conducted for the U.S. Agriculture Department found corn ethanol’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, by 2022, will be 43 percent lower than gasoline baseline emissions if ethanol plants continue as usual. If ethanol production makes improvements with available