(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) The single-cell green alga Chromochloris zofingiensis is an emerging model organism for photosynthesis and metabolism research. Previous research has shown that with the addition of glucose, Chromochloris zofingiensis shuts off photosynthesis, reroutes its metabolism, and accumulates high
Lipid
Back TO HOMEAvailability Advantage: Ethanol's Opportunity
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) As the sustainable aviation fuel industry in the U.S. takes shape, it’s becoming clear that an all-of-the-above approach to feedstock and technology will present the best chances of meeting aggressive domestic production goals. But existing
August 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Insects as Biofactories: Turning Dangerous Waste into Valuable Products
by Loz Blain (New Atlas) "We can feed black soldier flies straight, dirty trash," says a team that's working to turn insects into landfill-clearing biomanufacturing machines that turn regular, dangerous or contaminated garbage into a range of high-value products. Black soldier flies
July 31, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the SAF Grand Challenge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 26 Workstreams, 140 Activities and with 2030 & 2030-2050 impact timeframes — The SAF Grand Challenge is ambitious and detailed, with many US Federal agencies and one aggressive goal. In this deck, the deed for policy
July 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Chevron Lummus Global's ISOTERRA Technology Selected for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project in China
(Chevron Lummus Global) Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG) today (June 13, 2024) announced its ISOTERRA technology has been selected for a groundbreaking sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in China. CLG will provide the technology license, engineering services, and supply proprietary equipment
June 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Delays in California's LCFS Revisions Are an Opportunity to Improve
by Nikita Pavelnko (International Council on Clean Transportation) Earlier this year, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) postponed a hearing and vote to finalize revisions to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) until the Friday after the 2024 U.S. elections in November. The vote had
June 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Yeast Fuel, Developed by Chula's Faculty of Science Soon to Expand Its Production for the Aerospace Industry
(Chulalongkorn University/PR Newswire) Researchers from Chulalongkorn University have made use of forage grass to feed microorganisms and convert the resulting fat into jet fuel. They aim to expand petroleum-based oil replacement production to reduce impacts on human health and the environment. -- Yeast is a
April 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Illinois Research, Resources Provide Ability for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production
by Martha Blum (AgriNews) ... Illinois has all the elements for start-up companies to build their facilities in our state,” he (Vijay Singh, founder professor in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois) said. “You need innovation and we
April 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Vilsack Accepts Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, accepted the William C. Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Bioeconomy and in his Holmberg Address said that “There’s a competition going on here. There
March 19, 2024 Read Full Article
New Genetic Strategy for Preventing Breakdown of Plant Oils Needed for Biofuels and Other Products
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have demonstrated a new way to boost the oil content of plant leaves and seeds. As described in the journal New Phytologist, the scientists identified and successfully altered
February 08, 2024 Read Full Article
New EU-funded FUELGAE Project Aims to Resurrect Algae as a Promising Source for Aviation Biofuels
by Christopher Surgenor (GreenAir Online) Over a decade ago, algae was seen as a very promising biomass for producing jet biofuel and a number of high-profile startups attracted big-name investors. In 2009, Continental Airlines flew the United States’ first-ever commercial jet
January 31, 2024 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel (HEFA) Plant Conversions for Maximum SAF Production
by Mark Robertson (Lee Enterprises/Biofuels Digest) Renewable diesel (“RD”) and sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) can be produced by hydrotreating virtually any type of biogenic feedstock lipid (oil). In processes involving hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (“HEFA” processes), the most common feedstocks
January 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Novozymes Launches Quara® LowP for Renewable Diesel fFedstock Pre-treatment
(Novozymes/Yahoo! Finance) Novozymes, a global leader in biosolutions, marks a significant milestone in the renewable diesel and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) industry with the launch of Quara® LowP, an enzymatic solution designed to transform the feedstock pre-treatment process. As the world seeks
November 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Stillwater’s Carbon Market Outlooks Help Fuels Producers and Investors Navigate Carbon Market Uncertainty and Plan for the Future
(Stillwater Associates) Our LCFS Credit Price Outlook along with credit price outlooks for Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program (CFP), British Columbia’s LCFS (BC-LCFS), U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) RINs, and Lipid Feedstocks Outlook provide unique, in-depth perspectives on the future of carbon
October 19, 2023 Read Full Article
Exploring SAF Feedstock Markets
by Katie Schroeder (Biomass Magazine) ... Trip Jobe, vice president of sales with ResourceWise’s Forest Value Chain, explained the importance of doing a feedstock availability assessment to better understand the market dynamics around feedstocks SAF producers may be interested in utilizing.
October 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Axens Will Provide Vegan Technology to Haike Chemicals for Its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Project in China
(Axens) Shandong Haike Chemical Co. Ltd, a Chinese refining and petrochemical company, has selected Axens’ Vegan® technology to produce low carbon, cost competitive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by retrofitting its existing assets. Vegan® technology is a second-generation hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) solution which
August 03, 2023 Read Full Article
Lipid Making in Plants Involves the Cooperation of Two Organelles, Study Finds
(RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science/Phys.Org) Two enzymes that plants need to make oils live in different organelles, a pair of RIKEN researchers has found. This finding will help inform efforts to tweak the metabolism of plants to boost their
June 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Algae Are Versatile Organisms. Meet Three NREL Scientists Working to Unlock Their Full Energy Potential
byZia Abdullah (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Algae turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into biochemical energy. These researchers use genetic engineering, analysis, and material science to turn that energy into opportunity. Food, fertilizer, fuel, pollutant filter —the uses for algae are as
June 08, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Advisian
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Industry leaders in biofuels project development and delivery, Advisian is Worley’s global consulting business, solving critical challenges in infrastructure, environmental, sustainability, energy, and chemicals sectors. We bring technical expertise to every stage of your biofuels
May 11, 2023 Read Full Article
UK Suggests Restricting Green Jet Fuel from Waste Cooking Oil
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) Green jet fuel made from used cooking oil and animal fats should be restricted on environmental grounds, a recent British government consultation document has suggested, raising questions over whether the EU will follow suit. The British Department
May 04, 2023 Read Full Article
Researchers Cultivate Microalgae for Biofuel Production
by Ricardo Muniz (FAPESP/Phys.Org) A group of researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil have grown microalgae under controlled conditions in a laboratory in order to use their metabolites, especially lipids, with the prime purpose of producing
April 19, 2023 Read Full Article
New Partnership Could see Australian Algal Biofuel Production Bloom
(Murdock University) The Harry Butler Institute will collaborate with Perth-based Paradigm Fuels to create sustainable and profitable biofuel from microalgae. Long touted as a future renewable fuel, economical production has eluded researchers - until now. Paradigm has developed a novel, patent-pending technology that can
April 17, 2023 Read Full Article
AlgaePrize Competition Technology Innovation: Developing the Next Generation of Bioenergy Professionals
(U.S. Department of Energy) The 2022-2023 AlgaePrize competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and supported by the Algae Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, challenges students to become the next generation of
April 10, 2023 Read Full Article
Axens Announces the Launch of the Jetanol™ Brand for its Alcohol-to-Jet Technology, with a Project Pipeline Already Approaching 3 Million Tons (1 billion Gallons) Per Year of Sustainable
(Axens) Committed to offer mature and reliable Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technologies, Axens is pleased to announce the launch of the Jetanol™ brand for its Alcohol-to-Jet technology. Evidenced by its competitive selection this solution is being deployed for five industrial-scale
February 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Adding a Surfactant to Sewage Boosts Biofuel Production
by Benjamin Plackett (Chemical & Engineering News) Rhamnolipids help turn human wastewater into both hydrogen and biodiesel -- The waste people flush down the drain is rich in energy, and its contents can be used to develop renewable fuels. But
February 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Aviation Industry in Crosshairs for Next Biofuel Push
(Roll Call) Aviation accounts for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions — a figure expected to triple by 2050 ... Trucking industry representatives have raised concerns that a larger reliance on SAF will take away key feedstocks from biodiesel,
January 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Production of Biodiesel and Water Conservation through Conversion of Free Fatty Acids from a Domestic Wastewater Drain
by Ehsan Mustafa Hashmi, et al. (Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects) Wastewater discharge from restaurants, hotels, household kitchens, confectionaries, meat, fruits, and vegetable processing units contain free fatty acids (FFAs) from fats, oils, and greases (FOG).
December 29, 2022 Read Full Article
Repsol and the EIB Sign a EUR 120m Loan Agreement to Finance the First Advanced Biofuels Plant in Spain
(Repsol) - EIB supports the construction of an innovative advanced biofuels plant in Cartagena, Spain, therefore supporting Repsol’s decarbonisation strategy. - The project, which is fully aligned with the European Green Deal, REPowerEU and the Fit for 55 package, contributes to
December 26, 2022 Read Full Article
K-State Scientists Receive Collaborative Grant to Advance Biofuel Production and gricultural Economy
(Kansas State University) Kansas State University researchers are part of a five-year collaborative grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve oilseed crops for use as biofuels and other bioproducts. Timothy Durrett, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and Ruth Welti, university
November 17, 2022 Read Full Article
WestJet Begins Using 'Sustainable' Biofuel Blend on San Francisco Route
by Josh Aldrich (Calgary Herald) The biofuel will be blended with regular jet fuel with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions -- WestJet has launched a first-of-its-kind pilot project in Canada in an effort to lower carbon emissions on flights.
November 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Comstock Files Grant Application for Cellulosic Fuels
(Comstock/Globe Newswire) Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE) (“Comstock” and the “Company”) today announced its filing of a grant application with the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) to build a pre-pilot scale system to demonstrate one of Comstock’s unique new pathways to produce
September 28, 2022 Read Full Article
Will Algae Biofuels Become Viable? Pioneers of Commercial Biofuel Production Had to Shut Shop or Diversify Their Portfolio
by Rahul Jain (Down to Earth) ... It can synthesise large volumes of oil (20 times more than that of mustard per acre), grow fast (10 times quicker than terrestrial plants) and capture carbon dioxide (CO2). Since then, big industries and startups
September 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap: Flight Plan for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Report
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a
September 23, 2022 Read Full Article
What Happened at the 2022 CAAFI Bienennial General Meeting?
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative ) There’s more attention on SAF now than ever before. There’s also a lot going on in the SAF space from near-term commercialization, policy pushes, feedstock development, pathway approvals, airline, airport and business aviation engagement,
August 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Group Urges CARB to Limit Biobased Diesel from Lipids under California LCFS
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) The International Council on Clean Transportation suggests setting a cap on lipids “would prevent California’s [biobased diesel] market shifting from one that is primarily waste oil-based to one increasingly reliant on food-based fuels with
August 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Maryland Energy Institute Awards Morgan State University $100,000 Energy Innovation Grant to Continue Advanced Cyanobacterial Biomass Research at University’s Satellite Campus on the Chesapeake Bay
(Morgan State University) Funding will Support Launchpad for Businesses and Startups Using Research Conducted at MSU PEARL Laboratory -- Morgan State University’s School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences (SCMNS) received a one-year $100,000 Phase I grant from the Maryland Energy
July 26, 2022 Read Full Article
EWABA Welcomes Broadening of Sustainable Feedstock Base
(Biofuels International) EWABA has welcomed the broadening of the sustainable feedstock base in today’s Council General Approach on the ReFuelEU aviation proposal. The EWABA association, representing the EU waste-based and advanced biodiesel industry, strongly backed the broadening of the feedstock base
June 16, 2022 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels, Monomers, Carbon Sourcing: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Axens
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s a difference between renewable carbon and circular carbon, as noted in this illuminating ABLC slide guide from Axens. How does their circular carbon tech work? Who are they partnering with? How are they accelerating
April 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Decarbonisation Today Dramatically Reduces Future Challenges
by Dickon Posnett (Argent Energy/EWABA/EurActiv) Heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) is one of three ‘difficult to decarbonise’ transport sectors and must be addressed with urgency alongside aviation and marine. -- ... But policy makers must not forget, decarbonising HDVs needs support. As
March 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol Mergers at 5-Year High in 2021
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Ethanol Mergers, Acquisitions Rebound in 2021; Renewable Diesel Construction Booms -- U.S. ethanol companies pursued more mergers and acquisitions than they have in five years, and the renewable diesel industry continued to grow and expand
March 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Behind the Hot Year for Biofuels M&A: 2021 Review and Outlook
by Bruce Comer, Frank Kim and Zak Putlak (Ocean Park/Biofuels Digest) As ethanol producers pursued mergers and acquisitions, and renewable diesel firms built and expanded plants, the biofuels industry increasingly focused on securing feedstocks. Producers seeking to consolidate, optimize or sell
February 11, 2022 Read Full Article
Hemp Grain : The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to New West Genetics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is hemp grain the next sustainable source of plant based protein and healthy lipids? What are the latest hemp varieties in the product pipeline? How does hemp compare to corn, canola, soy? Check out this
February 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Can Replace Used Cooking Oil in Aviation, Industry Says
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) Under the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal, the percentage of SAF that must be mixed with kerosene would reach 63% in 2050. -- Pressure is growing on EU lawmakers to ensure agricultural and waste residues are legally required
February 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Lawmaker Proposes Raising EU Green Jet Fuel Target to 100% by 2050
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) A draft European Parliament report calls for greater ambition in the EU’s proposed green jet fuel law, including a higher percentage of mandatory sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for planes refuelling in the bloc. The draft, seen by
January 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuels Market Dynamics 2022 and Beyond: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to IHS Markit’s Outlook
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week,we were surrounded by a Ministry of All the Talents, as you might say, experts from the holy of holies, IHS Markit, yes, Dan Yergin’s fabled firm. Want to find out what was covered
January 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Is There Enough Lipid Feedstock for Biofuel?: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to LMC Lipid Feedstocks Outlook
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Biofuels Association commissioned LMC International to forecast the outlook for supply of lipid feedstocks to determine their ability to meet the ABFA’s goal of reaching 21 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel (BBD) by
December 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuel Feedstocks Can Pace Biofuel Demand through 2030
(Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) Growing demand for biomass-based diesel advanced biofuels can be met with projected supply of lipid feedstocks through 2030 without encroaching on food resources, finds a new study from LMC International, commissioned by the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA). The
December 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Greasezilla® Deploys FOG Separation System Designed for Exterior Placement
(Greasezilla) Greasezilla’s® industry leading FOG (fats, oils & grease) separation technology is now available in a self-contained, fully-enclosed configuration adaptable to most locations -- Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla® FOG separation and processing systems, announces the release of a new enclosed
November 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Clean Skies for Tomorrow Leaders: 10% Sustainable Aviation Fuel by 2030
(World Economic Forum) 60 companies are accelerating the supply and use of sustainable aviation fuel to reach 10% of global jet aviation fuel supply by 2030; Carbon-free energy is in sight in some sectors but progress on abating carbon emissions
September 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Advancing Algae for Better Biofuels: CSU Share in $3.5 Million Project
(Colorado State University) Colorado State University scientists are partners in a three-year grant of up to $3.5 million from the Department of Energy, aimed at improving how algae-based biofuels and bioproducts are made. The Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office has announced its support
September 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Korea National Oil Management Institute Secures Insect Biodiesel Manufacturing Technology
(K-Petro (Google translation)) Initiated the second phase of development of biodiesel production technology using insect lipids; Contribute to the expansion of biodiesel supply for the realization of 2050 carbon neutrality -- Korea Petroleum Management Service (Chairman Joo-Seok Son) has secured biodiesel production technology
August 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Fungus That Tastes Just Right: PNNL Researchers Study Plant Material in Soils that Offers Clues for Making Sustainable Bioproducts
by Allan Brettman (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Discerning leaf-cutter ants know what food they like to eat. They turn up their scent-detecting antennae at some plant material in soils in favor of others that fungus has degraded just the way they
August 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Scientists to Develop CO₂-Free Fermentation Technology amid Surging Demand for Low-Carbon Biofuel
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) By Combining Electrochemistry With Fermentation, NREL’s Biorefining Process Could Both Increase Fuel Yields and Recycle Carbon Dioxide -- As much as one-third of the carbon in sugar is lost as carbon dioxide (CO2) during fermentation processes that
July 29, 2021 Read Full Article
$1.5M DOE Grant Targets Engineering of Cyanobacteria as Biofuel Production Platform
(Vanderbilt University School of Engineering) A new, $1.5 million Department of Energy grant brings together experts from three institutions to parse the metabolism of a blue-green algae that holds great promise for biofuel production. The team, led by Professor of Chemical and
July 22, 2021 Read Full Article
EU Green Jet Fuel Mandate Will Carve out Market for Big Players, Industry Warns
(Biofuels International) An EU mandate for the use of animal fats and used cooking oils in sustainable aviation fuel is set to enrich large biofuel players such as Total and Neste Oil, at the expense of most of the industry,
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Energycane Produces More Biodiesel than Soybean at a Lower Cost
(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) Bioenergy from crops is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. New crops such as energycane can produce several times more fuel per acre than soybeans. Yet, challenges remain in processing the crops to extract fuel efficiently. Four new studies
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Biomass, Lipid Yield Improvements: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Leveraging Algae for Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Did you know that adding plant substrate to some algae strains (not all!) can result in improved biomass and/or lipid production? That’s what Amanda Barry from Sandia National Labs reported in this slide guide on
June 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Biodiesel from Stillage Fiber: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Xylome
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At the recent BETO peer review, Xylome shared this illuminating slide guide on making biodiesel precursors from dissolved organics and corn fiber present in grain ethanol stillage by engineering hyper-lipogenic strains of L. starkeyi to
June 03, 2021 Read Full Article
What Has Productivity 4X as Dense as Corn?: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why algae? With biofuel yield 8-13 times larger than corn, well, why not! We took key slides from the 100+ slide deck from this year’s U.S. DOE BETO presentation on the latest goings ons with
May 20, 2021 Read Full Article
University of Alberta Entrepreneur Transforms Waste into Jet Fuel
by Morgan Black (Global News) A made-in-Alberta success story is taking flight after a University of Alberta professor found a way to transform agriculture and forestry waste into jet fuel. Dr. David Bressler is the project lead of FORGE Hydrocarbons. He has studied the
May 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Changing Carbohydrates into Lipids for Microalgae Biofuels
(Kobe University/Phy.Org) A cross-institutional collaboration has developed a technique to repartition carbon resources from carbohydrates to lipids in microalgae. It is hoped that this method can be applied to biofuel production. This discovery was the result of a collaboration between a
May 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Canada Invests in Innovative Clean Technology at the University of Alberta
(Natural Resources Canada) ... Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a $2,890,000 investment in the University of Alberta’s biojet technology. The University of Alberta, along with project partners Alberta Innovates, FORGE Hydrocarbons Inc., Western Economic Diversification Canada, Future Energy Systems, CanmetENERGY Devon and Edmonton International Airport, are also providing
April 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Innovations in Bioprocess Tech for Fuels: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) USDA’s Bruce Dien shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC 2020 focusing on the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois and recent success of NCAUR research. From biorefineries, advanced ethanol and biobutanol,
February 12, 2021 Read Full Article
South by Yeast: Ginkgo Acquires a Venture that Sputtered but Never Failed to Intrigue
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was styled as a biofuels and biochemical producer, founded back in the heady days of the Recovery Act in February 2009, focused on developing high value oils and animal feeds by fermentation of low cost
January 12, 2021 Read Full Article
This Biotech Startup Is Making Palm Oil-Substitutes and Omega-3s from Carbon Emissions
by Kristin Toussaint (Fast Company) Instead of having more carbon go into the atmosphere, making our planet warmer and speeding up the effects of climate change, you might soon be able to eat those emissions. Biotech company LanzaTech has successfully
December 22, 2020 Read Full Article
New Discovery Opens Novel Pathway for High-Titer Production of Drop-in Biofuels
(Aarhus University/EurekAlert!) Using an unusual, light-dependent enzyme and a newly discovered enzymatic mechanism, researchers from Aarhus University and MIT have enabled the biological synthesis of high-yield industry relevant production of climate neutral drop-in fuels from biowaste -- ... A special light-dependent
December 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Selecting Best Microalgae for Biodiesel Production
(American Institute of Physics/EurekAlert!) An investigation of nine types of microalgae for use as an energy source in commercial biodiesel production based on laboratory-scale data -- Microalgae are a promising source of energy to replace fossil fuels, as they have several
December 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Joint Policy Proposal to Accelerate the Deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Europe - A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication
(World Economic Forum) What is the World Economic Forum doing to help aviation meet net zero goals? Through the Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition, stakeholders across the European aviation value-chain have aligned on key policy proposals to inform the EU’s
November 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Replacing Fossil Fuels? Gene-Edited Algae Could Help Cut Biodiesel Production Costs
(Genetic Literacy Project/ISAAA) Hiroshima University researchers developed a highly efficient genome editing system for microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica, which is a potential source of biodiesel. Algae gather high concentrations of lipids through photosynthesis and these lipids can be used as feedstocks for sustainable new energies called biodiesels. Nannochloropsis species are
October 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Are All Renewable Aviation Fuels Equally Sustainable?
by Michael Fiedler-Panajotopoulos (Renewable Energy Group Europe/European Waste-to-Advanced Biofuels Association /EurActiv) A recent European Commission inception impact assessment on “ReFuelEU Aviation” presents ideas about a future EU law to promote renewable aviation fuels, labelled as “Sustainable” Aviation Fuels (SAF). These
September 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Two Renewable Fuel Producers Scale Up to Increase Productivity and Economic Growth in Rural Southwestern Ontario
(Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) Parliamentary Secretary Kate Young announces $10 million for two southwestern Ontario clean energy organizations to expand operations and create 57 new jobs -- As the world increasingly prioritizes clean growth and looks for
August 13, 2020 Read Full Article
CAAFI Webinar Series: The State of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) The State of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by Steve Csonka (CAAFI) Slide deck available here. Webinar recording available here. Click here for more CAAFI webinars, meeting presentations and presentation recordings.
August 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Strain Improvements Keep Algae Ponds Growing Strong
(U.S. Department of Energy) ... A challenge for algal biofuel development is finding strains of algae best suited for producing copious amounts of oil quickly and under industrial-scale conditions. Maintaining pond health is also challenging—deteriorating health in a small fraction of
July 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Scientists from Russia and Germany to Develop New Biotechnology Using Algae
(Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University/EurekAlert!) Project to create a resource and CO2-neutral energy closed-loop technology from microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana and duckweed Lemna minor. -- Researchers of Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University(SPbPU) in collaboration with Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) completed an international joint
July 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Using Wastewater to Produce Better Algae for Biofuels
by Carrie Talus (New Mexico Consortium) New Mexico Consortium scientist, Joseph Msanne, along with colleagues Shawn Starkenburg and Juergen Polle, recently published an article titled An Assessment of Heterotrophy and Mixotrophy in Scenedesmus and its Utilization in Wastewater Treatment, in the June
June 15, 2020 Read Full Article
The Secret Sauce: Industry Partnerships Key to Advancing Bio-Based Chemicals and Fuels
by Asanga Padmaperuma (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) ... Today, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories study the development of chemicals and fuels with the use of cost-effective, renewable carbon sources, while working closely with the bioenergy industry. In support of the
March 25, 2020 Read Full Article
New Ecological Process for Producing Cheaper Biofuel
(Institut national de la recherche scientifique/Phys.Org) Professors Rajeshwar Dayal Tyagi and Patrick Drogui, researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), have developed a new approach to biodiesel production that uses microbes, sewage sludge, and a biofuel byproduct. ... Plants
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
FORGE Announces Investment from Shell Ventures and Valent Low-Carbon Technologies -- FORGE Builds Biofuel Production Plant in Ontario
(FORGE Hydrocarbons/Globe Newswire) FORGE Hydrocarbons Corp (“FORGE”), a Canadian biofuel start-up, announces an equity investment from Shell Ventures and a follow-on contribution from Valent Low-Carbon Technologies, which will help build a first-of-its-kind CAD$30 million commercial-scale, biofuel production plant in Sombra, Ontario. Clean
February 14, 2020 Read Full Article
UNT Scientist Unlocking the Secrets of Plant Energy
(University of North Texas) Kent Chapman, a University of North Texas Regents Professor and director of the UNT BioDiscovery Institute, is questioning decades-old assumptions in plant biochemistry to find better ways of storing and using lipids, the energy molecules found in all plants. “Biofuels are
January 20, 2020 Read Full Article
UNAIR Professor Uses Microalgae for Renewable Biodiesel Development
(Universitas Airlangga News/QS WOW News) ...The government plans to allocate fossil fuel energy subsidies by reducing them and using renewable energy resources with a focus on biodiesel development. Regarding this issue, Prof. Dr. Purkan, S.Si., M.Si., Professor of Chemistry at
December 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Cyanobacteria-Based Biofuel: an Innovative Platform for Clean Energy Production
by Viji Sitther, Behnam Tabatabai, Somayeh Gharaie Fathabad (Union of Concerned Scientists/Morgan State University) ... We are excited to announce that the Sitther Biofuel Research Group at Morgan State University has developed a technology to generate a cost-effective biofuel using a
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Drop-In Biofuels: The Key Role that Co-Processing Will Play in Their Production
(IEA Bioenergy/Netzwerk Betreibstoffe) Presentation online This webinar presents the 2019 update of the 2014 IEA Bioenergy Task 39 “drop-in” biofuels report. It reviews the status of technologies, the progress of the various technical approaches and updates the successes, challenges and
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Launches Green Barjeel Project to Cultivate Indigenous Algae
(United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) today announced the launch of the Green Barjeel research project that aims to leverage innovative methods to grow microalgae biomass with a high lipid
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algal Biomass Yield Improvements
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations is working on a trifecta of goals: 1) to develop improved strains and cultivation methods to increase the algal biofuel intermediate yield by at least 70% AND 2) to develop new drying and
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Exxon Mobil's Designed 2 Scale Challenge DEADLINE: November 15, 2019
(Designed 2 Scale Challenge) Algae-based feedstocks have shown tremendous potential in providing a safe, secure and locally available source of drop-in liquid fuels for the transportation sector. These feedstocks have the potential to not compete with conventional food crops and
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Project of Domestic Scientists of Turning Algae into Biodiesel Succeeds – Serbia Could Have Its Own Oil
(eKapija) Scientists at the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research of the University of Belgrade have managed, according to the first results of a three-year project, unique in the world, to increase the production of fats in algae for around 30% through
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Power of Biology for Algae Biofuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Synthetic Genomics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synthetic Genomics is a San Diego biotechnology company harnessing the power of living cells — nature’s most efficient machines — to create transformative medicines and bio-based products. Their teams of data and biological engineers have developed the
April 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Increased Biofuel Production from Unicellular Algae
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new study may provide knowledge for increased biofuel production from unicellular algae. When starved for nutrients such as nitrogen, algae accumulate copious amounts of energy-rich lipids, which can be harvested and used as biofuel. Algae-based biofuel has the
March 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineers Develop Fast Method to Convert Algae to Biocrude
(University of Utah/Science Daily) A team of chemical engineers have developed a new kind of jet mixer for creating biomass from algae that extracts the lipids from the watery plants with much less energy than the older extraction method. This key
March 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Direct Electrolysis Has Mixed Results for Extracting Fuel Sources from Microalgae
(Universiti Malaysia Sabah/Phys.Org) Researchers are investigating ways to improve biodiesel production by using electrical fields to break open microalgae cells with varied results, according to a new study in the Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology. Lipids inside microalgae are a promising source
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Lockheed Martin Invests in FORGE Hydrocarbons' Lipid to Hydrocarbons Technology
(Lockheed Martin) Forge Hydrocarbons Corporation (FORGE) today announced that it has received a $4 million USD investment from Lockheed Martin (LMT) under the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy. This investment enables Forge, a Canadian, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) company to
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Texas A&M AgriLife Research Wins $2 Million for Biofuel Research
(Texas A&M AgriLife Research/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to Texas A&M AgriLife Research will help researchers investigate potential discoveries for waste products used in lignocellulosic biofuel production, turning them into
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
How Is CAAFI Engaging with Emerging Companies, and What Early-Stage Pathways Should SAJF Stakeholders Be Aware of?
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative) ... Feedstocks: The companies are pursuing various feedstock categories, including algae, cellulosics, lipids, sugars, oilseeds, tall oil residue, and sugars. Most of the companies were only pursuing one feedstock category, with only a couple continuing
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Feeding Plants to This Algae Could Fuel Your Car
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source. The research shows that a freshwater production strain of microalgae, Auxenochlorella protothecoides,
July 19, 2018 Read Full Article
New Algae Biofuel Production Method Could Someday Compete with Petroleum
by Philip T. Pienkos (R&D Magazine) ... This time, the leading force was not the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), but the investment community acting in the belief that the power of modern biotechnology could be brought to bear against the
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Back to the Future All Over Again: ExxonMobil Targets Algae Fuels at Scale by 2025, as Oil Prices Rise
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have announced a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025. With that,
May 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuel from Algae: CUK Scientist Finds Key to Increase Yield by 30 Per Cent
by George Poikayil (Indian Express) The "path-breaking" findings were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Plant Physiology in May. -- A team of 14 scientists from Korea, Spain and India discovered a key to increase biofuel from algae by 30%. Their "path-breaking"
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Chinese Researchers Boost Algae Lipids, Reduce Peroxidation
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers from Nanjing Tech University in China have published a paper in Biotechnology for Biofuels on their method to increase lipid content and reduce peroxidation in Schizochytrium sp., a marine microalgae rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is touted for
March 21, 2018 Read Full Article
March Madness: These Colleges are Mad for Biodiesel
(National Biodiesel Board) National Biodiesel Board releases field of "Elite Eight" -- March Madness kicks off next week, showcasing the very best of college basketball. In that spirit, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has released its own bracket of colleges and universities
March 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Lipid-Extracted Microalgal Biomass Waste for Biogas
(WIREs Authors/Advanced Science News) To confront global warming, climate changes and a potential energy shortage, biodiesel received increasing interest as a substitute for diesel fuels in efforts towards sustainable development. Microalgae-derived biodiesel is a promising energy source. The advantages of microalgae as a
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Dry Idea: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioeconomy in Arid Regions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Scale up to profitable production, however, requires feedstock improvements, expansion of cultivation,
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
How Two Microbes Joined Forces to Produce Bio-diesel from Carbon Waste
by Tv Jayan (The Hindu) JNU researchers discover bacteria from Rajasthan, Ladakh, use them as catalysts -- Using microbes growing in two diverse climatic conditions, Indian scientists have found a way to convert carbon-rich waste materials into bio-fuel. A team of
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Chloroplast Role for Making Biofuels
(Michigan State University) Michigan State University researchers are experimenting with harvesting seed oil to make biofuels that could someday power our jets and cars. In a recent study published in the journal The Plant Cell, the researchers show that the chloroplast,
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Industrially-Relevant Strains: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has a goal of developing industrially-relevant strains to meet titer, rate, and yield targets for fuel precursors for the 2022 BC Platform cost target goals of $3/GGE. A project led by
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
NREL Research Takes Off For International Space Station
by Wayne Hicks (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Experiments bear repeating, especially when they explode on their way to the International Space Station. Almost two years ago, on June 28, 2015, the rocket carrying experiments from Chatfield High School to the orbiting
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
A Step toward Renewable Diesel: Chemical Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars into Oils.
by Anne Trafton (MIT News) MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers,
February 15, 2017 Read Full Article
MIT Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars into Oils
by Anne Trafton (MIT/Biomass Magazine) MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers,
January 20, 2017 Read Full Article
University of Florida Scientists Identify Algal Lipid Agent
(Algae Industry Magazine) University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) researchers may have found a key to converting algae to fuel. The scientists have found what researchers call a “transcription factor,” called ROC40. Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF/IFAS
March 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Integrated Bioprocess for Conversion of Gaseous Substrates to Liquids
by Peng Hua, Sagar Chakraborty, Amit Kumar, Benjamin Woolston, Hongjuan Liu, David Emerson, and Gregory Stephanopoulos (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) In the quest for inexpensive feedstocks (cost-effective fuel production), here we show a two-stage integrated bioprocess for
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Biochemist Studies Oilseed Plants for Biofuel, Industrial Development
(Kansas State University) A Kansas State University biochemistry professor has reached a milestone in building a better biofuel: producing high levels of lipids with modified properties in oil seeds. Timothy Durrett, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics in the College of
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Gently Stressing Algae for Higher Lipids
(Algae Industry Magazine) Some algae like Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (or “Chlamy,” as it’s known to its large research community) produce energy-dense oils or lipids when stressed, and these lipids can then be converted into fuels. However, researchers walk a fine line
August 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists Hijack Light-Loving Bacteria to Make High-Value Products
(Nanowerk News/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Scientists have directed a common bacterium to produce more of a valuable fatty acid, lauric acid, than it typically does. The achievement is noteworthy not simply because of the increased production of fatty acid, which
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute Publish Paper Outlining Efficient Synthetic Biology Methods to Genetically Engineer Microalgae
(J. Craig Venter Institute) Results have important implications in developing algae-based products such as biofuels and chemicals -- Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published a paper today (April 21, 2015) outlining new
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Engineers Develop New Yeast Strain to Enhance Biofuel and Biochemical Production
(University of Texas at Austin) Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have used a combination of metabolic engineering and directed evolution to develop a new, mutant yeast strain that could lead to
April 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Enhancing Microbial Lipid Production
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) By revealing a novel molecular pathway involved in microbial lipid accumulation in the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, this study could lead to strategies for engineering microbes to increase the production of lipid biofuels and chemicals. Lipids derived
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Water Environment Research Foundation Selects Drexel University to Perform Extraction from Wastewater Research
(prweb.com) The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has selected Drexel University to perform research that will monitor and quantify the composition of waste greases to improve knowledge about the feasibility of grease-to-biodiesel processes. A key outcome of the Extraction of
August 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Cellectis Developing Higher Oil Algal Strains
(Algae Industry Magazine) Cellectis plant sciences, the plant genome engineering company, have announced the publication in Nature Communications of their development of algae strains with improved and increased oil content. The report notes that diatoms are among the world’s most important microalgae, both
June 27, 2014 Read Full Article
University of Texas Austin Engineer Rewires Yeast Cells For High Lipid Content
(University of Texas at Austin/Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a new source of renewable energy, a biofuel, from genetically engineered yeast cells and ordinary table sugar. This yeast produces oils and