(ANDRITZ) International technology Group ANDRITZ has completed start-up of key production technologies and equipment for Fibria’s new pulp mill in Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. ... In addition, ANDRITZ has delivered a chloride and potassium removal system to enhance the
Methanol/Biomethanol/Renewable Methanol
Back TO HOMEEnerkem Begins Commercial Production of Cellulosic Ethanol from Garbage at Its State-of-the-Art Edmonton Biofuels Facility
(Enerkem/PR Newswire) Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a world leading biofuels and renewable chemicals producer, announced today it has started the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. Enerkem's game-changing facility in Edmonton, AB, Canada, is the first commercial-scale plant in the world to produce cellulosic
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Södra Commences Biofuel Production
(Södra) Södra will invest more than SEK 100 million in the production of biomethanol, a sustainable fuel from forest raw material. The project will commence in autumn 2017 and is scheduled to be ready for operation by spring 2019. The aim
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Methanol and Bio-Economy: Now and the Future
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Methanol and bioeconomies are two of the buzz words of the last decade. They had their origin in the “peak oil” scare and the predicted sky rocketing oil prices. They were further
August 25, 2017 Read Full Article
New Regulations for Fuel Specifications
(National.org) New regulations for New Zealand’s fuel specifications will support the growth of lower-emission fuels that are better for people, the environment and cars, Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Regulations set out minimum standards for fuel performance,
August 23, 2017 Read Full Article
A Smart, Faster Path to Zero Lifecycle Emission: Advances from the EU in Direct Carbon Capture from Air
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The most scalable solution is liquid fuels that use water, captured CO2 and renewable electricity. ... Thinkers have been coming around to the realization that this might be the most sustainable path, notwithstanding the joys of
August 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Nitin Gadkari Pushes for Large-Scale Introduction of Biofuel Vehicles
by Jyotika Sood (LiveMint) Nitin Gadkari directs NITI Aayog to study automobile standards developed by China for various methanol-powered vessels like cars and ships, and prepare a report -- Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari is looking at
August 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Celebrating Canada’s 150th: A Short History of the Biofuel Industry in Canada
By Gerald Kutney (Sixth Element Sustainable Management/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) The 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation arrived on July 1st of this year — it is a time to reflect upon the country’s achievements; this article covers the evolution of the Canadian
July 05, 2017 Read Full Article
COSIA NRG Carbon XPRIZE: Tech Innovators Stalk a Stealthy WMD
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Among the climate warriors fighting CO2 build-up, perhaps the most ambitious are those who are seeking to use CO2 to make industrial materials, fuels or chemicals — displacing the need to use oil or gas
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Government to Formulate Policies on Ethanol, Methanol to Bring Down Crude Import Bill: Nitin Gadkari
(PTI/The Financial Express) The Centre will soon come out with policies on the second-generation ethanol as well as methanol, non-conventional fuel resources, which will bring down the crude import bill by Rs 1 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Replacing Diesel: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Oberon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oberon Fuels is facilitating the growth of the DME transportation industry by converting biogas and other hydrocarbon rich waste streams to higher valued commodities such as DME. Using its proprietary small-scale process, Oberon makes DME
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Ocean Going Vessels Going Green
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) Currently over 866 million tons per year of CO2, or 2.4% of the world’s total, come from maritime sources. A report to the European Parliament predicts that maritime emission will account for up
November 23, 2016 Read Full Article
US$ 133.3 Mn Renewable Methanol Market to Grow Steadily Through 2026
(Future Market Insights/PR NewsWire) Future Market Insights delivers key insights on the global renewable methanol market in its latest report titled "Renewable Methanol Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026". According to the report, global sales of renewable methanol is estimated
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Rotterdam Is Proposed Location for Waste-to-Chemicals Plant
by AkzoNobel/Van Gansewinkel/Air Liquide/AVR/Enerkem/Havenbedrijf Rotterdam/gemeente Rotterdam/provincie Zuid-Holland/InnovationQuarter en Clean Tech Delta/Port of Rotterdam) The construction of a waste-to-chemicals plant in the Netherlands that will produce methanol from synthesis gas generated from residual waste is a step closer. A partnership consisting
October 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels International 2016: Industry Experts Outline 2030 EU Biofuels Vision
by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International) Industry experts have outlined their 2030 biofuels vision at the 9th Biofuels International Conference. By 2020, the EU aims to have 10% of the transport fuel of every EU country come from renewable sources such as
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Inexpensive Semiconducting Organic Polymers Can Harvest Sunlight to Split Carbon Dioxide into Alcohol Fuels
by Louisa Kellie (Phys.Org) Chemists at The University of Texas at Arlington have been the first to demonstrate that an organic semiconductor polymer called polyaniline is a promising photocathode material for the conversion of carbon dioxide into alcohol fuels without
September 21, 2016 Read Full Article
India Will Soon Be Zero Petroleum Import Country: Gadkari
(CNBC MoneyControl) Despite low prices globally, India at present is incurring a massive Rs 4.5 lakh crore on crude imports which was earlier Rs 7.5 lakh crore, Gadkari said addressing a conference on methanol economy organised by Niti Aayog today.
September 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Report: Canadian Ethanol Industry Operating at Full Capacity
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Canada recently filed annual biofuels report with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network, reporting the nation’s ethanol industry has consolidated and plants are running at capacity. The report indicates that Canada’s ethanol
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Microbeads. Reviled, Yes. Useful, Yes. What’s the Alternative?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The BBC is reporting that although microplastics form only 0.01% to 4.1% of the total plastic waste dumped into the seas, researchers have been especially concerned about microplastics because of the problem of microbial life
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Enerkem's Facility in Edmonton Becomes the First ISCC Certified Plant in the World to Convert Municipal Solid Waste into Biomethanol
(Enerkem/Newswire) Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, announced it has obtained certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system for the biomethanol production of its Enerkem Alberta Biofuels full-scale facility in Edmonton, Canada. This biorefinery therefore becomes
August 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Alternative Fuels for Marine and Inland Waterways Transport
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) A recent JRC (Joint Research Center) report finds that fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol are the most promising alternatives to drive decarbonisation of the shipping sector and ultimately contribute to the fight against climate change.
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
The Top 20 Ways to Capture and Make Use of Carbon
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was back in 2010 that the first large-scale set of projects were funded to to test innovative concepts for the beneficial use of carbon dioxide, part of a Recovery Act investment into carbon capture
June 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Shipping Sector Emissions: Alternative Fuels for Marine and Inland Waterways Transport
(European Commission Joint Research Center) A recent JRC report finds that fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol are the most promising alternatives to drive decarbonisation of the shipping sector and ultimately contribute to the fight against climate change.
May 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Duel Fuel--Colocating Ethanol, Biodiesel
by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biodiesel tanks are popping up in the tank farms at some ethanol plants these days. -- During the past decade, there has been a great deal of innovation and thought put into the synergies between
April 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Methanol as a Chemical Platform: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Enerkem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers for chemical intermediates, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Enerkem Senior Vice President Tim Cesarek,
April 13, 2016 Read Full Article
No Pain, No Gain: A Tale of Three Companies, Pacific Ethanol, BioAmber and TerraVia at a crossroads
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... a fascinating look at the evolution in the fuels, renewable chemicals, specialty products and nutrition that make up the advanced bioeconomy. ... The most spectacular news of the week belonged to TerraVia, which landed a
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
The 30 Hottest Biobased Molecules for 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest has released the 30 Hottest Biobased Molecules for 2016, as voted by the Digest’s global readership. The Readers were surveyed over December and January, and rated more than 100 individual molecules
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Research and Markets: Analysing the Biofuel Industry in the United States 2015
(Research and Markets/BusinessWire) Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Biofuel Industry in the United States - 2015" report to their offering. The report helps assess the feasibility of production of biofuels and the potential of biofuels in the US.
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Simple Fuel, Simple Engine, Simple Infrastructure: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Oberon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oberon Fuels is facilitating the growth of the DME transportation industry by converting biogas and other hydrocarbon rich waste streams to higher valued commodities such as DME. Using its proprietary small-scale process, Oberon makes DME
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
New Biobased Projects Around the World
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who’s building what, where, now. 29 projects in construction or in commissioning in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and the Americas Despite low oil prices, first-gen biofuels and advanced biofuels continue to develop, and
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
SNEPCo Promotes (M)Ethanol Clean Cookstoves in Drive for Safer Cooking Method in Nigeria
(Shell) Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has signed an agreement with Project Gaia Prospects Limited (PGPL) for the conduct of a pilot study on the use of Ethanol clean cookstoves, a cleaner and safer way of cooking. SNEPCo will
November 10, 2015 Read Full Article
8 Ways around the Big, Bad Oxygen Problem in the Advanced Bioeconomy Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the terrestrial world, oxygen is colorless, odorless, and try to get through an hour without some. In the Bioeconomy Cinematic Universe, oxygen is harder than steel, heavier than a black hole, and higher than
October 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Waste Is a Terrible Thing to Mind: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Enerkem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Enerkem’s technology converts non-recyclable municipal solid waste (i.e. garbage) into clean fuels and renewable chemicals. Enerkem Alberta Biofuels is the world’s first commercial biorefinery to use municipal solid waste to produce methanol and ethanol. This facility is the result of more
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Conjuring Chemical Cornucopias out of Thin Air
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Liquid fuels aren't the only things made from oil. Chemical companies start with oil to make thousands of different products, including plastics and pharmaceuticals. Most of these other commodities are worth more than fuels. So
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Methanol’s Moment: With Low Prices, and Proven Process, Is Meth Your New Best Friend?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Methanol is gaining momentum as a low-carbon fuels target, as Enerkem starts producing in Edmonton. Why methanol, why now? Here, we look at the technology and market rationale for this rising trend. As we reported earlier
September 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Enerkem Raises C$152.6 Million in Financings; Initiates Biomethanol Production
(Enerkem, Inc.) Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, announced today it has raised C$152.6 million and has initiated the production of biomethanol from non-recyclable household garbage at the Enerkem Alberta Biofuels full-scale facility in Edmonton, Canada. "I must say a
September 09, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… B.B. Klaversteijn, Co-Founder, Fairchar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Responsible for and engaged in the development of portable biomethanol production units for the on site conversion of wood from invasive trees (Africa) to biomethanol and pyrolysis oil. The most prominent systems component is a
July 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Geely Invests $45.5 mln in Methanol Plant
(ECNS.cn/China Daily) Geely Holding Group, which owns Volvo Car Corp, plans to expand its methanol vehicle operation after its decision to invest $45.5 million in Iceland's Carbon Recycling International Inc. The company operates the world's first methanol plant in Iceland. Geely's deal
July 08, 2015 Read Full Article
First Methanol-Powered Diesel Engine Debuted by MAN D&T
By Charlie Bartlett (Seatrade Maritime News) MAN Diesel & Turbo has run successful tests of a new liquid-gas-injection engine, the ME-LGI, set for installation on a newbuild Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) methanol carrier series. Taking place at MAN’s Tamano facility near Okayama,
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Ecuador to Roll out Argus-Linked Ethanol
(Argus Media) Ecuador's President Rafael Correa issued a decree that orders the gradual roll out of a 10pc ethanol blend nationwide, using the Argus US Gulf Coast ethanol price as an index. ... The Ecopais plan is aimed at reducing Ecuador´s growing
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
15 Hot and Novel Low Carbon Fuel Technologies to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) An effort is underway in the UK to classify, within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, “novel low carbon fuels” made by companies such as LanzaTech, Joule, Solar Jet, Velocys, Sunfire, Pyreco and others. -- In the
April 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Australian Biomass Plant To Improve Soil, Sequester Carbon, & Produce Biofuel
by Ronald Brakels (CleanTechnica) A $10 million dollar pilot biomass plant will be constructed in the Western Australian Capital of Perth. ... The specific type of plants will be mallee crops. This somewhat broad category includes agricultural waste and crops that
March 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Maverick Announces Its Oasis BG Gas-to-Liquid Methanol Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here we highlight an interesting solution to the problem of organic waste. In North Carolina, Maverick Synfuels announced the availability of the Maverick Oasis BG Gas-to-Liquid methanol plant product line. These plants convert biogas from sources such
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Low Carbon Fuel Project Inches Closer to Construction
by Russell Hixson (Journal of Commerce) Blue Fuel Energy, based in Victoria, plans to make its final decision on a $2.5 billion gas refinery at the end of the year. The renewables and natural gas-to-gasoline plant would be built at a
February 08, 2015 Read Full Article
IEA Task 39 Newsletter #38 Online Focuses on Netherlands
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) This issue features a Biofuels country update from the Netherlands, an update on Task 39’s ongoing work, and a short summary of some of other relevant news in the Biofuels area (such as the expansion of cellulosic ethanol
January 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Innovative Research, Applications and Approaches Keep Freudenberg-NOK Ahead of the Competition
(Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies/PR NewsWire) The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit offers visitors an eye-pleasing preview of new cars and trucks. But in addition to amazing design, many of this year's hottest vehicles also offer better fuel economy,
January 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Enerkem: Alberta’s Municipal Waste to Fuels Juggernaut, in Pictures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How does a technology take municipal solid waste and turn it into liquid fuels and chemicals? What’s the “death of landfill” all about in terms of creating value streams from waste streams? We take you
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…Sam Yenne, CEO, Maverick Synfuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Maverick Synfuels is about converting low value feedstocks into petroleum replacing chemicals and fuels. What makes Maverick unique is our Spoke and Hub deployment model. First we focus on small-scale modular gas to methanol
October 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Earth to Cellulosic Ethanol: Glad You’re Here, Buddy, What Took so Long? Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellulosic ethanol arrives at scale — “The five years away forever” put to rest — but are there troubling waters still ahead? For whom, and why? Part I of II There’s a gigantic disconnect between two sections
October 10, 2014 Read Full Article
PUMP debuts Sept. 19 in NY and LA. Elon Musk, Jason Bateman, Lula Head a Star-Studded Documentary on Energy Choice
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Friday, a new movie debuts — billed “the movie that will change your attitude about fuel forever” — and specifically, about ending oil addiction It’s PUMP — an eye-opener directed by Josh Tickell (director of
September 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Adding Value to the Raw Glycerin from Biodiesel Plants
(Environmental-Expert.com/ABATEC SA) ABATEC SA introduces the BD4-MG system, to manufacture Methanol from raw Glycerol. It is an innovative way for adding value to the glycerol produced in the biodiesel plants. READ MORE
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Enerkem’s Family Affair
by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine) Enerkem President and CEO Vincent Chornet and his team have driven Enerkem along a commercialization pathway for the past 10 years. As Enerkem’s first commercial-scale deployment in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, enters its commissioning phase, its technology
June 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Developers of the First Cellulosic Plants Share Updates at FEW
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... A week before the FEW, Enerkem Inc. celebrated the inauguration of its 10 MMgy facility in Edmonton, Alberta. Commissioning is nearly completed, reported Tim Cesarek, senior vice president of business development. The thermochemical process
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Expanding American Ethanol to China
by Kelly Davis (Renewable Fuels Associations) I (Kelly Davis, Director of Regulatory Affairs) had the unique opportunity to participate in a 10-day U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) trade mission to China that began on May 5. I joined USDA Under Secretary
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Waste-to-Biofuel Facility Opens
by (Biofuels International) ...Enerkem has officially inaugurated its first full-scale municipal waste-to-biofuels and chemicals facility in Edmonton, Alberta. The facility will have a production capacity of up to 38 million litres per year and is expected to generate net economic spending
June 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Supercritical Biodiesel Method Creates Less Waste From Fats
By Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers reported on a novel method this week at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, to produce biodiesel from crude animal fats, including waste fat from alligators, using supercritical methanol in a flow reactor. “Conversion
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Making Silk Purses from Sows Ears: Converting Waste Into Energy and Biofuels, Pt 1 and 2
by Tim Sklar (Biofuels Digest) Part 1 ... It seems that many of the companies providing new biofuels technologies do not fully understanding the competitive environment that they must navigate. As a consequence they fail to develop strategies that will allow
March 27, 2014 Read Full Article
The Race to Capture, Use and Monetize Waste CO2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reduce carbon? Rid the world of excess CO2? Not so fast, buster. A new generation of technologies has come along that capture, re-purpose and monetize CO2 emissions. Will they realize their promise? As Liquid Light steps out of
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Can This Birmingham Company Kickstart the Alternative Fuel Revolution?
by Bryan Davis (Birmingham Business Journal) The race to discover a viable alternative fuel to gasoline has slowed down some in recent years, and that could be because the fuel source everyone is looking for has been hiding in plain
February 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Israel's New Motor Fuels Strategy Leans on Gas
by Ari Rabinovitch (Reuters) Israel plans to cut oil use in transportation by 60 percent by 2025, an aggressive target by world standards, and will tap into its newfound natural gas deposits to make it happen. It is also investing heavily
December 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels, True North, Natural Gas, and Primus Green Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Primus Green Energy recently completed a landmark technology demonstration — and heads off to scale with a catalytic technology for making $2.00 gasoline. But, in shifting to natural gas as a feedstock for the first
November 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Commissioning a First-of-a-Kind Plant Takes Time
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Retka Schill visited the Ineos Bio facility in person in August. She returned from Florida with new insight about how large chemical companies define and carry out plant commissioning. She informs us that the
October 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Congress Could Lower Alt-Fuel Requirements in New Open Fuel Standard Act
by Jon LeSage (AutoBlogGreen) Congress is considering a revised version of the Open Fuel Standard Act, an Act that was originally introduced two years ago but failed to pass. Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced a bipartisan bill that would require more
July 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Spiderweb-Like Tower Would Harvest Air Pollution in London and Turn It into Biofuel
by Carl Franzen (The Verge) ...Chang-Yeob Lee of the Royal College of Art wants to radically transform London's BT Tower at some point in the future, equipping it with exterior carbon fiber and steel rigging, designed to capture and convert air
July 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol: Scale-Up and Commercialization - Part 2
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) In the final breakout session of the BIO World Congress on June 19, there was a second panel on scale-up and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. As with the session on the conference’s first day,
June 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels in the US: How Much and How Soon? 2014′s Terrific Ten
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although no commercial-scale cellulosic biofuels facilities are operating in the United States at present, at least ten projects exceeding 20 million gallons per year are expected to begin operations by 2014. Tristan R. Brown and Robert
March 22, 2013 Read Full Article
UK Releases Open Source Data on Biofuels Usage Since 2008
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, the government has made available open source data regarding the country’s use of biofuels through April 14, 2013 (despite the fact that it’s still a month away), the fifth year of the Renewable Transport
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
If Polluters Pay, Will Renewables Rise?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Changes in EU policy and the financing of advanced biofuels have led to a revival of project formation in Europe. The latest news from Finland is that St1 is proceeding towards a build on its 10
February 06, 2013 Read Full Article
The Lowdown on Methanol and Dimethyl Ester as Advanced Biofuels
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest/Energy Trends Insider) ...Methanol is cheap to produce and has been tested extensively as a gasoline replacement. It is the simplest alcohol and one of the world’s most widely used commodity chemicals. Global capacity of methanol is
September 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels, a Transformative Industry
by Bruce C. Folkedahl (Biomass Magazine/Energy & Environmental Research Center) As part of the ongoing research at the Energy & Environmental Research Center, we have been developing a catalytic pathway to convert ethanol or mixtures of methanol and ethanol to higher
September 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Dutch Autosport Industry Drives Forward in Fuel Sustainability Stakes
(Biofuels International) The 48th edition of the ELE Rally in the Netherlands hosted races that had cars fuelled by Gasoline Ethanol Methanol (GEM) from second generation biofuels producer BioMCN. ...The BioMCN GEM concept has been developed and tested in collaboration with car
June 07, 2012 Read Full Article
No Farm Bill, No Tier 3—Not until after the Election; Sundrop Fuels Presents an Alternative
By Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the March 21 Bioenergy Day on Capitol Hill, discussion focused on the need for a continued Renewable Fuels Standard, reviews of the history of biofuels, assessment of current questioning of biofuels as viable
March 23, 2012 Read Full Article
The Methanol Alternative to Gasoline
by Tom Ridge and Mary E. Peters (New York Times) Opinion: President Obama recently called the United States the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas” and asserted that it was time for our oil-dominated transportation fuel market to open the door
February 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Update on a Mobile Indirect Biomass Liquefaction System
by John P. Hurley (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine/U.S. Department of Energy, Energy & Environmental Research Center) Minnesota’s forestry operations produce 300,000 tons per year of wood waste that is not used in any existing or proposed facility. Through the process
February 01, 2012 Read Full Article
LUFT: Market-Based Future for Ethanol
by Gal Luft (The Washington Times) ...At current oil prices, ethanol is more costly than gasoline while the alcohol fuel methanol, primarily made from natural gas, is cheaper than gasoline on a per-mile basis. But the comparative per-mile economics of
January 18, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Production Technologies: Overview of These Expanding Sectors and the Challenges Facing Them
(IFP Energies Nouvelles) The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now starting to bear fruit. Although no plants are producing and marketing biofuels yet, the large-scale, industrial feasibility of second-generation biofuel production at
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Vertis Signed up as Agent for BioMCN in Central Europe
(BioMCN) Environmental commodity broker Vertis Environmental Finance have signed an agency agreement with BioMCN for the representation and sales of bio-methanol in Central Europe. BioMCN is the largest 2nd generation biofuels producer in the world, producing high quality bio-methanol from
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Researchers Discover a Way to Significantly Reduce the Production Costs of Fuel Cells
(EurekAlert/Aalto University) This ALD method for manufacturing fuel cells requires 60 per cent less of the costly catalyst than current methods. -This is a significant discovery, because researchers have not been able to achieve savings of this magnitude before with materials
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Alberta-Pacific Pulp and Paper Mill Transitions to Biorefining
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) ...Beginning as far back as 1998, mills like Alberta-Pacific began experiencing tighter profit margins, some down to three percent, while mills in places like India or Brazil averaged nine and eight percent respectively. The move
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Breaking Oil's Monopoly on Transportation
by Geoffrey Styles (Energy Outlook) I've been thinking about an op-ed in Tuesday's New York Times written by a former National Security Advisor and a former CIA chief. ...The op-ed was apparently timed to mark the introduction of a new group
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Market Access Will Save US from $4 Gasoline, Says FuelChoiceNow
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, a coalition called FuelChoiceNow has opened for business one worth taking a very, very close look at. The pitch: that advanced fuel companies are developing new, affordable and commercial-ready alternatives to oil, but are inhibited
September 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Open Fuel Standard Legislation Is Bad for the Environment; Bad for Biofuels
(Advanced Biofuels USA) Shale Natural Gas Does Not Belong in Pro-Environmental Legislation A new legislative analysis by Advanced Biofuels USA concludes that the Open Fuel Standard (OFS) is bad for advanced biofuels and will add to environmental damage if passed and
June 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Why It’s Wrong to Agree with the Malthusians about Ethanol
by Robert Zubrin (Pajamas Media) Rising food prices are the result of rising oil prices, not a growing market for ethanol. ...There is not a fixed amount of grain in the world. Farmers produce in response to demand. The more customers,
May 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Making a Great Fuel Even Better
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) How replacing natural gas with biomass as feedstock for methanol production can improve biodiesel's already good environmental footing The vast majority of methanol produced today is sourced from natural gas, but this has not always been
May 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Open Fuel Standard Introduced in House, Sponsorship Growing
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., imagines a world where consumers could drive up to the pump in a standardized vehicle and choose - be it biofuels, methanol, coal-to-liquid fuel or gasoline, depending on the best
May 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Methanol Greener than Ethanol
by Gerry Calhoun (DNJ.com) ...Methanol, processed from natural gas, is an alcohol, like ethanol, but it needs no extensive lands for cultivation, no distillation, no transportation and thus is far more environmentally friendly. Any car that can burn gasoline with
April 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Georgia’s First Wood-to-Ethanol Plant Opens
by Dave Williams (Atlanta Business Chronicle) The nation’s first commercial plant producing ethanol from wood wastes is open for business in the timber country of southeastern Georgia. More than a year and a half behind its original schedule, Colorado-based Range Fuels Inc.
August 31, 2010 Read Full Article
Range Fuels Produces Cellulosic Methanol From First Commercial Cellulosic Biofuels Plant
(PR Newswire) Range Fuels' Commercial Cellulosic Biofuels Plant near Soperton, Georgia Produces Cellulosic Methanol from Non-Food Biomass Range Fuels, Inc., a company focused on commercially producing low-carbon biofuels and clean renewable power, today announced that it has produced cellulosic methanol from the
August 18, 2010 Read Full Article
ACE Speakers Answer Big Oil, Ethanol Critics
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) At this year’s American Coalition for Ethanol Conference & Trade Show, two speakers gave particularly strong arguments for chipping away at the power and monopoly of Big Oil. It just so happens that Anne
August 10, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol Likely to Have Major Role as Fuel
by Jim Kenzie (Wheel.ca) ...So far, everyone seems to think that the only way we’ll wean ourselves off decomposed dinosaur remains is if we either can’t find any more, or it becomes so expensive to find/extract/ship/refine that we’ll have to find
July 05, 2010 Read Full Article
BioMCN Opens Largest 2nd Generation Biofuel Plant
(BioMCN) June 25, 2010, the Queen’s Commissioner of the Province of Groningen, Sir Max van den Berg, together with Rob Voncken, CEO of BioMCN, has officially opened the largest second generation biofuel plant in the world. With a production capacity of 250
June 29, 2010 Read Full Article
Closed Down Methanol Plant Turned into the World's Largest Biofuels Production Plant
(Chemrec) On the northern coast of the Netherlands a few driven entrepreneurs transformed a closed down methanol factory into the world’s largest second generation biofuels production unit in less than three years. By changing the feedstock into crude glycerine and applying
June 11, 2010 Read Full Article
A New Way to Make Methanol Fuel
(New Energy and Fuel) University of Oxford researchers are developing a method for the homogeneous conversion of CO2 to methanol, with methanol as the only resulting C1 product. With momentum building in the methanol powered fuel cell market there is good
May 25, 2010 Read Full Article
Methanol: Biofuel to love or hate?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...A lot of people refer to methanol as wood alcohol – referring to the ancient process of extracting methanol from wood, using pyrolysis. In recent years, it has been primarily extracted from methane — the
May 25, 2010 Read Full Article
We Are Green: “Always Clean 110″ Project Is an Example of a Growing Trend in Biofuels: “Symbiosis” Project Produce Biodiesel, Using Recovered Methanol, Cooking Oil
by (Biofuels Digest) ...Here is an under funded grad student (with a mechanical engineering degree from Northern Illinois University) who, while working part time, put together a system that will produce bio-diesel fuel from basic waste by-products found on campus,
December 04, 2009 Read Full Article
Can Methanol Really Make a Dent in US Oil Demand?
by John Lynn (Energy Tribune) ... Methanol can be produced from a wide variety of feedstocks, including natural gas, coal, biomass, and even atmospheric carbon dioxide. ... Using mature gasification technology, one ton of biomass can be used to produce