(NewEnergyBlue/PR Newswire) NewEnergyBlue, the clean-technology designer of biomass refineries that turn agricultural waste into highly decarbonized biofuels and biochemicals, and MetGen, the Finnish pioneer in advanced enzymes and lignin fractionization, today began integrating their renewable technologies and business units to vigorously
miscanthus
Back TO HOMECould Switchgrass Be Used for Aviation Fuel? Study to Find Out
by Tom Venesky (Lancaster Farming) A new study is examining the use of switchgrass sugars in aviation fuel, similar to corn used for ethanol. -- A federal grant could help researchers clear the final hurdle to make switchgrass a viable source for
September 07, 2024 Read Full Article
Professor Sarah Davis Advances Biofuels Research
(Ohio University) In the race to find alternatives to oil and gas, the adoption of biofuels has been more deliberate than other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, that are less suited for liquid fuel substitutes. But now,
August 31, 2024 Read Full Article
New Energy Farms Open Days --- various dates August - October --- various locations and ONLINE
NEF are holding a number of Open Days in 2024 to showcase the TEMPEC project, Technologies to Enhance the Multiplication and Propagation of Energy Crops, which is part of the UK Governments’ Biomass Innovation Programme. The Project is exploring the yield potential of a range of high yielding energy
August 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crops - U.S. Regions' Best for Aviation
(Farms.com) Regional bioenergy crops key to aviation fuel plans -- In an impactful study by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers have pinpointed the most suitable bioenergy crops for producing sustainable aviation fuels across the U.S., focusing on economic and environmental sustainability. The
July 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Study Estimates Land Use Change Emissions for Six Aviation Fuel Pathways
by Ansa Heyl (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis/Phys.Org) A new IIASA-led study offers the first detailed estimates of land use change emissions for six sustainable aviation fuel production pathways. The authors focused on both food and non-food raw materials used
July 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Atlantic Biomass Receives Nearly $200,000 US Department of Energy Funding for Biofuel Development
(Atlantic Biomass) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Atlantic Biomass a $184,000 grant for ”Low-Cost Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) from Perennial Feedstocks using Simultaneous Ball Milling and Enzyme Hydrolysis.” Work on this project will be performed by
July 22, 2024 Read Full Article
BETO Selects 13 Small Businesses to Develop Innovative Bio-Based Products and Biomass Processing Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced awards for the FY24 Phase I Release 2 of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Across DOE, 229 projects in 39 states received $52 million to pursue
July 18, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Hexas Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hexas Biomass is a biomaterials company focused on the production and use of sustainable plant-based materials to replace wood and petroleum-based feedstocks in multiple applications, including energy, chemicals, packaging, textiles, and structural/non-structural applications. CEO Wendy Owens
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
New Energy Blue and ARCO/Murray Partner to Build Biomass Refineries to Produce Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals
(New Energy Blue) New Energy Blue, the clean-energy developer whose technology converts agricultural waste into lowest-carbon biofuels and biochemicals, and ARCO/Murray, one of America’s largest, most experienced, and fastest-growing construction firms, today announce a partnership to build out the New Energy
June 25, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Haffner Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Haffner Energy’s expertise has been forged over more than 30 years of experience. 30 years’ experience designing, developing and bringing to market a pioneering, patented technology that produces clean fuels with a neutral-to-negative carbon footprint: biomass
May 02, 2024 Read Full Article
2023 Billion-Ton Report
(U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy KDF) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technology Office's (BETO's) 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23) is an assessment of renewable carbon resources potentially available in the United States. BT23 explores these resources in terms of quantity, price,
April 04, 2024 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Won’t Short Food Supply, Manufacturers Say
by Sean Prattt (Manitoba Cooperator/Glacier Farm Media) Manufacturers of sustainable aviation fuel say the increase in light duty electric vehicles has created an ethanol surplus -- Sustainable aviation fuel manufacturers say they won’t compromise food supplies despite consuming large volumes of agricultural
April 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Win for Ground Transportation
by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois Agri-View) Despite the fervor around electric vehicles and their potential to reduce the transportation sector’s carbon footprint, 2023 projections suggest electric vehicles won’t edge out gas-powered vehicles for decades to come. With conventional vehicles
March 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Still a Win for Ground Transportation
by Deborah Gertz Husar (Herald-Whig) ... With conventional vehicles likely to dominate the ground fleet for the foreseeable future, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts say cellulosic biofuels shouldn’t be discounted. Researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the
March 18, 2024 Read Full Article
New Energy Blue Forms New Energy Chemicals to Sustainably Produce Bio-Sourced Ethylene for Carbon-Zero Jet Fuel and Dow's Renewable Plastics
(New Energy Blue/PR Newswire) New Energy Blue, the clean-energy developer of lowest-carbon biofuel and biochemicals from crop residues, today advances its Decarbonizing America agenda by forming New Energy Chemicals. In phase one, the new biochemical subsidiary will produce American-sourced and American-made bio-based
March 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Purpose-Grown Energy Crops: What Drives Feedstock Innovation
by Glenn Farris (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Diges) In the drive towards a clean energy future and a low-carbon energy environment, purpose-grown energy crops will play a major role. At this time and for many years, researchers associated with universities, national
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Funding Notice: Department of Energy Announces $29 Million to Drive Feedstock Innovation for Clean Energy Production DEADLINE March 14, 2024
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced $29 million in funding to drive research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of low-carbon-intensity, purpose-grown energy crops critical to accelerating a clean energy economy. The Regional Resource Hubs for Purpose-Grown Energy Crops funding
February 08, 2024 Read Full Article
DOE Issues Notice of Intent to Advance Low Carbon Feedstocks for Clean Energy Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office announced its notice of intent (NOI) to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will drive the research and development (R&D) of low-carbon, purpose-grown energy crops leading to the deployment
December 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Biomass to Liquid Fuels: We Need Commercial Scale Gen 2 Success
by Doug Rivers (Lee Enterprise Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... And while advances have been made in the materials handling and pretreatment of these feedstocks, commercial scale attempts produce ethanol have been met with multiple and highly visible failures measured in at least hundreds
December 04, 2023 Read Full Article
Webinar Recording: Overview of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Activities at the Bioenergy Research Centers
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) Dr. Brian Davison (CBI), Tim Donohue (GLBRC), Dr. Jennifer R. Gottwald (GLBRC), Dr. Andrew Leakey (CABBI), and Dr. Aindrila Mukhopashyay (JBEI) present an Overview of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Activities at the DOE Bioenergy Research Centers READ
November 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Alder Renewables Unlocks Carbon-Negative SAF via Miscanthus Breakthrough
by Tim Obitts and Derek Vardon (Alder Renewables/Biofuels Digest) • Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from miscanthus Alder Renewable Crude (ARC) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 110% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel.* A purpose-grown energy crop, miscanthus can store roughly half
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Systems Development and Integration – Scale-Up Portfolio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) SDI directly supports BETO’s strategic goal to decarbonize the transportation sector through R,D, &D to produce cost-effective, sustainable aviation and other strategic fuels – By 2030, SDI aims to support scale-up of multiple biofuel production pathways
September 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Perspectives from USDA Research…. Hot Feedstocks for SAF
by William Orts (USDA Western Regional Research Center) USDA Projects: 1. Bioproducts and Biopolymers from Ag Feedstocks 2. Zero Waste Agricultural Processing 3. Domestic Production of Natural Rubber and Resins ... • Building biorefineries does not require us to build from scratch • Biorefineries are originally grain mills, but
August 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Leipzig Researchers Present Modelling Results of Optimal Biomass Use in the Energy Transition
(German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ)) What is the optimal role of limited biomass in the national energy transition and what are the priority target markets for bioenergy sources? These questions were addressed by a team of researchers from the German Biomass
May 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Next Step in Alder’s Commercialization Journey: Introducing Pioneer & Full-Time Skid Operations
by y Matt Sherick and Derek Vardon (Alder/Biofuels Digest) This week, Alder reached a key milestone in the scale-up of Alder Renewable Crude (ARC) production by commissioning a pilot skid at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Alder’s proprietary technology fractionates fast pyrolysis
May 09, 2023 Read Full Article
Workshop: Deploying Purpose-Grown Energy Crops for Sustainable Aviation Fuel --- June 6-7, 2023 --- Kansas City, MO Summary Report and Presentations Available
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 comprehensive strategy for scaling up
May 04, 2023 Read Full Article
Wastewater to Energy: New Treatment Process Can Improve Biorefinery Sustainability
(Univeristy of Illinois at Urgana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment/EurekAlert!) CABBI design simultaneously treats water and recovers biogas, generating revenue and reducing GHG emissions -- Wastewater from biorefineries that convert plants into fuel is full of organic materials that cannot
March 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuel Would Need Half of UK Agricultural Land, Report Says
by Danny Halpin (The Independent) The Royal Society said a portfolio of alternative fuels will be required to meet current passenger demand and achieve net zero. -- Replacing jet fuel with biomass would require the UK to give up 50% of
February 28, 2023 Read Full Article
The Promise of Advancing Biomanufacturing Innovation
by Greg Potter and Glenn Farris (Lipiferm Scientific andFarris Advisory Services/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) On September 12, 2022, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order to Advance Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation to support solutions in health, climate change, energy, food security,
February 20, 2023 Read Full Article
How to Rescue Biofuels from a Sustainable Dead End
by Peter Fairley (Nature) An environmentally friendly path forwards for liquid fuel derived from plants will depend on smarter agriculture and smarter regulation. -- ... If filling fuel tanks with these plant-derived liquids reduces carbon emissions by decreasing the demand
November 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel Research: Full Decarbonization of U.S. Aviation Sector Is within Grasp
(SciTechDaily/Arizona State University) The study found that planting the grass miscanthus on 23.2 million hectares of existing marginal agricultural lands – land that often lays fallow or is poor in soil quality – across the United States would provide enough
November 15, 2022 Read Full Article
$2.6M DOE Grant Supports UMD-led Study on Genetics of Plant Growth for Biofuels
by Kimbra Cutlip (University of Maryland/Maryland Today) A University of Maryland researcher was awarded $2.6 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate the genetics underlying how poplar trees sense nutrients and regulate their metabolism—information that could help farmers
October 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Widespread Trials of Biomass Crop Cultivation to Launch in UK
(Bioenergy Insight) The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UCEH) is leading new UK-wide trials of crops and trees which can be used to produce sustainable energy from plant material. Widespread cultivation of biomass crops in the UK could remove significant
August 09, 2022 Read Full Article
En Route to Market: Alder Fuels and NREL Partner to Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology for Commercial Use
by Erik F. Ringle (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A critical pathway for producing large quantities of low- to negative-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is en route to market following a collaborative research and development agreement between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
August 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Cure or Curse: Can 'Next-Generation' Biofuels Turbocharge the Net Zero Transition?
by Cecilia Keating (Business Green) ... But Gordon McManus, research director for refining and oil products team for the Europe, Middle East, Africa region at leading research and consulting business Wood Mackenzie, said the biofuels industry might be poised to "come of age"
August 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy Innovation Boosted by £37 Million Government Funding across the UK
(UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP) £32 million government funding to increase UK production of sustainable biomass, which can be used as a renewable energy source; further £5 million to support
August 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Overcoming the Toughest Catalyst Challenges in the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to LEC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Terry Mazanec from Lee Enterprises Consulting takes us on a journey through the toughest catalyst challenges in the bioeconomy and, most importantly, how to overcome them. From feedstock consistency and availability to substrate intransigence and
June 30, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol vs. Petroleum-Based Fuel Carbon Emissions
by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) Biofuels have been proven to emit significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum-based fuels, and recent scientific studies indicate that net-zero emission biofuels are not only possible, but achievable. Corn ethanol and other biofuels are
June 24, 2022 Read Full Article
The “Green Crude” SAF Alternative: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Alder Fuels
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Alder Fuels’ Chief Technology Officer, Derek Vardon, shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC highlighting how they are seeing a future of gathering energy instead of drilling for it and how the solution for
May 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Giant Grass Miscanthus: Bioethanol Source with Negative CO2 Balance
(University of Hohenheim) European collaborative project led by the University of Hohenheim shows: Combining bioethanol production with carbon storage can effectively reduce CO2. A significant reduction in greenhouse gas is feasible. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University
April 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Giant Grass Miscanthus: Bioethanol Source with Negative CO2 Balance
(University of Hohenheim) European collaborative project led by the University of Hohenheim shows: Combining bioethanol production with carbon storage can effectively reduce CO2. -- A significant reduction in greenhouse gas is feasible. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the
April 06, 2022 Read Full Article
In Search of a Later Biomass Expiration Date
by Nichole Fitzgerald (U.S. Department of Energy) How Idaho National Laboratory's Dr. Lynn Wendt has come to understand and mitigate the detrimental impacts of biomass decay after harvest. -- Renewable biomass is one of the key clean energy resources that will
March 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Why Are Certain Crops Used to Make Biofuels?
(Sustainable, Secure Food Blog) ... Biofuels are a low-carbon fuel option that we can use to make a difference right now. Many states are already using ethanol as part of their gasoline supply systems. In California, biodiesel and renewable diesel
January 25, 2022 Read Full Article
£26m Funding to Support UK Biomass Projects
(Bioenergy Insight) Innovative biomass projects across the UK can now bid for a share of £26 million (€30.4 million) in government funding. Biomass, which is backed by the independent Climate Change Committee, will be an important part of the UK’s
January 06, 2022 Read Full Article
Bioenergy for Net Zero Means Opportunities for Farmers
(Terravesta) Support for UK bioenergy is gathering pace. On Energy Day at COP26, the government issued a Biomass Policy Statement (BPS) which recognises the role bioenergy plays in delivering both global and UK net zero targets. It’s been issued alongside the recent biomass
November 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Plant-Based Waste and Residues into Biofuel – Geeking out over Lignocellulose
by Richard Pallardy (Neste) Plant biomass, or lignocellulose, is the most abundant renewable carbon source on the planet. It has been around forever, but only now are we starting to grasp its full potential in replacing fossil resources. What makes
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Drax and NFU to Partner Boost UK Energy Crop Market
(NFU Online) World leader in sustainable bioenergy Drax Group has teamed up with the National Farmers Union of England and Wales (NFU), to identify opportunities to scale up perennial energy crop production and help the UK meet its ambitious climate goals. The
September 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels, Solid to Liquid Tech, Biocrudes: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Haldor Topsoe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you missed this slide guide from ABLC Digital on what it will take for advanced biofuels to take off further, here’s your chance! Haldor Topsoe leaders cover thoughts on legislation, feedstocks, biofuel production, solid
September 21, 2021 Read Full Article
FCC Environment Uses Former Landfill and Quarry Sites for Energy Crops
(Terravesta) Terravesta grower and one of the UK’s leading resource and waste management companies, FCC Environment is using its landbank to grow energy crops for biomass fuel. The company has been planting Miscanthus at several of its old landfill and quarry
September 10, 2021 Read Full Article
DOE Announces Nearly $65 Million for Biofuels Research to Reduce Airplane and Ship Emissions
(U.S. Department of Energy) Projects align with administration's new goal of decarbonizing the aviation sector by 2050 - - As part of a White House roundtable to launch the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Grand Challenge to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $64.7 million in funding for projects
September 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Increasing Sugar Availability for Oil Synthesis: Findings Could Lead to Higher Potential for Biofuel Crops
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) A team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has bred a plant that produces more oil by manipulating the availability of sugar for oil synthesis. The team, led by BNL’s John Shanklin, achieved these results in using
September 01, 2021 Read Full Article
£4 Million Funding to Boost UK Biomass Production
(U.K. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Lord Callanan) 24 projects receive government funding of up to £200,000 to increase UK production of biomass that can be used as sources of green energy. -- 24 projects will receive
August 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Top 5: Hydrogen, Bioenergy & CCUS to “Crack the Nut” on Decarbonization
by Tammy Klein (Transportation Energy Strategies) ... • Hard-to-Abate Transport Sectors: A Citi report notes that hydrogen, bioenergy and CCUS are key to “cracking the nut” of hard-to-abate sectors like aviation, shipping and trucking and recommends sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
August 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Switchgrass and Miscanthus on Mined Lands for Biofuel and Biomass Production
(Association of Warm Season Grass Producers) I grow switchgrass and miscanthus on mined lands for biofuel and biomass production. The idea of using marginal lands for these crops has been around for a while and I started doing it about
July 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Miscanthus Energy Crop Improvements: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Miscanthus
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Perennial grass miscanthus as an energy crop has advanced into high biomass yielding varieties and NC State University is working with Novozymes, Iogen and Oak Ridge National Lab on evaluating new miscanthus varieties and improving
May 24, 2021 Read Full Article
Enhancing Land Surface Models to Grow Perennial Bioenergy Crops
(U.S. Department of Energy/EurekAlert!) High-yield miscanthus and switchgrass are promising alternatives to traditional annual crops for biofuels. -- ... To understand the effects of this trend, scientists must accurately represent biofuel crops in land surface models. Using observations from biofuel
May 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Miscanthus Carbon Independent Sequestration Figures Revealed in New Study
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In the United Kingdom, the first dedicated, independent study into Miscanthus life cycles shows that the above ground biomass grows annually and recycles all the carbon that’s been produced through planting, harvesting and burning the
May 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Showcase Bioeconomy: Industrial Plants Make Unproductive Arable Land Profitable
(University of Hohenheim (Google translation)) European project with the participation of the University of Hohenheim researches how unprofitable fields with renewable raw materials can be used sustainably and with added value -- Unused potential: Around 65 million hectares of agricultural land
April 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Results of the International Energy Agency Bioenergy Round Robin on the Analysis of Heteroatoms in Biomass Liquefaction Oils
by Philip Bulsink, Ferran de Miguel Mercader, Linda Sandström, Bert van de Beld, Fernando Preto, Alan Zacher, Anja Oasmaa, Nicolaus Dahmen, Axel Funke, and Benjamin Bronson (Energy Fuels) A round robin study evaluating the analysis of biomass liquefaction oils (BLOs) from
April 06, 2021 Read Full Article
‘Keep off the Grass’: The Biofuel that Could Help Us Achieve Net Zero
(Earlham Institute) Some grasses are a sustainable energy source that could be a driving force towards achieving net zero carbon emissions, according to new research that demonstrates their resilience to harsh growing environments. -- The Miscanthus genus of grasses, commonly used
April 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Looking ahead to Second-Generation Biofuels
by Janet Kubat Willette (Farm Progress) Madhu Khanna, distinguished professor of environmental economics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that CRP acres have the potential to produce harvestable bioenergy crops. Speaking at a Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics webinar earlier this
March 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Researchers Challenge the CRP Status Quo to Mitigate Fossil Fuels
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment/Phys.Org) ... (A)llocating CRP land for high-yielding energy biomass might eliminate the need for bioenergy crops and food crops to vie for space. A team led by CABBI Sustainability Theme Leader
February 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Energy Sorghum May Combine Best of Annual, Perennial Bioenergy Crops
by Julie Wurth (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) ... A study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) found that energy sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) behaves more like
January 08, 2021 Read Full Article
96,000 Hectares of UK Agricultural Land Used for Bioenergy Crops in 2019
(Bioenergy Insight) In 2019, 96,000 hectares (ha) of agricultural land in the UK were used to grow crops for bioenergy. Government statistics released on 10 December show the area of non-food crops grown in the UK and their usage in
December 15, 2020 Read Full Article
WEF’s ‘Clean Skies for Tomorrow’ Outlines Pathway to Net-Zero Aviation: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Aviation Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the World Economic Forum doing to help aviation meet net zero goals? First, they recognize that the most immediate action to achieve carbon-neutral flying is the investment in, and rapid scale-up, of sustainable
December 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Optimising Miscanthus for a Sustainable Bioeconomy
(Terravesta) The growing global bioeconomy has an indispensable role in tackling the climate crisis, and key to delivering a low carbon economy is securing enough supply of sustainable raw materials and linking them with a near-industrial scale of various bio-based products
November 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Research Team Sequences Miscanthus Genome
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Phys.Org) An international research team has sequenced the full genome of an ornamental variety of miscanthus, a wild perennial grass emerging as a prime candidate for sustainable bioenergy crops. The genome project—led by scientists at the Center for Advanced
October 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant Chemtex Approach
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Two world leaders in cellulosic deployment – Jeff Taylor from Chemtex and Paolo Corvo from Clariant – talked about how cellulosic fuels are on the march on last week’s DigestConnect. Check out this exclusive slide
October 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Lignocellulosic Platform Goes Beyond Biofuels: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Chemicals, catalysis, additives – At ABLC Digital this July, Clariant shared how they are working on advancing biofuels globally and details on their sunliquid technology to decarbonize transportation. A fully integrated and carbon negative process, sunliquid
September 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Terravesta Launches New Video Touting Miscanthus as Biofuel Feedstock
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In the United Kingdom, Terravesta launched a new animation video to spread the word about building a bio-based future with Terravesta Performance Hybrids, and miscanthus grown from seed rather than the usual rhizomes, allowing it to
August 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Inside GranBio, NextChem’s New Partnership to “Blow Out” Cellulosic Ethanol Global Roll-Out
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News arrives from Sao Paulo and Rome that GranBio and NextChem have inked a strategic alliance and will co-license GranBio’s patented technology for the production of second-generation ethanol. NextChem is a subsidiary of Italian engineering giant
August 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Axens’ Futurol Cellulosic Ethanol Tech: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Overcoming Cellulosic Ethanol Challenges
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Axens has a range of renewable biofuels and biochemicals from renewable diesel and biojet fuel to cellulosic ethanol, ethylene, butadiene, and aromatics. But there have been challenges in the past with cellulosic ethanol that Axens has
July 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Q&A on Cellulosic Ethanol with Clariant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect hosted a wildly popular webinar in late April with Clariant’s Head of Business Line, Biofuels & Derivatives at Clariant but there were so many fantastic audience questions we didn’t to, that we decided to follow
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Starts "Just A Minute" Educational Series
(Advanced Biofuels USA) The first episode of "Just A Minute or So about Renewable Fuels" focuses on what might be used to make renewable fuels. Students, teachers, or anyone interested in renewable fuels can see in a 3-minute slide presentation
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuel Reduces Carbon Emissions: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid and Lignocellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant takes us on a journey on how carbon emissions can be reduced by advanced biofuels, more specifically, how lignocellulosic ethanol made from agriculture residues like straw, non-food materials, and waste can make an immediate impact,
April 27, 2020 Read Full Article
15 Newest Projects – Who’s Got What Underway?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) While the world may be at a standstill,there are still many projects going on and moving forward. But where are these projects? Who’s involved? How far along are they? What are they working on? From
April 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Researchers Hope New Seed-Based Miscanthus Hybrid Can Be Used as Feedstock for Biochemicals
by Liz Gyekye (BioMarket Insights) “These seeded hybrids are vital to our future business model and the rapid deployment of miscanthus as part of the climate change solution.” -- Researchers at the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS) Aberystwyth University,
April 02, 2020 Read Full Article
INA Selects FUTUROL™ Licensed by Axens for Its Project of Advanced Bioethanol Production in Croatia
(Axens) The Croatian oil and gas company INA has awarded Axens a license agreement to supply Futurol™ cellulosic ethanol technology and contract for basic engineering design of an advanced bioethanol production plant in Sisak, Croatia. Supplying INA with its innovative and sustainable
March 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Decarbonizing Your Ride for a More Stable Climate: Scientists Measure the Climate Benefits of Alternatives to Petroleum Fuels
(National Science Foundation) Transportation produces a sizable amount of greenhouse gas emissions, largely by using petroleum to power internal combustion engines. Alternatives –- for example, organic materials such as grasses to produce fuels or electricity –- could avoid petroleum use altogether. Now,
February 28, 2020 Read Full Article
New Framework for Biofuels Leaves Many Questions Unanswered
by (Business Maverick) The recently published Biofuels Regulatory Framework is an important step in the attempt to develop a national biofuel industry, but it is far from sufficient to ensure the full benefits of biofuels while minimising the risks. -- On
February 20, 2020 Read Full Article
INA 2G-Ethanol Plant Project Basic Engineering in Croatia
(De Smet Engineers & Contractors) De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) has started working on a Basic Engineering contract for the Croatian Oil & Gas Company INA, covering the OSBL portion of a 2G Ethanol (2nd generation) project to be
January 31, 2020 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Breakthroughs at the Bioenergy Research Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Over 10 years (2007–2017), three Bioenergy Research Centers produced multiple breakthroughs in the form of deepened understanding of sustainable biomass production practices, targeted re-engineering of biomass feedstocks, development of new methods for deconstructing feedstocks, and
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Plant Skeletons: Weighing the Environmental Impacts of a Byproduct of Biofuel Combustion
(University of Pennsylvania/Phys.org) ... Burning plants, however, is not a completely clean process; it produces emissions that vary depending on the species used, the combustion conditions, and the air pollution controls. To understand one component of these emissions, an international, multidisciplinary
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Core Leaf-Bound Microbes Identified for Two Key Bioenergy Crops
by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits make up the biggest chunk of potential living space for microbes in the environment, but ecologists still don’t know a lot about how the microorganisms that reside
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Clariant Successfully Concludes Testing of Energy Crop Miscanthus at Straubing Plant for GRACE Project
(Clariant) INA has chosen Clariant’s sunliquid® technology to assess usability of miscanthus for conversion into lignocellulosic sugars & ethanol within the EU-funded GRACE project in which INA participates; About 30 tons of miscanthus were processed at Clariant’s pre-commercial plant in
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Robocar’s Biobased Seat Cushions, Miscanthus Bedding, Churro Waste Fat Based Diesel, Edible Spoons, Cellulose-Based Fabric, Sausage without the Sausage, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of August 15th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the end of summer approaches, county fairs are popping up around the U.S. and with it, churros and other waste. But innovators are turning churro waste fats into renewable diesel, using edible flavored spoons to
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Norfolk Farmer Diversifies Income and Boosts Soil Health with Miscanthus
(Terravesta) Norfolk farmer, Adam Brewer, is planning for the future by diversifying his income and looking after his soils with Miscanthus. Farmers wanting to learn more about the many environmental and financial benefits presented by the crop are invited to attend
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Genera Repositions Itself, Gets $118M Investment – Movin’ on up to Get a Piece of the Pie
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... A $118 million pie in new investment money for this Tennessee-based biomass company. The financing was anchored by an equity investment from WindSail Capital Group, which partnered with investors Coppermine Capital and Stairway Capital
July 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Iowa State University Is Home to a New Bioenergy Crops Research Farm
(Iowa State University Extension and Outreach) Iowa and Midwest agriculture has started to change in recent years. One visible change is the interest to grow crops for biofuel and bioproducts (referred to as “energy crops”). Fossil fuel usage contributes to the
July 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Integrated Landscape Management Reduces Biomass Production Costs By 20%
by J.Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy) A new techno-economic analysis by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) demonstrated that, by using integrated landscape management (ILM) techniques, bioenergy stakeholders could produce biomass at costs 20% lower than previous assumptions.1 The efficiencies
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Offers a Solution to the World’s Renewable Energy Crisis
by Barclay Ballard (The New Economy) Solar cells and wind farms are commonly referenced in the fight against climate change, but there is another, often overlooked, form of energy production that is already playing a sizable role. Bioenergy, which includes both biomass
May 21, 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
Cellulosic Commercialization: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Douglas B. Rivers, PhD,from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview and more READ MORE
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
10-Slide Guide to the US Ethanol Industry
by Douglas B. Rivers (Biofuels Digest/Lee Enterprises, Inc.) Past, Present and Future Douglas B. Rivers, PhD, from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting, offers this illuminating overview of the U.S. ethanol industry’s history, current technologies, new developments
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Agricultural Biomass: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Ag Waste and Purpose Grown Crops
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Glenn Farris, of Farris Advisory Services and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating prediction of the future of ag waste and purpose grown crops, challenges to growing and using these feedstocks, and more. Lee
February 11, 2019 Read Full Article
U OF Illinois Researchers Develop Biofuel Crop Miscanthus with Improved Winter-Hardiness
(AgriMarketing/University of Illinois) For farmers, Miscanthus represents a big up-front investment. The large perennial grass must be established from vegetative pieces at great cost to farmers, but it promises a decade or more of massive biomass yields, starting in year two
February 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Private Investment Boosts Booming Miscanthus Bio-Economy
(Terravesta) Former IG Group chief executive and current Scotgold chairman Nat le Roux has bought a personal stake in renewable biomass business Terravesta. Le Roux has invested £2 million in the business, reflecting the growing importance of clean energy, and the
November 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Could Offer Kiwis Fuel Price Certainty
by Esther Taunton (Stuff) Diesel prices could be fixed for up to 12 months in some parts of New Zealand if technology used to turn wood waste and grass into biofuels is adopted here. The technology needed to make biofuels from wood residues, grasses,
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Sustainable Intensification: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to More Biomass for Bioenergy without Imposing iLUC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in combination with biorefinery processing can produce more biomass for bioenergy without imposing iLUC. That’s the topic of this illuminating overview from Poul Erik Laerke and Uffe Jørgensen of Aarhus University
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
iSEE Helps Secure $6M+ in New Research Grants for U of I Agriculture Studies: $5M DOE Grant for Energy Crops Study
(Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) ... A U of I Crop Scientist will lead a team of researchers on a five-year study of new crops that could contribute to the production of affordable, sustainable sources for market-ready fuels and other
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces 36 Projects for Bioenergy Research and Development
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 36 projects totaling $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development (R&D). This R&D will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products, and power from
September 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Biomass, Biomass and More Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Association of Warm Season Grass Producers Meeting Goals
by Will Brandau (Association of Warm Season Grass Producers) The Association is experiencing success meeting our primary objectives. 1. Promotes the planting and use of warm-season grasses I know of 4 producers expanding the acreage they maintain. We have 3 new producers planting for
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Help Or Hinder? Federal Agencies At Odds Over Biofuels
by Madelyn Beck (Harvest Public Media/KUNC) ... That’s because for the last few years, the EPA and the Department of Energy have been at odds, with taxpayer money creating a new biofuel industry that may not have the room to grow
July 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Missouri Biodiesel Coalition Launched to Expand Biodiesel Usage
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, soybean farmers and biodiesel processors, distributors, and retailers have come together to launch a new partnership, the Biodiesel Coalition of Missouri, which aims to grow the use of the EPA-designated advanced biofuel. The Coalition
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Illinois Researchers Receive $1 Million to Study Bioenergy Crops
(Univeristy of Illinois) The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced a grant for $1 million to support research led by a University of Illinois scientist. The research will address the need for better-adapted and higher-yielding biomass cultivars
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Boeing Promotes Aviation Biofuel in Africa
by Kaleyesus Bekele (AIN Online) The Boeing Company has teamed with the South African government, South African Airways (SAA), the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and U.S. energy firm SKYNRG, to identify biofuel
March 22, 2018 Read Full Article
DOE Grants $10.6 Million to Produce More Biodiesel, Biojet Fuel
(University of Illinois, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology/Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6 million, five-year grant to transform two of the most productive crops in America into sustainable sources of biodiesel
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Study Says CRP Mixes Don't Live up to Biofuel Potential
by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, associate crop science professor at
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels Feedstock Study Supports Billion-Ton Estimate
(South Dakota State University/Biomass Magazine) Can farmers produce at least 1 billion tons of biomass per year that can be used as biofuels feedstock? That’s the question that researchers are trying to answer, according to North Central Regional Sun Grant Center Director
February 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Search for Sustainable Fuels Drives Researchers at UI's New Bioenergy Center
byJulie Wurth (News Gazette) A Midwest crop of the future: grasses and other plants that produce their own oils to be used as fuel or byproducts. That's the vision behind a new bioenergy research center being launched today at the University of
February 01, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study Shows Producers Where and How to Grow Cellulosic Biofuel Crops
(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences/Science Daily) A new report provides practical agronomic data for five cellulosic feedstocks, which could improve adoption and increase production across the country. -- ... "Early yield estimates were based on data from
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
N.C. Bioenergy Research Initiative Announces Grant Recipients
(North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The N.C. Bioenergy Research Initiative recently awarded $1 million in grants for 11 research projects to boost bioenergy opportunities and production in the state. ... Below is a list of grant amounts, recipients
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
No Crop Left Behind: Inside the USDA’s Bioeconomy Feedstock Strategy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... You’d be forgiven if you mistook Ahb Subi Banr-Sbar for a well-placed official in the Iranian government — but, in fact, it’s a 9-project network to facilitate the development of regionally-based industries producing advanced biofuels, industrial
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Interview — Growing Food or Fuel on Our Land?
(European Environment Agency) Only a decade ago, biofuel production from plants was hailed as an ecological alternative to fossil fuels. Recently, it has come to be seen as competing with food production and not always an effective solution in reducing
August 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Rice Aids in the Study of Biofuel Feedstocks
(U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population and a model for studies of candidate bioenergy grasses such as sorghum, switchgrass, and Miscanthus. To optimize crops
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Biomass Crops Could Provide Unexpected Wildlife Benefits
(Bioenergy Insight) A biomass crop could be providing unexpected ecological benefits, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research. The authors of the study say that elephant grass (Miscanthus), which is commonly planted as a biomass crop,
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Miscanthus Offers Missouri Farmers Use for Marginal Land
by Alex Lindley (Moberly Monitor) ... “What attracted us to it was it a good crop to grow on ground that wasn’t really suitable for hay or for row crops,” said Fleming, who is one of a handful of Randolph County
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
NEWBio Commercial Collaborators: Building a Sustainable Energy Future in the Northeast United States
(Extension.org) The Northeast region of the United States (from the Ohio River to the New England coast) has the natural, social, and technological resources needed to help create a sustainable, rural renaissance by using biomass to create biofuels, biopower, and
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Green Energy: University of Iowa, Farmers Partner to Grow Biofuel
by Liora Engel-Smith (Muscatine Journal) ... The university has been burning the grass, known as Miscanthus, in its power plant to reduce its reliance on coal. At first glance, Miscanthus does not look like much. It begins as ginger-like rhizomes. As
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Textbook: Biofuels and Bioenergy
edited by John Love and John A. Bryant (Wiley-Blackwell) With increased public and scientific attention driven by factors such as oil price spikes, the need for increased energy security, and concerns over greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, the production
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
There Is a Cornucopia of Feedstock Options for Making Biofuels
by Mark Elless (U.S. Department of Energy) Switchgrass, algae, forest trimmings, corn husks and corn stalks you can't eat these crops, and you would never put them on your table for Thanksgiving; however, together they make up a bountiful harvest
November 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Argonne Researchers Study How Reflectivity of Biofuel Crops Impacts Climate
by Joan Koka (Argonne National Laboratory) ... The new analysis, published in The Royal Chemistry Society's Energy & Environmental Science, incorporates the additional effect of changes in reflectivity, or “albedo.” Albedo effects sum up the amount of incoming solar energy that
November 21, 2016 Read Full Article
ButaNexT: Future of Clean Fuels Presented at E2KW in Paris
(European Commission Community Research and Development Information Service/Greenovate! Europe) The ButaNexT project presented its research into a new and improved biofuel – biobutanol - at the Energy and Environment Knowledge Week (E2KW) Congress in Paris on Friday 28 October. Project partners
November 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Alternative Jet Fuels Tackle Rising Aviation Emissions
by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued an endangerment finding for aircraft, indicating that greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft are hazardous to public health. This finding requires the EPA to begin crafting
September 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels versus Gasoline: The Emissions Gap Is Widening
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... Many respected laboratories, agencies, and researchers have used a lifecycle analysis to show that biofuels, particularly advanced biofuels, provide significant carbon benefits compared to gasoline. These benefits have increased in recent years, as biofuels have
September 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Ensuring Energy Independence Through Bio-Based Energy Systems
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) NIFA 's Bioeconomy-Bioenergy-Bioproduct portfolio facilitates the development of sustainable regional production systems for biofuels and bio-based products through research, product development and demonstration, extension, and education. By creating non-carbon based fuels, power sources, chemicals, and other products,
September 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Switching to Switchgrass? Study Models Soil Impact of Biofuel Crops
by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News) ... The Argonne modeling shows that when grassland, cropland and pasture in the Midwest are converted to corn for biofuels, the level of carbon sequestration in the soil stays roughly the same, with variation by
August 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Giant King Grass and Its Bioconversion: The Digest’s 2016 Multi Slide Guide to Viaspace
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Direct Combustion, Anaerobic Digestion, Cellulosic Biofuels, Biochemicals, and Animal Feed: these are just some of the markets envisioned for a fast-growing grass known as Giant King Grass. With composition like corn stover or miscanthus, but 10x the yield of
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Working the Calculator: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Choosing a Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “What color is your parachute?” went the title of a best-selling book from the 80s on job hunting. The concept applies equally to biomass feedstock in the 2010s. There’s one out there for you that
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Mitigating Risk in Cellulosic: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Genera Energy’s Portfolio Approach
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Genera Energy “leads the nation in the commercialization of integrated biomass supply chain solutions for the biofuels, biopower and biochemicals markets.” Initially formed in 2008, Genera works with leading technology providers and strategic investors to develop
July 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Modeling Predicts which Counties Could Store More Carbon in Soil by Growing Bioenergy Crops
by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org) To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of land and local climates for planting bioenergy crops, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory are
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
UK Plant Hosts Scientists, Farmers Interested in Miscanthus
(BWSC North Lincs/Biomass Magazine) This month the Brigg Renewable Energy Plant hosted a visit from scientists and farmers to explore the use of miscanthus as a fuel for renewable energy and support groundbreaking research into miscanthus growing. The visit marked the
July 17, 2016 Read Full Article
2016 Billion-Ton Report Preview
(U.S. Department of Energy) Alison Goss Eng, of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, Tim Theiss, Laboratory Relationship Manager of the Bioenergy Technologies Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Tim Rials, Director of the Tennessee Forest Products
June 29, 2016 Read Full Article
The Library of Bioenergy Feedstocks: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Idaho National Lab’s Feedstock Repository and Tools
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bioenergy Feedstock Library is a physical sample repository and database for physical, chemical and conversion performance characteristics of biomass feedstock. The library provides tools to store, record, track, retrieve, and analyze data to help researchers and industry overcome challenges
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Cooperative Establishes Checkoff to Grow Ontario Biomass Sector
by Katie Fletcher (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ontario Biomass Producers Cooperative Inc., a group of Ontario farmers producing and marketing biomass, recently launched an effort to make it easier for its members to sell the miscanthus and switchgrass they produce to
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Repreve Renewables Celebrates Grand Opening of Processing Center
(Repreve Renewables LLC) Repreve Renewables LLC celebrated the official opening of its North Carolina processing center on June 1. This investment marks the company’s initiative to build local economies, while providing customers with reliable and cost effective feedstock solutions. The
June 06, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA Resumes Incentives to Grow and Harvest Biomass for Energy and Biobased Products
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that incentives resume this month for farmers and foresters who grow and harvest biomass for renewable energy and biobased products. The funds
May 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Driving Emissions Cuts thru 2030, Says Lux: But Which Feedstocks?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lux Research projects that the emergence of low-carbon fuels and vehicle efficiency will cut emissions by 29% in 2030 compared to a business as usual scenario, with biofuels and natural gas vehicles together accounting for
April 27, 2016 Read Full Article
University of Iowa Gets Landmark Air-Quality Deal Enabling More Biofuel Use
by Vanessa Miller (The Gazette) the University of Iowa has reached a first-of-its-kind agreement with state air quality regulators, allowing it to expand its use of biofuels and continue experimenting with environmentally friendly options. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued
April 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Farm Bill Energy Programs Enable New Feedstock Production To Help Fuel the Biobased Economy
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan Guarantee Program and the Biomass
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Alternative Crops for Biofuel Gaining Attention
by Colleen Scherer (Ag Professional) ... A recent University of Illinois study is using genetic markers to identify early developmental traits in Miscanthus that correlate with future yield. ... On a practical level, the researchers saw strong positive correlations between biomass yield and
March 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Whatever Happened to Jatropha, and All Those Other Wonder Feedstocks?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... If jatropha faltered, never mind, went the argument, we’ll always have switchgrass. Or giant miscanthus, or pongamia, or poplar, or camelina. The list could get really long. For example, try this list of the 44
March 07, 2016 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PAPERS: Special Miscanthus Issue of Frontiers in Plant Science DEADLINE: April, 2016
Miscanthus papers are sought to contribute to a special issue of Frontiers in Plant Science called "Optimising Miscanthus for the Sustainable Bioeconomy: from Genes to Products." Sections include plant physiology and genetics of different Miscanthus species to inform crop breeding;
March 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Best for Biofuels
by Dave Evensen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Research finds where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems -- ... Researchers at the University of Illinois used detailed models to examine impacts on water quantity and quality
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
New Biofuels Could Cut Emissions and Preserve Land Used to Grow Food
by Nathan Collins (Pacific Standard) Researchers combine ecological and economic models to examine the benefits of growing grass as fuel. --- ... Fortunately, corn isn't the only source of ethanol—in particular, there are perennial grasses like switchgrass and miscanthus. Those options
January 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Study: Second-Generation Biofuels Can Reduce Emissions
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Second-generation biofuel crops like the perennial grasses Miscanthus and switchgrass can efficiently meet emission reduction goals without significantly displacing cropland used for food production, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Illinois