by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced Aug. 6 funding for a bioenergy pilot plant and three biofuel blending infrastructure projects, including one that that focuses on E15 and E85 distribution. The MDA has awarded $82,687.40 to
pilot scale
Back TO HOMEVegan Renewable Diesel, Futurol Tech: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Axens’ Fuel Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Axens Solutions is covering the entire project development cycle and working on things like BioTfuel and Vegan which are renewable diesel and jet fuels, Futurol, a cellulosic ethanol using biomass enzymatic fermentation, Atol made from
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Gevo’s Renewable Isobutanol Pilot Lowers Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Seattle
(Biofuels International) Low carbon fuel company Gevo has successfully completed the first phase of a trial pilot of fleet vehicles using its low carbon, renewable drop-in isobutanol blended gasoline. The trial, which took place in the City of Seattle in in the
August 08, 2019 Read Full Article
MDA Biofuels Grants Expand Access and Production
(Minnesota Department of Agriculture) Four grants from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will expand biofuel access and production to advance renewable energy efforts around the state. The MDA’s Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Program recently awarded grants totaling more than
August 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Range of Possibilities: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Global Bioenergies’ Bio-Isobutene
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies produces isobutene from sugars with a commercial plant in preparation. Their technology can transform isobutene into isooctane, ETBE, C12/C16 hydrocarbons and more, which makes it relevant for a wide range of markets including specialty
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Carbon-Negative Fuels Come Clearer, Closer with Oberon’s Leap to Demo Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California comes news that Oberon Fuels has been officially awarded a grant for $2,876,139 from the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a first-of-its-kind, multi-phase project to produce the first renewable dimethyl ether (rDME), with what
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Streamlining the Biofuel Production Process
(European Commission) The production of biofuels like ethanol from non-food biomass is a lucrative prospect for the agricultural sector. However, due to the complexity and expense of the large-scale industrial process currently needed to produce such biofuels, they remain out of
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Oberon Fuels Secures $2.9 Million Grant from State of California for First-Ever Production of Renewable Dimethyl Ether (rDME) in United States
(Oberon Fuels/Globe Newswire) Oberon will upgrade its pilot plant to test new feedstock and increase production; 12 full-time and up to 30 indirect jobs created, mostly in Imperial Valley region of California -- Oberon Fuels, a producer of clean-burning dimethyl ether (DME) transportation
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Avantium Awarded Funding for VEHICLE
(Avantium) Avantium N.V. announces that it has been awarded €1.3 million for its Dawn and Mekong Technologies from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The total subsidy granted to the Industry Consortium
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Partnership for Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(NTBInfo/Avinor) Avinor has entered into an agreement with Quantafuel to buy sustainable aviation fuel based on Norwegian biomass. The fuel will be produced in a pilot plant partly funded by ENOVA*. “Sustainable aviation fuel is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
June 25, 2019 Read Full Article
BASF and Lutianhua Plan to Pilot a New Production Process that Significantly Reduces CO2 Emissions
(BASF) Signing of Memorandum of Understanding to build a pilot plant for a new, energy-efficient one-step process in synthetizing dimethyl ether developed by BASF and Linde; Collaboration facilitated by China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation’s Open Innovation Platform; BASF is strongly committed to
June 24, 2019 Read Full Article
California Project to Test Renewable Dimethyl Ether as Transportation Fuel
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Oberon Fuels, a California-based producer of dimethyl ether (DME), has been awarded a $2.88 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a multi-phase project to produce renewable DME as a low-carbon transportation fuel in
June 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Containing Malaysian Palm Oil to Be Tested on Chinese Vehicle
by Beh Yuen Hui (The Star) Some 180 sanitary trucks will use biodiesel containing Malaysian palm oil in a pilot project to test its feasibility on Chinese vehicles. The programme will be carried out by Tsinghua University in collaboration with Beijing TUS-Deqing Bioenergy
June 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Thermochemical Pulp Biorefinery Opens in Ontario
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) FPInnovations and Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced May 27 the commissioning of a new pilot biorefinery that converts wood biomass into lignin and sugars. On the same day, the Canadian government awarded C$2 million to the
May 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Research Afoot at Shoolini University to Produce Biodiesel From Biowaste
(Shoolini University/PR Newswire) Depleting levels of fossil fuels and air pollution are a major concern for environmentalists around the world and a lot of emphasis is being put on biofuels and renewable resources. Biodiesel seems to be just the right solution
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Clean Transportation Solutions from ACT Expo 2019
by Erik Neandross (Fleet Owner/ACT News) ... One of the many key takeaways was that the commitment and investment we are seeing from customers, OEMs, component suppliers, fuel and infrastructure suppliers, and a broad range of stakeholders, is now being driven
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Governor Ricketts Pumps E15, Promotes Ethanol while Proclaiming May as Renewable Fuels Month
(Office of Governor Pete Ricketts/KTIC) On Friday, Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed May as Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska during a ceremony at Casey’s General Store on N 156th Street. Following the official proclamation, the Governor stepped up to the pump to fill
May 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Yum China Reinforces Commitment to Sustainability with the Launch of Pioneering New Initiatives
(Yum China Holdings/Cision/PR Newswire) First restaurant company in China to get the ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) certification for its used cooking oil that will be converted into sustainable biodiesel; Rolled out reusable serving baskets in all KFC restaurants across China
May 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Feedstock Flexibility
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Beyond Enerkem, a few companies around the world are looking to feedstocks outside of corn to produce cellulosic ethanol. -- A few well-known ethanol producers are developing cellulosic pathways that use feedstocks other than elements of
May 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Record Solar Hydrogen Production with Concentrated Sunlight
(EPFL) EPFL researchers have created a smart device capable of producing large amounts of clean hydrogen. By concentrating sunlight, their device uses a smaller amount of the rare, costly materials that are required to produce hydrogen, yet it still maintains a
May 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Anellotech’s Bio-TCat Technology Viability Confirmed during Pilot Plant Campaign – Moving forward with Commercialization
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) We hear the theme song to Disney’s Carousel of Progress… “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…” but it’s also a great big beautiful today because the viability of Anellotech’s Bio-TCat technology has been proven by
May 06, 2019 Read Full Article
REACHing for the Stars: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Mercurius Biorefining
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mercurius Biorefining is developing its novel REACH process, which converts cellulosic biomass to hydrocarbons in the renewable diesel, aviation, and marine fuel ranges. Valuable by-products include bio-char and a bio-plastic monomer, FDCA. REACH (Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating)
April 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Quantafuel Signs Agreement to Convert Plastic Waste into Biofuel
(Biofuels International) Energy firm Geminor announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with fellow Norwegian advanced biofuel producer Quantafuel to secure deliveries of plastic waste for Quantafuel’s plants for biofuel production. “Quantafuel’s fuel production is groundbreaking and an industry we want
April 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Gevo to Work With Praj Industries to Commercialize Renewable Isobutanol, Jet Fuel and Isooctane in India
(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today that it has signed a binding, definitive Construction License Agreement with Praj Industries Ltd., dated April 4, 2019, to commercialize the production of renewable isobutanol using sugary-based feedstocks, such as juice, syrup and
April 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Technology Turns Municipal Wastewater Algae into Specialty Chemicals for Biofuels, Bioplastics
(Purdue University/Phys.org) Gen3Bio has designed mobile 15-gallon enzymolysis pilot plants to be placed in wastewater treatment facilities to transform algae into specialty bio-based chemicals, such as biofuels or bioplastics. -- A startup is advancing a unique way to transform algae used
April 08, 2019 Read Full Article
HYBRIT: Construction Begins – LKAB Takes the Leap towards Fossil-Free Production of Iron Ore Pellets
(LKAB) Construction will soon begin on a world-unique test facility which is a key component of HYBRIT, a joint initiative of LKAB, SSAB and Vattenfall. In the plant, fossil fuels will be replaced with biofuel to achieve fossil-free production of iron
April 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Minnesota Announces AGRI Bioenergy/Biochemical Pilot Project Grant DEADLINE: April 26, 2019
(State of Minnesota) The AGRI Bioenergy/Biochemical Pilot Project Grant provides funding that would advance a bioenergy or biochemical production technology beyond the bench scale/proof-of-concept scale toward commercial scale, through construction and operation of a pilot plant. See the glossary in the
April 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition Partners with Maersk in World's Largest Maritime Biofuel Pilot
by Lejla Charif (Maersk) Convinced of the urgency to act on climate, a group of Dutch multinationals - FrieslandCampina, Heineken, Philips, DSM, Shell and Unilever - all members of the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC), will join forces with A.P. Moller -
March 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Disruptive Technologies: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj Industries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj Industries is an end-to-end solutions provider in the ethanol arena from concept to commissioning and feedstock handling to effluent treatment. They have technology and engineering solutions for biofuels, biochemicals and water. Dr. Pramod Kumbhar, Chief Technology
March 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Eni : Aims to Eliminate Palm Oil in Biofuels, in Line With New EU Rules
by Dieter Holger (Market Screener) Eni Spa (ENI.MI) said Thursday that it is making progress in eliminating palm oil from the biofuels it refines, following new European Union rules announced this week. "The objective is to reduce dramatically, and potentially bring to
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Stora Enso Invests in Next-generation Renewable, Recyclable and Biodegradable Formed Fiber Solutions
(Stora Enso/PR Newswire/FinanzNachrichten) Stora Enso is investing EUR 5 million to build a new production line and related infrastructure to manufacture formed fiber products at Hylte Mill in Sweden. The formed fiber technology enables manufacturing of products that are designed for circularity, meaning that
March 19, 2019 Read Full Article
SCA Launches Environmental Impact Assessment of Biorefinery at Östrand
(SCA Forest Products) SCA will commence an environmental impact assessment of a possible biorefinery in connection with the Östrand pulp mill in Timrå. SCA has invested SEK 50 Million in a pilot plant for production of biofuels from black liquor at the
March 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomanufacturing as a Service: Culture Biosciences Lands Series A for Its Bioreactors Accessed via the Cloud
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, a new company has launched called Culture Biosciences and today we’d like to take you inside it. It’s a story about making the bioeconomy radically more efficient at the point of developing and deploying product, by
March 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Pilot Plants: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Zeton
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) David Edwards,VP Sales and Marketing at Zeton and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this overview of the types of Zeton’s 800+ projects in over 45 countries in relation to the design and fabrication of
March 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Diesel Refinery Planned for Qld: Aussie Company Works to Turn Plastics, Old Tyres and Waste into Diesel Fuel for Trucks
by Neil Dowling (Go Auto News Premium) An Australian company funded in part by the Queensland government is now trialling the production of renewable diesel fuel for use in heavy machinery, trucks and marine engines. It is hoped that the trials, to last
March 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Shell Joins Air Liquide, Nouryon in Enerkem Waste-to-Chemicals Project in Rotterdam: The Complete Story
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Shell will become an equal equity partner in the proposed commercial-scale waste-to-chemicals project, which will be the first of its kind in Europe to make valuable chemicals and biofuels out of non-recyclable waste materials. The consortium,
March 04, 2019 Read Full Article
China's Coal Province to Promote Ethanol Fuel
(Xinhua) North China's coal-rich Shanxi Province will promote ethanol gasoline for its road vehicles to cut emissions and fossil fuel consumption. This year, ethanol fuel will be provided in pilot zones such as Taiyuan, Yangquan, Changzhi and Jincheng cities, and will
March 04, 2019 Read Full Article
The Competitive Edge: Highbury Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Highbury was founded in 2009 on the premise that the thermochemical conversion of biomass to syngas is an ideal step toward the production of renewable low carbon intensity fuels. However the challenges associated with first
February 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Pilot Plant to Turn Sugarcane Waste into Biofuel and Beer Bottles
(Queensland University of Technology) QUT researchers and Mercurius Australia have commenced work on a pilot plant to prove the economic viability of turning sugarcane waste into either jet and diesel fuel or chemicals that could be used to make plastic soft
February 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Cost Reduction: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy is looking at how advanced biofuels could be more affordable and what sort of policy support might be needed? Adam Brown from IEA Bioenergy gave this illuminating overview of the potential for cost reduction for advanced
January 18, 2019 Read Full Article
VTT Develops New Wood Gasification Method to Produce Biofuel, Chemicals
( VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Canadian Biomass) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a new technique based on gasification, which offers a sustainable way to turn forest industry byproducts, such as bark, sawdust and forestry waste, into
January 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Finnish Pilot Develops a New Solution for Sustainable Forestry
(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd) New unique mobile application puts forest Big Data to more efficient use -- The whole of Europe is feverishly looking for new ways to use farm, forest and fishery resources more responsibly and sustainably
January 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Biodiesel’s Cutting Edge
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine profiles nine companies whose process technologies, products and services are on the frontline of change in this industry. Third Coast Commodities Biodiesel feedstock trading is evolving, and Third Coast Commodities is one of the firms ushering
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
The Most of Every Kernel: Two Corn Kernel Fiber-to-Ethanol Plants are under Construction, Stirring Hope that the Concept Is Gaining Steam.
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In October 2018, construction began on Ace Ethanol’s cellulosic ethanol plant in Stanley, Wisconsin. The plant will be the first to incorporate D3Max’s corn kernel fiber-to-ethanol process, and will help the plant increase its yields
January 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Emerging Process Tech: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to EPIC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) EPIC helps pilot plants test and scale new process technologies. Check out their latest presentation with top four emerging process technologies that they are seeing a lot of right now: carbon capture, gas-to-liquids technologies, bio-based ethylene glycol,
January 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Top 18 of 2018 – Looking Back to Look Forward
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... So on this last day of 2018, join the Biofuels Digest in looking back at our most visited and popular stories of 2018. ... In today’s Digest, the hottest technologies, aviation developments we only dreamed of,
December 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste to Energy Major Priority of Govt: Vijay Raghavan
(SME Times) Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan recently said that waste to energy and scaling up of commercially available technologies are top priorities of Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). ... He cited several successful examples of adoption of
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Finnish Pilot Develops a New Solution for Sustainable Forestry
(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd/EurekAlert) Finnish pilot develops a new solution for sustainable forestry New unique mobile application puts forest Big Data to more efficient use The whole of Europe is feverishly looking for new ways to use farm,
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
The Wonders Down Under: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Australia and the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Scientists Convert Wet Biological Waste into Fuel We Can Blend with Diesel
by Christian Nordqvist (Market Business News) A team of scientists has converted wet biological waste into diesel-compatible fuel. We are now a step closer to producing renewable engine fuels from wet biological waste that are compatible with current diesel fuel infrastructure. ... Biological waste
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Residual Biomass to Gasoline: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Bioliq Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Karlsruher Institut für Technologie’s Bioliq pilot plant is producing synthetic fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic, ash rich biomass. Bernd Zimmerlin from Karlsruher Institut für Technologie gave this illuminating presentation on the technology behind the magic, from fast
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Top 4 Techs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Carbon Capture, Gas-to-Liquids, Bio-Based Ethylene Glycol, Biomass to Commodity Chemical Application
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Carbon Capture, Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Technologies, Bio-Based Ethylene Glycol, and Biomass to Commodity Chemical Application. EPIC Modular Process writes that “through our work scaling technologies for pilot plants or commercial systems, we often get exposed to the up-and-coming processes on the verge of
December 07, 2018 Read Full Article
NCERC Pumped up with 15 Years of Success
by Karen Binder (AgriNews) While most talk these days about ethanol swirls around fuel credits and marketing needs, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center has quietly celebrated its 15th anniversary. And what a 15-year run it’s been. “The difference is that as policies, technologies
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Commercializing 2nd-Gen Biofuels: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Axens
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Following the acquisition of Heurtey Petrochem and the integration of 50% of Eurecat, Axens Group now provides a complete range of solutions including: technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and services for the conversion of
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Lockheed Martin Invests in FORGE Hydrocarbons' Lipid to Hydrocarbons Technology
(Lockheed Martin) Forge Hydrocarbons Corporation (FORGE) today announced that it has received a $4 million USD investment from Lockheed Martin (LMT) under the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy. This investment enables Forge, a Canadian, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) company to
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Turning Grams into Tonnes: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant aims to enable the transition to a sustainable bio-based economy through development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of bio-based product and processes. Hendrik Waegeman, Head of Business Development at BBEU gave this illuminating overview of the
December 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Double Helping: Maryland Researcher Featured in New Big Ten Network Video Creates Clean Energy While Cleaning Bay
by Samantha Watters (Maryland Today) University of Maryland researchers are helping to keep pollution out of the Port of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay while providing a pollution-free source of renewable energy. Stephanie Lansing, associate professor of environmental science and technology,
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Can We Produce Enough Green Hydrogen to Save the World?
(FuelCellsWorks) ... 'Hydrogen and fuels derived (from it) is capable of reducing the carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in the very, very long term, down to zero,’ said Klaus Scheffer, project manager at Siemens. ‘You don’t need fossil energies in a
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
BioFuture: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to BioFuture Platform and the Advanced Biofuels Outlook
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Biofuture Platform aims to be an action-oriented, country-led, multi-stakeholder mechanism for policy dialogue and collaboration among leading countries, organizations, academia and the private sector conscious of the need to accelerate development and scale up deployment
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Sweden: Plant Produces Synthetic Natural Gas from Waste Wood
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology/NGV Journal) Researchers of the German Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) succeeded in producing renewable methane from a biomass-based synthesis gas mixture in their pilot plant for honeycomb methanation. The quality of this synthetic natural gas (SNG) is
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Pyromaniax Unbound
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Why the attention? Some of it in the most recent data and news regarding commercial status. TCat-8 has operated for over 2,000 hours with continuous catalyst circulation including a fluid bed reactor, catalyst stripper, catalyst regenerator, quench tower,
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
R1,1 Billion Gas to Fuel Green Energy Plant for Middelburg
(Middleburg Observer) A gas to fuel green energy plants to the value of R1,1 billion will be built in Middelburg next year, anchoring the town as South Africa’s flagship commercial ethanol production region. ... A pilot fermentation unit was shipped to South Africa,
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Sylvatex, Trucent Announce Scale up of MicroX Technology
(Trucent/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sylvatex Inc. and Trucent recently announced successful scale up and blending of MicroX renewable blendstock from an optimized distillers corn oil (DCO) to free fatty acid (FFA) hydrolysis process. The scale up followed completion of development, construction and
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Production of Renewable Gas from Waste Wood
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) KIT’s researchers succeeded in producing renewable methane from a biomass-based synthesis gas mixture in their pilot plant for honeycomb methanation. The quality of this synthetic natural gas (SNG) is comparable to that of fossil natural gas and
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Expanded Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Definitions for the Bioeconomy
by Dave Humbird (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./DWH Process Consulting LLC/Biofuels Digest) For new technologies in the bioeconomy (and in the chemical process industry more broadly), the putative path to commercialization is some form of: lab, pilot, demonstration, commercial. The Technology Readiness
October 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Thermal Gasification of Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to TGoB in Norway
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Judit Sandquist gave this illuminating overview of the
September 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Neste Keeps Faith with Renewable Jet Fuel Business Despite Setback
by Jussi Rosendahl (Reuters/EuroNews) Biofuel producer and oil refiner Neste sees good opportunities for its renewable jet fuel despite a cancelled pilot project in Switzerland, a company executive said. The Finnish company is hoping to get a boost for its biofuels business
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Lego’s Biobased Bricks; Vertoro’s Green Crude Oil; Nitogen-Fixing Microbes for Corn; Diapers from Food Waste; 3D Imaging; Apeel’s $70M: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of August 15th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
August 16, 2018 Read Full Article
IPTEC and USEK Signing an MOU on the Installation of a Pilot Plant for the Production of Biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil (WCO)
(IPT Group) The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) and IPT Energy Center (IPTEC), with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Lebanon, signed an MOU to install a pilot plant for the production of biodiesel from
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Scientists Figured Out How to Use London's Huge Fatbergs for Good
by Yasmin Tayag (Inverse) Who says a rock-solid grease clot has to be a bad thing? -- ... The new Water, Air, & Soil Pollution paper shows how future Fatty McFatbergs (that’s what Brits named the biggest one) can be used to churn out methane — a “clean” fuel that, when burned,
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to the US Department of Energy’s Demonstration and Market Transformation Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of the US Department of Energy’s Demonstration and Market Transformation focus at the BioEnergy Technologies Office is to de-risk bioenergy production technologies through validated proof of performance at the pilot, demonstration, and pioneer scales
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
State Government of Queensland : Pentagon Meeting Advances Queensland’s Emerging Biofuel Industry
(Office of Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning The Honourable Cameron Dick) Queensland’s potential as the biofuel hub of the Asia Pacific has taken centre stage in Washington this week at a meeting with the US Department of the Navy. Minister
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
5 Minutes With… Dhivya Puri, Senior Technical Lead at Fiberight.
by Dave Songer (Bio-Based World News) “The milestones and professional growth I've achieved in this role are above and beyond what I could have accomplished in academia within the same time frame.” Fiberight is a UK- and US-based small and medium-sized enterprise
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
World’s First Commercial Waste Gas to Ethanol Plant Now in Operation
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... In Illinois, carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, and its joint venture partner, Shougang Group, a leading Chinese iron and steel producer, announced the successful start-up of the world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol.
June 11, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Michael Tamor
A recent Biofuels Digest article noted that Michael Tamor, a Henry Ford Technical Fellow at Ford, at a recent DOE Bioeconomy event in Washington observed that at least double our current electrical power capacity will be required to be able
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Solar Fuels Come Nearer: Direct-from-Air CO2 Capture Cost Drops below $100/Ton Threshold
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A technology for direct air capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with a cost that “fully burdened with interest on capital, ranges from 94 to 232 $/t-CO2 depending on financial assumptions, energy prices, and the
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Hunter Pilot Biorefinery Receives Go-Ahead Following Three-Year Blueprint
(New Castle Herald/Muswellbrook Chronicle) Muswellbrook will soon be home to a $30 million purpose-built biofuel facility, following a $4.6 million investment from the NSW Government. The funding allows the construction of the Hunter Pilot Biorefinery (HPB) to go ahead on council land
May 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Contract Fermentation Landscape: Facility Selection in an Environment of Limited Options
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) Funding for early stage advanced biotechnology is ramping up and companies commercializing fermentation-based technologies are faced with the decision to either build their own demonstration-scale facility or utilize existing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). There
April 12, 2018 Read Full Article
St1’s Pilot to Produce Advanced Ethanol from Cassava Waste Starts in Thailand
(St1/Global Newswire) Nordic energy group St1 has completed the construction of Etanolix® pilot plant at Ubon Bio Ethanol Ltd’s starch and ethanol plant site in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. In the project St1 is piloting its own technology to produce advanced ethanol
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Nth Power and Nth Plant: The Digest’s 2018 Guide to Process Scale-Up, or Not?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You probably knew him first as the VP for Biofuels at Chevron, and later the Program Manager for the DOE Biomass program. Paul Bryan’s a noted consultant on technology development and sometime lecturer in chemical engineering
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
The MixAlco Process: Green Energy for the Future
by Matt McDowell (The Battalion) Texas A&M professor’s green energy research is helping turn bio waste into useful chemicals and fuels. -- ... The MixAlco process, a term originally coined by Mark Holtzapple, chemical engineering professor, uses bio waste as input
March 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Butanol from Forest Waste: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Fermentation of AVAP Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The objective? To create an economically viable process for the production of butanol from the underutilized natural resources domestically available economically sustainable biofuel at or below DOE target selling price. And, suitable for roll-out in multiple regions containing
February 26, 2018 Read Full Article
All Your Acetogen Are Belong to Us: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Acetone and Drop-In Biofuels from Syngas Fermentation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can it be done? That is, development of a sustainable green chemistry platform for production of acetone and downstream drop-in fuel and commodity products directly from biomass syngas via a novel energy conserving route in engineered
February 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Biotechnology Scale-up Hacks
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) Not enough time or money to scale-up following the traditional rules of advanced biotechnology (10:1 scale-up factor, 1,000 hours of integrated pilot/demo operation, etc)? Welcome to the reality of the biotechnology start-up world. The
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
New Pilot Plant Converts Used Cooking Oil into Biodiesel
(CPI) CPI, the UK’s technology innovation provider for process manufacturing, today announced that its partnership with Green Lizard Technologies (GLT), and their licensed company Oleocycle Ltd, will be providing a second-use to waste cooking oils via a novel one-step pilot plant
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Liquefy Thy Forest: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Liquefaction of Forest Biomass for Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A team of researchers from Iowa State led by Robert Brown and supported by the DOE’s Biomass Technologies Office is aiming to demonstrate the liquefaction of forest biomass for hydrocarbon fuels, as a viable path to stable
January 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Forging New Sources for Biodiesel and Hydrocarbon-Based Products
by Cheryl Croucher (Troy Media) Part 3 of a 10-part series: Forge Hydrocarbons, a U of A spinoff, turns low-grade fats and oils into valuable fuel -- New technology employed by Forge Hydrocarbons Corp., a University of Alberta spinoff company, proves you
January 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Start Right, Finish Right: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Project Development for New Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Scale-up. Everyone wants it, but how do you get it done, right, on-time, on-target, on-budget? How do you meet the safety, reliability, economic and sustainability goals? Mike Schultz is Managing Director of PTI Global Solutions, with nearly
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Cash out of Trash: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Fiberight
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fiberight is a privately held company founded in 2007 with current operations in Virginia, Maryland and Iowa. The company focuses on transforming post-recycled municipal solid wastes and other organic feedstocks into next generation renewable biofuels, with
January 12, 2018 Read Full Article
New California Program to Develop 5 Dairy Digester RNG Projects
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) In mid-December, the California Public Utilities Commission established a new program that aims to reduce methane emissions from manure generated at dairies. The CPUC said the pilot program will incentivize at least five projects where dairy
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Make Haste Slowly: The Story of Anellotech’s Journey towards a Bio-BTX Breakthrough
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In it, we are reminded that innovation is a never-ending war between two brothers named Urgency and Diligence — and the conflict comes roaring back to life when we consider the news that occasionally seeps out of that mysterious
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Ireland Funds New Bioeconomy Innovation and Piloting Facility
(Agro-Chemistry/University College Dublin) The Irish Bioeconomy Foundation CLG will receive a funding of €4.6 million from the Ministery for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, to develop a new Bioeconomy Innovation and Piloting Facility at Lisheen, Co. Tipperary. The facility will enable industry, entrepreneurs
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Pilot Verification Capabilities RFI Responses
(U.S. Department of Energy) Responses to Request for Information DE-FOA-0001526: Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Pilot Verification Capabilities ... In February 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) reached out to industry, academia, national laboratories, and other biofuels and
December 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Big Australia Is Back: Oz’s ARENA, China’s JTL Go Big with a Cellulosic Biofuels Bet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (T)he Australian Renewable Energy Agency has made its single largest direct investment in second-generation biofuels via $11.9M in funding support for Ethtec to complete the development and demonstration of its advanced biofuel production technology. ... But times are changing in
December 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Hunter Valley Biofuel Facility to Advance Ethanol Production
(Australian Renewable Energy Agency/Ethanol Produce Magazine) The Australian Renewable Energy Agency recently announced $11.9 million in funding for Australian biofuel company Ethanol Technologies Ltd. to complete the development and demonstration of its groundbreaking advanced biofuel technology. As part of a $48 million project, Ethtec aims
December 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Australian Researchers Lead Way in Developing Sustainable Biofuel Technology
by Cecilia Connell (ABC News) An Australian-first biofuel demonstration facility in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has been touted as a game-changer in the food versus fuel debate, that has overshadowed the production of ethanol for some time. The Federal Government,
November 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Biogas Plant Opens in Mexico City
(NGV Journal/National Council of Science and Technology) One of the most ambitious local projects for the use of organic solid waste and its consequent transformation into products such as biofertilizer and biogas that can be converted into electricity has started operation
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Europe’s Bioeconomy to Get Open Access Innovation Infrastructure Map
(Bioenergy Insight) A collaborative project to map open access pilot and demonstration infrastructure for bio-based industries across Europe has been launched. The Pilots4U project is funded by the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and
October 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Advance to Go!: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference on Next-Gen Technologies and Markets opens in San Francisco with a record audience size, with diversification as its theme and “Go!” as the takeaway message — with investment and technologies arriving
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2017
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “Never fall in love with a feedstock”, LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren spends a considerable amount of time reminding us here in Digestville, and that pertains to any area of industrial activity. ... It’s not your Dad’s ethanol,
October 17, 2017 Read Full Article
All Your Biobase Are Belong to Us: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to BioBase Europe pilot plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is an independent, state-of-the-art facility that operates from a laboratory level to a multi-ton scale. Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is a service provider for process development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of biobased products and processes. A wide
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
AVAPCO, BYOGY Renewables, and Petron Scientech Announce Partnership to Demonstrate Technologies in the ABBA Integrated Biorefinery Projec
(PR Web) The ABBA Integrated Biorefinery project, to be built at the AVAPCO Thomaston Georgia site, will co-produce bio jet fuel and Bioplus® nanocellulose. It has received a Phase 1, $3.7 million award from the Department of Energy. Negotiations with the Department
October 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Financing Bioeconomy Ventures Pt. 11: Series Summary
by Martin Wahl and Gerald Kutney (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) The preceding articles in this series cover the major steps that investors and entrepreneurs should take to advance bioeconomy project product and process development. In retrospect, the most striking aspect of the articles
October 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Financing Bioeconomy Ventures: Pt. 6 – Pilot Plant Site Assessment and Validation of Experimental Data
by Lorenz Bauer and Charles Loos (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) Investing in new bio-economy technologies involves the inherent perils associated with building new plants and introducing new products into existing markets. However, one avoidable peril is basing decisions on poorly planned research
October 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Financing Bioeconomy Ventures (Part 1 of 11)
by Wayne Lee and Gerald Kutney (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) This article is the introduction to a series of articles[1], reviewing the typical steps that investors consider before providing financial support to biofuels or biochemical projects. There is often disconnect between
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Lessons Learned Presenting Biotechnology Scale-Up During Fundraising
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors/Biofuels Digest) ... This paper will build on my previously published white paper on what makes scale-up of advanced biotechnology so difficult, to summarize lessons learned presenting technology scale-up plans to potential investors, and the on-going communication of
September 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Hi-Temp Deconstruction: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Solvent Liquefaction, and Biomass-to-Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to demonstrate solvent liquefaction as viable path to stable intermediates for subsequent upgrading to fuel blendstocks. This is based on a technology originally developed in large
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Breaking New Ground
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A Georgia-based joint venture is combining enzymatic and resin technologies with advanced distillation to convert brown grease to low-sulfur biodiesel. The plan is to prove out the process and make the technology available to the
August 17, 2017 Read Full Article
And No Extra Hydrogen: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to One-Step, High-Yield, Drop-In Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vertimass’ John Hannon gave this illuminating overview of one-step, high-yield production of drop-in fuels without added hydrogen, at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Georgia Biodiesel Project Moves Closer to USDA Loan Guarantee
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Smisson-Mathis Energy LLC, a joint venture between The Smisson Group of Macon, Georgia, and Tactical Fabrication LLC, has been selected by USDA to initiate Phase 2 of the Section 9003 program for the company’s $6.75
June 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuels from Thin Air: Drop-In Liquid Fuels from Sky CO2, Water and Solar Power
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the latest news, the Soletair process, developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology, is using carbon dioxide and solar power to produce renewable fuels and chemicals and has
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Advanced Downstream Recovery: Converting Fermentation Broth into Products
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) Advanced biotechnology has historically focused on fermentation as the key technology for development, with synthetic biology and proprietary organisms the key intellectual property. As any biotechnology moves toward commercialization, recovery and purification of the
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Virent Moves Biofuels Closer to Market as New CEO Takes Over
by Judy Newman (Wisconsin State Journal) If Madison-based Virent‘s biofuels are going to fill the tanks of cars and airplanes, it will be up to Stacey Orlandi to drive the company there. Orlandi, 45, took over as chief executive of Virent,
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
New Gladstone Plant a Boost for Biofuel Industry in Queensland
(Queensland Government) Queensland is now home to the first commercial-scale advanced biofuels pilot plant and on the cusp of a new biofuel production-based industry for the State, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. Speaking from Gladstone where the Premier officially opened the $18
June 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Anellotech Confidential: Pilot Running, New Mystery Investor as Catpyro Begins to Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Anellotech’s Bio-TCat process is designed to produce cost-competitive renewable aromatic (BTX) chemicals (benzene, toluene and xylenes) from non-food biomass for use in making plastics such as polyester, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or for renewable transportation
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
The Resources for Scale-up: The Digest’s 2017 Multi Slide Guide to Passmore Group’s View on Sustainable Project Development
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Passmore Group? It’s like global advanced technology wrapped up inside a maple leaf. There’s hardly a technology wave that’s in any way sustainable or renewable that Jeff Passmore et al have not played a Canadian
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Roll-Out of Smaller-Scale GTL: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant Opening
by Francesca Brindle (Hydrocarbon Engineering) Southern Oil has announced that Queensland Premier, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, will officially open the Northern Oil advanced biofuels pilot plant in Gladstone on 1 June 2017. The $18 million project brings together all
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Japanese Biotech Euglena Hopes to Flourish Overseas
by Akiyo Yasuda (Nikkei Asia Review) Producer of algae-based products looks to China, Southeast Asia to drive growth -- Tokyo-based euglena, a biotech venture formed by the University of Tokyo is expanding overseas operations. The producer of algae-based products started selling
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Progress on Transport Biofuels in Korea
by Jin-Suk Lee and Kyu-Young Kang (IEA Bioenergy Task 39) Since Korea imports over 95% of its energy demand, thus energy security has always been an important driver in the national agenda. In addition, CO2 mitigation has become another important driver as
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Old Town Mill Eyed for Full-Scale Plant to Turn Wood Pulp into Ingredient for Diesel, Jet Fuel
by Tux Turkel (Portland Press Herald) 'The biggest obstacle now is financing,' says Stephen Fitzpatrick, president of Biofine Technology LLC, which is partnering with UMaine on a pilot plant at the site. -- The former Old Town Fuel and Fiber
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Improving Policies in Support of Shared Pilot Facilities to Increase Their Impact on the Key Enabling Technology Industrial Biotech and the European Bio-Economy
(Smart Pilots/Interreg Europe) SmartPilots' objective is to improve regional policies in support of Shared Pilot Facilities (SPF) to increase their impact on the Key Enabling technology (KET) Industrial Biotech and the bio-economy. The bio-economy adresses societal challenges such as climate change, sustainable
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
D3Max Pilot Test Results at ACE Ethanol Exceed Expectations
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) This February, D3MAX announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. Installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, the testing of the patented D3MAX corn fiber-to-ethanol process
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
2016 Survey of Non-Starch Alcohol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The reports tracks the status of non-starch alcohol and renewable hydrocarbon projects. What it is: Publicly available annual report summarizing U.S. advanced biorefinery projects and global trends in the deployment of commercial technologies as of year-end
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Amyris and the Great Rate Debate
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Either there’s a tremendous amount of down-time at the plant. Or, the plant is struggling with rate. We highlighted production rate in this article on hard times and bright prospects at POET-DSM, and we’ll highlight it
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Commercial Proving Grounds
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) With help from investors, Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. plans to fast-track deployment of its renewable diesel technology at a shuttered, gutted biodiesel plant in Alberta. -- ... CWS has been developing its technology, designed to
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Ace Ethanol to Install D3MAX Cellulosic Ethanol Pilot Plant
(BBI International/Ethanol Producer Magazine) D3MAX has announced the completion and shipment of its pilot plant employing the patented D3MAX cellulosic ethanol technology. The pilot facility will be installed at ACE Ethanol LLC, in Stanley, Wisconsin, in late February. Installation is
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Rwanda Abandons $35m Biodiesel Pilot Project
by Johnson Kanamugire (The East African) More than $35 million was initially invested in setting up the pilot plant for biofuel mass production plant, a diesel station and a bus, but these facilities have not been put to use in a
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
The Uber Model for Industrial Biotechnology, on Display at REG Okeechobee?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The REG Okeechobee facility is now “open for business” as a contract manufacturing site, and that’s a fascinating development worth exploring, even if you don’t have a microbe you would like to manufacture without the
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Imagine, with Us!: AkzoNobel Issues an Innovation Challenge to the Advanced Bioceconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) AkzoNobel is launching Imagine Chemistry, an exciting opportunity to partner with start-up firms, students, research groups and career scientists from across the world to jointly exploit the knowledge of chemistry and solve several real-life chemistry-related
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
St1 Signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Bioethanol Pilot Project in Thailand
(St1) Finnish technology turns cassava waste into ethanol -- St1 signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a bioethanol pilot project in Thailand. St1, a Finnish energy company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ubon Bio Ethanol to launch a
January 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Algae Production Started on Bonaire
by Emmy Koeleman (All about Feed) Wageningen University & Research (UR) in the Netherlands is building a small-scale algae pilot on the isle of Bonaire. The Dutch University is partnering with the Council of International Education and Exchange to build this
January 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Scaling-up through Contract Manufacturing
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) As companies consider options to commercialize their advanced biotechnologies, they are faced with the decision to either build their own demonstration scale facility or utilize existing contract manufacturing operations (CMOs). There are benefits and
January 20, 2017 Read Full Article
New Path to Ethylene via Ethanol: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Technip’s Hummingbird Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last June, we reported that Technip completed the acquisition of Hummingbird ethanol to ethylene technology from BP Chemicals Ltd. Utilizing a proprietary catalyst operating under mild operating conditions, the technology converts ethanol to ethylene through dehydration. The technology
January 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Austria – Biofuels Technology, Research and Development
by Dina Bacovsky, Andrea Sonnleitner (Task39 Newsletter) ... Domestic FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) production in 2014 was 292,009 tonnes based on rapeseed (72%), used cooking oil (19%), animal fat (8%) and fatty acids (1%). The feedstock was sourced mainly from the
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Pilot and Demonstration Plants Database
The Task 39 pilot and demonstration plants database has been updated and can be accessed at the website: http://demoplants.bioenergy2020.eu. READ MORE
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces Six Projects for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the Energy Department (DOE) announced the selection of six projects for up to $12.9 million in federal funding, entitled, “Project Definition for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower.” These projects, required to
December 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Accelerating the Shift to a Vibrant Australian Biofuels Industry
(Australian Renewable Energy Agency) Australia’s first advanced green fuels laboratory has opened its doors in regional Queensland, thanks to support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), allowing researchers to test biocrude on our shores for the first time. ARENA has
December 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Biomass-Fed Chemical Process Projects, 2016
by Bernard Cooker (Chemical Processing Solutions/Biofuels Digest) This is a review of the biomass-fed chemical process projects to renewable chemicals which were published in Chemical Engineering Progress (CEP) and Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN) from 1/1/16 to 10/31/16, including activity in
December 08, 2016 Read Full Article
MERCOSUL Award to Brazilian Student for Microalgae DC Research
(Algae Industry Magazine) Angelo Paggi Matos, a doctoral student from Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), in Brasília, Brazil, has been awarded an honorable mention by MERCOSUL Science and Technology Awards — Category: Young Scientist, with a work entitled: Biochemical
December 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Bolting Chemicals onto Ethanol Plants: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Greenyug
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Greenyug is a privately held technology development company with a mission to research, develop and commercialize production of commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, polymers and fuels derived from renewable sources. The laboratory facility is based in
December 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Colorado Engineering Council’s Top Awards
(The Villager) The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Colorado announced the winners of its 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) on Nov. 7 at a celebration luncheon held at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. A Grand Conceptor Award, presented
December 05, 2016 Read Full Article
A Strategic Approach to Scale-Up
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors, LLC/Biofuels Digest) ... In my previous series “what makes scale-up of industrial biotechnology so difficult” (here), I introduced the concept of not pushing the rope. This notion involves identifying commercial scale equipment that can perform the
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Canada Showcases New Algae Biorefinery to Reduce CO2 Emissions
(The National Research Council of Canada/Biodiesel Magazine)... Canada’s first algal biorefinery demonstration project, a collaborative research effort between the National Research Council of Canada’s Algal Carbon Conversion program, Pond Technologies and Votorantim Cimentos’ St Marys Cement, is revolutionizing how industrial carbon
November 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Scaling Biofuels Technology
by David Edwards ( Zeton Inc./Lee Enterprises Consulting) The recommended approach for scaling bioenergy and biofuels technology follows a similar stage gate process to that used in traditional Chemical Process Industry (CPI) processes. But the processing of solids in bioenergy
November 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Hydrothermal Processing and Algae to Oil: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Reliance Industries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reliance Industries has been working on HTL technology for algae conversion to biofuel for last 5 years and recently have started extending their work beyond algae to other feedstock. With its inherent technological advantages over other
November 02, 2016 Read Full Article
NREL Lowers Biofuel Costs Through Catalyst Regeneration and Vapor-Phase Upgrading
(U.S. Department of Energy) This past June, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in partnership with Particulate Solids Research, Inc. and Springs Fabrication, installed a recirculating regenerating riser reactor (R-Cubed) in their pilot-scale Thermochemical Process Development Unit. Funded
October 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Davis, Mercurius Advance on Ultra Low-Cost Renewable Chemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Mercurius Biorefining has furthered its partnership with UC Davis to develop first-of-its-kind technology for production of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA). While current approaches to the commercialization of FDCA use fructose as a feedstock, the
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Chevron’s Forgotten Biofuels Wonder-Tech Gets a Second Life at Iowa State
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You may recall that The Bloomberg investigative team of Ben Elgin & Peter Waldman in 2013 published an expose on Chevron claiming that the company had developed — then buried — a Catchlight Energy project
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Take the Test: Evaluating Commercial Readiness, Parts 1 and 2
by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) ... The focus of this series will be to provide a framework to allow ventures to assess their current state of process development and whether they are ready to make the next step
September 22, 2016 Read Full Article
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