(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Biomass Magazine) EU-funded project COMSYN aims to develop a production concept for competitive biobased fuels by means of a compact gasification and synthesis process. The target reduction of the biofuel production cost is up to
precursors/biointermediates
Back TO HOMESolar-to-Fuel System Recycles CO2 to Make Ethanol and Ethylene
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Solar-to-Fuel System Recycles CO2 to Make Ethanol and Ethylene -- Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and alcohols
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Building Blocks from Biocrude: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to High Value Methoxyphenols
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to develop and optimize a hybrid separation method to recover high-value methoxyphenols to improve the process economics and environmental impact for the production of advanced biofuels from
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Takin’ Out the Oxygen with Electro-Deoxygenation: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Upgrading Bio-Oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to demonstrate the techno‐economic feasibility of upgrading biomass derived pyrolysis oil using electro-deoxygenation process. A ceramic membrane that selectively transports oxygen under an applied electric potential is
September 19, 2017 Read Full Article
You Wascaly Lignocellulose, Deconstruct: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project led by Pacific Northwest National Lab to develop a new deconstruction technology to provide low ash and low impurity sugars and sugar-derived intermediates from lignocellulosic feeds for use in
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Södra Commences Biofuel Production
(Södra) Södra will invest more than SEK 100 million in the production of biomethanol, a sustainable fuel from forest raw material. The project will commence in autumn 2017 and is scheduled to be ready for operation by spring 2019. The aim
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Plastic Stretches Towards the New: Top 10 Trendlines in Bioplastics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Plant Bottle has generated so much goodwill and publicity for its 30% renewable, sustainable content (and that biobased MEG) that it’s easy to forget that there are several paths being chased to 100% renewable
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Model for Creating and Commercialising Biochemicals from Biomass?
(Biofuels International) With the price for crude oil at less than $50 a barrel, Iowa State University’s National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centre for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) is proposing a new model for creating, applying and commercialising chemicals made from
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Gassy Gold: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to a Biogas-to-Muconic Acid Pathway
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a NREL-led project to establish a novel gas fermentation bioprocess for secretion of an array of fuel and chemical intermediates. The project also aims to develop a novel
August 31, 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
Hot Spots: 10 Advanced Bioeconomy Places to Watch in Iowa
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Eddyville, Fort Dodge, Clinton, Newton, Cedar Rapids. Communities like these have been mainstays of the Iowa bioeconomy for years, even decades — home to corn and soy processing on the largest world scale, and much
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Grant Funding Opportunity: Renewable Intermediate Fuel Production for Jet Fuel in Heavy-Duty Transportation Sector
The purpose of this solicitation is to support research and pre-commercial demonstration of fungible low carbon fuels synthesis by providing funding for innovative, pre-commercial low-carbon fuel production processes that result in the development of bio-oil as an intermediate fuel with
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Methanol and Bio-Economy: Now and the Future
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Methanol and bioeconomies are two of the buzz words of the last decade. They had their origin in the “peak oil” scare and the predicted sky rocketing oil prices. They were further
August 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Industrially-Relevant Strains: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has a goal of developing industrially-relevant strains to meet titer, rate, and yield targets for fuel precursors for the 2022 BC Platform cost target goals of $3/GGE. A project led by
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Deep Stabilization: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Fast Pyrolysis and Bio-Oil Upgrading
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Within the ChemCatBio set of core catalysis projects lies Fast Pyrolysis and Upgrading, which has as its goal “to develop cost competitive biofuels through catalytic stabilization and deoxygenation of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil. The near-term DOE goal
August 08, 2017 Read Full Article
From Sugars to Affordable Hydrocarbon Fuels: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Upgrading R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has set a goal to “Select and develop at least one route for catalytic upgrading of sugars/related intermediates and/or biologically derived intermediates into fuel blendstockswith conversion performance than can achieve
August 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Catalysis on a Hot Tin Roof: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the ChemCatBio Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, the consortium works “with industry to rapidly transition R&D
August 03, 2017 Read Full Article
The Time Has Come for RFS Reform
by Mike McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biofuels Digest) In December of 2007, President Bush—with overwhelming bipartisan support—signed the RFS2 into law. Since that time, it has become clear the law has worked for first-generation corn ethanol and biodiesel. While the first generation
July 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Ready for Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Honeywell’s UOP and Aviation Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating power, transportation fuel and heating
July 20, 2017 Read Full Article
ChemCatBio Launches 2017 Directed Funding Assistance Opportunity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, ChemCatBio announced a new 2017 directed funding assistance opportunity. It’s an opportunity for industry and academia to engage with ChemCatBio to tackle challenges associated with these core research themes, to leverage our capabilities and expertise to overcome any
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Cellulosics & the Whole Bio-Barrel: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Renmatix
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renmatix is a technology licensor that enables the production of petrochemicals from plants. The company’s water-based Plantrose process is the lowest cost method for converting a wide range of non-food biomass into cellulosic sugars, used
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Advances in Biofeedstocks and Biofuels: Production Technologies for Biofuels, Volume 2
by Lalit Kumar Singh (Editor), Gaurav Chaudhary (Editor) (Wiley) Biofuels production is one of the most extensively studied fields in the energy sector that can provide an alternative energy source and bring the energy industry closer to sustainability. Biomass-based fuel production,
July 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Research Progressing on How to Spur Wide Use of Aviation Biofuels
(Penn State News) Slowed as much by extremely low oil prices as supply-chain and technological challenges, the effort to integrate biofuels into the nation's aviation fuel supply is nonetheless progressing, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Sustainable
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Tasty Energy Treats You Can Make From Brownies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Terpenes may be the most unloved class of energy molecule of all time, if you compare R&D spending to potential. Even ARPA-E, the home of high-risk, high-reward government research into energy, hasn’t delved into terpenes since
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
In Search of Lowest Cost Hydrocarbons: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Global Bioenergies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies is a pioneer in the development of one-step fermentation processes for the direct and cost-efficient transformation of renewable resources into light olefin hydrocarbons, the key building blocks of the petrochemical industry. Since inception,
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Can’t Get No (Liquefaction): The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide Liquefaction of Forest Biomass to Drop-in Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lysle Whitmer on behalf of an Iowa State-led group of researchers gave this illuminating overview of Liquefaction of Forest Biomass to Drop-in Fuels, at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Algaemagic: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the MAGIC Marine Algae Consortium Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mark Huntley and Zackary Johnson gave this illuminating overview of the MAGIC Marine Algae consortium project at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Cornell Engineers Transform Food Waste into Green Energy
by Blaine Friedlander (Cornell University) In a classic tale of turning trash into treasure, two different processes soon may be the favored dynamic duo to turn food waste into green energy, according to a new Cornell-led study in the journal
June 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuels from Thin Air: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Soletair Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 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 reached an end-to-end small
June 13, 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
Biomass Pyrolysis Comes of Age
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) After many years of development biomass pyrolysis is finally maturing as a commercial technology. Pyrolysis is not incineration. The goal is to use heat in the absence of oxygen to convert the biomass
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
The Low pH Edge: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Reverdia
by Eduardo Baral (Novvi/Biofuels Digest) Reverdia is a joint venture between Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives company. Reverdia is dedicated to be the global leader in the
June 07, 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
Triple Play Boosting Value of Renewable Fuel Could Tip Market in Favor of Biomass
by Silke Schmidt (University of Wisconsin-Madison News) Technologies for converting non-edible biomass into chemicals and fuels traditionally made from petroleum exist aplenty. But when it comes to attracting commercial interest, these technologies compete financially with a petroleum-based production pipeline that
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Supercritical Hydrofaction: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Steeper Energy and Decarbonizing Long-Haul Transport
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Not long ago, we updated on Steeper Energy, which has been executing on a $3m grant from Sustainable Development Technology Canada towards development of a $30M 100 barrel per day demonstration project for the company’s hydrofaction biomass-to-liquids
May 26, 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
Advancing the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the USDA and Feedstock R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Former Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack put it best: “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing in the businesses and technologies
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Turning Sewage Sludge into Fuels and Hydrogen
(Recycling Magazine) TO-SYN-FUEL is a project funded by Horizon 2020 EU’s new research and innovation programme, with the aim to build-up, operate and demonstrate the production of Synthetic Fuels and Green Hydrogen from waste biomass. ... Twelve SME, industrial, and scientific partners,
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Rapid Advancement: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Nation’s 10th Manufacturing USA Institute – RAPID
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last December , the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would support the country’s 10th Manufacturing USA Institute with $70 million over five years, subject to federal appropriations. Another $70 million is expected from RAPID’s partners, including
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Muti-Slide Guide to Bioprivileged Molecules and Creating Value from Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bioprivileged molecules – that was the subject of this illuminating presentation given at ABLC 2017 by Iowa State professor Brett Shanks head of the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals – looking at petroleum’s platform molecules and the
May 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Global Bioenergies, Clariant and INEOS Receive Major EU Funding to Demonstrate the Production of Isobutene Derivatives from Straw
(Global Bioenergies) European financing package amounting to €9.8 million, of which €4.4 million for Global Bioenergies; Industry consortium led by Global Bioenergies and bringing together Clariant, INEOS, IPSB, TechnipFMC and Linz University; Aim: converting agricultural residues (wheat straw) into isobutene derivatives
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest's Complete March Madness Webinars Available Online
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest's Complete March Madness webinars - 700+ slides available for your on-demand review. -- The Digest's March Madness series - 20 webinars covering the hottest topics as selected by Digest readers - featuring dozens
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Find More Efficient Way to Make Oil from Dead Trees
(University of Washington/Biomass Magazine) The mountain pine beetle has destroyed more than 40 million acres of forest in the western United States. That amounts to an area the size of Washington state that is strewn with conifers left for dead. The
May 04, 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
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial 5C and 6C sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on C5 and C6 sugars, featuring in-demand industry consultant David Dodds and Fluid Quip exec Jeffrey Robert — looking at transformative approaches to making sugars and the chemistry that we can
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Drop-In Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on drop-in renewable fuels, featuring Drop-in Fuels 2020 author and in-demand industry consultant Will Thurmond on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of approaches to
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Great Leaf Forward: The Top 10 Trends Driving the Canadian Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although the bigger players — China, the US, Brazil and the EU take most of the headlines in the advanced bioeconomy, Canada is definitely “boxing above its weight class” these days, as the saying goes. In
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Amyris Announces Key Advancements Under DARPA Multi-Year Technology Investment Agreement — Enables Development of Industrial-Scale Fermentation Process For Virtually Any Biological Molecule
(Amyris) Amyris, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMRS), the industrial bioscience company, today announced that it has successfully expanded its world-class expertise in strain engineering and optimization to 26 key metabolic precursors across multiple organisms, as part of its Technology Investment Agreement (TIA) with
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
The 4C-able Future: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Butanol and Other 4C Molecules
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In our March Madness webinar series, a popular entry has been the session on “butanol and other 4C molecules: prospects and progress”. We looked at a number of companies in depth here, including slides from
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Opportunities to Transition Ethanol Facilities to Biochemical Refineries
by Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... As the market for gasoline grew, a shortage soon developed for the lighter fractions of crude oil. This shortage led to the development of the catalytic cracker, which breaks
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Opportunity in the Chemical Market
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A Nebraska-focused tech startup and a Latin American chemical supplier highlight two options for using ethanol as the building block for intermediate chemicals. -- The future of ethanol for intermediate chemical production can be
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Lignocellulosic Biomass Deconstruction
Bernard Cooker (Chemical Processing Solutions/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) Cheap, plentiful lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, is deconstructed to release useful chemical intermediates in the bioeconomy. These include glucose from cellulose, glucose and other sugars from hemicellulose,
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. Comments on Emerging Bioethanol Market Opportunity as It Commercializes Its Cellulose to Sugar Technology Process
(Alliance Bio-Products) The company's patented CTS process presents a viable option for growing biofuel production efforts with its ability to produce cellulosic ethanol at a lower cost and without harmful environmental impact -- Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. (Bio-Products), a subsidiary of
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Validated, Integrated: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, followed by fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, is flexible to be used to convert different feedstocks on a regional basis, for example corn stover in
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
The Wonder from Down Under Goes to Canada: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Licella
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella produces drop-in biofuels from a wide range of biomass and uses a supercritical water-based technology and catalysts to break up biomass and reform it into a drop-in fuel hydrocarbon. The compelling features of supercritical are
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Industrial Sugars from Waste: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Comet Biorefining
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Earlier this month, we reported that Comet Biorefining had successfully closed an investment round to fund its proposed cellulosic sugar production facility using stover and wheat straw as feedstock. PM Equity Parnership, the corporate venture and private
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Co-Processing Biointermediates: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Honeywell UOP
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating power, transportation fuel and heating
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Diamond Green Diesel Expanding to 275M Gallon Capacity to Meet Booming Renewable Diesel Demand
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Louisiana, the Diamond Green Diesel facility in Norco will expand its annual production capacity of renewable diesel from 10,000 barrels per day to 18,000 bpd (275 million gallons per year), using Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Government of Canada Invests $43 Million in Clean Technology Innovation
(Government of Canada/CNW) Investments support Canadian-based technologies and create opportunities for businesses to grow and contribute to clean economic growth. -- Technology and the innovation it helps promote are key to the future of Canada's economy. This is why the
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
RVO Clarity by June Top Priority for Biofuels Industry Leaders
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Amid an animated discussion of policy issues, one item gained the support of all five panelists: publication of the Renewable Fuels Standard renewable volume obligations for 2017 and 2018 by June, on schedule. Moderated by
March 02, 2017 Read Full Article
UNICA Says that Unintended Consequences from EPA Proposal Could Limit US Access to Advanced Biofuel
(Green Car Congress) UNICA, Brazil’s Sugarcane Industry Association, has noted with potential concern that a current EPA proposal that would allow, among other things, biofuel producers to partially process renewable feedstocks at one facility and further process them into renewable
February 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Iowa State Engineer Helps Journal Highlight How Pyrolysis Can Advance the Bioeconomy
(Iowa State University) A special issue of the journal Energy Technology details the latest advances in pyrolysis technologies for converting biomass into fuels, chemicals and fertilizers. Two pyrolysis experts are guest editors of the issue: Robert C. Brown, the director of
February 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Biotech Firm to Produce Renewable Fuel in New Office Space
by Emily Witty (MD Biz News) ... (Ryan) Powell and his business partner Onur Unal are the founders of Manta Biofuel, a Baltimore-based biotechnology firm producing renewable crude oil through the harvesting and processing of algae. Just two and a half
February 18, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Hydrocarbon Brew: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Technical Market Analysis for Biochemical Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the project team behind this presentation explains, there’s trouble right here in River City when it comes to accessing good market and technical data on making hydrocarbons from a biochemical process. Process and economic data
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Produce Renewable Car Tires from Trees, Grass
(University of Minnesota/Biomass Magazine) A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has invented a new technology to produce automobile tires from trees and grasses in a process that could shift the tire production industry toward using renewable
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
The Next Step in the Bioeconomy – Looking Beyond Fuels
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) The Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in the Office of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy (EERE), released its updated strategic plan in January. Revised every five years, the strategic plan refreshes and
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Bioconversion of Lignin Derivatives to Biofuels: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Value from Lignin
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal? Develop microbial biocatalysts to convert lignin-rich streams into value-added products. That’s subject which this project — “Synthetic Metabolic Pathways for Bioconversion of Lignin Derivatives to Biofuels,” led by Oak Ridge National Lab’s Adam Guss
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Bio-Oil and Beyond: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to RTI’s Catalytic Upgrading tech for Thermochemical Intermediates to Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To “Demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels,” that’s the ratuional behind a DOE project with RTI in the lead, aimed
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Avalon’s Bid to Replace Carcinogenic Formaldehyde
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Switzerland, Avalon Industries has launched a research project to replace formaldehyde in phenol-formaldehyde resins with a bio-based, non-toxic platform chemical 5-HMF, The R&D partner is the Institute for Materials and Wood Technology at the
February 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Fracking Biomass: Steeper Energy and the Pursuit of Renewable Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... And it (the history of fracking) reminds us that one of the great tipping points for world civilization is when technology liberates a value great enough that the fear of the risk fades for
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Far-Reaching Impacts of Biointermediate Feedstocks on the Biodiesel Industry
by Karyn Jones (EcoEngineers/Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA’s proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support rule, published in the federal register Nov. 16, proposes a wide-range of regulatory and compliance changes that affect the renewable fuel standard (RFS) and the entire range
January 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Alternative Feedstock & Process Technology Overview
by Will Smith (Springhouse Consulting/Biodiesel Magazine) While the majority of U.S. biodiesel is still produced from soybean and canola oil, the role of alternative feedstock has increased steadily over the past decade. The lower production costs they afford have had
January 23, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Approves Pathway for Isobutanol as an Advanced Biofuel Provides Route for Gevo to Generate Potentially More Valuable D5 RINs at Luverne
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has approved the pathway for isobutanol produced at Gevo’s Luverne, MN plant to be an advanced biofuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program (“RFS”). This is the first
January 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Hawaii 5-Oleo: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Cellana’s Kona-Based Marine Microalgae System
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellana uses the most productive plants on earth—marine microalgae—to photosynthetically produce its ReNew line of Omega-3 EPA and DHA oils, animal feed, and biofuel feedstocks. Cellana’s patented ALDUO system, a series of photobioreactors coupled with
January 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Sugar, Sugar: Toray, Mitsui Set out to Build Monster Cellulosic Sugar Plant in Asia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week we reported that Toray Industries has teamed with Mitsui to produce cellulosic sugars from bagasse leftover from the sugar production process at Thai sugar mills. The companies will invest up to $51 million to build
January 17, 2017 Read Full Article
From Waste CO2 to Everyday Products: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Liquid Light Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We reported this week that Avantium has acquired Liquid Light’s assets and will take the technology forward. Liquid Light developed electrocatalytic technology to make major chemicals from low-cost, globally abundant carbon dioxide. The company’s technoloigy
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Catalysis in Renewable Chemicals: Noteworthy Developments, 2015 – 2016
by Bernard Cooker (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) The use of catalysts, both living entities, such as microorganisms, and otherwise inert synthetic and biologically-derived materials, such as supported transition metals and enzymes, are frequently key to the development of technically efficient and
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Old Carbon, New Jet Fuels: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech’s ATJ Jet Fuel Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech’s gas fermentation platform disrupts the current highly centralized global energy system by enabling the regional production of low-cost energy from local wastes and residues, including gases as varied as industrial flue gas, gasified biomass
December 30, 2016 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
Cell-Free Manufacturing: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Greenlight Biosciences
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) GreenLight Biosciences is a bioproduction company that has developed what it terms “a revolutionary cell-free manufacturing platform”. The cell-free platform is capable of synthesizing complex chemicals through a sustainable, clean, biological process at costs that can
December 28, 2016 Read Full Article
JBEI Releases 4 New Biobased Technologies for Licensing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed four new technologies available for license: Streamlined Saccharification from Lignocellulosic Biomass, 2015-143 Translation Control Tool for Plans, 2013-166 Determining Ligninases
December 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Hydrocarbons from Cheap Renewable Carbon: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Global Bioenergies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies is a pioneer in the development of one-step fermentation processes for the direct and cost-efficient transformation of renewable resources into light olefin hydrocarbons, the key building blocks of the petrochemical industry. Since inception,
December 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Global Bioenergies to Acquire Gas Fermentation Start-Up Syngip
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Syngip talked here about the possibility of producing liquid hydrocarbons from waste feedstocks at costs as low as €100 per ton. ... What’s this deal all about? In two words, cheaper carbon. The Global Bioenergies story is
December 23, 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
Leaf Resources and Novozymes Launch Biomass-to-Sugars Collaboration
(Leaf Resources) Leaf Resources’ patented biomass pretreatment process- GLYCELL – is an innovative, high-yield route to clean, economical cellulosic sugars -- Leaf Resources today announced a collaboration with Novozymes, the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes, to further increase the
December 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Testifies to EPA Regarding Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support Rule
(Growth Energy) Today, at a hearing in Chicago, Chris Bliley, Director of Regulatory Affairs for Growth Energy testified before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support (REGS) Rule. During his testimony, Bliley outlined Growth Energy’s concern
December 06, 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
Hi-Performance Tech Package: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, followed by fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, is flexible to be used to convert different feedstocks on a regional basis, for example corn stover in North
December 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Drop-In Fuels at Scale: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn uses its patented and proprietary RTP fast thermal technology to convert wood residues and other non-food, cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels. Ensyn has had continuous commercial operations for more than 25 years. Its technology has
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Fortress Paper Announces Hemicellulose Separation Project at Its Dissolving Pulp Mill
(Fortress Paper/Lesprom.com) Fortress Paper Ltd. announces a strategic supplement to the already announced birch usage project (the "Birch Project") at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill aimed at extracting hemicellulose from underutilized species such as birch (the " Hemicellulose Project"). The Hemicellulose Project
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Renmatix Turns Biowaste into Plastic. Can the King of Prussia Firm Help Save the Planet?
by Aswin Mannepalli (Philadelphia Inquirer) The King of Prussia company takes biowaste and converts it into useful materials such as bioplastics. So far, it counts Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates as a backer. He led a $14 million investment in the firm
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong. Part 5, The Collapse
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In 2011, KiOR raised $150 million in its June IPO, claiming that it was generating yields of 67 gallons per ton in its Demo unit operations. But it was miles short of that. In our previous
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Comment Period Opens on EPA Rule to Update RFS, Fuel Regulations
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Nov. 16, U.S. EPA’s proposed Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support rule was published in the Federal Register, officially opening a 60-day public comment period on the proposal. Comments are due Jan. 17. ... The proposal includes
November 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Biointermediates and U: A Potential Step Change in Advanced Biofuel Economics
by Antoine C. Schellinger (Biofuels Digest/ International Alliance Group) ... The EPA has performed lifecycle analysis on certain pathways and published them in the CFR as approved pathways. They are labeled with sequential alphabetical characters and currently range from A to
November 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Environmental Protection Agency Publishes Proposed REGS Regulations in Federal Register
(Federal Register) In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to update both its renewable fuels and other fuels regulations to reflect changes in the marketplace and to promote the growing use of both ethanol fuels (conventional and advanced) and non-ethanol advanced and cellulosic biofuels. The EPA
November 17, 2016 Read Full Article
What’s Next for Advanced Biofuels?
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) As for what is left to do after Congress returns on Nov. 15, extending existing biofuel tax credits are number one on the list. ... In early October, the U.S. EPA released a new set
November 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Who’s Got Hot Lignin? The Digest’s 2016 Guide to Lignin Production and Prospects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities. The result
November 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Small Farm Conference--A Seriously Knowledge-Intensive Activity on Maryland's Eastern Shore
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) "I want to make this land productive again," was a common refrain at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's 13th Annual Small Farm Conference November 11-12. Whether returning to a disused family farm or
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Reinventing Enzymes, Molecules by Design: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Arzeda
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Arzeda’s proprietary technology combines targeted computational enzyme design and protein optimization with state-of-the-art metabolic bioengineering to create entirely novel designer cell factories capable of industry-scale chemical production. CEO Alex Zanghellini gave this overview of Arzeda’s breakthrough technology at ABLC Next in San
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Who’s Got the Hot Sugars? The Digest’s 2016 Guide to Lignocellulosic Sugars and Their Producers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities. The result
November 14, 2016 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Fulcrum BioEnergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fulcrum BioEnergy has developed a “game-changing process for converting municipal solid waste that would otherwise be landfilled, into renewable transportation fuels including syncrude, jet fuel and diesel”. The company has successfully proven and demonstrated this
November 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Get the Results of the Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities Request for Information!
(U.S. Department of Energy) The results of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office's (BETO's) Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities Request for Information (RFI) are now available on the RFI responses web page. This new web page is a
November 06, 2016 Read Full Article
What To Do With Algae
by Terry Mazanec (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... So the process removes and processes about 25 tonnes of earth to obtain each gram of Pt, valued at about $35. It is a very lucrative business. Biomass is much like the platinum mine. It
October 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Drop-In Biofuel Developers See Promise in US EPA Rule Change
by Meghan Gordon (Platts) US advanced biofuels production could get a boost under a rule change the Environmental Protection Agency is considering that would allow conventional refineries to receive renewable fuel credits for using drop-in biofuels when making gasoline and diesel. Developers
October 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo Produces First Cellulosic Renewable Jet Fuel Specified for Use on Commercial Airline Flights--Alaska Airlines to Fly First Commercial Flight with Cellulosic Renewable Jet Fuel in ‘Next Few Months’
(Gevo/Globe Newswire) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), announced today that it has completed production of the world’s first cellulosic renewable jet fuel that is specified for commercial flights. Gevo successfully adapted its patented technologies to convert cellulosic sugars derived from wood waste
October 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Drop-In Biofuel Developers See Promise in US EPA Rule Change
by Meghan Gordon (Platts) US advanced biofuels production could get a boost under a rule change the Environmental Protection Agency is considering that would allow conventional refineries to receive renewable fuel credits for using drop-in biofuels when making gasoline and diesel. Developers
October 11, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Proposes Poplar, Willow Trees for Ethanol in U.S. Biofuel Rule Tweak
by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday proposed tweaks to its Renewable Fuel Standard that would allow biofuels to be processed at more than one location and would allow cellulosic ethanol to be made from poplar and
October 10, 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
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to LeSaffre, Corbion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at LeSaffre and
October 06, 2016 Read Full Article
10-Year Anniversary Videos Offer Unique Glimpse inside REG
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Renewable Energy Group Inc. is quietly celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a series of videos being released to commemorate the company’s—and the biodiesel industry’s—significant growth and maturation over the past decade. REG has been discreet about
October 05, 2016 Read Full Article
BDC Fall, 2016 Symposium Presentations Posted
(Bioenergy Deployment Consortium) A successful BDC Fall Symposium was held in Washington DC on September 27-28, 2016. A combination of Government Agency Directors and Sr. Advisors were joined by outstanding leaders in the bio-industry to discuss the advancement of the
October 04, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Proposes Major Updates to RFS Regulations
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) ... Within the proposed rule, the EPA explains that the RFS registration, reporting, recordkeeping and product transfer document (PTD) requirements were designed with the general expectation that renewable biomass would be converted into renewable fuel at
October 04, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Releases Ethanol Flex Fuel Rule/(REGS) Rule
(Fuel Marketer News) Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released their proposed rule for Ethanol Flex Fuel and Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support (REGS) Rule. This proposal intends to provide regulatory clarification for ethanol blends from 16 percent to 50
October 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Gasification: The Flexible Answer to Biomass Conversion
by Terry Mazanec (Lee Enterprises Consulting) Biomass is a rich salad of chemicals that contains many highly valuable materials that are precursors to fine chemicals, nutrients, and pharmaceuticals. But this strength is also a weakness of biomass. The assortment of materials
September 30, 2016 Read Full Article
The New Bio-BDO Era: Novamont Opens First Commercial-Scale Facility for Bio-Based BDO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Italy word has arrived that Novamont have opened the world’s first commercial-scale facility for the bio-based production of bio-based 1,4-butanediol, in Bottrighe (Adria), North East Italy. Having licensed Genomatica’s technology, the Novamont Mater-Biotech plant will
September 30, 2016 Read Full Article
The Rise of Organic Manufacturing: Ginkgo, Amyris, Genomatica’s Circle of Innovation Is a Trend to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The factories of old — a technological wave that swept in with the Industrial Revolution — these were inorganic manufacturing centers, and they are now the wave of the past. They used a suite of lifeless
September 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Global Bioenergies, Clariant Produce Isobutene from Wheat Straw
(Global Bioenergies/Biomass Magazine) Global Bioenergies and Clariant are proud to announce the first isobutene production from a wheat straw hydrolysate, in the industrial pilot of Pomacle Bazancourt. This success is the result of a collaboration initiated more than 18 months
September 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Novamont Opens Plant for Production of Biobased 1,4-butanediol
(Novamont/Biomass Magazine) Novamont, the Italy-based world leader in bioplastics, with 1,000 patents in biopolymers and biochemicals, announced it has opened the world’s first commercial-scale facility for the biobased production of a major intermediate chemical in Bottrighe (Adria), Italy. Novamont’s Mater-Biotech
September 30, 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
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Shell, Sinopec
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) his season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at Shell and Sinopec and their direct investments,
September 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Fast & Flexible: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Renmatix
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renmatix is a technology licensor that enables the production of petrochemicals from plants. The company’s water-based Plantrose process is the lowest cost method for converting a wide range of non-food biomass into cellulosic sugars, used
September 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Gates Backs Renmatix; Total Inks 1 Million Ton/Year Cellulosic Sugar License
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Pennsylvania, Bill Gates is leading the latest investment round into the pioneering cellulosic sugars producer Renmatix as energy giant Total joins in with second investment and a 1 million ton per year license. Gates is
September 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Why Poplar Is So Popular: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Poplar Bioconversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amidst the discussion this week of the future of first-gen and advanced biofuels, and the launch of Hot 40 and Hot 50 voting — we were intrigued by this slide deck on advances in poplar production and
September 13, 2016 Read Full Article
The Companies of the Biobased Economy: The Multi-Slide Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization has released its new report “Advancing the Biobased Economy: Renewable Chemical Biorefinery Commercialization, Progress, and Market Opportunities, 2016 and Beyond,” documenting substantial, ongoing growth in the renewable chemical industry and outlining federal
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Low Cost Cellulosic Sugars, Hydrogen: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Electrosep
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amidst all the discussion this week of deal-making in cellulosic and sugar-based fuels — the likes of Tesoro-Virent and Lufthansa-Gevo — we were intrigued by this slide deck on a pathway to low-cost cellulosic sugars and
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo, Lufthansa Rock Markets with Renewable Jet Fuel Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, Gevo has entered into a heads of agreement with Lufthansa to supply Gevo’s alcohol-to-jet fuel from its first commercial hydrocarbon facility, intended to be built in Luverne, MN. The terms of the agreement
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Tesoro to Acquire Virent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Wisconsin, Tesoro reached an agreement for Tesoro to acquire Virent. The acquisition, the partners said, will support the scale up and commercialization of Virent’s BioForming technology for the production of low carbon bio-based fuels
September 08, 2016 Read Full Article
White Dog Labs Looks to Build Delaware's Next Chemical Giant
by Scott Goss (The News Journal) ... Now the rather smelly, colorless liquid is poised to become the cornerstone of a Delaware startup that is seeking to revolutionize the biochemical industry and even possibly -- maybe someday -- upend the global fuel market. "That might
September 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Technip Signs Agreement with BTG Bioliquids to Design and Build Pyrolysis Plants for Biomass-to-Oil Production
(btg-btl) Technip announced ... that it has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with BTG BioLiquids B.V. (BTL) to provide EPC(1) services for its modular pyrolysis plants. The plants will be based on BTL’s Fast Pyrolysis Oil(2) (FPO) technology which converts
August 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Biorenewables Megatrends: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to the Advanced Bioeconomy’s Progress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we conducted a webinar on Biorenewables Megatrends with NEXANT principal Ron Cascone, who gave these incisive slides on the state of commercialization in fuels, chemicals, biomaterials and nutrition. READ MORE and MORE (Singularity Hub)
August 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Bayer, Bunge and Monsanto
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, we are conducting Strategic Intent, our 19 webinar series on major companies and their partnerships, progress and plans in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this edition, we explored Bayer, Bunge and Monsanto in the
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Creating Value from Landfill Gas
by Terry Mazanec (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... The US EPA estimates that 250 million tons of municipal solid wastes are sent to landfills each year. These materials have a wide range of chemicals in them, including aromatics, paraffins, oxygenates, and nitrogen-
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
The Building Block Builders: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to BioAmber
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From the company’s IPO Prospectus: “Our proprietary technology platform combines industrial biotechnology, an innovative purification process and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals that are cost-competitive replacements for petroleum-derived chemicals. The development of our
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Gasoline, Solvents, and Fuel Additives from 2,3-Butanediol: New Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, a US Navy research team at China Lake led by Ben Harvey reported that 2,3-Butanediol, which has received a significant amount of interest based on the ability to generate it at much higher titer
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Engineering a Better Biofuel: New Protein Process in E. coli Could Lead to More Efficient Options for 'Tiniest of Factories'
by Erika Ebsworth-Goold (The Washington University) ... Now, a team from the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a way to make the production of certain biofuels in E. coli much more efficient.
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Organic Acids: Key Facilitators of the Bio-economy
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee-Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) Recent declines in oil prices and the failure of start-up biofuel processes to meet production cost targets have increased the interest in producing value added chemicals from biomass as coproducts. The vision is that these
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo Heads out to Sea: A Clever Escape into Marine Biofuels, or a Watery Grave ahead?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Gevo says: We’re staking our near-term prospects on marine biofuels. Investors hear: We’re underwater. Gevo says: Timing delay in our isobutanol gallonage, took longer to get the fixes implemented, we’ll make up on the back side.
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
American Science and Technology Receives New Patent for Method to Increase the Efficiency and Profitability of Organosolv Processing of Lignocellulosic Biomass
(American Science and Technology) New Patent Will Increase the Incentives to Use Renewable Resources for Chemical Production -- American Science and Technology (AST), an emerging technology company, has been awarded a patent for a system and method for the extraction of
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
MEGA-BIO and the Three Amigos: DOE Hands Out $11.3M — Who for, and Whyfor?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $11.3 million for three projects that support the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that, as the DOE remarked, “can produce variable amounts of fuels
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $11.3 Million for MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts To Enable Biofuels
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today up to $11.3 million for three projects that support the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and/or products based on external
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Sustainable and Low-Cost: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Competing with Sub-$50 oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Irshad Ahmed observed recently in The Digest, “until such time that we internalize the true life-cycle costs of extracting and using fossil fuels, and distinguishing fossil-BTUs from bio-BUTs, we will continue to struggle to find
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
This Won’t Hurt a Bit, Tell Us All about Cellulosic Sugars, Lignin: DOE’s New RFI
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Department of Energy is seeking input from industry, academia, national laboratories and other biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders to identify existing capabilities to produce lignocellulosic sugars and lignin for use by the research
July 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Leaf Resources (ASX: LER) Joint Venture to Develop Five Projects with World-Class Project Ceveloper Claeris, LLC
(Leaf Resources) Leaf Resources Ltd (ASX: LER, “Leaf” or “Leaf Resources”) is pleased to announce the signing of binding legal agreements with US-based project developer Claeris, LLC (“Claeris”), to establish a joint venture (JV) entity, Leaf Development, LLC (“Leaf Development”), for the purpose
July 21, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE Requests Information on Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities--DE-FOA-0001615
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) seeks input from industry, academia, national laboratories, and other biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders to identify existing capabilities to produce lignocellulosic sugars
July 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Algae Production, Efficient and Consistent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Global Algae Innovations
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations designs innovative technology to make algae production more efficient and consistent. This week, the DOE made a major award to a group led by GAI, including the University of California-San Diego, TSD Management Associates,
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $15 Million to Advance Algae-based Biofuels and Bioproducts
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $15 million for three projects aimed at reducing the production costs of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts through improvements in algal biomass yields. These projects will develop highly productive algal
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy Gives up to $15m for Algae-Based Biofuels’ Projects
(Biofuels International) ... The three projects selected, located in California and Florida, will include multi-disciplinary partners to coordinate improvements from algal strain advancements through pre-processing technologies (harvesting, dewatering, and downstream processing) to biofuel intermediate in order to reduce the production costs
July 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Canfor Eyes Prince George for Major Biofuel Facility
by Jon Hernandez (CBC News) New facility could produce up to 400,000 barrels of biocrude annually, says Canfor Pulp president -- One of the world's largest logging companies is looking to get into the oil business. Canfor is in the early phases of
July 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Alliance Receives Letter of Intent (LOI) For Plant Sub-License in Columbia
(Alliance Bioenergy +) Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. (OTCQB:ALLM) (the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has received an LOI from Smart Business International Trading, S.A.S (Smart Business) of Bogata, Columbia for the purchase of an initial sub-license to install
July 01, 2016 Read Full Article
The Top 20 Ways to Capture and Make Use of Carbon
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was back in 2010 that the first large-scale set of projects were funded to to test innovative concepts for the beneficial use of carbon dioxide, part of a Recovery Act investment into carbon capture
June 28, 2016 Read Full Article
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