(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
precursors/biointermediates
Back TO HOMEEPA 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
Hot Prospects for Chemicals from Biomass
by Terry Mazanec and KSL (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) A major theme of 21st Century industrial development will be replacement of fossil resources by renewable resources in the production of fuels and chemicals. Due to their massive scale and cost,
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Alliance BioEnergy Receives Independent Verification of Sugars Through CTS Processing of DDG, From Large Ethanol Producer
(Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc./Globe Newswire) Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. (OTCQB:ALLM) (the "Company"), is pleased to announce that with the senior science officers of a large U.S. ethanol producer present, the CTS process produced fermentable sugars from Distillers Grain (DDG) as
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE Requests Information on Revolutionary Biomass Supply Systems Supporting a Billion-Ton Bioeconomy Vision
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) Feedstock Supply and Logistics Program is responsible for developing technologies to support Advanced Feedstock Supply Systems (AFSS) that
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
A Biomass to Sugar Value Chain: The Digest’s 8-Slide Guide to Canada’s Sarnia Biocluster
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) "How much value is in the entire value chain, going from stover in the field to all the products?" asked Sandy Marshall, chairman, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada. His question opened his description of the birth of
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Helping Ethanol Producers Get the Most Out of Their Product
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) When margins matter most, strategies to ratchet up ethanol yield make good business sense. -- In the ethanol production world, yield is king. Fluid Quip Process Technologies and Edeniq Inc. have technologies that can help
June 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Bioforming the Future: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Virent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Virent is in the business of replacing crude oil by applying clever chemistry to create the fuels and chemicals the world demands using a wide range of naturally-occurring, renewable resources. Virent’s patented technology features catalytic chemistry
June 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Cathay Sets Biofuels-Based Flight Record, as New A350 Ushers in Renewable Jet Era at Hong Kong
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) These days, Cathay Pacific trades under the slogan “Life Well Travelled” and the delivery of the first of 48 super-modern, super-quiet, super-chic Airbus 350-900s is another milestone for that branding — but it might as
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
The Wonder from Down Under: The Digest’s 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
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Licella, Canfor Form JV for Low-Cost, Drop-In Biofuels from Wood Residues and Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella and Canfor will form a joint-venture under the name “Licella Pulp Joint Venture” to integrate Licella’s unique Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor upgrading platform into Canfor Pulp’s kraft and mechanical pulp mills to economically convert biomass,
May 31, 2016 Read Full Article
RES-T-BIOPLANT: Towards Advanced Biofuels – Options for Integrating 1st and 2nd Generation Biofuel Production
(IEA Implementing Agreement for Renewable Energy Technology Deployment) The integration of advanced (2nd generation / 2G) biofuel plants with conventional (1st generation / 1G) biofuel plants can lead to significant synergies and cost savings, especially for bioethanol plants. For biodiesel,
May 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Sweden Takes the Lead in Biofuel-Use in Europe
by Tomas Ekbom (Task 39 May 2016 Newsletter) The production and use of biofuels in Sweden have increased substantially since the mid-2000s. According to preliminary statistics from SPBI, the share of renewable energy in the road sector was 14.7% in 2015
May 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Scania Trucks Use Ethanol Made with Clariant's Sunliquid Process
(Clariant/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, and Scania, one of the world's top heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers, are celebrating the results and the opportunities generated by the partnership established last year, which involved an investment in sustainable
May 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Start-up to Scale-up: An Interview with Global Bioenergies CEO Marc Delcourt
(ACS Green Chemistry Institute) Global Bioenergies is one of the few companies in the world and the only one in Europe to develop a process to convert renewable resources into hydrocarbons through fermentation. The company has focused initially on the
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Specialty Chemicals: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Green Biologics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Green Biologics is focused on the production of renewable n-butanol and other C4 chemicals from various renewable feedstocks, including sugar (cane, molasses, beets), starch (corn) and cellulosic biomass (corn residues, sugar cane bagasse, forest materials
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Levulinic Acid as a New Platform for Green Chemistry: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to GF Biochemicals
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In February, GFBiochemicals announced at ABLC 2016 that it has acquired the assets and intellectual property of Segetis, a US-based, venture-backed levulinic acid derivatives producer Segetis has more than 50 patents and over 200 pending patent
May 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Canadian Ethanol Producer Utilises By-Products to Expand to Biogas Production
(Bioenergy Insight) Canadian ethanol producer Calgren Renewable Fuels has invested in key co-products to sell in addition to its 58 million gpy ethanol output. The Calgren plant, located in Pixley, California, was the state’s first when it was built in 2009. Today,
May 17, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Brings Biofuel Production Changes To White House
by Kali Hays (Law360) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday sent some proposed changes to its Renewable Fuel Standard program to the White House for review, as the agency looks to promote the production of renewable fuels by removing
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Researcher Wins Grants to Support Woody Biomass-to-Biofuel Work
(University of Arkansas/Biomass Magazine) University of Arkansas chemical engineering associate professor Jamie Hestekin has received two grants totaling $145,250 from a local technology development firm to help the company convert woody biomass into bio-oil and eventually liquid biofuel. The funding will
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
“EA” Biomass Pretreatment Cuts Enzyme Use, Boosts Biofuel Production
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Less input, more output. That’s the achievement of a new biomass pretreatment method that could help improve the economics of cellulosic biofuels, the second-generation biofuels made from grasses, wood, and the inedible
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Business Strategies for Transitioning the Bioeconomy to a Landscape with Long-Term Profitability
by Mahmood Ebadian (Biomass and Bioenergy Research Group/Biomass Supply Chain Consulting Ltd./Biofuels Digest) ...With specialization occurring in feedstock engineering, these new business entities will be well-positioned to produce multiple products including both intermediate and final bio-products. In other words, they
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Takin’ Cellulosic to the Mud Spa
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Out of the unlikely bioeconomy hub of West Palm Beach, Florida, Alliance BioEnergy Plus has revealed what it describes as the “successful completion of its yearlong efforts to optimize its patented CTS technology to extract
May 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Bringing up Better Biofuel
by Rosalie Marion Bliss (US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) ... Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have advanced a process to produce crude liquid fuel called “bio-oil” from agricultural waste. The bio-oil is produced by a process called
May 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Tenacity Required to Secure Advanced Biofuels Future
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) Once again, we enter spring awaiting the U.S. EPA’s proposal for the renewable volumes obligations (RVO) for the next year. After six years in this cycle, we know that EPA must propose a
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Renmatix Turns Biomass into Sugars for Industrial Use
(NewBIO/Cooperative Extension System) Technology patented by Renmatix enables the manufacture of industrial sugars from biomass on a scale that is commercially cost-effective. Table of Contents Introduction From Biomass to Sugars Benefits of Supercritical Water Customers Rebuild Biorefiners based on Plantrose™ Process
May 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Integrating the Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts
by Jonathan Male (U.S. Department of Energy) Biomass is a very versatile energy resource. While it can be converted to biofuel for vehicle use, it can also serve as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels in the manufacturing of plastics,
April 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Clariant’s Sunliquid Technology Price Competitive with Brazilian Sugarcane Ethanol
by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, testing on Clariant’s sunliquid technology has confirmed that the cost per liter of cellulosic ethanol can achieve price competitiveness with sugarcane ethanol prices in Brazil. Clariant’s testing evaluated over 40 containers of sugargane
April 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Iowa Offers Tax Incentives In Bid To Become An Epicenter For Innovation In Bio-based Materials
by Steven Savage (Forbes) Last week the governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad, signed a bill which came to him with bipartisan support from the legislature. The measure institutes tax incentives designed to accelerate the growth of the emerging biotech industry
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
The New Sugars: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to 5C and 6C sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As part of March Madness, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of 5C and 6C sugars, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day. The recorded
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Comet, BioAmber in Big Cellulosic Sugar Partnership: Biobased’s Hot Babes Hook Up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Ontario, Comet Biorefining has signed an off-take agreement with bio-succinic acid producer BioAmber for cellulosic dextrose from Comet’s upcoming first commercial plant in Sarnia, Ontario. The dextrose will be produced from agricultural residues using
April 19, 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
April 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Scale-Up of Emerging Biofuel Technologies
by Lorenz Bauer and William Quapp (Biofuels Digest) ... However, attempts to translate these small scale successes into commercial technologies have been less successful. It is easy to blame lower oil and natural gas prices and opposition from special interest
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Pivot to Play: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of cellulosic sugars, from pilot to player. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from industry consultant Vonnie Estes — whose latest
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Sweet Spot: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Organic Acids, the Molecules and Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Late last week, Michele Rubino joined us in a March Madness webinar on the molecules and markets for organic acids, and presented the illuminating slides seen below. For further illumination, Michele can be reached here.
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Doing More with Less: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Stora Enso
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We knew that Stora Enso has become awesomely serious about the advanced bioeconomy when news emerged in 2014 that the company had acquired Virdia for $33 million with additional potential payouts totaling approximately $29 million following
March 25, 2016 Read Full Article
AST Increases Scale of Wisconsin Research Facility
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) American Science and Technology has completed the scale-up of its biorefinery in Wausau, Wisconsin. The scale-up increase’s the processing capacity of AST, an emerging technology company in the biochemicals and renewable fuel sector, from 100 kilograms
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Explosive Growth: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Nanocellulose and Its Applications
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last year, we reported that Research & Markets projected the “Nanocellulose Market by Type (Cellulose nanocrystals, Cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocomposites, and others) to reach $250 Million by 2019, signifying annualized CAGR of 19% between 2014 and 2019. Heft growth
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Will Get Back Up
(RPA News) Our top story this month is a blunt reminder of how deeply U.S. policy uncertainty cut down and yanked back the progress of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol over the past few years. The U.S. EPA’s epic indecision and sometimes indifference
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
AVA-CO2’s Move to Replace Formaldehyde Shows the Endurin’ Allure in Furans
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In June 2014 the 6th adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This classified formaldehyde as carcinogenic and
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Bringing up the Throttle on Cellulosic Ethanol
by Holly Jessen and Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although there are challenges facing the second generation ethanol industry, progress is being made -- U.S. EPA data shows 2.18 million cellulosic ethanol D3 RINs (renewable identification numbers) were generated in 2015.
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
No Pain, No Gain: A Tale of Three Companies, Pacific Ethanol, BioAmber and TerraVia at a crossroads
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... a fascinating look at the evolution in the fuels, renewable chemicals, specialty products and nutrition that make up the advanced bioeconomy. ... The most spectacular news of the week belonged to TerraVia, which landed a
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
The PLA Story: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Polylactic Acid Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As we look this week at markets for cellulosic sugars, this classic powerpoint that outlined the case and markets for biobased polylactic acid came to mind. We’ll not debate whether PLA is really polyacid or a
March 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Comet Biorefining Picks up $10.9M SDTC Grant for Low-Cost, Non-Food, Bio-Based Sugars Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Sustainable Development Technology Canada awarded Comet Biorefining a CA$10.9 million grant for the construction of its first-of-a-kind advanced bio-based chemicals plant. Located in Sarnia, Ontario, the plant will use proprietary conversion technology to
March 09, 2016 Read Full Article
IKEA Joins Advanced Bioeconomy via Newlight Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, IKEA and Newlight Technologies have entered into a supply, collaboration, and technology license agreement that will supply IKEA with Newlight’s AirCarbon and enable IKEA to produce AirCarbon thermoplastic under a technology license. Under the
March 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Leaf Resources Expands Equity Stake in ZeaChem, Signs JV to Develop Celluosic Sugars Project in US
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Leaf Resources and ZeaChem signed a joint venture agreement to establish a Glycell based project in the USA. The new agreenent advances the relationship between the two companies from an October 2014 Collaboration
March 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Ensyn Biocrude Receives CARB Approvals for Refinery Coprocessing
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Ensyn Corp.’s chief technology officer Barry Freel announced the company has been granted key regulatory approvals by California Air Resources Board pursuant to the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) on the company’s application for its renewable
February 27, 2016 Read Full Article
7 Megatrends for the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where is the bioeconomy headed? In the annual State of the Industry briefing at the 2016 Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, the Digest presented a survey on that topic. Here are the trends we spotted in the
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Comet Biorefining to Build Biomass Sugar Plant in Ontario
(Comet Biorefining/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Comet Biorefining Inc. has announced the location of its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in the TransAlta Energy Park in Sarnia, Ontario. The 60 million pounds per year plant will come online in 2018 producing dextrose sugar from
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Promising Jet Fuel Market Looms for Upgraded Bioethanol, Butanol
by KSL (Lee Enterprises/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Jet Fuel Potential --- Another large-scale market attracts developers in alcohol-to-jet fuel blends. For example, a Boeing 747 consumes approximately 1 gallon of fuel per second. Over the course of a 10-hour flight,
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Comet to Build 30K Ton Biomass Sugar Plant in Ontario
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Comet Biorefining announced at ABLC 2016 the location of its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in the TransAlta Energy Park in Sarnia, Ontario. The 60 million pounds per year plant will come online in
February 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Requests Information on Biofuels & Bioproducts Process Pilot Verification Capabilities
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking input from industry, academia, national laboratories, and other biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders to identify existing pilot- or process development-scale facilities with the capability to perform process verifications for biomass
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
India's First Biofuel Refinery to Be Ready by 2019
by Supratim Dey (Business Standard) With Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) witnessing a surge in the requirement of bio-fuel, as national policies mandate certain percentage of its blending with petrol and diesel, India within next three years will get its first bio-fuel
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $11.3 Million Available for Mega-Bio: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $11.3 million in funding to develop flexible biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can be modified to produce advanced fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand.
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
CRISPR-Cas9 Tool Expedites Production of Biofuel Precursors and Specialty Polymers in Living Systems
by Sarah Nightingale (Phys.Org) A team led by a researcher at the University of California, Riverside has adapted the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system for use in a yeast strain that can produce useful lipids and polymers. The development will lead to
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Tesoro Makes Its Move on Renewable Biocrude
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Tesoro has unveiled its plan to foster the development of biocrude made from renewable biomass, which can be co-processed in its existing refineries, along with traditional crude oil. And the company has identified three
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Bullish on Biocrude: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Tesoro’s Biocrude Strategy and Partners
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Tesoro has unveiled its plan to foster the development of biocrude made from renewable biomass, which can be co-processed in its existing refineries, along with traditional crude oil. And the company has identified three new
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $15 Million for Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield, Phase 2 (ABY2)
(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $15 million in funding to develop technologies that are likely to succeed in producing 3,700 gallons of algal biofuel intermediate (or equivalent dry weight basis) per acre per year
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
The 30 Hottest Biobased Molecules for 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest has released the 30 Hottest Biobased Molecules for 2016, as voted by the Digest’s global readership. The Readers were surveyed over December and January, and rated more than 100 individual molecules
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Audi Beefs up Collaboration with French Biotech to Extend Biofuels Scope
(Biofuels International) Car giant Audi is entering a renewed collaboration agreement with French renewable energy firm Global Bioenergies to promote the development of biofuels. The two companies recently announced the delivery by Global Bioenergies to Audi of a first batch of
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Any Alcohol into Jet Fuel: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Byogy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Bio-on: World First Facility for Producing Bioplastic from Biodiesel Co-Product Glycerol
(Globe Newswire/NASDAQ) An agreement signed today by Bio-on and S.E.C.I. S.p.A. part of Gruppo Industriale Maccaferri holding, will see Italy's and world's first facility for the production of PHAs bioplastic from biodiesel production co-products, namely glycerol. The two companies, operating in
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Light Hydrocarbons: The Digest’s 2016 8-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, 2015 Read Full Article
Experimental Algae to Grow at the Refinery
(PKN ORLEN) PKN ORLEN is starting another R&D project to explore alternative sources of next-generation biocomponents. The Company plans to open a research station at its Production Plant in Płock, where carbon dioxide and process wastewater will be used to grow
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Hydrogen from Biomethane; Gasoline & Diesel from Tree Residue; Cellulosic Ethanol among New Proposed California LCFS Fuel Pathways
(Green Car Congress) California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff posted 32 new Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) fuel pathway applications for comments at the LCFS website. Among the multiple applications for different processing pathways of corn or sorghum ethanol are
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Chempolis, Avantha Partner to Offer Cellulosic Technology
(Chempolis, Ltd.) Chempolis Ltd., a Finland-based biorefining technology corporation, has entered into partnership with Avantha Group’s research wing Avantha Centre for Industrial Research & Development to offer technology to India to extract ethanol from various agricultural residues for blending with petrol. India is
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
C5 Is the New C6
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Goodbye glucose, hello xylose. The X-Factor in the advanced bioeconomy might just be a sugar that starts with an X. ... When we think about C5s — that are liberated by new technologies from the cellulosic
December 16, 2015 Read Full Article
NREL's Min Zhang Keeps Her "Bugs" Happy, Leading to Biofuel Breakthroughs
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Scientist Min Zhang has a special relationship with Zymomonas mobilis, a rod-shaped bacterium that has bioethanol-producing capabilities. Of her 80 peer-reviewed papers and 21 U.S. patents in the field of biochemistry
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
The YXY Kings: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Avantium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Avantium is a technology company specialized in the area of advanced catalytic research. From 2005 onwards, Avantium has developed a proprietary technology to produce Furanics building blocks from plant based sugars, under the name YXY.
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Provides Loan Guarantee Conditional Commitment to Build Georgia Biofuel Plant
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a conditional commitment for a $70 million loan guarantee to help build a cellulosic biorefinery in central Georgia. USDA is providing the loan guarantee conditional commitment, an important milestone in
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like BioYule in Canada
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Patiently, assuredly, one cluster at a time, Canada has amassed a potent armory of renewable fuel and biobased technologies, people and clusters of activity. Where’s it going? The Digest looks at a whole slew of
December 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Are All Processes Made Equally?: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Clariant
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 07, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO-Funded Projects Win at the 2015 R&D 100 Awards
(U.S. Department of Energy) Two projects funded by the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) have received awards at this year’s 2015 R&D 100 Awards. The annual “Oscars of Invention” awards recognize excellence in innovative technologies; BETO projects have had strong showings
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Innovation to Tackle Climate Change and Feed a Growing Population: Commercializing Synthetic Biology
by Vonnie Estes (Biofuels Digest) ... But as the land, water, and fossil fuel resources those systems rely on become scarcer, biology is offering new ways to engineer solutions. Synthetic biology redesigns existing organisms for specific purposes to produce safe products
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
LanzaTech, INVISTA Find Direct Pathway to Bio-Based Butadiene
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, INVISTA and LanzaTech have developed a metabolic ‘toolkit’ that has been successfully applied to generate novel metabolic pathways to bio-derived butadiene and key precursors, such as 1,3 butanediol and 2,3 butanediol, resulting in
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
2015: A Missed Opportunity for Biofuels
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) To say that 2015 was an overall disappointment for the biofuels industry would be an understatement. With the price of oil hovering from the high $30s to the mid-$50s all year long, the
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Biobased Platform Chemicals: A Clean Credible Solution To Support Climate Action
by Marcel van Berkel (GF Biochemicals/Biofuels Digest) There is a clear and growing need for new chemical building blocks. ... For instance, fuels and additives derived from local-sourced cellulosic waste can offset concerns about first generation biofuels. With a biobased fuel that
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Ensyn Receives Key Regulatory Approval for Its Renewable Gasoline
(Ensyn/Biomass Magazine) Robert Graham, chairman of Ensyn Corp., is pleased to announce that Ensyn has been granted a key regulatory approval from the U.S. EPA for its renewable gasoline product, RFGasoline. This approval, pursuant to Title 40 CFR Part 79
November 27, 2015 Read Full Article
DEINOVE Successfully Reaches 2G Bioethanol Pre-Industrial Scale in a 300-Liter Fermenter
(DEINOVE) DEINOVE (Alternext Paris: ALDEI), a biotech company developing innovative processes for producing biofuels and bio-based chemicals from non-food biomass with its Deinococcus bacteria, announced today that it has produced 2G ethanol with an exceptional performance level in a 300-liter fermenter. The trials
November 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Bolt On, Tune Up, Drop In: The Sweet 16 Bolt-on Bioeconomy Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Benefuel, Liquid Light, xF Technologies, Enogen, POET-DSM, Kiverdi, GeoSynFuels, Iogen, Edeniq, NexSteppe, BioProcess Algae, Syngenta/QCCP, Vertimass, Byogy, GranBio, Renewable Energy Group READ MORE
November 10, 2015 Read Full Article
General Relativity, and the Remaking of Sweetwater Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Minnesota Awards $26 Million to Fund Sweetwater’s Biochemical Facility --- In Minnesota, Sweetwater Energy has received commitment for $26 million in long-term loans from the state of Minnesota to construct a biochemical production facility near
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Definition, Calculation and Comparison of the “Biomass Utilization Efficiency (BUE)” of Various Bio-based Chemicals, Polymers and Fuels
by Iffland, K., Sherwood, J., Carus M., Raschka, A., Farmer, T., Clark, J. (nova-Institute) Experts from nova-Institute, industry and several European Universities developed a new approach to support policy and investment decisions on which feedstock – process – product combination
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Stora Enso Division US Headquarters Move to Raceland, Louisiana
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) ...The Raceland plant uses technology developed by Virdia and enables cellulosic biomass, such as wood or agricultural waste, to be converted into highly refined sugars. It is located in the vicinity of existing sugar cane plantations and will use bagasse waste as feedstock. Sugar
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Biotechnology Company Seeks $26 Million in Public Funding
by Bill Hanna (Mesabi Daily News) Mountain Iron intended home for Sweetwater Energy project -- The Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board on Friday will consider authorizing $26 million in public money for a startup biotechnology company in Rochester, N.Y.,
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Merging Refinery Tech with Biofuels: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Honeywell’s 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
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Towards Multi-purpose Biorefinery Platforms for the Valorisation of Red Grape Pomace: Production of Polyphenols, Volatile Fatty Acids, Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Biogas
by Gonzalo A. Martinez, Stefano Rebecchi, Deborha Decorti, Joana M. B. Domingos, Andrea Natolino, Daniele Del Rio, Lorenzo Bertin, Carla Da Porto and Fabio Fava (Green Chemistry) The development of a multi-purpose four step-cascading biorefinery scheme for the valorization of red
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
The Pursuit of Low-Cost Cellulosic Sugars: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Leaf Resources
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Leaf Resources Limited (ASX:LER) is focused on making sustainable products from plant biomass, offering an advanced technology package for breaking down plant derived biomass to useful, sustainable, renewable and biodegradable products. Leaf Resources’ Glycell technology
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Diamond in the Rough: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Cobalt’s Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cobalt Technologies was commercializing cellulosic biobutanol, a versatile platform molecule for the renewable chemicals and fuels. The Company’s technology efficiently converts diverse non-food feedstocks – initially, lignocellulosic extracts from woody biomass and sugar cane bagasse
October 15, 2015 Read Full Article
To Be, or Not to Be…Butanol and The Case of a Global Sustainable Society
by KSL (Biofuels Digest/Emerging Technologies Division of Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc.) ... Globally it has been recognized that there is an urgent need to create paradigm shifting disruptive technology that would help sustain individual economies – with the goal to
October 15, 2015 Read Full Article
GranBio, Solvay JV Acquires Cobalt Technologies’ Assets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We can now affirmatively report that SGBio, a joint venture between the Solvay Group and GranBio, has acquired assets from Cobalt including the bank of microorganisms and intellectual property related to patents, trademarks, processes, operating
October 15, 2015 Read Full Article
CBMNet Is Looking to Co-Ordinate a Bid for Horizon 2020 Funding.
by Dr Jen Vanderhoven (CBMNet) In particular we would like to build an application for the societal challenge: BIOTEC-06-2017. Optimisation of biocatalysis and downstream processing for the sustainable production of high value-added platform chemicals Total project value €5-7 Million. Specific Challenge: The bio-based production of chemical building
October 14, 2015 Read Full Article
De Gruyter Publishes Textbook: Biorefineries - An Introduction
(De Gruyter) The use of biomass as a resource for fuels and chemicals is a very important topic in chemical research and chemical industry. -- The field of biorefineries combines cutting-edge research with innovative industrial goals. Biorefineries compiles the basic science
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Sugar Is the New Crude: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to American Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although American Process has been most closely associated with its complete cellulosic biofuels package — of late, the company has been much in focus because of its capabilities in producing low-cost renewable sugars. Thought it was
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Edeniq Announces Completion of Innovative Upgrade to Cellulosic Sugars Pilot Plant
(Edeniq) California Energy Commission provided funding for biofuels technology breakthrough -- – Edeniq, a biorefining and cellulosic technology company, completed a major upgrade of its cellulosic sugar and ethanol pilot facility. The company designed and operated new, proprietary equipment for feedstock
September 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Taurus Energy Signs Key Brazilian Material Transfer aAgreement; Wins US Patent for More Ethanol, Xylose; Less Xylitol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, Taurus Energy has signed a material transfer agreement with a leading research and technology center for sugar cane and ethanol producers in Brazil. Work will be performed in both parties’ respective laboratories to
September 08, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO Seeks Stakeholder Input on Achieving High Yields from Algal Feedstocks
(US Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has released a Request for Information (RFI) titled “High Yields through Productivity and Integration Research.” BETO is seeking input from
September 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Is the Third Time the Charm?
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) ... As many of you know, the RFS was created to “reduce dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, increase domestic sources of energy, and help transition to alternatives to petroleum in the transportation sector”
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Biochemist Studies Oilseed Plants for Biofuel, Industrial Development
(Kansas State University) A Kansas State University biochemistry professor has reached a milestone in building a better biofuel: producing high levels of lipids with modified properties in oil seeds. Timothy Durrett, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics in the College of
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Co-Processing of HEFA feedstocks with Petroleum Hydrocarbons for Jet Production
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)) On June 19th, Alisdair Clark of BP and Joseph Sorena of Chevron presented “Co-processing of HEFA Feedstocks with Petroleum Hydrocarbons for Jet Production” for the SOAP-Jet webinar series focused on co-processing biofuels within existing
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
The Pyromaniax, Class of 2015: The Top 10 Pyrolysis Projects in Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been around for a generation or so — fast pyrolysis, that is. Though in the original low-tech incarnation — known as “cooking fire” — pyrolysis has been around since the dawn of man. But
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Renmatix: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide
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 31, 2015 Read Full Article
Chemical Firms Seek Better Grasp of Biomanufacturing
by Andy Extance (Chemistry World) Hope and expectation surround the chemical industry’s increasing adoption of biotechnological manufacturing – but today, their lengthy development times and complex processes mean frustration is a major by-product. ‘The process of developing industrial biomanufacturing [IB] processes
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Seeking Success in Succinic, Succinctly, Sustainably
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The real deal is succinic acid and polybutylene succinate. The latter found in everything from boxes, bags, tableware, even mulching films. If we haven’t seen SucciniMania quite yet, well, it’s the fate of intermediates to
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
What’s U(o)P at UOP? The Renewables Story, Revealed.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... For a decade, it’s (UOP's) been an unquestioned leader in renewable fuels and chemicals development. Technologies like its HEFA jet fuel conversion (the first certified renewable jet fuel), its Ecofining technology that produces both jet
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Honors Winners of the 20th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards/Innovative Technologies Tackle Climate Change, Water, and Chemical Issues
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk and other environmental problems into business opportunities, spurring innovation and economic development. “From academia
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Ensyn and Youngstown Thermal Sign RFO™ Biofuel Supply Agreement
(Ensyn) Ensyn Fuels Inc. (“Ensyn Fuels”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ensyn Corporation (“Ensyn”), has signed a contract with Youngstown Thermal LLC (“Youngstown Thermal”) for the supply of RFO™, Ensyn’s advanced cellulosic biofuel. Ensyn Fuels is to provide Youngstown Thermal up
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Global Tall Oil Fatty Acid Market: Application in Biodiesel Production to Increase Scope
(Digital Journal/ReleaseWire/Transparancy Market Research) Tall Oil Fatty Acid (Oleic Acid, Linoleic acid, and Others) Market by Applications (Dimer Acids, Alkyd Resins, Fatty Acid Esters, and Others) for Soaps & Detergents, Coatings, Lubricants, Plastics, Fuel Additives, Metal Working Fluids, and Other
May 30, 2015 Read Full Article
18 Pilot and Demonstration DOE Bioenergy Projects, Reviewed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s the latest with such projects such as Frontline BioEnergy, Myriant, POET-DSM, INEOS Bio, Sapphire Energy, Abengoa, Haldor Topsoe, UOP. ZeaChem, Mercurius, and American Process, among others? In Washington this June 25th, the Department of Energy
May 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Renmatix Acquires Mascoma Demonstration Plant in New York
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Another step towards commercial scale, aimed at “secure supply” of cellulose-lignin solids for Renmatix’ Georgia facility Renmatix announced that it has acquired existing assets of the former Mascoma corporation’s 56,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Rome,
May 06, 2015 Read Full Article
The Catalyst That Refused To Die
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Battelle-led group succeeds in US Department of Energy challenge — 1,000 hours of continuous biomass hydrotreating on a single catalyst charge. The undefeated champ hits 1200 hours before being retired from the ring. Next stop,
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Sweetwater Energy Raises $10M; Begins Ramp-Up to First Commercial
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sweetwater Energy announced it has closed on a $10 million bridge loan. The loan closed as Sweetwater said that it is now opening its Series B investor round to begin construction of a first commercial facility. Sweetwater
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Cascades Announces Major Investments in Biorefinery Project at Cabano Plant
(Cascades/PRNewswire) Cascades Inc. (TSX: CAS), a leader in the recovery of recyclable materials and manufacturing green packaging products and tissue paper, is pleased to announce the company's investment in a new technology at its Norampac – Cabano facility. This innovative