(Embrapa) Embrapa Agroenergia, in partnership with the company Haka Bioprocessos, headquartered in Catanduva (SP), starts this October research that may result in a green diesel obtained from the hydrogenation of bio-oil from bone waste from birds. The Unit will characterize the chemical
Pretreatment
Back TO HOMELowering Tech Barriers to Grow Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are major barriers in growing a bioeconomy, but Idaho National Laboratory is tackling some of those by applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the supply of sustainable biomass feedstock for conversion to
November 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Neste to Acquire Bunge's Refinery Plant in Rotterdam to Increase Raw Material Pretreatment Capacity for the Production of Renewable Products
(Neste) Neste, the world's leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel produced from waste and residue raw materials, has agreed to acquire Bunge Loders Croklaan's refinery plant located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands for a purchase price of 258 million
November 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Hydrothermal Liquefaction Technology: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Steeper Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrofaction is Hot! Don’t take our word for it – dive into this new slide guide from Steeper Energy’s CEO Perry Toms who takes us through the progress towards commercial scale of Steeper’s hydrofaction technology
November 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Greasezilla Announces Plans to Launch Hub-and-Spoke Regional Systems for Biodiesel Manufacturers in 2021
(Greasezilla) The FOG Separation System will provide biodiesel companies with a network of high-quality advanced biofuel feedstock to boost biodiesel production -- Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla™ announces it is in the final planning stages with several biodiesel manufacturers
October 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Sweden’s First Pyrolysis Oil Plant for Biofuel Production Proceeds with AFRY’s Support
(AFRY) Pyrocell AB will build the first plant in Sweden for processing sawdust into renewable bio-oil at Kastet's sawmill outside Gävle in Sweden. The construction project is run by Pyrocell AB, which is a company jointly owned by Setra and
October 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Waste Not, Want Not: INL Studies Potential of Municipal Solid Waste for Biofuels
by J. Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory) ...Even though MSW (municipal solid waste) has great potential, not much was known about the cost and quality of feedstocks that could be derived from MSW or MSW blends for fuel production. In
October 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Biomass Pretreatment Innovations: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Forest Concepts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital in July, Jim Dooley, Chief Technology Officer at Forest Concepts shared this illuminating presentation on the latest innovations in biomass pretreatments, how they maximize flowability, their crumbler solutions that can handle any
September 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Municipal Solid Waste to Jet Fuel: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Fulcrum
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Tackling two birds with one stone is what Fulcrum is doing with its trash to treasure fuel – dealing with waste disposal AND helping airlines reduce carbon emissions. Jim Macias, President and CEO of Fulcrum, shared this
September 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Biomass Feedstocks and Process Variability: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy leads the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium, which is a collaborative effort among 9 labs to develop first-principles based knowledge and tools to understand and mitigate the effects of biomass feedstock and process
September 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Biomass Alliance for Logistics Efficiency and Specifications: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BALES Bioenergy Feedstock Analysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bale analysis, probes, core samples – measuring and analysis of bioenergy feedstocks is key. In this illuminating slide guide from ABLC Digital, the Idaho National Laboratory, Antares Group, ASDI, and B Hames Consulting share how bale
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Axens’ Futurol Cellulosic Ethanol Tech: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Overcoming Cellulosic Ethanol Challenges
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Axens has a range of renewable biofuels and biochemicals from renewable diesel and biojet fuel to cellulosic ethanol, ethylene, butadiene, and aromatics. But there have been challenges in the past with cellulosic ethanol that Axens has
July 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Ohio Company Purchases Beatrice Biodiesel Plant
by Scott Koperski (Daily Sun) ... Katie Merx, Marathon senior communications manager, said in an emailed statement that the company plans to use the former biodiesel facility to aggregate and pretreat agricultural feedstocks that are used to make renewable diesel. "The
July 21, 2020 Read Full Article
5 Ways to Reduce Costs in Integrated Biorefineries: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Enabling Lower-Cost Biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) just released a new report that outlines five specific, yet broadly applicable, areas of focus to reduce costs in an integrated biorefinery. This analysis builds upon ongoing R&D strategies to lower
July 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Joint Evolution: Technology Providers Have Adapted Their Pretreatment Offerings as the Biodiesel Industry Evolved to Rely More on Waste Feedstocks, and as Renewable Diesel Emerges.
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) ... Markus Dielacher, CEO of BDI-BioEnergy International, says many companies offering pretreatment systems came from the vegetable oil side. “They started with clean feedstock and it worked,” he says. “We came from the other side,
April 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Autothermal Pyrolysis: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Rethinking Thermochemical Processing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Iowa State University is working on fast pyrolysis, and Robert Brown, Director of the university’s Bioeconomy Institute looks at how their work is making us rethink thermochemical processing. By looking at autothermal pyrolysis, and more, Brown
December 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels Production and Consumption in Denmark: Status, Advances and Challenges
by Sune Tjalfe Thomsen and Henning Jørgensen (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) 1. Status of transportation biofuel industry in Denmark -- In Denmark, a considerable part of the total energy demand is derived from renewable sources. In 2017, 26% of
December 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Commercializing Conventional and Advanced Transport Biofuels from Biomass and Other Renewable Feedstocks; Focus on Sweden
by Mahmood Ebadian, Jim McMillan and Jack Saddler (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) ... Task 39’s main focus remains on drop-in biofuels for heavy duty transport, i.e., transport sectors where substantial electrification isn’t foreseen in the near-to-mid-term. It is recognized
December 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Air Liquide Partners with ArcelorMittal in Pilot Project to Capture and Recycle Carbon
(Air Liquide) Air Liquide is partnering with ArcelorMittal in the first industrial scale demonstration plant to capture carbon gas from the steelmaking process and recycle it into chemicals, specifically advanced bioethanol*. In this project, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction will provide a
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Breakthroughs at the Bioenergy Research Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Over 10 years (2007–2017), three Bioenergy Research Centers produced multiple breakthroughs in the form of deepened understanding of sustainable biomass production practices, targeted re-engineering of biomass feedstocks, development of new methods for deconstructing feedstocks, and
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Undergraduates Participate in Bioenergy Research at GLBRC
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Each year, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) hosts a group of undergraduate students to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, designed to immerse students in research. This summer, 11 undergraduate
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Fuel Pretreatment of Biomass Residues for Thermal Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For some time it’s been widely thought amongst the Digestsceni that there's a need to ‘demonstrate to market actors and policy makers how existing bioenergy chains can be made more fuel flexible, efficient and cost
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Trash to Treasure: Scientists Convert Municipal Waste to Biofuel Precursors
by Emily Scot (Berkeley Lab) As the need for energy security grows, scientists are investigating nonfood biomass sources that can be used to create valuable biofuels and bioproducts. Among these sources is municipal solid waste (MSW) — in other words, trash
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Tolerating Even More: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Improving Yeast Tolerance to Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wouldn’t it be great if we could boost fermentation of high-toxicity biomass hydrolysates? Well, folks are working on this via enhanced biocatalytic tolerance. At the recent DOE BETO 2019 Project Peer Review, Felix Lam and
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
$73 Million, 35 Projects, Who Won, for What and Why: The DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office 2019 Project Selections
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy has selected 35 projects totaling $73 million for bioenergy research and development support. Funded through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects will help reduce
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algal Biomass Yield Improvements
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations is working on a trifecta of goals: 1) to develop improved strains and cultivation methods to increase the algal biofuel intermediate yield by at least 70% AND 2) to develop new drying and
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
From Lignin to Value: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen’s Enzymes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MetGen are pioneers in industrial enzymes for lignocellulosic biomass and are trying to empower industries to get the most out of biomass with their enzymatic technologies. Alex Michine, CEO of MetGen gave this enlightening overview of MetGen’s
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Replacing Crude Oil with Waste Plastics
(Neste) The aim is to proceed to an industrial scale trial during 2019. By 2030, Neste targets to process more than one million tons of plastic waste annually by 2030. Neste is already the world's largest producer of renewable diesel
August 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Vegan Renewable Diesel, Futurol Tech: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Axens’ Fuel Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Axens Solutions is covering the entire project development cycle and working on things like BioTfuel and Vegan which are renewable diesel and jet fuels, Futurol, a cellulosic ethanol using biomass enzymatic fermentation, Atol made from
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
New Energy Blue Buys Inbicon’s Low-Carbon Fuel Technology
(Oil and Gas 360/New Energy Blue) NewEnergyBlue acquired exclusive rights to Inbicon bio-conversion technology throughout the Americas and will first employ it to turn North Dakota wheat straw into a high-value, carbon-neutral automotive fuel. The technology license was purchased from Ørsted, a Danish
August 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Supercomputing Improves Biomass Fuel Conversion
by Holly Ober (Univesity of California Riverside News) Researchers combine supercomputing with nano-imaging to reveal how to efficiently break down plant biomass and transform it into transportation fuels -- ... In order to access the energy-rich sugars found in the plant
August 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Neste Hosts Foundation Stone Ceremony for Singapore Expansion
(Neste) Following up from the EUR 1.4 billion investment to expand its renewable products production capacity in Singapore, Neste today held a foundation stone ceremony to officially mark the extension of the new production line. The construction started at the beginning
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Here Comes the Sun – Sunliquid Tech: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant, a Switzerland based specialty chemicals company, has four business areas: Care Chemicals, Natural Resources, Catalysis and Plastics & Coatings. While the first half of the year has been challenging, Clariant was able to increase sales
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
POET Outlines Lessons from 4-Year Long Startup of Project Liberty Cellulosic Ethanol Project
(Green Car Congress) Commercially viable cellulosic ethanol plants has proven devilishly difficult to bring to fruition. The primary outlier from the list of efforts that have shut down over the past few years is POET/DSM’s Project Liberty (earlier post). In an
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Streamlining the Biofuel Production Process
(European Commission) The production of biofuels like ethanol from non-food biomass is a lucrative prospect for the agricultural sector. However, due to the complexity and expense of the large-scale industrial process currently needed to produce such biofuels, they remain out of
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Making Every Carbon Count: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj had a humble beginning as a supplier of ethanol plants, and today is a global company with a bouquet of sustainable solutions for bioenergy, high purity water, critical process equipment, breweries and industrial wastewater treatment. Dr.
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Rethinking Tomorrow and New Product Launches: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Novozymes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Novozymes. Novozymes has had 17 years of innovation driven growth with a
May 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Project LIBERTY: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to POET
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET has been turning one big idea after another into biofuel and renewable alternative product solutions for thirty years. They have grown from a single, humble refinery in Scotland, South Dakota, to one of the world’s
May 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Inside the Alliance between REG, ExxonMobil and Clariant that Is Revolutionising Cellulosic Biofuels.
by Luke Upton (BioMarket Insights) ... So we are happy to report a major update to an alliance between three major companies focused on advancing cellulosic biofuels, and speak exclusively to one of its key figures, Fernando Sanchez-Riera, Vice President Research
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Ireland's First Grass-Fed Biorefinery Hits the Road to Help Farmers Go Green
(European Science Communication Institute/Phys.org) A New Mobile Refinery Is Travelling Across The West Of Ireland To Turn Grass Into Sustainable Materials -- Along the windy west coast of Ireland a biorefinery on wheels is turning grass into a series of different
May 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Indian Perspective on Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IndianOil Corp.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IndianOil has a 33,000-plus work-force, extensive refining, distribution & marketing infrastructure and advanced R&D facilities. In the country’s pursuit of alternative sources of energy, IndianOil is focusing on CNG (compressed natural gas), Autogas (LPG), ethanol blended
May 15, 2019 Read Full Article
(A)lgae + (B)iomass = (C)onstructive: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Sandia National Labs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sandia National Laboratories shares a famous acronym with Saturday Night Live but the work they have done is key to the future of the bioeconomy, having delivered essential science and technology to resolve the nation’s most
April 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Sioux Falls-Based Ethanol Producer Poet Awarded Millions by Arbitration Panel
by Jonathan Ellis (Argus Leader) Sioux Falls-based Poet has asked a federal judge to confirm a multi-million dollar arbitration award it received from a company that it claims botched an ethanol production system at a plant in Iowa. A panel of three
April 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Thermochemical Processes for Waste Recycling: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to KIT
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – The Research University in the Helmholtz Association has more than 9,000 employees and an annual budget of about EUR 785 million, making it one of the biggest research and education institutions
April 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass for Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) International Energy Agencyis an autonomous organization that works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member countries and beyond. Professor Mark Brown, Director of Forest Industries Research Centre – USC, IEA Bioenergy Exco Rep for
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass Breakdown: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Sweetwater Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sweetwater Energy has developed a unique and patented technology for producing low-cost sugars and clean lignin fiber from multiple non-food plant materials to help meet the modern world’s increasing demand for biochemicals, bioplastics and biofuels. Jack Baron,
March 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Biorefineries Assessment: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 42
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42 is working on the analysis and assessment of biorefining in the whole value chain in order to meet its mission to facilitate the commercialisation and market deployment of biorefinery systems & technologies. Johannes Lindorfer from
February 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Want a Bipartisan Push on Climate Change? Start With Unleashing American Biofuels
by Jeff Cosman (Morning Consult/Attis Industries Inc.) ... And in November, a letter from the Department of Energy, the EPA and the United States Department of Agriculture to Congress laid out a plan to encourage the use of efficient and carbon-neutral
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
The Pursuit of Biofuels Evolution and Revolution: Attis Innovations’ Ambitions for Its Newly-Acquired Upstate New York Project.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... What especially caught industry attention was the teaser that “Attis will use the facility to produce low carbon cellulosic biofuels and plans to invest additional funds to enable it to meet growing demand in New
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
January 2019 PyNe43 Newsletter Available
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) It (January 2019 PyNe43 Newsletter) contains contributions on Electrocatalytic upgrading to stabilize pyrolysis oil Progress towards commercialization at pilot and demonstration scale Pyrolysis of forestry and fishery residue for rural applications. Overview on catalysts to upgrade pyrolysis oils.
January 28, 2019 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil and Renewable Energy Group Partner with Clariant to Advance Cellulosic Biofuel Research
(ExxonMobil/Renewable Energy Group/Globe Newswire) Partnership to expand on joint ExxonMobil and REG research into cellulosic biodiesel; Clariant’s sunliquid® technology to facilitate creation of compatible cellulosic sugars; Objective is to combine technologies into a single, integrated biodiesel production process ExxonMobil and Renewable Energy Group (REG)
January 23, 2019 Read Full Article
BTA International Completes Organic Waste to Biogas Plant in Quebec
by Ben Messenger (Waste Management World) BTA International GmbH, a specialist for the wet-mechanical pre-treatment and subsequent digestion of organic waste containing impurities, have completed a major waste to gas facility in Varennes, Quebec. ... The biogas is used to fuel the boilers
January 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Breaching the Biomass Problem: ORNL Team Provides Supercomputer-Aided Insights for How to Turn Plants into Fuel and Materials
by Jonathan Hines (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Humans have found uses for woody plants since time immemorial—tools, shelter, firewood. Today, scientists are working to add more major uses to the list: renewable, cost-competitive biofuel and value-added materials. Turning trees and waste
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Catalysis Rocking: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio
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 (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Investors Turn Kenya’s Troublesome Invasive Water Hyacinth into Cheap Fuel
by Benson Rioba (Inter Press Service) Water hyacinth is a weed and if not controlled on Lake Victoria, experts are concerned that the lake’s water levels might drop by 60 percent. -- Currently 30 square kilometres of Lake Victoria, which stretches to
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
$$$ from Neste, Fulcrum, Others Making Renewable Diesel a Dream Come True
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... By The Digest’s estimates, there’s been close to two billion dollars in investments in renewable diesel lately. And the capacity just keeps growing. Between World Energy, Zymergen, Phillips 66 and REG, Diamond Green Diesel, Fulcrum, Red
December 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Department Seeks Information on Algae, Biomass, and Waste Feedstock Research -- DE-FOA-00002020 FY 2019 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic RFI DEADLINE: extended to January 18, 2019
(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting information on research opportunities related to outdoor algae research, biomass characteristics and feedstock performance, and renewable energy
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Turning Grams into Tonnes: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant aims to enable the transition to a sustainable bio-based economy through development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of bio-based product and processes. Hendrik Waegeman, Head of Business Development at BBEU gave this illuminating overview of the
December 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Results Are In: Clariant’s Sunliquid Delivers 6X Lower Carbon Intensity than Fossil Gasoline
by Paolo Corvo (Clariant/Biofuels Digest) Clariant sunliquid technology delivers low carbon intensity score of 15 gCO2/MJ for the cellulosic ethanol produced using sunliquid technology from agricultural residues feedstock such as corn stover and wheat straw which is more than 6 times lower
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Road to Feedstock Flexibility
by Chris Abrams (Biodiesel Magazine/Imerys Filtration) Imerys personnel have spent much of 2018 talking about new and diverse feedstocks for biodiesel production, and how to help biodiesel manufacturers incorporate them into their existing processes. Here is an overview of that discussion. ... We
October 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Valmet to Supply BioTrac System to Cellulosic Plant in Romania
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Valmet has announced it will supply its BioTrac biomass pretreatment system to Clariant for use in its 500,000-ton-per-year (16.74 MMgy) sunliquid cellulosic ethanol plant in Podari, Romania. The facility is expected to begin operations in
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Concept to Construction and Exports are Crucial
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In the U.S. ethanol industry, three plants are under construction, while a fourth makes its way through the permitting process. -- In an industry with more than 200 existing plants, four new projects is a
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Value in Unusual Type of Plant Material
by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) An ideal biorefinery would turn renewable crops into a variety of fuels and products with little waste. A significant challenge in realizing this vision is what to do with lignin, a fibrous and difficult-to-break-down material
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
The Idaho Team that Lopped $1 a Gallon off the Cost of Fuel, and How They Did It
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Idaho, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have have cut the modeled cost of harvesting, storing, transporting, and preprocessing biomass from $149.58/dry ton to $82.86/dry ton. As INL’s Kevin Kenney explained, “when applying least-cost formulation and blending
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Discover How to Protect Yeast from Damage in Biofuel Production
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Some chemicals used to speed up the breakdown of plants for production of biofuels like ethanol are poison to the yeasts that turn the plant sugars into fuel. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and several
August 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Lessons on the Road to GoBig: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to POET-DSM Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In November we reported that POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been
August 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Wastes for Biofuel Production: A Critical Review
by DollyKumari and RadhikaSingh (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews) ... Lignocellulosic waste is becoming popular as a feedstock for biofuel production. The can be converted into usable form for biofuel production by using a suitable pretreatment method. Different pretreatment methods have
July 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Algae for the Advanced Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellana
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 open
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Seeking a Friend for the End of Unreliability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist? The Why is simple. #1 issue plaguing High and Low Temperature IBR projects is consistent operability of preprocessing and primary deconstruction. In response, researchers have joined
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
5 Minutes With… Dhivya Puri, Senior Technical Lead at Fiberight.
by Dave Songer (Bio-Based World News) “The milestones and professional growth I've achieved in this role are above and beyond what I could have accomplished in academia within the same time frame.” Fiberight is a UK- and US-based small and medium-sized enterprise
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Zero to 10 Million in 5 years
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Slow to start and with fewer gallons than targeted through the Renewable Fuel Standard, cellulosic ethanol is showing signs of steady growth. -- Cellulosic ethanol production has been gaining momentum in the past five years,
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
USDA Grants Hood $100,000 for Biofuels Project
(Hood College) The United States Department of Agriculture has awarded Hood College Professor of Biology Craig Laufer $100,000 over an 18-month period to fund research and development of cost-effective biofuels. Successful completion of this project would qualify Laufer’s lab for larger
June 22, 2018 Read Full Article
New Algae Biofuel Production Method Could Someday Compete with Petroleum
by Philip T. Pienkos (R&D Magazine) ... This time, the leading force was not the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), but the investment community acting in the belief that the power of modern biotechnology could be brought to bear against the
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
NREL Finds Easier Ways to Deconstruct Biomass
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) If there's an easier, more efficient method, science will find a way. That's certainly the case in producing cellulosic biofuels, which, at least for now, requires a two-step process to free the sugars trapped in
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Carbon Rescuers: 20 Top Waste Projects and Breakthroughs that Capture Used Carbon from the Waste Pile for New Uses
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
One Commercial, Two Commercial, Three Commercial, Four: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
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
May 24, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-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 recently broke ground on its first commercial
May 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Industrial Enzyme Frontiers: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MetGen’s MetZyme enzymatic solutions cover the entire bio-based value chain from feedstock to high-value chemicals and enable the use of cellulosic feedstocks as well as the creation of entirely new bio-based materials. Alex Michine and the MetGen
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Estonian Forest Magic: Sweetwater, Graanul to Build First Commercial Biorefinery for cellulosic sugars, lignin
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Sweetwater Energy and Europe’s largest wood pellet producer, the Tallinn, Estonia-based AS Graanul Invest, said that they will build a commercial-scale integrated biorefinery that will produce clean cellulosic sugars and highly pure lignin from 50,000
May 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Upgraded Aemetis Plant in India Completes Biodiesel Production Using Lower Cost, High FFA Waste Feedstock
(EconoTimes/Aemetis) Pre-treatment Unit Passes First Production Tests Required to Supply BP Singapore Under Three-year Agreement -- Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today that its Universal Biofuels subsidiary completed the production of high quality distilled biodiesel from lower quality, high Free Fatty Acid (FFA) waste
April 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Equipment Needs to Study Mixing of Fibrous Materials
by Gregory T. Benz (Lee Enterprise Consulting/Biofuels Digest) There are many sources of organic fibers that can be used as feedstock for biofuels and renewable chemicals. The author has tested many lignocellulosic materials for fluid flow and mixing characteristics. Examples include
April 17, 2018 Read Full Article
The Relay Race toward Energy Security: Passing the Baton from Bioenergy Research to Industrial Commercialization
by Alison Goss Eng (U.S. Department of Energy) ... One approach is through using domestic biomass resources, such as agricultural and forestry residues, grasses, and municipal solid waste. But, how do these biological materials make it from the field or forest to
January 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Breaking the Bottleneck: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to POET-DSM Cellulosic Biofuels Commercialization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In November we reported that POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been the
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
FCIC to Fund Projects to Improve Biomass Handing
(Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium/Ethanol Producer Magazine) To accelerate innovation and adoption of new practices and technologies to determine the root cause of biomass handling failures and designing solutions, the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium is overseeing a directed funding opportunity (DFO) call. Interested industrial
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
BETO Launches New Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium
(Department of Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is proud to announce the establishment of the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium—a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming technical uncertainty in research and development of robust biomass supply,
December 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Is Cellulosic Ethanol Dead? Despite Setbacks, Signs of Progress
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... Several factors have hindered the production of the volumes originally envisioned: extracting energy from cellulose proved much more difficult than extracting it from corn starch, challenges of collecting, moving and storing significant
November 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Advanced Bioeconomy Horizons: The 5 Top R&D Trends Right Now
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Catalytic reaction rates, microcrystalline cellulose, cyanobacteria working in teams, vertical farming, vegan products & markets. The 5 top disruptive techs we’ve seen in recent weeks are attacking these fronts. Here’s what we see. 1. Breakthrough on (microcrystalline) cellulose
November 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Breaking the Bottleneck - POET-DSM Achieves Cellulosic Biofuel Breakthrough
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In South Dakota, POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been the No.
November 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Consequences of Drought Stress on Biofuels
(Phys.Org/U.S. Department of Energy) ...However, weather conditions could greatly affect crop yields. In this study, researchers examined the effect of weather on biofuel production by comparing switchgrass and corn stover harvested after a year of major drought and after 2
September 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Fermentation Frontiers: Top 10 Trendlines in Industrial Biotech Fermentation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The most visible advanced industrial fermentation target for a number of years has been cellulosic ethanol, but the targets are diversifying and cellulosics themselves are shifting gears from process to feedstocks. There’s a fervent ferment
September 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Production of Bioethanol from Multiple Waste Streams of Rice Milling
LorenzoFavaro, et al. (Bioresource Technology) Rice milling by-products are promising feedstocks for bioethanol. Starch-rich residues were efficiently fermented by two engineered amylolytic yeast. Rice husk, composed by lignocellulose, was pre-treated with alkaline peroxide. Pre-treated husk was saccharified by commercial enzymes and
August 25, 2017 Read Full Article
MetGen, Sweetwater Unlocking Lignin – The Roughest, Toughest, Ornieri’st Material that Ever Bushwhack’d a Pioneer in the Valley of Death
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MetGen, Sweetwater Energy say “there’s gold in them thar side-streams” -- For all of your questions about the advanced bioeconomy there’s just the one answer and that is “lignin”. Why don’t we see more biobased
August 17, 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
Processing Pathways
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Interest in cellulosic ethanol from corn fiber is piqued, as technology providers improve on their processes, increasing revenue stream possibilities for producers. -- Some producers and technology developers in the ethanol industry say cellulosic ethanol
August 04, 2017 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Technology Cuts Production Time Significantly: UBC Okanagan Researcher Helps Develop Cheaper and Faster Bioreactors
by Nathan Skolski (University of British Columbia Okanagan) New research from a professor of engineering at UBC’s Okanagan Campus might hold the key to biofuels that are cheaper, safer and much faster to produce. “Methane is a biofuel commonly used in electricity
July 21, 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
Turning Chicken Poop and Weeds into Biofuel
(American Chemical Society/EurekAlert!) Chicken is a favorite, inexpensive meat across the globe. But the bird's popularity results in a lot of waste that can pollute soil and water. One strategy for dealing with poultry poop is to turn it into
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Poet Accuses Engineering Company of Failure in Quest for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jonathan Ellis (Argus Leader) Ethanol producer Poet is suing an international engineering company that was hired to create a system to help convert biomass into ethanol, underscoring the challenges of creating inexpensive cellulosic ethanol. Poet Design & Construction Inc. hired Andritz
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Research Focus: Improving the Conversion Process for Sorghum Bagasse Biomass
by Abdul-Sattar Nizami (King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES)) (RenewableEnergyFocus.com) The conservation of biomass is essential for ensuring a continuous and quality supply of feedstock for biofuel facilities around the year. However, the conservation of biomass
April 14, 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
Oak Ridge Pioneers New Way to See Biomass Pretreatment Impacts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have reported in Nature a new high resolution approach to visioning the impact of biomass pre-treatment technology. By combining spectroscopy and emerging microscopy techniques, the team measured the
April 10, 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
How Brown Rot Fungi Could Lead to More Efficient Biofuels Production
(Lab Manager/U.S. Department of Energy) Wood’s complex structure makes it highly resistant to biological or chemical decomposition. The structure includes cellulose, long chains of linked sugar molecules, embedded in a scaffolding of a chemical known as lignin. Brown rot fungi,
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Low Cost Sugars and Lignin Streams: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Pretreatment and Process Hydrolysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) According to this presentation deck from NREL’s Melvin Tucker, “to produce high concentration sugar and reactive lignin streams at high yields and low costs from biomass to meet BETO’s 2017 ($5/GGE) and 2022 ($3/GGE) Goals and Targets,
February 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Advances in Biofeedstocks and Biofuels, Volume One: Biofeedstocks and Their Processing
(Scrivener Publishing) The most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of all the possible aspects for biofeedstock processing and the production of energy from biofeedstocks. Audience Chemical engineers, petroleum engineers, process engineers, students in chemical engineering, biotechnology, petroleum engineering, agricultural biotechnology, applied microbiology, environmental
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
Environmental Friendly Methodology for Production of Ethanol from Bagasse by Sequential Bio-Processing
by Prabhuraj Balakrishnan (University of Manchester/Nanowerk News) ... In a research work by The University of Manchester academics (Prof. Colin Webb's research group at the School of Chemical Engineering), a new methodology have been developed, that significantly reduces the time and
January 24, 2017 Read Full Article
DMR (Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining) Processing of Corn Stover Achieves High monomeric sugar concentrations (230 g L -1) during enzymatic hydrolysis and high ethanol concentrations (>10% v/v) during Fermentation without Hydrolysate Purification or Concentration
by Chen, Xiaowen; Kuhn, Erik; Jennings, Edward W.; Nelson, Robert; Tao, Ling; Zhang, Min; Tucker, Melvin P. (Energy & Environmental Science) Distilling and purifying ethanol and other products from second generation lignocellulosic biorefineries adds significant capital and operating costs to biofuel
December 30, 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
Chief Pilot: The ABPDU, Where the Elite Meet to Defeat Petroleum
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit.” It’s run out of the Berkeley Lab, and is the technology center behind the technology centers, if you will, of companies such as Kiverdi, Sylvatex, Perfect Day, Lygos, Microvi,
December 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
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
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
Unraveling the Science Behind Biomass Breakdown
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Researchers at ORNL uncover the chemical reaction that helps break down biomass for biofuel -- Lignocellulosic biomass—plant matter such as cornstalks, straw, and woody plants—is a sustainable source for production of bio-based fuels and chemicals. However,
October 21, 2016 Read Full Article
New Pathways for Stover
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Innovation in stover utilization targets feed, sugars and coproduct credits, building markets beyond cellulosic ethanol use. -- Building a robust biomass supply chain for the future will require multiple end users. Innovative companies are
October 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Solvay, Stora Enso
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 Solvay and Stora Enso and their direct investments,
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Advanced Enzymes for Lignocellulosic Conversion: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Shaping the future of bioenergy and renewable chemicals,” that’s the lofty technological goal which MetGen has set for itself. The company has made a name for itself via participation as a preferred enzyme developer in
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Alliance Releases Data from CTS Cellulosic Ethanol Multiple Feedstock Testing. Results Conclusive: CTS Economically Superior to Existing Cellulosic Conversion Processes
(Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc.) Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. (OTCQB:ALLM) (the "Company"), is very pleased to release the results from months of testing and data collection on dozens of lignocellulose feedstocks utilizing the patented CTS conversion process. Corn stover, sugar cane bagasse,
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
Petroleum Today, Bio Tomorrow, BIOFOREVER
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, the BIOFOREVER consortium of 14 European companies emerged from stealth with the news that they have started their demonstration project for the conversion of woody biomass to value adding chemical building blocks. BIOFOREVER intends
September 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Early-Stage, Breakthrough Technologies: Biofuels, 10 of the Best
by Lorenz Bauer and Gerald Kutney (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... In this report, we are focused on bioenergy and biofuels (and not bioproducts) that are moving from the lab to initial commercial demonstrations and that potentially solve significant barriers
August 26, 2016 Read Full Article
What’s DOE Doing about Feedstock Costs? The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to DOE’s Feedstock Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is it just cost that bedevils industrial biotechnology in bringing fuels technologies to scale. Not just, says BETO program director Jonathan Male, who adds that a DOE “Tiger Team” indentified many other factors: What about these? Use
August 12, 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
Cellulosic Ethanol, What Happened, What’s Happening?
by Irshad Ahmed (Lee Enterprises) ... I believe cellulosic ethanol is here to stay for the long haul and it is finally exhibiting real potential to establish a critical-mass commercial base alongside the corn-ethanol industry. Its commercial success will come from the
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Scientists Harness CO2 to Consolidate Biofuel Production Process
by Sarah Yang (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Carbon dioxide has emerged as a new secret ingredient in the recipe for making ethanol, and that addition represents a major step forward in streamlining the biofuel production process. The innovation comes from researchers at
July 21, 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
Closing the Loop: Ionic Liquids from Biomass Waste Could Pretreat Plants Destined for Biofuels
(U.S. Department of Energy) Recycling waste from biofuel production could lower cost for future biorefineries. -- Ionic liquids (ILs) have been shown to be an excellent pretreatment solvent for biomass; the ILs prepare the plant matter to be broken down into
July 01, 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
ICM Has Short List for Its Gen 1.5 Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, ICM said it is is currently in discussion with a short list of those interested in being selected as an early adopter of its Gen 1.5 technology, and they anticipate construction of the
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Research Examines Obstacles to Making Biofuel from Perennial Plants
(University of Arkansas) A University of Arkansas chemistry professor has received a $400,000 award from the National Science Foundation to investigate a roadblock in the harvesting of biomass from perennial plants for the purpose of creating a source of renewable
June 17, 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
Catalysts and Enzymes in Biofuel Production
by Elizabeth E. Hood and Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... Biofuels can be produced by a number of processes, broadly categorized as biochemical and chemical. Biochemical processes utilize proteins called enzymes (biological catalysts). Chemical processes utilize chemical catalysts and/or
June 08, 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
USDA, DOE Partner to Invest $10 Million in Green Energy Research
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the joint investment of $10 million towards research that will drive more efficient biofuels production
May 09, 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
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
Tyton BioEnergy Systems Announces Technology Breakthrough, New Method for Turning Plant Oils into Jet Fuel
(Tyton/Digital Journal) Tyton BioEnergy Systems announced today a major technological advancement in the production of sustainable jet fuel. Tyton filed a patent application for a new method and system of converting oil extracted from plant biomass or seeds directly into
March 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Study: Bubbles Boost Efficiency of Biorefinery Systems
by Brooks Hays (UPI) Researchers say their breakthrough can be scaled for industrial biomass processing. -- A team of researchers in Japan have developed a relatively simple pretreatment strategy to boost the efficiency of biorefinery systems. In the pretreatment process the
March 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Raizen Has Lowest Price as Cellulosic Ethanol Hinges on Feedstock Cost
(Lux Research/MarketWired) Of the Six Existing Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Facilities, Raizen's Projected Price of $2.17 per Gallon Is Lowest, as Innovations Help Bring Next-Generation Biofuels to Market, Says Lux Research Six companies have now brought cellulosic ethanol facilities online, but with
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
New Ammonia Biomass Pretreatment Process Improves Yield with Lower Enzyme Loading; Improving Cellulosic Biofuel Economics
(Green Car Congress) A team from the US, China and India, led by researchers from Michigan State University, has developed a new liquid ammonia biomass pretreatment methodology called Extractive Ammonia (EA). EA-pretreated corn stover delivers a higher fermentable sugar yield
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
ARA Ships 100% Drop-In Biofuels for Navy Certification
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, ARA completed the delivery of over 150,000 gallons of 100% drop-in jet and diesel fuel to fulfill its DLA/US Navy certification fuel contract, two months ahead of schedule. For the first time ever,
February 15, 2016 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
The Ministry of All the Talents: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to the Joint BioEnergy Institute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) JBEI’s mission is to convert biomass to biofuels. The goal is to provide the nation with clean, renewable transportation fuels identical to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Inside JBEI’s Emeryville laboratories, researchers are using the latest
November 13, 2015 Read Full Article
17 Pyromaniax Changing the Energy Landscape
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 17 — count them, 17 — different pyrolytic technology centers in the UK ... Tyre Pyrolysis: 2G BioPOWER 2G BioPOWER is developing a UK pyrolysis project to convert used tyres into partially renewable oil, steel and carbon black,
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
A Biorefinery Approach for Castor Biodiesel -- Whole Plant Used for 100% Renewable Biodiesel
by Helen Tunnicliffe (The Chemical Engineer Today) Chemical engineers from Iran have found a way to produce biodiesel from castor oil without the need for extra petrochemical methanol, using a biorefinery set-up. Producing biodiesel from vegetable oils is not completely renewable,
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Ending the Pretreatment Crisis? The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to MBI’s AFEX Cellulosic Pretreatment Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For every ton of corn, wheat, and rice harvested today, an equal amount of biomass is left behind on the fields. Within this biomass — of which nearly 2 billion tons are produced each year
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Poplar Trees Are Best Bet for Biofuel in UW-Led Research Project
by Michelle Ma (University of Washington Today) Groves of poplar trees could one day fuel our vehicles and be the source of chemicals that we use in our daily lives. A five-year, $40 million study is laying the foundation for
September 08, 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
Ionic Liquid Pretreatment: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) JBEI has opened up the licensing door for some of their signature ionic liquid pre-treatment technologies: Long Alkyl Chain Alcohols as Co-solvent, Precipitant, and Extraction Medium in Ionic Liquid Pretreatment (2013-105), a cost-effective and efficient process to
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
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