by Megan Durisin, Jeff Wilson, Lydia Mulvany (Bloomberg) ... A kernel-yielding stalk that’s native to Africa, sorghum has three things going for it right now: it’s cheap to plant; it holds up better in drought-like conditions than other crops; and most importantly,
sorghum
Back TO HOMEGenera Energy Reaches Milestone with Recent Harvest
(Genera Energy) Genera Energy Inc., a leading biomass supply company specializing in biomass feedstocks for advanced biobased industries, set new standards for efficiency with its recently completed harvests of miscanthus, switchgrass, and biomass sorghum. With this harvest, Genera continues to
March 09, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Publishes Final BCAP Rule
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) The USDA has released the final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, and though the general scope of BCAP is not changing with the recently published rule, there are some key changes being made
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant to Rise in Zambo Soon
by A. Perez Rimando (Manila Standard Today) A P17 billion ethanol gas plant will soon be built by a consortium in the island barangays of Limaong and Tumitus here, first district Rep. Lilia Macrohon-Nuno said. Nuno said a group of investors from
February 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Tough Characters: Looking for Biofuel Plants that Can Survive Drought and Other Harsh Conditions
by Chris Woolston (Bioenergy Connection) With its crown of pink blossoms, the humble seashore mallow may look unassuming, even delicate. But when it comes to brutal environments, this seaside shrub is no pushover. Seashore Mallow can survive one drought after
February 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists Develop Higher Yielding Sorghum Plants
by Dennis O'brien And Sharon Durham (Phys.Org) ... It is drought tolerant, can thrive in poor soils, requires little or no fertilizer, and will grow in a wide range of temperatures and altitudes. Sorghum grain is used in breakfast cereals, in
February 10, 2015 Read Full Article
DOE Accepting Comments on Engineered High-Energy Crop Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Engineered High Energy Crop (EHEC) Programs Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Eight under $70: Which Biofuels Ventures Can Beat out Cheap Oil?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oil prices continue to show incredible volatility. $106 in June, $50 today. Which biofuels ventures have the pro-formas to make money in a tough market? The Digest investigates. ... Avello Bioenergy Cost: $57.50 per barrel (gasoline, diesel) Stage: Preparing for
January 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Biotech Energy Crop May Be Regulated as Weed
by Mateusz Perkowski (Capital Press) Ceres Inc. has developed a biotech variety of sorghum for ethanol production but USDA is thinking of regulating it as a noxious weed. Genetically modified sorghum used for ethanol production doesn’t fall under USDA’s biotechnology regulations, but
January 07, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Accepting Comments on Preliminary Biomass Sorghum Analysis
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA is accepting public comments on its preliminary analysis of the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the growth and transport of biomass sorghum for use as biofuel feedstock through Jan.
January 06, 2015 Read Full Article
The 41 Weirdest Things Ever Used to Make Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bunnies, liposuction fat, Prince Charles’ leftover wine, day-old whale, the human poo bus, fire ants dipped in hexane, old beer, raging fireballs, vibrating blobs, dope, and even the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Take your pick and,
December 31, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA Says Corn Acres to Decline, Yields Increase in Decade Ahead
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) USDA long-term projections call for slightly lower corn acres to be planted over the next decade while corn yields steadily climb. The USDA will release the complete long-term supply, use and prices projections
December 30, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Support for Producers of Advanced Biofuel
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is making $5.6 million in grants to 220 producers across the nation to support the production of advanced biofuels, and is awarding more than $4 million in additional
December 03, 2014 Read Full Article
California Approves $13.5 Million in Loans for Energy-Efficient Upgrades to Schools
(California Energy Commission) Grants for alternative and renewable fuel projects totaling nearly $8 million also approved The California Energy Commission approved $13.5 million for energy efficiency measures to 14 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin County and Orange
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
AG Allies Ask President to Rein in EAP on Biofuels Cuts
(National Corn Growers Association) In a letter sent to President Obama this week, the National Corn Growers Association and several agricultural allies asked him to intervene with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed cuts in the 2014 volume
November 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Indo-US Joint Effort to Derive Non-Food Biofuels from 2017
by N Madhav (Business Standard) The initiative would work to deliver a model for production using crops like energy sorghum, bamboo, pearl millet and switch grass In a significant step towards generating biofuels from non-food plant sources, the US-India joint consortium for
November 12, 2014 Read Full Article
2 SC Firms to Celebrate Nat'l Bioenergy Day via New Collaboration
(Midlands Biofuels/Biodiesel Magazine) ATP-SC LLC and Midlands Biofuels jointly announced an innovative collaboration to grow biocrops, produce, sell and utilize solid and liquid biofuels, and to expand the state’s bioeconomy, starting in Allendale, S.C., and expanding across the state. ... ATP-SC LLC,
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Researchers Win Funding for Miscanthus, Sorghum Research
(University of Illinois/Biomass Magazine) Two University of Illinois crop sciences researchers interested in improving plant feedstocks for bioenergy production were selected to receive funding by the USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a larger Obama administration
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Boosting Biomass for Bioenergy
by Katie Fletcher (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Many dedicated energy crops hold promise as feedstocks for next-generation ethanol. Extensive R&D is still needed, however, to overcome the challenges in making these plants viable for commercial applications. ... This year, $12.6 million was awarded to
October 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Genera Energy Releases Biomass Infographic
(Genera Energy) Infographic highlights a variety of biomass feedstocks, provides insight into choosing the right solution for any biomass project Genera Energy, a recognized innovator in sustainable biomass feedstock supply advancements and supply chain improvements, released a new infographic featuring a
August 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Grants Help Develop Sorghum Feedstock Program in California
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Now, grant money has been awarded to three California ethanol plants to develop a sorghum feedstock program. Calgren Renewable Fuels, Aemetis Inc. and Pacific Ethanol Inc. each received a $3 million matching grant from the California Energy Commission’s
August 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about the Bioeconomy, Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals and Bioproducts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of the powerpoint decks. But how do you get a hold of the great Q&A that follows the presentations — or the
August 14, 2014 Read Full Article
New Energy-Rich Sorghum Offers Ethanol without the Corn
by Marc Gunther (The Guardian) California startup NexSteppe presents a new brand of sorghum, bred for optimal energy production, designed as a greener alternative to corn for ethanol fuels and biomass boilers As scientists around the world research biomass feedstocks —
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Ceres to Expand Product Development in Sorghum and Sugarcane Under Brazil's Agricultural Innovation Program
(Ceres) Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE), an agricultural biotechnology and seed company, today announced that the company will enhance its product development programs in Brazil and expand its development activities in biotech traits for sorghum and sugarcane over the next four years. The programs
August 05, 2014 Read Full Article
California Proposes $46.3M for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In California, the California Energy Commission recommended awards of $46.6 million to 11 biofuels and biomethane projects. ... The winning projects and award amounts are: Crimson Renewable Energy LP Bakersfield Biodiesel Production Plant Expansion Project–Phase II $5,000,000 American Biodiesel, Inc.
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Research Projects to Improve Plant Feedstocks for Bioenergy Production: Departments of Agriculture and Energy Announce Projects in 10 States
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (July 17, 2014) announced the selection of 10 projects that are being awarded funding aimed at accelerating genetic breeding programs to improve
July 18, 2014 Read Full Article
New Crops Get Green Thumbs Up
(GreenvilleOnline) Officials at Clemson have released 21 new crop varieties that will help meet the needs of farmers growing food, fiber and fuels needed by South Carolina’s economy. These varieties include four Roundup Ready varieties of soybeans approved by the S.C. Crop
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
The Greensome Foursome: POET, Novozymes, Abengoa, NexSteppe on the Industry Outlook for 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As several major cellulosic biofuels ventures head for scale in 2014, we look at the companies, the major barriers (as they see them) for further capacity-building, sources for future investment, and a focus on feedstock. In
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Ceres Initiates Field Evaluations of its Biotech Traits in Sugarcane
(Ceres) Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE), an agricultural biotechnology and seed company, will evaluate a number of its biotech traits in sugarcane in South America. Plantings were recently completed and preliminary performance observations will be available by the end of the
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Developers of the First Cellulosic Plants Share Updates at FEW
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... A week before the FEW, Enerkem Inc. celebrated the inauguration of its 10 MMgy facility in Edmonton, Alberta. Commissioning is nearly completed, reported Tim Cesarek, senior vice president of business development. The thermochemical process
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Sorghum May Be a “Sink” For Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Texas A&M Study Finds
by Rafaela Relvas (BioNews Texas) Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a study that brought new insights regarding bioenergy sorghum, finding that, more than an energy supply, it may offer a “sink” for greenhouse gases. ... The team worked in a field near
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Brazil: Biofuels Digest’s 10 Top Trends For 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest's) ... 1. Feedstock diversification. If you thought it was all cane, cane, cane, think again. There’s a lot of movement on sorghum, and castor beans — and even some on corn. Sorghum. The biggest news of late
May 08, 2014 Read Full Article
UF/IFAS Researchers Target Eucalyptus as Source of Fuel for Biomass Production
(University of Florida) University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers working to produce ethanol from plant material are taking a hard look at eucalyptus as a possible source for the clean fuel. Joe Sagues, director of operations at the UF’s Stan
May 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuel from Cane ‘Reliant on Subsidy’
by Nompumelelo Magwaza (Independent Online/Business Report) he Local sugar industry would need to be highly subsidised to kick-start the production of fuel grade ethanol, the SA Sugar Association (Sasa) said last week. Production had been in the pipeline since 2007,
April 01, 2014 Read Full Article
East Pilbara Hay and Sorghum Trial Progressing
by Lucie Bell (ABC) In Western Australia's East Pilbara a project to drought-proof the region is in its early stages. Warrawagine Station is preparing to grow hay for stock fodder and sorghum to be used as bio-fuel at the nearby
March 11, 2014 Read Full Article
California to Consider Updating ILUC for Biofuels
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is holding two public workshops regarding the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) this week – one to discuss general updates to the LCFS regulation, and the second to discuss updates to the
March 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Hastings, Lexington Facilities Receive Federal Funds for Advanced Biofuel Production
by Jordan Onwiler (Nebraska.tv) Three Nebraska companies, including one located in Hastings and another in Lexington, have received federal funds to support production of advanced biofuels. Chief Ethanol Fuel, Inc received total payments of more than $4,000. The company operates an ethanol
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Tennessee’s Biomass Innovation
by Susanne Retka Schill (BBI International/Biomass Magazine) Genera Energy is applying a systems approach to developing customized energy crop supply chains. ... Genera Energy aims to help clients answer those questions using a systems approach to developing customized supply chain solutions. As it wrapped
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Team Converts Sugarcane to a Cold-Tolerant, Oil-Producing Crop
by Diana Yates (University of Illinois) A multi-institutional team reports that it can increase sugarcane’s geographic range, boost its photosynthetic rate by 30 percent and turn it into an oil-producing crop for biodiesel production. These are only the first steps in
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Chromatin Announces Production of Farnesene in Sorghum
(Chromatin/Biomass Magazine) Chromatin Inc., an agriculture technology company, has announced that it has created sorghum plants containing elevated levels of the energy-rich compound farnesene. “We have demonstrated that sorghum can be modified to produce significantly elevated quantities of farnesene relative to
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Tap into Sugar Cane, Sorghum for Fuel-Grade Ethanol
by James Palen (The Daily Transcript/San Diego Source) ... Brawley-based California Ethanol + Power is bringing the matter closer to home. The company has yet to build its first facility, but by possibly the first quarter of 2014, it looks to break ground on
November 27, 2013 Read Full Article
South Africa Biofuels Seen Raising Sorghum Output Fivefold
by Tshepiso Mokhema (Bloomberg) South Africa’s plan to source all grain needed for biofuels production locally means sorghum output will have to climb at least fivefold, the nation’s biggest representative of commercial farmers said. Biofuel must comprise at least 5 percent
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Arcadia Biosciences and DuPont Pioneer to Collaborate on Sorghum Technology Development
(Arcadia Biosciences) Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. and DuPont Pioneer today announced their intention to collaborate to develop enabling technology to help manage pollen flow in sorghum. This technology will help facilitate the development and deployment of agronomic and quality traits in
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuel Seed Developer Ceres Looks to Cash in on 16 Years of R&D
by Ronald D. White (Los Angeles Times) The road to a clean biofuels future is not easily traveled. Ceres Inc. in Thousand Oaks has some highly regarded science on its side as a producer of genetically modified seeds for crops used to
November 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Research Tour Rolled 900 Miles through Southeast
(University of Tennessee) “Green diesel” is on the move, and a recent demonstration tour showed Southeastern audiences just how far the biobased fuel can go. Coordinated by the Southeast Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems (IBSS), the 900-mile mobile tour featured
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
‘Sorghum Ethanol’ Is a Topic in Nebraska
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Sorghum Field Days are being held at six locations in Nebraska this week. One of the stops will be the John Dvoracek farm near Farwell, where there are more than 50 sorghum varieties planted
September 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Moves to Commercialize Cellulosic Ethanol March Ahead
by Lynn Grooms (Farm Industry News) Soon after hearing about Big Oil’s numerous challenges to the Renewable Fuel Standard, attendees of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop this summer, heard from producers forging ahead to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. The placement of these
August 28, 2013 Read Full Article
4C-Able Future: Biobased Butanol, Butadiene and BDO Are Having a Hot Year
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s been quite a year on the four-carbon platform — also known as C4, 4C, buta-something, Fantastic Four, or what have you. Though two-carbon fuels such as ethanol have long dominated the biofuels market — and
August 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Promises New Jobs for Plainview
by Sarah-Blake Morgan (KCBD) Good news for the Plainview economy. White Energy has announced that their Plainview Ethanol Plant will be up and running by late October, after sitting idle since January. ..."With the updating that they did, they are going to
August 20, 2013 Read Full Article
7 Hot Energy Crops for Advanced Biofuels: What’s Happening?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Miscanthus, sorghum, switchgrass, jatropha, camelina, carinata, and arundo. Who’s doing what to bring these crops to scale — and who are the potential big winners? ... Just when you start feeling great about bagasse or stover, you
August 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Routes to the Summit: 3 Keys to First Commercial Advanced Biofuels, and Beyond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It’s become an cliché of late that “financing is tough” and that “the US is slowing” while “China is speeding up” on advanced biofuels. It’s also become a cliché that “cellulosic biofuels are slow, the
July 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Chemtex Picks Duplin County Firm for Ethanol Plant Supplies
by Chris Bagley (Triangle Business Journal) A fuels and chemicals company said it has nailed down a major supplier for its planned $200 million ethanol plant near Clinton. Wilmington-based Chemtex said Murphy Brown LLC, a hog-farming company headquartered in Duplin County, will supply
July 18, 2013 Read Full Article
ICM, Inc. Announces Contract with INPASA on Evaporator and Dryer System for Ethanol Plant in Nueva Esperanza, Paraguay
(ICM) ICM, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with Industria Paraguaya de Alcoholes S.A. (“INPASA”) for sale of an evaporator and dryer system at its plant in Nueva Esperanza, Paraguay. INPASA was founded in 2006 to
July 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Shows Benefits from Integration of Sweet Sorghum Juice in Corn Mash for Ethanol Production
(United Sorghum Checkoff Program) The Sorghum Checkoff in collaboration with the NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (formerly the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center) is pleased to announce a successful bench-scale evaluation of sweet sorghum juice sugars with corn mash for
May 14, 2013 Read Full Article
UC-Davis Publishes Status Update of Calif. LCFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The University of California-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies has published a new status review of the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). The review is the second in a series of periodic status reports.
May 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels and the Problem of Tropical Islands, Part II of II
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It used to be that the outskirts of Honolulu had the dual scent of diesel and pineapple processing — but now, all you really smell is the diesel. Sugarcane and pineapple are every year less
April 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Tough Characters: Looking for Biofuel Plants that Can Survive Drought & Other Harsh Conditions
by Chris Woolston (Bioenergy Connection) ... If you drove around certain parts of the Midwest this summer, you might have seen patches of energy grass or tall, green sorghum flourishing amid the ruined corn and soybeans. At the same time, biofuel
April 19, 2013 Read Full Article
NexSteppe Launches Purpose-Designed Crops for Biofuels, Biopower and Biobased Products
(Reuters/NexSteppe) Malibu and Palo Alto Sorghum Hybrids Provide Scalable, Reliable, and Sustainable Feedstock Options for the Biobased Industries NexSteppe, a company dedicated to pioneering the next generation of sustainable feedstock solutions for the biobased industries, today announced the launch of its first sorghum hybrid
April 18, 2013 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Makers Eye Pros and Cons of Corn Alternatives
by Carey Gillam and Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) Short supplies of U.S. corn are causing ethanol makers to look at alternatives to the high-priced feedstock, with everything from wheat to sugar under consideration as a possible substitute. ...POET said many of its
March 08, 2013 Read Full Article
'Scarecrow' Gene: Key to Efficient Crops, Could Lead to Staple Crops With Much Higher Yields
(Science Daily) With projections of 9.5 billion people by 2050, humankind faces the challenge of feeding modern diets to additional mouths while using the same amounts of water, fertilizer and arable land as today. Cornell researchers have taken a leap toward
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
7 Bleeding-Edge Technologies Unlocking Mighty Value in the First-Gen Ethanol Fleet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The most popular technologies that are targeting the corn ethanol fleet? 1. Feedstock switching. Sorghum as the new corn? ... 2. Advanced extraction and yield technologies. ... 3. Advanced enzymes. ... 4. Enzymes in corn. ... “These enzymes accumulate in
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Delayed Flowering Results in up to 50 Percent Increase in Biofuel Crop Yield
(Nanowerk.com) Researchers working on the biofuel crop Miscanthus sacchariflorus, commonly known as Asian Elephant Grass, have shown that delaying flowering in the plant can result in a 50% growth increase.The discovery could have important implications for biofuel production, leading to higher
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Oklahoma State University Using Sweet Sorghum to Develop Biofuels
by Sean Hubbard (EdmondSun.com) The U.S. Department of Agriculture, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Oklahoma Bioenergy Center and the South Central Sun Grant Program have taken note and funded the majority of the research of Danielle Bellmer, associate professor in Oklahoma
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol Plant Poised to Start up Anaerobic Digester Soon
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) If all goes as planned, a 50 MMgy ethanol plant in Oakley, Kan., will someday produce advanced biofuel from sorghum. To qualify as advanced biofuel, the company will power the plant with methane from
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
South Africa - Sugar Companies Waiting for Biofuel Policy Move
(Agra-Net.com) South Africa's sugar companies and the planners of two sorghum-based ethanol plants are anxiously awaiting the government's next move to allow a biofuels industry through the publication of the regulated price of ethanol, said Ethanol Producers Association secretary Alf
December 21, 2012 Read Full Article
State Incentives for Alternative-Fuel Projects Linked to Success and Failure
by Jeff Ayres (Clarion Ledger) Mississippi alternative-energy development projects that have received more than $400 million in state backing through loans, grants and other incentives in recent years have seen widely varying degrees of success. KiOR, a Texas biofuels company, recently started
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
UnNintendoed Consequences: Biofuels and the Feedstock Challenge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been years of struggle to get cellulosic feedstock supply chains downfield. Now, companies like Woodland Biofuels, Sweetwater Energy, Ceres, Delta BioRenewables and Commonwealth Agro-Energy are moving the chains. ...This week in Canada, the MaRS Cleantech Fund
December 12, 2012 Read Full Article
ICM, Inc. Successfully Completes 1,000-Hour Run Proving Generation 1.5: Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
(ICM) ICM, Inc. announces that it successfully completed its 1,000-hour run of an integrated fiber campaign conducted at its pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. ICM has developed and validated its proprietary Generation 1.5 Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Portland General Electric Tests Biofuel Options to Replace Coal at Boardman Plant
(AP/Oregon Live) Portland General Electric is in its second year of testing the giant cane known as Arundo donax as a potential replacement for coal at the Boardman Power Plant. But the utility is also looking at other biomass sources that
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
California-Grown Sorghum Used in Ethanol Production
(Chromatin/BusinessWire) Chromatin’s Sorghum Seed Recognized for Water Use Efficiency and Versatility Chromatin, Inc., a privately held provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, announced it has generated the first crop of sorghum that has been grown and
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Colorado State University Receives $2 Million to Develop Biofuels
by Bobby Magill (The Coloradoan) Colorado State University has been awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to genetically modify plants for use as biofuel. The money will pay for researchers to develop a system that will
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Agriculture Under Secretary Announces Support for Producers of Advanced Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today (November 16, 2012) announced payments to 189 companies to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. “These payments support the nation’s expanding alternative fuels industry by encouraging
November 28, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA GAIN Report Outlines Status of Spain's Ethanol Industry
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The UDSA Foreign Agricultural Service recently published a Global Agricultural Information Network report outlining Spain’s ethanol industry. The report,” titled “Spain’s Bioethanol Standing Report,” notes that the country is one of the top four
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Expert: Southeast Has Potential to Become ‘Saudi Arabia’ for Biofuels Crop Production
by Blair Fannin (Texas A&M University) Dr. Bill McCutchen sees the potential for the southeast to become the ‘Saudi Arabia’ for production of dedicated energy crops. “It’s the Bioenergy Belt,” said McCutchen, executive associate director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, at
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Establishing Energy Grasses in Sprayfields
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) As part of its project to establish energy grasses in the southeastern part of the state on hog lagoon sprayfields and verify the economic opportunities for biofuels, the Biofuels Center has planted energy grasses on
October 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Sorghum Demonstrates Potential During Dry Summer
by Dan Conable (Cato Analytics LLC/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite weather challenges and the learning curve for farmers unfamiliar with this energy sorghum, one of the first commercial-scale plantings of the crop in the northeastern U.S. has been a success. More than 400
September 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum Eyed as a Southern Bioenergy Crop
(Phys.Org) Sweet sorghum is primarily grown in the United States as a source of sugar for syrup and molasses. But the sturdy grass has other attributes that could make it uniquely suited to production as a bioenergy crop, U.S. Department
September 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum in Spotlight Due to Drought, Pending EPA Action
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For years, National Sorghum Producers have advocated for increasing the use of grain sorghum, or milo, as an ethanol feedstock. Lately, the idea seems to be gaining steam. “There’s been increased interest over
September 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Announce Megainversión to Generate Biofuels
(El Universal) Biofuel producers announced the investment of over $ 100 million to plant oilseeds and grasses that will be employed in the industry biocumbustible whose consumption is increasing in the world. In the meeting with the governor Egidio Torre Cantu,
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Biorefining Innovations
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Steve McNinch with Western Plains Energy said his company is looking at how to move into the advanced biofuels category of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2). The biorenfinery, which produces ethanol from sorghum (milo), is currently
August 22, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA to Approve Sorghum for Cleaner Ethanol; Experts Say Grain Has Less Impact on Food Prices
(The Washington Post/Associated Press) The federal government is on the verge of approving a grain mainly used as livestock feed to make a cleaner version of ethanol, a decision officials say could give farmers a new moneymaking opportunity, boost the
August 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum Should Be in the Biofuel Crop Mix, Experts Say
(Science Daily/Purdue University) Sweet and biomass sorghum would meet the need for next-generation biofuels to be environmentally sustainable, easily adopted by producers and take advantage of existing agricultural infrastructure, a group of researchers led by Purdue University scientists believes. The scientists
June 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: Which Airlines Are Doing What, with Whom?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(M)ore than 30 airlines now trialing, deploying biofuels – but who’s doing what, exactly? In Brazil, Azul Airlines announced that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane has passed all required testing and will be used during
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum Goes Epic, or Is That EPEC? A Primer on Biofuels’ Underdog Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up? What’s next? New pathways, plus country-by-country yield data. Sorghum. It’s a feedstock right out the pages of the old South – sorghum syrup served with corn bread and Lowcountry boils. ...There’s sweet sorghum and grain
May 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Surges: Emerald Biofuels Announces Major Project in Louisiana
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Emerald Biofuels announced that it will build an 85 million gallonrenewable-diesel refineries at a Dow Chemical site in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The company will use Honeywell’s UOP/Eni EcoFining process technology for the production of Honeywell Green Diesel
May 21, 2012 Read Full Article
UF-Led Research Team Selected for $125 Million Joint U.S.-India Energy Project
(University of Florida) A University of Florida-led research team has been selected to participate in a five-year, $125 million energy project involving the United States and India, U.S. Department of Energy officials have announced. Known as the Joint Clean Energy Research and
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Que SARA, Será (Whatever Is Sustainable, Will Be): Sorghum, Water and Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s water, water everywhere, hardly a drop to use. The latest on Sustainable, Affordable, Reliable, Available biomass feedstocks that keep down the stress on our water tables. ...The basic dilemma in perennial biomass crops is well
April 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Government Drags Feet on Biofuel Project
(Business Day) State wants industry to source feedstock from small-scale farmers, writes Hopewell Radebe The government has not moved an inch on the proposal by the farming community to include maize as an alternative crop for biofuel production since the Department
March 28, 2012 Read Full Article
To Strive, To Seek, to Find, and Max Out Yields
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield unlocks value, and especially feedstock yield. What’s the latest? What feedstocks are reporting yields that could support 1000+ gallons per acre for terrestrial crops? ...Yield from the acre, yield from the ton, yield from the
March 22, 2012 Read Full Article
US$ 40 Million to Be Invested in a Bio Ethanol and Balanced Food Factory
(Télam. National News Agency of Argentina.) Industry Minister Débora Giorgi met with Entre Ríos Production Minister, Roberto Schunk, who presented a US$ 40 million investment project from a local company that will open a factory for the production of bio
March 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Team Aims to Make Sugarcane, Sorghum into Oil-Producing Crops
(University of Illinois) With the support of a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers will take the first steps toward engineering two new oil-rich crops. They aim to boost the natural, oil-producing capabilities of sugarcane and
March 02, 2012 Read Full Article
DuPont, NexSteppe Collaborate on Sorghum Development
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) NexSteppe, a feedstock development company focused on servicing the biofuels, biopower and biobased products industries, recently announced a collaborative agreement with DuPont to develop sweet sorghum and high biomass sorghum hybrids. As part of
January 09, 2012 Read Full Article
The 7 Paths of the New Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But the New Agriculture has arisen in recent years, with new solutions to the old dilemma: how do you produce, and afford, and haul, and utilize enough feedstock to make an integrated biorefinery work? How
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Profiles in Scale-up: China, Nigeria Ink Deal to Invest $2.55B in 15 Integrated Biorefinery Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Nigeria, Bloomberg and several local outlets are reporting that the Nigerian government has signed a $2.55 billion development deal with Global Biofuels, to construct 15 integrated biorefineries throughout the West African nation. According to reports,
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Good Digestion: It’s Been a Bumpy Road to Full-Scale Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion Technologies at Ethanol Plants
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite the promise of methane from anaerobic digestion technology, low natural gas rates and other factors have kept ethanol producers from jumping in with both feet. ...On top of the digester, Western Plains Energy utilizes
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
NEXIM Grants $695m Loans for Renewable Energy
by Emeka Ugwuanyi (The Nation) As part of contribution to developing and using renewable energy as against the current dependence on fossil fuels, the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) said it has given out $695 million as loans to five companies that
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Sorghum: Researchers Develop High-Biomass Sorghum that Bypasses Flowering
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) What happens when sorghum doesn’t have to put energy into flowering and grain production? High-biomass sorghum that grows up to 20 feet tall, that’s what. Texas AgriLife Research, part of the Texas A&M University System,
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Boeing and Hawai'i BioEnergy to Work on Renewable Biofuel for Aviation
(Boeing/PR NewsWire/Yahoo!) Collaborative efforts to focus on regionally produced, sustainable fuel options Boeing today announced a collaborative agreement to work with Hawai'i BioEnergy on renewable energy sources for creating aviation fuel. Announced on the eve of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Betting on Biorefining
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Valero Energy Corp.’s investment in the advanced biofuels sector benefits startups and lends an increased aura of confidence to the industry ...One company that has traditionally been active in petroleum refining has been particularly supportive of
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Spain’s Abengoa to Build Ethanol Plant in Uruguay
(Argus Media) Spain's Abengoa is building a 70mn l/yr (1,200 b/d) ethanol plant in Uruguay under a $120mn contract with ALUR, which is 90pc owned by the country's state-controlled energy company Ancap. The plant, to be located in Paysandu department in
October 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Mutant Maize Genes May Help Harness Switch Grass for Biofuels
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Mutant maize genes can be inserted into switch grasses to increase their viability as a biofuel crop, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Transferring the so-called CG1 corn gene into switch
October 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Map Identifies Potential Areas for Boosting Biofuel Crop Yield
(EnvironmentalResearchWeb.org) A global map that identifies areas of low-yielding biofuel crops whose productivity could be increased through intensification has been produced by researchers in the US. ..."The US biofuels target for 2022 is 136 billion litres," Matt Johnston, from the University of
October 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Awards $156 Million for Groundbreaking Energy Research Projects
(Department of Energy/ARPA-E) ARPA-E Projects in 25 States Will Accelerate Innovation in Clean Energy Technologies, Increase America's Competitiveness and Create Jobs Arun Majumdar, Director of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today announced 60 cutting-edge research projects aimed
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
UT Center for Renewable Carbon Named as Lead Institution for $15 Million USDA Grant
(University of Tennessee) Center to coordinate woody biomass production and utilization studies The Center for Renewable Carbon, a program of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, has been named by the USDA as a recipient of one of five coordinated
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
The (Next) Next-Gen Cellulosic Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Discussions about the 2016-2019 cellulosic biofuels fleet of manufacturing sites – what they will look like, and how they will change – are less common. Yet the second generation is where the big gallonage will
September 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Major Investments to Spur Innovation and Job Creation in Research, Development and Production of Next Generation Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced five major agricultural research projects today aimed at developing regional, renewable energy markets, generating rural jobs, and decreasing America's dependence on foreign oil. Altogether, the five-year program will deliver more than
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Payments to Producers in 41 States to Expand the Production and Availability of Advanced Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (September 27, 2011) announced that USDA will make payments to more than 160 energy producers in 41 states to support and ensure the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. "Renewable energy production
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
The End of Commodity Crops?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Earlier this week in California, Constellation Energy and Chromatin announced a memorandum of understanding to supply of renewable sorghum grown specifically for use as fuel, to two of Constellation’s California power plants. In anticipation of this, Chromatin
September 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Mascoma’s IPO: The 10-Minute Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Intrigued by cellulosic ethanol and a new product called MGT, in Mascoma’s IPO? ...Mascoma Corporation announced that it has filed an S-1 registration statement relating to a proposed $100 million initial public offering. The number of
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
University of Illinois Students Receive BP Grant to Study Biomass Engineering Properties
(Biofuels Journal) Five undergraduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign received a $5,000 grant from British Petroleum to research the engineering properties of biomass. The students wrote the grant to develop a virtual database that will tell end users the properties
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
New Sorghum Ideotypes to Meet the Increasing Demand of Biofuels
(IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) Geopolitical tensions in some oil producing regions and the uncertainties surrounding the future availability of fossil fuels, as well as the urgent necessity to mitigate negative impacts on climate through reduced CO2 emissions, have created
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Southeast US Offers Huge Energy Crop Potential
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Southeast is ripe for energy crop development, according to several panelists who spoke during a session devoted to next-generation feedstock strategies June 28 at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in
June 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Agrivida Teaches Biofuel Crops to Self-Destruct
by Martin LaMonica (CNET) ... Agrivida is using genetic engineering and other techniques from the biotech industry to create proteins with specific traits designed for rapid, and cheaper, biofuel production from sorghum, switchgrass, and corn stover, the residual material from corn harvesting. Company
May 23, 2011 Read Full Article
OpEd: A Diverse Biofuels Economy
by Tom Vilsack (USDA/The Daily Mail) ...Last year, the United States produced more than 13 billion gallons of ethanol with the bulk of it coming from the Midwest. But Congress set a national goal of using 36 billion gallons of
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Cadillac Sugars, Chevrolet Prices
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new generation of technologists aim high in value, low in cost, as the race for sugars to process into biofuels amps up a notch or three “You know, we hear numbers like this,” said Daphne
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Harvesting, Storage and Transfer Technology Update
by Maynard Herron and Bob Matousek (Kansas Alliance for Biorefining and Bioenergy) AGCO (Hesston, KS) received an award for biomass feedstock supply demonstration as a partial match of a $5 million renewable energy R & D grant
April 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Maize Farmers Lobby to Supply Biofuel Industry
by Stephanie Nieuwoudt (Interpress Service News Agency) South African maize farmers are pushing hard to change a government decision to exclude their crops as feedstock for bioethanol, in view of food security concerns. Shortly after the government unveiled its biofuel strategy last
March 14, 2011 Read Full Article
The Brew Barons: Masters of Advanced Fermentation, Driving the Redefinition of Biofuels: Pt 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Is there enough energy, food, fiber and feed for all? Advances in industrial fermentation – a/k/a an incredulous “you’re making what? from what? using what? – will be the key to answering that question. The stars of this drama
March 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Vinod Khosla on Biofuel Feedstocks
by Vinod Khosla (GreenTechMedia) Imagination is in shortest supply when it comes to agronomic econometrics that extrapolate the past instead of inventing a new future. Part II: Feedstock. Feedstock cost, environmental impact and even its politics are critical variables. With each
February 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Chromatin’s Yield Machine: Is Instant Gene-Stacking a Game-Changer for Energy Crops?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, Chromatin announced the successful first demonstration that genes can be assembled, stacked, and expressed in sugarcane using the company’s mini-chromosome technology. Now, what exactly is a gene stack and why should I care? Most
January 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Biomass May Hold Partial Solution to Global Energy Needs
by Cary Blake (Western Farm Press) A growing U.S. agricultural biomass industry can help meet the catapulting energy and fuel demands of a global population that the United Nations predicts could reach 9 billion by 2050. “We need to envision and implement
December 23, 2010 Read Full Article
BIOLYFE Newsletter Announces Preliminary Research Results of EU Second Generation Ethanol Production Project
(BIOLYFE) The BIOLYFE project aims at improving critical steps of the second generation bioethanol production process and at demonstrating the whole supply chain, from feedstock sourcing via fuel production to product utilisation. The main result will be the construction of an
December 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Agrivida Announces Collaboration with Syngenta Ventures to Deliver Low-Cost Sugars for Cellulosic Biofuels and Biochemicals
(Agrivida) Agrivida, Inc. announced a collaboration with Syngenta Ventures to develop advanced crop technology that will provide low-cost sugars for a variety of industrial applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Syngenta licenses to Agrivida access to crop technology and
December 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Growing Sorghum for Biofuel
(EurekAlert!/American Society of Agronomy) Iowa State researchers examine the efficiencies and environmental impacts of growing sorghum for ethanol Conversion of sorghum grass to ethanol has increased with the interest in renewable fuel sources. Researchers at Iowa State University examined 12 varieties of
November 11, 2010 Read Full Article
Ceres Publishes Best Practices on Energy Crop Production
(Ceres) Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. has published two new crop management guides that include the most current recommendations on the establishment, management and harvest of switchgrass and high-biomass sorghum. Energy grasses, which provide high yields of biomass that can be converted
October 06, 2010 Read Full Article
Southeast Missouri St. Official Says Sorghum May Replace Corn as Preferred Crop for Ethanol
(AP/KSPR) ...Wesley Mueller, Southeast professor of agriculture, said sorghum grown at the university farm in the future could produce 500 gallons of ethanol per acre. These figures rapidly outpace corn, which generally yields 235 gallons of ethanol per acre. READ
September 27, 2010 Read Full Article
Piper Jaffray Monthly Bio-Industrials Update: Energy Crop &
(Piper Jaffray) ...Energy crops are designed to use marginal land, or in the case of Brazil, extend the growing season. Sugarcane-ethanol facilities in Brazil typically run for 6-8 months due to the relatively long growing season of cane. Energy crops
September 10, 2010 Read Full Article
Locals Eyeing Sorghum for Fuel
by Kevin Welch (Amarillo Globe News) ...Agronomist Brent Bean with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service put three of the stalks in a press Thursday during the summer field day at the agriculture research complex at Bushland. The nearly 9-foot stalks
September 07, 2010 Read Full Article
Chromosome Designer Moves Into Biofuels
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTechMedia) Chromatin says sorghum is the ideal crop. The company, which designs chromosomes and tools for genetically modifying agricultural crops, has launched an effort to get into biofuels on its own. It has come up with an optimized pathway
August 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Study Asks, Can Bio-Fuel Crops Be Grown in Lubbock?
by James Clark (KCBD) A new study done in Lubbock and other parts of Texas will look at growing crops for use as bio-fuels. The Texas Ag Extension in Lubbock and five other cities will do the study that looks
August 10, 2010 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Chiefs Embrace Ethanol Project
by Lorraine Mandebvu (All Africa) Traditional leaders have embraced the US$600 million Chisumbanje ethanol project which they believe will bring much-needed development to the area. Speaking at a meeting of traditional leaders with Arda officials last weekend, Chief Tobias Hliziyo Garawa said the
June 29, 2010 Read Full Article
ICM to Begin Construction on Pilot Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
(ICM) , Inc. is pleased to announce that it has signed a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $25 million to fund the construction and operation of its cellulosic ethanol pilot and demonstration facility in St.
June 15, 2010 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Future of Sorghum
by Cary Blake (Delta Farm Press) The long-term growth of the U.S. sorghum industry depends in part with scientists unraveling paths to produce cellulosic ethanol economically. “We are very excited about the future of energy (forage — whole plant) sorghum as the
May 11, 2010 Read Full Article
Forage Sorghum Shows Promise as Energy Crop
In their continuing effort to evaluate crops that can serve as biofuel feedstocks as well as cover crops (and that can fit into crop rotations in Pennsylvania and the Northeast) researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have found
April 12, 2010 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol and Sorghum Expansion
by Cary Blake (Western Farm Press) The long-term growth of the U.S. sorghum industry lies in part with scientists unraveling paths to economically produce cellulosic ethanol. “We are very excited about the future of energy (forage-whole plant) sorghum as the cellulosic
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
Company Promotes In-Field Production of “Sorganol”
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) An Iowa inventor and entrepreneur is promoting a harvester he developed that can produce ethanol from sweet sorghum right in the field. Lee McClune of Knoxville, Iowa invented the SORGANOL® Process (PatPend) and Sor-Cane Harvester after studying
April 05, 2010 Read Full Article
Sorghum's Gaining Momentum, Farmers & Policy-Makers Say
by Dave Mowtiz (AgricultureOnline) Grain sorghum is gaining the attention of eastern Corn Belt farmers in an area dominated by corn, soybeans and wheat, reports a category winner of the National Sorghum Producers Association's yield contest. Chris Robinson, who farmers in
March 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Myriant Technologies LLC Selected for $50 Million Award for Succinic Acid Biorefinery Project
Myriant Technologies LLC (as successor to BioEnergy International), a leading biotech developer and manufacturer of renewable biochemicals, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $50 million for its planned biobased Succinic Acid facility
December 07, 2009 Read Full Article
Gulf Alternative Energy Announces Process to Increase Sugar Production Efficiency
Gulf Alternative Energy has developed a new cellulose processing technology. Gulf's new machine processes common feedstocks, such as sorghum, switchgrass and agricultural waste into a very fine powder. Lab tests show that this powder processes into sugars for ethanol much