by  Markus Rarbach (Clariant/EurActiv)  The recent agreements on the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) are setting the tone for creating a stable and predictable business environment that will trigger the development of and investment in advanced …

(5 Dariya News)  To curb the menace of crop residue burning and create a positive atmosphere for industrialization, Punjab Government has taken a decision to set up a Bio-ethanol project. In this regard, Memorandum of Understanding …

(Valmet)  Valmet, together with its customer Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Oy (TSE), is developing a comprehensive Industrial Internet-based set of production information systems and district heating network optimization solutions. This is being implemented for the first time …

(Vietnam.net Bridge)  The utilization of Carbolosic technology in Vietnam promises to bring great benefits as it turns biological waste into valuable products.  —  The Ministry of Science & Technology (MST) has signed an MOU on transferring technology …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) SAF development in Europe.  An update on EU policy and initiatives by SkyNRG’s Oskar Meijerink at ABLC in Washington, DC on March 1, 2018.  READ MORE

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies is a pioneer in the development of one-step fermentation processes for the direct and cost-efficient transformation of renewable resources into light olefin hydrocarbons, the key building blocks of the …

by Dominique Patton (Reuters)  Grain trader and processor China Beidahuang Industry Group has signed an agreement with the mayor of Inner Mongolia’s Baotou city to build an ethanol facility with annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes, it …

by Francois De Beaupuy and Ania Nussbaum  (Bloomberg)  Global Bioenergies looks to extract fuels from non-food crops; Unlike ethanol, fuel works in any engine in high concentration  —  A German luxury carmaker and a French biotech company have joined …

(Global Bioenergies)  First Audi car to drive at the Montlhéry circuit using over 34% renewable gasoline; One-cylinder engine testing results confirm renewable gasoline has very high performances; Start of the on-road testing phase  —  Today, for the first …

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP))  The trialogue procedure for redrafting the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) began in late February 2018. Against this backdrop, the German Union zur Förderung von …

by Aminur Rahman Rasel (Dhaka Tribune)  …The government has decided to allow the use of bio-ethanol as vehicle fuel by mixing it with petrol and octane at a 5% ratio.
The initiative, first ever in Bangladesh, was …

by Shine Jacob Sanjeeb Mukherjee & Shreya Jai (Business Standard)  A NITI Aayog suggests an estimated ~11,500 crore would be needed to permanently address the problem of stubble burning  —  After announcing early rollout of Bharat Stage …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Germany, Clariant’s board has approved investment in a new full-scale commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues using its sunliquid technology. The new plant, with an …

(Science Daily/University of Borås)  … Ramkumar Nair tells us that these research and pilots project where waste is used are called the second generation ethanol processes, whereas the current industrial production is called the first generation …

(Biofuels International)  Finnish firm Suomen Bioetanoli is looking for substantial new funding for two new biofuels plants, following the withdrawal of a major investor on the project.
According to yle.fi, a €200 million deal with Chinese investor …

(BECOOL/AltEnergyMag) A new Horizon 2020 project will foster cooperation between Europe and Brazil in the development of advanced biofuels from sustainable agricultural value chains, based on lignocellulosic biomass. Coordinated by the University of Bologna, Department …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In India, the Haryana state government has approved Indian Oil’s investment proposal for a $93.3 million 100,000 liter per day second-generation ethanol plant using crop waste including 50 acres of …

(Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Prospects for a cellulosic ethanol plant to be built as part of the Maabjerg Energy Center in Denmark have achieved a breakthrough, according Jorgen Udby, chairman. London-based investment firm Pioneer Point Partners …

by Lilly Vitorovich (The Australian)  Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are hopeful aviation biofuel can be produced locally, in a bid to cut carbon emissions and fuel costs.
The airlines have spent the past year …

(Clariant)  A plus for the environment: Improves particle count emissions and guarantees significant reductions in CO2 emissions using sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol; Field test confirms: Excellent combustion characteristics without additional consumption  —  Clariant, a leading global specialty …

(University of Cambridge)  Molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair could hold the key to making possible wooden skyscrapers and more energy-efficient paper production, according to research published today in the …

by Laís Forti Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) promoted its first Latin America Conference in Sao Paulo October 26-28, 2016, co-hosted by Biominas and with the support of the Brazilian Industrial Biotechnology …

(European Commission Community Research and Development Information Service/Greenovate! Europe)  The ButaNexT project presented its research into a new and improved biofuel – biobutanol – at the Energy and Environment Knowledge Week (E2KW) Congress in Paris …

(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 …

(Times of India)  The Union government will invest Rs 15,000 crore to increase the capacity of Panipat oil refinery in Haryana from existing 15 million tonnes (MT) to 25 MT to raise quality of fuel …

by Jamie Kitman (Automobile Magazine)  “It is “a universal assumption that [ethyl] alcohol in some form will be a constituent of the motor fuel of the future.”  —  So wrote Scientific American. The year was 1920, …

(CNBC MoneyControl)  Despite low prices globally, India at present is incurring a massive Rs 4.5 lakh crore on crude imports which was earlier Rs 7.5 lakh crore, Gadkari said addressing a conference on methanol economy …

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 …

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 …

by Paul Hudman (Renewable Energy World)  … For many governments, part of this shift involves adopting a circular economy approach, utilising all aspects of ‘waste’ throughout the production chain.
The concept of the biorefinery embraces this standard by …

(Platts)  India’s ethanol blending is projected to rise marginally from 1.9% this year to 2% in 2017, according to an annual report recently released by the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, as more …

by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Brazil, testing on Clariant’s sunliquid technology has confirmed that the cost per liter of cellulosic ethanol can achieve price competitiveness with sugarcane ethanol prices in Brazil. Clariant’s testing evaluated …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Drop-In Fuels” Here below is the second slide deck presented on the day, from Will Thurmond, President of Emerging Markets Online — highlights from …

by Lee Seo-young (Korea Herald)  GS Caltex will begin the construction of a plant for mass-production of biobutanol, a renewable biofuel for cars that can be used as a substitute for gasoline, during the first …

by David Shaffer (Star Tribune)  Poet Inc. is shipping fuel from Iowa facility, which could hit full output by year’s end.  —  Poet Inc., the nation’s first commercial-scale producer of cellulosic ethanol, is shipping the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In the EU, the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) publicly released its annual Statistical Report, with MEPs Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D, FI) and Benedek Jávor (Greens/EFA, HU) hosting. “Statistics confirm that, beyond …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Addressing the Western Europe market, creating a European unit with optimal operating range, or seeking to operate a facliity and watching the opex?  We can send you in the right …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)   A multitude of questions surround the challenge of bringing in the mountains of biomass needed to feed a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant: Are crop residues a reliable resource? …

(Global Bioenergies)  Global Bioenergies has joined aireg – Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany e.V. – . The French industrial biology company, which is currently developing its demonstration plant in Leuna, Germany will soon …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  It’s been around for a generation or so — fast pyrolysis, that is. Though in the original low-tech incarnation — known as “cooking fire” — pyrolysis has been around since …

by Cherie Winner (Pennsylvania State University)  By virtue of their chloroplasts, plants are superb harvesters of solar energy. They use it to build leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, and roots. We harvest a small percentage of that …

(Task 39 Newsletter)  General introduction – A fossil free energy supply by 2050  —  In 2012, the Danish parliament decided on a new climate act, which calls for an energy supply totally free of fossil …

(VERBIO)  New VERBIO plant for the production of biomethane from 100 percent straw commissioned as scheduled.  Jörg Vogelsänger, Minister in the government of the Federal State of Brandenburg, and Kerstin Lichtenvort, EU project coordinator, witness …

(Total) The BioTfueL project focuses on producing second-generation biodiesel and bio-jet fuel via thermochemical conversion. Total is working with five partners to bring the process to commercial-scale production.
In the BioTfueL project, Total is working with five …

(Phys.Org)  Straw-powered cars could be a thing of the future thanks to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
A new study pinpoints five strains of yeast capable of turning agricultural by-products, such as …

(Finland Ministry of Employment and the Economy)  The Ministry of Employment and the Economy granted 17/12/2014 Bioethanol Finland Oy, EUR 30 million to support energy Kouvola Myllykoski planned bioethanol facility investment. Neste Oil Corporation was granted, respectively, …

(Allied Market Research/PR Web)  According to a new report by Allied Market Research titled, “Global Second Generation Biofuels – Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 – 2020”, the global second generation biofuels …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The government of Finland announced Dec.17 that it granted $36.8 million (€30 million) to help build a cellulosic ethanol plant. A separate project to produce biogasoline, biodiesel and smaller …

(KSG Agro)  In the production of biofuels one should take into account the need to maintain soil fertility. This was mentioned by KSG Agro Holding’s CEO Mr. Sergey Mazin during the V Ukrainian Grain Congress, …

(Neste Oil)  Neste Oil is to realign its long-term R&D and switch its emphasis from microbial oil research to other areas of technology for using forestry and agricultural waste. This type of waste will continue …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … GranBio is a Biotech company based in Brazil and USA. We’re now starting up the first 2G ethanol plant in Latin American, using sugar cane straw as raw material.
…
What do …

(Clariant/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Clariant, Haltermann and Mercedes-Benz have tested a fuel of the future in a fleet test since January. Initial results prove the high quality and excellent properties of sunliquid 20 fuel (contains 20 percent …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  World’s largest-known cellulosic ethanol project to date comes online in Brazil in record time.
In Brazil, GranBio has initiated production at the first commercial-scale plant for second-generation ethanol in the Southern …

(Taurus Energy)  Cost effective and environmentally friendly production of ethanol – the future of fuel.​
Taurus Energy AB commercializes extensive development on ethanol production. The research is conducted and has been conducted by world-leading researchers and …

by Russell Hubbard  (Omaha World-Herald)  It starts out as freeze-dried fungus or bacteria from Denmark and ends up being one of the key ingredients in what some are calling Nebraska’s and Iowa’s shot at the …

(Europa.EU)  … NER 300 is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects. The programme aims to successfully demonstrate environmentally safe carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy (RES) …

by Peter Rüegg (ETH Zurich)  Biofuel can be produced from wood, too. The key to this is the suitable pretreatment of the plant parts in order to break up the wood structure. Researchers at the Transport …

(Nestle Oil) Neste Oil, the world’s largest producer of premium-quality renewable fuels, has joined forces with DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, to develop an integrated process to produce renewable diesel …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – are plans turning into reality? Are development plans realistic? When these 10 projects open for business (or not) in 2014, you’ll know for sure.
…Well, the picture is incomplete.
Plants …

(Neste Oil Corporation)  Neste Oil, the world’s largest producer of premium-quality renewable fuels, has joined forces with DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, to develop an integrated process to produce …

(Energy Business Review)  The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded funding of £1.15m to Robert Gordon University (RGU) and University of St Andrews researchers for a project to investigate photocatalytic bioethanol production.
The …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In Massachusetts, applied mathematicians Markos Katsoulakis and Luc Rey-Bellet of the University of Massachusetts Amherst will share a three-year, $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, with others, to develop …

Tilo Arnhold (Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research/Renewable Energy World)   Straw from agriculture could play an important role in the future energy mix for Germany. Up until now it has been underutilised as a biomass residue …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The Denmark-based Port of Frederikshavn, Canadian biofuel company Steeper Energy, and Denmark-based Aalborg University have announced a partnership to develop a biofuel plant in Denmark that will produce sulphur-free, drop-in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …The company (Kaiima) started up in 2006, and by 2009, the results were starting to show in castor beans. Castor oil is a good source for a variety of applications, …

by Louise Downing (Bloomberg)  Neste Oil Oyj (NES1V), the only Finnish oil refiner, is experimenting with ways to make biodiesel from straw and waste as countries seek to cut use of fossil fuel in cars.
The company, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)   Advanced biofuels – mirage or reality? In January we wrote: “When these 12 projects open for business (or not) in 2013, you’ll know for sure.”  So, what do we know?
…
We …

(Institute for European Environmental Policy)  This report focuses on the potential sustainability of an advanced biofuel industry relying on mainly wastes and residues as the feedstock base. Presented as a series of ‘factsheets’ we consider …

(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by …

(SEKAB/Davy Process Technology)  Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, andSEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are …

by Stuart Radnedge  (GasWorld)  Air Liquide, in a joint project with the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) in Germany, has successfully completed the second stage of a second generation biofuels pilot unit at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.
This pilot …

(Science Daily)  The mainly EU-funded DISCO project coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed powerful enzymes, which accelerate plant biomass conversion into sugars and further into products such as bioethanol. The project’s …

by Vinod Sreeharsha (IEEE Spectrum)  Later this year, northeastern Brazil will host one of the most ambitious biofuel experiments ever. There, in the small town of São Miguel dos ­Campos, surrounded by sprawling sugarcane fields, a commercial-­scale ethanol plant is …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters.  Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. …

(Direvo)  Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH is commercializing its BluCon™– platform for complete, one-step conversion of non-food feedstocks to carbohydrates used in the production of fuels and chemicals. In the recent years Direvo has undertaken a …

(Energy Efficiency News)  Finnish firm Neste Oil officially opened its first European pilot plant for producing microbial oil from waste material in Porvoo, Finland on Friday.
…Neste Oil, meanwhile, has invested €8 million in its pilot plant as …

(Melodika.net)  …Biofuels of the 2nd generation are made of agricultural waste – from wood chips, straw or specially cultivated “energy crops”. The Austrian competence centre acib (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology) has found ways to …

(Missouri University of Science & Technology)  Biofuel production can be an expensive process that requires considerable use of fossil fuels, but a Missouri University of Science and Technology microbiologist’s patented process could reduce the cost …

(Neste Oil Corp./Biodiesel Magazine)  Neste Oil has completed the first phase of its project to build a pilot plant for producing microbial oil. Construction of the plant is on-schedule and on-budget. The first phase will …

by Franco Capaldo (ICIS.com)  Clariant has inaugurated a new cellulose ethanol pilot plant in the Bavarian town of Straubing, Germany, the Swiss specialty chemicals company said on Friday.
The plant – the biggest of its kind in Germany – will produce around 1,000 …

by Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville  (The Scientist)   Research is underway to reduce the use of food crops for biofuels by shifting to dedicated energy crops and agricultural residues.
…Conversion of biomass is currently the most …

(OMV)  On July 2, 2012 Doris Bures, Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology, and Gerhard Roiss, OMV CEO, opened the BioCRACK pilot plant at the OMV Refinery in Schwechat. The plant is the first of …

(Retail Solutions Online)  Presentation at 16th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference Demonstrates Benefits of Revolutionary Straw-Pulp Technology to the Farmers and Rural Communities of China
…After more than 10 years of research and development, YFY Corp. has …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Brazil, GraalBio Investimentos plans to invest $724.5 million in five cellulosic ethanol plants during the next few years. The first 21.6 million gallon facility in Alagoas that will use sugarcane bagasse …

(IFP Energies Nouvelles)  The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now starting to bear fruit. Although no plants are producing and
marketing biofuels yet, the large-scale, industrial …

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Royal Dutch Shell plc is in the early stages of a development project that would site a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in southern Manitoba. “It’s very, very, very early …

(European Commission CORDIS)  Europeans believe in a sustainable environment, and a way of ensuring its future is to promote and build energy resources based on residual biomass. Supporting this objective is the BIOBOOST (‘Biomass-based energy …

by Will Nichols (Business Green)  Government research body says next generation biofuels made from waste are a feasible low carbon option
The UK could miss its renewable transport targets unless it spends £900m over the next …

(Argus Media)  Norwegian chemicals and technology specialist Borregaard has secured a government grant of 58mn kroner ($9.8mn) to build a 400m³ pilot ethanol plant in Sarpsborg, southeast Norway.
…The Sarpsborg plant will use a diverse array …