by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nataqua is a startup company that aims to help ethanol producers profit from carbon dioxide emissions by producing more ethanol on site. ... The company isn’t yet ready to offer its unique carbon dioxide-to-ethanol reactor to producers,
Switchgrass
Back TO HOMEHow Much Crop Residue to Remove
by Mahdi Al-Kaisi (Iowa State University Extension and Outreach) Crop residue removal—what effect does it have on corn yield and soil quality? That's a question quite often asked these days. The adoption of no-till and other conservation tillage systems help keep significant amounts
April 30, 2025 Read Full Article
Not One Word about Biofuel, Renewable Fuel, Ethanol
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Just a quick review of yesterday's speech to Congress by President Donald Trump reveals a lot about his priorities in what he didn't say. Not since President George W. Bush said "switch grass" in
March 05, 2025 Read Full Article
Where Is the Technical Solution for Overcoming the “Goldilocks Pricing” Problem for the Biofuel Industry? (Part 2)
by Bob Kozak* (Atlantic Biomass, LLC) In Part 1 of this 3-part series we discussed how “Goldilocks Oil Pricing” is causing major problems for the US fuel ethanol industry. In this Part 2 we’ll discuss why US R&D hasn’t been
February 20, 2025 Read Full Article
The Process of Producing Ethanol from Agriculture
by Michelle Miller (Farm Babe/Ag Daily) Ethanol, a renewable biofuel, plays a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (U.S. corn ethanol has 44 percent to 52 percent lower GHG emissions than gasoline, according to the Department of Energy) and decreasing reliance on
January 14, 2025 Read Full Article
Illuminating the Elements Under Our Feet
(U.S. Department of Energy) Using a unique measurement tool, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have expanded our knowledge of the elements in soil and plants. -- A vast field of tall, skinny trees sways in a light breeze. In the future,
January 09, 2025 Read Full Article
Pricing of Ethanol Blends at the Pump Differs in the Short Term Compared with the Long Term
by Simla Tokgoz (U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service) By law, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets targets for blending renewable fuels such as ethanol with traditional transportation fuels to implement the mandates set by the Energy Independence and
December 20, 2024 Read Full Article
U.S. Department of Energy Announces $52 Million in Projects to Advance Production of Purpose-Grown Energy Crops
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has announced $52 million in funding for six university and industry projects to advance the production of low carbon intensity, purpose-grown energy crops critical to accelerating a clean energy
December 10, 2024 Read Full Article
BETO Selects 13 Small Businesses to Develop Innovative Bio-Based Products and Biomass Processing Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced awards for the FY24 Phase I Release 2 of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Across DOE, 229 projects in 39 states received $52 million to pursue clean
December 10, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to BioVeritas
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation deck highlights BioVeritas’s innovative approach to producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) using a bio-based process called the BioVeritas Process™. The presentation deck emphasizes BioVeritas’s commitment to unlocking a wide range of feedstocks for SAF
November 07, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Generation Feedstocks for the Emerging Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A team of researchers have designed a project to develop productive, cost-effective, and sustainable warm-season perennial bioenergy feedstock production systems on marginal croplands across geographic locations in the Midwest. They have found that there is limited data
October 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Could Switchgrass Be Used for Aviation Fuel? Study to Find Out
by Tom Venesky (Lancaster Farming) A new study is examining the use of switchgrass sugars in aviation fuel, similar to corn used for ethanol. -- A federal grant could help researchers clear the final hurdle to make switchgrass a viable source for
September 07, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of Renewable Feedstocks and Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this presentation, we explored the challenges faced in the transition to sustainable, available, reliable, affordable feedsocks. We look at the crops getting traction, new crops developing, the role of residues, new data from the Billion
July 30, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crops - U.S. Regions' Best for Aviation
(Farms.com) Regional bioenergy crops key to aviation fuel plans -- In an impactful study by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers have pinpointed the most suitable bioenergy crops for producing sustainable aviation fuels across the U.S., focusing on economic and environmental sustainability. The
July 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Study Estimates Land Use Change Emissions for Six Aviation Fuel Pathways
by Ansa Heyl (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis/Phys.Org) A new IIASA-led study offers the first detailed estimates of land use change emissions for six sustainable aviation fuel production pathways. The authors focused on both food and non-food raw materials used
July 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Atlantic Biomass Receives Nearly $200,000 US Department of Energy Funding for Biofuel Development
(Atlantic Biomass) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Atlantic Biomass a $184,000 grant for ”Low-Cost Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) from Perennial Feedstocks using Simultaneous Ball Milling and Enzyme Hydrolysis.” Work on this project will be performed by
July 22, 2024 Read Full Article
BETO Selects 13 Small Businesses to Develop Innovative Bio-Based Products and Biomass Processing Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced awards for the FY24 Phase I Release 2 of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Across DOE, 229 projects in 39 states received $52 million to pursue
July 18, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Hexas Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hexas Biomass is a biomaterials company focused on the production and use of sustainable plant-based materials to replace wood and petroleum-based feedstocks in multiple applications, including energy, chemicals, packaging, textiles, and structural/non-structural applications. CEO Wendy Owens
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Tens of Millions of Acres of Cropland Lie Abandoned, Study Shows
by Erin Blakemore (Washington Post) The biggest changes took place around the Ogallala Aquifer, whose groundwater irrigates parts of numerous states, including Colorado, Texas and Wyoming. -- About 30 million acres of U.S. cropland have been abandoned since the 1980s, a new
June 11, 2024 Read Full Article
2023 Billion-Ton Report
(U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy KDF) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technology Office's (BETO's) 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23) is an assessment of renewable carbon resources potentially available in the United States. BT23 explores these resources in terms of quantity, price,
April 04, 2024 Read Full Article
GRASS – A 5-Letter Word for EARTH MONTH
GRASS OFFERs a productive, and “greener” feedstock for biofuel production as it GROWS fairly quickly and is able to tolerate a WIDER ARRAY of environmental conditions than traditional food crops or OTHER vegetation GROWN on a commercial SCALE. A field of
April 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Win for Ground Transportation
by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois Agri-View) Despite the fervor around electric vehicles and their potential to reduce the transportation sector’s carbon footprint, 2023 projections suggest electric vehicles won’t edge out gas-powered vehicles for decades to come. With conventional vehicles
March 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Still a Win for Ground Transportation
by Deborah Gertz Husar (Herald-Whig) ... With conventional vehicles likely to dominate the ground fleet for the foreseeable future, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts say cellulosic biofuels shouldn’t be discounted. Researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the
March 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Producing Transportation Fuels, Electrical Power, and Chemicals in a Circular Bioeconomy
Timothy J. Donohue (National Academy of Engineering) Renewable raw materials can be exploited as alternatives to fossil fuel–based liquid transportation fuels, electrical power, and chemicals. -- Among today’s greatest challenges is the development of sustainable and cost-effective ways to produce sufficient transportation
February 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Wisconsin Researchers Investigate Role of Biofuels in Renewable Energy Future
by Annalise Sommer (Badger Herald) Biofuels offer sustainable, economical energy option for Wisconsin communities, farmers -- The Wisconsin Energy Institute is researching methods to convert biological matter into fuel and plastics, with intentions to replace fossil fuels. Biofuels are created using biological material to
February 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Purpose-Grown Energy Crops: What Drives Feedstock Innovation
by Glenn Farris (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Diges) In the drive towards a clean energy future and a low-carbon energy environment, purpose-grown energy crops will play a major role. At this time and for many years, researchers associated with universities, national
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Funding Notice: Department of Energy Announces $29 Million to Drive Feedstock Innovation for Clean Energy Production DEADLINE March 14, 2024
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced $29 million in funding to drive research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of low-carbon-intensity, purpose-grown energy crops critical to accelerating a clean energy economy. The Regional Resource Hubs for Purpose-Grown Energy Crops funding
February 08, 2024 Read Full Article
DOE Issues Notice of Intent to Advance Low Carbon Feedstocks for Clean Energy Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office announced its notice of intent (NOI) to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will drive the research and development (R&D) of low-carbon, purpose-grown energy crops leading to the deployment
December 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Study Evaluates New High-Yield Varieties of Switchgrass that Are Less Vulnerable to Disease
by Tom Venesky (Lancaster Farming) A study underway in Luzerne County will gauge the disease resistance and biomass yield of several new varieties of warm season grasses. -- A three-year study could lead warm-season grass producers to high-yield varieties that are less
December 11, 2023 Read Full Article
2005 The Energy Policy Act
by Eric Vettel (American Energy Society/Energy Today) ... In this lukewarm political atmosphere, the 109th Congress took its seats, and then set out in a desperate search to find a legislative agenda that connected with the public, now also frustrated by the
November 17, 2023 Read Full Article
Low Carbon Fuels 2040: The Emerging Markets
(Biofuels Digest/Nuu Media) Low Carbon Fuels 2040: The Emerging Markets provides detailed case studies, updates and analysis of the key producers and developers participating in Renewable Diesel projects and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) projects in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, and in South
November 07, 2023 Read Full Article
A Jet Engine Powered by Switchgrass? UGA Project Is Looking at the Biofuel Possibilities
by Erica Van Buren (Augusta Chronicle) An ongoing study dedicated to identifying and accessing renewable energy source options suggested switchgrass could be a contender. “Switchgrass is a grass that is native to the United States,” said Katrien Devos, research professor of crop
October 30, 2023 Read Full Article
25 Bold Actions to Accelerate Global Bioeconomy Deployment: Results from the 9/22/23 Meet-up of the Bold Goals Action Group in Sydney
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, at the initial meet-up of the global Bold Goals Action Group, leaders of the global bioeconomy, a “coalition of the willing”, established a draft of 25 Bold Actions that, if achieved by the various stakeholders in
September 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Op-ed: Biofuels Don’t Steal Land from Food Producers
by Eyal Ronen (Casterra/ Ag Daily) Food insecurity continues to be a problem for the world — and it’s a problem that’s getting worse. According to the World Bank , the number of people facing moderate to severe food insecurity topped 2 billion in
September 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Perspectives from USDA Research…. Hot Feedstocks for SAF
by William Orts (USDA Western Regional Research Center) USDA Projects: 1. Bioproducts and Biopolymers from Ag Feedstocks 2. Zero Waste Agricultural Processing 3. Domestic Production of Natural Rubber and Resins ... • Building biorefineries does not require us to build from scratch • Biorefineries are originally grain mills, but
August 31, 2023 Read Full Article
7 Important Biofuel Crops that We Use for Fuel Production
by Christopher McFadden (Interesting Engineering) Biofuel crops could be nature's way of curing our civilization of its addiction to fossil fuels. Here are some of the most important ones around. -- Biofuels and biofuel crops have long been used as a substitute for fossil
August 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Making Aviation Fuel from Biomass
by Nancy W. Stauffer (MIT Energy Initiative) MIT researchers are converting the plant material lignin into hydrocarbon molecules that could help make jet fuel 100 percent sustainable. ... Aviation fuel is a combination of two large classes of chemical compounds. Some 75 to
August 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Dairy Digester Optimizes Food Waste Feedstocks
by Nora Goldstein (BioCycle Magazine) Narrowing in on liquid and semi-liquid packaged food and beverages yields economic, digester performance and biogas generation benefits at Reinford Farms in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. Reinford Farms in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania began receiving food waste to add to
June 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Transforming Plants into Allies in the Fight against Climate Change
(U.S. Department of Energy/Oak Ridge National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) ... At the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists are leading research to transform plants into key drivers of decarbonization, from creating biomass crops for new fuels to enhancing the ability
June 07, 2023 Read Full Article
The Pathways to Biofuels: A Survey of Why We Should Stop Fretting
byMichael Barnard (CleanTechnica) We have enough waste biomass feedstock to fulfill all of our transportation needs, and the market and a bunch of bright people will figure out which ones are cheapest and lowest impact. ... And in this future world of
May 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Workshop: Deploying Purpose-Grown Energy Crops for Sustainable Aviation Fuel --- June 6-7, 2023 --- Kansas City, MO Summary Report and Presentations Available
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up
May 04, 2023 Read Full Article
GLBRC Receives Five Year Funding Renewal
by Chris Hubbuch (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a University of Wisconsin–Madison based research center another five years of funding to develop sustainable alternatives to gasoline, diesel and other hydrocarbon fuels as well as
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Scientists Find New Way to Turn Plant Waste into Biofuels
by Brian Westenhaus (OilPrice.com) • Scientists have found a way to break down the tough lignin in plant material using anaerobic fungi. This breakthrough provides a new path for accessing valuable plant fibers that can be used to produce biofuels
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
On-Farm Biogas System Opportunities: Electrifying your Farm with Biogas Production --- April 12, 2023 --- ONLINE
Farm electrification can allow farmers to rely less on other energy sources, which may benefit their bottom line and also reduce carbon emissions. During On-Farm Biogas System Opportunities: Electrifying your Farm with Biogas Production, learn how a biogas production is
March 20, 2023 Read Full Article
DOE Announces $590 Million to Increase Bioenergy Research
(U.S. Department of Energy) Funding to Four Bioenergy Research Centers Will Help Strengthen Diversity of Domestic Clean Energy Sources, Enhance Our Energy Security, and Revitalize Rural Economies -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $590 million to renew its
March 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Off the Ground
by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Several alcohol-to-jet projects, partnerships and technologies have been announced in the past 18 months. Ethanol Producer Magazine checks in on each, looking at where they stand and what they might ultimately achieve. ... Multiple airlines forged
March 10, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of Bioeconomy Feedstocks and Advanced Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DIgest completed the 7 week series of ABLC CONNECT events in which ABLC delegates join in a Zoom-based pre-networking session with this look at the world of Bioeconomy Feedstocks and Advanced Agriculture and —
February 22, 2023 Read Full Article
The Promise of Advancing Biomanufacturing Innovation
by Greg Potter and Glenn Farris (Lipiferm Scientific andFarris Advisory Services/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) On September 12, 2022, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order to Advance Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation to support solutions in health, climate change, energy, food security,
February 20, 2023 Read Full Article
UW–Madison Research Key to Decarbonization Plan
by Chris Hubbuch (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are working to develop plant-based fuels that are a key piece of the nation’s blueprint for decarbonizing transportation. ... That will require sustainable alternatives to gasoline,
February 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Why This Promising Biofuel Crop Takes a Summer Break
by Matt Davenport (MSU Today) By explaining a photosynthetic peculiarity in switchgrass, MSU researchers may have unlocked even more of the plant’s potential -- Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as
January 26, 2023 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Offers Flight Path to Net-Zero Air Travel
by Marc Hamy & Nancy Gillis (Green Biz/First Movers Coalition) It will take long-term, coordinated action from airlines, aircraft manufacturers, fuel producers, airports and governments for zero-emissions flight to really take off. -- ... On Nov. 27, a small piece of
January 03, 2023 Read Full Article
Naturally Derived Materials Fit for 3D Printing
by Stephanie Seay (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Researchers found that moderate levels of ash — sometimes found as spheres in biomass — do not significantly affect the mechanical properties of biocomposites made up of corn stover, switchgrass and PLA thermoplastic.
December 21, 2022 Read Full Article
To Make Valuable Bioproducts, Pick the Right Solvent Pretreatment
(U.S. Department of Energy) Lignin and cellulose are polymers—large molecules made up of repeating modules—that are situated in a tangled braid, along with some other polymers, within the plant cell wall. Lignin and cellulose are the two main polymers and are
December 17, 2022 Read Full Article
How to Rescue Biofuels from a Sustainable Dead End
by Peter Fairley (Nature) An environmentally friendly path forwards for liquid fuel derived from plants will depend on smarter agriculture and smarter regulation. -- ... If filling fuel tanks with these plant-derived liquids reduces carbon emissions by decreasing the demand
November 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel Research: Full Decarbonization of U.S. Aviation Sector Is within Grasp
(SciTechDaily/Arizona State University) The study found that planting the grass miscanthus on 23.2 million hectares of existing marginal agricultural lands – land that often lays fallow or is poor in soil quality – across the United States would provide enough
November 15, 2022 Read Full Article
$2.6M DOE Grant Supports UMD-led Study on Genetics of Plant Growth for Biofuels
by Kimbra Cutlip (University of Maryland/Maryland Today) A University of Maryland researcher was awarded $2.6 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate the genetics underlying how poplar trees sense nutrients and regulate their metabolism—information that could help farmers
October 05, 2022 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks for the Emerging Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of this project is to develop productive, cost-effective and sustainable warm-season perennial bioenergy feedstock production systems on marginal croplands across geographic locations in the Midwest. The University of Illinois (at Champaign-Urbana)’s D. K.
October 05, 2022 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Next Generation Logistics Systems for Delivering Optimal Biomass Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This continuing Project with DOE BETO regarding improved logistics builds on advances in two previous High Tonnage projects (Pine at AU; Switchgrass at Genera). The project goal is to evaluate a state-of-the-art biomass merchandizing and
September 30, 2022 Read Full Article
Three Mississippi State-Bred Switchgrasses Hit the Market
(Mississippi State University/Biomass Magazine) Mississippi State scientists have developed switchgrass varieties that are waking up the industry with exceptional germination rates and are ready for commercial use in the Deep South. Switchgrass is used for biofuels, soil and water conservation and carbon
September 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Cure or Curse: Can 'Next-Generation' Biofuels Turbocharge the Net Zero Transition?
by Cecilia Keating (Business Green) ... But Gordon McManus, research director for refining and oil products team for the Europe, Middle East, Africa region at leading research and consulting business Wood Mackenzie, said the biofuels industry might be poised to "come of age"
August 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol vs. Petroleum-Based Fuel Carbon Emissions
by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) Biofuels have been proven to emit significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum-based fuels, and recent scientific studies indicate that net-zero emission biofuels are not only possible, but achievable. Corn ethanol and other biofuels are
June 24, 2022 Read Full Article
Ara Partners Acquires Genera Energy, Pumps $200M in Expansion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News has arrived from Houston that Ara Partners, regularly seen around the halls of ABLC and known as a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments, has acquired Genera Energy. Genera, in latter days, has
June 24, 2022 Read Full Article
The “Green Crude” SAF Alternative: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Alder Fuels
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Alder Fuels’ Chief Technology Officer, Derek Vardon, shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC highlighting how they are seeing a future of gathering energy instead of drilling for it and how the solution for
May 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Calculating the Costs of Multiple Switchgrass Gene Copies
(Department of Energy/Joint Genome Institute) A collaborative team led by researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (HudsonAlpha), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science
April 14, 2022 Read Full Article
New MSU Research Shows How Biofuel Crops Can Help Mitigate Climate Change When Grown on Land of Otherwise Little Agricultural Value
by Cameron Rudolph (Michigan State University) Newly published research from MSU Foundation Professor Bruno Basso shows how some Midwest farmers can see economic and environmental benefits of growing switchgrass, a biofuel crop, on traditionally less-productive land. -- Newly published Michigan State University
March 24, 2022 Read Full Article
In Search of a Later Biomass Expiration Date
by Nichole Fitzgerald (U.S. Department of Energy) How Idaho National Laboratory's Dr. Lynn Wendt has come to understand and mitigate the detrimental impacts of biomass decay after harvest. -- Renewable biomass is one of the key clean energy resources that will
March 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Optimizing for Carbon Storage: A New Model for Biorefineries
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Biorefinery profitability scale with a carbon credit in cases of (A) no capture, (B) capture from fermentation, (C) capture from fermentation and biogas, and (E) full capture from fermentation and biogas, with exactly enough capture from
February 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Carbon Negative Biofuels Can Build Soil and Rural Prosperity
by Chuck Hassebrook, David Laird and Jill Euken (The Gazette) ... That pathway is the Pyrolysis-Biochar-Bioenergy Platform, which produces biofuel and biochar by heating crop residue, grass, wood or other forms of biomass in the absence of oxygen. Biochar is a
January 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Bioenergy: Friendly Fungi Boost Growth for Biofuel Source
(SciTechDaily/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) An Oak Ridge National Laboratory team has successfully introduced a poplar gene into switchgrass, an important biofuel source, that allows switchgrass to interact with a beneficial fungus, ultimately boosting the grass’ growth and viability in changing environments. Scientists
December 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Plant-Based Waste and Residues into Biofuel – Geeking out over Lignocellulose
by Richard Pallardy (Neste) Plant biomass, or lignocellulose, is the most abundant renewable carbon source on the planet. It has been around forever, but only now are we starting to grasp its full potential in replacing fossil resources. What makes
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Bioprocess for Converting Plant Materials into Valuable Chemicals
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Science Daily) Scientists have developed a bioprocess using engineered yeast that completely and efficiently converted plant matter consisting of acetate and xylose into high-value bioproducts. A team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a
August 19, 2021 Read Full Article
New Solvents to Break Down Plant Cellulose for Bioethanol
(Science Daily/Kanazawa University) Researchers experimented with different combinations of zwitterionic molecules to produce a solvent that is liquid below 100°C and very effective at breaking down cellulose. This research may lead to much more cost-effective and safe production of biofuels,
August 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels: An Overview
(Climate Now)Biomass – such as corn or switchgrass – can be converted into liquid transportation fuels, or biofuels. Biofuels are attractive because they result in significantly fewer emissions than fossil fuels, but they come with their own set of challenges,
August 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Switchgrass and Miscanthus on Mined Lands for Biofuel and Biomass Production
(Association of Warm Season Grass Producers) I grow switchgrass and miscanthus on mined lands for biofuel and biomass production. The idea of using marginal lands for these crops has been around for a while and I started doing it about
July 27, 2021 Read Full Article
A Tweaked Yeast Can Make Ethanol from Cornstalks and a Harvest’s Other Leftovers
by Nikk Ogasa (Science News) The process could tap underused sources of renewable fuels -- ... But by tweaking a gene in common baker’s yeast, researchers have engineered a strain that can defuse those deadly by-products and get on with the
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Weather-Resistant Crops: the Bioenergy Fuel of the Future
(Bio Market Insights) ... Finding a way to increase crop yields without encroaching on either food crops or natural habitats is a novel challenge, but it is one that may soon have a solution. Researchers from Queensland University of Technology’s Centre
July 07, 2021 Read Full Article
GM Grass Cleanses Soil of Toxic Pollutants Left by Military Explosives, New Study Shows
(University of York/Phys.Org) A grass commonly used to fight soil erosion has been genetically modified to successfully remove toxic chemicals left in the ground from munitions that are dangerous to human health, new research shows. The study—led by the University of York-
May 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Enhancing Land Surface Models to Grow Perennial Bioenergy Crops
(U.S. Department of Energy/EurekAlert!) High-yield miscanthus and switchgrass are promising alternatives to traditional annual crops for biofuels. -- ... To understand the effects of this trend, scientists must accurately represent biofuel crops in land surface models. Using observations from biofuel
May 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Switching to Switchgrass: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks in Midwest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bioenergy switchgrass feedstock – can it be the next-generation feedstock we’ve been looking for in the Midwest? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is looking at perennial bioenergy feedstock production on marginal croplands across geographic locations in
May 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Next-Gen Logistics and Blending: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Biomass Feedstock Logistics Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This U.S. Department of Energy BETO project’s biomass blend concept will allow biorefineries to utilize a much larger proportion of the land within their procurement radius, thereby enabling larger scale, more economically feasible facilities to
May 17, 2021 Read Full Article
Feedstock Development, Production, Management: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA’s Feedstock Innovations
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From switchgrass, sorghum or sugarcane, feedstock development, genomics, and crops improvement abound with USDA’s help at the Biomass Research Center. Rob Mitchell, Research Leader and Research Agronomist at USDA ARS, shares all about the latest
March 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Ahead of the Curve: Refiners Retrofit for Renewable Diesel Fuel
by Dan Crummett (Farm Equipment) ... Late in 2020, CVR Energy’s board of directors approved a $110 million renovation to a small Southern Oklahoma refinery near Wynnewood, which will leverage unused refining capacity (created as gasoline demand moderated) to begin
March 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Characteristics of the Soil in Biofuel Crop Fields Affect Its Potential to Store Carbon
(NewsWise) Microbiome and soil chemistry at long-term bioenergy research sites challenge the idea that switchgrass increases carbon accrual in surface soils on marginal lands. -- In this study, researchers characterized the influence of crop and site on fungal and bacterial
March 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Looking ahead to Second-Generation Biofuels
by Janet Kubat Willette (Farm Progress) Madhu Khanna, distinguished professor of environmental economics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that CRP acres have the potential to produce harvestable bioenergy crops. Speaking at a Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics webinar earlier this
March 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Researchers Challenge the CRP Status Quo to Mitigate Fossil Fuels
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment/Phys.Org) ... (A)llocating CRP land for high-yielding energy biomass might eliminate the need for bioenergy crops and food crops to vie for space. A team led by CABBI Sustainability Theme Leader
February 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Fields of Breeders' Dreams: A Team Effort toward Targeted Crop Improvements -- Community Effort Yields Reference Switchgrass Genome, Environmental Adaptations Data
(Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/EurekAlert) ... Identifying and breeding varieties that have high productivity across a range of environments is becoming increasingly important for food, fuel and other applications, and breeders aren't interested in waiting decades to develop new
January 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Getting to Neutral Carbon: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Carbon Drawdown
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s A.J. Simon shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC 2020 to look at the role that bioeconomy pathways play in drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere. From pathway selection, corn starch,
January 19, 2021 Read Full Article
WEF’s ‘Clean Skies for Tomorrow’ Outlines Pathway to Net-Zero Aviation: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Aviation Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the World Economic Forum doing to help aviation meet net zero goals? First, they recognize that the most immediate action to achieve carbon-neutral flying is the investment in, and rapid scale-up, of sustainable
December 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Study Confirms Contribution of Bioenergy to Climate Change Mitigation
by Elton Alisson (Agência FAPESP) ... Some argue, for example, that biofuels are not sustainable because the conversion of non-agricultural land to grow energy crops could lead to a significant initial decrease in carbon storage, creating what is known as a
November 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Use of Switchgrass Growing in Popularity for Ag Conservation
by Ad Crable (Bay Journal) Will switchgrass, a tall, resilient and fast-growing native plant once familiar to pioneers, become the next cash crop for farmers in states in the Chesapeake Bay drainage? In a convergence of promising developments, a new study gives
October 23, 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
Biofuels Are a Controversial Climate Solution. Could They Still Help Save the Planet?
by Emily Pontecorvo (Grist) Two recent studies add fresh evidence to both sides of an age-old debate. ... (Lee) Lynd’s study aimed to address the common claim that biofuels do not actually offer greenhouse gas benefits. Ignoring factors like biodiversity and economics, Lynd
September 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Switching to Switchgrass – Will DOE and USDA Funding Turn Switchgrass into a Rockstar Biofuel Feedstock?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... So as we look for better biofuel feedstocks, we look at switchgrass because of new U.S. Department of Energy AND U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study it for biofuels. Could it be
September 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Study Predicts Climate Benefits Stemming from the Use of Advanced Biofuels
(AZO CleanTech/Colorado State University) Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of these systems has been controversial, due to
August 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Show Real Promise for Replacing Some Fossil Fuels
(Colorado State University/Science Daily) A new study predicted significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies. -- Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and
August 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Department of Energy to Provide $68 Million for Bioenergy Crop Research
(Department of Energy) Studies Will Focus on Improving Crop Productivity and Resiliencen -- Today (July 28, 2020) the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $68 million in funding over five years for basic research aimed at making bioenergy feedstock crops
July 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Expansion: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo’s Next-Gen Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo is developing a platform to fund expansion projects in the next phase of its unique, next generation renewable fuels business. Their commercial-scale facilities are converting agricultural, forestry and other feedstocks to high value, low
June 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Amid Oil Price Crash, a New Hope for Biofuels
by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) ... (T)there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of biofuels, as the field continues to evolve remarkably from where it was a decade ago. ... Rather than letting the rest of the plant go to waste, the
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Starts "Just A Minute" Educational Series
(Advanced Biofuels USA) The first episode of "Just A Minute or So about Renewable Fuels" focuses on what might be used to make renewable fuels. Students, teachers, or anyone interested in renewable fuels can see in a 3-minute slide presentation
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Potential Feedstocks, Biofuel Markets, Corn and Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Biomass Research and Development Board published a report that looks at how to address the constraints surrounding availability of biomass feedstocks for biofuels. Four questions guide the analysis: What feedstocks and at what price? What is the
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Biomass Fuels Can Significantly Mitigate Global Warming
(American Associates/Ben-Gurion University of the Negev/EurekAlert!) Biomass fuels derived from various grasses could significantly mitigate global warming by reducing carbon, according to a long-term field study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Michigan State University (MSU). In a
March 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Decarbonizing Your Ride for a More Stable Climate: Scientists Measure the Climate Benefits of Alternatives to Petroleum Fuels
(National Science Foundation) Transportation produces a sizable amount of greenhouse gas emissions, largely by using petroleum to power internal combustion engines. Alternatives –- for example, organic materials such as grasses to produce fuels or electricity –- could avoid petroleum use altogether. Now,
February 28, 2020 Read Full Article
How to Make It Easier to Turn Plant Waste into Biofuels
by Todd Bates (Rutgers University/Phys.Org) Researchers have developed a new process that could make it much cheaper to produce biofuels such as ethanol from plant waste and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Their approach, featuring an ammonia-salt based solvent that rapidly turns
January 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Scientists Develop Efficient Methods to Turn Woody Biomass into Fuels
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) ... Lignin, a complex compound in cell walls, blocks access to plant carbohydrates that could be cleaved into sugars and then fermented into biofuels. The compounds that hold plant cells together, as well as their
October 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Clemson Researcher Developing Perennial Grasses that Could Reduce Water Use and Be Fuel Source
by Laura Schmitt (The NewsStand) Clemson University College of Science professor Hong Luo has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop genetically improved and more robust turfgrass and switchgrass. These perennial plants
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
Core Leaf-Bound Microbes Identified for Two Key Bioenergy Crops
by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits make up the biggest chunk of potential living space for microbes in the environment, but ecologists still don’t know a lot about how the microorganisms that reside
October 11, 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
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
The Effect of Feedstock Composition on Fast Pyrolysis and Upgrading to Transportation Fuels: Techno-Economic Analysis and Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis
by Pimphan A.Meyer, Lesley J.Snowden-Swan, Susanne B.Jones, Kenneth G.Rappé and Damon S.Hartley (Fuel) Process economics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are evaluated for the conversion of eleven (11) biomass feedstocks to produce transportation fuels via fast pyrolysis and then pyrolysis
September 27, 2019 Read Full Article
US-India Consortium for Development of Sustainable Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuel Systems
by Vermerris, Wilfred; Ingram, Lonnie O.; O'Connor, George; Pullammanappallil, P.; Shanmugam, K. T.; Tong, Zhaohui; Wilkie, Anne; Jose, Shibu; Bardhan, Sougata; Kitchen, Newell; Fritschi, Felix; Alavalapati, Janaki; Quesada-Pineda, Henry J.; Smith, Robert; Lal, Pankaj ; Gan, Jianbang (University of Florida/U.S.
August 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Environmental Advocates Should Take Another Look at Biofuels
by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and former Sen. Timothy Wirth (D-CO) (The Hill) ... But public policy to date has put almost the entire burden of the sector’s transformation on the nation’s vehicles. Shouldn’t the fuels they burn get equal attention? Look
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Norfolk Farmer Diversifies Income and Boosts Soil Health with Miscanthus
(Terravesta) Norfolk farmer, Adam Brewer, is planning for the future by diversifying his income and looking after his soils with Miscanthus. Farmers wanting to learn more about the many environmental and financial benefits presented by the crop are invited to attend
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Genera Repositions Itself, Gets $118M Investment – Movin’ on up to Get a Piece of the Pie
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... A $118 million pie in new investment money for this Tennessee-based biomass company. The financing was anchored by an equity investment from WindSail Capital Group, which partnered with investors Coppermine Capital and Stairway Capital
July 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Integrated Landscape Management Reduces Biomass Production Costs By 20%
by J.Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy) A new techno-economic analysis by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) demonstrated that, by using integrated landscape management (ILM) techniques, bioenergy stakeholders could produce biomass at costs 20% lower than previous assumptions.1 The efficiencies
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
University of North Florida Researcher Awarded USDA Grant to Study Plant-Based Alternative Fuel Sources
(Univeristy of North Florida) Switchgrass—a Productive Native Species—Could Possibly Fuel Vehicles into the Future -- Dr. Mike Aspinwall, an assistant professor of biology at the University of North Florida, was just awarded nearly half a million dollars from the USDA National Institute
June 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Genera Begins Farmer Recruitment
(Genera) Genera is launching a new business line that will manufacture disposable food service and packaging products from sustainable ag fibers in Vonore, made from locally grown biomass crops. Genera will be making a variety of ag-based paper products like plates, bowls,
May 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Let’s Get Agitated: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Biomass Conversion Agitation Strategies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gregory Benz, from Benz Technology International and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview of wet conversion agitation systems like solids mixers and turbine agitators, various test summaries, and more. READ MORE
March 13, 2019 Read Full Article
SMU Researcher Studying Purpose-Grown Biomass Crops
(Saint Mary's University/Canadian Biomass Magazine) Research into how poor-quality, marginal land can be used to produce biomass as a potential revenue stream for farmers underway at Saint Mary’s University received $1.2 million in funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience program
March 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Clover Improves Soil Quality, Feeds Biofuels Crop
by Christie Delfanian (South Dakota State University/Phys.Org) A four-leaf clover might bring good luck, but a stand of Kura clover can produce healthier soil—in the long run, according to a South Dakota State University study. Planting Kura clover, a pasture legume, with prairie
March 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Commercialization: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Douglas B. Rivers, PhD,from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview and more READ MORE
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Research Uncovers Potential Sustainable Refining Method for Lignin
(Phys.Org/Texas A&M University) Lignin, used as a renewable resource to produce high-value products, has presented both production and economical challenges for biorefinery operations. However, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist suggests the use of an extraction method, plus other refining processes
February 27, 2019 Read Full Article
10-Slide Guide to the US Ethanol Industry
by Douglas B. Rivers (Biofuels Digest/Lee Enterprises, Inc.) Past, Present and Future Douglas B. Rivers, PhD, from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting, offers this illuminating overview of the U.S. ethanol industry’s history, current technologies, new developments
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Canada Invests in Biomass Research Cluster to Grow Bioeconomy
by Maria Church (Canadian Biomass Magazine) The federal government is investing of up to $7 million in a biomass research cluster led by the BioFuelNet Canada Network. Funding for the research cluster will include an additional $3.1 million in contributions from
February 13, 2019 Read Full Article
New 'Architecture' Discovered in Corn: Scientists' Findings May Improve Biofuel Production
(Louisiana State University/Science Daily) New research on the United States' most economically important agricultural plant -- corn -- has revealed a different internal structure of the plant than previously thought, which can help optimize how corn is converted into ethanol. -- It
January 22, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Rebecca (Becky) Ong
Rebecca (Becky) Ong majored in chemical engineering and tacked on a degree in plant biology. “I had no plan to integrate them at all,” she says, “I was just interested in plants.” All of that changed, however, when Ong attended
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Love of Plants and Problem-Solving Drives Bioenergy Researcher Rebecca Ong
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) ... “My parents really instilled in me the importance of conservation,” says (Rebecca) Ong, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University and researcher at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). “From an
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
More Sustainable: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Intensification Response & Landscape Design in Bioenergy Production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Many prominent bioenergy critiques are feedstock-focused — for example, iLUC (Searchinger et al. 2008), carbon debt. Marginal land strategies identify areas where energy crops likely have competitive advantage for productivity and/or conservation based on Biophysical characteristics
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
A Switchgrass Sugar Situation
by Paige Short (Michigan Technological University) Switchgrass is a promising biofuel alternative to corn, but farmers, environmentalists and biofuel developers, find deciding on the right time to harvest particularly thorny. ... The current viable harvest window for switchgrass extends from peak biomass, when
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
iSEE Helps Secure $6M+ in New Research Grants for U of I Agriculture Studies: $5M DOE Grant for Energy Crops Study
(Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) ... A U of I Crop Scientist will lead a team of researchers on a five-year study of new crops that could contribute to the production of affordable, sustainable sources for market-ready fuels and other
September 20, 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
Special Issue: Using an Ecosystem Services Perspective to Assess Biofuel Sustainability
(SEI.org) This special issue of the journal Biomass and Bioenergy attempts to fill research gaps on the sustainability implications of liquid biofuel production, applying an ecosystem services perspective -- ... The 14 papers included in the special issue provide novel and original contributions that
September 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Biomass, Biomass and More Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Association of Warm Season Grass Producers Meeting Goals
by Will Brandau (Association of Warm Season Grass Producers) The Association is experiencing success meeting our primary objectives. 1. Promotes the planting and use of warm-season grasses I know of 4 producers expanding the acreage they maintain. We have 3 new producers planting for
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 27th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
July 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Feeding Plants to This Algae Could Fuel Your Car
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source. The research shows that a freshwater production strain of microalgae, Auxenochlorella protothecoides,
July 19, 2018 Read Full Article
The Scientist Still Fighting for the Clean Fuel the World Forgot
by James Temple (MIT Technology Review) In the closing weeks of 2008, the US Department of Energy invited politicians and press to a dedication ceremony for the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville, California. The state-of-the-art lab, backed by $125 million in
May 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Accelerating Ag Innovation: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the USDA Agricultural Research Service
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to:
May 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Can Perennial Bioenergy Crops Help Sequester Carbon?
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In an article published last summer in Science, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) reported on ten years of work assessing the potential climate benefit of producing dedicated bioenergy crops such as
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Missouri Biodiesel Coalition Launched to Expand Biodiesel Usage
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, soybean farmers and biodiesel processors, distributors, and retailers have come together to launch a new partnership, the Biodiesel Coalition of Missouri, which aims to grow the use of the EPA-designated advanced biofuel. The Coalition
April 30, 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
How Biofuels from Plant Fibers Could Combat Global Warming
by Mary Guiden (Colorado State University) ... A study from Colorado State University finds new promise for biofuels produced from switchgrass, a non-edible native grass that grows in many parts of North America. Scientists used modeling to simulate various growing scenarios,
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Field-Grown Transgenic Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) with Altered Lignin Does Not Affect Soil Chemistry, Microbiology, and Carbon Storage Potential
by Jennifer M. DeBruyn, et al (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) Cell wall recalcitrance poses a major challenge on cellulosic biofuel production from feedstocks such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). As lignin is a known contributor of recalcitrance, transgenic switchgrass plants with altered
March 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Study Says CRP Mixes Don't Live up to Biofuel Potential
by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, associate crop science professor at
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Gene Improves Plant Growth and Conversion to Biofuels
(University of Georgia/Biomass Magazine) A research team led by the University of Georgia has discovered that manipulation of the same gene in poplar trees and switchgrass produced plants that grow better and are more efficiently converted to biofuels. Due to the composition
February 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Lignin Unchained, 3D Printable: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Engineered Lignin Bioplastics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The project goal? To produce and commercialize lignin-derived, industrial-grade composites with properties including 3D printability, rivaling current petroleum-derived alternatives. That’s the project undertaken by a team led by Amit K. Naskar, of the Carbon & Composites
February 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels Feedstock Study Supports Billion-Ton Estimate
(South Dakota State University/Biomass Magazine) Can farmers produce at least 1 billion tons of biomass per year that can be used as biofuels feedstock? That’s the question that researchers are trying to answer, according to North Central Regional Sun Grant Center Director
February 11, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study Shows Producers Where and How to Grow Cellulosic Biofuel Crops
(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences/Science Daily) A new report provides practical agronomic data for five cellulosic feedstocks, which could improve adoption and increase production across the country. -- ... "Early yield estimates were based on data from
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
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