(University of Illinois ACES/Biomass Magazine)  Researchers from the United States and China have proposed an idea that could improve China’s air quality, but they’re not atmospheric scientists. They’re agronomists.
“China’s poor air quality is caused by …

(Phys.Org/U.S. Department of Energy) …However, weather conditions could greatly affect crop yields. In this study, researchers examined the effect of weather on biofuel production by comparing switchgrass and corn stover harvested after a year of …

(Advantage News)  The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved implementation of a renewable energy demonstration project using grasses collected from mowing highway rights-of-way.
The work will implement the findings of a three-year study by a multidisciplinary …

by Scott Miller (Clemson University) Clemson University scientists have received a federal grant to evaluate the effectiveness of producing biofuels to mitigate climate change.
Quantifying the net impact that growing biomass feedstock for biofuel has on local temperature …

by Scott Goss (The News Journal/Delaware Online) … Researchers at the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation say they have discovered a highly efficient way to convert plant matter into a chemical used to make everything from car tires …

by Nico Savidge (University of Wisconsin-Madison)  A UW-Madison research center that has used the university’s largest-ever federal grant to develop ethanol technology over the past decade will shift its focus to other alternative fuels after …

(U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Rice is a staple food for over half of the world’s population and a model for studies of candidate bioenergy grasses such as sorghum, switchgrass, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) is a multi-institutional (18 partners), Department of Energy-funded research organization performing basic and applied science dedicated to improving yields of biofuels by focusing on the fundamental …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Introduced traits remain stable, improving biofuel production in a field setting.  —   …  Near-term fossil fuel alternatives could reduce carbon emissions and ensure U.S. energy security. One alternative uses switchgrass, …

by Silke Schmidt (University of Wisconsin-Madison News)   Technologies for converting non-edible biomass into chemicals and fuels traditionally made from petroleum exist aplenty. But when it comes to attracting commercial interest, these technologies compete financially with …

by Amy Duke (Pennsylvania State University) Strip mines are so common in rural Pennsylvania that many people are unfazed by the sight of rock-filled piles of dirt and tracts of barren land.
Marvin Hall, a researcher in Penn …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Former Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack put it best: “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing …

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine)  “Electrical” bacteria are the key ingredient in a new process developed by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that recycles wastewater from biofuel production to generate hydrogen. The …

(Phys.Org/University of Hong Kong)  Straw is commonly used for feeding animals, burning, baling, etc. As one of the “Three Canton Treasures”, straw can actually be used as a raw material to produce biofuel.
…
With an increasing …

(American Chemical Society/EurekAlert!)  Chicken is a favorite, inexpensive meat across the globe. But the bird’s popularity results in a lot of waste that can pollute soil and water. One strategy for dealing with poultry poop …

(Extension.org)  The Northeast region of the United States (from the Ohio River to the New England coast) has the natural, social, and technological resources needed to help create a sustainable, rural renaissance by using biomass …

by Christopher McFadden (Interesting Engineering)  Biofuels and biofuel crops have been vaunted by politicians, journalists and scientists for years. A method of producing fuel from plants or other sources could potentially allow us to decrease …

by Silke Schmidt (Phys.Org)  …  Genetically modifying switchgrass could boost crop yields and its commercial viability.
But to close in on realizing that potential requires one small tweak: a genetic sterility switch that prevents the modified grass from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  To demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels, here’s the basic recipe, according to a research …

Peter B. Woodbury, Senior Research Associate, Cornell University  —  Producing perennial bioenergy feedstocks like switchgrass can provide ecosystem service benefits in addition to bioenergy production. If paid for, such services could increase the financial return …

Speaker:  Dr. Lindsey Hoffman, Rutgers University Department of Plant Biology  —  Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season, perennial grass that is native to most of North America and has been identified as a viable alternative …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  To “Demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels,” that’s the ratuional behind a DOE project with …

(RISI)  Lignin could become a new profit center for the forest products industry – and perhaps for your business.  —  This study provides a primer and forecast for a material that has many current applications, …

Producing perennial bioenergy feedstocks like switchgrass can provide ecosystem service benefits in addition to bioenergy production. If paid for, such services could increase the financial return to growers and increase investments in bioenergy. This is …

(University of Missouri)  Switchgrass Can Improve Soil Quality on Eroded Farms, Study Finds  —  The loss of fertile topsoil from agricultural fields is an economic problem for modern farmers. When runoff water washes topsoil from …

by Mark Elless (U.S. Department of Energy)  Switchgrass, algae, forest trimmings, corn husks and corn stalks you can’t eat these crops, and you would never put them on your table for Thanksgiving; however, together they …

by Joan Koka (Argonne National Laboratory)  … The new analysis, published in The Royal Chemistry Society’s Energy & Environmental Science, incorporates the additional effect of changes in reflectivity, or “albedo.” Albedo effects sum up the amount …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Lignocellulosic sugars and lignin have become necessary intermediates for advancing research towards economically producing biofuels and bioproducts. Recently, the US Department of Energy issued a Request for Information: Cellulosic Sugar …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The results of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities Request for Information (RFI) are now available on the RFI responses web page. This …

(DTN/Progressive Farmer/KOOL)  Shell Oil Company has agreed to buy Abengoa Bioenergy’s cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas, for what could be a significantly discounted price of $26 million, according to court documents filed Wednesday in …

by  Gary C. Young (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Bio-Thermal Energy Inc.)  A new process for the economical conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels such as ethanol has been developed. The proprietary noncatalytic process combines CO2 with a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Amidst all the discussion this week of deal-making in cellulosic and sugar-based fuels — the likes of Tesoro-Virent and Lufthansa-Gevo — we were intrigued by this slide deck on a pathway …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  NIFA ‘s Bioeconomy-Bioenergy-Bioproduct portfolio facilitates the development of sustainable regional production systems for biofuels and bio-based products through research, product development and demonstration, extension, and education.
By creating non-carbon based fuels, power …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News)  …  The Argonne modeling shows that when grassland, cropland and pasture in the Midwest are converted to corn for biofuels, the level of carbon sequestration in the soil stays roughly …

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Abengoa Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Draws Wide Interest — … Mark Fisler, managing director of Los Angeles-based Ocean Park Advisers, the company hired by Abengoa to sell the biomass-based ethanol …

by David Suzuki (EcoWatch)  The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is occurring mainly at the power plant level. But what about transportation? Can we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to cleaner …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  “What color is your parachute?” went the title of a best-selling book from the 80s on job hunting. The concept applies equally to biomass feedstock in the 2010s. There’s one …

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 Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict which counties in Illinois could see increases in soil organic carbon from crops such as …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Genera Energy “leads the nation in the commercialization of integrated biomass supply chain solutions for the biofuels, biopower and biochemicals markets.”
Initially formed in 2008, Genera works with leading technology providers …

by Kathleen Phillips (AgriLife Today) The U.S. Department of Energy has granted $2.5 million for a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study to find ways to use biorefinery waste to make new, marketable products.
“In the biorefinery field, …

by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org)  To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of land and local climates for planting bioenergy crops, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Recycling waste from biofuel production could lower cost for future biorefineries. — Ionic liquids (ILs) have been shown to be an excellent pretreatment solvent for biomass; the ILs prepare the plant matter …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bioenergy Feedstock Library is a physical sample repository and database for physical, chemical and conversion performance characteristics of biomass feedstock.
The library provides tools to store, record, track, retrieve, and analyze data to help …

by Katie Fletcher (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Ontario Biomass Producers Cooperative Inc., a group of Ontario farmers producing and marketing biomass, recently launched an effort to make it easier for its members to sell the miscanthus …

(Michigan State University/AgProfessional.com)  … The study, conducted by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and Michigan State University, found that using nitrogen fertilizer on switchgrass crops sharply  increases the amount of nitrous oxide emitted. Switchgrass has …

by  Rosalie Marion Bliss (US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service)  …  Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have advanced a process to produce crude liquid fuel called “bio-oil” from agricultural waste. The bio-oil is …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  What’s up at the DOE’s ARPA-E unit — the Advanced Research Projects Agency? Technology to Market advisor Krishna Doraiswamy answered the question in this update, given at the Biomass R&D …

by Jessica Rose Spangler (Lancaster Farming)  Ethanol isn’t a new concept. Using corn to make it isn’t either. And Pennsylvania even has a plant to create it, Pennsylvania Grain Processing LLC in Clearfield, which is capable …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …  In all, respondents foresaw an $11.352 billion feedstock bioeconomy, at $57 per ton for advanced feedstocks — based on reaching that 200 million ton scale.
Let’s look at the responses, …

(NewBIO/Cooperative Extension System)  Technology patented by Renmatix enables the manufacture of industrial sugars from biomass on a scale that is commercially cost-effective.
Table of Contents

Introduction
From Biomass to Sugars
Benefits of Supercritical Water
Customers Rebuild Biorefiners based on Plantrose™ …

by Stephanie Searle, Chelsea Petrenko, Ella Baz, and Chris Malins  (International Council on Clean Transportation)  Describes case studies of energy cropping in Europe in the context of advanced biofuel and bioproducts sustainability. — European biofuel policy …

(Business Wire / Unitel Technologies)   –Unitel Technologies announced that Altex Technologies has selected Unitel to provide engineering services to design and build a pilot system that will produce 1 BPD of synthetic gasoline from biomass. …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest)  … Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan …

by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Salt-affected land is not useful for producing food crops, but biomass producers could take advantage of salt-tolerant perennial grasses to make use of that land. –In a greenhouse …

Join fellow switchgrass growers as we discuss the potential for a statewide group to provide support, information, and networking for growers and sellers of switchgrass.  This meeting brings us together to share ideas and discuss …

(RPA News)  Our top story this month is a blunt reminder of how deeply U.S. policy uncertainty cut down and yanked back the progress of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol over the past few years. The U.S. EPA’s …

by Holly Jessen and Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Although there are challenges facing the second generation ethanol industry, progress is being made — U.S. EPA data shows 2.18 million cellulosic ethanol D3 RINs (renewable identification …

by Marc Heller (E&E Publishing/ClimateWire)  … In California, once home to 66 biomass plants, about 30 remain in business, dashing the hopes of orchard growers looking for places to sell downed trees and branches.
“When oil is …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … If jatropha faltered, never mind, went the argument, we’ll always have switchgrass. Or giant miscanthus, or pongamia, or poplar, or camelina. The list could get really long. For example, try …

by Patricia McDaniels (University of Tennessee)  A small stand of poplar trees harvested from a University of Tennessee AgResearch Center is set to help scientists progress further down the path toward low-cost, high-quality biomass and …

(Phys.Org) … Today, scientists are exploring how grasses, and switchgrass in particular, can enrich the nation’s biofuel supply, which is currently dominated by corn, a crop relatively easy to convert to biofuel but also in demand …

by Dave Evensen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Research finds where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems  —  … Researchers at the University of Illinois used detailed models to examine impacts …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Italy, IEA Bioenergy and the Global Bioenergy Partnership have published the “Examples of Positive Bioenergy and Water Relationships,” which includes examples that illustrate an encouraging variety both in terms …

by David Roberts (VOX)  The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a new report that takes a high-level look at three key transportation fuels: gasoline, biofuels, and electricity.
It compares their greenhouse gas emissions, taking into …

(US Department of Energy)  Argonne National Laboratory released a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) that examines the potential effects of future biofuel production on freshwater resources in the …

by Rosalie Bliss (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service)   … U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have advanced a process to produce a crude liquid called “bio-oil” from agricultural waste. The team is headed …

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)  Researchers at the Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center are looking beyond the usual suspects in the search for microbes that can efficiently break down inedible plant matter for conversion to …

(Agri-View/Renewable Energy World)  The relationship between a prairie grass such as switchgrass and naturally occurring microbes may help shed light on growing hardier plants for livestock and humans. Understanding how microbes promote prairie grasses to …

by Nathan Collins (Pacific Standard)  Researchers combine ecological and economic models to examine the benefits of growing grass as fuel.  —  … Fortunately, corn isn’t the only source of ethanol—in particular, there are perennial grasses like …

(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)  Second-generation biofuel crops like the perennial grasses Miscanthus and switchgrass can efficiently meet emission reduction goals without significantly displacing cropland used for food production, according to a new study. Researchers …

by Mark E. Griffin (Wisconsin Energy Institute/University of Wisconsin)  A six-year Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study on the viability of different bioenergy feedstocks recently demonstrated that perennial cropping systems such as switchgrass, giant …

by Rob Nikolewski (Kansas Watchdog.org)  … “I think we have to see how this thing plays out. In the short run, of course, it’s a devastating blow,” said Neal Gillespie, Stevens County Economic Developmentdirector. “In the long …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model allows researchers and analysts to fully evaluate the energy and emission impacts of advanced vehicle technologies and new transportation …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  INL’s program aims to overcome key technical barriers facing the U.S. bioenergy industry by systematically researching, characterizing, modeling, demonstrating, and harnessing the physical and chemical characteristics of the nation’s diverse …

by WIlliam Tucker (Fuel Freedom Foundation)  … Cellulosic ethanol, capable of recycling crop wastes into fuel, may be here.  On the day before Halloween, the DuPont Chemical Company opened what it claimed to be the world’s …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Five bioenergy projects in two states were among the 258 businesses nationwide receiving a total of nearly $34 million from the USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant program. The …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  JBEI’s mission is to convert biomass to biofuels. The goal is to provide the nation with clean, renewable transportation fuels identical to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Inside JBEI’s Emeryville laboratories, …

by Emily Cassidy (Environmental Working Group)  Biofuels produced from switchgrass and post-harvest corn waste could significantly reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change, according to an analysis by EWG and University of California biofuels experts.
EWG’s …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  This fiscal year, three Supply Chain Sustainability Analysis (SCSA) reports were published through Argonne National Laboratory. The SCSAs use a life-cycle analysis approach to identify energy consumption or environmental issues that …

by Kristen Johnson and Alicia Moulton  (U.S. Department of Energy)  At the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, we’re actively working to develop the advanced biofuels industry in a way that leads to positive impacts and …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  For two decades, ICM has adapted with the changing times, bringing technology solutions to the ethanol industry.  —  In 1995, ICM Inc. got its start with the purchase of …

by Rajdeep Golecha (Biomass Magazine)  The amount of risk in supply variation a biorefinery is willing to accept will depend on its fundamental business strategy, and the amount of premium they are willing to pay …

(HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology)  Jeremy Schmutz, faculty investigator at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how switchgrass plants adapt to drought stress. Schmutz, who co-directs …

(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)  Switchgrass, a perennial native to the tallgrass prairie, is one of the most promising bioenergy crops in the United States, with potential to provide high-yield biomass on marginal soils unsuitable for …

(UT News)  A researcher at The University of Texas at Austin will receive two grants totaling $15 million to study a native prairie grass, including how it can become a sustainable source of bioenergy amid …

by Amy Harder (Wall Street Journal)  The promise of energy from sources like wood chips and switchgrass is still a long way off. — Nearly 10 years ago, then-President George W. Bush promised to fund research …

As part of the 2015 National Bioenergy Day activities, IBSS (The Southeast Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems) is partnering with other AFRI CAPS for a weeklong webinar-a-ton! The IBSS webinars will take place on …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Commercial-scale production and harvest of several annual and perennial biomass feedstocks is under way, paving the way for biofuels, biopower and biobased products. — … There are, however, a handful …

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? …

(Michigan State University)  Michigan State University has earned a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to better understand how biofuel crops acquire nitrogen, insights that could help maximize yields while minimizing fertilizer …

by Lisa W. Alexander, Ellen R. Haynes, Jason Burris, Samuel Jackson & C. Neal Stewart Jr (Biofuels)  Exploiting heterosis through hybrid breeding is essential to increase biomass yields of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). However, life cycle timespan …

(Southeast Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems)  The meeting presentations are now available for download on the IBSS website:
IBSS 2015 Annual Meeting Presentations
IBSS 2015 Annual Meeting Posters
READ MORE
 

(US Department of Agriculture)  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini announced that enrollment begins today for farmers and forest landowners seeking financial assistance for growing new sources of biomass …

(US Department of Energy)  The Energy Department today announced up to $9 million for the design of sustainable bioenergy systems that maintain or enhance the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of cellulosic bioenergy through the improvement …

by PJ Griekspoor  (Agri-View)  St. Joseph, Mo., pilot plant completes tests of making cellulosic ethanol that also yields value-added co-products — The prospects for profitable cellulosic ethanol just got a little brighter with the completion of two …

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine)  AGCO is well-equipped to aid the first U.S. cellulosic ethanol plants in devising efficient and effective feedstock supply chain models.  Name the crop, and AGCO has baled it. Extensive work …

by Phil McKenna (Green Biz)  The fate of the world’s oceans may rest inside a stainless steel tank not quite the size of a small beer keg. Inside, genetically modified bacteria turn corn syrup into a …

(US Department of Energy)  “Sustainability in Bioenergy: A Nation Connected” is a short documentary highlighting personal stories and the efforts being made by communities across the United States to develop, produce, and provide bioenergy, while …

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)  Another barrier to commercially viable biofuels from sources other than corn has fallen with the engineering of a microbe that improves isobutanol yields by a factor of 10.
The finding of the …

by Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Energy World)  A rapid-growing tree, many researchers think poplar is missing its calling as a high-quality cellulosic bioenergy feedstock. — As the world’s fastest growing temperate tree species, poplar can add a dozen …

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Newswise)  Biorefineries could benefit from a new process developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that produces hydrogen from plant sources such as switchgrass. The method converts biomass waste streams into hydrogen through …

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 Joanna Schroeder (Biofuels Journal)  Greenbelt Resources Corp. has developed a feedstock testing program so potential cellulosic ethanol producers can see if their enterprise will succeed at commercial scale by processing a certain feedstock.
Darren Eng, …

by Padma Nagappan (TakePart)  … Now researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory think they have a solution that allows farmers to profit from growing both food and advanced biofuels while benefitting …

by Payal Marathe (Argonne National Laboratory)  We ask a lot of the land: feed the world with crops, power the world with bioenergy, retain nutrients so they don’t pollute our water and air. To help …

(Michigan State University)  Converting large tracts of the Midwest’s marginal farming land to perennial biofuel crops carries with it some key unknowns, including how it could affect the balance of water between rainfall, evaporation and …

Speaker: Jim Dooley, PhD, P.E., Chief Technology Officer of Forest Concepts
High density bales of biomass enable lower-cost  transport, storage, and processing of feedstocks for advanced biofuels and bioenergy. Most agricultural balers are designed to make …

by Jesse Daystar, Carter Reeb, Ronalds Gonzalez, Richard Venditti, Stephen S. Kelley  (Science Direct) Highlights
•Cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of biofuels from five major feedstocks in the Southern U.S.
•Thermochemical conversion pathway studied for ethanol production
•Global warming impacts, eutrophication, acidification, …

(AZO CleanTech)  Using switchgrass to produce biofuel is one way to decrease the United States’ dependence on oil, but growing it and making it profitable can be complicated.
Switchgrass is an excellent candidate for biofuel production. …

(Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/ECNMag.com)  While biofuels have proven to be an effective, renewable, low-carbon alternative to gasoline and diesel, jet fuels pose unique challenges. These challenges have now been met with a new …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In the advanced bioeconomy, the question for some time has been “how do you fund it?” or “how do you make it?”. But now, feedstock is becoming the key variable, …

by Scott Miller (Clemson University)  A new public-private partnership led by Clemson University and a worldwide biomass and bioenergy producer will research the use of crops that can both open new markets for South Carolina …

by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This reports on part of a trip to Wisconsin to visit the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), University of Wisconsin (UW), a dairy farm that uses …

by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) I had heard about Pennsylvania State University’s bioenergy and biofuels educational initiatives from Advanced Biofuels USA’s Joanne Ivancic, just after starting to work on a project to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington state, a new study released in the journal Energy & Fuels is providing the first, fully integrated assessment of common feedstocks from the field to refinery-ready crude fuel, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Battelle-led group succeeds in US Department of Energy challenge — 1,000 hours of continuous biomass hydrotreating on a single catalyst charge.  The undefeated champ hits 1200 hours before being retired …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sweetwater Energy announced it has closed on a $10 million bridge loan. The loan closed as Sweetwater said that it is now opening its Series B investor round to begin construction …

by Scott Chabina (Fierce Energy)  The transformation of Gen 1.0 to 1.5 and the reality of Gen 2.0.  Advanced, commercially viable biofuel facilities no longer “unicorns on the horizon” … Conventional, or “Gen 1.0”, corn ethanol …

by Daehwan Chung, Minseok Cha, Adam M. Guss, and Janet Westpheling (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)  The ever-increasing demand for transportation fuels, the decrease in global petroleum reserves, and the negative impact of greenhouse …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amazing questions get asked at ABLC — and except for attendees, you generally don’t hear them, or the answers. Let’s change that.  With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen …

By Emily Conover (Science Magazine) Sixteen-year-old Sophia Sánchez-Maes is all about algae. The slimy green stuff is an attractive candidate for biofuel production, but Sánchez-Maes wondered why the biofuel startups near her hometown of Las Cruces, …

by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) If advanced biofuels are to replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuel on a gallon-for-gallon basis at competitive pricing, we’re going to need a new generation of fuel crops – …

(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 …

(Farm Futures)  Models predict that miscanthus will have higher fuel yield and profit when compared to corn stover and switchgrass
A recent study simulated a side-by-side comparison of the yields and costs of producing ethanol using …

by George Lurie (The Business Journal NOW)  … Lower oil prices, (Brian) Thome (president and CEO of Edeniq) said, translate into “lower prices for ethanol too. That means margins for ethanol producers will be squeezed” — a …

by Dan Morgan (Des Moines Register)  … President Barack Obama didn’t mention ethanol, biofuels, or agriculture in his State of the Union address, even as he boasted that the country was “number one in oil and …

Author, Dan Quadros, in Auburn, Alabama.

by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  After two days (February 2-3, 2015) in “Sweet Home Alabama” at Auburn University, we got overwhelmed with the most recent discoveries of …

(Bio-Process Innovation Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Bio-Process Innovation Inc. has announced the completion of the construction of its 1-ton pilot plant and successful operation of its low temperature steep delignification (LTSD) pretreatment process at its pilot …

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 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, a new UC Berkeley study shows that if biomass electricity production is combined with carbon capture and sequestration in the western United States, by 2050 power generators could …

by Wally Tyner (The Conversation/Purdue University)  … One challenge to commercializing biofuel made from non-food sources — called cellulosic biofuels — has been cost.
Unlike ethanol made from corn, cellulosic biofuels are made from the inedible parts …

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 …

(NEWBio) Five cooperative projects have been funded that advance NEWBio goals and fill in key knowledge gaps related to bioenergy crop expansion in the Northeast U.S:
Abandoned Ag. Lands in the Northeast U.S.:  A GIS-based Analysis …

by Greg Cunningham (Argonne National Laboratory)  A new version of an online tool created by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory will help biofuels developers gain a detailed understanding of water consumption of …

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 …

(U.S. Department of Energy/Breaking Energy)  America is the largest biofuels producer in the world — accounting for 48 percent of global output. To remain the global industry leader, the Energy Department is investing in projects …

(Hofstra University)  Javier A. Izquierdo, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology, has co-authored a research paper for the publication Biotechnology for Biofuels. The work reported in this paper is of high relevance to the field of microbial …

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 …

(State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)   Work focuses on making renewable feedstocks more affordable
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded up to $3 million to the SUNY College of Environmental …

by Sheela Tobben (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)  BP Plc (BP/) plans to close down its U.S. cellulosic operation by the end of next year’s first quarter, according to a person familiar with the development.
The business was part of …

(University of Illinois/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Farmers interested in bioenergy crops now have a resource to help them determine which kind of bioenergy crop would grow best in their regions and what kind of harvest to …

(US Department of Energy)  The Energy Department announced today up to $7 million for two projects aimed at developing and demonstrating ways to reduce the cost of delivering bioenergy feedstocks to biorefineries.  Examples of bioenergy …

(University of Illinois)  Farmers interested in bioenergy crops now have a resource to help them determine which kind of bioenergy crop would grow best in their regions and what kind of harvest to expect.
Researchers at …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  What a wonderful day, talking from dawn ‘til dusk about the past, present and future of biofuels with faculty and students excited about their work in this area.
It was …

by Emil Venere (Purdue News)  Researchers have demonstrated a new process to convert all biomass into liquid fuel, and the method could make possible mobile processing plants.  The researchers at Purdue University filed a patent application …

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, …

by Dawn McCarty and Justin Doom (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) Kior Inc., a maker of biofuels from crops such as switchgrass, wood chips and corn husks, filed for bankruptcy protection with a plan to sell its …

(USDA Agricultural Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The release of a new type of switchgrass specifically designed for bioenergy generation has been announced by USDA researchers and their partners. Agricultural Research Service scientists have spent decades working on …