by James Osborne (FuelFix) Now gas station owners say they, too, are losing out after the price of RINs – the credits which refineries must have to prove there is ethanol and other biofuels in the fuel supply — shot
Texas
Back TO HOMECreating Value from Landfill Gas
by Terry Mazanec (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... The US EPA estimates that 250 million tons of municipal solid wastes are sent to landfills each year. These materials have a wide range of chemicals in them, including aromatics, paraffins, oxygenates, and nitrogen-
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Gevo Heads out to Sea: A Clever Escape into Marine Biofuels, or a Watery Grave ahead?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Gevo says: We’re staking our near-term prospects on marine biofuels. Investors hear: We’re underwater. Gevo says: Timing delay in our isobutanol gallonage, took longer to get the fixes implemented, we’ll make up on the back side.
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
As Price of Biofuel Credits Spike, Refiners Suspect Market Manipulation
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Earlier this year Jack Lipinski, chief executive of the Sugar Land refiner CVR Energy, flew to Washington to plead his case to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His problem: the prices of credits required to
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
We Band of Brothers: Crisp, CRISPR, Crispin’s Day and the Democratization of Crop R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The nature of collaboration across the advanced bioeconomy is shifting dramatically – and we are seeing the democratization of R&D. ... The CRISPR revolution As Dan Watkins of DFJ’s Mercury Fund put it, “There’s a
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Mexican #Ethanol Producers Consider Sorghum as Feedstock
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) A contingency of ethanol producers from Mexico recently visited the U.S. to look at the option of sorghum as an ethanol feedstock as the country’s industry continues to grow following the announcement by Pemex, the country’s
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Valero Says RFS Compliance Costs Are Soaring; Renewable Industry Snaps Back “Poor Capacity Planning”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Reuters is reporting that “Valero Energy expects to get hit with a half-billion-dollar bill in the second half of the year” and the news agency attributed the costs to “the rising cost of
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Grants $2.5M for Biorefinery Waste Use, Renewable Bioproduct Study
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, we have a saying: You
July 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Algae Production, Efficient and Consistent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Global Algae Innovations
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations designs innovative technology to make algae production more efficient and consistent. This week, the DOE made a major award to a group led by GAI, including the University of California-San Diego, TSD Management Associates,
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $15 Million to Advance Algae-based Biofuels and Bioproducts
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $15 million for three projects aimed at reducing the production costs of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts through improvements in algal biomass yields. These projects will develop highly productive algal
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Magellan Midstream to Build $335M Marine Terminal in Houston Ship Channel
by Sibyl Layag (SNL) Magellan Midstream Partners LP said it plans to build a marine terminal for refined petroleum products along the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas. ... The project, supported by long-term contracts, would handle products such as various
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Convert Fermentation Waste to Advanced Ethanol: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Ebio’s Alcoli Process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s a major opportunity with thin stillage? Ebio says it can deliver “20% Increased Efficiency, 20% Advanced Ethanol, Payback in 5 months, based on any feedstock, and offering D5 Advanced biofuels” — all that with its Alcoli process,
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Advance Australia Air: Byogy Steps up in Australia in Drive for Low-Carbon Jet Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Australia comes the news that the country’s former Federal Resources and Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, is now the chairman of the advisory board for Byogy Renewables, the California-based alcohol-to-jet fuel pioneer that has been
July 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Green Plains Plans Ethanol Export Terminal as Expansion Continues
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Green Plains Inc said on Tuesday it plans to build and operate its first export-import fuels terminal in Beaumont, Texas, the latest in a string of expansion moves by the country's fourth-largest ethanol producer. The Omaha, Nebraska-based
June 15, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Honors CB&I with Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award
(CB&I/PR Newswire) CB&I (NYSE: CBI) today announced it has been awarded the 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its AlkyClean® process technology, a solid acid catalyst alkylation technology jointly developed by CB&I, Albermarle
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Homegrown: A Closer Look into the Life of America's Farmers and Ranchers
(U.S. House Committee on Agriculture) ... (T)he House Agriculture Committee debuted a new blog, Homegrown, to chronicle daily life of American farmers and ranchers from the perspective of producers. The gap between urban and rural Americans is growing, and many
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Methane Emissions Are Extremely Harmful, and the Government Might Not Know How Much There Is.
by Darryl Fears (The Washington Post) Now, after the growth of a natural gas production operation commonly known as fracking, the United States is producing more methane emissions than any country in the world. And in a complaint submitted to
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil Prices Are Rising. But All Those Jobs Aren't Coming Back.
by Lydia DePillis (Houston Chronicle) Rigs can run with fewer people now, so they won't need to be re-hired. -- ... A "full recovery" would do wonders for the economy of Houston and Texas as a whole. As my colleague Collin Eaton has
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Alaska Airlines Pioneers Use of Corn-Based Biofuel on Two Jet Flights
(Q13Fox.com) Alaska airlines made aviation history today, when it flew two planes partially fueled by “biofuel” made from fermented corn. The airline fueled up two jets at Sea-Tac Airport. One headed south, to San Francisco, the other east, to Washington, DC. “We aren’t
June 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Jet Fuel, Competitive Cost, at Scale: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to AltAir
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In March, United Airlines made history by becoming the first U.S. airline to begin use of commercial-scale volumes of sustainable aviation biofuel for regularly scheduled flights with the departure of United Flight 708 from Los Angeles International
May 20, 2016 Read Full Article
KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong-- Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels DIgest) ... Old KiOR was exciting, dramatic, and fast, and the headlines it produced between 2008 and 2011 were candy for a renewables-hungry world. A Breakthrough in Catalytic Pyrolysis to make cost-competitive, drop-in renewable fuels. A “Magic Catalyst”.
May 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Baseball, the Trade Deadline, and the Industrial Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Some teams are sellers. They reduce costs, go lean, and hunker down in a case of “wait’ll next year”. In industrial biotechnology, the calendar tells us it’s May but it might as well be July, because
May 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil Market Manipulation Is Alive and Well
by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/The Hill) Opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) claim that the free hand of an unrestricted marketplace will guide biofuels into our fuel supply, driving economic competition and giving consumers better
May 13, 2016 Read Full Article
This Mystery Was Solved: Scientists Say Chemicals from Fracking Wastewater Can Taint Fresh Water Nearby
by Darryl Fears (The Washington Post) But a study by the U.S. Geological Survey appears to have answered a critical question about the millions of gallons of chemical-laced water that are injected into the wells to fracture rocks and release trapped
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE-Funded Bioenergy Research Centers File 500th Invention Disclosure
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Three U.S. Department of Energy-funded research centers – the BioEnergy Science Center (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (University of Wisconsin–Madison and Michigan State University), and the Joint BioEnergy
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Rare Biodiesel Import to the U.S. from Australia Detected
(Genscape) On April 27, 2016, Genscape Vesseltracker detected a shipment of 4,200 tons (about 1.3 million gallons) of biodiesel from Australia arriving at the Texas Terminals Wharf in the Houston area. The Stolt Sun vessel carried the product that originated
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
The U.S. Oil and Gas Boom Is Having Global Atmospheric Consequences, Scientists Suggest
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) Scientists say they have made a startling discovery about the link between domestic oil and gas development and the world’s levels of atmospheric ethane — a carbon compound that can both damage air quality and contribute
April 28, 2016 Read Full Article
US Oil Drillers Seek Limits on Crude Imports
(Associated Press/FuelFix) Oil drilling companies and royalty owners from the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico’s stretch of the Permian Basin are embarking on a grass-roots campaign to limit foreign oil imports, salvaging what they say is a major sector of the
April 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Catalyst Ranks to Expand
By Michael McCoy (Chemical and Engineering News) Seeing more growth ahead, two small companies invest in new plants -- Growth in the biodiesel market is spurring two small companies to invest in U.S. production of sodium methylate, a catalyst used
April 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil and Gas Companies Stiff 29,000 Workers Out of $40 Million
by Alan Neuhauser (US News and World Report) America's fracking boom promised big paychecks, but thousands of workers were exploited, the Labor Department says. -- ... Despite booming industry profits and record oil and gas output – which together rejuvenated the
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Seismic Report Links Earthquakes to Fracking
by Adam Klasfeld (Courthouse News Service) Officially linking a controversial natural gas-drilling method to earthquakes for the first time, the U.S. Geological Survey released a groundbreaking report documenting links between fracking and skyrocketing seismic activity. Released on Monday, the agency's "2016
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Key Enzyme Discovered in Botryococcus braunii
(Algae Industry Magazine) An enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons has been discovered by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists studying the common green microalga Botryococcus braunii. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications, could enable scientists
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA Projects Seek to Accelerate Sustainable Energy Crop Development
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the DOE’s ARPA-E TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology,
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Science Teacher Plans First Coast-to-Coast Biofuel Flight
by Megan Elliott (Flying Magazine) First transcontinental flight using aviation biofuel in a certified light aircraft. -- High-school science teacher Ross McCurdy is planning the first transcontinental flight using aviation biofuel in a certified light aircraft. McCurdy will launch from North
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Murex LLC and White Energy Announce Ethanol Marketing Agreement
by Francesca Brindle (Energy Global) Murex LLC, a leading domestic US ethanol marketer and distributer, has announced further market growth with the execution of a multi-year ethanol marketing agreement with White Energy. The agreement calls for Murex LLC to market
March 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions Savings from Natural Gas Substitutions in Vehicles, Furnaces, and Power Plants
by Daniel S. Cohan and Shayak Sengupta (Inderscience Publishers/International Journal of Global Warming) We compare the net greenhouse gas emissions impact of substituting natural gas for other fossil fuels for five purposes: light-duty vehicles, transit buses, residential heating, electricity generation, and
March 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Houston Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Biodiesel Fraud Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) Philip Joseph Rivkin, aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga, was sentenced today in Houston, Texas, to 121 months in prison, three years of supervised release and to pay more than $87 million in restitution and was ordered to
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
New University of Texas Arlington Technology Removes CO2 from Atmosphere to Make Fuel
by Vittorio Hernandez (International Business Times) A one-step conversion process that turns carbon dioxide and water into useable liquid hydrocarbon fuels makes change of current fuel distribution system in vehicles unnecessary. The inexpensive and simple new sustainable fuels technology has the
March 02, 2016 Read Full Article
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Talks GMOs And Ethanol
by Robin Young (NPR's Here and Now) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is the only member of the cabinet who’s been there since President Obama took office. He heads a department that oversees a wide swath of government programs, including food safety
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
UW Scientists Team up with Big Oil to Develop Renewable Jet Fuel
by Thomas Content (Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) ... In one project among several around the nation, ExxonMobil is working with researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on technology to bring down the cost of renewable diesel and jet fuel. Researchers led
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
High Margin Alternatives to Petroleum: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Earth Energy Renewables
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Earth Energy Renewables is a company focused on commercializing bio-based chemicals and fuels. The company has demonstrated success in creating high-margin green alternatives to petroleum-based products. With a robust technology that can process any biodegradable
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Meeting the California Low Carbon Challenge
by Susanna Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Eighty-nine ethanol producers west of the Mississippi River prepare for the revised LCFS. ... After a couple of years in limbo due to challenges to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the California carbon credit
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
JP Energy Partners Announces Ethanol Unit Train Project and Pipeline System Interconnection Agreement for its North Little Rock Refined Products Terminal
(Digital Journal/ JP Energy Partners LP) JP Energy Partners LP (“JP Energy”) (NYSE:JPEP) today (February 15, 2016) announced that it has initiated the expansion of its existing rail facilities at its North Little Rock refined products terminal to allow for unit
February 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Will Renewable Biofuel Help "Redeem" Clean Energy Fuels?
(The Motley Fuel) ... Can the company's renewable natural gas, which it sells under the brand name Redeem, continue to drive growth even in the current environment? I think it can, but there's more to like than just Redeem. Let's talk
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Clean Energy Redeem: UPS in Texas
(Fleets & Fuels) Sales of the Renewable Natural Gas More than Doubled in 2015 -- Clean Energy Fuels said today that its sales of Redeem brand biomethane, aka renewable natural gas, more than doubled last year to 50 million gallons, from
February 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Affordable, Drop-In Hydrocarbons from Wood: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to CRI/GTI’s IH2 process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The IH2 process was developed by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) of Des Plaines, Illinois—a research, development, and training organization serving energy markets. GTI experts invented, tested, and patented IH2 technology and are providing ongoing commercialization support. Twelve
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
The Extreme 16: Strutting Microbial Terminators Pumping up the Pursuit of Sustainable Molecules
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take it to the Extreme, with these microscopic wonders that are changing the way we pursue sustainable fuels, renewable chemicals and biobased materials. -- These days, researchers are turning up life forms trapped under hundreds of
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Advances in Racing Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Gulf Racing Fuels becomes the Official Fuel of MSR Houston Race Track. MSR Houston is a private membership country club race track. Gevo, is supplying Gulf the bio-isobutanol produced at Gevo’s fermentation plant in Luverne, MN. MSR
February 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Cambridge Firm Turns Food Waste into Biofuel, with a Little Help from Some Flies
(Cambridge News) Entomics is turning food waste into biofuel and animal feed. -- ... Known as Entomos before a recent rebrand, Entomics has been co-founded by four Cambridge University graduates who met on the sustainability challenge organised by CUTEC, the university's
February 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Flint Hills Adding Ethanol Terminal in Texas
(Pipeline and Gas Journal) Flint Hills Resources (FHR) is going forward with a project to build its first ethanol terminal in Texas. Construction will begin this month and the terminal is expected to be operational by December. The new terminal will
January 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Export Markets for ‘Liquid Corn’
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Global trade for U.S. ethanol has been trending up in the past decade, becoming an important part of the industry’s growth strategy. -- Looking at the numbers, it doesn’t take long to conclude that
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Tesoro Makes Its Move on Renewable Biocrude
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Tesoro has unveiled its plan to foster the development of biocrude made from renewable biomass, which can be co-processed in its existing refineries, along with traditional crude oil. And the company has identified three
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
University of Georgia Scientists Using $5 Million Grant to Combat Invasive Weed Johnsongrass
by James Hataway (University of Georgia) A team of researchers led by faculty at the University of Georgia have received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find new ways of combating Johnsongrass, one of the most
January 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Algae Industry Magazine's 2015 International Readers’ Poll — Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
(Algae Industry Magazine) In any industry, a few incredible people make an enormous impact. The algae industry is fortunate to honor Algae Ambassadors that are great scientists and industry leaders. They are also superb educators for our next generation of
January 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Bacteria Attack Lignin with Enzymatic Tag Team
(Rice University/Science Daily) Research shows how nature handles lignin -- New research shows how bacterial enzymes team up to attack lignin. The findings could lead to more efficient processes for creating biofuels from wood, grass and agricultural waste, say scientists. The molecules
January 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Dirt Work Begins on Ringneck Energy as Project Details Finalized
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... “Most investors are from South Dakota by far,” he reported, but the project did attract investors from Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. “Generally, from areas where they understand the ethanol investment,” he
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
The Untold Upside of Low Oil Prices
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) Alternative energy companies typically prosper when oil prices are high, but it’s not all doom and gloom when the cost of crude nosedives. ... So what does all this mean for the wood pellet and other bioenergy
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
A Familiar Friend in Unfamiliar Times: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Sorghum
by Bill Rooney (Biofuels Digest/Texas A&M) Sorghum has been identified by the US Department of Energy as an energy crop of interest. Owing to its high biomass yield, drought tolerance, established production systems, carbon life cycle, genetic resources and potential for further improvement and available hybrids. Texas A&M”s
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Are We There Yet? A Biofuel Refinery Update
by Tom Ewing (Renewable Energy World) As oil prices plummet, are drop-in aviation biofuel refineries ever going to be built? --- In September 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE), along with the Departments of the Navy and Agriculture, announced a
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
“High Confidence Level” as Alcohol-to-Jet Fuel Closes in on Historic ASTM Approval
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As ASTM technical balloting is underway and as experts sift through and request revised submissions of technical data, insiders are pointing to an early 2016 approval for Gevo’s renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel. In Washington, CAAFI Executive Director
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Thoughtful Planning Is Essential To Meet The Renewable Fuel Standard
by Ghasideh Pourhashem (Forbes) ... Originally, along with energy security targets and diversifying U.S. fuel mix, the RFS was designed to lower the lifecycle GHG emissions and combustion-related smog from fossil fuel use. In recent years, as domestic energy production
December 16, 2015 Read Full Article
New Dual-Purpose Bioenergy, Forage Crop Set for Release
by Kay Ledbette (Texas A&M AgriLife) ... Russ Jessup, an AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, said he is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, seedless grapes and other sterile
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Biosensor Technology Will Visualize Movement of Phosphate from Soil Fungi to Plant Roots
(Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research/EurekAlert!) DOE-funded project will track movement of phosphate in real time -- Professor Maria Harrison has received part of a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to support the development of biosensors to
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Projects Receive DOE ARPA-E Grants
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced that the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has awarded $125 million to 41 energy technology projects, four of which involve bioenergy or biomass. ... Projects relevant to the bioenergy
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Pacific Ag’s National Wheat Straw Harvest Brings Quality, Sustainable and Cost Effective Bio-Material for New Markets
(Pacific Ag) For industries like mushroom composting to erosion technology as well as dairy and cattle feed, Pacific Ag is creating a supply chain for agricultural residue -- — Pacific Ag, the nation’s largest crop residue harvest company, has recently completed
November 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Preparing For Duonix Biodiesel Plant Start-Up
by Doug Kennedy (KWBE) A biodiesel plant at the northwest edge of Beatrice is getting ready for the start of operations, by planning to do some testing procedures, soon. ... Crews have been retrofitting the former Beatrice Biodiesel facility to use
November 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil Lobby Had Hand in House Lawmakers’ Anti-Ethanol Note to EPA
by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg) An odd-bedfellows group of lawmakers — led by an oil-industry ally from Texas and a progressive Vermonter — raised a familiar-sounding concern about ethanol in a letter this week to EPA chief Gina McCarthy. Their argument that the Environmental
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
DEINOVE Announces a New R&D Project in Animal Nutrition with Flint Hills Resources
(DEINOVE/BusinessWire) DEINOVE (Paris:ALDEI), a biotech company developing innovative processes for producing biofuels and bio-based chemicals by using Deinococcus bacteria as host strains, today announces an agreement with Flint Hills Resources to develop a process for producing ingredients for animal nutrition. Flint
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
New Dual-Purpose Bioenergy, Forage Crop Set for Release by AgriLife Research Next Year
by Kay Ledbetter (AgriLife Today) Dr. Russ Jessup, an AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, said he is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, seedless grapes and other sterile triploid crops.” Jessup
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
American Ethanol Front and Center at Texas Motor Speedway November 6-8, 2015
(National Corn Growers Association) For the third year in a row, Texas Corn Producers is teaming up with American Ethanol at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. On November 6 through 8, American Ethanol will be top of mind
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
What to Consider Before Making the Decision to Offer Biodiesel
by Jon Scharingson (Renewable Energy Group, Inc./Convenience Store Decisions) Whether or not to sell biodiesel can be a significant decision for a convenience store owner. Convenience store owners need to determine what will work best for their operation and how they
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Analysis Shows Greenhouse Gas Emissions Similar for Shale, Crude Oil
by Tona Kunz (Argonne National Laboratory) The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory this week released a pair of studies on the efficiency of shale oil production excavation. The reports show that shale oil production generates greenhouse gas emissions
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Priming the Pump for Higher Blends
by Ray Defenbaugh (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Prime the Pump/Growth Energy) Prime the pump, an effort to grow the ethanol market to accelerate the build-out of higher blend retail infrastructure, has had tremendous success, writes Ray Defenbaugh. -- The ethanol industry is
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Drought Stress in Plants
(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 the Genome Sequencing Center at
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Woody Biomass Converted to Gasoline by Five-Company Team
by Elliot Levine (US Department of Energy) A five-company team led by Haldor Topsoe, and funded in part by the Energy Department, produced 10,000 gallons of gasoline from woody biomass, which included trees and wood waste. -- The purpose of
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
SG Preston and IHI E&C Announce Strategic Agreement To Engineer and Construct A Portfolio Of Advanced Renewable Fuels Plants
(PR Newswire/IHI E&C) SG Preston, a Philadelphia-based bioenergy company, and IHI E&C, a Houston-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) subsidiary of IHI Corporation, today announced a ground-breaking agreement for a Multi-Facility Program that will include the development and construction of
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Receive $15 Million for Biofuel Crop Study
(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 global climate change. Tom Juenger, a
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
The Birth of SuperDuper Gasoline via Earth-Friendly Renewable Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Move over Super, here comes SuperDuper. All the high octane and performance, and the renewability too, at a price you can afford. Biofuels are adding options for drop-in, low-carbon, super-perfornance gasoline via isooctane and isooctene,
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Suspected Biodiesel Fraud Scheme on 3 Continents Puts Man before Portland Jury
by Bryan Denson (The Oregonian/Oregon Live) Jack Holden is either a big-dreaming businessman whose failure to cash in on the biodiesel wave separated investors from more than $1 million, or he's a skilled con man who used God and greed
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Levelland Helping to Transform Wastewater into Ethanol
by Wes Rapaport (Everything Lubbock) But, it's kind of a misnomer, because it does get treated. --- The City of Levelland has partnered with a company to transform wastewater into ethanol products. Diamond Ethanol uses treated water from the city
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Making Money from CO2
by Jeremy Plester (The Guardian) Imagine if waste carbon dioxide in the air could be turned into useful products such as fuels, building materials or even baking powder. At a stroke it would help get rid of a greenhouse gas, slow
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
The Key to Water Security Could Be Lurking in a New Mexico Sewage Farm
by Mark Harris (The Guardian) In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a pilot project is using heat-loving algae to clean wastewater and generate energy ... “Galdieria sulphuraria is one of the most interesting microorganisms on the planet,” says Peter Lammers, a professor
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Algenol on Mission to Change World
by Casey Logan (News-Press) ... (Algenol CEO Paul) Woods isn’t on the mission alone. Algenol employs more than 200 people in Lee County, he said, and the company has invested $260 million here. ... “This is the first week we will be able
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Invests $100M in Renewable Fuel Pumps: The Deep Dive into Who Got What, and How the Landscape Shifts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) USDA announces state finalists for the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership. Will it move the needle? The Digest investigates. In Washington, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 21 states will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Announces State Finalists for the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 21 states will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to add infrastructure needed to supply more renewable fuel to America's drivers. Since announcing the program in May
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
IH2 Technology Licensed for Demonstration Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Norwegian company to convert woody biomass into transportation fuels -- In Texas, SynSel Energi has entered into an IH2 process demonstration license agreement with CRI/Criterion Catalyst Company Ltd, a member of the CRI Catalyst group,
September 09, 2015 Read Full Article
The Key to Water Security Could Be Lurking in a New Mexico Sewage Farm
by Mark Harris (The Guardian) In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a pilot project is using heat-loving algae to clean wastewater and generate energy --- ... “Galdieria sulphuraria is one of the most interesting microorganisms on the planet,” says Peter Lammers, a
August 31, 2015 Read Full Article
Dean And Brenda Daniels To Prison For Biodiesel Fraud
(Southwest Florida Online) Dean Daniels, 52, Richard Smith, 57, Brenda Daniels, 45 and William Bradley, 58, all of Florida, pleaded guilty and were sentenced today in U.S. district court for charges related to a scheme involving the false production of
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Awards up to $4 Million to Develop Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts
(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced two additional projects selected to receive up to $4 million to develop next-generation biofuels that will help reduce the cost of producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels from biomass. These projects—in
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae Fuels, the Earth Room Problem, and Osmotic Shock Around the Clock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Earth Room Problem and how is osmotic shock helping us to solve it? You may have wondered to yourself — at some point between 2009’s Summer of Algae and now, in 2015’s Summer of Where
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Butamax, Gevo Settle, Will Work Together on Market Development
(Gevo/Butamax/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Gevo Inc. and Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, a joint venture between BP and DuPont, announced that they have entered into worldwide patent cross-license and settlement agreements, ending a patent dispute related to technologies for the production of
August 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Making Tires From a Desert Shrub Found in the U.S.
by Diane Cardwell (New York Times) For years, tire industry executives, as well as government officials and scientists, have sought a domestic source for natural rubber to escape the price fluctuations of imports and, more recently, to avoid petroleum, which
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture--ARPA-E Grants
TERRA projects seek to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. To accomplish this, the projects uniquely integrate agriculture, information technology, and engineering communities to design and apply new tools for
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Scientist Helps Texas Sorghum Growers Reduce Water Use
(USDA Agricultural Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine) USDA scientist is providing much needed guidance to sorghum farmers in the Texas High Plains who are trying to save water by using less-than-optimal amounts of it. Farmers in the area are turning to sorghum because
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Gevo Announces First Pump Sales of Isobutanol-Blended Gasoline at Express Lube Service Station in Texas
(GEVO) Sales Focused at Owners of Boats, Outdoor Equipment and Off-Road Vehicles -- Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), has announced that Express Lube of Fredericksburg, Texas, is the first U.S. service station to sell gasoline blended with Gevo's renewable isobutanol at the pump.
July 31, 2015 Read Full Article
UPS Makes Substantial Move To Renewable Fuels
(UPS/Globe Newswire) UPS® (NYSE:UPS) today announced agreements for up to 46 million gallons of renewable fuels over the next three years, constituting a 15-fold increase over prior contracts and making UPS one of the largest users of renewable diesel in
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
B100 Available at Root Fuel's Wallisville Road Station in Houston
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Six months after opening its Wallisville Road fuel station in Houston selling B20, Root Fuel is now offering B50 and B100 at the same location. “It’s a big, big day,” said Root Fuel CEO Justin
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Valero Expands into Ethanol Export Market for 1st Time
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Valero Energy Corp, one of the biggest U.S. oil refiners, is preparing to sell ethanol for export for the first time, the company said, betting on the $2 billion overseas market as U.S. demand remains plagued
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel: Guilty as Charged
by Paul Driessen (Town Hall) ... The tale of Philip Joseph Rivkin (aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga) reveals an equally disgusting aspect of the mandate, resulting from the absurdly complex Renewable Identification Number (RIN) system devised by EPA bureaucrats. As Ron Arnold explains
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Honors Winners of the 20th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards/Innovative Technologies Tackle Climate Change, Water, and Chemical Issues
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk and other environmental problems into business opportunities, spurring innovation and economic development. “From academia
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
What’s up with Algae Now?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 31 Algae players, what do they make now, and how are they making out? ... Here’s our company by company guide to 31 of the players on the scene — project developers and technology suppliers. ... AlgaEnergy AlgaEnergy is
July 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Methane Leaks Raise New Questions about Natural Gas Sites
by Rhiannon Meyers (Houston Chronicle) Some natural gas operations in the Barnett Shale leaked more methane than previously thought, underscoring the need for better and more frequent monitoring and repair of equipment, new studies by the Environmental Defense Fund have
July 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Integrating Source Apportionment Tracers into a Bottom-up Inventory of Methane Emissions in the Barnett Shale Hydraulic Fracturing Region
by Amy Townsend-Small, Josette E. Marrero, David R. Lyon, Isobel J. Simpson, Simone Meinardi, and Donald R. Blake (Environmental Science and Technology) A growing dependence on natural gas for energy may exacerbate emissions of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4). Identifying fingerprints
July 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Houston-Based Company Proposes Ethanol Plant at Port
by Steve Clark (Brownsville Herald) The grain elevator at the Port of Brownsville , though it’s a dominant feature of the landscape, has been out of service for a while. That might change with a recent vote by port commissioners to
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Fueling the Sorghum Ethanol Coproducts Engine
by Kelli Fulkerson (Ethanol Producer Magazine/National Sorghum Producers) Producers work to expand markets for sorghum distillers and oil. While exports are undeniably the hottest market for grain sorghum right now with China set to buy over 70 percent of the 2014-’15
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Danforth Plant Science Center Receives $8M for Big Data Research Program to Advance Development of Key Bioenergy Crop
(Danforth Plant Science Center) Understanding key phenotype-to-genotype associations will enhance efforts to bring products to market -- The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced today it was awarded an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy ARPA–E TERRA program.
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
NMMA Endorses Use of Gevo’s Isobutanol in Marine Fuel Market
(Gevo/Biomass Magazine) Gevo Inc. has received a key endorsement for the use of its renewable isobutanol by the marine industry, following support and recommendation for the use of isobutanol by the National Marine Manufacturers Association as an effective, less damaging,
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Awards $30M in High-Risk, High-Reward Moonshot Program to Transform Energy Crops
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Six projects land major multi-year awards for Project TERRA, Tramsportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture In Washington, ARPA-E announced awards totaling $30 million for projects seeking to accelerate the development of sustainable energy crops for the
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Fuel Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Clean Air Act Crimes Connected to Renewable Fuels Scheme
(Environmental Protection Agency) Philip J. Rivkin faces more than 10 years imprisonment and $51 million in restitution -- Philip Joseph Rivkin, a.k.a. Felipe Poitan Arriaga, 50, today pleaded guilty to a Clean Air Act false statement and mail fraud as part
June 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Virent, Coca-Cola Hit Key Production Milestone with the 100% Biobased Plant Bottle
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Production goes from pilot to demonstration scale as Coca-Cola “makes it happy,” showcasing its newest Plant Bottles at Expo Milan News has arrived from Europe that Coca-Cola is displaying 100% bio-based content Plant Bottles produced using
June 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Novvi Launches First-Ever 100 Percent Renewable Base Oils
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Portrait of a breakout: Amyris, Cosan JV launches “next generation of revolutionary oils” touting “unmatched value” and “unbeatable economics” ... Novvi’s 100 percent renewable PAO is a clean, direct replacement for conventional Group IV PAO base oils
June 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Alaska Airlines, Gevo to Demonstrate Renewable Alcohol-to-Jet Fuel in Upcoming Flight
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Alaska Airlines ups the ante in the search for sustainable, affordable jet fuels. In Colorado, Gevo and Alaska Airlines announced a strategic alliance to purchase Gevo’s renewable jet fuel and fly the first-ever commercial flight on
May 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae Cultivation, Help From LSC-Montgomery Biotechnology Lab Leads High School Student to Science Award
(The Paper) ... Today, the local growth of two commercially important algae strains, Nannochloropsis occulata and haematococcus pluvialis, is providing one local ninth grader, and the Lone Star College-Montgomery biotechnology lab that assisted him in its cultivation, a grand award,
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
South Carolina Tapped for New Pipeline, Tank Farm
by Tonya Maxwell (Greenville Online) Groundwork for a proposed underground pipeline is beginning in South Carolina, one that would carry fuel from Florida to a tank farm near Belton, where company officials expect to construct a new facility to handle
April 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Supercomputer Helps Identify Materials to Improve Fuel Production
(Newswise/Argonne National Laboratory) With access to supercomputing resources at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility, a research team from the University of Minnesota and Rice University has demonstrated a
April 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists Employ Algae as Biofuel, to Mop up Pollutants
By Chukwuma Muanya (The Guardian) Scientists have expanded the frontiers in the use of micro-organisms such as bacteria and algae for biofuel and in bioremediation with the utilization of wastewater algae. Scientists, in one of the first studies to examine the
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
New Studies Link Earthquakes With Oil, Gas Drilling
by Miguel Bustillo adn Dan Molinski (The Wall Street Journal) Scientists say practice of wastewater injection has caused seismic activity in Oklahoma, Texas, other parts of the U.S. New scientific findings released Tuesday linked earthquakes to the practice of injecting wastewater
April 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Engineers Develop New Yeast Strain to Enhance Biofuel and Biochemical Production
(University of Texas at Austin) Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have used a combination of metabolic engineering and directed evolution to develop a new, mutant yeast strain that could lead to
April 13, 2015 Read Full Article
UH Researchers Discover N-Type Polymer for Fast Organic Battery
by Jeannie Kever (University of Houston) New Material Opens the Door to Low-Cost, Environmentally Friendly Energy Use -- Researchers at the University of Houston have reported developing an efficient conductive electron-transporting polymer, a long-missing puzzle piece that will allow ultrafast battery applications. The discovery
April 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae from Wastewater Solves Two Problems: Biofuel and Clean-Up
(Science Daily/Rice University) In one of the first studies to examine the potential for using municipal wastewater as a feedstock for algae-based biofuels, scientists found they could grow high-value strains of oil-rich algae while simultaneously removing more than 90 percent of
April 03, 2015 Read Full Article
More Gevolution
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The results from Gevo’s 4th quarter are in, and a worth a look-see, not only for fans of isobutanol and its prospects. Also for a look at how this member of the 2010-12 IPO group of
April 03, 2015 Read Full Article
4 minutes with… Edward Huxel, Co-Owner, Osage Orange BioProducts Company
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Our company theme is to create a profitable company that raises Osage Orange (Maclura promifera)trees on the southern plains of Oklahoma and Texas, and process the tree fruit for nonfood biomass products for renewable energy,
March 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Look, up in the Sky! The Best of the Aviation Biofuels Slides from ABLC 2015
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Great Scott! New molecules, new feedstocks, new technologies, and reaching scale — the best of the best. At ABLC 2015, the focus on innovation included a complete program on aviaiton — and numerous producers elsewhere
March 30, 2015 Read Full Article
An Evolutionary Metabolic Engineering Approach for Enhancing Lipogenesis in Yarrowia lipolytica
by Leqian Liu, Anny Pan, Caitlin Spofford, Nijia Zhou, Hal S. Alper (Metabolic Engineering) Lipogenic organisms provide an ideal platform for biodiesel and oleochemical production. Through our previous rational metabolic engineering efforts, lipogenesis titers in Yarrowia lipolytica were significantly enhanced. However,
March 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Senator Cruz's Legislation Promotes Big Oil, Denies Consumer Choice
(Growth Energy) In response to S. 791, the American Energy Renaissance Act, legislation that was introduced last week by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), which would seek to further our addiction to fossil fuels and eliminate consumer choice by repealing the
March 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Maker Gevo Boosts Revenue; CEO See Profit within Reach
by Mark Harden (Denver Business Journal) Colorado biofuels company Gevo Inc. reports sharply higher revenue and narrower losses in both the fourth quarter and full-year 2014. And in an earnings call with analysts late Thursday, Gevo's CEO, Patrick Gruber, said the company
March 27, 2015 Read Full Article
What’s New, Different and Hot in Military and Aviation Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the world of aviation biofuels, the bands and the bunting are rolling out less frequently. But mostly, because the sector has moved out of a noise-filled early R&D phase and is heading towards deployment.
February 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Murphy USA to Offer E15 and E85 in Chicago and Houston Locations in 2015
(Murphy USA/Globe Newswire) Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE: MUSA), a leading marketer of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise, announced today an expansion program that will bring E15 to consumers in the suburbs of Chicago and Houston in 2015. After several
February 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Is Bureaucracy Holding Back Advanced Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Why must “the entire value chain of production from feedstock to finished product be conducted at a single location” asks Antoine Schellinger, VP of Strategy and Technology at Triten IAG. Should a regulatory burden for tracking
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
BP’s Exit from Cellulosic Ethanol: the Assets, the Auction, the Process, the Timing, the Skinny
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The complete details on BP’s exit and the considerable physical and intellectual assets available for acquisition, in part or in whole. As BP continues to reel from its oil leak capital calls and the impact
January 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Mississippi Files Fraud Lawsuit against Khosla over KiOR
by Jeff Amy (The Dispatch/Associated Press) The state of Mississippi has sued billionaire Vinod Khosla and others, saying they knew long ago that bankrupt biofuel firm KiOR had poor prospects for success, but misled the state into loaning the company
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Houston Fueling Station Prepares for B100, B50 Dispensing
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Construction is nearly complete at Root Fuel’s revamped Wallisville Road retail fueling location where Houston area truckers and diesel drivers will soon be able to fill up on B100 and B50. CEO Justin Heller told
January 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Minnesota Boasts Some Pretty Awesome E85 Prices
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A few weeks ago, a reader question sparked an interesting search for answers. That one comment has led to several stories and blogs at our website. In mid-December, a reader asked me why, as opposed
January 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Spotlight on Iowa
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine digs into the details of ethanol production in Iowa and how the industry got started. When Jerry Mohr, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association board of directors, talks to politicians, he
January 07, 2015 Read Full Article
The 41 Weirdest Things Ever Used to Make Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bunnies, liposuction fat, Prince Charles’ leftover wine, day-old whale, the human poo bus, fire ants dipped in hexane, old beer, raging fireballs, vibrating blobs, dope, and even the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Take your pick and,
December 31, 2014 Read Full Article
U.S. Navy Flies Supersonic With Gevo ATJ
(Gevo) Multiple Test Flights Conducted on F/A-18 "Hornet" Using a 50/50 ATJ Blend The U.S. Navy, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and Gevo, Inc. (Nasdaq:GEVO), the world's only commercial producer of renewable isobutanol, announced today the first successful "alcohol-to-jet" (ATJ) supersonic
December 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Early Slowdown Signs Emerge for U.S. Oil States after Crude Slide
by Tim Reid (Reuters) ... In Houston, Texas, the first oil industry layoffs have been announced, with realtors there predicting a sharp decline, up to 12 percent, in home sales next year. Alaska's 2015 fiscal year budget revenue forecast will have
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Small Number of Wells Responsible for Methane Emissions
by Max B. Baker (Star-Telegram) A small number of natural gas wells are responsible for the majority of the methane gas being released into the atmosphere during production, but at higher levels than previously estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
BP Said Planning to Close US Cellulosic Operation by End-1Q 2015
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 an effort to find ways
December 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Message to the Masses
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The biofuels mobile education center is a 45-foot long trailer filled with interactive touch screen computers, educational displays, movies and more, to educate visitors about ethanol and other biofuels. ... Curt Froyen, project manager, tells EPM: TRAILER
December 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Plant Expansions Fueled by Shale Gas Boom to Boost Greenhouse Gas, Toxic Air Emissions
by Talla Buford (The Center for Public Integrity) ... By 2018, the land (Stacey) Ryan and other holdouts have fought to keep will be consumed by an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and a multibillion-dollar gas-to-liquids facility, a massive addition to
December 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Solanbridge Group Announces Reseller Agreement With Vega Biofuels SLNX to Market Biochar in Canada, Jamaica, and South Central Asia
(Accesswire/Solanbridge Group) Solanbridge Group Inc (OTC: SLNX) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Reseller Agreement with Georgia-based Vega BioFuels, Inc (OTC: VGPR) where Solanbridge has the opportunity to market Vega's Biochar product to its clients worldwide. Vega's Biochar
December 08, 2014 Read Full Article
All I Need is the Air That I Breathed: Microbial Dairies Using CO2, Sunlight and Water
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take CO2, add water and an energy source: voila, Fuels & Chemicals from Microbial Dairies. We revisit 3 top practitioners of the art and one outlier, and their progress. ... There are a number of technologies based on
December 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Energy is Energy: Segregation of Renewable and Fossil Fuels Impedes Energy Security Goals
by Antoine Schellinger (South Texas Law Review/SSRN) Seven years after the passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the United States is entering the heart of renewable fuels legislation that was implemented as RFS2 by the EPA. The
December 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Shell: Expects to Be Producing Advanced Biofuels at Scale, in US, by End of Decade
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Shell VP Matthew Tipper, at ABLCNext: “We will likely begin manufacture in the southeast United States. We plan to be operational by late this decade. “We believe our best bet is woody biomass and energy
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Biotech Program Inspires Interest in Science at Splendora ISD
by Stephanie Buckner (Cleveland Advocate) Splendora High School is continuing to stress the importance of career and technical courses by bringing students in on a cutting edge program and innovation in science. The multifaceted Biotechnology Program, which was funded with help
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with…Robert Fanick, Manager, Southwest Research Institute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The staff blends field experience, engineering and chemistry expertise with design and fabrication capabilities to offer an interdisciplinary approach to fuel-related services. Our capabilities span the needs of companies at all stages of product development, from initial
November 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Building the New Energy Economy
by Justin Heller (Biodiesel Magazine) Akash Energy's retail division Root Fuel intends to change America's relationship with fuel. The company's objective is to utilize the existing, relatively low-cost cardlock infrastructure to create a new consumer fueling experience. The stark reality of the economic,
November 06, 2014 Read Full Article
National Ethanol Conference Scholarships Available
(National Ethanol Conference) Now in its sixth year, the NEC Scholarship Program, sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Foundation and the Renewable Fuels Association, seeks to attract students of higher learning who wish to pursue a career related to ethanol. By
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Missing Link Awarded Four Patents for Algae Biomass Technology
by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Missing Link Technology has been awarded patents for its deep water growth, harvesting, oils extraction, and biocrude extraction integrated suite of solutions. The patents focus on algae technology, particularly increasing algae growth rate