(University of Toronto/EurekAlert!) Researchers develop enhanced device to transform CO2 into valuable chemicals 10 times faster than previous versions -- Fuel cells turn chemicals into electricity. Now, a University of Toronto Engineering team has adapted technology from fuel cells to do
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Back TO HOMECircular Solution for Bioplastics, McDonald’s Fryer Oil to 3D Printing Resin, Human Hair to Fertilizer, Crab Shells and Seaweed to Yarn, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of February 6th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The infinity symbol…a figure 8 on its side, a lemniscate…no matter what you call it, it signifies the concept of limitlessness or eternity which is what the bioeconomy has been doing lately in its limitless innovations.
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Green Energy Researcher at U of L Wins Grant
by Matthew Keck (Louisville Cardinal) Joshua Spurgeon, a University of Louisville renewable energy researcher, won the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. Along with the award, he will receive a $500,000 grant from the NSF that will go towards research and
February 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Algal Systems: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Photosynthetic Production of Biodiesel by Cyanobacteria
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office’sBioenergy Technology Incubator 2 project is looking at how to directly produce ‘drop in’ ready biofuel (ethyl or methyl laurate) by cyanobacteria using CO2, water, and light as the
February 04, 2020 Read Full Article
LADWP Helps Launch New Organization to Focus on Green Hydrogen
(Green Hydrogen Coalition) Today (January 21, 2020) marks the official launch of the Green Hydrogen Coalition (GHC), an educational non-profit dedicated to facilitating policies and practices to advance green hydrogen production and use in all sectors where it will accelerate
February 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Sustainable Synthetic Carbon Based Fuels for Transport
(The Royal Society) The need to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from all human activities has never been clearer. One area requiring urgent action is the transition from the use of fossil fuels for transport. Whilst the decarbonisation of electricity
January 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats' Infrastructure Proposal Gets Green Tint
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) DON'T CALL IT INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK... But House Democratic leaders are expected to roll out their own infrastructure framework today with a particular focus on climate change. The framework comprises a mix of transportation and water
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
SUN-to-LIQUID - Renewable Transportation Fuels from Solar Energy
(SUN-to-LIQUID) The SUN-to-LIQUID project develops an alternative fuel technology that promises unlimited renewable transportation fuel supply from water, CO2 and concentrated sunlight. The project, which is funded by the EU and Switzerland, can have important implications for the transportation sectors, especially for
January 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Decoupled Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting System for Centralized Hydrogen Production
by Avigail Landman, Rawan Halabi, Paula Dias, Hen Dotan, Alex Mehlmann, Gennady E. Shter, Manar Halabi, Omayer Naseraldeen, Adélio Mendes, Gideon S. Grader and Avner Rothschild (Joule) H 2 collection from distributed cells presents a critical challenge for PEC water
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
From a By-Product of the Biodiesel Industry to Sustainable Production of a Valuable Chemical
(Tokyo Institute of Technology/Phys.Org) ... However, biodiesel synthesis produces excessive amounts of glycerol (C3H8O3); it is estimated than the biodiesel industry in Europe alone produces a surplus of 1.4 million tons of glycerol, which cannot be sold to other industries. If glycerol
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
South Korea Finalizes Energy Technology Development Plan for Next 10 Years
(Business Korea) South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced on Dec. 23 that it has finalized “The 4th Energy Technology Development Plan,” which presents its energy technology vision and R&D investment strategy for the next 10 years. ... The
January 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Converting Waste to Synthetic Crude Oil: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Licella’s Thermochemical Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella is transforming plastic and biomass waste into high value sustainable resources. Their Cat-HTR platform uses water at high temperature and pressure to transform wastes and residues to synthetic crude oil, chemically equivalent to fossil
January 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Finding Environmental Markets Carbon Credits, Water Quality Markets Rebuild for Farmers
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) When Ohio farmer Fred Yoder testified last month before the House Select Committee on Climate Change, the long-time no-till farmer and champion of climate-smart farming practices told lawmakers one of the best things that could
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Q&A: Building a Hydrogen Society with Panasonic
by Yoana Cholteeva (Power Technology) Hydrogen has been gaining popularity as an energy source with the potential to play a key role in building a clean, secure and affordable power future. Yoana Cholteeva sat down with Panasonic’s European CEO Junichi
December 28, 2019 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrogen Production in Germany
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up with green hydrogen in Germany? What’s the German Climate Change action plan for 2050, and the role of renewables and hydrogen in that mix? What’s the NIP in both its phases, the hydrogen refueling
December 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Sasol Willing to Consider Using ‘Green Hydrogen’ to Produce Lower-Carbon Fuels
by Terence Craemer (Craemer Media's Engineering News) South African energy and chemicals group Sasol, which is under increasing pressure to lower its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, has indicated a willingness to participate in demonstration projects aimed at deploying its Fischer-Tropsch assets in combination with
December 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Air Liquide, DLVA and ENGIE Are Entering into an Ambitious Partnership to Produce Green Hydrogen on an Industrial Scale
(Air Liquide) Air Liquide, the Durance, Luberon, Verdon urban area (DLVA) and ENGIE are signing a cooperation agreement to develop the “HyGreen Provence” project which aims at producing, storing and distributing green hydrogen. Initiated in 2017, “HyGreen Provence” will make it
December 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Water-Based Tech Converts Biomass into Food Ingredients – Renmatix and Cargill Sign Joint Development Agreement
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Functional food ingredients from unused plant materials is just what Renmatix and Cargill are aiming to explore with their new joint development agreement, but what makes this breaking news even more fascinating is that Renmatix
December 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Everfuel, Shell to Collaborate on a Large-Scale Hydrogen Plant in Denmark
(Bioenergy International) In Denmark, hydrogen infrastructure developer Everfuel Denmark A/S and A/S Dansk Shell – the Shell Refinery in Fredericia, and partners have entered into strategic cooperation on the future supply of the transport sector with green energy in the
December 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Sustainable Fuels for Logistics: Deutsche Post DHL Group Sees Mass Market Potential for Synthetic Fuels in Five to Ten Years
(Deutsche Post DHL Group) Over the next 10 to 20 years, sustainable fuels will play a critical role in efforts to reduce the impact of transport on the climate. This white paper offers an overview of the current discussion surrounding
December 06, 2019 Read Full Article
An Electron Highway Headed for Methanol
by Jim Shelton (Yale News) ... The discovery, published online Nov. 27 in the journal Nature, finds a novel solution for two chemical tasks: producing methanol — a volatile, liquid fuel that is prized by industry — and removing carbon
December 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Maine Eyed for Project that Converts Electricity to Storable Gas
by Tux Turkel (Press Herald) Wind and other renewables produce excess power that could be used in the state’s natural gas pipeline system. -- ... The transmission lines connecting Maine’s far-flung renewable generators to the regional electric grid sometimes are too
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
True Zero Emission Tech: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Nel Hydrogen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Nel ASA is a Norwegian company based in Oslo. Nel is a global company providing solutions for the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Nel is listed in the OBX Index of
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
VTT Solves Challenges of Making Emission-Free Mobile Hydrogen
(Hydrogen Digest) From Finland we have news that VTT has combined devices that produce hydrogen from water and electricity from hydrogen into a single movable system that produces hydrogen with an efficiency as high as 80–90%. The problem Weak efficiency has hindered the
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Work Begins on Adelaide Green Hydrogen Plant
by Andrew Spece (The Lead) Construction has begun on a pioneering hydrogen production facility in Adelaide, which will play a major role in South Australia’s bid to become a global leader in certified green hydrogen. The AU$11.4 million HyP SA facility
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
GA-EMS to Develop On-Demand Hydrogen Generation Tech for US Army
(Army Technology) General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has received a two-year contract from the US Army to develop a prototype high-pressure hydrogen generation system. The hydrogen generation system will be used by the army for refuelling hydrogen vehicles in the battlefield. The contract
November 13, 2019 Read Full Article
New Catalyst Efficiently Produces Hydrogen from Seawater
by Jeannie Kever (University of Houston) Holds Promise for Large-Scale Hydrogen Production, Desalination -- Seawater is one of the most abundant resources on earth, offering promise both as a source of hydrogen – desirable as a source of clean energy –
November 13, 2019 Read Full Article
A Trailblazer for Green Hydrogen: Expo 2020 Visitors Will Be Able to See the Middle East’s Frst Solar Hydrogen Plant.
by Christopher Findlay (Siemens) ... Seeking to place its energy system and its national economy on a more sustainable footing, the government of Dubai and its state utility DEWA have decided to push ahead with the integration of H2 technology
November 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Enapter Showcases Green Hydrogen and the Future of Energy Storage with a Demonstration at Nongnooch Tropical Garden in Chonburi
(Enapter) Nongnooch Tropical Botanical Garden, a scientific research center and attraction in Chonburi Province, Thailand, today announced it is displaying hydrogen as an energy storage solution in collaboration with the hydrogen electrolyser manufacturer Enapter. The 600-acre garden aims to demonstrate an
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
The Long Haul to Getting Aviation Biofuel off the Ground
by Angeli Mehta (Ethical Corporation) With the IPCC warning against growing crops for fuel, Angeli Mehta reports on how LanzaTech, SkyNRG and Velocys are trying to get the next generation of aviation biofuels to scale The first flight using a blend of
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Bangladeshi Scientists Plan to Turn Waste into Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Fuel
by Joyanta Saha (bdnews24.com) Bangladesh is exploring ways to transform over 227 million tonnes of annual waste into environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel in a bid to ease the government's waste management woes. ... The plan emerges when the Local Government Division and
November 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Top 5: A $75 Carbon Tax Will Help Meet 2°C
by Tammy Klein (FutureFuel Strategies) According to a new study by the IMF, carbon taxes are the most powerful and efficient tools to reduce energy use and shift to clean energy sources, but only if they are implemented in a fair
November 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Energy and Water Sustainability in the U.S. Biofuel Industry
by May Wu (Argonne National Laboratory) The progress of technology development for conventional and advanced biofuel production processes in the U.S. has been reviewed by several groups over the last two decades (Warner et al. 2017; Mueller and Kwik 2013;
November 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Artificial Leaf, Renewable Fabric, Hydrogen Truck, Edible Tray, Plant Bags, Mushroom Textiles: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of October 24th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week we lead with an artificial leaf, which kinda sorta goes with plant-based shopping bags — seems as if we’re going one way, then the other, as The Pretenders once sang. Also in the news
October 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Toshiba and PLN Sign Memorandum of Understanding on the Promotion of Autonomous Hydrogen Energy Supply System "H2One™" in Indonesia
(Toshiba) Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (hereinafter, “Toshiba ESS”) today announced that the company has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with state-owned electric company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (hereinafter, “PLN”), on an accelerated adoption of the independent hydrogen-based energy supply
October 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Paper Beer Bottles, 3D Printed Boats, Hydrogen-Powered Rescues; the New Mirai, Plastics from Potato, Hallowe’en Biobased Coffins, The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of October 18th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week there’s Hallowe’en around the corner and we’ll point to the very latest in biobased DIY coffins, but leading this week is the unexpected ways to make the ordinary stuff we know — like,
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Refuel as You Sail with Hydrogen
by Nick Savvides (American Shipper Freight Waves) ... Madadh (pronounced Maddy) MacLaine, CEO of Zero Emissions Maritime Technology, Ltd. believes that hydrogen’s time has come. MacLaine is also a founding member of the Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association, which was
October 08, 2019 Read Full Article
The Truth About Hydrogen
by Patrick Molloy and LeeAnn Baronett (Rocky Mountain Institute) ... There are four major sources for commercial production of hydrogen, three of which require fossil fuels: steam methane reformation (SMR), oxidation, and gasification. The fourth source is electrolysis, which separates water
October 08, 2019 Read Full Article
UBC Researchers Design Roadmap for Hydrogen Supply Network across B.C.
by Sachi Wickramasinghe (University of British Columbia) ... Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a hydrogen supply chain model that can enable the adoption of zero-emission, hydrogen-powered cars—transforming them from a novelty into everyday transportation in just 30
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
SoCalGas Project Uses Renewable Electricity for RNG Production
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Electrochaea have commissioned a new biomethanation reactor system, which uses renewable electricity to convert hydrogen into pipeline-quality methane for use in homes, businesses and transportation. The pilot project is located at
August 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Insane in the Membrane: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Whitefox’s Membranes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Whitefox uses membranes to carry out industrial water separation steps, including membranes for biofuels. Their first industrial installation was in Europe in 2002 for pharmaceutical grade ethanol, but installations now have expanded to industrial and
August 28, 2019 Read Full Article
SoCalGas and Electrochaea Announce Commissioning of New Biomethanation Reactor System Pilot Project
(Southern California Gas Co./PR Newswire) Innovative project with U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory converts renewable electricity into renewable methane for storage in existing natural gas pipelines -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Electrochaea today announced the commissioning of the nation's
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Promising New Solar-Powered Path to Hydrogen Fuel Production
(Lehigh News) A team at Lehigh is the first to use a single enzyme biomineralization process to create a solar-driven water splitting catalyst that produces hydrogen with the potential to be manufactured sustainably, cheaply and abundantly. -- Engineers at Lehigh University
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
New Energy Blue Buys Inbicon’s Low-Carbon Fuel Technology
(Oil and Gas 360/New Energy Blue) NewEnergyBlue acquired exclusive rights to Inbicon bio-conversion technology throughout the Americas and will first employ it to turn North Dakota wheat straw into a high-value, carbon-neutral automotive fuel. The technology license was purchased from Ørsted, a Danish
August 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Stanford Researchers Create Hydrogen Fuel from Seawater
by Erin I. Garcia de Jesus (Stanford University News Service) Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen presents an alternative to fossil fuels, but purified water is a precious resource. A Stanford-led team has now developed a way to harness seawater – Earth’s
August 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Solar Energy Becomes Biofuel without Solar Cells
(Uppsala University/Science Codex) Soon we will be able to replace fossil fuels with a carbon-neutral product created from solar energy, carbon dioxide and water. Researchers at Uppsala University have successfully produced microorganisms that can efficiently produce the alcohol butanol using carbon
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Negatonnes: Beyond the ZEV, the Negative Emission Vehicle and Its Amazing Hydrogen Fuel and Electric Drive
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s the technically tougher path, which is to split ethanol and make CO2 and hydrogen. The point source, high-grade CO2 has value. The bio-based hydrogen has even more value than the ethanol. Conceptually, the recipe is
July 23, 2019 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Renewable Energy's Global Trajectory and Can Hydrogen Close the Climate Emissions Gap? --- July 10, 2019
Please join SSF, and our co-hosts the Environmental and Energy Institute at George Washington University and the American Renewable Energy Institute in a 60-minute discussion of the renewable energy landscape and the rate of renewable deployment. We will also examine
July 05, 2019 Read Full Article
ABLC Wolves Devour 6 Technologies: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to The Wolfpack
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (W)e have the satisfying slides that will satiate your hunger for thoughts from renowned due diligence experts on the latest and hottest technologies. You won’t want to miss these slides, esp. if you missed
July 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Making Every Carbon Count: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj had a humble beginning as a supplier of ethanol plants, and today is a global company with a bouquet of sustainable solutions for bioenergy, high purity water, critical process equipment, breweries and industrial wastewater treatment. Dr.
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
SoCalGas Partners Develop RNG and Hydrogen Conversion Technology
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) ... Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), in collaboration with a number of partners, held a public exhibition of projects to help California achieve greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission reductions. The California utility held the event at the San
July 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Who’s Down with TCP: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Synpet Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synpet Technologiesuses Thermal Conversion Process (TCP), a patented non-combustion technology which breaks down all organic materials by using heat, pressure and water to produce renewable diesel oil and other valuable co-products from waste. So let’s get
June 28, 2019 Read Full Article
European Research Project Claims Breakthrough in Production of Renewable Jet Fuels from Sunlight
(GreenAir Online) A project funded by the EU and Switzerland claims to have made a breakthrough in producing renewable jet kerosene from sunlight, water and CO2. The SUN-to-LIQUID project follows on from an earlier project, SOLAR-JET, that developed the technology to
June 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Ag Leaders Shaping Global Climate Strategies... Who Would Have Thought?
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land takes great pride in supporting the North American Climate Smart Action Alliance (NACSAA) as it continues its important work in putting farmers, ranchers and foresters in a central position to develop the
June 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Argonne Releases Updated Computer Model to Help Bioenergy Developers Conserve Water
(Argonne National Laboratory) Critical updates to WATER tool help the bioenergy industry manage resources. -- The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory recently released an updated version of an online computer model meant to help bioenergy developers preserve critical resources. The model, called
June 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Food, Water, Energy: An Eternal Golden Braid of Value and Sustainability
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jonathan Trent, late of the OMEGA algae projects, has authored a column on the topic of “putting existing technologies into ecosystems, to increase food productivity and profitability, while conserving water and energy and decreasing environmental impact.”
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
MicroNiche Engineering: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Microvi
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Microvi has a vision of safe water, sustainable chemicals and a clean environment for all. How they do this is through their exclusive MicroNiche Engineering platform which combines material science and microbiology to provide novel, fit-for-process biocatalyst
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
BP, Nouryon, and Port of Rotterdam Explore Green Hydrogen via Water Electrolysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From the Netherlands arrives the news that BP, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), and the Port of Rotterdam have joined forces to explore the opportunity of making ‘green hydrogen’ via water electrolysis for BP’s refinery in
May 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Refuel as You Sail with Hydrogen
by Nick Savvides (Freight Waves) ... One company has gone a step further and is looking at developing the zero-fuel ship. That is a vessel that creates its own fuel as it moves. ... Madadh (pronounced Maddy) MacLaine, CEO of Zero
May 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Record Solar Hydrogen Production with Concentrated Sunlight
(EPFL) EPFL researchers have created a smart device capable of producing large amounts of clean hydrogen. By concentrating sunlight, their device uses a smaller amount of the rare, costly materials that are required to produce hydrogen, yet it still maintains a
May 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Solar Fuel Turns to Plants for Inspiration
(European Commission) An 'artificial leaf' being developed by EU-funded researchers to produce fuel from sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, could tackle soaring global energy demands, the growing impact of climate change, and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. -- Developing new sources of
April 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Putting CO₂ Emissions to Work: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Opus 12
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Opus 12 has developed a device that recycles CO₂ into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels. Their technology bolts onto any source of CO₂ emissions, and with only water and electricity as inputs, transforms that CO₂ into some
April 19, 2019 Read Full Article
A Laser Focus on Finding Better Ways to Make Renewable Fuels
by Whitney Clavin (California Institute of Technology/Phys.org) ... Researchers have for decades made strides in using sunlight to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, wherein the resulting hydrogen gas can be used as stored fuel. But the method is still
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Augean RNG Project to Convert 150,000 Gallons of Dairy Waste Per Day
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Brightmark Energy, a San Francisco-based owner and operator of waste and energy projects, recently launched a biogas project in Yakima County, Wash. The project is expected to convert 150,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from up
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
ReactWell Licenses ORNL Catalyst for Energy Conversion Applications
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) ReactWell, LLC, has licensed a novel waste-to-fuel technology from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to improve energy conversion methods for cleaner, more efficient oil and gas, chemical and bioenergy production. ReactWell will bring ORNL’s electrochemical
March 12, 2019 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Announces $11 Million for Fourth, Fifth OPEN+ Cohorts
Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $11 million in funding for 7 projects in the next two cohorts of the agency’s OPEN+ program: Energy-Water Technologies and Sensors for Bioenergy and
January 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Etihad Airways Flies the World’s First Flight Using Fuel Made in The UAE From Plants Grown in Saltwater by Khalifa University
(Etihad Airways/Aviation Pros) The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity established by Masdar Institute that is part of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, announced the world’s first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel on an Etihad Airways
January 17, 2019 Read Full Article
LT Group to Restart Asian Alcohol Operations
by Arra B. Francia (Business World) LT Group, Inc. (LTG) plans to revive the operations of its unit Asian Alcohol Corp., around eight years after the distillery temporarily halted its operations. In a statement issued Friday, tycoon Lucio Tan, Sr.’s conglomerate
December 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Brain Regeneration, Data Storage with Biocomputers, Plastic from Waste Gases, Bamboo Diapers, Gene-Edited Wheat, Jackets from Bison Fluff : The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of November 29th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 29th. ... #3 Munich researchers use algae to convert waste gas to carbon fiber In Germany, researchers
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Company Removing Nitrates from Water Using Algae
by Jon Vanderford (1011 Now) The algae found in a lab at the University of Nebraska's Beadle Center may hold the key to clean water. Research on algae first started several years ago with a goal of producing oil. "The initial impetus
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy: Decarbonise, Decentralise and Digitalise
Alan Brent (Victoria University of Wellington's School of Engineering and Computer Science) ... Where we haven’t reached consensus is what to do with heavy transport and aviation, which our economy (like any other) highly depends on. For KiwiRail to switch from electric
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Initiates CBE Project to Produce Bioethanol for CBD Extraction
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation/Globe Newswire) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) (Greenbelt) has announced commencing Phase 1 of the “California BioEthanol Project,” a three-phased initiative to convert Greenbelt’s Commercial Scale Testing Facility into a commercial-scale production biorefinery. Upon Phase 1 completion, the biorefinery will
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Graphene Takes a Step toward Renewable Fuel
(Linköping University/Phys.Org) Using the energy from the sun and graphene applied to the surface of cubic silicon carbide, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, are working to develop a method to convert water and carbon dioxide to the renewable energy of the
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Production of Renewable Gas from Waste Wood
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) KIT’s researchers succeeded in producing renewable methane from a biomass-based synthesis gas mixture in their pilot plant for honeycomb methanation. The quality of this synthetic natural gas (SNG) is comparable to that of fossil natural gas and
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Canadian University and Xebec Embark on Power-to-Renewable Gas Project
(Xebec/McGill University/NGV Journal) Xebec Adsorption Inc. will co-develop a prototype reactor to produce renewable natural gas using a power-to-gas (P2G) process with McGill University. This process combines electricity generated from renewable sources with CO2 generated from waste. The project is being
October 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Firm to Generate Power from Solid Waste in Patna
Faryal Rumi (Times of India) The empowered standing committee of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Thursday approved a proposal to hire a a Delhi-based firm to set up a solid waste management plant at Ramachak Bairiya on Patna-Gaya road. The company, AG
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Farmers in Guatemala Are Destroying Dams to Fight ‘Dirty’ Renewable Energy
by Simon Granovsky-Larsen (The Conversation) ... Ixpátz and four other rivers in the Champerico area had been re-routed from their natural courses and into large plantations. Joining forces with other small farmers, Santiago set out with pickaxes and sticks to break up
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
The Wonder from Down Under, Canada-Style: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Licella, Canfor
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella produces drop-in biofuels from a wide range of biomass and uses a supercritical water-based technology and catalysts to break up biomass and reform it into a drop-in fuel hydrocarbon. The compelling features of supercritical are several: 1.
September 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Hydrogen Fuel Breakthrough in Queensland Could Fire up Massive New Export Market
by Lexy Hamilton-Smith (ABC News) Two cars powered by hydrogen derived from ammonia will be tested in Brisbane today thanks to a Queensland breakthrough that CSIRO researchers say could turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower. ... For the past decade, researchers have
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
100% Carbon to Products: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to White Dog Labs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) US-based White Dog Labs have developed a new process that eliminates the production of CO2, a potent greenhouse gas, during fermentation and instead shifts the carbon to added ethanol production, boosting fermentation yields by around 50
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
New Membrane Technology May Aid Biofuel Production
(Argonne National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Named for the mythical god with two faces, Janus membranes –double-sided membranes that serve as gatekeepers between two substances—have emerged as a material with potential industrial uses. Creating two distinct "faces" on these delicate surfaces, however, is
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Osaka City University Develops CO2 Consuming Biofuel Cell Utilizing Microalgae Spirulina
(Japan for Sustainability) Osaka City University announced on April 25, 2018, that it succeeded in developing a new biofuel cell system with the functions of a solar cell and the ability of carbon dioxide conversion. Utilizing the photosynthesis function of spirulina,
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Inver Grove Heights Biofuel Plant Still on Track, but Hurdles Remain
by Erin Adler (Star Tribune) Garbage-to-ethanol plant in Inver Grove Heights still needs approvals. -- Plans to create the country’s first garbage-to-ethanol plant in Inver Grove Heights are progressing. Yet hurdles remain for Enerkem, the Canadian company that wants to build the
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 18th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In today’s Digest, wool without the sheep, fuels from water and C)2, bacteria-powered solar cells, spectral imagery in the sky, artificial intelligence in the crop field, sugar-based straws and more, ready for you now at The
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
5 Minutes With… Dhivya Puri, Senior Technical Lead at Fiberight.
by Dave Songer (Bio-Based World News) “The milestones and professional growth I've achieved in this role are above and beyond what I could have accomplished in academia within the same time frame.” Fiberight is a UK- and US-based small and medium-sized enterprise
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Heating up in Hawaii – Hot News from Sea to Shore
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... The VERGE conference was held in Honolulu last week gathering energy and transportation leaders to talk about lessons learned in clean energy and electricity that can be transferred to the transportation sector. Among the topics
June 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste to Wing Project First to Enable Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production in South Africa
(SKYnrg) Airlines are facing increasing pressure to become more sustainable, yet options to reduce carbon emissions in aviation are limited. Electric planes for example are not foreseen to have a significant share of passenger movements before 2040. Besides efficiency gains, through
May 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Sugarcane’s Toxic Waste Can Turn into a Boon for Farmers
by Paul Johnl (Times of India) Sugarcanemolasses-based distilleries in India are not only water guzzlers but purge a highly toxic residue— spent-wash or vinasse. This unusually viscous dark brown coloured pungent liquid after recovery of alcohol. If let out untreated, it can cause huge damage
May 08, 2018 Read Full Article
India’s Biofuels Horizons: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj Industries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Praj is an India-based process solutions specialist with continued leadership in ethanol & brewery space over many years — aiming to emerge as a significant water company within 5 years. The company is expanding its new
April 26, 2018 Read Full Article
NACSAA Advances Recommendations to Shape UNFCCC Agricultural Work Program
(25 x '25/North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Last November, we wrote here of a major breakthrough occurring at the global climate talks in Bonn, Germany, where, for the first time, delegates approved plans to establish an agricultural work program. What
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Mechanisms and Indicators for Assessing the Impact of Biofuel Feedstock Production on Ecosystem Services
(Stockholm Environment Institute) This paper synthesizes the current knowledge about the impact of biofuels on ecosystem services. Biofuel feedstock production can be a significant driver of landscape modification, ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. There is a growing body of literature that shows
February 23, 2018 Read Full Article
A Sit Down with Conrad Rautenbach from Green Fuel
(The Herald) Fuel prices shot up recently before Government intervened by reducing import duty on fuel to stem the price madness that rose as a result. Questions have been raised as to the contribution of the multi-million dollar investment by Green
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Affordable, Green Hydrogen — It Is Here, Near, or Nowhere in Sight (Again)?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News arrives from Israel’s Technion Institute that they have developed a stable catalyst that can split water at extravagantly low energy-levels – and haven’t ruled out being able to split water with energy levels obtainable from
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Got Feedstock? Have Greenbelt Resources Test For Feasibility
(PR Newswire/Greenbelt Resources) The beauty of bioethanol is that it can be created from an amazing number of feedstocks of which many are considered waste – especially "food wastes". Greenbelt Resources Corporation(OTC: GRCO) (Greenbelt) evaluates these feedstocks through its Feedstock Feasibility
November 02, 2017 Read Full Article
10 Disruptive Israeli Companies that Can Wean the World off Fossil Fuels
by Abigail Klein Leichman (Israel 21c) ... H2 Energy Now is building a prototype battery-free solution for storing and increasing the usability of alternative energy from intermittent sources – sun and wind – to meet times of peak demand reliably. Radio
October 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources Conducts Feedstock Testing For Central Coast Wine Services
(Business Insider/PR Newswire/Greenbelt Resources) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) has agreed to perform feedstock testing with Central Coast Wine Services (CCWS) to test various streams of wastes generated in the winemaking process. The wastes will be tested for potential use as
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Green Fuel's $1bn Expansion Project On Hold
by Martin Kadzere (AllAfrica/The Herald) Ethanol producer, Green Fuel has put on hold its $1 billion expansion programme as the current environment does not support the scale of investment, sources have said. The company, jointly owned by The Agricultural Development Authority
September 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Solar-to-Fuel System Recycles CO2 to Make Ethanol and Ethylene
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Solar-to-Fuel System Recycles CO2 to Make Ethanol and Ethylene -- Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and alcohols
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Water Management in Biomass Processing
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Managing the water in biomass processes like food production, fermentations, pyrolysis, and biodiesel production is critical to success. There is an increasing appreciation of the value of clean water. The value of water
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Indian Scientists Turn Sugar Industry Waste Into Next-Gen Battery Material
(Sugar News) Indian scientists have demonstrated that waste water from some of the dirtiest industrial processes can be turned into a carbon source for preparation of energy storage materials. Researchers led by scientists from Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Research
August 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Tiny Element, Big Impact: Hydrogen Power, Amplified
(Energy Today/Carnegie Mellon University) How do you efficiently isolate hydrogen, unlocking its full potential as a primary, mainstream source of energy? -- The universe consists of a number of elements, the most abundant of which is hydrogen – making up
July 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources Greenlighted for Indonesian "Ecolabel" Status for Technology that Helps Address $940 Billion Food Loss Problem
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation/PR Newswire) The Indonesian government's Technical Committee on Verification of Environmentally Friendly Technology has officially recommended that Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) be awarded "Eco Friendly Technology" registration for its proprietary waste-to-energy systems process "ECOsystem" technology. When awarded, the registration
July 20, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Researchers Find Better Way to Split Hydrogen from Water
(CleanTech Canada) In a discovery that could help jump-start the hydrogen economy, a team of physicists at the University of Houston have found a catalyst that can divide water using low-cost materials -- Hydrogen gas may be an entirely clean-burning
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
US VP Pence Celebrates Greenbelt Resources and Jababeka Infrastruktur Waste-to-Resources Project MOU Signing
(Greenbelt Resources/PR Newswire) JababECO is the first U.S.-Indonesia municipal waste-to-bioproducts project -- United States Vice President Mike Pence participated in a ceremony celebrating the signing of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in Jakarta today, including between Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC:
April 21, 2017 Read Full Article
The Wonder from Down Under Goes to Canada: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Licella
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella produces drop-in biofuels from a wide range of biomass and uses a supercritical water-based technology and catalysts to break up biomass and reform it into a drop-in fuel hydrocarbon. The compelling features of supercritical are
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources Announces "PRECO": "Paso Robles ECOsystem" Transforms Waste to Bioproducts
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation/PR NewsWire) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO), an innovator of sustainable energy production systems, announced today the Paso Robles ECOsystem, known as PRECO, a waste-to-energy interconnected system (ecosystem) designed to produce half a million gallons of bioethanol from
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Water: Lifeblood of the Process
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Successful water reduction and recycling require close attention to treatments and system impacts in ethanol production. -- ... As the industry has improved its efficiency and recycling, water use has dropped by more
January 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Tossed Aside in the 'White Gold' Rush: Indigenous People Are Left Poor as Tech World Takes Lithium from under Their Feet
Story by Todd C. Frankel and Peter Whoriskey; Photos and videos by Michael Robinson Chavez; Video editing by Jorge Ribas (The Washington Post) In the thin air of the salt flats here, nearly 13,000 feet above sea level, the indigenous Atacamas people
December 19, 2016 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Announces $70 Million in Funding for New Programs to Power Transportation and Store Carbon in Soil
(U.S. Department of Energy) Selection of 26 projects across two programs will make transportation cleaner and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions -- The Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) today announced up to $70 million in funding for its two
December 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Popeye Was Right: There’s Super Energy in that Spinach
by Theo Kumah (Biofuels Digest) Researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology came up with what could pose as one of the most interesting discoveries from plants. The researchers came up with a bio-photo-electro-chemical (BPEC) cell that can produce hydrogen,
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
The High-Flown Fantasy of Aviation Biofuels
by Almuth Ernsting (Biofuelwatch/The Biomass Monitor) ... As far as Branson and his airline, Virgin Atlantic, were concerned, the flight was indeed no more than a stunt: The “biofuel test flight” burned 95% ordinary kerosene and just 5% biofuels, made from
September 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Technology Quarterly: The Future of Agriculture
by Geoffrey Carr (The Economist) If agriculture is to continue to feed the world, it needs to become more like manufacturing, says Geoffrey Carr. Fortunately, that is already beginning to happen -- Tom Rogers is an almond farmer in Madera County,
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
The Wonder from Down Under: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Licella
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella produces drop-in biofuels from a wide range of biomass and uses a supercritical water-based technology and catalysts to break up biomass and reform it into a drop-in fuel hydrocarbon. The compelling features of supercritical are
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
System of Systems : The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to the Nexus of Food, Water & Energy Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up at the nexus of food, water and energy systems — what technology is critical, what’s being modeled and why? CBET Division Director JoAnn Slama Lighty answered the question in this update, given at
May 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Manufacturer to Invest US$95 Million in Jamaican Plant by 2017
(South Florida Caribbean News) As renewable energy demands increase globally, biofuel developer Benchmark Renewable Energy LLC has officially announced plans to develop a large scale bio-ethanol operation in Jamaica. The company has confirmed that the project will include the development of
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Best for Biofuels
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 on water quantity and quality
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
IEA and GBEP Launch Bioenergy and Water Paper
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 of bioenergy systems and geographical
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Short on Sustainable Hydrogen? Here Comes New Water-Splitting Tech to Save the Day
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You may not know it, but you are short on hydrogen. Right now. We live in a hydrogen-starved world, and it’s expensive to make. And most of what we make is unsustainable, produced from fossil sources.
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Indiana University Scientists Create 'Nano-Reactor' for the Production of Hydrogen Biofuel
(Indiana University Bloomington) Combining bacterial genes and virus shell creates a highly efficient, renewable material used in generating power from water -- Scientists at Indiana University have created a highly efficient biomaterial that catalyzes the formation of hydrogen -- one
January 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Any Alcohol into Jet Fuel: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Byogy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
What About Willow? Willows Could Be Next Big Thing for Conservation, Biofuel Feedstock
by Claire Vath (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) ... "We had something like 200 trespass cows from a nearby land lease," Willow says. So, they constructed a fence. And while it kept animals out, the damage had already been wrought. "Those cows destroyed
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
University of Illinois Awarded Grant to Support Sorghum Research
(University of Illinois/Biomass Magazine) The University of Illinois has been awarded a 3-year, $5 million grant from the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy as part of its OPEN 2015 funding initiative (ARPA-E OPEN). Under Principal Investigator Andrew Leakey, Associate Professor of
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources Announces: POM Wonderful Extends Feedstock Testing Contract
(Greenbelt Resources/Business Wire) POM Wonderful®, the largest grower and producer of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the United States, has extended its feedstock testing contract with Greenbelt Resources Corporation(OTC: GRCO), an award winning provider of sustainable energy production systems.
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
A Time to Take Stock: Advanced Biofuels as a Solution
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) A time for taking stock and giving thanks; for appreciating the value of creating a truly sustainable renewable energy future. A recent press release, Vapor Capture System Fabricated by Greenbelt Resources Exceeds Performance Expectations, caught my
November 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Three Sustainability Tools Are Enhancing Environmental Benefits of Biofuels
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 that demonstrates responsible stewardship of
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
China Looks to Algenol’s Carbon Mitigation Technology to Reduce Rising Global CO2 Levels and Help Combat Climate Change
(Algenol) U.S.-based Algenol will partner with South China’s Fujian Zhongyuan New Energy Company, Ltd. (ZYNE) to develop projects throughout Southern China, utilizing carbon emissions to create renewable fuels. The goal is to provide solutions for China’s three biggest challenges: access
September 23, 2015 Read Full Article
OriginClear to Acquire Progressive Water Treatment
(Algae Industry Magazine) OriginClear Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of Dallas-based Progressive Water Treatment Inc., (PWT) a profitable and fast-growing designer, builder and service provider for a wide range of industrial water treatment applications. ... This
August 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Do Biofuels Massively Worsen Water Stress?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Does bioenergy place such massive pressure on water resources that it zeroes out the climate change benefits? Tweets around a recent article from PNAS say “yes, that’s so!” But is it really so? The dire headline tweeted by Carbon
August 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy 2015 Posts Presentations
(Department of Energy) ... We know many of you are interested in some of the presentations from our great lineup of speakers. We have posted select presentations from the conference to our Bioenergy 2015 presentations website. They include: Breakout Session 1-C: Bringing Biorefineries
July 31, 2015 Read Full Article
Key Excerpts Related to Fossil Fuels from Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The following are key excerpts from Pope Francis' Encyclical, “Laudato Si,” or “Praised Be,” in which he calls for renewable fuel use, energy efficiency, transition from harmful, smoky cooking fuels that foster deforestation, and other
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium Awards Contract to Construct Innovative Agriculture and Energy Pilot Project at Masdar City
(Masdar Institute) Research puts UAE at forefront of global movement to create sustainable, alternative fuels that do not compete with food production Based on ground-breaking research at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) today
January 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Argonne Model Analyzes Water Footprint of Biofuels
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 various types of feedstocks, aiding
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes With…Seth Snyder, Water Initiative Leader, Argonne National Laboratory
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... After a decade as the bioenergy technology leader, I just created a new role building a new initiative in water. Water is a critical barrier to sustainable energy in general, and bioenergy in specific. I
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Changing Water into Wine: Er, Will Jet Fuel Do?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrocarbon fuel from seawater and nothing else? Is it possible? Not only possible, but demonstrated as a process, and tested in a model plane. How does it rate on the Hooey scale? The Digest investigates. In
April 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Is Asset to State, Nation
by Bill Jones (Fresno Bee/Pacific Ethanol) The Bee published a commentary on Feb. 14 by Tom Tanton titled "Making Ethanol is Wasting California's Water." The premise of the opinion piece was that the nation's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that sets
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Research: Fracking Uses and Loses More Water than Previously Believed
by Matthew McFeeley (The Energy Collective) Fracking’s water footprint is higher than previously thought, according to a new report that combined data from many sources to provide one of the most comprehensive looks at how water is used by the oil and
November 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Canola Could Be New Biofuel Crop for Central Great Plains
(Ag Professional/USDA Agricultural Research Service) Farmers in the semiarid central Great Plains have traditionally used a two-year, no-till, dryland, winter wheat/fallow cropping system, which stretches scarce soil water supplies and minimizes crop failure from water stress. Now they are interested
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Tulare County Farmers Hear about Raising Sorghum for Biofuel
by David Castellon (Visalia Times Delta) When the subject of biofuel comes up, chances are you’ll think of corn converted to ethanol. But on Wednesday, representatives from a Chicago-based seed manufacturer tried to change that way of thinking by inviting Valley farmers
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Association Disputes Study on Climate Change Impacts on Corn Production
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association has spoken out to criticize a study published by Rice University and the University of California-Davis that claims climate change will increase irrigation costs for corn while reducing yields. In
June 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Going Green: Nation Equipped to Grow Serious Amounts of Pond Scum for Fuel
by Tom Rickey (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) A new analysis shows that the nation's land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a year in the
May 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office Comments on Air Force Strategic Studies Quarterly Article: Energy Insecurity, The False Promise of Liquid Biofuels
(US Department of Energy/Department of Defense) General Comments Although the author has done an extensive literature reading in the biofuels area, the paper does not have any analysis of critical issues of energy systems including petroleum systems and biofuel systems. Instead,
March 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Water Demand for Energy to Double by 2035
by Marianne Lavelle and Thomas K. Grose (National Geographic) The amount of fresh water consumed for world energy production is on track to double within the next 25 years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects. And even though fracking—high-pressure hydraulic fracturing of
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plants Turning toward Grain Sorghum
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Star Journal) ...On a much brighter note, the managers of ethanol plants in Trenton and Ravenna are pushing hard to make a crop also known as milo the main ingredient in their renewable fuels recipes. ...Drought hardiness
March 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Sustainability Trends to Watch for in 2013
by Pat Lorentz (Shelton Group) It’s a new year! So after you’ve headed to the gym, put down your smokes, taken up a new hobby and willed yourself to stick to your resolutions for a few days, take a look
January 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Driving Algae Sustainability
by Mary Rosenthal (Biomass Magazine) Just a few weeks ago, the National Research Council released its report on the sustainability of biofuels derived from algae, affirming the potential of our industry to meet global fuel challenges in a sustainable manner. The
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Cars Fueled by Air?
by Bailey (Planet Forward) It’s not magic, it’s chemistry! That’s what the chief executive of Air-Fuel Synthesis says about their fuel that’s made, literally, out of thin air! The company says they’ve developed technology that creates environmentally-friendly fuel for cars from
December 23, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Releases Update on Ongoing Hydraulic Fracturing Study
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today provided an update on its ongoing national study currently underway to better understand any potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Results of the study, which Congress requested EPA to complete,
December 21, 2012 Read Full Article
California-Grown Sorghum Used in Ethanol Production
(Chromatin/BusinessWire) Chromatin’s Sorghum Seed Recognized for Water Use Efficiency and Versatility Chromatin, Inc., a privately held provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, announced it has generated the first crop of sorghum that has been grown and
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Large-Scale Production of Biofuels Made from Algae Poses Sustainability Concerns
(Science Daily) Scaling up the production of biofuels made from algae to meet at least 5 percent -- approximately 39 billion liters -- of U.S. transportation fuel needs would place unsustainable demands on energy, water, and nutrients, says a new
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Finding the Right Biofuels for the Southeast: A Range of Alternatives
(US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) ...Of the five regions, the Southeast has the greatest natural capacity in the continental United States, with sufficient sunshine, soils, water, and other natural resources to produce more than 10 billion gallons of