by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, CRI/Criterion Catalyst Company has awarded an FEL-2 license agreement for the IH2 technology which converts biomass to liquid transportation fuels, to Biozin Holding. The Front End Loading (FEL-2) package will be completed for the core IH2 technology
woody biomass
Back TO HOMEResearch Is Making Plant Waste a Viable Option in Ethanol Production
by J.D. Warren (UCR Today) Relatively cheap "biomass" has been a poor option due to its production cost -- UC Riverside researchers have developed a streamlined process that could finally make the ethanol production cost from abundant “second generation” plant wastes competitive
November 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Tests in Milwaukee Zoo Locomotives a Success
(Coalition for Sustainable Rail/Biomass Magazine) Two steam locomotives at the Milwaukee County Zoo were fueled with a renewable wood-based solid fuel last week to reduce fossil coal emissions, and the test runs were a success. The Coalition for Sustainable Rail and the
November 15, 2017 Read Full Article
30 Hot Cellulosic Technologies, 30 Quick Takes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, DowDuPont said it was exiting the cellulosic biofuels business and you’d think that the company just burned down the warehouse with the original text of the Renewable Fuels Standard — the coverage of the
November 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Fuels and Much More: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We Really Do Mean “Drop-in”. Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
No Crop Left Behind: Inside the USDA’s Bioeconomy Feedstock Strategy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... You’d be forgiven if you mistook Ahb Subi Banr-Sbar for a well-placed official in the Iranian government — but, in fact, it’s a 9-project network to facilitate the development of regionally-based industries producing advanced biofuels, industrial
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Drop-In Fuels at Scale: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn uses its patented and proprietary RTP fast thermal technology to convert wood residues and other non-food, cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels. Ensyn has had continuous commercial operations for more than 25 years. Its technology has
November 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Making Bio-Based Aviation Fuel from Lignocellulosic Biomass
(Biofuels International) US scientists have developed a new technique to accelerate the production of renewable jet fuel from corn cobs and wood chips. ... Alternative jet fuels are increasingly seen as a means to reduce the environmental impact of jet fuel, and scientists from
November 02, 2017 Read Full Article
One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure: Enabling Europe’s Bioeconomy
by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) From October 10th -11th the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy (EFIB) celebrated 10 years in Brussels, Belgium, as it plays a crucial role in providing a central meeting place for policy
November 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Affordable, Drop-In Hydrocarbons from Wood: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-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 US
November 01, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Won’t Back Down From Ethanol Requirements. What Do Automakers Say?
by Ken Silverstein (Environmental Leader) ... Some automakers like Toyota and Lexus have warned drivers that if they fill up with E85 that their warranties may not cover engine damage, a Fox story had said. To be clear, there are two generations of ethanol: the
October 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Positive Results from Flagship Biorefinery Feasibility Study
by Processum (Canadian Biomass Magazine) The project Flagship Biorefinery has been carried out in order to investigate the prerequisites to realize a new, full scale biorefinery based on sustainable wood raw material from Swedish forests. The biorefinery would produce approximately 1 million
October 27, 2017 Read Full Article
The South Pole Energy Challenge: The First-Ever Expedition to the Geographic South Pole Powered Only by Renewable Technologies, Including Advanced Biofuels
(South Pole Energy Challenge/PR Newswire) his is a father-and-son story about an epic journey - putting human endurance to its ultimate test relying solely on renewable energy -- On 15 November 2017, Robert Swan, OBE, 61 - the first person in history to walk
October 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Slash and Build: Study Aids Forestry Biofuel Industry
by Siddharth Vodnala (Washington State University News) Researchers from Washington State University, along with those from Oregon State University and the University of Montana, have recently devised refined methods to estimate the amount of forest residue — the leftovers from trees
October 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Opinion: Biofuels Sustainable, Essential To Aviation’s Future
by Adam Klauber, Isaac Toussie, Steve Csonka and Barbara Bramble (Aviation Week & Space Technology) To some, biofuels conjure negative images of industrial-scale agriculture with cornstalks as far as the eye can see, or worse, displaced orangutans squatting dejectedly beside burning
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner co-authored a Biofuels Digest article with some ideas that show the benefits bioenergy could bring to Africa: "Africans should strive for sustainable fuels from native feedstocks in a modern infrastructure and thriving economy ... Renewable diesel
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Growing the African Biofuel Sector: What’s Not to Like?
by Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner (Biofuels Digest) ... (I)n Sub-Saharan Africa a thriving indigenous bioenergy industry can play a positive and productive role in modernizing economies and improving the quality of human life. One challenge for African bioenergy development though
October 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Aemetis Signs Long Term Lease for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Site in California
(Aemetis) 55 year Lease Agreement at Former Army Munitions Facility -- Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today that its Aemetis Advanced Products Keyes subsidiary signed a 55 year lease at a former US Army munitions facility located in Riverbank, California which is near
October 19, 2017 Read Full Article
St1 Progresses with Renewable Diesel Production Plans at Its Refinery in Gothenburg
(St1) Energy company St1 continues its series of investments targeting to begin the production of renewable diesel in 2020 at its refinery in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company has now signed an Engineering design package and license agreement with Haldor Topsoe for
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Federal Government Seeking Partner to Look at Way to Create Domestic Jet Biofuel Industry
by Maura Forrest (National Post) The federal government is looking at the potential of producing jet biofuels, in light of an international agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. Natural Resources Canada is looking for a company to design
October 11, 2017 Read Full Article
AVAPCO, BYOGY Renewables, and Petron Scientech Announce Partnership to Demonstrate Technologies in the ABBA Integrated Biorefinery Projec
(PR Web) The ABBA Integrated Biorefinery project, to be built at the AVAPCO Thomaston Georgia site, will co-produce bio jet fuel and Bioplus® nanocellulose. It has received a Phase 1, $3.7 million award from the Department of Energy. Negotiations with the Department
October 10, 2017 Read Full Article
NRRI Unveils Refined Solid, Renewable Biofuel
by Beth Bly (Business North) Executives from several partnership organizations were on hand Wednesday morning at UMD’s Natural Resources Research Institute Coleraine Lab as the Renewable Energy Lab was unveiled. More than 10 years in the making, the lab currently has the
October 05, 2017 Read Full Article
UPM Biofuels Named One of Six Finalists in 2017 Platts Global Energy Awards
(AZO Cleantech) UPM Biofuels is one of six finalists for the Industry Leadership category in Bioenergy at the 2017 Platts Global Energy Awards - often described as the Oscars of the energy industry. UPM Biofuels is nominated for its wood-based low
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
A Blustery Day in the Bioeconomy’s Billion Acre Wood: The Latest from EPA, POET, Fuels America, Calyxt, Eligo Bioscience, Queensland, Gevo, Virgin, and Unilever
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Headwinds -- US road transport biofuels producers are up in arms this week. There are reports of oil industry led-efforts within the EPA to create an export-subsidy RIN, cut biofuel targets with new “data,” and bypass EPA staff recommendations for higher cellulosic targets. ... Now,
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Top 10 Wood Waste Projects – Not Letting Waste Go to Waste
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, the chopping continues and there are literally tons of wood waste left behind that doesn’t get used up, but we can all agree we
October 02, 2017 Read Full Article
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Announces $21.1 Million to Grow the Bioeconomy
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced six grants totaling nearly $21.1 million to support the development of new jet fuel, biobased products and biomaterials from renewable sources.
September 25, 2017 Read Full Article
ANDRITZ Successfully Starts up Fibria’s New Pulp Mill in Três Lagoas, Brazil
(ANDRITZ) International technology Group ANDRITZ has completed start-up of key production technologies and equipment for Fibria’s new pulp mill in Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. ... In addition, ANDRITZ has delivered a chloride and potassium removal system to enhance the
September 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Singing a Song in Singapore: GoodFuels Marine, BHP, and MPA Collaborate on Biofuels during Closed-Door Roundtable
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Singapore, a closed-door biofuel roundtable organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, BHP and GoodFuels Marine, brought some excitement to the maritime biofuels world – almost as much excitement as when we
September 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry Announces Integrated Biorefinery Optimization Projects
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today (September 20, 2017), U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has selected eight projects to negotiate for up to $15 million in total DOE funding to optimize integrated biorefineries. These projects
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Timber Bio-Fuel Stymied by Lack of Government Incentives, Says Industry
(ABC News Rural) With a number of coal-fired power stations tipped to close over the next decade, the Queensland timber industry says it could help alleviate any energy shortages by producing green fuel from its waste but is being held
September 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Bounding Maine: Top 10 Companies Targeting Maine’s Forest Resource for Higher-Value Apps
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But pulp and paper markets have taken big hits. Headlines have centered around damaged balance sheets that make it difficult to modernize or expand, mothballed plants, bankruptcies, job losses that have struck hard at northern
September 12, 2017 Read Full Article
A Sweeter Way to Make Green Products: University of Delaware Researchers Invent Novel Process for Extracting Sugars from Wood
by Tracey Bryant (University of Delaware) ... A UD research team has invented a more efficient process for extracting the sugars from wood chips, corn cobs and other organic waste from forests and farms. ... Basudeb Saha, associate director for research at UD’s
September 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Hot Spots: Top 5 Places to Watch in Florida
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Florida is a hot state, in more ways than one, and we cover the Top 5 hottest Florida spots that hopefully remain intact or recover quickly after Irma’s impact, especially those in the mid and
September 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Södra Commences Biofuel Production
(Södra) Södra will invest more than SEK 100 million in the production of biomethanol, a sustainable fuel from forest raw material. The project will commence in autumn 2017 and is scheduled to be ready for operation by spring 2019. The aim
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Model for Creating and Commercialising Biochemicals from Biomass?
(Biofuels International) With the price for crude oil at less than $50 a barrel, Iowa State University’s National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centre for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) is proposing a new model for creating, applying and commercialising chemicals made from
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Growing the Future: WVU Biologists Team up to Research New Bioproducts
by Kathy Swisher (West Virginia University) West Virginia University biologists are part of a $40 million Department of Energy effort to create sustainable, cost-effective bioproducts through four new bioenergy research centers. As part of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation led by
September 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Hi-Temp Deconstruction: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Solvent Liquefaction, and Biomass-to-Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to demonstrate solvent liquefaction as viable path to stable intermediates for subsequent upgrading to fuel blendstocks. This is based on a technology originally developed in large
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech/PNNL Syngas-to-ATJ Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy initiated a project to advance a hybrid conversion technology for catalytic upgrading of biomass-derived syngas to produce Alcohol-to-Jet fuel and chemicals while meeting the cost, quality and environmental requirements of the
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Hot Spots: The Top 10 Bioeconomy Places to Watch in Canada
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 1. Ottawa, Ontario The biggest Canadian story of the year stems from the November 2016 announce by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced that Canada will adopt a national clean fuels standard,
August 29, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass and Catalytic Conversion into Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE established and funded a project to develop a novel Multistage Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of biomass and integrate with Virent’s Catalytic BioForming Process to efficiently produce cost effective “drop‐in” fuels from woody biomass and
August 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel from Forests Lightens Jetliner Carbon Footprint
(Washington Forest Protection Association/Seattle Times) Aviation biofuel is made from forest residuals, the limbs and branches that are left after the harvesting of managed forests. -- Alaska Airlines made history recently, flying the first commercial flight using the world’s first
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE, DOD Aim for Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biofuels in Defense and Aviation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to
August 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Report: 30% of Norway’s Aviation Fuel Could Be Sustainable by 2030
by Victoria Moores (Air Transport World) Research commissioned by Norwegian airports operator Avinor has concluded that 30% of Norway’s aviation fuel could be sustainable by 2030, but this depends on available funding. The report, which performed by Danish consultancy firm Rambøll in partnership with
August 22, 2017 Read Full Article
MetGen, Sweetwater Unlocking Lignin – The Roughest, Toughest, Ornieri’st Material that Ever Bushwhack’d a Pioneer in the Valley of Death
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MetGen, Sweetwater Energy say “there’s gold in them thar side-streams” -- For all of your questions about the advanced bioeconomy there’s just the one answer and that is “lignin”. Why don’t we see more biobased
August 17, 2017 Read Full Article
South Shore Biofuel Startup on Hold
(The Chronicle Herald) A South Shore biofuel startup that has been backed by millions in provincial and federal government money looks like it’s on hold. This week, calls to Cellufuel, a small five-year-old business based in the former Bowater Mersey paper
August 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Environmentalists Are Urging the USDA to Reject This Genetically Engineered Eucalyptus Tree
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) A genetically engineered, freeze-tolerant eucalyptus tree is moving closer to receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, amid concerns about the tree’s possible negative effects on the environment. The USDA has proposed lifting restrictions
August 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Plant Construction Set to Begin
by Vanessa Dietz (The Daily Mining Gazette) ... SynSel Energy Inc., of Elmhurst, Illinois, chose Ontonagon as one of two U.S. sites to build advanced biofuels plants that will produce synthetic gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels the company sells in commodities
August 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Massachusetts May Overlook Climate Impacts of Biofuels
by Bobby Magill (Climate Central) Massachusetts is considering a plan that would classify wood pellets and other tree products as sources of renewable energy, allowing the logging industry to contribute to the state’s climate goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, research
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Air Canada, WestJet Aim to Become Biofuel Superpowers
by Ross Marowits (The Canadian Press/CleanTech Canada) Resource-rich Canada has the proper ingredients to lead the world in lower-carbon aviation fuels, the country's two largest airlines say -- The country’s top airlines say resource-rich Canada has the potential to become a
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Aemetis Signs Agreement for Advanced Gasification Technology to Produce Cellulosic Ethanol
(Stockhouse/Accesswire) Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today (August 4, 2017) that it has signed a Master Agreement with key exclusive rights for the use of an advanced gasification technology from InEnTec, Inc. of Richland, Washington to produce cellulosic ethanol. The
August 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Study Finds that Markets Are Key to Retaining Southern Forests
by Carlton N. Owen (Forest Business Network) ... “Forest2Market’s new study proves what many of us in the forest sector have said for years — robust markets are the key to keeping forests as forests, “says Carlton Owen, President and CEO
August 07, 2017 Read Full Article
This New Teesside Company Needs 50 Tonnes of Birch - EVERY DAY!
by Mike Hughes (Gazette Live) Nova Pangaea Technologies at Wilton will convert trees into sugars to make household items -- ... One of the region’s newest tech companies needs 50 tonnes of it EVERY DAY to process into biofuels, plastics and
August 03, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA SAB to Review Biogenic Carbon Framework at August Meeting
(Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced the Scientific Advisory Board will conduct a quality review of the agency’s draft framework for assessing biogenic carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources at a meeting in August. According to a notice published in
August 02, 2017 Read Full Article
University of Delaware Researchers Look to Make Tires Made from Plants and Wood
by Scott Goss (The News Journal/Delaware Online) ... Researchers at the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation say they have discovered a highly efficient way to convert plant matter into a chemical used to make everything from car tires to Lego blocks. “It’s still early
July 31, 2017 Read Full Article
SynSel Energy Inc. to Open Biofuels Plant in Ontonagon
by Jan Tucker (Your Daily Globe) Ontonagon has been selected as one of two initial sites in the U.S. for the construction of an advanced biofuels plant. SynSel Energy, Inc., is partnering with a U.S.-based financier and Lost Bowl Development, LLC,
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Heat Death: Joule Unlimited Collapses as Oil Prices Flag, Time Passes, Pressure Mounts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of the more striking outcomes from the DOE Bioeconomy 2017 conference in Washington DC was confirmation of the demise of Joule Unlimited. “We had a lot of prospects last year,” former CEO Brian Baynes
July 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Biofuels Can Benefit the Environment if Managed Correctly
(Phys.Org/Michigan State University) Could cellulosic biofuels - or liquid energy derived from grasses and wood - become a green fuel of the future, providing an environmentally sustainable way of meeting energy needs? In Science, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy-funded
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Service Providers Partner to Build Ethanol Plants in India
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering in Mumbai is partnering with the Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai to build second-generation ethanol plants across India. ICT will provide its multi-feedstock technology and LTHE will provide engineering and construction services.
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Velocys Pivots from “FT Tech Co” to “Renewable Fuels Company”, Eyes California
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, Velocys CEO David Pummell said that “Our new strategy is for Velocys to be at the heart of building plants that convert woody biomass to high specification renewable diesel and jet fuel
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Can’t Get No (Liquefaction): The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide Liquefaction of Forest Biomass to Drop-in Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lysle Whitmer on behalf of an Iowa State-led group of researchers gave this illuminating overview of Liquefaction of Forest Biomass to Drop-in Fuels, at the 2017 DOE Project Peer Review sessions. READ MORE
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Norway's Statkraft to Make Biofuel from Wood Chips and Other Waste
by Geert De Clercq (Reuters) Norwegian utility Statkraft has found a way to produce biofuel from wood chippings and other solid organic waste, which it says replicates in minutes a process that made crude oil underground over millions of years. Using high
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Ecofys Study on Crude Tall Oil Markets and Availability: Sufficient Supply for Advanced Biofuels, Biomaterials and Energy Usage
(UPM) UPM Biofuels commissioned a study from leading international energy and climate consultancy Ecofys - A Navigant Company, entitled "Crude tall oil low ILUC risk assessment: comparing global supply and demand". The study looked into crude tall oil (CTO) availability,
June 21, 2017 Read Full Article
ARC Awards $1.5 Million to Support Biorefinery Center at ASC
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Appalachian Regional Commission recently awarded a $1.5 million grant to New York-based Alfred State College to support its Biorefinery Development and Commercialization Center project, which aims to help private and public partners leverage
June 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Next Generation Forest Company: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Conifex
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Conifex’s business is the harvesting of timber and the manufacture and sale of lumber, primarily for North American and Asian markets. Its sawmills process high-quality SPF logs into higher-grade and commodity-grade lumber, wood chips that are
June 19, 2017 Read Full Article
High Potential in North America for Low-Carbon Jet Fuels but Unlikely to Make Impact on ICAO Emissions Goal
(GreenAir Online) North America has a higher potential for the production of sustainable alternative jet fuels than other regions of the world because of its available resources but it is unlikely that switching to low-carbon fuels alone can make the
June 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Jet and Diesel from the Sticks: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Red Rock Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In late 2015, we reported Red Rock Biofuels will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year (at that time, from 2017 through 2024) for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, in
June 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Keeping the Forests as Forests
by Charlie Niebling (Biomass Magazine/Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC) Across the Northeast U.S. and much of the country, markets for low-grade wood resources have fallen off dramatically. In this context, “low grade” is used to describe wood feedstocks that have few,
June 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Stimulating Sustainability Certification in North America
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) The Dutch are motivated buyers of North American wood pellets, but the lack of sustainability certification of small forest owners in the U.S. and Canada has created an intense need for intercontinental collaboration. The fact that
June 14, 2017 Read Full Article
U of Minnesota Helps Startup Resynergi Create Energy from Plastic Waste and Biomass
(University of Minnesota) California waste recovery company Resynergi Inc. is drawing on University of Minnesota expertise and technology to develop and commercially manufacture a biorefining technology that converts both plastic and biomass into oil and gas. Resynergi is combining U of
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Case: $4.5M for Investors under Federal Settlement
by Jeff Amy (Fox Business/Associated Press) A federal judge has approved a $4.5 million settlement for private shareholders of failed biofuel maker KiOR, and a lawsuit by the state of Mississippi seeking to recover a much larger amount continues. U.S. District
June 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Alliance Bioenergy Licenses Process to Earth's Renewable Energy
(Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc.) Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc. recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, AMG Energy Group, has entered into a sublicensing agreement with Earth's Renewable Energy LLC of Newport Beach, California. The sublicense agreement permits Earth's Renewable Energy to use the
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Urban Transport Cleans Up Its Act - HSL and Stara Shift to Renewable Fuels Only
(Globe Newswire/HSL/The Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT Ltd/UPM Biofuels) Buses in the Helsinki region and most of machinery and trucks used by the City of Helsinki are switching to waste and residue-based biofuels. Helsinki Region Transport HSL, the City
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
MEP Calls for Sweeping Changes to EU Biofuel and Bioenergy Legislation
(Bioenergy Insight) MEP Bas Eickhout has proposed sweeping reforms to EU legislation regarding bioenergy and biofuels. They come amid the Dutch politician’s proposals for increasing the EU’s renewable energy share target for 2030 from 27% to 45%. ... Eickhout proposes allowing sustainable and
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Burn Better, Cook Faster, Save $$: The Quest for an Efficient African Cookstove
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In Africa, the overwhelming use is cookstoves, and for a generation now, companies and organizations have been handing out LPG or ethanol cookstoves trying to move Africa to a new energy source for cooking. There’s
June 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Anellotech Confidential: Pilot Running, New Mystery Investor as Catpyro Begins to Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Anellotech’s Bio-TCat process is designed to produce cost-competitive renewable aromatic (BTX) chemicals (benzene, toluene and xylenes) from non-food biomass for use in making plastics such as polyester, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or for renewable transportation
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
UPM Biofuels Gains the World's First RSB Certification for Wood-Based Liquid Biofuels
(UPM Biofuels) UPM Biofuels has again received a new acknowledgement of the sustainability of its value chain by receiving an RSB (The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) certificate for both UPM BioVerno renewable diesel and naphtha, as well as production sidestreams
May 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant Opening
by Francesca Brindle (Hydrocarbon Engineering) Southern Oil has announced that Queensland Premier, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, will officially open the Northern Oil advanced biofuels pilot plant in Gladstone on 1 June 2017. The $18 million project brings together all
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Hope Glimmers in the Garbage for Advanced Biofuels
by John Fialka (E&E News/Climatewire) In May 2016, investigators from the Government Accountability Office assembled a panel of 19 experts in Washington to explore what had happened to a program to develop a commercial market for advanced biofuels. It had been
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Second-Generation Biofuels Show Environmental Sustainability Benefits
(Univeristy of Pittsburg/R&D Magazine) Numerous studies have raised critical concerns about the promise of corn ethanol's ability to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Some of the studies have suggested that after a full life cycle assessment--meaning
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Interra and the Pursuit of Soil Magic via Affordable Biochar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The world of feedstocks is watching biochar very carefully these days, and for good reason. Although it might feel quite a long ways upstream from the world of making and upgrading liquid fuels — affordable,
May 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Canada Adds Six Members as Canadian LCFS Approaches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Advanced Biofuels Canada revealed a signficant expansion of its membership. New members include: Cellufuel Inc. is currently operating a demonstration-scale facility producing clean synthetic diesel from lowvalue forestry residues. Ensyn Corporation has a 30-year history of
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Progress on Transport Biofuels in Korea
by Jin-Suk Lee and Kyu-Young Kang (IEA Bioenergy Task 39) Since Korea imports over 95% of its energy demand, thus energy security has always been an important driver in the national agenda. In addition, CO2 mitigation has become another important driver as
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest's Complete March Madness Webinars Available Online
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest's Complete March Madness webinars - 700+ slides available for your on-demand review. -- The Digest's March Madness series - 20 webinars covering the hottest topics as selected by Digest readers - featuring dozens
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Biofuels – When, Where and How?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on cellulosic ethanol, featuring in-demand industry consultants Michele Rubino and Michael Schultz, on hand to detail the very latest in a wide array of approaches to making cellulosic biofuels from wastes, energy
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
NREL Finds 6 Billion Gallons of SAJF Per Year Could Enter U.S. Market by 2030
(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuels Initiative) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released the aviation biofuels report, “Potential Avenues for Significant Biofuels Penetration in the U.S. Aviation Market.” The report finds that it is possible to displace 30 percent of
May 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Find More Efficient Way to Make Oil from Dead Trees
(University of Washington/Biomass Magazine) The mountain pine beetle has destroyed more than 40 million acres of forest in the western United States. That amounts to an area the size of Washington state that is strewn with conifers left for dead. The
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Old Town Mill Eyed for Full-Scale Plant to Turn Wood Pulp into Ingredient for Diesel, Jet Fuel
by Tux Turkel (Portland Press Herald) 'The biggest obstacle now is financing,' says Stephen Fitzpatrick, president of Biofine Technology LLC, which is partnering with UMaine on a pilot plant at the site. -- The former Old Town Fuel and Fiber
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Orchard Waste Could Be a Fruitful Source of Biofuel
(IneffableIsland.com) Waste prunings from orchards, vineyards and olive groves could be a valuable source of biomass energy and help boost rural economies, say EU-funded researchers. The key ingredient is a sustainable supply chain. As the EU seeks alternatives to fossil fuels,
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
NEWBio Commercial Collaborators: Building a Sustainable Energy Future in the Northeast United States
(Extension.org) The Northeast region of the United States (from the Ohio River to the New England coast) has the natural, social, and technological resources needed to help create a sustainable, rural renaissance by using biomass to create biofuels, biopower, and
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Great Leaf Forward: The Top 10 Trends Driving the Canadian Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although the bigger players — China, the US, Brazil and the EU take most of the headlines in the advanced bioeconomy, Canada is definitely “boxing above its weight class” these days, as the saying goes. In
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
US Wood Pellet Exports Are Sustainable, Despite Growth: Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Tennessee, officials at Oak Ridge released a report on an ongoing debate about costs and benefits of wood-pellet based bioenergy production in the southeastern United States (SE US) requires an understanding of the science
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Oregon Senate Backs Woody Biomass as 'Green Energy'
(KTVZ.com) Bill sponsored by Sens. Tim Knopp, Ted Ferrioli -- Oregon Senate Republicans say adding woody biomass as a recognized source of green energy technologies will help reduce carbon emissions and create jobs in rural Oregon. The proposal, Senate Bill
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
The EU’s Sweet 16: 16 of the Most Fascinating Projects under Development and in Deployment in Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Europe is often thought of as a dead-end for biofuels, owing to a thorny debate over fuel mandates, and agricultural protection. But it’s a reputation entirely undeserved; some of the most fascinating projects are there. In
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
US Forest Service and Biomass: A Symbiotic Partnership
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Power Association/Biomass Magazine) More than 100 million trees across California, many located in the federally managed Sierra, Stanislaus and Sequoia National Forests, are dead, owing to a years-long drought and a nasty bark beetle infestation. As many
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Addressing Biomass Energy 'Alternative Facts'
by William Strauss (FutureMetrics/Biomass Magazine) ... The recently released paper by the Chatham House is a study that contains many inaccurate statements about the use of wood for energy. Those statements are presented as facts, or as uncontested conclusions. This article
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
March Madness 2017: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Woody Biomass and Its Prospects and Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When they write the story of the advanced bioeconomy one day, they might just title it “Put Another Log on the Fire” because consistently you tell us that the near-term feedstock opportunities are in waste
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. Comments on Emerging Bioethanol Market Opportunity as It Commercializes Its Cellulose to Sugar Technology Process
(Alliance Bio-Products) The company's patented CTS process presents a viable option for growing biofuel production efforts with its ability to produce cellulosic ethanol at a lower cost and without harmful environmental impact -- Alliance Bio-Products, Inc. (Bio-Products), a subsidiary of
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
New Biomass Conversion Idea Could Help Ag Industry
by Patrick Cavanaugh (California Ag Today) A new biomass process will convert woody ag waste, including almond hulls and shells, into ethanol, which has a demand and makes the conversion possible. Eric McAfee is Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Aemetis Inc., a
March 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Allendale Wins $6 Million Biomass Investment, 35 New Jobs
(South Carolina Promise Zone) Thunderbolt Biomass, Inc., a manufacturer of wood pellets from sawmill residuals, is launching new processing operations in Allendale County, according to news releases. The company is planning to invest $6 million in the project, creating 35
March 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Developing Bio-Manufacturing in Gippsland
by Philip Hopkins (Gippsland Times) Australian Paper, working with the CSIRO, a European technology leader and Federation University, is forging ahead with plans to create a bio-manufacturing hub in the Latrobe Valley that could generate several thousand jobs. The venture, which
March 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Virgin, Air NZ Working to Develop Biofuel
by Lilly Vitorovich (The Australian) Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are hopeful aviation biofuel can be produced locally, in a bid to cut carbon emissions and fuel costs. The airlines have spent the past year investigating the merits of commercially
March 28, 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
Preem and Vattenfall Collaborate on Biofuel
(Vattenfall) Vattenfall aims to provide climate-smart hydrogen gas to large-scale production of biofuel. Preem and Vattenfall have concluded an agreement to investigate the potential of using climate-smart hydrogen gas in the large scale production of biofuel for the Swedish market. The
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Oh, the Irony! 'Eco-Friendly' Biodiesel Found Environmentally Destructive
(Sputnik News) Whereas biofuel is often touted as the "greenest" solution to the Earth's climate woes, such as global warming, many experts find it at least as damaging to the environment as ordinary fuel. Another characteristic worth considering is the
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Co-Processing Biointermediates: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Honeywell UOP
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Honeywell’s UOP has developed a renewable jet fuel processing technology, a renewable diesel process, as well as a joint venture, Envergent Technologies, that will market technologies and equipment for generating power, transportation fuel and heating
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
The Justice League of Pyromaniax
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The High Lords of Pyrolysis travel under the unlikely cover identities of “George Huber” and “Robert Brown” — but we know them in their true superhero identities of “The Catalyst” and “The Godfatha”. ... Instead,
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Academics and IEA Slam ‘Misleading’ Chatham House Bioenergy Report
by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight) More than 125 academics have joined the International Energy Agency Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Bioenergy) slamming Chatham House’s recent report on bioenergy, calling it ‘misleading. The group of academics from across the world and the IEA
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
BioApplied: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Nova Scotia’s Biorefinery Initiative
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s a biorefinery initiative in Canada’s Atlantic region (first initiated in Nova Scotia but expanding regionally). A partnership between Emera, Innovacorp, and the Federal and Provincial governments, are aimed at creating the necessary conditions to attract and host a
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel May Backfire as a Budget Bluff
(NewsInEnglish.no) Plans by the Norwegian government to mandate usage of much more biofuel, as another so-called “green” measure that helped secure last year’s state budget compromise, may end up backfiring as little more than a budget bluff. New statistics suggest
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: Won’t Get Fooled Again
by Carlos Calvo Ambel (Transport & Environment/EurActiv) ... Sustainable feedstocks available for the production of non-land using biofuels, made of waste and residues, are limited and other sectors want to use them as well. Some advanced biofuels, such as those derived from
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Youngstown Steam Plant Is World’s First to Use Wood Fuel in New Way
by Stan Boney (WKBN) Youngstown Thermal is now burning a more environmentally-friendly fuel -- Youngstown Thermal supplies the steam used to heat most of the buildings in downtown Youngstown. Recently, the company made a million dollar investment, now burning a new form of
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Could Biofuel Save Maine’s Timber Industry?
by Darren Fishell (Bangor Daily News) The company EMEP LLC wants to buy the shuttered East Millinocket paper mill to build a biorefinery that it said would be a centerpiece of a larger $240 million plan for biomass energy parks
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
FutureMetrics Has Published a New White Paper: "Alternative Facts" in the Recent Chatham House Study
(FutureMetrics) Providing misleading, inaccurate, and sometime outright fiction as facts could be called propaganda. With overtones of Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the term "alternative facts" has recently been coined. Either way, it is information that is biased and misleading that is
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Meet the Plant that is Bridging Renewable Energy, Rural Development, and Environmental Benefits
by Kristen Johnson (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Growing deep-rooted perennial crops, like switchgrass or willow, together with annual crops and livestock in a farming system is starting to gain traction. This is due in large part to the potential economic and
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
UK Claim That Burning Biomass Is Clean Seen as 'Flawed'
by Anna Hirtenstein (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) The U.K. government’s view of biomass as a carbon-neutral energy source is a “flawed assumption,” according to report from Chatham House. The U.K. counts emissions from the supply chain that produces and delivers wood pellets
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
How Brown Rot Fungi Could Lead to More Efficient Biofuels Production
(Lab Manager/U.S. Department of Energy) Wood’s complex structure makes it highly resistant to biological or chemical decomposition. The structure includes cellulose, long chains of linked sugar molecules, embedded in a scaffolding of a chemical known as lignin. Brown rot fungi,
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Canadian Company Envisions Maine as Site for Biorefinery
by Tex Turkel (Portland Press Herald) Ensyn Corp., which makes heating oil from wood waste, already supplies Bates College and needs more customers before it can build a plant here. -- A Canadian company that turns leftover wood from forestry
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
$185M Biofuel Agreement Will Mean 'Major Changes,' Botwood Mayor Says
by Chris Ensing (CBC News) Botwood is one step closer to an economic boost that the mayor hopes could bring financial stability to the central Newfoundland town and neighbouring communities for decades to come. The Newfoundland and Labrador government has signed an agreement
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
New Willow Harvester In Action
(NewBIO) Something new happened in the bioenergy willow world this week in Pennsylvania. A new type of willow energy crop harvester got its first run on a willow crop in Pennsylvania. The machine, a 2 row harvester, was acquired as part
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Makin’ Hydrocarbons: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Upgrading of Thermochemical Intermediates
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels, here’s the basic recipe, according to a research team led by David Dayton at RTI
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Produce Renewable Car Tires from Trees, Grass
(University of Minnesota/Biomass Magazine) A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has invented a new technology to produce automobile tires from trees and grasses in a process that could shift the tire production industry toward using renewable
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Indian River County Approves Mulch Agreement with Biofuel Company
by Colleen Wixon (TC Palm) If Alliance BioEnergy buys the defunct INEOS biofuel plant, the West Palm Beach company will continue getting the county's mulch delivered on site. On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously approved a 90-day option agreement that would ensure processed mulch be
February 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Waste to Fuels Viability: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys Economics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Bio-Oil and Beyond: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to RTI’s Catalytic Upgrading tech for Thermochemical Intermediates to Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To “Demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels,” that’s the ratuional behind a DOE project with RTI in the lead, aimed
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Lignin: Technology, Applications, and Markets
(RISI) Lignin could become a new profit center for the forest products industry – and perhaps for your business. -- This study provides a primer and forecast for a material that has many current applications, and the potential for more. Lignin:
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
UPM Biofuels Celebrates the Centenary of Finland by Joining the Made by Finland Campaign
(UPM) UPM Biofuels joins the Made by Finland campaign - shared between the Association for Finnish Work, its members and partner organisations - that celebrates the centenary of Finland. The campaign calls for all Finns to discuss their own work and
February 06, 2017 Read Full Article
New Study Shows Novia Scotia Has ‘Strong Potential’ to Produce Advanced Biofuels
(Biofuels International) A new study shows Nova Scotia has strong potential to develop an innovative biorefinery that produces an advanced biofuels from renewable sources of fibre. The liquid biofuel could be used to heat homes and power marine vessels, among other
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Forestry Firm UPM Says Eyeing Next Biofuel Investment
by Jussi Rosendahl (Reuters) Finnish pulp and paper maker UPM-Kymmene is planning its next step in wood-based renewable fuel products after a successful ramp-up at its initial biofuels plant, the head of UPM's biofuels business said on Wednesday. UPM says the plant
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Swedish Airline BRA Operates First ATR Biofuels Flight
(Biofuels International) Swedish regional carrier BRA has operated a flight from Stockholm Bromma Airport to Umeå in northern Sweden with an ATR-72-600 using a fuel blend comprised 45% of used cooking oil. Turboprop manufacturer ATR said it was the first biofuel-powered flight of an
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Botwood Biofuel Plant One Step Closer to Green Light
by Ryan Cooke (CBC News) Forestry minister confident in project, says resources are sufficient -- ... NewGreen Technology Inc, the company behind the project, will soon be offered a tentative deal by Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial government for the allocation of wood fibres
January 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Investigation: INEOS Failed Despite $129 Million in Taxpayer Subsidies
by Lucas Daprile (TC Palm) TCPalm examined thousands of government documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and Florida public records requests, to determine what taxpayers got in return for their $129 million investment in INEOS' Indian River County biofuel
January 20, 2017 Read Full Article
The Industrial Status of Biofuel Technologies
by Gerald Kutney (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) A myriad of biofuel technologies exist, but which ones are truly industrial processes? The question is not always easy to answer. And one must define what is meant by an industrial process. To facilitate
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Innovative Refinery to Turn Municipal Waste into High-Grade Fuel
by Paul Krajewski (High River Times) A waste diversion company is working toward constructing a one-of-a-kind clean refinery near High River to produce renewable diesel from landfill debris. After years of research and development, Cielo Waste Solutions is set to use
January 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Almedalen: Seminar on Fossil Free Aviation
(Fly Green Fund) Together with Swedavia, Fly Green Fund arranged a seminar ... at ”Aktuell Hållbarhet Arena” entitled ”How do we obtain fossil free aviation?”. Participants on the panel were Maria Fiskerud, MD at Fly Green Fund, Lena Wennberg, Sustainability and Environmental
January 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Austria – Biofuels Technology, Research and Development
by Dina Bacovsky, Andrea Sonnleitner (Task39 Newsletter) ... Domestic FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) production in 2014 was 292,009 tonnes based on rapeseed (72%), used cooking oil (19%), animal fat (8%) and fatty acids (1%). The feedstock was sourced mainly from the
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Small Is Beautiful: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Velocys’ Microchannel Reactor Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Velocys enables modular gas-to-liquids and biomass-to-liquids plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas and waste biomass into valuable, drop-in liquid fuels. After 15 years and some $300 million in investment, Velocys technology is headed for
December 30, 2016 Read Full Article
A New Era Gets Fueled Up
by Joe Petrie (AviationPros.com) At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), Alaska Airlines is forging ahead with plans to implement a biofuel supply for its commercial jets. ... Carol Sim, director of environmental affairs for Alaska Airlines, said the company’s move
December 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Birdlife and T&E to Release Anti-Biofuel Documentary in January
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, following on from the November release of their joint publication “The Black Book of Bioenergy”, Birdlife Europe and Central Asia has again teamed with Transport & Environment on a documentary set for release
December 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces Six Projects for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the Energy Department (DOE) announced the selection of six projects for up to $12.9 million in federal funding, entitled, “Project Definition for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower.” These projects, required to
December 28, 2016 Read Full Article
‘Glue’ That Makes Plant Cell Walls Strong Could Hold the Key to Wooden Skyscrapers
(University of Cambridge) Molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair could hold the key to making possible wooden skyscrapers and more energy-efficient paper production, according to research published today in the journal Nature Communications. The study,
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Chinese Firm Gives Tentative Green Light to Kemi Biorefinery
(Yle) The CEO of the company's Finnish subsidiary, Carl Haglund, says that next year will bring a final decision – and hopefully a groundbreaking for the billion-euro facility in northern Finland. -- Chinese bioenergy giant Kaidi has this week decided
December 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Study Finds People Are Willing to Pay More for New Biofuels
by Scott Weybright (Washington State University) When it comes to second generation biofuels, Washington State University research shows that consumers are willing to pay a premium of approximately 11 percent over conventional fuel. “We were surprised the premium was that significant,”
December 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Biomass-Fed Chemical Process Projects, 2016
by Bernard Cooker (Chemical Processing Solutions/Biofuels Digest) This is a review of the biomass-fed chemical process projects to renewable chemicals which were published in Chemical Engineering Progress (CEP) and Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN) from 1/1/16 to 10/31/16, including activity in
December 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Technologies Office Announces Notice of Intent for the Optimization of Integrated Biorefineries
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
December 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Drop-In Fuels at Scale: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn uses its patented and proprietary RTP fast thermal technology to convert wood residues and other non-food, cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels. Ensyn has had continuous commercial operations for more than 25 years. Its technology has
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Great Results from Testing UPM’s Wood-Based Diesel in Buses
(UPM) UPM has successfully tested Finnish wood-based diesel fuel both in laboratory conditions as well as in traffic. The tests clearly demonstrated that UPM’s renewable diesel, UPM BioVerno, works just like the best diesel fuels. The laboratory tests of renewable UPM
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Fortress Paper Announces Hemicellulose Separation Project at Its Dissolving Pulp Mill
(Fortress Paper/Lesprom.com) Fortress Paper Ltd. announces a strategic supplement to the already announced birch usage project (the "Birch Project") at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill aimed at extracting hemicellulose from underutilized species such as birch (the " Hemicellulose Project"). The Hemicellulose Project
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
EC Releases RED II, Proposes First-Generation Biofuels Phase-out and New Sustainability Criterion for Forest Biomass
(Biofuels International) The European Commission has released its long-awaited revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and proposed the phase-out of food crop-based biofuels from 2021. The EC also wants to simultaneously introduce a sub-mandate for advanced biofuels. It also proposes to introduce a
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Europe Doesn’t Have Enough Sustainable Wood and Cow Dung to Meet Its Unrealistic Bioenergy Projections – New Analysis
(Transport & Environment) Sustainable wood waste, agricultural residues, manure and other organic residues generated in Europe will only cover around 80% of the EU’s projected bioenergy use in 2030, a new analysis by green groups BirdLife Europe and Transport &
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Be the Change: Maine’s New Born Global Challenge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For some time in The Digest, we have examined the problem of matching capital to projects. As Ecostrat’s Jordan Solomon observed at ABLC Next a few weeks back, “the vast majority of projects are given