by Deborah Gertz Husar (Herald-Whig) ... With conventional vehicles likely to dominate the ground fleet for the foreseeable future, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts say cellulosic biofuels shouldn’t be discounted. Researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the
yields
Back TO HOMEBold Goals Action Group Release 40 Bold Actions to Accelerate the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Bold Goals Action Group released the final text of the 40 Bold Actions to Accelerate at ABLC 2024. The release capped a year-long, multi-national effort by bioeconomy stakeholders to define specific actions that
March 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Startup Making Biofuel from Seeds Expands in S. America & Africa
by Sara Miller (NoCamels) An Israeli company that engineers castor beans to produce high yields for biofuel has signed strategic agreements with existing and new seed producers in South America and Africa, in order to increase production capabilities. Casterra engineers special varieties of castor
March 05, 2024 Read Full Article
How to Increase Your Potential SAF Tax Credits Now
by Cheyenne Kramer (AgWeb) With sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credits beginning in 2025, the practices farmers use during the 2024 growing season will have a direct impact on their ability to take advantage of these incentives. Mitchell Hora of Continuum Ag
March 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Field Trials Reveal Crushed Rock Boosts Carbon Removal and Improves Crop Yields
(ScienceX/Phys.org) Crushed rock can remove about 3–4 metric tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) per hectare per year and improve crop yields, results of a pioneering study have shown. The four-year field trial in the U.S. Corn Belt, led by researchers
March 01, 2024 Read Full Article
OPINION: Why Farmers Should Take Advantage of Climate-Smart Ag Programs
by Chandler Mazour (Verity Carbon Solutions/Houston Daily) ... From a changing climate to high input costs to fluctuating commodity prices, farmers must take steps to adapt to an evolving landscape. The good news is farmers don’t have to tackle these challenges alone.
February 28, 2024 Read Full Article
USDA Investing $25 Million in ACE-led Project to Incentivize, Model, and Monetize Climate-Smart Ag Practices in a 10-State Region
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) recently approved a $25 million investment in the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE)-led Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) expansion that builds on the successful South
February 27, 2024 Read Full Article
New Study Shows US Soybean’s Carbon Footprint Decreasing
(Seed World) Assessment shows a significant reduction in soybean industry’s global warming potential since 2010 and 2015 -- The United Soybean Board detailed a recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that revealed a significant reduction in the global warming potential (GWP) profile of
February 26, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of Feedstocks and Advanced Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this presentation, we explored the challenges faced by global feedstock producers in shifting towards low carbon fuels, chemicals and materials — new technologies for yield, better soil and carbon practices, new crops and intermediates, and
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Agricultural Game-Changer on the Horizon for Canola
by Kristi Cox (Seed World) Promising research showing yield increase of a whopping 250% in experimental plants. -- Future canola could see big yield gains thanks to innovative work at the University of Guelph (U of G). Initially, Michael Emes and Ian Tetlow,
December 22, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA Energy & Climate Action
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Inflation Reduction Act provides nearly $40 billion for USDA over the next 10 years to improve life and livelihoods in rural communities. Specific investments include: $19.3 billion for climate-smart agriculture on farms, ranches, and forests;
December 19, 2023 Read Full Article
Africa Can Use Its Idle, Arable Land for Biofuel and Save Earth
by Joachim Buwembo (The East African) ... Without idealistically asking Africa to commit land for growing clean fuel, has it dawned on our thinkers at the African Union and in governments that there is big money in producing biofuel? Sceptics may argue
December 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Study Evaluates New High-Yield Varieties of Switchgrass that Are Less Vulnerable to Disease
by Tom Venesky (Lancaster Farming) A study underway in Luzerne County will gauge the disease resistance and biomass yield of several new varieties of warm season grasses. -- A three-year study could lead warm-season grass producers to high-yield varieties that are less
December 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Bold Actions to Accelerate the Bioeconomy: Report from Ottawa Meet-up of the Bold Goals Action Group
by Jim Lane (REenergize the Gulf Coast) In Ottawa, on the sidelines of the Jeff Passmore’s SCALING UP meeting, a coalition of the willing known as the Bold Goals Action Group refined and amended a series of 37 Bold Actions that must be
December 05, 2023 Read Full Article
ETHANOL: A Low-Cost Solution Available Today to Help Countries Meet Their COP Climate Commitments
(Renewable Fuels Association) ... One energy source—ethanol—is already cutting GHG emissions in the U.S. and many other countries. But with the right policies and commitments, ethanol and other renewable fuels can play a much larger role in future emissions reductions by
November 30, 2023 Read Full Article
Keep an Eye on Carinata
by Melissa Shipman (United States Seed World) Carbon-saving cover crop kicks off second season. Brassica carinata, also known as Ethiopian mustard, has been researched for its cover crop soil benefits over the past decade in the Southeast U.S., and its harvested
November 30, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuel Is Good, But Could It Be Great?
by Treena Hein (Seed World) As demand rises for biofuels, plant breeders are working hard to increase biofuel feedstocks’ productivity and biofuel’s sustainability. -- ... (I)nfrastructure development and plant breeders’ efforts during the past decade have put biofuels on the map in
November 22, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Ethanol Production Pathways
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This past week Shrijant Rathi, executive director for Praj Americas, returned to the Digest stage for this fascinating deep-dive into new technologies that open up opportunities for ethanol producers through retrofit, bolt-ons or add-on technologies that
November 21, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuels Drive Canola Demand
by Don Norman (Manitoba Co-operator) The Canola Council of Canada is seeking ways to increase yields to meet the rising demand for biofuels. “Biofuels seem to be taking the front-and-centre space for the oilseed sector, at least in Western Canada,” said Curtis Rempel, vice-president of crop
November 16, 2023 Read Full Article
Novozymes Launches Quara® LowP for Renewable Diesel fFedstock Pre-treatment
(Novozymes/Yahoo! Finance) Novozymes, a global leader in biosolutions, marks a significant milestone in the renewable diesel and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) industry with the launch of Quara® LowP, an enzymatic solution designed to transform the feedstock pre-treatment process. As the world seeks
November 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Striking the Balance: Catalyzing a Sustainable Land-Use Transition
(McKinsey & Co.) Without a step change in action to increase land-use efficiency, growing demand for food, fuel, and natural capital may require additional land equivalent to the total cropland of Brazil by 2030. Humanity’s appetite for land continues to grow, driven by
November 09, 2023 Read Full Article
VISION Bioenergy Oilseeds and ADAMA Collaborate to Expand Crop Protection Solutions for Camelina Growers
(ADAMA US/PR Newswire) Joint Development Agreement Set to Create New Crop Protection Solutions and Expand Registered Crop Protection Products for Camelina -- VISION Bioenergy Oilseeds (VISION), a US agricultural company driving the growth of Camelina as an essential feedstock for advanced renewable
November 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Urges Washington State to Clarify “Biofuels” Definition, Fully Embrace Bioethanol’s Emissions Benefits
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, today (November 1, 2023) urged regulators in Washington state to clarify their definition of “biofuels” under the state’s Cap-and-Invest program in a way that allows them to “maximize the use of
November 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Urges CARB to Follow the Science, Maintain Bioethanol’s Exemption from Cap-and-Trade Program
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, submitted comments today (October 26, 2023) to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as part of its effort to revise the state’s cap and trade regulations. Specifically, the comments called on
November 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Putting the ‘S’ into SAF
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Biofuels International) When the US Congress expanded the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2007, some ill-informed environmental advocates and ideological academics started sounding the alarm bell. They argued farmers could not possibly produce enough grain to
November 02, 2023 Read Full Article
Intelinair Selected as Partner for USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant
(Intelinair/Business Wire) Grant Focused on Advancing Camelina as Renewable Fuel Feedstock -- Intelinair announced that it has been selected to participate as a project partner in one of the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grants. Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. was awarded up to
October 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Needs Sustainable Agriculture, and SusAg Is Accelerating
by y Mike Sticklen (Lee Enterprise Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Corn-ethanol’s current average carbon intensity is 50 gCO2e/MJ ethanol which is one-half of gasoline carbon intensity of 100 gCO2e/MJ gasoline. The ethanol industry has committed to net-zero carbon intensity by 2040 and a
October 16, 2023 Read Full Article
Global Clean Energy Reports Largest Camelina Acreage Worldwide
(Global Clean Energy) Over 65,000 acres contracted in the U.S., South America, and Europe -- Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc. (OTCQB:GCEH) today announced that its subsidiaries Sustainable Oils, Inc. (North America) and Camelina Company (Europe and South America) worked with growers to contract a record
October 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Context Missing on This Vital Fuel
by Brian Werner and Gary Prescher (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association/ Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council/Minneapolis Star Tribune) The Oct. 2 commentary discussing the climate impacts of Minnesota agriculture included several misleading statements and cherry-picked science to assert that ethanol is not
October 04, 2023 Read Full Article
Camelina’s Hour Syngenta, Sustainable Oils Hook-up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Illinois comes news that Syngenta Seeds and Sustainable Oils have inked a deal to sell Camelina seed – an ultra-low carbon oilseed crop that can be used as feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel and renewable
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Are Biofuels Bad for the Environment?
by Charles H. Gessner, Neil Caskey, Suzy Friedman and Allen Schaeffer (New York Times) To the Editor: Re “A Climate Solution That’s Bad for the Climate,” by Michael Grunwald (Opinion guest essay, June 12): ... Michael Grunwald, not today’s farmers, seems mired in the “horse-and-buggy
June 26, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Hexas Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hexas Biomass is a biomaterials company focused on the production and use of sustainable plant-based materials to replace wood and petroleum-based feedstocks in multiple applications, including energy, chemicals, packaging, textiles, and structural/non-structural applications. CEO Wendy
June 20, 2023 Read Full Article
YIELD – A 5-Letter Word for EARTH MONTH
When you are talking ABOUT renewable FUELS, YIELD doesn’t just mean “to give way to an argument, demand or pressure.” It more OFTEN reflects how much renewable fuel product you make from feedstock and OTHER INPUTs. It MEANS how much
April 24, 2023 Read Full Article
The Road to Lumberton: TerraStar Energy and Emerging Fuels Technology Strike a Deal for Biomass-to-Fuels Scaled to Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... TerraStar Energy and Emerging Fuels Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to license EFT’s Fischer-Tropsch and Maxx Jet/Maxx Diesel proprietary technology to build a fleet of FLEXplants; small-scale, modular renewable diesel facilities. Small ball Recently the Due Diligence Wolfpack has been
April 18, 2023 Read Full Article
REenergize with Fluid Quip Technologies
by Jim Lane and Neal Jakel (Biofuels Digest) On Tuesday April 4th we continued our new online series aimed at bringing together projects, technologies, finance and thought-leaders for advanced refining and energy production along the booming US Gulf Coast. More
April 10, 2023 Read Full Article
Illinois Should Do More to Take Advantage of Affordable,Clean Energy through Ethanol
by Steffen Mueller (Chicago Sun-Times/Univesity of Illinois at Chicago) Using higher blends of ethanol is the kind of innovative solution we need now to address our energy and environmental challenges together. -- ... But one of the most promising, effective,
November 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Global Demand for Biofuel Offers Opportunity for Australia
by Sybilla Gross (Bloomberg/Business Times) Rising food costs spur debate on use of crops for energy; Demand for sustainable aviation fuel and diesel to surge -- Strong growth in global demand for renewable fuels offers a great opportunity for suppliers
November 18, 2022 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks for the Emerging Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of this project is to develop productive, cost-effective and sustainable warm-season perennial bioenergy feedstock production systems on marginal croplands across geographic locations in the Midwest. The University of Illinois (at Champaign-Urbana)’s D. K.
October 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Canola Sector Eyes More Acres as Yields Stall
by Sean Pratt (Western Producer Magazine) The Canola Council of Canada is encouraging acreage expansion in the brown soil zone of Saskatchewan. However, council president Jim Everson says that does not represent a pivot in the council’s strategy for growing the crop. “We
September 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Living Our Net-Zero Emissions Pledge
by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) The producer-members of the Renewable Fuels Association are hard at work implementing their pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner, an effort that perfectly aligns with commemorating today, September 21, as Zero
September 21, 2022 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 State of Advanced Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week on ABLC CONNECT, we looked at the world of Advanced ethanol – markets, players, technologies, policy. 2G ethanol, sugarcane, ethanol as an intermediate, and advanced yield opportunities. We were fortunate to be joined
September 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Speed-the-Leaf: RIPE’s Photosynthesis Breakthru Offers a 20% Increase in Crop Yield
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)... Some years ago, the RIPE team went down the rabbit hole of transforming photosynthesis,”harnessing the sun to help the feed the world,” on the noble theory that if plants are more efficient, we’ll have more
August 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel Industry Innovating in Production, Finding New Uses
by Aaron Viner (Iowa Farmer Today) ... To keep sustained demand, refineries are always looking for more ways to create more product and find more places to use it. In February, Oklahoma State University researcher Hasan Atiyeh received a patent for
August 12, 2022 Read Full Article
RFA Provides Input on Future of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
(Renewable Fuels Association) In comments filed with the California Air Resources Board today, the Renewable Fuels Association stressed that the next iteration of the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard must be technology-neutral and allow low-carbon renewable fuels to compete fairly as
August 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Sugar Output to Dip 1.4% in 2022-23 as Mills Will Divert Cane to Make More Ethanol: ISMA
by Deepa Jainani (Financial Express) India’s sugar production in 2022-23 season is likely to fall 1.4% from the current season despite an increase in acreage as mills are likely to divert more cane for ethanol production, industry body Indian Sugar
July 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Exploding Acreage
by Susanne Retka Schill (Biodiesel Magazine) Three developers take different approaches to filling the expected surge for demand in oilseeds with crops that promise low GHG scores. -- Remember the parable of the mustard seed? Developers of three oilseed crops—relatives
July 22, 2022 Read Full Article
‘Diesel Nut’ Development Brings Texas A&M AgriLife, Chevron Together
(AgriLife Today) Collaboration will utilize peanuts to potentially develop feedstock for lower-carbon fuel production -- Peanut oil powered the world’s first diesel engine when it was premiered by Rudolf Diesel at the World Exposition in Paris in 1900. Now, a
July 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Corn Can Provide Food and Fuel without Sacrificing Either
(Office of Representative Adrian Smith ( R-NE 3rd)) ... As consumers face steep increases in food and fuel costs, ethanol production must be part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy to lower costs. One common misconception is that utilizing corn for food
July 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Can Farms Produce to the Max and Still Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
by Kristen Mally Dean (Argonne National Laboratory) Decarbonizing agriculture is critical for the U.S. to reach net zero emissions by 2050. A new data-driven approach looks at practices that are good for the earth and profitable for farmers. -- The
June 27, 2022 Read Full Article
White House Should Move Beyond E15, Boost Biofuel’s Economic, Environmental, National Security and Public Health Benefits
(Solutions from the Land) ... Reports out of Washington indicate that EPA submitted to the White House late last month its proposal on biofuel mandates, calling for a retroactive reduction for years 2020 and 2021, then boosting it back up for
May 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Researchers Evaluate the Impact of the Renewable Fuels Standard on Biofuel Production
by Madelyn Ostendorf (Successful Farming) In a first-of-its kind study, researchers at Purdue University have illustrated the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the production of biofuels. Over the past 15 years, production and consumption of biofuels have increased in
April 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Possibility to Produce Ethanol on a Financially Competitive and Technically Efficient Basis: Fuel from Waste Wood
(Technical University of Munich) ... Producing fuel from renewable sources such as waste wood and straw or renewable electricity would be one way to reduce carbon emissions from the area of transportation. This is an area which is being addressed
March 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Artificial Intelligence Predicts Algae Potential as Alternative Energy Source
by Blair Fannin (Texas A&M University/AgriLife Today) Jet fuel, animal feed among potential products from algae -- Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are using artificial intelligence to set a new world record for producing algae as a reliable, economic source for
March 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Yield10 Bioscience Field Test Results Show Seed Oil Content Increase in Camelina and Canola
(Yield10) Increasing Oil Content in Oilseed Crops is Required to Meet the Projected Demand for Renewable Diesel -- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN) (“Yield10” or the “Company”), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced that 2021 field test results show that the trait
March 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Iowa Ethanol Leader, Farmer Says Fuel Production Is More Sustainable than Years Ago
by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) Modern technology and practices are helping produce more with fewer inputs, and it’s not just in the farm field. Dave Sovereign with Golden Grain Energy in Iowa says ethanol production practices have advanced dramatically since the
February 24, 2022 Read Full Article
The Next Big Step for Algae and Sustainable Aviation Fuels
by Rebecca White, Lieve Laurens, Nate Kommers (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Diges) Among the dozens of policy innovations that Congress must consider in climate change legislation is a tool that could help trigger the next stage in decarbonizing one of the most
February 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Setting the Record Straight on the Environmental Outcomes of the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) A new report published today (February 14, 2022) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation, purports to examine the “environmental outcomes” of the Renewable
February 15, 2022 Read Full Article
BASF and Innospec Collaborate to Bring Increased Value to Ethanol Producers
(BASF) The collaboration will introduce BASF as the distribution partner of DCI-11 Plus ClearTrak™ -- BASF Enzymes LLC and Innospec Fuel Specialities LLC have entered into a distribution agreement to increase the overall value to the customers and to show their
January 28, 2022 Read Full Article
Feedstocks and a Growing Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Industry
by Aimie Simpson (Brownfield Ag News) U.S. farmers are ready to meet demand for feedstocks in a growing biodiesel and renewable diesel industry. East Central Iowa farmer David Walton, a Clean Fuels Alliance America governing board member, says the industry is
January 21, 2022 Read Full Article
A Rebuttal to DeCicco: Use Locally Produced Renewable Energy
(Owatonna People's Press/Renewable Fuels Association) The author claims that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in the wake of 9/11. That is not true. The RFS was enacted after the petroleum industry was unsuccessful in getting Congress to protect the
January 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Two Birds with One Stone: A Combined Environmental and Economic Performance Assessment of Rapeseed-Based Biodiesel Production
by Xueqing Yang,Yang Liu, Alberto Bezama, Daniela Thrän (GCB-Bioenergy) Rapeseed is the dominant feedstock for biodiesel production in Germany; however, significant decline in crop yields observed during the 2018 drought in Europe poses economic and environmental risks for its sustained
December 30, 2021 Read Full Article
UK Offers Phase 2 Funds for Biomass Feedstock Innovation Program
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.K. government on Dec. 20 announced its now accepting applications for phase two funding under the Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Program. Entities that received phase one funding are eligible to apply. According to the U.K. government, new
December 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Più-Biogas App Project Could Help Increase Biogas Yields
(Bioenergy Insight) BTS Biogas has partnered with the University of Padua in Italy to develop a research project which aims to increase biogas yield by at least 10%. ... In the current production process, there are no efficient methods for the real-time
December 14, 2021 Read Full Article
1 Billion Gallons Per Year by 2030: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why they do what they do, what net-zero fuels really means, how agriculture and land management plays a role in carbon sequestration, how to track carbon across the business system, how they are working towards
December 13, 2021 Read Full Article
State of Advanced Biofuels & Biorefining
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Check out remarks from Jim Lane, Editor & Publisher of The Digest on rationale, forecast, the top news and storylines, feedstocks, genetics, crops, supply chain and more on the state of advanced biofuels and
November 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Are Sugar Beets the Answer for Scotland’s Biofuels, Net Zero Goals and Job Growth?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) It’s barely December yet but some are already having visions of sugar beets, not sugar plums, dancing in their heads, thanks to a new Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and Scottish Enterprise working on proposals
November 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Viridos Executes Agreement with ExxonMobil to Help Scale Algae Biofuels
(Viridos/Business Wire) Viridos low-carbon intensity biofuels may substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing a sustainable and scalable option to help reduce GHG emissions in heavy-duty transportation -- -Viridos Inc., previously Synthetic Genomics, a privately held biotechnology company harnessing the power of
November 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Are Leading the Way in Capturing Carbon | Commentary
by Dave Vander Griend (ICM/Wichita Eagle) ... Well, in the biofuels industry we have made great strides to not only reduce the carbon intensity of the products we grow and produce, but also to capture and repurpose any carbon we
November 12, 2021 Read Full Article
America’s Native Grasslands Are Disappearing
by Katharine Gammon (The Guardian) The Great Plains are being torn up at a ferocious rate – with frightening implications for biodiversity and carbon storage. -- ... (Patrick)Lendrum led a research team that released a report in September showing that from 2018
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Vertus Energy Raises $1.2m to Boost Biofuel Production
(Vertus Energy/Business Scoop) Climate tech startup Vertus Energy has raised $1.2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Icehouse Ventures with support from Outset Ventures, Startmate, and NOAB Ventures, to expand its green fuel production technology. Vertus Energy’s technology turbocharges the
October 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Dollars in the Dirt: Big Ag Pays Farmers for Control of their Soil-Bound Carbon
by Rod Nickel and Karl Plume (Reuters) The biggest global agriculture companies are competing on a new front: enticing farmers to join programs that keep atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide in the soil. Fertilizer producers Nutrien Ltd (NTR.TO) and Yara (YAR.OL), agribusiness giant Cargill Inc (CARG.UL), and
October 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Releases 2021 GREET Update
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center on Oct. 11 announced the 2021 release of the suite of GREET models, an analytical tool that stimulates the energy use and emissions output of vehicle and fuel combinations. Major
October 13, 2021 Read Full Article
More of the Fuel, Twice the Food: Microbiogen’s Yeast Breakthrough
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For years, it’s been ‘food vs fuel,” a claim that has plagued ethanol producers, that somehow producing fuel from crops would lead to less food production, and anti-ethanol forces painted pictures of mass starvation and land
August 04, 2021 Read Full Article
A Higher-Yield Fuel Catalyst
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a new catalyst for converting ethanol into C3+ olefins—the chemical building blocks for renewable jet fuel and diesel—that pushes the amount produced to a record-high 88%, a more than 10%
August 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Are Bacterial Probiotics a Game-Changer for the Biofuels Industry?
(Biofuels International) In a study recently published in Nature Communications, scientists from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability (DTU) and Yale University carried out research into how bacteria commonly found in sugarcane ethanol fermentation affects the industrial process. By closely
June 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Letter: Ethanol Checks All the Boxes
by Jan tenBensel (Nebraska Ethanol Board/Lincoln Journal/Star) Addressing Ron Todd-Meyer's Local View ("Change. It's what's for dinner," May 25), ethanol checks many boxes for environmental goals. While we wait for electric vehicles to become affordable and infrastructure to be built,
June 04, 2021 Read Full Article
What Has Productivity 4X as Dense as Corn?: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why algae? With biofuel yield 8-13 times larger than corn, well, why not! We took key slides from the 100+ slide deck from this year’s U.S. DOE BETO presentation on the latest goings ons with
May 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Switching to Switchgrass: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Next-Gen Feedstocks in Midwest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bioenergy switchgrass feedstock – can it be the next-generation feedstock we’ve been looking for in the Midwest? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is looking at perennial bioenergy feedstock production on marginal croplands across geographic locations in
May 19, 2021 Read Full Article
The Science Behind Ethanol’s Carbon Intensity, Land Use Change: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Corn Starch Ethanol’s Carbon Intensity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s the life cycle system for corn starch ethanol? What is the current best estimate for carbon intensity of corn ethanol? What about ethanol biorefinery energy use intensity and land use change carbon intensity? What
March 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Biochemical, Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining Process: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biomass Deconstruction
What does an ideal biomass deconstruction process need? Find out in this illuminating slide guide from Xiaowen Chen, Senior Chemical Engineer in the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-up Center at National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Also take a peek into NREL’s
February 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Canola Research Hub
(Canola Council of Canada) Research and innovation are two key factors that continue to drive the success of Canada’s canola industry. Knowledge transfer is required to extend research findings to growers, agronomists, the scientific community and other industry stakeholders, to initiate
February 01, 2021 Read Full Article
DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences - When ‘Best-of-Both’ Traits Shine
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, building on years of success with its high-yield, GA-expressing yeasts, is making the previously divergent characteristics of high yield and superior robustness—packaged together—a reality. “What we’ve seen in this industry
December 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Enzymatic Lignin Valorization: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sugar-based bioplastics and lignin-based foams and composites are making it possible to transform the huge amount of oil based materials and products in our lives to biobased products. MetGen is making it happen with zero
December 22, 2020 Read Full Article
What’s Kool about Kula Bio? Transforming the Economics and Sustainability of Soil, for Starters.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, let’s look at an alternative to carpet-bombing Midwestern corn fields with around 150 pounds per acre of nitrogen fertilizer, in hopes that the plants will take up about half of that, en route to a
December 22, 2020 Read Full Article
New Discovery Opens Novel Pathway for High-Titer Production of Drop-in Biofuels
(Aarhus University/EurekAlert!) Using an unusual, light-dependent enzyme and a newly discovered enzymatic mechanism, researchers from Aarhus University and MIT have enabled the biological synthesis of high-yield industry relevant production of climate neutral drop-in fuels from biowaste -- ... A special light-dependent
December 18, 2020 Read Full Article
New Bioenergy Enzyme Solution Harnesses the Untapped Potential of Corn
(Novozymes) Novozymes, the world leader in biological solutions, has expanded its portfolio of innovative enzyme solutions for the bioenergy industry with the launch of Fortiva Hemi. The unique new product brings novel enzymes to liquefaction that enable unmatched substrate conversion to
December 15, 2020 Read Full Article
TerraSync Algae Micro Cover Crop: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Accelergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Mark P. Allen, Vice President of Integrated Carbon Solutions at Accelergy, shared this illuminating slide guide on how Accelergy’s TerraSync is cost competitive, has soil health benefits, gobbles up CO2 better than any other
October 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Yield10 Bioscience Announces Completion of Harvesting for 2020 Field Test Program to Evaluate Novel Yield and Compositional Traits in Camelina and Canola
(Yield10 Bioscience) Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced it has completed the harvest for its 2020 Field Test Program for Camelina and canola trials conducted in the United States and Canada. Yield10’s 2020 Field Test Program is designed to evaluate several novel traits
October 05, 2020 Read Full Article
NREL's Catalysis Research Team Boosts Efficiency for the Production of High-Octane Gasoline and Jet Fuel from Biomass
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Techno-economic analysis leads to a market-responsive biorefinery concept -- ... THE CHALLENGE: REDUCE BIOMASS TO BIOFUEL CONVERSION COSTS -- ... The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass is hindered by high conversion costs, creating
September 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Frontiers in the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj’s Bio-Mobility, 2G Ethanol & Renewable Chem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital in July, Pramod Kumbhar, President and CTO at Praj Matrix’s R&D Center shared this illuminating slide guide on their Bio-Mobility platform, enfinity – Praj’s 2G ethanol technology, their latest work in marine
August 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Champions Biofuels in Comments to USDA
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) On July 24, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor submitted comments to the USDA in response to a request for input on the agency’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a new initiative to promote conservation and boost productivity in American agriculture. In her comments, Skor
July 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Sime Darby Plantation Publishes Its Oil Palm Genome to Support the Company’s Ambition for a Deforestation-Free Industry
(Sime Darby) Publication of the research is to enable other researchers to accelerate their ability to increase oil palm yield. Over 10 years of research and RM150 million of investment in R&D has resulted in a much more detailed genome
July 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Potential Feedstocks, Biofuel Markets, Corn and Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)The Biomass Research and Development Board published a report that looks at how to address the constraints surrounding availability of biomass feedstocks for biofuels. Four questions guide the analysis: What feedstocks and at what price? What
July 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Save the Rainforests, Use Degraded Land AND Produce Fuel and Food? Soleá Looks at How Macaúba Could Solve Many Problems
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Macaúba is known for its high productivity and adaptability to the most adverse climate conditions and even better, the fruit’s shell, pulp, endocarp, and almond can be converted into a range of food
June 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Without Advanced Renewable Fuels, EU Will Not Meet Climate Objectives
(Advance Fuel) Long-term policy support is crucial to the market rollout of RESfuels to remedy transport’s reliance on fossil fuels, leading European research institutes confirm. -- Transport makes up one-quarter of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe and is
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly
by Julie Chao (Joint BioEnergy Institute) Farmers have enough worries – between bad weather, rising costs, and shifting market demands – without having to stress about the carbon footprint of their operations. But now a new set of projects by scientists at
June 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Excess Capacity, Export Competition Will Force U.S. Ethanol Industry to Transform
(CoBank/Associated Press) Excess production capacity and reduced demand will force the U.S. ethanol industry to transform its business model to create more value and improve its operational efficiency. Consolidation within the industry will lead to larger, more financially stable companies with
June 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Climate Mitigation Potential of Agricultural Conservation Practices Is Significant!
(Solutions from the Land) A blog posted on the World Resources Institute (WRI) website last month dismissed the potential for regenerative agriculture and related systems to contribute to large-scale emissions reduction and carbon dioxide (CO2) removal - cuts that will
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
More Dope, Rope, Soap: an Upward Slope in Camelina, Hemp, Cannabis, Soybeans for Food, Fuels, Feed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Benson Hill, Yield10 and Marrone Bio are in the news this week with advances in their crop technologies aimed at yield improvement and nutritional composition. Yield continues to be the motherlode when it comes to agricultural
June 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels are Catalyst to Successful Agriculture: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to POET’s Biofuels and Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET shared this visual slide guide at last week’s DigestConnect webinar, highlighting today’s agricultural landscape, U.S. corn acreage and yield and production countries, showing where America’s corn goes, noting how biofuels are critical for successful
June 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel’s Contribution to the Modern Food System
by Don Scott (Biodiesel Sustainability Now/National Biodiesel Board/Medium.com) ... Biodiesel was developed in the U.S. as a beneficial use for the excess fats and oils created as co-products or byproducts of protein production. Biodiesel uses excess fats and oils from
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Positive Results Achieved from NREL's Use of Industry-Relevant Ozone Treatment to Deconstruct Biomass
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Achieves high sugar yields with low enzyme loadings; Deconstructing Biomass with a Common Pulp and Paper Industry Method -- Ozone treatment (aka "ozonolysis") of lignocellulose pulp is a widely practiced method for
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Amid Oil Price Crash, a New Hope for Biofuels
by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) ... (T)there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of biofuels, as the field continues to evolve remarkably from where it was a decade ago. ... Rather than letting the rest of the plant go to waste, the
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Zounds, 40% More Algae! Leading Paradoxically to the Big Feedstock Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new technology that produces a doubling of overall biomass in algae and 40 percent in camelina has appeared on the horizon, and I’d like to draw your attention to this work in The Plant Journal and this
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Tapping into Technology to Improve Palm Oil Yields
(Biofuels International) Malaysian palm oil producers have been urged to use technology to improve yield as the industry wrestles with concerns about sustainability, the chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) revealed. Malaysia, the world’s second biggest palm oil producer,
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Potential Feedstocks, Biofuel Markets, Corn and Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Biomass Research and Development Board published a report that looks at how to address the constraints surrounding availability of biomass feedstocks for biofuels. Four questions guide the analysis: What feedstocks and at what price? What is the
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Boom: ZeaKal Boosts Soybean Oil Output by 18%, Protein up 3%, No Drop in Yield
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... ZeaKal, which announced that its multiyear field trials of its PhotoSeed technology – and their soybeans increased the per acre production of oil and protein by 18 percent and three percent respectively without any penalty
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
OSU Receives $3.1 Million Research Grant to Improve Sorghum Data and Savings
(Oklahoma State University) Forage sorghum is being grown in Chickasha as part of the bio-energy research center work on using sorghum in the production of Cellulosic ethanol. Oklahoma received a $3.1 million grant to improve field-level data collection. -- A recent
February 19, 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
DOE Project at U of I Will Measure Bioenergy Crop Carbon Emissions
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $3.3 million grant to a multidisciplinary research team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to develop a precise system for measuring
January 27, 2020 Read Full Article
New Study Finds ‘Insignificant’ Link between US Biofuel Policy and Deforestation in Southeast Asia
(Biofuels International) A new study carried out by economic modelling experts from Purdue University in the US has found the impacts of US biofuel policy on deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia to be insignificant. The study, titled ‘US Biofuel Production and
January 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Smile! It’s PhotoSeed! Traited Genetics that Improve Photosynthesis and Seeds: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Maximizing Anaerobic Digester Output
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Imagine technology that is applicable across several crops that can enhance yield and improve seed composition including soybean and canola. No need to imagine as ZeaKal shared at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco with this
January 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Researchers Double Sorghum Grain Yield to Improve Food Supply
by Charlotte Hu (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory/Phys.org) Plant scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), in their search for solutions to global food production challenges, have doubled the amount of grains that a sorghum
November 07, 2019 Read Full Article
New Evidence on the Environmental Benefits of Biofuels
by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy report highlights ethanol's environmental benefits as EPA contemplates RFS reset. -- ... Right now, the agency is also crafting a rule that will set new goal posts for renewable energy in
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: U.S. Biofuels Help Drive Environmental Progress
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report examining the potential impact of a growing role for U.S. biofuels in America’s clean energy future. The report was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Increase Value, Reduce Costs: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)Advanced Algal Systems. Maybe you’ve heard of it but did you know that technologies are being developed as part of a DOE program to enable production of sustainable algal feedstocks that perform reliably in conversion processes
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Pick up the PACE: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae for Coproducts and Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) PACE – Producing Algae for Coproducts and Energy, has several project goals including increasing algal biomass productivity to >25 grams dry weight per meter squared per day using robust engineered algal strains to reduce costs. So
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Alcohol School: Innovations in Ethanol
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Delivering the last presentation of the day for The Alcohol School Sept. 12, Scott Kohl, chief technology officer for Franzenburg, discussed several innovations in ethanol production. Yield, amylase formulations, fiber separation, coproduct fractionation, accelerated fermentation,
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Come on, Camelina: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Camelina’s Potential Yield
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Camelina is one of those fascinating feedstocks but often the yields aren’t high enough to be profitable for farmers. That’s a problem Kristi Snell from Yield10 Bioscience is tackling by developing a camelina feedstock with
September 11, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algal Biomass Yield Improvements
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations is working on a trifecta of goals: 1) to develop improved strains and cultivation methods to increase the algal biofuel intermediate yield by at least 70% AND 2) to develop new drying and
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $64 Million for Research on Plants and Microbes: Genomics-Based Research Will Help Develop Crops for Bioenergy
(U.S. Department of Energy) oday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $64 million in funding for 25 university-led genomics research projects on plants and microbes for bioenergy and bioproducts. The plant research—12 projects totaling $29 million over three years—focuses on expanding knowledge of
August 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Scientists Identify Protein Factors Increasing Yield of a Biofuel Precursor in Microscopic Algae
(Tokyo Tech News) Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kyoto University, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, and Tohoku University have identified a protein, Lipid Remodeling reguLator 1 (LRL1), in microscopic algae that is involved in the production of triacylglycerol, a biofuel
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Generation Start-up: UAE's Homegrown Biofuels Firm to Expand to India and Bahrain
(The National Business) Neutral Fuels powers the entirety of McDonald's fleet in the emirates -- ... Mr (Karl) Feilder is behind the UAE’s first homegrown initiative to turn waste cooking oil into biofuel, on which the entirety of the country’s fleet of
July 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Demise of the Diva: The New Organisms Are Workhorses Not Show Ponies, but They Do the Most Amazing Tricks.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... What we would like to train our focus on is two-fold, the advances in systems biology — elsewhere, you’ve heard it described as synthetic biology, but it’s really all a part of systems biology, which
June 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Lallemand’s Biofuels Division Surpasses Ethanol Production Milestone
(Biofuels International) Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS), part of Lallemand, has announced that the company’s TransFerm platform has surpassed over 25 billion gallons of ethanol production. The TransFerm platform comprises yeast strains that produce glucoamylase within fermentation, which reduces the need
June 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Strategy for Growth: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Pacific Ethanol. Pacific Ethanol was originally founded in 2003 as the first
May 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Mobilizing for a Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to SEforALL and below50
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable Energy for All was created to drive the energy transition, particularly in developing countries. below50 is a global campaign that brings together companies and organizations who commit to growing the global market for the world’s
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
Bolivia Allows Planting of GM Soy to Make Biodiesel
(Los Angeles Times) Soy producers in eastern Bolivia's Santa Cruz region welcome the government's decision to allow cultivation of genetically modified soy, albeit only for the purpose of producing biodiesel. President Evo Morales ' administration, which has been skeptical about GM
March 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Potential Trade‐Offs of Employing Perennial Biomass Crops for the Bioeconomy in the EU by 2050: Impacts on Agricultural Markets in the EU and the World
(ResearchGate) Perennial biomass crops (PBC) are considered a crucial feedstock for sustainable biomass supply to the bioeconomy that compete less with food production compared to traditional crops. However, large‐scale development of PBC as a means to reach greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Empirical Evidence Suggests Negligible Indirect Land Use Effect of Corn Ethanol in the U.S.
(Agriculture & Applied Ecoomics Association/CISION/PR Web) AAEA Members release research that finds corn ethanol production and crop price changes had negligible impact on cropland -- Since 2007 corn ethanol production has doubled and there was also a sharp upturn in corn prices
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Quest Fulfilled? Holy Grail Found? 40% Crop Yield Increase Really Possible?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... (S)cientists in Illinois may have just gotten incredibly close to finding the treasure that any crop producer has been searching for. In field testing across two different growing seasons, they showed >25% increase
January 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Advancements in Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Give Biofuels a Boost
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National laboratory researchers demonstrate improvements in bio-oil yield through catalyst and process development. -- Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have identified an approach to improve
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol and DDGS: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to D3MAX
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) D3MAX is a corn fiber-to-ethanol technology provider. Mark Yancey, D3MAX’s CTO, gave this illuminating overview of the technology and process behind the cellulosic ethanol and high protein DDGS from corn kernel fiber with D3MAX at ABLC Global
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy Markets and Predictions for 2019
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2019? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2018 gives way
January 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Production Has Minimal Effect on Cropland Use, Study Shows
by Madhu Khanna (Farms.com) Ethanol production has increased sharply in the United States in the past 10 years, leading to concerns about the expansion of demand for corn resulting in conversion of non-cropland to crop production and the environmental effects of
December 28, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study Shows that Corn Acreage and Total Crop Acreage Are Not Very Responsive to Local Ethanol Production and Crop Prices
by Ruiqing Miao, Yijia Li and Madhu Khanna (FarmDocDaily) Land-use change is in the forefront of human-nature interaction and is the nexus of food security, farm economy, greenhouse gas emission, and ecosystem services. How the development of corn-based biofuel affects land-use change, particularly
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels Lead Efforts to Protect the Climate
by Craig Willis (EurActiv/Growth Energy) With every passing year, the pathway to a stable climate gets narrower and more difficult to navigate. Meanwhile, the reports from our planet’s top scientists paint an increasingly grim picture of what to expect if the
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
To Fulfill Biofuels’ Promise, Scientists Boost Plant Oils with Gene Editing
by Cici Zhang (Chemical and Engineering News) Increasing the fatty acids in crops’ seeds, leaves, and stems could make biofuels more economically viable -- ... Plant scientist Heike Sederoff of North Carolina State University, however, is very familiar with the oils
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Enogen® Corn from Syngenta Combined with SMT™ and FST™ Technologies from ICM Help to Provide Added Value to Ethanol Production at Minnesota Plant
(Syngenta) Significant reduction in corn mash viscosity seen to add significant value at Minnesota-based Corn Plus dry grind ethanol facility; Breakthroughs in viscosity reduction directly contribute to increased throughput and yield; SMT and FST are two of ICM’s value-added, patented technology platforms READ
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Part of the Answer to Climate Change May Be America’s Trees and Dirt, Scientists Say
by Brad Plumer (New York Times) ... A new study published on Wednesday, however, found that better management of forests, grasslands and soils in the United States could offset as much as 21 percent of the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. At
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Seed Yield, Oil Content: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Yield10 Bioscience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Designing a More Productive Corn Able to Cope with Future Climates
(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) An international research team has found they can increase corn productivity by targeting the enzyme in charge of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In a report published in the journal Nature Plants, researchers note that corn
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Boosting Crop Yields
(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have engineered tiny carbon-capturing engines from blue-green algae into plants, in an innovation that can help boost the yields of important food crops such as wheat, cowpeas and cassava. READ MORE/WATCH
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Sustainable Intensification: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to More Biomass for Bioenergy without Imposing iLUC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in combination with biorefinery processing can produce more biomass for bioenergy without imposing iLUC. That’s the topic of this illuminating overview from Poul Erik Laerke and Uffe Jørgensen of Aarhus University
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
New Algae/Fungi Biofuels System, Breakthru on Sugar Yields, Biodegradable Clothes, Beyond Burger’s monster GHG Benefit, Indigo Ag’s $250M, Robotic Precision Harvest: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of October 3rd
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. In today’s Digest, a new algae/fungi biofuels system, breakthru on sugar yields, biodegradable clothes, Beyond Burger’s monster GHG benefit revealed, Indigo Ag raises $250M, robotic
October 02, 2018 Read Full Article
NUI Galway Scientists Identify Genetic Plant Breeding Strategies to Develop Better Sugar Beet Varieties
(NUI Galway) Plant biotechnologists from the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway have identified genetic breeding strategies to develop bigger and better sugar beet. Sustainable intensification of agriculture to meet rapidly growing global demand for food and non-food products produced by
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
We Can Feed the World if We Change Our Ways
(Lancaster University) Current crop yields could provide nutritious food for the projected 2050 global population, but only if we make radical changes to our dietary choices, a new study shows. Researchers from Lancaster University have analysed global and regional food supplies to
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
“There’s No Place Like Home” Grown Sorghum
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Sorghum sights are set high with EPA approval and recent genetic improvements -- ... U.S. EPA opened up pathways for sorghum oil to become renewable fuels. ... Sorghum is a grass grown in many places and regions around