Major Stories
Quest fulfilled? Holy Grail found? 40% crop yield increase really possible?
Regardless of your age, you’ve probably heard of the search for the Holy Grail, or at the very least watched Monty Python’s movie, “Holy Grail.” And while everyone is probably searching for their own holy grail, scientists in Illinois may have just gotten incredibly close to finding the treasure that any crop producer has been […]
Hot 50 Nominations 2019 now open!
Out of thousands of eligible organizations, who will make the Hot 50– who will get your vote? Expanded voting options via Twitter – special Photo voting In Florida, The Digest announced the official opening of nominations for the 50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy for 2019. Nominate companies here. Voting Rules Voting will […]
Porsche hemp race car, cigarette butt bricks, biobased boo-boo bandages, flax phone cases, bursting balloon bubbles, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of January 16th
The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of January 16th. In today’s Digest, Porsche hemp race car, cigarette butt bricks, biobased boo-boo bandages, flax phone cases, bursting balloon bubbles — these and more, ready for you now at The Digest online. #1 […]
Carbon, concrete, cotton – BASF has it covered
In Germany, BASF is off to a roaring start with its pursuit of ambitious goals and announcements of new innovations. They launched four groundbreaking projects for CO2-reduced future production processes. They advanced five new cottonseed varieties, including dicamba-tolerant varieties for enhanced weed control. They presented novel high-performance insulation in their first carbon concrete composite facade […]
Don’t Mess with my Toot Toot: The Zydeco of Xyleco
Some 35 years ago, Rockin’ Sidney burst out into the music charts with an upbeat, cryptic, fast-tempo‘d hit called Don’t Mess with My Toot Toot, that represented perhaps the last appearance of a accordion carrying hr lead melody in a hit song, and had music fans all the world over trying to figure out a […]
8-Slide Guides
Wood Pellets – Beyond Heat and Power: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy
IEA Bioenergy’s Task 40 has been looking to clarify where wood pellets could play a role in the (longer-term) future. Uwe R. Fritsche and others from IEA Bioenergy gave this illuminating presentation on future markets for long-term viable wood pellet supply chains in a carbon-constrained world at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and […]
Wet Mill to Dry Mill: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to FQPT
Fluid Quip Process Technologies provides fully integrated custom technologies and services to dry-grind ethanol and biochemical industries which include full plant design, process optimization studies, yield improvement technologies, new co-product technologies, and turnkey capital projects. Neal Jakel of FQPT gave this illuminating overview of moving from wet mill to dry mill diversification model, and more […]
Advanced Biofuels Cost Reduction: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to IEA Bioenergy
IEA Bioenergy is looking at how advanced biofuels could be more affordable and what sort of policy support might be needed? Adam Brown from IEA Bioenergy gave this illuminating overview of the potential for cost reduction for advanced biofuels at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready for you now at The […]
Biomass Biocrude: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ensyn
Ensyn produces a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues using its proprietary thermal technology. Dr. Robert G. Graham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ensyn gave this illuminating overview of their growth in RFO, advancement in refinery co-processing, and start-up of a new 10 million gallon/year production facility in Quebec at ABLC Global 2018 in San […]
EU Bioeconomy Survey: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 42
IEA Bioenergy 42 conducted a bio-economy survey using an online system to collect data, analysis of bioeconomy economics and policy data with interactive visualization, and a biorefineries database. Vincenzo Motola, Alessandro Giocoli, Nicola Pierro, and Isabella De Bari from IEA Bioenergy Task 42 gave this illuminating overview of the bio-economy survey that was conducted in […]
The Latest World News
ICM to implement technology solutions at Brazilian corn-based ethanol plant
In Kansas, ICM Inc. has announced an agreement with Usimat Destilaria de Alcool Ltda (Usimat) to implement ICM’s proprietary technologies at Usimat’s plant located in Campo de Julio, Mato Grasso, in Brazil. ICM will provide Usimat with a process improvement package, and a distillation, dehydration and evaporation (DD&E) package. The complete ICM DD&E system is […]
Pakistan ethanol exports jumped to $425 million in revenues in 2018
In Pakistan, the Dawn newspaper reports that ethanol exports soared last year to 653,443 metric tons compared to 572,056 tons in 2017. The average price for the ethanol exported was $650 per ton, brining receipts for 2018 to around $425 million. Currently there are 18 distilleries producing anhydrous ethanol, ENA and industrial ethanol. In the […]
Benefuel secures land for Sarnia biodiesel plant
In Canada, Benefuel has secured land in Sarnia to site its proposed 75 million liter per year waste-based biodiesel plant after receiving funding late last year from Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, which is also based in Sarnia. While developing the Sarnia facility, the company is also looking to develop one double the production capacity in British […]
Animal feed compounders choosing soymeal over expensive DDGS
In Illinois, Reuters reports that animal feed markets are looking to cheaper soy meal rather than DDGS because of shifts in prices resulting from the ongoing trade war with China. Without Chinese buying ethanol, ethanol demand has dropped and production is starting to fall in turn, reducing the availability of DDGS and raising prices. On […]
New York Harbor margins fall after easing of rail embargo
In New York, Platts reports that after CSX railroad eased its embargo on rail traffic into the New York area, premiums for New York Harbor ethanol over Chicago Argo have begun to fall. The premium was quoted at 15.25 cents/gal last Friday compared to 19 cents the end of December. When the embargo was eased […]
R&D News
Louisiana State University researchers identify different internal structure of corn than previously thought
In Louisiana, new research on the U.S.’s most economically important agricultural plant — corn — has revealed a different internal structure of the plant than previously thought, which can help optimize how corn is converted into ethanol. Researchers at Louisiana State University are the first to investigate an intact corn plant stalk at the atomic […]
Structure and function of photosynthetic protein explained
In Germany, an international research team has elucidated the structure and mode of action of the photosynthetic complex I. The membrane protein complex plays an important role in the electron transport processes in photosynthesis. “The results close one of the last major knowledge gaps in the understanding of the photosynthetic electron transport pathways,” said the […]
Penn State researcher makes corn gene discovering following 20 years of trials
In Pennsylvania, in discovering a mutant gene that “turns on” another gene responsible for the red pigments sometimes seen in corn, researchers solved an almost six-decades-old mystery with a finding that may have implications for plant breeding in the future. The culmination of more than 20 years of work, the effort started when, in 1997, […]
Indian researchers develop zeolite catalyst to speed up furfural production from waste
In India, researchers from the National Chemical Laboratory have developed a new zeolite catalyst that can speed up the production of furfural from agricultural waste biomass without having to pass through traditional intermediate steps that are time consuming and costly. Ethyl levulinate which is produced from furfural is a key product of biorefineries, so finding […]
Great Lakes Bioenergy researchers analyze metabolic activity within a bioreactor
In Wisconsin, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, recently published a paper in the journal mSystems in which they analyzed the makeup and metabolic activity of a mixed microbial community within a bioreactor. By doing so, they’re edging closer toward engineering such a community to optimally generate particular products—an outcome that would boost […]
Policy & Policymakers
Court of Appeals rules in favor of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
In California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decisive ruling upholding California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard – the state’s landmark program to reduce climate pollution from the fuel used in cars and trucks. The court sided with California on all issues in the case, dismissed challenges to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard on […]
RFA Asks EPA to Separate Year-Round E15 Provisions from RIN Reform Measures
In Washington, D.C., with the government shutdown threatening to further delay approval of year-round sales of E15 (gasoline containing 15% ethanol), the Renewable Fuels Association is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to focus strictly on year-round E15 provisions in its forthcoming proposed rule and address RIN reform measures in a separate action. President Trump announced […]
Malaysia looks to double biodiesel blending to 20% by 2020
In Malaysia, despite the several years of delays to get to 10% biodiesel blending from 7%, a shift that will be implemented in February, Reuters reports that the government is seriously looking at doubling the mandate to 20% as soon as 2020. The move should help to reduce palm oil stockpiles that are overhanging the […]
EPA administrator nominee tells Senate E15 will be in play for summer driving season
In Washington, Reuters reports that the acting administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency told his Senate confirmation hearing that he still expects year-round E15 to be in place by the summer driving season that kicks off in June despite the ongoing government shutdown causing delays to rulemaking. The rule was expected to be released in […]
RFA launches E15 awareness campaign ahead of year-round blending
In Washington, with less than five months before the start of the summer driving season, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has launched an awareness campaign to educate consumers and policymakers about the benefits of E15 (a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol) in anticipation of the blend being available year-round. The campaign kicked off this week […]
Other Recent Articles
India set to implement 15% methanol blending policy
In India, the transportation minister announced a national 15% methanol blending policy last week following an ongoing research project measuring air quality around the greater New Delhi region when M15 was used. The project has tested air quality after driving 3,000 kilometers on the fuel. The ministry will fund a center of excellence on methanol […]
World Energy and Valero Lead Rebound in Biofuels M&A: 2018 Review
by Bruce Comer, Founder and Managing Director, Ocean Park Special to The Digest Convergence reigns as the North American biofuels industry witnesses a resurgence in mergers and acquisitions, including exceptionally large deals Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in biofuels picked up considerably in 2018 after a slowdown in 2017, and by historic standards, the deals […]
Largest volume in 6 weeks for ethanol production
In Washington, D.C., ethanol production pressed 5.1% higher to the largest volume in 6 weeks at an average of 1.051 million barrels per day (b/d)—or 44.14 million gallons daily, according to government data released and analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. The four-week average for ethanol production rose fractionally at 1.026 million b/d for an […]
EU imports of US soybeans doubled
In Germany, UFOP reports that following China’s ban on U.S. soybeans, the U.S. has been in need of new buyers. The EU-28 benefits from this situation as its imports of US soybeans have multiplied. The EU-28 has always depended on oilseed imports from third countries, because EU demand exceeds EU production by around 30 per […]
Finance series on biofuels and biochemical sectors
In Iowa, Lee Enterprises Consulting completed a series on due diligence within the biofuels and biochemical sectors. The 12-part series on “Bioeconomy Project Financing & Due Diligence” was published in 2018 by several members of the Lee Enterprises group. The topics include an Introduction to Bioeconomy Project Financing & Due Diligence, Expanded Technology Readiness Level […]
Gevo and Avfuel supply biojet fuel for Van Nuys Airport event
In Colorado, Gevo, Inc. supplied its sustainable and renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel to Avfuel Corporation for use at the Business Jets Fuel Green: A Step Toward Sustainability event on January 17th at the Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Southern California. This event is a first of a kind in the general and business aviation sector marking […]
