Major Stories
Indonesia halts all new palm oil plantations for 3 years
Like a big red stop sign in your face, the palm oil debate seems to be unyielding. It’s in newspapers, in documentaries like Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood movie, even dinner table conversations as families and friends munch on chocolate desserts made with palm oil. The battle continues between the European Union and its anti-palm […]
biosteel for airplanes, chemicals from sunlight, water and CO2, automated tractors, cloud biology, biodegradable straws: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of September 21st
The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the changes. Here are the top innovations for the week […]
Looking deeper into Clariant cellulosic technology: Part 2 of 2, a visit to Craiova, Romania and first commercial groundbreaking
Clariant launches flagship sunliquid plant in Romania as the EU bids to decarbonize transport In Romania, Clariant officially started construction of the first large-scale commercial sunliquid plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol made from agricultural residues. The project represents the biggest industrial commitment by an international corporation in this region. At full capacity, the […]
Looking deeper into Clariant cellulosic technology: Part 1 of 2, a visit to Straubing, Germany and an integrated pilot plant
When you first encounter the Clariant cellulosic ethanol technology, your nose tells you that you haven’t seen anything quite like this before. An ethanol plant smells like a Corn Flakes factory, you see — warm, toasty corn scent that’s pleasant and distinctive, but cellulosic ethanol project typically had a harsher smell when you first enter […]
Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy complete longest transatlantic biojet flight
Carinata is proving that it is a feedstock to be reckoned with, a compelling catalyst for change, with the latest news that Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy came together for the longest rransatlantic biojet flight yet. Lots of biofuel flights have been happening over the last few years, so why is this one different? […]
8-Slide Guides
Thermal Gasification of Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to TGoB in Switzerland
IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Martin Rüedsegger gave this illuminating overview of the progress and promise of thermal gasification of biomass in the United States at an IEA Bioenergy Task 33 meeting.
Thermal Gasification of Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to TGoB in Norway
IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Judit Sandquist gave this illuminating overview of the progress and promise of thermal gasification of biomass in the United States at an IEA Bioenergy Task 33 meeting.
Thermal Gasification of Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to TGoB in the United States
IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Kevin Whitty gave this illuminating overview of the progress and promise of thermal gasification of biomass in the United States at an IEA Bioenergy Task 33 meeting.
Circular biobased economy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Biobased Delta
In a biobased economy renewable raw materials take over the role of fossil raw materials, such as oil. This is extremely important in order to reduce the carbon footprint which has a positive influence on climate change. The south-western Netherlands region is rich in agrofood, horticulture and chemical companies. They can tap into new markets […]
Industrially important molecules: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Constructive Biology
Berkeley legend Jay Keasling gave this illuminating overview of the promise and progress of a new company in the Keasling universe, Constructive Biology.
The Latest World News
Valmet to deliver world’s first BioTrac system for black pellet production
In France, Valmet agreed with FICAP on the delivery of the world’s first continuous steam explosion system, BioTrac, for production of black pellets. The pellet plant will produce both white and black pellets and has an annual capacity of 120 000 ton/year of pellets. The black pellets produced will be used mainly by district heating […]
New biogas plants using kitchen waste to power temple meals
In India, new biogas plants in all the gurudwara complexes in Delhi will be operational by October, thanks to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee which is setting them up and using kitchen waste and food waste as a feedstock for the biogas plants. “The committee had been facing various issues in waste management, but […]
Biofuel use being considered in bunkering sector as IMO 2020 standards near
In the United Kingdom, S&P Global Platts reports that some market participants have been promoting the blending of biofuels as a way of reducing emissions in preparation for the International Maritime Organization’s tighter sulfur emission standards, but actual uptake is slow. Installing scrubbers to collect excess sulfur from traditional marine fuel is one way to […]
Kraig Biocraft accelerates development of spider silk fibers from a day to minutes
In Michigan, Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a leading developer of spider silk based fibers implemented two major advancements in the development of next generation recombinant spider silk fibers. These advancements are the result of new equipment and recently employed protocols at their R&D headquarters in Michigan. These new approaches build on the existing protocols, but […]
German rapeseed oil export shrinks
In Germany, UFOP reports that German exports of rapeseed oil in the 2017/18 marketing year fell short of the previous year’s record level. Above all, some EU member states purchased considerably less rapeseed oil. According to figures published by the German Federal Statistical Office, German exports of rapeseed oil declined for the first time in […]
R&D News
Pre-winter switchgrass harvest produces better ethanol yields
In Michigan, researchers from Michigan Technological University, University of Tennessee, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Michigan State University are looking at Wisconsin switchgrass to better understand the costs and benefits to harvesting at various points in the season. Comparing data from samples collected every two to three weeks from the switchgrass fields against biofuel yield data […]
Kew Gardens researchers discover fungi that can break down plastic in weeks
In the UK, the Telegraph reports that Kew Gardens researchers and an international team from 18 countries have discovered Aspergillus tubingensis can break down plastic in weeks rather than decades using its mycelia. The fungi was found in a Pakistani trash dump by Chinese scientists last year. The discovery was part of a larger publication […]
UofI researchers lead $5 million switchgrass study
In Illinois, a University of Illinois crop scientist will lead a team of researchers on a five-year study of new crops that could contribute to the production of affordable, sustainable sources for market-ready fuels and other valuable products. They were awarded $5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a study titled “Next-Generation […]
EPFL researchers develop chemical method to stabilize simple cellulosic sugars
In Switzerland, EPFL researchers have developed a chemical method that stabilizes simple sugars and prevents them from being degraded. This method could mean that chemists no longer have to balance deconstruction of the plant with avoiding degradation of the product. The new method changes the chemical susceptibility of the sugars to dehydration and degradation by […]
Researchers develop mechanism to protect enzymes from oxygen
In Germany, an international team of researchers has developed a new mechanism to protect enzymes from oxygen as biocatalysts in fuel cells. The enzymes, known as hydrogenases, are just as efficient as precious metal catalysts, but unstable when they come into contact with oxygen. They are therefore not yet suitable for technological applications. The new […]
Policy & Policymakers
State government taking deductions from staff salaries to pay for biofuel cookers
In Nigeria, the state governor for Cross River, Ben Ayade, is requiring a salary deduction of every civil and public servant in the state for the purchase of biofuel cookers and lamps, which staff are not happy about. This comes after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Alvila Technologies Limited, supposedly a close associate of […]
EPA releases hardship waivers data showing 29 refineries were granted 13.62 billion gallons of exemptions in 2017
In Washington, Reuters reports that the Environmental Protection Agency finally released data regarding small refinery hardship waivers, saying that 29 refineries were granted waivers from RIN compliance in 2017 compared to 19 in 2016 and just seven the year before. A total of 13.62 billion gallons of ethanol were exempted in 2017 as a result […]
Malaysia planning B10 white paper by year’s end
In Malaysia, the Bernama news agency reports that the industries ministry will at last put forward a white paper by the end of this year looking at the switch to B10. The country has run up against resistance from truckers and engine manufacturers who say higher blends will damage vehicles but the government is looking […]
India fines 18 mills and two associations more than $5 million for ethanol bid fixing
In India, the Press Trust of India reports that the country’s antitrust watchdog CCI has fined 18 sugar mills as well as the Indian Sugar Mills Association and Ethanol Manufacturers Association of India more than $5 million for rigging bids in ethanol tenders held by national oil companies in 2013. The penalties were calculated based […]
US Court of Appeals votes in favor Oregon’s Clean Fuels program against oil industry attack
In Oregon, Platts reports that the state’s Clean Fuels program had its day in court against the oil industry and won when the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit decided the law discriminates against fuels with high greenhouse gas emissions, not the state of origin as the coalition of truckers and oil industry […]
Other Recent Articles
Ethanol production gets small boost, but still at 2nd lowest volume in 10 weeks
In Washington, D.C., ethanol production averaged 1.051 million barrels per day (b/d)—or 44.11 million gallons daily, according to government data released and analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. While the 31,000 b/d increase in production was a 3.0% boost over the prior week, ethanol output remains at the second-lowest volume in 10 weeks. The four-week […]
Virgin Atlantic to fly 747 from Orlando to London on LanzaTech fuel in October
In the UK, Virgin Atlantic announced that its partnership with LanzaTech will finally come to fruition in October when a Boeing 747 will fly from Orlando to London Gatwick partially fueled with LanzaTech’s aviation biofuel. Richard Branson’s announcement on his blog didn’t indicate what percentage of the fuel will be biofuel but did say it […]
GoodFuels Marine completes world’s first bunker delivery using blockchain
In the Netherlands, GoodFuels Marine and blockchain technology and governance experts Blockchain Labs for Open Collaboration (BLOC) have successfully completed the world’s first bunker delivery and transaction using blockchain technology. The delivery, made to a Samskip vessel via a REINPLUS FIWADO Bunker barge in Rotterdam on September 7th, represents a landmark moment for the shipping […]
US associations submit comments to UK urging adoption of E10
In the UK, earlier this week, Growth Energy, the U.S. Grains Council, and the Renewable Fuels Association jointly submitted comments to the United Kingdom’s (UK) Department of Transport as it considers implementing a nationwide E10 ethanol blend. The comments, submitted on Sept. 16, highlight the proven benefits of ethanol for fuel and draw on the […]
Indonesian palm oil production hits four-year high in August
In Indonesia, Reuters reports that while Indonesia looks to absorb more palm oil through its B20 blending mandate, its production continues to grow. August saw production hit a four-year high at more than 4 million metric tons. Exports also slid slightly from July to 2.83 million tons while domestic consumption rose to 1.05 million tons, […]
Additional import tariffs on US ethanol won’t impact trade with China
In China, Platts reports that despite the higher tariffs on US undenatured ethanol imposed to counterbalance the latest round of tariffs in US President Trump’s trade war, the market doesn’t expect there to be much impact because the previous 65% tariffs had already closed any possible import window. The latest tariff increase announced this week […]
