By Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director, Algal Biomass Organization As we move into 2012, I think everyone is in agreement the world needs more fuel – of any type. Cambridge Energy Research Associates, the leading analyst group for the petroleum industry, estimates that by 2030, the world will demand 35 million barrels per day of liquids [...]
In Colorado, Zeachem has received a conditional commitment for a $232.5 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program. The total project cost for the 25 million gallon per year biorefinery is estimated to be $390.5 million, and the remainder of the project cost will be covered through equity contributions [...]
Those researchers developing pyrolysis as a solution to the world’s fossil fuels woes – they are just irrepressible. Now, one team from UMass-Amherst has come up with a “platform discovery” that can make catalytic fast pyrolysis “economically competitive with crude oil production”. You just can’t turn your back for very long, around the Pyromaniax – [...]
Elsewhere, the pyromaniax continue to rule. Here’s a round-up of the latest major pyrolysis breakthroughs and updates around the world, as part of the Digest’s special Focus issue, “Return of the Pyromaniax“. Over in Finland Last November, Green Fuel Nordic Oy initiated an investment roadmap for production of second generation bio-oil from sustainable, forest-based feedstocks [...]
In California, seed maker Ceres has filed with the SEC in a bid to raise up to $132 million in an IPO. The company will offer 5 million shares for sale at $21 to $23 per share. Underwriters, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Piper Jaffray, Raymond James Financial, and Simmons will be allowed to purchase an additional [...]
In Colorado, Gevo responded to a claim by a researcher at the University of Campinas in Brazil that Butamax and Gevo “are fighting over a fermentation technology (integrated flash separation) which was firstly developed by our research group (University of Campinas – Brazil).” The researcher, Adriano Marino, wrote that “Gevo filed its patent (US 8,101,808 [...]
In California, the Cal Poly Algae Field Station was commissioned by the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, with Prof. Tryg Lundquist as Principal Investigator. The project is funded by the California Energy Commission, with engineering design provided by MicroBio Engineering, Inc. This algal wastewater treatment and biofuels research facility includes nine [...]
In Nebraska, Ascendant Financial Partners completed a capital restructuring for NEDAK Ethanol that included the amendment of NEDAK’s credit agreements and the closing of a private equity offering, for the operator of a 44 million gallon ethanol plant in Atkinson, Nebraska. NEDAK’s restructuring consisted of amending its senior loan facility with AgCountry Farm Credit Services, [...]
In Scotland, Napier University’s Biofuel Research Centre has spun-out a new start-up, Celtic Renewables to develop biobutanol sourced from the £4 billion malt whisky industry in Scotland. Celtic Renewables, Scotland’s first biobutanol company, is now working with Scottish Enterprise to produce the fuel from sustainable resources on an industrial scale. Its fermentation process uses the [...]
In Brazil, Petrobras and the state of Minas Gerais have signed an agreement, whereby Petrobras will invest as much as $16.2 million to increase their Montes Claros biodiesel facility’s production to 152 million liters per year. This would represent a 40% increase over current production.
In the United Arab Emirates, Etihad’s delivery acceptance of a new Boeing 777-300ER, flown from Seattle to Abu Dhabi was completed using biofuel – the first such flight to be conducted in the Persian Gulf. The biofuel was supplied by Holland’s SkyNRG, sourced from recycled vegetable cooking oil.
In Swaziland, South African company Fuel Ethanol and Agricultural Plantation plans to invest $373.4 million in a sweet sorghum ethanol project. The project will stretch across 15,000 hectares of government-owned farmland and will provide jobs for 2,000 people. Once the project gets under way, local farmers will be able to own shares in the project.
In the UK, Professor Will Zimmerman and his team at Sheffield University have found that their microbubble system can be used to float algae particles to the surface of the water, making harvesting easier, and saving biofuel-producing companies time and money. The team reports that their system uses up to 1000 times less energy to [...]
In Montana, a researcher at Montana State University has discovered a fungus from an extreme zone in Yellowstone, fond of eating algae, that could become a future participant in biofuel production. When the fungus is dried out, it oozed an oil of high percentage lipids contained a ratio of oleic and steric acids that’s nearly [...]
In Cyprus, the ministry of agriculture is starting to explore the possibility of producing biofuels from microalgae since the island doesn’t have enough land to use for arable-based biofuels. The research is part of a six country, 12 organization research project 90% funded by the European Commission.
In Spain, Cepsa is researching the viability of producing biodiesel from microalgae in Huelva with the cooperation of Centro Internacional de Estudios y Convenciones Ecológicas y Medioambientales (Ciecem), the University of Huelva and the University of Cadiz. The project, begun in 2010, has already moved beyond lab scale and is now being implemented in indoor [...]
In Washington, Friends of the Earth relates that the EPA is expected to announce tomorrow that diesel produced from palm oil releases too many greenhouse gas emissions to qualify as a renewable fuel. “EPA gets it right: Palm Oil is not “renewable”, said FOE’s Michal Rosenoer, adding, “Friends of the Earth applauds the EPA for [...]
In Arizona, State Representative Matt Heinz has introduced two bills in anticipation of Arizona becoming a major algal farming center. HB 2225 would add algaculture commercial production, development and research on state trust lands to the definition of agricultural lands. HB2226 would add the same algacultural used real estate to the definition of agricultural land [...]
In Washington, The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new energy website to provide quick access to the agency’s renewable energy and energy efficiency data. The website, usda.gov/energy, provides access to all USDA energy resources, including: agricultural, forestry, economic and social data. This is done in part through a set of new complementary web-based [...]
In France, the government’s auditor has released a new report showing the environmental benefit of the country’s ethanol policy was hard to determine, while fossil fuel use was only down by 5%. The big winner in the policy are farmers who have more outlets for their crop production. The auditor is recommending that tax breaks [...]
Today on Twitter. AFPColorado: All those fawning Obamafans at Buckley ought to ask the Prez whether Air Force One burns “biofuels.” If not, why not? #redco #copolitics FueltheFuture: This is how we turn Breweries and Distilleries into Biorefineries for #Biofuels and more Automatedtrader: Brazil’s Petrobras To Invest To Expand Minas Gerais Biofuels Plant goerlitz: @karmel80 [...]
Today on Twitter. IAmBiotech: A new paper claims to demonstrate that wind and solar power are preferable options to nuclear power and biofuels REepedia: Major Breakthrough in Cheaper Biofuels, researchers report – BIOblogger: Read #MyComment : @DomesticFuel Ret. Army Gen. Calls #Biofuels “Ammunition” tedtalks: Today’s #TED: Bilal Bomani shows us the self-sustaining ecosystems producing next [...]
Today on Twitter. Organiccornwall: Biofuel Energy News: Biofuels Firm May List On NZX AgBlogFeed: #agchat Advanced Biofuels Group Issues Farm Bill Wish List SmallCapUpdates: #ETF Universal Bioenergy Plans to Engage Wall Street Investment Banking Firm and Plans Move to NASDAQ LegalAdvantage: Gevo Sues Butamax, DuPont Claiming Infringement of Biofuel Process Patent
Today on Twitter. Lisanke: Durham scientists study plants for biofuel production Lowestcostheat: Back-to-Basics Biofuels – Small- and medium-scale biofuel distillation equipment will soon be available for… RepowerAmerica: Microbes that convert seaweed into biofuels could be a breakthrough for sustainable fuels PuroVerde: Researchers find that the agave plant may also serve as a biofuel crop to [...]
In Illinois, DSM and Empresa Brasileira de Biotechnologia have signed an MOU for the launch of a new line of DSM-branded bio-based materials targeting the concrete floor coatings market. The initiative focuses on the development of bio-based castor oil materials. The new line of bio-based materials developed by DSM and Ebrabiotech will initially target the [...]
The Biofuels Digest Index™ (BDI), a basket of public biofuels stocks, rose 0.28 percent to 74.24 as ethanol and oil stocks fell, but KiOR soared. For the day, BP dropped 0.29 percent to $44.77, while KiOR (KIOR) gained 11.88 percent to $13.00. Among other equities, Amyris (AMRS) fell 1.48 percent to $10.00. Overall, declines led [...]
In New Zealand, LanzaTech is considering an IPO on its national stock exchange the NZX. If it does so, it won’t be until the second half of this year after it has proven its technology at a Chinese steel plant. The firm is also likely to list on Nasdaq as well as the company will [...]
In Brazil, a researcher from the University of Campinas waded into the Gevo vs Butamax debate this week. “Today I was reading the Digest on the patent trial between Gevo and Butamax,” writes research Adriano Marino, “and what is interesting is that these companies are fighting over a fermentation technology (integrated flash separation) which was [...]
