Major Stories
The wild green yonder: British Airways aims to fly on trash, again
GreenSky London arrived on the scene a few years ago — an ambitious project to produce renewable aviation jet fuel from East London’s trash. The project fell down a rabbit hole of delays. Now, a group of four companies including both British Airways and Velocys are back with a partnership to prepare the business case […]
Yelp! 18 kelp wheps get $22M in ARPA-E help
Yes, ARPA-E has unveiled its latest moonshot and is investing $22M in Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources — also known as MARINER. The projects that comprise ARPA-E’s Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program seek to develop the critical tools to allow the United States to grow into a world leader in the […]
Catalytic Fuel Precursors with High Yields: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to THF Co-Solvent Biomass Fractionation
The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to advance transformative Co-Solvent Enhanced Lignocellulosic Fractionation to achieve high yield production of “drop-in” oxygenated liquid fuels from poplar wood. The project also aims at high yield co-conversion of C5 and C6 sugars directly to MF and DMF fuels in only two reaction steps directly from biomass. […]
Enviral licenses Clariant’s sunliquid technology for commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol project in Slovakia
In Slovakia, Enviral has acquired a license to use Clariant’s sunliquid technology as part of its goal to realize a full scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant for the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues. The new plant will be owned and operated by Enviral and is planned to be integrated into the existing […]
Geneva Aéroport: We’re going with aviation biofuels, so there.
In Switzerland, Geneva Airport has partnered with Neste to introduce sustainable and renewable jet fuel for aircraft operations, with a target of at least one percent of the annual jet fuel consumption starting late 2018. This collaboration marks Geneva’s transition into the implementation phase of the Carbon War Room/SkyNRG-initiated project. CWR and SkyNRG first brought […]
8-Slide Guides
India’s biofuels leader, going beyond: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Praj Industries
Praj is an India-based process solutions specialist with continued leadership in ethanol & brewery space over many years — aiming to emerge as a significant water company within 5 years. The company is expanding its new technology pipeline, with 16 patents granted, and 79 patents at various stages of approval. The company’s most recent investor […]
From Project to Player: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Amyris
In California, Amyris reported Q2 2017 revenues of $25.7M million, more than double the sales from 2016. The increase was driven by a major increase in product sales, primarily in the company’s personal care segment, as well as by significantly higher collaboration revenues. For many people, the key question is — what is Amyris becoming, and […]
Building Blocks from Biocrude: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to High Value Methoxyphenols
The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to develop and optimize a hybrid separation method to recover high-value methoxyphenols to improve the process economics and environmental impact for the production of advanced biofuels from catalytic pyrolysis integrated with hydroprocessing. The project also aims to evaluate commercial viability of mixed phenolic fraction as a feedstock […]
Takin’ out the oxygen with electro-deoxygenation: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to upgrading bio-oil
The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to demonstrate the techno‐economic feasibility of upgrading biomass derived pyrolysis oil using electro-deoxygenation process. A ceramic membrane that selectively transports oxygen under an applied electric potential is integrated with a fast pyrolysis unit for in-situ removal of oxygen to stabilize bio-oil. Overall, the research team led by Elango […]
Moving into markets: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to engine/fuel transformation
The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to identify and mitigate the challenges of moving new fuels and vehicles into markets. Including but not limited to: facilitating new fuel standards needed for introduction into the marketplace; identifying vehicle, distribution, and infrastructure compatibility of new candidate bio-blendstocks; interacting with all market sector stakeholders for […]
The Latest World News
Canaplan sees 2016/17 Brazilian ethanol production at 24.8 billion liters
In Brazil, Canaplan expects ethanol production to reach 24.8 billion liters this season, a billion liters higher than its previous estimate, as mills switch to more ethanol than sugar production. As a result, sugar production could fall by as much as 1 million metric tons. With growing demand for ethanol, as demonstrated by an expected […]
New studies show ethanol’s billion dollar potntial
In California, two new studies show that generating energy from ethanol industry byproducts can fuel a billion-dollar business opportunity for the farm economy. Reports from the studies are available at http://trestleenergy.com/economic-analysis. Iowa-based Regional Strategic, Ltd. examined the economic impact of collecting, processing, and delivering corn stover byproducts of ethanol the stalks, leaves, and stems of […]
Cargill to invest $90 million in new Wichita biodiesel facility
In Minnesota, Cargill announced plans to build a state-of-the-art $90 million biodiesel plant in Wichita, Kansas. Set to open January 2019, it will produce 60 million gallons of biodiesel annually. Opening the facility in Wichita will strengthen Cargill’s biodiesel operations in the heart of the Midwest where it already has biodiesel plants in Iowa Falls, […]
Court approves sale BIOX to CFFI Ventures
In Canada, BIOX Corporation announced the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued a final order approving the previously announced transaction pursuant to which 10293547 Canada Limited, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of CFFI Ventures Inc. will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of BIOX by way of plan of arrangement under the Canada […]
BHP Billiton teams with Good Fuels for biofuel bunkering operation in Singapore
In Singapore, BHP Billiton has teamed with Good Fuels to trial the first biofuel bunkering operation at the Port of Singapore. One of BHP Billiton’s vessels is expected to be bunkered as part of the project with other shipowners expected to participate at a later date.
R&D News
Organic fuel additive could reduce fossil fuel emissions and have biodiesel applications
In Saudi Arabia, an additive for conventional fuel comprised of oxygenated organic compounds could help reduce the release of pollutants into the atmosphere during the combustion of fossil fuels. Researchers from King Abdulla University of Science and Technology have now established how these potential additives decompose under combustion-relevant conditions. The researchers found that the additional […]
UC Santa Barbara gets $2.1 million ARPA-E grant to research macro-algae
In California, prolific growth makes giant kelp an excellent candidate to replace corn as a biofuel. While this species naturally grows close to shore, it easily could be farmed in deeper waters. This is the focus of a new project called Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER), which seeks to develop offshore kelp farms […]
NREL finds CelA could be key to unlocking cellulosic biofuel viability
In Colorado, an enzyme discovered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) proves adept at breaking down cellulose fibers regardless of whether their crystalline structure is simple or highly complex. No other enzyme has shown that ability. The enzyme, called CelA, comes from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, and NREL scientists reported three years […]
German researchers boost metabolism of baker’s yeast to improve yields
In Germany, currently, making products such as fuels, synthetic materials or pharmaceuticals from renewable raw materials lacks efficiency because the microorganisms process the raw materials very slowly and generate many unwanted by-products. Biotechnologists at Goethe University Frankfurt have now succeeded in optimizing sugar utilization in baker’s yeast. Researchers from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at […]
International consortium uses bio-engineering and mutations for improving biofuel producing bacterial enzymes
In Washington, DC, the American Institute of Physics reported that CellulosomePlus, an international research consortium that includes researchers from Spain, Poland and Ireland, developed a way to re-engineer the bacterial enzyme complexes, called cellulosomes, which serve as catalysts in the degradation process. Helping bacteria become more efficient in this process could result in more affordable […]
Policy & Policymakers
Australian community to start feedstock trials for potential future biodiesel industry
In Australia, Cloncurry Shire Council’s crop trials in conjunction with the Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone is set to begin in the next two weeks in an effort to determine which feedstocks could lead to a viable biodiesel industry in the region. A wide range of crops including leucaena, sunflowers, safflower, sesame, pigeon pea, […]
European Biodiesel Board to legally challenge EU’s duty cut on Argentine biodiesel imports
In Belgium, the European Biodiesel Board plans to challenge the European Commission’s decision to drastically cut anti-dumping import duties on Argentine biodiesel, saying the move provoked by a World Trade Organization ruling in 2016 will have a dramatic impact on the biodiesel industry. A lawyer for the industry association said the legal challenge will likely […]
Senator Grassley leads group urging USTR to stand up to Brazilian ethanol import policy
In Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led a bipartisan group of senators, including Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), urging U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to […]
Renewable fuel standards seen as key for future of low carbon fuels in Canada
In Canada, the government’s existing ethanol blend mandate has played a key role in reducing the carbon intensity in gasoline, while providing market access and economic stability for Canada’s ethanol industry. Maintaining Renewable Fuel Standards can be an integral part of Canada’s transition to a low-carbon future, according a new Conference Board of Canada report. […]
Policy changes needed in India for a bright biodiesel future
In India, calls for policy changes to help the biodiesel industry are being voiced and if implemented, could help biodiesel’s future role in the country. While jatropha, agricultural waste and other feedstocks show promise in India, they have some policy challenges for biodiesel producers. Former professor Bharat Jhunjhunwala told the Free Press Journal in India, […]
Other Recent Articles
Lessons Learned Presenting Biotechnology Scale-Up During Fundraising
by Mark Warner, PE, Founder, Warner Advisors LLC Special to The Digest Participating in raising over a billion dollars of advanced biotechnology funding has evolved my perspective and developed some fundamental lessons learned. Through trial and error, I have gained first-hand experience as to the approaches that yield success. This paper will build on my previously […]
China could import up to 20 million tons of corn annually to meet E10
In China, imports of as much as 20 million metric tons of corn could be needed annually to supply animal feed plants in the southern part of the country in the ramp up to the new E10 policy announced earlier this month. Corn located closer to the corn-growing areas is likely to be absorbed by […]
Brazilian mills could boost ethanol production to 53.7% of the crush next season
In Brazil, increased ethanol production is expected to cut sugar production to three-year lows next season as ethanol prices become more profitable for mills in the year starting in April 2018. Kingsman expects the smallest crush in four years at 575 million metric tons, due to slow cane renovation rates as a result of poor […]
CVR makes about turn on RINs and begins buying them up ahead of March deadline
In New York state, Reuters reports that Carl Icahn’s CVR has begun to close out its short position on RINs and began buying million of them in August for the first time in months. In an effort to keep control on prices, the purchases of half a million or a million at a time have […]
Berkley Lab demonstrates CO2 to fuels via photosynthesis
In California, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and alcohols at efficiencies far greater than plants. The achievement marks a significant milestone in the effort to move toward sustainable sources of fuel. This new work, described in […]
UK Parliamentarians launch new group to promote ethanol
In the UK, members of parliament and peers in the House of Lords with an interest in promoting ethanol can now participated in the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on ethanol. Introducing E10 into the UK market will be a key policy platform for the group, as well as keeping the government on task regarding its […]
