Major Stories
Zymergen, the Porsche 911 of the Materials Superhighway, raises $400M in monumental Series C round
We call it the materials superhighway to suggest an awesome speed of innovation, a connection back to the genetics revolution and the information superhighway, and a focus on the new materials, chemicals, substances, and energies of the advanced bioeconomy. That superhighway may have just found its Porsche 911 — fast as lightning, stunning design and […]
Year of the Tree, CORSIA fuels, Mabus’ remarks, a breakthrough on woody biomass?: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI general meeting
When the world’s leaders for sustainable aviation fuels have a general meeting the week before the COP24 global climate sessions (this year in Poland), you can bet that the focus will be breaking the “You Can Have Two out of Three Conundrum” of aviation fuels. Which is to say: affordable, available at scale, and sustainable, pick […]
What’s the Buzz? Heard on the floor at the COP24, on renewable fuels and more
COP24 descends on Katowice, Poland. What’s the buzz, what’s the mood? The Mood “Pretty intense I’d say. Good.” notes Climate Ethanol Alliances’s James Cogan. “We’ve been in a dozen transport energy events so far.” The Message “Fortunately the IEA had their big event today, and they shouted it loud and clear.. “use bioenergy in transport […]
COP24 brings new bioeconomy strategy from UK, $200B from World Bank and more
Amid rumors of President Trump’s coal and fossil-fuel side event at COP24 (the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Poland this week and a Swedish 15 year old climate activist who tells it like it is, all hope for biofuels and bioenergy is not lost with […]
C.J.’s back and REGI’s got her: Warner tapped as new Renewable Energy Group CEO
In Iowa, white smoke has emerged from the REGI conclave: Tesoro EVP and former Sapphire Energy CEO C.J. Warner has been named chief exec of Renewable Energy Group, at a pivotal moment for biodiesel in Washington and around the world and amidst a boom for renewable diesel like the world has never seen. REG has been […]
8-Slide Guides
Biofuels for Marine Engines and Pathways to Success: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to BETO
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) focuses on several bioproducts for R&D and has been assessing the value proposition of biofuels for marine engines. Zia Haq and Jim Spaeth, both from the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, gave individual presentations at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco, but we’ve put them together […]
Pre-flight Checklist for Biofuture Takeoff: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Biofuture Platform
Biofuture platform was launched at COP22 by 20 countries and top representatives of FAO, IEA, IRENA, UNIDO, SE4ALL, WBCSD, UNICA, and other leading organizations, whose aim is to kickstart a global, advanced bioeconomy and impact the future of bioenergy. Renato Domith Godinho, Biofuture Platform Interim Facilitator from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brazil gave […]
Torrefaction of Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to International Biomass Torrefaction Council
The International Biomass Torrefaction Council aims to promote biomass torrefaction and let the world know that integrated torrefaction process technology is mature, available and happening. Michael Wild from Wild & Partner LLC gave this illuminating overview of biomass torrefaction’s status, market requirements, and supply chain efficiency comparison at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – […]
Residual Biomass to Gasoline: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Bioliq Pilot Plant
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie’s Bioliq pilot plant is producing synthetic fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic, ash rich biomass. Bernd Zimmerlin from Karlsruher Institut für Technologie gave this illuminating presentation on the technology behind the magic, from fast pyrolysis to entrained flow gasifier at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready for you […]
Better Policy for Better Fuels: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to SEforAll and below50
Sustainable Energy For All and below50 aim to promote bioenergy, especially in developing countries, and grow the demand for sustainable alternative fuels, so that bioenergy can reach its full potential. Gerard J. Ostheimer, Global Lead for Bioenergy at SEforAll and Co-Founder of below50 gave this illuminating overview of international policy mobilization and messages at ABLC […]
The Latest World News
Neste takes the plunge and decides to invest EUR1.4 billion in tripling renewable production in Singapore
In Finland, Neste Corporation has made the final investment decision on additional renewable products production capacity in Singapore. The decision is based on a growing global market demand for low-carbon solutions in transport and cities, aviation, polymers and chemicals. The investment worth approximately EUR1.4 billion will extend Neste’s renewable product overall capacity in Singapore by […]
Shuttered Florida biodiesel facility leaking glycerin from old storage tank
In Florida, local news reports that a mothballed biodiesel facility in North Fort Meyers owned by Green Gallon Solutions has begun to leak glycerin-like products that are treated as hazardous materials. The state’s department of environmental protection has called for immediate cleanup of the leaking 10,000-gallon tank that had glycerin oozing from it when inspectors […]
Call for Philippines to boost ethanol blending to 20% in light of higher taxes
In the Philippines, a governor who is running for the Senate next year is calling for an E20 blending mandate to reduce the rising cost of fuel resulting from increased taxes. She claims that the current blending law wouldn’t need to be amended to facilitate the E20 policy because the domestic industry could only support […]
Chicago Argo ethanol prices fall to lowest level in 15 years
In Illinois, Platts reports that prices for Chicago Argo ethanol have fallen to $1.1725/gal the lowest level seen in 15 years. Healthy margins kept ethanol producers pumping out more than a billion barrels per day well past the peak summer driving season but that have since fallen into negative margins at around minus 16.41 cents/gal […]
Brazilian biodiesel auction sees less fuel sold at lower prices than previously
In Brazil, Reuters reports that the most recent biodiesel auction held by the ANP saw nearly 915 million liters of biodiesel sold, down from nearly 965 million liters during the prior auction. The average price for biodiesel sold fell as well to under 68 cents per liter compared to 72 cents last time. In total, […]
R&D News
Harvard researchers develop yeast bio-hybrid system
In Massachusetts, researchers at Harvard University have expanded the concept of “biological-inorganic hybrid systems” to baker’s yeast that in combination with light-harvesting semiconductors is able to produce shikimic acid, an important precursor of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, several other medicines, nutraceuticals, and fine chemicals. When kept in the dark, the yeast cells produced ethanol and […]
TU Delft researcher develops model assessing impacts of transportation emissions on climate
In the Netherlands, a PhD candidate at TU Delft created a unique chemistry-climate response model called TransClim (Modelling the effect of surface Transportation on Climate) which assesses the impact and the contribution of road traffic emission scenarios on O3 and CH4 concentration as well as their subsequent climate effect. ‘Comparing the results delivered by TransClim […]
Germany researchers find that bioplastics aren’t necessarily more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based
In Germany, bioplastics are often promoted as an environmentally and climate-friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. However, a recent study from the University of Bonn suggests that shifting to plant-based plastics could have less positive effects than expected. Specifically, an increased consumption of bioplastics in the following years is likely to generate increased greenhouse gas […]
Two-dimensional materials skip the energy barrier by growing one row at a time
In Washington, a new collaborative study led by a research team at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and University of California, Los Angeles could provide engineers new design rules for creating microelectronics, membranes, and tissues, and open up better production methods for new materials. At the same time, the research helps uphold […]
Chinese researchers develop novel catalytic method to processfeedstock for biofuels
In China, researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues from Peking University recently reported an efficient and novel catalytic method for the conversion of aqueous biomass fermentation broth to a water-immiscible product. Their finding was published in Nature Communications. They developed a strategy capable of […]
Policy & Policymakers
Malaysia PM launches B10 for February 1
In Malaysia, the Prime Minister officially launched the B10 mandate that will come into effect from February 1, up from the current 7%. The move is expected to reduce an additional 1.7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions from transport per year. Concerns about air pollution as well as the surplus palm oil situation have […]
Biodiesel companies urge Congress to extend biodiesel and renewable diesel tax breaks
In Washington, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and more than 50 member companies and affiliated organizations delivered a letter to House and Senate leaders, urging them to enact a multiyear extension of the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax incentive before Congress adjourns for the year. In February 2018, Congress retroactively extended the tax incentive for […]
CleanBC looks to strengthen low carbon fuel standard and boost biofuel production
In Canada, the Government of British Columbia released on December 5th its CleanBC climate plan, which charts a path to 19 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2030—an ambitious yet achievable set of measures that put low-carbon biofuels at the forefront of the Province’s climate efforts. It also puts BC firmly in a […]
Norway first country to ban biofuel from palm oil
In Norway, the Parliament voted to no longer allow biofuel from palm oil into the country in an effort to stop deforestation in Indonesia and other countries that export palm oil. The decision is set to go into force in 2020. The recent vote came after earlier attempts at slowly phasing out palm oil, like […]
Bloomberg heads to Iowa to promote biofuels ahead of potential presidential bid
In Iowa, the New York Post reports that the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg was touring the state as part of a potential plan to launch a presidential bid as a Democrat. Bloomberg had previously criticized the use of corn for ethanol as bad energy policy but has since changed his tune, saying […]
Other Recent Articles
National Farmers Union pushing Congress to expand use of mid-level ethanol blends
In Washington, as Congress looks to revamp and coordinate federal-level policies that govern the transportation fuels and vehicles sectors, the National Farmers Union is urging legislators to expand use of high-octane, mid-level blends of ethanol in the transportation fuel supply. In doing so, policymakers have the opportunity to create lasting national policy that builds on […]
Circa gets EU green light to import or manufacture its bio-based solvent
In the UK, biotechnology company Circa Group has received authorization from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to manufacture or import up to 100 metric tons/year of its bio-based solvent CyreneTM in the European Union, after receiving REACH Annex VIII approval. A chiral dipolar aprotic solvent, CyreneTM was developed in conjunction with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence […]
Institute of Technology Tralee gets EU grant to develop Ireland’s first small-scale biorefinery
In Ireland, the Institute of Technology Tralee will receive EUR940,000 under the EU Agricultural European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI), which is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and the EU, to lead the Biorefinery Glas project, Ireland’s first small-scale bioeconomy initiative. The Biorefinery Glas project aims to address key challenges in Irish agriculture […]
China seen producing 6.6 million tons of ethanol annually from 2020
In China, Reuters reports that the country is expected to nearly triple its ethanol production to 6.6 million metric tons annually by 2020 in time for implementation of its E10 blending mandate. Installed capacity in 2017 was 2.7 million tons. To achieve the mandate, ethanol demand will be 15 million tons, indicating that significant imports […]
Judge approves Syngenta $1.51 billion settlement over GMO corn rejected by China
In North Carolina, Farm Journal reports that a federal judge has approved the landmark $1.51 billion settlement by Syngenta to those impacted back in 2013 by China shutting off imports of GMO corn varieties and DDGS produced from those GMO corn varieties that included a gene not approved in the country. The company’s attorneys said […]
Green Plains laying off around 40 employees to “right size” following asset shifts
In Nebraska, Reuters reports that Green Plains has started laying off employees in the wake of selling off ethanol production assets rather than due to weak production margins. Sources told Reuters that about 40 people had been laid off as the company seeks to “right size” itself. The company recently sold three ethanol plants to […]
