Two of the pioneers of the biobased economy – former Codexis CEO Alan Shaw and NatureWorks — strike a landmark deal based on methane – most affordably sourced from natural gas. Renegades? Revolutionaries? Practical business in commodity-driven industries? The Digest takes you inside the deal — and the technology. In Canada, Calysta Energy and NatureWorks [...]
We heard five trends during the first two days of the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology this year. 1. Methane. 2. Low-cost sugars. 3. Chemicals. 4. Opportunities in the C4 platform – anything from isobutanol to BDO and butadiene. 5. Financing challenges, especially for first commercial plants Our 6 favorite quotes? 1. “The trends [...]
As Gevo recommences the switchover to bio-based isobutanol at its first commercial plant, we look in-depth at 2012′s contamination issues — and the prospects and path forward. In Colorado, Gevo announced that it has resumed commercial production of isobutanol at its Luverne, Minn. plant in single train mode, successfully utilizing its proprietary Gevo Integrated Fermentation [...]
In Illinois, Siemens and LanzaTech signed a ten-year co-operation agreement to develop and market integrated environmental solutions for the steel industry worldwide. The collaboration will utilize the ground-breaking fermentation technology developed by LanzaTech transforming carbon-rich off-gases generated by the steel industry into low carbon bioethanol and other platform chemicals. Siemens and LanzaTech will work together on [...]
In Washington, USDA Office of Communications Director Matt Paul gave an update on the detection of genetically engineered wheat in Oregon: On May 29, USDA announced that a small number of volunteer wheat plants in an Oregon field had tested positive for genetically engineered glyphosate-resistant wheat. Extensive testing confirmed the wheat as a variety – [...]
In the US, noted energy analysts have been updating their views on Gevo following the company’s announcement that the Luverne plant has resumed operations. “After a 5-6 month hiatus to combat contamination-related production issues,” wrote Piper Jaffray’s Mike Ritzenthaler, ” the phased re-start of Luverne has surpassed its most difficult and important hurdle in our [...]
In Canada, at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, Scott Stanners and the BC Bioenergy Network came up as winners in a drawing by Sustainability Consult — the winners take home a free, comprehensive review of their corporate messaging, website, social media presence and media relations (including a review of press releases and media coverage). [...]
In the United Kingdom, NVM Prive Equity has invested £3 million to support the £4.4 million management buy-out of Cleveland Biotech, a provider of environmentally friendly biological waste treatment products. The change in ownership will allow the management team to build the business organically, taking advantage of the significant growth potential in existing and new [...]
In France, Technip has been awarded a €5 million contract by Forest BtL Oy for the front-end engineering and design of a new second generation biomass-to-liquid to be built on Ajos island, Finland. This plant will produce approximately 140,000 tons of biodiesel and naphtha from wood and by-products from the wood-processing industry. Technip will develop [...]
In Spain, Spanish researchers coordinated by the Spanish National Research Council have to sequence the genome of the global deep ocean. They are using more than 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans during the Malaspina Expedition. Jesús María Arrieta, CSIC researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, explains: [...]
In Missouri, the National Corn Growers Associaitonhas added a video and an interactive educational module to its online learning tools concerning water quality management. The video, titled “Driving Change,” showcases NCGA members describing the practices they are implementing to enhance water quality on their farms and in their area. The 30-minute NCGA Water Issues Learning [...]
In Massachusetts, researchers at MIT have developed a new technique to make cost-effective renewable gamma-valerolactone (GVL). The molecule has more energy density than ethanol and can be used as a fuel both in drop-in form and as an additive for other fuels. The MIT team also said that renewable GVL can be used as a [...]
In Washington, the House Appropriations Committee has released its Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill includes a $1.4 billion cut for the DOE below fiscal year 2013 levels. The proposal would fund energy programs funded at $983 million – a cut of $911 million (-50%) below the fiscal year 2013, [...]
In Washington, the Biotechnology Industry Organization and BIOCOM today thanked Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) for introducing legislation that would make renewable chemicals eligible for support in the USDA Biorefinery Assistance Program. Mr. Peters offered the legislation as an amendment to be considered during House floor debate on the Farm Bill, expected this week. “Numerous innovative [...]
In Washington, the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (has issued a request for information (RFI) regarding waste- to-energy (WTE) technologies. Waste Applications for Sustainable Technologies for Energy seeks feedback from stakeholders on the state of technology and commercial readiness of WTE. This RFI seeks input from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and [...]
Today on Twitter: fsWoodLab Deriving transportation fuels and valuable chemicals from wood: http://t.co/7vop1vHzhz alicecharles European Parliament votes on crucial cap on biofuels made from food crops BiomassMagazine: The #Biofuels Center of North Carolina recently completed a statewide woody biomass assessment.
Today on Twitter: guardianscience Is the future of biofuels a pond of algae in every backyard? | Lou del Bello Green_Europe Civil Society open letter signed by 112 organisations worldwide condemns #EU #biofuels policy Sean_OHanlon #Algae to #Biofuels from Dairy waste being explored in New Mexico
Today on Twitter: Breitbart News Inhofe Blasts Obama’s $170 Million Military Biofuels Giveaway: On Sunday, Ranking member of the Armed Services… SmartPlanet Food fight: White Castle vs biofuels Christina Martin @EthanolT Galva, Iowa, plant takes different path to cellulosic #ethanol
In Canada, the National Research Council of Canada has announced a new project to assist in the development and testing of an alternative for low lead (100LL) aviation gasoline. The project, which is in response to concerns from the aviation industry over the replacement of 100LL with a no-lead alternative, will seek ways to reduce [...]
In France and Malaysia, METabolic EXplorer, a company that specializes in the development of bioprocesses for the production of chemical compounds, and Bio-XCell Malaysia, the promoter tasked with the construction of the plant and biotechnology infrastructure in Malaysia, jointly announced that they have reached an agreement on the terms and conditions by which they would [...]
The Biofuels Digest Index, an index of publicly traded biofuels stocks, jumped 2.14 percent to 73.94 as advanced biofuels equities made strong gains. For the day, Gevo (GEVO) soared 19.65 percent to $2.07, while Solazyme (SZYM) escalated 3.35 percent to $12.04 . Among other equities, BioAmber (BIOA) fell 2.88 percent to $7.75. Overall, advanced led [...]
In California, SGB has identified fungal rust-resistant hybrids of Jatropha curcas through its global network of field trials. Identification of the trait provides a critical defensive attribute to ensure plant health and yield preservation for the non-food energy crop. At multiple JMax Knowledge Center trial sites, several of SGB’s high yielding hybrids manifest a range [...]
