Why not use the materials we don’t need, to produce the fuels we do need? The Digest looks at the hard data. Wherever you look, there are concerns about energy production — cost, infrastructure, environment, emissions, and water impact, just to name a few. No matter what energy system you develop, it seems like someone will […]
In Finland, Neste Oil increased the use of waste and residue raw materials for renewable fuels refining by over 400,000 tons in 2012. A total of 742,000 tons of these raw materials were used compared to 330,000 tons in 2011. The use of waste animal fat in particular increased last year and fish processing industry […]
Last week, Digest readers around the world rated feedstocks for the Advanced Bioeconomy. In a 200 million ton scenario, we wondered, which feedstocks are the best bets — and at what price? We say relatively novel because some of them exist in our everyday world — woody biomass for lignocellulosic conversion, or the residues (animal, […]
California is in the fourth year of severe drought, a condition which visited the US Midwest just two summers ago. With water scarcity increasing around the globe, how can agriculture cope, and what can the technologies of the advanced bioeconomy do to help? This week, we’ve been photographing a surge in roadrunners roaming our small […]
One day, biofuels microbes may be so adept at making fuels, it will be a case of “just add water”. For now, there’s the hard slog of unlocking feedstocks that are affordable, available and aggregated. As we look for recent victories in low-cost feedstock development, What can we learn from natural gas? People from Minnesota […]
So, the Farm Bill passed the House and Senate, now — and heads to conference. When — and what will the Senate and House confer about, anyway? What’s in there for you? Here are the need-to-knows. In Washington, the House and Senate have now passed their respective versions of the proposed 2013 farm bill, which […]
A now-complete 142 million gallon green diesel monster project will easily deliver big on renewable energy targets and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. But it also offers a material path to profits for its parents, Valero Energy and Darling International. In Louisiana, Darling International announced that Diamond Green Diesel, the joint venture between Valero subsidiary Diamond […]
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 […]
There’s only one complete region for biofuels where abundant feedstock, lack of oil & gas production, rising energy demand and supportive government policy come together — and that is Asia. We’re never quite sure which factor is the most important in Asia’s rising focus on biofuels: Interventionist governments, concentration of capital, strong traditional focus on […]
You’ve heard about it, no doubt, the red light district. Filled with today’s temptations and allure, tomorrow’s regrets and OMGs. Biofuels has its own district, too – but Roxanne, you don’t have to put out the red light. In biofuels, feedstocks come in many shapes, phases, and sizes — but only three colors – red, […]
