Major Stories
The rise of Underdog people and their Underdog fuels: The small town and E85
News arrives from Washington state that Propel Fuels has E85 expansion underway and a new outlet has opened in the Yakima Valley town of Wapato. Also, the company announced a new regional office in White Salmon, along the north side of the Columbia River at the only vehicle between Portland and The Dalles. You might […]
Decarbonizing the Shipping Industry
By Wily Salim, LEC Partners Special to The Digest Approximately 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, which makes shipping a vital mode of transportation. The earliest known seafaring can be traced back to 6,000 BC, when ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, began using boats to transport goods and people across water bodies. […]
Get Funded! Avoid the Top 3 Mistakes in Raising Bioeconomy Capital
By Steve Weiss, co-founder of Grey Heron, and long-time member of the Due Diligence Wolfpack* Capital is the fuel for building your business – and you can get it, just like you keep achieving milestones and adding partners. But fundraising is often harder, longer and more uncertain than you’d like – and you don’t want […]
More to do on Methane
By Patrick Serfass and Adam Comora Special to The Digest A recent study released by the journal Science supported by research conducted by Carbon Mapper and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed that methane emissions from landfills are greater than previously thought – but also that their abatement represents a significant opportunity in our fight […]
Carbon dioxide and modified gas packaging applications in the food industry
By Sam A. Rushing, Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd., www.carbondioxideconsultants.com Special to The Digest Of today’s approximate 20 million annual tons per year in CO2 merchant consumption, would be some 40% consumed in the United States. To follow, would be Japan; and then to follow the European Zone. Of the most interesting applications in the carbon dioxide […]
8-Slide Guides
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Wagner Sustainable Fuels
The Wagner Companies has actively been working toward implementing more green business practices since 2004, when they first participated in the Queensland Focus on Energy program. As a result, they have upgraded to more energy-efficient lighting; and hot-water boiler and air compressor systems. They also offer products and components that qualify for LEED credits. But […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to a Risk-Adjusted SAFc Carbon Credit Portfolio
OTC Direct created a services arm, Base Climate, that leverages proven project development innovation to simplify and de-risk investments in SAFc carbon credits. SAF project decarbonization value potential not matched by deployed pre-construction venture capital. Most projects are stalled. <250 SAF projects announced; >$2b deployed pre-construction; <50x investment needed to hit targets. At the same […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to using TEA and LCA as a strategic tool
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a systematic evaluation of the environmental impact of a product through its entire life cycle. Many cleantech startups and companies cannot afford the time and cost that is required for an ISO-compliant LCA. Boundless Impact follows ISO standards, but completes reports in 4-8 weeks, translating the Life Cycle Assessment into […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Current and Future Availability of Sustainable Biomass
Oak Ridge National Lab, in partnership with the US Department of Energy, aims to collect, review, and distribute the best available and citable global data on current biomass uses, and potential future availability as consistent as possible; at the same time, developing effective methods for systematizing, cataloging and harmonizing inventory data from varying sources and […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the Circular Carbon Economy
Carbon is the foundation of our material world, says LanzaTech CTO Rob Conrado in these slides presented at ABLC 2024. It’s in the products we use, the planes we fly, the clothes we wear. Where our carbon comes from will define our climate future. Good news, the world has enough carbon above ground to make […]
The Latest World News
Cepsa, Evos join forces to promote the storage of green methanol in Spain and The Netherlands
In Spain, Cepsa has signed an agreement with Evos, a liquid energy and chemical products storage company with several centers in strategic locations in Europe, to allow the storage of green methanol, which Cepsa will produce, at Evos facilities in Algeciras and Rotterdam. The collaboration, which also provides for the storage of green ammonia at […]
HD Hyundai Oilbank starts operation of new biodiesel plant
In South Korea, The Korea Times reported that HD Hyundai Oilbank has started production at its biodiesel plant with an annual capacity of 130,000 tons. To expand the use of biodiesel, the government of South Korea decided to increase the current mandatory blending ratio of 4 percent to 8 percent by 2030 under its renewable […]
Bcomp closes $40 million Series C funding
In Switzerland, Bcomp announced it has completed a $40 million Series C investment funding round. The round was led by EGS Beteiligungen AG (EGSB), a major Swiss institutional investor focused on growth-stage companies. Verve Ventures, Zürcher Kantonalbank, and RKKVC are additional new investors, the firm said. The funding round also saw a group of Series […]
Advancion introduces new bio-based additive for beauty and personal care applications
In Illinois, Advancion Corporation announced the introduction of a new, bio-based multifunctional amino alcohol specifically developed for use in beauty and personal care applications. The new ingredient, exclusively manufactured by Advancion, is 50% bio-based and “provides exceptional performance, including high-efficiency neutralization, emulsion stabilization and pigment dispersion”, the firm said. “This innovative ingredient is the result […]
Topsoe inks deal with Cepsa for SAF production
In Denmark, Topsoe has signed an agreement with Cepsa, under which Topsoe will provide its HydroFlex technology for the production of SAF and renewable diesel at Cepsa’s and Bio-Oils’ new second-generation biofuels plant in Palos de la Frontera, Spain. The plant, which began construction in February 2024, is expected to produce 500,000 tons of SAF […]
R&D News
Nigerian researchers produce biofuels from egg’s shells
In Nigeria, Leadership reported that a professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Ilorin, Elizabeth Odetoye, has produced biodiesel through the exploration of chicken egg’s shell derived heterogeneous catalyst. According to the report, Odetoye said that the research complements the efforts of the University of Ilorin towards developing homegrown technology that would enhance the […]
Argonne researchers introduce Decarbonization Scenario Analysis Model
In Illinois, while decarbonization pathways are complex, varied and specific to individual industries, clean-energy technologies and low- and zero-carbon fuels are integral to all carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation strategies across the U.S. economy. And as scientists develop strategies, they are also creating tools to assess them. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) […]
UIUC researchers apply Xendee’s Small Modular Reactor modeling to campus energy grid
In Illinois, the landscape of the electricity grid is rapidly evolving, driven by expanding electrification initiatives, renewable energy integration, and the decarbonization imperative. University campus microgrids are tackling this paradigm shift with energy transition models. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Xendee Corporation (Xendee) teamed up to lead this transformation. UIUC has a sophisticated […]
South Korean researchers overcome poor catalyst performance for green hydrogen
In South Korea, electrochemical catalysts used in water splitting often show poor performance due to low electrical conductance of (oxy)hydroxide species produced in situ. To overcome this challenge, researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea have now designed an electrode with Schottky Junction formed at the interface of metallic Ni-W5N4 and semiconducting […]
FAMU-FSU researchers find new CO2 and lignin process to produce bioplastics
In Florida, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers have created a potential alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastic that is made from carbon dioxide (CO2) and lignin, a component of wood that is a low-cost byproduct of paper manufacturing and biofuel production. Their research was published in Advanced Functional Materials. This study is the first to demonstrate the […]
Policy & Policymakers
Nigeria strikes deal with Shell to supply $3.8 billion methanol project
In Nigeria, Reuters reported that Nigeria has signed a deal for Shell to supply gas to its proposed $3.8 billion Brass methanol facility, resolving a major hurdle to a final investment decision on the project. Nigeria, which holds Africa’s largest natural gas reserves of more than 200 trillion cubic feet, has struggled to tap the […]
Representatives introduce bill to allow year-round E15 sales in 8 Midwestern states
In Washington, U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to implement year-round E15 sales. The Year-Round E15 Act, which is co-led by U.S. Representatives Adrian Smith (NE-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), and Don Bacon (NE-02), would allow for sales of E15 in 2024 across eight Midwestern states. The bipartisan Year-Round E15 […]
Brazil keeps tariffs on US-based ethanol but could lower them for SAF access
In Brazil, Bloomberg reports that despite presure from the Biden Administration, Brazil will continue to apply tariffs on US origin ethanol to protect its ethanol producers. Brazil would be open to lower tariffs, however, if tariffs into the US market allowed for more Brazilian sugarcane-based ethanol for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. By “growing the pie”, there […]
Bipartisan senators asking Biden for summertime E15
In Washington, a bipartisan group of senators urged President Biden to permit the summertime sale of E15 fuel. The senators note that American biofuels are a clean and reliable energy solution that will help drive down fuel costs for consumers. This letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Thune (R-SD), Dick […]
European Biogas Association slams EU Parliament for overlooking biomethane in decarbonization
In Belgium, the European Biogas Association (EBA) welcomed Wednesday’s adoption of the European Parliament Report on the CountEmissions EU proposal, which is based on a well-to-wheel approach, but regrets the decision not to include a mechanism to account for renewable fuels in the scope of the CO2 Emission Performance Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDVs) Regulation, […]
Other Recent Articles
Blue Biofuels starts engineering and design for new plant to produce ethanol from cellulosic materials
In Florida, Blue Biofuels announced the commencement of an FEL 1 & 2 engineering study for a 2.4-million-gallon cellulosic ethanol facility. This endeavor is grounded in the company’s Cellulose-to-Sugar (CTS) system, which has undergone and is undergoing continuous refinement and optimization for the efficient conversion of cellulosic biomass into ethanol, the firm said. “The engineering […]
CSA invests $10 million to boost maritime biofuel in Singapore
In Singapore, Singapore Business Review reported that the Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA) is investing up to $10 million in efforts to develop and increase adoption of maritime biofuel in Singapore. The report noted that two alliance members, Green COP and Ken Energy, will lead the partnership, and have inked a memorandum of understanding on 16 […]
Vitol acquires BioMethane Partners to form Vitol BioMethane
In Texas, Vitol has aquired BioMethane Partners to form Vitol BioMethane (VBM). VBM is a Texas-based landfill-gas-to-energy company, whose leadership has more than 100 years of combined experience in designing, building, and operating gas collection systems, natural gas treatment plants, and pipeline interconnects and injection across the landfill gas (LFG) and traditional natural gas businesses. […]
Orbex raises another $20.77M to update Series C funding round
In Scotland, UK spaceflight company Orbex has received £16.7m from six backers in an update to its Series C funding round. With pre-launch testing underway, the funding will help Orbex ramp up the development of Prime, its 19-metre long, two-stage rocket designed to transport small satellites into Low Earth Orbit. The aim is to ensure […]
Hapag-Lloyd lands ZEMBA’s first tender for green ocean shipping
In Singapore, ZEMBA announced the successful conclusion of its first tender for ocean shipping that achieves at least a 90% reduction of greenhouse gases on a lifecycle basis relative to fossil fuel powered service. Through this deal, more than a dozen ZEMBA members including founding members Amazon, Patagonia, and Tchibo alongside Bauhaus, Brooks Running, DB […]
SABA secures $200M in group deals of SAF certificates
In Colorado, the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) announced the largest ever collection of deals to purchase high-integrity SAF certificates (SAFc). Over the span of five years, companies including AstraZeneca, Autodesk, Bain & Company, BCG, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, Live Nation, McKinsey & Company, Meta, Morgan Stanley, Netflix, Novo Nordisk, Samsung Biologics, Watershed, and Workday alongside […]
