Major Stories
E-fuels: Do they work on the numbers?
By Dr. Ashish Gupta, Process Engineer, S&B; Muhammad Islam, Vice President, Commercial and Technology, S&B; and Clint Johnson, Vice President, Saber Equity Special to The Digest As the world works towards decarbonization, one sector contributing significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is transportation. To address this issue, the concept of e-fuels has emerged as a […]
ABLC Next 2023 announced – October 18-20 in San Francisco – Networking like Crazy for Net Zero
In California, the Digest announced that the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference on Next-Gen Projects & Technologies, ABLC NEXT 2023, will take place at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, October 18-20, 2023, as the industry undertakes more Networking for Net Zero. More than 600 delegates and 100 speakers are expected from more than 400 companies […]
Can We Replace All Crude Oil Within 20 Years with Cellulosic Liquid Hydrocarbons?
By Charles Forsberg ([email protected]) and Bruce Dale ([email protected]) Special to The Digest In the United States, crude oil products provide 48% of the total energy to the final customer: residential, commercial, industrial and transportation. Replacement of crude oil products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, chemical feed stocks, etc.) made from non-fossil-fuel carbon sources, principally products made […]
When Wrinkles Annoy but Polyester’s a no-no, try HICCUPS
We love polyester, the magic molecule, the bane of wrinkled or torn shirts, friend of moisture resistance. We just can’t stand the way it’s made. In some ways, right up there with hot dogs. Why throw out the molecule? Why not make the carbon we love from the carbon we disdain — like carbon dioxide […]
Australia on the Brink: will “electrify everything” doom the Lucky Country?
Australia will be exposed to environmental, economic and energy security risks if governments fail to foster a domestic renewable fuels sector, says a new report by Deloitte and commissioned by Bioenergy Australia. The report is titled Transitioning Australia’s Liquid Fuel Sector: The Role of Renewable Fuels – which addresses decarbonization of Australia’s economy: Especially, it […]
8-Slide Guides
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the outlook and lifecycle characteristics of alternative marine fuels
The transportation Sector accounts for 33% of total US emissions and marine fuels are 3 percent of that- and they are famously hard to electrify. In this overview from the US Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Technologies Office, technology manager Josh Messner highlights how the United States is committing to work with countries in the International […]
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaJet
Lanzajet says we are at an inflection point for the sustainable aviation industry. Why? How? What’s LanzaJet’s role in it all? How are they driving innovation and accelerating deployment of SAF? What’s the status of their plants and projects? LJ’s Alex Menotti gave this illuminating update at ABLC 2023.
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the NCGA Corn-to-Chemicals Challenge
Here NCGA’s Sarah McKay and friends look at the Consider Corn Open corn-to-chemicals challenge to catalyze innovation and investment in this illuminating slide guide from ABLC 2023. What’s the role of corn and starch in renewable chemicals and materials? Here are the answers.
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to SAF in a season of change
Check out this illuminating slide guide to SAF from Mike McCurdy, Managing Director of Fuels & Power at ICF on how sustainable aviation fuels are taking off in the near term with the latest projected figures for 2023 through 2025, expected openings of additional refinery capacity, how the SAF market has changed, pricing, where it’s […]
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis
In this presentation, Aemetis CEO Eric McAfee took the ABLC 2023 stage in Washington DC to outline the company’s milestones, technology, financial estimates, policy asks, its portfolio of Carbon Zero One projects, and the company’s expansion in RNG, advanced fuels and more. McAfee also picked up the 2023 Bioeconomy Global Leadership Zward at the same […]
The Latest World News
European Commission approves REG’s merger with Chevron
In Belgium, the European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Renewable Energy Group, Inc. by Chevron Corporation, both of the US. REG is active in the production of biodiesel and renewable diesel, and in the sales of carbon credits, petroleum-based products, and petroleum-based products further blended with […]
S&P Global analysis seeks animal and waste fat supplies tightening
In Washington, animal fats and used cooking oil are increasingly joining the likes of lithium, cobalt and copper as energy transitional materials where supply constraints are of growing concern, according to a new analysis of trade flows by S&P Global Commodity Insights Agribusiness Consulting group. The analysis, entitled Biofuel Feedstock Trade Flows: First Come, First […]
Greenwashing lawsuit against KLM given full hearing by Dutch court
In the Netherlands, a greenwashing lawsuit against airline KLM challenging its misleading advertising has been granted permission to proceed to a full hearing by a Dutch court. The lawsuit – the first of its kind to challenge airline industry greenwashing – argues that KLM’s climate ads and offset marketing breach EU consumer law standards by […]
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency fines Denco II $250,000
In Minnesota, according to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, Denco II LLC violated several industrial wastewater, stormwater, and air quality regulations between 2017 and 2022 at its ethanol production facility in Morris, Minn. MPCA staff inspections confirmed that the company had applied about 1.25 million gallons of wastewater to area agricultural fields […]
Pertamina to launch E5 with domestic sugarcane ethanol this month
In Indonesia, the Jakarta Post newspaper reports that Pertamina will launch its E5 blend this month using ethanol produced from domestic sugarcane. In the future, the company hopes to use corn and cassava as ethanol feedstock as well. The country has been wanting to introduce ethanol blending as it is a leader in biodiesel blending […]
R&D News
Northern Illinois University lands $650,000 USDA grant to study biomass pipeline
In Illinois, a research project supporting the feasibility of constructing an innovative, first-of-its-kind biomass pipeline in Maine has been granted a $650,000 award over four years to Northern Illinois University from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA grant will be used in part to purchase roughly $100,000 in instruments and equipment for a new […]
ORNL researchers leading plant research for nature-based solutions
In Tennessee, nature-based solutions are an effective tool to combat climate change triggered by rising carbon emissions, whether it’s by clearing the skies with bio-based aviation fuels or boosting natural carbon sinks. At the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists are leading research to transform plants into key drivers of decarbonization, from creating […]
Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers identify new photosynthesis cellular mechanism in marine phytoplankton
In California, according to new research, the amount of oxygen in one in 10 breaths was made possible thanks to a newly identified cellular mechanism that promotes photosynthesis in marine phytoplankton. Described as “groundbreaking” by a team of researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, this previously unknown process accounts for between 7% […]
Korean researchers convert agricultural waste into aviation biofuel
In Korea, Korea Bizwire reported that a research team from the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) said they have developed technology capable of converting agricultural waste, such as corn cobs, into levulinic acid. The report noted that this acid serves as an intermediate material for aviation biofuel production. Levulinic acid is the final oxidized […]
UCSD students featured in new book looking at algae-based biodegradable plastics
In California, a new book on algae-based biodegradable plastics showcases UC San Diego student research and the monumental potential it has to change consumerism on a global scale. Researchers at UC San Diego have spent many years developing a biodegradable plastic alternative made from algae. This algae-based polymer has already been used to make surfboards, […]
Policy & Policymakers
Germany formally requests European Commission investigation into Chinese biodiesel imports
In Belgium, Reuters reports the German government has asked the European Commission to official launch an investigation into possibly fraudulent biodiesel exports from China following complaints that a rapid increase in Chinese supplies were negatively impacting biodiesel prices in Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. The request specifically asks the EC to look at […]
European Forest Institute launches policy brief focused on carbon sequestration of forest soils, not just biomass
In Belgium, forest soils are larger carbon stocks than the trees that grow on them. Yet global studies on forest carbon stock changes often focus on wood biomass, wood products or various offsetting effects. As the European Union strives to find measures to achieve vital climate targets, a new policy brief from the European Forest […]
European Commission releases new rules on calculating biofuels and biogas
In Belgium, new rules on how to calculate the contribution of biofuels and biogas in blended transport fuel to the EU renewable energy target in transport have been adopted by the European Commission on Monday. The delegated regulation, foreseen under Article 28(5) of the Renewable Energy Directive, links to the requirement for EU countries to […]
ABLC Next 2023 announced – October 18-20 in San Francisco – Networking like Crazy for Net Zero
In California, the Digest announced that the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference on Next-Gen Projects & Technologies, ABLC NEXT 2023, will take place at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, October 18-20, 2023, as the industry undertakes more Networking for Net Zero. More than 600 delegates and 100 speakers are expected from more than 400 companies […]
Ireland inks green hydrogen cooperation agreement with Germany
In Ireland, Irish Examiner reported that Ireland has signed a cooperation agreement with Germany to explore opportunities in the green hydrogen field. However, the newspaper revealed that there is still no firm date for the long-awaited national strategy for green hydrogen to be published. A national hydrogen strategy has long been mooted by the Irish […]
Other Recent Articles
Japan to invest $107 billion in hydrogen supply
In Japan, The Japan Times reported that the Japanese government decided on a plan to generate public- and private-sector investment in the supply of hydrogen worth $107 billion over the next 15 years. Under the revised Basic Hydrogen Strategy, approved at a meeting between relevant ministers, the Japanese government also plans to increase its hydrogen […]
Equatic inks hydrogen deal with Boeing
In California, Equatic said it has entered into a pre-purchase option agreement with Boeing, under which the former will remove 62,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and will deliver 2,100 metric tons of carbon-negative hydrogen to Boeing. “The aviation industry has an important role to play in global decarbonization efforts. Reaching aviation’s sustainability goals will […]
China, Australia to explore green hydrogen partnerships
In China, Global Times reported that companies from China and Australia are stepping up exchanges in green hydrogen after the two countries resumed high-level economic dialogue in May. Chinese experts said that hydrogen has huge growth potential and success can be expected from a partnership between China and Australia, according to the report. Li Chunlin, […]
BPCL partners BARC to boost green hydrogen production in India
In India, Construction World reported that Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) plans to help establish a 1 megawatt electrolyzer manufacturing facility in the country by 2025 using the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s (BARC) technology for green hydrogen. BPCL’s research and development department is working with BARC to scale up alkaline electrolyzer technology for green hydrogen production. […]
Oman’s Hydrom signs three deals for green hydrogen production
In the United Arab Emirates, Zawya reported that Hydrogen Oman SPC (Hydrom), an Energy Development Oman SAOC subsidiary, has signed three agreements to grant the first green hydrogen blocks with investments of over $20 billion,. The report stated that the agreements are forecast to yield a total production capacity of 500,000 tons of green hydrogen […]
Tasmanian Government welcomes $800 million green energy proposal
In Australia, Energy Magazine reported that the Tasmanian Government has welcomed a proposal to redevelop the decommissioned Bell Bay Power Station into a $800 million green methanol and hydrogen plant. The State Government said the partnership between ABEL Energy and Iberdrola, under the banner of Bell Bay Powerfuels, is a step towards the government’s plan […]
