Major Stories
Habemus Feedstock? The Conclave gathers: The pursuit of circular feedstocks for renewable chemicals and materials
Today, a tale of the pistachio tree, or rather its cousin in the pistachia family. the terebinth — and therein lies a bioeconomy yarn that will take us from ancient Mesopotamia to contemporary La Jolla, California, where several dozens of the bioeconomy’s best and brightest are conclaved this week to solve big problems. If you’ve […]
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once: The African Bio-Economy Story
By Douglas L. Faulkner, “The Cleantech Conservative” and Gerard J. Ostheimer, PhD Special to the Digest With a nod to the Oscar winning movie of the same name, we want to convey a sense of where the African Bioeconomy is now, where it could be headed, and what is needed for vibrant, enduring growth. The […]
Heard on the Floor at ABLC
“We’re out of time”. Everyone’s heard the phrase, perhaps most recently in the third act of the motion picture Passengers. But I hadn’t heard it from Charlie Wyman, the legendary NREL researchers, AAAS Fellow, co-founder of Mascoma, and one of the fathers of consolidated bioprocessing, until ABLC. The subject was deployment vs development, whether we […]
The 50 Hottest Companies in the Bioeconomy 2023
In Washington, the Digest released the rankings for the 50 Hottest Companies in the Bioeconomy. Out of more than 2,000 sector companies, the winners are:
State of the Bioeconomy 2023
The opening session of ABLC features the State of the Bioeconomy presentation. Here are the slides from the presentation by Digest editor & publisher Jim Lane on the evening of March 22nd covering advanced ethanol. renewable diesel, SAF, renewable chemicals, biomaterials, RNG, hydrogen, feedstocks and supply chain, finance and policy.
8-Slide Guides
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Marquis
Marquis has become the first well known ethanol producer to step into the world of ethanol-to-jet in a partnership with LanzaJet. The promise and progress, milestones achieved and ahead, were presented by Marquis’ Jennifer Aurandt-Pilgrim at ABLC 2023.
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to BioVeritas
BioVeritas uses some of the same technology with different market goals as the famed Terrabon of days gone by — carboxylic acids made from waste biomass, with fuel precursors and a slew of interesting renewable chemical precursors among the products that the technology can produce. CEO Dave Austgen gave this overview of the company’s promise […]
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Ag-Grid Energy
AgGrid Energy is one of our most admired biogas project developers, and is on a rapid expansion curve as many of the best biogas companies are right now. Rashi Akki gave this overview of the company’s promise and progress, milestones achieved and ahead, at ABLC 2023.
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Greenfields vs Retrofits
Last week on the REenergize online series, we looked at the question of when to go greenfield, when to look for a retrofit or a co-location. We identified 18 key decision points, and in this presentation, we relate them back to actual companies and projects looking at those criteria to decide how to progress on […]
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Chevron
With the acquisition of REG and investments in companies such as Raven SR, Chevron has signaled that, as CEO Mike Wirth put it, “we believe the future of energy to be lower carbon. We intend to be a leader today, and in that future.” The Chevron team prepared this company investor update for distribution this […]
The Latest World News
Ence Biogas signs contract with Sener for six biomethane plants in Spain
In Spain, Ence Biogas, a subsidiary of the Ence-Energía Group and Celulosa, has signed a contract with Sener to provide the conceptual, basic and detailed engineering for six biomethane plants, which will be located in various parts of Spain. This agreement will be implemented this year so that the administrative process to authorize the plants […]
CO2 from Belgium injected into depleted oil field in the Danish North Sea
In Denmark, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark officially initiated a world first with the safe injection of carbon dioxide from Belgium into a depleted oil field in the Danish North Sea. Project Greensand, shows for the first time the feasibility of CO2 storage from being captured at an INEOS Oxide site in […]
Spar Shipping and NORDEN bunker 1,100 tons of GoodFuels biofuel
In Norway, together with shipowner Spar Shipping AS, NORDEN recently bunkered approximately 1100 metirc tons of biofuel at GoodFuels in Rotterdam used on two voyages bound for Asia and Africa respectively. The bunkering of 1100 tons of biofuel is the first biofuel bunkering by NORDEN on chartered vessels, marking an important milestone in our commitment […]
Snohomish County establishing SAF R&D center
In Washington state, Snohomish County is establishing a world-leading Research and Development (R&D) Center focused on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) at Paine Field Airport. The project, which is a partnership with Washington State University (WSU), when combined with other WSU assets in Washington will create the world’s first SAF repository of this type for advancing […]
Carbon America shares plans for Yuma Ethanol CCS project
In Colorado, the Akron News Reporter newspaper reports Carbon America held a community open house last week to share its plans to establish carbon capture and storage for Yuma Ethanol. The project would sequester 175,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually at an underground facility located on state land about 10 miles by pipeline from the […]
R&D News
University of Plymouth researchers helps to develop new UCO recycling method
In the UK, a scientist from the University of Plymouth has played a key role in new research which has developed a powerful, low-cost method for recycling used cooking oil and agricultural waste into biodiesel, and turning food scraps and plastic rubbish into high-value products. The method, outlined in a study published in Nature Catalysis, […]
Argonne National Laboratory and Progress Rail researching biofuels for rail
In Illinois, building on their 25-year relationship, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, are researching a variety of biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels with the goal of lowering the carbon intensity of the fuels used in the U.S. freight rail industry. The DOE and the Federal […]
Brazilian researchers increase 2G ethanol efficiency via metabolic engineering
In Brazil, a Brazilian study paves the way to increased efficiency of second-generation (2G) ethanol production based on the discovery of novel targets for metabolic engineering in a more robust strain of industrial yeast. An article on the study is published in the journal Scientific Reports. The databases compiled by the authors are at the disposal of the […]
AFYREN’s 2022 revenues up 14% year-on-year
In France, local firm AFYREN reported its revenues for 2022 totaled $3.8 million, up 14% compared to $3.26 million in 2021. The net result amounts to a loss of $10 million at the end of 2022, compared with a loss of $3.9 million at the end of 2021. The firm said that the net loss […]
Policy & Policymakers
Thailand looking to support ethanol as PE feedstock
In Thailand, the Bangkok Post reports the government is preparing to take biofuel support one step further by supporting the use of ethanol as feedstock for bio-based polyethylene. The move is in anticipation of electric vehicles eventually taking over, freeing up ethanol for industrial use rather than for fuel blending as the country currently does. […]
Himachal Pradesh aiming for green hydrogen policy
In India, the state of Himachal Pradesh is developing a green hydrogen policy to drive investment in the state in order to achieve its goal of becoming the country’s first Green State by 2025. In line with the new policy development, the state’s new first minister signed a memorandum of understanding last week with HLC […]
French study shows E85 as beneficial to the climate as 100% electric
In France, a study shows that plug-in hybrid vehicles running on Superethanol-E85 are as beneficial for the climate as 100% electric. Plug-in hybrid vehicles running on Superethanol-E85 are as beneficial for the climate as 100% electric according to an IFP Energies nouvelles study. The study carried out by IFPEN’s Economics and Environmental Assessment Department […]
Indian government amends export policy for biofuels
In India, the Economic Times reported that the Indian government said the export of biofuel from special economic zones and export oriented units are allowed for fuel as well as non-fuel purposes without any restriction, if the biofuel is produced by using imported feed stock. On August 28, 2018, the government had imposed restrictions on […]
Next Generation Fuels Act reintroduced into the Senate
In Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led bipartisan colleagues in reintroducing the Next Generation Fuels Act, legislation that would leverage higher-octane fuels to improve engine efficiency and performance. Allowing the sale of fuels with greater octane levels would increase the amount of ethanol that can be utilized in the fuel supply, in turn lowering prices […]
Other Recent Articles
Report forecasts global blue hydrogen market to grow at a CAGR of 8% by 2033
In the UK, Visiongain reported that the global blue hydrogen market was valued at $18.8 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period 2023-2033. According to the UK research firm, governments around the world are providing financial incentives and subsidies to support the development of the […]
NIS aims to produce green, blue hydrogen in Serbia
In Serbia, Balkan Green Energy News reported that Serbian oil and gas firm NIS has extended the public call for the design and technical documentation development for the construction of a hydrogen production plant near the Elemir refinery near Zrenjanin. NIS is seeking a contractor for the design and development of technical documentation for the […]
Fusion Fuel enters into 10-year hydrogen purchase agreement with Hydrogen Ventures
In Portugal, Fusion Fuel announced that it has signed a ten year offtake contract with European developer Hydrogen Ventures for 30 tons of green hydrogen per annum. First orders are expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2023. The hydrogen will be produced at the company’s projects in Evora, Portugal, where Fusion Fuel […]
Egypt to sign eight MoUs on green hydrogen production soon
In the United Arab Emirates, Zawya reported the Suez Canal Economic Zone’s (SCZone) head Waleid Gamal El-Dien said that the Egyptian government is set to sign eight new memorandum of understanding (MoUs) in the field of green hydrogen production soon. In an interview with CNBC Arabia, Gamal El-Din did not reveal any details about the […]
Dutch government selects site for offshore wind-to-hydrogen project
In the Netherlands, OffshoreWIND.biz reported that the Dutch government has designated an area for what will become the world’s largest offshore hydrogen production project. That designated area is Ten noorden van de Waddeneilanden, which had been identified earlier for offshore wind development and deemed most suitable for providing 500 MW of electrolysis capacity and for […]
ZETDC and HDF Energy sign MoU to develop Zimbabwe’s first green hydrogen power plant
In Zimbabwe, Hydrogène de France (HDF Energy) said it has reached a further step in the development of Zimbabwe’s first high-powered green hydrogen power plant, the Middle Sabi Renewstable, by formalizing the shared goal to supply the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) in a Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement creates a framework for […]
