Gen2 Biofuels: Despite Growing Pains, Billion-Gallon Milestone Within Reach

Cellulosic biofuels are behind schedule. Can they catch up? What are the barriers, the roles to be played by Washington, developers alike? What are the opportunities for the retail investor? 

A downloadable report from Pavel Molchanov and Raymond James assesses the space.

In California, Raymond James renewable energy analyst Pavel Molchanov released a foundational report on Gen2 advanced biofuels this past week, on the eve of the Advanced Biofuels Markets conference which concluded last Thursday.

“Amid volatile commodity and equity markets, and despite some growing pains along the way, the industry continues to develop,” Molchanov writes. “We expect 2012 to be a critical period as a wide variety of Gen2 biofuels approach commercialization, and companies increasingly “graduate” from the pre-revenue stage to full commercial operations.”

The report is available as a free download from Biofuels Digest, and addresses:

• Slow scale-up means Gen2 RFS targets won’t be met until at least 2013

• Why have Gen2 biofuels been so slow to scale up?

• Washington has a role to play, but the RFS alone is not enough

• How and why the Pentagon is stepping up

• The role of integrated majors and refiners, chemical companies, cosmetics and fragrance companies, airlines, and feedstock suppliers as strategic investors.

• Renewable chemicals: just in case a multi-trillion dollar global fuel market isn’t enough

• How can U.S. investors play Gen2 biofuels and renewable chemicals? A review of Amyris, Codexis, Gevo, KiOR, and Solazyme as investment opportunities.

The Raymond James report can be downloaded free, here.