Major Stories
Ground Stop: Time for Plan B on the SAF Grand Challenge?
The International Energy Agency held a materially significant workshop in Paris this week on accelerating the pace of sustainable biofuels development. There was much talk about sustainable aviation fuels, or rather the lack of them. Let’s start with the good news. There’s will and steadfastness of purpose from the SAF stakeholders. There’s available capital, technology, […]
Future Origins and the Biobased Chemicals Market Wigwag
News arrived earlier this year that Geno, Unilever, Kao, and L’Oréal have named their joint venture which aims to make alternatives to petroleum and palm for surfactant ingredients used in laundry detergent and cosmetics. They’ve chosen Future Origins as the moniker. Yes, there’s a Market Says here, “USDA forecasting palm oil consumption in 2023-24 to […]
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 […]
8-Slide Guides
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE Billion Ton Report
The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Assessment of US renewable carbon resources aims to inform research, development, and deployment strategies. The fourth in a DOE series, the report updates on the latest economic conditions, offers better clarity in terms of additional production potential vs current production, looks at level of resource utilization, production potential […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Southwest Airlines’s path to SAF
SAF plays an important role in the Southwest Airlines environmental sustainability plan and path to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By 2030, the airline plans to replace 10% of total jet fuel consumption with SAF. Southwest Airlines’ Elvis Ebikade gave this presentation at ABLC 2024 to outline the Southwest vision and progress.
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to NEXT Renewables
NEXT Renewable Fuels turns recycled organic materials, such as used cooking oil, into an advanced biofuel that works just like petroleum-based diesel, but with as much as 85 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. With development and technology partners, NEXT Renewable Fuels provides the renewable transportation fuels the future demands, and is developing projects on the […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Iogen
You may know Iogen as the cellulosic ethanol tech and biofuel company, but did you know they are now deploying low-carbon BECCS hydrogen? Check out this slide guide from ABLC 2024 in San Francisco from CEO Brian Foody on net zero fuels and BECCS, which ones they think have the most promise and why, and […]
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Gold Hydrogen
Recently, Cemvita launched the Gold Hydrogen program for subsurface biomanufacturing of Hydrogen, noting that “With thousands of depleted oil wells in the US and more around the world, Gold Hydrogen represents a unique opportunity to work with the oil and gas industry—not against it—to move away from our reliance on fossil fuels and toward a […]
The Latest World News
Panasonic to launch 10 kW pure hydrogen fuel cell generator in Europe, Australia, and China
In Japan, Panasonic Corporation announced that its Electric Works Company will launch a new pure hydrogen fuel cell generator that generates power through a chemical reaction between high-purity hydrogen and oxygen in the air in October 2024 in Europe, Australia, and China. In October 2021, Panasonic launched a 5 kW type pure hydrogen fuel cell […]
TotalEnergies and Vanguard Renewables partner to develop renewable natural gas in the US
In France, TotalEnergies and Vanguard Renewables, a U.S. specialist in farm-based organics-to-renewable natural gas production and a portfolio company of a fund managed by BlackRock’s Diversified Infrastructure business, have signed an agreement to create an equally owned joint venture to develop, build, and operate Farm Powered renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the United States. […]
Angel Yeast continues to tackle plastic pollution challenges with bio-based material solutions
In China, Angel Yeast said it is actively promoting and developing projects of biodegradable materials as it advances material transformation. Angel Yeast said it has established a joint venture with Beijing PhaBuilder Biotechnology Co. (PhaBuilder) to carry forward the industrialization project of PHA with the opening of a PHA factory. PHA (polyhydeoxyalkanoates), a polyester produced […]
Thai companies collaborate to develop waste-to-energy power plants
In Thailand, Asean Now reported that a consortium of Thai power and waste management companies intend to build 12 waste-to-energy power facilities and three refuse-derived fuel production plants. Acting Managing Director of waste services company Earth Tech Environment, Supawat Khunvoravinij, stated that the goal is to create facilities capable of power generation while improving industrial […]
New ATRI research evaluates renewable diesel as an alternative pathway to decarbonization
In Washington DC, The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released a new report that analyzes the benefits of employing renewable diesel (RD) as an alternative to battery electric vehicle (BEV) trucks. The report concludes that relying on BEV to decrease CO2 emissions is nearly six times more expensive than using RD. It was confirmed that […]
R&D News
ETH Zurich researchers have engineered bacteria in the lab to efficiently use methanol
In Switzerland, ETH Zurich said that a group of its researchers have engineered bacteria in the laboratory to efficiently use methanol. The metabolism of these bacteria can now be tapped into to produce valuable products currently made by the chemical industry from fossil fuels, ETH Zurich said. Researchers explained that methanol can be synthesized from […]
University of Kentucky researchers launch MSW to SAF project
In Kentucky, the University of Kentucky has launched a pioneering research initiative that seeks to turn everyday trash into high-quality sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Titled “Surface Enhanced Smart Preprocessing of Municipal Solid Wastes for Year-Round Supply of Conversion-Ready Feedstocks,” the study aims to address excessive landfill waste. The project is a collaborative effort involving a […]
DECHEMA report outlines opportunities for carbon dioxide for sustainable production routes
In Germany, the DECHEMA report ‘Carbon for Power-to-X – Suitable CO2 sources and integration in PtX value chains’ deals with possibilities to capture and utilize carbon dioxide for sustainable production routes. Carbon dioxide can serve as a carbon feed for numerous climate friendly commodities produced with Power-to-X technologies. The report elaborates on point sources and […]
Thai researchers scale up SAF production from yeast
In Thailand, researchers from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science are accelerating their technological development to scale up the production of aviation biofuel from yeast. This is an extension of the successful results of research that found a strain of yeast with a high potential for producing fat for use in aviation fuel. In addition to producing yeast […]
Fraunhofer researchers develop biobased synthetic rubber
In Germany, synthetic rubber is indispensable today, especially for car tires and technical rubber goods. Until now, the raw materials for its production have largely been obtained from fossil sources. Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, four Fraunhofer Institutes are now developing alternative, biobased raw material sources for synthetic […]
Policy & Policymakers
India allows sugar mills to use 670,000 tons of B-heavy molasses for ethanol production
In India, The Economic Times reported that the Indian government has allowed sugar mills to use 670,000 tons of B-heavy molasses as feedstock for making ethanol in the current year. Sugar mills in India were holding excess stock of B-heavy molasses — a byproduct of the sweetener — produced before the ban on its use […]
Colaition calls for Farm to Fly to be included in upcoming Farm Bill
In Washington, amid the ongoing negotiations surrounding the Farm Bill, industry stakeholders representing nearly the entire supply chain for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – including seven major airlines – called on Agriculture Committee leaders in the House and Senate to boost the role of American farms in fueling low-carbon aviation. “SAF, which can be produced from renewable […]
Italy’s Council of State rejects greenwashing claims for Eni’s Diesel+
In Italy, the Council of State has after 4 years rejected the accusation of the Competition and Market Guarantor Authority (AGCM) that claimed Eni had implemented an unfair commercial practice to the detriment of of consumers for the Eni Diesel+ fuel advertising campaign. The Council of State in fact fully accepted Eni’s appeal in the […]
USDA awards more than $43 million in grants through HBIIP
In Washington, in honor of Earth Day 2024, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding more than $43 million in grants through HBIIP to business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 15 states and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options. HBIIP provides […]
Alberta grants 12% tax credit to Imperial for renewable diesel facility
In Canada, Alberta’s government introduced the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit in spring 2023 to support economic growth and diversification. The tax credit is attracting large-scale investment in value-added manufacturing with Imperial’s C$720-million project to build the largest renewable diesel facility in Canada. When production begins in 2025, Imperial’s new facility will convert locally sourced biofeedstocks […]
Other Recent Articles
Neste and New Jersey Natural Gas target reducing greenhouse gas emissions with renewable diesel
In Finland, Neste and New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), the principal subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, said they look to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with Neste MY Renewable Diesel. NJNG announced it is switching its medium-duty trucks and associated equipment to renewable diesel to help reduce GHG emissions. “We are excited to help New […]
Peninsula adds chemical tanker Aalborg to supply biofuel in the Port of Barcelona
In Spain, Peninsula, a global marine energy supplier, announced the introduction of the Aalborg, an IMO II chemical tanker dedicated to sustainable fuel distribution in the Western Mediterranean. The Aalborg is capable of supplying 100% biofuels (B100), in contrast to traditional fuel barges that cannot exceed 25% bio component. The vessel supplies FAME (Fatty Acid […]
SkyNRG and AEG Fuels supply SAF to Bombardier Business Aircraft demo fleet
In the Netherlands, SkyNRG and AEG Fuels completed the delivery of sustainable aviation biofuels for the Bombardier Business Aircraft demonstration fleet flying from KLM Jet Center in Amsterdam, Netherlands to the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. This is the first delivery of biofuel completed by AEG Fuels. Bombardier’s demonstration fleet, […]
CMA CGM and Bpifrance launch $214.5M funding to decarbonize French maritime sector
In France, CMA CGM and Bpifrance announced the operational launch of the EUR200 million endowment fund for the French maritime sector financed via Pulse, the CMA CGM Energies Fund. – EUR 130 million in grants, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the endowment fund, for the maritime sector to finance French companies wishing to accelerate […]
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency fines POET Biorefining-Glenville for five years of air permit violations
In Minnesota, according to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, POET Biorefining-Glenville LLC violated several air permit conditions between 2018 and 2023 at its ethanol production facility in Albert Lea, Minn. Violations included emitting more particulate matter and volatile organic compounds than allowed by permit over the course of five years. An MPCA […]
India to allow 670,000 tons of Heavy B-molasses be diverted to ethanol
In India, the Economic Times newspaper reports the Indian government will allow 670,000 metric tons of Heavy B-molasses to be diverted to ethanol production following a ban, lifting of the ban, and then putting the ban back in place on sugarcane-based feedstocks due to expected lower cane production this season. Mills have been holding on […]
