N-butanol pioneer gains altitude in tough market; Sofinnova and Swire Group join investor group; company receives CMEC shareholder approval on purchase agreement of 23 Mgy ethanol plant In the UK, Green Biologics announced the closing of a $25 million Series B round led by Sofinnova Partners with strategic participation by Swire Pacific Limited. Follow on […]
In Scotland, Celtic Renewables will use whisky byproducts to produce biobutanol. Draff and pot ale, which account for roughly 90% of the raw material that goes into whisky-making, is generally disposed of as waste at considerable cost to producers. Tangney, the founder of Celtic Renewables, also works at the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier […]
Seeking low-carbon fuels, even negative carbon? Or, looking for a low-cost, cellulosic renewable fuel? Or, in search of a capital-light, bolt-on technology to drive better economics for first-yen ethanol plants? Well, what about all three, at one time, with one technology? Taiwan’s ITRI says its early-stage ButyFix technology checks off all three ways. The Digest […]
In California, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded Microvi Biotechnologies a grant to develop a technology that overcomes the toxic and inhibitory effects on butanol producing microorganisms, dramatically improving the yield and performance of biobutanol processes. Based on preliminary investigation Microvi’s technology has shown that it substantially increase the titer concentration of butanol […]
In Colorado, Gevo announced that it has brought its second million liter fermenter and GIFT system online at its Luverne, Minn. facility. “We have been successful in operating full-scale fermentations using our GIFT system – which separates the isobutanol from the fermentation broth – on a second million-liter fermenter and GIFT system,” noted Patrick Gruber, […]
Think the Hatfields and McCoys, Cain and Abel, the Montagues and the Capulets, Alabama and Auburn, Army and Navy are among the the fiercest rivalries in history? Mere wannabees, mere pretenders. Just warm up acts for our friends at Gevo and Butamax. In Delaware, Butamax announced that Judge Sue Robinson granted Butamax’s summary judgment motions […]
In the UK, Green Biologics announced it has been awarded grant funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the UK’s innovation agency, to engineer a novel bacterial host for biobutanol production. The project is in collaboration with the Clostrida Research Group (CRG) at the University of Nottingham which are funded by the Biological Sciences Research […]
In Scotland, Celtic Renewables received the “Best Innovation” award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards for their technology which converts two key by-products of whisky production, ‘pot ale’ and ‘draff’, into biobutanol. In CE’s process, draff and pot ale are mixed and then fermented to produce a “broth”. The broth is then distilled to produce […]
In Scotland, independent whisky maker Tullibardine plans to become the first whiskey distillery to produce fuel for transport, a move that could revolutionize the country’s 100+ distilleries. In conjunction with Edinburgh Napier University, Tullibardine plans to build a processing plant in central Scotland to produce biobutanol. The distillery will supply the plant with fermentation and […]
Reoptimizing its technology, now expects return to reach target isobutanol production rates in 2013. In Colorado, Gevo announced that, while making significant progress towards economic production levels, the company does not now expect to achieve its desired year-end run rate – instead it has delayed hitting that target into 2013. “While we have made significant […]
