In Iowa, tracking COVID-19’s economic impacts, especially in the state of Iowa, is now possible thanks to resources on a new web hub. The webpage “COVID-19 Pandemic: Research and Resources” developed by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and the Department of Economics at Iowa State University, examines the pandemic’s impacts on the economy, agriculture […]
In Iowa, Iowa State University is highly dedicated to bioenergy crops and has established a bioenergy research farm just southwest of Ames, coined as the Sustainable Advanced Bioeconomy Research (SABR) Farm. SABR is funded by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) out of the University of Illinois. Corn and soybeans were planted […]
The US Department of Energy is supporting a project to demonstrate solvent liquefaction as viable path to stable intermediates for subsequent upgrading to fuel blendstocks. This is based on a technology originally developed in large part via Catchlight Energy and we profiled its revival at Iowa State right here, in “Chevron’s forgotten biofuels wonder-tech gets […]
In Iowa, the phrase “a double-edged sword” describes something that is beneficial in some ways but problematic in others. One example is removing maize stover (the husks, stems and leaves of corn plants) from fields. Maize stover is used to make cellulosic ethanol, a renewable biofuel. And renewable biofuels are beneficial to the environment. However, […]
In Iowa, Iowa State University is reporting that it will bring its expertise in biorenewable technologies and pilot plant operations to the country’s 10th Manufacturing USA Institute. The recently announced advanced manufacturing institute is dedicated to improving the productivity and efficiency of chemical manufacturing, and could save the chemical industry more than $9 billion annually, […]
In Iowa, Iowa State University research shows that ethanol-blending margins have turned negative in the past two weeks following high margins that led to consistently record production for more than 14 weeks. In the meantime, stocks have risen to a nine-week high and with exports to China drying up and questions about the future of […]
Last week, we reported that excessive levels of hydrogen cyanide gas have been resulting in low ethanol output at the INEOS Bio plant in Vero Beach — and that a scrubber is being installed and will be commissioned that is expected to alleviate the problem. Leaving the question of how a gas, at deadly levels to […]
In Iowa, cropping systems that are profitable for farmers and balance societal needs for food, feed, fuel, energy and clean air and water are the focus and challenge of Iowa State University’s Landscape Biomass Project. Researchers are studying how to strategically integrate second generation bioenergy crops, such as triticale, switchgrass and trees, with food and feed […]
Biofuels Digest is launching a new feature series: Educational Programs for Biorenewables. Our first feature focuses on biorenewables programs at Iowa State University. As the biorenewable industry grows, so does the demand for a workforce educated in the field. Many programs for traditional students have been created to help meet this demand. Iowa State University, […]
Can local communities pyrolize their wastes and residues, to make renewable fuels and chemicals at biobased super-refineries? Two-step processes could be the ticket to the future, according to an Iowa State team. Imagine, for a moment, a biorefinery as large as an oil refinery – competing on equivalent scales, gaining comparable economic and tax incentives […]
