Tag: kentucky

University of Kentucky researchers producing mushrooms from distillery waste

December 14, 2022 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, mushrooms and distilleries have quite a bit in common thanks to students at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. With funding from the UK Office of Sustainability, a group in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, and the Department of Horticulture, is looking for ways to raise fungi using spent grains from local distilleries. UK sits in the heart of bourbon country, so spent grains are quite prevalent. While other uses, such […]

Synthica Energy enters into permitting phase for Kentucky AD project

April 19, 2022 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, Synthica Energy, LLC has entered the permitting phase of development for a new anaerobic digestion facility in the heart of Kentucky’s famed distillery region. The facility will focus on converting distillery byproducts (stillage) from Kentucky’s growing bourbon industry into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Synthica’s facility is being developed on a 40-acre industrial property […]

Continental Refining breaks ground on new soybean crushing and biodiesel facility

December 23, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, WYKY radio reported that Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman was on hand for the groundbreaking of Continental Refining Co’s new $26.8 million soybean crushing and biodiesel production facility in Somerset. The project is an extension of its current operations with commissioning of the soy crushing facility expected in early 2022, crushing 84,000 tons of […]

Kentucky opens applications for Renewable Chemical Production Program

December 22, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, WTVQ reports the agriculture commissioner announced companies may now apply to participate in the Renewable Chemical Production Program which provides tax credits for more than 30 specified biomass-based chemicals. Legislation for the program was passed by the state legislature in 2020 and aims to provide up to $10 million in tax credits annually […]

Continental Refining Company to invest additional $20M in biodiesel project

April 28, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, Continental Refining Company (CRC) announced that it is moving forward with plans to invest an additional $20 million to acquire and install a soybean crushing, biodiesel refining and blending facility at the current CRC oil refinery in Somerset, Kentucky. CRC has completed its evaluation of the project feasibility and is currently making progress […]

Continental Refining Company unveils plans for new biodiesel production facility

November 18, 2020 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

In Kentucky, Hemisphere Limited, the parent company of Continental Refining Company (CRC), is exploring plans to invest an additional $25 million to acquire, relocate and install a soybean crushing, biodiesel refining and blending facility at the current CRC oil refinery in Somerset, Kentucky. The ability to produce biofuels and soy-based products in Somerset would open […]

University of Kentucky researchers seek solutions to sulfur challenges in biofuel production

November 9, 2020 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, sulfur found in biofuel feedstock poses serious problems to the industry, because it causes pollution, is toxic to the catalyst and corrosive to biorefinery equipment. A national group of scientists and industry partners led by researchers at the University of Kentucky is studying ways to reduce sulfur levels in pine byproducts used to […]

University of Kentucky researchers show dual-purpose hemp cultivars best for bioenergy

August 13, 2020 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, dual-purpose industrial hemp cultivars show the best potential for coproduction of biofuel and bioproducts, according to University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment study. Researchers evaluated 11 hemp cultivars from all over the world. They planted cultivars at UK’s Spindletop Farm and at Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability under the […]

KFC expects consumers to flock to chicken substitute

July 20, 2020 | Rebecca Coons

In Kentucky, fried chicken mainstay KFC is leaning into plant-based meat substitutes, signing a collaboration in 3D bioprinting and aggressively expanding its Beyond Fried Chicken product to larger markets. TechCrunch notes that the company recently provided its closely guarded 11 herbs and spices to Russia’s 3D Bioprinting Solutions to begin testing whether lab-cultured chicken cells […]

Senator Mitch McConnell pushing hard for hemp deregulation

April 3, 2018 | Meghan Sapp

In Kentucky, the Associated Press reports that Senator Mitch McConnell will support hemp legalization legislation, removing the crop from the controlled substances list and introducing it as an agricultural commodity. The state is a leading hemp producer with more than 12,000 acres licensed to grow the crop and 57 processors producing a wide range of […]