UC Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) is launching its new Transportation Fuels Research Center of Excellence. The Center was created with a $1.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission and the goal of the research and education facility will be to work on characterizing the emissions and performance of new alternative fuels. In addition, the center …
Ohio Offers $8M Boost to Ethanol, Biodiesel Plants
The U.S. federal government may be dragging its heels on its support for biofuels, but many states, including Ohio, are stepping up to plate. The Dayton Business Journal has reported that Ohio has designated an $8 million fund to boost biofuel production by subsidizing ethanol and biodiesel refining equipment purchases. The program is designed to give ethanol and biodiesel equipment …
Opportunites for Biorefineries Symposium Just Around the Corner
The Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research (CABER), part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, is hosting a symposium on Near-term Opportunities for Biorefineries on October 11-12, 2010. Among the topics discussed will be the impact of technology improvements and utilization of value-added co-products of corn ethanol production. Attendees will also learn about …
Gevo Prepares for IPO
Isobutanol company Gevo, Inc. has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to its proposed initial public offering (IPO). The company has not disclosed how many shares it plans to offer nor when it will file for the IPO, but early estimates put the total worth of the IPO as high as $150 million. …
Cobalt Signs Fluor to Design Biobutanol Plants
Cobalt Technologies has signed an agreement with engineering firm Fluor Corporation to help design production plants to commercialize biobutanol. Under the agreement, Fluor will provide engineering consulting services and a broad range of EPCM services for Cobalt’s demonstration and commercial-scale butanol production plants. “We are very pleased to have Fluor as our strategic partner to help us design the most …
Gevo Buys Ethanol Plant for Isobutanol
Denver-based chemical and biofuels company Gevo is buying a Minnesota ethanol plant to produce isobutanol. The company will acquire Agri-Energy’s ethanol production facility in Luverne, Minnesota and will begin mechanical retrofitting of the plant upon closing. Isobutanol production is expected to begin by the first quarter of 2012, but in the meantime, the facility will continue to produce ethanol. Company …
Biorefinery Could Produce Food, Fertilizer and Fuel
Presenting his new “cornucopia biorefinery” model to produce food, fertilizer and fuel from corn, SynGest, Inc. CEO Jack Oswald led attendees in chants of “Till Baby Till” as he delivered the keynote address at the 2010 International Biomass Conference in Minneapolis last week. “Our integrated biorefinery model will put an end to the ‘food versus fuel’ debate,” Oswald said. “Now …
Pine Beetles Provide Feedstock for Biobutanol
A nasty little beetle is destroying millions of acres of lodgepole pine trees across the western United States and so far, no one has been able to stop it. But, in the tradition of making lemonade from lemons, the biofuels industry has been working on ways to use the dead trees for energy – and one company is now claiming …
New Biofuel in American Le Mans Series
A new biofuel mix will be making its debut in the American Le Mans Series this weekend – isobutanol and ethanol. The “Global Leader of Green Racing” announced earlier this week that Dyson Racing, with cooperation from partners BP and Mazda, will campaign its Mazda-powered Lola B09/86 LMP2 coupe on isobutanol for the full 2010 season. Chris Dyson, Guy Smith …
Biobutanol Makes Splash in California
Biobutanol got a boost from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday at the launching of a Cobalt Technologies pilot plant in his state, Schwarzenegger said biobutanol will meet California’s Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS), which was approved this week by the state’s Office of Administrative Law. “It is great companies like Cobalt that will help California meet our greenhouse gas reduction …