The World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing, hosted by BIO, is set to begin on Sunday, May 8, 2011 in Toronto. A record crowd is expected and the exhibitor hall is sold out. I’ll be on site to bring you breaking news and information about the latest biotechnology trends as they relate to biofuels and biochemicals. To get a …
BioAmber Raises $45M to Grow Succinic Acid Platform
BioAmber Inc. has raised $45 million dollars in Series B financing with the monies used to accelerate the commercialization of succinic acid and modified PBS including the construction of a plant in North America. The round was led by NAXOS Capital Partners who helped to secure a new investor, Mitsui & Co. a Japanese trading company. The round was co-led …
Dyadic Netherlands Enters Research Agreement
Dyadic Netherlands, a subsidiary of Dyadic International, a company developing enzyme and protein products for several industries including the biofuels industry, has announced that they have entered into a research agreement with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, and EnGen Bio, Inc. As part of the agreement, Sanofi Pasteur will fund collaborative research at Dyadic Netherland’s research and …
Hertz Expands Solar Program
Hertz Corporation is expanding its solar program with the installation of solar electric systems at several new locations. The most recent installation was completed at a Hertz Rental Corporation (HERC) facility in Commerce City, Colorado. The completion of this project makes them the first rental car company in the country to install a solar power facility. The project is a …
First Flex Fuel Pump Opens in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the home of its first flex fuel pump. Rhoads Energy worked with Growth Energy to install the pump at its station located at 2176 Paxton Street, Harrisburg, PA. The pump was installed with assistance provided from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Flex Fuel Pump Program. “Providing consumers with greater access to ethanol will help reduce our dependence on …
AEC Supports Domestic Energy Promotion Act
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley along with a bipartisan group of senators, announced a proposed piece of legislation to promote the development of biofuel infrastructure. The Domestic Energy Promotion Act of 2011 would transition the current blender’s credit to a variable tax credit based on the price of oil, improve tax incentives for blender pumps and ethanol refueling infrastructure, and extend …
Biomass Grants Awarded By USDA and DOE
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million to fund eight research and development projects that will support the production of biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. “The projects that we are announcing today will spur innovation in bioenergy by developing renewable resources that …
Oregon to Test Hydrogen Fuel Technology
This month, testing will begin in Oregon on a new hydrogen fuel technology that works in tandem with diesel and gasoline engines to improve fuel efficiency, torque and horsepower and lower emissions. The technology was designed by Global Automotive Hydrogen Systems in Hong Kong. The system was first tested in Australia in 2010 by Pacific Transport, a trucking company. The …
Iowa Biodiesel Board Applauds Iowa Biodiesel Bill
As reported yesterday by Cindy, there was big news in Iowa for the biodiesel industry. The state passed one of the most comprehensive biodiesel fuel policies in the U.S. that creates a system that incentivizes local production, encourages availability of biodiesel at the pump, and invests in the infrastructure needed for wide distribution. The renewable energy bill is known as …
Ethanol Report on Domestic Energy Bill
A bill was introduced today in the Senate that would modify the current ethanol blender’s tax credit set to expire at the end of this year. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says the bipartisan Domestic Energy Promotion Act of 2011 introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) already has a number of co-sponsors. “Senators Conrad, Johanns, Klobuchar, Franken, …