Novozymes has launched the first ever biological foam control for sugcarcane ethanol called Fermax™. The enzyme protease replaces chemicals in the sugarcane ethanol production and prevents foam development during the fermentation process. According to Novozymes, ethanol plants that trialed Fermax experienced improved control as well as a cost reduction of up to 20 percent as compared to using chemicals. “This …
New Blender Pumps Open In Holstein, Iowa
Holstein Travel Center has added four blender pumps and to celebrate the retail station is hosting a pump promotion November 11-12, 2016. The station is located on Indorf Avenue in Holstein, Iowa. The station will be receiving its ethanol from Quad County Corn Processors based in Galva, Iowa. A portion of the costs, $50,00, was awarded to the station under …
MSU Awarded $6M Biofuel, Carbon Grant
Montana State University (MSU) has received a $6 million, four-year grant from the National Science Foundation to develop new innovations at the intersection of food, energy and water systems. MSU will be working alongside the University of Wyoming and the University of South Dakota to address the sustainability profiles of biofuels and carbon capture technologies that would be introduced in …
Paris Agreement in Force, GRFA Stresses #Biofuels Role
On November 4, 2016 the Paris Agreement, reached during COP21 and signed by nearly 200 countries, went into force. This is the first enforceable accord setting targets to curb global carbon emissions with the goal of limiting global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. With the agreement now ‘official,’ the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) …
September Ethanol Exports Back on the Rise
According to new government data, September U.S. ethanol exports were 99.6 million gallons (mg), an increase of nearly 28 percent or 22 mg over August exports. The data was analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and found that September is the highest monthly volume export in nearly 5 years (December 2011). Just six countries purchased 92 percent of U.S. …
Sea-Tac Home to New Aviation Fuels Program
A new sustainable aviation program is underway at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) that if successful could supply all airlines flying out of the airport access to aviation biofuels. Partners in the initiative include the Port of Seattle, SkyNRG and the Carbon War Room (CWR). This announcement marks the first step initiated to provide an airport-wide sustainable aviation fuel supply …
PNNL Turns Sewage Into Fuel
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have discovered the key to converting sewage to biocrude oil. Using the technology that mimics the geological conditions the Earth uses to create crude oil, called hydrothermal liquefaction, coupled with high pressure and high temperatures, crude oil can be produced in minutes. The resulting product is similar to …
‘Fueling Our Future 100’ Awards 4th Funding Round
A fourth round of funding has been released under the “Fueling our Future 100” totaling $368,200. The announcement was made by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sec. of Agriculture Bill Northey. Six retailers were awarded monies for use to install renewable fuels infrastructure representing 7 sites, 15 new blender pumps and 3 underground storage tanks. In …
BioEnergy Bytes
Canada’s first algal biorefinery demonstration project, a collaborative research effort between the National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) Algal Carbon Conversion (ACC) program, Pond Technologies and Votorantim Cimentos’ St Marys Cement, is revolutionizing how industrial carbon emissions are managed. The project uses a 25,000 L photobioreactor within a pilot scale algal biorefinery to recycle carbon dioxide and other airborne industrial pollutants …
NREL Scientists Discover Bacteria to Biofuels Breakthrough
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered a metabolic pathway that take up CO2 and is then capable of breaking down and fermenting cellulosic biomass to produce biofuels, hydrogen and hydrocarbons. The specific bacteria is Clostridium thermocellum and is among the most efficient bacteria in directly converting cellulosic materials into hydrogen and hydrocarbons …