Camelina continues to show promise as a second-generation feedstock for biodiesel. The feedstock has several advantages including a high oil content, grows on marginal land and needs little to no fertilizer or water. It contains a high amount of Omega-3s and its dried distillers grains have already been approved as cattle feed. Researchers at Penn State have been working with …
DOE’s Loan Guarantee Program to Receive Cuts
At a time when the alternative energy industry is calling for the Department of Energy (DOE) to follow through on loan guarantees, the U.S. House of Representatives is attempting to pass a Senate bill that would cut the program’s budget by $1.5 billion. According the the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), this move is part of a $26.1 billion package …
Lallemand Embarks on New Yeast Project
Lallemand Ethanol Technology has announced an exclusive partnership with Xylogenics, a bioengineering company, to develop and commercialize genetically enhanced yeasts for first generation ethanol production. Lallemand is one of the leading yeast providers for the ethanol industry. “Xylogenics is thrilled to be partnering with Lallemand, a global leader in fermentation technology and we are looking forward to bringing our exciting …
SunOpta Reports Strong Second Quarter Sales
SunOpta, a Canadian-based company that is developing a sugar substitute using ethanol, has reported strong revenues for second quarter. According to company financials, they brought in $235.9 million this quarter, as compared to $216.1 million in second quarter of 2009, a 9.2 percent increase. During this same time frame, SunOpta reported a significant increase in net income on a GAAP …
Ethanol Companies Post Strong 2nd Quarter Profits
Several companies that rely on ethanol as a part of their business have reported strong financial results for the 2nd Quarter. According to The Andersons earning reports, the company’s net income for the 2nd Quarter surpassed the $25 million mark, almost $10 million more than what was reported during the same quarter in 2009. The company attributes much of the …
Verenium Reports Positive Second Quarter
Verenium Corporation announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2010 and the outlook is positive. On the enzyme side, the company reported increased total product revenue by 27 percent for the 2nd Quarter compared to the 2nd Quarter in 2009 and a 15 percent increase in revenue over 1st Quarter sales of this year. In the biofuels space, …
Book Review – Power Grab
It’s been a year and a half since President Obama took office and there are definitely mixed emotions on how effective he has or hasn’t been. One area where many people have been critical is with regards to his green policies. One such critic is Christopher Horner, who has written a book with the central theme that Obama’s green polices …
Light Wind Forecast for Growth of Wind Power Industry
Although wind power is growing globally, especially in places such as China, only a light wind is forecast for wind energy growth in the United States. As reported by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), only 700 megawats (MW) were added in the second quarter of this year, down 57 percent from 2008 and 71 percent from 2009 levels. In …
POET to Begin Biomass Harvesting in Texas
This week, POET will begin biomass harvest research in corn fields near Navasota, Texas. This is part of an ongoing effort to learn more about the most efficient ways to harvest and store biomass for cellulosic ethanol production. Project LIBERTY, the country’s soon-to-be largest corn cob and corn stover cellulosic-to-ethanol plant, located in Emmetsburg, Iowa, is also engaged in biomass …
San Diego, A Hot Bed of Algal Activity
Good news for biofuels this week as the California Department of Labor awarded the San Diego Biofuels Initiative a $4 million grant to train workers to join the biofuels workforce. The award was given through the “Green Innovation Challenge,” a green jobs initiative that is overseen by the state’s Department of Labor. According to an article on SanDiego.com, the San …