University of Illinois agronomist D.K. Lee has developed a bioenergy grass that is tolerant to freezing. Current bioenergy crops such as Miscanthus and switchgrass grown in the Midwest are prone to freezing. When Lee discovered one morning in Mid-April that the only grass not frozen was prairie cordgrass he and his team began to research what molecular changes keep cordgrass, …
New Engineered Bacteria Aids #Ethanol
University of Wisconsin-Madison professor James Steele has engineered and patented a new bacteria that aids in ethanol production. The Winder Bascom professor of food science specializes in food, beverage and biofuel fermentation and as such seen first hand how during the fermentation process beer and wine can often be contaminated with lactic acid bacteria. When this occurs lactic acid is …
BioEnergy Bytes
A new report, Motor Vehicle Biofuels: United States, looks at the U.S. market for motor vehicle biofuels. It is forecast to total 395 million barrels in 2020, representing annual increases of 0.7% from 382 million barrels in 2015. Advances will primarily stem from regulatory quotas for biofuel in the U.S. fuel supply. At the same time, rising crude oil prices …
Research Turns Old Tires into New #Biofuels
Researchers at the QUT’s Biofuel Engine Research Facility have created a way to turn old tires into biofuels. Facility Professor Richard Brown and PhD student Farhad Hossain tested the oil’s emissions and output and found the biofuel reduced emissions with no loss of engine performance. “Globally, 1.5 billion tonnes of tyres are discarded each year. Australia, alone, will generate 55 …
UPM BioVerno Performs on the Road
Finnish biofuel company UPM has announced the successful completion of several lab and on road tests on its UPM BioVerno diesel. The company is reporting the tests showed that their renewable wood-based diesel fuel performs as well as traditional diesel fuels. Lab tests were conducted in the VTT Technical Research Centre (VTT) and the on road tests were performed in …
European Ethanol Industry Calls for Ethanol Support
The European ethanol industry is coming together in defense of ethanol as the European Commission has publicly announced that it is considering a gradual phase out of first generation biofuels produced from multiple crops including sugar beet, oilseed rape, wheat and corn. In a letter, the organizations are calling on the Commission to re-evaluate its position. All forms of ethanol, …
Valero Renewable Fuels Joins RFA
Valero Renewable Fuels Company has become a member of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). Valero Renewable Fuels Company, a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation, is the third largest biofuels producer in the U.S. with a total annual production of 1.4 billion gallons per year. The company owns and operates 11 corn ethanol plants throughout the Midwest including plants in Iowa, …
Pannonia Ethanol to Expand Hungary Biorefinery
Pannonia Ethanol Zrt. has announced plans to expand its biorefinery in Hungary now that the company has secured a Euro 135 million credit facility agreement with a group of Hungarian banks. The expansion will enable the corn-ethanol plant to cut costs, increase corn buying and animal feed output as well as add additional jobs. “The plant is already the largest …
Study Looks at Biofuel Crops, Land Change & Climate
A new study has looked at how converting land to grow biofuel crops impacts greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at the DOE Argonne National Laboratory found that in the past analyses only looked at the changes in the amount of carbon stored in the soil and vegetation of these converted lands that were previously forests, grasslands or pastureland. So the research …
WEO-2016 Finds Renewables, Natural Gas Future Winners
According to the 2016 World Energy Outlook (WEO-2016), the winners to reach energy demand growth through 2040 will be renewables and natural gas. The annual report is published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and finds that the era of fossil fuels is long from over. Natural gas will continue to expand and coal and oil usage will decrease. This …