This week Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and 17 others sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for them to follow the congressional intent of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by increasing blending targets (Renewable Volume Obligations/RVO) for 2017. The biofuels industry praised the senators for their call to action and released a joint statement. …
Greenbelt Explores Cuban Alt Energy Opportunities
Greenbelt Resources CEO Darren Eng recently took advantage of the new opportunities opening up between the United States and Cuba. He traveled to Havana, Cuba and while there met with several companies to discuss their exempt from embargo advanced modular technology that can produce products such as cellulosic biofuels and animal feed. Eng met with a representative from the Center …
BioEnergy Bytes
Ethanol Producer magazine is reporting that North Africa, Tunisia-based Biodex-sa is doubling its biodiesel production capacity. The plant currently produces 2.1 million-gallons-per-year. The expansion is expected to be complete by the end of 2016. UNICA is reporting that sugar production from February 1 to March 16, 2016 has produced hydrous and anhydrous ethanol volumes of 180.38 million liters and 39.01 …
Research: Sugar to Biodiesel Better
Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered a method to economically produce biodiesel from sugarcane as compared to the production of biodiesel from soybean oil. At the beginning of the research, which was designed to find a better way to make biodiesel than using food crops or land needed for food production, the team landed on sugarcane and sweet …
Penn State Harvests First Shrub Willow Crop
Researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have completed the harvest of its first experimental crop of shrub willow. The intention of the biomass crop is for use to produce renewable energy and bio-based products. The 34 acres of the shrub willow is part of a five-year program called NEWBio one of seven regional projects of which the goal …
Illinois Soybean & Partners Promote Biodiesel
The Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA) B20 Club recently partnered with the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition to promote the benefits of biodiesel. Timed with National Biodiesel Day, the B20 Club promotion, sponsored by ISA and the American Lung Association in Illinois, highlighted Illinois-based fleets running on 20 percent (B20) biodiesel blends. “By promoting biodiesel’s benefits through CACC, we can play …
RFA, Growth Energy Join USGC
The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) membership is expanding. This month the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy became official members. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) and Al-Corn Clean Fuel also joined this month. USGC says their newest members, especially the ethanol trade organizations, will benefit them in multiple ways as they work together to increase global ethanol exports. Both …
Report Confirms Ethanol’s GHG Reductions
Earlier this month the European Commission released its new report, “The land use change impact of biofuels consumed in the EU,” (GLOBIOM). The study assessed the (indirect) land use change (LUC) impacts of biofuels demand expected as a result of Europe’s 2020 climate and energy policy. According to the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE), the study found that increased demand …
Air New Zealand & Virgin Partner on Aviation Biofuel
The aviation biofuel industry is flying to new heights. Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia have announced a partnership to investigate options for locally produced aviation biofuel. This comes on the heels of the announcement that week that United Airlines is now flying a number of its commercial flights with biojet fuel. As part of the initiative, the two airlines …
Research Converts Tomato Paste to Energy
Researchers from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology have developed a way to convert tomato waste in electricity. Led by Venkataramana Gadhamshetty, Ph.D., he and his team used a biological-based fuel cell that uses tomato waste left over from harvests in Florida. The characteristics of the decomposing waste make it a “perfect fuel source” for enhancing electrochemical reactions, Gadhamshetty …