A New Jersey company has sold its first industrial-scale oil extractor that will help get biodiesel from waste streams. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says Renewable BioSystems LLC’s (RBL) system will initially be able to turn 500,000 gallons of yellow grease into oil for biodiesel feedstock each year and could be scaled-up to more than 5 million tons of oil …
Changes in Law Make Biodiesel Conf. Must Attend Event
The recent renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive, along with the newly enacted Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) that will require 800 million gallons of biodiesel to be used in 2011, make it more important than ever to attend this year’s Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Feb. 6-9, in Phoenix, Arizona. National Biodiesel Board officials say they’ll have a wide …
CAFOs Could Commercialize Algae Biofuels
Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) could be the key for algae-to-biofuel operations becoming commercial-scale… that according to Thomas Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne & Company LLP, a renewable energy project developer. This article from Biorefining Magazine says the potential is greatest in northern climates, where anaerobic digesters that use microbes to break down the organic forms of nitrogen and …
Gene Opens Up More Potential Biomass for Biofuels
Researchers in Oklahoma have discovered the gene responsible for how dense of material a plant grows, and that discovery could open the door to more biomass for biofuels grown in the same amount of land. This press release from the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation says making denser plants allows farmers to increase the amount of biomass without increasing their agricultural …
East Coast Blizzard Slams Biodiesel, Too
Two feet of snow in New York City (By the way, see the New Era Pinstripe Bowl from a frozen Yankee stadium? Imagine what might happen in the 2014 Super Bowl in the Big Apple. But I digress…) has not only made it tough on the folks in that city, but it’s also giving biodiesel makers and distributors in the …
REG Biodiesel Named “Commercial-Scale Technology of the Year”
Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group (REG) has been named the biofuels industry’s “Commercial-Scale Technology of the Year” by Biofuels Digest. REG’s ability to acquire refineries and feedstocks helped the company garner the award: According to the announcement, “Renewable Energy Group was honored for its novel continuous-flow, multi-feedstock processing technology that has allowed the company to pioneer the acquisition of a wide …
Agrisys Building Big Algae-to-Biofuels Facility
A Florida company is building the world’s first large-scale, vertically integrated algae-to-biofuels facility. This article from Florida Trend, which goes in depth on that state’s algae-biofuels industry, says Orlando businessman Nick VandenBrekel’s Agrisys will be growing algae to turn into jet fuel and biodiesel, as well as omega-3 “fish oil.” Scaled up, VandenBrekel envisions a host of 1,000-to-20,000-acre farms across …
Soybeans Gain from Biodiesel Incentive Renewal
The main feedstock for biodiesel in the U.S., not surprisingly, has gotten a boost from the renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive. The Inside Futures website says contracts for January soybeans have hit a new high for the year at nearly $14 a bushel … and could go over that mark: The soy complex has been led by …
So. Sioux City Approves $25 Mil Bond for Biodiesel Plant
A new biodiesel plant in South Sioux City, NE is getting a boost from that city’s council. The Sioux City (IA) Journal reports city officials have OK’ed issuing $25 million in revenue bonds to help fund a proposed biodiesel plant: City Manager Lance Hedquist said the South Sioux City Council approved issuing the bonds for Nature’s BioReserves at Monday night’s …
DF Cast: OriginOil to Prove Algae-to-Fuel Process
The developer of technology that turns algae in to renewable fuel is going down under to do some long-term testing of its process. OriginOil recently announced the successful completion of the first phase of its commercial pilot program with Australian company, MBD Energy, OriginOil’s first customer and pilot partner. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk to …