While corn stover might be the big talk recently in the cellulosic ethanol game, sorghum could emerge as an alternative to the feedstock for the advanced green fuel. During the recent American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago, Leah Guffey caught up with Scott Staggenborg of Chromatin, a sorghum genetics company, and they talked about using …
Christmas Trees to Power More than Spirit of Holidays
Now that Christmas is done, it’s that time of year to think about what to do with that natural tree that brightened your holiday (although in our house, we like to keep it up as close to the Epiphany as possible). Once you’ve decided that your tree needs to vacate your living room, it can still live on in the …
DF Cast: Bundling Biomass for a Cellulosic Future
As cellulosic ethanol plants are opening up across the country, those facilities need a way to get the feedstocks, while farmers need a way to get that biomass to those new refineries. That’s where Pacific Ag comes in. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk to CEO Bill Levy and Steve Van Mouwerik, Vice President of Operations …
Green Biologics Buys Central MN Ethanol Co-op
A Los Angeles-based industrial biotechnology and renewable chemicals company has bought a Midwestern ethanol producer with plans to convert the operation to producing renewable normal butanol (n-butanol) and acetone. This news release from Green Biologics Inc. says the company closed the deal to buy Central MN Ethanol Co-op (“CMEC”), which includes a the 21 MGPY ethanol plant. “We are extremely …
Biodiesel Giant REG Adds Harding to Board
Biodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group has added an international business veteran to its board of directors. This company news release says Peter J. M. Harding was elected to the post. Harding has served in leadership roles for international businesses involved in commodities trading and asset management. Most recently, he was the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board …
Greenbelt Resources Recognized for Biofuels System
A company that turns locally available feedstocks into biofuels, as well as fertilizer, animal feed and filtered water, is being recognized for its green efforts. Greenbelt Resources picked up the “Best Biofuels and Biochemicals Solution” in The New Economy magazine’s annual 2014 Clean Tech Awards. Greenbelt Resources’ small scale systems, can be more energy efficient than traditional large-scale plants due …
Leifmark, New Holland Bale Stover for Ethanol
Baling corn stover is part of the next generation of cellulosic ethanol, and two major players in the green fuel and agribusiness markets are moving that process forward. Leifmark, LLC and New Holland Agriculture recently teamed up to test equipment and methods used to gather, bale, and store the corn stover left behind after the grain harvest in two Iowa …
Researchers Turn Biodiesel By-Product into Lactic Acid
Researchers have found a way to turn a biodiesel by-product into a chemical important to the production of plastic. This article from Chemistry World says work in Switzerland has found a sustainable method to synthesise platform chemical lactic acid from waste glycerol. The increasing demand for biodiesel means an oversupply of glycerol and, currently, any excess glycerol must be disposed …
E85 Ethanol is a Popular Fuel in Iowa
E85 ethanol is becoming a popular fuel in Iowa. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) says motorists in the state bought more than 3.3 million gallons of E85 in the third quarter of 2014, the third highest E85 sales in any quarter on record, and a more than 350,000 gallon increase (12 percent) over the second quarter of 2014. “It’s …
POET-DSM Commends Partners in Cellulosic Ethanol Venture
POET-DSM is commending its partners in a cellulosic ethanol venture. This company news release says POET is praising Suomen Bioetanoli Oy and the government of Finland after the Finnish government announced a 30 million euros grant to Suomen Bioetanoli Oy to build a plant that will convert wheat straw into about 24 million gallons of ethanol annually. “Suomen Bioetanoli Oy …