Students all across the country are back in classrooms this week, and biodiesel is providing a clean and smart way for them to get there. This article from the Durham (NC) News & Observer says school districts in Durham, Johnston and Pitt counties will run on biodiesel made from used cooking oil. The three school systems are among the first …
Air Force Turning Waste into Synthetic Diesel
It takes a lot of energy to run the world’s most powerful military, and the U.S. military is looking at more non-petroleum options for its operations. This article from my favorite scientific blog, Armed with Science, talks about a method by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Advanced Power Technology Office (APTO) to turn synthetic gas (syngas), which could be …
Methes Energies Unveils New Catalyst for Biodiesel
Biodiesel processor manufacturer Methes Energies has unveiled a new catalyst for biodiesel production. This company news release says the Methes PP-MEC catalyst will provide a new pre-treatment process for high free fatty acid (FFA) biodiesel feedstocks, including non-food grade corn oil, and Dorf Ketal Speciality Catalysts LLC (“Dorf Ketal”) will make the new catalyst for Methes. The PP-MEC catalyst is …
USDA Develops Switchgrass with Bigger Yield, More Biofuel
Researchers working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed a variety of switchgrass that produces bigger yields and more biofuel. Rob Mitchell with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Nebraska gives credit to retired geneticist Ken Vogel who developed the Liberty variety of switchgrass. “He was able to identify an upland type and a lowland type that had …
FAPRI: Corn Prices Down, Ethanol Future Depends on EPA
Corn prices are down, and the future of ethanol seems to hinge upon what the government does on the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). A new report from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri shows that there have been sharp declines in the price for grains and oilseeds used to make ethanol and biodiesel. …
OriginOil to Take Demo System on the Road
As extreme drought continues to grip most of California, the maker of a system that cleans up water to gather algae (for later applications, such as biodiesel) and take out contaminants from industries such as oil and gas, will be taking a demonstration of its technologies on the road. OriginOil says it will show off an industrial system already cleaning …
Grants for Biomass Energy Offered in Nebraska
The home state for Arbor Day, the national holiday honoring trees, is handing out some money to help develop woody biomass into energy. The Nebraska Forest Service is offering two cost-share assistance grants that could cut utility costs for private, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Part of the new TREES Heat Nebraska program, these grants are designed to help establish woody …
DF Cast: Ethanol Innovators Talk New Tech at ACE Conf.
Any manufacturer is looking to get more out of their operations, and it’s certainly no different for biofuel makers. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we hear from four innovators who talked about their operations and how they are on the cutting edge of biofuel producing technologies during the recent at the American Coalition for Ethanol conference. Among …
Wastes-for-Biodiesel Firm Gets Sustainability Certification
A company that turns waste materials into feedstocks for several products, including biodiesel, has earned an important sustainability certification. Switzerland-based MBP Trading SA earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) sustainability certification for their waste material collection, trading and distribution activities. “MBP Group was built on a sustainable background, adding as much value as possible to industrial by-products. Sustainability was …
Kentucky Gets NSF, State Grants for Biomass
A total of $24 million in National Science Foundation (NSF) and state grants will fund research efforts on biomass in Kentucky. This story from WKU Public Radio at Western Kentucky University says the five-year, $20 million NSF grant will be in addition to $4 million from Kentucky’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. “The focus of this $24 million dollar …