South Dakota State University (SDSU) is researching the future, one is which rural landscapes would no longer be dotted with grain elevators but rather with pyrolysis plants that would convert energy crops to fuel or “bio-oil”. This bio-oil would be passed along to other refiniries to produce products such as drop-in fuels or biochemicals while the plants would recycle the …
Advanced Biofuel Action Plan Released
A new advanced biofuels action plan for the automotive/light duty truck sector has been released by Advanced Biofuels USA. “The Pathway to a Sustainable “Total Biomass” Advanced Ethanol Industry,” identifies six steps the cellulosic and advanced ethanol producers should take in order to build a long-term higher blend ethanol market (E30, 30 percent advanced biofuel, 70 percent petroleum). Advanced Biofuels …
Building Better Fuels Ad Debuts
Following a visit to the Beltway to conduct its member meeting and meet with politicians, the Advanced BioFuels Association (ABFA) has launched its first online advertisement to promote the successful uses of advanced biofuels. The ad is a first in a series. Michael McAdams, ABFA president said, “As Washington confronts our nation’s energy and economic challenges, we must demonstrate that …
LS9 & HCL Cleantech Awarded $9M from DOE
The Department of Energy has awarded $9 million dollars to LS9 and its partner HCL Cleantech to improve and demonstrate an integrated process to convert biomass feedstocks into fermentable sugars and then into diesel and other biofuel and biochemical products. As part of the DOE grant, the two companies are combining their proprietary technologies to produce drop-in advanced biofuels and …
NBB Testifies During EPA Hearing
Earlier this week, the Environmental Protection Agency held a hearing to discuss the latest renewable fuels proposal. One goal of the hearing was to determine if current 2011 mandates will be met by the obligated parties and to ensure the industry can produce enough fuel. Also under debate is whether the 2012 mandates are too high. Joe Jobe, the CEO …
The CEC Awards $29M to Advanced Biofuels Projects
I sometimes wonder what in the world California is thinking. I just wrote about Feinstein’s attack on biofuels in the state, yet today the state’s biofuels industry scored a victory when the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced the approval of more than $29 million for advanced biofuels projects. The CEC completed the first two years of its program funding cycle …
Salt Loving Microbe May Aid Biofuel Production
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) at DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are trying to discover salt-loving organisms that may be more efficient in treating biomass and improve sugar yield for biofuel production. The class of solvents known as ionic liquids, are liquid forms of salt that will …
EPA Proposes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards
Cellulosic ethanol targets were reduced while biodiesel was increased under the latest standards proposed by the federal government for the Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed the 2012 percentage standards for four fuel categories under the RFS2 based on the annual renewable fuel volume targets. EPA once again lowered the target for cellulosic …
Modular Ethanol Production System Wins FiRe Award
The Future in Review (FiRe) technology conference was held last week and during the event, 11 companies were honored for their “world-changing” technologies. Scientists from around the world submitted more than 1,000 technologies for review and one of the winners was waste-to-energy company Easy Energy Systems (EES). The company’s technology is the Modular Ethanol Production System (MEPS) that turns any …
Biodiesel Advertising Campaign Launched
An advertising campaign to spotlight biodiesel as America’s advanced biofuel has been launched by the U.S. biodiesel industry. The multi-million dollar project will include national television advertising, coupled with regional print and radio advertising as well as an online presence. The centerpiece of the education effort is a 30-second spot that will air across the nation on Sunday-morning network talk …