The Navy is advancing its commitment to renewable fuels. Recently a Navy ship operated on a 100 percent drop-in renewable diesel fuel produced by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s (NSWC PHD) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) completed final-phase testing of ReadiDiesel, a 100 percent renewable biofuel. One objective of …
AST Awarded Biomass Extraction Patent
American Science and Technology (AST) has been awarded a patent for the system and method the company developed for the extraction of chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. The company says their system reduces the costs of Organosolv processing and helps to make biochemicals from biomass more economically viable. Led by Dr. Ali Manesh and group of researchers and engineers at AST, …
Research Finds Sweet Potato Potential as Food, Fuel
Researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are looking at sweet potato vines as a source of biofuel feedstock and livestock feed. The vines are typically thrown out during harvest while the roots could serve as a source for biofuels. Post-doctoral researcher Wendy Mussoline said this could be a key finding for Florida’s ag industry …
#Biofuel Microbes Knock Out Invaders
A new paper published in the journal Science, MIT and Cambridge researchers at the startup company Novogy, have developed a new technique to that gives biofuel producers fermentation microbes that have the upper hand against unwanted invaders eliminating the need for antibiotics and other sterilization methods. The research was led by Gregory Stephanopoulos, the Willard Henry Dow Professor of Chemical …
Albertsons Converts Used Cooking Oil to #Biodiesel
In an effort to reduce its waste streams, Albertsons Companies is converting used cooking oil, created at its grocery stores, into biodiesel. The biodiesel is then used to fuel its trucking fleets. Since 2010, several of its brands in California, including Safeway, Vons and Pavilions have been fueling their fleets with biodiesel. The program is part of Albertson’s goal of …
Turning CO2 Into #Biofuels
Scientists from the University of Toronto (U of T) have discovered a way to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) into renewable fuels and chemicals through nanoengineering. Led by Professional Ted Sargent, Min Liu, PhD. and Yuanjie Pang, PhD, along with a team of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in U of T Engineering, have developed a technique powered by renewable energies …
Better Cold Weather #Biodiesel Performance
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has announced new certified reference material (CRM) for cold filter plugging (CFPP) and cloud point (CP) temperatures of biodiesel. This material helps laboratories accurately establish the lowest temperature at which biodiesel can be used. According to JRC, the CP and CFPP of a fuel are temperatures where upon cooling the first precipitates become …
#Corn, Baseball & #RFS- AutoChannel’s Rauch Clues Us in to their Commonality
A recent article published online in Bloomberg Politics by Jennifer A Dlouhy, “As Corn Devours U.S. Prairies, Greens Reconsider Biofuel Mandate,” calls into question the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). She writes, “More than a decade after conservationists helped persuade Congress to require adding corn-based ethanol and other biofuels to gasoline, some groups regret the resulting agricultural runoff in waterways and …
#Biodiesel Growth Discussed During #AgMedia Summit
Did you know that in the past 10 years, the biodiesel industry has grown from a few million gallons of biodiesel production per year to over 2 billion gallons of biodiesel production last year? And did you know that the three leading feedstocks for biodiesel are soybean oil, animal fats and corn oil? Well, now you do thanks to Kaleb …
AI Bio Funds $13M for #Biomass-Based Bioproducts
Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions (AI Bio) has announced the funding for 61 projects to develop bioproducts from biomass resources. Totaling nearly $13 million, the monies will help support Alberta agriculture through the development of local feedstocks, such as forestry waste, to develop renewable products including replacements for fossil-fuel derived materials. The funds are also helping to diversify and strengthen the …