Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered a method to economically produce biodiesel from sugarcane as compared to the production of biodiesel from soybean oil. At the beginning of the research, which was designed to find a better way to make biodiesel than using food crops or land needed for food production, the team landed on sugarcane and sweet …
Penn State Harvests First Shrub Willow Crop
Researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have completed the harvest of its first experimental crop of shrub willow. The intention of the biomass crop is for use to produce renewable energy and bio-based products. The 34 acres of the shrub willow is part of a five-year program called NEWBio one of seven regional projects of which the goal …
Illinois Soybean & Partners Promote Biodiesel
The Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA) B20 Club recently partnered with the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition to promote the benefits of biodiesel. Timed with National Biodiesel Day, the B20 Club promotion, sponsored by ISA and the American Lung Association in Illinois, highlighted Illinois-based fleets running on 20 percent (B20) biodiesel blends. “By promoting biodiesel’s benefits through CACC, we can play …
Celebrate Biodiesel Day Today
Today is National Biodiesel Day and the celebration of Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine. Many will remember that similar to the first “gas” engine running on ethanol, the first “diesel” engine ran on peanut oil. In fact, National Biodiesel Board (NBB) notes that when he created his engine, he envisioned a time when vegetable oils would one …
REG Acquires Sanimax Energy’s Biodiesel Plant
The Renewable Energy Group, Inc. has finalized its acquisition of Sanimax Energy’s biodiesel plant in DeForest, Wisconsin. The 20 million gallon per year facility, now called REG Madison, LLC, is now REG’s 11 active biodiesel plant in the U.S. and brings their annual production to 450 million gallons. REG paid Sanimax $11 million in cash and issued 500,000 shares of …
#Classic16 Panel on #Ethanol Future
The future of fuel was the topic of an educational session hosted by Syngenta at the recent Commodity Classic in New Orleans. The event brought together leaders representing industry, ethanol producer and agricultural perspectives to discuss opportunities to grow demand for American ethanol in the wake of the EPA’s 2015 ruling on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Growth Energy vice …
U of Florida Researchers Tout Algae Breakthrough
Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) may have broken the code on better algae-based biofuels. Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences, said they have identified a “transcription factor” called ROC40 that controls the expression of many genes inside algae. He likens this process to a policeman controlling a large crowd. While …
United Airlines Takes Biofuels to New Heights
Aviation history has been made. United Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to begin regularly flying with sustainable aviation biofuel. The first flight (708) will take off from Los Angelos International Airport (LAX). As part of this new business initiative, United will purchase up to 15 million gallons of biojet fuel from AltAir Paramount over three years. AltAir is …
Math Path to Ideal Algae Biorefineries
A joint research team from the Chemical and Biological Sciences Department, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, and the Chemical Engineering Department of Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, both located in Mexico, have discovered a way to produce biofuels from algae that also removes CO2 emissions from the environment. The findings were published in a recent edition of Industrial & …
BIODEX-SA Earns RSB Certification
Tunisia-based BIODEX-SA has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification for its production of biodiesel. The African company collects waste oils, coverts them into biodiesel, and sells the renewable fuel to the European market. RSB’s Executive Director, Rolf Hogan said, “We are delighted to add Biodex to the RSB certified companies already producing biofuel in Africa. We welcome their …