A global research team is working together to help develop more efficient production methods for biofuel production. Scientists at the University of York are part of this team looking at how natural occurring enzymes can be used to degrade microbe-resistant biomass. The research is part of ongoing study of a recently discovered family of enzymes produced by fungi and bacteria, …
Mid American Agri Products Adds Cellunator
Mid American Agri Products/Wheatland (MAAPW) has gone online with Cellunator from Edeniq at its ethanol and biodiesel facility located in North Platte, Nebraska. According to Edeniq, the technology will increase the plant’s 44 million gallons per year (MGPY) of ethanol production by pretreating the corn slurry to liberate additional starch. The MAAPW facility also produces three MGPY of biodiesel. The …
Become a Next Generation Biodiesel Leader
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is calling for the next crop of biodiesel leaders to join the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel program. NGSB is seeking additional co-chairs to help take this student professional organization to the next level. Working with NBB staff, the volunteer co-chairs help establish direction, assist with planning educational content, recruitment efforts and producing webinars and …
Berkeley Lab’s Enzyme Reduces Plant Lignin
One of the barriers to efficient second generation biofuels is creating a better way to break down the lignin in plants that is then converted to the sugars that create the building blocks of biobased products such as cellulosic ethanol, biomaterials and biochemicals. But this hurdle may be getting lower with research out of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Scientists have …
New Report: On-Farm Biodiesel Production in Vermont
All you need to know about biodiesel in Vermont is now in a new report, “On-Farm Biodiesel Production in Vermont: Legal and Regulatory Overview.” The report was conducted by the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Vermont Law School and reviews all Vermont state and federal regulations related to on-farm biodiesel production. The goal of the report is …
White Mountain Biodiesel Expands
White Mountain Biodiesel, located in North Haverhill, New Hampshire, has announced it has begun a plant expansion. Once completed, in about two years, the plant will have been expanded by 10,000 square foot and added 1,186,000 gallons of additional processing and storage tanks. When the expansion goes online, the biodiesel production will increase from 3,000,000 gallons per year to more …
U of Illinois Miscanthus Research Breakthrough
University of Illinois researchers have studied genetic markers of miscanthus to identify early developmental traits that will improve yield. According to the researchers, “this study begins to establish links between reproducible genetic markers and a number of key agronomic traits in Miscanthus sinensis.” The research paper was published in GCB Bioenergy, “Mapping the genome of Miscanthus sinensis for QTL associated …
UNCTAD Report: Advanced Biofuels Here Now
Second generation biofuels made from non-food biomass are here right now according to a new report from UNCTAD. “Second-Generation Biofuel Markets: State of Play, Trade and Developing Country Perspectives,” finds these biofuels are a commercial reality in the context of advanced technologies, economic pressures and a political will to act on climate change. The report focuses on the role advanced …
Cellulosic Ethanol Prices Hinges on Feedstocks
A new study from Lux Research finds innovation is still needed to make advanced biofuels competitive. The report cites six cellulosic ethanol facilities online and finds Raizen has the lowest projected minimum ethanol selling price of $2.17 per gallon. Abengoa’s $500 million Hugoton plant has the highest price of $4.55 with feedstock cost as the most critical variable. (It should …
Goat’s Guts Lead to Better Biofuels
New research finds that some day your gas tanks could be filled up by horses, sheep and goat’s guts. Researchers looked at how the anaerobic gut fungi, as compared to engineered fungi, were able to convert plant material into sugars that could be converted into advanced biofuels and other biobased materials. Fungi found in the guts of goats, horses and …