Wisconsin-based Virent has delivered the first 100 gallons of its bio-based jet fuel to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for testing. This company news release says it will be validated against the standards required for qualification and approval of new aviation turbine fuels established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM): Dr. Tim Edwards of the …
Down to the Wire on RFS Comments
It’s down to the wire for the biofuel and agricultural industries to submit comments on the agricultural impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a second in an RFS series being published by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Growth Energy, Fuels America, and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) all submitted input today. The consensus among the biofuel industry is …
Europe Urged to Re-reconsider Biofuels Policy
It wasn’t that long ago that Europe was a champion of biofuels, in particular, biodiesel, as just a few years ago the continent adopted a policy of having 10 percent of transportation fuels come from renewable sources, including biofuels. This boosted biodiesel demand, coupled with favorable tax laws and the popularity of diesel vehicles. This piece in Public Service Europe …
Jobe Defends Biodiesel in Wall Street Journal
The head of the National Biodiesel Board is making his case in defense of the green fuel. NBB CEO Joe Jobe recently responded in the Wall Street Journal to a previous article that tried to claim advanced biofuels aren’t being produced on a commercial scale: Biodiesel is an EPA-designated advanced biofuel that’s made from an array of resources including waste …
Brazil’s GranBio Open US Operations
Brazil-based GranBio has announced plans to expand to the U.S. with an office in San Francisco and has name Vonnie Estes as the managing director. In this new role, Ms. Estes will lead GranBio’s efforts to access new technologies and establish key public and private collaborations for the company’s continued global expansion in advanced biorefinery development. Ms. Estes joins GranBio …
Heliae Reveals Volaris – Algae Production Platform
Heliae has revealed its latest microalgae production platform, Volaris, the result of five years of research and development. The technology was designed to produce high purity microalgae at competitive prices. According to the company, Volaris will enable large-scale production for diverse markets and provide a natural, sustainable and consistent supply of alage-based products to meet worldwide demand. “Good science takes …
Neil Young Fills ‘er Up with Cellulosic Ethanol
Earlier this month, Hall of Fame recording artist Neil Young stopped by Sioux Falls, South Dakota to fill up his LincVolt with POET-DSM cellulosic ethanol. LincVolt is a hybrid-electric 1959 Lincoln Continental with onboard charging powered by cellulosic ethanol. He’s on a cross-country tour to highlight renewable energy. During his visit, Young said you don’t see much about what is …
DOE Announces $18M to Advance Drop-In Biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $18 million in investments for four pilot-scale biorefineries that will test renewable biofuels that will meet military specifications for jet fuel, shipboard diesel, cars and trucks. These projects build on the Obama Administration’s broader efforts to advance biofuels technologies to continue to bring down costs, improve performance and identify effective, non-food feedstocks …
BioProcess Algae Awarded $6.4M Grant
BioProcess Algae has been selected to receive a grant of up to $6.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as part of an innovative pilot-scale biorefinery project related to production of hydrocarbon fuels meeting military specification. The project will use renewable carbon dioxide, lignocellulosic sugars and waste heat through BioProcess Algae’s Grower Harvester(TM) technology platform, co-located with the …
Dyadic Talks Enzyme Production for Biofuels at ABLC
A big issue for biofuels producers, especially those in the cellulosic branch, is trying to come up with enzymes that can crack the multitude of biomass structures to unlock the sugars within, and thus, unlock the fuel trapped within. “The enzymes have always been one of the Achilles’ heels of the cellulosic side,” Mark Emalfarb, CEO of Dyadic International, a …