Corn oil recovery is helping the bottom line of ethanol producers with tight margins, according to a new report from the Energy Information Administration. Beginning in summer 2012, the prices of ethanol and corn reached levels where production costs at relatively simple ethanol plants exceeded revenue. These simple plants, which are not able to recover corn oil, make up a …
Duckweed for Biofuels?
Duckweed may be a viable material for biofuel production according to a new report in ACS’ journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. Duckweed is a fast growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green. Christodoulos A. Floudas, a professor at Princeton and Xin Xiao with Langfang Engineering and Technology Centre, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with …
Algal Based Biofuel Retail Pilot Successful
Propel Fuels and Solazyme have announced the results of their pilot retail program and over the 30 days consumers were given a choice to purchase biofuels produced from algae, they chose the algal-based biofuel. In a survey of users, consumers said they prefer its environmental benefits compared to conventional fuels; would purchase more of it if it was widely available …
How to Ensure Biofuel Crops Don’t Become Weeds
A Virginia Tech researcher, along with several others, have offered a way to ensure that plants grown for biofuels do not become an invasive weed. According to Jacob Barney, an assistance professor of plant pathology, physiology and weed science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, careful introduction of new species for production of more energy per acre is …
Fat Worms Play Role in Algal Biofuels
Fat worms confirm are playing a role in improved biofuel and animal feed production. Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) have successfully engineered a plant with oily leaves, a feat that could improve biofuel production. The research was led by Christoph Benning, MSU professor of biochemistry and molecular biology along with a team from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. The …
NASA Researching Alternative Biofuels
NASA researchers are conducting a series of lights using the agency’s DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of biofuels on engine performance, emissions and aircraft generated contrails at altitude. The Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions (ACCESS) research involves flying the DC-8 as high as 40,000 feet while an instrumented NASA Falcon HU-25 aircraft trails behind at …
Biodiesel Quality Reaches All Time High
According to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) biodiesel fuel quality survey, a record 97 percent of the samples tested met requirements in ASTM D6751, the biodiesel fuel quality specification. NREL obtained B100 samples from 53 producers and 14 terminals between August 2011 and February 2011 and according to Teresa Alleman, a senior chemist with NREL’s Fuels Performance Group, the samples …
Cellulosic Biofuels Begin to Flow
U.S. cellulosic biofuels production totaled about 20,000 gallons last year, way below the 500 million gallons target set by Congress. In a recent addition of “Today in Energy,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) looks at the American cellulosic biofuels industry and how production may sharply rise in 2013. According to the brief, several companies combined to produce about 20,000 …
Clean Diesel Technology, 20 Years in the Making
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the National Biodiesel Board and much of the focus on their 10th annual NBB Conference and Expo held in Las Vegas was spent on reminiscing over the past 20 years and looking forward to the next 20 years. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in 20 years,” said Steve Howell, NBB’s Technical Director …
EPA Approves New Biofuel Pathways Under RFS
Camelina, energy cane and renewable gasoline are now added to the list of qualifying feedstocks and fuels approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). EPA released its final rule to identify additional fuel pathways that meet the “lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements for biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and cellulosic biofuel” under the …