There is another potential biofuel crop you don’t hear much about being studied for the Southeast: napiergrass. The potential feedstock is currently used in the tropics to feed cattle, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist William Anderson, it could be a good biofuel feedstock as well. Napiergrass is fairly drought-tolerant, grows well on marginal lands and …
Small Solution for Big Biomass Problem
Many people have high hopes for biomass as a bioenergy crop. For example, several companies are looking to convert corn stover and corn cobs to cellulosic ethanol. But there are several challenges currently being researched including transportation, storage and moisture content. High moisture feedstocks can muck up the hammer mill system. However, many advanced biofuel producers do not want completely …
Industry Launches “Fuels America” Campaign
In the face of increasing calls to waive the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard, biofuel industry stakeholders today announced a major new communications campaign to educate consumers and policy makers about the benefits of renewable fuel to America’s economy, energy security and environment. The new coalition – Fuels America – includes renewable fuel, national security, renewable energy and other stakeholders. Among …
Free Biodiesel Producer Conference Call
Lee Enterprises Consulting is hosting a free conference call for those in the biodiesel industry on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 beginning at 2:00 pm CDT. There are several key topcis and speakers featured during the call. 1. “Recent OSHA Developments in Safety and Process Safety Management for Biodiesel Plants,” presented by Nathan Vander Griend with ERI Solutions. OSHA is currently conducting focused …
Utah State Dragster Runs on Cheese Waste Biofuel
A team of engineering students from Utah State University has set a new land speed record using a car that burns a new form of sustainable biofuel made from a waste product of the cheese manufacturing process. “How many people get to drive a car they helped build with fuel they created from a living microorganism?” asks USU undergrad biochemist …
Disconnect Between Biofuel Mandates & Demand?
A new study, Global Biofuels Outlook to 2025, authored by Hart Energy, finds a disconnect between mandates established in the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and Renewable Energy Directive in the European Union, and actual market demand. While many have speculated this to be the case, it has not been highly discussed. The study, focused mostly on biodiesel and ethanol, …
Sweet Sorghum Leading Southern Bioenergy Crop
A lot of research has gone into studying sweet sorghum’s potential as a bioenergy crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found that there are several attributes of the feedstock that make it uniquely suited to produce biofuels. One assest is its lower need for water, making it an ideal crop to grow in drought prevalent areas. In addition, it has …
Using ‘Old’ Tools For Better Biodiesel
Findings from studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists, and published in the Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, have shown that “old” stand by techniques could help optimize oilseed yield for biodiesel production. For more than 30 years, near infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy has been used to measure protein, moisture and oil levels in whole grains. Dan Long, …
Algae Aviation Facility Lands in Europe
Lufthansa and Algae.Tec have created a partnership to construct a large scale algae to aviation biofuels production facility. The facility will be located adjacent to an industrial CO2 source. Lufthansa will arrange 100 percent funding for the project and has committed to a long-term offtake agreement of at least 50 percent of the crude oil produced at an agreed upon …
Brazilian Bioenergy Innovation Awards Announced
During the World Biofuels Markets Brazil 2012 conference in São Paulo, SEE ALGAE Technology and Grupo JB took home the Brazilian Bioenergy Innovation of the Year award for their algae biofuel project. The Brazilian Bioenergy Deal of the Year award was given to GraalBio, Beta Renewables, DSM and Novozymes for their collaborative cellulosic ethanol production project. Nadim Chaudhry, CEO of …