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 …
Ethanol, Biodiesel Production Remains Strong
August was a strong month for biofuel production. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), biodiesel production for the month of August 2012 was 100 million gallons. Year-do-date biodiesel production is 757 million gallons. There was also 3 million additional gallons of biomass-based diesel produced during the month, raising the total category production under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to …
Scholarships Offered for Students to Attend NEC
The Renewable Fuels Association’s (RFA) annual National Ethanol Conference (NEC) is a great place to learn the ins and outs of the ethanol industry as well as network with key industry experts. That is why RFA is offering several scholarships for current college students interested in renewable fuels to attend the 2013 event. The awards will cover the cost of …
Diatoms Could Lead to Biofuel Breakthrough
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are looking back to life during the dinosaur age and studying the role diatoms could play in algae-based biofuel production. Diatoms are tiny marine pre-historic life forms and can simultaneously produce biofuels as well as semiconductors, biomedical products and health foods. The technology has moved out of a science fiction movie and landed in …
Don’t Miss Advanced Biofuels Markets
Today is the last day to register for the Advanced Biofuels Markets conference at the discounted rate in San Francisco taking place on October 29-31, 2012. There are more than 30 CEOs of advanced biofuels companies from around the world scheduled to speak. The focus will be on how to scale up to commercial production levels while tapping into the …
Vilsack Tours AGP Biodiesel
AGP Biodiesel based in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, hosted Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack last week who is highlighting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action to increase the biodiesel amount required in 2013 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS was established by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) and specifies a one billion gallon minimum volume requirement for …
Biodiesel Requirement in RFS Increases
The Obama Administration has announced that there will be an increase in the biodiesel volume requirement for next year under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision was released today in a draft proposal that would increase the requirement for biomass-based diesel to 1.28 billion gallons. This represents a modest increase from the industry’s record production last …