An interesting panel discussion took place this week at the 10th annual Corn Utilization Technology Conference (#CUTC16) about new and emerging technologies produced from the wet milling process of corn. For example, Kevin Coffman, part of the market development in ag environmental strategy group at Monsanto, discussed corn in the pipeline. The corn can be sold to an ethanol plant to …
Nebraska Ramps Up Bio-based Partnerships
Nebraska is ramping up its bio-based partnerships. According to a recent Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), bioscience companies employ more than 16,000 people in the state with the industry growing at a faster pace than the national average. For instance, several global and national companies are already located in Nebraska, including: NatureWorks (corn-based plastics), Novozymes (enzyme technology), Purac (lactic …
Gevo and Clariant Ink ETO Tech Deal
Gevo will be developing catalysts for Clariant to enable its ETO technology, which uses ethanol as a feedstock to produce tailor mixes of propylene, isobutylene and hydrogen. These chemicals are valuable as stand-alone molecules and also as feedtstocks to produce other products such as diesel fuel and bioplastics that would replace their petroleum counterparts. Clariant will be scaling up the …
#USDA to Award $21M for Bioeconomy R&D
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made $21 million available to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products. The funds will also be awarded to train the next generation of bio-scientists. The monies are offered through the AFRI Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts challenge area designed to provide renewable energy, chemical, and product options, among …
UCR Awarded $1.3 for Waste-to-Energy Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded two University of California Riverside (UCR) researchers with $1.3 million for waste-to-energy research focused on creating biofuels and biochemicals from waste plant materials. Charles Wyman, Distinguished Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering and holder of the Ford Motor Company Chair in Environmental Engineering at the Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), …
Proposed Tax Credit Amendment for CO2 Capture
A new amendment has been proposed by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) that would provide a tax credit for technologies that are able to convert CO2 into products such as advanced biofuels, animal feed and biochemicals. The proposed language would create a new utilization tax incentive to complement section 45Q of the tax code, which already provides credits for the …
REG Begins Ames Lab Expansion
Renewable Energy Group has begun its expansion of its laboratory at its Ames, Iowa headquarters. The upgraded lab will enable the company to further enhance renewable chemical related biotechnology research, development and commercialization including the installation of fermentation equipment and significant analytical capabilities. Once complete, full-time positions will be added to focus on commercialization and integration of products to be …
NexSteppe CEO Anna Rath Wins BIO Award
This year’s 2016 BIO Rosalind Franklin Award is being given to Anna Rath, CEO of NexSteppe. The award is given to an outstanding woman in the field of industrial biotechnology. According to the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), who presents the honor, Rath’s work led to a biotech breakthrough. Her research is focused on developing scalable and sustainable bioenergy feedstocks. The …
Renewable Chemicals Tax Credit Passes in Iowa
The Iowa Senate has approved a new five-year production tax credit for renewable chemicals. The goal of the incentive is to drive innovation in the sector within the state. Renewable chemicals will be defined in Iowa’s tax code as having at least 50 percent biobased content and not being used as food, feed or fuel. The value of the tax …
Comet Biorefining Awarded CA $10.9M
Comet Biorefining has been awarded CA $10.9 million dollars from the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDIC) to assist with the construction of its biobased chemicals plant located in Sarnia, Ontario. The biorefinery will convert corn stover into high-purity dextrose sugar. SDTC supports the development of technologies which address the challenges of clean air, soil, water and climate change. Andrew Richard, …