A start-up company, Tyton BioSciences, is looking for a new outlet for tobacco – biodiesel and ethanol. The company is developing genetically modified tobacco that will, according to their website, “produce both ethanol and biodiesel at yields that far surpass the traditional crops of corn and soy.” The company’s tobacco will also be easier to grow than those grown for …
Bullish on Biodiesel
Biodiesel is back, but it needs the tax credit to keep it going. At the 4th International Biomass Conference and Expo, Joe Jobe with the National Biodiesel Board, said they are very optimistic about the state of the industry right now. “Our plants are coming back on line and we’re very bullish,” Jobe said. “We believe that we’re going to …
Canada Fears Rising Gas Prices
I just returned from Toronto, Canada after attending the 2011 BIO World Congress (great stuff and check back as I post a series of audio interviews from the conference) and the country is feeling the impacts of rising gas prices. Consumers in Central Canada have seen gas prices rise nearly 30 cents almost overnight despite the drop in oil prices …
New Corn Oil Extraction Technology Increases Yield
Inedible corn oil is an emerging co-product for the ethanol industry. Today, about 1/3 of all ethanol plants in production are producing some type of inedible corn oil. However, many current technologies on the market don’t deliver high yields. This may change with the announcement from Ashland Hercules Water Technologies who has released a patent-pending corn oil extraction aid, PTV …
St. Louis Science Center Seeking Backyard Biofuels
The next big thing in biofuels could be right in your own backyard. For the second year, the Saint Louis Science Center is collaborating with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in a research project that “has the potential to discover algae species located within the St. Louis metro area which may be used in cutting-edge biofuels research.” According to …
Iowa Biodiesel Board Applauds Iowa Biodiesel Bill
As reported yesterday by Cindy, there was big news in Iowa for the biodiesel industry. The state passed one of the most comprehensive biodiesel fuel policies in the U.S. that creates a system that incentivizes local production, encourages availability of biodiesel at the pump, and invests in the infrastructure needed for wide distribution. The renewable energy bill is known as …
Iowa Legislature Passes Renewable Fuels Legislation
The Iowa Legislature today approved comprehensive renewable fuels legislation intended to increase E15 sales and biodiesel production. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw says the bill includes a new 3 cent per gallon retailer tax credit for E15 sales, allowing Iowa to lead the way in E15 public policy. “With final E15 approval expected from the EPA this …
Iowa State to Run Buses on Waste Grease
As a graduate of Iowa State University (ISU), I couldn’t pass up this story. Several students are launching a project to recycle used vegetable oil from campus cafeterias into biodiesel. The fuel will then power campus buses, known as CyRide. One of the drivers of this project is Bernardo de Campo, a co-chair of the organization Next Generation Scientists for …
Biomass Industry Execs Discuss Future
All energy of the bio variety – biomass, biogas, biodiesel and biofuels – were represented at the 4th International Biomass Conference and Expo on Monday during a panel featuring executives of seven different industry organizations. Moderator Tom Bryan, Vice President of BBI International, asked the panel was what the top priorities for their organizations are this year. “Just getting parity …
EIA Administrator Keynotes Biomass Conference
The head of the U.S. Energy Information Administration is anticipating a significant expansion of biomass in the nation’s energy system within the next 25 years. Dr. Richard Newell told attendees at the 4th annual International Biomass Conference in St. Louis on Tuesday that includes liquid biofuels and electric power working in combination. “You have advanced biofuels made from cellulose and …