An Iowa-based maker of biodiesel production equipment has come up with a purification method that makes the handling and removal of purification media easier, safer and more efficient for biodiesel plant operators. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says Heartland Biodiesel Supply’s patent-pending design got its inspiration from the water treatment industry where ion exchange resin is widely used: The same …
Researchers Turn Fungus into Biodiesel
New research has shown that biomass can be directly transformed into biodiesel that suits many quality standards, including ASTM D6751 and EN14213 and 14214. This post from GreenCarCongress.com says Spanish researchers Gemma Vicente and colleagues made the discovery that could open up many more feedstocks for biodiesel … but admit the process needs some work: Oils from oleaginous microorganisms, such …
BIO to Congress: Fund $25M for Cellulosic Production
Today, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) released a letter to House and Senate appropriators asking them to fund the Section 942 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 labeled as Production Incentives for Cellulosic Biofuels to the tune of $25 million for 2011. Known as a reverse auction program, BIO is encouraging this action as a way to assist pioneer …
Lack of Biodiesel Tax Cut Cuts REG Iowa Workforce, REG Launches Facebook Page
Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group has had to lay off 45 percent of its workforce in the company’s home state, due to the failure of Congress to renew the $1-a-gallon federal biodiesel tax credit. REG is expected to meet with two key members of Congress, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), at REG facilities in each of the …
Biodiesel Focus of GM, DOE Study
General Motors has announced a five-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to study using jatropha plants for biodiesel. UPI reports that the test sites in India will look at whether jatropha can produce enough oil for the green fuel: Farms with more than 200 acres of the drought-resistant, non-edible plant will host life-cycle studies near GM plants in …
METRO Biofuels To Promote Bioheat
Heating oil is common on the East Coast and so many companies are looking for ways to replace heating oil with alternative sources. Today, METRO Biofuels, based in Brooklyn New York, announced that it is supporting a neighborhood coalition to promote cleaner air quality by using “bioheat” to heat buildings. METRO is the largest independent marketer of bioheat for the …
New Energy Plan – Offshore Drilling
President Obama gave a speech this morning from a hanger at Andrews Air Force Base reiterating our country’s need for energy independence. This will be done, he says, through energy initiatives and the government will “lead by example.” In the background, a Navy Green Hornet jet that will fly on a mix of 50 percent biomass on earth day next …
Free RFS2 Workshop Announced
For those who are interested in learning more about how RFS2 will be affecting your biofuels business, there is an RFS2 Workshop being held in Des Moines, Iowa at the Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel on April 6th. The workshop is being hosted by the Renewable Fuels Association, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the National Biodiesel Board. …
DOE: Biodiesel Will Help Cut Oil Production
A leading analyst for the U.S. Department of Energy says world oil production could go down starting 2011. This article from Heatingoil.com says while the forecast from Glen Sweetnam, the director of the International Economic and Greenhouse Gas Division at the Energy Information Administration (EIA), credits a reduction in investment for most of the decline, the presence of biodiesel will …
Camelina to Produce 1 Bil Gallons of Biodiesel by 2025
A market research and advisory firm is predicting that camelina will be the feedstock for a billion gallons of biofuels a year by the year 2025. In their new report, entitled “Camelina Aviation Biofuels Market Opportunity and Renewable Energy Strategy Report,” researchers at Biomass Advisors say the non-food energy crop will be producing biofuels for the aviation and biodiesel sectors, …