Global chemical giant BASF has invested $30 million in a Pennsylvania-based company that has developed a process to produce cellulosic sugars for renewable chemicals and biofuels. BASF, through subsidiary BASF Biorenewable Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG led a $50 million financing round in the technology firm Renmatix Inc. Renmatix has developed the patented Plantrose™ platform whereby industrial sugar can be …
Biofuel and Chemicals Made from Wood Biomass
Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a method using microbes from wood biomass to produce butanol suitable for biofuel and other industrial chemicals. Butanol is particularly suited as a transport fuel because it is not water soluble and has higher energy content than ethanol. Until now, starch and cane sugar have been the most commonly used raw materials …
Alliance AutoGas Achieves EPA-Certification
Alliance AutoGas is now EPA-certified to convert more than 200 vehicle types to propane autogas utilizing the Prins System. The company is a conversion equipment provider and co-founding partner of American Alternative Fuel. American Alternative Fuel privately funded these EPA certifications to ensure fleet owners and managers nationwide can choose from a wide variety of vehicle makes and models when …
Largest Government Purchase of Biofuels Announced
The largest government purchase of biofuels for military application was announced today. U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack jointly announced that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) signed a contract to purchase 450,000 gallons of advanced drop-in biofuel. The biofuel to be purchased is made from a blend of non-food waste (used cooking oil) …
USDA Announces Insurance Program for Biofuel Crop
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. According to a release from USDA, “Camelina is an oilseed crop with the potential to create new renewable energy markets in the United States, generate rural jobs here at home, and decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil. The new …
OriginOil Announces Algae Appliance
During the 4th Algae World Asia conference in Beijing, China, OriginOil announced it’s newest algae extraction technology – Algae Appliance. This entry-level commercial algae harvesting system was designed to help producers process algae at a low cost and without chemicals. Algae Appliance is set for release in the first half of 2012 and is a continuous flow ‘wet harvest’ system …
San Diego School Buses Now Running on Biodiesel
San Diego-based Buster Biofuels has formed an Alliance with LEGOLAND California, the San Diego Padres, hundreds of restaurants, hotels, and resorts to collect their grease and oil and turn it into biodiesel. Now this biodiesel is being used to fuel the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) school buses. Emissions from the use of the biodiesel are being reduced …
Fuel Better Video Shows Biofuels Benefits
A short animated video just released by Pearson Fuels shows the benefits of biofuels for the United States.
Ethanol Train Terminal to Open in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama is going to be the new home of an ethanol unit train terminal located on the BNSF Railway, owned by BlendStar, LLC, a subsidiary of Green Plains Renewable Energy. The new terminal will have 160,000 barrels of storage and accept 96-car unit trains of ethanol per day. Expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2012, it …
USDA Funds Algae Fuel Project in New Mexico
USDA has issued a loan guarantee that will allow a biofuels firm to construct a facility in New Mexico to produce “green crude” oil from algae which can be refined into transportation fuel. The loan is going to Sapphire Energy, which intends to design, build and operate a $135 million integrated algal biorefinery (IABR) in Columbus, N.M., for the production …