The biofuels industry received an early holiday present yesterday when the House of Representatives voted to restore $2 billion to the alternative loan guarantee program that was borrowed to fund the Cash for Clunkers program. However the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), while pleased to see the funds returned, noted that this is just one step among many that are needed …
Speedling & Mendel to Commercialize Miscanthus
Miscanthus appears to be the hot feedstock for December. Last week, Sunbelt Biofuels announced that it will be licensing Freedom Giant Miscanthus, and today, Speedling Incorporated and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. announced an agreement to work together to research, develop and commercialize a “cost-effective propagation and production system for Mendel’s advanced Miscanthus product candidates.” Neal Gutterson, Mendel’s president and CEO said, …
Airlines Agree to Buy Renewable Jet Fuel
Fourteen major airlines from the United States, Mexico, Canada and Germany, led by the Air Transport Association (ATA), have agreed to buy up to 750 million gallons of renewable jet fuel and diesel derived from camelina and produced by Seattle-based AltAir Fuels. This AltAir Fuels press release says the green fuel will be produced from camelina oil obtained from Montana-based …
Novozymes & PRAJ Partner on Advanced Biofuels
Novozymes and PRAJ Industries Ltd have signed a contract to collaborate on the development of advanced biofuels. Together the two companies will optimize the enzymatic hydrolysis processes and use of enzymes in the production of advanced biofuels. The two companies have a history or working together and for several years have been focusing on conventional biofuels. According to Novozymes, India …
World Biofuels Reduced Global GHGs 123.5M Tons
A new study shows that world biofuels production in 2009 has reduced GHG emissions by 123.5 million tons. The figure represents an average reduction of 57 percent compared to the emissions that would have occurred from the production and use of equal quantities of petroleum fuels. The report was prepared by (S&T)² Consultants Inc. Bliss Baker, spokesperson for the Global …
World Biofuels Markets Announces Speakers
It’s never too early to start planning your 2010 conference schedule and here is one to consider: World Biofuels Markets. This is Europe’s largest biofuels conference and so far, 20 of the 50 companies who were named to Biofuels Digest’s “Top 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” will be participating. Last year several hundred people were on hand and this year …
Are You Biotech?
The biotech industry would like you to become ‘biotech’. Biotechnology has been responsible for bringing many things to the world including vaccines, cures for cancers, and better ways to grow our food. It is also responsible for developing the natural enzymes that are being used to help spur the growth in the biofuels industry. Enzymes are better for the environment, …
DOE Issues Final Rule on Loan Guarantee Program
It was a busy day in Washington yesterday as U.S. Secretary Steven Chu announced the issue of a final rule for the Loan Guarantee Program. The revised rule was designed to increase participation from private investors and banks as well as to support more innovative energy technologies. This announcement came on the same day that Chu released another $100 million …
DOE Announces Additonal $100M in ARPA-E Funding
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today an additional $100 million round of funding opportunities for transformational energy research projects that will be made available through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This announcement was made along side Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Conference. In a statement, Chu said, “I am pleased to announce ARPA-E’s …
Solayme Awarded $21.8 Million for Algal Fuel Project
Solazyme, Inc., which was just named the ‘Top 50 Hottest Company in Bioenegy‘ by Biofuels Digest, announced that it has received a $21.8 million federal grant to build its first integrated biorefinery in rural Riverside, Pennsylvania. The funding was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and marks the next step in producing algal based fuel. Research conducted by …