Despite low crude oil prices, 2015 was still a robust export year for the ethanol industry according to Kenneth Hyatt, deputy under secretary for International Trade with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The DOC partnered with the Renewable Fuels Association, the host of the 21st Annual National Ethanol Conference (#RFANEC) where delegates from several countries were on hand to …
Comet Biorefining to Build Biomass to Sugar Plant
TransAlta Energy Park located in Sarnia, Ontario will be the new home of a commercial scale biomass to sugar facility operated by Comet Biorefining. The facility is expected to be operational by 2018 and will produce 60 million pounds per year of dextrose sugar from locally sourced corn stover and wheat straw. Comet, using its proprietary patented process, coverts the …
New BIO-Yeast Could Improve Biofuels Production
Quinn Dickinson, research specialist at the University of Madison’s Wisconsin Energy Institute who also works with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), has helped to design a new strain of yeast that he believes holds great promise in improving the efficiency of making biofuel from biomass such as switchgrass. Dickinson’s goal is to solve a problem in the biomass …
DOE Announces Biomass to Biofuels Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $11.3 million in funding to develop flexible biomass to hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways. The goal is for these roads, per se, to be able to be easily modified to produce advanced biofuels and/or bioproducts, depending on market demand. Using a DOE example, one pathway could consist of a route to …
NREL Discovers New Biorefinery Process
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new biorefinery process that more efficiently converts algae to ethanol. The process, Combined Algal Processing (CAP), was featured in the journal Algal Research. The research builds on a project previously completed by NREL In that work, the research looked at two promising algal strains Chlorella and Scenedesmus, to determine …
Senate Bill Looks to Clear, Simplify Rules on Biomass
A bill that has the backing of Democrats, Republicans and Independents in the U.S. Senate would clarify and simplify federal rules on biomass. This news release from Maine Sen. Susan Collins says an amendment sponsored by Collins and Sen. Angus King from Maine, and cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Al Franken (D-MN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike …
Enviva Building NC Biomass Wood Pellet Plant
Alternative energy maker Enviva will begin construction on a biomass wood pellet plant in North Carolina this year with a projected opening in 2017. This article from the Richmond County (NC) Journal says a company representative made the announcement at a Richmond County Board of Commissioners meeting. Glen Gray, project sponsor for the proposed sites in Richmond and Sampson counties, …
‘Glitch’ Gives Mass. Biomass Debate Another Shot
A technical glitch at a recent public hearing on a proposed Massachusetts biomass plant will give proponents and opponents to speak their minds on the project. This article from masslive.com says the Public Health Council expanded its period for public comment on the proposed East Springfield biomass plant that developer Palmer Renewable Energy wants to build. City Health Commissioner Helen …
Biomass Innovator to be Recognized by Elite Group
An innovator in turning biomass into food and fuel will be recognized by an elite group. This news release from Michigan State University says Bruce Dale, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the school will be inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows. Dale was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers …
Researchers Release Hydrogen from Tough Biomass
Researchers from Georgia Tech have figured out how to release hydrogen from even the toughest sources of biomass. This article from Chemistry World says Yulin Deng and his team at the university developed a low-temperature electrolytic technology that can crack even molecules like lignin and cellulose, eliminating the need to use fossil fuels to release clean-burning hydrogen. The process takes …