UK-based Green Biologics has shipped its first customer order of biobased n-butanol and acetone from its manufacturing biorefinery in Little Falls, Minnesota. The company has developed several partnerships that include distribution agreements with Acme Hardesty, Nexeo Solutions, and Caldic, and has also developed a strategic partnership with HOC Industries. The facility was purchased by Green Biologics in December 2014 from …
BETO to Issue Integrated Biorefinery Optimization Funding
The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement called, “Integrated Biorefinery Optimization.” The funding will support R&D to increase biorefinery efficiencies that result in a continuous operation and production of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower at competitive prices to fossil-based products. Suggested methods for accomplishing …
Researchers Turning Waste Into Wealth
EPFL chemists have discovered that adding formaldehyde to lignin could turn waste, such as he molecules found in wood, into wealth. Biomass may hold a key to meeting future energy needs – it’s sugars can be turned into biofuels and other bioproducts. But until now a barrier to efficient production has been the plant’s lignin. Scientists have now turned the …
Biobased Industry Positioned to Explode
According to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the biobased products industry contributed $393 billion and 4.2 million jobs in 2014, an increase of 220,000 jobs and $24 billion over 2013. “An Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry,” commissioned by USDA’s Biopreferred Program, is a follow-up to the 2015 report and sought to …
Virent Spearheads Strategic Biobased Group
In an effort to complete the development and ultimately bring to commercial production its BioForming technology, Virent has spearheaded a strategic consortium. Members include: Tesoro, Toray, Johnson Matthey and The Coca-Cola Company- companies who would all benefit from biobased products. The group will work together to finalize technical developments and commercial arrangements, with the goal of getting a commercial scale …
Renmatix Secures $14M
Renmatix has announced a $14 million investment led by Bill Gates. The company has developed a process called Plantrose that produces cellulosic sugars that can be used to produce bioproducts such as biofuels and biochemcals. The monies raised will be used, in part, to commercialize Plantrose through license sales. “To effectively address climate change, we need to develop an energy …
Enerkem Biomethanol Receives ISCC Certification
Canadian waste-to-bioproducts producer Enerkem has announced that it has received certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system for biomethanol production from its biorefinery Alberta Biofuels located in Edmonton, Canada. According to the company, this facility is the first ISCC certified plant in the world to convert municipal solid waste in biomethanol. “This reputable third-party certification confirms that …
AI Bio Funds $13M for #Biomass-Based Bioproducts
Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions (AI Bio) has announced the funding for 61 projects to develop bioproducts from biomass resources. Totaling nearly $13 million, the monies will help support Alberta agriculture through the development of local feedstocks, such as forestry waste, to develop renewable products including replacements for fossil-fuel derived materials. The funds are also helping to diversify and strengthen the …
CYCLALG to Develop Algal Biorefinery
A European research and development (R&D) consortium is seeking to develop an algal biorefinery. The three-year project, estimated to cost 1.4 million euros, of which 65 percent is being provided by ERDF funds, is a partnership of six organizations in the Basque Autonomous Community including Navarre and France -NEIKER-Tecnalia, National Centre of Renewable Energies (CENER), Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Association …
Cologne Scientists Cultivate #Algae for Less
One of barriers that keep the cost of algal products from being competitive is cultivation. But in the near future, these costs could go down with research from scientists in at the University of Cologne. Professor Michael Melkonian, an algae specialist, along with his team have developed a new method that could make harvesting algae easier and thus reduce the …