Global specialty chemical company Clariant is shutting down its sunliquid® bioethanol production plant in Podari, Romania, and downsizing related activities of its Biofuels & Derivatives division in Germany. After developing the sunliquid® technology, Clariant had taken the decision in 2017 to establish its own commercial sunliquid® plant in Podari, which began producing bioethanol in the second quarter of 2022. In …
New Energy Blue Hires Davis as VP
New Energy Blue announces the hiring of bioenergy veteran Kelly Davis as Vice President. Davis joins New Energy Blue after a decade as Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Affairs for the Renewable Fuels Association and she also brings three decades of biofuels experience in quality management, production, and marketing. “We’re building our first biomass refinery here in the U.S., …
Clariant Produces First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol
Global specialty chemical company Clariant announced this week that the first commercial cellulosic ethanol has been produced at its sunliquid® production plant in Podari, Romania. The company has a multi-year agreement with Shell to supply the product. Approximately 50,000 tons of second-generation biofuels will be derived from 250,000 tons of locally sourced agricultural residues, primarily in the form of straw. …
Iowa VERBIO BioRefinery Starts RNG Production
The first U.S. industrial scale renewable natural gas facility using agricultural residues as its feedstock began production Tuesday in Nevada, Iowa. VERBIO AG, the German parent company, purchased the former DuPont Cellulosic ethanol plant in late 2018. With the commissioning of the Nevada plant, VERBIO will produce seven million ethanol gallons equivalent (EGE) of RNG with the completion of Phase …
EPA Proposes Volume Standards and Waiver Rejections
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed a package of actions setting biofuels volumes for years 2022, 2021, and 2020, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. In addition, EPA is seeking public comment on a proposed decision to deny petitions to exempt small refineries from their obligations under the RFS on the grounds that petitioners failed …
New Kemin Product to Help Biofuels Industry Low Carbon Efforts
Kemin Biofuels has expanded its enzyme portfolio with ZyloCell™, a unique dry cellulase for use in bioethanol plants that breaks down cellulose in corn kernel fiber for a low-carbon fuel source as an alternative to liquid enzyme formulation. “The biofuels ingredients align with Kemin’s focus on sustainably transforming the quality of life by protecting the future of our planet. We …
Project LIBERTY “Pauses” Cellulosic Biofuel Production
POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels is hitting the pause button on production of cellulosic biofuels at Project LIBERTY and shifting instead to “R&D focused on improving operational efficiency,” according to the company which is a joint venture of Royal DSM and POET, LLC. POET-DSM is blaming the shift on “EPA challenges with the implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).” “Over the …
First D3MAX Plant Nears Completion
Construction of the first commercial-scale D3MAX plant at Ace Ethanol in Stanley, Wisconsin, is nearing completion, according to D3MAX company officials. “It has been a long haul since July of 2015 when we created D3MAX to commercialize the corn fiber-to-ethanol technology developed by BBI, to where we are today,” says Mark Yancey, vice president of BBI International and CTO of …
Clariant Signs 2nd License for Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
Clariant and ORLEN Południe have signed a license agreement on sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol technology. The announcement represents a significant strategic milestone for Clariant as this second license agreement for its sunliquid technology is another successful step to commercialize its highly innovative and sustainable technology. For ORLEN Południe, the agreement supports the intention to realize a full scale commercial plant for …
Clariant Tests Miscanthus for Cellulosic Ethanol
Clariant announced it has successfully concluded tests on miscanthus provided by INA, Croatia’s leading oil and gas company, that was shipped for processing to Clariant’s pre-commercial sunliquid plant in Germany for conversion into lignocellulosic sugars and ethanol. Final results prove that the sunliquid technology can successfully convert miscanthus biomass into lignocellulosic sugars and ethanol, confirming the benefits of the sugar …