DuPont & Quad County Sign Enzyme Contract

Joanna Schroeder

DuPont Industrial Biosciences will continue to supply the enzymes that enable Quad County Corn Processors’ (QCCP) Cellerate process in the production of cellulosic biofuel from corn kernel fiber.  The ethanol plant developed the process and was the first in the country to produce cellulosic ethanol gallons from the corn kernel fiber. QCCP uses DuPont OPTIMASH suite of enzymes from the …

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, enzymes, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

Illinois Teen’s Cellulosic Ethanol Wins Science Prize

John Davis

An Illinois teen is being recognized for his efforts to make cellulosic ethanol. This article from the Chicago-area Daily Herald says 17-year-old Tavis Reed, a senior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, won the 2015 gold medal in the chemistry/biochemistry division of the National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics competition, besting more than 700 students from …

biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Alliance BioEnergy Converts Coastal Hay to Sugar

Joanna Schroeder

Ek Laboratories, located in Longwood, Florida, has achieved a 63 percent conversion of Coastal Hay, at commercial scale, into fermentable sugars in less than 30 minutes. The Alliance BioEnergy Plus subsidiary used it licensed and patented mechanical/chemical CTS (Cellulose to Sugar) process. According to Ek Laboratories, unlike most cellulose to sugar technologies, their CTS process does not use liquid acids, …

advanced biofuels, biochemicals, Biodiesel, biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

Aemetis Harvests Record Sorghum Crop in Cali

Joanna Schroeder

Aemetis has announced the harvest of sorghum grown in Central California that grew between 12-15 feet tall. The 20 acre demonstration crop was grown using proprietary Nexsteppe seed genetics and harvested in 90 days by Aemetis. The water supply for the sorghum was lower quality pump water containing salts that typically damage crops in western San Joaquin Valley, an area …

advanced biofuels, biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, sorghum

Joule Receives EPA Cert for CO2 Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

Joule’s fuel grade Sunflow-E ethanol has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for commercial use in E10 and E15 gasoline blends. The fuel is derived from recycled CO2. “We are approaching commercialization with a technology that is first of its kind, able to convert CO2 directly into multiple drop-in fuels. It is critical to prove its readiness …

advanced biofuels, Carbon, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Renewable Energy, Waste-to-Energy

U of W Research Converts Poplar Trees to Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder

New research from the University of Washington is laying the foundation to use woody biomass from poplar trees into sustainably produced biofuels and biochemicals. A five-year $40 million dollar study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in its last year and results will seed a wood-based cellulosic ethanol production facility. ZeaChem, one of the industry partners in …

advanced biofuels, biochemicals, biojet fuel, biomass, Cellulosic, Research

Executives Criticize RFS Delays on Cellulosic Growth

Joanna Schroeder

Executives from the advanced biofuels industry are criticizing the Obama Administration for not adhering to its promise to support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). They say the lack of adhering to mandates has undercut investment in advanced biofuels and sent innovative companies, technologies and jobs oversees. In a letter they write that “broken promise…flies in the face of the President’s …

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Novozymes, RFS

Algenol’s Algae-based Ethanol to Be Sold Via Protec

Joanna Schroeder

Protec Fuel Management has taken another innovative route to bring ethanol to consumers. The company has signed an agreement to market and distribute Algenol Biotech’s algae-based ethanol being produced in Fort Myers, Florida. In addition, Protec will purchase 18 million gallons per year from Algenol’s commercial plant expected to be online in 2016 and distribute the fuel as E15 and E85 …

advanced biofuels, algae, Cellulosic, E15, E85, Ethanol

ICM Completes Cellulose Ethanol Performance Runs

Cindy Zimmerman

ICM Inc. has successfully completed two 1,000-hour performance runs of its patent-pending Generation 2.0 Co-Located Cellulose Ethanol process at the company’s pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. The runs were designed to prove performance of the co-located technology design for the conversion of cellulosic biomass feedstocks, including energy crops such as switchgrass and energy sorghum, agricultural crop residues, and forestry …

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, feedstocks

Alliance Bioenergy+ to Build 56 Cell. Ethanol Plants

John Davis

A Florida company is going to build 56 cellulosic ethanol plants. Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. struck the deal with construction company Renewable Resources Development of America, LLC (“RRDA”) to build the plants both domestically and abroad using Alliance’s patented CTS technology. It is anticipated that the first CTS plant, under the agreement, will be located in central Georgia, breaking ground …

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News