The GreenWood Tree Farm Fund, LP (GTFF), managed by GreenWood Resources, has become the first short rotation forest plantation worldwide to earn certification under the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). The RSB certification covers GTFF’s cultivation, management and harvesting of coppiced poplar trees, used as biomass feedstock for the cellulosic ethanol industry or pelletized for direct combustion in biomass electric …
Impact of Lowering RFS on Advanced Biofuels
The comment period is now over for the EPA proposal that would lower the volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard this year, but it will be some time yet before a decision is made since the agency likely has tens of thousands of comments to read. In this Ethanol Report, several representatives of the cellulosic ethanol and advanced biofuels …
IRFA Attendees Roar in Support of Biofuels
More than 600 people turned out for the 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit including hundreds of consumers from around Iowa who wanted to learn more about renewable fuels. Speaking with Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (Iowa RFA), the largest state organization in the U.S. focused on biofuels, noted that there were some consumer driven …
Rethinking Biofuel Yields
According to new research from Michigan State University (MSU), focusing solely on biomass yield comes at a high price. Looking at the big picture allows other biofuel crops, such as perennial grasses to score higher than corn, as viable alternatives for biofuel production. The research was published in the recent issue of Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences. “We …
Lowering RFS Impact on Advanced Biofuels
Cellulosic and advanced biofuels producers are very concerned that the EPA proposal to lower 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets will have a chilling effect on investment in the next generation of renewable fuels. “Frankly, we have decided that we are placing a hold on our evaluations of future investment in bioenergy in the United States until we see what …
Southern Illinois Expands Ethanol Research Team
A research center dedicated to advancing the study and development of ethanol is expanding its research staff. This news release from the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) has added Dr. Arun Athmanathan, a postdoctoral fellow specializing in cellulosic and advanced biofuels research. “Following a national search that generated candidates from premier research institutions across the …
Fast-Eating Enzymes Lunch on Cellulose
A microorganism first found in the Valley of Geysers on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia in 1990 may be a key to more efficient cellulosic biofuel production. The microoorganism can digest cellulose almost twice as fast as the current leading component cellulase enzyme on the market according to researchers at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The researches …
ICM Signs Canadian Ethanol Plant
Renewable energy technology company ICM of Colwich, Kansas has signed a Letter of Intent with IGPC Ethanol of Ontario, Canada to be the first Canadian adopter of ICM’s Generation 1.5™ technology. Adoption of the technology will enable IGPC Ethanol to produce corn fiber cellulosic ethanol. “Through our previous collaboration with ICM, we believed it was important to continue down the …
DSM Produces Cellulosic Ethanol at Industrial Level
Royal DSM, partnering with Denmark-based DONG Energy shows it is possible to produce cellulosic ethanol from wheat straw at an industrial level. This DSM news release says not only did the companies produce the cellulosic ethanol, but they showed a 40 percent increase in ethanol yield per ton of straw. The demonstration took place in DONG Energy’s Inbicon demonstration plant …
“We The People” Support of the RFS
This morning hundreds of people are expected at the RFS Rally (Renewable Fuel Standard) in support of keeping the renewable biofuel volumes for 2014 moving in the right direction: up. Patriot Renewable Fuels, located in Annawan, IL is hosting the event with Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) speaking about her support of the RFS. Rep. Bustos along with Representative Kristi Noem …