Ethanol giant POET is partnering with a Netherlands-based life sciences company with the intention of making advanced biofuels a reality by next year. POET has announced a joint venture with Royal DSM to commercially demonstrate and license cellulosic bio-ethanol based on their proprietary and complementary technologies. POET–DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC, is scheduled to start production in the second half of …
USDA Announces Support for Advanced Biofuel Plant
An advanced biofuels project in Iowa is being offered support from the federal government for a plant to make fuel from waste material. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a conditional commitment for a $25 million guaranteed loan under the Biorefinery Assistance Program for Fiberight to build a biorefinery in Blairstown, Iowa. The loan will be used to construct …
Pilot Biorefinery Dedicated in Perry, Florida
Florida State Representative Debbie Mayfield dumped a load of sugarcane waste to dedicate a new pilot biorefinery this week in honor of her late husband, Stan Mayfield. The dedication ceremony involved Mayfield pulling the lever on a front-end loader to dump a pile of pulverized sugarcane stalks, officially delivering the first shipment of feedstock to the facility, which will now …
Industry Says Cellulosic Ethanol Progress is Being Made
In response to recent media reports about cellulosic ethanol shortfalls, including a story in the New York Times, the advanced ethanol industry is stressing that progress is being made. “In a very difficult financial and policy environment, the first wave of commercial advanced ethanol production facilities are under construction in a number of states across the country,” said Advanced Ethanol …
ZeaChem Completes Core Facility at Oregon Biorefinery
ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, has completed construction and begun operations of the core facility for its new integrated demonstration biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The core facility will produce the intermediate chemicals acetic acid and ethyl acetate, which are high-value products for applications including paints, lacquers and solvents. …
DuPont and NexSteppe Team for New Bio Feedstocks
Two companies have teamed up to develop advanced feedstocks for biofuels, biopower and biobased products. The collaboration between DuPont and the bio-based firm NexSteppe will be working on new feedstocks for renewable energy, including sweet sorghum and high biomass sorghum hybrids. Under the agreement, DuPont has made an equity investment in NexSteppe, and through its Pioneer Hi-Bred business, will provide …
BASF Invests in Cellulosic Sugar Company
Global chemical giant BASF has invested $30 million in a Pennsylvania-based company that has developed a process to produce cellulosic sugars for renewable chemicals and biofuels. BASF, through subsidiary BASF Biorenewable Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG led a $50 million financing round in the technology firm Renmatix Inc. Renmatix has developed the patented Plantrose™ platform whereby industrial sugar can be …
Mascoma to Build Cellulosic Ethanol Facility in Michigan
With $80 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Mascoma Corporation, a renewable fuels company based in New Hampshire, will design and construct a commercial-scale hardwood cellulosic ethanol facility in Kinross, Michigan. Mascoma and the DOE signed an agreement that provides up to $80 million in funding for the facility. These funds are an addition to $20 million previously awarded …
EPA Lowers Cellulosic Ethanol Target
Cellulosic ethanol continues to be out of reach for commercial use, according to the latest Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency for 2012. “EPA has essentially reduced the mandate for cellulosic, recognizing the fact that there aren’t supplies out there to meet it,” said USDA chief economist Joe Glauber. Back in 2007, Congress set a …
EPA Finalizes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards
After nearly a month delay, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) requirements for 2012. The final 2012 overall volumes and standards are: Biomass-based diesel (1.0 billion gallons; 0.91 percent) Advanced biofuels (2.0 billion gallons; 1.21 percent) Cellulosic biofuels (8.65 million gallons; 0.006 percent) Total renewable fuels (15.2 billion gallons; 9.23 percent) The percentage standards …