A Canadian biofuels and green technology company has announced plans to build a second-generation ethanol production facility in Mississippi using wood residue and municipal waste as feedstocks. Enerkem Inc. of Montreal plans to build the plan in Pontotoc, Mississippi and has contracted with Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority to supply approximately 189,000 tons of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSW) …
Senate Bill Would Change Biomass Definition
Senators John Thune (R-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) have reintroduced legislation that would fix the flawed definition of renewable biomass in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Canadian Cellulosic Plant Plans
A new cellulose ethanol project is in the works for Saskatchewan. KL Energy Corporation of South Dakota and Prairie Green Renewable Energy of Alberta have announced their intent to develop a cellulose ethanol plant near Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan. According to a joint release from the two companies, the Northeast Saskatchewan Renewable Energy Facility will use KL Energy’s state of the …
Biofuels Focus at Commodity Conference
National commodity organizations representing growers of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum gathered together for the first time as one group last week in Grapevine, Texas at the annual Commodity Classic. Corn and soybean growers have been together as one for the past 14 years, wheat joined the group last year, and sorghum made four this year. Renewable fuels were a …
Bill Would Expand Use of Wood Waste for Ethanol
Legislation that would allow producers to make cellulosic ethanol out of waste wood from federal forest land was re-introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) are co-sponsoring the Renewable Biofuels Facilitation Act, legislation that would fix a provision in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that …
Novozymes Announces 2G Enzyme Family – Cellic
It is getting more difficult everyday for the cellulosic naysayers because the ethanol industry is several steps closer today to producing commercially viable cellulosic ethanol through the research and development efforts of the industry’s largest enzymes producer, Novozymes. Executive Vice President, Peder Holk Nielen, announced during the National Ethanol Conference that their new cellulosic enzyme family, CellicTM, has the best cost/performance …
DomesticFuel Cast Returns!
The podcast DomesticFuel Cast makes its return, along with the spiffy new logo you see here! This show is one of great importance as we get to hear some of the Sandia National Laboratory’s press conference on the feasibility of producing 90 billion gallons of ethanol from sustainable biomass annually by the year 2030. That’s equal to one-third of the …
BP and Verenium Form Cellulosic Ethanol Venture
BP and Verenium Corporation have taken another step in a partnership announced last year by forming a joint venture to develop and commercialize cellulosic ethanol from non-food feedstocks. Both companies have agreed to commit $45 million in funding and assets to the company. The collaboration will be focused on the development of a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility in Highlands County, …
Two Steps to Turn Biomass into Biofuel
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have reportedly developed a two-step method to convert the cellulose in raw biomass into biofuel. The process, published in a recent Journal of the American Chemical Society issue, uses untreated, inedible biomass as the starting material. According to a story from the University of Wisconsin, the first step in the process is the conversion …