LIGNOL can be refined in conventional refineries to produce renewable gasoline and diesel, and can be distributed in existing distribution channels as a drop-in fuel for all types of current combustion engines.
The finished LIGNOL oil product has a greenhouse gas reduction of about 90 pct compared to equivalent fossil oil.
Sockholm-headquartered RenFuel is a 2012 Uppsala University spin-out
with 15 patent "families" and patents in over 40 countries.
(Source: RenFuel AB, PR, Government Europa, June, 2018) Contact: RenFuel AB,
+46 70 680 94 30, info@renfuel.se, www.renfuel.se
More Low-Carbon Energy News RenFuel.Lignin, Biofuel, Drop-in Biofuel,
The report includes market trends, essential variables, difficulties, opportunities, and future market development and prospects. The report also tracks the emerging applications, innovative technologies, and mergers & acquisitions.
According to the report, key players include: German Pellets, Enviva, Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group, Pacific BioEnergy Corporation, Vyborgskaya Cellulose, Rentech, Graanul Invest Group, RWE Innogy, Lignetics, E-pellet, Drax Biomass, General Biofuels, BlueFire Renewables, Pfeifer Group. Geographis areas covered include: Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle-East & Africa and North America.
Pellet biofuels are made from a wide variety of compressed organic matter -- biomass including industrial waste and co-products, food waste, agricultural residues, energy crops, and virgin lumber. The factors driving the growth of the market include low GHG emission from biomass, increased government initiatives for renewable technologies, need for constant energy supply and massive untapped biomass potential.
Global Biomass Pellet Market report details are available HERE.
(Source: QY Reports, Pr, June, 2018) Contact: QY Reports, +91-9764607607, sales@qyreports.com,
www.qyreports.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomass, Woody Biomass, Wood Pellet,
For the study, scientists grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds in the first large-scale, controlled experiment to test the widely held idea that biodiversity can improve the performance of algal biofuel systems in the field. Overall, the researchers found that diverse mixes of algal species (polycultures) performed more key functions at higher levels than any single species -- they were better at multitasking. The researchers also found that polycultures did not produce more algal mass (biomass) than the most productive single species, or monoculture.
"The results are key for the design of sustainable biofuel systems because they show that while a monoculture may be the optimal choice for maximizing short-term algae production, polycultures offer a more stable crop over longer periods of time," said study lead author Casey Godwin, a postdoctoral research fellow at U-M's School for Environment and Sustainability.
Algae-derived biocrude oil is being studied as a potential renewable-energy alternative to fossil fuels. Because they grow quickly and can be converted to bio-oil, algae have the potential to generate more fuel from less surface area than crops like corn. But the technical challenges involved in growing vast amounts of these microscopic aquatic plants in large outdoor culture ponds have slowed progress toward commercial-scale cultivation.
In the study, research team found that while monocultures tended to be good at one or two jobs at a time, polycultures performed more of the jobs at higher levels than any of the monocultures. But at the same time, polycultures produced less biomass than the best-performing monoculture.
"Our findings suggest there is a fundamental tradeoff when growing algal biofuel. You can grow single-species crops that produce large amounts of biomass but are unstable and produce less biocrude. Or, if you are willing to give up some yield, you can use mixtures of species to produce a biofuel system that is more stable through time, more resistant to pest species, and which yields more biocrude oil," according to the researchers. The team's findings are scheduled for publication June 18 in the journal Global Change Biology-Bioenergy.
(Source: University of Michigan, Public Release, 18 June, 2018) Contact: University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, Casey Godwin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, (734) 764-6453, seas-info@umich.edu, seas.umich.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News University of Michigan, Algae, Algal Biofuel,
Supporting this advancement is technology from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which developed a thermocatalytic process for converting ethanol into ATJ-SPK , and its industrial partner, LanzaTech and its proprietary gas-to-ethanol process.
(Source: ASTM Green Car Congress, 12 June, 2018) Contact: LanzaTech, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, (630) 439-3050, jennifer@lanzatech.com, www.lanzatech.com; PNNL www.pnnl.gov; ASTM International, (610) 832-9585, (877) 909-2782, www.astm.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News PNNL, LanzaTech, ASTM, Ethanol, Aviation Biofuel,
In 2016, Sunshine Kaidi announced plans to invest in and construct a €1 billion ($1.18 billion) biofuel refinery in Kemi, Finland, via its subsidiary Kaidi Finland. The Finnish government supported the plan and granted an emissions license to the Kaidi Finland project, which now seems unlikely to be developed.
(Source: Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group, Caixin, Other Media, 15 June, 2018) Contact: Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group, +86 27 6786 9001 - fax, +86 27 6786 9028 - tel., www.kaidihi.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Sunshine Kaidi, China Biofuel, Biofuel,
Under the MoUs, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation, Verbio India Private Limited and Rika Biofuel Development Limited will produce Biogas/bio CNG/bio-ethanol from paddy straw. he said.
When fully operational, each plant is expected to use about 500 tpd pf paddy straww to generate 100 kilo litre of bio-ethanol.
(Source: Punjab Energy Development Agency, Business Standard, 11 June, 2018) Contact: Punjab Energy Development Agency, +91 172 266 3382, www.peda.gov.in
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Biofue;, CNG, Biomass,
In the collaboration, BASF's enzyme portfolio will be used for applications in liquefaction and fermentation to improve fermentation performance. LBDS will use its TransFerm yeast product line which it claims provides increased ethanol yields and reduces the need for glucoamylase addition.
The BASF company portfolio is organized into five segments -- chemicals, performance products, functional materials & solutions, agricultural solutions and oil & gas.
LBDS supplies fermentation ingredients and 'value creating services' to the global fuel ethanol and distilled beverage industries. (Source: BASF, LBDS, PR, Biofuels Int'l, 12 June, 2018) Contact: Lallemand, Jim Steele, CEO, Angus Ballard, Pres., (815) 721-6165, www.lallemandbds.com; BASF Enzymes, Dirk Daems, Drector of Operations, (858)451-8500, https://www.bloomberg.com/profiles/companies/VRNM:US-basf-enzymes-llc, www.basf.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BASF, Enzymes, Lallemand Biofuels, Ethanol,
Singapore-headquartered Wilmar International is Asia's leading agribusiness group with business activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseeds crushing, edible oils refining, sugar, specialty fats, oleochemicals and biodiesel production.
Inventure Renewables, Ia wholly owned subsidiary of Inventure International (Pte) Limited, helps agri-business, oleochemical and biofuel companies find novel ways to turn waste products and by-products into value-added materials. Inventure also manufactures its own branded bio-based oleochemicals. (Source: Inventure Renewables, PR, 12 June, 2018) Contact: Inventure Renewables, Mark Tegan, CEO, (205) 764-1963, www.inventurechem.com;
Wilmar International, Rahul Kale, Group Head of Oleochemicals and Biofuels, (65) 6216 0244,
info@wilmar.com.sg, www.wilmar-international.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Wilmar, Inventure Renewables , Biofuel,
Poet's biofuels 1.9 billion gpy capacity is expected to top 2 billion gpy by 2019. ADM's annual production capacity is at 1.6 billion gpy.
Poet continues to grow and expand ethanol production, while ADM shifted some of its biofuels capacity to other products, as previously. (Source: USA Today, Argus Leader, 11 June 11, 2018) Contact: Archer Daniels Midland, Juan Luciano, Pres., CEO, (312) 634-8100, www.adm.com; POET, Jeff Broin, Pres., (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Archer Daniels Midland, POET, Ethanol, Biofuel,
The plant utilizes LanzaTech's technology which relies on anaerobic bacteria to ferment stell mill waste emissions. The installation has an ethanol production capacity of 46,000 tpy and has been operational since early May, this year.
According to LanzaTech, the performance of this type of sustainable ethanol in fuel blending applications is indistinguishable from sugar-derived ethanol and meets the ASTM International D4806 standard. (Source: LanzaTeck, Renewables, 11 June, 2018) Contact: LanzaTech, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, (630) 439-3050, jennifer@lanzatech.com, www.lanzatech.com; Shougang Group, www.shougang.com.cn/en
More Low-Carbon Energy News LanzaTech, Biofuel , Ethanol, Ethanol Blending,
The White House had been poised to announce proposed changes to the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) this week after hosting months of difficult negotiations between representatives of Big Oil and Big Corn but delayed the announcement indefinitely. Even so, Trump brashly tried to sugar-coat defeat by exclaiming to his "base" -- "I did you a good favor for the farmers yesterday, right? We love the farmers. Right?
(Source: devdiscourse, Various Media Sources, 6 June, 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Ethanol, Trump, Biofuel,
"The nation's corn growers thank Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Joni Ernst and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue for their advocacy and steadfast support for farmers, rural communities and renewable fuels. We greatly appreciate their efforts.
"With the expectation that the Administration was preparing to take drastic actions to unravel the RFS, farmers are very pleased those actions have been set aside and strongly encourage the Administration to keep the President's commitment to America's farmers and (leave) the RFS intact." (Source: NCGA, Wisc. AgConnection, 7 June, 2018) Contact: National Corn Growers Association, Kevin Skunes, Pres., (202) 326-0644, www.ncga.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Biofuels, NCGA,
The new XCELIS platform also will feature an online partner community for the industry, GRAIN CHANGERS. This online community and innovative product offerings represent a new age for DuPont's XCELIS biorefinery team. By improving performance, efficiency and fuel ethanol yields, XCELIS helps ethanol producers reach their goals with new products, tools and technologies.
"These three products are -- quite simply -- game-changers for the fuel ethanol market. Our team has done it once again -- listened to customer needs, engineered cutting-edge enzyme and yeast technologies and worked hand-in-hand with ethanol producers to bring products to market that provide the best possible yields and new options for efficiency," the release says. (Source: DuPont Industrial Biosciences,
PR, June, 2018) Contact: DuPont Industrial Biosciences , Judy Underwood, Global Marketing Leader Grain Processing, Wendy Rosen ,
(650) 284-6429, www.dow-dupont.com, http://biosciences.dupont.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DuPont Industrial Biosciences , Ethanol, Biofuel, Enzymes,
In 2014, Cathay Pacific became an equity investor in US-based Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc., which focuses on turning municipal solid waste into sustainable aviation fuel.
As previously reported, Fulcrum broke ground on its first commercial-scale plant last month in Nevada. When fully operational in 202, the plant is expected to produce approximately 10 million gpy. (Source: Cathay Pacific, 4 June, 2018)Contact: Cathay Pacific, Rupert Hogg, CEO, www.cathaypacific.com;
Fulcrum Bioenergy Inc, Rick Barraza, VP Administration, (925) 224-8244, rbarraza@fulcrum-bioenergy.com, www.fulcrum-bioenergy.com, www.facebook.com/fulcrumbioenergy
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cathay Pacific, Aviation Biofuel, Jet Biofuel, Fulcrum BioEnergy ,
As of May 1st, 2018, Minnesota requires all diesel fuel sold in the state from April to September inclusively contain at least twenty percent Biodiesel (B20). The minimum content for the remainder of the year is five percent (B5).
Targray is a certified BQ-9000 marketer and distributor of high-quality B99.9 biodiesel with over 40 tank locations throughout California, Florida, and the Midwest. (Source: Targray, PR, June, 2018) Contact: Targray, Dan Murray, VP, www.targray.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Targray, Biodiesel,
The new JV will produce 62 million lpy of bio-ethanol from approximately 0.5 million mtpy of locally sourced bamboo. Bio-coal will be used for production of steam and green power to the bio-refinery.
(Source: Numaligarh Refinery, Shillong Times, 5 June, 2018)
Contact: Numaligarh Refinery, +91-03776-265493, www.nrl.co.in; Chempolis Oy, +358 10 387 6666,
www.chempolis.com; Fortum Oyj, Vesa Koivisto, Development Manager, +358-50-453-6322, +358 10 4511, vesa.koivisto@fortum.com, www.fortum.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Fortum , Chempolis , Bamboo Bioethanol, Biofuel,
SkyNRG, which blends and distributes sustainable aviation fuel as well as developing regional supply chains, has supplied sustainable aviation fuel to more than 25 airlines worldwide, according to the release.
Shell Aviation is a leading aviation fuel and lubricants supplier, delivering fuel to around 850 airports in 32 countries, according to the release.
(Source: Shell Aviation, Bifuels Int'l, June, 2018) Contact: SkyNRG, Maarten van Dijk, CEO.
Shell Aviation, Anne Anderson, VP, Merel Laroy, +31 6 30833505, merel@skynrg.com, www.sktnerg.com; Shell Aviation,www.shell.com/business-customers/aviation.html
More Low-Carbon Energy News SkyNRG, Shell Aviation, Aviation Biofuel, Jet Biofuel,
In an open letter sent to the House Energy Committee, the association noted water shortage concerns on the Mediterranean island and recommended feedstocks requiring leas water should be found for the production of biofuels, such as bushes and trees.
The association also claimed that using potatoes or kolokassi for biofuel production would dramatically drive up the prices for all fuels, as well as water, food and other products commodities. (Source: Cyprus Consumers Association, Cyprus Mail, 3 June, 2018)Contact: Cyprus Consumers Association, www.cyprusconsumers.org.cy
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel,
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing less than 75,000 bpd and suffering "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Contact: Senator Joni Ernst, (2020 724-3264, https://contactsenators.com/iowa/joni-ernst
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Hardship Waiver, Pruitt,
The directive includes specific incentives for EU member countries developing their use in aviation which essentially give it twice as much credit against national targets as alternative fuels in other sectors. The directive, which followed European Commission proposals, now awaits the European Council agreement.
The IATA notes
that since the first biofuels flight in 2008 there have been more than 100,000 commercial flights using some blend of alternative fuel.
(Source: IATA, Flight Global, 3 June, 2018)Contact: IATA, Michael Gill, Director Aviation Environment, +41 22 770 2967, www.iata.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News IATA, Jet Biofuel, Aviation Bifuel,
The LBNet report identifies the top ten green alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals and urges the UK government to invest in specific plant-based chemicals to replace environmentally harmful plastics and petroleum products.
The LBNet is one of 13 collaborative Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy set up by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC NIBB) to boost interaction between academia and industry, and promote the translation of that research into benefits for the UK.
Download highlights from the
UKBioChem10 report
HERE. (Source: LBNet, May, 2018) Contact: LBNet,, Veronica Ongaro,
+44 (0) 1904 328 761, veronica.ongaro@york.ac.uk, https://lb-net.net;
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, https://bbsrc.ukri.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioplastic, Biochemical, Biofuel, Lignocellulosic,
SUMMETH also concluded that there are no barriers to bunkering the ferries, since this is already carried out by truck and could easily be switched from diesel to methanol, enabling the ferry operator to immediately reduce particulate emissions and progressively reduce carbon emissions as renewable methanol becomes available.
The SUMMETH research programme was conducted by SSPA, ScandiNAOS, Marine Benchmark, Lund University, the Swedish Transport Administration Road Ferries, Scania, SMTF and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland with the support from the MARTEC II network and co-funding by the Swedish Maritime Administration, Region Vastra Gotaland, Oiltanking and the Methanol Institute.
(Source: SUMMETH, Bunkering, May, 2018) Contact: SUMMETH, +46 31 772 90 66, www.summeth.marinemethanol.com/?page=home; Swedish Maritime Administration, www.sjofartsverket.se/en; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, www.vttresearch.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Marine Methanol, Methanol, Biofuel, Maritime Fuel,
in their action, the plaintiffs claim the federal agency, led by the increasingly controversial Trump appointee Scot Pruitt, awarded the waivers to two refineries owned by HollyFrontier Corp. and the Wynnewood Refining Co., a subsidiary of Carl Icahn's CVR Refining, without publishing the actions in the Federal Register and that the refineries were profitable and did not qualify for the waivers.
As previously reported, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance.
(Source: Various Media, NewsOK, 31 May, 2018)Contact: RFA, Bob Dinneen, Pres., (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org; National Corn Growers Association, Kevin Skunes, Pres., (202) 326-0644, www.ncga.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Hardship Waiver, National Corn Growers Association, RFA, EPA Scott Pruitt, RFS,
The Biofuel Facility is expected to divert more than 115,000 tpy of residential and commercial organic waste from the landfill and produce approximately 120,000 gigajoules of renewable natural gas (RNG) -- sufficient to fuel the city's entire waste collection and service vehicles fleet , as well as provide renewable fuel for Surrey's district energy system. It will also help reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 49,000 tpy.
The facility was designed, financed and will be operated under a 25-year partnership agreement with a UK-based company, Renewi.
The Canadian federal government contributed approximately $16.9 million to the project and Renewi covered the remaining cost of the $68 million project. (Source: Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators, City of Surrey, 30 May, 2018)
Contact: Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators, www.camacam.ca;
Renewi, www.renewiplc.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Renewi,
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing less than 75,000 bpd and suffering "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Contact: RFA, Bob Dineen, Pres., (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News EPA, RFS, Hardship Waiver, Bob Dineen, RFA,
The initiative aims to reduce business aviation's carbon-environmental footprint where it starts, as opposed to using offsets or other market-based measures. The initiative also addresses the need for for education, as industry players such as operators and fuel providers are not necessarily content with standardization body ASTM's green light and still fear fuel tank and engine damage and warranty issues potentially caused by aviation biofuel usage. The initiative centers on a guide to the use of SAJF.
The promoters of the initiative are planning a full-scale demonstration at Los Angeles Van Nuys and Paris Le Bourget airports where all aircraft would receive a blend of conventional and sustainable fuel.
Download the US DOE SAJF details and the full SAJF Value Proposition HERE. (Source: International Business Aviation Council, the National Air Transportation Association, Aviation Week, May 29, 2018)
Contact: International Business Aviation Council, www.ibac.org/Business/Aviation; National Air Transportation Association, (202) 774-1535, nata.aero
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aviation Biofuel, Sustainable Fuel, Biofuel,
The proposed energy system conversion to woody biomass is being driven in part by the university's goal of virtually eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Honeywell says its project will achieve 85 pct of that goal. The university presently spends roughly $10 million a year on electricity and heat, an amount the could be slashed to $4.3 million with the new power plant and solar array, Honeywell estimates.
The on campus 6-MW central heating and power plant would burn approximately 70,000 tpy of wood chips from sustainably harvested local timber.
The CHP plant would use natural gas and oil or liquid biofuels as backups for its boilers, as well as the 40MW solar array. A similar but smaller biomass facility at the University of Maine at Farmington campus burns 4,000 tpy of locally harvested hardwood chips, and replaced nearly 400,000 gallons of oil.
(Source: Univ. of Maine Orono, Honeywell International,, Portland Press Herald, 22 May, 2018) Contact: University of Maine Orono, https://umaine.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Honeywell, Biomass Power,
Coleman says the RFS renewable fuel obligation rule for 2019 is expected out soon but if the waivers keep getting granted, then the numbers called for in that rule don't mean anything because refiners aren't held accountable to them. (Source: Advanced Biofuels Business Council, May, 2018) Contact: Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Brooke Coleman, Exec. Dir., www.advancedbiofuels.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Advanced Biofuels Business Council , EPA, Pruitt, RFS,
Global Bio-based Platform Chemicals Market by Top Vendors include: BASF; Cargill; Incorporated; DSM; INEOS; PTT Global Chemical Public Company. Other prominent vendors include: BioAmber; Braskem; DuPont; GFBiochemicals; LyondellBasell Industries; Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation; Novozymes; Prinova Group; Qingdao Langyatai (Group); Revolymer; Succinity; Yield10 Bioscience and others.
Global Bio-based Platform Chemicals market report analyses the market potential for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macroeconomic parameters, consumer buying patterns, and market demand and supply scenarios.
Report details and a sample PDF of report are HERE.
Purchase Report HERE. (Source: Market Reports World, 27 May, 2018) Contact: Markets Report World, www.marketreportsworld.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biochemical, Biofuel,
The company's £759,000 ($1 million) revenue in 2017 came mainly from the lease of catalyst to and engineering support for Envia Energy's plant in Oklahoma City, which uses the Velocys Fischer-Tropsch (FT) system, and revenues from feasibility studies, predominantly for a UK waste-to-jet fuel project, accordinb to the company.
(Source: Velocys, Renewables Now, Others, 24 May, 2018) Contact: Velocys Plc, David Pummell, CEO, +44 1235 841 700, (713) 275-5840-- Houston Office, info@velocys.com, www.velocys.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Fuel, Velocys, Biofuel, Biorefinery,
"We're pleased the USDA is taking up the president's call to action and pressing for an immediate E15 fix, before the start of the summer driving season. As Secretary (Sonny) Perdue has noted, a flood of illegitimate waivers from the EPA has resulted in 'demand destruction' for U.S. farmers at a time when rural communities can least afford it. Even petroleum giants like Marathon are now expecting 'small refinery' handouts.
"Regulators should, instead, focus on the president's plan to reallocate lost biofuel gallons that were siphoned away by EPA waivers. President Trump promised to protect statutory targets under the Renewwable Fuel Standard (RFS), and we support Secretary Perdue's efforts to ensure the EPA upholds that commitment to rural families.
"There is no reason to delay action or attach unrelated gimmicks designed to benefit a few refinery owners. EPA Administrator (Scott) Pruitt should stand by his word in 2017, when he vowed not to pursue an export scheme that would cannibalize demand for U.S. biofuels, destroy farm income, and spark retaliatory tariffs against the entire fuel and farm supply chain." (Source: Grwoth Energy, SCD, 24 May, 2018)Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, CEO, (202) 545-4000, www.growthenergy.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Growth Energy, Biofuel,
The new biofuel plant will process tall oil and rely on feedstock supplied by SCA's kraft pulp mills in Ostrand, Obbola and Munksund. Capacity expansion at SCA's pulp mill in Ostrand will reportedly double tall oil production at the site.
(Source: SCA, St1, EUWID, 22 May, 2018) Contact: SCA, Ulf Larsson, President and CEO, +46 60 19 46 46, www.sca.com; St1, Patrick Pitkanen, Advanced Fuels Director, +358 105 574 734, patrick.pitkanen@st1.fi, www.st1.fi
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, St1, Tall Oil,
According to Prof. Mikkola, "If we consider how ethanol is made, it's simply sugar, and that is the most common form of biomass these days. You can use food waste, agricultural waste, old newspapers -- almost anything which contains sugars that can be fermented into ethanol, and that's how we get what's needed."
The fermentation process results in the fuel equivalent of gasoline or diesel, as well as flammable gas. The new fuel can be used in any engine because it is like an exact copy of a fossil fuel, without itself containing a single fossil-fuel molecule, says Mikkola.
Prof. Mikkola argues that the petroleum industry's current practice of adding ethanol to petrol is foolish and politically motivated.
"First of all, automobile catalytic converters aren't able to handle [ethanol] because they were designed for pure petrol. The ethanol by-products get converted into carcinogenic materials, and on top of that ethanol's specific energy content is half that of petrol. So it's better to make petrol out of the ethanol and drive on pure petrol," he says.
(Source: Umea University,
Svenska Yle, 22 May, 2018) Contact: Umea University, Prof. Jyri-Pekka Mikkola, +46 90 786 52 84 , +46 70 620 03 71, jyri-pekka.mikkola@umu.se, www.chemistry.umu.se
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol, Biofuel, Biomass ,
Marathon's smallest refinery is a 93,000 bpd facility in Canton, Ohio. As previously reported, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance.
(Source: Reuters, Seeking Alpha, 23 May, 2018) Contact: Marathon Petroleum, Corporate,
(419)421-3070, (419) 425-7040,
www.marathonpetroleum.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, RFS, Hardship Waiver,
The company recently narrowed its list of potential sites down to a few locations in Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and Minnesota, after evaluating offerings from various state governments and proposals of targeted land owners, site developers, contractors, feedstock suppliers, and supply chain partners.
Attis is planning to select at least two sites in 2018. (Source: Attis Industries, Atlanta Business Chronicle, 23 May, 2018)
Contact: Attis Industries, Jeff Cosman, CEO, (678) 580-5661, www.attisinnovations.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomass, Renewable Fuel, Biofuel,
"For years, we have been researching cost-effective ways to break down lignin and convert it into valuable platform chemicals," Sandia bioengineer Seema Singh said.
"We applied our understanding of natural lignin degraders to E. coli because that bacterium grows fast and can survive harsh industrial processes," she added in the work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,.
(Source: Sandia National Laboratories,
IANS, Quint, 19 May, 2018) Contact: Sandia National Laboratories, Seema Singh, Bioengineering, (925) 294-4551, www.jbei.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Seema-Singh_CV_JBEI.pdf
More Low-Carbon Energy News Lignin, Biofuel, Biochemical, Renewable Fuel, Sandia National Laboratories,
"I'm done playing around. I've supported Pruitt but if he pushes changes to RFS that permanently cut ethanol by billions of gallons he will have broken Trump's promise and should step down and let someone else do the job of implementing Trump's (biofuel) agenda. Trump was elected with an agenda; Pruitt was not elected," Grassley said.
Grassley's position is in response to growing farm-state frustration with the EPA's management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compelling refiners to use biofuel such as corn-based ethanol. Iowa is a top producer of both corn and ethanol.
(Source: Wallaces Farmer, Others, Bloomberg, 17 May, 2018)
Contact: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R), www.grassley.senate.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Grassley, Scott Pruitt, Biofuels,
The funds will be used for product development and international marketing and thus help reduce CO2 emissions, improve air quality and achieve global Sustainable Development Goals.
(Source: GoodFuels, International Shipping News 17 May, 2018) Contact: GoodFuels, Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, +31 (0) 85 8000 238, info@goodfuels.com, www.goodfuels.com; Social Impact Ventures, www.socialimpactventures.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News GoodFuels,
The Sierra project will utilize Fulcrum's proprietary thermochemical process to convert household garbage into low-carbon transportation fuels which, when compared to traditional petroleum transportation fuel, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 pct., according to the company.
When commissioned and fully operational in Q1, 2020, Sierra will convert approximately 175,000 tpy of household garbage into more than 10.5 million gpy of biofuel, according to the company. (Source: Fulcrum Bioenergy Inc., PR, 16 May, 2018) Contact: Fulcrum Bioenergy Inc, Rick Barraza, VP Administration, (925) 224-8244, rbarraza@fulcrum-bioenergy.com, www.fulcrum-bioenergy.com, www.facebook.com/fulcrumbioenergy
More Low-Carbon Energy News Fulcrum BioEnergy, Biofuel, Waste-to-Fuel,
Sinopec, which has made a big push to promote biofuel after China make it mandatory to blend ethanol into gasoline, aims to supply biodiesel in more than 200 petrol stations by the end of this year, the paper reported. Sinopec currently sells biodiesel at 33 petrol stations. (Source: Sinopec, Eastday, Reuters, 15 May, 2018)
Contact: Sinopec, english.sinopec.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Sinopec, Biodiesel,
The report also examines the technologies, markets and factors influencing the markets for Cellulosic Ethanol. Markets are forecast based on historical activity and current opportunities, technical advances and challenges. The research includes historic data from 2013 to 2017 and forecasts until 2025.
Access Global Cellulosic Ethanol Market Research Report 2018 details HERE.
(Source: MarketInsights Reports, May, 2018) Contact: MarketInsightsReports , (704) 266-3234, sales@marketinsightsreports.com, www.marketinsightsreports.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic Ethanol, Biofuel,
The newly approved Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials like sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like wheat and broken rice, and rotten potatoes. It also permits use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee. The policy also encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, used cooking oil and short gestation crops.
Download the full National Policy on Biofuels
HERE. (Source: Press Trust of India, 18 May, 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Ethanol, Biodiesel,
BP, which runs the BP Whiting Refinery on the Lake Michigan shoreline, also seeks to target a methane intensity of 0.2 pct going forward. To that end, BP recently installed flare gas recovery systems to reduce flaring at its refineries to zero by 2030. The company also wants to cut methane emissions and improve energy efficiency, which would account for 40 pct of emissions reductions BP strives toward. BP is also investing in 20 different carbon-neutral products, natural gas, biofuels, wind, solar, a more lightweight concrete and startups working toward lower-carbon energy. According to its recently released Advancing the Energy Transition Report BP aims to provide lower-emissions gasoline, develop lower-carbon fuels and expand its lower-carbon business in which it is investing $500 million per year.
Download the BP
Advancing the Energy Transition Report HERE.
(Source: BP, NWI,May, 2018) Contact: BP, www.bp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BP, Carbon Emissions.Methane,
With an estimated forestry residues potential of about 145 million tpy, the European Union has the potential to support the deployment of hundreds of such biorefineries.
Global Bioenergies is one of the few companies worldwide, and the only one in Europe, that is developing a process to convert renewable resources into hydrocarbons through fermentation. The Company initially focused on the production of isobutene, one of the most important petrochemical building blocks that can be converted into fuels, plastics, organic glass and other applications, according to the company.
(Source: Global Bioenergies, PR GlobeNewswire, 14 May, 2018) Contact: Global Bioenergies, Marc Delcourt, CEO, +33 (0)1 64 98 20 50, www.global-bioenergies.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Global Bioenergies, Neste, Isobutene, SkyNRG, Aviation Biofuel, Woody Biomass,
The University of Tennessee (UT). UT will be developing an integrated biorefinery design that combines the production of liquid fuels and renewable chemicals to verify production of affordable cellulosic ethanol.
Northwestern University will develop a rapid synthesis of next-generation biofuels and bioproducts from lignocellulosic biomass. The project will employ several strategies to reduce the timeframe of discovering biosynthetic pathways to optimize fuel and chemical production, including bottom-up engineering principles, computational models, and cell-free framework systems.
Both projects aim to lower biofuel production costs and develop diverse, cost-effective cellulosic biomass technologies for use in the production of biofuels and biobased products.
(Source: US DOE, Green Car Congress, 10 May, 2018)
Contact: DOE Biomass Research and Development Initiative , https://biomassboard.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Cellulosic Biomass,
"While there are certainly positives coming out of this meeting, there are several major potential pitfalls that will need to be mitigated as the administration sets out to implement these policies.
"(The) Farmers Union supports the administration's promises to make E-15 available for year-round use, yet it is absolutely essential we move our transportation fuel market into higher blends of ethanol like E-30. We also appreciate that a cap will not be put on RIN prices, as this would disincentivise the blending of homegrown, renewable fuels in our transportation fuel sector.
"However, this agreement contains no offset for the dozens of hardship waivers that the administration has handed out to oil refiners. These have waived up to 1.6 billion gallons in RFS volume requirements, effectively destroying demand for the surplus of corn that is keeping farm prices low for farmers. The agreement also includes a particularly detrimental plan to assign RIN credits to biofuel exports, which would both devastate domestic demand for biofuels and likely provoke our trading partners into retaliation.
"We urge the (Trump) administration to immediately begin implementing a plan that expands use of higher blends of ethanol, as our nation's family farmers need to be rid of burdensome stocks to start earning a decent price from the market. The administration must also avoid any plan that includes RIN credits for biofuel exports and pursue actions that restore the demand for biofuels that was lost as a result of hardship waiver handouts."
The meeting concluded with an agreement to allow year-round use of E15 gasoline, a limit on RFS 'hardship waivers' being handed out to refiners, and the possibility that RIN credits could be applied to exports of renewable fuel. No cap on RIN prices, nor any offset for the hardship waivers that were handed out to large refiners were included in the agreement. (Source: National Farmers Union, The Pig Site, 10 May, 2018)
Contact: National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, https://nfu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuel Standard , Biofuel, Biodiesel, E-15, National Farmers Union,
Rika plans to build in excess of 10 bio-CNG plants at a total cost of $100-150 million. Each plant will use approximately 100 metric tpd of paddy straw. The first plant is expected to come online in 2019.
Rika Biofuels is a specialist anaerobic digestion project developer, specializing in processing problem feed stocks, including high volume manures and agricultural wastes such as crop straws. (Source: Punjab Energy Development Agency, Rika Biofuels, Times of India, May, 2018) Contact: Rika Biofuels, Gregory Krupnikovs, Director, info@rikabiofuels.com,
www.bioextruder.co.uk;
Punjab Energy Development Agency, +91 172 266 3382, peda.gov.in
More Low-Carbon Energy News Rika Biofuels , Biogas, anerobic digestion,
According to a January Fiberight release, the company completed $70 million in project financing for the 180,000 ton-per-year Hampden facility, with $45 million coming from a tax-exempt bond issuance from the Finance Authority of Maine, underwritten by Jefferies LLC, and the remaining $25 million from private equity.
(Source: Fiberight, MaineBiz, 9 May, 2018)Contact: Fiberight LLC, Craig Stuart-Paul, CEO, (408) 390-3275, info@fiberight.com, www.fiberight.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Fiberight , Waste-to-Biofuel,
China currently consumes 5 million tpy of palm oil, Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producer, exported 3.73 million tons of palm oil to China last year, a leading destination after India and the European Union.
Indonesian palm oil exports have come under pressure in Europe where lawmakers are considering a ban on the use of palm oil in biodiesel from 2021. (Source: Jakarta Globe Reuters, 8 May, 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Palm Oil, Biodiesel, Biofuel,