Midwest AgEnergy
Date: 2020-07-01
Midwest AgEnergy Group (MAG), the parent company to ethanol biorefinery, Blue Flint, near Underwood, ND and Dakota Spirit, a 75 million gpy biorefinery near Spiritwood, ND, is reporting receipt of $3.4 million in grant funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The funding will be used advance the development of a potential carbon storage (CCS) system at the Blue Flint facility located next to Coal Creek Station near Underwood, ND.

The research will involve drilling a stratigraphic test well to examine the geology near the Blue Flint facility to determine the potential and viability of permanently storing CO2 in a deep saline formation. If the sequestration project is successfully completed, the Blue Flint facility anticipates sequestering approximately 200,000 tpy of CO2. The result of the sequestration will be a lower carbon footprint for the facility and the ability to participate in the IRS 45Q tax credit program, incenting such activities. (Source: Midwest AgEnergy, Daily News, 29 June, 2020) Contact: Midwest AgEnergy, Jeff Zueger, CEO, (701) 442-7500/(701) 251-3900, www.midwestagenergygroup.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Midwest AgEnergy,  Ethanol,  Blue Flint Ethanol,  CCS,  

ClonBio,Pannonia Bio,
Date: 2020-06-10
Irish-owned ClonBio Group is reporting a 143 pct increase in profit before tax in 2019 -- up from €39 million in 2018 to €95 million in 2019. The increase reflects a 22 pct rise in average ethanol prices in the period as well as volume growth and "continuing innovation and margin improvement across ethanol, high-protein animal nutrition and corn oil." according to a company release.

The company invested more than €65 in 2019 in the first phase of a three-year, €150 million investment programme over the period 2019-2021, according to the firm. ClonBio's Pannonia Bio, biorefinery is located in Hungary. (Source: ClonBio Group, PR, Agriland Ireland, 9 June, 2020) Contact: ClonBio, Mark Turley, CEO, +353 1 538 4550, www.clnbio.com; Pannonia Bio, +36 1 696 1833, www.pannoniabio.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News ClonBio,  Ethanol,  Pannonia Bio,  

LanzaTech,Suncor,Mitsui
Date: 2020-06-03
LanzaTech, a leading biotech company and carbon recycler, is reporting the launch of LanzaJet Inc., a new company that will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for a sector requiring climate friendly fuel options as it starts to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

Calgary-based Suncor Energy Inc. and Japanese trading and investment company Mitsui & Co. Ltd. are investing $15 million and $10 million, respectively, to establish LanzaJet. The funding will be used to construct a demonstration plant that will produce 10 MMgy of SAF and renewable diesel starting from sustainable ethanol sources. Production is expected to start in early 2022.

This initial investment coupled with participation from All Nippon Airways will complement the existing $14 million grant from the U.S. DOE, enabling the construction of an integrated biorefinery at LanzaTech's Freedom Pines site in Soperton, Georgia, according to the LanzaTech release.

The LanzaJet process can use any source of sustainable ethanol for jet fuel production, including, but not limited to, ethanol made from recycled pollution, the core application of LanzaTech's carbon recycling platform.

Commercialization of this Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) process began with a partnership between LanzaTech and the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the development of a unique catalytic process to upgrade ethanol to alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) which LanzaTech took from the laboratory to pilot scale. (Source: LanzaTech, PR, 3 June, 2020) Contact: LanzaTech, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, (630) 439-3050, jennifer@lanzatech.com, www.lanzatech.com; Suncor Energy, www.suncor.com; Mitsui & Co, www.mitsui-global.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News LanzaTech,  Suncor,  Mitsui,  SAF,  Aviation Biofuel,  Renewable Diesel,  

ClonBio,Pannonia Bio,
Date: 2020-05-27
Dublin-headquartered family-owned agribusiness company ClonBio Group Ltd. has reported a 143 pct rise in annual pretax profits to €95 million in 2019 after ethanol prices strengthened. A good performance by its biofuels and protein-rich animal nutrition products (DDGs) also boosted the performance of ClonBio, which saw its turnover rise 26 pct to €361 million, according to a company release.

The company's core operating company, Pannonia Bio, a corn-based biorefinery in Hungary. was recently designated as an "essential company" by the Hungarian government, with a significant proportion of its monthly ethanol output now in use in the fight against coronavirus. (Source: CloneBio, Irish Times, 25 May, 2020) Contact: ClonBio, Mark Turley, CEO, +353 1 538 4550, www.clnbio.com; Pannonia Bio, +36 1 696 1833, www.pannoniabio.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News DDGs news,  Ethanol news,  

Praj Industries,Sekab E-Technology
Date: 2020-05-20
Praj Industries and Ornskoldsvik, Sweden-based Sekab E-Technology AB are reporting an agreement to cooperatively upgrade and commercialize technology to produce advanced biofuels and bio-chemicals from forest residue as feedstock. As a part of this cooperation,

The partnership will facilitate CO2 reduction by offering Bio-mobility solutions for the transportation industry in the form of advanced biofuels produced from softwood. Praj's Bio-Mobility platform promotes the use of renewable resources to produce low carbon transportation fuel modes of mobility, namely surface, air and water, according to Praj, a global process solutions company offering solutions to add significant value to bio-energy facilities, compressed biogas plants, wastewater treatment systems and others.

Sekab is a Swedish Chemistry and Cleantex company that refine ethanol into biofuels and chemicals and develops biorefinery technology for new sustainable product possibilities based on cellulose raw materials, according to the company website. (Source: Praj Ind., Business Standard, 18 May, 2020)Contact: Praj Industries Ltd., +91 20 7180 2000 / 2294 1000, Jayant Godbole, Pres., Praj Americas, info@praj.net, www.praj.net; Sekab E-Technology AB, +46 (0)660-793 00, info@sekab.com, www.sekab.com/en/products-services/biorefinery

More Low-Carbon Energy News Praj Industries,  Advanced Biofuel,  

Neste Engineering Solutions,Fintoil Oy
Date: 2020-05-13
Neste Engineering Solutions Oy, a unit of the oil refiner and biodiesel producer, is reporting a licensing agreement with Crude Tall Oil (CTO) refiner Fintoil Oy.

Neste's technolgy will be incorporated into Fintoil's previously announced 200,000 tpy biorefinery in Hamina, Finland. The plant is expected to come online late in 2022. (Source: Neste Engineering Solutions, May, 2020) Contact: Neste, www.neste.com; Fintoil Oy, Jukka Ravaska, CEO, +358 50 310 4437, jukka.ravaska@fintoil.com, www.fintoil.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Tall Oil,  Neste Engineering Solutions,  Fintoil Oy,  

Midwest AgEnergy,Blue Flint Ethanol
Date: 2020-05-13
North Dakota-based Midwest AgEnergy Group (MAG), the parent company to ethanol biorefineries Blue Flint, near Underwood, North Dakota and Dakota Spirit near Spiritwood, North Dakota, reports they are evaluating alternative thermal energy and utility options to ensure the long-term viability of the Blue Flint facility.

MAG's move is occasioned by Great River Energy's planned 2022 closure of its Coal Creek Station which provides water and steam to the Blue Flint facility. Great River's Spiritwood Station provides steam and electricity to Midwest AgEnergy's Dakota Spirit facility. To ensure long-term operations at the Blue Flint facility the company is:

Assessing the most viable alternative source for water and process heat while preserving the low carbon fuel designation that facility has developed •Evaluating options for using the contract termination payment from Great River Energy to reinvest in economical alternative sources of power and water at the Blue Flint facility

Continuing with the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at Blue Flint. CCS will prevent CO2 from entering the atmosphere and safely store it underground in a geological formation and will decrease the carbon intensity of ethanol fuel produced at the facility

Continuing to utilize the steam and water services provided by Coal Creek through its scheduled operations into the second half of 2022 and implement changes to allow operations well beyond 2022. The company notes it foresees little to no impact to the Dakota Spirit facility and plans to continue long-term biorefinery operations. (Source: Midwest AgEnergy Group , 11 May, 2020) Contact: Midwest AgEnergy, Jeff Zueger, CEO, (701) 442-7500, www.midwestagenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Midwest AgEnergy,  Ethanol,  Blue Flint Ethanol,  

Fraunhofer Institute
Date: 2020-05-08
In Oberhausen, Germany, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT researchers are touting a new marine fuel made by converting bioethanol into diesel, gasoline or jet fuel that have nearly the same properties as fossil fuels and reduces soot emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 pct compared to fossil fuel.

Lead researcher Dr. Andreas Menne, a mechanical engineer who heads up the Biorefinery and Biofuels department and his colleagues are aiming to mitigate marine diesel's adverse impact on the climate with a new technology.

The UMSICHT researchers are producing up to 20 liters of the new biofuel a week in an experimental plant. The feedstock is bioethanol sourced from wheat straw. Although the synthetic diesel is still more expensive than diesel made of petroleum, it is ready to go to market, according to the release. (Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology, 7-May, 2020 ) Contact: Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology, Dr. Andreas Menne, +49 208 85980 www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/en.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Fraunhofer Institute,  Biofuel,  Marine Biofuel,  Maritime Biofuel,  

POET
Date: 2020-04-20
In Sioux Falls, S.D., ethanol producer POET reports its researchers and production staff have been working around the clock to produce an all-natural ethanol-based sanitizer to tackle the severe local shortage brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

POET is donating 220 gallons of sanitizer, produced at its Chancellor, S.D., biorefinery, to the City of Sioux Falls and 780 16-ounce bottles to various South Dakota health care facilities and organizations. (Source: POET, Aberdeen News, 18 April, 2020)Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO., (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News POET,  Ethanol,  

Berkeley National Laboratory
Date: 2020-04-10
Scientists at the US DOE Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) report they have designed simulations to determine how much biofuel is needed for the whole bioproduct extraction process to be labeled as cost-efficient. Their results showed that the target levels are actually modest and within reach, according to a press release.

The development of biofuels over the past years is part of the strategy to decrease the demand for petroleum-based gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels. However, biofuels are yet to reach the level where they can compete with petroleum-based fuels in terms of cost production. Conventional biofuel production often involves genetically engineered plants that can produce essential chemical compounds, or bioproducts. These bioproducts are extracted from the plant, and the remaining plant parts are converted into fuel. This led scientists from the Berkeley Laboratory to investigate exactly how much bioproduct does a plant need to determine if the whole extraction process to be determined efficient, and how much bioproduct should be produced to reach the target ethanol selling price of $2.50 per gallon.

To do this, the researchers studied existing data of well-studied plant-based bioproduct production. They used this data to make simulations that will determine the factors involved in extracting bioproducts using the context of bioethanol refinery, which means that bioproducts will be extracted from the plant and the remaining plant materials will be converted to ethanol. Their results determined that the bioproduct levels needed to accumulate in plants to offset the production cost recovery is quite feasible. Using limonene as an example, they calculated that an accumulated 0.6 pct of biomass dry weight would already produce net economic benefits to biorefineries. To illustrate, it means harvesting 10 dry metric tons of sorghum mass from one acre will only need 130 pounds of recovered limonene from that biomass to say that the whole production process is efficient, according to the release.

The BNL researchers note this new finding can provide new insights into the role of bioproducts to improve biorefinery economics and offer the first quantitative basis for implementation of this cost-saving strategy for future studies on plant-based biofuel breeding and engineering. The scientists also recommended that crops need to be engineered to produce a broad range of bioproducts in order to provide options and diversify products in the market. (Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, April, 2020) Contact: LBNL, Laurel Kellner, Media, 510-590-8034, LKellner@lbl.gov, www.lbl.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Berkeley National Laboratory,  Biofuel,  

POET
Date: 2020-04-08
Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based ethanol producer POET has announced it is idling corn-ethanol production at its Chancellor, Ashton and Coon Rapids plants and delaying the start-up of Shelbyville. The company noted the shutdowns were directly related to the economic fallout from COVID-19.

"Across the board, biofuel producers and our partners in the farm community face an unprecedented challenge. We are working hard to ensure that every biorefinery remains well-positioned to support a strong and swift recovery once daily life returns to normal. That means responding dynamically to shifting conditions and optimizing production, market by market, as the situation evolves over the next few months", Poet founder and CEO Jeff Broin said in a recent press release. (Source: POET, Various Trade Media 1 April, 2020) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO., (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News POET,  Ethanol,  Corn Ethanol,  

Gasum,Forchem Oy
Date: 2020-03-23
In Helsinki, Finnish energy company Gasum has entered into an agreement with the cleantech company Forchem Oy for the supply of liquefied biogas (LBG) for the Forchem tall oil biorefinery in Rauma, Finland. Forchem switched to using liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2019.

Forchem supplies products for global actors operating in many different markets. The company's operations are characterized by the principles of sustainable development and minimized environmental impacts. The liquefied biogas (LBG) is received at the Forchem reception terminal, vaporized and used in the company's production processes. The switch from using LNG to using LBG can be made without any additional investments.

Liquefied biogas (LBG) is equal to liquefied natural gas (LNG) in terms of its properties and suitable for use as a road and maritime transport fuel and for industrial purposes. LBG is a renewable fuel that can be distributed by using the existing LNG infrastructure. Biogas is produced from feedstocks including biodegradable side streams of industrial and other enterprises as well as from consumer biowaste. (Source: Gasum, Renewable News, 23 Mar.,2020) Contact: Gasum, Tommy Mattila, +358 20 4471, www.gasum.com; Forchem Oy, +358 2 478 4400, info@forchem.com, www.forchem.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News LNG,  Gasum,  Forchem,  tall oil,  Biogas,  Liquified Biogas,  ,  LBG,  

Wascon Blue
Date: 2020-03-09
Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico-based gasoline company Wascon Blue reports it will invest $720 million in four new "green" biorefineries to produce gasoline from byproducts of the process of refining crude oil and natural gas. The company's "innovative formula of BluePower® Biofuels , its Additive acts at the molecular level by increasing the octane in gasoline and cetane in Diesel", according to its website.

Wascon will source the raw material from the state oil company Pemex, which currently exports the byproducts and later imports them after they've been converted to gasoline. The Wascon biorefineries will produce a gasoline with a lower concentration of aromatics, which are base components of gasoline that are a main source of octane and also one of the leading pollutants in the fuel. Conventional gasoline contains around 30 pct aromatics, but the goal of Wascon Blue is to reduce that to 20 pct an replace the remaining 10 pct with sustainably produced sugar cane and sorghum ethanol.

The first of the 4 new biorefinery complexes will be constructed in Veracruz and will have 30,000 bpd capacity beginning in 2021. The company plans to supply 100,000 bpd of "green" gasoline by 2025. (Source: Wascon, Wascom Blue, El Financiero , 7 Mar., 2020) Contact: Wascon Blue, Enrique Olivera, Pres., contacto@wasconblue.com, +55 6385 5542 www.wasconblue.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wascon Blue,  

Gevo
Date: 2020-02-28
Englewood, Colorado-based biobutanol producer GEVO Inc. reports receipt of part of The Queensland Waste to Biofutures (W2B) Fund to support the development of waste to biofutures projects in Queensland, Australia.

The W2B fund provides targeted funding for pilot, demonstration or commercially scalable biorefinery projects in Queensland that use conventional waste streams or biomass to produce bioenergy, biofuels and high-value bioproducts.

For this project, Gevo is evaluating the most likely 2G biomass to carbohydrate conversion process to use in conjunction with its proven carbohydrate to low carbon biofuel process. (Source: GEVO Website, PR, 27 Feb.,2020) Contact: GEVO, Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com; Queensland Waste to Biofutures Fund, www.qtic.grantguru.com.au/grant/queensland-waste-to-biofutures-fund-w2b-fund-/

More Low-Carbon Energy News GEVO,  Biobutanol,  Biomass,  Biofuel Feedstock,  

UPM, UPM-Kymmene
Date: 2020-02-12
In Finland, Helsinki-headquartered UPM-Kymmene Oyj reports it will invest €550 million ($600 million) in a biorefinery at Leuna, Germany, that will use locally-sourced wood biomass to produce a variety of 100 pct wood-based biochemicals -- bio-monoethylene glycol (BioMEG), bio-monopropylene glycol (BioMPG), industrial sugars and lignin-based renewable functional fillers. The facility is expected to produce roughly 220,000 metric tpy when fully operation by the end of 2022.

UPM-Kymmene' buiness companies include: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Paper Asia, UPM Paper ENA and UPM Plywood (Source: UPM-Kymmene Corp., 10 Feb., 2020) Contact: UPM-Kymmene Corp, Jussi Pesonen, Pres., Tel. +358 204 15 111, Fax. +358 204 15 110, www.upm.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wood.Woody Biomass,  UPM,  Biochemical,  Biofuel,  

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
Date: 2020-02-10
Following up on our 5th Sept., 2018 coverage, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is reporting funding has been secured and a feasibility study is underway for construction of a biofuel refinery at Alape in Kogi State.

Kogi State Government, the NNPC and private investors have also finalized agreement to an agreement to establish a 20,000 hectare sugarcane and cassava biofuel feedstock cultivation zone to supply the new biorefiney. (Source: Nigerian National Petroleum, PR, Feb., 2020) Contact: Nigerian National Petroleum, Danjuma Yakubu, contactus@nnpcgroup.com, www.nnpcgroup.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,  Cassava,  Biofuel,  

White Dog Labs, Central Minnesota Renewables
Date: 2020-02-07
New Castle, Delaware-headquartered White Dog Labs (WDL) is reporting plans to purchase Central Minnesota Renewables' shuttered former ethanol -- biobutanol plant in Little Falls, Minnesota, and to upgrade the facility to produce ProTyton, a corn-based aquaculture feed product. The upgraded plant will managed by Midwest Renewable Energy, which operates a corn ethanol plant near Sutherland, Nebraska.

The facility was originally constructed as the 21 MMgy Central MN Ethanol Co-op corn ethanol plant. Green Biologics Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based biotechnology and renewable chemical company Green Biologics Ltd., purchased the facility in December 2014 through its Central MN Renewables LLC affiliate. The facility was retrofitted to produce biobased butanol and acetone and resumed operations in 2016. In mid-2019, Green Biologics announced it could not secure funding to continue operations and would close the plant.

According to the WDL website, White Dog Labs was established in 2012 on the foundation of harnessing natural microorganism diversity to address global challenges in food sustainability, climate change and general human and animal nutrition. The company goes beyond discovery to also design and scale bioprocesses with end product application in mind.

Core to WDL discovery is its proprietary Protocol B™ process coupled with additional high-throughput selection techniques for the isolation and cultivation of microbiome-derived anaerobic microorganisms. WDL's approaches result in large, diverse and novel strain libraries informed through emerging applications in microbiome science, and yield promising solutions for animal nutrition and health. WDL also invented a novel class of fermentation technology called MixoFerm™ that allows cultivation of previously "unculturable" bacteria while also improving the carbon efficiency of fermentation processes by 50 to 100 pct, according to the WDL website.(Source: White Dog Labs, PR, Ethanol Producer, 4 Feb., 2020) Contact: White Dog Labs., Bryan Tracy, (302) 220-4763, btracy@whitedoglabs.com, www.WhiteDogLabs.com; Central Minnesota Renewables, 320-632-1614, www.centralmnrenewables.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News White Dog Labs ,  Central Minnesota Renewables,  

UPM
Date: 2020-01-31
Helsinki-headquartered UPM reports it will invest €550 million in a biorefinery -- 100 pct wood-based biochemicals at Leuna, Germany. The 220,000 tpy biorefinery will convert locally-sourced solid wood biomass into next generation biochemicals: bio-monoethylene glycol (BioMEG) and lignin-based renewable functional fillers, bio-monopropylene glycol (BioMPG) and industrial sugars. The plant is expected to come online by the end of 2022. (Source: UOM, PR, Global NewsWire, Jan., 2020) Contact: UPM Biochemicals, Juuso Konttinen, Vice President, +358 40 5317405, juuso.konttinen@upm.com, www.upm.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News UPM,  Biofuel,  

Avantium
Date: 2020-01-13
In the Netherlands, Amsterdam-based renewable chemicals specialist Avantium is reporting it will build its furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) bioplastic flagship plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The $30 million, five-kiloton facility will be constructed near Avantium's pilot biorefinery, producing glucose and lignin from non-food biomass. The plant is expected to be completed in 2023. (Source: Avantium, PR, Website, 8 Jan., 2019) Contact: Avantium, Tom van Aken , CEO, +31 (0)20 586 8080, www.avantium.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Avantium ,  Bioplastic,  

USDA
Date: 2020-01-03
The USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service has released a final rule for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. The program provides quarterly payments to producers of eligible advanced biofuels. To be eligible for payments, the advanced biofuels produced must be derived from renewable biomass other than corn kernel starch at a biorefinery located in the U.S.

Download the full Advanced Biofuel Payment Program HERE (Source: USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, 27 Dec., 2019) Contact: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Bette Brand, Admin., (202) 690-4730, 202-690-4737 - fax., www.rd.usda.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA,  RFS,  Advanced Biofuel,  

Greenfield Global, HY2GEN Canada
Date: 2019-11-27
Toronto, Ontario-based Greenfield Global -- Canada's largest ethanol producer -- and green hydrogen specialist HY2GEN Canada are reporting an agreement to form a 50/50 joint venture (JV) to develop and operate an industrial scale facility in Varennes, Quebec.

Greenfield's Varennes biorefinery, which is the first ethanol plant to be built in Quebec, has been in operation since 2007. The facility produces the lowest carbon intensity ethanol in Canada, as well as corn oil and distillers' grain (DDCs).

Greenfield owns and operates four ethanol distilleries, three specialty chemical manufacturing and packaging plants, and three next-generation biofuel and renewable energy R&D centres across North America (Source: Greenfield, Agri, 25 Nov., 2019) Contact: Greenfield Global, Howard Field, President and CEO, (613) 698-0116, howard.field@greenfield.com, www.greenfield.com; HY2GEN Canada, 514-906-8736, www.hy2gen.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Greenfield Global ,  HY2GEN Canada,  Ethanol,  Green Hydrogen,  

Velocys, Toyo Engineering
Date: 2019-11-20
Further to our 19 Sept. coverage, UK-headquartered landfill gas-to-liquid fuels and chemicals producer Velocys Plc reports the delivery of Fischer-Tropsch reactors and catalyst to Toyo Engineering Corp. in Nagoya, Japan, for use in a biomass-to-jet fuel demonstration facility bio-jet fuel facility being developed by a consortium of Japanese companies.

Velocys enables sustainable fuels for aviation and heavy goods transport, using waste materials, to cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Combining transformative technology, operational expertise and a partnership approach, we are working on commercial projects, today, that deliver the fuels of tomorrow, according to the company website. (Source: Velocys, PR, Biomass, 18 Nov., 2019) Contact: Velocys, Henrik Wareborn, CEO, +44 1235 838 621, (713) 275-5840 -- Houston Office, info@velocys.com, www.velocys.com; Toyo Engineering, www.toyo-eng.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Toyo Engineering,  Velocys,  Fischer-Tropsch ,  

Goodfuels, BTG
Date: 2019-11-15
Dutch sustainable marine Biofuels specialist Goodfuels is reporting it and biomass technology group BTG will establish BTG-neXt -- a new high-tech company that can convert crude pyrolysis oil into 100 pct sustainable diesel biofuel suitable for the maritime shipping sector. It will be the first refinery in the world for an advanced marine biofuel based on pyrolysis oil, produced from woody biomass wastes, grass cuttings and similar plant materials.

The technology for producing oil via pyrolysis from plant-based waste was developed 30 years ago at the University of Twente.

The new demonstration facility has a planned 1,000 tpy production capacity. Depending on the demo tests, production can be scaled-up to support the industry in meeting International Maritime Organisation (IMO) targets of a 50 pct reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2050 -- roughly 85 pct reduction per vessel. GoodFuels intends to market the pilot volumes produced to further strengthen the commercial business case. The ports of Rotterdam and Eemshaven are the locations being considered for the first commercial processing plant. (Source: Goodfuels, Hellenic, 14 Nov., 2019) Contact: GoodFuels, Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, +31 (0) 85 8000 238, info@goodfuels.com, www.goodfuels.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Goodfuels,  Marine Biofuel,  pyrolysis oil,  BTG,  

Greenfield Global
Date: 2019-10-16
Canada's largest ethanol producer Greenfield Global reports it will expand production at its Varennes biorefinery following the Government of Quebec's introduction of draft regulations on the minimum renewable fuel blending volumes in the province of Quebec.

The Government of Quebec's draft regulations on the minimum volume of renewable fuel proposal would set blending thresholds of 10 pct renewable fuel in gasoline, and 2 pct renewable fuel in diesel by 2021 -- increasing to 15 pct in gasoline and 4 pct in diesel by 2025.

Greenfield's Varennes biorefinery, which is the first ethanol plant to be built in Quebec, has been in operation since 2007. The facility produces the lowest carbon intensity ethanol in Canada, as well as corn oil and distillers’ grain.

Greenfield owns and operates four ethanol distilleries, three specialty chemical manufacturing and packaging plants, and three next-generation biofuel and renewable energy R&D centres across North America. (Source: Greenfield Global, PR, Biofuel Int'l., 16 Oct., 2019)Contact: Greenfield Global, Howard Field, President and CEO, (613) 698-0116, howard.field@greenfield.com, www.greenfield.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Greenfield Global,  Ethanol,  Ethanol Blend,  Canada Ethanol,  

Velocys,Bayou Fuels
Date: 2019-10-11
UK-headquartered landfill gas-to-liquid fuels and chemicals producer Velocys Plc and its subsidiary Velocys, Inc. is reporting an agreement with Occidental Petroleum subsidiary Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, LLC (Oxy) under which Oxy will capture and store CO2 from Velocys' planned Bayou Fuels waste woody biomass-to-fuels project in Natchez, Mississippi.

According to OXY, it is uniquely positioned to transport and store the CO2 by leveraging Occidental's industry leadership in CO2 storage and utilization for enhanced oil recobery (EOR). (Source: Velocys, gasworld, 19 Oct., 2019)Contact: Velocys Plc, David Pummell, CEO, +44 1235 841 700, (713) 275-5840 -- Houston Office, info@velocys.com, www.velocys.com; Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC, www.oxy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Velocys,  Biofuel,  Biorefinery,  Waste-to-Fuel,  Bayou Fuels,  

Washington State University,GEVO
Date: 2019-10-07
Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, LLC (NWABF) reports it is working with Washington State University's Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), a project that established the availability and sustainability of woody biomass/forest residues as a feedstock for the production of aviation biofuels using Boulder, Colorado-based GEVO technology, The planned biorefinery, which is expected to go into production in 2023, would be constructed at Aberdeen, Washington.

As previously reported, Delta Air Lines, in partnership with NWABF, is investing $2 million to assess the biofuel refinery project's feasibility. Additionally, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded NARA with $39.5 million over 5-years. (Source: Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, LLC (NWABF), Washington State Univ. Evergreen, 3 Oct., 2019) Contact: Washington State University, NARA, Ralph Cavalieri, (509) 335-5581, cavalieri@wsu.edu, www.nararenewables.org; Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, LLC Chris Whitworth,Dir. Project Dev., www.facebook.com/NWABiofuels; Gevo, Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News GEVO,  Aviation Biofuel,  Woody Biomass,  

Praj Industries,Omega Energy USA
Date: 2019-09-30
Further to our 9 Sept. coverage, on the sub-continent, Mumbai-based sugarcane ethanol producer Praj Industries reports its Houston-based subsidiary Praj Americas is laying the foundation for a $100 million sugar cane bagass-to-ethanol plant in Louisiana. The project, which could still be three years out, would be developed in partnership with Miami-based Omega Energy USA.

The plant would use locally source sugar cane waste as a feed stock. In 2018, Louisiana harvested about 16.9 million tons of sugar cane. (Source: Praj Industries, Advocate, 29 Sept., 2019) Contact: Praj Industries Ltd., +91 20 7180 2000 / 2294 1000, Jayant Godbole, Pres., Praj Americas, info@praj.net, www.praj.net; Omega Energy USA, 786-245-0642, www.omegaenergyusa.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Omega Energy,  Praj Industries,  Ethanol,  Sugar Cane Ethanol,  

Dow Chemical, UPM Biofuel
Date: 2019-09-25
Chemicals giant Dow Chemical Company rports it is partnering with advanced biofuels producer UPM Biofuels for the commercialization of a plastics offering for the packaging industry made from a bio-based renewable feedstock.

Dow is integrating wood-based UPM BioVerno renewable naphtha -- a key raw material used to develop plastics -- into its slate of raw materials, creating an alternative source for plastics production. Dow is using this feedstock to produce bio-based polyethylene (PE) at its production facility in Terneuzen, The Netherlands, for use in food and other packaging applications.

Following a successful year-long trial program, Dow is now planning to scale production and address the increasing global demand for renewable plastics.

UPM BioVerno naphtha is produced at UPM's biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland, from crude tall oil, which is a residue of paper pulp production. (Source: Dow Chemical Co., PR, 24 Sept., 2019)Contact: Dow CHemicals, www.dow.com; UPM Biofuels, Sari Mannonen, VP . +358 45 265 1345, sari.mannonen@upm.com, www.upmbiofuels.com, www.upm.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News UPM BioVerno,  UPM Biofuel,  Dow Chemical,  Woody Biomass,  

Praj Industries,Omega Energy USA
Date: 2019-09-09
On the sub-continent, Mumbai-based sugarcane ethanol producer Praj Industries reports it has reached an important milestone in the commercialisation of its 2G ethanol "enfinity" technology, following successful performance and due diligence by a US-based oil and gas major.

The company's proprietary "enfinity" technology will be used to produce ethanol and other co-products using sugarcane bagasse in the first bagasse-based biorefinery in the US. Miami-based Omega Energy USA will develop the biorefinery, while cane sugar producer Lasuca Sugar will supply bagasse feedstock. The proposed project will have a production capacity of 10-15 million gpy of cellulosic ethanol. (Source: Praj Industries, 5 Sept., 2019) Contact: Praj Industries Ltd., +91 20 7180 2000 / 2294 1000, info@praj.net, www.praj.net; Omega Energy USA, 786-245-0642, www.omegaenergyusa.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Praj Industries,  Ethanol,  

Electro-Active Technologies
Date: 2019-08-19
Tennessee start-up Electro-Active Technologies reports it has licensed two biorefinery technologies invented and patented by the company's founders to convert organic waste into renewable hydrogen gas for use as a biofuel.

Electro-Active Technologies is developing a modular system that can be placed onsite or in a decentralized location to produce renewable hydrogen from organic waste. The system combines biology and electrochemistry to degrade organic waste such as biomass or food waste, to produce hydrogen which then combines the protons and electrons into hydrogen molecules.

The company originally developed their processes to tackle the problem of liquid waste formed during biofuel production; however, the company will now focus on fighting food waste, according to its website. (Source: Electro-Active Technologies Contact: Electro-Active Technologies, Alex Lewis, CEO, https://electroactive.tech/contact.html, www.electroactive.tech/index.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel,  Hydrogen,  H2,  

Neste
Date: 2019-08-02
Finnish biofuel producer and oil refiner Neste reports it is investing €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) to more than double output at its Singapore refinery. The facility produces renewable fuels from used cooking oil, vegetable oil, agricultural and animal wastes.

The Singapore expansion will reportedly increase renewable fuel output by up to 1.3 million tpy from the current 1 million tpy, The plant will also be able to produce up to 1 million tpy of renewable jet fuel as well as raw materials for various polymers and chemicals.

The expanded plant is expected to be operational early in 2022. (Source: Neste, Reuters, CNA Business, 31 July, 2019) Contact: Neste, +358 10 458 4128, www.neste.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste,  Renewable Fuel,  

Renewable Energy Group
Date: 2019-07-26
Ames, Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group (REGI) reports it is mothballing its New Boston, Texas biorefinery due to challenging business conditions and continued federal policy uncertainty -- the long-lapsed federal biodiesel tax credit, the company said. The 15-million gpy biodiesel plant near Texarkana, Texas, is capable of running both high and low free fatty acid feedstocks and has truck and rail access.

REGI operates 14 biorefineries in the US and Europe. In 2018, the company produced 502 million gallons of cleaner fuel delivering over 4 million metric tons of carbon reduction. (Source: REGI, PR, 25 July, 2019) Contact: REGI, Cynthia J. Warner, President and CEO, 515-239-8000, www.regi.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy Group ,  Biodiesel,  

IEA Bioenergy
Date: 2019-07-22
In Ireland, International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy is reporting release of its Technical, Economic and Environmental Assessment of Biorefinery Concepts -- Developing a Practical Approach for Characterisation Report providing an overview on biorefinery assessments methods and results.

According to the report, there are currently two main challenges related to assessing the environmental and economic components of biorefining processes -- data availability and stakeholder participation. To address these issues, IEA Bioenergy's Task 42, Biorefining in a Circular Economy, examined assessments currently underway to determine the capability of biorefineries in creating a sustainable future. Such assessments aim to highlight the potential of biorefineries to enhance the use of biomass in generating both products and energy.

IEA Bioenergy was established in 1978 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) with the aim of improving cooperation and information exchange between countries that have national programmes in bioenergy research, development and deployment. The International Energy Agency acts as energy policy advisor to 28 EU Member Countries plus the European Commission, in their effort to ensure reliable, affordable, and clean energy. Current work focuses on climate change policies, market reform, energy technology collaboration and outreach to the rest of the world, especially major producers and consumers of energy like China, India, Russia and the OPEC countries.

Access report details HERE. (Source: IEA Bioenergy, 20 July, 2019) Contact: IEA Bioenergy, www.ieabioenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News IEA Bioenergy,  Biofuel,  ,  

Velocys PLC British
Date: 2019-07-15
UK-headquartered landfill gas-to-liquid fuels and chemicals producer Velocys Plc is reporting British Airways and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have invested a combined £2.8 million in a £7 million fundraising round.

The proceeds will be used for front-end engineering design of Velocys' Mississippi biorefinery, to build on intellectual property, and to test catalyst and Fischer-Tropsch reactors. (Source: Velocys, Alliance News, 15 July, 2019) 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 Velocys,  Biofuel,  Biorefinery,  Waste-to-Fuel,  

Cielo Waste Solutions
Date: 2019-07-12
Red Deer, Alberta-based Cielo Waste Solutions is reporting the opening of its first Alberta biorefinery in the community of Aldersyde, Southern Alberta, where it will turn locally-sourced landfill household waste into renewable diesel transportation fuel. The company plans to open four additional refineries in the municipalities of Brooks, Calgary, Grande Prairie and Medicine Hat, sometime in 2020.

According to Cielo, their technology creates "high-grade, low-cost renewable diesel fuel" that differs from other traditional biofuels that come from food sources. Cielo also claims its product can be blended and sold on the Alberta government's mandated renewable diesel market. It also produces virtually no emissions, the company says. (Source: Cielo, GlobalNews, 11 July, 2019)Contact: Cielo Waste Solutions Corp., Don Allan, President & CEO, (403) 348-2972 Ext. 101, donallan@cielows.com, www.cielows.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Cielo Waste Solutions,  Biofuel,  Waste-to-Fuel,  Landfill Waste,  

Total
Date: 2019-07-03
In Paris, energy major Total reports it has begun production at the La Mede biorefinery in southeastern France, with the first batches of biofuel coming off the line. It is the final step in converting the former oil refinery into a new energies complex.

Launched in 2015, the Mede biorefinery can produce 500,000 tpy of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a premium biofuel, as well as biodiesel and biojet fuel for the aviation industry. The facility was specifically designed to process all types of oil. Its biofuels will be made: 60 to 70 pct from 100 pct sustainable vegetable oils (rapeseed, palm, sunflower, etc.), and 30 to 40 pct from treated waste (animal fats, cooking oil, residues, etc.).

As part of May, 2018 agreement with the French Government, Total has pledged to process no more than 300,000 tpy of palm oil -- less than 50 pct of the total volume of raw materials needed -- and at least 50,000 tpy of French-grown rapeseed, creating another market for domestic agriculture. All the oils processed will be certified sustainable to European Union standards.

Total is also examining different biomass conversion pathways, such as thermochemical, biotechnology and algae, and is working in its own laboratories and via R&D partnerships with manufacturers, start-ups, universities and private laboratories, including BioTfueL, Novogy and Renmatix. (Source: Total Website, PR, 3 July, 2018) Contact: Total, Investor Relations: +44 (0 )207 719 7962 l, ir@total.com, www.total.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Total,  Biofuel,  Biodiesel,  Palm Oil,  

Attis Industries
Date: 2019-06-07
Following up on our previous coverage, Georgia-based Attis Industries Inc. reports its recently acquired Sunoco LP's nameplate 100-million gpy corn ethanol plant and grain malting operation in Fulton, New York, will become the centerpiece of its proposed Green Tech Campus. The company will focus on byproduct optimization of the corn ethanol plant and the new production of advanced biofuels and biobased products while also looking to generate "green" power, thus reducing the overall carbon footprint of the Fulton campus and taking advantage of valuable carbon credits to increase the site's profitability.

Attis plans to immediately begin the process of deploying its patented biorefinery technology to further diversify the biofuel and biobased product manufacturing at the campus. Attis will convert extracted locally sourced woody biomass pulp into cellulosic fuels and lignin into bioplastics, carbon fiber and advanced biofuels like renewable diesel and jet fuel.

Attis also aims to improve the quality and volume of co-products currently being produced at the Fulton ethanol plant by implementing its patented and licensed corn oil extraction technology that will almost double the current corn oil production yields at the plant and provide an augmented revenue stream. (Source: Attis Industries, DTN, June, 2019) Contact: Attis Ind., Jeff Cosman, CEO, 678-580-5661, www.attisind.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Attis Industries,  Ethanol,  Sunoco LP,  

Velocys
Date: 2019-06-03
UK-headquartered landfill gas-to-liquid fuels and chemicals producer Velocys Plc is reporting its proposed biorefinery in Natchez, Mississippi, has completed the environmental assessment required under the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as approximately 1,000 hours of integrated demonstrations processing dry Southern yellow pine wood chips to fuels in North Carolina at a rate of 4 metric tpd.

According to the company, the wood chip-to-fuel demonstration allowed it to demonstrate actual biofuel yields from representative feedstock and actual syngas composition. The proposed 20 MMgy Natchez facility is expected to begin operations in 2024. (Source: Velocys, 29 May, 2019) 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 Velocys,  Biofuel,  Biorefinery,  

Ohio State University
Date: 2019-05-29
In Columbus, Associate Professor Ajay Shah, an agricultural engineer with The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is testing a method that could cut the cost of collecting and delivering corn plant material corn stover) for ethanol production by up to 20 pct..

Shah received $1 million in USDA grant funding to test the effectiveness of a new method that harvests and transports corn plants intact, the ears together with the stalks, and will work with farm equipment companies to develop machinery that could be commercialized.

The system testing involves harvesting the corn plant so the ears and a portion of the stalks are not separated in the field but are transported as a single package to the biorefinery. Separating the corn kernels from the rest of the plant requires a combine, which is expensive and currently used in the field only a few months of the year. If, instead, farmers collected and baled the cobs and stalks at the same time, they could be stored and a stationary machine that separates the grain from the rest of the plant could operate throughout the year, maximizing its use. (Source: Ohio State Univ., AgCUE Online, 28 May, 2019) Contact: Ohio State Univ., College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Assistant Prof., Ajay Shah, (330) 263-3858, shah.971@osu.edu; CFAES, (614) 292-6125, https://cfaes.osu.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn Stover,  Ethanol,  Cellulosic Ethanol,  

Bioeconomy
Date: 2019-05-15
The European Science Communication Institute is reporting the launch of trials of Ireland's first mobile biorefinery. The new mobile biorefinery on wheels processes grass and other organic waste into various new green products that could give farmers a more diversified source of income and greater sustainability.

. The mobile biorefinery's product can be processed into a dry protein-rich live-stock feed, a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizer or used as a fuel for anaerobic digesters and natural gas production. (Source: European Science Communication Institute, phys.org, May, 2015) Contact: European Science Communication Institute, www.esci.eu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biorefining,  Cioecoomy,  Biofuel,  Biomass,  

ARENA,Global Ecofuel
Date: 2019-05-10
In New South Wales, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reports it has awarded $350,000 to two companies -- Global Ecofuel and Boral Timber -- to investigate the production of renewable bitumen and diesel from sawmill woody biomass waste.

Under the $842,000 study, Boral Timber, a hardwood and softwood supplier, will explore the technical and financial viability of establishing a biorefinery near the Herons Creek sawmill. If constructed, the proposed biorefinery could cost around $35 million and could convert up to 50,000 tpy of waste sawmill residue into transport-grade renewable diesel and bitumen. (Source: ARENA, World Highways, 8 May, 2019) Contact: Boral Timber , Wayne Manners, Exec. Manager, www.boral.com.au/products/timber, www.boral.com; Arena, www.arena.gov.au/projects/hardwood-residue-bio-refinery-feasibility-study; Global Ecofuel Solutions, https://gefs.es

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  ARENA,  

Spero Renewables
Date: 2019-05-06
CORRECTION -- The following article appeared in our 22nd April editions with contact errors which are herein corrected. We regret any inconvenience our error may have caused.

Goleta, California-based Spero Renewables LLC, a Green chemistry company, is reporting a $1.6 million cooperative agreement with the US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to develop and scale-up production of the company's patented SPERLU technology that produces polymers from wood pulp and similar plant-based sources.

The grant is part of a recently announced $80 million DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) initiative supporting 36 bioenergy R&D projects. In addition to biobased products, projects include renewable hydrocarbon fuels and power from non-food Biomass and waste feedstocks.

Spero's SPERLU™ technology converts biomass lignin, a waste byproduct of cellulosic ethanol production that is expensive to remediate, into valuable, environmentally friendly polymers and plastics. The resulting polymers are renewable, free of off-gassing emissions, and formaldehyde-free as opposed to current polymers that come from petrochemicals and are manufactured with formaldehyde, according to the company's website.

According to the company website, "Spero Energy is a technology developer for the production of high value renewable and natural molecules from biomass. The company's novel extractive technology for the manufacture of natural ferulic acid is a game changer for the production of natural vanilla. Spero's one-step lignin conversion (SPERLU™) is key to realizing a fully integrated biorefinery." (Source: Spero Renewables LLC, Spero Website, 19 April, 2019) Contact: Spero Renewables LLC, Mahdi Abu-Omar, Ph.D. Chemistry, Pres., Joe Ramelli, VP Business Dev., (805) 696-2199 x 2001, joe@sperorenewables.com, US DOE BETO, energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE BETO,  Spero Renewables,  

Nordfuel
Date: 2019-04-24
The biorefinery Nordfuel reports it is scheduled to construct a €150 million soft wood residues bioethanol and biofuel plant next to the Haapavesi thermal power plant 120 kilometres south of Uleaborg in Northern Finland.

The new facility will utilize Swedish clean-tech company SEKAB E-Technology's Celluapp platform to extract cellulose sugars and lignin from forest or agricultural residues for processing into biofuels or renewable chemical products. The technology can be used in new biorefineries or to develop existing facilities.

The new Nordfuel biorefinery will produce bioethanol and biogas for the transport sector and lignin to fuel the 390-MW power plant in Haapavesi. (Source: Norfuel, April, 2019) Contact: Norduel, Antti Vilkuna, CEO, +358 (0)44 0220 919, antti.vilkuna@nordfuel.fi, http://nordfuel.fi/en/biorefinery

More Low-Carbon Energy News Lignin,  Biofuel,  Nordful Bioethanol,  

Fortress Global Enterprises,Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Date: 2019-04-10
British Columbia-based Fortress Global Enterprises Inc. reports its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fortress Xylitol Inc., has inked an agreement with Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) under which SDTC will contribute $10.4 million in funding to support the planned construction and operation of a xylitol and complementary bioproducts demonstration plant at Fortress' dissolving pulp mill in Thurso, Que. The funding is additional to Natural Resources Canada's (NRC) previously announced funding and an anticipated provincial investment and loan of up to $7 million.

The demonstration plant project is intended to demonstrate technology for the co-production of value-added and sustainable bioproducts that will help transform the wood pulp mill into a biorefinery. The process is expected to validate performance and produce pre-commercial quantities of food-grade xylitol and complementary bioproducts for testing and use by customers. Fortress also operates in the renewable energy generation sector through its cogeneration facility. Fortress operates its bioproducts business through Fortress Advanced Bioproducts Inc., which has laboratory and pilot plant facilities in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Source: Fortress Global Enterprises, April, 2019) Contact: Fortress, Giovanni Iadeluca, CEO, (888) 820-3888, info@fortressge.com, www.fortressge.com; Sustainable Development Technology Canada, info@sdtc.ca, (613) 234-6313 ext. 0, www.sdtc.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bio-plastic,  Sustainable Development Technology Canada,  

BioCarburante Company
Date: 2019-03-29
In the Sunshine State, the Gulf County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday lent support to the Wisconsin-headquartered BioCarburante Company's (TBIOCC) planned $450 million biofuel plant in Gulf County.

The plant would convert 2,000 tpd of woody biomass, wood waste and forest residue into synthetic gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel through a thermo-catalytic conversion.

The plant would convert 2,000 tpd of woody biomass, wood waste and forest residue into synthetic gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel through a thermo-catalytic conversion.

The Board of Commissioners would support TBIOCC's pre-application for a $25 million grant from Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., the entity established to disburse $1.5 billion in BP fine dollars into eight Northwest Florida counties. The Board of Commissioners would also facilitate acquisition of 116-acre site for the biorefinery. (Source: BioCarburante Company, Port of St.Joe Star, 28 Mar., 2019) Contact: BioCarburante Company, Larry Hess, CEO, www.biocarburante.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  Biofuel,  Biorefinery,  

BC Bioenergy Network
Date: 2019-03-29
The government of British Columbia, through the CleanBC Plan, is committed to growing renewable fuels production to 650 million lpy and increasing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard to 20 pct by 2030.

To that end, the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources is considering what actions to take to meet these targets, including support for the commercial production of renewable and low-carbon fuels in the province, reducing B.C.'s reliance on imported feedstocks and expanding B.C.'s existing renewable fuel production industry. In order to meet the CleanBC renewable fuels targets, significantly more renewable feedstocks will need to be sourced from within B.C. and more renewable fuels will need to be produced here.

To achieve this renewable fuel production commitment and help B.C. transition to a low-carbon economy, BC Bioenergy Network (BCBN) and the ministry are seeking a contractor to undertake a biorefinery market analysis outlining specific conditions required to attract major fuel producers to invest in building biorefineries in the province.

The contractor will provide a comprehensive report on the economic, technical, social and environmental factors that will be necessary to accomplishing the aforementioned objectives, and will include a biorefinery market analysis of all relevant products for the North American and global market -- identification of the opportunities and potential barriers to their development. Analysis should include discussions on how the availability of feedstocks required in biorefinery production affect the economics of establishing the facilities.

BC Biorefinery Investment RfP information and details HERE (Source: BCBN, 28 Mar., 2019) Contact: BCBN, Dr. Scott Stanners, Executive Director (604) 889-4549, Scott.Stanners@bcbioenergy.ca, www.bcbioenergy.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News BC Bioenergy Network ,  

LanzaTech
Date: 2019-03-20
Emissions Reduction Alberta reports it is supporting a LanzTech project that will demonstrate the company's next-generation microbubble bioreactor (MBR) technology, which will maximize the quantity of fuels produced per tonne of wood waste in an integrated biorefinery.

LanzaTech proposes to demonstrate the MBR by producing ethanol from the off-gas of forestry-residue pyrolysis in Alberta, with extended benefits for converting other resources such as industrial waste gases and agricultural residues using LanzaTech's gas fermentation platform. This project takes a major step towards creating value from new waste resources, such as gasified agricultural residues, and serving hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as aviation (jet fuel from ethanol) and consumer goods (materials from fermentation-derived chemicals), according to Emissions Reductions Alberta.(Source: Emissions Reductions Alberta, News Website, 12 Mar., 2019) Contact: Emissions Reduction Alberta, (780)498-2068, info@eralberta.ca, www.eralberta.ca; LanzaTech, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, (630) 439-3050, jennifer@lanzatech.com, www.lanzatech.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News LanzaTech,  Carbon Sequestration,  Ethanol,  

Mercurius
Date: 2019-02-20
In the Land Down Under, the Queensland State government reports it has given the nod and has funded a biorefinery pilot plant in Gladstone. The 3-month pilot biorefinery will be the trail site for jet fuel and diesel production from agricultural and forestry waste. Construction is due to begin this month and will be carried out by Bellinham, Washington-based Mercurius Biofuels LLC.

Depending on the pilots success, Mercurius plans to construct a larger demonstration plant, which would scale up production of biofuels and bio-chemicals, according to a company statement.

Mercurius Biorefining is developing its novel REACH process, which converts cellulosic biomass to hydrocarbons in the renewable diesel, aviation, and marine fuel ranges. Valuable by-products include bio-char and a bio-plastic monomer, FDCA.

REACH (Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating) is a novel application of proven technologies which is both feedstock- and product-flexible. Sources of potential feedstock include waste from municipalities (e.g. biogenic portion of MSW), forestry and agriculture. (Source: Mercurius, Various Media, Biofuel Int'l, 18 Feb., 2019) Contact: Mercurius , Karl Seck, Res., CEO, (360) 941-7207, www.mercuriusbiofuels.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Mercurius,  Cellulosic,  Aviation Biofuel,  

AgriChemWhey
Date: 2019-02-15
EU-funded AgriChemWhey reports it is testing and proving the techno-economic viability of converting agriculture and agri-food waste into sustainable lactic acid at a first-of-a-kind 25,000 tpy dairy-waste biorefinery in Ireland.

Representing the first major industrial venture to convert residues from food processing, the Irish plant will scale-up a unique fermentation processes of WP/DLP-to-lactic acid by reducing the fermentation time to a 12-hour process, optimize the upstream processes of DLP and WP and optimize the downstream steps for simplified novel LA purification to industrial scale. AgriChemWhey will also develop a blueprint of an economic sustainability concept so that other EU regions can replicate the plan.

The project will establish a new value chain for industrial symbiosis with other local actors and create several added value products for the global market. (Source: AgriChemWhey, Canadian Biomass, 14 Feb., 2019) Contact: AgriChemWhey, info@agrichemwhey.com, www.agrichemwhey.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biorefinery,  

Aemetis
Date: 2019-02-13
Following up on our 24th January coverage, Cupertino, California-based Aemetis, Inc. is reporting the USDA has issued a Conditional Commitment under the 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program to guarantee a $125 million, 20-year loan to company's cellulosic ethanol plant to be built in Riverbank, California. The Riverbank plant is designed to convert orchard, forest and other biomass waste into cellulosic ethanol with below zero carbon emissions.

The Riverbank biorefinery project recently won a $12 million California state tax waiver and a $5 million California Energy Commission Notice of Proposed Award. Preliminary engineering for the project has been completed and construction is expected to get underway in mid-2019. (Source: Aemetis, PR, 12 Feb., 2019) Contact: Aemetis, Eric McAfee, CEO , Todd Waltz, (408) 213-0940, investors@aemetis.com, www.aemetis.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Riverbank ,  Aemetis,  USDA,  Cellulosic Ethanol,