John Field, research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Lab at CSU, said it has been a challenge for the biofuel industry to demonstrate commercial viability for cellulosic biofuels created from switchgrass and other non-edible plants.
The research team used modeling to simulate switchgrass cultivation, cellulosic biofuel production and carbon capture and storage (CCS), tracking ecosystem and carbon flows. Scientists then compared this modeling to alternative ways to store carbon on the land, including growing forest or grassland.
CCS technology is being used by at least one facility in Illinois that is processing corn to ethanol as a conventional biofuel to create ethanol, but these systems are not yet widespread. As part of the study, researchers created models to simulate what this would look like at a cellulosic biofuel refinery. "What we found is that around half of the carbon in the switchgrass that comes into the refinery becomes a byproduct that would be available for carbon capture and storage. The resulting byproduct streams of high-purity CO2 would not require much separation or clean-up before being stored underground," the study noted.
The research team analyzed three contrasting U.S. case studies and found that on land where farmers or land managers were transitioning out of growing crops or maintaining pastures for grazing, cultivating switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol production had a per-hectare mitigation potential comparable to reforestation and several-fold greater than grassland restoration.
Using switchgrass can be particularly helpful in parts of the country where planting more trees is not an option.
This research was partially funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the US DOE via the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, and the Sao Paulo Research Foundation in Brazil.
The study illustrates how deliberate land use choices support the climate performance of present-day cellulosic ethanol technology and how technological advancements and CCS addition could produce several times the climate mitigation potential of competing land-based biological mitigation schemes. These results affirm the climate mitigation logic of biofuels, consistent with their prominent role in many climate stabilization scenarios, the study concludes.
(Source: Colorado State University, Green Car Congress, Aug., 2020) Contact: Colorado State University, Natural Resource Ecology Lab, John Field, (970) 491-1604,
John.L.Field@colostate.edu,
www.nrel.colostate.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Advanced Biofuel, Cellulosic Biofuel, Switchgrass,
The report notes the global lignocellulosic feedstock-based biofuel market is poised to grow by $7.83 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 32 pct during the forecast period.
The report identifies the top manufacturers/players including:
Abengoa SA, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Clariant International Ltd., DuPont de Nemours Inc., Fiberight LLC, Gevo Inc., GranBio Investimentos SA, Iogen Corp, Neste Oyj, and New Energy Blue LLC. (Source: 360 Market Updates, 26 Aug., 2020) Contact: 360 Market Updates, www.360marketupdates.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioethanol, Ethanol, Lignocellulosic, Biofuel,
Aemetis also notes
the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed project financing for a planned 12-million gpy cellulosic ethanol facility in Riverbank, California, construction of which is anticipated to take roughly 18 months to complete. (Source: Aemetis, OPIS, 21 Aug., 2020)Contact: Aemetis, Eric McAfee, CEO , Todd Waltz, (408) 213-0940, emcafee@aemetis.com, www.aemetis.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aemetis , Ethanol,
Under their agreement, Gevo will license its technology to Praj which will provide technology, plant equipment and EPC services to sugar mills and ethanol plants to produce renewable isobutanol from sugar cane juice, cane molasses, sugar syrup as well as cellulosic biomass such as straws, bagasse, and others. Praj will also provide technology, plant equipment and EPC services to refineries for converting renewable isobutanol into SAF and premium gasoline through the ASTM-approved pathway of alcohol-to-jet fuel(ATJ). The agreement also allows Praj to
carry out basic engineering and design package services, supply equipment, build plants and use jointly developed process design package to produce renewable isobutanol for plant operators who are licensed by Gevo. (Source: GEVO, PR, Green Car Congress, 18 Aug., 2020)Contact: Gevo Inc., Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com; Praj Industries Ltd., Dr. Ravindra Utgikar , Bus. Dev. info@praj.net, www.praj.net
More Low-Carbon Energy News GEVO, Praj Industries, Isobutanol, SAF, Aviation Biofuel,
The partnership will combine GranBio's biomass and second-generation biofuels expertise with NextChem's engineering intelligence and Group global presence, to offer integrated services -- feasibility studies, development of integration projects, engineering and construction of factories worldwide, according to the release.
GranBio's 2G ethanol technology has been implemented in its $220 million factory located in Sao Miguel dos Campos, in Alagoas. Currently, the company has the capacity to produce around 7.9 million gpy of 2G ethanol.
GranBio developed a flexible model for the use of sugarcane, corn stover, straw, woody biomass and other waste to produce cellulosic ethanol. (Source: GranBio, PR, 3 Aug., 2020) Contact: GranBio, Paulo Nigro, CEO, www.granbio.com.br; NextChem, Ilaria Catastini, Coomunications, +39 327 0663447, mediarelations@nextchem.it,
www.nextchem.com; Maire Technimont, www.mairetecnimont.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News GranBio, NextChem, Cellulosic Ethanol,
Iowa's ethanol industry can produce more than 4.1 billion gpy from more than 1.3 billion bushels of corn. This comes from the 42 corn ethanol plants and two cellulosic plants operating across the state.
(Source: Office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 30 July, 2020) Contact: Office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, www.grassley.senate.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Chuck Grassley, Ethanol,
Eta Bio, which was established to construct, own and operate a commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural waste, will use Sunliquid technology at a new facility designed to produce 50,000 metric tpy of cellulosic ethanol from roughly 250,000 metric tpy of regionally-sourced wheat straw.
(Source: Clariant, Website, 27 July, 2020)
Contact: Clariant, Hariolf Kottmann, CEO, Christian Librera, Biofuels and Derivatives, +41 61 469 5111, www.clariant.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Clariant, Cellulosic Ethanol,
The use of 2-tridecanone delivers a fuel with "comparable net heats of combustion (NHOCs) to conventional biodiesel, while maintaining derived cetane numbers between 82-91, values which are 20 - 30 units higher than conventional biodiesel and 40-50 units higher than petroleum--derived diesel fuel" , according to the release.
NAWCWD has been conducting research on renewable jet fuels and high-density turbine fuels since 2007. (Source: NAWCWD, TechLink 16 July, 2020)
Contact: NAWCWD, Dr. Ben Harvey , Heather Meylemans, 760-939-3511,
www.navair.navy.mil/nawcwd
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biodiesel news, lignocellulosic news,
Using Clariant's "sunliquid" technology, the €100 million plant will use locally-sourced wheat straw and other agricultural waste to produce a nearly carbon-neutral drop-in transportation biofuel. The project received more than €40 million funding from the European Union.
(Source: Clariant, PR June, 2020) Contact: Clariant, Markus Rarbach, Biofuels and Derivatives, +41 61 469 5111, www.clariant.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Clariant, Cellulosic Ethanol,
Originally, 118 Sarnia area growers signed on to the project and committed 30,000 acres in total. CSPC initially developed a business model for the aggregation, transportation and storage of corn stover and wheat straw, was validated with field demonstrations and received financial support from the federal government through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
In closing, the organization noted "The market just wasn't as valorized for cellulosic fibre and other products. They were just a little short on some of the financing.
We didn't want to continue without an actual plan to invest. The idea was, let's close it down before we start losing any money."
It also noted the knowledge generated from the endeavor will be retained by Bioindustrial Innovations Canada -- the overarching non-profit agency working with CSPC to develop its markets.
(Source Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, Farmtario, 14 May, 2020) Contact: Cellulosic Sugar Producers Co-operative, www.bincanada.ca
More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn Stover, Cellulosic, Bioindustrial Innovations Canada,
Idealfuel aims to devise an efficient and low-cost two-step chemical process in order to achieve its goal. In the first step, lignin is extracted from lignocellulosic biomass in the form of Crude Lignin Oil (CLO). This leaves behind a solid cellulose material that can be used in the paper industry or even converted into ethanol. In the second step, the CLO is refined and converted into a Biogenic Heavy Fuel (Bio-HFO) that can be used directly in marine engines or blended with fossil fuels.
Download Making Crude Oil from Paper Pulp project details HERE.
(Source: TU/e Idealfuel, Innovation Origin, 13 May, 2020) Contact: TU/e Idealfuel, Dr. Roy Hermanns Barry Fitzgerald, +31 40 247 8067 , B.Fitzgerald@tue.nl, www.tue.nl
More Low-Carbon Energy News Lignin, Idealfuel, Woody Biomass,
The Cellulosic Ethanol market study is major compilation of significant information on regional and global manufacturers and market.
Request a sample of this report HERE;
Browse the complete report HERE.
(Source: Orbis Research, April, 2020) Contact: Orbis Research,
Hector Costello, Senior Manager -- Client Engagements, (972)-362-8199,
sales@orbisresearch.com, www.orbisresearch.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic Ethanol ,
CTS 2.0 can convert virtually any plant material -- grasses, wood, paper, farm waste, yard waste, forestry products, fruit casings, nut shells, and the cellulosic portion of municipal solid waste -- into sugars and subsequently into biofuels, and bioplastics, without the use of enzymes or liquid acids. CTS stands for Cellulose to Sugar. The cellulose is converted into sugar and lignin. The sugar is further converted into bio-ethanol and other biofuels; the lignin may be further converted into bioplastics. The company notes that biofuel originating from the CTS process will receive the generous D3 cellulosic Renewable Fuel Credits (RINs) which are currently $1.40/gallon of ethanol. (Source: Alliance Bioenergy, PR, 9 April, 2020) Contact: Alliance Bioenergy Plus, Inc., Ben Slager, CEO,
Ben.slager@alliancebioe.com; www.Alliancebioe.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic, Biomass, Alliance BioEnergy, Biomass, Biofuel,
The report identifies and examines key Cellulose Fuel Ethanol regional markets and key players along with distribution channels, local networks, innovative launches, industrial penetration, production methods, and revenue generation, as well as strategies, mergers & acquisitions and releated developments.
Access report details HERE (Source: Market Research Hub, Mar., 2020) Contact: Market Research Hub, Nachiket Ghumare, 518-621-2074, 866-997-4948, sales@marketresearchhub.com, www.marketresearchhub.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic Ethanol, Ethanol,
Eligible products must have at least 95 pct bio-based content and cannot be sold or used for the production of food, feed or fuel. Exceptions are allowed for cellulosic sugars used to produce aquaculture feed and food additives, supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals that do not provide caloric value and are not considered food or feed.
The tax credit comes into force Jan. 1, 2021.
Download full copy of the bill
H.P. 1213 - L.D. 1698 An Act To Create Jobs and Slow Climate Change by Promoting the Production of Natural Resources Bioproducts HERE. (Source: Office of Maine Governor Janet Mills, 18 Mar., 2020) Contact: Office of Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 207-287-3531, www.maine.gov/governor/mills/contact
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Chemical, Biomass,
The study found when compared with petroleum only emissions, cellulosic ethanol was "78--290 better in reducing carbon emissions; ethanol was 204--416 pct improved, biomass powered electric vehicles powered by biomass was 74--303 pct cleaner and biomass-powered electric vehicles combined with CSS was 329--558 pct superior." The research will next assess other environmental and economic aspects of bioenergy crops.
The study was conducted at Michigan State University's (MSU) Kellogg Biological Station and the University of Wisconsin's Arlington Research Station which is part of the U.S. DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.
Financial support was provided by the U.S. DOE Office of Science, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation and Michigan State University AgBioResearch.
(Source: American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PR, EurekaAlerts, 9 Mar.,2020) Contact: American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. (212) 302-6443,
info@aabgu.org, www.aabgu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic Ethnol, Biomass , Climate Change, Global Warming,
The plant will use ignocellulosic feedstocks such as agricultural residues and energy crop Miscanthus to produce 70 million lpy of bioethanol.
INA manages a regional network of 445 petrol stations in Croatia and neighboring countries.
(Source: Axens, Chemical Engineering, 9 Mar., 2020) Contact: Axens, Frederic Balligand, Renewables Business Group , Director, www.axens.net; INA, +385 (0) 1 6450 000,
ina-besplatni.telefon@ina.hr, www.ina.hr/en/home
More Low-Carbon Energy News Axens, INA, Bioethanol, Cellulosic Ethanol,
NWABF's project would utilize forestry waste woody biomass to produce biofuel which would qualify under an approved carbon-reducing pathway recognized by ASTM. NWAF is currently carrying out a previously announced feasibility study to determine the potential for a production facility in Washington state. If constructed the Washington state plant would supply Delta's operations Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles by mid-2020.
NWABF is developing second-generation, commercial scale, cellulosic renewable bio jet fuel refineries with the first project being developed in the Pacific Northwest. (Source: Delta, Green Car Congress, 1 Feb., 2020) Contact: Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels LLC, 602-753-8386 www.nwabiofuels.com;
US Advanced Bio-Fuels, Inc., (301) 644-1395, www.advancedbiofuelsusa.info
More Low-Carbon Energy News US Advanced Bio-Fuels, Inc., Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, Aviation Biofuel,
The project is expected to produce 100 KL per day of fuel-grade cellulosic ethanol from agricultural waste and residues primarily rice straw and corn stover. The project will also assist in addressing growing environmental concerns and supporting the Indian government's Ethanol Blended Petrol programme.
Tata Projects provides turnkey solutions for the construction of roads, bridges, fully integrated rail & metro systems, commercial building and airports and setting up power generation plants, power transmission & distribution systems, chemical process plants, water and waste management and complete mining and metal purification systems, according to the company website. (Source: Tata Projects, Rural Marketing 24 Jan., 2024) Contact: Tata Projects, 00 9712 679 5565, tpl@tataprojects.com, www.tataprojects.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Tata, India Biofuel, Cellulosic Ethanol, Ethanol,
Under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) oil refiners are required to blend some 15 billion gpy of corn-based ethanol into their gasoline, but small facilities can be exempted if compliance would hurt them financially.
The October proposal was intended to placate corn growers and compensate the biofuel industry for the administration's expanded use of refinery exemptions, but which the industry has largely panned as insufficient, according to Reuters. The EPA's October plan would raise the biofuels volumes that some refineries must blend in 2020 based on DOE recommendations for volumes that should be exempted.
As previously noted, "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, Various Media, 19 Dec., 2019)
For details see our Oct. 21 report as follows -- Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021. The Trump administration EPA has issued the attached supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking additional comment on the recently proposed rule to establish the cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel volumes for 2020 and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
The notice does not change the proposed volumes for 2020 and 2021. Instead, it proposes and seeks comment on adjustments to the way that annual renewable fuel percentages are calculated. Annual renewable fuel percentage standards are used to calculate the number of gallons each obligated party is required to blend into their fuel or to otherwise obtain renewable identification numbers (RINs) to demonstrate compliance.
Specifically, the agency is seeking comment on projecting the volume of gasoline and diesel that will be exempt in 2020 due to small refinery exemptions based on a three-year average of the relief recommended by the BOE, including where DOE had recommended partial exemptions. The agency intends to grant partial exemptions in appropriate circumstances when adjudicating 2020 exemption petitions. The agency proposes to use this value to adjust the way it calculates renewable fuel percentages. The proposed adjustments would help ensure that the industry blends the final volumes of renewable fuel into the nation's fuel supply and that, in practice, the required volumes are not effectively reduced by future hardship exemptions for small refineries. Consistent with the statute, the supplemental notice seeks to balance the goal of the RFS of maximizing the use of renewables while following the law and sound process to provide relief to small refineries that demonstrate the need.
Download the Renewable Fuel Standard Program -- Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021 HERE. Contact: EPA Renewable Fuel Standard, 800-385-6164, www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/forms/fuels-program-helpdesk
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, "Hardship" Waiver, Ethanol.Ethanol Blend, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Red Trail Energy,
The company, a 50/50 joint venture between Royal DSM and POET, LLC., will now focus on R&D aimed at improving mechanical reliability, creating additional technological efficiencies and licensing technologies in countries that support the use of low carbon fuels from crop residue and other biomass, according to the company.
(Source: Poet-DSM, Biofuels 20 Nov., 2019) Contact: POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, Steve Hartig, General Manager, (630) 780-8171, steve.hartig@dsm.com, www.poetdsm.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Project Liberty, POET, Poet-DSM, Cellulosic Biofuel, Advanced Biofuel,
"President Trump made a commitment to Iowa and other biofuels producing states, and I look forward to seeing this promise fulfilled. The EPA shouldn't undercut President Trump's support of the Renewable Fuels Standard. I urge EPA to adjust the proposed supplemental rule to account for actual waived gallons using hard data from past practice to provide certainty to the marketplace." -- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in a letter to EPA Dir. Wheeler this week on the EPA's proposed supplemental rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Contact: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), www.grassley.senate.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Grassley, RFS, Ethanol,
Lignin is isolated in large quantities as a by-product of lignocellulosic ethanol and pulp and paper mills.
Copenhagen University is currently running the laboratory-scale development of LEO marine fuel with the project aiming to move into phase II -- testing the fuel on actual vessel engines -- in the second quarter of 2020. Following a successful phase II, phase III will begin -- the scaling up of LEO fuel production. (Source: Maersk, Container Management, Oct., 2019) Contact: Maresk, Soren Toft, CEO, www.maerskline.com; Copenhagen University, www.ku.dk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Maersk, Ethanol, Lignin, Biofoul, Marine Biofuel,
The notice does not change the proposed volumes for 2020 and 2021. Instead, it proposes and seeks comment on adjustments to the way that annual renewable fuel percentages are calculated. Annual renewable fuel percentage standards are used to calculate the number of gallons each obligated party is required to blend into their fuel or to otherwise obtain renewable identification numbers (RINs) to demonstrate compliance.
Specifically, the agency is seeking comment on projecting the volume of gasoline and diesel that will be exempt in 2020 due to small refinery exemptions based on a three-year average of the relief recommended by the Department of Energy (DOE), including where DOE had recommended partial exemptions. The agency intends to grant partial exemptions in appropriate circumstances when adjudicating 2020 exemption petitions. The agency proposes to use this value to adjust the way we calculate renewable fuel percentages. The proposed adjustments would help ensure that the industry blends the final volumes of renewable fuel into the nation's fuel supply and that, in practice, the required volumes are not effectively reduced by future hardship exemptions for small refineries. Consistent with the statute, the supplemental notice seeks to balance the goal of the RFS of maximizing the use of renewables while following the law and sound process to provide relief to small refineries that demonstrate the need.
Download the Renewable Fuel Standard Program -- Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021
HERE. Contact: EPA Renewable Fuel Standard, 800-385-6164, www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/forms/fuels-program-helpdesk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuel Standard, Biofuel, Biofuel Blend,
Along with its investment, Suncor will provide technical resources to support the operations of Enerkem's Alberta Biofuels (EAB) plant in Edmonton. The plant is the first commercial-scale plant in the world to turn non-recyclable, non-compostable mixed municipal solid waste into cellulosic ethanol.
(Source: Enerkem, Biofuels News, Oct., 2019) Contact: Enerkem, Dominique Boies, CEO and CFO , 514) 875-0284, dboies@enerkem.com, www.enerkem.com;
Suncor Energy, www.suncor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic Ethanol, Enerkem, Suncor Energy,
AustroCel Hallein is committed to the cascading use of resources: High-purity cellulose is produced from spruce, which comes from the sawmill industry as scrap; this cellulose is predominantly processed in Asia to make fibres for textile applications.
AustroCel is constructing Austria's first advanced bioethanol production facility in Hallein. The €42 million bioethanol plant is expected to begin production early in 2021.
Source: AustroCel Hallein GmbH, Hydrocarbon Engineering, 3 Oct., 2019) Contact: AustroCel Hallein GmbH, Jorge Harbring, CEO, +43 6245 8900, www.austrocel.com; OMV, www.omv.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ethanol.Bioethanol,
ORLEN Poludnie will use the technology to design, construct and operate a new commercial scale cellulosic ethanol from agricultural plant in
Jedlicze , southeastern Poland where it will produce cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues. (Source: Clariant, Sept., 2019) Contact: Clariant, Markus Rarbach, Biofuels and Derivatives, Clariant, Markus Rarbach, Hariolf Kottmann, CEO, +41 61 469 5111, www.clariant.com; PKN ORLEN, Armen Artwich, Member of the Management Board, www.orlen.pl
More Low-Carbon Energy News Clariant, ORLEN, cellulosic ethanol,
Leaf Resources' Glycell Process pre-treatment technology breaks down plant biomass to generate a higher yield of cellulose than conventional approaches. The pretreatment is followed by enzymatic hydrolysis which converts cellulose into cellulosic sugars. The process also yields lignin, hemicellulose and refined glycerol.
Gevo has developed technology for producing isobutanol from renewable feedstocks using a yeast that has been developed to produce isobutanol and a product recovery technology that continuously removes isobutanol as it is formed. Gevo adds its proprietary yeast to fermentable sugars to convert the sugars to isobutanol.
(Source: GEVO, Green Car Congress, 12 Sept., 2019)
Contact: Leaf Resources, +61 7 3188 9040, www.leafresources.com.au; Gevo, Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Isobutanol, Leaf Resources, GEVO, Cellulosic,
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) has been providing input to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) as it works to design and shape the CFS. And, upon review of ECCC's proposed regulatory approach, WPAC is seriously concerned that the government will not allow end-use fuel switching in the buildings/stationary fuel use sector.
WPAC believes it is unfair for ECCC to recognize fuel switching from gasoline to electricity or hydrogen in transportation, but not to recognize switching from heating oil to solid biofuels -- wood pellets or chips -- for Canada's second largest renewable energy product -- solid biomass heating. To that end, WPAC made the following representations to ECCC:
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,
Approximately 30 tons of miscanthus provided by Croatian oil and gas company INA was tested with funding from the Growing Advanced Industrial Crops on Marginal Land for Biorefineries (GRACE) project -- of which INA is a consortium member. GRACE is supported by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
The project aims to optimize various miscanthus grass value chains in order to produce sustainable products and to develop miscanthus as a sustainable feedstock resource for cultivation on marginal, contaminated and abandoned land.
Clariant tested miscanthus as a feedstock for the production of lignocellulose sugars and ethanol.
(Source: Clariant, Business Standard, 3 Sept., 2019) Contact: Clariant, Markus Rarbach, Biofuels and Derivatives, Clariant, Markus Rarbach, Hariolf Kottmann, CEO, +41 61 469 5111, www.clariant.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Clariant, Miscanthus, Ethanol, Biofuel,
Of the total investment, $1.9 million, funded by Natural Resources Canada's (NRC) Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program, will support the company's development of a technology to produce cellulosic ethanol from wood and agricultural waste. A second investment of more than $2.8 million, funded by NRC Clean Growth Program, will be used to increase the efficiency of the company's cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant and support detailed engineering activities, enabling Woodland's first commercial-scale ethanol plant in Sarnia, Ontario. (Source: Woodland Biofuels, PR, Ethanol Producer, 28 Aug., 2019) Contact: Woodland Biofuel, Greg Nuttall, CEO,(647) 494-5553, www.woodlandbiofuels.com;
NRC, www.nrcan.gc.ca
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulosic, Natural Resources Canada, Biofuel,
Stander led the 2018 development of Ameresco's RNG production facility at the Woodland Meadows Landfill in Canton, Michigan and was one of several industry experts representing the RNG Coalition at the EPA public hearing on July 31 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the EPA's proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2020, according to the release.
Ameresco has developed 39 beneficial use projects involving biogas at wastewater treatment plants and landfills, including three RNG facilities in Arizona, Michigan and Texas that participate in the RFS program. The RNG facilities generate D3 Cellulosic Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and provide transportation fuel that is injected into the natural gas pipeline grid.
Since 2014, the EPA has recognized the use of RNG to meet fuel volume standards under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). RNG makes up more than 95 pct of the renewable fuel used to meet the RFS cellulosic biofuel requirement, according to the Ameresco release. (Source: Ameresco, PR, 31 July, 2019) Contact: Ameresco, Jeff Stander, Senior Project Developer, (508) 661-2288, www.ameresco.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ameresco, RNG, RFS,
Alliance has developed a new and improved technology system that converts any cellulosic material -- grasses, wood, paper, farm waste, yard waste, forestry products, nut shells, and the cellulosic portion of municipal solid waste -- into biofuels quicker, more consistently, and more energy efficient than the first generation process. Alliance’s CTS (cellulose-to-sugar) 2.0 process converts sugar into ethanol via a standard process that recycles water and catalysts used in the process, uses no toxic chemicals and has a near zero carbon footprint.
When fully commercialized, Alliance's technology it will be the lowest cost producer in the ethanol and biofuel space, according to the Alliance release. (Source: Alliance Bioenergy Plus, Inc., PR, 30 July, 2019) Contact: Alliance Bioenergy, Ben Slager, CEO, (888) 607-3555, ben.slager@alliancebioe.com, www.alliancebioe.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Alliance BioEnergy , Biofuel, Cellulosic,
The proposed RVO would require biofuels to make up 10.92 pct of US transportation fuel, including 2.75 pct advanced biofuels, 1.99 pct biomass-based diesel and 0.29 pct cellulosic biofuel.
The rule making also proposed amendments to the RFS regulations including:
clarification of diesel RVO calculations; pathway petition conditions; a biodiesel esterification pathway; distillers corn oil and distillers oil pathways; renewable fuel exporter provisions
allowing the production of biomass-based diesel from separated food waste; flexibilities for renewable fuel blending for military use; heating oil used for cooling; RFS facility ownership changes; additional registration deactivation justifications; a new Renewable Identification Number (RIN) retirement; a new pathway for co-processing biomass with petroleum to produce cellulosic diesel, jet fuel and heating oil; public access to information; and other revisions.
The amendments came as part of the as yet finalized Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support rule.
(Source: EPA, Oils & Fats Int'l., 22 July, 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuel Standard, RVO, Biofuel Blend,
In the face of the EPA's proposal, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has expressed its disappointment in the almost unlimited issuance of RFS refinery "hardship waivers", the newly released RVO's and the that the agency's failure not only to factor the lost demand into its proposed RVOs but to increase biofuel use at all.
"At every turn, EPA and this (Trump) administration have undermined the intent of RFS and destroyed demand for billions of gallons of ethanol", NFU President Roger Johnson added. (Source: The Cattle Site, National Farmers Union, PR, July, 2019) Contact: National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, www.nfu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS news, NFU news, National Farmers Union news, "Hardship Waiver" news,
"As long as EPA continues to dole out compliance exemptions to oil refiners without reallocating the lost volume, the agency may as well start referring to the annual RFS levels as 'renewable volume suggestions' rather than renewable volume 'obligations'. It is a complete misnomer to call these blending volumes 'obligations' when EPA's small refinery bailouts have essentially transformed the RFS into a voluntary program for nearly one-third of the nation's oil refineries.
"In its announcement today, EPA has proposed a total renewable fuel volume of 20.04 billion gallons, of which 5.04 billion gallons are advanced biofuel, including 540 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. That leaves, on paper, a 15-billion-gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol, unchanged from 2019.
"Most notably, EPA failed to prospectively account for any expected small refinery exemptions in the 2020 proposal, even though it is almost a foregone conclusion at this point that the Agency will continue to grant more exemptions.
"Congress gave EPA the direction and tools necessary to ensure that the statutory RFS volumes are enforced, and that includes prospectively reallocating exempted volumes to non-exempt parties. Instead, EPA has chosen to continue its demand destruction campaign that has been crippling to both ethanol producers and the farmers who supply our industry. Enough is enough.
"EPA approved 54 exemptions for 2016 and 2017 and an additional 38 requests for 2018 exemptions are pending. Not a single exemption request has been denied by EPA since 2015. The exemptions effectively lowered the total RFS requirement for 2017 by 1.82 billion gallons and cut the 2016 requirement by nearly 800 million gallons.
"Making matters worse, EPA's proposal continues to flout the D.C. Circuit Court's 2017 order requiring the Agency to restore 500 million gallons of renewable fuel obligations that it inappropriately and illegally waived from the 2016 RVO. Unbelievably, the Agency is proposing to snub the court's ruling by refusing to restore the 500 million gallons remanded volume. EPA's stubborn refusal to obey a court order to restore lost demand is yet another kick in the teeth to U.S. renewable fuel producers and farmers already facing the worst market conditions in a generation. EPA's suggestion that following the court's directive would place an 'additional burden' on obligated parties is an insult and an affront to the farmers and ethanol producers who trusted this administration would follow the law. The RFS wasn't intended to make oil refiners comfortable; it was intended to change the status quo by guaranteeing renewable fuels would have access to a marketplace otherwise closed to competition.
"EPA appears to be selling out to oil refiners -- again -- at the expense of rural America. The court found in favor of renewable fuel producers in 2017 because it was clear our industry had been harmed by EPA's illegal use of a general waiver -- now EPA is doubling down on that harm to the ethanol industry and farmers.
"Today's proposal undermines the pledge President Trump made to farmers and renewable fuel producers that his administration would enforce the statutory RFS volumes. By failing to prospectively reallocate, failing to commit to a more judicious and restrained approach to refinery waivers, and failing to follow a court's order to restore lost demand, EPA is blatantly undercutting President Trump's commitment to ethanol, which he restated less than a month ago when he visited the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy ethanol plant. We urge the President to resolve the disconnect between the oval office and EPA and get the RFS back on track." (Source: RFA, PR, 8 July, 2019) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFA, RFS,
In the face of the EPA's proposal, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has expressed its disappointment in the almost unlimited issuance of RFS refinery "hardship waivers", the newly released RVO's and the that the agency's failure not only to factor the lost demand into its proposed RVOs but to increase biofuel use at all.
"At every turn, EPA and this (Trump) administration have undermined the intent of RFS and destroyed demand for billions of gallons of ethanol", NFU President Roger Johnson added.
(Source: The Cattle Site, National Farmers Union, PR, 8 July, 2019) Contact: National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, www.nfu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News "Hardship Waiver", RFS, National Farmers Union, Biofuel, Ethanol Blend,
VTT's Green Chemicals and Technologies for the Wood-to-textile Value Chain (CRETE) project, a partnership between the EU and the Bio-based Industries Consortium, will tackle the bottlenecks of creating wood-to-textile value chains by developing innovative technologies for wood pulp modification, cellulose dissolution and fibre-quality generation. The issues to be solved in the project play a significant role in developing sustainable and green technologies for the European industry.
The project is led and coordinated by VTT, alongside partners University of Helsinki, Universitat fur Bodenkultur Wien, Universidade de Aveiro, Metsa Fibre Oyj, Celbi SA, Material Connexion Italia SRL and Vertech Group. (Source: VTT, Canadian Biomass, 26 June, 2019) Contact: VTT Technical Research Centre, Nils-Olof Nylund, +358 400 703 715, nils.olof.nylund@vtt.fi, www.vttresearch.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News VTT, Cellulosic, Woody Biomass, Wood Pulp,
The Cellulose Fuel Ethanol Market Report analyses key global geographies, technologies, leading players and production capacities, utilization ratio, consumer base, demand, and supply chain, profit margin, and merchants and related factors and data.
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(Source: Reports & Data, TheIndustryAnalysis June 25, 2019) Contact: Reports & Data, (212)710-1370, sales@reportsanddata.com, www.reportsanddata.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cellulose Fuel Ethanol, Cellulosic, Ethanol,
The rule change has the potential to create a significant increase in market demand for corn-based ethanol as well as other advanced fuels such as cellulosic ethanol. Even so, the administration continues to undermine the enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) through its abuse of the small refiner "hardship" exemptions (SREs) which have had a drastic effect on renewable fuel demand over the past two years, according to Attis. "Attis encourages the Administration to continue its support of the nation's farmers and renewable fuel producers by limiting SREs to those refiners who truly have encountered hardships by complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard," the Attis release notes.
Attis Biofuels, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Attis Industries Inc., currently operates a 100 million gpy corn-based ethanol facility in Fulton, NY and has plans to expand the production of renewable fuels to include cellulosic ethanol and various other advanced biofuels, according to the release. (Source: Attis Ind., PR, June, 2019)
Contact: Attis Ind., David Winsness, President of Attis Innovations, Jeff Cosman, CEO, 678-580-5661, www.attisind.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Attis Industries, Biofuel, E15, Ethanol Blend, RFS,
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,
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,
Siouxland Ethanol, a 90 million gpy corn ethanol plant located in Jackson, Nebraska was certified on May 6 with a carbon intensity rating of 26.67 and Elite Octane, a 150 million gpy corn ethanol plant located in Atlantic, Iowa was certified on May 7 with a carbon intensity rating of 30.32. Using Intellulose 2.0, the two plants achieved average corn kernel fiber ethanol production of 3% of total production, nearly triple the average performance traditionally associated with the benefits of Intellulose 1.0 that regulatory agencies had approved.
Edeniq's Intellulose 2.0 technology typically achieves between 2 and 4.5 pct cellulosic ethanol production from the corn kernel fiber at existing corn ethanol plants without any capex requirements. The technology measures the amount of ethanol produced from multiple different molecules present in corn kernels and quantifies the individual contribution of each component. The technology builds on Intellulose 1.0, which measures the cellulosic ethanol produced from a single corn kernel component.
Seven Edeniq Intellulose 1.0 customers were previously approved by the U.S. EPA for D3 RIN generation and/or by CARB for low-CI corn kernel fiber ethanol production. (Source: Edeniq Inc., PR, 13 May, 2019) Contact: Edeniq Inc., Brian Thome, President and CEO, Lily Wachter, (559) 302-1777, lwachter@edeniq.com, www.edeniq.com;
Siouxland Ethanol, LLC , Nick Bowdish, President and CEO www.siouxlandethanol.com;
Elite Octane, www.eliteoctane.net; California Air Resources Board, Melanie Turner, Information Officer, (916) 322-2990, melanie.turner@arb.ca.gov, www.arb.ca.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News California Air Resources Board, Corn Ethanol, Edeniq, Ethanol, Siouxland Ethanol,
The 3-year study is intended to expedite the development of a commercialized cellulosic biofuel sector by improving the efficiency of the logistics systems of woody biomass feedstock required for biofuel production.
The study will determine woody biomass quality in the Southeast and identify the relationship with conversion performance. Additionally, the cost and energy use for woody biomass feedstock size reduction through both conventional and advanced technologies will be obtained at an industrial scale, and the cost and quality of the feedstock will be incorporated to address the challenges of balancing cost and quality in feedstock logistics for scaling up biofuel production.
The study includes the evaluation of alternative pre-processing technologies in feedstock logistics systems for hardwood logging residues and an energy crop -- hybrid poplar -- to supply biofuel production.
The UTIA multidisciplinary research team includes agricultural economists, forest scientists, chemists, and biosystems engineers, with collaboration from a bioenergy company, Proton Power, Inc., and a biomass research and development company, Forest Concepts, LLC. (Source: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Bioenergy Insight, 13 May, 2019) Contact: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, (865) 974-6756, https://ag.tennessee.edu/Pages/default.aspx
More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass, Biofuel,
Bio-TCat technology produces a mixture of benzene, toluene and xylene (AnelloMate BTX), which are bio-based and chemically identical to petroleum-derived counterparts. Bio-TCat technology also produces AnelloMate Distillate, a heavier aromatics product that can be upgraded into a high-quality biofuels blendstock for jet or diesel transportation fuel using conventional refinery processing. Cellulosic ethanol or hydrogen can be made from Bio-TCat's carbon monoxide co-product by using third-party technology.
Anellotech is planning construction of its first commercial plant and is engaging in partnership and funding discussions with existing and new strategic partners.
The plant will be capable of processing 500 bone-dry tonnes/day of loblolly pine wood into 40,000 tpy of products including benzene, toluene, xylenes, and C9+ aromatics to use as fuels or for production of bio-based plastics for packaging and consumer products.
(Source: Anellotech, PR, GreenCar Congress, 7 May, 2019) Contact: Anellotech Inc., David Sudolsky, Pres., (845) 735-7700, DSudolsky@anellotech.com, www.anellotech.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Anellotech ,
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,
According to the POET release, in its more than 30-year history, POET has continually found ways to make biofuel production more efficient at its network of 27 bioprocessing facilities and to develop new co-products and new sources for biofuel. POET, through its joint venture with Dutch biotechnology company DSM, also operates a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, Project LIBERTY, in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
The Global Bioeconomy Leadership Award was established by Biofuels Digest and Nuu Media to recognize individuals who offer a bold vision and have made a global impact in the biotechnology space. (Source: POET, Vital, 4 April, 2019) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, Pres., (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Biofuel, Ethanol,