In Argentina, Platts reports that the government has increased biodiesel prices 6.6% to $8,274/mt retroactive to September 1 on the back of calls by the biodiesel industry that production was being hit due to low prices, especially small and medium enterprises, but the current price freeze on diesel keeps retailers from passing on the price […]
In Indonesia, with an eye on increased demand for diesel in December, Reuters reports that the government has increased its biodiesel allocation for mandatory blending to 6.63 billion liters from the prior 6.19 billion liters. The country has been pushing hard to boost its biodiesel mandate, currently at 20%, to 30% in 2020 with a […]
In Michigan, a new study in Nature Communications, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center scientists at Michigan State University have focused on understanding more about the plant regions above the soil where these microbes can live, called the “phyllosphere.” Researchers classified core members of this community in two bioenergy cropping systems: switchgrass and miscanthus. In so […]
In Washington, Reuters reports that the White House told biofuel companies at a meeting on Wednesday that it wants them to accept the proposed 5% increase to biofuel blending next year, far below what the industry was looking for to make up for demand destruction resulting from Environmental Protection Agency policies, and that they want […]
Not only is it Friday the 13th, it’s also a full moon tonight. But don’t worry, this week’s Top 10 innovations will scare all the boogies away, starting with Provivi’s new fall armyworm pheromone now produced at ton scale that will ward off those nasty armyworm pests that damage corn, rice, sorghum, cotton, sugarcane and […]
By Dave Fischer, Vice President of Technology, QED Environmental Systems Special to The Digest Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are on federal and state lists of toxic compounds that must be removed from water before it is used or discharged into the environment. A variety of treatment technologies are available, each with its own advantages […]
Noone knows fungus like these guys. A PNNL team has been developing fungal genetic engineering tools for industrially relevant fungi (filamentous and yeasts) and applying them to development of biofuel and bioproduct bioprocesses in stirred tank reactors. Jon Magnuson from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory gave this illuminating overview of PNNL’s work to engineer a Lipomyces […]
US Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota surged into 3rd place in the second Digest Bioeconomy 2020 US Presidential Poll, more than doubling her bioeconomy sector support since declaring that she would halt oil refinery waivers in her first 100 days in office. 31 refineries received hardship waivers in recent weeks, excusing compliance with Renewable Fuel […]
Many have asked, why do we need mandates for renewable fuels, carbon prices, and all that. Isn’t that a government subsidy, a hand-out for politician-friendly technologies that can’t make it in the marketplace? Well, that depends, my friend, how you think about the community landfill. About landfills That gate fee at the landfill is not […]
Petroleum based lubricants are everywhere, but Cargill is working on producing lubricants from cellulosic sugars instead. Utilizing a novel bioprocess that converts lignocellulosic hydrolysate sugars to caprylatemethyl ester, they are laying the foundation for this product to be used more extensively in current applications and open the market for new applications. Tom McMullin from Cargill […]
