In Washington, Reuters reports that some analysts believe that even with a Republican majority in the Senate, the future Biden administration could still manage to push through support for renewable diesel because it—unlike ethanol—is supported by oil refineries who are pushing hard to retool towards RD production. Wider renewable fuel legislation that promotes ethanol, however, […]
In France, the latest report from the International Energy Agency says the biofuels industry has been strongly impacted by the Covid‑19 pandemic. Global transport biofuel production in 2020 is anticipated to be 144 billion liters (L), equivalent to 2.480 billion barrels per day– an 11.6% drop from 2019’s record output and the first reduction in […]
In Washington, Platts reports D6 ethanol RINs jumps to 74 cents, the highest seen since February 2018, on the expectation that President-elect Joe Biden will ensure Renewable Fuel Standard compliance by oil refineries. Ethanol demand has suffered from significant volumes of small refinery exemptions during the four years of the Trump administration. Not only to […]
In California, researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have achieved unprecedented success in modifying a microbe to efficiently produce a compound of interest using a computational model and CRISPR-based gene editing. Their approach could dramatically speed up the research and development phase for new biomanufacturing processes, and get cutting-edge bio-based products such as […]
In Belgium, demand for deforestation-driving soy diesel could quadruple in Europe because of the EU’s biofuels policy, a new independent study finds. Soy cultivation is a major cause of deforestation in the Amazon and other critical ecosystems in Latin America, and biofuel made from soy is twice as harmful to the climate as fossil diesel. […]
By Susan P. Rupp, PhD, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest Because of the challenges of registering it as an agricultural crop, federal agencies have not yet provided clear direction on the use of agrochemicals (i.e., herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides) on hemp, and regulatory decisions have subsequently devolved to the states. However, the majority […]
Taking on the global plastic waste issue is not easy, but NexantECA is up for it and tackling it with thermal plastic waste conversion technologies. The production of feedstocks for olefins gives value to “unrecyclable” plastics and the production of methanol and naphtha creates the potential for a circular economy. Dive into the details of […]
In the United Kingdom, a short-lived sportscar whose cost of design was the death knell for its maker more than 60 years ago is being resurrected as an electric vehicle with renewable components. According to the Robb Report, minor automaker Berkeley Cars had expected the Bandit to turn it into a household sportscar name, but […]
In California, newly launched skis with an algae-based core are getting rave performance reviews among avid shredders. The 4FRONT line of skis, made by WNDR Alpine using Algal-Tech material manufactured by Checkerspot, include backcountry ski Intention 100 and Vital 100 for traditional resort skiing. The Algal-Tech core is designed to be lightweight while improving stiffness […]
In New York, startup Thousand Fell has stepped into the eco-friendly sneaker fray with a 100% recyclable shoe that boasts numerous renewable components, including aloe vera, coconut husks, sugarcane and palm leaf fibers. A biobased resin for corn waste is used as coating, and the foam cushion is made from castor bean oil. Other materials […]
