In Massachusetts, an E. coli-based metabolic pathway that produces fatty acids easily converted into fuel is the subject of research being performed at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. The process, which produces octanoate, produces the highest yields yet reported. The work was funded by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research […]
In Washington, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) has introduced legislation that would extend the additional duty on ethanol, further protecting the ethanol market from foreign importers. The current tariff is a 2.5% ad valorem tax on the import of ethanol for use in fuel, based on the percent volume of the fuel at the time of […]
In Kentucky, Genscape has been approved by the EPA to issue QAP RINs to foreign biofuels producers that are importing into the US. The company recently became the first EPA-approved QAP provider last month. “We know that Genscape’s certification program increases marketability and pricing power for domestic producers,” says Robert Barton, managing director at Genscape. […]
In Minnesota, Biofuels Benchmarking, an analytics service based in Willmar, has made several positive observations about the biofuels industry in Minnesota. While two plants in the state remain closed and less than half of Minnesota-affiliated producers reported modest profits. the organization asserts that the state is heading in the right direction. Losses are getting smaller, […]
In Kenya, Bedford Biofuels has fully pulled out of its Tana River Delta project, which attempted to convert up to 600 square miles into jatropha farmland in a humantiarian project that would have brought foreign business to a particularly poor, rural part of the country. Local resistance prevented the project from taking off, as ethnic […]
In Denmark, Novozymes fell as uncertainty about the U.S.’s regulatory environment for biofuels raised questions for the future of the world’s largest enzyme producer for biofuels. Novozymes declined to the lowest price since February 1st, and was the biggest decliner in Copenhagen’s benchmark index. “In our view this is probably the strongest collection yet of […]
In the UK, BP is directing advanced biofuel funding back into the United States and South America as EU’s regulatory environment continues to look uncertain for the future, said Phil New, head of BP Biofuels. With the EU’s concerns about Indirect Land Use Change and climate change, questions continue to be raised about the environmental […]
In Jamaica, Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell is considering raising the blending requirements for Jamaica’s fuel as the country is poised to introduce Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD). Two gas stations are set to introduce ULSD tomorrow. Paulwell says that while Jamaica currently blends its fuel with 10% ethanol, other countries have been raising blends up […]
In New Mexico, the Los Alamos National Laboratory has published a paper on the binding of enzymes to cellulose polymers, and how oftentimes, increased binding does not lead to faster breakdown into simple sugars. The team, led by Shishir Chundawat of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, has been using biomass pretreatments to convert cellulose […]
In Washington, BIO submitted comments in response to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s fourth white paper on the Renewable Fuels Standard. The white paper, part of a series reviewing the effectiveness of the RFS, examined the goals and achievements of the RFS as a part of national energy policy. Brent Erickson, BIO executive […]
