In Maine, the state legislature has approved a bill that would ban ethanol blends in Maine, as long as two other nearby states do the same. Concerns about fuel prices if Maine is required to make a custom blend for their state only have been raised, thus the requirement that two other New England states […]
In Washington, Sens. Al Franken (D-MN) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) have introduced legislation to support agricultural energy technologies such as advanced biofuels and biogas to be included in the 2013 Farm Bill. The Rural Energy Investment Act contains programs like the Biorefinery Assistance Program and the Biomass Research and Development Initiative. It is co-sponsored by […]
In a Bloomberg article, ethanol’s fall was highlighted amongst concerns that the blend wall will dictate how much biofuel can be blended into petroleum, thereby capping the ethanol industry’s potential. If gasoline demand remains low, ethanol blending will also remain low, argued Jason Ward, an analyst at Northstar Commodity Investments. “The only thing that worries […]
In Hawaii, Maui has selected Anaergia Services for their Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project (IWCEP) , a consolidated effort to divert waste from landfills to renewable fuel production. Anaergia, based in Carlsbad, California, will design, build, privately finance, and operate the renewable fuel facility, which will divert 85% of Maui’s waste. More on the […]
In Iowa, Renewable Energy Group executed a purchase agreement to acquire a 30-million gallon per year capacity biodiesel plant from Soy Energy, LLC. Pursuant to the agreement, REG will acquire the Mason City, Iowa biorefinery for $11 million in cash and the issuance of a $5.6 million promissory note to Soy Energy. The acquisition is […]
In Brazil, the primary sugar crop will produce a record 35.5 million tons of sugar this season, an increase of 4.1 percent over last season, indicated sugar and ethanol industry association Unica. The massive cane crop will boost biofuel production up to 18.8 percent. Additionally, the quality of the cane has been better than last […]
In the UK, Vireol, a biofuel producer, is looking to raise $125 million for a bioethanol plant in England. The company, which is collaborating with Future Fuels for the development of the plant, plans to raise the funds by the end of Q1. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 200 million liters, […]
In Colorado, NREL researchers found that free and complexed enzymes use different mechanisms to degrade biomass at the nanometer scale, and mixing the two systems enhances catalytic performance. This research could help to engineer optimal enzyme formulations that are faster and more efficient. The breakthrough is outlined in a paper called “Fungal Cellulases and Complexed […]
In Illinois, the USDA has developed a strain of yeast that can tolerate cob-derived compounds that interfere with yeast growth and fermentation rates, but can also grow rapidly in high temperatures. The strain, developed at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, was able to start consuming the sugar in corn cob residues […]
In the UK, concerns that subsidies for renewable electricity from biomass could cause a six-fold surge in demand for the UK’s forestry products have lead RSPB, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace to send a letter to The Times condemning the use of biomass in energy. The Renewable Energy Association fired back, releasing a “strongly-worded […]
