Author Archive: Jim Lane

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The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the 10-year OECD-FAO outlook for ag, biofuels

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the 10-year OECD-FAO outlook for ag, biofuels

February 2, 2018 |

The latest joint OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook spawned this fascinating 10 year outlook of global biofuel markets and agricultural feedstocks. This model based projection, validated through global expert consensus, includes major Food commodities and biofuels driven by the outlooks on population, GDP, fossil energy prices and policy. The OECD-FAO team prepared this illuminating overlook of the next ten […]

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The Slowed Corrode: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Bio-oils and Corrosion

The Slowed Corrode: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Bio-oils and Corrosion

February 1, 2018 |

The presence of significant concentrations of oxygen-bearing compounds, particularly carboxylic acids and other carbonyl-containing compounds, makes biomass derived oils corrosive to many common structural materials. So says everyone. But a research team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory led by Jim Keiser, sponsored by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, believes it is possible to identify or […]

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Advanced Biofuels: Now? Later? Never?

Advanced Biofuels: Now? Later? Never?

February 1, 2018 |

By Terry J. Mazanec, PhD; T-MAZ LLC, Member, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest This is the third in a series of articles prepared by the experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. Previous installments in the State […]

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What’s the real story behind Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ bankruptcy, crude oil, and the Renewable Fuel Standard?

What’s the real story behind Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ bankruptcy, crude oil, and the Renewable Fuel Standard?

February 1, 2018 |

By Joelle Simonpietri Special to The Digest On Jan 21st 2018, Carlyle-backed Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), the largest refinery complex on the U.S. east coast at 335,000 barrels per day, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance costs. In the week since the filing, the Washington Examiner reports several other small […]

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Case Study: 1MW to 3MW Anaerobic Digester Upgrade in Only 6 Months!

Case Study: 1MW to 3MW Anaerobic Digester Upgrade in Only 6 Months!

January 31, 2018 |

By John D. Forcier, P.E.; Forcier Consulting Engineers, Member Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to the Digest This is the second in the 8-part series, State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018, prepared by experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. […]

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A Quiet Year for Biofuels M&A: 2017 Review and Outlook

A Quiet Year for Biofuels M&A: 2017 Review and Outlook

January 31, 2018 |

by Bruce Comer, Ocean Park Advisors Special to The Digest More industry players chose to develop and build new capacity rather than buy plants The North American biofuels industry experienced the fewest merger and acquisition transactions in recent history in 2017. There were only six M&A transactions, with a total estimated value of more than […]

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New Cat in Town: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Catalyst Synthesis

New Cat in Town: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Catalyst Synthesis

January 31, 2018 |

Deliver high performing, cost-effective catalytic materials that meet the needs of the ChemCatBio catalysis projects? That’s the ambitious goal of a project led by researchers from Argonne National Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The project aims to leverage advanced characterization capabilities and unique synthesis expertise at multiple DOE laboratories. […]

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Building blocks from biocrude: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to biobased methoxyphenols

Building blocks from biocrude: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to biobased methoxyphenols

January 30, 2018 |

To develop and optimize a hybrid separation method to recover high-value methoxyphenols to improve the process economics and environmental impact for the production of advanced biofuels from catalytic pyrolysis, integrated with hydroprocessing. That’s the ambitious R&D goal outlined by a team from RTI International, supported by the US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office. This project aims […]

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State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018 – an 8-part series

State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018 – an 8-part series

January 30, 2018 |

This week in the Digest, we begin a Special 8-part Series: The State of the Advanced Bioeconomy: Challenges and Priorities for 2018. As we head into the final month before ABLC 2018, these in-depth examinations from a group of renowned industry experts will set the stage for the leadership discussions in Washington DC that will […]

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Extraction of Valuable Oils from Algae and other Green Plants: Challenges, Opportunities and Commercial Landscape

Extraction of Valuable Oils from Algae and other Green Plants: Challenges, Opportunities and Commercial Landscape

January 30, 2018 |

By Brian Goodall, PhD; First Garden City Consulting, Member Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest This is the first in a 8-part series of articles — the State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018 — more on the complete series here. Extracting vegetable oils is both an art and a science, with some being practiced […]

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