Author Archive: Jim Lane

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Pacific Ethanol buys ICP for $76M, diversifies into beverage alcohols

Pacific Ethanol buys ICP for $76M, diversifies into beverage alcohols

June 28, 2017 |

In California, Pacific Ethanol will acquire Illinois Corn Processing, LLC (ICP) from SEACOR Holdings and MGPI Processing for $76 million, which includes $15 million in working capital. adding 90 million gallons in capacity adjacent to the company’s Pekin, IL plant. The plant can produce gin/vodka, ethanol as well as proteins The acquisition will be funded […]

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Watchdog group files suit to force release of EPA-Icahn dealings over biofuels

Watchdog group files suit to force release of EPA-Icahn dealings over biofuels

June 28, 2017 |

In Washington, American Oversight filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force the release of communications with investor and White House advisor Carl Icahn, along with calendars and phone logs for Administrator Scott Pruitt and other top agency officials. Icahn owns 82 percent of CVR Refgining and has been outspoken in radically re-shaping […]

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ORNL X-ray and neutron-scattering research unlocks sectrets of cellulosic biofuels

ORNL X-ray and neutron-scattering research unlocks sectrets of cellulosic biofuels

June 28, 2017 |

In Tennessee, researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and North Carolina State University used a a combination of X-ray and neutron scattering to revealed new insights into how a highly efficient industrial enzyme is used to break down cellulose. Their results are published in the journal Angewandte ChemieInternational Edition. Producing biofuels like […]

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EPA Proposes Clean Water Rule Rollback: Growers happy, enviros miserable

EPA Proposes Clean Water Rule Rollback: Growers happy, enviros miserable

June 28, 2017 |

In Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has propsoed to rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule and with it, a series of Clean Water Act protections for wetlands, streams and other waters originally aimed at improving the drinking water supply. The EPA’s move prompted strong reaction from environmental and farmer interests. “The goal of the Clean […]

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Xylogenics advances GX-1 Yeast Technology  

Xylogenics advances GX-1 Yeast Technology  

June 28, 2017 |

In Indiana, Xylogenics released a new strain design for its patented GX-1 yeast production and fermentation process. The efficiencies created by the newest strain design will have an immediate impact on industries that rely on micro-organism technologies, most notably the ethanol industry wherein individual production plants are planning to invest upwards of $350 million annually […]

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Algae DHA: a fix for odor, taste and cost is on the way for the Gross Dose.

Algae DHA: a fix for odor, taste and cost is on the way for the Gross Dose.

June 28, 2017 |

Omega-3s are a great thing, but here’s the bottom line: the current applications stink. Not as in, they-don’t-work. We mean, literally. Check out this comment at drpermutter.com. I’ve been taking two tabs/day of a fish oil concentrate containing 500mg DHA and 250mg EPA. After my wife complained about my body odor I cut back to […]

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Algae DHA: a fix for odor, taste and cost is on the way for the Gross Dose.

Algae DHA: a fix for odor, taste and cost is on the way for the Gross Dose.

June 28, 2017 |

Omega-3s are a great thing, but here’s the bottom line: the current applications stink. Not as in, they-don’t-work. We mean, literally. Check out this comment at drpermutter.com. I’ve been taking two tabs/day of a fish oil concentrate containing 500mg DHA and 250mg EPA. After my wife complained about my body odor I cut back to […]

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Capturing CO2: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae-based CO2 sequestration

Capturing CO2: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae-based CO2 sequestration

June 28, 2017 |

The DOE completed an illuminating workshop on Carbon Capture and Sequestration with relation to algae-based technologies, and The Digest has prepared a selection of key slides presented by AquaFiber, Pacific Northwest National Lab, University of South Florida, Algenol, Montana State University, University of Toledo, NREL, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and RTI.

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Altering Distillation Curve of Biodiesel – Olefin Metathesis

Altering Distillation Curve of Biodiesel – Olefin Metathesis

June 28, 2017 |

  Rudolf Diesel in 1892 received a patent for a compression ignition reciprocating engine. However, his original design, which used coal dust as fuel, did not work as planned. To put things in context – thirty-three years prior, in 1859, crude oil was discovered in Pennsylvania. The first product refined from crude was lamp oil […]

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Tasty Energy Treats You Can Make From Brownies

Tasty Energy Treats You Can Make From Brownies

June 27, 2017 |

Terpenes may be the most unloved class of energy molecule of all time, if you compare R&D spending to potential. Even ARPA-E, the home of high-risk, high-reward government research into energy, hasn’t delved into terpenes since 2012’s OPEN invite, where Allylix picked up a single $467,6905 award to develop a “Renewable Platform for Production of […]

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