Category: Top Stories

Batteries from trees, 3D printing developments, canola straw cling wrap, biochar, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of August 2nd

Batteries from trees, 3D printing developments, canola straw cling wrap, biochar, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of August 2nd

August 1, 2019 |

Can you really produce anode materials from trees? Stora Enso says absolutely yes! And they are investing a nice chunk of change to build a pilot plant for lignin-based battery materials. Ok, sounds great, but come on, biodegradable cling wrap using cellulose nanofibers from canola straw to store my leftovers in? Yes, these things are […]

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The Future of Hydrogen, and the debut of Hydrogen Digest

The Future of Hydrogen, and the debut of Hydrogen Digest

July 30, 2019 |

In a new report from the International Energy Agency, the IEA’s executive director  Dr. Fatih Birol writes, “This is a critical year for hydrogen. It is enjoying unprecedented momentum around the world and could finally be set on a path to fulfill its longstanding potential as a clean energy solution.” We agree, though the path […]

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A Giant Leap for Fishkind: Veramaris facility in Nebraska starts commercial production

A Giant Leap for Fishkind: Veramaris facility in Nebraska starts commercial production

July 29, 2019 |

Just a few weeks ago we were remembering the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and one thing I can’t get out of my head from the Apollo program is Apollo 8 crew member Bill Anders talking about the sight of the Earth from the Moon — how small and beautiful and precious […]

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Sayings and images from 12 years traveling on the bioeconomy road

Sayings and images from 12 years traveling on the bioeconomy road

July 28, 2019 |

Today, the Digest turns 12. Since the Digest was launched in July 2007, we’ve had the privilege of telling the amazing success story of the bioeconomy— new applications, companies, and platform technologies have been pouring out of research labs and many of them are deploying rapidly at commercial scale. If you’ve seen the rise of […]

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Genera repositions itself, gets $118M investment – Movin’ on up to get a piece of the pie

Genera repositions itself, gets $118M investment – Movin’ on up to get a piece of the pie

July 25, 2019 |

Like The Jeffersons, one of the longest running sitcoms from the 1970s and 80s, Genera is movin’ on up. While they aren’t moving “to the east side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky”, they are located in East Tennessee and Genera certainly “got a piece of the pie.” And a big pie at that. […]

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U.S. policy uncertainty forces closure of 2nd biodiesel plant this month: Now, REG’s New Boston plant feels the axe

U.S. policy uncertainty forces closure of 2nd biodiesel plant this month: Now, REG’s New Boston plant feels the axe

July 24, 2019 |

In another small but sharp blow to the Trump Administration’s strategy for American manufacturing revival, news arrives from Texas of a second smaller biodiesel shuttering owing to “ challenging business conditions and continued federal policy uncertainty,” as Renewable Energy Group phrased it in announcing the closure of its15 million gallons per year New Boston, Texas […]

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Gin from peas, infinite hoodie, plant shoe, light and heat stabilizers for agricultural plastics, slimy sea lettuce for biofuels, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of July 24th

Gin from peas, infinite hoodie, plant shoe, light and heat stabilizers for agricultural plastics, slimy sea lettuce for biofuels, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of July 24th

July 23, 2019 |

Gin being made from pea fermentation instead of wheat fermentation, slimy sea lettuce as a feedstock for biofuels, Icelandair is one of the first airlines to start using biodegradable single-use items, , adidas and stella mccartney created a biodegradable tennis dress and a fully recyclable hoodie from old cotton, an an IKEA cookbook bring algae […]

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Negatonnes: Beyond the ZEV, the negative emission vehicle and its amazing hydrogen fuel and electric drive

Negatonnes: Beyond the ZEV, the negative emission vehicle and its amazing hydrogen fuel and electric drive

July 22, 2019 |

Wandering the halls at the BIO World Congress and later to be seen again at ABLC NEXT this November, we ran across one of the most interesting technologies relating to ethanol production and markets we have seen in a month of Sundays, perhaps two months’ worth. The problem First, let’s revisit the problem. There’s simply […]

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What to do in an increasingly paperless society? Stora Enso adapts and innovates with 3 big announcements on being ‘fit for the future’

What to do in an increasingly paperless society? Stora Enso adapts and innovates with 3 big announcements on being ‘fit for the future’

July 20, 2019 |

Lots of announcements coming in over the last few days from Stora Enso, from their EUR 10 million (about $11.2 million) investment in a pilot facility for producing bio-based carbon materials based on lignin to their Q2 financial reporting. And it doesn’t end there! They initiated a feasibility study for a possible cross laminated timber […]

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The Competitive Edge: Haldor Topsoe

The Competitive Edge: Haldor Topsoe

July 18, 2019 |

  Q: What was the reason for founding your organization – what was the open niche you saw that could be addressed with a new product or service? What was the problem, or gap, or opportunity? Haldor Topsoe is the world leader in heterogeneous catalysis and technology licensing. Ten years ago, as the signs from […]

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