Category: Top Stories

Inbicon logs 15,000 hours at next-generation biomass refinery

Inbicon logs 15,000 hours at next-generation biomass refinery

June 5, 2013 |

In Denmark, Inbicon announced that its cellulosic biofuels demonstration plant has crossed the 15,000 operating hour mark, since opening in December 2009, in converting wheat straw into cellulosic ethanol and other renewable fuel. Inbicon sells commercial licenses for processes that make low-carbon renewable transportation fuel and electrical power from the leftovers of the grain and […]

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Myriant completes construction in Louisiana, reaches scale in Germany

Myriant completes construction in Louisiana, reaches scale in Germany

June 4, 2013 |

Two announcements put the biosuccinic acid pioneer on the fast track. What’s next? In Massachusetts, word arrived from Myriant on two fronts this week. First, they that they have completed a successful scaling and commercial production of bio-succinic acid at ThyssenKrupp Uhde’s biotech commercial validation facility in Leuna, Germany. There, the production process meets targets […]

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Supersize my whopper: Volt Gas Volt’s fuzzy math

Supersize my whopper: Volt Gas Volt’s fuzzy math

June 4, 2013 |

We were suitably intrigued by the headline, “Renewable Energy Program Could Make Fracking and Biofuels Obsolete“. And so the press release began: “Project Volt Gas Volt, a new green program, shows the potential of storing renewable energy in surplus, which could make nuclear energy, natural gas, fracking, and biofuels seem like energy sources from the past.” […]

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BASF, Navy, Southern Research Institute get traction in biofuels’ Hot Patners poll

BASF, Navy, Southern Research Institute get traction in biofuels’ Hot Patners poll

June 4, 2013 |

In Florida, voting is now underway in the 2013 Hot Partners competition, and will continue through Friday June 14 at 5pm EDT. In voting yesterday, Southern Research Institute took the lead in Lab services, while BASF pulled ahead of Koch in “Separation, microharvest, informatics & catalysis systems and services.” Meanwhile, the US Navy pulled back into […]

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ChemBioWar: Chemicals, warfare and biobased protective systems

ChemBioWar: Chemicals, warfare and biobased protective systems

June 3, 2013 |

As chemical warfare spreads anew, questions rise as to how to eliminate toxins on the battlefield. A biobased technology has the answers for warfighters and their gear. In the universe of the Really Awful, one comeback we could have lived without is being mounted by the weapons of chemical warfare. In the most recent news, […]

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Southern Research Institute, Elsevier advance in biofuels’ Hot Partners poll

Southern Research Institute, Elsevier advance in biofuels’ Hot Partners poll

June 3, 2013 |

In Florida, voting is now underway in the 2013 Hot Partners competition, and will continue through Friday June 14 at 5pm EDT. In voting yesterday, Southern Research Institute gained a tie with Southwest Research Institute in Lab services, and Elsevier pulled ahead of Stoel Rives among “Professional counselors & consultants.” Voting is open to all Digest […]

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Frugal Fuels: Top 12 ways to transform biofuels using materials already around us

Frugal Fuels: Top 12 ways to transform biofuels using materials already around us

May 31, 2013 |

REduce, REuse, REcycle. REnewable energy sometimes means REthinking, REfocusing. Great ideas abound for new feedstocks, and novel infrastructure. We admire so many of them. Jatropha, carinata, switchgrass, sweet sorghum, blender pumps, systems-at-sea. And so much more. But what about technologies that bolt-on a different processing unit, but keeps everything else the same. Or uses an […]

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Fulcrum BioEnergy: The Digest Interview

Fulcrum BioEnergy: The Digest Interview

May 30, 2013 |

A signature developer of fuels from municipal solid waste lands a high-profile grant from DoD for a drop-in military biofuels project. The technology, the economics, the progress – CEO Jim Macias and VP Ted Kniesche update the Digest. For much of the past two years, the intriguing projects of Fulcrum BioEnergy have been advancing to […]

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Special Report on Military Biofuels

Special Report on Military Biofuels

May 30, 2013 |

Military biofuels returns to the spotlight as DoD releases phase one of its program to source sub-$4 advanced, drop-in biofuels.  In today’s special report, reaction around the globe and a special close-up look at the Fulcrum BioEnergy project. As reported in the Digest on Monday, the DoD will award three contracts totaling $16 million to […]

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Koch, Southwest Research Institute move up in biofuels’ Hot Partners poll

Koch, Southwest Research Institute move up in biofuels’ Hot Partners poll

May 30, 2013 |

In Florida, voting is now underway in the 2013 Hot Partners competition, and will continue through Friday June 14 at 5pm EDT. In voting yesterday, Koch edged ahead of BASF in the Separation, Microharvest, informatics & catalysis systems and services category – while Southwest Research Institute pulled even with DuPont in Lab services. Voting is open […]

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