Category: Top Stories

The Navy’s Green Strike Group sails on biofuels blend: will it sail again?

The Navy’s Green Strike Group sails on biofuels blend: will it sail again?

July 19, 2012 |

As the Pacific-based forces of Can-Do battle the Washington-based forces of Shouldn’t-Try, we look at the 6 Big Myths of Military Biofuels In Hawaii, the US Navy demonstrated its Green Strike Group as part of the 2012 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise that includes 40 surface ships, […]

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Myth Busting – Republicans and Algae

Myth Busting – Republicans and Algae

July 19, 2012 |

By Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director, Algal Biomass Organization Biofuels Digest columnist I’m sure many of you remember that algae became a bit of a political football during the Republican primary campaign. It certainly was hard for me and others in the industry to see algae technology belittled. And based on that experience one might be inclined […]

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Known and unknown, black swans, yellow cranes, and advanced biofuels

Known and unknown, black swans, yellow cranes, and advanced biofuels

July 18, 2012 |

As advanced biofuels companies hit their milestones and watch their stocks get crushed, we look at investor uncertainty, yellow cranes, black swans, and striking announcements from Codexis and Aemetis. A best-seller we have been working through this summer here in Digestville is Donald Rumsfeld’s memoir, “Known and Unknown”. His known-unknown paradigm makes for a good […]

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Old frog, new tricks: The rise of magnetic biofuels

Old frog, new tricks: The rise of magnetic biofuels

July 17, 2012 |

Can the harnessing of the powers of magnetism overcome cost challenges in algal biofuels? Researchers across the globe pursue the answers. Of all the many contributions that the English have made to the study and advancement of biofuels, it may be that one day that the appearance of an unusual bacterium back in the last […]

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Biofuels executives project 3.3% job growth, 7.8% revenue growth in 2012-13: Biofuels Digest/BIO poll

Biofuels executives project 3.3% job growth, 7.8% revenue growth in 2012-13: Biofuels Digest/BIO poll

July 16, 2012 |

Industry mood darkens on government programs, IPO window; optimism on biobutanol rising. In Florida, Biofuels Digest reports that 68 percent of bioenergy executives are more optimistic both about their organization’s prospects for growth and industry growth, than 12 months ago, and that 61 percent are more optimistic about the industry’s prospects than at this time […]

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Are IPOs good for early-stage companies and advanced biofuels?

Are IPOs good for early-stage companies and advanced biofuels?

July 13, 2012 |

$104 million Elevance private financing round larger than last two IPOs; puts IPOs in focus; do the benefits outweigh the costs? Do advanced biofuels companies really need to be “thinking IPO”, industry leaders were asking this week after Elevance Renewable Sciences announced that it has raised $104 million in its Series E financing round. Lacustrine […]

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Baby vs Bathwater: When does budget prudence tip over into energy Shortsightism?

Baby vs Bathwater: When does budget prudence tip over into energy Shortsightism?

July 13, 2012 |

By Digest associate editor Joelle Brink A Washington Beltway newspaper summed it up this way: “Navy 2, Congress 0.” But in what’s fast shaping up as the election year Navy-Congress “playoff game”, the real story is about national security as renewable energy security, and about the drop-in renewable biofuels right now powering a US naval […]

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Can biofuels really make a nation safer?

Can biofuels really make a nation safer?

July 12, 2012 |

Answers to your questions about national security, energy independence, and military biofuels. Dan Nolan is a retired US Army Colonel and he is also the CEO of  Sabot 6, a company that brings Strategic Management Skills to Energy Security. His introduction to the global energy challenge came back in 2002 when on an assignment relating […]

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Voices from VODville: Lessons learned in the journey towards advanced biofuels

Voices from VODville: Lessons learned in the journey towards advanced biofuels

July 11, 2012 |

What makes a winner in advanced biofuels? Five companies – Abengoa, INEOS Bio, Mascoma, Gevo, and American Process reflect on the essential ingredients for success. “We are industrial technology businesses, making a commodity, we have to control costs everywhere and learn, learn, learn.” – American Process CEO Theodora Retsina You could call it VODville, VOD […]

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Biofuels in an hour of peril and unparalleled opportunity

Biofuels in an hour of peril and unparalleled opportunity

July 10, 2012 |

At our next industry get-together, we look at biofuels and bio-based products in their hour of maximum peril and opportunity – are you prepared? At no time in its short, turbulent history have the biofuels and biomaterials industries gone through a period of threat and opportunity like 2012, with the possible exception of the 2013 […]

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