In the UK, a team have researchers are the first to use the new FeliX computer model, which includes social and economic factors along with environmental ones, to determine that the world must achieve zero carbon emissions well before 2040 to ensure that global temperatures don’t rise by more than 1.5C before the end of […]
In Germany, the nova institute released an analysis of the European Commission’s proposal for the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), providing a potential outline of the Union’s renewable energy framework for the timeframe 2021 to 2030. According to nova: The new proposal sets the overall target of a renewables share in the EU’s […]
In Saudi Arabia, researchers from around the world have collaborated on a study looking at how to successfully dry sorghum bagasse for large-scale storage that ensures high yields and quality of feedstock for biofuel production. The research specifically looked at pressure drop as a function of airflow velocity to develop large-scale drying systems for biomass […]
In India, researchers at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology have identified a gene in the P. funiculosum fungus that produces GH7 cellobiohydrolases (CBH1) to break down cellulose, similar to its cousin Trichoderma reesei commonly used in enzymatic hydrolysis for cellulosic ethanol production. The discovery is expected to help further develop processes that reduce […]
In the Netherlands, researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have invented a new catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO). This soon-to-be patented invention enables the sustainable utilisation of CO2, a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change. If successful on a larger scale, this invention could provide a […]
In Wisconsin, a team of chemical and biological engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has found a way to produce from biomass a valuable compound used in plastic production that they estimate could lower the cost of ethanol produced from plant material by more than two dollars per gallon. The development is the latest in […]
In Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have reported in Nature a new high resolution approach to visioning the impact of biomass pre-treatment technology. By combining spectroscopy and emerging microscopy techniques, the team measured the nanoscale mechanical and chemical effects of pretreatments used to improve the breakdown of lignin, a woody component in plants. Data […]
In Washington, a recent study (Wright et al.) funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) suggests that significant cropland expansion occurred in areas near ethanol plants between 2008 and 2012, purportedly replacing grassland and other wildlife habitat. The study’s findings are at odds with data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which […]
In California, a protein used by common soil bacteria is providing new clues in the effort to convert aryl compounds, a common waste product from industrial and agricultural practices, into something of value. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Sandia National Laboratories working at the Joint BioEnergy Institute […]
In Illinois, a multi-institutional team led by the University of Illinois have proven sugarcane can be genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production. Surprisingly, the modified sugarcane plants also produced more sugar, which could be used for ethanol production. The dual-purpose bioenergy crops are predicted to be more than […]
