In the UK, researchers at the Institute of Food Research are looking at how to turn straw from oilseed rape into biofuel. Preliminary findings are pointing at ways the process could be made more efficient, as well as how the straw itself could be improved. Straw from crops such as wheat, barley, oats and oilseed […]
In Washington, U.S. agriculture could provide up to 155 million tons of crop residues and 60 million tons of manure to produce clean fuels and electricity in 2030 that would help cut the nation’s oil use and phase out the use of coal, according to a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). […]
In the Netherlands, oil produced from biomass — such as wood chips or plant residues — seldom has the same quality and energy content as ‘classical’ crude oil. A new, simple catalyst, developed at the University of Twente, improves the quality of this oil before it is even transported to the refinery. This technology was […]
In South Carolina, the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance (SCCEBA) is leading a “Farm to Fly 2.0” project to effectively create a “match.com” type of opportunities listing for fuel companies to get to know states and localities for biofuels. The group is extending a Pacific Northwest Regional effort under the original “Farm to Fly” […]
In Washington, the DOE and USDA announced the selection of 10 projects that will receive funding aimed at accelerating genetic breeding programs to improve plant feedstocks for the production of biofuels, biopower and biobased products. The $12.6 million in research grants are awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program that began in 2006 focused on fundamental […]
In Brazil, Petrobras is teaming with Embrapa to develop sugarcane varieties that will be successful in temperate climates, especially in Rio Grande do Sul state with the aim of producing ethanol there. Currently that state imports 100% of its ethanol consumption from other states.
In California, VIASPACE announced that the company has entered into a research collaboration with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division (UCANR). The objectives of the research are to: · Compare the growth of Giant King Grass using subsurface drip irrigation with flood (furrow) irrigation · Compare individual node and whole stalk planting […]
In Montana, a process that improves the nutritional value of barley for use in fish feed has been developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Montana Microbial Products LLC (MMP) of Missoula, Montana. Barley typically contains about 10 to12 percent protein, but 40 to 60 percent protein is needed in diets […]
In Massachusetts, the first higher-value chemical derived from lignin will hit the market in 2021, according to a new Lux Research report. Additionally, thermal routes for converting lignin into smaller chemical constituents appear the best for near-term development; chemical, metallic catalytic, and biological may take longer to come downy the pipeline. Finally, the report also […]
In California, Ceres announced that the company has licensed its Persephone genome visualization application to Bayer CropScience. The multi-year software license and collaboration agreement provides a non-exclusive license to Bayer as well as professional services including support, customizations and maintenance. Originally developed for in-house use by Ceres, Persephone allows researchers to rapidly zoom in and […]
