In South Dakota, researchers at South Dakota State University are researching a pest discovered in 1906, forgotten, and renamed the switchgrass moth in 2004 for insights into how best to produce cellulosic ethanol. They are also looking at a species of midge more damaging to the crop as well as other insects that are natural […]
In India, a researcher from the Veterinary College and Research Institute has developed an economically viable way to produce biodiesel from poultry carcasses, a technology that could significantly reduce the amount of carcasses disposed of unhygenically. It takes six birds to produce a liter of biodiesel.
In Minnesota, researchers are domesticating intermediate wheatgrass, which could be a promising northern-climate alternative to switchgrass. As a perennial grain crop, the plant also can reduce soil erosion and the release of soil carbon, as well as requiring less energy, pesticide, and fossil-fuel based fertilizer. Although lines are already for commecial use, the project aims […]
In North Carolina, a Wake Forest University project has developed a new sugar-based catalyst that could cut the cost of producing biofuels from poor quality waste oils and fats. The project has created an alternative to sulfuric acid, the traditional catalyst for esterification to convert free fatty acids into biodiesel, that is inexpensive and environmentally […]
In Spain, a researcher at the Public University of Navarra has genetically modified tobacco to produce 700% as much starch and 500% as much fermentable sugars in the leaves for use in biofuel production. The project is the first to use tobacco proteins as biological tools.
In Washington, after carefully reviewing 43 studies on the effects of E15 on engine durability, emissions, and other factors, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) issued a report finding that the available literature “…did not show meaningful differences between E15 and E10 in any performance category.
A tool for business development, competitive analysis, and forecasting. More than 5 billion gallons in capacity being tracked. The inside scoop on the technologies, the timelines, the teams. From the most widely-read biofuels daily. Biofuels Digest SuperData Gold Access offers comprehensive data on 300+ advanced bioenergy projects, and 3000+ people working on those technologies. What […]
In California, UCLA chemical engineering researchers have created a new synthetic metabolic pathway for breaking down glucose that could lead to a 50 percent increase in the production of biofuels. The new pathway is intended to replace the natural metabolic pathway known as glycolysis, a series of chemical reactions that nearly all organisms use to convert […]
In the Energy Journal, an MIT economist has published a report saying that ethanol may not lower the price at the pump. The ‘crack ratio,’ the relative value of gasoline compared to oil, has declined recently, and many have attributed the decline to ethanol. However, the analysts argue that changing oil prices is what really […]
In Minnesota, University of Minnesota scientists examine three U.S. federal agencies’ visions of how the nation could meet the targets. By comparing and contrasting the DOE’s, EPA’s and USDA’s scenarios, university scientists aim to inform the discussion on this important policy issue. What Minnesota’s role will be in reaching the biofuels standard is one of […]
