By Doug Durante, Executive Director, Clean Fuels Development Coalition Special to The Digest While the expression that the devil is in the details is trite and overused, it certainly fits when assessing the “Deal” supposedly reached this week on ethanol. First of all the export RIN issue does raise trade questions but if RINS go […]
By Mark Warner, PE, Founder, Warner Advisors LLC Special to the Digest Capital light scale-up utilizes existing fermentation facilities, in lieu of purpose-built demonstration facilities, to bring advanced technologies to market faster and with less capital burn. It is a great plan if it can be executed, but risk comes in the form of limited options, […]
By Donnell Rehagen. CEO, National Biodiesel Board The biofuels industry found itself in an unusual position for much of the past 12 months. Typically confined to debates in the trade press, biofuels-related headlines are now splashed across the mainstream media. It’s new for most observers to see a host of Washington, D.C., political analysts race […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, BIO; head, Industrial & Environmental Section Special to The Digest The biobased economy encompasses the entire value chain of sustainable manufacturing – from the supply of renewable or waste feedstock, through biotech platforms, to production and use of biobased fuels and products. BIO is a global leader in advocating […]
By Jess Hewitt, RIN and Isobutanol Expert, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a comment period for the registration of the use of Isobutanol in gasoline. Why is this important? Because since the states banning of the use of MTBE and other ethers in underground tanks, this […]
By Gregory T. Benz, Lee Enterprise Consulting Special to The Digest Small pilot fermenters are used with several different objectives: studying the organism, developing feeding strategies, evaluating potential yields, etc. A major purpose can be to study the mass transfer characteristics of the system, and how they relate to agitation. In the production scale, the […]
By Gregory T. Benz, Lee Enterprise Consulting Special to The Digest There are many sources of organic fibers that can be used as feedstock for biofuels and renewable chemicals. The author has tested many lignocellulosic materials for fluid flow and mixing characteristics. Examples include corn stover, ground wood, switchgrass, various types of cane, beet pulp, […]
By Mark Warner, PE, Founder, Warner Advisors LLC Special to The Digest Funding for early stage advanced biotechnology is ramping up and companies commercializing fermentation-based technologies are faced with the decision to either build their own demonstration-scale facility or utilize existing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). There are clear benefits of using CMOs, however conducting a successful […]
It is not difficult to find collective evidence that global human activities have begun to overrun the resources of the planet. It is clear that ‘business as usual’ is not an option that industry can maintain for long. With France’s Total investing over $1 billion in batteries, DONG Energy switching to a new business under […]
By James Cogan, an Industrial Engineer at Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd Special to The Digest The CEOs of Europe’s big ethanol firms (Tereos, Cristal Union, Alco Group, Crop Energies) are under seige. They are battling imported and sometimes fake used cooking oil, not-yet-viable advanced fuels, palm oil diesel, imports from countries which didn’t even sign […]
