The Digest speaks with Sebastian Soederberg, Novozymes’ VP for Biomass Conversion, on how the emotional issue of city smog is creating an opening for cellulosic ethanol, even with currently low oil prices. Q: Sebastian, how do you see political pressures shifting, and why is it important? S: There are an impressive number of developments happening this […]
By Cynthia Thyfault, CEO, Westar Trade Resources, special to The Digest The biobased products and fuels industry has been anxiously waiting for the new USDA Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. Authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill and with the addition of new categories for renewable chemicals and biobased products, there are […]
What can renewable fuels learn from Amazon.com? Turns out, a lot. By Bill Levy, CEO, Pacific Ag, special to The Digest In a few days the US Department of Energy will convene the best and brightest in the biomass industry to Washington, D.C. to continue work on an update to its “Billion Ton Biomass” study […]
By David Gogerty and Ronan Rocle, Global Bioenergies, special to The Digest In March, when the inaugural ‘AgSummit’ was held in Des Moines, it was more than just tires that were spinning their wheels in the mud of the spring thaws. The ethanol industry, after a period of government inaction and perceived blend wall issues, didn’t […]
By Bill Brandon and Richard Ezike, PhD, special to The Digest The debate touting butanol over ethanol as a ‘better’ fuel component has gone on for quite some time in biofuel circles. Those who support butanol point to three key factors: • Butanol has a higher fuel density; • Butanol can be blended at a 1.6:1 […]
When it comes to its progress in achieving zero waste to landfills, the United States is on a par with Slovenia and the Czech Republic. By James L. Stewart. This article originally appeared in MSW Management and is republished by permission. On average, the top eight countries in Europe for landfill diversion (Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, […]
By Mike Knauf, CEO, Rivertop Renewables, special to The Digest If you’re like me, you know that your ability to compete in the bio-based economy is driven by two factors – capital and people. And while we’ve all been stressed a bit by access to capital in the past few years, I think it’s safe […]
By Douglas L. Faulkner, “The Cleantech Conservative” Secretary of State Clinton famously called for hitting the “reset” button in our relations with Russia at the start of the Obama Administration. I believe it is time to call for a reset in our bioenergy policies. It’s easy now to forget that not too long ago the […]
“For sure, we see this period as the most difficult, the most critical.” From remarks by Antonio De Palmas — president, Boeing Italy, at the World Bioenergy Leadership Forum In aviation we have changing demographics, and climate urgency. Climate change and pollution is a big challenge for us. At the saem time, aviation is expanding and […]
By Corinne Young and Michele Jalbert, special to the Digest Any day now, the final rules governing implementation of the USDA 9003 biorefinery loan guarantee program will be issued. Years of advocacy have led to this moment – one to savor. Program changes garnered in the most recent Farm Bill reauthorization have, for the first […]
