Biobased Chemical

March 20, 2019

Lygos wins 3 grants to advance applications for its biochemicals

BY Lygos Inc. Found In:ChemicalsBiochemical producer Lygos Inc. recently announced it has been awarded three innovation research grants totaling $750,000 of non-equity funding to support advanced support advanced research and development. READ MORE

March 19, 2019

GranBio acquires 100% equity in American Process Inc.

BY GranBio Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsGranBio has completed the acquisition of 100 percent equity in American Process Inc. and affiliate companies. The acquired assets include biorefineries in Alpena, Michigan and Thomaston, Georgia, and an extensive intellectual property portfolio. READ MORE

March 07, 2019

REG announces plans to sell Life Sciences division

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsREG has released fourth quarter 2018 financial results, announcing plans to sell its Life Sciences business unit and expressing optimism that the tax credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel will be retroactively extended for 2018. READ MORE

March 07, 2019

W2C Rotterdam project welcomes Shell as partner

BY Enerkem Inc. Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsShell has joined as an equity partner with Air Liquide, Enerkem, Nouryon and the Port of Rotterdam for a proposed project in Rotterdam will be the first of its kind in Europe to make chemicals and biofuels out of non-recyclable waste materials. READ MORE

March 06, 2019

Federal agencies release framework for advancing the bioeconomy

BY USDA Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board unveiled a multi-agency strategy March 5 to accelerate innovative technologies that harness the nation’s biomass resources for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. READ MORE

March 05, 2019

Lygos, CUMIRP partner to expand uses for biochemical product

BY Lygos Inc. Found In:ChemicalsLygos Inc. announced a new partnership Feb. 20 with the Center for University of Massachusetts-Industry Research on Polymers that aims to develop novel high-value applications for the company’s Bio-Malonic Acid product family. READ MORE

March 01, 2019

Gevo, HCS Group enter supply agreement for renewable isooctane

BY Gevo Inc. Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsGevo Inc. and HCS Group have entered into a long-term, definitive, binding and bankable renewable isooctane purchase and sale agreement. The isooctane will be used in high-end applications, such as high purity solvents and specialty fuels. READ MORE

February 28, 2019

Senate confirms Wheeler as EPA administrator

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.S. Senate has voted 52 to 46 along party lines to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the U.S. EPA. Wheeler has held the post of acting EPA administrator since July 9, 2018, following Scott Pruitt’s resignation earlier that month. READ MORE

February 27, 2019

Anellotech produces biobased paraxylene

BY Anellotech Found In:ChemicalsAnellotech and its partners IFPEN and Axens have processed renewably sourced aromatics made at Anellotech’s TCat-8 pilot plant to successfully recover high-purity biobased paraxylene—a key component for making 100 percent biobased PET bottles. READ MORE

February 25, 2019

Harnessing top algae strains for bioenergy through collaboration

BY Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is seeking algae industry partners and academic researchers to help find the best algae strains for biofuels and bioproducts to reduce the cost of producing bioenergy from algae feedstocks. READ MORE

February 21, 2019

ABO bids farewell to executive director

BY Algae Biomass Organization Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsMatt Carr, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization, has announced that he will be leaving the organization at the end of March to return to academia. The ABO's board of directors will soon begin its search for Carr's replacement. READ MORE

February 18, 2019

Global Bioenergies produces isobutene from wheat straw

BY Global Bioenergies Found In:ChemicalsGlobal Bioenergies recently announced that runs using wheat straw hydrolysate provided by its partner Clariant were successfully performed in its Leuna demo plant, leading to the production of cellulosic isobutene for the first time at this scale. READ MORE

February 15, 2019

Canadian government funds new biomass research cluster

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe government of Canada has announced it will invest up to $7 million in a new biomass research cluster. An additional $3.1 million is contributions is expected from industry, bringing the total investment to $10.1 million. READ MORE

February 14, 2019

DOE announces $66 million for research on plants, microbes

BY U.S. Department of Energy Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.S. DOE has announced a plan to provide $66 million for new genomics-based research on plants and microbes. The $30 million plant initiative aims to expanding knowledge of gene function in plants to be grown for bioenergy and bioproducts READ MORE

February 13, 2019

Erickson to leave BIO after 19 years, open consulting company

BY Biotechnology Innovation Organization Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe Biotechnology Innovation Organization has announced that after 19 years leading the Industrial and Environmental Section, Executive Vice President Brent Erickson will step down from the organization in March 2019 to begin new business ventures. READ MORE

February 08, 2019

Braskem, Haldor Topsoe commission biobased MEG demonstration unit

BY Braskem Found In:ChemicalsBraskem and Haldor Topsoe have announced the commissioning of a demonstration unit in Denmark that converts sugar to monoethyleneglycol (MEG), which can be used as a raw material for the production of PET. READ MORE

February 07, 2019

Simmons sworn in as assistant secretary of DOE’s EERE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has a new leader. Daniel Simmons was recently sworn in assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. READ MORE

February 05, 2019

Senate committee advances Wheeler’s nomination to head the EPA

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsOn Feb. 5, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted 11 to 10 to advance the nomination of Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to fill the post of administrator of the agency. The full Senate will now consider his nomination. READ MORE

February 01, 2019

DuPont Industrial Biosciences breaks ground on EMEA headquarters

BY DuPont Industrial Biosciences Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsDuPont Industrial Biosciences officially broke ground Jan. 24 on its new site at the Leiden Bio Science Park in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands. The building will serve as the new EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters for the company. READ MORE

January 31, 2019

EU’s Joint Research Centre publishes report on biobased chemicals

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:ChemicalsThe European Commission’s Joint Research Centre published a report in January that details the potential of biobased chemicals in European Union markets and predicts production will grow by approximately 3.6 percent annually from 2018 to 2025. READ MORE

January 31, 2019

New biosensor highlights best biofuel-producing microbes

BY Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsA new study led by Vatsan Raman, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, unveils a biosensor that may light the way to the best microbial candidates for biofuel production. READ MORE

January 30, 2019

Avantium takes full ownership of Synvina

BY Avantium Found In:ChemicalsAvantium has retaken full ownership of its YXY plants-to-plastics technology through the purchase of BASF’s shares in the Synvina joint venture, and appointed Marcel Lubben as managing director of Synvina. READ MORE

January 29, 2019

Gevo announces development of renewable isoprene

BY Gevo Inc. Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsGevo Inc. recently announced it has developed a proprietary catalytic process to convert low-value fusel oils into renewable isoprene. Fusel oils are a mixture of alcohols that are produced as a byproduct from fermentation processes. READ MORE

January 24, 2019

Attis, Iowa State partner on lignin-based carbon fiber

BY Attis Industries Inc. Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsAttis Industries Inc. has announced a partnership with Iowa State University to develop carbon fibers for use in a wide variety of applications derived entirely or predominately from lignin produced at Attis’ planned biorefineries. READ MORE

January 23, 2019

UK REA launches bioenergy review with new call for evidence

BY U.K. Renewable Energy Association Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.K. Renewable Energy Association has launched a far-reaching review into the future of bioenergy in the U.K. Bioenergy is energy generated from biobased fuels, such as wood pellets and biodiesel. READ MORE

January 22, 2019

Attis plans to convert Fulton ethanol plant to green tech campus

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsAttis Industries has announced plans to purchase a 85 MMgy corn ethanol plant in Fulton, New York, from Sunoco LP and develop the site into a green tech campus that will produce corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and other biomass-based products. READ MORE

January 22, 2019

VTT develops method to turn forestry waste into fuels, chemicals

BY VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a new technique based on gasification, which offers a sustainable way to turn forest industry byproducts, such as bark, sawdust and forestry waste, into transport fuels and chemicals. READ MORE

January 17, 2019

Promising bioplastic derived from ‘poo molecule’

BY Lund University Found In:ChemicalsA new, fossil-free bioplastic is emerging, according to Lund University. Lab experiments show the material is more durable than both regular plastic and other bioplastics, and is potentially better suited for recycling. READ MORE

January 14, 2019

Advancements in catalytic fast pyrolysis give biofuels a boost

BY National Renewable Energy Laboratory Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsResearchers from NREL, PNNL, and ANL have identified an approach to improve the efficiency and reduce costs of biofuel production by demonstrating improvements in bio-oil yield through catalyst and process development. READ MORE

January 10, 2019

Canada joins International Renewable Energy Agency

BY International Renewable Energy Agency Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsCanada has officially become a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Canada becomes the Agency’s 160th member to join the global intergovernmental organization dedicated to the widespread adoption of renewable energy. READ MORE