The bio-based materials and chemicals industry needs to tap newer, non-food sources of biomass and cellulosic material and raise volumes of feedstock before it can emerge as an economically viable alternative to petroleum-based products.
Rochester, N.Y.-based Sweetwater Energy Inc., a cellulosic sugar manufacturer has oversubscribed and closed its Series A funding round. The company sought $5 million in initial funding, but investor response was greater than expected.
Cereplast Inc., a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, sustainable bioplastics, recently announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent protection for high heat resistant polymer compositions having polylactic acid.
Loretta Daniel, the director for regional business and the innovation center at Murray State University in Kentucky, recently provided an update on the West Kentucky AgBioworks Initaitve to local and federal authorities.
The 6th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, taking place in Denver, Colo. September 24-27 will showcase more than 30 presentations in its Biology Track from researchers and scientists at leading companies, universities and national labs.
Metabolix Inc. has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Antibioticos S.A. for production of Mirel biopolymer resin in Leon, Spain. Under the terms of the LOI, the companies will conduct a series of validation production runs.
The USDA and the U.S. DOE announced they are putting $41 million toward 13 projects focused on developing sustainable biomass feedstock sources and increasing the availability of renewable fuels and biobased products.
On July 25, the USDA and U.S. DOE announced over $41 million more in joint funding to continue to get the U.S.'s butt in gear in regard to bioenergy and biofuels.
Something to remember for project developers contemplating natural gas or biomass.
The demand for butadiene, a material used to make rubber tires and electrical appliances, has brought together biobased chemical production companies Genomatica and Novamont with Versalis, an Italian-based petrochemical firm, under an MOU.
Evonik Industries' Catalysts Business Line recently agreed with U.S. based BioAmber Inc. on a long term cooperation for the development and manufacturing of catalysts for making BDO, THF and GBL from biobased succinic acid.
A new report by Wood Resources International shows biomass prices dropped in the U.S. South, Northeast and West during the second quarter of 2012, primarily due to the continued fall of natural gas prices, which reached a 10 year low.
A new bioenergy hub in Europe that will focus on the deployment and investigation of sustainable bioenergy sources was announced July 17 by U.K. Minister of State for Universities and Science David Willetts.
A biofuel technology created by Michigan State University researchers uses microbes to produce both liquid biofuels and hydrogen from biomass feedstock. The process creates energy at levels more than 20 times higher than existing methods.
The U.S. DOE awarded a five-year, $12.1 million grant to researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and their collaborators to develop a new model plant system, Setaria viridis, to advance bioenergy grasses as a biofuel feedstock.
Dyadic International Inc. unveiled its latest biofuels enzyme advancement, AlternaFuel CMAX3. This next generation product enables the production of cellulosic biofuels and bio-based chemicals from a wide range of renewable non-food feedstocks.
AdvanceBio Systems LLC recently announced that the National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain has ordered its SuPR2G reactor. The system will be used for research, development and demonstration activities in CENER's Second Generation Biofuels Center.
By a bipartisan vote of 35-11, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture has passed its version of the 2012 Farm Bill. An amendment to reinstate mandatory funding to the measure's energy title programs was rejected.
Gevo Inc. has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Beta Renewables. Under the agreement, the two companies will work integrate their respective technologies for the production of cellulosic isobutanol.
The U.S. House Agricultural Committee has begun marking up its draft of the 2012 Farm Bill. The mark-up is expected to last up to three days, and includes 100 amendments, one of which could restore mandatory funding to energy title programs.
OriginOil Inc. has shipped the first production model of its Algae ApplianceT harvester to Paris-based Ennesys, its urban algae joint venture. This marks the first commercial invoice for Origin Oil's newly-introduced Model 4.
A European research team is working to integrate chemical engineering with genetic mapping techniques to improve the biochemical production process. the team will study the fungus strain A. niger, a micro-organism used in industrial fermentation.
While the drought in the U.S. is beginning to take a significant toll on some of the nation's crops, particularly in the Midwest and the Corn Belt, it seems most energy crops are hanging on, at least for now.
A company spokesperson from Braemar Energy Ventures explains what bioenergy companies hoping to be the next Solazyme should do, and why $300 million is signficant.
Hawaii strives to stabilize its energy prices with renewables
Being first on the scene is beneficial in many markets, but advanced biofuels may not be one of them.
University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineer aims to create more sustainable, cost-effective processes for converting biomass into high-energy-density hydrocarbon fuels.
The advanced biofuels and gasification technology developer Sundrop Fuels Inc. has added another energy giant to its list of partners. Through a licensing agreement, Sundrop Fuels will add a methane-to-gasoline process provided by Exxon Mobil Co.
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