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EPA slashes 2011 cellulosic estimatesAfter evaluating the market availability of cellulosic biofuels, the U.S. EPA is proposing to lower the 2011 cellulosic biofuels volume target initially established in the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 by as much as 24 million gallons. The agency's proposed renewable fuel standard (RFS) for next year, released July 12, predicts that next year's achievable volume range for cellulosic biofuels will be 5 million to 17.1 million gallons. By comparison, the RFS put forth in EISA, known as RFS2, called for cellulosic biofuels to contribute 250 million gallons to the overall renewable fuel volume in 2011.READ MORE Biomass-based diesel an RFS2 optionThe U.S. EPA has issued the proposed production volumes for the 2011 RFS2, calculating biomass-based diesel for 2011 at 800 million gallons. To formulate the production number, EPA examined both industry capacity and recent production rates. "As of April 2010, the aggregate production capacity of biodiesel plants in the U.S. was estimated at 2.2 billion gallons per year across approximately 137 facilities," EPA said.READ MORE BP buys out Verenium for $98 millionVerenium Corp. announced July 15 that BP Biofuels North America will acquire all of its cellulosic biofuels interests for $98.3 million. The sale includes the pilot- and demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities in Jennings, La., the research and development facilities in San Diego, and all of the company's cellulosic enzyme technology. BP will also become the sole investor in Vercipia Biofuels, a joint venture formed by BP and Verenium in 2009 to develop a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility in Florida. Verenium will revert back to its original business model, which includes commercial enzyme development, and said it intends to continue developing enzymes to be used in a range of different applications, including cellulosic ethanol production.READ MORE Northeast BIOMASS Conference & Expo panel to focus on biorefineriesThe Northeast Biomass Conference & Expo Aug. 4-6 at Westin Copely Place in Boston will feature a biorefining panel titled, Cutting-Edge Conversion Approaches: Breakthroughs in Biorefining.READ MORE WM expands Michigan landfill gas projectExpansions scheduled for Waste Management's landfill-gas-to-energy project near Richmond, Mich., will make it one of the top energy-producing landfill gas facilities in North America.READ MORE New model projects energy policy impactsThe Great Plains Institute has released a new Web-based energy modeling system that models the interaction of a wide range of federal and state energy data and policies in order to provide a context for the simulation of economic decisions between now and 2050.READ MORE Northeast Biomass Conference & Expo Features Plant Construction PanelBuilding the biomass industry won't be fast or easy, but attendees of the Northeast Biomass Conference & Expo, which is being held Aug. 4-6 in Boston, will have a leg up after hearing the presentations during the Building Momentum: Positioning a Project in the Early Stages to Ensure Success panel.READ MORE Microalgae-to-biofuel process skips extractionIllinois-based Unitel Technologies Inc., says it has developed a microalgae-to-biofuel process that skips drying and oil extraction altogether, representing a faster, cheaper and less energy-intensive route to clean fuels.READ MORE Making cellulose more accessible to enzymesWisconsin-based Cellulose Sciences International has received a $150,000 Small Business Innovation & Research grant from the National Science Foundation to put toward scale-up and optimization of its proprietary cellulose-conditioning pretreatment. The process allows faster biomass conversion and more economic cellulosic ethanol production by making the cellulose much more accessible to the enzymes, according to the company.READ MORE Scientists evaluate switchgrass yields across USA team of scientists have released a paper that is the result of what they believe is the largest data base analyzed and compiled to date for energy crop yield comparisons in relation to geographically distributed variables such as site location, plot size, stand age, harvest frequency, fertilizer application, climate, and land quality.READ MORE Ohio issues waste-to-energy RFPThe Ohio Department of Development's Energy Resources Division has allocated $10 million in federal funding to its Transforming Waste to Value program and is accepting applications for project funding through Aug. 23.READ MORE WSU to lead Pacific NW aviation biofuel projectA regional renewable jet fuel collaboration will officially kick off at the end of the month, a project that will assess four states in the Pacific Northwest-Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana-to determine biomass feedstock growth, harvest, refining and transport options in relation to sustainable aviation fuel production.READ MORE Fortistar developing 18 new landfill GTE projectsNew York-based Fortistar LLC will add 18 new landfill-gas-to-energy projects to its portfolio, bringing the total to about 60 plants in operation all over the country. The company secured $105 million in financing for the projects, which represent a 20 percent boost to its methane power plant arsenal.READ MORE Oregon county welcomes biomass plantLake County, Ore., has experienced significant job loss in the past two decades due to the closure of several sawmills. An unfortunate case of cause and effect, the need to manage and thin the region's vast forestlands-the majority of which are publicly owned-is now at an all-time high. A new biomass plant coming to the area, however, may help alleviate both problems, and the community is welcoming it with open armsREAD MORE |
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