Biomass Week - November 30, 2012

NREL breakthrough could optimize capture of sugars for biofuel U.S. DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the BioEnergy Science Center scientists combined microscopic imaging methods to gain a greater understanding of the relationships between biomass cell wall structure and enzyme digestibility. READ MORE SHARE
Purac sponsors biobased PLA recycling initiative Bioplastic producer Purac is sponsoring the Perpetual Plastic Project to highlight how easily biobased poly lactic acid (PLA) can be recycled. According to Purac, the project is designed to educate people on the recyclability of bioplastics. READ MORE SHARE
	UC San Diego researchers demonstrate potential of marine algae Biologists at UC San Diego have demonstrated for the first time that marine algae can be just as capable as fresh water algae in producing biofuels, disputing a U.S. DOE report that said algae biofuel production could be limited by fresh water. READ MORE SHARE
Chinese company to install 8 GW of waste-to-energy capacity The Asian Development Bank and China Everbright International Ltd. have signed a loan agreement for agricultural and municipal waste-to-energy (WTE) projects in the People's Republic of China to reduce the environmental impact of waste disposal. READ MORE SHARE
Senate vote gives DOD power to invest in biorefinieries The U.S. Senate wants the U.S.Department of Defense to invest in advanced biofuel facilities. The Senate has passed amendment 3095, issued by Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., by a vote of 54-41, giving the DOD the ability to diversify its fuel mix. READ MORE SHARE
DOE's ARPA-E funds 60 projects, includes biofuels, bioenergy The U.S. DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program has granted $130 million to 66 projects focused on breakthrough energy technologies demonstrating fundamental technical promise, but are too early for private-sector investment. READ MORE SHARE
GRFA: G20 fails as subsidies to fossil fuels hit $523 billion The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is criticizing G20 leaders for failing to hold up their commitment to phase out the costly fossil fuel subsidies that hurt developing economies and slow the development of alternative fuels. READ MORE SHARE
Anellotech licenses p-xylene technology from UMass Amherst Anellotech Inc. has signed an exclusive license agreement with University of Massachusetts-Amherst, adding a new technology capability to its core catalytic fast pyrolysis process that triples the amount of p-xylene produced from biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Scientists analyze optimum load rate for vinasse-to-biogas system A team of Mexican scientists recently published the results of a study that aimed to determine the optimum organic loading rate for operating an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor to generate biogas using waste from sugarcane ethanol production. READ MORE SHARE
Senate votes in favor of DOD, biofuels development The U.S. Senate passed an amendment, issued by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., by a vote of 62-37 that allows the U.S. Department of Defense to continue its development and work in the advanced biofuels sector. READ MORE SHARE
Ontario sawmill to build pellet plant Resolute Forest Products has announced plans to build a $10 million wood pellet plant at its sawmill in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The company has secured a 10-year agreement with Ontario Power Generation to supply 45,000 metric tons of pellets annually. READ MORE SHARE
Industry responds to latest report attacking the RFS A new report released by the National Council of Chain Restaurants, titled "Federal Ethanol Policies and Chain Restaurant Food Costs," generated a swift response from the organizations representing the ethanol and advanced biofuels industries. READ MORE SHARE
Mexico Ministry of Energy sees big potential in bioenergy The Mexico Ministry of Energy has published information on the potential for biomass energy in a report produced as part of the country's initiative for the development of renewable energy, identifying a competitive target of 1,500 MW. READ MORE SHARE
Canadian pellet producer reports improved margins Viridis Energy Inc. recently released its third quarter financial results, reporting a gross profit of $367,000 for the three months ended Sept. 30, a significant improvement over the gross profit of $186,000 reported the preceding quarter. READ MORE SHARE
NSF-funded research team to study biomass and hydrogen link The National Science Foundation is helping an interdisciplinary team of scientists at North Carolina A&T State University develop better syngas production methods, more efficient nanocatalysts and high-purity hydrogen production processes. READ MORE SHARE
Colo. stewardship contracts to produce biomass for pellets, power The U.S. Forest Service has announced two stewardship contracts worth a combined $13.4 million to improve the health of subalpine and mountain forests affected by mountain pine beetle in the Medicine Bow-Routt and White River national forests. READ MORE SHARE
API mounts another attack on RFS, biofuels industry fights back Less than two weeks after the U.S. EPA denied the request to waive the renewable fuel standard (RFS), the American Petroleum Institute is calling on Congress to repeal it. Organizations that support the biofuel industry were quick to respond. READ MORE SHARE
Australians develop glycerol-based biomass pretreatment process Australia-based Leaf Energy Ltd. is developing a new biomass pretreatment process that utilizes glycerol, a coproduct of the biodiesel process. The process uses lower temperatures and pressures, requires less enzymes and releases fewer inhibitors. READ MORE SHARE
Global Clean Energy Holdings issued RSB certification SCS Global Services announced that it has issued Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels certification to Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc., a California-based producer of nonfood-based biofuels, biomass and renewable chemical feedstocks. READ MORE SHARE