Biomass Week - September 5, 2014

Poet-DSM Project Liberty marks an energy milestone After a decade of hard work, one of the world's largest ethanol producers is making cellulosic fuel a reality. Under a cloudless sky on a cool, September morning, Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels celebrated the grand opening of Project Liberty. READ MORE SHARE
USDA awards loan guarantee to Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels The USDA has awarded a $105 million loan guarantee to Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels LLC to support the development of an 11 MMgy facility to convert municipal solid waste into jet fuel. The $266 million project is planned for development near Reno, Nevada. READ MORE SHARE
	Wind River Biomass Utility wins $200,000 grant for CHP plant Gov. Jay Inslee recently announced a $200,000 grant to Wind River Biomass Utility LLC to support development of a combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant in Washington. The funding will be used to purchase equipment for the proposed facility. READ MORE SHARE
EPA approves Oberon DME as first biogas-based fuel under the RFS Less than a year after submitting a fuel pathway petition to the U.S. EPA, Oberon Fuels Inc.'s biogas-based dimethyl ether (DME) fuel has been approved for inclusion under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). READ MORE SHARE
Pure Energy Group brings AD to urban settings with new technology Pure Energy Group LLC's first waste-to-energy system is permitted and operational at the Devil's Canyon Brewery, located in San Carlos, California. The pilot demonstration system is in its final commissioning phase. READ MORE SHARE
Amaron Energy to demonstrate pyrolysis process at Wash. DNR event The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has announced it is sponsoring a demonstration of Amaron Energy's 20-ton-per-day pyrolysis unit in October. Approximately 1,000 gallons of oil will be produced during the event. READ MORE SHARE
NASA: ACCESS II confirms jet biofuel burns cleaner Flying high above the California desert, NASA researchers recently took to the skies for the second year in a row with a DC-8 and other aircraft to study the effects on emissions and contrail formation of burning alternative fuels in jet engines. READ MORE SHARE
EPA: Cellulosic RINs were generated in July The U.S. EPA has released renewable identification number (RIN) generation for July, reporting that nearly 1.27 billion RINs were generated during the month. Cellulosic RINs were among those generated in July. READ MORE SHARE
Going to extremes for enzymes In the search for enzymes that can break lignocellulose down into biofuel sugars under the extreme conditions of a refinery, a University of California Berkeley researcher has prospected for extremophilic microbes and engineered his own cellulases. READ MORE SHARE
Scientists create renewable propane using bacteria Researchers have engineered the harmless gut bacteria E.coli to generate renewable propane. The development is a step towards commercial production of a source of fuel that could one day provide an alternative to fossil fuels. READ MORE SHARE
Vega Biofuels pilot torrefaction plant to use new process Vega Biofuels Inc. has announced that its joint venture partner, Agri-Tech Producers LLC, developed a patent-pending process that dramatically reduces the cost of some feedstock for the company's Allendale, South Carolina, pilot torrefaction plant. READ MORE SHARE
Poet-DSM's Project Liberty goes from fantasy to reality The grand opening of Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels LLC's Project Liberty is the start of what Jeff Broin, founder of Poet and executive chairman, believes will be a complete transformation of the energy supply. READ MORE SHARE
RusForest provides update on Russian pellet mill in Q2 results Sweden-based RusForest AB has released financial results for the first half of the year, reporting the company produced 19,320 metric tons of pellets during the first six months of 2014, including 12,830 metric tons during the second quarter. READ MORE SHARE
EIU to reap research opportunities through land use partnership For some students at Eastern Illinois University, the traditional, enclosed classroom will soon be replaced with acres of wind-blown native grasses. Local landowners have agreed to allow Eastern to use nearly 120 acres of their property for research. READ MORE SHARE
Bioenergy research continues march toward energy independence In September, October and November the Southeastern Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems will take to the road to show off research progress of the regional partnership, which is focused on biofuels production centered in the Southeast. READ MORE SHARE
Partnership fuels expansion of UNBC's bioenergy system Students, communities and the environment will benefit from the expansion of the University of Northern British Columbia's award-winning bioenergy heating system, thanks to a $1.1-million contribution from the government of British Columbia. READ MORE SHARE
Stora Enso to build demonstration plant in Louisiana Following its recent acquisition of the U.S.-based biotechnology company Virdia, Stora Enso is investing EUR 32 million ($43 million) in a demonstration and market development plant to be built at Raceland, Louisiana. READ MORE SHARE
DOE 'Knowledgebase' links biologists, computer scientists Brookhaven National Laboratory has announced the launch of the U.S. Department of Energy's Systems Biology Knowledgebase, a new computational platform to help the biological community analyze, store, and share data. READ MORE SHARE
PFI announces relationship change with HPBA The Pellet Fuels Institute has announced that it is changing its long-standing relationship with the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association in order to better provide the level of services required by its diversifying membership. READ MORE SHARE
Global wood pellet demand to reach 50 million metric tons by 2024 Global wood pellet demand is rapidly expanding. According to a new study by RISI, pellet demand is projected to grow from an estimated 23 million metric tons in 2014 to 50 million metric tons in 2024. READ MORE SHARE