What do you say when you encounter people with misinformation about ethanol and distillers grains? Although I'm getting better the more I learn, I have to admit I've frozen up on more than a few occasions.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in California has taken the Kings Beach site for Placer County's proposed 2 megawatt biomass combined-heat-and-power plant off the table, but the county will push on, looking at new sites.
Cargill Inc. is planning a 1.4-megawatt waste-to-energy plant at its High River, Alberta, beef processing facility. The plant will run on organic waste from the facility and will complement its methane gas capture and power generation system.
Research efforts will provide a technology to help with issues NASA has identified as space and energy storage, as well as the human health, life support and habitation systems the agency believes must be addressed for future space exploration.
Global oil and gas executive with deep international experience in the sugar, oil and biofuel industry, to lead global commercialization of Solazyme's tailored oil platform. He spent 28 years at Petrobras and has keen knowledge of Brazil's markets.
Cereplast Inc. is hosting an online forum allowing members of the public to engage in the development of proposed usage guidelines for its new bioplastics symbol, which was selected this spring via the company's "Make Your Mark" competition.
A team of researchers at Glassboro, N.J.-based Rowan University's College of Engineering has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the U.S. DOE to support an algae project titled "Algae-Derived Biofuels." The study will be conducted in two parts.
The Sustainable Development Technology Canada's SD Tech Fund invested $53 million in 17 new clean technology projects across Canada in the areas of agriculture, transportation, mining and energy, four of which involved biodiesel and biorefining.
Amyris Inc. has signed a collaboration agreement with Japan-based resin and polymer manufacturer Kuraray Co. Ltd. to develop innovative polymers made from Amyris' biobased farnesene, Biofene, for production of high-performance polymers.
Codexis and technology and engineering firm Chemtex have forged a broad collaboration to develop and produce sustainable alcohols derived from cellulosic biomass for use in the household products market. Detergent alcohols is a $6 billion market.
August 01, 2011
What I find most interesting in the BCAP announcement on ZeaChem's woody feedstock partner is the sustainability angle – finding a niche where a cellulosic feedstock helps achieve sustainability goals.
With help from BCAP, Abengoa will begin signing up farmers starting next week to grow switchgrass with a goal of 20,000 acres to help supply its planned 25 MMgy cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kan.
There's more to be said for the record number of algae abstracts received for the biggest algae event of the year than the time spent reviewing and reading through the abstracts.
Fifty-eight percent. That's how much wages in Nebraska's ethanol industry have increased over the last decade. That's an increase from $35,000 to $56,000, according to figures from the Nebraska Department of Labor.
Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2011. Net income was $5 million, or 14 cents per diluted share, compared to $8.7 million, or 27 cents per diluted share, for the same period in 2010.
The latest round of BCAP project areas announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on July 26 includes a 7,000-acre hybrid poplar project in Boardman, Ore., designed to service ZeaChem Inc.'s nearby biochemical and cellulosic ethanol facility.
Following in the footsteps of other race-sanctioning bodies, the United States Auto Club now has an official fuel—ethanol. The difference is, this three-year partnership will mean much larger amounts of fuel used on racetracks across the nation.
By Rona Johnson
July 29, 2011
I was going to go on a rant this week about the latest announcement for project areas for USDA's Biomass Crop Assistance Program, and the obvious bias toward biomass transportation fuels.
July 29, 2011
My first time at the Pellet Fuels Institute Annual Conference couldn't have been better, unless of course I had found myself with a winning Florida lottery ticket in my pocket.
John Hurley with the EERC explained at the Biomass '11: Renewable Power, Fuels and Chemicals Conference in Grand Forks, N.D., how distributed or even portable energy and fuels production is one strategy to overcome biomass transport costs.
Elsevier has announced the launch of a new online search and discovery tool that aims to provide those in the biobased industry with instant access to the highest level of scientific, industrial and commercial information to spur innovation.
With Congress deadlocked, it appears unlikely that action will be taken on ethanol-related legislation. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said recently that proponents of a compromise are now looking for a vehicle for the ethanol reform package.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said his agency continues to be committed to President Obama's challenge for the nation to consume one-third less foreign oil by 2025 and it will continue to make funds available for biomass-related projects.
Hankinson Renewable Energy LLC, a 120 MMgy ethanol plant in Hankinson, N.D., is in the process of starting up an anaerobic digester to produce 54 MMBtu of biogas a year, according to David Rein, a process engineer with Rein & Associates.
Are we headed for a pine pulpwood shortage in the U.S. South?
Biomass standards are variations of coal and petroleum coke standards, but as the use of biomass increases governing standards agencies may have to come up with more specific procedures.
Hankinson Renewable Energy LLC, a 120 MMgy ethanol plant in Hankinson, N.D., is in the process of starting up an anaerobic digester to produce 54 million Btu (MMBtu) of biogas a year, according to David Rein of Rein & Associates.
The British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines and Minister for Renewable Housing's Innovative Clean Energy fund has selected 12 renewable energy projects that will receive a total of $8 million in funding.
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