B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

On May 9, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the recipients of up to $10 million in funding through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI). BRDI is a joint program through DOE and USDA that helps develop sustainable sources of biomass and increase the availability of biobased fuels and products. DOE selected two of the grant winners to receive between $1 million...

On April 28, 2016, Neste Renewable, a Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member, announced that its renewable isoalkane would be used in Avantherm's renewable Heat Transfer Media products. Avantherm will be using the isoalkane to produce new sustainable and high-performance renewable products, including a coolant that can replace glycol. Neste Renewable Isoalkane is chemically comparable to traditional isoalkane, but preforms better and has a lower environmental...

On April 27, 2016, the Iowa Senate voted 49-0 to extend the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) through June 30, 2017. The legislation, House File 2464, was passed by the Iowa House 94-0 and provides funding for cost-share grants to upgrade fueling infrastructure. RFIP covers up to 70 percent of the installation cost of E15, E85, or biodiesel blend fuel pumps for Iowa retailers, up to $50,000 per project. "While we were hopeful for a long-term funding solution for the state's...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to offer a complimentary webinar that will include a review of the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule elements, a highlight of changes that will come into play for 2016, and some helpful hints on how to get prepared. Kathleen M. Roberts, Senior Regulatory Consultant at B&C; and Executive Director of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Senior Chemist at B&C, will discuss the...

On April 22, 2016, EPA published Amendments Related to: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards as a final rule in the Federal Register. This final action amends the RFS Quality Assurance Program (QAP) rule to exempt downstream end users of renewable fuels from product transfer document (PTD) requirements. EPA originally added the PTD requirements to the QAP rule, requiring parties taking ownership of renewable fuel to use the fuel for transportation -- parties would incur a renewable...

On April 15, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent its newly proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for 2017 and 2018 to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA must set standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel by November 30 of the year before the standard is set for, and 14 months before the year that the biodiesel standard is set for. EPA's issuance...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Research and Development (R&D) Board Operations Committee is hosting a bioeconomy listening session entitled "Building a Billion Ton Bioeconomy in the United States." The event will encourage attendees to share their thoughts on the future of the national bioeconomy, and will specifically solicit input on opportunities and challenges that can be addressed to achieve a focused and successful bioeconomy vision for the U.S. The recently...

On April 18, 2016, Neste, BRAG member, announced that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will be using a fuel blend containing Neste Renewable Jet Fuel for a series of flights from Oslo to Amsterdam. Kaisa Hietala, Executive Vice President of Renewable Products at Neste, stated: "[w]e are very happy that KLM is using Neste Renewable Jet Fuel in dozens of flights from Oslo to Amsterdam. It shows that KLM is a pioneer in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aviation." KLM will use Neste's...

On April 8, 2016, the California State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Commission) sued Mendota Bioenergy LLC, claiming it improperly spent public money targeted for equipment purchases. The bioenergy company entered into an agreement with the Commission in March 2013 to construct and operate a 10,000 ton beet to ethanol demonstration plant. After amending the agreement, Mendota agreed to build a 2,400 ton demonstration plant with the Commission providing nearly $5...

On April 15, 2016, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Project Definition for Pilot and Demonstration Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower (PD2B3)." The FOA would be managed by the Bioenergy Technologies Office, and will support technology development plans for drop-in hydrocarbon biofuels, bioproducts, or biopower manufacturing. Applicants...

On April 21, 2016, DOE and IEA Bioenergy (IEA) presented a webinar, Bioenergy - Is It Good for the Climate?, which discussed the climate benefits of bioenergy and the impact of bioenergy on atmospheric CO2 levels. The webinar featured Annett Cowie, principal Research Scientist in New South Wales' Department of Primary Industries, and Task Leader of the International Energy Agency Bioenergy research network "Climate Change Effects of Biomass and Bioenergy Systems." Archives of the...

Scientists, executives, investors, and media representatives gathered in San Diego, California on Monday evening for a fascinating and wide-ranging panel discussion on current issues facing bioeconomy leaders and innovators. The reception, hosted by the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), and Industrial Biotechnology, included panelists Christophe Schilling, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Genomatica; Blake A. Simmons, Ph.D., Chief...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is a proud sponsor of the 2016 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. Make sure to visit our tabletop display to pick up content-driven articles about the current state of biotechnology regulations, with commentary by B&C and Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) professionals. Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Senior Chemist with B&C, will be attending the conference and will be pleased to discuss questions attendees may...

On April 1, 2016, The Plastics Industry Trade Association's SPI Bioplastics Division released a new report explaining and defining bioplastics. The report, Bioplastics Simplified: Attributes of Biobased and Biodegradable Products, educates consumers on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (Green Guides), and what this means in terms of claims that companies make about the origin and degradability of their products. The report...

On April 5, 2016, the biofuel trade associations Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Algae Biomass Organization, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Growth Energy, National Biodiesel Board, and Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to House and Senate Leaders asking for a multiyear extension of advanced biofuel tax credits. The six organizations are specifically asking that the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit, the Special Depreciation Allowance for Second Generation...

On April 8, 2016, Reuters reported that Argentina is planning on increasing the required percentage of ethanol in gasoline from 12 percent to 26 percent. Specific targets have not yet been created for increasing the required ethanol blend, but Argentina has been increasing the required ethanol percentage to reduce energy deficits and boost its economy. Argentina first created an ethanol mandate at five percent in 2010, and has increased the percentage incrementally since then. The increase of 14...

On April 8, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a Save the Date for the upcoming Algal Biology Toolbox Workshop. The workshop is intended to gather experts on algal biology to discuss the current state of algal biological tools, challenges to developing and applying biology tools to improve algae performance, and strategies to work towards commercializing algae biofuels. The workshop will occur on May 24-25, 2016, in San Diego, California. DOE states that registration information...

On April 6, 2016, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File 2300, creating a five cent tax credit, per pound of renewable chemicals produced from biomass feedstock between 2017 and 2026. Spokesman for Governor, Ben Hammes, stated, "Gov. Branstad believes this biochemical tax program will go even further to continue spurring economic growth all over Iowa, creating more high-quality jobs and attracting investments in renewable chemical manufacturing and advanced bio-refining." The...

BETO's Thermochemical Feedstock Interface Project is presenting a Field-to-Fleet project webinar. The event will include a discussion of the project, its outcomes, and opportunities for partnership. Over the course of the multi year project, researchers have discovered how feedstock type affects various thermochemical biofuels conversion processes and quantified impacts of feedstock type on the hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oil, and how the methodology can be applied to other thermochemical...

On March 28, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the 2016 update of the BETO Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). The MYPP helps BETO coordinate its activities and details BETO's activities in the coming years. The latest MYPP includes three major changes: A revised vision statement, "Developing and demonstrating transformative and revolutionary bioenergy technologies for a sustainable nation," to emphasize the role of BETO in...