All Knowledge & Insights By Date

?   BioPilotsUK, “Landmark Alliance Launched to Support the Growth of the UK Bioeconomy”   ?   The Prowers Journal, “National USDA Official Highlights Biofuels Investments in Colorado”   ?   UDaily, “Biofuel Breakthrough:  PNAS Paper Reports New Approach to Methanol Utilization”   ?   MSU News Service, “MSU Awarded Grant to Research Biofuel, Carbon Capture Technologies For Upper Missouri River Basin”...

On October 19, 2016, EPA delivered the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume standards for 2017 and biobased diesel standards for 2018 via proposed rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  This proposed rule will increase the renewable fuel volume requirements as reported in the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) post “EPA Releases Proposed Renewable Fuel Volume Requirements.”  The proposed volume requirements are:...

?   Inside Sources, “Data Dispel the Myth of The Blend Wall”   ?   My Sunshine Coast, “Queensland Government Goes Global for Bio Opportunities”   ?   The Philadelphia Inquirer, “New $170M Delaware River Chemical Plant”   ? ars technica, “Turning Plants into Better Fat Factories”

On October 18, 2016, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) sent a letter to Congressional Leadership, the Senate Finance Committee Chairs, and the House Ways and Means Committee Chairs calling for the extension of expiring renewable energy tax credits.  The Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit, the Special Depreciation Allowance for Second Generation Biofuel Plant Property, the Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Fuels Credit, and the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling...

?   North Carolina Biotechnology Center, “$1.87M Grant Lets NCBiotech Lead SE Sorghum Initiative”   ?   AZO Cleantech, “Biofuels Researchers Engineer Plant Lignin and Explain Evolutionary Path”   ?   GreenBiologics, “Green Biologics Announces New Brands for High Purity, Bio-Based Products”   ?   Reuters, “Shell Oil Bids $26 Million for Abengoa's Advanced Biofuel Plant”   ?   University Of Delaware,...

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has announced the 2016 Heroes of Chemistry at the ACS Fall National Meeting.  Of the four products showcased by the awards, Honeywell UOP’s Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ represented the biobased industry.  This biobased jet fuel “is cleaner burning than conventional jet fuel and can be blended up to a 50/50 ratio with petroleum-based jet fuel.”  The awardees were Chad Cavan, Ralph Davis, Donald Eizenga, Daniel Ellig, Stanley...

On October 11, 2016, the Biofrontiers platform, a group of industry and civil society stakeholders brought together by the European Climate Foundation, released policy recommendations for the European Union’s (EU) 2030 climate policy.  The group stated that the transport sector has become the largest source of carbon emissions in the EU, and is therefore an urgent area to tackle following the Paris climate change agreement.  Policy recommendations put forth by the Biofrontiers...

?   Verdezyne, “Verdezyne Signs Distribution Agreement with Aceto Corporation:  Exclusive Agreement with Leading Distributor of Specialty Chemicals in the U.S. to Power Regional Sales of Verdezyne’s BIOLON® DDDA”   ?   REG, “REG Celebrates Completion of $34.5 Million Upgrade Project at Danville Biorefinery”   ?   Finance & Commerce, “Rosemount Mulls Plan to Convert Waste into Ethanol”   ?   BASF,...

On October 4, 2016, Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission (EFC) published a report,  Course Correction: It’s Time to Rethink Canadian Biofuel Policies, arguing for the termination of biofuel subsidies.  The report claims that Canadian biofuel policies have reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions an average of three million tonnes annually, accounting for less than 0.5 percent of Canada’s total GHG emissions.  Annual costs of the biofuel policies were estimated to be C$640...

Amyris, "Amyris Expands In Global Nutraceuticals Market With New Collaboration and Partner Funding of $30 Million" Loyola, "Loyola Biology Professor Wins $50,000 National Science Foundation Grant to Create a Network to Prep Students for Careers in Biotechnology" Neste, "Henrik Erämetsä from Neste to Co-Chair EU Initiative for Advanced Biofuels in Aviation" National Science Foundation, "NSF Awards $94 Million to Create Four New Science and Technology...

BioAmber, "BioAmber Achieves Important Milestone in U.S. DOE Loan Guarantee Process" BusinessWire, "JetBlue Announces One of the Largest Renewable Jet Fuel Purchase Agreements in Aviation History" WSU News, "Researchers Make Breakthrough in Biobased Materials" Times of Malta, "France Bans Plastic Plates, Cups and Cutlery"

On September 21, 2016, Pannonia Ethanol, a Hungarian biofuels company, spoke out against the European Commission's (EC) Low-Emission Mobility Strategy . The strategy recognizes the importance of biofuels in reducing road emissions, and plans on replacing ethanol that is currently being blended into traditional fuels with advanced biofuels. This has spurred concerns for the ethanol industry, as ethanol is increasingly phased out of government emission reduction initiatives in favor of...

On September 12, 2016, the  Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Incentive Extension Act of 2016 (H.R. 5994) was introduced to the House of Representatives and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. The bill was introduced by Representative Diane Black (R-TN), and would extend the $1 per gallon biodiesel and renewable diesel blenders credit, originally set to expire December 31, 2016, through  December 31, 2018. The blenders tax credit of $1 was created in 2005 for biodiesel or...

On September 16, 2016, the U.S. Navy announced the successful flight test of the EA-18G "Green Growler" plane on 100 percent advanced biofuel. Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Fairfax, project officer and test pilot, stated that "The information presented to us in the airplane is pretty simplified but, as far as I could tell, the aircraft flew completely the same as [petroleum-based] JP-5 for the whole flight." This program supports the Secretary of the Navy's (SECNAV) goal to increase...

On September 14-15, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted a two-day workshop with lead experts on aviation biofuels exploring opportunities to increase competitiveness of alternative jet fuels. The Alternative Aviation Fuel Workshop was organized in four parallel breakout sessions covering the economic and technical competitiveness, fuel conversion and scale-up, environmental sustainability and life-cycle benefits, and feedstock and product supply chains of lignocellulosic biomass...

On August 29, 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published a study on the result of land-use changes on North and South Dakota commercial honey bee colonies in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. USGS scientists found that grasslands and other landscape features favored by beekeepers were decreasing, with crops that are avoided by beekeepers, such as corn and soybeans, replacing them. The study pointed out that biofuel crop production, including corn and soybeans,...

On August 29, 2016, the Energy Regulatory Commission of Mexico (CRE) published fuel regulation NOM-016-CRE-2016 in the Mexican Federal Register. This fuel standard allows for the blending and sale of up to 5.8 percent ethanol in the nation's fuel supply outside of Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. These new regulations will go into effect 60 days after publication of the bill, marking the first ethanol mandate to impact rural areas of Mexico. Guadalajara currently has a 2 percent...

? Growing Produce, "Better Biocontrol Options Becoming Available to Organic Growers" ? Joint Genome Institute, "Expanding the Stable of Workhorse Yeasts" ? Scientific American: ClimateWire, "Engineered Bacterium Turns Carbon Dioxide into Methane Fuel" ? DVIDS, "Fueling The Future: Air Force Title III Program Working To 'Home-Grow' Biofuels for DOD, Industry" ? NEC, "NEC Develops Non-Edible-Plant-Based Bioplastic Featuring the Elegance of...

On August 25, 2016, researchers at the University of Michigan, led by research professor John M. DeCicco, Ph.D., published "Carbon balance effects of U.S. biofuel production and use," a study examining the impact of biofuel production on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The study, funded in part by the American Petroleum Institute, examined USDA crop-production data and determined that the increasing use of biofuels has resulted in a net increase of CO2 emissions, with only 37 percent...

On August 24, 2016, Brazil's government announced that it would not be extending a tax break on ethanol sales that is due to expire in December 2016. During the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, Brazil pledged to increase cane-based ethanol and biodiesel to nearly 18 percent of its total energy mix by 2030, requiring an increase in annual ethanol production from 30 billion liters in 2015/2016 to 50 billion liters in 2030. The loss of the ethanol tax break prevents biofuel from being cost...