Author Archive: Jim Lane

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Modular Biorefinery Deployment

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Modular Biorefinery Deployment

September 24, 2026 |

The Story: Modular biorefineries combine prefabricated, skid-mounted, or containerized units on site, promising shorter commissioning schedules and 15% to 35% lower first-of-a-kind capital expenditures compared to traditional monolithic facilities. Nevertheless, real-world deployments reveal mixed outcomes. Inconsistent fabrication quality, prolonged on-site integration, and complex multi-module orchestration frequently erode projected cost savings. To fully capture modular value, […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Skid-Mounted RNG Units

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Skid-Mounted RNG Units

September 24, 2026 |

The story: Factory-built, skid-mounted renewable natural gas units have established themselves as the standard deployment model for small-farm agricultural digesters producing under 50,000 SCFD, rapidly displacing custom site-built installations. As project developers scale up distributed asset portfolios, operational performance becomes dictated by operating economics, including turndown capacity, equipment serviceability, spare parts logistics, and remote monitoring. […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Modular Biomanufacturing Platforms

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Modular Biomanufacturing Platforms

September 23, 2026 |

Modular biomanufacturing platforms utilize skid-mounted, containerized, and prefabricated production cells to mitigate first-of-a-kind capital risks and shorten commissioning timelines. Leading vendors offer units deployable in months rather than years, delivering clear capital advantages. However, running multiple modular units introduces significant operational orchestration challenges regarding feedstocks, utilities, downstream processes, and personnel. Because economic failure occurs more […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Distributed Biomanufacturing at the Edge

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Distributed Biomanufacturing at the Edge

September 22, 2026 |

Distributed biomanufacturing places small fermentation units near end markets to manufacture biological products directly at the point of use. Although technically feasible, economic viability varies sharply across product classes. Decentralized facilities succeed when applied to specialty enzymes, agricultural microbials, and fresh-food ingredients where freshness, customization, or transportation costs dictate commercial success. Conversely, edge production remains […]

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Pain at the Pump, Itch at the Polls

Pain at the Pump, Itch at the Polls

September 22, 2026 |

Six weeks before Election Day, the political clock is ticking, the diesel pump is running, and America’s bioeconomy is confronting an investment horizon measured in decades. It’s 6:30 in the morning here in Digestville, and time to read the overnight news releases, scan the headlines, check the latest project announcements, and see what the world’s […]

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The Perils of Pauline: Can Haffner Energy Save SAF Before the Train Arrives? New SB-HEFA tech points the way

The Perils of Pauline: Can Haffner Energy Save SAF Before the Train Arrives? New SB-HEFA tech points the way

September 22, 2026 |

A young woman is tied to the railroad tracks. A villain, having twirled his mustache and completed his wicked work, has departed the scene. Rumbling nearer and nearer is a locomotive, its iron wheels screaming against the rails as its smokestack belches smoke into the desert sky. The heroine struggles. The ropes hold. The air […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Regional SAF Hubs vs Distributed Models

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Regional SAF Hubs vs Distributed Models

September 21, 2026 |

Two sustainable aviation fuel deployment models are emerging simultaneously: mega-hubs and distributed regional facilities. Mega-hubs in locations such as the Gulf Coast concentrate production, leverage shared infrastructure, and ship fuel via pipelines to maximize scale economies. In contrast, distributed plants sit near feedstock origins, reducing transport distance and building resilience. While the United States unintentionally […]

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From cornfields to the Cascades: The Farm Bill Comes to Town

From cornfields to the Cascades: The Farm Bill Comes to Town

September 21, 2026 |

In Shenandoah, Iowa, where the corn rustles in the night, and in the towering timberlands of Washington’s Columbia River Gorge, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s proposed 2026 Farm Bill is a blueprint for survival. Between a statutory promise penned in Capitol Hill committee rooms and a real paycheck deposited into a small-town bank account lies an […]

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America’s Refinery Crisis Needs an E30 Hybrid Solution

America’s Refinery Crisis Needs an E30 Hybrid Solution

September 21, 2026 |

By David Hallberg & Doug Durante Special to The Digest America’s energy challenge is no longer primarily about crude oil supply—it is about refining capacity and fuel production bottlenecks. Even with ample domestic oil production, the system is struggling to turn crude into the diesel and gasoline the economy actually uses. The most effective response […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Regional SAF Distribution

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Regional SAF Distribution

September 17, 2026 |

Small and regional airports will receive sustainable aviation fuel later and at higher costs due to terminal geography and volume allocation rather than airport equipment limitations. Jet fuel consumption is geographically concentrated, with six states accounting for over half of total domestic demand. Because regional facilities rely permanently on truck deliveries holding days of supply […]

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