Author Archive: Jim Lane

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Multi-Feedstock Inbound Logistics

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Multi-Feedstock Inbound Logistics

July 2, 2026 |

Transitioning to multi-feedstock biorefineries introduces immense inbound logistics complexities that far exceed simple procurement. The true operational constraint lies in receiving, segregating, and rigorously testing diverse streams like used cooking oil, tallow, and distillers corn oil. Delegating these functions to contractors exposes plants to adulteration and processing failures. Operators must instead build strategic, in-house capabilities—including […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Fuel Storage Infrastructure

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Fuel Storage Infrastructure

July 1, 2026 |

Insufficient storage tank capacity is the hidden bottleneck constraining renewable fuel commissioning at major U.S. refining centers, quietly causing volume curtailments and offtake disputes. Because shared storage is chronically under-provided by independent decision-making, producers cannot rely on existing infrastructure or slow greenfield builds. Instead, stakeholders must pursue disciplined tank conversions with strict segregation and quality […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Marine Biofuel Delivery

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Marine Biofuel Delivery

June 30, 2026 |

While marine biofuel demand is scaling rapidly, actual deployment is bottlenecked by last-mile delivery logistics rather than fuel availability. Mature hubs like Singapore and Rotterdam possess the necessary certified bunker barges, segregated tankage, and ISO-compliant blend testing. However, next-tier ports lack this essential architecture because thin operator economics discourage investments in specialized vessels. To unlock […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Cold-Chain Biomanufacturing Resilience

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Cold-Chain Biomanufacturing Resilience

June 29, 2026 |

The biomanufacturing industry faces severe, unpriced risks due to single-source dependencies in the cold-chain logistics of critical biological inputs like fermentation media, enzymes, and live cultures. With four major suppliers controlling over half the market, disruptions can halt entire plant operations regardless of bioprocess efficiency. To build operational resilience, developers must map single-source vulnerabilities, deploy […]

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Jefferson’s Independence, Adams’s Strength: The EPA, the Bioeconomy, and America’s Next 250 Years (Part 3 of “Action by the US Government”)

Jefferson’s Independence, Adams’s Strength: The EPA, the Bioeconomy, and America’s Next 250 Years (Part 3 of “Action by the US Government”)

June 26, 2026 |

On July 4, 1826, fifty years after the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of one another. It was an ending so improbable that generations of Americans have treated it almost as mythology. The two men had spent decades disagreeing about nearly every important question facing the young republic. Jefferson […]

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Jefferson’s Farmer, Adams’s Market: How the USDA Learned to Reward Stewardship (Part 2 of “Action by the US Government”)

Jefferson’s Farmer, Adams’s Market: How the USDA Learned to Reward Stewardship (Part 2 of “Action by the US Government”)

June 26, 2026 |

When Thomas Jefferson imagined the future of the American republic, he pictured millions of independent farmers making their own decisions on their own land. Freedom, in Jefferson’s view, depended on dispersing power as widely as possible. Citizens who controlled their own farms could not easily be controlled by anyone else. John Adams, by contrast, understood […]

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Jefferson’s Fields, Adams’s Markets: The Farm Bill Debate at America 250 (Part 1 of “Action by the US Government”)

Jefferson’s Fields, Adams’s Markets: The Farm Bill Debate at America 250 (Part 1 of “Action by the US Government”)

June 26, 2026 |

On July 4, 1826, as Americans celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, two of the republic’s greatest architects lay dying. Thomas Jefferson passed away at Monticello in Virginia. A few hours later, John Adams died in Massachusetts, reportedly unaware that his old friend and longtime rival had preceded him. For more than […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Biofuels as an Agricultural Catalyst

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to Biofuels as an Agricultural Catalyst

June 25, 2026 |

Global agriculture faces a structural oversupply crisis driven by decelerating population growth and surging crop yields. Without new demand, rural communities risk repeating the devastating 1980s farm crisis. Biofuels represent the only scalable catalyst capable of absorbing this massive surplus. Expanding biofuel blending rates to 15% or higher would stabilize cropland use, incentivize next-generation yield-enhancing […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioeconomy Workforce Gap

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioeconomy Workforce Gap

June 24, 2026 |

Despite abundant capital and feedstock, trained operators remain the binding constraint for scaling the bioeconomy. The industry demands over 60,000 skilled roles, but current pipelines produce only a quarter of that need. This severe shortage sparks destructive talent poaching, wage inflation, and operational compromises. To survive, developers must treat workforce development as a capital investment, […]

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The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to AI-Augmented Downstream Process Design

The Digest’s 2026 Multi-Slide Guide to AI-Augmented Downstream Process Design

June 23, 2026 |

While bioeconomy AI investments overwhelmingly target upstream strain engineering, downstream recovery processes actually account for the majority of commercial costs. Applying AI to optimize downstream steps like chromatography, filtration, and crystallization yields a return on investment two to three times higher than upstream applications. Deploying this AI requires proprietary, high-fidelity data and calibrated digital twins, […]

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