Category: Top Stories

The Yottabyte, Hyperspeed Economy, and you

The Yottabyte, Hyperspeed Economy, and you

June 22, 2017 |

If you saw this story on the Internet this week: You may be wondering about the roles that industrial biotechnology, big data, genetics, robotics and advanced computing are playing and will play in the “entire industries are about to become toast” game. This video about innovation and convergence, and the implications — may be of use […]

Read More

Explosive new ICCT report says “offsets” will dominate “alternative fuels” in aviation

Explosive new ICCT report says “offsets” will dominate “alternative fuels” in aviation

June 21, 2017 |

“Bulk of aviation emissions reductions will be achieved through carbon offsets,” not fuels, writes ICCT Slow scale-up foreseen for biofuels Challenges in feedstock costs Carbon pricing too little, too late The fatal distortion lies in petroleum markets In Washington, the International Council on Clean Transport reports that “it is likely that the bulk of aviation […]

Read More

Making Algae Obese: Synthetic Genomics, ExxonMobil breakthrough brings algae fuels clearer, closer

Making Algae Obese: Synthetic Genomics, ExxonMobil breakthrough brings algae fuels clearer, closer

June 20, 2017 |

In California at the annual BIO convention, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics announced a breakthrough in joint research into advanced biofuels involving the improvement of the Nannochloropsis gaditana algae strain. Currently at proof of concept scale, at the productivity rates seen under lab conditions, the strain could produce up to 1600 gallons per acre per year of […]

Read More

Algae Obesity! Synthetic Genomics, ExxonMobil breakthrough doubles lipid content; algae biofuels come clearer, closer

Algae Obesity! Synthetic Genomics, ExxonMobil breakthrough doubles lipid content; algae biofuels come clearer, closer

June 20, 2017 |

In California at the annual BIO convention, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics announced a breakthrough in joint research into advanced biofuels involving the improvement of the Nannochloropsis gaditana algae strain. Currently at proof of concept scale, at the productivity rates seen under lab conditions, the strain could produce up to 1600 gallons per acre per year of […]

Read More

Chickens, Get Ripped! ICM unveils high-end protein as 5th core product for ethanol biz

Chickens, Get Ripped! ICM unveils high-end protein as 5th core product for ethanol biz

June 19, 2017 |

In Minnesota, ICM is rolling out a new product category for the US ethanol industry this week, a companion to ethanol, distillers grains, corn oil, and CO2. And, perhaps, a window into a future of a whole range of specialty products with higher pricing profiles. It’s called UltraMax, which sounds like something you’d pick up […]

Read More

MYOB – the new ethanol mantra: modularity, yield, octane, bolt-ons

MYOB – the new ethanol mantra: modularity, yield, octane, bolt-ons

June 18, 2017 |

In Minnesota, the US ethanol industry is descending upon Minneapolis this week for the annual Fuel Ethanol Workshops, and the theme is efficiency, efficiency, efficiency.  You can feel the “get back to business” vibe, a steel-eyed “if you want a friend for ethanol, you can count on, get a puppy” perspective. The industry knows that growth […]

Read More

A Charge Unanswered is a Charge Believed: The real economics of charging vs fueling

A Charge Unanswered is a Charge Believed: The real economics of charging vs fueling

June 15, 2017 |

This short post on first-gen biofuels vs solar went viral on LinkedIn last week — thousands of likes, shares went bananas, it made a deep impression across the internet. Say 1 acre of corn ethanol produces 500 gallons, one acre of solar, 200kW, avg. US insolation on tracker produces 300,000kwh per year. Electric cars use .325kwh/mile […]

Read More

Market access: Industry grips with E15’s future in key Senate hearing

Market access: Industry grips with E15’s future in key Senate hearing

June 14, 2017 |

In Washington, hearings took place today on the future of E15 ethanol in the United States Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on S. 517, the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.  S. 517 was introduced in March and has 18 bipartisan sponsors, including Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The […]

Read More

Don’t spill that ethanol! Those cellulosic fuels are worth $4.33 a gallon.

Don’t spill that ethanol! Those cellulosic fuels are worth $4.33 a gallon.

June 13, 2017 |

The value of cellulosic fuels has reached $4.33 per gallon in the California market. That’s real-world, today, including the energy and the low-carbon attributes, and not based on speculation. The value has risen 59 cents, or 15.7 percent in the past 17 months. The soaring fuel values are prompting at least two companies to substantively […]

Read More

Fuels from thin air: drop-in liquid fuels from sky CO2, water and solar power

Fuels from thin air: drop-in liquid fuels from sky CO2, water and solar power

June 12, 2017 |

In Finland, we reported last week commercial vehicles operated by the City of Helsinki and bus services commissioned by HSL will fully switch to renewable fuels by 2020. HSL, Stara, UPM, Neste, Teboil, St1, the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Employment, the Finnish Petroleum and Biofuels Association and the Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT […]

Read More

}