Category: Top Stories

Steel’s Big Dog jumps into low carbon fuels: ArcelorMittal, LanzaTech, Primetals Technologies to construct $96M biofuel production facility

July 13, 2015 | Jim Lane

First plant will produce 14 million gallons per year by 2018; first production train online in 2017. More plants to come? Up to 150 mgy potential in Europe, ArcelorMittal says; culmination of work since 2011. In Belgium, ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, with LanzaTech and Primetals Technologies, announced a letter of intent to […]

One man’s junk, another man’s treasure? Looking at carbon monoxide and LanzaTech

July 12, 2015 | Jim Lane

What’s LanzaTech all about? How does it work and why? Here are answers for your questions. Why don’t steel mills generate power for the grid — why make fuels instead of steam? “The fact that many of these industrial facilities could be making electricity now, but are not, tells the story,” LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren […]

What’s up with Algae now?

July 9, 2015 | Jim Lane

Six years after 2009’s “summer of algae”, we look at who’s doing what now, as the industry diversifies heavily into nutraceuticals in search of sustaining product revenue. 31 Algae players, what do they make now, and how are they making out? Algae, algae, algae — biofuels made from and by the littleist creatures in the […]

DOE invests $18M in 6 projects aimed at sub-$5 per gallon algae biofuels by 2019

July 9, 2015 | Jim Lane

In Washington, the US Energy Department announced six projects that will receive up to $18 million in funding to reduce the modeled price of algae-based biofuels to less than $5 per gasoline gallon equivalent (gge) by 2019. This funding supports the development of a bioeconomy that can help create green jobs, spur innovation, improve the […]

Advanced Bioeconomy ventures raise $1.328 billion in past 12 months, up 5.2%

July 8, 2015 | Jim Lane

45 deals, 37 companies; deal size jumps 7 percent and Q2 2015 is 15% up over 2014 and 138 percent up over Q1. Here’s the complete skinny on who got what. In Florida, The Digest reports that 37 advanced bioeconomy ventures raised $1.328 billion in new capital in Q3 2014 through Q2 2015 for company […]

Why Is EPA Proposing to Continue Delaying the Arrival of Advanced Biofuels?

July 7, 2015 | Jim Lane

By Brent Erickson, EVP, BIO Industrial & Environmental Section Special to The Digest Last week, United Airlines announced a significant investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy and an offtake agreement for as much as 90 million gallons per year of renewable jet fuel by 2021. The deal is a very significant development for the advanced biofuel industry […]

Solar Fuels: Making hydrocarbon fuels directly from CO2 and sunlight

July 6, 2015 | Jim Lane

Drop-in Hydrocarbon fuels made directly by plants? Here. we look at the science and risks of turning an “ability” into an “industrial reality”. It’s common knowledge that terrestrial plants (and many aquatic species) use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make the molecules they need — using a complex series of metabolic pathways established and […]

Why such a struggle to advance renewable fuels?: The (non-cooperative) games people play

July 3, 2015 | Jim Lane

Are there reasons that mandates and subsidies have a hard time stabilizing, or driving volumes of advanced biofuels or green chemicals — reasons that are grounded in the Prisoner’s Dilemma and game theory? Is there another, better way to advance the advanced bioeconomy? Classical economics is grounded in the analysis of choices between “guns or […]

The 10 Hottest, Bossest Renewable Plastic Technologies

July 2, 2015 | Jim Lane

Plastics — we love the price, performance and versatility. But why not renewable and sustainable, too? We want it all! And you can have it, with 10 technologies that are changing the landscape. Let’s dive into the who and why. 10. Using plastic to make fuels One way to get plastics out of the landfill, where […]

Cellulosic ethanol: Where are the gallons? Answers for your questions.

July 1, 2015 | Jim Lane

Seen a number of high-profile cellulosic projects open in recent years, and not much ethanol being produced? Wondered why? Here are answers to your questions. As Jack Webb used to say on Dragnet, just the facts, ma’am. Fact one. There’s not much ethanol being produced at the new generation of cellulosic projects. Fact two. We have […]

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