Category: Top Stories

Are sugar beets the answer for Scotland’s biofuels, net zero goals and job growth?

Are sugar beets the answer for Scotland’s biofuels, net zero goals and job growth?

November 28, 2021 |

It’s barely December yet but some are already having visions of sugar beets, not sugar plums, dancing in their heads, thanks to a new Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and Scottish Enterprise working on proposals to re-introduce sugar beet as a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels used for bioethanol in Scotland. Their data shows […]

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Competitive Edge: Praj Industries’ Ethanol, Bioenergy, Biotech

Competitive Edge: Praj Industries’ Ethanol, Bioenergy, Biotech

November 25, 2021 |

Q: What was the reason for founding your organization – what was the open niche you saw that could be addressed with a new product or service? What was the problem, or gap, or opportunity? Praj was founded by Dr. Pramod Chaudhari in 1983 owing to his affinity for agriculture and exposure to research with […]

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Living, moving biomimicry dress, corn-based sneakers, cactus leather, wood-based batteries and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of November 25th

Living, moving biomimicry dress, corn-based sneakers, cactus leather, wood-based batteries and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of November 25th

November 24, 2021 |

On a day when many are eating way too much turkey, clothing that moves and grows with you sounds like a good idea, but how about self-destructing clothing – a “living” concept dress called “Biomimicry” from salt and recycled plastic that grows, changes color and shape in response to conditions, and will eventually fall apart. […]

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U.S. Biogas Production is Key to Meeting COP26 Global Methane Pledge Goals

U.S. Biogas Production is Key to Meeting COP26 Global Methane Pledge Goals

November 23, 2021 |

By John Hanselman, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Vanguard Renewables Special to The Digest At COP26, the United Nations climate change summit, top leaders from around the world (save a few) came together to collaborate on solutions for keeping the planet’s temperature from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. They agreed that […]

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Handing cargo owners control of decarbonizing their supply chains

Handing cargo owners control of decarbonizing their supply chains

November 22, 2021 |

By Katarin Van Orshaegen, Commercial Lead at GoodShipping Special to The Digest Left unchecked, emissions from international shipping could account for more than 15% of the world’s total by 2050. That’s not just a challenge for the industry itself to become more sustainable, but for wider society. Encouragingly, Katarin Van Orshaegen, Commercial Lead at GoodShipping, […]

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DiviGas, Neste, Toyota, Ballard, COP26 pledges, PNNL, NREL, others are hot on hydrogen

DiviGas, Neste, Toyota, Ballard, COP26 pledges, PNNL, NREL, others are hot on hydrogen

November 21, 2021 |

It’s been a hot week for hydrogen with DiviGas securing $3.6 million in seed funding for the commercialization of a new next-generation polymeric hydrogen separation membrane that is a filter at a molecular level that purifies hydrogen and helps capture the associated CO2. The disruptive membrane will help reduce emissions by >1000 Million Tons of […]

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The Grand Switcheroo: Is the Biden Administration aiming corn ethanol at SAF, putting spirit in the sky?

The Grand Switcheroo: Is the Biden Administration aiming corn ethanol at SAF, putting spirit in the sky?

November 18, 2021 |

Just back from the AFCC event in Washington, and I have to say, the mood was reasonably glum in the world of Sustainable Aviation Fuels, where you’d think that the leaders would sound like brides and bridegrooms on the brink of happiness, after President Joe Biden announced a goal of 3 billion gallons of SAF […]

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Light-bending wood pulp, salt building material, seaweed bioplastics and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of November 18th

Light-bending wood pulp, salt building material, seaweed bioplastics and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of November 18th

November 17, 2021 |

Lightbending was discovered by Avatar Shiron when a Firebender let his Yang overpower his Yin, then attempted to Generate Lightning which resulted in a white light, or so the Avatar story goes. But in the UK, light-bending researchers found a super sparkle was achieved by coaxing microscopic surfaces of cellulose, from wood pulp in this […]

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Unlocking Wastewater Value Is a Hidden Resource in Both Agricultural and Fermentation Processing

Unlocking Wastewater Value Is a Hidden Resource in Both Agricultural and Fermentation Processing

November 16, 2021 |

By Joel Stone, ConVergInce Advisers and Executive VP of Lee Enterprises Consulting & Thalia Aoki, Sales Engineer at ZwitterCo, Inc. Special to The Digest “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.” This idiomatic expression characterizes the idea of tossing out the good along with the bad. Bioprocessing of agricultural or fermentation product businesses could […]

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Velocys offtake deals with Southwest, IAG, SAF advancements from Enerkem, Honeywell, Twelve, Dallas Forth Worth airport

Velocys offtake deals with Southwest, IAG, SAF advancements from Enerkem, Honeywell, Twelve, Dallas Forth Worth airport

November 15, 2021 |

It was a hot week for sustainable aviation news with Velocys entering a 15-year offtake deal for 575 million blended gallons of net zero SAF to be produced at their planned Bayou Fuels biorefinery project in Mississippi for Southwest Airlines and a 10-year offtake agreement with International Consolidated Airlines Group (which includes British Airways, Aer […]

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