Category: Research

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers use magnets to reduce energy demand for CO2 electrolysis

July 5, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Illinois, for decades, researchers have been working toward mitigating excess atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. One promising approach captures atmospheric CO2 and then, through CO2 electrolysis, converts it into value-added chemicals and intermediates–like ethanol, ethylene, and other useful chemicals. While significant research has been devoted to improving the rate and selectivity of CO2 electrolysis, […]

Catalyzing the conversion of biomass to biofuel

July 3, 2021 | admin

In Germany, Technical University of Munich researchers found that water in zeolites saves energy in the conversion of biomass into biofuel by taking a closer look at the role of water molecules in reactions inside zeolite’s pores, which are less than one nanometer in size. “If we are to do without fossil energy sources in […]

DOE awards $45.5M for biofuel and bioproduct research

July 1, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $45.5 million for research projects geared towards understanding and harnessing nature’s biological processes to produce clean biofuels and bioproducts. This research will push the boundaries of biology and biotechnology research, while helping to enhance America’s energy security and build its clean energy economy. Awardees will pursue […]

Chinese researchers develop algae pretreatment doubling biogas production

June 30, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In China, for more than 60 years, algae have been studied as a potential feedstock for biofuel production, but the cellulose in their cell wall makes it hard to access the critical molecules inside and convert them to biogas. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, an international research team reports their success in […]

DOE invests $8M in four algae-based bio-based projects

June 29, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced $8 million in federal funding for four projects to develop and test technologies that capture and utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) from power systems or other industrial sources to create valuable products and services, biomass and bi-products. Using algae, the […]

MIT engineers develop new way to use nonfood feedstocks for biofuel production

June 28, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Massachusetts, to try to expand biofuels’ potential impact, a team of MIT engineers has now found a way to expand the use of a wider range of nonfood feedstocks to produce such fuels. At the moment, feedstocks such as straw and woody plants are difficult to use for biofuel production because they first need to […]

GFI is funding research to develop alt protein ingredients from Brazilian plant species

June 27, 2021 | admin

In Brazil, Good Food Institute Brazil’s Biomas Project will allocate up to $27,500 (R$135,000) to each research project that transforms native Amazon and Cerrado plant species, such as babaçu and macaúba, into raw materials for the alternative protein industry. The deadline to apply is July 13. In Brazil, a new species of fauna and flora […]

NREL and Sempra Energy mark 10 years of promoting low carbon fuels and microgrids

June 24, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Colorado, NREL and Sempra Energy are now leveraging a decade of successful collaborative work to target global carbon neutrality. NREL and Sempra Energy’s cooperative, multiyear projects exploring low-carbon fuels and microgrid technology have reaped success—including some groundbreaking achievements. In 2013, Sempra Energy subsidiary San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) and NREL established the […]

Canadian-British researchers find willow trees can clean municipal wastewater

June 23, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Canada, researchers have found a way to stem the flow of municipal wastewater: by filtering the waste through the roots of willow trees. Experimenting with a plantation in Quebec, the scientists estimate that over 30 million liters of primary wastewater per hectare can be treated using ‘bio-refinery’ annually. Their results were published June 14 […]

University of Delaware researchers look to microbes to convert CO into chemicals

June 22, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Delaware, in the quest to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and curb climate change, University of Delaware researchers are turning to an interesting ally: bacteria that consume biomass sugars and CO2. With a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), researchers developing a system to produce […]

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