In Pennsylvania, a $10 million federal grant for biofuels research has been awarded to Penn State University by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hopes the grant will develop biomass supply chains for the Northeast, as well as improve rural economies and create jobs through public […]
In Germany, Lufthansa has stopped testing biofuel in its aircraft after six months due to a lack of available supply. During the testing period, Lufthansa operated 1,187 domestic flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg using a 50/50 blend of regular fuel and bio-kerosene in one of the plane’s two engines. Luftansa reports it saved approximately 1,500 […]
In the EU, the biofuels industry serves to enrich the large industrial groups more than the environment, according to a recent study published by the International Journal of Environment and Health. Because of the emphasis placed on first-generation biofuels in the EU’s policies, Simone Vierri of the University “La Sapienza” of Rome argues that the […]
In Iowa, researchers at Iowa State and the DOE Ames Laboratory have published a new model of chemical activity within nanospheres. Nanospheres, tiny spheres of silica with a honeycomb of tunnels, or pores, throughout their structure and embedded with catalytic groups, were developed in the last decade as a solution to finding a reusable catalyst […]
In Florida, Applied Research Associates (ARA) is researching the use of carinata seeds to produce a low-cost, high-grade jet fuel. In partnership with Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., researchers will determine if the feedstock is appropriate for producing […]
In France, a technological research facility and laboratory was opened by The Soufflet Group. It will be dedicated to researching ways to increase the value of agricultural resources and agro-industrial byproducts through sustainable farming. In partnership with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (OSIRIS), technological institutes and universities, the Soufflet Group has secured $145.3 […]
In Iowa, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute has published a new study indicating that a full waiver of the RFS requirements will only reduce corn prices by 0.5%. The study also concluded that “overall ethanol use and production are projected to be motivated mostly by crop and fuel market conditions in the current […]
In Wisconsin, a team of researchers led by George Huber — who recently moved from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to the Wisconsin Energy Institute — a UW-Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering, and his collaborators have demonstrated they can use a proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell to convert the model biomass compound acetone into isopropanol, a […]
In New Hampshire, the National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to University of New Hampshire assistant professor of chemical engineering, Xiaowei Teng. The grants are to support his research on increasing ethanol oxidation fuel cell reaction efficiency. Professor Teng and his team seek to promote ethanol as a viable energy source […]
In Colorado, the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado State University has secured $18.5 million in private donations to build an expansion. Major donors include the Bohemian Foundation and Woodward Inc. The lab conducts research in several areas, including electric grid improvements, biofuel production and improved cook stoves for developing countries. Former Governor Bill […]
