In China, Guangxi Academy of Sciences has signed a cooperation agreement with FuturaGene to develop and optimize second generation biofuel production from woody biomass such as eucalyptus with FuturaGene supplying raw material from eucalyptus in the Guangxi region. The academy will be responsible for identifying the best species for further breeding and for optimizing the […]
In Minnesota, researchers led by the University of Minnesota have produced a map outlining where crops could be intensified to increase biofuel production. Researchers calculated median yields and yield gaps for 10 ethanol and 10 biodiesel crops, producing both global and individual results for 238 countries, territories and protectorates that includes more than 1200 country/crop combinations to pinpoint which […]
In Illinois, researchers have found a way to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide using an ionic liquid as a co-catalyst, reducing the amount of electrical energy required. A research team at the University of Illinois worked with researchers at Dioxide Materials, using an electrochemical cell as a flow reactor, which separated the oxygen output […]
In Washington, Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Jim Costa (D-CA) are pushing legislation that would require the EPA to waive a portion of the annual Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) when the corn stocks-to-use ratio falls below 10 percent. The RFA’s Geoff Cooper comments: “A primary concern is the fact that a decision with annual implications […]
In California, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been awarded almost $14 million in grant money from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy division of the U.S. Department of Energy. One of the lab’s projects, led by senior staff scientist Christer Jansson, will receive nearly $4.9 million in funding to produce biofuels. According to Jansson, the […]
In Indonesia, the Center for International Forestry Research recently released a new study showing that biofuel expansion has enormous potential to stimulate rural development in sub-Saharan Africa. The study cautions, however, that ensuring local community benefits and adequate protections for food production and forests will require strategic policy interventions and close collaboration among stakeholders. The […]
In Washington state, Washington State University researcher Bin Yang has won a $300,000 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to fund research into the co-production of ethanol and jet fuel from biomass sources. The grant is part of the agency’s Young Faculty Award which was given to 39 researchers across the country.
In California, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab researchers have identified a new terpene that could replace standard fuel for diesel – bisabolane. Using synthetic biology, a JBEI research team engineered strains of two microbes, a bacteria and a yeast, to produce a precursor to bisabolane, a member of the terpene class of chemical compounds that are […]
In Washington D.C., the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to grant $80 million this year to 163 companies that produce biofuel from alternative sources such as animal fats and wood chips. The amount of each company’s payment is based on how much biofuel the company produces from sources other than corn. For example, Pennsylvania-based […]
In Washington state, Imperium Renewables and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are developing a catalytic process being developed at PNNL that converts biomass-based alcohols into renewable drop-in jet fuels. Imperium entered into the project in July 2010 through a collaborative research agreement with Battelle, the nonprofit research organization that manages PNNL for DOE. The ultimate […]
