By Don Scott, director of sustainability, National Biodiesel Board Special to The Digest EPA’s recently published Second Triennial Report to Congress on Biofuels and the Environment provides no meaningful conclusion on the net environmental benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). What EPA’s report unfortunately does provide, however, is fodder for political pundits wishing to […]
By Michael A. Fatigati, Special to The Digest It’s not news to the readers of Biofuels Digest, but it bears repeating that we find ourselves in an age of heightened awareness of the impact of drawing down the fossil carbon savings account of our precious blue orb as quickly as we’ve managed to do in recent […]
This July, industrial biotech returns to its largest and grandest stage at the BIO World Congress, which convenes in Philadelphia on July 16th through the 19th, and the plenary program brings CRISPR technology under the klieg lights and moves into the world of pret-a-porter — the biobased type— as the industry’s opportunities turn towards advanced […]
By Jenna Bloxom, Colorado State University Special to The Digest In games of cards and war, the strategy of misère is brandished by players who, disadvantaged by unfavorable odds, seek victory by patiently dodging confrontation and encouraging opponents to risk defeat in their own bids for glory. Such maneuvers of evasion, endurance, and passivity can […]
By Doug Durante, Executive Director, Clean Fuels Development Coalition Special to The Digest While the expression that the devil is in the details is trite and overused, it certainly fits when assessing the “Deal” supposedly reached this week on ethanol. First of all the export RIN issue does raise trade questions but if RINS go […]
By Mark Warner, PE, Founder, Warner Advisors LLC Special to the Digest Capital light scale-up utilizes existing fermentation facilities, in lieu of purpose-built demonstration facilities, to bring advanced technologies to market faster and with less capital burn. It is a great plan if it can be executed, but risk comes in the form of limited options, […]
By Donnell Rehagen. CEO, National Biodiesel Board The biofuels industry found itself in an unusual position for much of the past 12 months. Typically confined to debates in the trade press, biofuels-related headlines are now splashed across the mainstream media. It’s new for most observers to see a host of Washington, D.C., political analysts race […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, BIO; head, Industrial & Environmental Section Special to The Digest The biobased economy encompasses the entire value chain of sustainable manufacturing – from the supply of renewable or waste feedstock, through biotech platforms, to production and use of biobased fuels and products. BIO is a global leader in advocating […]
By Jess Hewitt, RIN and Isobutanol Expert, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a comment period for the registration of the use of Isobutanol in gasoline. Why is this important? Because since the states banning of the use of MTBE and other ethers in underground tanks, this […]
By Gregory T. Benz, Lee Enterprise Consulting Special to The Digest Small pilot fermenters are used with several different objectives: studying the organism, developing feeding strategies, evaluating potential yields, etc. A major purpose can be to study the mass transfer characteristics of the system, and how they relate to agitation. In the production scale, the […]
