Category: Thought Leadership

Power to save family farms and the environment with anaerobic digestion

Power to save family farms and the environment with anaerobic digestion

October 13, 2016 |

By John D. Forcier, P.E., Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. Special to The Digest Farm-based anaerobic digestion systems have adapted in various regions of the world. The “European Model” relies on cash crops and manures with very high incentives and feed-in-tariffs. The “U.S. Model” is based on mostly or all cow manure from large farms (800 […]

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An Overview of the current Biochar and Activated Carbon Markets

An Overview of the current Biochar and Activated Carbon Markets

October 11, 2016 |

By Hugh McLaughlin, PhD, PE — Lee Enterprise Consulting, Inc. Special to The Digest Biochar is an emerging market; growing rapidly, still in its infancy, but with gigaton market potential when we, as in humanity, start addressing the climate crisis. Activated carbons are a mature market of about one million tons annual production, which is […]

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Making silk purses from hog fuels: A Golden Opportunity to Add Value via new solid biofuels standards

Making silk purses from hog fuels: A Golden Opportunity to Add Value via new solid biofuels standards

October 9, 2016 |

CAN/CSA-ISO 17225 Solid Biofuels Standards for Forest Biomass By Patrick Olivier BSc. Forestry, MBA, Lee Enterprises Consulting Inc. Special to The Digest In 2015, the Canadian Standards Association adopted and published a series of CAN/CSA – ISO 17225 Solid Biofuels Standards based on the harmonization of European and ISO standards.  The objective of the series, […]

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An EU biofuels proposal worth getting behind

An EU biofuels proposal worth getting behind

October 6, 2016 |

By James Cogan, Special to The Digest Europe’s bioethanol association ePure just released a renewables policy paper that’s something to get excited about. It’s a show of confidence and ambition on the part of Europe’s ethanol CEOs.  Their product delivers climate and bioeconomy benefits, it doesn’t come with adverse side effects and it is worth fighting for. […]

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It’s Time to End the Myth That High RIN Prices Prove Existence of the Blend Wall

It’s Time to End the Myth That High RIN Prices Prove Existence of the Blend Wall

October 4, 2016 |

By Brent Erickson Executive Vice President, Biotechnology Innovation Organization; head, Industrial & Environmental Section Special to The Digest Almost everyone accepts without question that U.S. refiners encountered the so-called blend wall – defined as blending ethanol into gasoline at or above 10 percent – in 2013, when RIN prices began to rise. The oil refiners, […]

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Understanding Biofuel Standards

Understanding Biofuel Standards

October 2, 2016 |

By Angela Fivga, PhD and Zsuzsa A. Mayer, PhD, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. Special to The Digest The analysis and standardization of biofuels are in constant development, therefore in many studies they follow a historic view or borrow unsuitable methods from fossil fuel analysis. An overview of the current standards helps to achieve better results. Due […]

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Gasification: the Flexible Answer to Biomass Conversion

Gasification: the Flexible Answer to Biomass Conversion

September 29, 2016 |

By Dr. Terry Mazanec, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest Biomass is a rich salad of chemicals that contains many highly valuable materials that are precursors to fine chemicals, nutrients, and pharmaceuticals. But this strength is also a weakness of biomass. The assortment of materials in biomass is bound together in a complex, stable […]

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 Why High Uptime for Your Laboratory Instruments is Critical to Your Bioethanol Plant’s Profitability 

 Why High Uptime for Your Laboratory Instruments is Critical to Your Bioethanol Plant’s Profitability 

September 26, 2016 |

By Mark Janeczko, Energy and Chemicals Marketing Manager, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc.  Special to The Digest The Future of Renewable Fuels  Whatever your thoughts regarding the future of the world’s energy supply, it is clear biofuel production and its clean implications are here to stay. On the federal level, The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program was […]

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New Bio Plastics and Resins

New Bio Plastics and Resins

September 25, 2016 |

By Lorenz Bauer, PhD., Lee Consulting Enterprises Special to The Digest Sales of biopolymers and resins are predicted to grow to over $5 billion by 2021.   Biomass derived materials have been used neat and as components in composites and blends for the last decade. Products made with high contents of cellulose, starch, proteins, chitosan are common. […]

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Take the Test: Evaluating Commercial Readiness, Pt 2

Take the Test: Evaluating Commercial Readiness, Pt 2

September 22, 2016 |

By Mark Warner, PE, Founder, Warner Advisors LLC Special to The Digest The first installment of the series, here, discussed the need to determine an understanding of what success looks like to be able to adequately evaluate if an advanced biotechnology is ready for commercialization. Now, let’s move into the details of evaluating the state of […]

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