Category: Thought Leadership

How an effective risk management strategy can contribute to unlocking the full potential of a billion-ton bioeconomy

October 24, 2016 | Jim Lane

By Dr. Mahmood Ebadian Special to the Digest The procurement of low-cost feedstock has been the focus of the pioneering bio-conversion technology developers in commercializing their first industrial-scale projects. Low-cost feedstock is critical in such projects as most of the existing bio-conversion technologies are not yet mature enough to process multiple streams of biomass and […]

Torrefied Biomass: Available, Efficient, CO2 Neutral and Economic – likely the best solid biomass on the market

October 20, 2016 | Jim Lane

By Michael Wild, International Biomass Torrefaction Council, and Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest Torrefaction is a thermal pre-treatment technology used to upgrade lignocellulosic biomass to a higher quality and more attractive biofuel. In the torrefaction process, biomass is heated to 250-350°C in a low oxygen atmosphere, so that all moisture is removed and the […]

What To Do With Algae

October 19, 2016 | Jim Lane

By Dr. Terry Mazanec, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest Some years ago I visited a platinum mine in South Africa. About a mile underground at the end of the maze of tunnels at the ‘minefront’ they excavate about a 1 meter high layer of material to get the 2 cm thick vein that […]

Plastics & Microwave Pyrolysis

October 17, 2016 | Jim Lane

By Dr. Elham Khaghami, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest Energy is fundamental to economy and survival in today’s social activity. Clearly the search of alternative energy sources would have a high priority. Therefore, minimizing the quantity of waste being generated from the source energy such as recycling could be a potential remedy in […]

Power to save family farms and the environment with anaerobic digestion

October 13, 2016 | Jim Lane

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 […]

An Overview of the current Biochar and Activated Carbon Markets

October 11, 2016 | Jim Lane

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 […]

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

October 9, 2016 | Jim Lane

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, […]

An EU biofuels proposal worth getting behind

October 6, 2016 | Jim Lane

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. […]

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

October 4, 2016 | Jim Lane

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, […]

Understanding Biofuel Standards

October 2, 2016 | Jim Lane

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 […]

Free Subscription

The Biofuels Digest newsletter

The most widely-read biofuels daily — 20,000+ organizations subscribe — why not you too?