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Research and DevelopmentNews release: http://news.ncsu.edu/releases/wms-achinivu-2014/ Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a simple, effective and cheaper way to remove lignin from the plant biomass used to make biofuels, which may lead to more efficient and commercially viable biofuel production. The work was recently published in the journal Green Chemistry. The tough lignin polymer needs to be removed from the plant biomass to access the energy-rich cellulose that must be degraded into fermentable sugars used to make bioethanol. The process of removing lignin is costly and represents a major economic barrier in commercial biofuel production. The NCSU research team used protic ionic liquids (PILs) to dissolve lignin, separating it from cellulose. The PILs are essentially composed of an acid and a base. The resulting PIL-lignin mixture can then be heated to vaporize the PIL, leaving the lignin behind as a black powder. The vapors are collected and cooled to recover the PIL so that it can be re-used. The recovered lignin can be used to make polymers or other chemical products which could supplement the cost of running the biofuel production facility. News article: http://phys.org/news/2014-01-algal-cells-efficient-alternative.html Researchers from Murdoch University (Australia), in collaboration with counterparts from University of Tsukuba (Japan), have developed a non-destructive algal oil extraction method, akin to 'milking' the algae as opposed to the conventional harvest-and-destroy approach. The researchers were able to extract oil repeatedly from the algae species Bortyococcus braunii by using a compatible solvent (n-heptane). The "milking" process is less expensive compared to conventional algal cultures since it eliminates the addition of expensive nutrients during repeated extraction. The algae could replace its external hydrocarbon five days after "milking" with one per cent carbon dioxide addition, which increases the overall external hydrocarbon productivity by 20 percent compared to conventional semi-continuous culture. The research team is currently looking at possible explanations why the algal cells require addition of a limited amount of nutrients to stabilize the culture. They are also working on a potential continuous milking bioreactor.
Journal reference: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6168/277.abstract News article: http://phys.org/news/2014-01-renewable-chemical-ready-biofuels-scale-up.html Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a non-enzymatic process that can produce sugars from plant materials like crop residues and wood, which can be chemically or biologically upgraded into biofuels. A paper on this work was published recently in the journal Science. The research team demonstrated a laboratory-scale process that used a solvent mixture of plant-derived γ-valerolactone (GVL), water, and dilute acid to produce soluble carbohydrates from corn stover, hardwood, and softwood at high yields (70 to 90 percent). The GVL promotes thermocatalytic degradation of the biomass. The team showed that the resulting sugar stream can be fermented by yeast into ethanol and the GVL can be recovered from the mixture for re-use after the sugar is concentrated. GVL, a plant-derived chemical itself, is both renewable and more affordable than expensive chemicals or enzymes used in the conversion process. The team estimated through a preliminary economic assessment of the process that their promising technology could produce ethanol at a cost savings of roughly 10 percent when compared with current production technologies. The team will begin scaling up the process later this year. Production and Trade
News article: http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140116-900063.html News article: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/01/20140116-deino.html DEINOVE, a French technology company that designs and develops new industrial processes based on the utilization of Deinococcus bacteria, has produced ethanol from biomass at a titer of 9 percent, which is near the maximum theoretical yield. Deinococcus is suited for industrial applications owing to its resilient characteristics and novel enzymatic and metabolic properties. The record yield posted by DEINOVE in a pre-industrial scale fermentation of biomass sugars with the use of this microbe exceeds the widely accepted threshold for second generation biofuel production process. Second generation biofuels are derived from non-food sources like farm and industrial waste. DEINOVE demonstrated that the industrial production costs with its bacterial process for converting biomass to biofuel fall in line with market expectations. The process uses the Consolidated BioProcessing (CBP) which simultaneously employs hydrolysis (breakdown of cellulose from biomass) and fermentation (conversion of simple sugars into ethanol).
News article: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biodiesel-no-food-for-fuel-new-plant-in-switzerland-240293831.html Additional information: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/second-generation-biodiesel In Switzerland, Lugano-based BF Commodities has announced it will build a new second generation biodiesel refinery in the country. The facility will be ready to operate in June and is expected to produce over 5,000 tons of biodiesel a year from used cooking oil (UCO) and tallow. Based on the protocol "No Food for Fuel", the Lugano project will help bring a reduction of over 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to emissions from 3,500 cars a year.
News article: http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/9512/blue-sun-launches-commercial-scale-enzymatic-biodiesel-process Press release: http://www.gobluesun.com/main/news/biodieselnewsstory.php?news_id=137 Blue Sun Energy announced the implementation of the company's new enzymatic biodiesel processing technology at its refinery in St. Joseph, Missouri, USA, making the facility the most advanced in the world. Blue Sun, with the support of its partner company Novozymes, developed a unique proprietary process for enzymatic biodiesel production. This new process utilizes Novozymes' Callera Trans L enzyme. The Blue Sun enzymatic process produces high-quality biodiesel, the company says, which is further improved by its state-of-the-art distillation system installed last year. The enzymatic transesterification process allows the company to use essentially any feedstock without limit to free fatty acid content. This reduces pretreatment costs significantly and yields tremendous savings. The process is more efficient in methanol recovery and use, further reducing costs. Also, the value of the glycerine, another by-product of biodiesel production, is much higher than in standard biodiesel operations.
News article: http://www.biofuelsjournal.com/articles/Boeing_Joins_New_BIOjet_Abu_Dhabi_Team_to_Grow_Biofuel_Supply_Chain_in_UAE-138183.html A recently announced collaboration among Boeing, Etihad Airways, Takreer, Total, and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology will help drive the commercialization of sustainable aviation biofuels in the United Arab Emirates. Dubbed "BIOjet Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability", the new initiative will develop a comprehensive framework for an UAE biofuel supply chain. The initiative will focus on research and development and investments in feedstocks production and refining capability in the UAE and globally. Boeing and Etihad Airways have previously collaborated as the founding partners of the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium. Etihad Airways recently completed a 45-minute demonstration flight in a Boeing 777 powered partially by biofuel converted from plants by Total, and refined into jet fuel by Takreer, together representing UAE-produced sustainable aviation biofuel.
Press release: http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20140121/pdf/42m6x2ztbgwhq0.pdf News article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-21/algae-tec-reliance-to-build-clean-fuel-facility-in-india.html Algae.Tec Ltd., an Australian producer of algal oils used to produce biodiesel, has announced that it is partnering with Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited (RIIHL) to build a pilot biofuels production facility in India. RIIHL, an Indian company with investments in various sectors, is investing AU$1.5 million for the project, with additional investments of AU$1.2 million over the next 2 years. Policy and Regulation
Journal reference: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/01/08/1309492111 News release: http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2014/more-to-biofuel-production-than-yield/ Researchers at Michigan State University have shown that looking at the environmental benefits of biofuel crops and not focusing solely on biomass yield allows perennial grasses to be chosen as more viable options in a bioenergy crop production program. In the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers compared three potential bioenergy crops: corn, switchgrass, and mixes of native prairie grasses and flowering plants. The scientists measured the diversity of plants, pest and beneficial insects, birds and microbes that consume methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. They found that although corn biomass yield was higher, all other ecosystem services including methane consumption, pest suppression, pollination and bird diversity were higher in perennial grasslands. The findings imply that careful design of bioenergy landscapes has the potential to enhance multiple services that may lead to important synergies. This study is especially timely as rising corn and other commodity prices are driving conversion of marginal lands to annual crop production, reducing future flexibility. |
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