Burning Bio News

ZeaChem announced that they have successfully produced commercial grade ethyl acetate, thereby proving the immense value of its core technology platform. The ethyl acetate ZeaChem is capable of producing holds wide scale applications, from solvents in paints to pharmaceuticals but perhaps most importantly, ethyl acetate can be refined to produce ethanol, a potential alternative to standard petroleum fuel. ZeaChem’s production process will offer a cheaper alternative to current natural gas feedstock based processes.

After a few quiet quarters in which glycerin prices were relatively steady and low after the commodity bubble of 2008, it appears a severe crunch in US crude glycerin supply is about to unfold. But US biodiesel refiners are closing their doors amid credit woes and a government delay in extending subsidies. In the meantime, crude glycerin production rates are approaching zero, market sources say. The demand for glycerin is significant. Companies such as Procter & Gamble, Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Vantage Oleochemicals refine the crude material and then sell it to makers of everything from toothpaste to polyols to animal feed. As demand increases beyond the available supply, glycerin prices are about to become very high.

Steve Kagen, D-WI, introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to make permanent a tax credit for paper companies that burn “black liquor.” Kagen’s effort may instigate a fight with fellow lawmakers who have been trying to eliminate the credit for paper companies, which they say has cost taxpayers $10 billion. –mj: It seems to me the paper companies should get recognition for the efficient use of their biomass residuals as fuels.

Kansas State University Researcher, Susan Sun’s work on sustainable biomass adhesives has already lead to an edible barrel for cattle feed made with straw and soy adhesive. More products are on the horizon, including a new formula that improves the flowability and strength of raw bioplastic, making it easier to pour and mold. Sun’s research team is focusing on adhesives made from the by-products of soybean, corn, and sorghum among other biofuel crops. The idea is to develop high-value products that can compete with conventional products, to boost the cost-effectiveness of biofuel crops overall.

A methane-fueled art foundry, in Dillsboro, NC, is being powered by landfill gas from a closed landfill. The Jackson County Green Energy Park is attracting artists. In addition to the foundry, the park has housed three blacksmithing forges since 2007, and in a couple of weeks a glassblowing studio will open, Muth said. Organizers plan to begin construction for pottery studios in 2010. The landfill wasn’t producing enough methane to power a generator for a large business, for instance, but there was enough to power these artistic ventures. “We’ve taken an environmental liability and turned it into an economic resource,” said Timm Muth, director of the energy park.

G-OIL SAE 5W-30 motor oil, a bio-based motor oil from Green Earth Technologies, received certification from the American Petroleum Institute earlier this month. The certification paves the way for G-OIL to carry API’s official service symbol and make its way to retail. Although the company said it does not expect G-OIL 5W-30 to reach retail shelves until June, “bulk” oil will be made available much sooner to satisfy the fast-lube market. The company also plans to finalize the testing and certification process for 10W-30 and 5W-20 by the end of summer.

The Department of Energy has awarded the University of Georgia (Athens), Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, a four-year, $3.1 million grant to continue as a national resource for researchers who study the complex carbohydrates of plants and of microbes that interact with plants.

Huntsman Performance Products, a manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals, has announced the commercial availability of its new speciality carbonate, known as JEFFSOL Glycerine Carbonate. A The company manufactures JEFFSOL Glycerine Carbonate using the glycerine co-product of bio-diesel. Glycerine carbonate is useful as a reactive intermediate and as a solvent. The product can be polymerized or reacted with isocyanates or acrylates for applications in coatings, adhesives and lubricants, while its solvency also makes it attractive for personal care applications.

A thorough review of biomass grinders, choppers, and shredders is presented in the first issue of the 50th year of BioCycle Magazine. The evolution of the biomass size reduction equipment over the last 50 years from ag, forestry, and land clearing industry perspectives is compelling.

Roquette Frères, Europe’s largest starch and starch-derivatives company headquartered in Lestrem, France, signed a licensing agreement with Rice University in Houston that will enable Roquette to commercially produce biobased succinic acid. Succinic acid is a valuable four-carbon molecule that serves as a viable replacement for its petroleum-derived cousin: maleic anhydride. It’s commonly used in the plastics, textiles and pharmaceutical industries.

The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded nearly $123 million to 68 community colleges and community-based institutions that competed successfully under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative. Awardees were chosen from among 274 applications received in response to a competition announced Oct. 10, 2008. 15 of these grants workforce development grants focused on energy and green buildings. $25.9 million was allocated to these energy-related grants.

The Ontario government will invest a total of $2.5 million dollars (Canadian) in new product development by three companies making auto parts from crop fibres and oils. The Woodbridge Group will receive $1 million to use BioFoam for interior padding and insulation. Canadian General-Tower Ltd. will receive $0.78 million to develop bio-based plastics that can be blended with existing PVC plastics. And GreenCore Composites will receive $0.78 million to develop fibre-based composites. $1 US = $1.22 CANADA.

With funding from USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Ramon Gonzalez and William Akers at Rice University developed a new fermentation process that uses E. coli to convert glycerin into high-value chemicals, like succinate. Succinate and its derivatives have an annual domestic market of more than $1.3 billion.

Peter Hughes, manure trader in the Chesapeake Bay area, is working on a plan to supply utilities with manure to co-generate in power generation. This is an excellent comment from the article, “His plans to bundle various environmental-offset credit markets sounds great in theory, said Carl Lucero, National Leader for Clean Water at the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. And Hughes may be successful in doing so. But in general, Lucero said, the infrastructure required to oversee a process involving multiple federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act does not yet exist.”

Cereblast, Inc. maker of bio-based plastics, has recently received patents on compostable resins.

An anaerobic digestion facility installed by Ecovation will process stillage from the Maker’s Mark bourbon whiskey brewing facility, Loretto, KY, to offset between 15 and 30 percent of its natural gas consumption.

EPA recognizes developers of technologies that are less toxic or wasteful with the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Five awards were chosen out of almost 100 entries. The agency chose winners in the Challenge awards categories of Greener Synthetic Pathways, Greener Reaction Conditions, Designing Greener Chemicals, Small Business, and Academic.

Pan Gen Global plans to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Stuttgart, AR. It will have an annual capacity of producing 152,000 tons of silica/sodium oxide and 12.5 million gallons of fuel ethanol.

Montana Renewables is a bio-based chemical production facility that will start producing “carbochemicals” this fall.

The Iowa Interstate Railroad has ordered 12 new locomotives at $2.2 million apiece. The locomotives purchase, which will be added to Iowa Interstate’s 40-locomotive fleet, comes after the railroad has spent $22 million to upgrade much of the track on its 373-mile system from Council Bluffs across central Iowa to Bureau, Ill., just west of Chicago.