Facing an uncertain future with biofuels policy under scrutiny, the advanced biofuels industry convened for a three day conference in San Francisco earlier this month. Jointly organized by Green Power Conferences and Biofuels Digest, the Advanced Biofuels Markets conference is one of the few (more…)

In previous posts I discussed the patent infringement suit brought by Danish biotech Novozymes against its rival Danisco (recently acquired by DuPont).

Specifically, Novozymes sued Danisco in May 2010 in the Western District of Wisconsin, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,713,723 (’723 (more…)

One of the most promising types of raw materials to produce biofuel being researched is algae. Today the technology reaches new heights with United Airlines’ Flight 1403 between Houston and Chicago, The historic flight departs Bush International Airport at 10:25 am CT from terminal C, and lands at Chicago O’Hare at (more…)

The Canadian chapter of Greenpeace yesterday released a report that highlights the dangers of the large-scale use of wood and tree harvesting for heating, electricity generation or liquid biofuels. The report is called ‘Fuelling a Biomess’ and it argues that burning woody biomass on an industrial scale could severely (more…)

On 28 October Air China conducted its first trial flight of a passenger jet powered by a mix of biofuel and traditional aviation fuel.

The Jet A-1 biofuel kerosene used in the flight was derived from the seeds of tung trees, more commonly known as jatropha. (more…)

A recent study, released on 11 October, “Biofuel and Technologies” released by Pike Research states that the global biofuel market will double within the next decade to $183.3 billion from its current level of $82.7 billion, with ethanol production accounting for $78 billion of future worldwide biofuel production, while predicting that biodiesel production will reach $25.5 billion. Perhaps not surprisingly, Pike Research predicts that the US will become the world’s leading biofuel producer, accounting for 71 percent of alternative fuel by 2021.

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Greening the European Union has suffered a setback.

The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first since data has been gathered, down from 2010 figures of 9.57 million tons.

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The first commercial cellulosic ethanol (ethanol made from non-edible parts of plants, grass, crop waste etc) will start production in 2013, and it will “open the floodgates” for this type of fuel, said Bloomberg.

POET, a biofuel producer building a plant in Iowa (more…)

A previous post reported on the consolidation of a number of patent infringement suits brought by GreenShift and its New York subsidiary, GS Cleantech, against a host of ethanol producers across the midwestern United States.

GreenShift has accused the defendants of infringing U.S. Patent No. 7,601,858 (’858 Patent), entitled (more…)

Already languishing in the current deficit/debt landscape and facing mounting criticism in the wake of the Solyndra bankruptcy, the much-maligned DOE Section 1705 loan guarantee program came to a close last week with a flurry of activity. Despite frustration with the program in the biofuels industry, centering on delays (more…)