ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, recently announced it has been selected for a $232.5 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program. The conditional commitment enables the financing and construction of ZeaChem’s first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefinery, a [...]
Range Fuels Plant Sold For $5.1 Million
Officials of LanzaTech NZ Ltd., a closely held biofuels company based in Auckland, New Zealand and backed by billionaire Vinod Khosla, say it will convert a U.S. cellulosic ethanol plant it bought from Range Fuels Inc. to produce chemicals from biomass. LanzaTech is developing a process that uses proprietary microorganisms to convert carbon monoxide-containing gases [...]
Feds Plan To Liquidate Range Fuels Ethanol Plant
Federal officials who backed Range Fuels Inc., a Broomfield-based biofuel company, plan to liquidate its $100 million plant in Georgia, according to news reports. The Bloomberg news service reports that the Soperton, Ga. factory is to be liquidated after Range defaulted on a federal loan and failed to produce cellulosic ethanol, a fuel made from [...]
Bioenergy Graduate Program Offered At SD College
South Dakota State University has teamed up with three other land-grant universities to offer a Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology Graduate Certificate fully online in an effort to advance the renewable energy industry. The Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology (BST) graduate certificate program was developed with the support of a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant. The USDA [...]
Wood Biofuel Industry Rising In Pacific Northwest
A recently awarded U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant will help launch a viable, sustainable biofuels industry in the Pacific Northwest. The $40 million grant directs Washington State University and the University of Washington to create the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA). The substantial grant will help the nation develop renewable energy resources from forest [...]
USDA Awards $3 Million For Woody Biomass
A U.S. Forest Service award of nearly $3 million in Woody Biomass Utilization Grants went to 17 small businesses and community groups on June 22 for the development of wood-to-energy projects, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Each of these projects requires engineering services, which will help expand regional economies and create new jobs. [...]
USDA Awards Over $400m to Biofuel Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced over $400 million in grants and loan guarantees for bio-energy initiatives, spread across five major projects and many smaller ones. The biggest news was the USDA’s announcement of $405 million in loan guarantees for cellulosic ethanol plants, under its Biorefinery Assistance Program. Coskata Inc. is set to receive a [...]
DOE, USDA To Invest $24M In Biomass Projects
The USDA and DOE have announced plans to invest more than $24 million in award grants for research and development of bioenergy, the production of biofuels, and biobased products. The projects chosen are required to match the awards by at least 20% for research and development products and by at least 50% for demonstration projects. [...]
Warden Electric Certified Under BCAP
L’Anse Warden Electric Co. has been selected as the first plant in Michigan to take part in the new Federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program, a new federal program designed to help develop the biomass industry. The BCAP helps the participating plants by matching 50% of the amount paid to their suppliers. Warden Electric is one [...]
USDA Awards $4.2M for Wood Bio Projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $4.2 million in grants to 17 small businesses and community groups to develop innovative uses for woody biomass from hazardous fuel reduction projects on the national forests. Uses of this woody biomass include renewable energy and new products that could be developed, which is consistent with the [...]