Direct one-step conversion of ligninocellulosic biomass to hydrogen-enriched biofuel

The common ways for thermal conversion are fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction.

·         The bio-oils obtained by fast pyrolysis are highly oxygenated complex mixtures, which are viscous, corrosive, and relatively unstable. The high contents of water and oxygenated compounds lead to the low HHV and the significant change of the combustion characteristics. They are not miscible with petroleum-based liquids. There is no efficient route for the upgrading needed to produce a motor fuel.

·         The bio-oils obtained by hydrothermal liquefaction are a complex mixture of ketones, aldehydes, phenols, alkenes, fatty acids, esters, aromatics, and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds with high oxygen content and low heating value.

Direct One-Step Conversion of Lignin to Hydrogen-Enriched Biofuel involves in using solvent as the reaction medium and hydrogen donor with/without other catalysts, which can result in gasoline-like hydrocarbon product with high heating value and low char.

What is next of biofeuls and biochemicals?

Recently I have been in AIChE annual meeting at Minneapolis, MN. There I sensed a different atmosphere compared to what I felt last year: Less attendance and pessimistic in biofuels.

Indeed, in the past twenty years, DOE and other government agents spent tons of money to support technology development in biofuel production from biomass. People are expecting a sun-rising industry like IT in the past to boost the economy. Therefore, green technology once became a hot green waves hitting every aspects of people’s life, especially for biofuels. Unfortunately, the current dominant technologies claimed in patents and highlighted for biofuel production from biomass have actually been existing there for hundreds of years; none of them seems to solve the cheap sugar problem. Therefore, some anti-biofuel people even anticipate that there would be no biofuels in the next 20 years.

It is true that at least cellulosic bioethanol will be dead if these technologies continue to control the government funding for 10 years. It really needs game-changing technology. Among all of the highlighted technologies, Agrivida technology recently stands out from nowhere and looks like a real solution for cheap sugar production from if it works as it claims. Therefore, hope is still shining somewhere as long as creativity is alive.

In addition, more interests and attention are shifting toward hydrocarbon fuel production from lignocellulosic biomass.  And more value-added biochemicals are being produced from biomass although not heavily funded by government funding.  Although a lot of uncertainty still exists for biofuels and biochemicals, one thing that never changes is that they are from renewable resources. Biodegradable materials and chemicals may become leading green products in the near future.

Biofuels or biochemicals: Are you ready to get in? (2)

According to the report from Ethanol Producer Magazine, the cellulosic ethanol project with $30 million DOE fund was suspended by Lignol and Suncor. The reasons disclosed are instable energy prices, capital market uncertainty and general market malaise. However, although the technology was not listed as a reason, I guess at least a cost-effective well-developed technology is not ready yet since Suncor will continue to monitor the progress of Lignol's technology.

I feel that it is very wise for both partners to make such a decision at an early stage in the project’s development and no significant costs have been incurred. They are serious about cellulosic biorefining.

My question is: what will happen if they continue to proceed the project with the government funding, or with misleading information? What about other players?

These days, biorefining has been driving by a lot of aggressive and ambitious objectives. The good news is that it can attract more attention and investment;on the other side, technology can not be well developed overnight. A gap often occurs between the ambitous goals and the timeline of available technology development. As a result, if unrealistic goals have been set with significant investment, the risk is not far or near around no matter how we are aggressive or smart or very supportive. In the process, realistic and objective evalution must be provided.

It is great lesson for us to learn from this wise decision.

Biofuels or biochemicals: Are you ready to get in? (1)

According to AE report, although many alternative energy investors suffered huge losses in 2008 when several prominent stocks fell by 70% or more, they have not lost hope in alternative energy stocks and their future. The measured optimism from financial community is also a stimulus to alternative energy under the current deeply challenging business climate. So does the government support!

For biofeuls and biochemicals industry, it is still uncertain when the great potential become reality. To use biomass as feedstocks, the utilization of hemicelluloses is the key because it accounts 20-28% of the chemical components in biomass and will have significant impact on the production cost. However the available cost effective technology for commercialization is not ready yet: the scalable microorganisms to ferment C5 sugars under toxic environment, the process to achieve high sugar recovery yield from biomass….

So it is the time for scientist and engineers to get in. It is also great time for investors to jump in if the opportunity has a solid fundamental support. Certainly, a detailed and solid technical evaluation before jumping in is very critical.

"NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK"

According to ICSI.com, "There is currently a limited talent pool of experienced sustainability executives...".

"The chemical industry, however, is a different animal when it comes to looking for CSOs. Aside from the required tree hugger and company-conscience roles, sustainability leaders of chemical companies need to be technically and financially savvy, understand how the industry operates from top to bottom, and be a long-term strategic thinker."

Actually, there is a great need of real professionals who has solid technical background and experience in these areas. However, we can not build up the Rome city overnight. It takes time and need more patience... Otherwise, the fake experts will cause more problem than the fresh learners.

Another potential barrier to biofuel commercialization

Based on Brent Erickson, the executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, a cellulosic biorefinery that produces both advanced biofuels and biobased products could create as many as 2,200 new jobs and increase economic activity by more than $1 billion.

This is a good news!

However, this will not become true until a real biorefinery plant nearly take off. Before that, a series of barriers need to be overcome. In addtion to the technical, engineering, financial, and market issue, a key factor to be easily overlooked is the technical resources. We are not lack of people but we are lack of technical professionals who have been well trained with solid and sound fundemental understanding of the technology.

When biofuels become a hot spot, it seems that thousands of biofuel specialists are available in the market overnight.

However, it is not difficult to find that quite a lot of them are not real experts. Unfortunately, they are in the position to provide advices, suggestions to the government, company managers or make decision by themselves. As a result, some key technology development or technology commercilization is delayed; some companies go to wrong direction; some companies have to be closed due to the bad decision..... Just like a diagnosis for a patient from a "fake" doctor, the patient treatment was delayed, or wrong description was given to the patient. What a result can we expect from this?

As a result, the time has been wasted; the money has been wasted, the opportunities has passed; and a lot of related people got hurt, i.e. human resources was also wasted.

It is so-called 'a busines can both succeed and fail because of human resources!'

Two science research progress on biofuel plants

These two progress means more than the research itself. It will significantly impact the lignocellulosic biomass biofuel production process, equipment, and cost.

1. Modified Plants May Yield More Biofuel.

2. Modified Lignin Has Potential Benefits For Ethanol, Paper And Feed.

Hydrogen from Biomass

Different process routes of hydrogen-production from biomass can be broadly classified as follows:

1. Thermochemical gasification coupled with water gas shift. Maximum conversion can be achieved. But significant gas conditioning is required and removal of tars is important.

2. Fast pyrolysis followed by reforming of carbohydrate fractions of bio-oil. It produces bio-oil which is the basis of several processes for development of fuels, chemicals and materials.But therr are chances of catalyst deactivation.

3. Direct solar gasification. Good hydrogen yield but requires effective collector plates

4. Miscellaneous novel gasification process.

5. Biomass-derived syn-gas conversion.

6. Supercritical conversion of biomass.Can process sewage sludge, which is difficult to gasify. Require a selection of supercritical medium

7. Microbial conversion of biomass.Waste water can also be treated simultaneously. Also
generates some useful secondary metabolites. Selection of suitable microorganisms is needed.

A new big cake for advanced biofuels: A real stimulus

DOE Announces Funding Opportunity of up to $200 Million for 5-12 Pilot and Demonstration Scale Biorefinery Projects. This is a real stimulus for the infant biofuels industry under the severe conditions of financial crisis, low oil price, and lack of confidence from people. A best Christmas gift for this industry.

Genomics strategies on biomass to biofuels

Based on the cover storty on C&EN, BESC's 300 scientists located at federal labs, academic institutions, companies, and nonprofit organizations across the country have been given the challenge of designing a path through the lignocellulosics recalcitrance problem.

Deconstructing lignocellulose to accessible sugars followed by chemical or fermentation processes is considered to be the most practical pathway to biofuels. However, pretreatment is a very expensive step in the process for biofuel production. So their efforts are to eliminate or significantly reduce the amount of pretreatment needed. One of the approaches is to ultimately come up with plants that are more easily digested and might need just a hot-water pretreatment without chemicals. A second approach is to engineer a multitalented microbe that can disassemble the plant cell wall and ferment the resulting sugars into biofuel in one go, a strategy known as consolidated bioprocessing. This type of one-organism, one-pot process could be a major breakthrough for low-cost production of ethanol or other fuels and chemicals.

BESC's approach to conquering recalcitrance has started with a major study on a fast-growing poplar tree from the Pacific Northwest and switchgrass native to the prairies of North America. Because no single parameter characterizes recalcitrance, the standard operating procedure is to screen multiple plant samples under a variety of conditions and measure the amount of sugar produced at the end of each test run.

Stimulus plan: Good news for "green" technology

Based on the report from The Wall Street Journal, green-technology advocates estimate that among President-elect Barack Obama’s $500 billion stimulus plan,the green component could be $50 billion or 10 % of the overall package for the complex green infrastructure initiatives -- such as building renewable energy plants, improving the electrical grid and installing "smart" meters that allow consumers to reap benefits from using electricity at off-peak hours. This would take effect well into the second year.

A list of companies for bioethanol and specialty biochemical production

If you are interested in bioethanol and specialty biochemicals, you canot ingnore these companies:

1. The companies on bioethanol and specialty biochemical production

Abengoa Bioenergy, a subsidiary of Abengoa S.A,has its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Regarding their activity front, the company is opening a pilot facility for the cellulosic ethanol in York, Nebraska.

ADM is working with the abundant and renewable products of agriculture to develop nature-based alternatives to the world’s finite stores of fossil fuels.

American Process Inc is prominent in the cellulosic biorefinery field. Our proprietary process, AVAP™ (American Value Added Pulping) co-produces pulp and ethanol from wood in an integrated biorefinery application.

ARKENOL Fuels is a California (USA)-based technology and project development company whose focus is the construction and operation of ethanol factories worldwide. The company also licenses its ethanol-producing technology to others.

BioEnergy International, LLC is a privately-held, science and technology company leading in the development and commercialization of next generation biorefineries for the production of high-value bio-based chemicals and fuels from renewable feedstock through the use of its proprietary biocatalyst technology.

BioPetrol is developing a commercially viable global solution for turning sewage sludge into oil, saving enormous sums in disposal and saving the earth from the destructive sewage dumping which is ruining the environment.

BlueFire Ethanol Inc use the Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis patented process positions it as the viable, world-wide cellulose-to-ethanol company with demonstrated production experience with ethanol from wood wastes, urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws and other agricultural residues.

BP is forming partnerships with academia and joint ventures with businesses to develop advanced technologies to boost the use of biofuels.

ButylFuel,LLC (BFL) will produce and market butanol as a solvent, with the future intent of selling butanol as a fuel.

Cargill has been adding value to things that grow for 140 years. Today Caegill apply that expertise to renewable fuels.

Catalyst Renewables Corp’s objective is to acquire and develop a portfolio of renewable power generation projects in the U.S. To-date the company has focused exclusively on baseload renewable power projects. Advances in technology and renewable portfolio standards implemented in numerous states have created an environment where renewable power projects can be developed profitably.

Changing World Technologies, Inc. (CWT) is at the forefront of revolutionizing renewable energy by changing the way in which organic waste materials are utilized, thereby providing a platform for sustainable development. What was once deemed as “waste” and transported to a landfill can now be converted to a reliable stream of renewable energy, minimizing global warming, and improving our quality of life.CWT’s subsidiaries and affiliate companies include:Resource Recovery Corporation, Inc.(RRC),Thermo-Depolymerization Process, LLC (TDP, LLC) , and Renewable Environmental Solutions, LLC (RES).

Chevron Technology Ventures identifies, develops and commercializes emerging technologies that have the potential to transform energy production and use. The business development portfolio includes: Biofuels ,Hydrogen infrastructure ,Emerging energy applications, and Venture capital.

Chief Energy has been providing Clean, Safe Oil Heat since 1977. The company is family owned and operates in the NY City metropolitan area including the 5 boroughs, Nassau & Westchester Counties.

China Resources Alcohol Corporation (CRAC) is the second largest ethanol producer in China and the owner of the cellulosic ethanol pilot demonstration plant in the world which operates continuously, 24-hours per day

CHOREN is one of the world’s leading gasification technology companies for solid biomass and oil based residue feedstock. The center-piece of the technology is the patented Carbo-V process that made the production of tar-free synthetic combustion gas possible and provided the breakthrough for the conversion of biomass to energy.

Cleantech Partners is a Wisconsin-based, private, non-profit organization that invests in emerging, energy-saving technologies.

CleanTech Biofuels is a development stage company with technology that the company believes is capable of converting municipal solid waste into ethanol and other products. By using the existing infrastructure for municipal solid waste collection and disposal to collect biomass at low or possibly negative feedstock cost, the Company expects to achieve profitability quickly relative to other energy producers who must develop their infrastructure to collect and transport more expensive feedstocks such as sugar cane, corn or even switchgrass, wood waste, or corn stover.

ClearFuels Technology Inc mission is simply stated in its name, to produce clear clean renewable fuels such as ethanol, methanol, hydrogen and synthetic gas from sustainable cellulosic biomass using advanced thermochemical technologies. ClearFuels focus is on the sugarcane platform, the source of over half the world’s ethanol. Clearfuels Technology is integrating its highly efficient thermochemical production of cellulosic ethanol from bagasse and cane trash with the established fermentation processes of producing ethanol from sugarcane.

Colusa Biomass Energy Corporation is a biomass-to-energy company focusing on bio-fuels for transportation.

Coskata is a biology-based renewable energy company for the low-cost production of ethanol from a wide variety of input material including biomass, municipal solid waste and other carbonaceous material.

DuPont Biofuels will provide advantaged products for agricultural energy crops, feedstock processing and advanced biofuels.

Dyadic International is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of biological products using a number of proprietary fungal strains to produce enzymes and other biomaterials, principally focused on a system for protein production based on the patented Chrysosporium lucknowense fungus, known as C1. Dyadic uses, for itself and others, its patented and proprietary technologies to conduct research and development activities for the discovery, development, and manufacture of products and enabling solutions to the bioenergy, industrial enzyme and pharmaceutical industries.

Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation is an energy solutions provider headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with offices in the USA and Argentina. Its carbon/ greenhouse gas neutral fast pyrolysis technology uses medium temperatures and oxygen-free conditions to turn dry waste biomass and energy crops into BioOil® for power and heat generation. BioOil® can be further converted into vehicle fuels and chemicals. Dynamotive’s process does not require feedstock that has alternative food use.

EnerGenetics Energies, LLC (EGE) is one of the oldest biofuels research companies in the U.S. (est. 1978). EGE approaches the production of biofuels in a fundamentally different way than the traditional methods employed in current ethanol/bio-diesel operations. EGE believes that the key to economic sustainability in the biofuels industry is first to remove petroleum from the production of biofuels so that petroleum prices are de-linked from bio-fuel production costs, and second to produce value added products that recover feedstock costs associated with bio-fuel production. After 30 years of research and development, EGE has developed MBR technologies in conjunction with the USDA and leading universities which accomplishes these goals.

Energy Quest, Inc and its wholly owned subsidiary Syngas Energy Corp. (SEC) are active in the research, development and commercialization of “alternative energy” technologies. The term alternative encompasses green and/or renewable energies.

Ensyn is the world leader in the production of bio-oil produced from pyrolysis of renewable feedstocks. Ensyn was incorporated in 1984 to commercialize its proprietary biomass to liquid technology, Rapid Thermal Process (RTP)™. Ensyn currently provides the world’s rapid pyrolysis process that has operated on a long-term commercial basis.

Fuel Frontiers Inc’socus is on developing multiple ethanol synthesis facilities throughout the world. The facilities will be the first U.S. ethanol plant to employ plasma gasification technology in conjunction with the catalytic production of alcohol fuels from synthesis gas to transform an environmental problem (scrap tires and other wastes) into an earth-friendly ethanol solution.

Global Energy Holdings Group is focused on the markets in alternative and renewable energies.
The subsidiary Global Energy Systems is a provider of outsourced renewable and alternative energy projects and services. GES is working to transform alternative feed stocks into electricity, natural gas or liquid fuels.The subsidiary Global Energy Ventures invests in cutting edge companies in the clean technology industry.

Green Biologics Limited (GBL) focuses on fermentation-based biomass conversion technologies for the production of fuels and chemicals.

GreenField Ethanol Inc began in 1989 as Commercial Alcohols and has grown to be Canada's leading fuel and packaged alcohol producer. The company was rebranded in 2006 as GreenField Ethanol to better reflect the growing importance of its fuel ethanol business.

Green Energy Live is a company in the emerging waste/biomass-to-ethanol industry that converts wastes that are currently being landfilled, into ethanol and other valuable co-products using the proprietary patented gasification and conversion technology.

Green Star Products, Inc. (GSPI) is an environmentally friendly public company involved in the production of renewable clean burning fuels such as biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol and other products including super-lubricants that are designed to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy in vehicles, machinery and power plants.

GreenShift develops and commercializes technologies that facilitate the efficient use of natural resources. It does so today by developing and integrating new clean technologies into existing biofuel production facilities, by selling equipment based on our technologies, and by using our technologies to directly produce and sell biomass-derived oils and fuels.

KL Energy specializes in bio-fuels project development, engineering, construction, and plant management with an emphasis on ethanol made from both cellulose and grain.

Iogen Corporation is a world leading biotechnology firm specializing in cellulosic ethanol - a fully renewable, advanced biofuel that can be used in today's cars. Iogen also develops, manufactures and markets enzymes used to modify and improve the processing of natural fibres within the textile, animal feed, and pulp and paper industries.

Lignol is a Canadian company based in BC which is undertaking to construct biorefineries for the production of fuel-grade ethanol and biochemicals from Canadian forests and vast supplies of biomass feedstocks. Lignol has acquired and since modified, a solvent based pre-treatment technology that was originally developed by a subsidiary of General Electric. The pre-treatment technology was previously commercialized in a major pulp mill by Repap with an investment of over $C 100 million. Lignol recently established a Cellulosic Ethanol Development Centre in Vancouver which consists of a pilot plant, a state of the art enzyme development laboratory and an engineering group.

LS9, Inc., the Renewable Petroleum Company™, is a privately-held industrial biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California developing patent-pending biofuels made with the power of synthetic biology. LS9 DesignerBiofuels™ products are customized to closely resemble petroleum fuels, engineered to be clean, renewable, domestically produced, and cost competitive with crude oil.

Masada Resource Group, LLC (Masada) is a provider of waste disposal services to address today's environmental issues. Through the development of its patented CES OxyNol™ process, Masada is the business of processing and converting municipal solid waste (MSW) and sewer sludge to fuel ethanol and other commercial byproducts. The environmentally safe, commercial CES OxyNol™ process transforms MSW, waste water and sewer sludge into valuable renewable energy sources.

Mascoma is pursuing the development of advanced cellulosic ethanol technologies across a range of cellulosic feedstocks. As part of our strategy of technology discovery, development and deployment, Mascoma is patenting numerous technologies and forming a broad set of research and commercial partnerships.

Mississippi Ethanol LLC (ME) is a privately owned, small business specializing in the development of renewable alternative energy through conversion of biomass. ME has worked to perfect the conversion of biomass through gasification to synthesis gas for power and liquid fuels production. ME is presently operating both an engineering-scale facility (3 ton/day) at Mississippi State University and a 30 ton/day production facility in Winona. The patented gasification system is a low-to-medium pressure, medium temperature (non-slagging) design with no air or oxygen addition for reaction. The gasification technology processing scheme uses simple, familiar unit operation systems with emphasis placed on ease of control and process safety.

New Generation Biofuels is a development stage renewable fuels provider. The company holds an exclusive license for North America, Central America and the Caribbean to commercialize proprietary technology to manufacture alternative biofuels from vegetable oils and animal fats that we intend to market as a new class of biofuel for power generation, heavy equipment, and marine use and as heating fuel.

Poet, the largest dry mill ethanol producer in the United States, is an established company in the bio-refining industry through project development, design and construction, research and development, plant management, and marketing. Formerly known as Broin, the 20-year old company markets more than one billion gallons of ethanol annually, has built 25 ethanol production facilities in the United States, 19 of which it currently operates, and has six more under construction or in development.

PureVision Technology, Inc. (“PureVision”) has developed and patented technologies that hold the promise of making the cellulosic biorefining industry technologically successful and profitable. PureVision’s carbon-neutral biomass fractionation technology converts abundant cellulosic biomass into sugars, energy and fiber that are bio-based raw materials to make many industrial and consumer products.

Qteros (formerly SunEthanol) is dedicated to producing low-carbon fuel energy from plant and tree waste.

Range Fuels is a privately held company funded primarily in the U.S. focusing on alternative, clean (green) energy systems. Our leadership team melds experience from the technologically intensive oil, chemical, petrochemical, coal gasification, power and gas-to-liquids industries, the renewable fuel industry, and the pulp and paper industry.

Shell Global Solutions provides business and operational consultancy, technical services and research and development expertise to the energy and processing industries worldwide.

SunOpta BioProcess Inc. (formerly Stake Technology Ltd.,) was founded in 1973 and is the original division of the SunOpta organization, specializes in the design, construction and optimization of biomass conversion equipment and facilities.

Syntec Biofuel Inc is a renewable energy company that is developing and commercializing proprietary second-generation biofuel technology and processes to convert waste cellulosic biomass into ethanol and other high-value alcohols. The company’s Biomass-to-Alcohols (B2A) thermo-chemical process can utilize virtually any organic feedstock, such as woodchips, corn stover, sugar bagasse, wheat straw and so forth, to produce highly sustainable and renewable fuel.

Tamarack Energy has focused on biomass-derived electric power generation as a successful strategy to address the rapidly expanding market for renewable energy. This focus reflects the market opportunities associated with renewable energy generated using biomass.

Universal Bioenergy is a Mississippi-based company engaged in the production of renewable fuels through its subsidiary Universal Bioenergy North America, Inc. who operates a biodiesel refinery in Mississippi. The refinery intends to produce biodiesel fuel from various virgin vegetable oils, premium greases, and non-edible vegetable oil sources using their unique and economical process.

Virent was founded in 2002 to commercialize the aqueous phase reforming (APR) process, which generates hydrogen from sugar, as originally published in the journal Nature. Researchers at Virent have since further advanced the technology into the BioForming® process, which combines APR with other catalytic technologies to produce renewable liquid fuels, fuel gases, and other chemicals.

Verenium Corporation, merger of Diversa and Celunol, a company in the development and the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as higher performance specialty enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal nutrition and health markets.

Virgin Green Fund has been established to invest in companies in the renewable energy and resource efficiency sectors in the US and Europe. It is a sector-focused, multi-stage investment firm investing primarily in expansion/growth capital opportunities with an allocation to earlier stage venture capital opportunities.

W2 Energy is a green energy company whose primary business is the production of liquid fuels (diesel, gasoline, methanol, butanol) from bio-mass, waste and coal feedstock.

Waste Management is North America's largest operator of LFGTE facilities, with renewable energy projects at 112 of its landfills. Upon completion of the 60-project expansion begun in 2007, Waste Management expects to generate over 700 megawatts of energy from its landfills.

Worldwide BioEnergy is an LLC formed for the technical advancement and commercialization of waste products into energy and other profitable by-products. WorldWide BioEnergy also is pursuing other promising technologies that will have a positive impact on the supply of green energy through conversion of waste into useful products. Worldwide BioEnergy approach is to insure the technology is feasible, develop a standardized conversion system that is economically practical and to partner with researchers as well as investor groups to take the technology to the market place.

ZeroPoint Clean Tech, Inc is a renewable energy technology and project development company. ZeroPoint has developed a highly efficient biomass gasification process capable of converting biomass into renewable synthesis gas, electricity, or liquid fuels (Cellulosic Diesel™, ethanol, or methanol).


2. The Companies for Enzyme-Developing, Genetic-Engineering, and Plant-Breeding

Agrivida is an agricultural biotechnology company developing energy crops designed to produce chemicals, fuels, and bioproducts from non-food cellulosic biomass.

Amyris Biotechnologies uses synthetic biology techniques to create new metabolic pathways in industrial microbes to produce novel or rare chemicals. Its primary project to date has focused on the use of synthetic biology to address supply and cost constraints limiting the use of the anti-malarial drug artemisinin.

BASF – the Chemical Company – consolidated all its plant biotechnology activities in BASF Plant Science in 1998. With subsidiaries such as CropDesign and metanomics, BASF Plant Science forms the industry’s leading research and technology platform.

BICAL is a company in the production and continued development of Miscanthus, the multipurpose crop for energy and industry.

Bioenergy International

Ceres is developing the crops needed for a new generation of biofuels and biopower.

Codexis is a clean technology company and develops biocatalysts used to create efficient and cleaner chemistry-based manufacturing processes in the life sciences, bioindustrial and chemical marketplaces. Codexis technology is used by global pharmaceutical companies for cost-effective manufacturing of human therapeutics and in the energy industry to enable advanced biofuels.

DuPont

Dyadic International, Inc is a global biotechnology company with the technology that brings nature to the marketplace. Dyadic is focused on the discovery, development, and manufacturing of novel products derived from the DNA of complex living organisms - including humans - found in the earth’s biodiversity.

Edenspace seeks to transform the energy, agricultural and environmental industries through innovative applications of plants for renewable fuels and environmental sustainability.

Farmacule is developing molecular farming technology to cost effectively mass produce high-value industrial and therapeutic proteins and biofuels.

Genencor is a leading industrial biotechnology company that develops and markets innovative enzymes and bio-based products.

Genentech has been delivering on the promise of biotechnology for more than 30 years, using human genetic information to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize biotherapeutics that address significant unmet medical needs.

Lucigen Corporation focuses on developing new, much more effective products and technologies for gene cloning and genomics. Our patented CloneSmart® technology dramatically improved DNA cloning reliability and efficiency, allowing successful cloning of genes that had been impossible to clone with standard methods.

Metabolix brings sustainable, clean solutions to the world in plastics, energy, and chemicals by combining bioscience and nature.

Mendel is a plant biotechnology company that develops products with enhanced yield and quality focused on row crops and cellulosic biofeedstocks.

Monsanto is an agricultural company to apply innovation and technology to help farmers around the world produce more while conserving more.

Novozymes is the multinational biotech company.

Plant Biofuels Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBC) is a producer of renewable and environment friendly fuel, BIODIESEL.

Syngenta is a world-leading agri-business committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research & technology.

Synthetic Genomics Inc is developing novel genomic-driven strategies to address global energy and environmental challenges. Recent advances in the field of synthetic genomics present seemingly limitless applications that could revolutionize production of energy, chemicals and pharmaceuticals and enable carbon sequestration and environmental remediation.

Verenium Corporation

Clean energy are key to Obama stimulus plan

Here is the voice from Obama during his campain: “Green jobs are the jobs of the future, not just because they pay well and can’t be outsourced…and not just because they’ll help strengthen our economy and lift up our middle class. But because they’ll help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and save this planet for our children.”

Recent news from Los Anglos Times: "President-elect Barack Obama is crafting a financial stimulus plan far more ambitious than a quick cash infusion, viewing it as a way to create jobs in a struggling economy and push the nation toward improved healthcare and roads and clean energy."

It is a good news for alternative energy industry. The question is: this is an emergying industry and there is still long way to go to become a sector that can generate a lot of jobs in a short term. Before that, more money still need to be input to support its survival. Hopefully the time to reach that stage will be shortened due to the government support from policy and finance.

Novozymes Inaugurates World's Largest Enzyme Fermentation Facility in China

Novozymes announced the inauguration of its Suzhou Hongda Enzymes Company production facility in Taicang, China, about 30 miles north of Shanghai. The company said the new plant , the largest enzyme fermentation facility in the world, would focus on products for the bioethanol industry. Novozymes executive vice president Peder Holk Nielsen said, "We believe bioethanol is a good example how biotechnology can make more from less, decoupling economic growth from the use of natural resources. As the world leader in bioinnovation, Novozymes is optimistic about the future of bioethanol and is dedicated to increasing our capabilities continuously in this field. The Suzhou facility is one of Novozymes' strategic manufacturing locations, and this new expansion will enable us to accomplish more."According to the press release, "Novozymes offers a highly efficient technology platform for sustainable production for bioethanol - getting more out of fewer resources. In 2010 Novozymes will have enzymes available on a large scale for production of second-generation bioethanol based on agricultural byproducts."

Despite the recent downturn in the global economy, Novozymes has increased its investment in Taicang, China, generating more revenue and jobs there. What attracts Novozyme invest more in China?

The news said , the United States, Brazil, and China have defined clear targets and roadmaps for the development of the bioethanol industry. By 2010 China aims to more than double its bioethanol production to cover 5% of the total transport fuel used with a target of 3 million tons fuel ethanol.

Why not in the USA?

The new fate of biofuels

The oil price has drop to the point where current bioethanol production from biomass is not profitable. The recent sharp up-and-down of the petroleum oil price is unusual and does not look like the change of oil supply-and-demand equilibrium. I believe the oil price will be back soon and the efforts towards biofuels production need to stay the right track.

New direction for biofuels?

Obama's victory means the beginning of the change in the Unite State of America, a new direction to overcome the challenge and realize the dream of prosperous. What about biofuel?

Please read the news "Ethanol and Obama":
http://www.goodfuels.org/2008/11/ethanol-and-obama/

Is it also the time to vote for bioenergy?

US presidential election is underway today. Who will get the the job of US president?

Both candidates emphasize on alternative energy. But one of them put more emphasis on bioenergy, the other more on nuclear power energy. The fate of bioenergy in the near may be decided today.

Is it possible for bioenergy to be next hot industry to drive economic growth like IT?

Due to the world wide financial crisis, we need an industry to to be the leading force that can drive the economics bounce back and restore the confidence of consumers to the market and future. IT will not be the one again. It is impossible for the traditional industries such as automobile, steel, pharmaceutical, oil etc. Is is possible for the bioenergy? Some factors still limit its commercialization.

• Renewable biomass supply
• Genetic modification of biomass to massively produce energy crops or biomass?
• Cost effective pretreatment technology
• Cost effective, large scale available stable microorganisms
• Effective and low cost product recovery system
• Consumers' preference
• Other??