China’s big plans for biomass

Eco-Business.com

By Gosia Klimowicz

PUBLISHED

26 March 2014

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China could become major import market for US ethanol

Biofuels Digest


Meghan Sapp | February 11, 2014


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Biomass pellets help lower mercury emissions

bioenergy-news.com


14 January 2014


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CME says China’s rejection of GMO DDG will lead to a hard time for ethanol

Biofuels Digest
Meghan Sapp | January 7, 2014
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Novozymes Sticks to Sales Goal Even as U.S., China Slow

Bloomberg

By Bloomberg News - Sep 5, 2013 4:22 AM CT

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Reportstack releases new report on 2012-2014 Global and China industrial enzyme industry

Biobased Digest
Tom Saidak
March 7, 2013   Read more

Chinese more confident in green, biobased products than North Americans

Biobased Digest
Jim Lane
December 6, 2012   Read more

Report: Europe to remain biomass power leader

Biomass Magazine
By Anna Simet
November 13, 2012

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A Chinese Perspective on Corn-Ethanol Biofuels

CO2 Science
Reviewed August 29, 2012

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Researchers explore bioenergy utilization in China

Phys.org
July 3, 2012

With China the largest growing economy in the world, scientists and policymakers alike are keenly interested in the country's increasing use of biomass – instead of polluting and climate-harming fossil fuels – for energy generation. Although bioenergy consumption has more than doubled from 2005 to 2010, few studies have evaluated exactly where, in the vast country, this shift is taking place and through what means.
In a new paper, Shiyan Chang, an assistant professor of energy system analysis at Beijing's Tsinghua University, and graduate student Lili Zhao examine changes in the geographical distribution of bioenergy utilization in China, like biogas and biomass power generation, and biomass resources, like livestock and poultry excrement, agricultural residues, and municipal waste. The paper appears in a special issue of the American Institute of Physics' Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (JRSE) that focuses on emerging energy trends in China.

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YFY says biopulping straw residue can doubling global pulp supply

Biofuels Digest
Jim Lane
July 3, 2012

In China, after more than 10 years of research and development, YFY announced that it has moved NPulp from green chemistry concept to reality. Through biopulping – a proprietary enzymatic process that eliminates the use of harsh chemicals when converting straw to straw pulp – YFY Corp. plans to take advantage of the more than 600 million tons of agricultural straw biomass available in China.

That represents a potential supply of 345 million tons of biopulps, equal to the amount of wood pulp produced globally every year. In China, under current practices, after farmers harvest their crops, they are left with large amounts of residual straw, of which more than 90% is burned off to clear the fields for more planting. The burning straw contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

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China drops DDGS anti-dumping case

Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Holly Jessen

June 22, 2012

Eighteen months after it was initiated, the anti-dumping investigation against U.S. dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) exports to China has been terminated. “This was an exceptional example of how competitors can come together to do what is correct,” said U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Thomas Dorr during a conference call June 22.

China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that the case was terminated after the three Chinese ethanol plants that initiated the case withdrew their petition on May 10. The Chinese companies were identified as AnHui Ethanol Co. Ltd., Jilin Fuel Alcohol Co. Ltd. and Meihekou Fukang Alcohol Co. Ltd. The termination signals the case is closed, said Mark McConnell, partner with Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP, who served as an attorney for USGC and the ethanol industry. “From a legal perspective we’re essentially in the position we were before the anti-dumping investigation was filed in the first place,” he added. “The bottom line here is the investigation has come to a close without the imposition of duties.”

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TMO Renewables Expands Production of 2G Ethanol with Cassava Stalk

The Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch
May 3, 2012, 8:02 a.m. EDT


TMO advances cassava stalk processing to demonstration scale with Chinese partners
SURREY, England, May 03, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TMO Renewables ("TMO Group"), a leading technology provider for cellulosic biofuels production, today announced the company has advanced to demonstration scale on cassava stalk feedstock with major Chinese fuel and food producers. TMO is now processing an initial shipment of cassava stalk delivered from China, an inexpensive, abundant feedstock underutilized in 2G bioethanol. Improved efficiencies at TMO's 12,000 sq. ft. demonstration facility are projected to produce ethanol for less than two dollars per gallon, marking a crucial step toward commercialization.
TMO's proprietary technology platform can break down a wide range of waste biomass into cellulosic ethanol, while reducing costs through savings in maintenance, production time and capital expenditures, including reduced enzyme loadings. Utilizing cassava stalk, TMO's conversion process will yield 70 to 80 gallons of 2G ethanol per ton of feedstock.

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Ethanol Unlikely To Support Corn Prices This Year

Seeking Alpha
April 24, 2012
By Scott Martin

The corn chart looks eager for a short-term bounce, but the longer trend looks bearish as U.S. farmers dedicate more acreage to the crop than ever, creating a glut that neither ethanol production nor an Argentine drought can overcome. Last week’s crop report confirmed what commodity traders have been saying for weeks: there is going to be too much corn come harvest time to support current prices, no matter how much Chinese demand ends up taking off the market.

Argentina is still suffering from significant drought conditions, but the USDA estimates that the weather there will end up trimming only 500,000 tons of corn from the second-largest exporter’s harvest this year.

As a result, corn prices have sunk 21% over the last 12 months, taking the Teucrium ETF (CORN) with them and acting as a drag on broader-based agricultural ETFs like DBA.

The corn bulls point to China as a buyer of last resort, but while it can be fun to think about the world’s second-biggest economy having a theoretically bottomless appetite for raw materials, the truth is very different.

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Shengquan, Novozymes partner to commercialize cellulosic ethanol

Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Novozymes
April 25, 2012

Shengquan Group, a Shandong-based company specializing in furan resin and polymers, and Novozymes announced a partnership enabling Shengquan to start commercial-scale production of cellulosic ethanol for solvents in June 2012 using Novozymes’ technology.

“Shengquan is a global first mover in this industry, which is on the verge of materializing right now,” says Poul Ruben Andersen, vice president for bioenergy at Novozymes. “Shengquan has profound experience in chemical production and is a leading company in commercializing cellulosic ethanol. Novozymes is proud to join Shengquan in nurturing a green and circular bioeconomy which lessens the dependence on fossil fuel resources.”

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ADM funds distillers grains research in China

Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Kris Bevill March 27, 2012

Archer Daniels Midland Co. is expanding its research activities related to the use of distillers grains and corn stover to replace corn in cattle diets, recently announcing a two-year research project to be conducted in China to explore the potential for the alternative feeds to be used at Chinese dairy farms. ADM will provide an undisclosed sum to fund the research program, which will be conducted jointly with Shengli Li, professor of dairy science at China Agricultural University. The program will include a series of feeding trials at the university as well as cooperative trials at some of China’s large dairy farms.

ADM has been a leader in researching stover/distillers grains combinations as corn replacements in cattle diets for several years in the U.S. The company has collaborated with researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University and the University of Illinois to conduct more than 20 feeding trials, the results of which have shown that it could be possible to replace more than 60 percent of the corn in cattle diets with a mixture of 20 percent treated stover and 40 percent distillers grains.

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5 renewable energy trends to watch in 2012

GreenTech Pastures
By Heather Clancy March 13, 2012, 8:40am PDT

Summary: Advances in energy efficiency and grid-connected storage projects shape investments over the next 12 months, according to a new report from cleantech research firm Clean Edge.

Green technology and renewable energy research firm Clean Edge reports that the solar photovoltaic, wind power and biofuels markets grew 31 percent last year to reach $246.1 billion, despite the bad rap that renewable energy has been suffering since the Solyndra bankruptcy.

That’s one of the key findings in the firm’s “Clean Energy Trends 2012″ report. All three technology areas had a record year, according to Clean Edge. For example, solar installations grew by more than 69 percent from 15.6 gigawatts in 2010 to more than 26 gigawatts in 2011, largely due to rapidly decreasing solar technology costs. Last year was the largest year for wind power installations ever, reaching 41.6 gigawatts. (China alone has installed more than 40 percent of the global wind power capacity.)

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China increasing grain imports, as ethanol growth slows

Biofuels Digest
Meghan Sapp February 14, 2012

In China, a result of the country’s decision to reduce corn-based ethanol production for the next five years, it will instead have to boost its imports of animal feed due to a decline in DDGS production. Imports could jump to 6 million tonnes in the next four years, double that of 3.1 million tons imported during 2009/10. Of the total, research from Shanghai JC Intelligence Co. on behalf of the US Grains Council shows that as much as 42% of imports could come from the US.

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BGI opens genome research center in Europe

Eurekalert
Public release date: 10-Feb-2012

Aiming to accelerate the development of genomic research and transformation of scientific achievements

February 10th, 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Shenzhen, China – BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, today opens its first European Genome Research Center located in Copenhagen Bio Science Park (COBIS). This research center is about 1,200 square meters and equipped with 10 Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencers. The center aims to establish collaborations to better accelerate the innovation and development of genomics research and applications in health care, agriculture, bioenergy and other related areas in Europe.

The opening ceremony of the genome research center was held at the Bio-center in University of Copenhagen today. It was attended by Pia Olsen Dyhr, Minister of Trade and Investments, Mr. Gu Hui, Charge d'affaire from Chinese Embassy, Professor Huanming Yang, Co-founder and Chairman of BGI, Professor Thomas Bjørnholm, Vice Chancellor of University of Copenhagen and approximately 120 guests from leading European research centers, universities and biotech industries.

Ning Li, Director of BGI Europe, welcomed the guests and expressed his appreciation to friends and supporters who have contributed to the successful opening of the Genome Research Center in COBIS. He noted, "Our primary mission of this research center is to provide BGI´s world-class expertise and infrastructure for the European researchers in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and other related areas. The opening of the Genome Research Center will add immense value on science advancement and application for both BGI Europe and Denmark. I believe this center also will strive to cultivate joint collaborations between China and Europe."

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DDGS exports drop overall, exports to China cut in half

Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Holly Jessen January 18, 2012

After a record-breaking year in distillers grains exports in 2010, the Renewable Fuels Association expects total 2011 export numbers to decrease by about 14 percent, said Geoff Cooper, vice president of research and analysis for RFA.

Specifically, exports of DDGS are expected to reach 7.72 million metric tons by the end 2011, down from the record 9.03 million metric tons exported in 2010, Cooper said. On the other hand, exports are up from the 2009 total, which was 5.65 million metric tons.

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