Montana State U. research into algal biofuels keys larger study

Biodiesel Magazine

By Sepp Jannotta, Montana State University | December 31, 2013

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OU research team developing novel biomass conversion process

Phys.org

October 24th, 2013

 

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Miscanthus farmers look for alternative markets ahead of cellulosic ethanol

Biofuels Digest

Meghan Sapp | September 16, 2013

 

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OSU scientist recognized for bioproduct, bioenergy breakthroughs

Farmers' Advance

May 7, 2013

 

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Ohio adds 'algaculture' to agriculture statutory definition

Biorefining Magazine
By Erin Voegele March 06, 2012

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has signed HB 276 into law. The legislation amends state law to include algaculture, meaning the farming of algae, in the law governing agriculture, including those addressing county and township zoning, and current agriculture use valuation. Specifically, the legislation revises the definitions of "agriculture," "agricultural purposes," "agricultural production," and "land devoted exclusively to agricultural use" found in state agricultural statutes and some other state statutes to include algaculture.

“We applaud the commitment of Ohio’s leadership for their vision and support of the emerging algae industry for both business and agriculture,” said Ross Youngs, CEO and founder of Ohio-based Algaeventure Systems. “HB 276 provides the right regulatory framework to properly cultivate the growing algal industry, attract investment dollars into the state of Ohio, and provide regulatory clarity. Defining Algaculture as agriculture in the Ohio Revised Code places Ohio in a leadership position while making a powerful statement that Ohio is open for business and welcomes investment in this emerging industry.”

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Ohio Offers $8M Boost to Ethanol, Biodiesel Plants

DomesticFuel.com
Posted by Joanna Schroeder – September 24th, 2010

The U.S. federal government may be dragging its heels on its support for biofuels, but many states, including Ohio, are stepping up to plate. The Dayton Business Journal has reported that Ohio has designated an $8 million fund to boost biofuel production by subsidizing ethanol and biodiesel refining equipment purchases. The program is designed to give ethanol and biodiesel equipment manufactures based in Ohio a market boost.

The money is actually coming from the state’s $96 million energy project allocation as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Ohio Department of Development’s Energy Resources Division is currently accepting applications for funding under the Advancing Biofuels Beyond the Basics program. Awards will be given for projects not to exceed $1 million for any one project, and are designated for the purchase of equipment that will increase second generation ethanol refining capacity or biodiesel production facilities.

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Miscanthus Biomass Pilot Project in Ohio

PRNewswire

Oxford Resource Partners, LP and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. Announce a Miscanthus Biomass Pilot Project in Ohio

Opportunity to Convert Reclaimed Mine Lands for Renewable Energy
COLUMBUS, Ohio and HAYWARD, Calif., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxford Resource Partners, LP (NYSE: OXF) ("Oxford") and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. ("Mendel") today announced their collaborative agreement to develop a pilot project to produce Mendel's proprietary Miscanthus varieties on land previously reclaimed from mining operations by Oxford. The goal of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility and economic viability of biomass production from dedicated energy crops in eastern Ohio.

Miscanthus is a genus of high-yielding perennial grass that has shown great promise as a sustainable source of renewable energy. Its deep rhizome structure and broad adaptation make it a potentially attractive crop for converting reclaimed mine land to a source of biomass for electricity or liquid transportation fuel.

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Vilsack Tours Advanced Bioenergy Facility in Ohio

USDA Press Release

State/Federal Partnership Increases Production of Renewable Energy from Cellulosic Biomass

WOOSTER, Ohio, July 19, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today toured Quasar Energy Group, in Wooster, Ohio, to see firsthand new technologies being utilized to generate larger supplies of biogas derived from cellulosic biomass, such as yard trimmings and crop residue. USDA, along with the State of Ohio, provided funding to support the development of the new facility.

"I commend the leadership in Ohio for developing a prototype to reduce greenhouse gases and landfill disposal while offering the promise of significant increases in the production of renewable energy from this effort," said Vilsack. "USDA's partner financing to support this facility goes to the heart of the Obama Administration's commitment to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of energy."

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‘Frog foam’ could enable carbon capture, easier biofuels

Greenbang.com
By Greenbang on Tuesday, 16th March 2010

What can frogs teach us about solar power, biofuel production and carbon capture? More than you might think, say researchers at the University of Cincinnati.

Carlo Montemagno, dean of the college of engineering and applied science, has authored a study with research assistant professor David Wendell and student Jacob Todd describing how the foam nest of a semi-tropical frog provided the inspiration for a new material that could eventually help produce biofuels or pull carbon dioxide from the exhaust of coal-fired power plants.

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Residents React to Ethanol Plant's Controversial CO2 Plan

WHIO Local News
By Mike Ivcic @ June 30, 2009 1:32 PM

GREENVILLE, Ohio - The battle has begun between an area business and its surrounding community over a controversial carbon dioxide proposal.

Residents of Greenville and surrounding towns in Darke County gathered Monday night at the All Seasons Place to protest a proposal from an ethanol plant to inject carbon dioxide waste 3,500 feet below the surface. The plant is located within the Greenville Industrial Park.

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FirstEnergy power plant switching to biomass fuel

Ohio.com
By Bob DowningBeacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 11:00 a.m. EDT, Apr 01, 2009

Akron's FirstEnergy Corp. and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced this morning that the utility's R.E. Burger Power Plant in Belmont County will continue to generate electricity but will switch largely to cleaner-burning renewable fuels.

The coal-fired power plant at Shadyside south of Wheeling on the Ohio River will become one of the largest biomass-burning facilities in the United States.

The conversion, expected to be completed in 2012, will cost an estimated $200 million, FirstEnergy said a press conference at the plant.

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Schmack, OSU expect to hatch new jobs, energy

The Daily Record (Wooster, OH)
By CHRIS KICK
Staff Writer
March 12, 2009

WOOSTER -- Cleaner energy, new infrastructure and a quarter of a million Ohio jobs are all part of the package one of the nation's largest suppliers of bioenergy presented to the president of The Ohio State University Wednesday.

Gordon Gee, who will conclude his tours in Wayne County today, met with top executives from Schmack BioEnergy, which is in the process of constructing anaerobic digesters to convert food and animal waste into usable energy.

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SuGanit receives $1 million for cellulosic process

Ethanol Producer Magazine January 2009
By Ryan C. Christiansen
Web exclusive posted Dec. 29, 2008, at 12:20 p.m. CST

Reston, Va.-based SuGanit Systems Inc. was awarded a $999,900 grant from the Ohio Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program, an Ohio Department of Development fund, to scale up its cellulosic ethanol biomass pretreatment and fermentation processes. SuGanit Systems operates a research and development center at the University of Toledo Clean & Alternative Energy Incubator in Toledo, Ohio.

According to Praveen Paripati, president of SuGanit, the company has licensed the technology from the University of Toledo and has been working with researchers at the university’s College of Engineering to scale up the university’s cellulosic ethanol production processes.

Paripati said SuGanit has licensed two technologies from the university. “The first technology is basically a pretreatment process that's based on ionic liquid pretreatment,” he said. “It helps to soften or change the cellulose biomass structure to make it a lot more amenable for the enzymes to do their hydrolysis. The other technology that we have is to ferment xylose sugars, which are five-carbon sugars, using normal yeast. The technology we have licensed from the University of Toledo helps us to ferment both glucose, as well as xylose sugars, using normal yeast, so we can get higher productivity.”

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More Universities Offering Master's Degree Programs in Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy World.com
December 10, 2008
by Jennifer Runyon, Managing Editor

In an effort to help ease the the pain of jobs losses throughout the state and bolster the work force that will be necessary if the U.S. is going to transition to a green economy, four universities in Ohio are collaborating to offer a Masters degree program in renewable energy.

"Ohio is in the midst of major job losses and is trying to reinvent itself as a tech-based economy. One of those ways is in the area of 'green' jobs," said Kevin Hallinan, director of the University of Dayton's master's program in clean and renewable energy.

Renewable energy companies in Ohio were pleased to learn about the state's first master's program in clean and renewable energy.

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Akron sewage plant generates power

Ohio.com
Published on Sunday Nov 23, 2008

The city is using a biological process to turn sewage into energy that runs a wastewater treatment plant on its own power, fueling predictions that the technology could spread quickly throughout Ohio and generate energy, savings and maybe even jobs.

Akron's system went online last December and now processes one-third of the sludge going through its wastewater facility, using tiny bacteria to consume organic waste and emit methane gas. The gas is captured and converted to electricity, which has allowed the city to save about 15 percent on the power bill for the plant, built by Cleveland-based Schmack BioEnergy.

Though the methane-powered sewage plant is the first of its kind in the U.S., it's not an experiment, said Clemens Halene, vice president of engineering at Schmack. The company has more than 300 similar facilities in operation in Germany and has additional Ohio projects planned in Columbus and Zanesville, he said.

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