Cellulosic ethanol consultants are in high demand. Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from the fibrous cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of herbaceous (switchgrass, corn stover, miscanthus) or woody biomass. The cellulosic ethanol production process includes biomass collection and delivery, biomass deconstruction via high-severity chemical & mechanical pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and distillation. Due to a…
Hemp Projects Pre-Development and Development Stage-Gate Approach. A stage-gate approach is a phased project management technique where a specific list of tasks and engineering is performed sequentially with a gate, or decision gate, at the end of each phase. At that point, a decision is made to stop, move forward with the scope, schedule, and…
As a greener planet and sustainable future would appear to be something everyone should agree on, the question becomes why biofuels project funding is not a given. Why do many bioenergy projects, even very good ones, not get the funding they need? Undoubtedly, there are many reasons that failures to obtain financing occur, but some…
Pyrolysis tire processing is a growing business worldwide thanks to advances in pyrolysis technology. It is a good thing, because tires are highly durable and non-biodegradable, and they took up lots of landfill space. In 1990, it was estimated that over 1 billion scrap tires were in stockpiles in the United States. Recycling these waste…
Cannabis Business Structures? State Regulations Limit Business Structure Choices? Each state that has legalized a commercial cannabis industry, whether for medical or adult-use purposes, has enacted laws, rules and regulations on how operators may be structured. As these markets mature, more and more transactions are occurring where operators are buying and selling businesses and licenses to…
CO2 Utilization? Carbon dioxide (C02), is a colorless and odorless gas that occurs in nature and serves as source of carbon for photosynthesis in all plants and crops. CO2 utilization’ refers to its use at concentrations above atmospheric levels, directly or as a feedstock in industrial or chemical processes, to produce valuable carbon-containing product. Energy…
Pyrolysis Oil – Commercial Markets are a Reality. Did you know that new commercial-scale pyrolysis oil plants have recently come into play? Did you know that customers are buying pyrolysis oil in Sweden, Finland, Netherlands and the US? Did you know that for the first time pyrolysis oil is being shipped in volume by sea?…
Sometimes we think of fermentation in terms preserving foods or producing alcoholic beverages or acidic dairy products. But the term “fermentation” encompasses much. Fermentation waste treatment is the production of chemical changes in wastes via some enzymatic action. This is normally done to make the waste into a useable product like biofuels. Just as…
Introduction History of biofuels? In the modern world, fuels are often equated with fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. However, fossil fuels only came into their own during the 20th century. From the time of the caveman until the early Industrial Revolution, biofuels – namely wood and the advanced biofuel of the day, charcoal – reigned…
Cellulosic Hydrolysis Reactors? Cellulosic materials, such as corn stover, cane, switchgrass, timber waste, municipal solid waste, etc., can be processed into fuels and renewable chemicals. Broadly speaking, there are two main methods: pyrolysis and hydrolysis. The former is relatively independent of feedstock but happens at high temperatures and may have yield losses due to breakdown…
Cannabis Cultivation Efficiency? Greenhouses vs. Indoor vs. Outdoor operations? In the same way cannabis laws vary state by state, county by county across the country, so too do the best practices for commercial cannabis cultivation. The first hurdles that must be cleared in the decision-making process are the regulatory and legal ones: Depending on your location,…
Bio-processing may involve aerobic fermentation, whereas ethanol and chemicals from starches and lignocellulosic materials are generally anaerobic processes. Aerobic fermentation is a metabolic process by which cells metabolize sugars via fermentation in the presence of oxygen and occurs through the repression of normal respiratory metabolism. Aerobic fermentation occurs in the presence of oxygen. It usually…
“Good Manufacturing Practices” (GMPs) is a term describing a body of regulations promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are listed in the Code of Federal Regulations under part 21; they are numerous, extensive, and complex. As a result, there exists a myriad of very similar definitions which attempt to describe the entirety…
What does a biochar expert do? First, let’s define biochar. Biochar is the carbonaceous material produced by combustion of biomass. Biochar is a stable solid, rich in carbon, and can endure in soil for thousands of years. It can be considered a method of sequestering carbon and has been shown to improve crop yields. It…
The Expert Witness in Biotechnology Litigation. Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in biotechnologies as well as the other specialties within the bioeconomy, and most are available to serve as expert witnesses in biotechnology or other bioeconomy related litigation, including the pharma industry, small molecules and biologics, and synthetic and fermentation processes.…
Biogas Production: Improve With Mixed Feedstocks in Anaerobic Digesters By John D. Forcier, P.E. Biogas Production. Anaerobic Digesters provide an excellent baseload renewable energy source. Cow manure has been digested in the cow’s four stomachs and domestic wastewater has been digested in the human digestive system. Therefore, those materials have limited remaining energy, but they…
Despite the many positive benefits to using plastics and the impact they have had on daily life, they currently seem to have more of a negative reputation and plastic recycling has become a booming business. This is due largely in part to mismanagement of plastic waste. While much of the plastic waste is landfilled, a…
The Expert Witness in Catalysis Litigation? The Expert Witness in Catalysis Litigation? In today’s world many different things like petroleum products, plastics, textiles, pharmaceutical products, and various other chemicals are prepared through some catalytic processes. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions but can be recovered unchanged at the end of the reaction. They can also direct…
What does a bio-coal (biocoal) expert or consultant do? Biocoal is another word for torrefied wood. Biocoal is a relatively new type of energy, produced via fast pyrolysis coupled with an atmospheric distillation process. The key advantage to bio-coal is its ability to be used with little or no modification and the high heating values…
Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from the fibrous cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of herbaceous (switchgrass, corn stover, miscanthus) or woody biomass, as opposed to a plant’s seeds or fruit, and the cellulosic ethanol expert deals with these feedstocks that are mostly inedible, eliminating the “food v. fuel” arguments that sometime surround standard biofuels. Almost…
When we speak of “low carbon technologies”, we are referring to those that will produce power with vastly lower amounts of emissions than from conventional fossil fuels. These low carbon technologies might include such as things as hydroelectric power, wind, solar, geothermal or nuclear power. These technologies will also likely include those that produce low…
When oil prices are relatively low, and the status of U.S. government incentives has continued uncertainty, a predictable downturn in biofuel and biochemical related industries brings with it increased participant discomfort, leading to more lawsuits and finding the right biochemical or biofuels expert witness become paramount. Those of us that have been in the “bioeconomy”…
What do plastic waste experts or consultants do? Plastic is one of the most widely used and cheapest materials in the world today. Almost everything is either made from plastic or wrapped in plastic. We use around 5 trillion plastic bags a year worldwide! The US alone throws away enough plastic bottles in a week…
RIN values are often a key consideration in making renewable fuels. RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) are the 38-digit serial number assigned to renewable transportation fuels and heating oils that are made from an approved renewable feedstock. RINs are generated when a fuel is produced, and they are initially attached to the gallon of renewable fuel. From…
Business planning, and a business plan, is important for any business. Business planning provides managers the opportunity to systematically think through all aspects of their business: who their customers are, who their suppliers are, who their competitors are—and how they will compete. Planning allows managers to develop a profitable business model and determine how they will…
Sustainable transportation is making great strides and bio-jet fuel via Fischer-Tropsch is coming on the scene. Electrification of the automotive and public transport sectors is reducing emissions and allowing increased use of renewables. This has not been the case for aviation until recently, as that industry has continued to consume vast quantities of fossil fuels…
Is this feedstock approved for use in biodiesel, ethanol, heating oil, or other renewable fuels? This is a question constantly posed to feedstock experts. To answer it, lets start with the basics. RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) are the 38 digit serial number assigned to every gallon of renewable transportation fuel. Ranging from biogas, to ethanol,…
What does a biogas consultant or biogas expert do? Biogas is a naturally occurring mixture of gases consisting mostly of methane and carbon dioxide and is produced from the decay of organic matter. The production of biogas by commercial means is performed in landfills (landfill gas), anaerobic (without oxygen) and aerobic (with oxygen) digesters, covered and…
What does torrefaction consultants or torrefactions expert do? Torrefaction is the roasting of any solid biomass in an inert atmosphere. Some of the volatile components of the feedstock is driven off in form of Syngas that can be used to fuel the process plus generate thermal or electrical energy. The solid part is either an…
What do biotechnology experts or biotech consultant do? Biotechnology is the use of some biological processes for industrial or other purpose, like the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc. There are many types of bio technologies, including medical (such as vaccines and antibiotics), agricultural (such as pest resistant crops and…
Biotechnology (biotech) involves the study and use of living organisms or cell processes to make useful products. Biotechnology now plays a major role in areas like drug development, human and animal nutrition, agricultural improvements, and environmental protection. Biotech companies integrate the sciences and bring new perspectives from chemistry, biochemistry, and genetics to tackle biomedical questions.…
What does FSMA Compliance entail? Though the Food Safety Modernization Act (or “FSMA”) was signed into law on January 04, 2011, it has taken many years for all the rules to be written and implemented. There are many reasons for this, but it mostly boils down to three: (1) this was a sweeping piece of…
Biofuels Project Planning involves an initial step called front end loading or pre project planning (PPP). This is a formal process for the process for conceptual development of processes in the up-stream, biotechnology, petrochemical, refining and specialty chemical areas. It involves developing sufficient strategic information which the owners can determine risks and make decisions. It…
What does a hydro-processing consultant or hydroprocessing expert do? Hydroprocessing is the term used for a number of chemical reactions that take place as part of oil refining. These include hydrogenation, hydrocracking and hydrotreating. Hydroprocessing consultant and experts can design processes using hydrogen to upgrade biofuels and renewable chemicals. Hydroprocessing is used to remove oxygen,…
What do syngas consultants or syngas experts do? First, let’s define Syngas. Synthesis Gas, or Syngas, is used to describe a range of gas mixtures used to make – synthesize – a desired chemical, fuel, etc. Usually, syngas is a hydrogen based mixture, but could well be a mixture of other gases from which an…
Renewable Energy Companies have a future, notwithstanding the temporary setbacks that every industry encounters from time to time. The International Energy Agency predicted a sunny renewable energy future. The expansion of clean energy technologies, coupled with falling costs and other factors, means that as the demand for energy worldwide grows by 30 percent between today…
What does a biochemicals expert or biochemicals consultant do? First, let’s define biochemicals. Biochemicals are any materials that are derived from renewable biological resources such as plants or plant or animal wastes. Familiar examples include ethanol produced by fermentation, and acetic acid (vinegar), but also include a wide range of specialty chemicals such as pharmaceuticals…
Bioeconomy project management is the use of one’s knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques in a specific bioeconomy project to project all activities and meet the project’s requirements, timeline, and budget. All projects are temporary in that they have defined beginnings and endings, scope, and resources. Further, all projects are unique, especially in the bioeconomy. Project…
What does a Fischer Tropsch Expert do? The Fischer–Tropsch process (or Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis or FT) is a set of chemical reactions converts a mixture of carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas into liquid hydrocarbons (like gasoline, diesel and jet fuel). It is highly feedstock flexible and makes it possible to prepare high-quality drop-in fuels, high-value…
The task of process design is to lay out the process unit operations in a Block Flow Process Diagram (BFPD), in which the process unit operations are connected by the continuous process stream flows. A process is the transformation of raw materials, into one or more products of commercial value. The process development aims for…
Cleaning Up Fixed Asset Lists Saves Money? Many renewable companies struggle to keep their fixed assets lists up to date. A fixed asset is a long-term tangible property that a company owns and uses in its operations to generate income. The assets are referred to as property, plant, and equipment (PP&E). When a company purchases…
What do renewable energy consultants or experts do? Renewable energy is any energy, electricity or thermal energy, that is derived from a renewable resource and includes solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass power, biogas, renewable natural gas, tidal energy. Renewable energy may be used to produce electricity, heat, cooling, or as a transportation fuel in…
Waste to Energy in Municipal Landfills? Many cities and counties need an alternative to simple landfilling as they seek to recycle the more difficult organics and plastics rather than the easier items such as clean paper, plastics and metals. Traditional waste-to-energy facilities might work well in some instances, but they are normally expensive. Also, they…
Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in Advanced Bioeconomy Legal & Regulatory Services and the more common areas like of bio and renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, biochemicals and biotechnologies. But, they also have an expertise in a wide variety of specialty services like expert witness testimony, ag biotech,…
Techno-economic analysis in synthetic biology is the combination of conceptual process design and production cost estimation activities. Synthetic biology refers to microorganisms that have been genetically altered to produce a foreign molecule as part of their normal metabolism. Products include small organic molecules, (alcohols, fuel-range oils), proteins, and pharmaceutical ingredients. Techno-economic analysis is generally carried…
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting CEO, Wayne Lee, about hiring an expert witness in biofuels, biochemicals, biomaterials, biotechnologies, feedstocks, and other specialty areas within the bioeconomy. This type of litigation might include things like It covers areas such as bio jet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable…
USDA Section 9003 Funding for 2020? The USDA is still actively accepting applications and has Section 9003 loan guarantee funding available. This is mandatory funding authorized in the Farm Bill this fiscal year- approximately $63 million of loan level along with carry-over funding. Only a few Phase I applications were received by the April 1,…
What does a biomass pretreatment expert or consultant do? First, we must understand the process. Collected biomass requires some type of pretreatment prior to its conversion to fuels or renewable chemicals. Pretreatment will involve the biomass’ handling and transport, and the actual physical processes like sizing, drying, or chemical processes such as acid washing. These…
An experienced cannabis licensing expert is crucial when applying for a cannabis license, to navigate through constantly changing regulations in this increasingly competitive market. This cannabis or hemp consultant can help navigate through the rules and regulations to ensure compliance for all aspects of the business. After a cannabis company receives a cannabis license, the…
Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms should be able to assist clients with virtually any advanced bioeconomy business and financial services. These services should cover a wide range of things like renewable energy finance, renewable energy insurance, techno-economic analysis, due diligence, and feasibility studies, techno-economic analysis, due diligence, budgeting, project management, technology assessment, risk…
What are the primary reasons that owners or investors might engage in appraising renewable energy plants? To answer that question, we need to first determine the difference between appraisals and valuations. While these terms often appear synonymous, they are not. An appraisal is technically an estimate or an opinion of a property’s current market worth, considering what…
What does an Industrial Fermentation Expert or Consultant do? The word “fermentation” can apply to any process that uses a living cell in a medium that allows it to grow, and to perform whatever process may be commercially useful. Thus, the word “fermentation” covers a continuum of processes, from the large scale production commodity chemicals,…
Due Diligence in Renewables? Due diligence is a crucial step in every project from evaluating technology to securing funding to everything in between. What does a renewable fuels or renewable chemicals due diligence expert do? Due diligence (DD) is a comprehensive appraisal of a project or plant, undertaken by a prospective buyer, lender or investor. …
What does the renewable diesel expert do? Renewable diesel refers to a drop in replace for diesel derived from fossil fuels. It is derived from biomass and made via processes that meet lifecycle requirements to meet the definition so reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They differ from biodiesels in that they have very low oxygen contents and…
Appraisal and Valuation Services for Renewable Fuels Industry. Determining and documenting the value of a renewable fuels businesses and plants is done for a variety of reasons. The most common occasions for seeking an appraisal of the ethanol, biodiesel or other renewable fuels businesses and plants arise when they are created or constructed, bought or…
Enzyme technologies are a key to many products and processes in the bioeconomy. When we speak of “enzyme technologies” we are talking about using specialized biological catalysts to accomplish our industrial process. Enzymes are everywhere—they are proteins in all living organisms that do work. The advantage to using enzymes in industry is that they yield…
What does an Activated Carbon Expert do? Generally, the starting place is the definition of performance goals for an existing or proposed system that uses activated carbon as the core technology for cleaning air or water. The expert then evaluates if the activated carbon system can meet those goals as designed and when operated correctly.…
4 New Opportunities for Ethanol Facilities, Thanks to Breakthrough Membrane Technology by Joel Stone A unique and affordable membrane technology exhibiting extremely low fouling rates can offer significant benefits to dry mill ethanol operations, especially on streams containing protein and oil components. First opportunity: Recover soluble protein, oil, and insolubles from stillage backset The thin…
Federal Programs and Resources Available to Support the Bioeconomy By Bill Hagy, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. A series of PowerPoint Presentations outlining key Federal Financial Programs and Assistance that are available to support the domestic bioeconomy have been provided. This was not intended to be an” all inclusive” listing of federal programs/resources available. The PowerPoints…
Catalytic valorization – enhancing value via catalytic processing – helps in reducing environmental emissions, lowering manufacturing costs, and substituting renewables for fossil resources.The catalyst industry is a $25 billion industry growing at about 4.5% per annum. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations and growing demand for renewable materials have been key factors driving the market. The low…
Renewable technologies are now emerging around the world as viable sources of energy, fuels, and chemicals. Improving cost-competiveness, dedicated policy initiatives, better access to financing, energy security, and environmental concerns are driving the rapid growth of renewable technologies. As a result, more investors are entertaining options for engagements with renewable chemicals and fuels manufacturing projects. …
What does a Nutraceutical Consultant do? The term “nutraceutical” is used to describe these medicinally or nutritionally functional foods. Nutraceuticals, also called medical foods, phytochemicals, functional foods and nutritional supplements, include such everyday products as “bio” yoghurts and fortified breakfast cereals, as well as vitamins, herbal remedies and even genetically modified foods and supplements. Nutraceuticals…
What does a landfill biogas expert or consultant do? Landfills are locations set specifically for disposal of residential, industrial, and commercial waste. Landfills are a very large source methane emissions. Biogas from landfills is also called landfill gas (LFG), since the digestion process takes place in the ground rather than in an anaerobic digester. There…
What does a biochar consultant do? First, let’s define biochar. Biochar is a range of biomass-derived high carbon content chars with very high surface area per unit weight that are used as soil amendments or as water/ground remediation agents. Biochar is the rediscovery of the Amazon indigenous peoples’ practice of burning the forest and incorporating…
The third in a series of three good PowerPoints by Lee Enterprises Consulting’s, Bill Hagy, who has 45 years of experience at USDA and as a consultant, where he shares details about federal programs supporting commercial scale development, including USDA Biofuels, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program (Section 9003), USDA Rural Energy For…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biofeasibility as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
Expert Witness in Rubber and Latex Products? The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of specialties, including rubber, latex and products made from them. These firms can provide clients project expertise and be available as expert witnesses in many bio related matters like biofuels, biochemicals, aquaculture, bio-fertilizers, bio-fibers,…
Second in a series of three good PowerPoints by Lee Enterprises Consulting’s, Bill Hagy (who has 45 years of experience at USDA and as a consultant) where he shares details about federal research and development programs supporting demonstration of proof of concept, including Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), National Science Foundation I-Corp Program (ICAP), DOE…
What are supercritical biomass conversion experts? The supercritical steam conversion of woody biomass directly to a refine-able bio-crude, or directly to sugars, to monomers, and to synthesis gas have all been demonstrated. And supercritical steam technology is in widespread use for power generation. The goal now is to combine new bio-processing techniques with established supercritical…
Renewable green diesel or biodiesel? Although it serves a vital function in reducing air pollution, carbon emissions, and our dependence on fossil fuels, and is certainly a very important source of income for farmers, there is simply not enough land available for traditional biodiesel to completely replace traditional diesel fuel. However, there are many new…
First in a series of three good PowerPoints by Lee Enterprises Consulting’s, Bill Hagy, who has 45 years of experience at USDA and as a consultant, where he shares details about federal research and development programs, including the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Programs, Federal Small Business Innovation…
Anaerobic digesters use a biological process used to manage some type of waste (like sewage, cow, pig or chicken manure) and to produce a gas called “biogas”. Biogas is primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide and depending on the waste feedstock and the system design, is typically 55 to 75 percent pure methane (with…
Is biomass gasification the answer to biomass conversion? Biomass is a rich salad of chemicals that contains many highly valuable materials that are precursors to fine chemicals, nutrients, and pharmaceuticals. But this strength is also a weakness of biomass. The assortment of materials in biomass is bound together in a complex, stable structure in varying…
Intellectual property (IP) underlies a great deal of the litigation in the bioeconomy and elsewhere. Topics like freedom to operate and patent infringement can be extraordinarily complex and highly technical, sometimes turning on the interpretation of a single word in a contract, patent claim, or patent specification. Companies involved in litigation often have need for…
Plastic pyrolysis refers to converting plastics into another products by means of some thermal type treatment. An example of such technology would be a plastic-to-fuel (PTF) technology that would convert scrap plastic into fuels. The term “conversion technology” encompasses a broad range of technologies that are used to treat a wide variety of materials in the…
What is Food Safety Modernization Act Compliance? Although it has a more formal, legal name, the short title is, “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act” – otherwise known as FSMA. It is Public Law 111-353 dated January 4, 2011. Although the law itself, is composed of 88 pages in the Federal Register, it required promulgation of…
Solid state fermentation (SSF) is a biomolecule manufacturing process that is used in the food, pharmaceutical, textile, cosmetic, and fuel industries. These molecules are mostly generated by microorganisms grown on a solid support selected for this purpose. This technology, in culturing microorganisms, is an alternative to liquid or submerged fermentation, a method of manufacturing the biomolecules in which the enzymes…
Carbon intensity (CI), sometimes used interchangeably with emission intensity, refers to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of product such as fuels, electrical power, or materials. The CI is calculated on a life cycle bases such that it includes the emissions associated with the production of materials and fuels used in the process. (Actually,…
As governments worldwide work toward achieving more sustainability in waste management, the management of landfills continues to present major challenges as they remain the principal disposal venue for municipal solid waste (MSW). When we look at current municipal solid waste treatment processes like composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration and mechanical–biological treatment (MBT), we find that while…
Industrial biotech uses fermentation processes to make biofuels, biobased chemicals, specialty chemicals, nutraceuticals (e.g. cannabidiol), and even ingredients for the recent rise of meat, dairy, and seafood substitutes. Once a company has a bioprocess (including fermentation and purification) fully tested and optimized at lab scale, then the company needs to prepare itself before industrial biotech…
Creating Value from Landfill Gas? Landfills contain a toxic stew of biomass materials from old tires to food wastes to animal manure. It is literally the bottom of the rubbish barrel. The US EPA estimates that 250 million tons of municipal solid wastes are sent to landfills each year. These materials have a wide range…
Water treatment is a broad category encompassing numerous applications including: Municipal Water Beverage Ultrapure – medical, pharmaceutical, etc. Marine/Aquarium/Aquaculture Process water – industrial and reuse Wastewater – municipal, industrial (reuse or disposal) Remediation Activated carbon is an effective treatment option for these applications and is applied in numerous ways from standalone units to multi-stage chemical…
Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are produced from the conventional or lignocellulose feedstock and biofuels additives are often necessary components. Sugar and corn are the most prominent feedstocks for ethanol, while animal fats, waste vegetable oil, soybean and other plant oils, are the most prominent for biodiesel. There is a great deal of research…
Landfills are facilities designed for the disposal of solid waste and the landfill management to insure their safe and efficient operation is of great important to everyone. There are many types of landfills like Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (including bioreactor landfills), Industrial Waste Landfills (including construction and demolition debris landfills), and Hazardous Waste Landfills. Whether…
A great deal of the litigation in the bioeconomy concerns the interpretation of patents and other intellectual property (IP). Topics like freedom to operate and patent infringement can be extraordinarily complex and highly technical, sometimes turning on the interpretation of a single word in a patent claim or specification. Many parties involved in litigation have…
Renewable technology evaluation: Does it mean build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door? In renewables, maybe or maybe not. Renewable technologies are emerging worldwide as sources of energy, fuels, and chemicals. Investors are entertaining options for engagements with renewable chemicals and fuels manufacturing projects. So, why do many…
Biotechnologies, like other new to the market process technologies, often do not have proven track records of commercial scale operations in revenue positive facilities. And because they lack a performance history and commercial references, the risk of employing new biotechnology is seen as high. To mitigate new technology risk, project developers and plant owners often…
Bio based solvents are environmentally friendly replacements used in green chemistry.
By Matthew L. Gibson, Ph.D., Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now” – Joni Mitchell I’ve been in the ethanol industry, directly, for about half of my career. The other half has been on “the other side”; that is, in the production of human food – either indirectly (i.e., livestock production),…
Major litigation involving bioeconomy matters is complicated and often best served by use of both expert witnesses and consulting experts. While the amounts in dispute may not justify hiring both types of experts, it is certainly money well spent where the stakes are relatively large. Attorneys know that expert witness they hire will explain and…
Good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting’s, Dr. Brett Schreyer, about fermentation process scale up: the process, procedures and expertise needed for scaling up industrial fermentation processes from the demonstration level to pilot plants and into industrial scale operations.
Many producers of biofuels tend to think of co-products in terms of protein quantity – i.e., the percentage of crude protein. While “quantity” is an important number, it has greatest application for ruminants (animals like cattle and sheep). For non-ruminants (animals like pigs and chickens), the protein “quality” is much more important. So, what makes…
Cannabis consultants? Cannabis has a documented history going back thousands of years, first being used medicinally about 1,600 years ago for countless ailments and medicinal applications. In the United States Pharmacopoeia cannabis ran strong from 1851 until 1942, when it was dropped by Federal regulation, but is now rapidly reappearing as a “new” medicinal treasure…
“Sludge” is a general term for liquids, with a high solids content, that remain after some sort of industrial process such as wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment, mining operations, petroleum extraction, etc. Although sludges are typically thought of as problematic waste materials, they may contain valuable constituents including nutrients, metals, and energy content. A sludge…
Synthetic biology is the study to build newly developed biological systems, with the focus on taking parts of natural biological systems, cataloguing, characterizing and simplifying them, and then using them as components of some engineered biological system. Synthetic Biology Commercialization is an interdisciplinary area which focuses on planning and strategy thru commercialization. So, while industrial…
The production of sugars from non-food biomass is the Holy Grail of many biotechnology developers. The goal is to produce low-cost sugars to support competitive end products, and to avoid dependence on food resources. Feedstocks include lignocellulose from wood, from agricultural wastes, and from municipal and industrial wastes – garbage. These are the goals of…
Residuals” is a general term for liquids, with a high solids content, that remain after some sort of industrial process such as wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment, mining operations, petroleum extraction, etc. The term “residuals” is more or less interchangeable with the term “sludge.” Although sludges are typically thought of as problematic waste materials, they…
Dr. Bogdan Comanita, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. ABSTRACT BusinessCompass™ is an international trade tracking service offered by Lee Enterprise Consulting to SMEs in the bioeconomy space. Figure 1: LEC BusinessCompass™ service positioning relative to various other market intelligence sources INTRODUCTION As a former Executive in the world of fine and specialty biobased chemicals I know…
Bio-fuel production generally uses a fermentation process to convert starch into a desired product – for example, ethanol, bio-butanol, as well as others. Corn and sorghum are the usual feedstocks for this source of starch. Because corn (and sorghum) contain other nutrients besides the starch, these other nutrients are concentrated in the resulting co-products such…
In the global bio-economy, the renewable materials supply chain usually starts with raw materials derived via extraction from plant matter, or from the fermentation of functional plant matter. The materials made via these routes generally fall into two categories, namely: Commercially available and chemically identical to materials made from petrochemicals or animal sources (such as…
Good Powerpoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting expert, John Forcier, P.E, about anaerobic digestion output: how to maximize the output without impairing consistency in operation, including discussions on high and low energy feedstocks, relative energy potentials, wastewater, sludge and sewage use, receiving systems, tankage, desulphurization and gas cleaning, recipe management and integrated control systems, yields, and…
practical aspects of the design of anaerobic digestion systems
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including carbon capture. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging…
As more investors are examining renewable technology investment, renewable fuels and chemicals projects, new technologies continue to emerge worldwide. As new developers come into the marketplace, most earnestly believing they have unique and superior new technology, the core question always remains as to whether it works as promised. It is always the best approach to…
When we think of different co-products coming from biofuels operations, the one which immediately comes to mind is “protein feed for livestock”. With very few exceptions, all co-products arising from biofuels production have some level of protein. So, what makes one a “protein feed” and how do we classify these for our down-stream feed customers? …
When we say “bio-fuels co-products”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Usually, people think “protein” – and rightfully so. And, to be fair, most livestock producers have the same thoughts! Let’s face it: protein is an expensive nutrient, on an individual basis. However, the biggest single cost of producing animal protein is…
Biochemicals are products derived from renewable biological sources such as plants, animals or their wastes. There are very large number of possible products that can be made using variety of feedstocks and reaction pathways. Most familiar examples include ethanol produced by fermentation, citric acid (long history) and propylene glycol (a newly introduced bio product). Most…
Industrial Biotechnology is the use of biotechnology for industrial processes, using microorganisms and enzymes to produce goods for industry, including chemicals, plastics, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical products and energy carriers. It provides us a new way to manufacture products while preventing pollution, conserving resources and reducing costs. prevention, resource conservation, and cost reduction. Industrial biotechnology is often…
To tackle climate change, reduce solid waste and improve air and water quality, we must phase out current practices and switch to more sustainable solutions, many of which simply do not exist today. These new solutions, also known as renewable technology, cleantech, greentech and sustainable tech, are a hot area for investment, but face many…
The origins of biofuels can be found in the cellulose ethanol efforts of WW2 and even before early automakers learned that remote farmers might even divert some of the family’s moonshine to keeping the car running. But, in today’s world, how do oil and gas companies look at biofuels? To answer this, we must first…
Recent revelations help us understand the need for polymer pyrlosis, noting that a very large fraction of the polymers (plastics) that we recycle end up in landfills anyway have outraged some and raised widespread concern about the environmental impact. Add to this the island of plastic found floating in the ocean and the ban on…
Syngas engineers and experts work with this mixture of hydrogen and carbon oxides produced from hydrocarbons, coal or biomass, called syngas. Syngas is an important intermediate in the chemical industry for manufacture of ammonia, methanol and other petrochemicals, hydrogen for refineries and fuel cells as well as electricity generation. It is playing a growing role…
As new technologies continue to emerge in renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, and other renewable energy, it is imperative that investors and lenders, and the project participants themselves, engage experienced professional to help analyze the technical and economic aspects of these new projects. Techno-economic assessments, sometimes called techno economic analysis, or TEAs, are one tool used…
By H. Brett Schreyer, PhD, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. www.lee-enterprises.com In the industrial fermentation industry, many experts preach “start with the end in mind” with regards to bioprocess development. What does that exactly mean? And when do you start thinking about the end? The short answer is the sooner you start planning for your…
Novel technologies for the production of renewable products are now emerging for energy, fuels, and chemicals. The buzz generated by initial announcements can stimulate interest from investors and developers alike. Technical feasibility studies are needed to dissect the sometimes hyperbolic claims contained in press releases and public relations presentations. A technical feasibility study can be…
Renewable power generation is the power generated by power plants and other installations that use renewable energy sources to produce electricity. The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including renewable power experts. They should also have experts in renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies,…
A renewable hydrogen expert is an expert in the process of hydrogen production from renewable and fossil feedstocks as well as the compression, liquefaction, delivery and dispensing of hydrogen. Hydrogen from thermal conversion involves the reforming or partial oxidation of methane or other feedstocks with steam. Biogas from landfills or dairies is also a potential…
Plastic is one of the most widely used and cheapest materials in the world today and plastic waste recycling is no long optional. Virtually everything we use is either made from or wrapped in plastic. Most plastic is not biodegradable, meaning that left untreated, it will be here for millions of years. Plastic waste is…
Renewable technologies are now emerging around the world as mainstream sources of energy, fuels, and chemicals. Rapid growth has been driven by improving cost-competitiveness of renewable technologies, dedicated policy initiatives, better access to financing, energy security, and environmental concerns. As a result, more investors are entertaining options for engagements with renewable chemicals and fuels manufacturing…
When one thinks about the bioeconomy, wildlife management is probably not the first thing to come to mind. Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in biofuels and renewable fuels, and the more common areas like biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, and bio technologies. In these larger consulting groups, one will…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including gas to liquids (GTL). (They should also be able to provide clients project expertise and be available as expert witnesses in matters like aquaculture, biochemicals, bio-fertilizers, bio-fibers, biomass-to-sugars, bioplastics, catalysis, cellulose, enzymes, food ingredients, biogas production and…
The agricultural, renewable energy, and bio economy (ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, agribusiness, solar, wind, etc.) industries have had a lot of crossover and growth in the US over the past decade. Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in biofuels and renewable fuels, and the more common areas like biomaterials, biomass and biomass…
When one talks about a landfill treatment expert in the bioeconomy, we are describing an expert who evaluates various methods of increasing degradation of MSW within the landfill which also increase landfill gas production for use as renewable energy and/or renewable chemicals/products. Leachate from the landfill also may need on-site pre-treatment and also is the…
Health & safety is at the forefront of everything a company does. They are essential principles to minimize employee risk and streamline implementation – ensuring everybody goes home in the same condition they came to work in. Understanding OSHA regulations is crucial to maintain compliance and keep employees safe. Therefore, companies often hire occupational health…
Fermenter design encompasses many variables. Some of these include desired oxygen transfer rate, required dissolved oxygen level, maximum allowable partial pressure of CO2 in the exit gas, heat transfer considerations, etc. A key part of the design is to relate mass transfer to agitation and air flow. This is not a trivial task. Developing a…
Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it more acceptable for some specific end-use, including drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation and mores – including water being safely returned to the environment. Water treatment encompasses broad categories including municipal water, beverage, ultrapure (like medical &…
Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from municipal wastewater coming mainly from household sewage and industrial wastewater. There are several physical, chemical, and biological processes that are used to remove contaminants to produce a treated wastewater, called treated effluent, in a form that is safe enough to release into the environment. There are also several…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including microchannel reactors. (They should also be able to provide clients project expertise and be available as expert witnesses in matters like aquaculture, biochemicals, bio-fertilizers, bio-fibers, biomass-to-sugars, bioplastics, catalysis, cellulose, enzymes, food ingredients, biogas production and biogas upgrading,…
When we talk about a CO2 expert in the bioeconomy, we are describing an expert who are knowledgeable about its production, utilization, environmental, and economic impacts. Many concentrated sources of CO2 are potential inputs for the bioeconomy including fermentation from ethanol, biomass gasification, air capture, as well as fossil sources such as methanol and ammonia…
In renewable energy projects, as with most other projects, a lender or investors’ return on investment is most often a result of good risk and reward planning. The return on investment (ROI) is very much a direct result of having industry expert risk and reward planning. While evaluating the risk and reward purely as figures…
By Dr. Zoltan Kish The increasing amount of waste is one of the most challenging problems facing the World, which creates enormous environmental problems. According to the World Bank, Canada produces the most waste per capita in the world. Additionally, Canada recycles just 9 percent of its plastics. Banning foreign waste import by China and…
What is biomass power and what does a biomass power consultant do? Biomass power is carbon-neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned, or left on the ground in fields or forests. This organic waste can include scrap lumber, forest debris, urban wood waste, agricultural harvest waste,…
What is a project feasibility study or report, and why should one be done in bioeconomy-related matters? A project feasibility study is an integral part of any due diligence process in any bio related project. When a lender or investor considers putting money at risk, or when a company is considering an acquisition, new product…
The term “biotechnology” means to use a biological processes for an industrial purpose. In the emerging bioeconomy, the term refers to technologies used to produce biofuels and biochemicals. There are many types of bio technologies, including medical (such as vaccines and antibiotics), agricultural (such as pest resistant crops and plant and animal breeding). One of…
What are the emerging technologies in the bioeconomy? The industry for the conversion of biomass, wastes and other alternative materials to end use products such as chemicals, fuels and power is indeed a wide and diverse one. There are literally thousands of companies engaged in this endeavor using many different approaches. There are also new…
In the U.S. alone, over 20 million new wood railroad ties are installed every year. While wood is currently the best option for railroad ties (and utility poles) the ability to re-use or dispose of treated wood coming is clearly a critical consideration. Regulatory, environmental, and the financial landscape for re-use and disposal are rapidly…
There are many environmental pollution controls and monitoring required for open and closed landfills including groundwater monitoring, evaluation and statistical analyses and reporting, leachate collection and treatment/disposal, landfill gas/vapor and odor control and monitoring, liners (open sites) and landfill cover systems for waste containment. Over 300 closed landfills are on the USEPA Superfund List and…
What is a market feasibility study or report and why would you do one in bioeconomy related matters? A market feasibility study is an integral part of the due diligence process in any bio related project. When a lender or investor considers putting money at risk, or when a company is considering an acquisition or…
Many industries produce a waste stream in the creation of their primary product. From nut shells to sawdust, pyrolysis technologies provide environmentally-friendly and profitable solutions for waste management though the creation of value-added products and reduction of disposal costs. Biomass pyrolysis refers to the thermal deconstruction of woody or herbaceous feedstock into pyrolysis oil/bio-oil and…
What do advanced cleaning consultants or advanced cleaning experts do? Advanced cleaning is an emerging field that uses chemical, physical and biological processes to clean or treat indoor or outdoor surfaces for special purposes including, but not limited to, reduced resistance to heat transfer, scaling and corrosion control, indoor air quality, food safety, infection control, precision…
During the period of time from about 2000 to 2013, most of the activity in the bioeconomy was focused on commodity products, especially fuels. The main products were ethanol and butanol, and the root technology was conversion of starches and cellulose to sugars, followed by fermentation. As petroleum became less expensive once again, fuels have…
Wastewater treatment plants are major energy consumers. Much of the energy consumption at domestic wastewater treatment plants is needed to provide oxygen for biological treatment, or to pump or mix wastewater. In recent years, wastewater facility owners and operators have made increasing efforts to reduce the net energy consumption of their facilities. Energy conservation measures are…
Beverage fermentation refers to the process by which a microbiological agent, typically fungi (e.g. Saccharomyces spp.) or bacteria (e.g. Lactobacillus spp.), convert a sugar-containing liquid into one which contains alcohol and acid products. Humans have been producing fermented beverages for millennia to prevent spoilage and enhance nutritional quality and flavour. At present, there is a…
Pyrolysis reactors are often custom-engineered due to multitude of variables that impact the design process. Economic factors such as feedstock selection, targeted end products, capacity, and build site limitations all need to be considered in selection of a particular reactor design. Additionally, primary technical considerations include biomass particle size, operating temperature, solid and gas residence…
Can we identify the key reasons that many bioenergy projects fail to get funding? Yes. Is there a “magic bullet” that guarantees funding of a bioenergy project? No, but a review of the common characteristics of those that fail to receive funding is not difficult, and once understood, provides a pathway to the best chance…
The term “biofuels” refers to a fuel produced through a mainstream biological process like agriculture (as opposed to fuels which are produced through a geological process like coal or petroleum). Biofuels are normally derived directly from plants, or indirectly from agricultural, commercial, domestic, and/or industrial wastes. Biodiesel and ethanol are two examples of biofuels. Biofuels are…
Microbial Fermentation is the growth of a microorganism, usually a bacterium, yeast, or filamentous fungus in a liquid medium to transform one material into another using the microbe’s metabolism as the manufacturing process to result in a commercial product. That product can be microbial cell mass, a product contained within the microbe, or a product…
Disposing of tires has historically been very challenging due to the worldwide volume, rubber’s robust durability, and the ecological implications of tires in landfills. In years past, billions of tires historically filled landfills, yet as of 2015, less than 75 million tires remain in U.S. stockpiles. The European Union has done an outstanding job of…
What does a renewable natural gas expert or consultant do? Renewable natural gas (RNG) also called biomethane is produced from biogas derived from renewable resources or biomass materials. The biogas is cleaned, scrubbed and treated to remove carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other impurities to make it suitable as a natural gas replacement that can…
This sector entered an enormous boom phase with the legalization of cannabis for recreational use in late 2016 (other states have subsequently followed suit but products with >0.3%w THC remain illegal under federal law), legalization in Canada in late 2018 and the Hemp Farming Act of December 2018. While Hemp finds (and has found for…
Engineers experienced in renewable energy plant engineering understand that there are unique aspects of the industry that necessitates the heavy reliance on specific industrial best practices in the execution of engineering for renewable energy projects. Some of the renewable energy industry features that can impact the engineering practices employed include; small unit capacities, developing technologies,…
Coal has historically been used to supply electricity, with most burned at coal-fired power plants. Coal gasification is a newer thermo-chemical process in which the gasifier’s heat and pressure break down coal into basic chemical components and turn it into a synthetic natural gas called syngas. While syngas can be produced from many other sources such as…
“Low cost feedstock” is a common expression in the emerging bioeconomy. Years ago, restaurants paid to ship out the waste cooking oils and greases. Today those restaurants sell these wastes and greases to the markets. So, what are low profit feedstocks? Is a waste material that is sold really “waste”, especially in light of the…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in all facets of renewable energy as well as the other sub specialties within the bioeconomy, and most will be available to serve as expert witnesses in renewable energy or other bioeconomy litigation. At Lee Enterprises Consulting we have experts in virtually every area of the bioeconomy, most…
Natural gas is projected to be a significant part of America’s energy mix in coming years. With breakthrough developments in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, the US is today world’s largest natural gas producer and is projected to become a net exporter within the next decade. These developments have also paved the way for projects…
The global fuel additives market is expected to reach an estimated value of $7.8 billion by 2023. The major drivers of the fuel additives are growing fuel demand, growing awareness among users regarding the benefits of fuel additives, demand of high fuel efficiency, and stringent regulations and emission standards adopted by various countries. There are…
We’re making Bio-Products – Ethanol, Bio-Diesel, and others. We must meet minimum quality standards in order to sell these primary products. That’s where we focus our attention – and we should! If a tank of Ethanol does not meet spec, then we’ve got a big problem. As for the By-Products, most of us take the…
The Alternative Proteins sector is booming right now, with the recent highly successful IPO of Beyond Meat and the roll out of many plant-based burgers in global fast food chains. Generally, this diverse group of products offer a more sustainable protein source than traditional meats and seafood. In addition to the popular plant-based burgers, other…
Bio-butanol is increasingly being seen as perhaps the next big alternative fuel option for powering vehicles. Its advantages over ethanol are significant. Butanol provides nearly as much energy as gasoline, and does not decrease miles per gallon numbers as much as ethanol might. Also, bio-butanol does not appear to cause any damage to metals, allowing…
What is my feed co-product worth? In order to maximize revenue from this important product, every producer of feed co-products should constantly ask this question. The answer may seem simple; but the determination is not. The monetary value of any feeds can be determined from 3 basic Nutrition questions: (1) What is the nutrient profile?, …
The history of microalgae finds its roots in the 17th century with the invention of the microscope but scientific and commercial interest in microalgae blossomed in the 20th century and boomed from around 2005 until perhaps 2015 due to oil prices of >>$100 per barrel and growing belief in “Peak Oil”. Being Mother Nature’s most…
Oil and gas experts in biofuels are experts who understand how petroleum companies manage their biofuels. Some oil and gas companies acquire biofuels assets, while other buy only the RINS or LCFS credits to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard. Some companies do both. Relatively few biofuels are sold directly to the public as most…
When one speaks of an “advanced biofuels expert”, they are most often referring to experts who can assist with “second generation biofuels” as opposed to “first generation biofuels”. First generation biofuels, like biodiesel and ethanol, are generally made from food crops like virgin vegetable oils (soybean oil, canola oil, etc.) or sugar cane. Although there…
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the more than 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis sativa plant. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive cannabinoid also produced by the cannabis sativa plant, commonly known as marijuana. The strain of cannabis sativa that produces more CBD and only trace amounts of THC is…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms normally have experts in biofuels, biomaterials, bio technologies, feedstocks, synthetic biology and a vast array of other specialties within the bioeconomy. Most of these have experience as expert witnesses and are available to serve as such in bioeconomy litigation. While expert witness services account for a small portion of the…
Air purification refers to vapor phase treatments including cleaning, purifying, neutralizing and extraction/recovery processes. Activated carbon is one of the most effective treatment processes for these applications and is applied in numerous ways from standalone units to impregnated materials (paper, cloth, etc.) used in filter elements to acid/base treated products for neutralization of corrosive vapors.…
“Low cost feedstock” is a common term in the bioeconomy, with many simply equating this to “waste”. Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in feedstocks, as well as the more common areas like biofuels and renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, and bio technologies. These larger consulting groups, normally also…
Life cycle analysis (LCA) is an essential tool in establishing baseline environmental impacts from a specific process, product, or infrastructure, and can also connect economic and social impacts depending on the end goal. Ideally the main outcome of an LCA is a detailed quantitative documentation of environmental impacts for a process or product from cradle…
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the Biofuels Industry? Every producing biofuels plant selling feed co-products to any animal species should be aware of, and in full-compliance with, the rules laid out in the Food Safety Modernization Act – otherwise known as “FSMA”. There are two main parts of FSMA that bio-fuels facilities should prepare…
Waste-to-Gas technologies are those used to covert waste into gaseous energy products like syngas, biogas, or flue gas. There are many types of waste, including biomass waste, municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial waste, sewage sludge, and used tires that can be used as feedstocks. These wastes can be converted into higher value energy products by…
Biogas experts often work with dairy, pig, chicken or other livestock operations interested in adding technologies like anaerobic digestion to produce renewable energy as a supplement to their current animal farming business. In these operations, animal manure is collected, added to other organic materials and is processed through an anaerobic digester, with the resulting biogas…
The bioeconomy is defined as the knowledge-based production and utilization of biological resources, biological processes and principles to sustainably provide goods and services across all economic sectors. It involves using renewable biological resources sustainably to produce food, energy and industrial goods, and exploits the untapped potential stored within millions of tons of biological waste and residual materials.…
Analyzing heat transfer requirements in an agitated fermenter or bioreactor involves consideration of the combination of mild process temperatures and large heat loads that often require substantial heat transfer area, low cooling media temperatures, or both. The difficulty increases with scale, but it is helpful to evaluate different alternatives such as jackets, helical coils and…
Methanol (CH₃OH) is a chemical and is the simplest alcohol. Also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol (since it was originally produced mainly by the distillation of wood), methanol today is mainly produced industrially by the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. It is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid and has an odor quite like…
Most developers of new biofuels technologies need an opinion about the generation of renewable identification numbers (RINs), the credits used for compliance under the EPA Renewable Fuels Standard. There are two issues any expert will need to assist in providing an opinion to a developer. The first hurdle is to make a determination as to…
Good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting’s, Mark Robertson, P.E. about the science, technology, best practices, current status, and future of biomass gasification, including its global potential, including industry best practices, gasification technologies, site selection, feedstock choices, commercial readiness, technical challenges and opportunities, and more.
Food Waste to Energy area includes a variety of technologies consisting of several different thermochemical or biological methods of generating energy from food waste materials. Popular commercial applications include composting and anaerobic digestion for processing the food waste at the municipal, farms and industrial scales. Food waste producers dealing with regulatory pressures are seeking value…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including all types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies, bioproducts, and all…
Equipment Requirements to Study Agitation for Gas-Liquid Fermentation by Gregory T. Benz Background and purpose Small pilot fermenters are used with several different objectives: studying the organism, developing feeding strategies, evaluating potential yields, etc. A major purpose can be to study the mass transfer characteristics of the system, and how they relate to agitation. In…
The term “circular economy” refers to an economy in which generated waste materials are recycled or converted into forms retaining as high value as possible, as opposed to a traditional linear economy where materials are simply put in landfills to decompose at what every rate, if at all. Recycling is part of a circular economy…
Good Powerpoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting expert, Hugh McLaughlin, Ph. D., PE,about the science, economic, uses and future of biochar.
What is an anaerobic digestion expert? Anaerobic digestion is the natural process in which microorganisms break down organic materials. In this instance, “organic” means coming from or made of plants or animals. Anaerobic digestion happens in closed spaces where there is no air (or oxygen). The initials “AD” may refer to the process of anaerobic…
Polypropylene (PP) is a versatile thermoplastic polymer commonly used for making a number of household containers, medical components, automotive parts, casings for various commercial products, and fabrics. Following consumer use, PP is typically sent to landfill, incinerated with/without energy recovery or recycled, depending on specific waste management regulations and processing economics. Generally, plastic recycling can…
How are crude oil and biofuels different? Crude oil is a naturally occurring flammable liquid consisting of hydrocarbons and other organic compounds. It is recovered through oil drilling and fracking, and then refined and separated at large refineries, where it is made into things like gasoline, kerosene and asphalt. The use of crude oil affects…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including bio oils. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies (conventional…
What feedstocks are used for lignocellulosic biofuel production? Many different feedstocks can be used for biofuel production. If the process route consists of gasification/pyrolysis followed by a Fisher-Tropsch process, most feedstocks behave similarly. However, if the enzymatic route followed by fermentation is used, each feedstock behaves differently. Most require pre-treatment prior to hydrolysis. Pre-treatment methods…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including biomass related technologies and matters. They should be able to provide clients project expertise and be available as expert witnesses in matters involving aquaculture, biochemicals, bio-fertilizers, bio-fibers, biomass-to-sugars, bioplastics, cellulose, enzymes, food ingredients, industrial chemicals, latex, lubricants,…
Enzymes are protein molecules that are part of every living organism and support all of life’s functions. Enzyme technologies utilize biological catalysts, enzymes, rather than chemical catalysts in industrial reactions. Enzyme engineering is the application of altering the enzyme’s structure or modifying its activity to produce new metabolites, or to allow new pathways for reactions…
Microwaves are electromagnetic waves. Microwave energy (heating) has been used in the chemical industry for many years for many diverse applications due to its advantages like volumetric heating, high power density, and fast, easy temperature control. These advantages of microwave technology are beginning to facilitate the production of clean, fast and high-quality products. The high…
Waste-to-energy technology (WTE) refers to processes that convert trash – municipal solid wastes (MSW), agricultural wastes, medical or process wastes– into usable energy, such as electricity, heat or steam. A variety of methods are used to make solid, liquid or gas fuel. Waste to Energy includes a variety of technologies consisting of several different thermochemical or…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in Risk Management Compliance and Process Safety Management as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio technologies and a variety of specialty services. They should also have expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction,…
Microalgae, common known as algae, are very small aquatic organisms that convert sunlight into energy. Some of these algae store energy in the form of natural oils and under proper conditions, can produce a lot of oil that can be converted into biofuels. It is believed that algae could produce up to 60 times more…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Section 9003 Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program (Section 9003 Program) fall round is open, with letters of intent (LOIs) due on September 1. The Section 9003 Program assists in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies for advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Doug Rivers, about the fundamental steps to scaling up any bioeconomy related project. bio processes. BioProcess Scale Up Webinar 062719
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts and strategic partners in designing and building pilot and demonstration bioeconomy plants, as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. What does a modular design-build fabricator provide to bioeconomy…
By: Dennis Zeedyk, Lee Enterprises Consulting Glycerin Traders LLC’s flagship operation, based in Defiance, OH, takes in waste raw glycerin from biodiesel companies and acidulates it to remove the fats, methanol and some water that is then further distilled to nearly 100% purity. This year the Defiance plant spent an average of about $15,000/month on natural…
Fuel cells are solid state (no moving part) devices that efficiently convert fuel, typically hydrogen (H2) into electricity with the use of an oxidizing agent (often oxygen). Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requiring a continuous source of fuel and oxygen (usually from air) to sustain the chemical reaction, whereas in a battery the chemical energy usually…
Converting gas to liquids refers to a refining process whereby natural gas or some other gaseous hydrocarbon is converted into a longer-chain hydrocarbons like gasoline or diesel fuel. The Fischer-Tropsch process is a popular Gas-to-Liquids technology. The conversion is a catalyzed chemical reaction in which synthesis gas (syngas), a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen,…
Used in making grocery bags, shampoo bottles, children’s toys, and much more, polyethylene is the most popular plastic in the world, and despite its versatile material, has a very simple structure. Converting polyethylene and other plastic pyrolysis refers to converting them other products by means of some thermal type treatment. An example of such technology would…
What is a “circular economy,” and how is it different from its opposite, a “linear economy”? For quite some time, the world has been in a linear economy, where the raw materials we use to make products, and the products themselves, were turned into waste and thrown away after use. With the world’s population and…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in greenhouse gases, as well as other expertise in many other areas of biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. We have collectively seen hundreds of renewable and bio technologies progress through the research,…
Over the last 10-15 years, many municipalities have directed their energy policies toward a reduction in the use of oil and an increase in the use of renewable energy. While the municipalities seem to all promote an increase in renewables, the plans have varied quite a bit in the approach. The technologies have been varied…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in plastic recycling, as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio-technologies and a variety of specialty services. This expertise should also encompass technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction, bioreactors, carbon capture, carbon storage,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have strategic partners in bioeconomy areas like insurance, legal and engineering, as well as expert in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio technologies and a variety of specialty services. What does an insurance firm specializing in biofuels services provide to bio-economy…
Fermentation strictly refers to the aerobic or anaerobic growth of bacteria, fungi, algae, and yeasts, but it is the common term used to refer to any growth process of bacteria, archaea, yeasts, algae, or fungi in glass or steel vessels outfitted with temperature and other environmental controls. Solid state fermentation is often completed in trays…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in Risk Management Compliance and Process Safety Management as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio technologies and a variety of specialty services. They should also have expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction,…
Good analysis of the elements of due diligence necessary in any bioeconomy related project.
What are RINS, and what does a RIN expert do? A Renewable Identification Number (or RIN) is a serial number assigned to volume of a batch of biofuel for the purpose of tracking its production, transfers, trading and ultimate use or retirement. This is required by the U.S. EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which was…
There are relatively few professionals with significant expertise in measuring the value of bioeconomy businesses and assets. This is likely because the majority of bioeconomy valuations call for opinions on the value of ongoing biodiesel or bioethanol plants, or even the more cutting edge biotechnologies such as pyrolysis, torrefaction, waste to energy, or gasification, or…
Like in most industries, safety hazard mitigation in the bioeconomy is consequent to process hazard analysis of a chemical process project; this is most frequently done using HAZOP (Hazards and operability study). HAZOP is a systematic, thorough method, using the Process Flow Diagrams, and it is designed, ideally, to find all possible specific unsafe conditions.…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biopolymers and other bioeconomy related areas like biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio technologies and a variety of specialty services. Strictly speaking, biopolymers are polymers produced by living organisms; in other words, they are polymeric bio-molecules. Since they…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in the variety of feedstocks that are used in the production of renewable fuels and chemicals, as well as other expertise in many other areas of biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, bio technologies and a variety of specialty services. These…
Bioeconomy lawyers assist clients with all aspects of bioenergy, renewable chemicals, biopower and biobased products transactions. Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., should have strategic relationships with qualified attorneys and the many other professionals in the industry – accountants, insurance companies, feedstock suppliers, technology providers, environmental specialists, and more. Understanding…
Techno-economic analysis combines scientific findings, process design, and financial factors to provide a holistic picture of a technology’s economic potential. Good TEA experts can build useful models to help translate the results into action. So, should TEA be done in-house or outsourced? While everyone should agree that the more complex projects are best done by independent third parties,…
Experts from Lee Enterprises, Inc. have collectively seen hundreds of renewable and bio technologies progress through the research, development, and scale-up phases. As experts, we know that strong techno-economic modeling and analysis is a key to efficiently navigating this process. To succeed, any technology must be economically viable. While the term “economically viable” has different meanings…
Lee Enterprises Consulting has experts who work with renewable and bio technology investors on critical tasks like due diligence, feasibility studies, risk analysis, and IP strategy. Techno-economic modeling and analysis is an essential part of this work. In the bioprocess and chemical industries, bringing a new technology to market is expensive and time consuming. See our TEA PPT on this subject.There are technology and market risks as…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. have experts in renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass processes, biotechnologies, and a variety of specialty services. Lee Enterprises also has experts who specialize in techno-economic modeling and analysis. What is techno-economic modeling & analysis? See our TEA PPT on this subject. Bringing a new technology to…
This is a good study by Lee Enterprises Consultant, Antzela Fivga, on Techno Economic Analysis of the Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste for the Production of Heavy Fuel, including process descriptions and process modeling data. For another good article on Plastic Waste Co-Processing with Biomass, see here.
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Michael Wild, about the torrefaction of biomass. It discusses the input, processing and output, energy balance comparisons, and logistical advantages of torrefaction. For another good PPT on biomass gasification, see here.
This is a PPT by Lee Enterprises Consulting Expert, Chris Burk, P.E., M.Eng. covering the expertise, objectivity, credibility and efficiency that techno-economic analysis by third parties brings to biofuels and biochemical projects. For another good PPT on conducting due diligence in bioeconomy projects, see here.
This is a PPT by Lee Enterprises Consulting Expert, Chris Burk, P.E., M.Eng. covering the uses of techno-economic modeling by those developing renewable energy projects, including how to make meaningful predictions, demonstrating economic value, presenting design, research and development, and lab findings, and when to begin TEA. For another good PPT on conducting due diligence…
This is a PPT by Lee Enterprises Consulting Expert, Chris Burk, P.E., M.Eng. covering the uses of techno-economic modeling by those investing in renewable energy projects, including assessment of profitability and renewable energy project risk, Monte Carlo analysis, Tornado analysis, and identifying and tracking key variables.
This is a PPT by Lee Enterprises Consulting Expert, Chris Burk, P.E.,.covering the basics of techno economic analysis, including the challenges of bringing projects to market, mitigating risk and process optimization.For another PPT by this author see Techno Economic Analysis for Project Developers.
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Doug Rivers, about conducting due diligence on emerging technologies in renewable energy.
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting appraiser and valuations expert, Mark Pomykatz, about the effect of trade wars on biofuels, in particular, the U.S. – China trade war. It discusses how the trade war might impact business prices, exports, and cash flows in renewable industries such as ethanol and biodiesel. For earlier…
Experts in appraisal of renewable fuels business and plants must have substantial and specialized economic and engineering capabilities, in addition to the general and specialized appraisal capabilities. These skills include business appraisal, machinery and equipment appraisal and real property appraisal capabilities. The appraisers ought to be designated by the American Society of Appraisers or the…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in waste to energy (WTE) as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in bioplastics and other bioeconomy related areas like biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. Bioplastic is often a non-biodegradable plastic which is chemically identical to a conventional bioplastic but instead of being made…
Gas to liquids refers to a refining process whereby natural gas or some other gaseous hydrocarbon is converted into a longer-chain hydrocarbons like gasoline or diesel fuel. The Fischer-Tropsch process is a popular Gas-to-Liquids technology. The conversion is a catalyzed chemical reaction in which synthesis gas (syngas), a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in water treatment as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
Bioeconomy is defined as the knowledge-based production and utilization of biological resources, biological processes and principles to sustainably provide goods and services across all economic sectors. It involves using renewable biological resources sustainably to produce food, energy and industrial goods, and exploits the untapped potential stored within millions of tons of biological waste and residual…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts available to do technical and economic due diligence in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, and all biotechnologies. This will encompass an expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction, bioreactors, carbon capture, carbon storage, carbonization, catalysis, cellulosic…
CleanTech, also known as “clean technology” or “Greentech”, includes the processes that reduce adverse environmental impacts, minimize greenhouse gas generation and/or avoid air, water, and land contamination. “Clean technology” relates a broad range of technologies, such as renewable or clean energy production, recycling, transportation, materials processing, “green” chemical production, efficient lighting, sustainable building, waste energy…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) and the Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. They should also encompass many specialty services like…
What do agitation experts do within the bioeconomy? Very simply, the agitation expert consults with clients on the design and application of agitation systems. This may include calculating power, shaft speed and impeller systems for any given application. Agitation consulting may also include the designing of experiments to ascertain the exact agitation required, and assistance…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in torrefaction as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in hydro processing as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Good renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have HAZOP experts as well as a variety of other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. What is HAZOP? HAZOP (Hazards and Operability Study), a widely used process hazards analysis methodology, uses…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biofuels as well as other expertise in other renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in pilot plants, as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in hydroprocessing as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biofuels as well as other expertise in other renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
THE COMPELLING CASE FOR BIOJET FUELS By: Jess Hewitt and Jonathan Lewis, Lee Enterprises Consulting Biojet is in the news a lot lately, with one carrier after another announcing a test flight. But widespread use by most airlines just does not seem to be happening. Why? Let’s look at the case for Biojet and determine…
Waste management is defined as the collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage, sewage, and other waste products. Waste management encompasses management of all processes and resources for proper handling of waste materials, from maintenance of waste transport trucks and dumping facilities to compliance with health codes and environmental regulations. Biofuels are sometimes made from waste. …
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in wastewater treatment as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. Wastewater refers to any non-potable aqueous effluent from sources including industrial (process water), municipal, landfill leachates, and contaminated…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in Process Safety Management as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio technologies and a variety of specialty services. They should also have expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction, bioreactors, carbon…
California’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels inside California. An executive order was passed in 2007 that called for a reduction in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels by 2020 by at least 10% with a proposal to increase the GHG reduction requirement. Carbon…
Process optimization is the discipline of adjusting a process to optimize, or make the best or most effective use of, some specified set of parameters without violating some constraint. The most common goals are minimizing cost and maximizing throughput and/or efficiency. When optimizing a biofuels technology of plant, the goal is to maximize one or more…
Thermochemical conversion is the application of heat and chemical processes in the production of energy products from biomass. What does a thermochemical expert or a thermochemical consultant do? Thermochemical processes are most commonly employed for converting biomass and waste into fuel or processed further to produce value added chemicals. Major thermal conversion routes include incineration, pyrolysis,…
RIN COMPLIANCE A Renewable Identification Number (or RIN) is a serial number assigned to volume of a batch of biofuel for the purpose of tracking its production, transfers, trading and ultimate use or retirement. This is required by the U.S. EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which was implemented as a result of the Energy Policy…
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Robert Boslego, about maintaining a systematic approach to hedging ethanol. It discusses the correlation of corn prices to ethanol and risk management strategies when hedging ethanol.
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Greg Benz, about gas to liquid fermentation and the agitation used to aid in the gas to liquid mass transfer. It talks about basic mass transfer equations, gas solubility, and minimizing power consumption in production.
This is a good PowerPoint by David Edwards, member of Lee Enterprises Consulting’s strategic partner, Zeton, Inc. It discusses pilot plant development in the renewable fuels industries.
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Mark Robertson, P.E., about gasification of biomass. It talks about the uses and global potential for biomass gasification, including CHP, renewable natural gas, syngas refueling, liquid biofuels and transportation RNG. It discusses the rise in biomass gasification plants less than 2MW, and discusses gasification technologies and…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Terry Mazanec about biogas production, treatment and utilization. It talks about anaerobic digestion, uses and cleanup of biogas, the potential for biogas from swine and dairy farms, and biogas feedstocks, such as ag waste, swine manure, wastewater treatment solids, and food production waste.
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises experts, Dr. Hugh McLaughlin and Dr. Gerald Kutney, about the status of biochar at the end of 2018. It talks about what biochar really is, biochar applications and markets, torrefaction, steam thermal, slow and fast pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), hydrothermal carbonization, biomass gasification, and the history and…
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Bogdan Comanita, who has been involved with the green chemicals market since the early 2000’s when he joined the turn-around team of the largest furfural derivatives producer in the world. Bogdan has an MBA in Finance & International Management, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry and…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Doug Rivers, about scaling up bioprocesses. It talks about using internal versus external advice, development lags, equipment failures, development of key data, necessity of a demonstration plant, the integrated pilot plant meeting expectations, staring the scale up process with the end in mind, and making market…
This is a good PowerPoint about Biobased Activated Carbon by Lee Enterprises Expert, William F. Naylor, who has over 25 years of experience working with environmental protection technologies with established expertise in activated carbon in all water and wastewater treatment technologies and gas phase systems. It talks about what activated carbon is and how it…
This is a good PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Travis Birdsong, about buying, selling or auctioning biofuels plants. It talks about the auction process, the decision to auction or sell plant, foreclosures in the bioeconomy, absolute versus reserve auctions, the market analysis, and the proper marketing for successful results. This will assist anyone looking to…
What percent of biomass solids can be successfully agitated with a turbine agitator? Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in agitation of biomass as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, bio-technologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an…
What does a Nutraceutical Expert or consultant do? The term “nutraceutical” is used to describe these medicinally or nutritionally functional foods. Nutraceuticals, also called medical foods, phytochemicals, functional foods and nutritional supplements, include such everyday products as “bio” yoghurts and fortified breakfast cereals, as well as vitamins, herbal remedies and even genetically modified foods and…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biotechnologies as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable natural gas,…
When we talk about a “combined heat & power” (CHP) expert in the bioeconomy, we are describing an expert who understands how to extract two value streams from an existing or potential biomass waste. Nearly two-thirds of the energy used by conventional electricity generation is wasted in the form of heat discharged to the atmosphere.…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biofuels as well as the other specialties within the bioeconomy, and most will be available to serve as expert witnesses in biofuels or other bioeconomy litigation. In our biofuels section, we have experts in matters like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in Biojet Fuels as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Algae fuel, algal biofuel, or algal oil is an alternative to liquid fossil fuel, that is derived from the fast-growing algae plants. Compared to higher plants, algae can grow faster such that some species can double in size within 24 hours. The oil yield from algae is between 10 and 23 times as high as…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in waste to energy technologies as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in pyrolysis as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in jet fuel as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in jet fuel as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in waste to energy (WTE) as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biomass technologies as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in jet fuel as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable diesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biomass gasification as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in ethanol as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in emerging biofuels as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in bioprocesses as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction, bioreactors, carbon capture, carbon storage,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in agitation as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in technologies like agitation systems, anaerobic digestion, bio-oil extraction, bioreactors, carbon capture, carbon storage,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biodiesel as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. This will encompass an expertise in biofuels like algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, biodiesel, renewable…
As clean energy and climate change become more mainstream concerns, more investment opportunities will continue to surface for renewable projects. Whether funding comes from venture capitalists, family offices, foundations, government support (like loans and grants), or even from banks, those seeking these funds must be always be prepared. Entering any market, and especially an newer…
A biofuels plant produces a fuel from plant material. Today that can mean starch/cellulosic biomass or vegetable oil. The most common biofuels plant today is a corn ethanol plant. Corn ethanol production in the U.S. today is about 16 billion gallons per year. They consist of corn receiving, storage, and milling; corn slurry, cook, and…
A renewable energy consulting firm has both knowledge and experience developing and/or producing one or more types of renewable energy. Renewable energy is any form of usable energy produced from a feedstock that is produced on a regular calendar basis. Because of that criteria, all forms of renewable energy have some degree of predictability and…
If you are about to invest or purchase a project or technology that uses gasification a gasification consultant or gasification expert is a must, unless you already have this expert on staff. As you can see from the above, all are not equal, but all methods have a purpose and a place. Knowing your final…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including waste-to-energy. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies (conventional…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including the liquid biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels like cellulosic ethanol and synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy,…
Algae represents a potentially promising resource for energy and food production due to its high photosynthetic efficiency. An acre of land growing algae can produce 50 tonnes of biomass per acre compared to 1 to 10 tonnes for terrestrial crops. The high yield enables the possible production of much more fuel and co-product feed than…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including municipal solid waste (MSW) and wood waste. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting appraiser and valuations expert, Mark Pomykatz, about the effect of the U.S. – China trade war on biofuels prices. It discusses how the trade war might impact business prices, exports, and cash flows in renewable industries such as ethanol and biodiesel.
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Michael Wild, about biomass torrefaction. It discusses the input, processing and output, energy balance comparisons, and logistical advantages of torrefaction.
This is a PowerPoint by David Edwards, member of Lee Enterprises Consulting’s strategic partner, Zeton, Inc. It discusses pilot plant development in the renewable fuels industries
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Consulting CEO, Wayne Lee, about hiring expert witness in the renewable sectors – biofuels, biochemicals, biomaterials, biotechnologies, feedstocks, and other specialty areas within the bioeconomy. It discusses what makes a good bioeconomy expert witness, where to find them, and evaluating their credentials. It covers areas such as bio…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Doug Rivers, about the past, present and future of ethanol in the U.S. It discusses the history of ethanol, feedstocks currently used to produce ethanol, and the byproducts, as well as new ethanol developments.
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Doug Rivers, about the past, present and future of cellulosic ethanol in the U.S. It discussed the history of cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic feedstocks, cellulosic conversion technology, cellulosic by products, and commercialization of cellulosic technologies. See here for more on Cellulosic Ethanol Experts.
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Mark Robertson, P.E., about converting biomass to synthetic natural gas (bioSNG). It talks about the growth in natural gas production and consumption, and about the economics of upgrading biogas to renewable natural gas.
Biomass Conversion Agitation. This PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Greg Benz, discussed wet conversion (rather than pyrolysis) of cellulosic materials that can be hydrolyzed into sugars and then converted into biofuels. It talks about the conversion of corn stover, switchgrass, MSW and wood chips, using batch, fed batch, continuous flow and agitation systems. It also…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Lorenz Bauer, about creating liquid fuels from biomass and non-recyclable plastics. It discussed overflowing the world’s overflowing landfills, plastics in the ocean, and how co-processing plastics and biomass waste may be part of the solution. It discusses pyrolysis and gasification technologies, wastewater treatment, woody biomass and…
This is a PowerPoint on biogas, done by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Terry Mazanec. It covers items such as where biogas comes from, what it can be used for, where the majority of it is located, its economic viability, recent studies available, reasons to use biogas versus other forms of renewable energy, and companies that…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises experts, Dr. Hugh McLaughlin and Dr. Gerald Kutney, about the status of biochar at the end of 2018. It talks about what biochar really is, biochar applications and markets, torrefaction, steam thermal, slow and fast pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), hydrothermal carbonization, biomass gasification, and the history and future…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Bogdan Comanita, who has been involved with the green chemicals market since the early 2000’s when he joined the turn-around team of the largest furfural derivatives producer in the world. Bogdan has an MBA in Finance & International Management, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical…
This is a PowerPoint by Lee Enterprises Expert, Dr. Doug Rivers, about scaling up bioprocesses. It talks about using internal versus external advice, development lags, equipment failures, development of key data, necessity of a demonstration plant, the integrated pilot plant meeting expectations, staring the scale up process with the end in mind, and making market…
The is a PowerPoint about Agricultural Biomass, by Lee Enterprises Consulting expert, Glenn Farris, named by European Institutional Investors Services as one of the 5 most influential people in renewable energy in North America. Glenn has spent over 25 years in project development as well as developing, advising and commercializing new technology in the biomass…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including landfill gases and biogas These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including gasification and gasification technology. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including woody biomass These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including biomass These energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies (conventional and emerging), waste…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including due diligence experts. They should be able to assist in matters involving renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management. They should be able to…
The price of ethanol per gallon dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade on November 29th to $1.0928 (FOB Omaha). Based on monthly data from the USDA, the price of ethanol has even been less than the corn cost per gallon of ethanol (based on one bushel or corn yielding 2.7 gallons…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in renewable chemicals as well as the other specialties within the bioeconomy, and most will be available to serve as expert witnesses in renewable chemicals or other bioeconomy litigation. At Lee Enterprises Consulting we have experts in virtually every area of the bioeconomy,…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including agricultural waste experts. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have energy consultants and experts in the many different specialties within the bioeconomy. These renewable energy consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies (conventional and emerging), waste management,…
Due diligence an important step for securing feedstock in any type of renewable fuels or renewable chemicals matter. While due diligence experts in renewable fuels and renewable chemicals projects certainly have a wide variety of functions, the selection and procurement of feedstock is normally early and high on the list. This is especially true since…
I recently read an article about the realities of climate change by Klaus Dingwerth, a professor of political science at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and a non-residential fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, Germany. It was quite emphatic that climate change is a real problem is quite dangerous. His findings…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts available to conducts due diligence for clients. Because securing financing and conducting due diligence are such an important step in the renewable energy world, our experts have written multiple articles on both Financing Projects (2017) and Due Diligence (2018). Both of these 12-part series are…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy, including bio oils These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies…
At Lee Enterprises Consulting, we have many highly qualified experts available to assist with virtually any bioeconomy related matter, including the biofuels like ethanol gas and biodiesel. We have experts that follow the renewable fuels closely. They report the price of ethanol per gallon dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade on…
Ethanol gas is the mixture of ethanol with gasoline. Ethanol gas is available as E85 (or flex fuel), which is 85% ethanol and designed for use in flexible fuel vehicles. More common is E15, a 15% ethanol mix that is approved for use in autos made after 2001. Ethanol has a higher-octane number than gasoline,…
A Renewable Identification Number (or RIN) is a serial number assigned to volume of a batch of biofuel for the purpose of tracking its production, transfers, trading and ultimate use or retirement. This is required by the U.S. EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which was implemented as a result of the Energy Policy Act of…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including MSW, municipal solid waste. These firms should have teams of experts for all types of clean energy, green energy, renewable energy finance, and renewables and should be able to provide expertise for projects and be available to…
Co-processing Biomass with Fossil Carbon Feeds and/or Wastes? Adoption of renewable chemical and fuels is a necessity for the future. However, our current fossil carbon-based economy has created a highly efficient infrastructure for processing and distributing fuels. The vision of those desiring to reduce fossil carbon was to slowly transition by leveraging this infrastructure. Unfortunately,…
Synthetic biology is an emerging field that blends science and engineering to help design and construct novel biological systems. Synthetic biology is used in numerous fields such as biotechnology, chemical, biological and molecular engineering. The term “biofuel” refers to solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel produced through some contemporary biological process. Biofuels replace petroleum, gasoline, and diesel. Synthetic…
California’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels inside California. An executive order was passed in 2007 that called for a reduction in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels by 2020 by at least 10% with a proposal to increase the GHG reduction requirement. Carbon…
An expert witness in feedstocks is one, who by virtue of his or her knowledge, experience, education, training, and skills, has special knowledge of one of the many types of feedstocks in the bioeconomy. The initial function of the feedstock expert witness is usually to examine the use of a particular feedstock and to give…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including all types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies, bioproducts, and all…
Gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology is the process of converting natural gas to synthetic hydrocarbon liquids, or syngas, as an intermediate step toward production of valuable liquid fuels such as diesel or methanol. The processes make use of what might be wasted, and liquid gas is more easily, safely and less expensively transported than methane or natural…
Having experts who have been in the Industrial Biotech industry for over 30 years, we are encouraged to see many startup companies realizing and implementing TEAs (Techno-Economic Analysis) as a tool to assess their proposed processes. TEAs can help to elucidate the gap between current process status and commercial viability, where technical and/or economic hurdles…
“Sustainable” and “renewable” are different words with different meanings. “Sustainable” and “renewable” are often regarded as identical-in-meaning, interchangeable words. In a recent “Energy Education” article the University of Calgary posted online, the university clarified the distinctions in the definitions of the two. Although many firms, experts, and entrepreneurs might continue to substitute one word for the other,…
Biofuel companies are making rapid advances. Biofuel companies from around the globe are making headlines almost daily. In recent weeks there have been scores. Among them: Virgin Australia announced the completion of a trial to deliver biofuel through Brisbane Airport’s fuel supply system – the first time that sustainable aviation fuel (renewable jet fuel) has been…
Green Energy Grants: Finding a Way Through the Forest Small businesses looking to start a green energy pilot program, larger companies looking to scale up, city and state government planners hoping to launch sustainable, renewable energy projects all need one thing to get off the ground: funding. Finding grants to support green energy ventures can…
Renewable energy research is escalating. Research on various forms of renewable energy has escalated exponentially in recent years. From the federally funded projects being pursued by the nearly 1,700 full- and part- time employees, 700 visiting researchers, 80 post-doctoral students, and 234 interns at U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory; to the thousands of…
Financing Green Energy Projects? Innovative renewable energy projects, such as geothermal energy, biomass, waste-to-energy and others, are gaining interest and support as sustainable options that can provide the electricity the world needs, while cutting dependence on fossil fuels. Compared to carbon-producing sources of energy, green energy can improve the quality of air, water and soil…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including all types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies, bioproducts, and all…
The Small Business Innovation Research program, a federally funded program designed to encourage research to meet national needs, aims to spark technological innovation, encourage creative ideas and participation by women and socially or economically disadvantaged people, and increase commercialization within the private sector or innovations created from federal research and development funding. It is a…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including all types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies, bioproducts, and all…
Department of Energy will fund 15 tribal energy infrastructure projects this year. Energy infrastructure projects will be developed and deployed at Native American and Alaska Native communities in 10 states to help those populations make better use of their energy resources, through grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE will fund $9…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including biomass conversion and all types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies,…
The best alternative energy consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bio products, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management. They should be able to provide clients with expertise for projects, and be available as expert witnesses in…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including gas to liquids, and all other types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks,…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including all types of alternative energy and energy consultants. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels like ethanol fuel and diesel biodiesel, synthetic diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, feedstocks, biomass technologies, bioproducts, and all…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including biomaterials. They should be able to provide clients project expertise and be available as expert witnesses in matters involving aquaculture, biochemicals, bio-fertilizers, bio-fibers, biomass-to-sugars, bioplastics, cellulose, enzymes, food ingredients, industrial chemicals, latex, lubricants, nanocarbons, neutraceuticals, organometallics, polymers,…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including techno economic analysis. These firms should also have experts in renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management, as well as even more…
By Robert Boslego Ethanol accounts for around ninety-four percent of the renewable fuel market in the United States. Average daily production and consumption is over one million barrels per day. This represents more than ten percent of the U.S. gasoline market, the largest in the world. Ethanol is a renewable resource primarily produced from corn…
Bio litigation support experts encompass a wide variety of specialties including renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, waste management, aviation fuels, advanced biofuels, biochar, biogas, syngas, and renewable natural gas (RNG). These bio litigation support experts should be well versed in feedstocks and in technologies like anaerobic digestion,…
(This 2018 State of the Bioeconomy is brought to you by Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. It was written by CEO Wayne Lee and LEC member Mark Reidy. Mark J. Riedy is a Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP in Washington, DC and Chairs its Energy, Project Finance & Clean Technologies Practice of more than…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including biomass power. Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials, a renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power. They should be able to provide clients project expertise and…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including due diligence experts. They should be able to assist in matters involving renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management. They should be able to…
Fugitive odors arising from municipal wastewater plants and industrial operations plants have become problematic as commercial and residential development encroaches on the odor-generating sources. As a result, municipalities are increasingly placing regulations and restrictions on these operations and a new demand for odor control technologies has developed. The odors, comprised primarily of hydrogen sulfide and…
The best renewable energy and renewable chemical consulting groups have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including renewable natural gas (RNG). They should also have experts in renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management. They should be able to provide…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including wastewater treatment experts. They should also have experts in renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management. They should be able to provide clients with…
In 1986, there were 7,683 MSW landfills in the United States. By 2009, there were just 1,908 active MSW landfills nationwide: a 75 percent decline in disposal facilities in less than 25 years.[15] However, this number is deceptive. Much of the decrease is due to consolidation of multiple landfills into a single, more efficient and much…
How do we manage waste more sustainably? Waste comes in various forms and is generally categorized according to sector – residential, commercial, healthcare, industrial. Depending on the country’s legislation and waste category, frequently used waste disposal systems include burning at open dumpsites, landfilling, or incineration (with or without energy recovery). However, with growing global consciousness…
The best renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms have experts in a wide variety of bioeconomy specialties, including environmental review experts. They should also have experts in renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, feedstocks, bio technologies, bioproducts, and all areas of sustainability, synthetic biology, emerging technologies, and waste management. They should be able to provide clients with…
The Oregon Clean Fuel Standards provide an incentive for low carbon fuels sold in Oregon. The Clean Fuel Standards require an annual average carbon intensity (CI) that a regulated party must comply with. There is a standard for gasoline and gasoline substitutes and one for diesel and diesel substitutes. The baseline year for the program…
By Wayne Lee, CEO, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. In August 2017, I published an article which focused on important things that attorneys involved in biofuels or biochemical litigation should look for when choosing an expert witness.[1] This article explores the subject of expert witnesses in a bit more depth, including where to find the best…
Cellulose is the most abundant organic compound on earth. It is a critical component of the cellular structure of plants. And some bacteria excrete it as well. It is no wonder why it is the subject of so many diverse methods of conversion into so many different products. It is vitally important to the sustainable…
As renewable chemical consulting groups and consultants know, biocatalysis is the use of enzymes as catalysts, and unfortunately, the word invokes a general sense that that principles of chemistry and thermodynamics are somehow different because a biological entity is being used. Enzymes are simply catalysts that are high molecular weight polyamides which do not usually…
Aerobic fermentation generates a significant amount of heat, which must be removed to maintain a constant temperature. The main heat sources are metabolic heat generation, agitator power input and compressor power input. Removing the heat is made more challenging by the fact that fermenters are operated at mild temperatures, typically between 30 and 40C, which…
Many biomass-based projects show that problems frequently occur due to over-simplified assumptions as the sources, delivered quality and quantity, storage and reclaim requirements, and pre-processing of biomass to meet the process feedstock specifications. If your region needs an alternative to landfilling and seeks not only recycling of the easy stuff – clean paper, plastics and metals…
What does a thermochemical expert or a thermochemical consultant do? Thermochemical processes are most commonly employed for converting biomass and waste into fuel or processed further to produce value added chemicals. Major thermal conversion routes include incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification. The selection of the appropriate technology depends on the desirable end user application. The relative…
Food Waste-to-energy technology (FWTE) refers to processes that convert food waste i.e. any food wasted from the food supply chain which was fit for human consumption at some time and no longer can be consumed due to spoilage, excess or expiry. This type of waste is generated from agricultural operations, food industries, cafeterias, groceries etc.…
What does a biodiesel plant environmental expert do? First, let’s discuss biodiesel production. As people search for alternative energy resources, the popularity of biodiesel fuel continues to increase. Biodiesel is diesel fuel derived from non-petroleum-based sources such as biomass plant oils, animal fats, or refuse that are commonly obtained from waste or co-product streams of other…
What does an bioenergy crop or energy crop consultant do? An energy crops expert can help you either produce biomass for conversion to energy, help select the best biomass sources for your energy generation project or help investors evaluate the merits of a proposed project. Energy crops are sources of biomass used to produce heat, electricity…
The Small Business Innovation Research program, a federally funded program designed to encourage research to meet national needs, aims to spark technological innovation, encourage creative ideas and participation by women and socially or economically disadvantaged people, and increase commercialization within the private sector or innovations created from federal research and development funding. It is a…
What can a strategic marketing expert do for your biobased products? In short, strategic marketing ensures that your product has the market potential to achieve your target sales and profitability. While technical expertise lowers the risk of processing raw materials into finished goods, strategic marketing lowers the risk of transforming finished goods into sold product.…
The expression “one man’s trash is another’s treasure’’ has real-world meaning when considering the burgeoning field of waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies that convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into heat and energy, through a series of complex processes. The Environmental Protection Agency says in 2015, more than 262 million tons of solid waste were produced in the…
By Zoltan Kish, Ph.D. An incredible amount of waste is produced in Canada and around the world. We are killing our planet by dumping 2.12 billion tons of garbage every year and polluting the oceans, land, and air [1]. Consequently, we need sustainable and effective waste management to protect our environment and save our world.…
Innovative renewable energy projects, such as geothermal energy, biomass, waste-to-energy and others, are gaining interest and support as sustainable options that can provide the electricity the world needs, while cutting dependence on fossil fuels. Compared to carbon-producing sources of energy, green energy can improve the quality of air, water and soil and mitigate climate change.…
Clean-burning, sulfur-free synthetic diesel fuels are gaining interest as an alternative to diesel refined from crude oil, which produces harmful emissions, and to further reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In 2017, the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates,[1] diesel fuel used in transportation resulted in the emission of 451 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a…
Enzymatic consultants or experts are those that address the enzyme in the renewable fuels or renewable chemicals process. An enzyme is a biological catalysts which speeds up chemical reactions, but remain unchanged themselves. They are used First, an enzyme expert has degrees and experience in enzyme biochemistry. An understanding of process engineering is also beneficial. …
As companies and municipalities move toward sustainability in production and seek renewable energy sources, both to provide a competitive advantage and reduce their environmental impacts, they increasingly turn to environmental consultants and experts to guide the way. In the renewable fuels sector, environmental consultants provide public and private sector clients’ thorough environmental assessments across a…
What is the best renewable energy? To even attempt that assessment, we must answer two questions initially. First, what is encompassed by the term “renewable energy”? Second, how does one evaluate “best”? By definition, renewable energy refers to a specific type of energy that is collected from some renewable resources, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides,…
The two questions asked with respect to biofuels seem to always revolve around whether they have an adverse impact on the price of food (called the “food v. fuel” argument) and their costs as compared to oil (which is addressed in a separate blog). The “food v. fuel” argument is the opinion that since some…
The two questions asked with respect to biofuels seem to always revolve around their costs as compared to oil, and whether they have an adverse impact on the price of food (called the “food v. fuel” argument) which is addressed in a separate blog. Much the same as petroleum costs vary, the cost of biofuels…
What is the status of renewable energy in the U.S.? Renewable energy would normally be defined to include biofuels, biomass, biogas, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind, and tidal power. The U.S. is the largest producer of wind energy, with nearly twice as much production as the next biggest producer, China., and produces more biofuels (like ethanol…
Extruded activated carbon (EAC) combines powdered activated carbon with a binder, fused together and extruded into a cylindrical shaped block. As the demand for activated carbon continues to grow, so too, does the number of suppliers. It can be an overwhelming decision to choose a suitable product. EACs are applied similarly to GACs however due…
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is also used in a number of gas/air applications to remove contaminants. As the demand for activated carbon continues to grow, so too, does the number of suppliers. It can be an overwhelming decision to choose a suitable product. GAC is used in both air and liquid applications, typically in a…
Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is dosed as needed, most commonly used in liquid applications, and removed via settling or filtration As the demand for activated carbon continues to grow, so too, does the number of suppliers. It can be an overwhelming decision to choose a suitable product. For drinking water (potable), PAC is typically added…
What is an energy crop expert? An energy crop expert is someone that understands the many complexities of those plants that are grown solely for producing energy as opposed to those grown for food or fiber. These crops come in many forms and varieties; energy cane, miscanthus, biomass sorghum and switchgrass are some of the…
Biomass is plant-based material that, for the purposes of energy production, typically originates as residuals from another value extraction process (sawmilling, agricultural, industrial processes) or is grown specifically for the energy conversion process. Biomass has the advantage of being renewable, sustainable, and has the unique feature of storing the sun’s energy in chemical form to…
Due diligence an important step for securing financial backing. Most renewable energy project proposals — from solar power and wind power to any of the various biotechnologies such as pyrolysis, biomass energy, and biofuels — will receive money from investors, financial institutions, or grant makers only after they pass the scrutiny of major due diligence.…
A variety of funding opportunities exist for those who are seeking renewable energy funds to bring a bioenergy project or biotechnology into being. But it can be difficult to identify the correct potential source and to successfully navigate the various, sometimes complicated steps necessary to receive a grant or loan. Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC), with its…
There are almost 100 alternative energy and renewable fuels companies publically traded on the stock exchanges worldwide. These range from solar and wind companies, to hydroelectric, bioenergy, and renewable fuel companies. There are thousands more worldwide that are privately owned. It is fair to assume that significant effort is moving toward energy that is generated…
Alternative and Renewable Energy Types? Alternative energy is energy which is generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment. Simply put, alternative energy is “alternative” to the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power. Renewable energy refers to a specific type of energy that is collected from some renewable resources,…
What does a renewable diesel consultant do? Renewable diesel refers to a drop in fuel replacement for diesel derived from fossil fuels. It is derived from biomass and made via processes that meet lifecycle requirements to meet the definition so reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They differ from biodiesels in that they have very low oxygen contents and…
What do an ethanol consultant or an ethanol consultant do? Ethanol, also called bio ethanol, alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and drinking alcohol, is a simple alcohol produced by the fermentation of sugars with yeast, or by a petrochemical process. Ethanol is most commonly consumed as a drinking alcohol, but it also has medical applications such as antiseptics or disinfectants.…
A renewable energy technical due diligence, or renewable due diligence team can reduce project risks for project developers, investors and funders by providing a detailed review of all technical aspects of a project and determine its feasibility. What does a renewable fuels or renewable chemicals due diligence expert do? Due diligence (DD) is a comprehensive…
The best renewable energy companies and bioenergy experts are directing much attention on various new applications and developments associated with converting biomass into energy and other products. Scientists and entrepreneurs around the world are developing new processes to convert biomass more efficiently and sometimes more cheaply. In just the last three months, news has emerged…
By definition, an expert witness is someone, who by virtue of his or her knowledge, experience, education, training, and skills, has special knowledge of one of the many technologies in the bioeconomy that is not known to the general public. The bioeconomy includes all activities, from any source, that involve some biogenic ingredient or process…
The dictionary defines biomass energy as a renewable energy source from living or recently living plant and animal materials which can be used as fuel. What does a biomass energy expert or biomass power expert do? A biomass energy expert or consultant is someone with the education and experience in renewable organic materials, such as…
What is bio ethanol fuel? Bioethanol, or ethanol as it is generally called, is a fuel generally produced by a process of sugar fermentation. When the ethanol is mixed with gasoline the resulting mixture is bioethanol fuel, It can, however, be produced by other processes such as reacting ethylene with steam. The feedstocks for bioethanol…
What is an alternative energy expert and what do they do? Alternative energy is energy which is generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment, thus being an “alternative” to the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power. Renewable energy refers to a specific type of energy that is collected from…
Diesel biodiesel, or simply “biodiesel,” refers to a vegetable oil, or animal fat-based, diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, ethyl, or propyl) esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, soybean oil, animal fat (tallow) with an alcohol producing fatty acid. Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is…
Companies working in the field of clean energy, from solar power to biofuels to waste-to-energy projects, depend on the experience and practical wisdom of clean energy experts. These include engineers, financial advisors and others who are grounded in climate science, energy finance and grants, energy markets, energy policy, analytics, energy efficiency and much more. These…
Strong gasoline and diesel markets are continuing to fuel demand for ethanol and diesel biodiesel. Ethanol, also known as ethanol gas, is a renewable fuel made of plant material that is added to gasoline to oxygenate it, reducing air pollution. In the U.S., more than 98 percent of gasoline contains ethanol, and almost all of…
Clean energy, alternative energy, and renewable energy are terms that are easily confused, but each refers to distinct characteristics that have some overlap. When we speak of “clean energy” we refer to how the energy impacts the environment. Energy created with clean, harmless, and minimally polluting methods, are the cleanest energies. The converse of clean…
Lignin constitutes about 30% of the non-fossil carbon available from biomass. It is a coproduct of both woody and agricultural wastes. Currently, most of the lignin collected is burned as fuel for boilers and fired heaters. Finding ways for increasing its value is critical to the economy and reducing the cost of biofuels and bio-derived…
A clean energy technical due diligence, or renewable due diligence team can reduce project risks for project developers, investors and funders by providing a detailed review of all technical aspects of a project and determine its feasibility. Lee Enterprises can be a single source of experts capable of assessing all aspects of a projecting including…
Currently, less than 20% of plastic wastes are recycled or converted to a type of alternative energy, and about 15% is converted to power. Most of the rest ends up in landfills. Alternative energy companies note that recycling rates have not increased in recent years. Some plastics are not recyclable including PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PS…
The future is looking brighter for biodiesel fuel (diesel biodiesel), a renewable and clean-burning diesel made from recycled cooking oils, soybean oil, and animal fats. Classified as an advanced biofuel by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 57 percent to 86 percent, compared to petroleum diesel, and also reduces U.S.…
Lignin, a natural polymer that gives the cell walls of plants their strength, has been called some nasty names: an “ugly, unwieldy molecule,”ornery, tough and uncooperative. But lignin experts say the unloved, but abundant, substance, is coming into its own as a sustainable and effective alternative to fossil fuels. The second most-abundant polymer in the world…
Biomass briquettes have been, until now, a source of heat that has been relied upon almost exclusively in developing countries. Now, with ever-increasing interest in making U.S. homes greener, saving energy, and developing ways to address global warming, greater attention is beginning to be focused on ways to make use of biomass briquettes in this country.…
Interest in ethanol–by consumers and entrepreneurs –is continuing to rise. The 2018 Half Year Report released by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association on July 13 showed ethanol sales in the first six months of this year far exceeded 2017’s whole-year sales. The association credited the boost to various initiatives, including reforming regulatory processes for ethanol producers…
Much of the world’s oil supply contains about one-half percent of sulfur, which is known to cause respiratory and heart problems. For many years, price conscious ocean going vessels have been using the least expensive, but clearly dirtiest form of all fuels – bunker fuel. Unlike other industries like aviation, the maritime and shipping industry…
Gas-liquid fermentation, or gas fermentation, as it is sometimes called, can be a very versatile unit operation. It can be used to make fuels (aka biofuels), beverages, drugs, industrial enzymes, foods, yeast, monomers, etc. Fermentation is usually carried out in a bioreactor, which may be agitated or simply a bubble column or airlift. In the…
There are many advantages in using biomass as a source of energy. That is why biomass projects are now increasingly regarded as viable enterprises by entrepreneurs and investors. Biomass—living or recently dead plants and animals and their waste—is abundant, unlike coal and petroleum, which have negative impacts on the environment, are expensive and hazardous to…
Interest in renewable energy, the pivot point to the transition to greater sustainability and a smaller carbon footprint, has continued to escalate among entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers around the world. The International Energy Agency is now predicting renewable electricity generation will increase by more than one-third by 2022, the result of increased power generation from…
Plastic waste can be transformed into usable sustainable products. Depending on the waste plastic composition and level of contaminations, the plastic feedstock could be effectively converted into high-value products through pyrolysis, gasification, and steam reformation. If the plastic feedstock is clean and has an appropriate composition, pyrolysis can be applied to depolymerize plastic and convert…
The term “biofuel” , or “renewable biofuel” refers to a fuel produced by some biological process such as agriculture or anaerobic digestion, as opposed to fossil fuels (coal and petroleum) which are produced through a geological process which come from prehistoric biological matter. Some biofuels are derived directly from plant algae, while others are made…
What is life cycle analysis? Conducting a “life cycle analysis” – determining the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint and emission profile of a project and its raw material input and product output streams — is becoming increasingly common for companies that are developing new bioeconomy technologies and products. The benefits of this process go beyond its potential…
What is a renewable energy? First, an energy source that is not renewable is finite. Energy sources like petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear fuel are all finite. No more is being made. Once they are used, they are gone. On the other hand, renewable energy is any form of energy that can be produced from…
The production of renewable biofuels and advanced biofuels in the U.S. still is in its infancy, with significant growth potential. These fuels — made from living or previously living substances, such as agricultural products (soybeans, corn, sugar) and fast-growing algae — only represent eight percent of 2017 U.S. transporation fuel use, according to the U.S.…
Determining which renewable energy feedstock harvesting system is optimal for the agriculture based feedstock is the most important first step in total feedstock logistics system. This step, in turn, must be able to provide the feedstock to the biomass processing plant in the best possible form to enable correct and efficient processing. Once the harvesting…
The promise of cleaner coal is moving ahead with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE is backing research into new technologies that can lead to cleaner, sustainable products using coal, coal wastes and carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstock. As a biomass energy source and newer type of alternative energy, clean…
Businesses and communities throughout the world are increasingly turning waste—animal waste, sewage sludge and the like—into energy to produce electricity and heat, power engines, operate alternative fuel vehicles. Through the process of anaerobic digestion, in which microorganisms break down plant and animal materials, they’re producing biogas from animal manure, food scraps, industrial waste and other…
As feedstock is the single largest expense in any biofuels operation, the risks associated with the different feedstocks must be carefully evaluated. As opposed to other types of agricultural based operations, biofuels sees new feedstocks being constantly introduced to the renewable energy market. The risks, costs and benefits of each feedstock must be identified early,…
An essential component of any system of renewable energy production is the feedstock availability and reliability. A key to success in this component of the operation is knowing the essentials of forward contracting and hedging of the biomass feedstock so that material is continually available and ready to use. Contracting for feedstock, and especially feedstock…
by Craig (CJ) Evans, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. More than almost any other emerging industry, financing for the bioeconomy is heavily influenced by and, in many cases, reliant on favorable public policies. Everyone involved in the bioeconomy – companies, entrepreneurs, visionaries, vendors, employees, and local communities – should be aware of, keep track of, and…
Renewable energy systems based on biomass feedstocks need abundant supplies not only to maintain the physical facility with enough material to process, but also enough excess feedstock to ensure that there is a healthy competition among suppliers to keep prices competitive. Plants that can utilize more than one kind of agriculture feedstock enjoy the advantage…
The World Bank showed that more than 50% of global GDP is driven by household consumer expenditure for both essential and discretionary goods. (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.PETC.ZS). It follows therefore that consumer purchasing and disposal decisions have a significant impact on the global economy. Such decisions can impact the entire supply chain involved in creating consumer products. Consumers…
Yeasts have been all the buzz in 2018 as companies shift toward improving efficacy in ethanol production, ethanol cost and ethanol price. Scientists have been discussing new products aimed at increasing bioethanol yield, reducing glycerol production and yeast fermentation time, and boosting production efficiency. Several large companies like DuPont Industrial Biosciences, DSM and Novozymes, are…
What is biomass energy conversion? Biomass is organic, meaning it comes from living organisms like plants and animals. In biomass energy conversion, the common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste – called biomass feedstocks. While we often think of biomass energy as the conversion of a biomass into a fuel that…
What is Bio Ethanol? Bio Ethanol (bioethanol, ethanol, alcohol) are all used to describe the chemical ethyl alcohol with the formula C2H6O. Ethanol, as it is most commonly known, can be produced by fermentation of sugars (most commonly glucose with the formula C6H12O) by yeast yielding a ratio of approximately 51% ethanol and 49% carbon…
A biotechnology approach that just a handful of farmers and ranchers were trying out two decades ago, is now being used at more than 250 farming operations across the country. Dairy, hog, poultry, and beef farmers in scores of states now have in operation 253 anaerobic digesters (AD) for manure management, according to AgSTAR, a U.S.…
Bioplastics are gathering lots of attention as U.S companies increasingly embrace the concept of a circular economy that aims to create innovative, sustainable ways to reduce waste and preserve resources. Biodegradable plastics are made from renewable biologic substances, from plants to agricultural waste, rather than petroleum. Their role is the focus of sessions at the…
Forest occupy close to 760 million acres of the land in the US alone. Woody biomass refers to the trees and woody plants, including limbs, tops, needles, leaves, and other woody parts, grown in a forest, woodland, or rangeland environment, that are the by-products of forest management. The harvest, sale, offer trade, or utilization of…
As most renewable energy companies (and power companies) know, power consumption during aerobic fermentation is one of the major operating costs. At any given point in the process, there are many combinations of airflow and agitation that will give the required mass transfer rate. But the combined power required of the agitator plus the compressor…
A bioprocess technology expert or consultant most commonly has a degree in one or more areas including biochemistry, microbiology, and chemical or bio engineering with at least some experience in commercial production and across all disciplines used in the process. This expertise provides experience based on a combination of training and experience of using and…
Renewable energy systems based on biomass feedstocks need abundant supplies of feedstock, not only to maintain the physical facility with enough material to process, but also enough excess feedstock to ensure that there is a healthy competition among suppliers to keep prices competitive. Renewable energy plants of all kinds, that can utilize more than one…
What is bioprocess technology? Bioprocess technology uses typically uses microbes such as yeast, bacteria, or fungi to produce a product by fermentation and/or enzymes to transform or modify a chemical or material to produce a final product. Bioprocess technology is also commonly integrated with conventional physical and chemical methods to achieve a total process. A…
A gasification expert is an expert in the process of converting biomass or other organic carbonaceous feedstocks into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The gasification process involves heating the material to a high temperature of > 700 ₒC without combustion by starving the material of oxygen. There are many types of gasifiers and many…
Techno-economic analysis (TEA) is the combination of conceptual process design and production cost estimation activities. Biomass gasification refers to the thermal deconstruction of woody or herbaceous feedstock to syngas (CO/H2). The syngas is subsequently converted to value-added products like methanol or dimethyl ether. Techno-economic analysis is generally carried out by a chemical process engineer with…
First generation biofuels are those made from sugar, starch, or vegetable oil. Their feedstocks are those that may not be sustainable or might have an impact on food if used in large quantities. These original first generation biofuels include biodiesel, ethanol, green diesel and biogas. Second generation biofuels are those made from sustainable feedstocks as…
Techno-economic analysis (TEA) is the combination of conceptual process design and production cost estimation activities. Algae cultivation refers to the growth and recovery of algal biomass in open ponds or photobioreactors. Many algae strains of interest produce oils that may be used as food or nutraceuticals, or upgraded to fuel-range hydrocarbons. Techno-economic analysis is generally…
The chemical industry is slowly replacing fossil-derived chemicals by chemicals made from renewable resources such as wood, algae, and agricultural waste. These renewable chemicals can be one-for-one, identical replacement materials, or in some cases they are new and improved versions of the chemicals they replace. Ethyl alcohol (ethanol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol) has been produced…
What is an agricultural biomass supply chain expert? Simply put, it is a person that understands the dozens of issues that will affect the production of the tens of thousands of tons of feedstock that a project needs to be profitable as it produces a fuel or chemical. The expert should know how to get…
Energy and chemical technologies heavily rely on solid materials used as catalysts and sorbents for numerous types of chemical reactions and separations. Although significant advances have been made in molecular simulations and modeling for rational design of these solid materials, most newly developed industrial processes still depend on applied methods of testing solid catalysts/sorbents for…
Second generation biofuels are those made from sustainable feedstocks as defined by the feedstock’s availability, and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions and land use. Examples of second generation biofuels are those made from algae, renewable fuels made via the Fischer-Tropsch process, cellulosic ethanol, dimethylfuran, and bio hydrogen. Different from the first generation biofuels which…
First generation biofuels are those made from sugar, starch, or vegetable oil. Their feedstocks are those that may not be sustainable or might have an impact on food if used in large quantities. These original first generation biofuels include biodiesel, ethanol, green diesel, bioethers, biogas, and the solid biofuels covering everything from wood and sawdust…
Recycle carbon dioxide to ethanl? A new promising option for captured carbon dioxide is recycling it back into usable fuels. Basically, pushing the combustion reaction backwards, the new method converts carbon dioxide back into ethanol, a liquid fuel that is currently used as an additive in gasoline. The process involved development of a catalyst made…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in many different specialties within the bioeconomy. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass technologies (conventional and emerging),…
What is the optimum aspect ratio (or height/diameter ratio) is for a fermenter? The best answer is “it depends”. There is simply no universal optimum. The best design is worked on a case-by-case basis. We can list some factors that affect the optimum. Note that as aspect ratio increases, the following results are produced: The…
What are Federal Funding Application Experts? The US Departments of Energy and Agriculture continues to be a major source of funding for research and development of biofuels. This was recently illustrated by an announcement of plans to post $78 million in federal opportunities announcements (FOAs) in the near future. Federal Funding Application consultants are those…
The definition of biomass energy? Biomass energy is a renewable organic materials, such as wood, agricultural crops or wastes, and municipal wastes, especially when used as a source of fuel or energy. Biomass can be burned directly or processed into biofuels such as bio ethanol and methane. Biomass is certainly a renewable feedstock, and it is…
Are alternative and renewable energy the same thing? By most definitions, alternative and renewable energy do contain a great deal of overlap, as they are both environmentally friendly and part of the bioeconomy. However, there are differences with which we should be familiar. Alternative energy is energy which is generated in ways that do not…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in biodiesel as well as the other specialties within the bioeconomy, and most will be available to serve as expert witnesses in biodiesel or other bioeconomy litigation. At Lee Enterprises Consulting we have experts in virtually every area of the bioeconomy, most of…
What does an isobutanol expert or energy consultant do? Isobutanol is a colorless, flammable liquid has a variety of technical and industrial applications. It has historically been used mainly as a solvent in such things as paint solvent, varnish remover, or a chemical extractant in production of organic compounds. Isobutanol is also being used as…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a comment period for the registration of the use of Isobutanol in gasoline. Why is this important? Because since the states banning of the use of MTBE and other ethers in underground tanks, this is the only oxygenate, other than ethanol, allowed to be used in commerce. This…
What does a Process Integration Biotechnology or Synthetic Biology Expert do? First, let’s define terms. These two terms are frequently interchanged, but are not exactly synonymous; synthetic biology should be considered one of the tools used to build a commercially useful process in the field of industrial biotechnology. The key feature is that industrial processes…
What does a lignin expert or lignin consultant do? Lignin is a constituent of the cell walls of almost all dry land plant cells. It is the world’s second most abundant natural polymer, surpassed only by cellulose. Unlike cellulose, lignins are not composed of sugars but are aromatic in nature. A lignin expert is one familiar with…
Fuel quality experts understand the detailed requirements of end-use customers that involve meeting ASTM standards and customized needs including stability, corrosion resistance and others. The fuel quality expert is responsible for providing added-value technical support, introducing cost-effective technologies, and conducting advanced analytical characterizations co, maximize profitability, improve asset integrity, and protect the health and the environment.…
What does a biomass feedstock expert or biomass feedstock consultant do? A Biomass Feedstock Expert is an essential part of biomass project financing: the expert acts as a credible, recognized independent 3rd party to help biomass project developers and capital providers assess the feedstock risk of individual projects. A Biomass Feedstock expert understands how to:…
What does a Bioenergy Control System expert or consultant do? First, let’s define Control Systems. Control Systems refers to the system in a process plant that consists of devices to measure properties of the plant feedstocks or products and that then takes an action to control the property. An example would be temperature control of…
Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in biofuels and renewable fuels, and the more common areas like biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, and biotechnologies. In these larger consulting groups, one will also find expertise in other biofuels like latex, rubber products, algae biofuels, aviation/biojet fuels, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels,…
The Basic Function – ROI A common phrase echoes in the conference halls of the ABLC: “My biofuel technology has a great ROI.” Entrepreneurs base their claims on a pro forma, a projection of future cash flow calculated on spreadsheets. Even though the business planning process starts with the pro forma, the value of the…
What does a wastewater treatment consultant or wastewater treatment expert do? Wastewater treatment cleans raw sewage or industrial process wastewater until it can be discharged to the environment, under the conditions of government permits, or until it can be reused, for purposes such as cooling water, toilet flushing or irrigation. Under advanced wastewater treatment, with multiple…
Plasma Gasification Expert What does a plasma gasification expert or plasma gasification consultant do? First, let’s define plasma gasification. Plasma gasification refers to an extreme thermal process using plasma. Plasma is a fourth state of matter in which an ionised gaseous substance becomes highly conductive. Unlike the other three states of matter (solid, gas and…
What does a catalyst (catalysis) expert or catalyst consultant do? First, let’s define catalyst. A catalyst is a material that is added to a chemical or biological process to improve the yield of a desired product. Since the catalyst is not consumed in the process it can be used many, many times for the same…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in RINS, LCFS, and regulatory and compliance matters, as well as other expertise in biofuels/renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, feedstocks, biotechnologies and a variety of specialty services. What does a RIN consultant or RIN expert do? First, what is a…
What does a biomass intellectual property expert or biomass IP consultant do? First, let’s define what we mean by intellectual property in the bioeconomy. As research continues to advance, individuals and companies worldwide continue to seek new methods of converting biomass into fuels and chemicals. As companies seek funding, they are continually faced with ensuring…
Renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc., have experts in bioenergy and all the many different specialties within the bioeconomy. These alternative energy and energy consulting groups and their consultants have expertise in renewable fuels (ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and synthetic diesel), renewable chemicals, renewable electricity, biomass energy, synthetic biology, biomass…
The increasing amount of waste is one of the most demanding problems facing the world, which creates global environmental challenges. Worldwide, 2.12 billion tons of waste are generated annually, and it is expected to rise at the current trend [1]. The most of the trash ends up in landfills emitting harmful pollutants into our air,…
by Gregory T. Benz Introduction There are many sources of organic fibers that can be used as feedstock for biofuels and renewable chemicals. The author has tested many lignocellulosic materials for fluid flow and mixing characteristics. Examples include corn stover, ground wood, switchgrass, various types of cane, beet pulp, paper mill waste, municipal solid waste…
By Bob Kodrzycki, PhD This is the eighth in a series of articles prepared by the experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. Definitions are tricky. They tend to change with the times depending on perspective and technology. Take…
By Scott Warfield This is the seventh in a series of articles prepared by the experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. With respect to Susan E. Hinton for the great title, the economics of anaerobic digester projects to…
By Katrina Cornish & Corinne Young This is the sixth in a series of articles prepared by the experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. Challenges and solutions to scale up of unconventional but viable bioeconomy feedstocks Bioenergy/biofuel/platform chemical biomasses,…
By Lorenz Bauer, Ph.D. This is the sixth in a series of articles prepared by the experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. In 2007 the US government established a national strategy for the development of advanced biofuels made…
By Daniel Lane and Joel Stone. Daniel had an interesting discussion recently with his 8-year old son, in which he inadvertently recalled the history of the telephone, backwards. It started with his son finding an old ‘flip’ style cell phone in a box of junk and asking just what one would expect (“What in the…
By Terry J. Mazanec, PhD Advanced Biofuels. Now? Later? Never? Biofuels are not new, of course. Our earliest ancestors mastered fire in prehistoric times, and the use of wood for heat and light was established. The first “man-made” fuel was char produced by the slow pyrolysis of wood or other vegetable matter. Liquid fuels have…
By John D. Forcier, P.E. This is the second in the 8-part series, State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018, prepared by experts at Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) who will be speaking at the ABLC 2018 conference in Washington DC, February 28 to March 2. Challenges Due to the project location in central Maine, there is a…
By Brian Goodall, PhD This is the first in a 8-part series of articles — the State of the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018 Extracting vegetable oils is both an art and a science, with some being practiced commercially on huge scale (e.g. canola oil, soy oil, corn oil) while others are specialty oils extracted on a…
By Dr. Gerald Kutney When you first talk with an early-stage technology biofuel entrepreneur or project promoter, the first thing that you hear about their project is that it has a good return on investment (ROI). The ROI has been calculated by a pro forma, an estimated projection of future cash flow calculated on spreadsheets,…
By Bernard Cooker. This is a review of the biomass-fed chemical process projects producing renewable chemical products which were published in Chemical Engineering Progress (CEP) and Chemical and Engineering News (CEN) from 1/1/17 to 12/18/17. It includes activity in biochemicals, biopolymers and other renewable products. It is based on a spreadsheet database of the information…
By Gregory T. Benz Introduction Many agitator applications, such as blending of miscible liquids or suspending slowly settling solids such as starch and grain slurries used in ethanol production, may be classified as flow-controlled applications. That is to say, the process result depends on creating a certain characteristic velocity, Vb, which is calculated on a…
By Lorenz Bauer Ph.D, Lee Enterprises Consulting “Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” Samuel Coleridge Managing the water in biomass processes like food production, fermentations, pyrolysis, and biodiesel production is critical to success. There is an increasing appreciation of the value of clean water. The value of water is…
Algae Biomass Productivity for Oil to Other High Value Products – Is It Still on the Horizon? By: Dr. Anju Krivov, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s vision of an algae oil machine fed with a bucketful of algae soup from a pond at one end spits out oil at the other – that…
By Lorenz Bauer, Ph.D., Lee Enterprises Consulting. The methanol and bioeconomies are two of the buzz words of the last decade. They had their origin in the “peak oil” scare and the predicted sky rocketing oil prices. They were further boosted by environmental concerns about pollution and climate change. Both economies are continuing to grow;…
by Susan Olson, Managing Director, Ag/Bio & Digital H2O & Larry Shafer, Principal, Playmaker Strategies There are a number of impactful events happening in the world of biodiesel and renewable diesel right now that influence the supply and demand balance, and thus, the commodity prices in 2017 and beyond. Two of these events are highlighted…
By Gregory T. Benz, Lee Enterprises Consulting Introduction Fermentation processes, both aerobic and anaerobic, have been successful on an industrial scale for quite a long time, producing a wide variety of products. In most of these processes, if any gas has been added, it has been either air or oxygen-enriched air. In the advanced bioeconomy, organisms…
By: Dr. Bernard Cooker, Lee Enterprises Consulting Summary Biomass-based green polymer and monomer projects, as reported in Chemical and Engineering News and Chemical Engineering Progress in Q1, Q2 2017 are surveyed. The focus here is on combinations of low raw material cost, commercial scale operation and high added product value, to maximize the profit opportunity. Introduction…
By Charles Loos, Lee Enterprises Consulting Financing biomass project? By the time a developer seeks non-recourse financing for a biomass project, the contracts for construction and major equipment procurement have usually been pre-negotiated and are on hold awaiting notice to proceed. Prospective lenders then scour these contracts for defects, paying particular attention to inconsistencies between the…
By Dr. Gerald Kutney, Lee Enterprises Consulting The 150th anniversary of Confederation on July 1st is a time to reflect upon the country’s achievements; this article covers the evolution of the Canadian biofuel industry – including gaseous, liquid and solid biofuels, and biomass power – from 1867 to 2017. The foundations of the biofuel industry in…
By Dr. Lorenz Bauer, Lee Enterprises Consulting After many years of development biomass pyrolysis is finally maturing as a commercial technology. Pyrolysis is not incineration. The goal is to use heat in the absence of oxygen to convert the biomass to a more useful form while preserving as much of the carbon as possible. The water…
