Energy

This category contains 41 posts

BOLD biomanufacturing and biotech goals in the USA

The recently-held Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) held in Washington, DC, on 22-24 March saw the convergence of different US agencies – Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) – with very bold targets below for the next … Continue reading »

It’s the holiday season for US renewable chemicals

While the renewable chemicals industry continues to play second fiddle to biofuels when it comes to US government funding (it’s true!), the Biden Administration’s actions towards boosting the bioeconomy are setting off a flurry of activities on how renewable chemicals companies can dip in to these bioeconomy-related funding initiatives. Just yesterday, the White House Office … Continue reading »

USA launches National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative

I just came back from a 10-day holiday off (the longest vacation time I’ve had in years), and I promised myself not to check my emails, not to blog and not to check any work-related social media. It was tough initially, but I had a great time off exploring the Canadian Maritimes. One interesting trip … Continue reading »

Will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine trigger more renewables investments?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the surging fossil feedstock price that has continuously climbed throughout 2021. Tecnon OrbiChem consultants have reported their analysis of the impact of these surging prices in several key chemical intermediates. As Russia plays an outsized role in global energy markets given that it is the world’s third-largest oil producer … Continue reading »

VIDEO: Stop Making Excuses

This is a fantastic video just released by the United Nations in time for the COP26 global climate conference starting on 31 October. According to the new UN Development Programme (UNDP) research, the world spends $423 billion annually to subsidise fossil fuels for consumers.  This is four times the amount being called for to help … Continue reading »

VIDEO: Phillips 66 to build world’s largest Renewable Fuels Plant

Biorefineries for producing renewable diesel and associated hydrocarbons have been popping up like mushrooms all over the world and it is more interesting when oil companies such as Total in Italy and now Phillips 66 in the USA are converting their old crude oil refineries into biorefineries. Phillips 66, a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics … Continue reading »

VIDEO: Green Chlor-Alkali Plant

I am not that familiar with the chlor-alkali industry aside from the information that it uses electrochemical processing which is getting to be popular as well in its potential to produce renewable carbon-based chemicals (example is Avantium’s Volta technology). Electrochemical processing can use renewable energy sources like solar, thermal or wind power but the problem … Continue reading »

Dutch SER advises biomass use for chems production

The Dutch Social Economic Council (SER) published this month its report: “Biomass in Balance, a sustainability framework for the high value application of bio-feedstocks” (in Dutch) which advises the Dutch government about biomass sustainability and giving a recommendation that biomass should be use more as bio-feedstock (chemicals and materials production) instead of bioenergy and fuel … Continue reading »

Dow, Shell to develop electric cracking technology 

This is interesting news given the rising focus on the use of renewable electricity as well as electrolysis processing in chemical manufacturing. Major petrochemical players, Dow and Shell, recently announced their partnership in developing electric cracking technology specifically for use to electrify ethylene steam crackers. Today’s steam crackers use fossil fuel combustion to heat their … Continue reading »

The Great Reset: A Post-Covid19 Bioeconomy Agenda

I just learned from my social media networks that today is apparently #WorldEnvironmentDay so let me share this very interesting initiative called the Great Reset launched jointly on June 3 in a virtual meeting by the World Economic Forum and HRH The Prince of Wales in response to the need for a better world in … Continue reading »

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