BIODIESEL
S. D'Antonio, Professional Boatbuilder, Dec-Jan 2009
How much of what we read about biodiesel is real information and how much is noise. This article presents everything you need to know about biodiesel in practical terms: its formulation and diversity, its advantages and disadvantages, and its acceptance by marine manufacturers.
> Read more: http://www.proboat-digital.com/proboat/e200812/?pg=32

CELLULOLYTIC ENZYMES
Alexandra M. Goho, Technology Review Special Report, March/April 2008
Making ethanol from cheaper sources will require an efficient way to free sugar molecules packed together to form crystalline chains of cellulose, the key structural component of plants.  According to Frances Arnold, a Caltech professor, that is the most expensive limiting step right now for the large-scale commercialization of [cellulosic] biofuels.  The key to more efficiently and cheaply breaking down cellulose, Arnold and many others believe, is better enzymes. Arnold has spent the last two decades designing enzymes for use in everything from drugs to stain removers and is confident that she's well on her way to finding them.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/20240/

CHEAPER CELLULOSIC ETHANOL
Jennifer Kho, Technology Review, December 10, 2008
Startup Qteros, formerly known as SunEthanol, thinks that it holds the key to finally making cellulosic ethanol cost-effective.  A bacterium, called the Q microbe (Clostridium phytofermentans), naturally eats cellulose and produces ethanol as waste.  Since making cellulosic ethanol usually requires two steps, using enzymes to break down the fibres and then with yeast to ferment the sugars into ethanol, Qteros' one-step process with the bacteria would reduce the cost of making cellulosic ethanol.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/business/21777/?nlid=1574

FARM DIGESTER PROGRESS IN WISCONSIN
Kramer, et al., BioCycle, November 2008
Wisconsin is one of the leading states in operating farm-based anaerobic digester systems.  The Wisconsin Agricultural Biogas Casebook gives a snapshot with some history of the 17 operating anaerobic digester systems in Wisconsin as of June 2008, with information provided by digester owners, technology suppliers and utilities.  This casebook represents an early step in a larger and ongoing effort to provide coordinated and consistent digester performance information to the general public using uniform methods.  Case studies provide detail on size, input, and output.
> Read more: http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2860825
> Contact the ITC Library to obtain article with detailed tables.

TAKING PULP TO THE PUMP
Peter Fairley, Technology Review, December 12, 2008
Pulp and paper plants could soon double as biorefineries if financing for a Swedish gasification project is any indication. The company, Chemrec, has pulled in a stream of grants and investments backing a process for turning the black liquor left over from pulp and paper bleaching into a clean-burning synthetic biofuel.  Part of the attraction is the ecological profile of the biofuel generated with Chemrec's process, dimethyl ether (DME), which can be used as a replacement for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/21811/?nlid=1578&a=f

A WEED-POWERED PASSENGER JET
Kevin Bullis, Technology Review, November 21, 2008
Jet fuel made from an inedible plant was set to power an aircraft belonging to Air New Zealand this past December.  It's been done before; except, what is new is the source of the biofuel: jatropha, a plant that, unlike current sources of biofuels, is not a food crop and can be grown in marginal agricultural land.  Unlike many other biofuels, UOP's jatropha jet fuel can replace conventional fuel without requiring changes to existing engines.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/21700/?nlid=1527&a=f
> Additional info and video: http://www.airnewzealand.ca/aboutus/biofuel-test/default.htm

BETTING ON GREEN
Michael Fitzgerald, Technology Review, October 30, 2008
It happened in the 1970s -- falling oil prices mean tough times for renewable energy. But experts expect the industry to bounce back.  Concerns over global warming and energy security should mean that alternative energy remains a good prospect for future investment.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/business/21614/?nlid=1489&a=f

INVESTORS MOVE TO ALGAE AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY COMPANIES
Oilgae, January 7, 2009
According to preliminary figures released by the Cleantech Group, Green-tech venture capital funding soared last year, aided by megadeals in thin-film solar companies. Investors also continued to migrate from first-generation ethanol and biodiesel technologies to next-generation biofuels technologies, led by algae and synthetic biology companies.
> Read more: http://www.oilgae.com/blog/2009/01/investors-move-to-algae-and-synthetic.html

OIL PRICE THREATENS BIOFUEL FIRMS
Kevin Bullis, Technology Review, December 10, 2008
The dropping price of oil and tight credit markets will make it difficult for advanced biofuel companies to succeed and move ahead with plans for scaling up technologies and building commercial-scale production plants.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/business/21775/?nlid=1574&a=f

US BIOFUELS INDUSTRY EXPECTED TO CONSOLIDATE
Ben Lefebvre and William Lemos, GLOBE-Net, 12/31/08
The US biofuels industry is expected to undergo consolidation in 2009, with many of ethanol and biodiesel plants either closing or being absorbed by a few larger players who will dominate the market.  With domestic renewable fuel infrastructure relatively underdeveloped and Europe taking an increasingly aggressive stance against US biodiesel imports, many analysts consider the US market oversupplied.
> Read more: http://www.globe-net.com/search/display.cfm?NID=3924&CID=8

AIR ALGAE: US BIOFUEL FLIGHT RELIES ON WEEDS AND POND SCUM
David Biello, Scientific American, January 8, 2009
The U.S.'s first commercial jet flight powered by biofuel runs one engine on African weed mixed with a smidgen of algae.  Continental jet 516—a two-engine Boeing 737-800—completed a two hour test with one engine powered by a 50-50 blend of regular petroleum-based jet fuel and a synthetic alternative made from Jatropha and algae.
> Read more: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=air-algae-us-biofuel-flight-on-weeds-and-pond-scum

BOEING BREWS UP ALGAE, A PROMISING FUEL OF THE FUTURE
LES BLUMENTHAL, The News Tribune, 12/7/08
The Boeing Co. and other aerospace companies and airlines are betting that algae, a simple organism that comes in hundreds of strains that can be genetically modified, will prove a green fuel to power jet planes. It also could be blended into diesel and gasoline and, perhaps one day, it could actually replace petroleum-based diesel and gasoline.  With competing interests, this industry group has formed the Algal Biomass Organization to better represent their interests at local and federal government tables.
> Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/560281.html

CANADIAN PACIFIC ALGAE - BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Oilgae, January 2, 2009
Canadian Pacific Algae (http://canadianpacificalgae.com) has some interesting algae energy projects going on. Canadian Pacific Phytoplankton has the ability to grow phytoplankton using its patent pending technology; Alternative Oils assesses opportunities in bio energy from algae and nutrition found in phytoplankton.
> Read more: http://www.oilgae.com/blog/2009/01/canadian-pacific-algae-british-columbia.html

ENERKEM ANNOUNCES FIRST COMMERCIAL-SCALE BIOFUELS AND BIOCHEMICALS PLANT IS ENTERING START-UP PHASE
News Release, January 12, 2009
Enerkem Inc., a leading advanced biofuels and biochemicals technology company, announced today that its first commercial-scale plant located in Westbury, Quebec, is entering the start-up phase with the production of its clean conditioned synthesis gas.  Enerkem's goal is to become the first producer of liquid fuels and green chemicals to commercially use renewable, non-food, negative-cost feedstock.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/7lh96c

MANITOBA EAGER TO JOIN THE RANKS OF EARLY BIO-USERS
Today's Trucking, January 7, 2009
Manitoba is set to require biodiesel content in the province’s diesel fuel at some point this year – ahead of a 2010 target.  Dan McInnis, Manitoba's assistant deputy minister of energy, climate change and green strategy initiatives stated "Our target is 2010, but if we can do anything to do something faster, we're going to do it."
> Read more: http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=20978

SUNX ALGAE OIL RESEARCH LAB - BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Oilgae, January 2, 2009
Sunx Energy is progressing towards the efficient culturing and harvesting of Algae Oil for Biodiesel on production scale.  Its First Phase Algae Initiative is completed with a feasibility study and the development of a viable manufactured growth and harvesting solution.
> Read more: http://www.oilgae.com/blog/2009/01/sunx-algae-oil-research-lab-british.html

PARTICULATE EMISSIONS FROM BIOMASS COMBUSTION IN IEA COUNTRIES: SURVEY ON MEASUREMENTS AND EMISSION FACTORS
Nussbaumer, et al., IEA, January 2008
Biomass combustion, especially in small-scale applications, is related to high emissions of particulate matter (PM) smaller than 10 microns (PM10). Since PM10 is regarded as a major indicator for the health relevance of ambient air pollution, a further propagation of biomass combustion is hindered by the disadvantage of high PM emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 32 on Biomass Combustion and Cofiring is promoting the utilization of clean biomass combustion applications to replace fossil fuels and to reduce CO2 emissions.  This study gives a survey on emission factors as reported from the member countries of the IEA Task 32.  Valuable data are available for residential wood combustion, whereas data from automatic combustion plants are strongly related to particle removal equipment and national or local emission limits. Hence, the results refer mainly to residential wood combustion and show that huge ranges are found for manual wood combustion devices.
> Report: http://www.ieabcc.nl/publications/Nussbaumer_et_al_IEA_Report_PM10_Jan_2008.pdf

February 4, 2009
2009 NATIONAL BIODIESEL CONFERENCE & EXPO
San Francisco, USA
> Details: http://www.biodieselconference.org/2009/

February 25-26, 2009
PLANT BIO-INDUSTRIAL OILS WORKSHOP
Saskatoon, SK
> Details: http://www.agwest.sk.ca/events/plantbio-oils09/plant%20bio-industrial%20oils%2009.htm

March 10-12, 2009
CANADIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKSHOP
Regina, SK
> Details: http://www.crew2009.com

March 10, 2009
EUROPEAN UNION/ONTARIO BIOGAS NETWORKING FORUM: DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS IN THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING SECTORS
London, ON
> Details:http://www.gtmconference.ca/site/index.php/program/networking-forum

March 10-13, 2009
1ST ANNUAL CANADIAN FARM AND FOOD BIOGAS CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
London, ON
> Details: http://www.gtmconference.ca/site/

March 10-13, 2009
GROWING THE MARGINS: ENERGY, BIOPRODUCTS AND BYPRODUCTS FROM FARM AND FOOD SECTORS CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
3rd Annual Growing the Margins Conference and Exhibition
London, ON
> Details: http://www.gtmconference.ca/site/

March 16-18, 2009
BIO-EUROPE SPRING 2009
Milan, Italy
> Details: http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes/

March 23-25, 2009
ALGAE BIOFUELS WORLD SUMMIT
San Francisco, CA
> Details: http://www.infocastinc.com/index.php/conference/algae09

May 12-15 2009
BIOENERGY STUDY TOUR: STATE-OF-ART FOREST SUPPLY CHAINS AND BIOENERGY PROJECTS
Joensuu region, Finland
> Details: http://www.canbio.ca/documents/MissionsfromCanada.pdf

May 23 - 30, 2009
JOINT CANADA-SWEDEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS - 2009
Waste to Energy tour
The Swedish Trade Council, in association with the Canadian Urban Institute, is planning a series of Professional Development Workshops related to waste to energy and sustainable city building. These workshops will consist of an intensive "pre-tour workshop" and "debrief" in Canada and a "study tour" to learn some of these concepts and examples firsthand and meet Swedish experts in these fields. 
Waste to Energy tour Planned for May 23 - 30, 2009;
Sustainable City-building tour "SymbioCity" Planned for September 19 - 26, 2009;
Or create a Custom made tour
> Details: http://renewcanada.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/swe-study-tour-2009-flyer_v31_2-dec-2008.pdf

August 24-28, 2009
BIOFUELS & BIOENERGY: A CHANGING CLIMATE
Vancouver, BC
> Details: For more information or to register contact emmanuel.ackom@ubc.ca

August 31 - September 4, 2009
CANADIAN MISSION TO 4TH INTERNATIONAL BIOENERGY 2009 CONFERENCE
Jyväskylä, Finland
> Details: http://www.canbio.ca/documents/MissionsfromCanada.pdf

September 19 - 26, 2009
JOINT CANADA-SWEDEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS - 2009
Sustainable City-building tour "SymbioCity"
The Swedish Trade Council, in association with the Canadian Urban Institute, is planning a series of Professional Development Workshops related to waste to energy and sustainable city building. These workshops will consist of an intensive "pre-tour workshop" and "debrief" in Canada and a "study tour" to learn some of these concepts and examples firsthand and meet Swedish experts in these fields. 
Waste to Energy tour Planned for May 23 - 30, 2009;
Sustainable City-building tour "SymbioCity" Planned for September 19 - 26, 2009;
Or create a Custom made tour
> Details: http://renewcanada.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/swe-study-tour-2009-flyer_v31_2-dec-2008.pdf