Worcester Polytechnic Institute researchers identify bamboo as fuel alternative

Bamboo-derived biofuel could rival gasoline and diesel on price, emissions; replace corn ethanol fuel production

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute Professor Michael Timko 

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Credit: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

A new study from researchers, including those in Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Chemical Engineering, has found the fastest-growing plant on Earth may offer a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels.

The researchers, including Michael Timko, the William B. Smith Professor of chemical engineering and head of the department, and Timothy Woodard, MS’23, PhD ’26, have demonstrated that bamboo could serve as a highly promising raw material for the production of sustainable liquid fuels to power vehicles, planes, and trains. The team’s study, published in the journal Sustainable Energy & Fuels, finds that bamboo can be turned into fuel at a production cost that is competitive to conventional petroleum fuels and with substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions. The study combined laboratory experiments measuring bamboo-to-biocrude conversion efficiency with economic and life-cycle assessment modeling.

“Our study suggests bamboo has a role to play in the future of fuel,” says Timko. “I think this research is especially timely and important because fuel prices are high and the transportation sector produces more greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. than any other. Bamboo would use different land than we are using for food production, so there is no food versus fuel trade-off. Farmers win, consumers win.”

Key factors in the study are the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology that converts biomass to fuel and the choice of feedstock. Using bamboo for fuel can reduce greenhouse gasses in two ways: The process to convert it into biocrude is more efficient than when using other feedstocks, and bamboo itself captures and stores large amounts of carbon both above and below ground. Because of the plant’s fast growth even in poor soil conditions, the study finds that converting bamboo into fuel through HTL could match the level of corn-ethanol production in the U.S. while also using roughly 13% as much cultivated land. Unlike annual crops used for many biofuels, bamboo is a perennial grass that can produce large amounts of biomass with relatively low agricultural inputs. And, compared with other perennial grasses, bamboo has very low ash content (less than 1% by dry weight), meaning that the conversion process generates negligible waste.

Economic modeling indicates that bamboo-based fuel could sell for as little as $2.75 per gasoline-gallon equivalent under mature commercial-scale conditions, accounting for the money required to build and operate the fuel plant, suggesting strong economic competitiveness as the renewable-fuel industry expands.

The team’s analysis also finds that using bamboo as a fuel source creates a level of greenhouse gas emissions 26 times lower than those of conventional petroleum diesel fuel: A life-cycle assessment, considering the ability of bamboo to store large amounts of carbon in its underground rhizomes , finds producing fuel from bamboo and its use would generate a greenhouse gas intensity of 3.5 grams of carbon dioxide-equivalent per megajoule of energy.

In addition, the study suggests bamboo as a strong choice as a fuel source because it can grow faster and on smaller plots of land than other fuel feedstocks. “The U.S. has enormous land area under cultivation for corn ethanol, a fuel which is often blended into gasoline,” says Timko. “Freeing up at least some of that land could allow for more food production and reduce the burden on the environment.” The researchers also point out that bamboo can be cultivated on former industrial land or heavily farmed properties where other crops and vegetation may struggle to grow. 

“Bamboo may eventually offer industry a way to generate low-carbon liquid fuels at scale,” says Timko. “With further research and development, bamboo could be a compelling option for decarbonization in sectors that are difficult to electrify, including heavy-duty transport and aviation fuel supply chains.”

Timko and Woodard co-authored the research study with Charles Cai, associate professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems at Aalto University in Finland, and James Walters, CEO of Avos BioEnergy.

Using a reactor like the one seen in the background, bamboo can be processed into a biocrude.

Credit

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Journal

Sustainable Energy & Fuels

DOI

10.1039/d6se00296j 

 

Indonesia targets 2mn hectare plantation expansion for domestic E20 biofuel mandate

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By IntelliNews - Surabaya Bureau October 7, 2026

The Indonesian government plans to expand domestic sugarcane and cassava plantation areas to secure feedstock for its incoming E20 biofuel policy, which mandates a 20% bioethanol blend in commercial gasoline, Antara News reports.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum in Jakarta on October 6, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan confirmed that current domestic sugarcane supplies remain insufficient to meet blending requirements independently.

"E20 can be derived from sugarcane and cassava, among others," Hasan noted. "Should we aim for sugarcane, it is necessary to open new plantations because we are still lacking feedstock."

The agricultural expansion follows specific directives issued during a restricted cabinet meeting on September 16, where President Prabowo Subianto instructed Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman to prepare two million hectares of sugarcane plantations within a two-year timeframe.

As part of the institutional rollout, President Prabowo tasked Indonesia's newly established sovereign wealth fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara), with mobilising capital and structuring industrial capacity for the domestic bioethanol processing sector.

The E20 directive serves as an intermediate stepping stone toward higher blending ratios, according to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia.

Speaking on September 21, Lahadalia stated that Indonesia aims to progress toward an E50 standard without relying on imported bioethanol, framing the initiative as a key pillar of national energy sovereignty.

"We cannot afford to roll out E10, E20, or E50 while procuring ethanol from abroad," Lahadalia stressed. "If we can achieve the E50 standard, we will meet our target of no longer importing finished gasoline products."

SPACE/COSMOS

Robert Reich: Mercury Is Shrinking, So Am I – OpEd

October 3, 2026

By Robert Reich


Key Takeaways:

A Geophysical Research Letters study led by Gaku Nishiyama finds Mercury’s cooling core is shrinking the planet up to 30% faster than earlier estimates, by as much as 14.5 miles—nearly 1% of its 1,516-mile radius—versus a few miles before.

The estimate comes from surface wrinkle ridges; the author notes interior contraction may be faster and harder to see.

The column uses that cooling, plus spinal-disc compression and osteoporosis, as a joke about human height loss, not as a claim that people and planets shrink by the same process.

I’ve always felt a certain affinity for Mercury. Maybe that’s because Mercury is by far the smallest planet in our solar system — about 1/29th the width of Jupiter and just one-third the width of Earth — and I’m not a giant myself.

Mercury is becoming even smaller — it’s actually shrinking.

Apparently, when Mercury formed about 4.5 billion years ago in the primordial collisions of the early solar system, it was much hotter than it is now. Over many millennia since then, its metallic core has cooled and contracted, causing the planet’s surface to warp and wrinkle.

You know who else is warping and wrinkling, and shrinking?

Previous estimates suggested that Mercury had shrunk by just a few miles since its formation. Now, scientists say it’s shrinking up to 30 percent faster than expected. It might have even shrunk by as much as 14.5 miles, which is nearly 1 percent of its current radius of 1,516 miles.

This new estimate, published recently in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, gives astronomers a new understanding of how the planet — and others like it — formed and evolved.

And what’s in store for them. It’s not great news.

“Many bodies are shrinking nowadays,” said Gaku Nishiyama, a planetary scientist at the German Aerospace Center Institute of Space Research, who led the study.

Tell me about it. Humans start a slow, gradual loss of height during their 30s. Then they lose a half inch every 10 years. Between 30 and 70, they lose an inch or two.

That may not sound like much, but if you’re 4 feet 11 inches at your zenith, the loss of an inch or two is not welcome. Then, after age 80, the typical human who survives loses another inch. At this rate I may disappear entirely.

Dr. Nishiyama says Mercury’s estimated shrinkage is difficult to measure because researchers have to rely on topographies visible on the surface of the planet. “Inside, things may be getting much worse, much faster,” she said.

I know about that, too.

All heavenly bodies are shrinking, as are human bodies. With humans, it’s partly due to compressed spinal discs —as the soft cushions between back bones dry out and flatten over time. And because of osteoporosis, that can cause tiny cracks in spinal bones.

“Every planet is an odd little duck that has a story to tell,” says Dr. Sam Birch, a planetary geoscientist at Brown University.

Well, Dr. Birch, every human is an odd little duck with its own story, too. Planets and people — we’re all part of the same cosmos, with slightly different combinations of hydrogen and helium, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and neon.

We’re all parts of the same mystery.

This article was published at Robert Reich’s Substack


About Robert Reich
Robert B. Reichis Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies, and writes atrobertreich.substack.com. Reich served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. He has written fifteen books, including the best sellers "Aftershock", "The Work of Nations," and"Beyond Outrage," and, his most recent, "The Common Good," which is available in bookstores now. He is also a founding editor of the American Prospect magazine, chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, "Inequality For All." He's co-creator of the Netflix original documentary "Saving Capitalism," which is streaming now.
View all posts by Robert Reich →

Three space agencies to research how to grow crops on the moon

05.10.2026, DPA

Photo: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa

The space agencies of the United States, Germany and Canada will conduct joint research to learn how to grow crops on the Moon, which will be essential to helping astronauts go farther and stay longer in space.

NASA, Canadian Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center signed a joint statement of intent to begin coordinated, preparatory work toward an Earth-based demonstrator, called The Lunar Agriculture Module-Ground Test Demonstrator.

It aims to develop the technologies needed to grow space crops and study how they perform under atmospheres and controlled environments similar to those expected during missions at Moon Base.

Through Moon Base, NASA and its partners will build the infrastructure to support an enduring human presence near the Moon's South Pole, advancing science and technology while preparing for future human missions to Mars.

Space crops will provide deep space crews with whole-food nutrition and increase dietary variety. They can also absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and recycle water. These capabilities will become increasingly important as human missions extend farther from their home planet, NASA says in a press release.

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

Whisky to be aged in space for first time in uni satellite project

05.10.2026,  DPA

Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire/dpa

Whisky will be distilled in space for the first time as part of an experiment which will also measure how the spirit ages in the harsh environment beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.

Engineers in Scotland and Japan are planning to put Scotch on a rocket in 2028, sending a satellite containing samples of whisky and its base ingredients on a five-year mission to orbit the Earth.

It is hoped the frequent changes between extreme heat and freezing cold experienced by the whisky as it rotates the planet every 90 minutes could speed up the maturation process.

This could potentially open the door to future production of space-aged whisky, which the scientist behind the project expects to have “very bold” flavours as a result of its unusual journey.

While such whisky would command astronomical prices due to the cost of launching and recovering the liquid, collectors are already known to pay hundreds of thousands for some of the rarest bottles.

Dr Gilles Bailet, of the University of Glasgow, said a number of students have travelled from Scotland to Japan to help to co-design the “cubesat” which will contain the tiny whisky samples and ingredients.

The research is also expected to provide insight into how orbital factories could work, which could develop molecules for medications which are difficult to produce on Earth.

Bailet told Press Association: “We want to see what the effect of a space environment is on the ageing of the whisky.”

He added: “We’ve got the best people here in Scotland to be able to inform that, with centuries of experience, so we can bring this whisky experience into space.”

The current plan for the whisky experiment – nicknamed “Space Puffin” – is to launch the cubesat in 2028 on a SpaceX supply mission to the International Space Station, before deploying it into orbit from the Japanese module of the space station.

The science around the process of whisky “breathing” as it ages in wooden casks is not well understood, Bailet said, but the cycles could happen much faster in space – where temperatures can quickly vary between minus 150 degrees to 200 degrees.

Bailet continued: “We build our spacecraft to be able to get an environment which is better for the whisky, but this wood will breathe faster than on Earth.

“And so we are hoping that we’ll be able to accelerate the ageing to be able to get something more interesting.”

The whisky on the cubesat will be monitored while it is in space, feeding data on its colour and chemical composition back to scientists on the ground.

On Earth, whisky is produced by mixing barley with water and yeast.

Yeast breaks down the sugars in the barley, creating ethanol as a byproduct.

The team’s system will demonstrate how ethanol, which plays a role in the production of many drugs, can be extracted in orbit.

While the cubesat will not be recovered at the end of its five-year mission, Dr Bailet said he is keen to scale up whisky maturation in space and develop a system for launching Scotch into space and landing it on Earth after maturation.

He said: “We are really keen to be able to actually fly a full whisky-making system, with a full cask, if we’re able to collaborate with investors or other people interested about it.

“But it’s totally in the realm of possible to bring back something like a litre of whisky within the next three to five years.”

He hopes this process would produce “really bold whiskies” with “extremely complex flavour profiles”.

While whisky has previously been into space as part of an experiment to understand flavour, it did not leave the temperature-controlled confines of the International Space Station.

The cubesat will not have a full whisky cask on board. However the liquid samples will be contained by small wood chips to mimic the cask ageing process on Earth.

Different distilleries in Scotland and Japan are expected to contribute the whisky, though these have not been chosen yet.

Bailet said: “Previous research has suggested that the microgravity of space may allow us to grow larger, purer chemical crystals and to fold proteins in new ways.

“Big questions still remain over how we might actually do chemistry in space, however, and this project aims to provide some answers.

“Whisky gives us a very recognizable, very well-understood model for studying and monitoring biological and chemical processes in microgravity.”

The initial visit to Japan is the result of a grant from distillery-design consultancy Allen Associates.

Geoff Nisbet, lead process design engineer at the consultancy, said: “We often say that our fingerprints are found all over Scotland’s distilleries - we never expected the next set might end up in space.

“We’re delighted to support a project which brings together Scotland’s world-renowned whisky industry, engineering innovation and the next generation of engineers.

“There is also something quite fitting about Scotland and Japan being brought together through whisky once again, this time with a project looking far beyond the distillery itself.”

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

 

India to Get Its First Port-Based E-Methanol Production Facility

Deendayal Port Authority will be home to India's first in-port methanol production facility

Published Oct 2, 2026 7:15 PM by The Maritime Executive

India is making further progress in positioning itself as a global leader in the export of alternative fuels in shipping. Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel recently participated in laying the foundation for an e-methanol plant at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Kandla, Gujarat. This is the first port-based e-methanol production facility in India. The project is part of the government’s wider campaign to promote cleaner maritime transport in the country.

The facility is also poised to make India a competitive global supplier of green shipping fuels. The plant is scheduled to produce green methanol at much lower cost compared to other global producers, just $750 per ton, against a global rate of $1,300 per ton. 

Recent research has highlighted three Indian ports with strategic advantages to support green fuel production. DPA on India’s west coast is one of the mentioned ports, which is already hosting major investments in green hydrogen production. Last year, the port commissioned L&T Energy to build a 1 MW green hydrogen plant as part of a larger 10MW project.

Again, DPA in April conducted India’s first methanol bunkering demonstration, which at the time was said to be a lead-up activity to the e-methanol plant. With the facility now launched, India’s role in global maritime decarbonization is firming up. The $240 million plant is expected to produce 150 tons per day of e-methanol once fully built. It will use green hydrogen, water, and biogenic CO2 to produce the e-methanol. DPA is targeting to become a major bunkering hub for methanol-powered vessels plying the Asia-Europe trade corridor. 

“The long coastline of Gujarat will now power the world’s ships through Kandla. This plant turns our renewable energy strength into an export,” said Bhupendra Patel. 

The plant is a joint initiative between DPA and Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. (APCL), and installation will be done in phases, as scalable modules. Phase 1 will have 50 tons per day capacity at an investment of $125 million. The targeted completion date is January 2027. Phase 2 will add a further 100 tons per day at a cost of $115million, to be completed in March 2027. DPA will contribute 76 percent of the project’s capital while APCL will contribute the remaining 24 percent.

 

Maersk Completes First Ethanol Bunkering in US Testing Bioethanol

Tangier Maersk, a new mid-size dual-fuel vessel received the first ethanol bunkering in the United States (Port of Mobile photo)

Published Sep 28, 2026 9:09 PM by The Maritime Executive

Maersk reports it recently completed the first ship-to-ship commercial ethanol bunkering of a container vessel in the United States. It was a 100 percent bioethanol blend from U.S. producer Poet as part of an ongoing trial by Maersk of ethanol and alternative fuels.

The bunkering took place aboard the Tangier Maersk, a recently delivered mid-size vessel built in China and delivered in February this year. The ship, which is 270 meters (900 feet) in length, has a capacity of 9,000 TEU and is equipped with a dual-fuel engine able to operate on methanol. Maersk previously explained that, because ethanol and methanol are both alcohols, they share similar properties, and it was testing interoperability, or swapping ethanol onto its dual-fuel vessels.

POET, which is headquartered in South Dakota and bills itself as the world’s largest bioethanol producer, supplied plant-based bioethanol for the first 100 percent bioethanol bunkering operation in the United States. The company points out that it was a cooperation that also involved Kirby Corporation, which supported the marine bunkering operation and transportation of the fuel. Port of Houston provided critical port coordination and infrastructure, while the U.S. Coast Guard supported the regulatory requirements necessary to conduct the bunkering operation.

Maersk reported that the operation was providing valuable real-world experience. It said it would provide valuable insight into the operational, infrastructure, sourcing, and supply chain considerations for using ethanol as a marine fuel. While ethanol benefits from an established production base, Maersk said that existing infrastructure and compatibility with alcohol-enabled vessel technology, scalable future fuel pathways would also depend on fuel availability, regulation, and operational readiness across the maritime value chain.

The operation builds on previous ethanol trials aboard Laura Maersk and Antonia Maersk and reflects Maersk’s continued commitment to exploring and advancing credible pathways to drive progress within the shipping industry’s energy transition.

The company announced in December 2025 that it had conducted the initial test using E10 (10 percent ethanol) in an ethanol-methanol blend to confirm safe integration and performance. They reported they would be looking at issues including ignition quality, how the fuel burned, potential corrosion issues, and testing the emissions to see if there were differences. Building on a successful initial trial, the company planned to blend 50 percent ethanol with 50 percent methanol in a test onboard the vessel Laura Maersk. It said it was also aiming for a 100 percent ethanol test.

The U.S. is the largest ethanol producer in the world, followed by Brazil, and combined they comprise approximately 80 percent of the world market. Poet says that American-made bioethanol is already produced at a commercial scale, with the company reporting that it produces more than three billion gallons annually across its network of 35 bioprocessing facilities.

Maersk says that it will continue to explore alternative fuels and the different availabilities as it works to decarbonize its operations. It believes, as do many sources, that the future will consist of a range of different fuels to achieve the goals for shipping.

From Croatia without waste: “truly circular” process offers hazardous chemicals a second life

Euronews

By Julian GOMEZ

Published on 25/09/2026 - 

A clean-tech company in Croatia claims to recycle around three million kilograms of polluted solvents annually – without any waste. An “efficient, safe and economically valuable” recycling process of hazardous chemicals… made in Europe.

Equipped with air-filtering masks, workers at a recycling plant in Ivanić-Grad, Croatia, recycle ethanol, benzene or acetones, and thinners to dilute paints. These and other used solvents come from the food packaging, pharmaceutical or automotive industries. They are full of hazardous substances.

Polluted solvents prior to the purification process © Euronews

A complex process removes all their residues and turns contaminated solvents into clean ones, ready to be re-used.

“This is the contaminated solvent that we are taking from the machine and into the distillator. We are distilling it, and for the result we are getting the clean solvent that is used to further production. Clean as a whistle”, explains Mario Želježnjak, Production Supervisor at Premifab Ltd as he shows us the different technologies at an unassuming plant recently inaugurated.

Mario Želježnjak, Production Supervisor at Premifab Ltd © Euronews

Along with water and other impurities, the resulting waste is basically sludge that is used to produce energy that feeds the recycling facilities. “Everything is burned inside a rotary kiln and turned into harmless ash,” explains Mario. This ash can subsequently be used as a construction material.

Partially funded by the European Union, the clean-tech company claims to recycle around three million kilograms of used solvents annually—a 90% recycling rate for the contaminated raw material sent by its clients. Facing stiff competition from other major industry players in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, the company must offer efficiency and versatility, explains its business development director, Igor Podravac.

Igor Podravac is the company´s Business Development Director © Euronews

“We have a lot of high demanding customers from pharmaceutical, automotive, paint industry,food packaging industry also. After they pollute a material and it is no longer usable for a second treatment, they send this material to us,” he explains while showing us the work done workers. “We are accepting the material, analysing the material, purifying the material and after all the parameters are checked, we return that material into the same production line to get a closed loop circular economy in real life.”

The first step starts at the company´s laboratory. Samples of used solvents are here first analysed to determine if and how they can safely and effectively be recycled. Very different parameters, including temperature, pressure or energy balance must be considered. “Maybe the distillation yield is too low, so it's not really feasible, both material-wise and financial-wise. And on the other hand, if we have lots of distillation residue remaining, that we cannot do anything about it, we opt not to use that material at all,.”, explains Silvija Petković, Quality Control Director & Laboratory Manager. “The specificity within the solvents is their flammability. So they're all flammable liquids, and we need to take all the precautionary measures in order not to burn anything, not to light anything up,” she adds.

Silvija Petković works as Quality Control Director & Laboratory Manager © Euronews

After the distillation, and prior to sending the now clean solvents back to the clients, quality control checks are enforced again.

“This one does not conform because of the precipitation, so this one cannot go to the customer. So, this sample is going to stay here, and we need to do further filtration,” Silvija, explains to our camera while holding one sample. “This one is okay, no precipitation, whatsoever. It can be closed and sealed and put into the truck,”after checking a second, much transparent sample.

The approved recovered solvents are shipped to the clients in special containers. We follow one such delivery with Nikola Gojavić, a driver at the company. “This cargo is unique because it’s in a liquid state and is highly explosive. Great care is required during loading and transport, so specialised drivers are needed—it’s quite a challenging job,” he tells us while driving.

Driver Nikola Gojavić handles and transports hazardous chemicals © Euronews

“The driver must be a specialist because, in the event of an accident or any incident, they must remain composed and be trained to carry out the necessary procedures.”

The cargo we follow brings back recovered solvents to a family business called Rotoplast. Each year, it manufactures approximately 5,000 tonnes of packaging and labelling for the food, energy and pet product industries. Solvents are used here to dissolve inks in the printing processes.

“It is important to us that our products, along with being highly effective from a production point of view, are also environmentally sustainable,” says Production Director Antun Čengić. “In cooperation with Premifab, we collect all our waste in a safe way, we transport it to their location, so that they can process it and return it to us as a new resource. With this, we reduce the costs of production.”

The company was founded in 1975 and currently employs 260 staff. Solvents are among the many recycled products that are reused here, claims the CEO, Blaženko Marić.

Blaženko Marić, Chief Executive Officer at Rotoplast. The company reuses purified solvents © Euronews

“80% of materials, it's possible to use like this. We would like to move to mono materials. For all materials, for all customers. This is the plan for the next few years, to be completely phase out materials which are unrecyclable,” he explains.

Premifab claims to see a significant demand in Europe for this type of recycling services © Euronews

Igor Podravac, its business development director, says their turnover has grown “approximately 20 to 25% per year” since they started operations, in December 2014. The company claims that, compared to primary production, recovered solvents generate up to 10 times less CO2 emissions.