Dive Brief:

• Byogy Renewables, based in San Jose, CA, announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership deal with Ames, IA,-based Gen 2 Energy.
• Through the agreement, the biofuels producer and the alternative energy firm aim to develop a less expensive biofuel process.
• The companies plan to improve upon existing processes, to continue the use of agave fibers, and to convert waste streams to produce fuel oils.

Dive Insight:

Kevin Weiss, the CEO of Byogy said: “The economic viability of the biofuel industry is driven primarily by the value-added processing of residual products and waste streams. By completing and controlling the value chain as we have, we can now demonstrate the ability to compete with crude oil at today’s price and lower, and produce pure fuels that do not need to be tracked throughout the infrastructure supply chain. Taking something that already works and making it better is all we are doing.”

Researchers in Mexico recently created a process using the agave plant, combined with plastic waste, to fabricate a product with similar properties to wood. The material can be used for furniture and other construction materials.