Biodiesel News

The EU’s biofuel targets may have ended up increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the use of “dirty” biodiesel, an EU analysis has found. According the to a research by the Ecofys consultancy for the European Commission, palm oil biodiesel emits more than three times and soyabean oil-based diesel two times as much GHG as fossil diesel when their land use effect are…
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The Indonesian government’s mandatory ruling on the mix of biofuel into fossil diesel has hit a snag amid lingering pressure from low commodity prices. The Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDP) director, Dadan Kusdiana, told The Jakarta Post that the realisation of subsidised diesel fuel getting mixed with 20% biodiesel reached approximately 404,000 kilolitres during the first two months…
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US biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group (REG) has completed its acquisition of Sanimax Energy’s 20 million gallon nameplate capacity biodiesel refinery. REG paid Sanimax $11 million (€9.7m) in cash and issued 500,000 shares of REG common stock in exchange for the biorefinery, located in DeForest, Wisconsin, and related assets. REG may also pay Sanimax up to an additional $5 million…
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Solazyme, a Californian algae-based bio-product producer, has abandoned its biofuels business and will be focusing its algae oil production on food and personal care industries. Renamed TerraVia, the company lists the current extremely low oil prices, changing sentiment around the benefits of biofuels, and uncertain US government policies as reasons behind the business restructuring. In 2012,…
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A team led by University of Illinois researchers has published a study detailing the economic benefits of this sugarcane oil relative to soyabean oil in biofuel production. The team altered sugarcane metabolism to convert sugars into 12% lipids, or oils, which could be used to produce biodiesel, wish an ultimate goal to produce 20% oil. Oil cane has additional advantages that have been engineered…
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United Airlines will use Honeywell Green Jet Fuel to power 12,500 flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and support energy diversification. The fuel for the flights was produced by AltAir Paramount using Honeywell UOP's proprietary renewable jet fuel process technology, which converts non-edible animal fats and oils into renewable fuels. The…
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The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) commends Canada’s Liberal government's first federal budget for its focus on climate change. Tabled on Tuesday by Finance Minister Bill Morneau, the 2016 budget commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, pricing carbon emissions, and addressing climate change. The budget provides CAN$50 million (€34.1m) over four years to Sustainable…
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Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group, a Chinese renewable energy giant, is planning to invest €1 billion in a new wood-based biodiesel plant in Finland, as the country looks to replace fossil fuels with biofuels. Kaidi said the plant would use wood-based biomass as its main raw material and it is scheduled to start operations in the northern city of Kemi by the end of 2019. The plant is due to…
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The government of Argentina has more than doubled export taxes on biodiesel, further distressing the industry already suffering from low oil prices and closed markets. The export taxes were increased in February to 3.89pc from 1.62pc in January, which were the lowest since the government implemented a sliding-scale system of export duties for the biofuel in 2012. The biodiesel industry sees the…
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A group of environmental groups in the UK are calling on the next Mayor of London to commit to making the capital's buses run on clean fuel. The NGOs, including Greenpeace, WWF, RSPB and the National Trust, have drawn together 20 policy suggestions to improve London's environment and will publish them today to mark the start of Greener London Week. Suggestions include the introduction of…
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Biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group (REG) has signed an asset purchase agreement with US-based rendering firm Sanimax Energy to acquire Sanimax's 20m gallon nameplate capacity biodiesel refinery located in DeForest, Wisconsin. Under the asset purchase agreement, REG will pay Sanimax around $11m in cash and will issue 500,000 shares of REG common stock in exchange for the biorefinery and…
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Biodiesel consumption in the US has hit a record number of nearly 2.1 billion gallons in 2015, according to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the data, fuel companies reported producing 2.09 billion gallons of biodiesel in 2015, up from about 1.97 billion gallons in 2014, reducing US carbon emissions by at least 18.2 million tonnes.  Biodiesel is the first and currently…
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