Bioethanol News

EU sugar and renewable ethanol producers, sugar beet farmers and workers have called for no concessions on sugar and ethanol in the EU-Mercosur negotiations between the European Union and Brazil. Globally, Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of sugar, and the second largest producer and exporter of ethanol. It is also the single biggest beneficiary of EU trade concessions on sugar,…
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Scientists have demonstrated how to design and genetically engineer enzyme surfaces to bind less with corn stalks and other cellulosic biomass, reducing enzyme costs in the production of biofuels such as ethanol. A study detailing the research by scientists from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Michigan State University, has been published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and…
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The Impact Assessment Institute (IAI) has raised serious questions about the ways the European Commission reached its proposed Renewable Energy Directive revision (dubbed RED II). Suggested changes to the Directive under RED II would see a gradual phase out of crop-based biofuels such as ethanol from the European fuel mix. The legislation has proven deeply unpopular in the biofuels industry,…
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Expanding growth output at the UK’s bioethanol plants is driving up wheat consumption, contributing to the country becoming a net wheat importer for only the fourth time in 25 years, according to an article on Agrimoney.com. Defra, the UK’s farming ministry, pegged the country’s wheat exports at 1.5 million tonnes in its first forecast for the country’s wheat exports in…
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A controversial new study claims that using corn for biofuels comes with greater environmental costs and fewer benefits than using it for corn. The study from researchers at the University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign has been published in the journal Earth’s Future. It aims to determine whether corn is better utilised as a biofuel or as a food source, addressing the food vs. fuel…
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Mexico’s energy regulator, CRE, has approved an increase in the ethanol content in gasoline for domestic consumption to as high as 10% from the current 5.8%, according to Reuters. The move has been made despite environmental groups warning that the action could cause more pollution. The change will mean gasoline imported and sold in Mexico will be closer to that sold in the US. "Gas…
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Brazil-based ethanol specialist Raízen has offered 823 million reais (€221/$248 million) to buy two ethanol mills from Tonon Bioenergia, according to media reports. Raízen is a joint venture between Cosan SA Indústria e Comércio and Royal Dutch Shell. According to Reuters, Cosan said in a securities filing on Tuesday that Tonon Bioenergia, which has been going…
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Rayeman Elements is expanding its business to include a biofuels division, intended to deliver a ‘bolt-on’ technology for the production of biodiesel at existing ethanol plants. It is hoped that this technology will allow ethanol facilities to diversify their product offerings, in turn increasing the value of their corn oil stream and expanding their advanced biofuels offerings. Saola…
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A ground-breaking new study has characterised the molecular features that make cellulose resistant to degradation. The findings could be hugely significant in the quest to develop cost-effective means of producing biofuels, as well as various valuable chemicals. A vital structural component of plant cell walls, cellulose is highly resistant to degradation. This means significant amounts of time…
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Newly discovered enzyme complexes in the digestive tracts of herbivores could hold promise for the future of sustainable fuels, according to new research from the University of California – Santa Barbara. Assistant engineering professor Michelle O’Malley from UCSB and 20 other scientists have collaborated on a study describing a new complex of enzymes discovered in herbivore gut…
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Scientists in Texas have found that a product of bioethanol production can be used as a suitable cattle feed supplement. Feeding cattle can be a surprisingly complex task, the animals requiring specific diets for nutrition and weight gain. The new research found that as the seasons progress, cattle find it increasingly difficult to digest a type of Bermuda grass - Tifton 85. However, the…
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Biofuels have the potential to improve the carbon footprint of the aviation industry and make the sector more environmentally friendly, according to a new study from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Lufthansa Technik. The DLR and Lufthansa investigated the chemical and physical properties of “promising” biofuels. The European Union-funded High Biofuel Blends in Aviation (HBBA)…
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Edeniq, a US-based cellulosic technology company, and Siouxland Energy have announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency has approved Siouxland Energy’s registration of its 60 million gallon per year (MGPY) corn ethanol plant for generation of D3 RINs from cellulosic ethanol. Siouxland Energy is the fourth plant to receive a cellulosic ethanol registration from the EPA after…
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US ethanol trade body Growth Energy has released a new survey showing that US small engine owners are pleased with the performance of their fuel and find it easy to pick the best option, including regular unleaded blends of 10% ethanol (E10). Conducted by Quadrant Strategies, the random poll of 500 owners of lawnmowers, snow blowers, leaf blowers, weed whackers, and other small engines…
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