Bioethanol News

The president and CEO of Edeniq, Brian Thome, has submitted written comments to the US Environmental Protection Agency on its proposed rule to set the 2018 cellulosic renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Thome urges the EPA to ensure that final 2018 cellulosic RVOs are set based on forward-looking methodology that considers increasing cellulosic ethanol…
Read More »

A 20% tax on imported ethanol has taken effect in Brazil, according to Reuters. The rules, which see the 20% penalty applied to volumes above a tax-free quota, came into force on 1 September. Reuters reports that Brazil’s foreign trade chamber Camex has issued an official written resolution which states that the new rules will be valid for two years. Brazil’s government has never…
Read More »

French and Norwegian scientists have discovered a ground-breaking enzymatic mechanism that could revolutionise biorefining and biofuel production. The research focuses on enzymes known as Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases (LPMOs), which in recent years have drastically improved the conversion of cellulose into fermentable sugar (glucose), a pivotal step in the creation of second generation…
Read More »

California based Vertimass has announced completion of the intermediate technology validation from the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO). The BETO validation verified performance against negotiated milestones, provided progress on scale-up, and reviewed Vertimass’ estimated cost for their transformative catalytic technology. Developing a catalyst technology…
Read More »

A new report from the European Commission highlights several benefits of higher ethanol blends in petrol, including reduced emissions of dangerous pollutants and improvements in car engine performance. Carried out by the ICF for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate, the study looked at the impact of higher levels of bio-components in transport fuels. It was discovered…
Read More »

The first half of 2017 saw China Agri-Industries, a subsidiary of China grains trader COFCO, return to profit. According to Reuters, this change in fortunes was aided by a big jump in the profitability in the company’s ethanol and oil seeds segments. China Agri-Industries processes grains including soybeans, corn, rice and wheat. Reuters reports that the company’s revenues rose 9% to…
Read More »

Following successful pilot testing of its corn fibre-to-ethanol process, D3MAX is ready to move to the next stage of commercial development: the design of a full-scale plant at Ace Ethanol in Stanley, Wisconsin. Ace Ethanol set specific performance goals for the D3MAX pilot testing. “The D3MAX pilot process was able to meet or exceed our performance goals,” says Neal Kemmet, president…
Read More »

US biorefining company Aemetis reported a net loss of $6 million (€5 million) for the three months ending 30 June, 2017, compared to a net loss of $5 million for the same period the previous year. Revenues were $40.8 million for the second quarter of 2017, compared to $33.1 million for the second quarter of 2016. The increase in revenue was primarily attributable to increased ethanol…
Read More »

US biofuels producer Poet has announced that its Marion, Ohio-based bioethanol facility has expanded its production capacity from 70 million gallons per year to 150 million gallons per year. The project will also increase production of dried distillers grains from the current 178,000 tons annually to 360,000 tons, according to the company. With the groundbreaking, site work has officially begun,…
Read More »

Canada ethanol giant Greenfield Global has announced that it has commenced a feasibility study to significantly expand operations for sustainable biofuel production at its biorefinery in Varennes, Quebec. According to Greenfield Global, the first ethanol plant built in Quebec — the Varennes distillery — is a model for waste water management and energy efficiency. The plant…
Read More »

Brazil’s ‘first’ large-scale corn ethanol production plant has started operations following a recent grand opening ceremony. The $115 million (€98 million) facility has been created to meet the country’s growing ethanol needs and introduce new feed options to the livestock industry. Located in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso, the new FS Bioenergia facility is the…
Read More »

Researchers in Pennsylvania have developed a new method for converting potato waste into ethanol, a process they claim could reduce production costs for biofuels in the future and provide extra value for chip makers. The team from the Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences used potato mash made from the peelings and potato residuals from a Pennsylvania food-processor to…
Read More »