Bioethanol News

Refineries in the Iowa, US, will begin full operations using feedstocks other than corn kernels. Iowa has two major cellulosic plants under construction that will use corn plant leaves, stalks and cobs to produce ethanol. Project Liberty, a plant in Emmetsburg built by Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based ethanol-maker POET and biotechnology company Royal DSM. The $250 million plant will produce 25…
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Lurgi, a member of the Air Liquide group of companies, has completed construction and start-up of an ethanol facility for Calgren Renewable Fuels. The Calgren plant is currently the only ethanol plant operating in the US state of California. Calgren and Lurgi worked together to design a plant that optimises the plant's energy efficiency, while producing value added co-products. The facility will…
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Project Liberty, the US's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, located in Emmetsburg, Iowa, has been officially opened. A joint venture of DSM and Poet, Project Liberty will convert 285,000 tonnes a year of biomass sourced from within a 45-mile radius of the plant into renewable fuel. Feedstocks will include baled corn cobs, leaves, husk and stalk. The plant has now officially…
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In the US Energy Information Administration's August issue of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, ethanol production has averaged approximately 940,000 barrels per day over the past three months. This level is amongst the highest monthly levels ever recorded. The highest weekly level ever recorded was 972,000 barrels per day during the week ending June 13. Ethanol production averaged approximately…
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On 31 July, Amyris, partnered with Brazilian airline GOL, completed the aviation industry's first commercial flight with farnesane. The recently approved renewable jet fuel was used in the duo's first flight, which left Orlando, Florida, on 30 July and flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The partnership committed to using up to a 10% blend of the renewable farnesane fuel, which can reduce greenhouse gas…
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Quad County Corn Processors has added a 'bolt on' biorefinery that to its plant that turns corn kernel fibres into cellulosic ethanol. 'After four years of research and development, financing hurdles, waiting on EPA rule clarifications and construction, we are excited to see the ACE project working and are proud to be producing the world's first corn kernel fibre cellulosic ethanol gallons and…
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Egypt is looking to invest $250 million (€187 million) in a bioethanol plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Ministry of Petroleum in Egypt has plans to construct a bioethanol plant in UAE that will process 100,000 tonnes of molasses annually. Machinery and other related infrastructure will be installed at the molasses plant, which will also contain a processing unit. The construction…
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Vancouver, Canada-based Arcade Station has become the first filling station in the region to sell E85 fuel – an ethanol-petrol blend comprising 85% ethanol. The site now sells regular and diesel fuel in addition to E85. Arcade Station is a member of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA). 'Canadian consumers need and deserve more choices at the fuel pump,' says CRFA president Scott…
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Poet-DSM has announced that the grand opening ceremony for its commercial-scale second generation ethanol plant, Project Liberty, will take place on 3 September. When it comes online, the Emmetsburg, Iowa-based plant will process 770 tonnes of corn cobs, leaves and husk to produce 20 million gallons a year of cellulosic ethanol. This annual production capacity will later be increased to 25…
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Mahtani Group has partnered with UK-based Sunbird Group to develop a $150 million (€112 million) bioethanol plant in the Luapula Province, Zambia. The plant will produce bioethanol and will use cassava as its by-product. The feedstock is widely grown in the province with most of it going to waste. The project is going to be 'the first to use cassava to extract bioethanol for fuel and that…
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North European Bio Tech Oy (NEB) is investing in a bioethanol plant on the Renforsin Ranta industrial estate in Kajaani, Finland. The plant, which has a production capacity of 10 million litres per year of bioethanol, will be leased to oil and bioproduct traders North European Oil Trade Oy (NEOT). St1 Biofuels Oy, which is responsible for design, permits and coordination and will be operating the…
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Renewable Energy Group (REG) plans to spend $15 million (€11.3 million) in the next 12 months on its Geismar facility. The biofuels plant, which makes diesel from animal fat, will soon be able to use an increased variety of feedstocks. Although the timescale is still unknown, REG's Geismar plant hasn't operated since October 2012.
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A multi-billion naira ethanol plant has opened at Igbesa, Ogun State, Africa. Allied Atlantic Distilleries is the first ever cassava-based ethanol plant to produce extra neutral alcohol in Africa (ENA). The ethanol facility was built as a result of a government-backed initiative to supply raw material to a number of distillers and industries. Along with ethanol, the plant will produce carbon…
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A senior official at the Ministry of Petroleum reports that Egypt is currently evaluating the proposal of three petrochemical projects to the UAE, two of which focus on bioethanol production totalling $490 million (€362 million). One project involves the construction of a factory to produce bioethanol from molasses, with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year and an investment totalling $250…
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