Bioethanol News

Raízen, as large-scale sugarcane ethanol producer, and Iogen, a cellulosic biofuel technology developer, have begun production of cellulosic ethanol at Raízen’s newly expanded sugarcane mill in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Raízen started expansion works on the $100 million (€81 million) biomass-to-ethanol mill just over one year ago. The new facility will…
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Brazil's National Laboratory of Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), based in York, UK. For the past five years, plant biologists, geneticists and green chemists from across Europe have been working with CTBE experts on sugarcane breeding and bioethanol production, in a research project led by…
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The US branch of Green Biologics, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK biotechnology and renewable chemicals company, has closed its acquisition of the assets of Central MN Ethanol Cooperative (CMEC) in Minnesota. Green Biologics intends to repurpose the operation, which includes a 21 million gallon per year ethanol plant, to produce renewable n-butanol and acetone, utilising its proprietary…
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Pacific Ethanol, producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels in Western US, and Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, a Midwest-based producer of ethanol and related co-products, have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Pacific Ethanol expects to issue approximately 17.75 million shares of its common stock upon closing in exchange for all of…
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A small fire broke out at Didion Ethanol's plant in Cambria, Wisconsin, US, which resulted in a brief evacuation. The fire ignited at approximately 4am on 28 December inside the ethanol plant. Only a small crew of workers was on duty at the time and all were evacuated. The plant's operations then resumed about two hours later. Company officials are investigating how the fire started. No one was…
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The joint project focuses on the development of an integrated, sustainable biorefinery for local lignocellulosic feedstocks. Russian and Indian scientists will join forces to develop technologies for producing fuels and chemicals from biomass within a 3-year period for a biorefinery project. Representatives of the Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS),…
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Firefighters in Greensboro, North Carolina, US, responded to a leaking tanker at a Ryder truck rental facility.  Approximately 2,000 gallons of ethanol spilled in an accident in south Greensboro, North Carolina. A tanker filled with ethanol burst after the landing gear, which is used to keep the trailer upright when not hooked to a tractor gave way.  Additional city crews with heavy…
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Biomass supply company, Genera Energy, has received a financing commitment from Boston-based investment firm WindSail Capital Group that provides financing to companies focusing on advancing energy and sustainability. The investment will enable Genera to continue its international growth by helping scale its energy crop production and supply chain operations, expand the variety of…
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Researchers at KU Leuven's Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, in Belgium, have found a way to turn sawdust into building blocks for petrol. Adopting a new chemical process, the scientists can convert the cellulose in sawdust into hydrocarbon chains. These hydrocarbons are then used as an additive in petrol. These findings were then reported in the Energy & Environmental Science…
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Investor Brooke Renewables will provide up to $1 billion (€800,000) over a five-year period to build a facility that converts inedible crops into green fuel. Brooke Renewables, a venture comprising of Hock Lee Group, Brooke Asia and Biochemtex, will build a second-generation bioethanol and biochemical plant in Sarawak. The 'Sarawak biomass hub' will be the first commercial facility in…
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Global energy producer Total is preparing to convert sugars from plant waste to operate as fuel in aircrafts while cutting greenhouse gases. Commercial production of transportation fuel made from plant waste has been realised in the US, Brazil and Europe. As a result, Total is now searching for ways to develop technologies to extract maximum amounts of sugar from woody crops and agricultural…
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Highlands EnviroFuels has signed a letter of intent with Gevo to become a licensee producing renewable isobutanol. Ethanol producer Highlands Envirofuels will build a commercial-scale syrup mill in Highlands County, Florida. The plant will have a production capacity of approximately 200,000 tonnes per year of fermentable sugar. The facility will process locally grown sugarcane and sweet sorghum…
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