Features

Biofuels have been highlighted as the answer to two major issues facing the planet - climate change and our reliance on crude oil. Back in the 2008, the United Kingdom government passed the Climate Change Act that legally committed Britain to reducing ‘greenhouse gas’ (GHG) emissions by 80% over 1990 levels by the year 2050. Government policy The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO)…
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The big question for biodiesel producers, processors, and investors in North America is whether their industry has finally turned a page, following the confirmation of Joe Biden as US President-elect. Setting aside the threat of legal action still being voiced by President Trump, the early signs from the new Biden/ Harris administration are predictably positive in terms of their clear and…
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Even as the EU sets ambitious emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050, it is still falling short of an important milestone that looms much closer on the horizon - reducing the average greenhouse gas-intensity of road transport fuels, according to ePURE. The EU’s Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) requires member states to reduce the GHG intensity of transport fuels by at least 6% by 2020…
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The much heralded Von der Leyen Commission’s EU Green Deal has brought reinvigorated climate ambitions to the continent. This is embodied in a supercharged legislative agenda, as proven by the latest Commission’s working programme for 20211, which lists more than 10 highly relevant pieces of legislation for the biofuels sector at large. One of the first tangible manifestations of the…
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Velocys is delivering the next generation of sustainable fuels to decarbonise aviation. Founded from spinouts of Oxford University in the UK and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the US, its proprietary technology enables the production of sustainable transport fuels from a variety of waste materials, including household waste. The company has developed an end-to-end technology…
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In the past several years, the EU and the US have witnessed a marked increase in interest in hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) or renewable diesel (as it is more commonly referred to in the US). HVO is a diesel-quality fuel, made by the hydro-processing of oils and fats, and is an alternative to standard biodiesel. It can also be further upgraded to biojet-quality fuel. Its superior technical…
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Throughout history, fossil fuels were the dominant energy source that powered the world. However, due to their negative environmental impact and unsustainability, there have been new efforts to shift the world’s reliance onto greener, renewable sources of energy, such as biofuels. The biofuel industry has become an emerging market, providing a multitude of alternative energy sources that can…
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For the production of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), feedstock impurities are known as catalyst killers, even in small quantities. The usage of waste-based material, for example used cooking oil or animal fat, as a feedstock for HVO production is becoming increasingly important. However, compared to vegetable oil, it is more difficult to remove the contamination and to analyse them at low…
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The reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as the efficient utilisation of carbon dioxide (CO2) represents one of the major global challenges today. This is especially relevant for the combustion of fossil fuels. However, in the field of biogenic resources such as starch for ethanol production or biogas used for biomethane or synthetic natural gas (SNG), carbon efficiency plays a…
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Increased investment interest is on the horizon for companies working in the renewable energy sector. One of these long-term investment opportunities that is timely and tangible is in fuel initiatives. One very visible growth aspect of this enormous opportunity lies within international airline flights, where regulatory moves are forcing airlines to comply with newly enacted renewable jet…
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Between November 2015 and June 2019 a market driven study focused on gasoline fuels having midrange ethanol concentrations. It was performed under the EU Horizon 2020 funding scheme Engine tests with new types of biofuels and development of biofuel standards. NEN, the Netherlands Standardisation Body, studied the overall sensitivity of future (Euro 6c technology) vehicles and the fuel…
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A new report from the European Commission underlined the importance and sustainability of renewable ethanol, but also revealed its contradictory stance wanting to minimise the role of biofuels in achieving the EU Green Deal. This was the view of ePURE after the Commission’s Renewable Energy Progress Report was published on 14 October that included an assessment of progress on decarbonisation…
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Although fossil fuels have been an essential energy source for many centuries, they come with many disadvantages that do more harm than good in the long run. Algae biofuels may be the future of alternative, renewable energy resources. Still relatively new to the research and energy industry, algae biofuels have the potential to produce a lot of energy while being sustainable and beneficial for…
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