The City of San Leandro, a suburban city in Alameda County, California has switched all municipal vehicles from using petroleum diesel to only running on Neste MY Renewable Diesel. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a low-carbon fuel produced from renewable and sustainable raw materials. Neste says its diesel cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% while enhancing fleet performance.... [Read More]

Researchers have developed new technologies that can be used to convert industrial plants to produce fossil-free heat, electricity, fuel, chemicals and materials. They say the technical potential is enormous: using only Sweden's currently existing power plants, renewable fuels equivalent to 10% of the world's aviation fuel could be produced. The study offers a chance to... [Read More]

Following the introduction of a bill to warn consumers about the perceived dangers of E15 in small engines, representatives from the ethanol industry have questioned the rationale for the legislation. The biofuel proponents say that the new rules are designed to create confusion for consumers and reduce the use of higher-blend fuels, rather than offer any kind of clarity. American... [Read More]

Congressman Austin Scott of Georgia and Congresswoman Lois Frankel of Florida, members of the Congressional Boating Caucus, introduced the Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act of 2018 on 16 May. The legislation would ‘more clearly’ label E15 ethanol blended gasoline, which they say is ‘harmful and corrosive’, at pumps across the US. The... [Read More]

The company says the 410 horsepower vehicle can enable CO2 reductions of up to 90%. Scania has released an alternative fuel engine option for the new truck generation and Euro 6 emissions standard. The new bioethanol engine delivers 2,150 Nm, equal to that of its diesel counterpart. The fuel consumption is also on a par with a conventional diesel engine. The truck uses... [Read More]

Fulcrum BioEnergy began site construction for phase 2 of its first waste-to-fuels project, the Sierra BioFuels Plant (Sierra), on 16 May. Sierra will be ‘the US' first’ commercial-scale plant converting a municipal solid waste feedstock that would otherwise be landfilled, into a low-carbon, renewable transportation fuel product. "Launching the final construction... [Read More]

India’s Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the 2018 National Policy on Biofuels. Reduced dependency of imports and environmental benefits are among the goals for the legislation. The policy differentiates between ‘basic biofuels’ and ‘advanced biofuels’: the former covering first generation bioethanol and biodiesel,... [Read More]

Struggles and triumphs of the biofuels industry were brought into sharp focus at the Platts 7th Annual Biofuels Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. With speakers from across the biofuels sector, the event at the Grand Hotel Kempinski covered the latest policy updates and struggles facing the industry. Pharoah Le Feuvre, energy analyst at the International Energy Agency,... [Read More]

Valero Energy has acquired Pure Biofuels del Peru (PBF) through a subsidiary. According to Reuters, it is the refiner’s first infrastructure investment in South America. As the third largest fuels importer in Peru, PBF maintains a supply platform with customers including retailers, miners, and airlines.  The transaction was completed with cash and includes product... [Read More]

A group of companies including Global Bioenergies, Neste and TechnipFMC have been awarded the money by the European Commission to demonstrate technology that can convert softwood residues into isobutene derivatives for use in gasoline and jetfuel production. Global Bioenergies announced the start of the three-year project on 14 May. The programme’s goal is to convert... [Read More]

Reuters is reporting that President Trump’s biofuel policy changes will include a reduction in the amount of controversial ‘hardship waivers’ issued. According to the wire service the administration is in the ‘last stages’ of officially proposing the changes to the law. Among the revisions is the introduction of E15 sales all year and the... [Read More]

The company says that it has more than doubled capacity at its flagship plant. May 10, Renewable Energy Group (REG) announced the completion of upgrades to its Ralston, Iowa biorefinery, increasing the production capacity from twelve million gallons (54.5 million litres) to thirty million gallons (136 million litres) per year.  REG invested $32 million (€26.8... [Read More]

Following months of debate between the representatives of Big Oil states and Big Corn states over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), Reuters is reporting that President Trump has made a move towards reforming the biofuels industry. The proposed changes include permitting the sale of E15 year-round and counting exports of ethanol towards the Renewable Volume Obligation... [Read More]

3 May, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced $78 million (€65.7 million) in new funding opportunities for early-stage biofuels research and development. The money is being administrated through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). The Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are organised into four... [Read More]

British MPs from across the political spectrum have written to government ministers demanding action on the introduction of ‘a more environmentally friendly petrol which also supports British industry and farming.’ Specifically, the letter calls for action on E10 – regular unleaded petrol blended with 10% bioethanol. Environment Secretary Michael Gove... [Read More]

Air Canada’s 2nd May flight from Edmonton to San Francisco was powered by biofuels, the airline has announced. The 146-seat Airbus A320-200 aircraft was flying the trade delegation led by the Government of Alberta, the City of Edmonton and Edmonton area businesses, to California. According to a represetative from Air Canada, the biofuel used in the flight came from... [Read More]