News

A chemical company has announced it has started monthly production of 2 million litres of disinfectant at its facilities in Germany. This disinfectant made by Clariant in Gendorf will then directly, or via repacking partners, be sent to regional hospitals and other vital institutions in Bavaria, who are currently facing limited availability of this critical product during the COVID-19…
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Palm oil prices are expected to decrease slightly from its current levels over the next three to six months due to fall in demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Although palm oil supply is also being negatively impacted by government containment measures as plantation operations are being disrupted which could support prices in the very near term, we believe demand destruction will be…
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Researchers have found that plants can be genetically modified to produce valuable chemical compounds, known as bio-products, to help cover the cost of converting plant waste into biofuel. Scientists at the Berkeley Lab in the US have found new evidence that this strategy is economically feasible. Biofuels have potential as an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based fuels, but biofuels are…
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A group of European biofuel trade groups have dispatched a letter to the European Union to voice their concerns that countries could cut back on blending commitments as the virus pandemic continues to spread. The letter was sent to Frans Timmermans, the executive vice president for the European Trade Deal at the European Commission, at the end of last month. The group said: “The production of…
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The US biofuel industry has asked the Trump administration for funds from the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) commodity credit corporation to help it survive a demand slump triggered by the growing coronavirus outbreak. The funds could be used to offset a portion of the industry’s corn and soy bean purchases, or as direct assistance to companies to help them retain staff, according to the…
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The agave plant used to make tequila could be used to make biofuels. Found in the semi-arid Australia, the plant could become an environmentally friendly solution to Australia's transport fuel shortage as reported in the Journal for Cleaner Production. A team of researchers at the University of Sydney, University of Exeter and University of Adelaide have been carrying out research into the…
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The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has hit European used cooking oil supplies (UCO). Biodiesel producers who used UCO have confirmed that contracts for March have been fulfilled and plants are continuing to run smoothly. But as the scale of the pandemic continues to bite, producers have raised concerns that there could be a fall of 70-90 % of UCO in the coming months. This is as deliveries…
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Ethanol production has plummeted to a six-and-a-half year low in the US. According to data from the Energy Information Administration that has been seen by the Renewable Fuels Association, production has fallen by 16.4%, or 165,000 barrels per day to a total of 840,000 barrels per day. This is the largest drop since the Administration began reporting on ethanol production statistics 10 years…
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A fifth of the petrol motorists put into their vehicles could be alcohol by 2030, according to new European research. It found that new petrol and ethanol blends will be able to reduce carbon emissions from Europe’s transport sector with little additional cost to consumers. The alcohol, in the form of ethanol derived from plants, is part of efforts to make the fuels we put in our vehicles…
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A Dutch consortium has successfully started an engine test programme on 100% methanol. The Green Maritime Methanol consortium, made up of Dutch shipping providers and professional bodies, has been looking into the application for renewable methanol as a maritime transport fuel since early last year. Green methanol has been touted as a future fuel for the shipping industry as it is widely…
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Stena Bulk will perform a test running an MR tanker on 100% biofuel during the coming weeks. The fuel is the MR1-100 bio-fuel oil, produced from used cooking oil and supplied by GoodFuels in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It has been bunkered onto the Stena Immortal and will be used to power the main engine in normal operations to test and prove the technical and operational…
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The European Union’s (EU) new Green Deal, with its goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero by 2050, has come to dominate policy discussions in Brussels. If implemented, it would be one of the most ambitious endeavours in the EU’s 70-year history and amount to a revolution for the transport sector. Electrification will be a fundamental contributor, notably in the light-duty…
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A transport company has switched its entire fleet of more than 4,000 staff transport buses to biofuel in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. ServeU, which employs more than 5,000 people to manage the facilities of 600 of the UAE’s biggest government departments, banks and hotels, has moved from fossil diesel to B20 biofuel, a blend of 100% pure biodiesel and regular ultra low sulphur…
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Formula 1's plan to move towards biofuels with its latest cars could result in a new tussle because of changes it will bring in engine cooling characteristics. New rules governing the sport will require the F1 teams to run their engines with a 10% blend of advanced sustainable ethanol. This was originally due to come in next season but has since been put back. Work has started among the…
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