The BioAg Alliance, Monsanto’s and Novozymes’ collaboration to improve crop harvests through products containing naturally-occurring microbes, today announced results from its 2016 field trial program and shared an updated research pipeline. Yield increases among top microbial strains averaged over 3 bushels per acre for corn and over 2 bushels per acre... [Read More]

US biofuels trade body Growth Energy recently announced that the most tested fuel in history, E15, has reached a “remarkable” milestone. Based on sales and consumption data reported over the past twelve months by major gasoline retailers, drivers across the United States have more than 500 million miles driven on E15, highlighting the fuel’s performance,... [Read More]

Crude oil prices ended the 2016 year above $50 per barrel, according to figures from the US Energy Information Administration. Although the annual average West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price in 2016 was $43/b—down $5/b from 2015—the WTI price ended 2016 at $53/b, $16/b higher than at the end of 2015. Similarly, Brent ended the year up $17 from the... [Read More]

China will invest 2.5 trillion yuan ($361 billion) into renewable power generation by 2020, as it moves away from coal to renewable energy.  The investment will create more than 13 million jobs in the sector, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said in a document that lays out its plan to develop the nation's energy sector during the five-year 2016 to 2020 period. The... [Read More]

The ‘climate protection rate’ in Germany is set to rise this year from 3.5 to 4% and biofuels is set to benefit from this, according to Germany’s biofuels trade association Verband der Deutschen Biofuelindustrie (VDB). According to this rise, oil companies will have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their fuels by 4% from this year, for example,... [Read More]

Petrobras Biocombustível has announced an agreement to sell its shares in Guarani, a Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer, to Tereos Participations, an arm of French group Tereos, for $202 million (€192m). According to Petrobras Biocombustível, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brazil-based oil company Petrobras, Guarani is the third largest sugar producer... [Read More]

A group of students from Philippines-based St Louis University have created alternative fuel derived from the taro plant, locally known as gabi. According to media reports in The Filipino Times, Joji Tateoka, John Cyril Paco, Gregory Jones Ochoada, John Paul Galong, and Keanu Verzosa received the Business and Idea Development Award 2016 in October 2016 from the Philippines... [Read More]

Five palm oil mills at Cargill’s PT Hindoli and PT Harapan Sawit Lestari oil palm plantations in Indonesia were recently recognised for achievements in environmental management by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry and Ministry of Industry. Cargill’s Tanjung Dalam mill and Paku Juang and River View mills received Blue awards, while its Sungai... [Read More]

The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) has sent a petition to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting that it waives its 2016 cellulosic biofuels volumes “due to an inadequate domestic supply of such fuel”. According to the trade body that represents oil and high-tech American manufacturers, it wants the EPA to waive the... [Read More]

Swedavi, a state-owned group that owns, operates and develops ten airports across Sweden, has received sustainable aviation fuel at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, which has been supplied by SkyNRG and Air BP. It marks the start of deliveries of sustainable aviation fuel through the Fly Green Fund and demonstrates Swedavia’s commitment to sustainable aviation. Fly Green... [Read More]

Finnish renewable diesel producer Neste has signed an agreement with Electrawinds ReFuel on the acquisition of a former biodiesel plant in Sluiskil in the Netherlands. Neste intends to use the Sluiskil plant for the storage and pre-treatment of renewable raw materials for the company's renewable diesel refineries. "By acquiring the Sluiskil plant, we enable expanding... [Read More]

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the selection of six projects for up to $12.9 million (€12.4m) in federal funding, entitled, ‘Project Definition for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower’. These projects, required to share the cost at a minimum of 50%, will develop and execute plans for the... [Read More]

DP Lubrificanti has signed an agreement with technology firm Processi Innovativi for the design of plants based on DP Lubrificanti’s technology for the production of biodiesel. According to Processi Innovativi, a subsidiary dedicated to technology development and industrial applications in the field of ‘green’ chemistry and part of KT-Kinetics Technology,... [Read More]

Signing off for Xmas. The editorial team will be closed for the festive period from Wednesday 21 December 2016. The team will be in the office and back to business on Tuesday 3rd January 2017. Have a wonderful, relaxing break and we'll see you all next year!... [Read More]

Germany-based multinational chemical company Linde and US industrial gas company Praxair have agreed to the outline of a deal that will combine the companies in a merger of equals under Linde’s name. Current Linde and Praxair shareholders will each hold about 50% of the merged company under the terms of the deal. Linde and Praxair confirmed that they had resumed... [Read More]

Students in the US state of Iowa are being encouraged to enter a ‘Fuel the Future’ by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) video contest for a chance to win $1,000 (€961,000). Students have until 13 January, 2017, to create and submit a video that highlights the benefits of choosing renewable fuels such as E15 and biodiesel. In addition to the $1,000... [Read More]