Scientists at the Ontario-based University of Guelph have said they are behind a discovery that could boost the production of biofuels. The researchers were hoping to learn something about starch production when they inserted genetic material from corn into a small flowering plant, called Arabidopsis, often used in lab experiments because of its ease of use and its similarity... [Read More]

Alkol Biotech, a UK-based biofuels research specialist, has announced that it has sold 500 kilos of EUnergyCane’s sugarcane bagasse for scientific cellulosic ethanol technology testing. The EUnergyCane consortium is a group of companies, universities, and government entities directly involved in the improvement of cold-resistant sugarcane, which is also called EUnergyCane. Although... [Read More]

A joint venture (JV) project between Chempolis Ltd and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), which should cost around €110 million, moves on after getting approval from NRL’s board. The project has preceded several preparation stages including signing MoUs with neighbouring states of Assam for the sustainable supply of bamboo. The parties will jointly build a world... [Read More]

US Water, a US-based provider of integrated solutions for water treatment, will give three technical presentations during the upcoming Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW), June 20 – 23, 2016 at the Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During the FEW program, US Water’s applications engineer, Jared Galligan, will provide an industry update on water re-use and reduction. Michael... [Read More]

US federal workplace safety officials are investigating a fatal fire at a South Dakota ethanol plant, according a report in the Argus Leader. One person was killed and another person was injured in the fire which occurred on 6 May, 2016, at a Poet biorefining plant based in the US Midwestern state. According to the media report, the cause of the fire has not been determined,... [Read More]

Denmark has announced plans to set a 0.9% advanced biofuels blending mandate by 2020 for use in transportation as part of its aim to promote “green power”. The announcement was made by the Danish Minister for Business and Growth for Energy, Utilities and Climate and is part of a broader proposal covering a range of energy issues. In a statement, the Danish... [Read More]

Aemetis, a US-based advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company, has confirmed that it expects to finalise its acquisition of Edeniq, a US cellulosic ethanol technology company, in June. On 5 May, 2016, Aemetis entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Edeniq.  Edeniq has developed patented innovations that unlock cellulosic and starch sugars through a combination... [Read More]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing comprehensive steps to address methane emissions from both new and existing sources in the oil and gas sector.   In a statement, the EPA said this news was “a further step in the Obama Administration’s commitment to take action on climate change and protect public health”. For new, modified... [Read More]

Amyris, a California-headquarted industrial bioscience company, has narrowed its first quarter loss by 71% to $15.3 million (€313m), compared to a net loss of $52.2 million during the same period in 2015. In a statement, the company said its stable results were due to delivery of strong renewable product sales growth and continued reduction in operating expenses. First... [Read More]

Gevo, a US biofuels producer, has narrowed its first quarter loss by 51% to $3.6 million (€3.17m), compared to a net loss of $7.3 million during the same period in 2015. In a first quarter 2016 statement, the company said it was working to make its processes more efficient and ramp-up isobutanol production. First quarter revenue increased to $6.3 million from $5.9... [Read More]

The Finnish government's Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy has proposed a guideline on the state's ownership policy regarding the fuel company Neste. The Prime Minister's Office holding in Neste Corp. is at the moment 50.1% of the shares and votes. According to the government's proposal, the Prime Minister's Office's holding in the shares would decrease from 50.1%... [Read More]

Spanish renewable energy giant Abengoa’s Netherlands business has filed for bankruptcy. In a statement, the company’s administrator Borsboom & Hamm said Abengoa’s Rotterdam ethanol plant has also been forced to close. The plant is closed, removing around 380,000 tonnes per year of ethanol capacity from the market, and it is not clear for how long. In... [Read More]

A bill has been introduced by a group of Republican Party members that aims to limit the total volume of ethanol contained in transportation fuel to 9.7%. The bill is entitled HR 5180, the Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act of 2016 and was introduced in the US House of Representatives. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), implemented in 2005, was designed to promote use... [Read More]

Two US researchers have received an over $1 million award from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will fund research on developing commercially-viable processes to create biofuels and chemicals from waste plant materials. The nearly $1.3 million ($1.14m) award was given to Charles Wyman, distinguished professor in chemical and environmental engineering, and Charles... [Read More]

Bellona Europe, a non-profit green organisation, has called on the European Commission to promote marine bioenergy for heat and power and biofuels. The group made the call in its response to the EC’s consultation on a sustainable bioenergy policy after 2020. In a statement, Bellona Europe said: “While micro algae have benefited from more attention and research,... [Read More]

The University of Illinois and the University of Florida have been awarded a third round of funding from the US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to carry out research projects on ‘ultra-productive’ biofuel crops. According to both universities, this new generation of sugarcane-based biofuels crops could yield 13 times... [Read More]