The National Council of Energy Policy (CNPE) of the Brazilian government has authorized the sale and voluntary use of biodiesel blends exceeding the mandatory blending percentage. Currently, Brazilian service stations sell diesel with a 7% mandatory biodiesel blend. According to the resolution, captive fleets and public pumps can use and sell biodiesel with blends up to... [Read More]

Governor of California Jerry Brown has signed into law Assembly Bill 1032 (AB1032), which corrects a tax problem with biodiesel and clears the way for a significant increase in the volume of biodiesel blended in the US state. The bill, introduced by Assembly Member Rudy Salas and sponsored by the California Biodiesel Alliance (CBA), amends Section 60501 of the Revenue... [Read More]

A researcher at Washington State University (WSU) has received a three-year $450,000 (appr. €395,000) federal grant to develop computer models for using iron to more efficiently refine bio-oils and make better biofuels. Jean-Sabin McEwen, assistant professor in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, will collaborate on the US Department of... [Read More]

Clariant, a Swiss specialty chemicals company, expects the Volkswagen diesel engine emissions scandal to give a boost to biofuels. Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant, says the company is spending €30 million each year to expand it bioethanol-from-straw production capacity and expects its profits from the business to grow over the next four years. ‘And if in a... [Read More]

Scania has given the green light to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) being used to power its Euro 6 range, provided the fuel used meets technical specification TS15940. Vehicles using HVO – which chemically mimics fossil-fuel-based diesel – can under optimal condition achieve up to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions. HVO does not affect a vehicle's characteristics... [Read More]

IncBio, a Portuguese engineering company specialising in state-of-the-art fully automated industrial ultrasonic biodiesel plants, has completed the refurbishment work on its new headquarters in Maia, Portugal, in a move designed to accommodate growth. The company has moved in stages to the new facility over the course of 2015, whilst construction work was being carried... [Read More]

Willunga, South Australia-based Peats Soil has developed its own biodiesel manufacturing plant, utilising 'dirty water' it collects from food manufacturing locations. The biodiesel will be used to fuel a new fleet of 13 Scania trucks it is purchasing for its collection and delivery operations around the state. Peats Soil MD Peter Wadewitz says he aims to manufacture more... [Read More]

Boskalis, a dredging and marine expert, and Wärtsilä, a global complete lifecycle power solutions provider for the marine and oil and gas markets, have begun collaboration with GoodFuels Marine, the first marine biofuel company focused on the global commercial fleet. The consortium will pioneer the development of sustainable drop-in marine biofuels for the shipping... [Read More]

Swiss agribusiness Syngenta has reached agreements with 16 ethanol plants to use its bioengineered Enogen corn. Together, all ethanol plants using Enogen now have a combined production capacity of more than 1 billion gallons, and Syngenta is in discussions for further expansion. Enogen corn enzyme technology is currently the only biotech corn designed... [Read More]

REG Synthetic Fuels (REG-SF), a Renewable Energy Group subsidiary, has received approval from a Mississippi court to purchase equipment at the KiOR Columbus production facility. Under the approved asset purchase agreement, REG-SF paid $1.5 million (€1.3 million) and some expenses related to equipment preparation to acquire various physical assets at the Columbus,... [Read More]

Malaysia is planning plans to limit Indonesian palm oil imports to curb rising domestic inventory. Malaysia's Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas says the country intends to control the import volume of palm oil from Indonesia instead of banning the product. ‘If we don't do anything now, it is expected... [Read More]

Platts, a global provider of energy and commodities information, has begun publishing price assessments for a key ethanol by-product increasingly used as animal feed in the US and globally. The new references are for dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and reflect values for the Midwest, the key corn, wheat, and grains producing region in the US, and exportable... [Read More]

Alliance BioEnergy Plus (ABEP) has announced that its subsidiary Ek Laboratories in Longwood, Florida, US, has achieved 63% conversion of coastal hay into fermentable sugars at a commercial scale in less than 30 minutes. The process, developed under the direction of Dr. Richard Blair, Dr. Peter Cohen, and Dr. Zhilin Xie, uses ABEP’s licensed and patented mechanical/chemical... [Read More]

A new group aimed at building and expanding support for the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been launched by former Senator Jim Talent. Americans for Energy Security and Innovation (AESI) will focus its efforts on building support for a stronger RFS to reduce dependence on foreign oil and stimulate domestic innovation and economic development in the biofuels sector. 'I... [Read More]

Hawaiian authorities have approved Pacific Biodiesel Technologies’ (PBT) contract to supply biodiesel to Hawaiian Energy (HE), primarily for use at its power plants on the island of O’ahu. According to Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, the contract was approved after it was determined that the proposed price for the biodiesel was reasonable, the diesel will... [Read More]

Belgian researchers believe the leavings of the giant panda may unlock secrets to more efficient biofuel production. A research team from Ghent University is the first to examine the potential of the micro-organisms in the pandas’ digestive track, which may lead to the development of new generations of biofuels. Pandas have a unique digestive system, as despite having... [Read More]