News

After announcing the project in the summer of 2017, network airline Finnair has begun the first phase of its CO2 and biofuel offset service, selecting the partners that will collaborate on the initiative. The service will allow customers to offset the carbon emissions of their flight by funding emissions reduction projects or by supporting the use of biofuels. For sustainable biofuels, Finnair…
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Alkol Biotech and Bio Refinery Development have signed a letter of intent (LOI) for the sourcing of up to 500 thousand tonnes of non-woody lignocellulosic biomass for what would be Europe’s ‘largest’ biorefinery. UK based Alkol Biotech adapts plant varieties to grow in colder and drier climates, have better resistance to pests and diseases, and higher productivities. Its first…
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Next generation biofuels producer Gevo has signed an exclusive right to sell agreement with national fuel distributor Musket Corporation. Amending an existing supply agreement, the deal will see Musket sell Gevo’s renewable isobutanol within a 300 mile radius of Houston, Texas. According to Gevo, the agreement establishes a market region for its isobutanol that encompasses Austin, Dallas,…
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The Growing Renewable Energy through Existing and New Environmentally Responsible (GREENER) Fuels Act is the most recent proposal to reform the long-contested Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Talks have been going on for some time about the RFS. Now the minority Democratic Party has introduced a bill into the House and Senate to amend the programme. The changes would see madates for first…
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The Canadian province approved the measure on top of its carbon cap-and-trade system in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. 12 April, the provincial government in Ontario, Canada approved amendments to fuel legislation mandating a 10% blend of ethanol with gasoline from 2020. The changes also require the blended ethanol to achieve a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (to be…
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Reuters is reporting that Indonesia is planning increase its biodiesel mandate from its current rate of 20% to 25% from 2019. The move is meant to increase palm oil consumption and cut fuel imports. According to 2015 legislation, Indonesia is to increase its biofuel mandate to 30% in 2020. Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, a product that features in dozens of consumer…
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A study led by Professor John McGeehan from the University of Portsmouth has discovered a type of enzyme with the unique ability to break down lignin – a key component in plants. The discovery paves the way for plant waste to be recycled in such a way to produce products including nylon, chemicals, plastics and fuels. Detailing the study, Professor McGeehan explains: “we have…
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New research shows that seawater could be used in place of freshwater for the production of bioethanol, lowering the process’ water footprint. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, scientists from the University of Nottingham show that when combined with a new strain of marine yeast, the seawater can be used to replace freshwater during fermentation. "Current fermentation…
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Ethanol producer Green Plains announced in a press release that it had entered into an agreement with renewable fuels company Valero to sell three of its ethanol plants. Located in Lakota, Iowa; Bluffton, Indiana; and Riga, Michigan, the plants will be sold for $300 million (€258 million) in cash as well as approximately $28 million (€24 million) of working capital. The transaction…
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The world’s largest chemical firm BASF announced that it has started the production of methanol based on renewable raw materials according to the biomass balance approach. Named EU-REDcert-methanol, the product is made from second-generation raw feedstocks and uses waste as well as residual materials. BASF claims that as a result of the methanol production, the final product reduces the…
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According to New Haven Biz American GreenFuels has launched a campaign to increase the use of its biofuel and promote the role of alternative fuels in reducing carbon emissions. The Bridgeport-based company that produces biodiesel in New Haven announced its “You Are What You Heat” campaign earlier this week. New Haven Biz say that the company hopes it will educate consumers on how its…
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Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ difficult financial condition presents a first for American renewable fuels policy: can the government collect RIN-related debt from a failing company? Legal experts are saying that the resolution of this case could have consequences for other refiners having difficulties with the EPA’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), according to Reuters. The wire…
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An international team of scientists have found a group of enzymes in fungi that can break down a main component of wood, enabling a more efficient refining process. The researchers say that the process could be used to convert wood into a variety of useful chemical products according to a University of York press release. They hope that the discovery can help the viability of wood as a source of…
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The EU has removed anti-dumping duties on biodiesel imports from Indonesia, according to Reuters. It’s the latest development in what has been a long running controversy. Back in 2013, the European Union set import duties on biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, claiming that both nations were ‘dumping’ the renewable fuel. The measures met legal challenges from both the…
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