A research team from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a multi-program US security laboratory, has received an additional $1 million (appr. €907,000) to protect algal crops by developing ‘probiotic’ bacteria to combat pond infestation and increase ecosystem function and resilience. Algal biomass can be converted to advanced biofuels that offer promising... [Read More]

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff launched Iogen Energy's cellulosic ethanol technology at the official opening of Raizen's newly expanded Costa Pinto sugar cane mill in Piracicaba, Brazil. Iogen, a cellulosic biofuel technology developer, and Raizen, one of the world's largest producers of sugarcane ethanol, completed construction of the $105 million (appr. €95... [Read More]

Bank of America (BoA) has pledged to increase the company’s current environmental business initiative from $50 billion to $125 billion (appr. €45 billion to €112.5 billion) in low-carbon business by 2025 through lending, investing, capital raising, advisory services, and developing financing solutions for clients around the world. BoA’s initiative... [Read More]

Rennovia, a privately held company that develops novel catalysts and processes for the cost advantaged production of chemical products from renewable feedstocks, and Johnson Matthey Process Technologies, a global provider of advanced process technologies, have started-up a mini-plant for production of glucaric acid from glucose using jointly developed technology. In March... [Read More]

In the US, renewable biofuels company Red Rock Biofuels says it will produce approximately 3 million gallons a year of renewable jet fuel for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. The agreement runs through 2024, with first delivery expected in 2017. FedEx joins Southwest Airlines in purchasing Red Rock's total available volume of jet fuel. Red Rock's first refinery,... [Read More]

Blume Distillation, a biorefinery systems provider for bioethanol production, has announced the sale of its first Africa-based biorefinery. The Blume biorefinery system has been purchased by Numbitrax, based in Touwsriver, Western Cape, South Africa, which has completed a purchase agreement and fund transfer. The purchase represents an investment worth several million... [Read More]

Biobased chemical company GF Biochemicals has started commercial production at its 10,000 MT/a capacity levulinic acid plant in Caserta, Italy. GF Biochemicals is the first company to produce levulinic acid at commercial scale directly from biomass. Levulinic acid can be used to produce potential biofuels, including methyltetrahydofuran, valerolactone, and ethyl levulinate. ‘A... [Read More]

A group of 36 US senators from both major parties have sent an open letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging it to increase the biodiesel production volumes proposed under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The letter comes in the aftermath of EPA setting a lower limit on biodiesel production than originally envisioned by the US Congress, which has drawn... [Read More]

The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC), an advanced and cellulosic ethanol producers and technology providers’ advocate group, is expanding its organizational charter to include other types of advanced biofuels. The new group, called the Advanced Biofuels Business Council (ABBC), has also announced new corporate and board members. ‘The Council is already taking... [Read More]

US biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group (REG) has commenced a $31 million (€28.6 million) upgrade of its Danville, Illinois, biodiesel refinery The refinery, with the production capacity of 45 million gallons, will be made capable of distilling biodiesel to eliminate impurities and produce a pure form of biomass-based diesel that exceeds industry quality standards,... [Read More]

DuPont and Jilin Province New Tianlong Industry (NTL) have announced a licensing agreement to begin the development of China's largest cellulosic ethanol manufacturing plant, located in Siping City, Jilin Province, China. The agreement allows NTL to license DuPont's cellulosic ethanol technology and use DuPont Accellerase enzymes, to produce renewable biofuel from the... [Read More]

EU Ministers have officially approved new rules to address indirect land use change (ILUC) impacts associated with biofuels. According to the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE), these new rules – which have been discussed by the EU institutions for three years – must now be transposed and implemented quickly to ensure Europe meets its climate and... [Read More]

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting biofuel friendly policies internationally, has welcomed the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) as its newest member. 'Brazil is truly a trailblazer in the global biofuels industry, not only as one of the world's largest producers of biofuels, but one of the first,'... [Read More]

Carbon recycling company LanzaTech has entered into a letter of intent with steel and mining company ArcelorMittal, and Primetals Technologies, a technology and service provider to the iron and steel industry, for the construction of Europe's first-ever commercial scale production facility to produce bioethanol from waste gases generated during the steelmaking process. The... [Read More]

Vecoplan has executed a fixed-price contract with Fulcrum BioEnergy, to design, engineer, install and commission a municipal solid waste (MSW) feedstock processing system for Fulcrum's Sierra BioFuels Plant. Fulcrum has developed a reliable and efficient process for converting MSW, or household garbage that would otherwise be landfilled, into low-cost, low-carbon renewable... [Read More]

Boeing and Japanese aviation industry stakeholders have charted a course to develop sustainable aviation biofuel for flights during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, when millions of people are expected to visit Japan. The Initiatives for Next Generation Aviation Fuels (INAF) – a consortium of 46 organisations including Boeing, All Nippon Airways (ANA),... [Read More]