News

UPM Biofuels and the Zero Emission Resource Organisation have entered a collaboration to promote a ‘green shift’ in the transport and petrochemicals sectors. They aim to create a predictable, long term operating environment for sustainable, advanced biofuels. The cooperation also aims to enhance knowledge of sustainable fossil-free bioproducts, such as bioplastics, as an important…
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An explosion at a Saipol oilseed factory in France has left two people dead, according to Reuters. Saipol is the oilseed branch of Avril, the largest biodiesel producer in Europe as well as France’s largest table oil producer. The explosion took place on 17 February at 10:00am, at the Saipol factory in Dieppe. Alongside the fatalities, one person was slightly injured and seven others were…
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Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has announced that its biodiesel facility in Mainz is to temporarily cease production. A representative for the company told Biofuels International over email that production was planned to come to a halt at the end of March, ‘once all sales have been satisfied.’ The original statement announcing the temporary cessation of production said it was…
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Sweetwater Energy, a Rochester, NY-based biotechnology company and Estonia-based AS Graanul Invest, is going to build a commercial-scale integrated biorefinery that will produce cellulosic sugars and ‘highly pure’ lignin from 50,000 tons of local hardwood each year. In addition, the plant will allow the two companies to work with corporate partners to create and optimise new products…
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Pioneering research has confirmed that a diverse mix of algal species in biofuel systems will significantly improve production. Scientists from the University of Michigan (UM) grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds to test the effects of biodiversity on biofuel production. According to a press release, it was the ‘first’ large scale, controlled…
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Major US biodiesel producer Renewable Energy Group has published its financial results for the second quarter 2018. The figures cover the quarter ended 30 June, and they reveal a dramatic year on year improvement for the company. Net income per diluted share was $33 million over the period, compared to a net loss of $34.8 million in the second quarter of 2017. Adjusted net income was $23.5…
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A Johnson Matthey (JM) press release announced that British Petroleum (BP) and JM have co-signed an agreement with biofuels producer Fulcrum BioEnergy to license their Fischer Tropsch (FT) technology and assist Fulcrum to convert municipal solids into biojet fuel. The FT technology, described by JM as ‘cost-advantaged’ and ‘simple-to-operate’, can economically convert…
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After deciding to review its tariffs on Argentine biodiesel, the US may be changing the ‘poor’ fortune of exporters whose shipments from South American countries have been extremely low. According to Reuters the US Department of Commerce announced that there was “just cause” to review the taxes that it applied towards the end of 2017 to Argentine biodiesel. At the time,…
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The Sun Daily reports that Malaysia is set to emulate Indonesia’s plan to introduce a higher biodiesel mandate. The country intends to implement a B20 biodiesel blending mandate by 2020 that would see it become one of the world’s top biodiesel producing countries.    Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that Indonesia has now surpassed Malaysia to…
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Contanda has officially withdrawn a permit application to handle and store crude oil at its Grays Harbor terminal in Washington, US. The storage and logistics service provider states that it now intends to pursue permits to expand the facility to handle and store a portfolio of cleaner fuels, including biodiesel, renewable diesel and ultra-low sulphur diesel. In 2013, Contanda sought permits to…
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SIKB, a ‘network organisation’ based out of the Netherlands, has observed accelerated corrosion in uncoated steel tanks when they store biofuels and has released a report into the causes. The aim of the report is to adjust legislation related to storage, says the organisation. The interim report finds that when biodiesel is added to conventional diesel the environment in that tank…
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Following a four a month shut down period, Britain’s largest bioethanol plant has reopened. Vivergo’s facility in East Yorkshire is Europe’s second largest bioethanol facility. It shut down in November 2017, citing unfavourable trading conditions. According to the company, these unfavourable conditions were driven in part by the Government’s inaction on the future of…
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Fulcrum BioEnergy began site construction for phase 2 of its first waste-to-fuels project, the Sierra BioFuels Plant (Sierra), on 16 May. Sierra will be ‘the US' first’ commercial-scale plant converting a municipal solid waste feedstock that would otherwise be landfilled, into a low-carbon, renewable transportation fuel product. "Launching the final construction phase of Sierra is…
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Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) has approved a project to produce designs for a modular biodiesel plant. BIC is a not-for-profit business accelerator based in Ontario, Canada and hopes the new plant will lower construction costs and improve quality.  Its Centre for Commercialization of Sustainable Chemistry Innovation (COMM SCI) will work with the renewable energy company Benefuel on…
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