News

A recent survey among vehicle manufacturers shows that the widespread use of biodiesel in the commercial vehicle sector is ‘technically possible’, according to the Association Quality Management Biodiesel (AGQM). AGQM, along with the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) and the Association of the German Biofuel Industry (VDB) has published an approval list for…
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More than $38 million in industrial revenue bonds has been approved to help fund Cargill’s new biodiesel plant in Wichita, Kansas, according to the Wichita Eagle. Currently, Cargill has a soybean processing plant, grain elevator and rail bulk loadout operation at the Wichita site. The site already produces vegetable oil, but will now make the transition to biodiesel production. According to…
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Scientists from Imperial College London claim to have developed a solution which could lead to cheaper and more environmentally friendly biofuel production. According to the researchers, the breakthrough means they can break down plant-based biomass ’30 times faster than currently possible.’ Dr Alex Brogan, of Imperial’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and colleagues…
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CropEnergies, a major European bioethanol producer, has released financial results for the first quarter of the 2018/2019 financial year. According to a statement, the German biofuel producer started the financial year with a below average quarter compared to previous years. Revenues decreased by 17% to €192 million (the previous year’s figure was €231 million). Earnings before…
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UPM has joined Together for Sustainability, a chemical industry initiative designed to promote and improve sustainability practises within supply chains. TfS has set up a standard approach to evaluate and improve the sustainability performance of suppliers. These evaluations cover areas such as environmental impact, health and safety, labour and human rights, and governance and management. "We…
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US drivers have logged 5 billion miles on E15 ethanol, trade association for the US ethanol industry, Growth Energy, has announced. Growth Energy has been working with Prime the Pump, a non-profit dedicated to helping build the infrastructure and distribution of higher biofuel blends. According to Growth Energy, this collaboration has doubled the number of E15 stations four years in a row to…
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The US National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and its members have asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to raise volumes in the Renewable Fuel Standard. Testifying at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Public Hearing for Proposed Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) for 2019 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2020, NBB and its members are asking for the 2020 biomass-based diesel…
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According to a new poll, US consumers feel that E15 should be available year-round at the pump, scrapping the summer barrier on the fuel. Each summer, from 1 June to 15 September, fuel stations across the US are forced to stop sales of E15 fuel blends. This is part of EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) attempts to regulate ozone emissions. Earlier this year, 18 US Senators signed a letter…
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Total’s La Mede biodiesel refinery is facing controversy, with France’s largest farmer’s union calling for a nationwide blockade of oil refineries in response to the facility’s intention to use imported palm oil. Last week the French government allowed limited use of palm oil feedstock at the oil and gas giant’s biodiesel facility in Southern France, according to…
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Shell Aviation and SkyNRG have announced a long term strategic collaboration aimed at promoting and developing the use of sustainable fuel in aviation supply chains. In the agreement, Shell Aviation and SkyNRG will work to develop ‘long-term opportunities for low-carbon solutions.’ These efforts will, according to a statement announcing the new collaboration, be supported by funding…
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LanzaTech and Shougang Group have announced the successful start-up of what they claim to be the world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol. Carbon recycling company Lanzatech and Chinese iron and still producer Shougang created the facility in a joint venture. The facility is located at the Jingtang Steel Mill in Caofeidian, Hebei Province.…
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A series of engineered proteins could improve biomanufacturing processes for the production of biofuels and other products including pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals, according to researchers. Kevin Solomon, an assistant professor in Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and colleagues have developed a series of engineered proteins derived from…
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BASF Enzymes and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) have formally entered into a marketing and sales collaboration agreement with the aim to ‘maximise value to customers in the ethanol market in the United States.’ In the collaboration, BASF’s enzyme portfolio will be used for applications in liquefaction and fermentation to improve fermentation performance. LBDS…
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The US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and its industrial partner LanzaTech claim that their new technology is helping clear the way to ethanol derived jet fuel. In April, the ASTM International revised ASTM D7566 Annex 15 – the Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesised Hydrocarbons – to add ethanol as an approved…
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