The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will award start-up private company Renergi with $5.2 million (€4.5 million) in funding for the design and construction of a pilot-scale biofuel plant in Perth. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht explains that the project would result in simple, cost effective production of renewable energy from biomass: 'Renergi was created... [Read More]

The Energy Department's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has chosen seven projects across the US to receive up to $10 million (€8.8 million) to support innovative technologies and solutions to help advance bioenergy development. These projects will support BETO's work to develop renewable and cost-competitive biofuels from non-food biomass feedstocks by reducing... [Read More]

A draft law to cap the production of traditional biofuels and accelerate the shift to alternative sources was approved by the Environment Committee on 24 February. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that result from the growing use of agricultural land to produce biofuel crops. Current legislation requires EU member states to ensure that renewable energy accounts... [Read More]

In the US, the Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) has registered its support of legislation that would raise the state's fuel tax. A provision of the legislation would give a partial exemption to the new tax for diesel blended with at least 11% biodiesel (B11). The proposed tax increase (HF 351 and SF 257) is $0.10 a gallon for both diesel and petrol as part of a plan to address... [Read More]

Biofuel supply chain company Eco-Energy has opened its distribution facility located within the Knoxville, Tennessee terminal complex. The project, which is a joint venture between Eco-Energy and Kinder Morgan Southeast Terminals, can receive tank cars daily from the CSX Railway for outbound ethanol distribution via pipeline connection and tank truck delivery to all area... [Read More]

Mission NewEnergy has completed its company transformation plan which began back in 2012. The final step of the transformation includes:• Completion of the sale of its 250,000 tonnes per year biodiesel refinery for $22.5 million (€19.9 million)• Settlement of all outstanding convertible note debt of approximately AU$25 million (€17 million)• Retention... [Read More]

The latest issue of Biofuels International will be hitting your desks in a matter of weeks, and it's a bumper edition. As well as a 10-page special dedicated to the European biofuels market, and a number of technical articles, we also have a biofuels storage supplement to coincide with StocExpo in Rotterdam on 17-19 March. When it comes to biofuels in Europe, there are... [Read More]

Evofuel, a wholly owned subsidiary of crop development company Evogene, has signed a collaboration agreement with Insolo Agroindustrial. Under the agreement, both companies will select and optimise Evofuel's proprietary castor bean varieties utilising Insolo's farms in Piaui state in northeast Brazil. The two-year collaboration will see the companies examine the suitability... [Read More]

Renewable energy producer Statkraft, and Södra, a forestry operations company with experience in paper pulp, sawn timber and bioenergy, have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to create a company that will produce biofuels from forest waste. The agreement will see Statkraft acquire Södra Cell Tofte, which owns the industrial site of the former Tofte pulp plant in... [Read More]

Fluid recovery and regeneration solutions specialist Valicor has completed the acquisition of a patent that covers the extraction of protein from corn ethanol stillage and is designed to help ethanol producers maximise their coproduct recovery and value. The patent for invention number 7,829,680 is for a system and method that isolates gluten (protein) as a coproduct of... [Read More]

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has published a 'first-of-its-kind scorecard', which evaluates airlines on their adoption of biofuels. The highest scoring carrier was Air France/KLM, followed by British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific and Alaska Airlines. 'It's great to see certain airlines becoming leaders in the use of sustainable... [Read More]

On 16 February, Iowa, US-based Golden Grain Energy reached a milestone when it produced its one billionth gallon of ethanol. The plant has been operating for around a decade. 'The one billion gallon mark is certainly a reason for celebration and we are proud of each of every gallon of high quality ethanol we produce,' says Jim Boeding, board member at Golden Grain Energy.... [Read More]

Renewable isobutanol produced by biofuels company Gevo can be used in marine engines of up to 16.1% without deterioration of engine or boat performance. This was the conclusion following four years of tests on the company's isobutanol by a consortium of organisations from the recreational marine industry. The tests were performed in collaboration with the National Manufacturers... [Read More]

BlueFire Renewable received a strong endorsement for its Fulton project from China Three Gorges (CTG) executive VP Lin Chuxue. Presented at The US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), co-chaired by US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, US Trade Representative Michael Froman, and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, Chuxue said: 'BlueFire's Fulton project... [Read More]

The SCMS Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology R&D in Kochi, southwest India, has filed for a US patent after successfully developing and standardising a process for producing biofuel from coconut oil. Coconut methyl ester (CME) can power diesel automobile engines. The centre conducted a 20-month study of the fuel, with research comprising optimisation of the production... [Read More]

A bioethanol plant in Teesside, UK, has been taken offline amid reports of a downturn in the market. The Ensus facility, owned by Germany-based firm CropEnergies, uses wheat to produce bioethanol which is blended with transport fuel, dried animal feed and carbon dioxide for the drinks industry. The £250 million (€336.4 million) plant employs around 100 people... [Read More]