Evogene, a company working to improve crop productivity and economics for biofuel, food and feed industries, has signed a letter of intent with plans to establish an R&D facility in the Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, located on the campus of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The establishment of the facility is a key... [Read More]

In Illinois, US, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) and the American Lung Association have launched the B20 Club to help recognise those local fleets running on blends of 20% biodiesel. 'B20 offers economic and environmental benefits to the fleets that use it, so we wanted to bring these leading fleets together and recognise them for taking the initiative to move up... [Read More]

A bipartisan group of 32 US senators is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to move quickly in approving strong biodiesel volumes under the nation's Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS). The senators expressed concern about the agency's delays in implementing the RFS standards for 2014, 2015 and 2016, noting that the delays have created tremendous uncertainty... [Read More]

US ethanol exports reached near-record levels in 2014, sending 836 million gallons of ethanol worth $2.1 billion (€1.8 billion) to international markets. This is according to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and its new publication '2014 US Ethanol Exports and Imports: Statistical Summary'. The publication offers an overview of the US ethanol export and import... [Read More]

A $60 million (€53 million) biodiesel plant owned by American Energy Producers (AEP) is to be sold at auction. AEP began building its biodiesel plant with $35 million of funding. Construction work stopped when the company was unable to secure additional funding due to unforeseen economic challenges. The company says it will consider a partnership offer prior to the... [Read More]

Associated British Foods (ABF) has decided to impair its £98 million (€132 million) investment in Vivergo Fuels, citing 'the continuing fall in crude oil and bioethanol prices, and the further weakening of the euro against the sterling'. ABF is a shareholder in Vivergo and its wheat-to-ethanol production plant in the UK, along with BP and DuPont. ABF said in... [Read More]

Brocklesby, specialists in the recycling of used cooking oil, edible fats and food that has a high fat content, will recycle used cooking oil from J D Wetherspoon's chain of 934 pubs. J D Wetherspoon's sustainable supply chain agreement with its logistics partner involves numerous initiatives to reduce carbon footprint and environmental impacts. One of these measures is... [Read More]

As a result of the continuing fall in crude oil and bioethanol prices, along with the weakening of the euro versus sterling, Associated British Foods (ABF) has decided to impair its investment in Vivergo Fuels, its wheat-fed bioethanol joint venture with BP and DuPont in the UK. The interim results for the 24 weeks ending 28 February will include a non-cash exceptional... [Read More]

Barrack Obama has announced a $3.99 trillion (€3.5 trillion) budget to tackle climate change issues, with a specific focus on preventing global warming. In its 2016 budget, the US government also wants to give $1.29 billion to advance its Global Climate Change Initiative, which includes $500 million for US contributions to the UN's Green Climate Fund, which is the... [Read More]

The ASTM International's Aviation Turbine Fuel Standard (ASTM D1655) has been revised to safely adapt to the growing use of biodiesel used throughout the world. For decades, D1655 has been used to ensure quality control and safe distribution of jet fuel takes places within the industry. Biodiesel blends – which have a small percentage of fatty acid methyl esters... [Read More]

On 2 February, the Brazilian government agreed, along with ethanol producers, to increase the level of the sugar-based fuel in petrol. From 15 February, all petrol sold in Brazil will be required to include at least 27% ethanol, a 2% increase from the current minimum of 25%. This level was agreed upon in a meeting between Aloizio Mercadante, presidential chief of staff,... [Read More]

A new study produced by US Forest Service scientists has found that Europe’s demand for wood pellets to generate renewable bioenergy will lead to a rise in US forestland as timber exports are on the up. EU policies and others around the world that require the use of renewable and low greenhouse gas-emitting energy is building demand for wood pellets used in... [Read More]

Flint Hills Resources, a biofuels and chemicals company, has finalised the acquisition of an ethanol plant near Camilla, Georgia, from Southwest Georgia Ethanol. Flint Hills Resources' biofuels business now includes seven ethanol plants with a combined annual capacity of 820 million gallons, a biodiesel plant and investments in biofuels technology and feedstock development.... [Read More]

Greenergy has acquired Harvest Biofuels' biodiesel manufacturing facility at Seal Sands on Teesside, England. The acquisition gives Greenergy additional biodiesel production capacity with which to meet its own biofuel blending obligations under the UK's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. Greenergy owns and operates an existing waste-based biodiesel facility at Immingham... [Read More]

PIRA Energy Group, which specialises in global energy market research and intelligence, has released the World Biofuels Forecast, an analysis of the world market. The paper states that world biofuels production is forecast to reach 42.6 billion gallons per year by 2025, with ethanol accounting for approximately three quarters of the output. Ethanol is projected to account... [Read More]

Algenol and Reliance Industries have deployed India's first Algenol algae production platform. The demonstration module is located near the world's largest refinery, Reliance Jamnagar Refinery. The demonstration has completed several production cycles of Algenol's wildtype host algae, but may demonstrate the fuels production capabilities of Algenol's advanced fuel producing... [Read More]