To achieve the renewable energy target of 72,000 MW by 2022, India must invest approximately $46.22 billion (€39 billion) into the industry, reports Research and Markets. India will also have to make investments to upgrade the transmission and distribution infrastructure, as well as old renewable plants. In total, India will have to invest $83.35 billion in the renewable... [Read More]

A small fire broke out at Didion Ethanol's plant in Cambria, Wisconsin, US, which resulted in a brief evacuation. The fire ignited at approximately 4am on 28 December inside the ethanol plant. Only a small crew of workers was on duty at the time and all were evacuated. The plant's operations then resumed about two hours later. Company officials are investigating how the... [Read More]

A new report by Allied Market Research, a market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics, called 'Global Second Generation Biofuels - Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 – 2020', states that the global second generation biofuels market will reach $23.9 billion (€20 billion) by 2020, registering a Compound... [Read More]

Amyris, a global renewable products company, has received approval for its renewable jet fuel by Brazil's fuels regulator, ANP. This enables it to approach commercialisation in Brazil of the Amyris renewable jet fuel in blends of up to 10%. 'Building on the revised ASTM International standard for aviation turbine fuel approved in June 2014, Brazil's ANP has now removed... [Read More]

The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) has published a report detailing 40 different options that it suggests could boost the US's ethanol mandate. The BPC said it set out to find a 'middle ground' for reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), after advocates have pushed for complete abolition of the law or for no changes at all. 'Given the technical complexity and political... [Read More]

Raízen, as large-scale sugarcane ethanol producer, and Iogen, a cellulosic biofuel technology developer, have begun production of cellulosic ethanol at Raízen’s newly expanded sugarcane mill in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Raízen started expansion works on the $100 million (€81 million) biomass-to-ethanol mill just over one year... [Read More]

Brazil's National Laboratory of Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), based in York, UK. For the past five years, plant biologists, geneticists and green chemists from across Europe have been working with CTBE experts on sugarcane breeding and bioethanol production, in... [Read More]

Biomass supply company, Genera Energy, has received a financing commitment from Boston-based investment firm WindSail Capital Group that provides financing to companies focusing on advancing energy and sustainability. The investment will enable Genera to continue its international growth by helping scale its energy crop production and supply chain operations,... [Read More]

Renewable Energy Group (REG) has completed upgrades to its 30 million gallon biorefinery in Newton, Iowa, US. The plant can now produce an even higher purity biomass-based diesel from a variety of raw materials. REG started work on the $13.2 million (€11 million) project in February and completed it in November, four months ahead of schedule and on budget. A further... [Read More]

Abu Dhabi's Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, and Tadweer, the Center of Waste Management, have signed a two-year research agreement. This research will focus on improving the production process of converting waste cooking oil (WCO) to biodiesel through further experimentation and sensitivity... [Read More]

The Department for Transport has launched a £25 million (€31.5 million) competition to build advanced biofuel plants that will convert waste into biofuels.The government department funding is supported by considerable private sector investment and will encourage the construction of up to three demonstration biofuel plants, the first of their kind in the UK.The... [Read More]

Airbus Group, a global aeronautics and space company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT), a technology company focused on the development and implementation of methods for producing synthetic fuels and specialty products from a variety of carbonaceous feedstock, to promote the commercialisation of technologies to produce... [Read More]

Firefighters in Greensboro, North Carolina, US, responded to a leaking tanker at a Ryder truck rental facility.  Approximately 2,000 gallons of ethanol spilled in an accident in south Greensboro, North Carolina. A tanker filled with ethanol burst after the landing gear, which is used to keep the trailer upright when not hooked to a tractor gave way.  Additional... [Read More]

Boeing has completed the world's first flight using 'green diesel', a sustainable biofuel that is widely available and used in ground transportation.The airline powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane in December with a blend of 15% green diesel and 85% petroleum jet fuel in the left engine.'Green diesel offers a tremendous opportunity to make sustainable... [Read More]

Vertimass, a sustainable transportation fuel technology company, has been selected for the negotiation of an award to receive a $2 million (€1.6 million) grant from the US Department of Energy. The grant was awarded to enable the commercialisation of 'green' catalyst technology that converts ethanol into petrol, diesel and jet fuel blend stocks that remains compatible... [Read More]

Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB), an industry coalition to promote advanced biofuels, met on 4 December at the European Parliament with Members of the European Parliament, Commission representatives, and stakeholders in Brussels. LSB, which is chaired by UPM's Marko Janhunen, is pushing for a strong EU-wide sub-target for advanced biofuels in the context of ILUC directive. Marie... [Read More]