News

Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB), a coalition of 12 advanced biofuels producers and technology developers, is calling on EU institutions to set its new advanced biofuels mandate to begin in 2021. According to the coalition, chaired by UPM’s Public Affairs director Marko Janhunen, this move would ensure investor confidence in the sector. Annex IX part A of the Renewable Energy Directive…
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The oil and gas company and its partner Synthetic Genomics has advanced to testing naturally occurring algae strains in California. The test will inform how the project scales up the technology in the commercial phase. The companies announced 6 March that their biofuels project has proceeded to the next stage: outdoor field tests of algae in contained ponds. The tests are meant to provide data to…
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Changes to the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will ‘double’ the use of renewable fuels in the UK transport sector, according to a statement from the Department of Transport. Included in the revised (RTFO) are new biofuel targets set to come into force on 15 April. Transport fuels owners who supply 450,000 litres a year or more will be compelled to make sure…
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Following the introduction of a bill to warn consumers about the perceived dangers of E15 in small engines, representatives from the ethanol industry have questioned the rationale for the legislation. The biofuel proponents say that the new rules are designed to create confusion for consumers and reduce the use of higher-blend fuels, rather than offer any kind of clarity. American Coalition for…
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More than 2,800 US retail sites will offer E15 by 2021, generating approximately 350 million new ethanol gallons annually. The figures come from a report released by Growth Energy on 20 June. Growth Energy’s new report touts the success of both E15 and Prime the Pump, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping build the infrastructure and distribution of higher biofuel blends in the…
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In a bid to reduce its crude oil imports over the next four years, India is set to invest heavily in biofuels. Various media outlets are reporting that on 10 August, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the plans to build the country’s biofuel capacity through 100 billion rupees of investment. India is one of the world’s biggest oil importers and consumers. According…
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This month the European Union will introduce new labelling requirements for newly manufactured vehicles and refuelling stations. The new system will mean consumers will be able to immediately see the biofuel content of the fuel they are purchasing. The labels will be displayed in all public refuelling stations on the fuel-dispensing unit and on the filler nozzle of the fuel dispenser, as well as…
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A federal judge was asked by a group representing multiple biofuel companies to force the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to freeze its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) small refinery waivers until lawsuits challenging its actions have been resolved, Reuters reports. The group, named Producers United, is formed of several undisclosed biofuel firms. It argues that the EPA has violated the…
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According to a government researcher, China is set to at least triple its ethanol production capacity by 2020 in order to keep up with growing demands for cleaner fuels, Reuters reports. At an industry event, China National Renewable Energy Centre researcher Don Kejun outlined how China was currently building or seeking permission for new ethanol plants to produce a potential capacity of 6.6…
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ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), has announced details of its upcoming Global Sustainability Conference 2018, set to take place on 20 February in Brussels, Belgium. According to ISCC, the overarching topic of the conference will be the future of bioenergy, a highly topical theme at a time of political and legislative uncertainties such as the RED II negotiations. ISCC…
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Green nano-chemistry company Sylvatex and Valicor, a specialist in advanced separations and recovery, have announced a new joint development agreement (JDA). The JDA will see the development, construction and commercialisation of Sylvatex’s MicroX technology, which can convert distillers corn oil (DCO) and other plant-based oil feedstocks into the company’s proprietary renewable…
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Few topics in business today stir more debate than blockchain and digital coins. It is important, however, to not get distracted by the hype and polarisation of that discussion. Blockchain and digital coins are technologies that can bring important changes to the commodities markets, and for that reason are receiving growing attention and investment from players in the oil, natural gas, metals,…
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The new pre-treatment unit passes first production tests required to supply BP Singapore under a three-year feedstock supply agreement.   Aemetis announced 25 April that its subsidiary Universal Biofuels has completed the production of high quality, distilled biodiesel from lower quality, high free fatty acid (FFA) waste feedstock using its recently constructed pre-treatment unit at a…
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Scientists use technique to automatically predict the amount of biofuel produced by microbes. Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory say they have developed a way to use machine learning to dramatically accelerate the design of microbes that produce biofuel. Their computer algorithm starts with data about the proteins and metabolites in a…
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