News

Angel Alvarez Alberdi, Secretary General of the European Waste to Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA) will be at the Biofuels International Conference discussing the renewable energy directive (REDII). Angel’s slot at the conference is titled, The Renewable Energy Directive: Providing clarity on the 2020-2030 regulatory frameworks, from waste-based biofuels perspective. The Biofuels…
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Large-scale production of algae derived starch could be possible, thanks to new research by the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Tohoku University, Japan. This algae derived starch is a valuable resource for the production of biofuels and other biomaterials. According to a statement, the team, led by Sousuke Imamura from Tokyo Tech, have found a ‘switch’ affecting…
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Major US biofuel producer Renewable Energy Group (REG) has announced Cynthia CJ Warner as the company’s new president and chief executive officer. Warner's appointment was made by the company’s Board of Directors. She will take on the president and CEO positions effective 14 January 2019. Her predecessor, Randy Howard, who has served as president and CEO since July 2017, will remain…
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Ethanol producer Abengoa has sold its 200,000tpy San Roque biodiesel operation to Spanish oil company Cepsa for €8 million.   According to media reports in El Economista, Abengoa sold its Spanish biodiesel operations via the courts. In a ruling dated 22 December 2016, Judge Ana Marín Herrero has approved the liquidation plan proposed by Abengoa Bioenergía San Roque,…
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The closing session of the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo provided an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year while also taking a peek at how America’s Advanced Biofuel will fuel the country’s future in 2017 and beyond. “There were a number of milestones reached in 2016 that will have a significant and very positive impact on the biodiesel…
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Finnish pulp and paper maker UPM-Kymmene is planning its next step in wood-based renewable fuel products after a successful ramp-up at its initial biofuels plant, UPM’s Biofuels VP, Sari Mannonen, said. In a statement, UPM stated the plant in Lappeenranta is the first in the world of its kind, making biofuel for vehicles and ships from crude tall oil, a residue of wood pulp production that…
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The development of large-scale energy projects, including the Site C hydroelectric dam, threatens to drive bioenergy and biofuel production away from British Columbia (B.C.), experts warn. Jack Saddler, a researcher at the University of B.C. and part of a project to convert forest residues to biojet fuel, told CBC News that big energy projects could drive out innovation in the industry. The Site…
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US trade body Growth Energy has praised a new ASTM standard and said it is a “major victory for the ethanol industry”. Last week, ASTM International published an important new high-octane fuel standard, ASTM D8076 – 17, Standard Specification for 100 Research Octane Number Test Fuel for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engines. This new specification intends to describe and align…
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The Biofuels Association of Australia (BAA) has strongly rejected claims from the Federal Productivity Commission that the biofuels industry fails to support the agriculture sector or the community. In a recent report to Australia’s government, the Productivity Commission urged Queensland, New South Wales and the Commonwealth governments to stop supporting the biofuels industry by the end…
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733.9 million litres (193.9m gallons) of biodiesel have been contracted at Brazil’s 54th biodiesel auction, according to The Brazilian Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, and Renewables Now. Brazil’s biodiesel auctions are intended to help meet the legal requirement for a minimum blend of 8% biodiesel in diesel sold at the country’s fuel stations. The 54th tender…
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Friends of the Earth has criticised the decision to carry out open pond trials of genetically engineered microalgae, as well as the development of genetically engineered (GE) algae for biofuels in general. Scientists from the University of California at San Diego and Sapphire Energy recently carried out the first Environmental Protection Agency sanctioned outdoor field trial of genetically…
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Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC) has announced a significant expansion of its membership. “Our new members bring a wealth of next generation biofuels technologies and knowledge to our association. Deploying both commercially proven and demonstrated technologies in Canada will change the paradigm of what advanced biofuels can accomplish in a low carbon future,” observed ABFC board…
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Americans want to know when they’re power is coming from renewable sources, according to a new study from Washington State University (WSU). Interestingly, this concern over energy use isn’t connected to political beliefs, the sociologists behind the research finding both Democrats and Republicans were interested in using non-fossil fuel energy sources. The study, by professor of…
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Scientists from ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics (SGI) have taken a huge step towards producing algae biofuels on an industrial scale, developing a strain of algae capable of converting carbon into a record amount of energy rich fat. This fat can then be turned into biofuels. Using CO2 to generate fat from algae is not necessarily new, but the amount of fat produced by this new strain of algae…
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