News

In her most important speech as UK Prime Minister yet, Theresa May has said that the final Brexit deal with the EU will mean the UK leaving the European single market. May said the UK’s Brexit plans "cannot mean membership of the single market". She said: "Being out of the EU but a member of the Single Market would mean complying with the EU's rules and regulations that implement those…
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Carl Icahn, US President Donald Trump’s special adviser on regulatory reform, is facing a conflict of interest scrutiny after the shares of an energy company owned by him doubled in value. The shares of CVR Energy have surged after projections that the new administration would ease environmental regulations, including the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that has cost CVR more than $200…
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Green Plains, a Nebraska-based, US ethanol producer, has announced financial results for the fourth quarter of 2016. Net income attributable to the company was $18.7 million (€17.5m), or $0.47 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with net loss of $(3.6) million, or $(0.09) per diluted share, for the same period in 2015. Revenues were $932.1 million for the fourth…
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Spanish oil and gas firm Cepsa has formalised the purchase offer of Abengoa’s biodiesel plant in San Roque (Cádiz). The process concluded with Abengoa’s acceptance of Cepsa’s €8 million binding offer for the total purchase of the asset. With this operation, Cepsa culminates the integration of the biofuels production unit at its San Roque plant where fuels are…
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US imports of biomass-based diesel, which include biodiesel and renewable diesel, increased by 65% in 2016 to reach a record level of 916 million gallons, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Increasing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets and the recently expired biodiesel blender’s tax credit were strong drivers of biomass-based diesel demand in 2016,…
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Indonesia’s crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO) production declined by 8% to 2.2 million tons in February, according to the Indonesian Association of Oil Palm Producers (GAPKI). Exports of palm products, including oleo chemicals and biodiesel, dropped by 6% to 2.66 million tons between January and February.  “The drop in exports is more due to the rise in export duties…
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Compared to a year ago macroeconomic outlook globally has significantly improved, but the political risks have increased, an economics expert said at the S&P Global Platts EU Biofuels Seminar. Jean-Michel Six, managing director and chief European economist at S & P Global Rating, made the statement during his presentation entitled ‘Global macroeconomics and oil fundamentals’…
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The US National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda”. The order called for input on regulations that might be in need of repeal, replacement or modification – and was issued with the intention of highlighting and targeting…
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Bioenergy researchers are looking for ways to increase the efficiency of biofuel production in an unusual place – fungi. Finding a cost-effective way to breakdown bioenergy crops is one of the biggest obstacles to sustainable biofuels production. A team from the University of California, Santa Barbara are focusing their research on the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi on earth which…
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Researchers from the University of Minnesota are piloting a new plant which can convert by-products of wastewater treatment into biodiesel. A white, muddy substance produced during wastewater treatment, scum presents a significant waste disposal challenge. In general it is either sent to anaerobic digestion facilities to produce biogas, or disposed of in landfill. The new process developed by…
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A subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, Shell International Exploration and Production B.V., has reached an agreement with SBI Bioenergy giving Shell exclusive development and licensing rights for SBI’s biofuel technology. Edmonton, Canada based SBI has a patented process that can convert a wide range of waste oils, greases and sustainable vegetable oils into lower carbon drop-ins for diesel,…
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Finnish firm Suomen Bioetanoli is looking for substantial new funding for two new biofuels plants, following the withdrawal of a major investor on the project. According to yle.fi, a €200 million deal with Chinese investor fell through because the Chinese financier was unable to together the funding for the project. The result is a large funding hole in the planned project to construct…
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Sunbird Bioenergy Africa has commenced work on a cassava out-grower programme to provide sustainable feedstock for a bioenergy project expected to eventually produce 120 million litres per year of bioethanol for Zambia’s ethanol-fuel blending programme. The move came soon after Sunbird presented at the Luapula Expo, which was organised to promote the investment potential of the region.…
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Researchers in Pennsylvania have developed a new method for converting potato waste into ethanol, a process they claim could reduce production costs for biofuels in the future and provide extra value for chip makers. The team from the Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences used potato mash made from the peelings and potato residuals from a Pennsylvania food-processor to…
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