News

Two technologies that could allow cars and trucks to run on seaweed biofuel are currently being developed by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The projects have received a combined $2.5 million (€2 million) in funding from the DOE. Macroalgae, to give seaweed its technical name, is most commonly grown for human consumption. However,…
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Britain’s biggest congealed mass of fat, oil and wet wipes, is to be transformed into biofuels. The fatberg, which was found beneath the streets of Whitechapel, east London, weighs around 130 tonnes and is 250 metres long. It will be turned into around 10,000 litres of biodiesel. The fatberg, which is more than twice the length of two football pitches, took an eight-strong crew using…
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Stuttgart Airport has started using Finnish company Neste’s renewable diesel in a bid to reduce its CO2 emissions. The move to Neste’s MY Renewable Diesel comes as part of the climate program of Baden-Württemberg's state airport in Germany. All the ground fleet vehicles at the airport in Germany which are not electrified, such as the trucks of the airport fire department and…
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New research into the thermal decomposition of a potential fuel additive has shown it could deliver cleaner and more efficient combustion. The authors of the study claim their findings have the potential to shed new light on the applicability of biofuels. Scientists have long been researching additives comprised of oxygenated organic compounds that could help reduce the release of pollutants into…
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  The European Union is lowering import duties on Argentinian biodiesel after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled against initial measures taken against cheap imports from the South American country, Reuters reports. The European Biodiesel Board, an EU producer group, is now preparing to put together a new challenge against the cheap imports, according to Reuters. Anti-dumping duties…
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A new All-Party Parliamentary Group has been launched for British bioethanol. The committee of MPs and Peers with an interest in promoting the benefits of the bioethanol industry and its products, will hold events and meetings to discuss policy, share news and report on relevant issues as well as holding the government to account on its domestic and international environmental…
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Texas-based biofuels producer White Energy has appointed Greg Thompson as president and CEO. Thompson, 44, was one of the original founders of Verdesian Life Sciences, a North Carolina-based agricultural technology company specialising in nutrient use efficiency technologies.  As president and chief operating officer, he led the acquisition and…
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Ethanol, a well-established biofuel additive for gasoline, is traditionally produced from biomass such as corn or sugar cane. New research however, claims to have developed a catalyst to produce the fuel directly from carbon dioxide. Scientists from the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a new electrocatalyst made up of copper nanoparticles that…
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Three years ago, scientists at the US’ National Renewable Energy Laboratory discovered an enzyme that proves adept at breaking down cellulose fibres regardless of whether their crystalline structure is simple or highly complex. According to the research, no other enzyme has shown this ability. Now, in a follow-up paper, the researchers have looked at the significant worth the enzyme, CeIA,…
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Renewable fuels company Velocys has entered into a partnership to prepare the business case for a commercial scale waste-to-renewable-jet fuel plant in the UK. Velocys will lead the initial feasibility stage of the project, with funding support from all members of the partnership. Subject to successful completion of the feasibility stage and all the required development stages, the aim is to…
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Clariant, a developer of specialty chemicals, and Enviral, Slovakia’s largest bioethanol producer, have announced a license agreement on sunliquid cellulosic ethanol technology. The move will see one of Europe’s first advanced biofuel plants built at the Enviral site in Leopoldov. Enviral will use Clariant’s sunliquid technology to help construct a full-scale commercial plant…
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Enerkem has announced that commercial production of cellulosic ethanol has started at its facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. According to a statement from the company, it is the first commerical scale plant in the world to produce cellulosic ethanol from non-recyclable, non-compostable mixed municipal waste. “The commercial production of cellulosic ethanol at our facility in Edmonton…
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The Biofuels International Conference, which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, has the most impressive speaker line-up and agenda to date – all designed to bring the industry together. The event, which takes place from 4-5th October,  brings together biodiesel and ethanol producers (both first and second generation), advanced technology providers, plant contractors, oil majors,…
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UK bioethanol producer Vivergo Fuels has cautiously welcomed the government’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO) proposal. The UK government has made proposals to introduce a cap on crop-based biofuels in order to meet its renewable fuel obligations. The maximum level for the use of fuels made from agricultural crops will begin at 4% in 2018 and reduce linearly year on year from…
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