News

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), a US bioethanol trade body, has announced the first two in a series of fuel marketer-focused videos on the flexfuelforward.com website, part of a campaign to feature real world E15 and flex fuel retailer success stories. The series will address common marketer questions about E15 and flex fuels with straightforward answers from retailers who have…
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Biomass and waste derived fuels contributed 2% of total US electricity generation in 2016, according to figures recently released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA figures, included in its recently released annual electric power data, reveal that biomass and waste fuels produced 71.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2016. EIA defines biomass fuels as all non-fossil,…
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued new analysis on the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn-based ethanol. The analysis, conducted by ICF, found that typical corn-based ethanol achieves a 43 percent greenhouse gas reduction when compared to 2005-era gasoline, and by 2022, corn-based ethanol is projected to increase to a 50 percent greenhouse gas reduction over the life of…
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UK-based gas-to-liquids (GTL) company Velocys has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ThermoChem Recovery International (TRI), establishing a strategic alliance. TRI will be Velocys’ preferred supplier of gasification systems for its biomass-to-liquids (BTL) plants. The agreement will see the alliance partners rapidly deploy an integrated biorefinery…
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A new investigative report has been unveiled revealing more information about Nideria’s biofuels trading loss, often dubbed as one of the biggest scandals in the history of the Dutch market. Last year, the Dutch grain-trading firm reported that it lost nearly $200 million over three years due to what it called “severe” irregularities by a single trader in biofuels.  It…
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US biofuels lobby group Fuels America has disassociated itself with the counterpart Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) over plans to change the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Fuels America represents a diverse coalition, including farmers and companies such as Archer Daniels Midland and DuPont. The tumult began after Bob Dinneen, chief executive of the RFA, issued a statement saying the…
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Total US crude oil production in 2016 was below its 2015 level, despite increasing crude oil prices throughout most of 2016, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, according to the organisation, monthly production began growing in the fourth quarter of the year after declining over the first three quarters. Total 2016 production remained above the five-year…
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Scientists in the US have shown that sugarcane can be genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production. As well as producing oil for biodiesel, the modified sugarcane plants also produce more sugar which could be used in ethanol production. So far the ‘Plants Engineered to Replace Oil in Sugarcane and Sweet Sorghum’ (PETROSS) project led by…
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The US National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is to argue before the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia regarding the 2014-2016 Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) statute. The NBB’s case will be presented on the morning of 24 April, at the Circuit E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, in Washington DC. NBB argues that advanced biofuel requirements in the Renewable Fuel Standard should be…
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The Iowa Biodiesel Board IBB has praised Governor Terry Branstad for signing the Iowa Infrastructure Fund Bill, which provides $3 million in funding for the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure (RFI) programme. Branstad has been a long term supporter of Iowa’s biofuels industry. “Governor Branstad has been exceptionally supportive of funding renewable fuels and this infrastructure program.…
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The renewable energy sector employs 9.8 million people worldwide, according to a newly published study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). “Falling costs and enabling policies have steadily driven up investment and employment in renewable energy worldwide since IRENA’s first annual assessment in 2012, when just over seven million people were working in the…
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The government of Queensland, Australia has announced it will inject $8.64 million (€5.8 million) into a proposed $50 million (€33.7 million) biorefinery, in a bid to help accelerate the project’s development and construction. It is hoped the new biorefinery could create up to 115 jobs, positioning Queensland’s Mackay region as an emerging bio-industry hub. “Bio…
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Congealed lumps of fat, sanitary items and wet wipes stalk the sewers of London and the surrounding area, causing blockages and damage to water infrastructure. Now, Thames Water is working on an innovative solution to fight these fatbergs by turning them into biodiesel. The water utility has joined forces with renewables firm Argent to investigate the feasibility of turning the fatbergs into…
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New research claims that the concentration of ultrafine particles less than 50 nanometres in diameter, which studies have shown to be harmful to human health, increases in the air when motorists switch from ethanol-to-gasoline. Carried out by Franz M Geiger, a professor of chemistry at the National University of Singapore, the research found that when higher ethanol prices pushed drivers in Sao…
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