News

Brazil is set to toughen requirements on imported ethanol to protect domestic producers, according to Reuters. The move, announced by Brazilian Energy Minister Fernando Coelho, is in response to a surge of imported US corn oil to the country. Those buying imported ethanol will now have to follow rules applied to Brazilian ethanol producers concerning minimum stocks to guarantee supplies in the…
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Neutral Fuels, a biodiesel producer based in the UAE, has become the first company in the world to commercialise an enzymatic biofuel. For six years Neutral Fuels has been producing biodiesel using cooking oil, supplying high profile clients such as McDonalds UAE, which runs a fleet of renewably fuelled trucks on B100 biodiesel. Karl W. Feilder, Neutral Fuels’ CEO and director,…
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The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced up to $6 million (€5.35m) in available funding for research to support the next generation of sustainable biofuels and biomaterials. Funding is made through USDA’s Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint initiative with the Department of…
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US biofuels producer Pacific Ethanol has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Illinois Corn Processing, for $76 million (€66m), which includes $15 million in working capital. ICP is a 90 million gallon per year fuel and industrial alcohol manufacturing, storage and distribution facility adjacent to the Pacific Ethanol Pekin facility and is located on the Illinois River. ICP…
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Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor has released a statement in response to the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ (EPW) decision to not consider the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S. 517) before Congress adjourns for the August recess. The statement from the US bioethanol trade body stated:  “We are disappointed the EPW committee decided not to consider the…
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Helsinki airport has been awarded the international Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate (ACA) to verify its carbon neutrality. “The ACA certificate awarded to Helsinki Airport is an important milestone in the implementation of Finavia’s accelerated climate programme at our airports.  Our climate programme comprises a number of different measures, but Helsinki Airport plays a…
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The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Fair Trade Coalition won a preliminary countervailing duty determination from the Commerce Department regarding subsidised biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia. The Commerce Department found that Argentina and Indonesia provide subsidies to their biodiesel producers in violation of international trade rules. In addition, Commerce found…
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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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Developing better algae is a vital requirement in the quest to achieve sustainable algal biofuel. Now, researchers claim to have developed a new technology that could ‘revolutionise’ the search for the perfect algal strain – algal droplet bioreactors on a chip. In the new technology, developed by researchers from the Boyce Thompson Institute and Texas A&M University, a…
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Member states of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) have agreed on a new 2050 Vision for sustainable aviation fuels, which will help to ensure that conventional jet fuels are substituted with sustainable alternatives ‘to a significant percentage’ by 2050. The decision was formalised on 13 October at the Second ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels, in Mexico…
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Abengoa, the Spanish-based infrastructure, energy and water specialist, has announced that it will be helping to build a facility that will produce biofuels from municipal solid waste in the US with gasification technology. The news comes as Fulcrum BioEnergy recently announced that it had successfully reached financial closure for the project – a prerequisite for the commencement of…
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PowerHouse Energy Group moves forward with waste-to-hydrogen system design London-based clean energy company PowerHouse Energy Group announced that it had completed early design work on its UK-based 25 tonne-per-day synthetic gas (syngas) plant, according to news channel ProActive Investors. The pre-front-end engineering and design, or pre-FEED, stage validated the company's technology and its…
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The price of US renewable fuel credits has plummeted, hitting a two month low according to Reuters. Efforts by the White House to mediate talks between the oil and corn industries over the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) are said to be behind the fall in prices. The RFS requires refiners to blend increasing amounts of biofuel into the US fuel supply. Under the RFS programme, fuel refiners lacking…
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A Philippine-based institute has called for increased research into genomics to help improve the variety and yield of the country’s sugarcane, particularly by increasing its resistance to common diseases. To sustain the industry’s growth, new and superior varieties of sugarcane should be developed, Dr. Liwayway M. Engle of the Philippine Sugar Research Institute (PhilSURIN) told…
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