News

Expanding growth output at the UK’s bioethanol plants is driving up wheat consumption, contributing to the country becoming a net wheat importer for only the fourth time in 25 years, according to an article on Agrimoney.com. Defra, the UK’s farming ministry, pegged the country’s wheat exports at 1.5 million tonnes in its first forecast for the country’s wheat exports in…
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A controversial new study claims that using corn for biofuels comes with greater environmental costs and fewer benefits than using it for corn. The study from researchers at the University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign has been published in the journal Earth’s Future. It aims to determine whether corn is better utilised as a biofuel or as a food source, addressing the food vs. fuel…
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Members of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) and Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) have gone to Capitol Hill in Washington to urge Iowa’s Congressional delegation to keep fighting for a reformed biodiesel tax incentive. The two biodiesel bodies claim that the changes to the incentive would save US taxpayers money and also encourage domestic job creation and energy security. Recently,…
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Counties in downstate New York are set to join New York City in providing cleaner air through increased use of biodiesel in home heating, with a product called Bioheat fuel. Legislation passed by Assemblyman Steve Englebright and Senator Phil Boyle would expand the state’s commitment to renewable energy by requiring heating oil sold in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties to contain at…
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A planned political protest by Neste employees, set to have started on 26 June, has been cancelled. Personnel groups at the Finnish sustainable fuels provider announced on 20 June that they planned to arrange a political protest against the ownership policy in Finland. Representatives of employee groups said they would discontinue Neste’s fuel distribution at the company’s Porvoo and…
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A new passenger train system currently under development in Florida will run on biodiesel fuel, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The Miami based company developing the Brightline train system has teamed up with Florida Power & Light Co. to use clean energy alternatives for fuel. Expected to begin operation in September, the Brightline train will run on biodiesel fuel supplied…
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Mexico’s energy regulator, CRE, has approved an increase in the ethanol content in gasoline for domestic consumption to as high as 10% from the current 5.8%, according to Reuters. The move has been made despite environmental groups warning that the action could cause more pollution. The change will mean gasoline imported and sold in Mexico will be closer to that sold in the US. "Gas…
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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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In an interview with The Parliamentarian two MEPs have argued that biofuels have “an essential part” to play in the EU’s energy transition. German MEP Hans-Olaf Henkel, Parliament's ECR group shadow rapporteur on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources; and Croatian MEP Marijana Petir, the European Parliament's environment, public health and food…
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The Norwegian parliament voted today to ban the public procurement and use of palm oil-based biofuel, according to media reports. According to media reports in Mongabay, the move may make Norway the world’s first country to ban palm oil in its public procurement. “The [Parliament] calls on the government to impose requirements through regulations to the Public Procurement Act that…
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Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is aiming to use B10 biofuel for all of its diesel-powered vehicles by the end of the year, according to a press release from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. DBKL’s Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department engineer Muhammad Alif Muhammad Noor said that this goal was part of the DBKL’s initiative to make Kuala Lumpur a ‘green…
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Brazil-based ethanol specialist Raízen has offered 823 million reais (€221/$248 million) to buy two ethanol mills from Tonon Bioenergia, according to media reports. Raízen is a joint venture between Cosan SA Indústria e Comércio and Royal Dutch Shell. According to Reuters, Cosan said in a securities filing on Tuesday that Tonon Bioenergia, which has been going…
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Rayeman Elements is expanding its business to include a biofuels division, intended to deliver a ‘bolt-on’ technology for the production of biodiesel at existing ethanol plants. It is hoped that this technology will allow ethanol facilities to diversify their product offerings, in turn increasing the value of their corn oil stream and expanding their advanced biofuels offerings. Saola…
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