News

Oil from recycled tyres has been overlooked as a potential biofuel source, yet it is the most reliable and easiest to refine of all, according to oil expert Tim Rose of Southern Oil. Rose said that the future of this source of feedstock is “immense” and preferable to other bio-oils from plants such as corn or algae. He also said it reduces dependence on imported fuel and “is an…
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The US Army and Hawaiian Electric Co. have broken ground on a partially biodiesel-powered 50MW power plant on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The plant, located on land at the Schofield Barracks on the island, will burn both biodiesel and fossil fuels. Being developed, owned, and operated by Hawaiian Electric, the plant is expected to come online in early 2018. The plant will feature modern,…
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Finnish forest firm UPM has made new appointments to its biofuels’ unit. Sari Mannonen has been appointed vice president, responsible for UPM Biofuels Strategic Business Unit as of 9 August 2016. Mannonen previously worked as director, sales and marketing within UPM Biofuels and was in that role since 2014, responsible for commercial strategy and product launches in Biofuels business.…
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The California Congressional delegation has added its voice to the crowd urging the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase its proposed biofuel obligations for 2017. In an open letter addresses to EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, six Californian Members of Congress expressed their concern that the suggested renewable volume obligations (RVO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)…
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US-based international agribusiness company Earth Gen-BioFuel will sponsor two international industry symposiums to promote the use of caster bean oil in the manufacture of biodiesel.  The first symposium will be in the US and the second is planned for Southeast Asia. George Shen, president, said:  "EarthGen believes that the best way to expand the market for castor beans beyond the…
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Denmark-based biotechnology company Novozymes has reported half year pre-tax tax profit up 6% to DKK 1,906 million (€256m), compared to DKK 1,792 a year earlier, helped by strong sales growth. The firm’s net profit was DKK 1,496 million, an increase of 8% from DKK 1,389 million in the first half of 2015, primarily driven by the gain from net finance. In the first half of 2016, sales…
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Gevo has reported a 10% decrease in revenue to $8.1 million (€ 7.2m) for the second quarter of 2016, compared to $8.9 million the year before. The company’s net loss for the quarter was $21.5 million, compared with $14.4 million during the same period in 2015. The company released its results on 9 August, 2016. Although the company did not expand on the reasons why its net loss…
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India has set out plans to boost its biofuels market over the next few years in an effort to beef up its energy security. Blending 5% of biodiesel with regular diesel and 10% ethanol with gasoline could boost the market to 500 billion rupees (€6.7 billion) by 2022, from about 65 billion rupees now, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said at an Indian conference on biofuels. India…
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Fuel ethanol production capacity in the US was nearly 15 billion gallons per year, or 973,000 barrels per day (bpd), at the beginning of 2016, according to new figures from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA published this announcement in its new ‘US Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Report’. Total capacity of operable ethanol plants increased by more than 500 million…
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US-based Poet is one of the world’s largest ethanol producers. The 28-year-old company has a production capacity in excess of 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol and 9 billion pounds of high-protein animal feed annually. Earlier this year, Liz Gyekye caught up with CEO Jeff Broin to find out about the company’s outlook and current state of the market. LG: How would you describe the mood of…
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A new renewable energy research centre, called VILLUM Center for the Science of Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals, has opened in Copenhagen, Denmark. The new centre at Technical University of Denmark (DTU) will be headed by Professor Ib Chorkendorff who will bring together a team of researchers from Stanford University, the University of Copenhagen, and the University of Southern Denmark, among…
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US bioethanol producer Aemetis has reported a net loss of $5 million (€4.48m) for the second quarter ended 30 June, 2016, due to a high interest expense. Revenues were $33.1 million for the second quarter of 2016, compared to $38.1 million for the second quarter of 2015. The decline in revenue was primarily attributable to decreases in ethanol and wet distiller’s grain volumes. The…
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Fuel ethanol production capacity in the US was nearly 15 billion gallons per year, or 973,000 barrels per day (b/d), at the beginning of 2016. The numbers are reported in the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) most recent US Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Capacity report. Total capacity of operable ethanol plants increased by more than 500 million gallons per year in January…
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