News

French renewable energy company Global Bioenergies, IBN-One and Lantmännen Aspen, a global specialist in alkylate gasoline for two and four stroke small engines, have entered into a partnership on renewable isooctane for specialty fuel applications. IBN-One is a joint venture between Global Bioenergies and French ethanol producer Cristol Union. They aim to build and operate a plant in…
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Finnish oil refiner and biofuels producer Neste has released a list of four reasons why the company believes the world of tomorrow needs biofuels. Combating climate change Combating climate change forces the world to seek alternative, low-carbon sources of energy and fuel, Neste says. Since traffic is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas, i.e. carbon emissions, substituting fossil fuels…
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In Thailand, the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bangchak Petroleum and three logistics operators to use B20 biodiesel in their heavy vehicles. According to Energy Minister Anantaporn Kanjanarat, this pilot project will spend 115 million baht (€2.8m) from the Energy Conservation Promotion Fund to subsidise the…
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In the US, biofuel producer Siouxland Ethanol is proceeding with its planned $8 million (€7.2m) expansion of its Nebraska ethanol plant. Expansion of the facility, located in Nebraska’s Dakota County near Sioux City, is projected to increase its production capacity by 15%, according to Sioux City Journal. "We’re really looking forward to increased production that will help to…
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US biofuel heavyweights have urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that biofuel blend volume requirements match the statutory levels set by Congress under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The US RFS was created in 2005 by Congress in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the nation’s renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil.…
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The pile of letters sent to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the planned Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for 2017 keeps on growing. This time around, 39 US Senators are urging EPA administrator Gina McCarthy to ensure the final 2017 ruling “promotes growth in the US biofuel sector and capture economic opportunity rather than drive investment overseas”. The 2017…
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US ethanol plant owners are seeking to diversify their operations to boost growth, according to Novozyme’s global marketing manager Jack Rogers. Speaking to Biofuels International at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) Conference in Milwaukee, US, about the US ethanol market, Rogers said: “Corn and ethanol prices have gone down in recent years but there has been an increasing demand for…
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Germany increased its production of bioethanol by 1.8% to 739,821 tonnes in 2015 compared to the year before, according to new statistics from Germany’s bioethanol trade association (BDBe). The report from the BDBe showed that 264,665 tonnes of bioethanol were produced from industrial beet in 2005, an increase of 9% from the previous year. Production of bioethanol made by feed grains…
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US-based scientists have altered the lignin in aspen trees in a way that increases access to biofuel building blocks without inhibiting plant growth. The scientists based at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have been able to do this by engineering a novel enzyme involved in lignin synthesis. Lignin is a natural component of plant cell walls, the…
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US agricultural specialist Monsanto Company and German biotechnology specialist Nomad Bioscience have announced a licensing agreement whereby Monsanto has obtained rights to apply Nomad’s proprietary technology to its genome-editing projects aimed at enhancement of agricultural crops. Nomad’s biomaterial pipeline consists of several selected product candidates, including plant-made…
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Borregaard, a Norway-based biorefinery specialist, and Rayonier Advanced Materials (Ryam) have concluded a market, technical and engineering analysis regarding a new lignin operation at Ryam’s Fernandina Beach site in Florida to serve the growing demand for natural lignin-based products. The final review of the investment by the companies’ boards of directors is anticipated during the…
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The global enzymes market is expected to reach $17.5bn by 2024 helped by strong demand for bioethanol in emerging economies, according to a new study by Grand View Research. Growing demand for enzymes in food and beverage products as they improve quality and eliminate deficiencies in the products is expected to propel industry growth in the near future. Increasing demand for bioethanol and…
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