News

Dyadic International Inc. has been awarded a new patent for enzyme composition and the development of plant biomass to fermentable sugar conversion. Mark Emalfarb, president and CEO of Dyadic, discusses how the patent can help biofuel production: 'Plant biomass provide a plentiful source of potential energy in the form of sugars that can be utilised to produce advanced biofuels and bio-based…
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Germany's biodiesel industry proves to be strong competition for its international counterparts. The German biodiesel industry hit a new export record last year, with exports reaching almost 1.6 million tonnes. The Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) gave an appraisal based on data from the Federal Statistical Office, which shows that the number of exports have increased by 20%, or…
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VIASPACE has signed a contract with Mesquite Lake Water and Power LLC to produce Giant King Grass at an advanced biofuels facility and biomass power plant in Imperial, California, the company announced on Monday. The American-based company first bought the 18MW biomass power plant and will reopen it as Mesquite Lake Energy Park Plant 1. VIASPACE now plan to restart it and fuel it with a…
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Portuguese researchers are studying different methods of biodiesel purification that do not contain water. During the analysis, the University of Porto researchers carried out heterogeneous transesterification using a very active calcium glyceroxide catalyst, and then attempted to remove soaps through pre-treating the crude biodiesel with sodium carbonate. The fuel was then placed through ion…
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The company's 2013 sustainability report has announced that it has achieved its 2005 pledge to invest $8 billion (€5.8 billion) in alternative energy by 2015, two years ahead of schedule. The report states that BP has spent $8.3 million (€6 million) in alternative energy over almost a decade.  Despite the company not making a public commitment on future alternative energy spending,…
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Valero Renewable Fuels has purchased a 110-million gallon, idle ethanol plant at an Indiana port on the Ohio River, the company announced on Friday. The San Antonio-based energy company bought the plant, based at the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon from Aventine Renewable Energy. Bill Day, Valero's spokesman, believes the company will be able to begin production at the plant within the next few…
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Fiberight LLC is closer to constructing a $15 million (€11 million) facility at its existing ethanol plant, which is currently under renovation in Blairstown. The facility, which will extract the organic material from waste and convert it into ethanol, has received an economic-development incentive worth up to $850,000 (€617,000) from Marion City Council. On Thursday, the City Council…
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This week, the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) revealed that biodiesel sales fell by 300,000 tonnes in 2013. Last year’s sales figures stood at 2.2 million tonnes, compared to an average of 2.5 million tonnes, which remained stable throughout the period between 2009 and 2012.   The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) has announced…
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Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd. (JM Davy), an advanced process technologies company and Rennovia, Inc., a producer of chemicals from renewable feedstocks, have announced they are teaming up to undertake a start-to-finish catalytic process technologies project. The companies will develop, demonstrate and commercialise the project, which will concentrate on the production of bio-based…
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German-based Petrotec AG has achieved record results during the 2013 business year. The waste to biodiesel producer has reported group sales of €193 million, 16% up from last year's results, and an operating profit of €4.9 million, an increase of €2 million. Their net profit has increased significantly from €0.9 million in 2012 to €4 million in 2013. Petrotec AG also…
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The majority of the Biofore Concept Car's parts, which would traditionally come from plastics, have been replaced with biomaterials.  UPM used materials to make up a number of the car's core components, and Metropolia University designed and manufactured the car, which 'has endless possibilities,' says Elisa Nilsson, Vice President of Brand and Communications at UPM. UPM Grada thermoformable…
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The 2014 Agricultural Act (farm bill), is providing crucial funding for ethanol biofuels, as well as investment in infrastructure and development. The bill announced $881 million (€630 million) will be offered in energy funding levels. This money is going to be spent on primary energy programmes to aid farmers' development of new biofuels from non-food sources. The $881 million backing will…
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Argentina's biofuel company Diaser has opened its bioethanol plant in the San Luis province. The $40 million (€29 million) plant will open its production doors in 27 days. The plant, which covers 13.6ha, will produce 250m3/d of ethanol from 650t/d of corn at full capacity. Claudio Poggi, San Luis' governor, says the bioethanol plant will require over 200,000 tonnes of corn a year from San…
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Indonesia's Pertamina is set to offer a third tender to buy palm oil for biodiesel blending, before the end of April. In August 2013, the world’s biggest producer of palm oil introduced a new regulation, targeting the increased burning of palm-based biodiesel. The move indicates the nation’s desire to up its alternative fuel usage, while cutting its oil import bill in the…
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