News

Ghent Bio-Economy Valley (GBEV) and Malaysian Biotechnology (BiotechCorp) have signed a collaboration agreement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in support of companies and research institutes in the bio-economy business in Belgium and Malaysia. The main goal is to facilitate collaboration and the development of commercial applications in both countries. A non-profit and network organisation, GBEV…
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Neste Oil says it is now the world's largest producer of renewable fuels from waste and residues. In 2014, the company produced nearly 1.3 million tonnes (1.6 billion litres) of renewable fuel from waste and residues. In practical terms, this is enough to power for two years all the 650,000 diesel-powered passenger cars in Finland with renewable NEXBTL diesel manufactured from waste and…
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NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has purchased Gevo's renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ) for aviation use at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Renewable technology company Gevo's ATJ is manufactured at its demonstration biorefinery located in Silsbee, Texas, using renewable isobutanol produced at its Luverne, Minnesota, isobutanol plant. The biorefinery,…
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Byogy Renewables, a biofuels producer based in San Jose, CA, acting through its AusAgave Agricultural Division Headquartered in Aldgate, Australia, has executed an MoU and Work Plan with EMBRAPA, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, a Brazilian Government institution under the Ministry of Agriculture, to introduce adapted agave plants from Australia into Brazil to evaluate sugar and fibre…
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The US Energy Information Administration has released its 'Monthly Biodiesel Production Report', which states that 123 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the US in December 2014. Biodiesel production during this period was around 15 million gallons higher than production in November 2014. . Biodiesel production from the Midwest region contributed towards approximately 72% of the US…
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On 16 March 2015, Brazil will increase its ethanol blend in petrol from 25% to 27%. 'This is an operation in which everyone wins,' said Eduardo Braga, the Minister of Mines and Energy. Tests carried out by energy company Petrobras in 2014 into the impacts of a higher ethanol blend on vehicle engines did not show any technical problems arising from the use of petrol mixed with 27.5% ethanol. The…
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Green Plains has announced that its newly-formed subsidiary, Green Plains Partners (the partnership), has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The registration statement is for a proposed underwritten initial public offering (IPO) of common units representing limited partner interests in the newly-formed partnership.…
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Renewable energy producer Statkraft, and Södra, a forestry operations company with experience in paper pulp, sawn timber and bioenergy, have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to create a company that will produce biofuels from forest waste. The agreement will see Statkraft acquire Södra Cell Tofte, which owns the industrial site of the former Tofte pulp plant in Hurum, Norway, where the…
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Evofuel, a wholly owned subsidiary of crop development company Evogene, has signed a collaboration agreement with Insolo Agroindustrial. Under the agreement, both companies will select and optimise Evofuel's proprietary castor bean varieties utilising Insolo's farms in Piaui state in northeast Brazil. The two-year collaboration will see the companies examine the suitability and adaptability of…
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The latest issue of Biofuels International will be hitting your desks in a matter of weeks, and it's a bumper edition. As well as a 10-page special dedicated to the European biofuels market, and a number of technical articles, we also have a biofuels storage supplement to coincide with StocExpo in Rotterdam on 17-19 March. When it comes to biofuels in Europe, there are two things that everyone is…
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Biofuel supply chain company Eco-Energy has opened its distribution facility located within the Knoxville, Tennessee terminal complex. The project, which is a joint venture between Eco-Energy and Kinder Morgan Southeast Terminals, can receive tank cars daily from the CSX Railway for outbound ethanol distribution via pipeline connection and tank truck delivery to all area petrol blending…
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Mission NewEnergy has completed its company transformation plan which began back in 2012. The final step of the transformation includes:• Completion of the sale of its 250,000 tonnes per year biodiesel refinery for $22.5 million (€19.9 million)• Settlement of all outstanding convertible note debt of approximately AU$25 million (€17 million)• Retention of a 20% stake in a…
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A draft law to cap the production of traditional biofuels and accelerate the shift to alternative sources was approved by the Environment Committee on 24 February. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that result from the growing use of agricultural land to produce biofuel crops. Current legislation requires EU member states to ensure that renewable energy accounts for at least 10% of…
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