News

International polymer producer Invista Technologies and biotechnology Arzeda  will collaborate on the development of new technologies for bio-derived processes. The agreement will combine the two companies’ technologies in order to further co-develop platforms to ultimately develop new bio-derived processes for a range of products. The initial focus of the collaboration will be on the…
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The US Environmental Protection Agency as approved a new blender pump configuration in regard to the sale of E10 and E15 blended fuel. The configuration was submitted by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and means that petrol stations wishing to dispense E-type fuel from a blender pump with a common nozzle and hose can do so. ‘When two different gasoline-ethanol blended fuels are…
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Germany-based biofuels and bioliquid certification body Tüv Süd has obtained further accreditation for the testing of waste and residual materials. The news comes as the 36th Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act now requires EU companies operating in the collection of waste and residual materials to furnish proof of certification in accordance with…
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W2 Energy has signed a binding memorandum agreement to purchase 51% of Malayasia-based AM Biofuels. The acquisition, totaled at $5.5 million (€4.1 million), will expand W2 Energy's fuel business in South East Asia as it continues to move forward a business plan focusing on production, blending and distribution of bio- and synthetic fuels. AM Biodiesel's plant, licensed under the Malaysian…
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An ethanol plant in Thailand has been ordered to temporarily close after it was discovered to be dumping untreated wastewater on land in a neighbouring district. The plant, operated by AA Ethanol, is situated in Prachin Buri and governor Chitra Promchutima received notice for closure as it failed to repair the wastewater treatment system as required, following a visit by the Department of…
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Brazil’s energy minister Edison Lobao has said the government could cut taxes on sugarcane derived ethanol to alleviate pressures on the sector. The pressure comes from rising costs that has left biofuels struggling to compete with petrol. Any potential tax relief would bolster, and not replace, the restored mandatory ethanol content in gasoline back up from 20 to 25% coming this May. Lobao…
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The CEOs of seven European biofuel producers and airlines launched a new industry-led initiative to speed up the deployment of advanced sustainable biofuels throughout the continent. The initiative, called Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels, is made up of Chemtex, British Airways, BTG, Chemrec, Clariant, Dong Energy and UPM as they seek to ensure market uptake of advanced sustainable biofuels by all…
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The financial and industrial arm of the French protein and plant oil industry Sofiprotéol is adjusting the scope of its European activities in biodiesel. Its biodiesel activities are handled by DII, a company split 60% by Sofiprotéol subsidiary Diester Industrie and 40% by Bunge Group subsidiary KBBV. Belgian company Oleon Biodiesel, which was owned by DII, will now be owned…
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A research team at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland is hoping to turn seawater into biofuels within the next four years. Named the AccliPhot project, it is backed by €4 million ($5.4 million) of EU funding and involves 12 partners from across the continent. Its aim is to try and understand more fully how plants and microalgae respond to changes in light and other conditions and use that…
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Biodiesel provider Gulf Hydrocarbon Partners has partnered with Akash Energy to resume operations at the Houston, Texas-based Lone Star Terminal, which now offers renewable and biodiesel. The Lone Star Terminal has a total capacity of 6.7 million gallons, of which Gulf Hydrocarbon has leased 420,000 gallons of storage for biodiesel. It is hoped this new offering of biodiesel will provide retail…
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Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy and European technology provider Inbicon will work together to bring second generation ethanol to the Brazilian market. The partnership aims to introduce Inbicon’s technology to ETH’s industrial and commercial experience to produce ethanol and other products from lignocellulosic raw materials such as bagasse. Inbicon is owned by Danish energy company Dong…
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A two-year pilot biofuels project in Whyalla, Australia has been given a location to set up shop by the local council. The facility has been given two hectares at an industrial site to produce biofuels from algae feedstock thanks to ‘unanimous approval’ from the Whyalla City Council in January. ‘The project, in our view, ticks all the boxes - employment opportunities,…
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US-based renewable fuels and chemicals company Amyris has shipped its first load of biofene from its new plant in Brazil. The facility represents Amyris’ first purpose-built industrial fermentation plant which produces farnesene from sugarcane to create the biofene. ‘This initial shipment marks the successful completion of our start-up activities. We have operated multiple tanks…
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Spanish oil storage and transportation company CLH Group supplied over 2.4 million m3 of biofuels throughout 2012, a 27% increase on what it delivered in 2011. In a statement the company said 2.1 million m3 of this was biodiesel and the remaining 0.3 million m3 was bioethanol. Of the 2.1 million m3 of biodiesel, 700,000m3 was accounted for by second generation hydrobiodiesel (HVO) which,…
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