News

Australia-based Sterling Plantations has recently sold a biodiesel plant to Malaysian company Gentings Plantations (GP). The plant, reported to be worth around RM33 million (€7.3 million), is located in Sabah and represents the second facility of its kind to be purchased by GP. GP has a subsidiary named  ACGT, which is a business that focuses on developing genomics-based solutions to…
Read More »

US-based Renewable Energy Group has launched a new division which will sell petroleum-based heating oil and diesel fuel, and enable the company to offer more biofuel blends. REG Energy Services will sell heating oil and ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) at seven terminals throughout the northeastern US as well as its BioHeat branded blended heating fuel at an existing REG terminal…
Read More »

Results of a third-party peer-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA), entitled Greenhouse Gas and Energy Life Cycle Assessment of Pine Chemicals Derived from Crude Tall Oil and Their Substitutes, has found diverting crude tall oil (CTO) into biofuel production throughout Europe will not have a significant effect in either reducing carbon emissions nor fossil fuel consumption. CTO is a sustainable…
Read More »

BF Commodities has revealed it is to build a new second generation biodiesel refinery in Switzerland It is believed the facility will be able to produce over 5,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year and operations are expected to start in June, using cooking oil and tallow feedstocks.  BF state the project will help bring a reduction of over 12,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Read More »

The European Court of Justice has come to a conclusion on the complaint made by BP North America against the Council of the European Union (EU). Five years ago the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) lodged a complaint against dumped and subsidised biodiesel imports from the US. In March 2009, the European Commission imposed extensive anti-dumping and countervailing measures of imports of US…
Read More »

Pacific Coast Canola, a subsidiary of US-based crop processor Legumex Walker, has signed a six-month contract to deliver canola oil to biofuels company Imperium Renewables. The so-called ‘super degummed’ feedstock will be delivered by truck to Imperium’s refinery in Hoquiam. ‘The biofuel industry is an important complementary market for our canola oil, and crush margins…
Read More »

Construction of a new bioethanol facility has begun this January in the Ukraine via research and development company Zarya. The project is reported to cost UAH470 million (€41.4 million) and will produce bioethanol with an ethanol concentration of 99%. The facility will provide carbon dioxide and DDGS as by-products. ‘Researchers have studied both bioethanol  production methods…
Read More »

Etihad Airways, the state-owned carrier of Abu Dhabi, is joining with French energy firm Total and US aircraft maker Boeing to develop biofuels in the emirate, company officials have announced. Though Abu Dhabi has huge oil reserves and access to cheap jet fuel, it says it wants to develop sustainable energy sources to diversify its economy. Biofuels could also help Etihad meet targets in the…
Read More »

Novozymes, a producer of industrial enzymes, says 2013 financial results saw organic sales grow by 7% (DKK 5%, LCY 8%), EBIT by 6% and net profit by 9%. The EBIT margin increased by 0.3% to 24.7% compared with 2012. The company is confident 2014 will show a continuation of these upward trends, an outlook which includes the expected financial impact from its BioAg Alliance with US-based chemical…
Read More »

US biodiesel producer Blue Sun Energy has implemented a new enzymatic processing technology into its 30 million gallon per year St. Joe refinery in Missouri. This new process uses the Callera Trans L enzyme, provided by Blue Sun’s project partner Novozymes, and is being heralded by Blue Sun as ‘the most advanced biodiesel production facility in the world’. 'The process developed…
Read More »

France-based renewable hydrocarbon provider Global Bioenergies (GB) is to collaborate with German car manufacturer Audi on the development of isobutene-derived isooctane, a high performance biofuel for petrol engines. One of GB’s in-house programmes concerns the production of bio-isobutene, a molecule which can transform into isooctane, a 100% drop-in fuel that can be used in any blending…
Read More »

A lack of any transport-focused mandate from the European Commission (EC) as it delivered its vision on a long-term energy and climate policy has sparked a reaction from stakeholders in the renewable fuels industry. The EC report, titled A policy framework for climate and energy policy between 2020 to 2030, suggests moves to a mandatory 40% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, 27% binding renewable…
Read More »

Renewable Energy Group has acquired renewable chemical technology developer LS9 for a purchase price of up to $61.5 million (€45 million), consisting of up front and earnout payments, in stock and cash. Most of the LS9 team, including the entire research and development group, will join the newly named REG Life Sciences, which will operate out of LS9’s headquarters in…
Read More »