News

Jeffrey Gunselman, the man behind US-based biofuels company Absolute Fuels, has pleaded guilty to several accounts of money laundering and federal fraud in relation to a $42 million (€31.6 million) biodiesel fraud investigation. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Lubbock, Texas in December to 51 wire fraud counts and 24 of money laundering. He also further admitted to being guilty on four…
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Researchers at Clemson University and commercial forestry business ArborGen are to jointly study the potential use of poplar trees for bioenergy and biofuels feedstock in the US. The South Carolina-based project will see the pair plant thousands of poplar trees on-site at the university’s Pee Dee Centre. ArborGen's southeastern field research manager David Brown says that positive results…
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Ethanol producer Green Plains Renewable Energy's wholly owned subsidiary BlendStar has commenced operations at its newly built 96-car train terminal in Birmingham, Alabama. The new terminal is served by the BNSF Railway and has a throughout yearly capacity of 300 million gallons of ethanol. 'The Birmingham terminal will provide more efficient distribution of ethanol to underserved markets in the…
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Energy giant Petrobras’ logistics division Transpetro is set to transport ethanol via barges from its new shipyard in Aracatuba, Sao Paulo. Transpetro will spend $400 million (€302.9 million) on 20 new barges to move 45,000 bl along the Tiete-Parana waterway in 2013, although that realisation is two years behind schedule. The new barges will save approximately 80,000 round-trip truck…
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Dubai-based Lootah Biofuels is set to work with AlgaOil to research using algae for oil extraction outside of man-made ponds. Lootah will work with the Singapore-based algae cultivator at looking at more natural spaces and resources to create biodiesel from algae, particularly within the untouched desert in the region. ‘The potential of biodiesel from algae is very big but, as the mindset…
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US-based biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group (REG) has unveiled new biodiesel positions at four New York terminal locations. Biodiesel distribution points in Whippany, New Jersey, plus New York locations in New Hyde Park, Port Chester and near Brookhaven have been identified as offering quick access for blending biodiesel to augment heating oil and diesel supplies. ‘Gaining access to…
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Science and engineering giant Dupont has broken ground on its cellulosic ethanol facility in Iowa, US as it moves towards the commercialisation of advanced biofuels. The plant is expected to be complete before the end of 2014 and cost in excess of $200 million (€154 million). It is expected to generate 30 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel annually via corn stover residues, a non-food…
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Renewable fuel producer Fulcrum Bioenergy has received multi-million dollar financing for a new facility in the US. The total amount comes to $175 million (€134 million) and construction of the Sierra Biofuels municipal solid waste to low-carbon fuels facility represents Fulcrum’s foray into such a plant. ‘The current IPO market environment remains challenging, especially for…
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The North American branch of biotechnology company Syngenta has signed a commercial agreement with a Kansas ethanol plant. The agreement will see Bonanza Bioenergy use grain featuring Enogen trait technology which allows corn to express a robust form of alpha amylase enzyme, the primary enzyme used in dry grind ethanol production to convert starch to sugars. Enogen eliminates the need to utilize…
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Renewable Energy Group (REG), a producer and marketer of biodiesel, has established new biodiesel blending locations at four New York terminal sites. 'Gaining access to the largest biodiesel terminal network in New York is part of Renewable Energy Group's strategy to expand into the Northeast market as a reliable biodiesel supplier,' REG president and CEO Daniel Oh says. These biodiesel…
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Advanced biorefinery owners Borregaard has received a multi-million grant from the Research Council of Norway to further wood processing projects. The grant totals NOK 30 million ($5.3 million) and will be spread on projects over a three year period. Borregaard won the investment after submitting three applications for funding on projects within the areas of lignin products for use in concrete,…
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A sustainable jet fuel project named GreenSky London is gaining momentum after stakeholder British Airways (BA) confirmed its financial commitment to the cause. GreenSky London is a project between BA and sustainable fuel researchers Solena that will see the construction of a new facility that will annually convert approximately 500,000 tonnes of waste, normally destined for landfill, into 50,000…
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Bioethanol producer Vivergo has started up its production process from wheat at its Humberside facility. The wheat is being supplied by grain marketing company Frontier via selected farmers under its Humber Gold brand and it has also confirmed that the milling, fermenting and distilling process has now began at the plant. Despite a challenge in providing constantly high quality wheat this season,…
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