News

British Sugar will grow twice as much sugar beet than last year, claiming that doing so is cheaper than buying the crop from British farmers. During 2009 and 2010, the processing giant grew sugar beet on 1600ha of land. However, this year and next it plans to grow more than 200,000 tonnes of the crop on 3300ha of rented land. The crop could yield more than 80,000 tonnes. Managing director…
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Biodiesel blends are now available at the BP fuel terminal in Ottumwa, Iowa, US. The BP fuel terminal is just one of six BP terminals offering biodiesel in the state. Customers can purchase a biodiesel mix ranging from B5 to B20 or more. The facility comes after Renewable Energy Group (REG) received an $80,000 (€58,600) DoE grant and built a 30,000-gallon biodiesel storage tank. Every load…
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Delegates can now start networking and arrange meetings even before Bioenergy International expo and conference starts. The event, now eight weeks away in Prague on 5-6 May, features a networking suite for all delegates and speakers which have registered, allowing you to specifically choose who you want to have lunch with. Key speakers you can meet include H.E. Mr. Jan Dusík, Minister of the…
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Cellulosic ethanol producer Range Fuels has received a loan note guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and closed its related $80 million (€58.8 million) bond issuance. The proceeds from the $80 million bond will be used to partially finance the first two phases of construction of Range Fuels' first commercial cellulosic biofuels plant using renewable and sustainable…
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In Argentina a new mandate ensuring 5% of all diesel contain biomass-derived sources has come into force, according to reports. Estimates put the amount of biodiesel required to fulfill this at 859,000 tonnes a year. Argentina is a leading exporter of biodiesel and the world’s number one soyabean oil supplier. With smaller plants unable to meet the extra annual demand created by the 5% blend…
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It has been a long wait, but now ethanol producers in the US should get some peace of mind when the sun comes. The U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) will decide by late summer whether to allow higher levels of ethanol to be blended into petrol. The EPA is considering an industry request for a waiver from federal rules to allow petrol to contain up to 15% ethanol. Petrol is now approved to…
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The Zimbabwean government has launched plans for the construction of a sugarcane-to-ethanol refinery. The plant, which will provide Zimbabwe with 80% of its ethanol needs, will be built on land currently owned by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority in Chisumbanje and cost $600 million (€439.2 million) to construct. In the first stages of production 40,000 hectares of land will…
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In the US, members of the tax-writing committees Senate Finance and House Ways and Means have been urged to create a 30% investment tax credit for upcoming commercial biorefinery builds. The leaders of the House and Senate tax-writing board received a letter from 32 biofuels companies and trade groups which believe that this investment tax credit is crucial to boost the biofuels industry, after…
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Gas and electricity provider Duke Energy could soon be issued with renewable energy certificates after asking regulators in North Carolina to register two of its plants as sustainable energy facilities. In 2007 the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law stating that all plants in North Carolina must use renewable resources to generate a portion a the energy they sell. This law will become…
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Future Fuels, the Renewable Transport Fuel investment product of Future Capital Partners (FCP), has acquired a site and planning permission for its bioethanol refinery in Grimsby, UK. The project will be owned, funded and constructed by FCP and Vireol as they are undertaking the project together. Construction of the site is due to begin mid 2010 and cost approximately £200 million (€221…
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As with many countries reduced demand for diesel in the past few months has had an impact on the sector in the Czech Republic. And added to this future blend rates are not yet set. Total production capacity in the Czech Republic is about 300,000 tonnes a year but use is only around 40%. The government proposal which has been sent to the Czech Parliament suggests a change to the Air Protection…
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The German biogas market accounted for nearly 70% of the global/European total in 2009. Estimates put its worth at $1 billion (€735 million). The German market fell 80% in 2008, however, pushed by the close succession of the global financial crisis, rising energy crops prices, and the revision of the German Renewable Energy law (EEG). New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that despite…
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Biomass-based cogeneration plants are springing up in Punjab, India. Sukhbir Agro Energy is planning to set up two paddy processing and co-generation power plants in Ferozepur and Mansa districts of Punjab with capital outlay of Rs 250 crore (€4 million) under a project scheme of the Punjab government. The project in Ferozepur envisages setting up of 80 tonnes per hour (TPH) rice mill,…
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