News

Chemists at the University of California (UC) Davis have developed a new process that allows safflower and other oilseed crops to be made into a combination of fuels, which has the potential to increase the production of biodiesel by 24%. Mark Mascal, professor of chemistry at UC Davis, said, ‘Conventional biodiesel production extracts plant oils and then converts them into fatty acid esters…
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In June 2009, General Biodiesel acquired and converted a Seattle-based commercial biodiesel refinery to produce biodiesel from waste oils such as recycled cooking oil and animal fat, which the company collects from restaurants and food stores around the region. Throughout 2010 the company expects to produce between 3 and 5 million gallons of biodiesel, and hopes this will increase to 10 million…
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The Philippines-based National Power (Napocor) is joining with French company Enertine to provide biomass-derived power in the archipelago’s non-grid areas. Agricultural by-products such as rice and sugarcane husks, crop stalks, logging residues and dead wood will be used to fuel more remote areas. The project will be carried out under Napocor’s Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG), which is…
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A biomass to energy project has been launched in Mason County, Washington, US. A joint venture formed between Duke Energy and Areva, John Deere and Adage will own and operate the 55MW plant. The plant will use woody biomass from local forests and fuel supply contracts are still being negotiated by Adage. The company is in the process of finalising power purchasing agreements and fuel supply…
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Biofuels International expo & conference has changed its name to Bioenergy International expo & conference to reflect its new focus. The event, being held in Prague on 5-6 May, will have three streams looking at biodiesel, bioethanol and bioenergy. With all the media speculation surrounding biofuels and their impact on food security, food prices and emissions reductions, the industry…
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Czech Republic-based national utility CEZ produced more than 327 GWh of electricity from biomass during 2009 through co-firing. At four thermal facilities, the Hodonin power plant, the Porici power plant, the Tisova power plant and the Dvur Kralove heating plant, more than 363,000 tonnes of biomass were burned, despite some problems with delivery of biomass at the beginning of 2009. As part of…
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In Ireland, the government is thought to be putting a stop to taxes applied to regularly consumed biofuels by changing the carbon tax legislation. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has confirmed that tax on biofuels is being revised. While pure biofuels are not taxed, mixed fuels containing less than 10% biofuel are. The most common biofuel blends, containing…
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In Brazil, a weak sugarcane harvest has hit the generation of ethanol hard, leading to a decrease in production. As a result, fuel prices have risen, forcing the government to amend the tax on fuel. According to the government, the CIDE tax will be cut by $0.04 per litre (€0.03) for a total of three months. The three-month tax reduction will result in revenue’s being down by $48.6 million.
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After signing the contracts, Jatoil Limited and PT Waterland International are to embark on a joint venture in Indonesia. In Central Java, the two companies will attain around 2,000 hectares of land, half of which already contains jatropha trees. It is these trees that are expected to produce the jatropha oil for 2010, a year ahead of previous expectations, while the remaining 1,000 hectares…
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In Latvia, plans are underway to construct a bioethanol production plant. Bioethanol producer Jaunpagasts Plus has chosen to build the €65 million plant in the Riga Port because of the economic and practical reasons it provides. The plant will be powered by woodchips and this is a convenient location to receive woodchip deliveries as well as exporting the bioethanol. The facility will…
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In Tennessee, a new biodiesel processing system has been purchased by the city of Clarksville. The acquisition was funded by a federal grant, and will allow Clarksville Gas and Water to convert used cooking oil into biofuel. The city hopes that the biodiesel produced will eventually power the city’s buses. This will cost significantly less, as ordinary diesel is priced at almost $2.80 per…
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Following in the reduced carbon footprints of Ford and Chrysler, General Motors is now demonstrating its support for the biofuels industry. GM has created a new Duramax 6.6L turbo diesel engine that can power a 20% blend of biodiesel. The new engine will run new 2011 heavy-duty models such as the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra pickup trucks, Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. Chevrolet is…
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Dag Roger Rinde, CEO of Norwegian oil company Statoil, is the latest speaker to confirm his attendance at the upcoming Bioenergy International expo & conference in Prague on 5-6 May. Statoil is the first company in Norway to offer 5% ethanol to general consumers, but it has not been an easy ride. The company’s story is full of setbacks and obstacles, not least from the government…
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