News

Northumberland, UK-based biodiesel producer V-Fuels has entered administration owing to a combination of events borne from poor market conditions. ‘It doesn’t mean that as a site and as a business we are a dead duck. We are hoping that the business will be able to move forward, whether as V-Fuels or as another entity,’ V-Fuels site director John Moller comments. The plant, which is…
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UK-based Bentley Motors, one of the latest vehicle manufacturers to announce it is developing bioethanol-powered versions of its cars, is to give the keynote presentation at this year’s Biofuels International expo & conference. The two day conference and exhibition will be held on the 27-28 May at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. The event aims to bring together medium-to-large…
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An early morning fire at Hardin County Fuel in Texas, US, caused an estimated $300,000 (€234,000) in equipment and building damage and has halted biofuels production. Nearly all of the facility’s operating equipment was destroyed, along with the building it was being housed in on Friday 20 February. Fuel being stored on the property was not damaged. Biofuel contains no explosive agents.…
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The European Commission (EC) plans to propose anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on imports of biodiesel from the US. The Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-country European Union, is due to propose the measures at a March meeting of EU national trade officials, known as the anti-dumping committee. The anti-dumping duties would range from €2-19 per 100kg and the anti-subsidy…
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Danish biotech pioneer Inbicon has announced a series of technical and marketing initiatives for bringing commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol to the US. Under the banner of The New Ethanol, and in collaboration with US-based G-team, Inbicon will incorporate its proprietary technology into a new pathway for converting biomass to ethanol. CEO Niels Henriksen says: ‘Our new model of the…
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US governors expect regulators will soon boost the allowed blend rate for ethanol in petrol to 13% from 10%. Members of the Governors' Biofuels Coalition said they want the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a waiver to allow the sale of 13% ethanol blends. President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have expressed support to the governors for increased biofuels…
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Adage and Energy Northwest have agreed to develop 50MW wood waste biomass power plants in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon, in the US. The companies plan to jointly-market wood biopower to regional utilities. Adage is a joint venture between Areva and Duke Energy. Areva will build the biomass power plants, and Duke Energy Generation Services will run the facilities.
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Texas-based oil company Valero Energy is expected to purchase several ethanol plants from VeraSun Energy. The $280 million (€216 million) bid from Valero Energy would buy a group of VeraSun properties, including its Aurora plant, if no other bidders arise before a March auction. VeraSun also plans to sell the rest of its plants this year, primarily to big oil companies seeking to integrate…
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Finland-based paper company UPM Kymmene and renewable fuel supplier Lassila & Tikanoja are testing the use of producing ethanol from the pulp-based waste created by the paper industry. During the pilot tests ethanol and energy are produced from commercial and industrial waste, such as paper, cardboard and wood. By developing waste processing units, energy company St1’s biofuel division…
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UK-based Local Generation has announced plans for a food-waste to energy plant in Cambridgeshire, UK. The food recycling company is investing £9-12 million (€10.3-13.7 million) in an anaerobic digestion system, which will produce up to 2.5MW of power to supply 1,500 local homes and businesses. Local Generation intends to submit a planning application for the site in the town of March in Q2.…
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Bharat Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of India’s state-owned oil company Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), will invest Rs.21.31 billion (€335 million) in a biodiesel project in Uttar Pradesh, India. The project will use jatropha as feedstock. BPCL will work in five districts: Kanpur, Jhansi, Laltpur, Chitrakoot and Sultanpur. The company expects the project to start by Q2 this year. ‘We are…
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Biorefining technology company Chempolis has commissioned a third-generation biorefinery demonstration plant in Oulu, Finland. With a total investment of €15 million the biorefinery is expected to reach full production during Q2. ‘The demonstration plant represents the third-generation because it can use the entire vegetable matter and produce a number of biomass-based products and…
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Japanese companies including Nippon Oil and Toyota will establish a research body to develop next-generation cellulose-derived biofuels. The consortium has set the target of producing 250,000 kilolitres (1.6 million barrels) of ethanol by March 2014, at 40 yen (€0.03) per litre (about €54 a barrel) by 2015. The other firms in the project are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toray Industries,…
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