Other News
The Colorado Economic Development Commission has dangled a multi-million dollar carrot in front of biomass company Cool Planet Energy Systems (CP) to try and entice it to the state.
CP, a California-based start-up, claims to have a petrol generating process via biomass and plant waste that does not need to rely on federal subsidies.
The CEDC hopes $3 million (€2.3 million) in tax credits…
Read More »
Read More »
A new report by UK think tank Chatham House titled The Trouble with Biofuels warns of the detriment to the country via a desire to increase usage.
The author of the report believes that biodiesel made from vegetable oil is worse for the environment than fossil fuels, plus push up food prices and hit consumers at the pump, as the UK heads towards an EU target of 5% biofuels in its overall…
Read More »
Read More »
A new agreement has been signed in the US between Agrisoma Biosciences (AB) and PGF Biofuels.
PGF will now have exclusive rights to distribute resonance carinata, a non-food industrial oilseed crop, and arrange production contracts with growers in North America and Australia.
AB oversaw more than 6,500 hectares of contracted plantations with 40 growers across Alberta and southern…
Read More »
Read More »
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) has changed its name following a recent meeting of its delegates.
The organisation is now known as Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials to reflect its expansion of scope to apply its standards to biomass that is being used for other products in addition to biofuels.
‘There is a large range of biomaterials including bio-plastics, cosmetics, food…
Read More »
Read More »
The US District Court for Delaware has entered a final judgement in one of the court battles between Butamax Advanced Biofuels and Gevo.
The long running dispute between the two isobutanol producers, over claims about patent infringements (catchily named 188 Patent and 889 Patent for ease of reference), was settled on 10 April in favour of Gevo.
‘It is hereby ordered and adjudged that final…
Read More »
Read More »
TMO Renewables a UK developer of second generation biofuels technology, and Brazil-based Usina Santa Maria (USM) have entered a joint venture to build a commercial second generation production plant in São Paulo.
Under the agreement TMO, with USM, will build, own and operate the 10 million litre ethanol pilot plant in São Paulo using sugarcane bagasse, with construction…
Read More »
Read More »
Extreme Biodiesel has entered talks to acquire fellow California-based Promethean Biofuels in a move to increase its presence in the sector.
PB is a co-operative corporation and, apart from the used motor oil and waste vegetable oil collection, its products and services are only available to members of the co-operative.
‘This relationship between us and Promethean has flourished over the…
Read More »
Read More »
Canada saw the official launch of the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) policy framework for Canada's agricultural and agri-food sector this April.
And the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) has applauded this launch as ‘good news’ for its industry and for the farmers who work closely with biofuels producers.
GF2 is a CN$3 billion (€2.2 billion) investment by federal, provincial…
Read More »
Read More »
An ethanol plant in North Dakota, US is to be dismantled despite optimistic rescue plans.
The Alchem corn-to-ethanol plant, based in Grafton, opened in 1985 but closed in 2007. An energy investment group located in Iowa mooted plans to purchase the facility last year but the idea didn’t come to fruition.
This news follows the closure of another ethanol plant in North Dakota, the former ADM…
Read More »
Read More »
Zimbabwe has increased biofuel awareness by approving an E85 blend suitable for the country’s flexi-vehicles.
The blend will contain a 15% unleaded petrol content and is hoped to lower the price of fuel throughout the country, which at the moment stands between $1.51 (€1.15) and $1.59 a litre.
‘The quality specification of E85 conforms to Standard Association of Zimbabwe Standard…
Read More »
Read More »
The US Environmental Protection Agency announced in April that 77.6 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in February.
Biodiesel in the US has exceeded targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard for two consecutive years and the new numbers show a total of more than 80.4 million gallons of biomass-based diesel for February, but that total also includes renewable diesel production.
With the…
Read More »
Read More »
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce competition between food and fuel as it implements the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
The science group submitted its recommendation at the start of April with comments on the EPA’s proposed biofuel mandate volumes for 2013. EPA’s proposal calls for so-called…
Read More »
Read More »
Palm oil reserves in Malaysia took the steepest drop in number in more than two years this March.
A report by Bloomberg believes inventories declined by 7% to 2.27 million tonnes from February, the steepest monthly drop since January 2011. These details were pulled from estimates from two plantation companies and four analysts. Exports however went up by 2.1% to 1.4 million tonnes.
The decline…
Read More »
Read More »
Papaya feedstock will play a role in a biofuels and animal feed project in Hawaii that has just received government funds.
The state has invested $200,000 (€153,800) into a conversion project with Florida-based Biotork Hawaii via its USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Centre.
The conversion process, which can now move to pilot stage, takes two weeks and uses organically optimised algae…
Read More »
Read More »
New government figures have revealed 2012 was a strong year for renewable energy generation in the UK.
A report released at the end of March put the UK’s generated electricity from renewables last year at 11.3% overall, and 12.5% in the fourth quarter.
It is believed much of this growth is due to new generating projects coming online across all renewable sectors, with biomass input…
Read More »
Read More »












