Other News

Petrotec, a European producer of waste-based biodiesel predominantly from used cooking oil, has revealed an increase in both sales and earnings during the first half (H1) of 2013. It reports group sales of €96.9 million ($128.8 million), up 25.8% compared with the figure from the same period last year. The company also generated an operating profit €3.7 million compared to €900,000…
Read More »

Darling International, a provider of rendering, recycling and recovery solutions to the US food industry, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the assets of Rothsay, a division of Maple Leaf Foods, for approximately CA$645 million (€459 million) in cash. Rothsay is a biodiesel producer and recycler of animal by-products in Canada by processing raw materials into finished…
Read More »

Marathon Petroleum has acquired from Mitsui interests in three ethanol companies for $75 million (€56.5 million). Under the agreement Marathon acquired an additional 24% interest in Andersons Clymers Ethanol, a 34% interest in Andersons Ethanol Investment and a 40% interest in Andersons Albion Ethanol. Ascendant Partners served as Mitsui’s financial advisor for these transactions,…
Read More »

Diamond Green Biodiesel, a joint venture between Valero Energy and Darling International, has reached capacity during its start-up phase. The plant, based next to Valero’s St Charles refinery in Louisiana, began operations in June and uses animal fat, used cooking oil and other waste grease to produce just over 9,000 barrels of biodiesel per day (bpd) currently. The project, two years in…
Read More »

Codexis, a developer of engineered enzymes for biofuel production, has received notice from Dyadic International alleging it is in breach under a license agreement established by the companies in 2008. Codexis had obtained a non-exclusive license relating to Dyadic's C1-based proprietary fungal expression technology for the production of enzymes to make products in the fields of biofuels, certain…
Read More »

Quad County Corn Processors, after four years of research into an $8.5 million (€6.4 million) expansion, has developed a technology to make 2 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol each year via corn kernel fibre feedstock. The process, which ferments the starch first and then the fibre rather than a concurrent process that does both at the same time, is expected to increase the 35 million…
Read More »

Praj Industries, a process solutions business for bioethanol, has emerged as the first company in South Asia to set up an integrated second generation cellulosic ethanol plant. The demo plant, located in Maharashtra, India, will operate on different varieties of biomass, including agricultural wastes such as corn stover, cobs and bagasse, at a capacity of 100 dry tonnes per day. It will enable…
Read More »

A biofuels feasibility study in Australia has received funding from the local government of Victoria. The Hepburn Shire Council will use the AU$60,000 (€41,235) as it considers converting heavy fleet vehicles to biodiesel. Hepburn Shire will work with fellow councils in Golden Plains and Pyrenees Shire to work out the best way for their local communities to benefit from the switch. As well…
Read More »

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has supported a biodiesel project based in Botswana, Africa. JICA will donate an estimated P$2 million (€175,000) worth of equipment to aid a biodiesel processing plant, which uses jatropha feedstock, at helping the country reduce its dependency on fuel imports. The overall project started in Botswana last year and the donated equipment will…
Read More »

Fox River Valley Ethanol, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ace Ethanol, has been revealed as the purchaser of the Utica Energy ethanol plant and its related assets. The sale includes the 50 million gallon ethanol production facility in Utica, Wisconsin, a nearby distiller’s grains drying facility and a grain elevator in Green Bay. It is believed Ace’s ethanol plant is similar in capacity…
Read More »

A man who lives in Tampa, US is up for trial after it was discovered he conned millions of dollars out of investors by allegedly pretending he worked within Florida’s alternative fuels sector. William Vasden Jr, who reportedly owns a local gun shop, is supposed to have reaped $3.5 million (€2.6 million) by claiming to be a successful farmer, who had bountiful land which could be used…
Read More »

Amyris, a renewable chemicals and fuels company, has entered into agreement for the sale of convertible notes in a private placement for up to $60 million (€44.9 million) in cash proceeds. Under the terms of the agreement Temasek, one of Amyris's largest stockholders, agreed to purchase $35 million of the notes in an initial tranche and, at Amyris's election, up to $25 million in a…
Read More »

A collaboration in the Philippines is set to see road tests within public transport vehicles of biofuel blend B5. The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the University of the Philippines’ National Centre for Transportation Studies will trial the fuel, made with coconut oil, in seven jeepneys across various transport groups. The move to B5 comes after the National Fuels Board recently…
Read More »