Other News

London mayor Boris Johnson is calling on the UK’s biofuel industry to turn more of London’s waste, such as cooking oil, into biodiesel for the capital’s bus network. It is claimed vehicles running on biodiesel produce around 25% fewer carbon emissions than those running on traditional fuel.  London’s bus fleet uses approximately 250 million litres of fuel each year,…
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US-based Renewable Energy Group (REG) has completed the purchase of a 30 million gallon per year capacity biodiesel plant in Iowa, formerly owned by Soy Energy. Soy Energy unit holders approved the sale in a vote on 29 July. Pursuant to the purchase agreement, REG acquired the biorefinery for $11 million (€8.3 million) in cash and the issuance of a $5.6 million promissory note. Due to a…
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Independent bulk liquid storage operator Vopak has teamed up with Magellan Midstream Partners to jointly evaluate building a storage terminal in the Houston Gulf Coast area. Under a recently signed joint development agreement, the two parties will carry out a feasibility study for the new facility, which will store and handle crude oil, refined products and ethanol. Vopak owns the site in Deer…
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UK transport minister Norman Baker has announced millions of pounds worth of capital funding to enable the construction of demonstration-scale waste-to-fuel, and other advanced, biofuel plants within the country. The £25 million will be used to underpin private sector investment in the sector in order to drive the development of the UK’s biofuel industry. ‘It is clear that in…
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Scientists in Norway claims a sea dwelling species maybe another avenue towards creating sustainable biofuel for transportation. Tunicates, a yellow-green organism that sucks bacteria and other microorganisms through one end before turning it into purified water at the other, has been subject to tests by researchers at the University of Bergen. The researchers believe tunicates are the only…
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Horizon Terminals has become an official supporting partner for this year's Tank Storage Asia conference in Singapore on 10-11 December. The event, now in its 7th year, promises to be the biggest yet with speakers already confirmed from the like of VTTI Asia, Sinopec Kantons Holdings, KIC Group of Companies, BMT Asia, ICIS and Mott MacDonald. As well as including in depth analysis on the growth…
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Two US-based companies have signed a long-term agreement for the supply of purpose grown energy crops and residues to be used as cellulosic feedstock. Chemtex International and Murphy Brown (MB), both located in North Carolina, will ensure the feedstock goes towards use in Chemtex’s cellulosic ethanol facility planned for construction in Clinton. The agreement covers a number of feedstocks…
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News reports from Argentina claim biodiesel and feedstock exports will be disrupted on 18 July as port and shipping workers go on strike. The country’s unions for grain handlers, port workers and some shipping workers are downing tools in protest against government taxes. Although many workers allegedly received a pay rise this year, it now means they have to pay higher income tax. This,…
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A third round of grant funding aimed to help petrol stations buy ethanol blender pumps has begun in South Dakota, US. The state has put up $500,000 (€389,500) and station owners can apply for up to $25,000 to install a pump for the first time, or up to $10,000 for any additional pumps. Blender pumps allow customers to choose their ethanol blends at the pump at 10, 20, 30 or 85%. South Dakota…
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Local news reports in the Philippines state Brazilian joint venture business Raizen Energia (RE) is set to build a new bioethanol facility with local developers. RE, owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Cosan SA Industria and Commercio, currently produces over 2 billion litres of ethanol from sugarcane in its native country. A source revealed that RE ‘are still at then exploratory stage, looking…
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A pilot plant in Spain is to use municipal wastewater and sunlight for biofuels production via algae. The project, branded as All-Gas and backed by seven European-based partners, is set to cost €12.2 million ($15.7 million) but at least €9 million has been received from the European Union (EU). It will aim to produce 3,000kg of algae a year with an oil content of 20%, enough biodiesel…
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The multi-million pound Vivergo bioethanol plant has officially opened in Hull, UK this July. The facility, a joint venture between Dupont and AB Sugar costing £350 million (€407.1 million), makes Vivergo the biggest bioethanol plant in the UK, as well as the biggest single-source supplier of animal feed. It is believed the plant will pump out 420 million litres of bioethanol a year…
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One of the most powerful people on Earth, US President Barack Obama, gave a passionate address on climate change on 25 June during a visit to Georgetown University in Washington DC. Obama wants to cut carbon pollution and reduce global warming and told an audience of students and visitors: ‘I refuse to condemn your generation, and future generations, to a planet that is beyond…
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