Other News

The US Environmental Protection Agency believes it has not found any evidence to support a finding of ‘severe economic harm’ that would warrant grant a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS)waiver. That decision has been reached after economic analyses and modelling completed in conjunction with the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy. The research conducted included…
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Denmark-based renewable energy company Biogasol has confirmed receiving a new multi-million cash injection. A €10 million ($12.7 million) grant allocated by the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP), while another €5 million has been added through new equity financing. The money will be used to build support and production of Biogasol’s pre-treatment…
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UK-based bioethanol producer Ensus has recently been importing European maize for its processes after claiming poor quality wheat stock from home. The company’s feedstock manager, Stewart Easdon, believes the lower starch yield and bushel weight of UK wheat in 2012 has ‘presented challenges’ in terms both in terms of handling an increased volume needed and the quality and…
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British Petroleum (BP) has reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) following its part in the Deepwater Horizon event in 2010. The settlement reached a total of $4.5 billion (€3.5 billion) to resolve all federal criminal charges and claims by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The agreement is also cash positive because it also clarifies the level of criminal fines…
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The only advanced biofuel in the US, normally only available as a seasonal blend, is now to be offered all year round in certain states. The South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Harms Oil Company, National Biodiesel Foundation and Clean Cities have partnered to expand the availability of biodiesel in southwestern Minnesota, eastern…
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Shell Australia has opened up a new biodiesel terminal in western Sydney. Shell says the facility, which resides at its Parramatta terminal, comes in response to customer demand to reduce diesel excise liabilities and reduce environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. B20 fuel will be available for the first time to the New South Wales market and Shell VP downstream Andrew Smith says the launch…
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US-based transportation fuels producer Kior has begun production at its first commercial facility in Mississippi. It is believed the plant, once running at full capacity within the next 12 months, will be able to produce almost 50 million litres of petrol and diesel per year. Kior will be using a mixture of biomass, like non-food crops and woodwaste, as part of the manufacturing process. Despite…
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Researchers in Taiwan believe they are a step closer to creating algae-based alternative fuels. A project has been conducted by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and the Fisheries Research Institute and the results, which have been seen by the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), confirm that Taiwan is getting closer to creating a cost-effective, environmentally friendly…
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Cargill, a US-based agribusiness business, will be closing one of its two biodiesel plants in Germany. The 120,000 tonne capacity per year facility has stopped production because of what Cargill calls an ‘overcapacity’ in the European green fuels sector. The plant is a joint venture with German agricultural co-op Agravis. The recent announcement by the European Commission to reduce…
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UK-based Whitefox Technologies has secured a bioethanol contract with the government of Guyana as it aims to move itself away from imported oil dependence. Together with Brazilian business Green,  Whitefox will install the units for a bioethanol demonstration plant at the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s Albion sugar factory, with a turnkey unit set for delivery in early 2013. Guyana’s…
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Germany-based biotechnology company Direvo is set to commercialise its new conversion process of non-food feedstocks into fuels and chemicals. Its BluCon platform is the result of an intensive research programme to identify microorganisms viable to cheaply produce chemicals and fuels from carbohydrates created from non-food biomass, so-called second generation biomass conversion. ‘After two…
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The UK government has revealed the details of its revised Energy Bill this November but a decision on carbon emission targets will be delayed. Energy companies will be allowed to charge households an extra £7.6 billion ($12.1 billion) to go towards low-carbon electricity infrastructure by 2020. Chancellor George Osborne, who is in favour of gas-powered generation, has not enjoyed a smooth…
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Australia-based Mission NewEnergy has revealed its subsidiary Mission Biofuels (MB) has been served with a winding up petition. The petition against the Malaysian biofuels producer has been served by the contractor for its second proposed biodiesel refinery, KNM Process Systems. It states that KNM is in dispute with MB over a sum of $16.1 million (€12.7 million) for goods delivered and work…
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