Other News

The executive VP of the Biotechnology Industry Organisation’s (BIO) Industrial and Environmental Section, Brent Erickson, has issued a statement in response to what he called ‘false claims’ made by the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) president Charles Drevna in regard to cellulosic biofuels. Erickson’s statement was sent to the House Energy and…
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After successful demonstration of its catalytic process for making jet fuel, diesel and high octane gasoline from renewable energy sources AliphaJet is taking the project to the next level. AliphaJet used plant oil and animal fat to produce its biofuels and is now launching a programme to build a demonstration scale facility with an annual capacity of 500,000 gallons a year, due for completion…
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Vivergo Fuels has confirmed that the start-up its proposed new biorefinery in eastern England will be delayed until towards the end of 2012. The biorefinery, claimed to be one of the biggest in Europe upon its completion and based near Hull, is set to use over one million tonnes of feed wheat to produce 420 million litres of bioethanol a year. An approximate by product of 500,000 tonnes of…
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has closed public comment on the approval of grain sorghum as an advanced biofuel under the renewable Fuels Standard. The period for comments has been open for over a month and been championed by sorghum producers country-wide, with National Farmer’s Union president Roger Johnson supportive from the beginning. Johnson was quoted as saying:…
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A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Science Centre believes it has identified key new proteins which could aid in the production of next generation biofuels. Analysis of eight species of heat-loving bacteria from the genus Caldicellulosiruptor has revealed it may be possible to break down complex plant material, like switchgrass, using those instead of having to…
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Production developer of biofuels and bio-based chemicals Codexis has signed an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Shell. Shell has agreed to negotiate exclusively with Codexis and would grant the company certain rights and licenses in the biofuels field to develop and sell cellulase enzymes to third parties on a worldwide basis, except Brazil. Codexis has exclusive rights to commercialise its…
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UK-based road tanker operator Lewis Tankers has won a two-year contract to transport biofuel on behalf of Petrolneos Fuels (PF). PF currently imports bulk quantities of bioethanol in its natural form and mixes it with 1% gasoline. Lewis Tankers will collect fuel from PF’s storage tanks at Grangemouth Docks, Yorkshire and deliver it to their Grangemouth refinery, operating from its own base…
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The Wisconsin Institute for Sustainability Technology (WIST) has been issued a patent to create biofuels from plant fibre. It is WIST’s first patent will allow for a process that can create biofuels and other products from cellulosic plant material including agricultural residues like corn stover or plants grown specifically for fuel production, such as hardwood and softwood…
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US-based champions of second generation ethanol Epec Biofuels announce a supply chain partner agreement with Biodimensions Delta Biorenewables (BDB). Epec provides an industry integration platform to realise the commercial reality, from production to utilisation, of second generation ethanol from sweet sorghum feedstock. BDB is a joint venture company that assesses the potential of sweet sorghum…
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A biofuels scheme has gained European approval so that UK feedstocks can now have Red Tractor status. The proposal, named The Red Tractor Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme, will ensure traceability on feedstocks back to individual UK farms and has been backed by the European Commission, ensuring recognition across all 27 member states. It has taken two years of lobbying by Red Tractor alongside the UK…
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Oxford Catalysts Group, a technology manufacturer for the production of synthetic fuels, is to supply its technology to the GreenSky London plant. A joint venture between Solena Fuels and British Airways, GreenSky London will be Europe's first commercial-scale sustainable jet fuel facility, producing renewable jet fuel from waste biomass. Oxford Catalysts will now provide its Fischer-Tropsch (FT)…
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A new pilot plant in Ontario, Canada is due to demonstrate how spent solvent and waste water converter KMX’s technology can reduce operational costs for biofuels and green chemical manufacturers. KMX believes pathways to cellulosic ethanol and biobutanol can be aided by its hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane technology. The pilot plant will show how it can capture and dehydrate small…
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South African Airways (SAA) is set to explore the implementation of a voluntary carbon offset programme that could also support the development of forestry in South Africa. The state-owned airline, which works on a global scale, is vulnerable to policies in other countries that impose penalties and taxes on carbon emissions. Public enterprise minister Malusi Gigaba believes that the SAA requires…
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