Other News

US-based Enterprise Holdings, which compromises Enterprise Rent-a-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent-a-Car, is set to convert its fleet to biodiesel operations. EH has already made the switch in more than 50 North American markets, focusing firstly on airport shuttle buses that are working within a five-mail radius of a biodiesel fuelling station. At time of writing about 70% of EH’s…
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Algae cultivation technology provider Solix BioSystems has finalised a £20 million (€25 million) round of funding and can now begin building its inaugural commercial plant. The new large-scale plant, the location for which has not yet been decided, will grow algae biomass that can then be used for the production of biofuels and animal feed. Solix already operates a demonstration-scale…
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Biotechnology business Matrix Genetics (MG) will pursue developing biofuels-from-algae after receiving investment from Avista Corp. The value of the investment has not been disclosed but MG CEO Margaret McCormick says it will allow the Seattle-based biotech company to spin out from agricultural biotech firm Targeted Growth, which owns the majority of MG, and continue research far into…
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A partnership that will use the by-products from whisky making in Scotland to make butanol for transportation has been signed. The Tullibardine distillery in Perthshire has signed a MoU with Celtic Renewables, an off-shoot of Napier University, to allow bacteria to feed on its draff and pot ale by-products which are high in sugar content. ‘This partnership is an important step in the…
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Technology supplier Metso is to provide a Swedish combined heat and power plant with a biofuel-fired boiler. The plant, based in Torsvik and owned by Jönköping Energi (JE), is expanding and the new 100MW unit will serve to help meet district heating and electric power needs of Jönköping municipality. The expansion the CHP plant represents a significant investment for the…
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Sweetwater Energy has confirmed its first commercial-scale, cellulosic sugar-production facility project is moving forward with the appointment of a design company. Merrick and Company has been charged with the facility’s creation process from front-end engineering through to detailed design. Sweetwater eventual aim is to produce low-cost sugars from non-food plant materials and sell them…
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A biofuels research team based at the University of Colorado will use a multi-million dollar grant to look into how to produce cost-effective biofuels from E.Coli. The US Department of Energy has awarded the project $9.2 million (€7 million) and the team will allegedly use a non-pathogenic strain of E.Coli to pinpoint any part of it that can be used to make biofuels or other chemicals. The…
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Cool Planet BioFuels has been granted approval from the California Air Resources Board to test its negative carbon petrol. The technology converts biomass, including grass and woodchips, into biodiesel. Through the process, a byproduct is created, which can be used as a fertiliser. The first part of the testing will involve blending of the negative carbon fuel with E10 petrol to try and hit the…
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Construction of the US's first large-scale, wood-to-ethanol plant is set to begin this year in Upper Peninsula, Michigan. The $232-million (€175.05 million) biorefinery is to be built on 40 acres in Kinross Charter Township, with completion expected in late 2013. A company called Mascoma developed the wood-to-ethanol process which combines wood chips with microorganisms, but the project…
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LAN Airlines and Air BP Copec have joined together to conduct a commercial flight demonstration between the Chilean cities of Santiago and Concepcion, using biofuels. An Airbus from the A320 family with CFM56-5B motors was powered with fuel from refined vegetable oil and illustrates a positive step towards sustainable commercial use of biofuels in South America. Second generation biofuels do…
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Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute have created a draft genome of a marine algae sequence which will help scientists across the US to discover the best algae species for biodiesel production. The researchers say that algae is a more beneficial feedstock for biodiesel production than corn or soyabeans because it can use numerous water sources, from wastewater to brackish water,…
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The Andersons has completed the purchase of an ethanol facility in Denison, Iowa. The plant is now called The Andersons Denison Ethanol. Amaizing Energy Denison and Amaizing Energy Holding Company previously owned the ethanol production facility, which neighbours a 2.7 million bushel grain terminal. It is accessible via two Class 1 railroads in Iowa. The Andersons will manage operations at the…
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US renewable chemicals and next-generation biofuels company Gevo has begun start-up of what it is calling the world’s first commercial biobased isobutanol production plant. Based in Luverne, Minnesota Gevo broke ground on the project a year ago and reached its goal of initiating production of biobased isobutanol  at commercial level within 12 months. ‘The startup of this plant…
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Ethanol producer Poet is now producing corn oil, as well as ethanol at its refinery in Groton, South Dakota. ‘It is one more value-added product we can produce from a kernel of corn,’ says Kelly Kjelden, general manager. ‘Poet is always looking for the next step to add value, to be more efficient and to make the plant more viable and profitable. Being able to extract corn oil…
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