Other News

In Dai Tan Commune in Dai Loc District, Vietnam's largest ethanol plant opened on 2 April 2011. Dong Xanh owns and operates the plant, which produces 125 million litres of ethanol annually from locally grown cassava. The plant cost in excess of VND600 billion (€20 million) to construct. In addition to providing work for around 20,000 cassava farmers, the new development will also create…
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Papua New Guinea-headquartered New Britain Palm Oil (NBPOL), a large-scale integrated industrial producer of sustainable palm oil in Australasia, and agribusiness group Wilmar International have agreed to set up an integrated supply chain and joint marketing agreement to supply Europe with fully traceable and segregated sustainable palm oil from NBPOL's Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)…
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In the UK, Milford Haven Port is looking to push plans that will attract new renewable energy and biomass businesses, after it reported 2010 as a strong year from the clean gas and oil activities. In its annual report released on 1 June 2011 Milford Haven Port, which handles a fifth of the UK's fuel needs, reported increased revenues of almost 20% throughout 2010. Profits also rose by more than…
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Technology and speciality materials firm Celanese is to begin producing ethanol in China earlier than previously scheduled. In addition to the company's previous plans to develop a possible two greenfield units, Celanese plans to modify and enhance its existing integrated acetyl facility at the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park with its TCX technology. These modifications would add approximately…
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In the US, ethanol producer Poet has been offered a conditional commitment for a $105 million (€75 million) loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy (DoE). If finalised, the loan will go towards building a biofuel production plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, that will convert corncobs, leaves, husks and stalks into 25 million gallons a year of cellulosic ethanol. 'This project will help…
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In Hawaii, US, biodiesel company Pacific Biodiesel will deliver its fuel to the new Hawaiian Electric Company-operated 8MW Honolulu International Airport Emergency Power Facility. Hawaiian Electric and Pacific Biodiesel reached an agreement on 2 August, which will see Pacific Biodiesel supply the facility with at least 250,000 gallons of biodiesel produced from used cooking oil. Pacific Biodiesel…
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Denmark's Danish Biofuel has been renamed in order to reflect the 'proud Danish tradition for the processing of agricultural products'. The company's new name, hveiti a/s, means 'wheat' in Old Norse. However, as Svend Brandstrup, hveiti's managing director, says: 'The production concept remains the same as always, but with the name change, we get a name that more accurately reflects our concept…
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Enerkem, a producer of biofuels and chemicals from waste materials, has entered into an offtake agreement with Methanex, a methanol supplier. Under the agreement, Methanex will purchase methanol produced at Enerkem's facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Enerkem's Edmonton-based subsidiary, Enerkem Alberta Biofuels, will begin producing the methanol for Methanex. The plant will subsequently…
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In China, steel producer Shougang Group and its New Zealand-based partner Shougang TangMing are looking to reduce their carbon footprint through the installation of clean energy technology at their steel mills across the world. Under a joint venture agreement with LanzaTech, Beijing-headquartered Shougang will construct a demo-scale plant at one of its steel mills, before this is quickly scaled…
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The Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) has submitted documents to the House Science and Environment Subcommittee for a hearing on motor fuel standards, stating that the Renewable Fuel Standard is working with congress to increase US energy security and economic competitiveness. Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s industrial & environmental section, says:…
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Biofuel producer POET says that is to produce 12 million gallons of biodiesel this year, thanks to its expansion of its new Volià production method to six of its plants. POET director of business development Clayton Vaughan explains the product: ‘Voilà crude corn oil is a co-product from the ethanol industry which allows us to realise more value from grinding corn and it…
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Green Plains Renewable Energy, the fourth largest ethanol producer in the US, has signed an asset purchase agreement with Otter Tail Ag Enterprises to acquire its 55 million gallon-a-year capacity dry-mill ethanol plant near Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The proposed transaction is anticipated to progress through a court-approved bankruptcy processing initiated by Otter Tail Ag Enterprises. If…
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Technology provider for the energy and environment sectors Abengoa will implement its enzymatic hydrolysis process technology to produce bioethanol at a commercial-scale in the US. The news comes after the company's second generation bioethanol pilot production plant, located in Salamanca, Spain, produced successful results. The project, which received financing for its construction and start-up…
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At the Port of Morrow in Oregon, US, cellulosic ethanol company ZeaChem's plant is over one-third complete. The 40,000-gallon fermentation tanks are now in place, while work continues on the two-story operational facility. Builders started work on the project in November 2010, with completion scheduled for October 2011. ZeaChem is financing the core technology portion of the project. The company…
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