Other News

Members of Illinois parliament in the US have approved the state’s biodiesel blending programme today with a vote in the senate of 44 to nine. The sunset date for the biodiesel state sales tax initiatives has been extended for the biodiesel state sales tax to the end of 2019 and with this any biodiesel blend of more than 10% is now eligible for fuel tax exemption. President of the Renewable…
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Algae.Tec, a company dedicated to the production of renewable oils from algae, has been awarded a contract to build its algae biofuels production facility in Sri Lanka. The plant is being constructed for cement and building company Holcim Lanka and is Algae.Tec's first plant to be built in Asia. Holcim is investing in the plant to reduce its carbon footprint by channelling waste carbon dioxide…
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Biodiesel company Evogene has extended its agreement with Brazilian agriculture company SLC Agricola in order to further develop castor bean seeds as a feedstock for biofuels. This follows the development of seed varieties in trials in northeast Brazil through this year which the companies say has been successful. The partnership between the two companies began in 2010 and involves developing…
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In Mexico, Chiapas state government will propose to build a biojet fuel production plant in January 2012. Should the plans be granted approval, the plant would help Mexican airlines achieve their blending targets for aviation fuel; in 2015 the government wants 1% of renewable jet fuel to be blended with traditional aviation fuel. This will increase to 15% by 2020. The plant is estimated to cost…
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Shipping company Maersk and the US navy are working together to test biofuels derived from algae by fuelling a container ship with the alternative fuel for a journey from the north of Europe to India. The ship, called Maersk Kalmar, was chosen for the tests because it features an engine that has been specifically designed for auxiliary testing, meaning risk of damage on the voyage is reduced. The…
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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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Canadian company Core BioFuel has produced a wood-to-fuel process to create high-octane, benzene-free, drop-in petrol. The fuel will be produced from dimethyl ether and Larry Melnichuk, vice president of process design and development at Core says the technology ‘performs better than expected’. He says: ‘The catalyst for this reaction did not produce benzene - which the EPA has…
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American Airlines, committed to cutting its carbon footprint, is due to launch its inaugural biofuel powered flight in mid-2012. The airline will use a Boeing ecoDemonstrator aeroplane to complete the flight, which will take place next summer. At the end of November American Airlines secured its supply of renewable diesel with the signing of a purchase agreement. It has also signed a memorandum…
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Atlantec BioEnergy says it is to build an R&D demonstration plant on Prince Edward Island off Canada. The company recently purchased a facility in Cornwall in the UK and is also turning this into a demonstration plant by renovating it and installing its technology. Atlantec plans to use ‘non-traditional feedstocks’ to create the bioenergy, such as energy beets grown in the local…
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Eight firms working to commercialise biojet fuel will receive a total $7.7 million (€5.8 million) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The chosen eight companies will aid the FAA in developing alternative, sustainable 'drop-in' fuels that require no modifications of existing aircraft engines or fuelling equipment. Feedstocks used to produce this renewable jet fuel include…
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Phase one of Botlek Tank Terminal's (BTT) construction project, which began in April 2010, has been commissioned. On 4 December BTT sent out a tanker from tankpit 20, which was carrying 4,000 tonnes of biodiesel. In addition, BTT has since discharged an additional 3,000 tonnes of biodiesel from a cargo ship that was stored in tankpit 20 also. Polimex-Mostostal of Warsaw, Poland constructed the…
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Algarythm, a South Australian company, has developed a new method in producing algal biomass in commercial quantities. Fishace Ecological Engineering has designed an open pond algae system coupled with photo-bioreactors to increase microalgae density and volume whilst decreasing operating costs. Nutrient-loaded waste waters have been introduced whilst managed fish culture provide vitamin streams.…
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FuturaGene, a woody crop plantation company for the bioenergy and biofuel markets, has opened a new biotech R&D centre in China. Although Futuragene has been working in China through partnerships with universities and research institutes over the last six years, this is the first such centre of its kind for the company in the country. Stanley Hirsch, CEO of FuturaGene, says: ‘China,…
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