Other News

In British Columbia, Canada, a commercial-scale biodiesel plant has been officially opened, following a grand opening ceremony on 27 July 2011. Based in the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, the new plant will enable the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-operative to supply biodiesel from locally sourced feedstocks. Previously, the co-op was providing its customers with cooking oil-derived biodiesel that…
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The production of biodiesel in the US reached record highs in June this year when volumes hit 81 million gallons, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Biodiesel production for the first half of 2011 alone has already surpassed the levels produced in the whole of 2010, having exceeded 375 million gallons. These figures come following the reinstatement of the biodiesel tax credit…
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In Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric and Hawai'i BioEnergy have agreed on a deal that will see Hawai'i BioEnergy supply biofuel to Hawaiian Electric's Kahe generating station. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will now review the contract. If it is approved, Hawai'i BioEnergy will provide the power station with 10 million gallons a year of biofuel for power production. Empty land on Kauai…
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Mexican airline Aeromexico now offers flights from Mexico City to San Jose, Costa Rica, which use a blend of biofuel and conventional jet fuel. A Boeing 737 completed the first flight which took place on 27 Septmeber.  Aeromexico has switched to using 25% biofuel in its engines as part of the Green Flights project, which aims to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The airline's first…
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In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that 119 million gallons of biodiesel was sold in September. This is the sixth successive month in 2011 in which biodiesel has risen to an all-time high. It is also an 8% increase on the 110 million gallon record reached in August. Including September's sales, around 686 million gallons of biodiesel have so far been sold in the…
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Drop-in biofuels company Sundrop Fuels has selected a site for its first cellulosic ethanol production plant after acquiring over 1,000 acres of land in Louisiana, US. Costing between $450 and $500 million (€336-373 million) to build, the inaugural plant will be located near Alexandria on a 1,200-acre site. The plant will produce up to 50 million gallons a year of biofuel from forestry waste…
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The German biofuels association UFOP has dismissed claims in a new report carried out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) into the predicted emissions to be created by indirect land use change policy. The UFOP says it opposes the adoption of ILUC factors specific for biofuels outlined in the report and says more investment protection needs to be given for existing…
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2010 was a busy year for US-based biofuels company BlueFire Renewables. The company first rebranded itself in order to clearly communicate its capabilities within the entire renewable energy sector. Today BlueFire can produce a number of different biofuels, including ethanol, biodiesel and biojet fuel, in addition to other drop-in fuels. November saw the newly branded BlueFire Renewables’…
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A specialist in Deinococcus bacteria for biofuels, green chemistry and antibiotics, Deinove has published its financial results to 31 December 2010. Last year the company consolidated its alliances with its longstanding technology partners and signed a new, wide-ranging collaboration agreement with enzyme and chemical company VTT-Technical Research Centre of Finland. As part of the Deinol…
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The parent company of algae-to-ethanol company Algenol Biofuels Inc. has acquired Berlin, Germany-based Cyano Biofuels. Algenol LLC's acquisition increases Algenol's R&D capacity and strengthens its valuable access to European expertise in biotechnology and algal research. Algenol LLC previously held an indirect, minority position in Cyano Biofuels, and Algenol has worked closely with the…
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In Fort Dodge, Iowa, US, producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services Cargill has acquired a corn wet mill ethanol plant from Tate & Lyle. The facility's current annual production capacity stands at 115 million gallons of ethanol from 150,000 bushels of corn a day. Speaking about the purchase, Alan Willits, Cargill Corn Milling North America's…
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In Canada, renewable energy producer Rentech is looking to develop a biomass plant in White River, Ontario that will produce jet fuel and create 400 fulltime jobs. 'This will be the largest renewable clean jet fuel programme in the world,' says the CEO of RenTech Hunt Ramsbottom. 'This will be the first of its kind where the province, the federal government, local communities and a private…
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In Africa, more biofuel plantations can be traced back to British companies than any other country, according to an investigation by the Guardian. Of the total 3.2 million hectares of land used for biofuel crop cultivation in Africa, over 50% is owned by 11 British companies. Crest Global Green Energy is reported to own the largest amount of land – a total of 900,000 hectares in Mali,…
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Originally viewed as the solution to all of Zimbabwe's fuel issues, one of the nation's key biodiesel plants faces a period of drawn-out closure after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has pulled out of the project. Despite having already invited bids for its 50% shareholding in fuel manufacturing company Transload, investment and economic analysts predict the project will find no investment…
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