Other News

Waste Management of Texas, US has closed an equity investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy. Additionally, Waste Management has agreed to a secured loan facility that provides for Waste Management's funding of up to $70 million (€51.8 million) for Fulcrum's proposed Sierra BioFuels plant upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. The parties also entered into a master project development agreement…
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VTT Vasiliko, the company which aims to build a private oil storage terminal in Cyprus with an investment of €220 million, said it would take a positive view if the state wished to use its facilities. According to the company, this would save up to €50 million in investment for the Republic of Cyprus, a saving which could be passed onto the Cyprus tax payer. It also said the VTT…
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Kappa Ethanol in Nebraska, US is expanding its transportation infrastructure with the addition of more than four miles of rail track. This will result in Kappa being able to transport 96 rail cars of ethanol to destinations such as California and Texas, instead of just one. Construction on the new infrastructure commenced in October and it is slated for completion by 31 December.
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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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Test results have demonstrated the potential of Gevo's isobutanol for use in the marine sector. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has carried out two studies to assess the effects of fuel containing butanol in marine environments. The project, set up to compare isobutanol and ethanol blends and their impacts on the boating industry, included an emissions test and a product…
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Environmentally conscious London-based car-hire group greentomatocars has added biofuel-powered vehicles to its existing 200-strong fleet. The company, which launched five and a half years ago, utilises mainly Toyota Prius'. However, customer feedback highlighted the need for different vehicles to provide a more luxurious experience and transport larger groups of people. With this in mind,…
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A biomass plant proposed by Schneider Electric and Clarke County has been officially blocked following a six-week battle with locals. Residents of downtown Vancouver in Washington, US, opposed the plans claiming the facility did not fit in with the existing buildings in the area. But Schneider Electric and Clarke County appealed against this, explaining that the proposed plant was no different to…
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Cascade Grain plant in Washington could come back into operation over the next couple of months after being shut down in 2009 because of bankruptcy. JH Kelly Ethanol, a JV between The Industrial Company and JH Kelly Holdings, acquired the plant back in December 2009 and at the time JH Kelly’s president Mason Evans said: ‘We were very disappointed when Cascade Grain succumbed to the…
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Blue Sun Biodiesel will sell its biodiesel at the Cummins Terminal located in Knoxville, Tennessee ‘We’re glad to be bringing our biodiesel, and our way of doing business to Knoxville and the Cummins Terminal,’ says Blue Sun CEO Leigh Freeman. ‘Locating at the Cummins Terminal will give our customers a very convenient and efficient way to meet their biodiesel blending…
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Boeing has signed an agreement to collaborate with Hawai'i BioEnergy to produce renewable fuels, identify biofuel sources and build new technology. The companies plan to examine crops including sorghum and eucalyptus for possible biofuel feedstocks – which can be grown locally in Hawaii in order to be produced into jet biofuel. Boeing vice president of environment and aviation policy, Billy…
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Belgium-based tradeshow operator easyFairs has acquired the market leading bulk liquid storage conference and exhibition, StocExpo. easyFairs will take over the organisation of the 2012 event with immediate effect. International sales manager, Sharé Mason, has transferred to the UK offices of easyFairs in Twickenham and will continue in the success of the 2012 event. UK-based StocExpo…
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South African company Sasol Synfuels has opened its first cobalt catalyst manufacturing facility in Sasolburg which will convert gas to liquids (GTL). The company will supply the catalyst production to Qatar, Nigeria and Uzbekistan; creating 50 permanent jobs in the local South African community in the process. Lean Strauss, Sasol senior group executive, says: ‘Our total capital spend in…
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Adair Turner, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has acknowledged that the aviation sector may be an area in which fossil fuels have to be used, highlighting that we are looking to achieve a 'low carbon economy' and not a 'zero-carbon economy'. At present the UK and EU government budgets for cutting carbon emissions do not stretch to the aviation sector. However, this looks set to…
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