Other News

Oil major BP has been forced to replace its ethanol-blended petrol (E10) in Queensland, Australia, due to severe flooding in the state. From 17 January 2011 Regular Unleaded 91 will take the place of E10, as the Queensland-based biofuel supplier cannot continue to deliver. Over 75% of Queensland, a state larger than California and Texas combined, has been declared a disaster zone.
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In Jamaica, the Petroleum Corp. of Jamaica’s Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy (PCJ) and the Caribbean Research and Development Institute (CARDI) have partnered for a small-scale biodiesel project. Using locally grown jatropha and castor cultivated on CARDI’s six-acre Sam Motta Demo Farm, the $10.3 million (€7.6 million) project will test the viability of biodiesel for…
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An ethanol plant developed for Chisumbanje, Zimbabwe, which was due to be commissioned in March 2011, has now been deferred until June 2011. Speaking about the move, Graeme Smith, Green Fuel's general manager explained that commissioning has been pushed back to June after a number of issues began impacting negatively of the facility's progress. The project is a joint venture between the…
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'Renewable energy systems', as defined in the Rural Energy for America Programme (REAP), will now also include flexible fuel pumps, which the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will fund the installation of. The new rule, which was announced by US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on 8 April 2011, is expected to encourage more installations of these 'blender pumps', which in turn will provide…
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In the US, renewable fuels producer Pacific Ethanol's Q1 2011 net sales were $173.1 million (€122.7 million), compared to $71.3 million for the same period in 2010. The company saw an increase in the total number of gallons sold, which went from 58.7 million gallons in Q1 2010 to 84.6 million gallons in Q1 2010, an increase of 25.9 million. Pacific Ethanol attributes its successful first…
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A university has produced jet fuel from a mixture of both coal and biomass feedstocks which will be tailored to be used in US military jet fuel applications. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota says its refining technologies helped to produce the coal-biomass feedstock which will be used as another source of fuel that is an alternative to…
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In Fulton, Mississippi, US, biofuels company BlueFire Renewables has completed initial site-preparation for its first cellulosic ethanol plant. Century Construction has cleared the site, completed the grubbing, brought the site to grade level and installed drainage structures prior to completion of final rough grading. Grass and mulch were applied to establish the necessary growth for erosion…
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In the US, Western Wisconsin Energy's board of directors has decided to sell the biofuel plant. The company was set up in 2003 and in 2006 finished building its 40 million gallon a year ethanol plant. Today, the Western Wisconsin Energy plant can produce 55 million gallons of ethanol a year. Tours of the plant will be taking place between 1 August and 12 August. Ascendant Financial Partners has…
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In India, Bharat Renewable Energy (BREL), a joint venture of Bharat Petroleum, one of the country's largest petroleum companies, has initiated a programme with SG Biofuels (SGB) to develop and deploy elite hybrids of jatropha for the production of biodiesel. Phase one of the project involves a crop development effort to produce cross varieties of jatropha adapted to unique growing conditions…
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An ethanol plant auctioned on 24 August in the US failed to sell for more than the starting bid due to its high selling price and complications associated with it. Primary lender Cape Fear Farm Credit bid $34.5 million (€24.5 million) for the Raeford, North Carolina-based Clean Burn Fuels, anticipating a higher bidder would end up acquiring it. However this was not the case and Cape Fear is…
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Four months after closing, Ensus' bioethanol plant remains closed due to market conditions. Ensus closed its £250 million (€286 million) facility in May but insisted this was a temporary move. However, operations there remain halted and Ensus is unsure when production will be resumed. However it hopes to start refining by the end of this year. Nevertheless, the company remains positive…
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The market for biofuels will increase by more than two fold by the year 2021 with a rise in production and consumption in the transport sector being the biggest drivers, according to a new report. The cleantech research firm estimates that the global market for biofuels will increase from $82.7 billion (€59.7 billion) in 2011 to $185.3 billion in just ten years. The report, written by Pike…
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Alaska Airlines has powered its first flights using a blend of biofuels derived from used cooking oil. The airline, along with its sister company, Horizon Air, says they will operate 75 flights between Seattle and Washington DC over the next three weeks using the fuel. The blend, which consists of 20% biofuels, will cut greenhouse gases by about 10% over the 75 flights, which Alaska says is 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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