Other News

Bioenergy firm Solena Group has signed a letter of intent with clean energy company Rentech for the use of its proprietary Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel technology in Solena’s sustainable biojet fuel project – GreenSky. The facility will convert more than 500,000 tonnes of waste biomass feedstock into synthesis gas every year using Solena’s plasma gasification technology, BioSynGas. The…
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UK-based BP Biofuels has outlined four criteria for successful sugar-based biofuels. Speaking at the International Sugar Organisation meeting in London on 26 November, Phil New, head of BP Biofuels, explains that, for one, it needs to be low in cost. In order to compete with oil priced at between $40 and $50 (€30.4 and €38) a barrel, the biofuel must be $1 a gallon. It must also be low in…
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Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. is to partner with Sime Darby Plantation Sdn., a unit of Malaysia’s Sime Darby Bhd, for a bioethanol plant in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Together Mitsui and Sime Darby will build and operate the demonstration facility, which will manufacture 1.25 million tonnes a day of bioethanol from empty oil palm fruit branches. Speaking about the project…
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With its annual rainfall and soil temperatures perfect for growing the tall perennial cane Arundo donax, the north of Australia could find itself at the forefront of the world’s leading biofuel energy producers. Norwegian company ENEnergy has already submitted pastoral permit applications to different governments in a bid to plant and grow Arundo donax in the Northern Territory, Western…
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In Sweden, thanks to a team effort between Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, and Renova, the country’s first energy efficient garbage truck has been delivered. It is the first of eight garbage trucks around Sweden to run on biomethane and biodiesel. CEO of Renova, Sweden’s major recycling company Christian Baarlid said: ‘It is largely thanks to the municipality’s “green…
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Biofuels International expo & conference has changed its name to Bioenergy International expo & conference to reflect its new focus. The event, being held in Prague on 5-6 May, will have three streams looking at biodiesel, bioethanol and bioenergy. With all the media speculation surrounding biofuels and their impact on food security, food prices and emissions reductions, the industry…
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In the UK, W4B is back, after its application for a biofuel plant in Portland was rejected in 2009. W4B Renewable Energy has submitted a second proposal for planning permission on a £35 million (€40 million) palm oil facility. W4B wants to construct the multi-million pound power plant at Portland Port, on the edge of Balaclava Bay. Now, in a bid to show their lack of support for revived…
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Gas and electricity provider Duke Energy could soon be issued with renewable energy certificates after asking regulators in North Carolina to register two of its plants as sustainable energy facilities. In 2007 the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law stating that all plants in North Carolina must use renewable resources to generate a portion a the energy they sell. This law will become…
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The Indian government has approved further capital investment by biodiesel refiner Australia-based Mission NewEnergy into its Indian feedstock business. Mission will also continue with the original approved activity of being engaged in the contract farming of jatropha and utilising the jatropha oil for domestic or export markets. The managing director of Mission Nathan Mahalingam said:…
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Following an indication given by the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) Italian customs authorities seized a large quantity of illegal biodiesel at the end of March. This operation, as carried out by the Custom authorities of the port of Venice was validated by an Italian judge. The 10,000 tonnes of biodiesel were imported in the ports of Venice and Trieste in mid-March. The load was declared as…
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Houston-based energy project development player Energy Allied International and The Seawater Foundation and Global Seawater have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop the world’s first commercial-scale seawater-based biofuels project in Egypt. The formed company New Nile will produce tens of millions of litres of second generation biofuels on a 50,000 hectare project…
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Following poor weather conditions in Brazil last year, which affected the cultivation of the nation’s sugarcane, this year’s CS Brazil harvest is set to reach an all-time high. The UK’s oldest sugar trader Czarnikow has reported that around 590 million tonnes of sugarcane is set to be crushed this year, increasing production by 17% to 33.5 million tonnes. However as a result of the…
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Spanish private equity firm GED Capital has invested €7 million in Spain-headquartered biodiesel producer Bio-Oils. The investment will enable the company to expand its production capacity to 500,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year. Bio-Oils is already one of the largest biodiesel producers in Europe, producing 250,000 tonnes a year. The plant is connected by pipeline to the port of Huelva and to…
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An ethanol plant proposed for Zimbabwe has been given the go-ahead as country leaders believe it will bring some much-needed development to the area. The $600 million (€492 million) Chisumbanje ethanol project is a venture between the government, MacDon and Rating Investments and, according to Chief Tobias Hiliziyo Garawa, the area is already seeing some changes. ‘We had some of the…
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