Other News

The 8 March 2011 saw refining and marketing company Neste Oil celebrate the grand opening of its renewable diesel production facility in Singapore, along with the country's deputy Prime Minister for defence Teo Chee Hean and the Finnish minister for ownership steering Jyri Häkämies. The plant began operations back in November 2010, producing 800,000 tonnes a year of NExBTL renewable…
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New York, US-based Enervation is to acquire the Algona biodiesel plant from the bank, following months of negotiations. The plant in question was constructed back in 2007 but never became operational. Now a large amount of work is needed before the plant can begin running at its 60 million gallon-a-year production capacity. As Enervation examines the existing permits and licenses, the engineers…
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BP will acquire majority control of the Brazilian ethanol and sugar producer Companhia Nacional de Açúcar e Álcool (CNAA). This is expected to increase BP's overall Brazilian production capacity to around 1.4 billion litres of ethanol equivalent per year. BP will pay approximately $680 million (€493.58 million) to acquire 83% of the shares of CNAA and has agreed to…
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In Thailand, the world's third-largest producer of palm oil, the Energy Ministry is to hold 5,000 tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) for use of cooking oil, as the country's government works to address the shortage of domestic palm oil. This CPO was originally intended for biofuel production, however will now be refined as cooking oil. A further 10,000 tonnes of CPO held by the private sector will…
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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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In Quito city, Ecuador, biofuel company Intelifuel is to set up a project that will convert used edible oil into biodiesel. The used oil will be sourced from nearby homes, eateries, hospitals and military units. From there Quito's atmospheric pressure will separate the oil from the water, instead of using chemical substances. Intelifuel has invested $750,000 (€544,000) in the project to date…
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Brazil, the world's third largest sugar producer, is willing to invest in Pakistan's energy sector. Ambassador of Brazil to Pakistan Alfredo Laoni communicated this during his visit to Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), highlighting that Brazil is prepared to aid community traders and industrialists during Pakistan's energy crisis. The country will increase its assistance through…
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DuPont is uniquely positioned to deliver clean technology opportunities, including both advanced biomaterials and biofuels, according to Craig Binetti, president of DuPont Applied Sciences. He says: 'We are meeting the growing demand for reducing dependence on fossil fuels by harnessing the full innovation capabilities of our scientists and our partners,' Binetti continues: 'This creates a…
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The world's largest ethanol producer Poet will open its newest ethanol production facility this year and will hold a grand opening on 15 March 2011. Poet Biorefining – Cloverdale is the company's 27th ethanol plant. Based in Indiana, US, the 90 million gallon-a-year plant will put the state's total ethanol production above the its goal of 1 billion gallons. The event will feature public…
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Peru has resumed importing DDGS after shipments stopped in 2007, according to the US Grains Council (USGC). The four-year dry spell ended at the beginning of 2011 when a 5,000-tonne load with freight on board (FOB) value of $1 million (€723,035) arrived during the first week of January. Imports to the nation ceased following a misclassification of the product by the Peruvian government four…
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Technology provider for the energy and environment sectors Abengoa will implement its enzymatic hydrolysis process technology to produce bioethanol at a commercial-scale in the US. The news comes after the company's second generation bioethanol pilot production plant, located in Salamanca, Spain, produced successful results. The project, which received financing for its construction and start-up…
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Three US programmes dedicated to boost and encourage the use of renewable energy, in addition to create more jobs in rural areas, are to face interim rule changes. The Biorefinery Assistance Program, the Repowering Assistance Program and the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels will be impacted by the changes, which will allow non-rural locations to be eligible for funding and remove prior…
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BioJet International, a supply chain integrator in renewable jet fuel and related co-products for the aviation and transportation sectors, has received a $1.2 billion (€880 million) funding facility from Cayman-based Equity Partners Fund SPC. The funding structure is a three-year facility; further terms of the funding were not disclosed. The funding agreement will allow BioJet a significant…
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