Other News

The world’s largest renewable diesel plant has started operations in Singapore. The plant, which is owned and operated by refining and marketing company Neste Oil, has the capacity to produce 800,000 tonnes of NExBTL renewable diesel a year but, according to Neste Oil, the production capacity is set to increase and will be ramped up on a phased basis. Costing approximately €550 million to…
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In Sao-Paulo, Brazilian-based Rio Vermelho produces ethanol from around 1.3 million tonnes of sugarcane per season. Now, in its first ever investment in the sugarcane sector, Glencore, a supplier of commodities and raw materials to industrial consumers, has acquired a stake in the company’ sugarcane mill for over $80 million (€60.5 million). Switzerland-based Glencore now owns a 70% stake…
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In order to transport ethanol from the Midwest to the East Coast of the US, Magellan Midstream Partners and Poet are joining together in a venture to build a 1,800-mile pipeline. The pipeline, which will take four years to build and cost $4 billion (€2.8 billion), will begin at ethanol production facilities in the Midwest and carry the ethanol all the way to New Jersey, depending on a loan…
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One of the world’s first cellulosic ethanol demonstration facilities has opened in Vonore, Tennessee, in a ribbon-cutting affair, followed by a tour of the 74,000-square-foot plant. Several hundred visitors gathered to witness the opening of this demo refinery – a partnership between Genera Energy and DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol (DDCE) that has the capacity to convert switchgrass and…
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Following in the reduced carbon footprints of Ford and Chrysler, General Motors is now demonstrating its support for the biofuels industry. GM has created a new Duramax 6.6L turbo diesel engine that can power a 20% blend of biodiesel. The new engine will run new 2011 heavy-duty models such as the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra pickup trucks, Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. Chevrolet is…
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Major European oil refiner PKN Orlen will be presenting on the execution of targets for biofuels at the upcoming Bioenergy International expo & conference in Prague on 5-6 May. Robert Gmyrek, the director of the biofuels department will also cover the need for top quality biofuel. PKN Orlen is the pioneer in the Polish market when it comes to selling biofuels and both its diesel and petrol…
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Legal charges have been brought against the European Union’s executive as documents linked to biofuels and their detrimental effect on the environment have been kept under wraps. The four environmental groups responsible for the suing say that these reports will add to a growing portfolio of evidence damning biofuels. The groups, ClientEarth, Transport and Environment, the European…
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In California Envirepel Energy plans to reopen the company’s first renewable energy facility after it temporarily closed in June last year to deal with a shareholder proxy effort. The company hopes the facility, which generates 2.5MW of power from biomass resources, will be operational again by the middle of April 2010. The plant, which was built in the centre of a commercial business park,…
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One of Brazil’s largest sugarcane and ethanol producers has acquired an ethanol plant. Alto Alegre bought the Cofercatu plant in Florestópolis (Paraná state) for R$ 182 million (€76.8 million). Alto Alegre's latest unit crushed 1.06 million tonnes of sugarcane in the 2009/10 crop year, which ended 20 April. It produced 66.35 million litres of fuel ethanol and 11,848 tonnes of sugar…
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In Finland refining and marketing company Neste Oil has begun testing its Neste Green 100 diesel as transport fuel. Neste Green 100 diesel is made from 100% renewable raw materials which have between 40 and 80% lower carbon dioxide emissions than conventional diesel. Its tailpipe emissions are also lower. Neste Oil’s executive vice president Sakari Toivola said: ‘This is the first time…
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Non-state owned energy firm China Integrated Energy’s (CIE) biodiesel plant, which is currently being built in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi province, China, has just obtained the production equipment needed for its new refinery. Under construction near to the company’s existing 100,000-tonne/year biodiesel production facility, the new plant will utilise crop straw including wheat straw, corn…
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In Lakeland, Florida, US, fuel supplier Fleetwing Corporation now sells E85 ethanol from its first public ethanol pump. Comprising of a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol, the fuel is available to owners of flex-fuel vehicles only. Fleetwing also distributes E85 to Lakeland city in bulk amounts for use in its fleet vehicles. However, since the ethanol pump was installed around one month ago,…
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In Santa Cruz, California, US, an increasing number of taxis from Yellow Cab and Go Green Cab are switching from regular vehicle fuel to biofuels. While Yellow Cab begins to integrate its first hybrid taxi, a Ford Escape, onto the roads, Go Green is transporting passengers around the city using biodiesel. One Yellow Cab driver explained that he used to spend between $400 (€317.6) and $500…
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Cargill has received official certification for its sustainable palm oil supply chain, according to the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). A privately held firm, Cargill’s energy and fuels business is the first to receive the international certification scheme, meaning it is now able to provide customers with palm oil for use in energy applications working towards…
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