
Jun 26, 2009
Ackermans seals Brazilian biofuel deal
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Jun 26, 2009
The largest biodiesel refinery in the US was put up for sale after the owner shut down the $70 million (€50 million) facility due to declining demand.
GreenHunter Energy has plans to sell the Houston, Texas-based 105 Mgy plant by the end of the year in order to meet its $50 million financing obligations with a key lender.
The plant, which only opened in June 2008,... [Read More]
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Jun 26, 2009
Energy giant BP and cellulosic ethanol developer Verenium have been selected by the US Department of Energy (DoE) to enter the due diligence phase of its Title XVII Loan Guarantee Programme.
The project is entitled to a loan guarantee from the DoE, which would support debt funding for first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, covering up to 80% of eligible costs.... [Read More]
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Jun 25, 2009
Independent oil firm Eastern Petroleum plans to set up a $30 million (€21.5 million) ethanol plant in Isabela, the Philippines, next year.
The ethanol producing facility has a projected capacity of 100,000 litres a day, or 30 million litres a year, and is expected to come online in 2012.
To fund the project the firm’s subsidiary Eastern Renewables and Fuels has begun... [Read More]
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Jun 25, 2009
Virent Energy Systems expects to raise $25 million (€18 million) to $40 million by the end of the year in its third round of financing, as it looks to enter into the biofuels sector.
The Wisconsin-based company’s previous rounds of funding already raised approximately $70 million, which is currently financing the building a 10,000 gallon per year plant set to come... [Read More]
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Jun 25, 2009
Brazilian company Vale plans to develop a $305 million (€218 million) palm oil biodiesel project, with the capacity to produce 500,000 tonnes of palm oil and 48 Mgy of biodiesel.
The plant, which is to be completed by 2014, will utilise feedstock produced by a consortium formed between Vale and Biopalma da Amazônia. The biodiesel will be used in a B20 concentration... [Read More]
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Jun 25, 2009
Philippine biofuel producer Eco Global Bio-Oils is pursuing further areas in which to grow jatropha to use as biodiesel.
The company had initial targets of planting 100,000 hectares of jatropha, locally called tuba-tuba, but it has furthered its plans to expand to 200,000 hectares in the next two years.
Eco Global is attempting to convince members of local tribes to... [Read More]
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Jun 24, 2009
The first bioenergy research centre has been opened in the Chinese city of Nanning, in southern Guangxi Zhuang’s Autonomous Region.
The research centre will be primarily studying the feedstocks of cassava, sugar cane and sweet sorghum to be used as the principle sources for new energy development.
Huang Ribo, director of the research centre announced that further... [Read More]
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Jun 24, 2009
The Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia has received backing from BMW Indonesia regarding its current research concerning alternative energy.
The research is focusing on the potential of making biodiesel from raw, green materials such as vegetable oil rich that is in iodine. The results of which are expected before the end of 2009.... [Read More]
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Jun 24, 2009
Farmers situated in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam are receiving training in producing biogas and fertiliser from water hyacinths and agricultural waste.
The project, conducted by Can Tho University, has received €1 million in funding from the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation collaboration.
So far 2,340 farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang who... [Read More]
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Jun 23, 2009
US-based biofuels developer BioEnergy International has formed Myriant Technologies (Myriant) to incorporate all of its biobased chemicals business and intellectual property.
BioEnergy is building a 110 million gallon a year ethanol plant in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, with operations expected in January.
‘The new alignment will facilitate a clearer understanding and... [Read More]
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Jun 23, 2009
US ethanol powerhouse Poet is creating a new division to handle cob collection and supply chain management.
Poet Biomass will also look after logistics for waste wood and engineered fuels as alternative power sources and seek out additional feedstocks for future cellulosic ethanol production.
Scott Weishaar, Poet’s VP of commercial development, says: ‘Poet’s cellulosic... [Read More]
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Jun 23, 2009
Another biofuels player has fallen victim to the economic downfall. UK-based energy crop developer D1 Oils’ joint venture with BP to plant biofuel crop jatropha around the world has failed to attract a third investor.
Last year D1 announced the closure of its refineries on Teesside and Merseyside. Since then it has been concentrating on the research and planting of... [Read More]
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Jun 22, 2009
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will make federal incentive payments available for harvesting and delivering wood waste for energy via the first phase of the new Biomass Crop Assistance Programme (BCAP).
The first phase of BCAP will provide matching payments to promote multiple roles across the sector including producers and land owners for... [Read More]
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Jun 22, 2009
The Chinese state is expected to encourage a transition towards biodiesel in larger cities according to a senior academic.
Min Enze, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering has forecast that vehicles in large cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, will be B5 biodiesel compatible by next year.
Next year is expected to see the... [Read More]
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Jun 22, 2009
US city Seattle is set to review its policy on using food crop-based biodiesel, such as soyabean, for its vehicles amid concerns of it being more evironmentally harmful than standard diesel.
Seattle's Fleets and Facilities Department director, Brenda Bauer, announced that the city has temporarily stopped purchasing soya-based biodiesel fuel and is testing biodiesel... [Read More]
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Jun 22, 2009
The northern region of Vietnam has begun construction on the region’s first bioethanol plant in the province of Phu Tho.
The US$80 million project producing 100,000 m3 of ethanol per year is scheduled to come online in December 2010, converting locally available cassava and sugarcane to fuel.
The project investor, Bio-Petroleum and Petrochemical Joint Stock Company... [Read More]