Other News

In an effort to reduce carbon emissions and further renewable energy solutions, the Canadian government is to invest up to CA$18.79 million (€14 million) in Biocardel Quebec, a biofuels plant producing biodiesel and glycerol located in Richmond, Quebec, through its ecoENERGY for biofuels programme. The investment will span over a seven-year period. Speaking about the investment, the minister…
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In the US Wanzek Construction, a wholly owned subsidiary of speciality contractor MasTec, has been selected by BlueFire Renewables to build its cellulosic ethanol plant located in Fulton, Mississippi. The $296 million (€213 million) engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was signed in early October 2010 and includes around $100 million for the facility’s biomass…
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Novozymes has reported 17% sales growth and 35% EBIT growth in the first nine months of 2010. Total sales reached $1.37 million (€0.99 million) with an unexpected high demand for enzymes in the biofuel, detergent and food industries. Enzyme sales to the biofuel industry, representing roughly 18% of Novozymes’ total sales, were up by 25% (organic growth was 20%). Favourable blending…
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A recent surge in Brazilian sugarcane processing is to be crushed by a gradual reduction owing to the conclusion of milling operations. The volume of sugarcane processed in the South-Central region of Brazil until 1 November reached 500.88 million tonnes, a 12.64% increase compared with the same period in the 2009-10 harvest. In the second half of October, crushing reached 30.12 million…
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Finland could see its transport fuel sector made up of 20% biofuels by 2020 after the Finnish parliament approved the contents of a biofuel bill on 10 December. Today Finland’s distribution requirement stands at 4%. Should the bill be passed into law, motor fuels will comprise 6% biofuels in 2011, before gradually increasing and reaching 20% in 10 years’ time. The new law would be in…
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Houston, Texas-based Renewable Biofuels has idled its 180 million gallon a year biodiesel fuel plant in Port Neches, just a year after it opened. The company says the decision became unavoidable after Congress failed to renew a tax credit of $1 (€0.69) per gallon for the alternative fuel on 31 December. The credit gave a dollar to refiners for every gallon of biodiesel they blended into…
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US energy player Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) has agreed to an ethanol terminal joint venture, acquiring three terminals for just under $200 million (€141.2 million). The $195 million deal with storage and distribution company U.S. Development Group will create a nationwide network of ethanol handling facilities connected by a number of transportation modes, providing access to major…
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In Florida, the fate of Algenol’s future biofuel production facility is in the hands of Lee County officials. Close to receiving the three votes needed for the construction of a $10 million (€7.2 million) research lab, new corporate headquarters and a production utility in Lee County, not everyone appears to be on board. With the money being taken from the county’s $25 million economic…
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Following construction proposals last year, the future of an anaerobic digestion (AD) unit in Norfolk, UK, is now uncertain. Although the power plant scheme at Crows Hall Farm would use manure and waste crops, the construction may not go ahead. The smell that would be emitted from the farm has been deemed an ‘unacceptable risk’ of pollution. In a report to councillors, principal planning…
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A pilot biogas project in Narahenpita, Sri Lanka, has begun. Due to the high number of complaints about garbage collection received by CMC, the mediation of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority aims to reduce this problem by instigating a biogas production project at the place where biomass is plentiful. The recyclable waste can be separated on the site itself and has therefore been chosen…
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The Central Iowa Energy biodiesel plant in northeast Newton is now named REG Newton. The consolidation of contracts with the biodiesel plant in Newton and Blackhawk Biofuels in Danville, Illinois, has been finalised. In February Central Iowa Energy and Blackhawk Biofuels shareholders voted for an all-stock transaction and REG became the sole-owner of their facilities. This mergence makes REG…
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Vietnam state president Nguyen Minh Triet attended a ceremony for the construction of an ethanol plant in Minh Hung commune, Bu Dang district, the southern province of Binh Phuoc. The $81 million (€60 million) ethanol plant, which has the capacity to produce 100 million litres of ethanol annually, will utilise 240,000 tonnes of dried cassava. The company hopes that around 15,000 households…
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A demonstration plant is now on the cards for Canada-based Woodland Biofuels after receiving C$4 million (€2.9 million) through the Innovation Demonstration Fund (IDF). The plant, which will use Woodland’s own technology, will produce cellulosic ethanol from biomass, including wood waste and agricultural waste. The company’s technology releases no toxic emissions into the atmosphere and…
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The sickness bacteria E. coli could soon be used to power vehicles as the US Department of Energy (DoE) is supporting a research project into this area in the form of $6 million (€4.9 million). Jason Kelly, the founder of bioengineering start-up firm Ginkgo BioWorks, said: ‘This is our biggest grant to date. It’s going to help us expand, and it’s part of our strategy of moving into…
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