Other News

Illinois-based Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is set to become the US’ biggest producer of bioethanol despite an 83% drop in profits in the fiscal fourth quarter. The company is due to open new 275 Mgy bioethanol plants: one in the fourth (calendar) quarter of 2009 and one in Q3 2010. It anticipates that demand for ethanol will be driven by an expected increase in the permitted percentage of…
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In Scotland, a consortium of existing managers and Souter investments has bought out Argent Energy, which was the UK’s only commercial-scale biodiesel refinery when it opened in Motherwell in 2005. The consortium purchased the shares of a group of investors led by Cinven, which has backed the project since its inception in 2001. ‘Since we started production we have delivered over 170…
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The early bird deadline for the upcoming Biofuels International Asia expo & conference in Singapore ends on 1st October – register now to receive an extra 10% discount! Not only will you receive a discount, you also get access to two events for the price of one! Building on the success of Biofuels International expo & conference in Europe, Biofuels International magazine will go one…
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Asia has long fuelled the biofuels boom with its oil-rich feedstocks. It is now using the feedstock waste for generation of green power. Asiatic Group (Holdings) will take a 30% stake in joint venture to develop a RM150 million (€29.9 million) biomass project in Perak to convert empty oil palm fruit bunches into electric power. The group, through subsidiary, Colben Energy (Singapore) Pte,…
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Ireland-based Greenfield Project Management has entered into an agreement to sell its ethanol output to LUKoil’s trading and supply company Litasco. Greenfield’s first bioenergy complex in Belarus will initially produce 150,000 metric tonnes of ethanol a year, rising to 450,000 tonnes as phases 2 and 3 are completed. Litasco intends to blend Greenfield’s ethanol with LUKoil’s petrol to…
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California’s status as the new green state has drawn the interests of two biodiesel producers. Canada-based Sunx Energy will open a 21,500 square foot biodiesel plant, and San Diego-based Dynasty Energy will open a 20,164 square foot biodiesel plant, in the state. ‘It's always good to have green industries coming to town because it encourages other green industries to come,’ Adelanto…
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Being green is not necessarily inexpensive. The Norwegian Government has proposed to remove a tax exemption on biodiesel for the safety of people rather than the health of the environment. The Government argues that costs related to road accidents, congestion, noise and road wear and tear are the same whether cars are run on fossil fuels or renewable fuels. Norway has also introduced a sales…
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Feedstock-rich Indonesia is poised to boost production of biodiesel. The government plans to develop regional centres for processing palm oil into biodiesel and other products. The government is seeking investment to produce oleochemicals, oils and biodiesel from palm oil. As the nation awaits a record production of 21.5 million tons of palm oil next year three areas for processing have been…
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Biodiesel producer Bionor will invest US$209 million (€163 million) in a project to produce 300 million litres of biodiesel a year in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. The investments are scheduled for the first half of 2009, with land purchase and the installation of the first seedling nursery and a laboratory already defined. The project will use the oleaginous plant gentle-pinion as…
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Finland-based paper company UPM Kymmene and renewable fuel supplier Lassila & Tikanoja are testing the use of producing ethanol from the pulp-based waste created by the paper industry. During the pilot tests ethanol and energy are produced from commercial and industrial waste, such as paper, cardboard and wood. By developing waste processing units, energy company St1’s biofuel division…
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Lionel Clarke, Global strategic programme manager for Innovation at Shell Global Solutions, joins the list of 40 high level speakers at Biofuels International expo & conference 2009. Shell is a world leader in R&D into next generation biofuels. Its technology division Shell Global Solutions has a dedicated bio-team working at several centres around the world and has forged multiple…
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In the US, The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded a total of more than $580,000 (€425,000) to three biomass-to-liquid fuel-related projects within the state. The Biofuels Center has been tasked to implement North Carolina’s renewable fuels standard, which mandates that by 2017, 10% of the liquid fuels sold in North Carolina should come from locally grown and produced…
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Illinois-based Blackhawk Biofuels has recently completed upgrades to its 45 mgy facility in Danville, Illinois, US. The $12 million (€9 million) project included the installation of multiple feedstock pretreatment and production upgrades, enhanced laboratory and testing facilities and improvements for storage and logistics capabilities. Upgrades began in September 2008 to enhance the…
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British Columbia-based Lignol Energy, a technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations, was awarded €2.6 million to produce cellulosic ethanol and other biochemical products from under-used forest resources. Lignol will use the funding to support production runs at its industrial-scale biorefinery…
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