Other News

Global marine terminal operator DP World announced last week its acquisition of a majority stake in Embraport, the largest Brazilian private multi-modal port terminal in the city of Santos. The deal is the fruit of DP World’s partnership with Brazilian engineering and construction company Odebrecht, and marks its entry into the Brazilian market. ‘This is an unparalleled opportunity to enter…
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In the US ethanol fuel tanks will be installed at three South Dakota state Department of Transportation regional yards in an effort to increase the use of renewable fuel by the state fleet. Although nearly 40 % of South Dakota’s 3,395 government vehicles are flexible fuel vehicles, state employees have not had access to high ethanol blends, such as E85, at state fuelling facilities. Instead,…
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The UK’s Renewable Obligation is firing up green power stations in Scotland. Power utility Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and port operator Forth Ports have announced plans to construct four 100-MW biomass power plants in Dundee, Leith, Rosyth and Grangemouth. In June 2008, SSE and Forth Ports formed Forth Energy, a joint venture to develop renewable energy projects around Forth Ports’…
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Canada’s first canola-based biodiesel Milligan Bio-Tech producer opened its 10 million litre-a-year flagship optimisation facility in July in Saskatchewan province, as a first step to ensuring the technology works well enough to upscale to a future 150-million litre a year plant. Although like everyone else, the plant has suffered delays as a result of the economy and dropping fuel prices,…
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State-owned Vietnam Oil and Gas Company (Petrovietnam) has started construction on a second bioethanol plant in the central province of Quang Ngai. The $80 million (€56 million) plant which will use cassava as feedstock, is expected to open in 18 months with annual capacity of 100,000m³. The project is the second of three planned biofuel plants in Vietnam, each costing $80 million, the…
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US-based Fulcrum BioEnergy has announced that it has successfully demonstrated the ability to economically produce renewable ethanol, using ordinary household waste as feedstock. This milestone, achieved at the Turning Point Ethanol Demonstration Plant, confirms construction of the Sierra BioFuels Plant in Nevada in July. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2011, and will turn…
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The Government of Canada is investing CA$13.72 million (€8.9 million) over seven years in NorAmera BioEnergy’s bioethanol plant in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, as part of a new EcoEnergy for Biofuels initiative. ‘By investing in this project, we are helping to create and sustain local jobs and economic opportunities while encouraging a healthier environment for all Canadians,’ said Ed…
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Profits from biofuels are hard to come by at the best of times, but one biofuels company’s ex-CEO has been selling green property on the black market. The former CEO of biofuel company Alabama-based American Bio-Fuels has been charged for felony first-degree theft of property after selling illegal Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). The charge was a result of a report made by an owner…
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One of India’s largest transport and energy groups is planning to make the largest investment into green fuels on the eastern seaboard of Australia. An Indian consortium which includes the Bhoruka Group plans to invest AUD$63 million (€37.6 million) to produce edible oils and eventually biodiesel in NSW. The venture will be named Riverina Oils & Bio Energy (ROBE). Three partners Dhruv…
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Following an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariff on US biodiesel in March, the EU is receiving greater imports of Argentinean biodiesel. Switzerland-based biodiesel producer Biopetrol says European biodiesel producers are calling for an investigation into cheap biodiesel exports, which they say are edging them out of the market. European producers say they suspect biodiesel is being…
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Bioelectricity specialist Helius Energy has teamed up with Speyside whisky cooperative The Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) to implement an award-winning scheme to generate electricity from a by-product of whisky manufacture. Pot ale is a high-protein liquid removed from malt whisky immediately before the final distillation of the spirit. CoRD is a cooperative of Speyside whisky…
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South African company First In Spec, which was established last year, is to build three biodiesel plants in South Africa in the next four years. The company is to invest R1.5 billion (€135 million) in the construction of three plants to convert waste cooking oil to biodiesel. The first, to be built in the port town of Richards Bay, on the east coast, is projected to cost R350 million and to…
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In an age of idling ethanol plants, one company is paying particular attention to its cellulosic ethanol endeavours. Massachusetts-based Verenium’s 1.4 million gallons a year (mgy) cellulosic ethanol demo plant in Louisiana has produced a few hundred gallons of beer, and the company is going through unit operations in an effort to optimise its process, and eventually scale-up for its 36 mgy…
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The national legislature of Cyprus is considering amending a law banning the promotion or use of biofuels produced from genetically modified crops. The European Commission (EC) has approached the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a ruling on whether the Cypriot law breaches European Law banning unauthorised trade sanctions. If, as widely expected, the ECJ rules against Cyprus, Cyprus could…
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