Other News

The volume of anhydrous ethanol exported from Brazil to the US has fallen from 376.2 million litres in Q2 2008 to 22.3 million litres in Q2 2009. Several factors explain this dramatic reduction. Rains during much of June reduced the number of days available for sugarcane crushing, lowering the volume of cane harvested as well as the sucrose content of the cane. This is despite the entry of 10…
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In the US state of Oregon, cellulosic ethanol specialist Trillium FiberFuels has received a grant of $750,000 (€531,000) from the US Department of Energy (DoE) to commercialise its cellulosic ethanol technology. The trillium process works by using an existing industrial enzyme to convert xylose, which is not digestible by yeast, to another sugar called xylulose, which is. According to…
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A dispute delaying construction work on the UK’s largest bioethanol plant has been resolved. On Tuesday 4 August workers on the plant at Teesside were sent home on paid leave over a commercial dispute involving project managers Simon Carves and its sub-contractors. Simon Carves reportedly cut strings with the project leaving Ensus to manage the build. But an Ensus spokesman has now confirmed…
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The presence of trace amounts of biodiesel in marine diesel is becoming increasingly hazardous to shipping, according to marine fuel specialists. Marine fuel is often transported in pipelines also used to transport biodiesel. Trace contamination of marine fuel is therefore almost inevitable. ‘Since there is today no accepted test method available to quantify biodiesel in marine fuels,…
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In Pakistan, the Ministry of Environment has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) to implement a commercially viable Rs2.8 million (€24,000) biogas programme. In the programme’s first phase, set to run until 2012, 30,000 digesters will be installed in selected rural areas. The programme aims to use the market and non-market benefits of…
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Filipino developer Basic Energy has commissioned two Thai consultants to conduct feasibility studies into a proposed cassava ethanol plant. Basic Energy signed contracts on 30 July with the Alternative Energy Institute of Thailand and Ethanol Thai to examine the company’s proposal to build a 100 million litre a year bioethanol plant in the Filipino province of Batangas. Basic Energy…
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Two members of the US House of Representatives have introduced a bill to remove government subsidies on corn-derived bioethanol. The Affordable Food and Fuel for America Act, sponsored by Joseph Crowley, a New York Democrat, and Mary Joseph Mack, a Californian Republican, would phase out subsidies on the production of ethanol from corn and transfer them to second-generation biofuels. The bill…
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A scheme employing Aboriginals in Pilbara, Western Australia, to recycle used cooking oil into saleable biodiesel has received a grant from the Western Australian Government. The Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation started the scheme to alleviate the poverty of many of the Aboriginals as well as providing a cheaper source of fuel to natives who need to drive the vast distances of Western…
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A dramatic illustration of the potential of biodiesel came with its use to power a Boeing U-787 hydroplane in a demonstration on 2 August. The U-787 was tested repeatedly at the annual Chevrolet Cup, each with a greater proportion of biofuel, culminating in the 100% blend being used in a run on Sunday. Hydroplane driver Chip Hanauer reported no drop in performance as the percentage of biofuel…
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Biofuel Africa, a Ghanaian corporation wholly owned by the Norway-based Solar Harvest, claims to have increased the acreage of land available for food production in Northern Ghana by 880%. In 2008, 55 acres of the company’s land was planted with food crops grown by 25 local farmers. Tests showed that repeated growing of food crops had depleted this soil of much of its nutritional…
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The US state of Oregon has relaxed its E10 mandate to allow petrol stations to sell unblended fuel to the owners of non-road vehicles such as fishermen, snowmobilers and loggers. The E10 mandate was introduced in 2007, but it was relaxed shortly afterwards when the owners of specialist vehicles and power tools reported engine problems with the compulsory blend. Initially, the range of outlets…
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Dan Bulzan from the NASA Glenn Research Centre is the latest speaker to confirm his attendance at the upcoming Biofuels International Canada expo & conference, organised by leading publication Biofuels International magazine. Bulzan will be talking about 'Green Aeronautics': the work NASA is doing to make aircraft more environmentally friendly through R&D on the modifications…
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US-based second-generation biofuel company PetroAlgae is investigating the use of microcrops other than algae as feedstocks. PetroAlgae claims its technology, which uses the miniature flowering plant lemna, is ready for commercialisation. PetroAlgae currently operates two labs and one customer demonstration facility, all in the US state of Florida. The customer demonstration facility includes…
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Stockholders in Nevada's Panda Ethanol have voted to approve a voluntary dissolution and plan of liquidation. After payment of all outstanding claims to the company’s creditors, preference shareholders will receive up to $2.5 million (€1.4 million) in funds and assets, together with any unpaid dividends. Panda does not believe any funds or assets will remain for distribution to…
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