Other News

The first large scale biodiesel pumps in Nanaimo, Canada will be set up next year for people to use in modified vehicles. The Nanaimo Recycling Exchange (NRE) will offer the service in participation with Cowichan Energy Alternative (CEA). Spokesman for CEA, Mark Turcotte, said: ‘The NRE will recycle the used vegetable oil that is collected from Nanaimo's homes and businesses into…
Read More »

In Brazil Petrobras’ biofuels arm Petrobras Biocombustivel has acquired a 40.4% stake in Total Agroindustria Canavieira. The $84 million (€58 million) move enables Petrobras Biocombustivel, originally a biodiesel producer, to enter the ethanol business. Total runs an ethanol mill in the city of Bambui, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, with total capacity of 100 million litres a year of…
Read More »

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…
Read More »

In Argentina, Ledesma has announced it will invest $37 million (€25.8 million) to produce ethanol from sugarcane. The sum will enhance sugarcane cultivation, expand a distillery, and install a dehydrator to produce ethanol for the Argentine market. The initiative is part of the $222 million investment package planned by the agro-industrial complex for 2008-2011.
Read More »

Sugarcane central Brazil is now seeing a shake-up in feedstocks and the type of biofuels it produces. BioVentures Brasil will receive $1 million from the InterAmerican Development Bank for a pilot project on about seven hectares in Bahia, northeastern Brazil, where it plans to develop a plantation on 20,000 hectares of mostly abandoned cattle-grazing land. The pilot will determine whether the…
Read More »

In Japan an affiliate of Toyota Motor corporation will grow jatropha to use its oil as an alternative fuel in 2010. Toyota Tsusho is in negotiations with a Philippine banana plantation to introduce the non-edible feedstock. Toyota Tsusho bought a stake in Singapore-based seed researcher JOIL(S) this year to develop a better plant after erratic yields prompted BP and rivals to pull out of…
Read More »

It is the perfect Christmas present. While some people ask for ties, socks or a fine whisky – on the alcohol theme – one company has bought three fuel ethanol plants. Following its eager snap-up of seven VeraSun Energy plants earlier this year, a subsidiary of refining and fuel marketing company Valero Energy has signed agreements to buy the three facilities in the US for $272 million…
Read More »

In the US, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has called on California’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) to reject the Air Resources Board’s (ARB) Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS) rule currently under review. The RFA has highlighted numerous instances where ARB violated established procedures by failing to properly address stakeholder comments on the LCFS proposal. ‘ARB’s Final…
Read More »

Following a series of successful tests by KLM, Japan Airways and Virgin, airlines are queuing up to fill their planes with renewable fuels components. Now one company will provide them with quarter of a billion gallons of renewable jet fuel a year. California-based synthetic fuels producer Rentech has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 13 passenger and cargo carriers for a future…
Read More »

An ethanol project in Peru has received $25 million (€17.3 million) from the Inter-American Development Bank. Maple Energy’s $245 million ethanol plant, sugar plantation and electricity power generation facility will have a capacity of 35 million gallons a year. The company expects to achieve a 53% increase in sugarcane yield, compared to global averages on its 34,500 acre plantation. The…
Read More »

Located in south east Europe, Bulgaria is strengthening its biodiesel rules. The country will introduce compulsory blending of diesel and petrol with biofuels from 2010 to boost the usage of the green fuels and meet European Union environmental targets. The new rules, which come into force in March next year, require blending of diesel with a 2% content of biodiesel. Biodiesel content will be…
Read More »

Kenya is building up its ethanol base with a little help from India. Mumias Sugar is constructing a Sh3.5 billion (€32.2 million) ethanol distillery, with Indian engineering company Avant Garde undertaking the design, construction and procurement of the Mumias Ethanol Distillery Project at the sugar miller’s complex in Mumias. Mumias will also spend another Sh23.4 billion in acquisition of…
Read More »

The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has approved a project proposal put forward by Pond Biofuels that includes funding for its biomass from algae demonstration plant. The proposal was submitted under the Asia-Pacific Partnership (APP) on Clean Development and Climate programme. Along with the biomass plant in Ontario, Canada, the project also includes a feasibility study to assess…
Read More »