Other News

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 »

Praj Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ardent Energy Group Ethiopia and Eco-Energy S.C Ethiopia to target the cultivation and refining of biodiesel from non-food feedstocks. The agreement is based on the EU sustainability criteria and principles on biodiesel. Chairman and CEO of AEG, Daniel Gezahegne says: ‘AEG and Praj are planning to attain 20% biodiesel for…
Read More »

Chicago-based Zenergy International has acquired Greenlight Biofuels and its assets for $1.5 million (€1.1 million) in a deal that will see Zenergy expanding the company’s revenue. Zenergy plans to generate capability by providing resources to create a bigger biodiesel client base to purchase the fuel. This is first of many planned acquisitions that Zenergy has been planned for the…
Read More »

California’s eco-friendly city Santa Monica has launched a new recycling program to turn reused cooking oil into biofuel. The city has joined forces with the Los Angeles based company GeoGreen in the hope of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, clogged sewer lines and the city’s dependence on fossil fuels. The programme is mainly aimed at restaurants in the downtown area of the city. Santa…
Read More »

All good things come to an end. The biodiesel tax incentive in the US is set to expire on 31 December 2009, but a report released by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) shows a continuation of the credit is vital to avoid damage to the industry and the economy. The study, which was conducted by economic analyst John M. Urbanchuk, examined the economic impact of the biodiesel industry and the…
Read More »

Canada’s railways could be run on animal fat, grease and oils if the biodiesel fuel can stand the harsh winters. The Canadian government plans to bring about a 2% biofuel mandate in diesel by 2011. C$800,000 (€507,719) will be spent on a train trial that will blend 5% biofuel with diesel. The trial will run from November to March. The tests will be the first of its kind in Canada and will…
Read More »

A biofuel joint venture between Ineos Bio and New Planet Energy has received $50 million (€45.2 million) from the US Department of Energy (DoE). The JV’s commercial-scale biofuel and renewable power facility in Vero Beach, Florida, will be operational by late 2011 with construction expected to begin in 2Q 2010. The Ineos New Planet BioEnergy joint venture will own and operate the commercial…
Read More »

UK ports are changing green at an alarmingly fast rate. The Ports of Tyne, Teesside, Talbot, Grangemouth and Tilbury are experiencing biomass and biofuel projects taking place on their shores. Most recently on 25 November the Port of Tyne and green power station operator Drax Power signed an agreement to invest £16 million (€17.6 million) in handling and covered storage facilities for between…
Read More »

It has been a long wait but now Europe's largest biorefinery operated by Ensus in Teesside, UK, is due to begin production within weeks. The £250 million (€276.5 million) refinery will produce ethanol from wheat, processing 1.2 million tonnes of animal feed wheat a year. Under a 10-year agreement, Shell will buy all the plant's annual output of 400 million litres of bioethanol to…
Read More »

Construction on a new biomass cogeneration facility has begun in the US. US energy secretary Steven Chu broke ground at the opening of the $795 million (€526 million) biomass facility at Savannah River Site (SRS) in Georgia this week. The new Biomass Cogeneration Facility will generate electricity and steam by burning more than 300 tonnes of wood and shredded tires per year. The facility…
Read More »

Valero Energy and Mission NewEnergy have signed a five-year deal to supply 200,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year, which is potentially worth around $3.5 billion (€2.4 billion). Mission has confirmed that it will supply Valero with jatropha-based biodiesel and palm oil based biodiesel. Mission NewEnergy said: ‘The increasing demand for biodiesel driven by the Renewable Fuels Standard and…
Read More »

The global recession has hit wood chip sales due to a reduced demand for paper. Global sales of wood chip fell by 26% during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period a year ago. As a result of the fall in sales, volumes fell to 25 million tonnes, the lowest level since 2002. The biggest market for wood chips is in Japan whose pulp mills account for 53 per cent of globally traded…
Read More »