Other News

US, New Jersey-based Garden State Ethanol has selected a landfill site in Woodbine, Philadelphia, for the location of a $200 million (€142 million) biofuel plant that would use more than 100 bioreactor tanks to convert algae into ethanol and biodiesel oil. An environmental study has cleared the site over the threat to any endangered species and a site analysis is planned, nearby rail lines are…
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ReNvision Biofuels has secured the services of SRS Engineering to build it a 10 million gallons per year biodiesel multi-feedstock plant in, Alberta, Canada. SRS Engineering will provide the complete design and engineering services and the equipment required to build this biodiesel plant. The project will use a number of feedstocks that are available locally, including animal fats, canola and…
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Pipeline company Kinder Morgan Energy Partners has announced the first successful commercial shipment of biodiesel to be transported through a pipeline in the US. The shipment saw a 5% biodiesel blend transported from Mississippi to Georgia, and from Mississippi to Virginia, via the Plantation Pipe Line Company, jointly owned by Kinder Morgan (51%) and Exxon Mobil (49%). December 2008 saw…
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to extend the comment period on a draft rule that aims to cut greenhouse gases emitted by biofuels. The proposed changes to the 2007 US Renewable Fuel Standard attempt to make production of corn-based ethanol more efficient and increase output of advanced biofuels. The comment period on the rule (RFS2) has been extended by 60 days, from…
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Drawing on the success of Biofuels International expo & conference in Europe in 2008 & 2009, leading global publication Biofuels International magazine is pleased to announce its first Biofuels International Canada expo & conference. The two day conference and exhibition on 28 - 29 October 2009 in Montreal is designed to coincide with Canada's biofuel mandate which takes effect…
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The NASA Glenn Research Center and Israel-based marine microalgae developer Seambiotic's US subsidiary are developing a collaborative R&D programme for optimisation of open-pond microalgae growth processes for biofuels production. The goal of the agreement is to make use of NASA’s expertise in large scale computational modelling and combine it with Seambiotic’s biological process…
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In the US, the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition (EERC) has compiled and released the Complete Training Guide for Ethanol Emergency Response, to help prepare ethanol producers, transporters and first responders who may experience or come in contact with an ethanol-related emergency. This complete training package includes two videos, an instructor’s guide, interactive workshops and seven…
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Biomass-to-energy company Chemrec is evaluating possible sites in the state of Georgia, US, for developing integrated fuels-from-the-forest black liquor gasification biorefineries at pulp and paper mills. Chemrec biorefineries transform mills into producers of biofuels or biochemicals or even green electricity and power. Georgia with more than 24 million acres of forestland, only Oregon in the…
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The proposal for an international fund to cut greenhouse gas emissions costs could remove biofuels subsidies. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed the creation of an international $100 billion (€70 billion) annual fund to distribute to developing nations to cut GHG costs, but also recommends a cut in biofuel subsidies. Brown recommends that subsidies for agriculture and biofuels and…
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The European Commission has approved the proposed creation of a biobutanol production technology joint venture between BP Biofuels and US chemical manufacturer DuPont, resulting in a dual takeover of US company Biobutanol LLC. The companies are on track to develop a biobutanol production plant in the UK. It will begin as a 420 million litre a year ethanol plant with operations expected mid-2010…
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Farmers situated in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam are receiving training in producing biogas and fertiliser from water hyacinths and agricultural waste. The project, conducted by Can Tho University, has received €1 million in funding from the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation collaboration. So far 2,340 farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang who possess less than 2.3…
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Independent oil firm Eastern Petroleum plans to set up a $30 million (€21.5 million) ethanol plant in Isabela, the Philippines, next year. The ethanol producing facility has a projected capacity of 100,000 litres a day, or 30 million litres a year, and is expected to come online in 2012. To fund the project the firm’s subsidiary Eastern Renewables and Fuels has begun enquiring about…
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Virent Energy Systems expects to raise $25 million (€18 million) to $40 million by the end of the year in its third round of financing, as it looks to enter into the biofuels sector. The Wisconsin-based company’s previous rounds of funding already raised approximately $70 million, which is currently financing the building a 10,000 gallon per year plant set to come online this year.…
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Brazilian company Vale plans to develop a $305 million (€218 million) palm oil biodiesel project, with the capacity to produce 500,000 tonnes of palm oil and 48 Mgy of biodiesel. The plant, which is to be completed by 2014, will utilise feedstock produced by a consortium formed between Vale and Biopalma da Amazônia. The biodiesel will be used in a B20 concentration to supply locomotives in…
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