Other News

The global potential for the biofuels market will reach up to $247 billion (€178 billion) in sales by 2020, indicates a study released by market researcher Pike Research. The forecast predicts the industry to ride the wave of current setbacks it faces to triple its predicted worth of $76 billion by 2010 in just ten years. Pike highlights that the biofuels industry’s growth is currently…
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The Philippine government is eyeing to secure a P20-billion (€298 million) investment agreement with Brazil for the possible construction of five bioethanol plants. Proposals regarding the construction of five plants in the Philippines have been submitted to the Brazilian federation of sugarcane and ethanol manufacturers, Unica, as the Asian country looks to forge joint-venture agreements with…
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Petroleum refiner Sunoco has acquired the former Northeast Biofuels ethanol production facility in Volney, NY, for $8.5 million (€6.1 million). Philadelphia-based Sunoco began proceedings for the purchase of the 100 MMgy plant after Northeast Biofuels put it up for sale at a bankruptcy auction. The ethanol plant is the largest production facility in the Northeast and Sunoco are expecting, at…
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Japan-based Pacific Bio-Fields Holdings has begun planting coconut trees on the Philippines island of Luzon to produce biodiesel – a world first. ‘We believe this is the first coconut-integrated biodiesel project in the world where a plantation is included,’ May Tiu, VP of Bioenergy at Pacific Bio-Fields, exclusively tells Biofuels International magazine. ‘We have a letter of intent to…
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Aerospace company Boeing has backed biofuels to be blended with jet fuel within five years following recent tests. Results from the aircraft maker’s latest test flights using alternative fuel were described as being ‘better than expected’ by Boeing managing director of environmental strategy Billy Glover. The testing consisted of a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted…
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The provincial government in Saskatchewan, Canada, has signed an agreement with biotechnology company Iogen to develop the province’s first cellulosic ethanol plant. It was announced that the plant is to be situated at the former Domtar-owned pulp and sawmill in Big River. Iogen will operate the plant, which will be a commercial-scale expansion of its wheat straw ethanol demonstration plant…
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In southeast Asia the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines has announced that the government will promote the production of biofuel in the wake of year-long fluctuations in imported fossil fuel prices. Electricity Department Acting Director General Hatsady Sisoulath said the department was now drafting a national strategy on biofuel development, as an important reference for promoting biofuel…
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Food giant Cargill has started production at its new glycerine refinery in Frankfurt, Germany. The new plant, completed in nine months, is located adjacent to Cargill’s existing biodiesel production facility in the Höchst Industrial Park. The neighbouring biodiesel plant will provide the refinery’s supply of crude glycerine, as the full integration of these facilities is expected to…
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The European Commission has submitted a proposal to extend the temporary tariffs imposed on imports of US biodiesel for up to five years. The anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs passed in March were established in order to protect European biodiesel producers by counteracting the payments the US gives its own producers. European biofuel producers stressed that US subsidies triggered an…
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Finland-based Neste Oil laid the foundation stone for Europe’s largest renewable diesel plant last week, coinciding with the second annual Biofuels International expo & conference in the Netherlands. The Rotterdam plant will have an annual production capacity of 800,000 tonnes. The investment cost of the plant is estimated to be €670 million, and it will create over 100 jobs. While…
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The partnership between BP and DuPont to accelerate its next generation clean renewable fuels has successfully tested biobutanol over 1.3 million miles in an ordinary car. In an exclusive interview for the June issue of Biofuels International magazine BP's Philip New says typical blends of around 16% were used without the need for modifications. Like ethanol, biobutanol can be produced…
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Chinese bioenergy producer Gushan Environmental Energy has announced the temporary suspension of production at its subsidiary Fujian Gushan Biodiesel Energy following a dispute with a local tax authority concerning consumption tax issues. In January consumption tax rates on diesel products were levied, but Gushan has appealed to the State Administration of Taxation of Fujian Province Fujian SAT…
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Innovation Fuels plans to begin biodiesel operations later this month at a New Haven port terminal in Connecticut, US. The biodiesel producer has announced that intermodal connections in the area will enable the company to position itself as a biodiesel distributor for the region. The company will receive biodiesel by barge from its production plant in Newark, New Jersey, and ship it by rail…
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Ethanol Technologies has been awarded AUD$2.9 million (€1.65 million) by the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to scale up a cellulosic ethanol process technology. The subsidiary of forestry products company Willmott Forests will use the funding to pay for the construction of a $20 million pilot-scale biorefinery in Harwood, New South Wales, which is to be…
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