Other News

Brazilian ethanol and sugar groups ETH Bioenergia and Brenco are deliberating a merger which could create one of Brazil's largest bioethanol producers. The projects combined could yield 3 billion litres of ethanol a year by 2013/14. It would also crush 37 million tonnes of sugarcane annually. ‘Both companies have modern, competitive assets which are headed for a future of clean and…
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Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is gearing up to build one of the US’s largest biomass power plants. The cost of the project, including the acquisition, totals around $500 million (€338.6 million). As part of the project, Southern Power acquired Nacogdoches Power, from American Renewables. The company will have a 20-year purchase-power agreement with Austin Energy, the…
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Puerto Rican energy company Energia Alterna has announced that Royal Caribbean Cruises and Celebrity Cruises will participate in trials of different blends of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and jatropha crude oil in different quantities. The aim of the trials is to ascertain whether jatropha oil can be burnt as fuel by itself (not as biodiesel), as well as being used as a blend fuel. According to…
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A new power station that will use wood chip to produce enough electricity to power half a million homes has today been given the go ahead by the Environment Agency. The Prenergy plant, in Port Talbot, Wales, will produce electricity with 50 to 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gas or coal fired power stations. It will be Britain’s largest biomass power plant. All wood used at the plant…
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The US' Valero Energy, which first looked into the ethanol market, is now forming a biodiesel joint venture. The company is planning to build a 135 mgy renewable diesel plant with food processing by-products recycling company Darling International. The proposed plant would be situated next to Valero’s existing St Charles refinery near Norco, Louisiana. The companies intend to seek a…
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Scientists in Singapore and Switzerland claim that converting the rubbish that fills the world’s landfills into biofuel may be the answer to both the growing energy crisis and to tackling carbon emissions. New research reveals how replacing petrol with biofuel from processed waste could cut global carbon emissions by 80%. Biofuels produced from crops have proven controversial because they…
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The early bird deadline for the upcoming Biofuels International Asia expo & conference in Singapore ends on 1st October – register now to receive an extra 10% discount! Not only will you receive a discount, you also get access to two events for the price of one! Building on the success of Biofuels International expo & conference in Europe, Biofuels International magazine will go one…
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US-based Ultra Green Energy Services has announced that it is adding two terminals to its expanding New York network. Burt’s Reliable and Westmore Fuel, both located in New York, have joined with Chicago-based Ultra Green to store, blend and sell Ultra Green Biodiesel at their terminals. The additional terminals expand Ultra Green’s biodiesel network from the tip of Long Island to…
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Germany has seen a huge increase in bioethanol consumption in the first half of 2009. According to German bioethanol association BDBE, bioethanol consumption leapt to 453,000 tonnes in the first half of 2009, up 61% on the year-earlier period. The increase in consumption was largely caused by the German government’s programme of raising compulsory blending of biofuels with fossil fuels to…
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Global biofuel use is expected to increase two-fold by 2015. A Hart Energy Consulting report predicts worldwide ethanol demand will represent 12-14% of the global petrol pool by 2015. While Brazil will remain the world's top exporter of biofuel, the US is expected to see the largest increase in biofuel use per country, increasing its current consumption by more than 30%, according to data…
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BP expects biofuels to become a larger part of the US motor fuel market, displacing 25% of petrol within the next two decades. 'Diesel use is growing in the US, following the trend set by Europe, and biodiesel is expected to provide around 8% of the fuel for diesel-powered engines by 2030,' Katrina Landis, CEO of BP's Alternative Energy, says. ‘However, during the same period,…
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UK-based second generation technology producer TMO has been fairly quiet up until now. But now the company’s cellulosic ethanol demonstration unit is one year old it is starting to make some noise. TMO’s provides a technology that first generation ethanol producers using corn can bolt on to their plants to process the sugar in by-product dried distillers grains (DDGs) and boost production…
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The US Department of Energy has awarded Arizona Public Service (APS) a $7.5 million (€5 million) investment in algae-derived biofuels. The investment was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project was launched as the White House released proposed regulations for implementing tough new auto emissions standards in 2012. APS will seek to grow algae fast enough to absorb…
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