Other News

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has spoken in favour of further use of sugarcane-based ethanol to replace fossil-based fuels to combat the threat of global warming. Speaking at the fifth Summit of the Americas, President Lula declared that Brazil is ‘ready to share the technologies it developed for more than 30 years and to expand and strengthen initiatives of…
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A report by Frost & Sullivan concludes that the robustness of national policies and security of feedstock supply will determine the success of native biofuels industries. Frost & Sullivan believes that the policies and the long term renewable fuel targets set by the European Union and the US will significantly assist in establishing second generation biofuels. They will also help sustain…
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US-based Renew Energy announced that it will close its Wisconsin-based Jefferson ethanol plant, after filing for bankruptcy. The company, operator of the state’s largest ethanol production unit in Jefferson, is set to shut down come the end of May unless a buyer can be found. The plant’s closure will be signal the loss of jobs for all 80 of its current employees. Renew Energy is not the…
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Biofuels International expo & conference 2009 brings you presentations from Shell Global Solutions, Bentley Motors, Ineos Bio, Inbicon, Argent Energy, Mabanaft, European Biodiesel Board, European Bioethanol Fuel Association, the Port of Amsterdam, and many more. You won’t find this quality anywhere else for better value! With over 500 visitors attending the meeting in 2008, 2009 promises to…
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China has asked Zambia to plant 2 million hectares of jatropha for the production of biofuels. If agreed it will become one of the biggest farming land projects by an Asian country in Africa. Chinese markets are eager for crops grown in Africa; and this project will use the jatropha plant, which is a non-food crop whose oil can be used to produce biodiesel. It can be grown on semi-arid land and…
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Royal Dutch Shell will focus on biofuel expansion in 2009 and 2010 Shell is no longer in a position to contribute development in solar and wind power, say officials. The global energy company will now focus on next generation biofuel research, exploring new technologies such as algae, and cellulosic derived biofuels. This change of direction came after considering algae’s ability to grow…
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Chemrec USA, a subsidiary of Sweden-based black liquor gasification company Chemrec, has joined the Biorefinery Deployment Collaborative (BDC) collaborating on biorefinery development. Chemrec has a business model for transforming pulp and paper mills into green fuels biorefineries. A new member of the BDC, Chemrec is talking to various pulp and paper mills about its unique co-ownership model.…
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Biodiesel supplier Canadian Bioenergy and crop-processing giant Archer Daniels Midland are carrying out a joint feasibility study that could see Canada's largest canola biodiesel plant built in Alberta. If the project proceeds, the companies will build the plant on the site of ADM's canola-crushing plant in Lloydminster and produce 265 million litres a year. The plant would need an…
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The Belgian government has announced a B4 mandate that will begin in July 2009. The bill, which is yet to be passed, will include the B4 mandate as an initial step in adapting infrastructure before higher blends are mandated. In 2007 Belgium produced 166,000 tonnes of biodiesel. This increased to 665,000 tonnes the following year.
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The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) is delivering on its promise to provide green, sustainable transport fuels despite a Government slowdown on targets one year after its introduction, the Renewable Energy Association says. The RTFO was intended to ensure that 2.5% of all fuels used came from renewable sources as from 15 April 2008. However, an error in the drafting of the legislation…
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Indian biotech research company Reliance Life Sciences (RLS) has announced plans to increase biodiesel production by setting up crushing and extraction facilities for producing over 100,000 tonnes of biofuels a year. RLS currently produces 6,500 tonnes a year of biodiesel from non-edible crops at a pilot project at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, India. RLS plans to work with over 50,000 farmers in…
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Japan-based Cosmo Oil is set to invest US$800 million (€587 million) in the development of a starchy crop as raw material for biofuel production in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Pre-feasibility studies for a period of six months will begin soon. The studies will obtain data on appropriate crops, raw material and appropriate soil type. Following this, a three and half year long full-scale analysis…
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US energy company ExxonMobil has become the first petrol company to sell a biodiesel blend at the pump in New Zealand. The blend, 5% tallow-based biodiesel and 95% mineral diesel, has gone on sale as a trial in the Bay of Plenty. In 2007, Gull Petroleum introduced Gull Force 10, a 90% petrol and 10% bioethanol blend. Another renewable biofuel choice may soon be on offer if an application to…
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In the US, The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded a total of more than $580,000 (€425,000) to three biomass-to-liquid fuel-related projects within the state. The Biofuels Center has been tasked to implement North Carolina’s renewable fuels standard, which mandates that by 2017, 10% of the liquid fuels sold in North Carolina should come from locally grown and produced…
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