Other News

Plantation Energy, Australia’s largest manufacturer and exporter of Densified Biomass Fuel (DBF) pellets, has announced the signing of a three year €39 million supply agreement with Belgium-based Electrabel NV. The agreement between Plantation Energy and Electrabel, a subsidiary of Europe’s largest power company GdF-Suez, is the first of its kind in Australia that will see Plantation…
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Süd-Chemie, a leading manufacturer of catalysts and adsorbents, and a leading global company in the sector of gases and engineering, the Linde Group, have launched the production of climate-friendly biofuels based on lignocellulosic biomass in Munich. The process developed by Süd-Chemie and Linde allows biofuels, such as ethanol, to be extracted from plant matter containing cellulose, such as…
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Fourteen southern African nations have been welcomed into the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance. The move to join the alliance is clear indication of the southern African countries’ desire to promote biofuels policies throughout the world. Andrew Makenete, President of the Southern African Biofuels Association (SABA), called on other nations to speak out in favour of policies that would…
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Canadian Pacific Railway and Global Partners are proposing a $14.8 million (€10.8 million) ethanol storage and distribution facility along the Hudson River. The facility would be based at Global's distribution terminal on the Hudson River just north of the Port of Albany, and adjacent to CP's Kenwood intermodal yards. The companies are seeking $8.8 million (€6.47 million) in…
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One of Brazil’s largest sugar and ethanol groups Santelisa has confirmed that it has been bought by French commodities group Louis Dreyfus. The Brazilian subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus, Commodities Bioenergia (LDC), expects to incorporate Santelisa within two months pending the Brazilian company restructuring its debt of €970 million. In order to make the deal viable LDC Bioenergia needed to…
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Indonesia's palm-based biodiesel firms await a fair price formula and government subsidies to survive as they feel the squeeze of surging palm oil prices. The fledgling industry is expected to play a key role in absorbing growing palm output in world's top producer, but as feedstock prices become more expensive than fossil oils, it is difficult for the industry to expand without…
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Filipino manufacturer Chemrez Technologies has reported a 37.2% jump in net income to €2 million in Q1 2009 from €1.4 million in the same period last year, owing to strong oleochemical and biodiesel sales, as well as higher margins. The company largely attributed the revenue growth to the surge in domestic demand for coconut-based biodiesel or coco-biodiesel after the government stepped up…
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US President Barack Obama has proven his support for the biomass and biofuel industries by providing nearly $800 million (€588 million) in funding and forming a market development programme. The new funding will be allocated under the directive of the US Department Of Energy biomass programme across four main areas which include $480 million (€353 million) to the solicitation for integrated…
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Omaha, US-based Green Plains Renewable Energy has won a €1.6 million state grant for a pilot project to produce algae from by-products of its Shenandoah, Iowa, ethanol plant. Pending the success of the pilot project, Green Plains intends to develop a commercial plant producing algae for biofuels. The high-protein algae could be added to the dried distillers grains produced by ethanol plants…
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Mississippi, US-based Encore Energy Systems has announced that five new biofuel facilities have been targeted for acquisition. Of the five production facilities, four of them are located in Mississippi with the other facility in Texas. Fuel distribution and feedstock allocations have been located for these projects and will be further announced when shipping commences. In anticipation of…
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Federal and provincial funds have been injected in ethanol facilities and research projects in Canada. British Columbia has pledged more than $32.6 million (€24.5 million) to commercialise approximately $200 million in provincial renewable energy technology projects. The Innovative Clean Energy Fund has awarded more than $22.6 million to 19 projects and another $10 million in provincial…
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The US Environmental Protection Agency has issued a draft rule calling for further use of advanced biofuels and to measure carbon dioxide emissions from alternative motor fuels. The regulatory body’s move looks to reduce the impact biofuels have on the climate and food prices. The move confirms the schedule of the 2007 Renewable Fuels Standard which called for the blending of 136 billion…
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In March US biodiesel output fell sharply, fuelling calls for the release of federal regulations to require use of advanced biofuels. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) said production fell from 49 million gallons in March 2008 to only 30 million gallons in March 2009. The NBB claimed that if the trend continues, US output would be only half of the 700 million gallons produced last year. The…
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