Other News

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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The UK’s Environment Agency has released a new report that highlights how biomass energy could play a key role in delivering greenhouse gas emission targets but only if it is supported by the Government and action is taken to ensure it is genuinely low carbon. 'Biomass – carbon sink or carbon sinner?' finds that using energy crops or waste materials as fuel for generating…
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The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company has revealed that Iran plans to produce bioethanol. ‘The project to produce bioethanol is to start in the next three months,’ head of the company Ali Ameri comments. The Oil Ministry is also going to sign an accord with the Iranian association of ethanol producers. Iran produces around 17.86 million tonnes of waste crops every year,…
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Illinois-based Blackhawk Biofuels has recently completed upgrades to its 45 mgy facility in Danville, Illinois, US. The $12 million (€9 million) project included the installation of multiple feedstock pretreatment and production upgrades, enhanced laboratory and testing facilities and improvements for storage and logistics capabilities. Upgrades began in September 2008 to enhance the…
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Biofuels International expo & conference in Amsterdam is now only 6 weeks away, on the 27-28th May. Don’t miss out on your chance to be there - last year’s event attracted over 500 attendees and this year’s event is expected to be even bigger and better. The two day conference and exhibition brings you presentations from Shell Global Solution, Bentley Motors, Ineos Bio, Inbicon,…
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Tennessee-based Biofuels America is seeking around $20 million (€15 million) in equity investment towards development of a ligno-cellulosic biorefinery The biorefinery Project Tennessee will be developed on a 35-acre closed ethanol facility and will use wood waste and municipal solid waste as feedstocks to produce 30 mgy of ethanol, high value bio-chemicals such as lignin and furfural as well…
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A report published by the UN's World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) has warned that the sharp increase in biofuel production has impact significantly on water demand. According to the UN World Water Development Report 3 production of ethanol stood at 77 billion litres in 2008 and should reach 127 billion litres by 2017. One of the major problems with biofuels is the need for large…
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US-based NexGen Biofuels has revised its biofuel plans following its inability to raise funds and adverse changes in the market. The company aims to build a 10 million gallon storage and blending terminal in the US. It also intends to blend 10% ethanol with petrol and distribute E10 as well as blending 2% biodiesel with diesel and distribute B2. NexGen’s strategy is to develop, construct…
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Operations have begun at Acciona Biocombustibles biodiesel plant in the Port of Bilbao at a cost of €25 million. The plant is the second such facility owned by the company in Spain and will produce 200,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year, making a 27% contribution to the target figure for the production of biodiesel in Spain for 2009. The plant is located at Zierbena on a site in the port of…
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US-based algae-to-biofuel producer Sapphire Energy has revealed an updated timeline for deployment of its green drop-in replacement transportations fuels. The company has developed a process using sunlight, carbon dioxide, photosynthetic microorganisms (algae), non-potable water and non-arable land to produce a renewable and scalable low-carbon alternative to petrochemical-based processes and…
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Principle Energy plans to start building its $290 million (€217 million) bioethanol plant in Mozambique in May this year. ‘The plant will produce 212 million litres of ethanol a year and 85 megawatts of electricity when it's in full production from 2013,’ chief operating officer Richard Hurly comments. This is the company's first of a number of biofuels ventures in…
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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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