Other News

Pennsylvania, US-based Thar Technologies plans to build a biodiesel plant in Rajasthan, India, using the region's karanj and jatropha crops. Karanj is a herb commonly found in India. The region has a policy to give 30% of wasteland to private companies seeking to grow the two biodiesel feedstocks. Thar plans to grow some of its own feedstock and buy the rest from area farmers. The company…
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A total of 8,900 biogas plants will be built in 2009 generating 2,700 megawatts (MW) of electricity worldwide. Globally, Asia is leading with 34% of total capacity and Europe with 26%, followed by NAFTA and others, a survey conducted by Helmut Kaiser Consultancy in November says. Biogas from by-products and combinations is the most efficient form of renewable energy and therefore not affected…
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New Zealand will repeal a requirement for biofuel blends and implement tax breaks on fuels derived from proven sustainable sources instead. The fuel sale directive, rising to 2.5% of annual sales by 2012, will be revoked under legislation to be voted on later this week, Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee says. Retailers will continue to sell blended products and the government will prepare tax…
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Malaysia’s transport and industrial sectors will run mandatorily on biodiesel from January 2010, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui has announced. From February 2009, government vehicles will start using biodiesel with the Envo Diesel Esther (B5) brand, a blend of 5% palm oil and 95% diesel. ‘We expect that by 2010 an estimated 500,000 tonnes of…
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Chicago, US-based biofuel group Coskata is searching for a partner to set up a multi-million-dollar ethanol conversion plant in Victoria, Australia, capable of producing up to 200 million litres of the fuel a year for use in cars. The company is looking for sources of waste material in Australia that it could feed into the process. This includes food and garden scraps gathered from household…
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Clean technologies investment company Ludgate Environmental Fund has invested €3 million into agri.capital, a specialist developer, owner and operator of biogas plants in Germany. The investment has been structured as 8% preferred stock with detachable warrants and is part of a €10 million funding round into agri.capital with Valiance Special Situations Fund investing alongside…
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Japan Airlines (JAL) will be the first airline to conduct a demonstration flight using camelina-based biofuel, planned for 30 January 2009 at Haneda Airport, Tokyo. A blend of 50% biofuel and 50% traditional Jet-A jet (kerosene) fuel will be tested in one of the four Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines of a JAL-owned Boeing 747-300 aircraft. The biofuel component to be used will be a mixture of…
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Air New Zealand has postponed its biofuel test flight planned for Wednesday 3 December after an Airbus crash last week near France. The two-hour test flight, now scheduled for January, will use a jatropha-based fuel, which has been certified by engine maker Rolls-Royce. Air NZ will confirm the revised date later this week. ‘The full efforts and resources of Air NZ will be focused over the…
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The Canadian province of Alberta will implement renewable fuel standards as part of a provincial energy strategy. Beginning in 2010 Alberta will require regular fuel to contain 5% ethanol, and diesel to contain 2% renewable diesel. The blending requirements are in line with federal standards to reduce carbon emissions. The province has set aside CA$239 million (€140 million) to support the…
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One of the world's most energy-efficient ethanol plants is set for start-up in Norrköping, Sweden. Sweden-based manufacturer Lantmännen Agroetanol will produce more than 3 million litres of ethanol a week, using technology from Vogelbusch, making it the largest ethanol plant in north Europe. Initially the plant was due to come on line before the end of 2008, but is now likely to reach…
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food for Progress programme has funded a biodiesel facility in Guatemala. The Biodiesel Mazat Agui facility in the country’s coastal region of Escuintla began operations this month. The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M University was also involved in establishing the cooperative biodiesel plant, which will use…
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The EU reached a deal on 9 December on the renewable energy targets it will adopt under its climate change action plan. A spokeswoman for the European Parliament confirmed that a preliminary deal had been reached between parliament and the European Council of member states that would retain the proposed target of ensuring renewable energy makes up 20% of the union's energy mix by…
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New York-headquartered clean technology development company GreenShift has received a $38 million (€26 million) investment to produce biodiesel from corn oil extracted from ethanol plants. GreenShift will receive the investment in a new GreenShift joint venture subsidiary that will use the proceeds to build 12 corn oil extraction facilities and to expand the capacity of GreenShift's…
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