Other News

Two technologies that could allow cars and trucks to run on seaweed biofuel are currently being developed by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The projects have received a combined $2.5 million (€2 million) in funding from the DOE. Macroalgae, to give seaweed its technical name, is most commonly grown for human consumption. However,…
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Biofuels group Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB) has welcomed Swedish company SEKAB as its new member. SEKAB is a producer of bio-based chemicals and biofuels and also commercialising in-house technologies to convert forestry and agriculture residues to cellulosic sugars, ethanol and lignin. LSB is a coalition of leading advanced biofuels producers and technology developers committed to…
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Scientists in the US have discovered that plant leaves retaining sugars ‘get fat’, something which could increase their biofuel and biochemical potential. The team from the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have worked to turn this fat accumulation into higher oil production in the leaves. With leaves more abundant and accessible than seeds, this could…
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled a notice of data availability (NODA) concerning potential reductions in renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2018 and 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). On July 21, 2017, EPA proposed reductions in the statutory volume targets for advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel using the cellulosic waiver authority in Clean Air Act…
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A number of research projects focused on bioenergy and biofuels have been selected for the US Community Science Programme (CSP) of the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. The 30 successful CSP proposals were selected from 76 full submissions based on 94 letters of intent. Among the projects aiming to investigate genomic and analytical capabilities are several focused on the underlying…
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Renewable fuels company Velocys has entered into a partnership to prepare the business case for a commercial scale waste-to-renewable-jet fuel plant in the UK. Velocys will lead the initial feasibility stage of the project, with funding support from all members of the partnership. Subject to successful completion of the feasibility stage and all the required development stages, the aim is to…
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At a time of increased political, environmental and market uncertainty, this focused two-day event returns for its 10th anniversary to debate the very latest issues impacting the global biofuels industry. The conference will provide a meaningful debate over the policies and strategies impacting the biofuels industry. It will provide a comprehensive overview of the European and global biofuels and…
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Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a new catalyst to improve the synthesis of primary amines (derivatives of ammonia). It is claimed that in the future the newly developed ruthenium based catalyst could also impact the development of biofuels and bio-oils. Primary amines are industrially important compounds which are used in the preparation of a wide range of dyes,…
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Researchers have developed a new method to directly convert methane to methanol using molecular oxygen. Liquid methanol is believed to have considerable potential as an alternative fuel, and is used as a feedstock in a variety of other chemicals. However, converting methane, the primary component of natural gas, to methanol is currently a complicated, indirect process which requires high…
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Scientists have developed a more efficient process for extracting sugars from wood chips, corn cobs and other organic waste from forests and farms, creating a renewable feedstock which could serve as a cheaper, sustainable substitute for petroleum in the production of chemicals and fuels. "To make greener chemicals and fuel, we're working with plant material, but we don't want to compete with its…
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Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, has called for Europe to lead the world when it comes to tackling climate change. In his annual State of the Union address, he said: “Last year, we set the global rules of the game with the Paris Agreement ratified here, in this very House. Set against the collapse of ambition in the United States, Europe will ensure we…
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A Boeing 747 could fly for ten hours on biojet fuel produced on 54 acres of specially engineered sugarcane, according to research from the University of Illinois. The same aircraft would burn one gallon of conventional jet fuel each second. Plants Engineered to Replace Oil in Sugarcane and Sweet Sorghum (PETROSS), funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E), has developed sugarcane…
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The Biofuels International Conference, which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, has the most impressive speaker line-up and agenda to date – all designed to bring the industry together. The event, which takes place from 4-5th October,  brings together biodiesel and ethanol producers (both first and second generation), advanced technology providers, plant contractors, oil majors,…
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