Other News

Finnish oil refiner and biofuels producer Neste has released a list of four reasons why the company believes the world of tomorrow needs biofuels. Combating climate change Combating climate change forces the world to seek alternative, low-carbon sources of energy and fuel, Neste says. Since traffic is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas, i.e. carbon emissions, substituting fossil fuels…
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US navy aircraft carrier John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) and 26 nations will participate in the world's largest international maritime exercise for the 25th annual Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California using 11.2 million gallons of a 10% alternative fuel blend. The alternative fuel that will be used during RIMPAC is derived from waste beef fat…
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Three fossil fuels – petroleum, natural gas, and coal – have provided more than 80% of total US energy consumption for more than 100 years, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2015, fossil fuels made up 81.5% of total US energy consumption, the lowest fossil fuel share in the past century, the energy information service found. In EIA's Annual Energy Outlook…
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US ethanol producer Poet is expanding its cover crop research as part of soil sustainability work in Emmetsburg, Iowa for cellulosic ethanol development. The work is part of an ongoing commitment to helping farmers make sound management decisions around harvesting crop residue for cellulosic ethanol. “Agriculture is the solution to so many of the world’s challenges, and there’s…
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Confectionery giant Mars has announced that all of its factories across the globe achieved their "zero waste to landfill" goals in 2015, helped by recycling and converting waste to fuel. In a statement, the US firm said 126 locations had achieved this goal. It also said that the group had accomplished seven of its 16 sustainability targets in 2015. “We have made significant progress toward…
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Global Bioenergies has secured a €400,000 grant from the German federal ministry for research and education (BMBF) to finance a 14-month project aimed at producing renewable petrol additives. The company will first produce ETBE, a molecule obtained by the condensation of ethanol and isobutene, and presently used as a petrol additive in large volumes with a worldwide market of 3.4 million…
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US biofuel heavyweights have urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that biofuel blend volume requirements match the statutory levels set by Congress under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The US RFS was created in 2005 by Congress in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the nation’s renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil.…
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US ethanol plant owners are seeking to diversify their operations to boost growth, according to Novozyme’s global marketing manager Jack Rogers. Speaking to Biofuels International at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) Conference in Milwaukee, US, about the US ethanol market, Rogers said: “Corn and ethanol prices have gone down in recent years but there has been an increasing demand for…
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US-based scientists have altered the lignin in aspen trees in a way that increases access to biofuel building blocks without inhibiting plant growth. The scientists based at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have been able to do this by engineering a novel enzyme involved in lignin synthesis. Lignin is a natural component of plant cell walls, the…
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US agricultural specialist Monsanto Company and German biotechnology specialist Nomad Bioscience have announced a licensing agreement whereby Monsanto has obtained rights to apply Nomad’s proprietary technology to its genome-editing projects aimed at enhancement of agricultural crops. Nomad’s biomaterial pipeline consists of several selected product candidates, including plant-made…
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Borregaard, a Norway-based biorefinery specialist, and Rayonier Advanced Materials (Ryam) have concluded a market, technical and engineering analysis regarding a new lignin operation at Ryam’s Fernandina Beach site in Florida to serve the growing demand for natural lignin-based products. The final review of the investment by the companies’ boards of directors is anticipated during the…
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The global enzymes market is expected to reach $17.5bn by 2024 helped by strong demand for bioethanol in emerging economies, according to a new study by Grand View Research. Growing demand for enzymes in food and beverage products as they improve quality and eliminate deficiencies in the products is expected to propel industry growth in the near future. Increasing demand for bioethanol and…
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The UK government has set its fifth carbon budget in order to tackle climate change. The fifth carbon budget will cut carbon emissions by 57% by 2032, based on 1990 levels. This emissions reduction should leave the UK on track to meet its Climate Change Act target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. The UK's Climate Change Act of 2008 sets the 2050 target. It requires the government to set…
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