Other News

Environment and sustainability professionals have high levels of work satisfaction because they find their jobs personally, professionally and financially rewarding, according to new research. Statistics released by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) show that 82% of its members are satisfied with their career – the highest figure ever recorded for this…
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Six biofuel trade associations have sent a letter to leaders of the US House of Representatives and US Senate to ask for a multiyear extension of advanced biofuel tax credits. In December, the US Congress granted a two-year extension to the second generation biofuel producer tax credit, the special depreciation allowance for second generation biofuel plant property, the biodiesel and renewable…
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Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have developed a natural process, reverse photosynthesis, to produce biofuels and energy from sunlight. The process involves breaking down plant biomass using the energy in solar rays combined with monooxygenases enzyme. The resulting product can then be used as chemicals, biofuels or other products. According to the researchers, the…
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An enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons has been discovered by US-based scientists studying a common green microalga called Botryococcus braunii. The scientists are based at agricultural research specialist Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications, could enable scientists to use the enzyme in a plant to make large…
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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, a Dutch airliner, is launching around 80 flights from Oslo to Amsterdam using only biofuel on its Embraer 190 aircraft. The flights will be operated over the coming five to six weeks, the Dutch airliner said. During these flights Embraer SA will be measuring the efficiency of biofuel in comparison with kerosene. This means that around 80 commercial biofuel flights will…
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Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative, an Ontario, Canada-based farmer's cooperative, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Comet Biorefining to collaborate on the development of a sustainable agricultural biomass supply chain in southwestern Ontario. Comet Biorefining recently announced Sarnia, Ontario, as the location of its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility. The…
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A University of Virginia researcher has said that feedstock such as sugar cane should not be used for biofuel production and be used for food production to help feed people. Paolo D’Odorico is a professor of environmental sciences at UVA and says close to 700 million people today could be fed if the biofuel agriculture went toward edible food. Speaking about crops used for biofuel…
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Renewable Energy Group (REG), a US-based biofuels producer, is expanding its Iowa-based laboratory to boost renewable chemical related biotechnology research, development and commercialisation. The lab expansion will include the installation of fermentation equipment and significant analytical capabilities, REG said in a statement. Upon completion, full-time positions will be added to focus on…
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The world's first research facility to grow both food and fuel just opened in the United Arab Emirates. Located on a two-hectare site in Abu Dhabi, the desert facility uses coastal seawater irrigation to raise fish and shrimp for food, while growing salt-tolerant plants that can be harvested to create biofuel. The facility, operated by Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, is funded by the…
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US biofuels producer Renewable Energy Group has reported a fourth-quarter loss of $95.6 million (€87m), after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier. Net income was $69.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, the company reported. Nevertheless, the biodiesel producer posted revenue of $387.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2015. For the year, the company reported a loss of…
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Deinove, a biotech company developing innovative processes for producing biofuels and bio-based chemicals by using Deinococcus bacteria, and Arbiom, a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of a biorefinery process from non-food biomass, entered into a collaboration contract. Both companies aim to provide a complete value proposition integrating different links in the biorefinery…
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The Australia-based Queensland Government is to investigate the establishment of a biofutures industry development fund, which would look to financially assist first mover investment in the biofuels industry. According to local news website Daily Mercury, Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk made the announcement following the second meeting of her Biofutures Cabinet Committee. "I've said it before and…
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The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) is partnering with Lianhenghui Investment Co. to construct a five-acre algae production facility in Zhengzhou, China. The facility will feature the centre’s novel photobioreactor technology for growing algae, which will be used for the production of fuels, nutraceuticals, and bioplastics. Lianhenggui is also constructing a…
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