Other News

EU energy ministers have agreed to limit the production of biofuels made from food crops to 7%. The ministers' compromise is welcomed following last year's deadlock when European Union governments failed to agree on a proposed 5% cap on the use of biofuels based from crops used in transport fuel. The 7% compromise includes a 0.5% target aimed at second generation biofuels, but this is non-binding…
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A research project, initiated at Qatar university (QU), is looking at the use of biofuels sourced from indigenous natural resources. QU vice-president for research Dr Hassan al-Derham hopes that the project, led by Qatar Biofuel project manager Hareb al-Jabri, contributes toward attaining the Qatar National Vision 2030. The project aims to produce clean and environmentally-friendly alternative…
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Australia's government plans to remove its ethanol production subsidy, ceasing the Ethanol Production Grants Programme on 30 June, 2015. The government's decision to eradicate the ethanol subsidy was made in its 2015-16 budget announcement. From 1 July, 2015, the fuel excise on domestically produced ethanol will be lowered to zero and then increased each year for the next five years by 2.5 cents…
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Aventine Renewable Energy, a producer and end-to-end supplier of ethanol, will send its first railcar shipment of ethanol produced at its Aurora West facility in Aurora, Nebraska. The Aurora West facility is unique as it only uses sugar-based feedstock. 'By producing sustainable green energy, we're also helping to ensure the US' domestic energy security,' says Mark Beemer, Aventine's president…
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Researchers at the University of Georgia in the US have engineered the thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii to directly convert biomass to biofuel. Janet Westpheling, University of Georgia professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of genetics, led the research team, which engineered the organism C bescii to deconstruct un-pretreated plant biomass. 'Now,…
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China and India are set to dominate Asia's alternative fuels market, but ambitious targets, including China's 10% ethanol in 2020 and India's 20% biofuels in 2017, are doubtful. India is likely to overtake Asia's biodiesel growth, according to Lux Research's new report, titled 'Planning for the long-term in Asia Pacific alternative fuel markets'. Indonesia, China and Malaysia are the three…
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A ceremony to mark the start of the construction of Empyro's pyrolysis oil production plant has taken place. The Empryo project, coordinated by BTG Biomass Technology Group, is building the factory at the AkzoNobel site in Hengelo, The Netherlands. Production capacity will gradually increase to its maximum of over 20 million litres per year of pyrolysis oil. Construction is set to finish by the…
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A facility in Edmonton, Alberta, is considered the first commercial biorefinery to exclusively use municipal solid waste to produce advanced biofuels and chemicals. Enerkem has officially inaugurated its first full-scale municipal waste-to-biofuels and chemicals facility in Edmonton, Alberta. The facility will have a production capacity of up to 38 million litres per year and is expected to…
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Industry representatives expect Brazil's government to announce an increase to the minimum requirement of biodiesel that is blended into diesel. The decision would increase the biodiesel requirement to 6% in July and 7% in November from the current 5%, lowering Brazil's diesel fuel imports. Modifying this blend requirement has been considered for years but experienced opposition from the Finance…
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Praj Industries, a solutions provider for sugar mills and breweries, will soon start commercial production of second generation cellulosic ethanol using agro waste and municipal solid waste as feedstock. The company, will set up a manufacturing facility with a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 litres per day and an investment of over Rs 70 crore (€510 million). Praj already runs a pilot plant…
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Researchers at the Institute of Food Research, UK, are researching how to turn straw from oilseed rape into biofuel. Straw from crops such as wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape is a potential source of biomass for second generation biofuel production. Professor Keith Waldron and his team used the facilities at the Biorefinery Centre on the Norwich Research Park, to analyse the procedure…
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Brazil's Gol airlines will use a 4% biofuel mixture to power 200 flights over the course of the World Cup. Biokerosene flights indicate 'that it is possible to reduce emissions voluntarily though technological innovation,' says Izabella Teixeira, Brazilian Environment Minister. The Brazilian airline reports that biokerosene can cut emissions of CO2 by up to 80%. In October last year, Amyris…
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Renewable energy provider, Patriot Renewable Fuels, has hired Leifmark for the first stage of a plan to co-locate an Inbicon Biomass Refinery on the site of Patriot's 110 MMgy grain to ethanol plant. Leifmark, a group of bioenergy marketing specialists, is using its Incibon patented technology to create a custom Project Definition. The plant, located in Annawan, Illinois, will process about 1320…
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