
Aug 9, 2013
UK biofuels investment firm ‘fraudulent’
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Aug 9, 2013
An agreement between the US and Colombia hopes to increase the amount of sugarcane residue and palm oil harvesting intended for fuel ethanol and future blending.
The US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory will work with Ecopetrol to look at ways of improving bagasse conversion processes and analyse the economic potential of commercial biofuels... [Read More]
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Aug 9, 2013
A record for biodiesel production has been claimed this August by the US state of Iowa.
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) believes a combination of ‘a strong federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and reinstatement of the federal biodiesel blenders’ tax credit’ has led to state facilities producing 56.7 million gallons of biodiesel during the... [Read More]
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Aug 8, 2013
Amyris, a renewable chemicals and fuels company, has entered into agreement for the sale of convertible notes in a private placement for up to $60 million (€44.9 million) in cash proceeds.
Under the terms of the agreement Temasek, one of Amyris's largest stockholders, agreed to purchase $35 million of the notes in an initial tranche and, at Amyris's election, up to... [Read More]
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Aug 8, 2013
A man who lives in Tampa, US is up for trial after it was discovered he conned millions of dollars out of investors by allegedly pretending he worked within Florida’s alternative fuels sector.
William Vasden Jr, who reportedly owns a local gun shop, is supposed to have reaped $3.5 million (€2.6 million) by claiming to be a successful farmer, who had bountiful... [Read More]
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Aug 8, 2013
Production at a Green Fuel-owned ethanol plant in Zimbabwe has resumed after the company entered a 49-51% joint venture with the government.
The plant stopped production after Green Fuel failed to get government approval for mandatory ethanol blending within the country, plus the government had other concerns including the company’s shareholding structure.
It is... [Read More]
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Aug 8, 2013
Ethanol is set to benefit from a 46% rise in loans to sugarcane mills in Brazil this year.
Brazil’s state development bank is expecting to loan BR6 billion ($2.6 billion), which is up from BR4.1 billion in 2011.
Artur Yabe Milanez, biofuels manager within the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social, says it has been lowering rates on loans for cane mills... [Read More]
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Aug 7, 2013
The Shanghai Food and Drug Safety Authorities has been working with Tongji University to provide city buses with biodiesel in 2014.
The partnership conducted a toxic oil recycling programme and will now use swill oil as the basis of fuel for 1,000 buses, despite officials admitting the two processors the city boasts are ‘limited’.
Swill oil made headlines for... [Read More]
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Aug 7, 2013
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded biotechnology company Microvi Biotechnologies a grant to develop its breakthrough technology that improves the yield and performance of biobutanol processes.
Microvi claims its MicroNiche technology overcomes the toxic and inhibitory effects on butanol producing microorganisms, a ‘major bottleneck in scaling existing... [Read More]
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Aug 7, 2013
Two ethanol plants situated close by in Minnesota, US have formed a relationship via a new business deal.
Granite Falls Energy has acquired a majority interest in Heron Lake BioEnergy and the facilities will share three management positions between them.
The three individuals now stretching their roles over to Heron are Granite CEO and general manager Steve Christensen,... [Read More]
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Aug 7, 2013
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has divulged its final ruling on percentage standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) programme.
It requires 16.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels to blended into the overall volume of US fuel supply, a total which makes up 9.7%. The EPA standard breaks down as this:
Advanced biofuels – 2.75 billion gallons (1.6%)
Biomass-based... [Read More]
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Aug 6, 2013
A man in Texas, US has been jailed for fraud and money laundering in a plot surrounding a non-existent biodiesel plant.
Kenneth Paul Lawrence was sentenced to five years for his role in defrauding investors to put money into a biodiesel plant that was never going to be built. He also received a probated 10 year sentence for engaging in organised crime.
In a statement the... [Read More]
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Aug 6, 2013
Construction is set to begin on a long proposed ethanol plant in North Dakota, US this August.
The ground is scheduled to be officially broken on the Dakota Spirit AgEnergy plant, back by Minnesota-based Great River Energy, after two years of planning.
It is believed the plant will cost around $150 million (€113 million) and will use over 20 million bushels of corn... [Read More]
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Aug 6, 2013
Parcel delivery business TNT Express is to trial biofuels within its fleet in the United Arab Emirates.
It is working with Lootah Biofuels to help reduce its carbon footprint via locally produced B5 biodiesel made from used cooking oil for Lootah’s commercial vehicles in Dubai. TNT hopes to save 32 tonnes of carbon emissions through this collaboration.
‘This... [Read More]
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Aug 5, 2013
A new collaboration between Malaysia-based Hock Lee Group (HLG) and global bio-tech business Beta Renewables may yield the first commercial-scale biomass ethanol plant in the region.
The agreement was announced by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) which claims the development is in line with the government’s vision for biomass owners to be involved in downstream activities... [Read More]
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Aug 5, 2013
A fire has been reported at a biodiesel plant owned by Green Energy Products in Kansas, US.
Firefighters battled through thick black smoke to put out the blaze, said to have originated from a stock of burning corn oil, on 30 July.
Local news reports claim 12 people were inside the facility when the fire started, but all escaped without injury.
The cause of the fire has... [Read More]
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Aug 5, 2013
The US Department of Energy (USDoE) is to work with several energy industry institutes and stakeholders to make biofuels more cost-competitive to gas alternatives.
Ernest Moniz, US energy secretary, revealed more than $22 million (€16.5 million) will be made available for investment into new projects, with algae-based production expected to benefit the most. This... [Read More]