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Car giant Volkswagen (VW) has published a new study and called for the promotion of biofuel-powered cars over electric ones to help tackle carbon emissions. The report, entitled Integrated Fuels and Vehicles Roadmap 2030 and Beyond, and was commissioned by automakers and oil companies. In the report the companies maintain that additional reduction potential through 2030 could be achieved by an…
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A judge at the US Bankruptcy Court has approved Abengoa SA’s filing for protection under Chapter 15, according to media reports in the Wall Street Journal. This judgement helps to protect the Spain-headquarted renewable and engineering company from claims from creditors. The decision also recognises the firm’s bankruptcy case in Spain. In March, some of the Spanish renewables and…
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Poet-DSM, a joint venture cellulosic ethanol company, is expanding production capacity at its Iowa-based plant called Project Liberty. The firm said it is ramping up production at its cellulosic ethanol plant to its full 20 million gallon per year capacity. Project Liberty converts baled corn cobs, leaves, husk and stalk into renewable fuel. It converts around 770 tonnes of biomass per day into…
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German automaker Mercedes-Benz is probing the possibility to shift its diesel cars and other vehicles in India to biodiesel.  "Mercedes has given me a letter that they can use 100% biodiesel in their cars and buses," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the India Times nespaper. "Mercedes India chief has told me that the standards which we have prescribed for biodiesel can…
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The palm oil industry in Indonesia may experience a further decline after last year’s dry spell if the rain-bringing La Nina weather phenomenon kicks in, an expert says. Franky Oesman Widjaja, chairman of Sinar Mas Agribusiness & Foods, expects Indonesia's crude palm oil production in 2016 to drop by 5-10% year-on-year. The decrease is due to the impact of the El Nino that brought…
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Renewable Energy Group (REG) has formally opened its REG Madison biorefinery and also announced upgrades to the plant. REG leaders were joined by state and local business, government, and community leaders for the opening ceremony, recognising the transition to REG’s ownership of the 20 million gpy nameplate capacity biodiesel refinery, formerly owned by Sanimax Energy. “We are…
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Green technology manufacturer India Glycols has officially launched a 750,000 litres per year cellulosic ethanol plant at one of its sites in Kashipur, India.  The demonstration-scale plant, based in Uttarakhand, is to run on wood chips, cotton stalk, cane bagasse, corn stover and bamboo. According to the Business Standard, the facility has the capacity to consume 10 tonnes of biomass per…
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Biodiesel used in transport is helping to increase Europe’s overall transport emissions by around 4%, according to a new study by environmental group Transport & Environment (T&E). These extra emissions are equivalent to putting around 12 million additional cars on Europe’s roads in 2020, according to T&E. This analysis takes into account the 7% cap on the contribution of…
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The US state of Iowa’s Department of Transportation has released a new study that assesses potential risks of the transportation by rail of crude oil and biofuels around and through the state. It also proposes measures to address those risks. In a statement, the DOT said the year-long study is thought to be the first of its kind in the nation and covered four main topic areas: prevention of…
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Canadian airline WestJet announced it has teamed up with Clean Energy Technology Centre (CETC), an Alberta-based research and development organisation, to accelerate the advancement of sustainable aviation biofuel in Western Canada.  "WestJet's collaboration with the CETC is an exciting first step in supporting the development and deployment of a sustainable fuel alternative…
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The Iowa Senate passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the US Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), President Obama and the next president of the US to continue to support the renewable fuels standard (RFS) through to 2022 in order to encourage American energy production and to strengthen rural communities. The resolution calls the RFS one of the simple most successful energy…
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Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia has announced a partnership to investigate options for locally produced aviation biofuel. The trans-Tasman alliance partners are issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to the market to explore the opportunity to procure locally-produced aviation biofuel. Air New Zealand chief flight operations and safety officer Captain David Morgan said the airline…
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