US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has said that he does not believe carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming. "I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there's tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact, so no, I would not agree that it's a... [Read More]

Oil refiners contributed more than $2 billion (€1.87bn) to meet US biofuels requirements in 2016, a 70% surge that helps fuel a growing debate over who should shoulder the costs for meeting environmental regulations, according to a media report. A Reuters review of regulatory filings from ten refiners, including Valero Energy Corp and CVR Energy Inc, showed that they... [Read More]

US agribusinesses AgProcessing (AGP) is pushing ahead with a $38 million (€35m) expansion of its Port Neal biodiesel plant in Sioux City, Iowa, according to media reports. According to media reports in the Sioux City Journal, the company will also build a $90m vegetable oil refinery. Construction on both projects is expected to begin in coming months, said Matt Caswell,... [Read More]

Growing sustainable energy crops without increasing greenhouse gas emissions, may be possible on seasonally wet, environmentally-sensitive landscapes, according to US-based researchers who conducted a study on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land. Debasish Saha, postdoctoral in plant sciences, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and colleagues, measured the... [Read More]

Bellona, a non-profit environmental organisation, has published a new report on the potential and challenges of using seaweed biofuels in aviation. According to the organisation, the report provides comprehensive recommendations for researchers, public authorities and consumers. By mapping existing knowledge and practice, sustainability and development of the technology,... [Read More]

The government of Canada is investing CAN$43 million (€27m) in the clean technology sector to help create jobs and stimulate growth in the environmental sector. Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains announced an investment of up to $20 million to support clean energy projects at the pre-commercialisation stage. This... [Read More]

A team of researchers at the UK-based University of Cambridge has developed a way of using solar power to generate a fuel that is both sustainable and relatively cheap to produce. The team used natural light to generate hydrogen from biomass. In a statement, the researchers said:  “One of the challenges facing modern society is what it does with its waste... [Read More]

US trade body Growth Energy has praised a new ASTM standard and said it is a “major victory for the ethanol industry”. Last week, ASTM International published an important new high-octane fuel standard, ASTM D8076 – 17, Standard Specification for 100 Research Octane Number Test Fuel for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engines. This new specification intends... [Read More]

US bioethanol producer Poet has filed a lawsuit in US District Court of Sioux Falls alleging that the Sioux Falls-based company Nelson Engineering has misappropriated Poet’s trade secrets. The lawsuit is captioned “POET, LLC and POET Research, Inc. v. Nelson Engineering and Jerry Baker,” Case No. CIV 17-4029. The trade secret in question is known at... [Read More]

Investment in ethanol production from waste biomass could have great economic environmental benefits, according to a new study from researchers from the Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory. In this study, the researchers found that ethanol produced using waste biomass, such as dead or dying trees, is more cost-effective and could achieve higher benefits... [Read More]

Kansas-based bioethanol producer Conestoga Energy Holdings has acquired the assets of VicNRG, a Texas-based marketing, distribution and terminal operating company for biodiesel. In a statement, Conestoga said that the purchase will enable Conestoga and VicNRG to better serve the needs of their customers in the energy and agriculture sectors.  “Our acquisition... [Read More]

Using biofuels to help power jet engines reduces particle emissions in their exhaust by as much as 50 to 70%, according to a new study led by NASA. The findings are the result of a cooperative international research program led by NASA and involving agencies from Germany and Canada, and are detailed in a study published in the journal Nature. During flight tests in... [Read More]

The US will celebrate National Biodiesel Day on 18 March, 2017, to highlight the benefits of biodiesel. Rudolf Diesel, who invented the engine that bears his name, ran early models on peanut oil, and was an ardent believer in vegetable oil-based fuel. That’s why the biodiesel industry honours Diesel by making his birthday, March 18, National Biodiesel Day. “For... [Read More]

Growth Energy, a trade body for US ethanol producers, has welcomed the confirmation of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In response to Pruitt’s confirmation, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor, issued the following statement: “We congratulate Pruitt on his confirmation as Administrator of the EPA.... [Read More]