Fulcrum BioEnergy and BP have signed a major strategic partnership that includes a $30 million (€27m) equity investment in Fulcrum by BP. With Fulcrum's first plant under construction, the company says the partnership accelerates the construction schedule for its next renewable jet fuel plants. Fulcrum and Air BP, the aviation division of BP, have also agreed... [Read More]

Danish biological solutions developer Novozymes has launched the Fermax enzyme protease that prevents foam development during sugarcane ethanol fermentation while delivering improved control and replacing chemicals. For an average size plant, trialling partners also experienced a cost reduction of up to 20% when using Fermax, as compared with use of chemicals, Novozymes... [Read More]

Two men based in Florida, US, were each sentenced to more than a decade in prison in a more than $46 million (€41m) biodiesel fraud scheme, the US Department of Justice reported. Thomas Davanzo of Estero and Robert Fedyna of Naples were sentenced on Monday for a scheme with co-conspirators at Gen-X Energy Group in Pasco, Washington, and subsidiary Southern Resources... [Read More]

Brazil is expected to produce around 2 million tonnes more sugar and import a high ethanol volume next year as mills tend to allocate more cane to produce the sweetener. The 2017-18 centre-south cane crop should not change much from what is seen for the current season despite the favourable market condition, as an ageing cane field and irregular weather cuts next year's... [Read More]

The US biofuels industry is voicing its support for Presidential-elect Donald Trump, saying he “understands” the needs of the renewable fuels industry. Trump took the world by surprise on Wednesday by decisively beating his competitor Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House. Several US biofuels companies have come out congratulating the presidential... [Read More]

US President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the country’s presidential election sent biofuels shares tumbling on Wednesday, while propping up oil refiners’ stocks. Shares of US independent refiners jumped, including CVR Refining, which saw the largest upturn (26% to $8.55) in its share prices in the company’s history. Renewable fuel producers,... [Read More]

South Korean Pukyong National University’s graduate student Seonwoo In-young has succeeded in producing bioethanol using dead seaweed that washed ashore after a tropical storm. Seaweed plays an essential role as a food source, habitat, and spawning ground for marine organisms, but only when it is alive underwater. Dead seaweed, frequently found on beaches, has so... [Read More]

Several European beet and cereal producers have voiced their opposition to phasing out conventional biofuels in Europe, coinciding with the World Ethanol & Biofuels conference in Brussels. The European Association of Sugar Manufacturers (CEFS), the European Confederation of Maize Production (CEPM), the International Confederation of European Beet Growers (CIBE), and... [Read More]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed denying a petition by a group of merchant oil refiners to change the point of obligation (PO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Under the current RFS structure, oil refiners are the parties obligated to blend more renewable fuel into the nation’s transportation fuel supply. The petition, filed by Valero... [Read More]

UK bioethanol giant Vivergo Fuels is calling on the UK government to provide greater certainty to UK farmers by pushing forward with the introduction of E10 fuel, which will cultivate an alternative domestic market for their produce. In a statement, the company said: “On the back of the harvest, the UK’s major wheat buyer, Vivergo is boosting the fortunes of... [Read More]

US biofuels technology company ICM has announced that it has commenced a process to explore the option of revamping its recently-purchased Abengoa Bioenergy plant in Colwich, Kansas. In a statement the company said it was considering revitalising the plant and turning it into a larger scale state-of-the-art energy efficient biorefinery plant. If it proceeds, the plant... [Read More]

US biofuels firm Renewable Energy Group (REG) has broken ground at its Ralston, Iowa biorefinery to start a $24 million (€21.7m) expansion. The company intends to increase the annual nameplate capacity of the plant from 12 million to 30 million gallons. ”REG Ralston has been an efficient biorefinery with an ample supply of lower cost, lower carbon intensity... [Read More]

Global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have seen "almost no growth" for three years in a row, despite economic growth, scientists have said. Emissions did not increase in 2015 and are expected to rise only 0.2% in 2016, according to new data from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Global Carbon Project. The figures, which come after a rise of just 0.7%... [Read More]

A significant portion of US-produced corn ethanol will likely meet Japan's 50% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction threshold over petrol, a recently released US Grains Council (USGC) study finds. The study, USGC says, supports the case for ethanol's competitiveness and sustainability compared to other fuel sources. The results will help the USGC and its industry partners dispel... [Read More]