(MarketWatch) Mario Garnero, Chairman of Brasilinvest, Brazil's pioneer merchant bank, stated that BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) can no longer be simply described as 'Emerging Markets'. Their economic, political and energy status make them 'Powerhouse Nations'. The Chairman of
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Back TO HOMEValero Partnering to Build Ethanol Plant in Michigan
(Valero) New Hampshire-based biofuels company Mascoma Corp. has entered into an agreement with energy giant Valero to build a plant that produces ethanol in Michigan's Upper Peninsula using Mascoma's proprietary technology. Mascoma, of Lebanon, agreed to the deal with Texas-based Valero
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Strengthen Bio-extraction Industry
(MarketWire) New solvent-recovery equipment being installed at POS Bio- Sciences will improve its capacity to help Canadian industry and international clients bring new bio-based oil ingredients to market with reduced research costs and environmental impact. POS's clients from the cosmetics,
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
State Incentives Approved for Expanding Companies
by Scott Sloan (Kentucky.com/Herald-Leader) The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority board approved tax incentives Thursday for companies, including Maker's Mark Distillery, F.B. Purnell Sausage and Hitachi, that are considering new investments in the state. The approval of tax incentives outlines
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis, Mascoma Show that Low-Cost Sugar is the Key, as Biofuels Moves from R&D into Industrial Era
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“The government rushed into investments, with no diligence,” says Codexis chief Alan Shaw. “They are just not industrialists, in my opinion.” Two major announcements this week drive the point home in advanced biofuels. In California, Codexis introduced its
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
VIASPACE Executive Highlights Giant King Grass Advancement & Commercial Opportunities in Africa to Generate Electricity, Manufacture Energy Pellets and Produce Bio-Fuels
(Reuters/VIASPACE) VIASPACE Executive Highlights Giant King Grass Advancement & Commercial Opportunities in Africa to Generate Electricity, Manufacture Energy Pellets and Produce Bio-Fuels: Presents at the Biomass West & Central Africa Congress in Ghana VIASPACE, Inc., a clean energy company growing Giant King™
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Himark Licenses Its Integrated bioRefinery™ Patent and its patent-pending Enhanced Ethanol production technology to Western Plains Energy LLC for a value of $15,000,000.00
(PR Newswire) Himark's newest U.S. patent is now being legally exploited by Western Plains Energy LLC ("WPE") at its 50 MMGPY plant in Oakley, Kansas. The rest of the ethanol industry in the U.S. is encouraged to contact Himark about integrating
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Why Biorefining Loan Guarantees Give Back: Think Money, Jobs and Military Might
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...In the letter, the group pointed out the need for programs like the 9003 Biorefinery Loan Guarantee Program offered through USDA. “Loan guarantees are the most cost-effective way to develop new jobs and create these
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Flying High on Advanced Biofuels!
by Mike McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biorefining Magazine) As I write to you, I am witnessing history at 40,000 feet above the U.S., a rare privilege, as one of the first commercial passengers on board the Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Four Days in the Algae Epicenter: A Review of the Algae Biomass Summit and the State of the Industry
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...Spending four days in Minneapolis amidst the largest and most impressive gathering of algae experts in academia, private business and government institutions, would convince anyone that in the algae industry today there is a whole
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Hitting a New Stride: The Biorefining Sector Is Poised for Commercial Scale-Up as Funding Strategies Mature and Production Capacity Grows
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) The biorefining sector reached an important new milestone this year with at least five companies undergoing successful initial public offerings (IPOs). As we move into the new year, members of industry will take another important
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Economic Jet-A Fuel from Ethanol Achieved
by Bob Brooks (Automotive Industries) United Airlines recently announced its intention to purchase 20 mllion/gal/yr of bio based, ASTM spec Jet-A fuel on condition it results in at least 50% reduced GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from aircraft engines and is cost
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Nominations Sought for 2012 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
(US Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting nominations for the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce both the use and generation of chemicals that
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Georgia’s Bioenergy One Stop Shop
(SAFER Alliance) Georgia grows wood like the Midwest grows corn,” says Jill Stuckey, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Energy. In fact, with nearly 25 million acres of forests in Georgia, the state ranks second in the nation, behind only
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Over $100 Million to Promote Innovative and Clean-Fuel Transit Projects
(US Department of Transportation) U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today (November 17, 2011) announced that 46 innovative transit projects chosen for their capacity to help cut the nation’s dependence on oil and create a marketplace for 21st century ‘green’ jobs
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
The A.I.M. Interview: Heliae CEO Dan Simon
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...“Our goal is to be a world leader in algae technology solutions. Together with the Town of Gilbert and the State of Arizona, we have the capabilities, the vision and the resources to
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Push for SA Forestry Region
by Bryan Littlely (Adelaide Now) TREES and forestry waste from the Green Triangle in the South-East could soon be fuelling heavy transport. A German consortium is understood to be interested in investing in a $200 million biodiesel plant in the region. Austrade
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
As Government Talks Strike Out, Business Steps up to Bat
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) This week, while the world’s biofuel producers were busy ramping up production towards the 54.1 billion gallon global capacity predicted by 2015, the people who regulate biofuels and make biofuel policy were mired in
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
US and Brazil Spar Over Ethanol Trade Policy
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Brazilian and U.S. ethanol interests are challenging each other over ethanol trade policy. The U.S./Brazil Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote a joint letter to Congress last week asking that the U.S. secondary tariff on imported
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
New Department of Natural Resources Advisory Council Weighted toward Timber Interests
(Michigan Radio) ...A new advisory council is heavily weighted with voices from the timber industry, and there will be more emphasis on developing forest products to boost the state’s economy. Governor Rick Snyder says there’s a lot of potential to use
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Transcriptional Changes Related to Secondary Wall Formation in Xylem of Transgenic Lines of Tobacco Altered for Lignin or Xylan Content which Show Improved Saccharification
by Charis M. Cook, Arsalan Daudi, David J. Millar, Laurence V. Bindschedler, Safina Khan, G. Paul Bolwell, Alessandra Devoto (Science Direct) In this study, an EST library (EH663598–EH666265) obtained from xylogenic tissue cultures of tobacco that had been previously generated was annotated. The library proved to be
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo Receives Key Patent from USPTO for Efficient Production of Isobutanol
(Gevo) Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, today received a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) on another aspect of its yeast technology that enables the low-cost, high-yield production of biobased isobutanol. Gevo was
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Verenium Announces Launch of Purifine® PLC Enzyme for Use in Biodiesel Production
(Verenium) Verenium Corporation, a leading industrial biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, today announced that sales of its Purifine® phospholipase C (PLC) enzyme product will now also be targeted for use in pretreatment of oil
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Warburg Pincus, First Green Partners Form New $355M Venture Capital Group for Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals and Green-Black Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Minnesota, Warburg Pincus announced that it will invest up to $355 million in First Green Partners, a newly formed early-stage venture capital company. First Green will, in turn, invest in early-stage companies that focus on
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces New Initiative to Remove Barriers for Industry to Work with National Labs, Commercialize Technology
(US Department of Energy) As part of President Obama’s commitment to helping U.S businesses create jobs and strengthen their competitiveness by speeding up the transfer of federal research and development from the laboratory to the marketplace, U.S. Deputy Secretary of
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Level the Playing Field for All Energy Sources
(25 x '25) Amid the political clamor surrounding congressional efforts to cut federal spending over the next decade and reduce the nation’s deficit, the ethanol industry has conceded that a seven-year subsidy benefiting the sector will end Dec. 31. ...Elsewhere, Congress
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Lux Research Report Predicts Global Biofuels Winners
(Algae Industry Magazine) Capacity for alternative fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel is at 44.6 billion gallons a year in 2011, but systemic hurdles will constrain their growth to under 5% annually through 2015. But pockets of promising
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
National Science Foundation, Japan Science and Technology Agency Issue New Joint Awards To Reduce Pesticide Pollution And Promote Biofuel
(Red Orbit) The carbon footprint of humans will be reduced by four awards for plant and microbial research issued under a new joint U.S./Japanese program Four joint United States and Japanese research teams have been awarded funding totaling about $12 million
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Carbon Accounting for Forests, Forest Products, and Bioenergy: Recent Studies Released
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)A number of new scientific studies have been released examining whether and how forests, forest management practices, forest products, and bioenergy from forests either contribute to or help mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration and emissions.
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
CALL for Papers: Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference October 23-25, 2012 Helsinki, Finland DEADLINES March 31, 2012 (papers) and May 15, 2012 (posters)
The international event, Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference (NWBC), is the leading meeting forum for wood biorefinery professionals. The next event will be held in Helsinki in October, 2012. This conference is jointly organised by VTT and Innventia. The conference language
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Halting Harmful Invaders: Research Identifies Acceptable Biofuel Feedstocks
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Good biofuel feedstocks are highly productive, have low input requirements and are widely adaptable. Unfortunately, those same traits are also common with invasive species. Language addressing invasive species is included in the Biomass Crop Assistance
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
China to the Rescue: U.S. Project Developers Look to China for Financial Support
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. federal government continually names China as being a country to beat in the clean energy race. However, increasingly, cellulosic ethanol producers and technology developers are coming to view China not as a
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Turn Up the Heat: Researchers Explore Heat-Resistant Enzymes
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...“Thermophilic fungi can be found worldwide, most commonly in habitats where self-heating of plant material results in high temperatures, such as compost heaps, municipal waste, plant straw, and animal dung,” he (Randy Berka, a
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Brazil Looks to Sweet Sorghum
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Monsanto providing seed for off-season ethanol feedstock Every year, Brazilian sugarcane mills clear and replant about 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres) of cane. This year, some mills are planting sweet sorghum developed by Monsanto
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Solving ILUC by Thinking Out of the Box
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) In various circles, the current thinking on indirect land use change (ILUC) is very much driven by negative perceptions. In the EU, the concern is that biofuel policy is counterproductive to what policymakers want
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Analyzing Concerns of EPA Regulatory Overreach
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under persistent pressure from lawsuits and the threat of legislation that could either repeal its authority to regulate air and water pollution, or defund its programs. Therefore, EESI set about
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Educating Drivers about FFVs and Renewable Fuels
by Burl Haigwood (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Clean Fuels Foundation) Can your motor vehicle administration break the blend wall and help meet the RFS? ...The first question to be asked—“Are you driving an FFV?” The initial response to the FFV/MVA project has been favorable
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Mitigating Ethanol Market Risk by Monitoring Opportunities
by John Harangody (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Atlas Commodity Markets) ...The ethanol market has many diverse participants that view price from different perspectives, including relationships to corn, basis locations, reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate (RBOB) blending, renewable identification numbers (RINs), sugar, crude
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
By Train, By Truck, or By Boat: How Ethanol Moves and Where It’s Going
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In September, Ed Hubbard, legislative counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association, addressed the topic of ethanol exports during a presentation at an ethanol logistics conference held in New Orleans. He noted that the amount
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Australian Algae Project Features Unique Pond System
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) A new algae project is underway in Australia. Algarythm Pty. Ltd., the operating company of Darke Peak Algae Biofuel Commercialization project, and Fishace Pty Ltd., trading as Fishace Ecological Engineering, recently announced the development of
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis Introduces CodeXyme™ Cellulase Enzyme Product Line for Biobased Chemicals
(Codexis) Codexis, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDXS) today introduced the CodeXyme™ Cellulase enzyme product line to convert biomass to sugar, enabling cost effective production of sustainable products. "The launch of the CodeXyme™ Cellulase product line introduces Codexis as a player in the global cellulase enzyme market," said Alan
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
UAE Says Days of Easy Oil Nearly Over; EOR and Sour Oil/Gas Needed
(Platts) UAE Oil Minister Mohammed Bin Dhaen al-Hamli said Monday that the days of easy oil were coming to an end and the UAE and fellow oil producers are having to resort to enhanced oil recovery and development of complex
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Swedish Sustainability Certification for Biofuels
(The Bioenergy Site) Starting February 1, 2012, a Sustainability Decision from the Swedish Energy Agency is required for biofuels in order to be eligible for tax incentives or to count for mandatory national renewable energy targets in Sweden. Sweden was one
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Michigan's Loss, Alberta's Gain: Smoky Lake or High Prairie to House 66-Million-Litre Biodiesel Plant Starting in 2012
by Dave Cooper (Edmonton Journal) An innovative Michigan plant that could produce 66 million litres of biodiesel from sub-grade canola is about to be disassembled and readied for a move to Alberta this winter. The location will be either Smoky Lake
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
OriginOil Announces New Research Agreement with U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory
(OriginOil) OriginOil will work with DOE’s Office of Biomass Programs to create standards for algal biomass OriginOil, Inc. (OTC/BB: OOIL), the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
FuturaGene Opens R&D Centre in China
(Biofuels International) FuturaGene, a woody crop plantation company for the bioenergy and biofuel markets, has opened a new biotech R&D centre in China. Although Futuragene has been working in China through partnerships with universities and research institutes over the last six
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol-Injection Systems Explained
by John Sherman (Car and Driver Magazine) Driving Under the Influence: Ethanol-injection systems aim to use alcohol responsibly. Thanks to the adoption of direct fuel injection, teaming gas and ethanol has the potential to beat diesel efficiency. We can hear your groans
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Livestock, Poultry Groups Request Hearing to Evaluate RFS
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A coalition of livestock and poultry lobby groups submitted a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee leaders on Dec. 7, requesting a hearing to evaluate the economic impact of the renewable
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa State University Scientists Part of US-Japan Team Set to Research Gene Chemistry to Enhance Biofuel, Biochemical Technology
(PressZoom/Iowa State University) An Iowa State University research team is collaborating with scientists at the Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation and also with scientists in Japan to develop an international partnership to help make strides in the technologies needed towards
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Climate Change Fellowship Opportunity
Travel to Japan or Indonesia Travel Dates: Japan Fellowship February 13, 2012 – March 2, 2012 Indonesia Fellowship February 20, 2012 – March 9, 2012 Fellows are selected based on outstanding performance and the ability to play leadership roles in their organizations and in their communities.
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
A New Era For Biofuels
by Bret Korsgaard (SeekingAlpha) …Companies like Solazyme (SZYM), KiOR (KIOR), GEVO (GEVO), Amyris (AMRS) and Codexis (CDXS) were generally met with favorable terms in the public markets. The Street seemed to acknowledge that for a time, such public enterprises could
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
A Tiny Pacific Island Is Now Powered By Coconuts
by Michael J. Coren (FastCoExist.com) It’s not a joke. Coconuts—and not much else—are plentiful on the islands of Tokelau. So they’re making good with what they have, and converting the entire region to solar and coconut biofuels. The head of the
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Cádiz Team Making Biofuel from Beer Residue
by h.b. (Typically Spanish) Other universities in Andalucía are taking part in the research Researchers from the allelopathy in higher plants and microorganisms program in Cádiz University have managed to generate biofuel from the residue of beer. So far they have
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
CJP Organizes Global Programmes on Pongamia, Moringa, Jojoba and Castor Biodiesel Crop in 2012
(LowCarbonEconomy.com) ...CJP has the privilege to provide most authoritative Knowledge platform known for Development of Sustainable Non-Food Oil Crop Projects, Programmes and Priorities to Feed Biodiesel Industry Worldwide and has established the Biodiesel Business AcademyÔ (BBA) to provide quality,
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Byogy Seeks up to $30 Million to Market Alcohol-Based Jet Fuel
by Christine Boynton (Air Transport World) California-based Byogy Renewables will seek as much as $30 million in funding from private equity and strategic investors by mid-2012, Bloomberg reported. The funds will be used to commercialize its alcohol-based fuel, and for
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
American Commits to Renewable Diesel, Alternative Jet Fuels
by Christine Boynton (Air Transport World) American Airlines (AA), which will launch its first biofuels flight next summer, has signed a purchase agreement for renewable diesel and an MOU with two suppliers for alternative jet fuels, it was announced Wednesday
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
For Obama’s Green-Car Revolution, Fits and Starts
by Carol D. Leonnig and Joe Stephens (The WashingtonPost) The Obama administration has poured roughly $5 billion in taxpayer funds into the electric-car industry, offering incentives to manufacturers, their suppliers and even car buyers who might want to go green. But analysts say
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
CORE BioFuel Inc. Produces High Octane Gasoline in Tests of Biomass to Gasoline Process
(CORE BioFuel, Inc.) CORE BioFuel Inc., a Canadian company focused on energy security for the North American and European markets, announced today that it has successfully tested the last step in its wood-to-gasoline process to produce high-octane, benzene-free, drop-in gasoline.
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
ADM Eyes Alberta, Canada, for New 70 MMgy Canola Biodiesel Plant
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Decatur, Ill.-based global agribusiness firm Archer Daniels Midland Co. has proposed to build a 265 MMly (70 MMgy) biodiesel production plant in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, a project that would boost ADM’s North American installed biodiesel
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Greenleaf Biofuels Holds 10 MMgy Plant Groundbreaking Ceremony
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Greenleaf Biofuels LLC held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 10 MMgy biodiesel plant in New Haven, Conn., on Nov. 4. The event took place adjacent to the cleared building lot with New Haven Terminal’s waterfront
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Crimson Renewable Energy Reopens 25 MMgy Bakersfield Plant
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) After sitting idle for two years, Crimson Renewable Energy LP has successfully completed recommissioning and start-up of its 25 MMgy biodiesel production facility in Bakersfield, Calif., with initial product lots certified and shipped Nov. 1. According
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Blue Sun to Offer Biodiesel at Knoxville, Tenn., Terminal
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Denver-based biodiesel producer, marketer and distributor Blue Sun Biodiesel announced that it plans to deliver mechanically blended biodiesel to the Cummins Terminal located in Knoxville, Tenn., from a heated 546,000-gallon biodiesel tank through three of
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
IRFA Announces Video Contest for Iowa High School Students
by Ann Marie Edwards (DomesticFuel.com) Lights, camera, cash prizes! The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) wants Iowa high school students to submit their best videos highlighting renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. The second annual “Fuel the Future” video contestis for students in
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Our View: On VEETC, We Won
by Garry Niemeyer (National Corn Growers Association) Back in August, the Green Scissors Project identified ways the federal government could shave $380 billion from the federal budget over five years. But their $380 billion in proposed cuts included a major
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Congress ‘Lost faith’ in Advanced Bioenergy, Key Lawmaker Says
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Programs the Obama administration has been pushing to promote next-generation biofuels are likely to have little funding in the next farm bill, according to the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Collin
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Airlines Flying on Clean Fuel Should Pay Less Tax, Branson Says
by Louise Downing (Bloomberg) Governments need to make it “very clear” that jet fuel made from sources such as inedible plants and organic waste aren’t taxed like regular fuel, said Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. A push by governments
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Indian River Bio-Ethanol Plant Earns Initial Tax Abatement Approval
by Henry A. Stephens (TCPalm.com) The nation's first waste-derived bio-ethanol plant won initial approval Tuesday to avoid paying almost $956,000 in county property taxes during its first 10 years of operation. In a series of 14-0 votes, the county Economic Development
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
RFA Responds to Letter Sent to Senate Committee
by Ann Marie Edwards (DomesticFuel.com) The Renewable Fuels Association(RFA) has sent a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee leadership refuting statements that were made in a Nov. 30th letter sent to the committee by ethanol critics. According to RFA, the
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Sapphire Energy Named by Forbes as One of America's Most Promising Companies
(Sapphire Energy) Identified as One of 16 Companies to Watch with Under $1 Million in Sales Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world leaders in algae-based crude oil, today announced that the company has been chosen by Forbes for its list of America’s
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae InSight
by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization) ...There are four key takeaways from these meetings that I think are critical for our industry as we close out 2011 and plan for 2012. 1. Support for renewable energy overall, and biofuels in particular,
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Rangel Introduces Bill to Extend Ethanol Duty, Benefitting U.S. Producers and Refiners in the Caribbean and Central America
(Congressman Charles Rangel (D- NY 15) Congressman Charles Rangel on December 2, 2011, introduced legislation to extend "other duty or charge" (ODC), a key component of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), that provides duty-free treatment to ethanol imports
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Sugarcane Ethanol Producers Respond to Unfair Legislation to Extend Tariff
(Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association/PR NewsWire) In response to the introduction of H.R. 3552, legislation sponsored by four members of the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the import tax on foreign ethanol, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) issued the
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Implications of Biodiesel-Induced Land-Use Changes for CO2 Emissions: Case Studies in Tropical America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
by Achten, W. M. J., and L. V. Verchot (Ecology and Society) Biofuels are receiving growing negative attention. Direct and/or indirect land-use changes that result from their cultivation can cause emissions due to carbon losses in soils and biomass and could
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Scaling Biofuels for Aviation ‘Not so difficult,’ Branson Says
by Timothy Hurst (Earth & Industry) The commercial aviation industry could go from being one of the dirtiest to being one of the cleanest in ten years, according to one of the industry's best-known figures. Richard Branson says the world's 7,000
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
DSM, CIMV Produce Ethanol From Wheat Straw in Biofuel Project
by Rudy Ruitenberg (Bloomberg) Royal DSM NV and France’s CIMV SA produced ethanol from wheat straw in a test run of a project led by French agricultural researcher INRA to develop so-called second-generation biofuels. Levallois-Perret, France-based CIMV broke down the straw
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Dial-a-Ride Vehicles Trialling Biodiesel
(Wired-gov.net) Transport for London (TfL)is to use an environmentally friendly biofuel in 12 of its Dial-a-Ride vehicles in a year-long trial. It is estimated the vehicles will produce 25 per cent less carbon emissions than a normal diesel-powered vehicle and if
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Group Seeks Classification as Advanced Biofuel for Energy Beets
by Sue Roesler (Farm & Ranch Guide) Cole Gustafson, department chair of the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University, said while there’s more concerns about corn ethanol at the Congressional level with the “food
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
By year end, POET to Produce Enough Corn Oil for 12 Million Gallons Per Year of Biodiesel
(POET/Renewable Energy World) Voilà™ corn oil production in six POET plants, with more on the way With its patent-pending technology expanding to a total of 6 plants, POET will produce corn oil as feedstock for 12 million gallons of biodiesel per
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
PetroAlgae’s IPO: The 10-Minute Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can PetroAlgae find a market for its feed among the aficionados of alfalfa and fishmeal, with fuels on the side? In its recent IPO revision, it says “sure can”. ... PetroAlgae has filed a massive revision
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Camelina Production Set to Soar
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) Biofuel sources currently under development include algae, jatropha and camelina. Of the three, camelina is increasingly emerging as the frontrunner in attracting initial investment worldwide, as global demand for aviation fuel for passenger flights is now
December 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Triticale Offers Benefits over Wheat for Biofuels
by Louise Impey (Farmers Weekly Interactive) New research shows that growing triticale instead of wheat for biofuel production could have higher financial returns for both farmers and biofuel producers thanks to ability of triticale to outyield wheat, at similar or
December 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Asian Palm-Based Biofuel May Struggle in U.S.
by Niluksi Koswanage (Reuters) Indonesian palm-based biodiesel shipments seeking a foothold in the United States will face stiff competition from feedstocks such as corn oil and waste oils, which will become cheaper as more supplies hit the market, a top
December 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Europe: Petroleum Imports: OK. Biofuel Imports: No Way
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Europe, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re not going to stuff the biofuels genie back in the bottle. And let’s face it, you’ve got much bigger problems to deal with
December 06, 2011 Read Full Article
California Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Conference January 16, 2012 San Francisco, CA
Presented by the California Biodiesel Alliance and Biodiesel Magazine, California Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Conference is the first event of its kind and will serve as the state’s most important conversation between policy makers, investors, researchers, producers and fuel users regarding
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Prince Edward Island Agency Backed for Beet Ethanol Plant
(Alberta Farmer) A company set up to develop a commercially viable way of using Prince Edward Island beets as an ethanol feedstock has been backed to build a demonstration-scale processing plant. Atlantec BioEnergy Corp., which for years has spearheaded a beet
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Taking the Fuel Out of Biofuels
by Ben Lefebvre (Wall Street Journal) Unable to compete with petroleum products, biofuel companies have found replacement products to sell As advanced biofuel companies work toward creating an economically viable alternative to petroleum, some have found an alternative place to
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Refiners Warn Marketers of Imminent End of Ethanol Tax Break
(NACS Online) Refiners are starting to warn marketers to prepare for the end of the 4.5 cts/gal ethanol tax credit, which is set to expire at month's end, absent last-minute action by Congress. Chevron notified its jobbers on Dec. 1 that
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Clean-Energy Policies Create Jobs, and Congress Should Take Note
(The Boston Globe) Editorial: ...But Solyndra’s subsequent failure isn’t a sign that the administration has gone too far; rather, it’s a sign that Congress, which tolerates all manner of explicit and implicit subsidies for fossil fuels and corn ethanol, hasn’t
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
SLAC Research Cracks Puzzle of Enzyme Critical to Food Supply
(SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) If we could make plant food from nitrogen the way nature does, we’d have a much greener method for manufacturing fertilizer – a process that requires such high temperatures and pressures that it consumes about 1.5
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Troubled Ethanol Plant Looks to Sell Water for Fracking
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Idled ethanol plant Bionol Clearfield LLC is working to get approval to sell some of the water it would be using for ethanol production to sell to the natural gas extraction industry for
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Latin America Strives to Become the Greenest Continent
by James Burgess (OilPrice.com) Latin America is one of the world’s largest continents, with abundant, untapped energy resources. It also boasts several countries with rapidly growing economies such as Brazil and Mexico. In fact Brazil’s energy demand is predicted to
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Africa's Farmland in Demand: 'Is There a Better Place than This?'
by Rick Westhead (The Star) ...Indian industrialist Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi has his eye on this lush scenery, too, but he sees something much different: the potential for large-scale commercial farming. Karuturi, from the South Indian city of Bangalore, envisions the fields
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Area Plant Makes Bio-Resins for Plastics
by Dave Dreeszen (Sioux City Journal) A northeast Nebraska start-up company has produced its first batches of an ag-based material that holds great promise for the global plastics industry. Laurel BioComposite LLC recently opened a pilot plant that makes so-called "Bio-Res"
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Algae Biofuel Business Develops a New Production Facility on the Eyre Peninsula
(Environmental Expert) Algarythm Pty Ltd is the operating company of the Darke Peak Algae Biofuel Commercialisation project. South Australian based Fishace Pty Ltd; trading as Fishace Ecological Engineering, has developed an innovative method to produce algal biomass in commercial quantities.
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Carbon War Room & Elsevier to Unlock Renewable Fuel Market for Airlines & Investors
(Market Watch BusinessWire) The Carbon War Room, an independent non-profit that harnesses the power of entrepreneurs to unlock gigaton solutions to climate change, and Elsevier, the world's leading scientific publisher, unveiled today RenewableJetFuels.org, the world's first online market information service
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Butamax Discusses Biobutanol Commercial Activities Including Early Adopter Initiative
(Butamax) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, the leading global biobutanol technology development company, announces agreement on commercialization principles with Highwater Ethanol, the first entrant to the Butamax Early Adopters Group. Butamax’s business model is to offer current ethanol producers proprietary biobutanol technology to
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Range Fuels Failure
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Let’s talk about Range Fuels, the good and the bad. In Georgia, the AgSouth Farm Credit bank, which is the lender of record for an $80 million construction loan that Range defaulted on, is advertising a
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
E. Coli Bacteria Engineered to Eat Switchgrass and Make Transportation Fuels
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) Researchers Reach Milestone on the Road to Biofuels A milestone has been reached on the road to developing advanced biofuels that can replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuels with a
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle
by Bruce V. Bigelow (Xconomy) ...Jason Pyle: ...So soon, we will see the U.S. military as the leading customer for crude oil replacements. As pressure rises on the commercial airline industry (which uses most of the jet fuels in the
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Bill Gates Calls for Massive Increase in Energy Research
by Martin LaMonica (CNET News) Even though it's supposed to be a time of federal fiscal austerity, Bill Gates says its time to double down on energy research. The software industry icon and philanthropist on Friday published an editorial in Science calling
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Holcim Lanka and Algae.Tec Launch First Biofuels Production Facility in Asia
(Algae.Tec) Algae.Tec Limited an advanced algae to biofuels company with a high-yield enclosed algae growth and harvesting system announced today it had signed a collaboration contract to build its first algae biofuels production facility in Asia. The facility will be built
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Dynamic Fuels and Solazyme Partner to Supply Renewable Fuel to U.S. Navy
(Solazyme) Dynamic Fuels, LLC, a joint venture between Tyson Foods, Inc. and Syntroleum Corporation, has been awarded a contract to supply the U.S. Navy with 450,000 gallons of renewable fuels. Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, will help
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Sugar Beet Industry Could Create 5,000 Jobs
by Suzanne Lynch (Irish Times) SOME 5,000 jobs could be created by the revival of the sugar beet industry, according to a feasibility study by the Irish Sugar Beet Bio-Refinery Group. The PWC-backed study is calling for the establishment of a
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Fat of the Land
(The Economist) Green-minded motorists are making car fuel at home, from used cooking oil ...The recipe starts by filtering the breadcrumbs out with a mesh screen. After that you warm the oil up and add sodium hydroxide and methanol. The sodium
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Why the Shift over to Alcohol-to-Jet Fuels? Will ATJ Avoid the Cost Problems Plaguing Oilseed-bBased Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But to make affordable jet fuel, say at a $4.00 cost per gallon to the airline, you really need to get feedstock at under 30 cents per pound, or less than $600 per ton. Otherwise,
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Announces New Insurance Pilot Program for Biofuel-Friendly Oilseed Crop with Potential to Create Jobs, Stimulate Rural Economies
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. Camelina is an oilseed crop with the potential to create
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Enzyme Study Shows DDGS Dewatering Applications
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A one-month plant trial showed a commercial enzyme could help extract water from distillers grains, saving natural gas, electricity and water used in the ethanol process. More work needs to be done, said David
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Nucleic Acids Research Journal Publishes Sapphire Energy Peer-Reviewed Research Paper on a Chloroplast Genome From Green Algae
(Sapphire Energy/PR Newswire) Research Enables Improvements in Genetic Diversity in all Regions of a Chloroplast Genome with Potential Applications for other Photosynthetic Organisms Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world leaders in algae-based crude oil, today announced that Nucleic Acids Research Journal
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
An Unfair Fight for Renewable Energies
by Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Washington Post) OpEd: More energy from the sun hits Earth in one hour than all the energy consumed on our planet in an entire year. In those terms, it is absurd that our federal government spends tens
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
US Airlines Test Bio Fuel Flights
by John Terrett (AlJazeera) Some US airlines have begun testing enviromentally friendly fuel. And while the efforts may help the environment, unlike in the European Union, the US government does not force airliners to go green. The ecological benefits would be
December 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Carbon Tax Bill Introduced: Great Idea; Needs Some Amending
(Environment and Energy Study Institute) A steadily rising tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels would be a powerful, market-based approach to addressing one of the greatest crises of our time – global climate change. It could also help
December 03, 2011 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Dampens Global Crude Oil Prices
(Malaya Business Insight) Increasing ethanol in the U.S. gasoline supply would lead to lower crude oil prices. This is the conclusion of a study assessing the impact of US ethanol on fossil fuel markets by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic
December 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Navy Maritime Surface Craft Sets Speed Record on Algal Fuel Blend
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) In a continued effort to test and validate advanced biofuel utilization in both air and sea crafts, the U.S. Navy successfully concluded its final demonstration of the year Dec. 7-9 with operational testing of a
December 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Outlook 2012: Insights and Perspectives from Ethanol Industry Executives
by Kris Bevill and Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...The challenges for cellulosic ethanol developers are daunting, but the executives representing those firms see the opportunities far outweighing the challenges and are quite optimistic for the year ahead. Indeed, all
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Industry Hunkers Down for Hard Times
by Mackinnon Lawrence (Reuters) ...Coming off several years of steady industry growth but facing a difficult 2012, Advanced Biofuels Markets 2011 was tinged with exigency. With deficit reduction at the forefront of policy objectives for Congress, a reexamination of cornerstone
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
5 Rules for Thriving in the 2011-12 Renewable Fuel Markets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Amyris and Total exemplify the trend, with their announcement of agreements to expand their current R&D partnership and form a joint venture to develop, produce and commercialize a range of renewable fuels and products. ...1. RMN.
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Airline Sector to Make Do with Fossil Fuels
(Biofuels International) Adair Turner, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has acknowledged that the aviation sector may be an area in which fossil fuels have to be used, highlighting that we are looking to achieve a 'low carbon
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Environmental Focus Gives Scania Market Leadership
(Scania) A major order for 121 biofuel buses from Nobina strengthens Scania’s leading position as a supplier of vehicles that can be run on the renewable fuels available today. “The fact that Scania can deliver reliable and cost effective buses
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Concerns EU’s Renewable Energy Directive Breaks Rules Of Free Trade
(Eurasia Review) The European Union renewable energy regulation may became a subject of dispute in the World Trade Organization (WTO), warned Monday the Globalization Institute, adding that lack of transparency and discrimination towards foreign biofuel suppliers cause the Renewable Energy
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
FuturaGene Gets US$1.2m for Bioenergy Research in Brazil
by Kari Williamson (Renewable Energy Focus) FuturaGene has received a US$2.1 million grant from the Brazilian Government to advance its bioenergy technology development programme in Brazil. The grant obtained by FuturaGene's parent company, Suzano Papel e Celulose, will be used to
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Economic Study Questions Cost-Effectiveness of Current Biofuels and Their Ability to Cut Fossil Fuel Use; Gas Tax and Energy Efficiency Improvements Found More Effective
(Green Car Congress) A new study by economists at Oregon State University questions the cost-effectiveness of current biofuels and says they would barely reduce fossil fuel use and would likely increase greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers focused on the major mandated and
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production Capacity over 14 Billion Gallons
by Carey Gillam (Reuters) The U.S. biofuels industry has more than 14 billion gallons in annual production capacity for fuel ethanol, according to new industry and government data, but growth has hit a plateau and experts see steady but slow
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
London Fleet Adds B30 Following Customer Requests
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) A London-based private fleet service has listened to customer feedback regarding the fleet’s use of environmentally friendly vehicles, and now Greentomatocars has added biodiesel. The fleet, mainly made up of 200 Toyota Prius cars, will
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Fees Waived for Biodiesel Plant
by Liz Holland (DelMarVa Now) A biodiesel plant that suffered an explosion in 2008 will get a waiver on finance charges and interest that have accrued on the company's personal property tax bill. ...James Kingdon, Greenlight's president, said he plans to
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
The Louisville Biodiesel Cooperative, MSD and the The Green Triangle in the 9th District Announce Waste Cooking Oil Recycling Partnership
(PR NewsWire) The Louisville Biodiesel Cooperative, the Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and The Green Triangle in the 9th District are pleased to announce a partnership to recycle Waste Cooking Oil. The first recycling station is: Louisville Biodiesel at 1501 Portland Avenue
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
FAA Announces Alternative Energy Investments For Cleaner, More Sustainable Jet Fuel
(Federal Aviation Administration) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $7.7 million in contracts to eight companies to help advance alternative, environmentally-friendly, sustainable sources for commercial jet fuel. The FAA funds are being distributed by the Department of Transportation’s (DOT)
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Honeywell and AliphaJet Commit to Commercialize Renewable Drop-in Jet Biofuels at a Dinner Hosted by Former President Jimmy Carter
(BusinessWire/AliphaJet) At a dinner hosted by President Jimmy Carter with Jack Oswald, CEO of AliphaJet Inc. (www.AliphaJet.com), and Tracey Haslam, Americas vice president, Honeywell Process Solutions (NYSE:HON) (www.honeywellprocess.com), the former President endorsed the collaboration of large and small business to
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Cautious Optimism and Practical Progress with a Side of Gallows Humor: The Mood at the CAAFI General Meeting
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) held their general meeting conference and expo November 30-December 1 in Washington, DC. Optimism and celebration from seeing real commercial airlines flying with real biofuels since the
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
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