Articles in Australia
by Kim McDonald (University of California at San Diego) New discoveries of the way plants transport important substances across their biological membranes to resist toxic metals and pests, increase salt and drought tolerance, control water loss …
by Steve Creedy (The Australian) Brisbane Airport has been earmarked as the site of Australia’s first sustainable aviation fuel “bio-port”.
Virgin Australia, Brisbane Airport Corporation and sustainable fuel company SkyNRG today announced a feasibility study that …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Premier of Queensland, Australia, Campbell Newman, has cut the ribbon on an advanced solar biofuels pilot plant designed to develop microalgae-based systems as a source of clean fuel and animal feeds.
The $3.5 …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Tony Raggatt writes in townsvillebulletin.com that James Cook University, a leading algal research facility located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, has started to commercialize its research by selling their algae as a feedstock …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite the sluggish economic recovery and questions over policy stability — biofuels ventures have been busy raising lots of capital. In the past 6 months, $434 million. Who got what, …
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) …And some, such as the folks at Algae.Tec, are looking to green shipping containers to grow a literal green feedstock.
“What we wanted was a significant bulk outcome, in other words fuels and …
by David Glass (DGlassAssociates.com) In two blog entries in 2010, I described the possible regulatory regimes that might affect the use of genetically modified microorganisms or plants in the production of biofuels or bio-based chemicals, …
(Lignol) Lignol Energy Corporation (TSXV: LEC) (“LEC” or “the Company”), a leading technology company in the advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals sector, today announced that it has subscribed for convertible notes with a principal value …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Global Clean Energy Holdings announced that it has acquired Sustainable Oils, a leader in Camelina genetics and production. The acquisition includes 100% ownership interest of Sustainable Oils and the …
(Biofuels International) Australian research company Agritechnology has found a location as it further develops a biofuels demonstration plant.
A site for the plant has been chosen in Orange, New South Wales and it will aim to …
(This Is Gloucestershire) Green Fuels of Stonehouse has installed the first ever biodiesel plant on Bali. The move is helping the Indonesian island to avert a growing environmental and health crisis.
The FuelMatic GSX 3 plant …
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) * U.S. cellulosic biofuel goals not reached
* Beta sees industry stepping up output by 2015
* New players could emerge from eastern Europe
Biofuels made from wood waste and sugarcane have languished well …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae, drop-in fuels get a kick-start from $3.2 billion ARENA funds
In Australia, two key projects focused on algae biofuels and drop-in fuels from wood biomass and residues took major steps …
by Warwick Long (ABC Rural) A Melbourne businessman has bought a 4,500 hectare property to produce biofuels for his revegetation and timber recycling companies in the city.
Peter O’Donnell bought Madowla Park, east of Echuca in …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In the world of biofuels there is no sector as active as military and aviation biofuels in terms of willing customers. At the Low Carbon Fuel Conference, held over …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Australia’s State Development Minister Colin Barnett has announced a $10 million government sponsored project for construction of a seawater pipeline to support the expansion of an algae industry at Karratha, in Western …
by Peter Hannam (Sidney Morning Herald) Lufthansa probably thought it was on a public relations winner when it began operating flights using a mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel between Frankfurt and Hamburg in 2011.
However, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is fibre fuel, how does it displace petroleum via supercritical technology, and what does the plant look like?
… For those less familiar with New Zealand’s energy brands, Z Energy …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 22 projects around the world show the multi-faceted promise of algae. Concrete, polyurethane, bioplastics, cosmetics and, oh, fuels — so many big things to make from algae, it’s become a …
by Stephen Stockwell (ABC Rural) Mine camp catering company, ESS, will now send all the used cooking oil from its Western Australian kitchens to be turned into biodiesel.
AshOil, a subsidiary of the Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation, …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Neste Oil, ranked the world’s fourth most sustainable company on The Global 100 list at the World Economic Forum in Davos, has been investigating the suitability of algae for its renewable fuels …
(ABC News) Tasmania could become home to Australia’s first commercial plant converting trees into the biofuel, ethanol.
Timber communities in Dorset and the Huon Valley are in formal talks with the developers of technology that allows …
(Green Fuels/Biodiesel Magazine) The biorefinery manufacturer Green Fuels is in Bali this week commissioning a turnkey biodiesel facility for Caritas Switzerland, an NGO that focuses on socioeconomic development in disadvantaged communities around the world. Green Fuels …
(Algae.Tec/PR NewsWire) Algae.Tec today announced approval from the Australian Government for an AU$12.15 million cash refund on Australian and overseas development expenditure for the financial year 30 June 2012 to 30 June 2015.
The terms of …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, ENEnergy Australia (ENA) announced approval has been received from the Australian Government for its first project in Northern Australia under the R&D tax incentive scheme. The project approval …
(Visual.ly) The race to produce a sustainable, scalable form of biofuel has become ‘wacky’ – literally. There are articles printed daily heralding the latest method of producing fuel, be it converting whiskey waste, recycling cooking …
by Michelle Wheeler (The West Australian/Yahoo!) New bacteria found in the gut of a WA termite could be used to develop biofuels, according to research by a University of WA honours student.
Ghislaine Small, from …
(Equities.com) Innovation, Services and Small Business Minister Louise Asher today officially launched, in conjunction with McDonald s Australia, Neutral Fuels new biodiesel processing facility in Dandenong.
Neutral Fuels has secured McDonald s as a major customer …
(Leaf Energy) The patent application titled “Methods for Converting Lignocellulosic Material to Useful Products” (“Glycerol Bio-refinery process”) describes the process developed at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) by Zhanging Zhang, Ian O’Hara and William …
by Peter Hemphill (Grain & Hay WeeklyTimes) An American biofuels company is looking to build a refinery in Australia to produce ethanol from wheat straw and other residues.
…Investors in the biorefineries include Australia’s Macquarie Bank and …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Brazil, India, the US, China and the EU point the way towards a 60 billion gallon biofuels market by 2022 – but can the capacity be built, and can the …
(Shell Australia) Shell Australia today (11/21/12) opened a new biodiesel facility at its Parramatta Terminal in western Sydney – responding to customer demand to reduce diesel excise liabilities and reduce the environmental impacts of fossil …
(ABC Rural) The Illawarra, south of Sydney, has received another rescue package from Federal and State Governments to help it rebuild after major job losses in the steel industry.
…”What we’re able to do as a …
by Nick Perry (The Australian) A Technology breakthrough by two Australian brothers could offer a solution to the world’s insatiable appetite for food and fuel.
Phillip and Geoff Bell have developed a new way to produce …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Recently Aurora Algae announced the successful completion of requirements for a two million dollar (AUD) Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) grant, which has been used to advance the Company’s algae-based biomass production at its …
(ZeaChem) ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has completed construction of its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The project was completed on budget and is …
(Medical Xpress) Compounds that affect respiratory health have been found in biodiesel exhausts. This might lead to restrictions on the use of this form of biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel, according to researchers …
by Marc Gunther (The Guardian) Scores of companies across the world are racing to unlock algae’s energy potential and create a ‘green crude oil’
Tiny Columbus, New Mexico (population, 1,678) is hot, flat and uncrowded — …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …We say that biofuels are “capital-intensive,” mainly to be polite. It’s like saying that Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun had “land interests”.
…Put it this way. How much …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The next five years—the often scoffed mantra of cellulosic ethanol developers—is getting whittled down to the next year or two. A milestone was reached this year when Blue Sugars …
(Proactive Investors) SWW Energy has delivered initial results from its waste water to biodiesel/biofuel testing which has demonstrated the potential for waste water to be converted to a fuel.
Initial observations from the water sample showed usable …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Aurora Algae has announced the successful completion of requirements for a two million dollar (AUD) Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) grant, which has been used to advance the Company’s algae-based biomass production at …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jobs, global expansion, proteins vs fuels, new R&D funding – all the big issues are under debate both on and off the floor at the Algae Biomass Summit.
…Jobs Dr. John …
by N.H. Tran, J.R. Bartlett, G.S.K. Kannangara, A.S. Milev, H. Volkb, M.A. Wilson (Fuel) Micro-algae are seen as one of the major future fuel sources. Culture and growth of oil rich micro-algae and catalytic process for …
(Algae.Tec/PR NewsWire) Algae.Tec Limited is pleased to announce that Algae.Tec and Lufthansa have signed a Collaboration Agreement for the construction of a large-scale algae to aviation biofuels production facility.
The site will be in Europe adjacent to an …
(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists have identified a number of Western Australia (WA) sites capable of producing large quantities of commercial biofuel from microalgae. They say the best sites for big-scale algal biofuel plants include stretches …
(ABC News) The State Government says the development of an algae aquaculture industry in the Pilbara has the potential to create new jobs outside the resources sector.
It has released a report explaining how the region …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, the Australian Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (AISAF) was inaugurated on 08 August 2012. It has funding for 12 months in the first instance. The Steering Committee held …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …But in many respects, its been a summer about aviation biofuels – starting with the demonstration of the US Navy’s Green Strike Group and continuing to announcements of projects …
The 2013 Collegiate Design Series (CDS) competition schedule, registration fees, maximum number of teams accepted for each event and the registration opening and closing are listed below.
You must read and follow the registration requirements and …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Launching today – and stretching into early Fall – the Algae Biomass Organization is coordinating a series of events billed as “The “Summer of Algae II” to raise awareness about …
(PR NewsWire/Yahoo!Finance) The Algae.Tec advanced engineered algae to biofuels facility Shoalhaven Onewas officially opened today by the New South Wales Minister for Resources and Energy the Honourable Chris Hartcher, MP.
A VIP crowd including executives from the …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest is reporting that global advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals capacity will reach 5.89 billion gallons by 2017, up from 5.11 billion gallons by 2016 reported in …
by Arthur Kollaras, Paul Koutouridis, Mary Biddy and James D. McMillan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Feed yeast, green coal contribute to bottom line
…History shows that once an industry is established, significant technological improvements quickly evolve. But …
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …To sum it up: it’s a big world and a world that is growing increasingly hungry for clean, domestically produced energy. The opportunities abound for those who can think …
(Stock Journal) MISA researchers from SARDI have isolated and evaluated a ‘super strain’ of a native microalgae species that could form the basis of a local biofuels industry.
This breakthrough in biodiscovery comes after six years …
by Brendan Nicholson (The Australian) THE Royal Australian Navy has taken a major step towards “greening” its warships and aircraft with a new agreement that will give it access to technology being developed in the …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Algae.Tec Ltd. is holding a VIP official commissioning of its Shoalhaven One showcase algae production facility in Bomaderry, New South Wales, Australia, on Aug. 2.
Shoalhaven One is a series of …
(Biofuels International) A new strain of microalgae species, which could benefit the biofuels industry, has been evaluated by researchers at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).
The breakthrough comes six years after bioprospecting across …
Nathan Klein and Samantha Malagre (The Daily Telegraph) If there has been a reluctance to fill up with E10 petrol it certainly wasn’t on show yesterday – when it was free.
Motorists were stuck in kilometre-long …
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …The economy of Australia is one of the best in the world, but the focus has not been on renewable energy. Interestingly, with all of the mineral resources that …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …(M)ore than 30 airlines now trialing, deploying biofuels – but who’s doing what, exactly?
In Brazil, Azul Airlines announced that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane has passed all required testing …
Australia’s A$200 million ($196 million) renewable energy venture capital fund is set to unveil its first two investments in the solar and biofuels industries by the end of September.
Southern Cross Venture Partners, named manager of …
(Stock Journal) The prototype mallee harvester developed by Biosystems Engineering and Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has exceeded expectations in the final stages of its development.
During trials near Casino in New South Wales, …
(Yahoo! Finance) Virgin Australia says it has started trialling the use of biodiesel to power some ground vehicles at Brisbane Airport.
The fuel for the eight-week trial will contain 80 per centconventional diesel and 20 per cent biodiesel made from …
by Sean Nicholls (Sydney Morning Herald/New South Wales) THE value of the NSW ethanol mandate has been questioned by the NSW Treasury in documents that describe it of questionable benefit to motorists and a policy …
(AFP) Australia’s Qantas Friday launched the nation’s first commercial flight using a mixture of refined cooking oil, saying it would not survive if it relied solely on traditional jet fuel.
The Airbus A330 left Sydney for …
(CNNGo) First biofuel flight will take off on April 13 from Sydney
…Qantas is the latest airline to launch a flight powered by cooking oil.
Tickets are currently on sale for Australia’s first commercial biofuel flight, which …
by Steve Creedy (The Australian) QANTAS hopes to boost government interest and involvement in aviation biofuels when the airline conducts Australia’s first biofuel-powered commercial flight next month, using fuel derived from cooking oil.
The return flight will …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Two reasons why Queensland’s election stands out. First, the election was also notable for the electoral debut of the rural, populist Katter’s Australian Party, which was formed last year …
by Peter Spinks (Sydney Morning Herald) …And now, to help ameliorate the ravages of global warming, algae are being used to produce biofuels for vehicles and aviation fuels to power tomorrow’s airliners.
Algae, the world’s …
(Australia Department of Energy, Resources and Tourism) The Australian Government committed $20 million to a new Australian Biofuels Research Institute to undertake research into next generation advanced biofuels in Australia.
On 10 May 2011, the Minister for Resources and …
(Big Pond News) Australia will need a vibrant bio-fuel industry more than ever if Caltex decides to close its refineries, independent MP Bob Katter says.
Caltex Australia has flagged shutting its two domestic refineries in Sydney …
(NCS International) NCS International (“NCSI”) has certified the world’s first organisation against the Principles and Criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (“RSB”). RSB is a new international standard that can be applied across the …
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) today announced the first completed commercial certification of the Manildra Group of Australia. The certification was conducted by NCS International, an RSB-accredited certification agency.
The Manildra …
(Queensland University of Technology) Biofuel technology being developed by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers has caught the interest of the US Navy, which is currently in Australia on an alternative fuel fact-finding mission.
The US …
by Jim Lane/Dr. Susan Pond (Biofuels Digest/Dow Sustainability Program at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre) In Australia, the inaugural Sustainable Maritime Fuels Forum was held this week as part of the Pacific …
by Sean Nicholls (Sydney Morning Herald) THE NSW ethanol mandate will be ”appropriately enforced”, the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, has assured Australia’s biggest ethanol producer, Manildra, after the company reacted to his decision to dump a …
Michael Richardson (Canberra Times) Don’t laugh! The United States military is dead serious about being able to fly its combat and cargo planes on jet fuel derived from algae and plants, and to power many …
by Logan Hawkes (Southwest Farm Press)
Biodiesel is experiencing a historic surge worldwide.
Pongamiapinnata is becoming a popular oilseed choice for biofuel production and has captured the attention of U.S. growers.
Pongamia is one of the few nitrogen-fixing trees …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …You just can’t turn your back for very long, around the Pyromaniax – the researchers around the world working on pyrolysis. Now, pyro comes in several flavors – fast pyrolysis, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bloomberg New Energy Finance launched its report “Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy”. Commissioned by Novozymes, the report estimates the socioeconomic prospects of deploying advanced biofuels in eight of the highest agricultural-producing …
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A legume tree native to tropical and temperate regions around the world is attracting attention as a potential new biodiesel feedstock. Pongamia Pinnata—also known as Millettia Pinnata—produces oil-rich seeds that …
by Riggs Eckelberry (Algae Industry Magazine) If only there were enough algae to meet the demand. Algae is highly productive, soaks up toxins and CO2, and can be grown without impacting food or fresh water …
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In China, Australia’s Algae.Tec has signed a binding MOU for a 50/50 equity joint venture (JV) in China with Chinese company the Shandong Kerui Group Holding Ltd.
The first project under the JV …
Scaling up to the next level & developments inprocessing technology from harvesting,separation to extraction
Key Highlights
Assessment of the possible scale of algae cultivation & biocrude potential across Australia
Open Pond systems with high saline algae – Muradel …
by James Robertson and Jessica Wright (The Sydney Morning Herald) THE NSW government’s plan to ban regular unleaded fuel has been thrown into doubt by the revelation that the state’s only ethanol producer, Manildra, has failed …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …We cannot relax now; we must work harder.
Because, in growing as fast as it has, the industry has frightened those who only believe in a failed yesterday of “fossil fuels …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The company was founded as Aurora Biofuels – solely to do biofuels. As time went on, and the company came closer to realizing its performance targets, it discovered that its …
by Jonathan Williams (Biofuels Digest) Who’s in front in the development of algal-based fuels and biomaterials? India, China, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Israel, the EU, or the US. The NAABB’s globe-trotting chief parses it out.
In New …
(Australian Aviation) Boeing and CSIRO have launched a year-long study on the potential for growing new feedstocks in northern Queensland that could be turned into sustainable aviation biofuels.
The first phase of the study will focus …
by Nalin Viboonchart (The Nation) Mitr Phol Group targets revenue of Bt100 billion within three years, driven by sugar-related businesses such as ethanol and the biomass power plants it is investing in here and in …
(ABC News) A new biodiesel plant in Tasmania’s northern midlands is producing alternative fuel from poppy seeds.
Mike Henry’s family has been working on plans for a biodiesel factory for five years, using waste from poppy …
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) In Australia, it’s Back to Petroleum for the ethanol producers, blenders and users of New South Wales if BP gets its way.
…Rather than go back to selling the ethanol …
(OriginOil) JV receives preliminary funding commitment of $4.5 million to carry out bankable feasibility studies
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil …
(Algae.Tec) Algae.Tec Ltd and the major European airline Lufthansa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly evaluate the potential for algae oil from Algae.Tec’s bio-reactors to be developed into a sustainable source of aviation …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Licella had a big day, announcing the opening of its demonstration plant, a JV with Norsk Sko called Licella Fibre Fuels to commercialize the technology, and MOUs with …
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 …
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 …
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 …
