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by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ‘Essential Energy,’ the theme of the upcoming National Ethanol Conference, is inspired by the inclusion of U.S. biofuel producers on the Department of Homeland Security’s list of critical and essential industries during the onset of the pandemic. As states across the country
Business News/Analysis
January 16, 2021
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by Shaheera Aznam Shah (Malaysian Reserve) Mohd Khairuddin says we will continue to fight against any discriminatory actions which pose a threat to the country’s economy and rakyat’s livelihood — Malaysia will file its lawsuit against the European Union (EU) on the trade bloc’s policy of phasing out palm oil-based biofuel imports
January 16, 2021
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(Total) Total and Engie have signed a cooperation agreement to design, develop, build and operate the Masshylia project, France’s largest renewable hydrogen production site at Châteauneuf-les-Martigues in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur South region. Located at the heart of Total’s La Mède biorefinery and powered by solar farms with a total capacity of
January 16, 2021
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by Kathleen Draper (United States Biochar Initiative) … This year, that void was filled to overflowing from many different organizations hosting a wide variety of biochar presentations, forums, and continuing education credit opportunities. Most of these are recorded presentations and are now available for free. Several worth watching include: The US
January 15, 2021
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by Alice Keefe (WMTW) … BluShift had planned to launch the rocket from the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, but the launch was scrubbed Friday afternoon. The rocket launch will likely be rescheduled to Tuesday or Wednesday. WMTW spoke with bluShift about its unique rocket on Thursday. “This
January 15, 2021
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association expressed gratitude today to seven Republican members of the Senate who called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to back down from rumored small refinery exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard. “Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have clearly and forcefully spoken out against last-minute
January 15, 2021
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by Elliott Blackburn (Argus Media) … (President-elect Joe) Biden also campaigned on goals to increasingly electrify the US vehicle fleet and maintain support for renewable fuels, which would erode market share for the petroleum fuel that dominates AFPM membership’s output. But chief executive Chet Thompson expects to find common ground
January 15, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US federal government formed the Fuels of the Future Advisory Board, which will have three subcommittees on biofuels, hydrogen and methane hydrates. At the same time, the government terminated the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (BR&D TAC); Methane Hydrate Advisory
January 15, 2021
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(Selwood) … The company has completed extensive testing of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) in its fleet of market-leading pumps. All Selwood pumps which have a Stage 3B engine – including the Eco range of units – S160Eco, D150Eco and HP35Eco – can now be run on the HVO fuel as an alternative
January 15, 2021
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by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) Weaker demand is the main factor now, the $5 corn market could delay the industry’s recovery. — Higher corn prices are roiling the U.S. ethanol industry, but the full impact of the corn price spike might not be felt for weeks. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)
January 15, 2021
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(FinExtra/Mirova) HSBC Pollination Climate Asset Management, Lombard Odier and Mirova, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, are the three founding partners of the Natural Capital Investment Alliance (‘The Alliance’), established by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales under his Sustainable Markets Initiative. The Alliance aims to accelerate the development of
January 15, 2021
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(Business Wire) RNG supply will be dedicated to NW Natural Oregon customers — NW Natural, a subsidiary of NW Natural Holding Company (NYSE: NWN), is partnering with BioCarbN, a developer and operator of sustainable infrastructure projects, to convert methane from some of Tyson Foods facilities into renewable natural gas (RNG) to
January 15, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Barriers abound in the bioeconomy, but this slide guide from Idaho National Lab shows how artificial intelligence and machine learning will lower the barriers to growing a bioeconomy. From biomass supply and logistics to preprocessing and conversion, AI and ML has many applications that can
January 15, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We are adding value to biological by-products through our 5 core competencies: Product and Application Expertise, International Sales & Marketing, Legal Compliance, Sustainability and Supply Chain Management. … We offer a wide variety of specialist services, including by-product and waste collection and handling, as
January 15, 2021
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(Reuters/Energy Market Price) A consortium that includes oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil has requested a total of 2.1 billion euros ($2.55 billion) in subsidies for a project to store CO2 gasses in empty Dutch gas fields in the North Sea, the Dutch Economy ministry said on Thursday. The subsidies
January 15, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Taking trash to treasure to a new level, renewable Dimethyl Ethercan be made from animal manure, food and agriculture waste, landfill gas and wood. Oberon Fuels’ President, Rebecca Boudreaux, PhD shared this illuminating slide guide that dives into Oberon’s small-scale production process, the 1st fuel-grade
January 15, 2021
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Biobased bicycle path bridges that feature bat-friendly design in the Netherlands, biobased backpacks in Sweden, footwear featuring Fido’s dog hair in Germany, drones gettin’ their crown on with pineapple waste in Malaysia, biodegradable floss to keep your smile green and clean in New York
January 15, 2021
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(Libertine) Libertine FPE (“Libertine”), the creator of Smart Engine technology for hybrid electric vehicles and distributed power generation, has demonstrated technology that could help leading truck manufacturers to fulfil pledges to make all heavy-duty vehicles fossil free by 2040. With Libertine’s technology, hybrid heavy-duty powertrains using a combination of renewable grid
January 13, 2021
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(Honeywell UOP) Honeywell UOP Ecofining™ single-stage process produces cleaner-burning high-cetane transportation fuels chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel — Honeywell today announced that it has introduced a single-stage UOP Ecofining™ technology offering for the production of renewable diesel fuel. The new single-stage technology is a fast-to-market, low capital cost solution that is
January 13, 2021
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by Alan H. Epstein (Aviation Week) … The foundation of such a dramatic change must be built on moving from fossil fuels to low- or no-carbon energy. Its technology and infrastructure must be capable of powering single- and twin-aisle airliners flying long distances, since they are responsible for well over 90%
January 13, 2021
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(Gasum) Low-emission fuels are becoming increasingly popular in the Nordic transport sector. Six Swedish logistic companies that are part of MaserFrakt recently tested trucks that used liquefied biogas (LBG) as fuel. The companies’ expectations of significantly lower emissions and a better operating environment were exceeded. The transition to cleaner energy
January 13, 2021
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(Neste) Neste and Avfuel Corporation announce a strategic partnership to create an efficient, continuous supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the United States. Neste will provide Avfuel with SAF in volumes able to meet the growing demands of Avfuel’s customers, including fixed base operators (FBOs), airports, flight departments, original equipment
January 13, 2021
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(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (“Gevo”) (NASDAQ: GEVO), announces the concept of Net-Zero Projects for the production of energy dense liquid hydrocarbons using renewable energy and Gevo’s proprietary technology. The concept of a Net-Zero Project is to convert renewable energy (photosynthetic, wind, renewable natural gas, biogas) from a variety of sources into energy
January 12, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The agriculture and waste revolution continues — these are not your Dad’s inputs, or Dad’s outputs either. If you missed last week’s DigestConnect, check out this slide guide from Vanguard Renewables CEO John Hanselman that takes a look at their newest biogas and renewable natural
January 12, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was styled as a biofuels and biochemical producer, founded back in the heady days of the Recovery Act in February 2009, focused on developing high value oils and animal feeds by fermentation of low cost substrates. The business, as former CEO Colin South once described
January 12, 2021
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(Renewable Fuels Association) On “Day One” in office, President-elect Biden’s incoming administration can immediately secure 10.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions simply by rejecting the 66 pending waiver requests from oil refiners who are looking to dodge their Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations. In addition, another 1.2 million
January 12, 2021
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by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration is expected to grant waivers to some oil refiners that would exempt them from requirements to blend biofuels into their fuel mix for the 2019 compliance year, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The move would be one of
January 12, 2021
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by Tom Karst (Farm Journal Ag Web) … More global produce marketers and retailers are taking measures to become regenerative companies. In a post on the chain’s website, Whole Foods called regenerative agriculture the number one food trend of 2020. “Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer
January 12, 2021
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(TruStar Energy/BusinessWire) TruStar Energy, a market leader in renewable natural gas (RNG) fuel supply for the transportation sector, today announced a successful 2020 and aggressive growth plans to continue transitioning heavy duty United States transportation from diesel to lower cost, cleaner alternatives. “The future of renewable heavy-duty transportation is here now,
January 12, 2021
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(California Air Resources Board) $132,500 settlement includes environmental project for Fresno area — The California Air Resources Board today announced a settlement with AltAir-Paramount, LLC addressing reporting violations under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The settlement is valued at $132,500. “The Low Carbon Fuel Standard is a critical part of California’s effort
January 12, 2021
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by Zhaki Abdullah (Channel News Asia) … Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will play a major role in this new normal for aviation, said Jonathan Wood, Neste’s Europe and Asia-Pacific vice president for renewable aviation. The term refers to biofuels that can be derived from a variety of sources, ranging from used
January 12, 2021
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by Carey Gillam (The Guardian) … But unlike most of the other 203 US ethanol plants, AltEn has been using seed coated with fungicides and insecticides, including those known as neonicotinoids, or “neonics”, in its production process. Company officials have advertised AltEn as a “recycling” location where agricultural companies can rid
January 11, 2021
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(Merco Press) … One of the US products that can be harmed is ethanol, which makes up 28% of the EU’s ethanol imports according to the agency. Between 2015 and 2019, the US ethanol market share in the EU market was, on average, 22%, while Mercosur’s 7%. With the agreement Mercosur
January 11, 2021
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(Florida Public Service Commission/EIN Presswire) The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) today approved a new Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Service tariff for Florida City Gas (FCG). FCG can now offer services to convert biogas into usable renewable natural gas, and receive and transport RNG through its distribution system on behalf
January 11, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oak Ridge National Laboratory is conducting studies for BETO to identify better materials for raw biomass processing, biomass liquefaction, and bio-oil storage. From how important alloy selection is to working on materials issues with developers of new biomass processing systems, check out this slide guide
January 11, 2021
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Over the past year, the 2020 Wilson China Fellows have undertaken policy research on a range of vital issues relevant to the rise of China and the future of U.S.-China ties. From February 3rd to the 4th, our Fellows will publicly present and debate their findings on topics ranging from international security to the
January 11, 2021
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by Sarah Kaplan (Washington Post) … (Catherine Coleman) Flowers has a vision for a better septic system. It’s cheap to buy and easy to run. It’s equipped with sensors that can monitor for signs of pathogens, including the coronavirus. Instead of allowing sewage to seep into the ground, the system separates
January 11, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Red Rock Biofuels’ 8-year offtake agreements with FedEx and Southwest Airlines are driving the advanced biofuels production facility to convert waste woody biomass into renewable drop-in jet, diesel and gasoline blendstock fuels at a conversion rate of about 166,000 BDT/year of woody biomass into about
January 9, 2021
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(SeeNews/Renewables Now) – French microalgae firm Fermentalg (EPA:FALG) saw its shares jump 35% on Tuesday after it announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with domestic waste management company Suez SA (EPA:SEV) to create an equally-owned joint venture for carbon capture through the development of algae photobioreactors. The
January 8, 2021
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by Mike Roeth (Advanced Clean Tech News) … Industrial use of hydrogen must increase for end-users like energy power plants, chemical industries, steelmakers, and others if hydrogen is to scale quickly, and realistically. And the scaling of hydrogen is not the only domino that needs to fall in place for
January 8, 2021
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To find out how to attract finance for biomethane projects from global thought leaders, make sure you join our upcoming webinar on January 27 with the Vice President of Gas, Renewables & Power (Biogas Division) for Total. Thought leaders joining the discussion include: Olivier Guerrini, Vice President, Gas, Renewables &
January 8, 2021
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The Scientific Research Honor Society (Sigma Xi) is accepting nominations until January 31, 2021, for awards that recognize achievements in science or engineering research and communication. Nominations are being accepted for the following awards: Gold Key Award The Gold Key Award is the highest honor bestowed by Sigma Xi. It is presented
January 8, 2021
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(SkyNRG) Sustainable aviation fuel produced from waste-based ethanol resources — The FLITE consortium, led by SkyNRG and with LanzaTech as the technology provider, will build the first-of-its-kind LanzaJetTM Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) facility. The facility will convert waste-based ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a scale of over 30,000 tons/yr. The
January 8, 2021
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(Electric Energy Online) TMB has selected the company to build a hydrogen plant on the Zona Franca industrial area, the first public facility of its kind in the country, and to operate it for the next ten years; The company is carrying out projects that will put Spain at the
January 8, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renewable Energy Group is the largest operator of renewable diesel and biodiesel plants in the US, with 12 refineries and a fast-growing capacity, especially in red-hot renewable diesel. In today’s Digest, we take a DigestData DeepDive™ with Actionable, Relational, Granular, Global Hard Data on REG’s Bioeconomy
January 8, 2021
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Who knew flies would be so useful! Apparently the nanocoating found in fruit fly eyes have potential applications in medicine, textiles and electronics thanks to its anti-reflective, anti-microbial and self-cleaning properties. The proteins and lipids can also be tweaked to change the physical characteristics of
January 8, 2021
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by John Fialka (E&E News) … “Can we afford not to do this?” was the way Steve Oldham, the CEO of Carbon Engineering, headquartered in Squamish, British Columbia, put it in a recent TED Talk. He estimated that climate-related damages will eventually cost the U.S. over $500 billion a year “if
January 7, 2021
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(Morningstar/Globe Newswire) Greenway Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: GWTI), an advanced gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology development company, today announced receipt of a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for another of its United States utility patent applications relating to its GTL fuel conversion technology. Hunter Adams, of “AdamsIP”, Greenway’s patent attorney
January 6, 2021
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(Growth Energy) In a court filing today (January 5, 2021), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association continued to call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to release the names and locations of refineries granted exemptions from their Renewable Fuel Standard obligations. Growth Energy CEO Emily
January 6, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) UC Berkeley’s Dr. James Bentley Brown shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC Digital on pattern discovery, the multi-scale analytical requirements of the bioeconomy, examples from a biotic field trial in corn, how artificial intelligence is enabling the engineering of agronomic systems, and more. READ
January 6, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2021? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2020 gives way to the dawn of 2021, once again
January 6, 2021
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by Paula Gant (Medium.com/GTI) … GTI is particularly curious about ways to leverage gases, fuels, and infrastructure in new, cleaner systems. We see continued robust demand for gases and liquid fuels well through mid-century. We are curious about finding ways to cost-effectively decarbonize how they are produced, transported, and used. GTI
January 5, 2021
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(Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition/CISION) The Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (“AFCC”) worked closely with policy makers and appropriators this year to provide changes to the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”)’s Title XVII Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program (the “Title XVII Program”), which were realized through the recent enactment of
January 5, 2021
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, is accepting applications for a postdoctoral researcher to investigate, collaborate and reveal mechanisms of theoretical and computational combustion chemistries of low carbon fuels. The person who fills the position at NREL’s Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences will be
January 5, 2021
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) In December, Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy ratified its support for the National Biodiesel Production and Use Program and the National Biofuel Policy, which call for a mandatory 15 percent biodiesel blend in the nation’s diesel fuel pool by March 1, 2023. B15 is
January 5, 2021
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(Malay Mail) A nimble push into higher biodiesel blends such as B40 — 40 per cent blend of palm oil-derived biodiesel — by Indonesia and B30 by Malaysia will help to mitigate the negative effects of the European Union’s (EU) lower palm oil demand for biofuel, the Malaysian Biodiesel Association said.
January 5, 2021
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(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) As the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 push air quality and climate issues to center stage, the U.S. Grains Council is continuing its work to demonstrate the environmental benefits of ethanol to global stakeholders. Five years after the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions was first signed,
January 5, 2021
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(Bioenergy Insight) Enviva and blockchain firm GoChain have announced the results of a pilot programme to enhance the traceability of sustainable biomass. The pilot programme identified a select group of suppliers from Enviva’s wood sourcing regions in the US Southeast to monitor various data elements such as forest tract locations,
January 5, 2021
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(Bioenergy Insight) Lightweight railcars powered by biomethane derived from human, farm, and food waste could be introduced in the UK. Ultra Light Rail Partners has received a £60,000 (€66,700) Innovate UK grant to develop a feasibility study and design for a 120-passenger biomethane-powered lightweight railcar for introduction in the West
January 5, 2021
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(Algae Biomass Organization) … Our collective effort has resulted in record-breaking policy support, including: $70 million for algae industry research, development, and demonstration in 2020 Congressional appropriations for DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office, Office of Fossil Energy, and Office of Science. $110 million has been proposed in the US House of Representatives for
January 4, 2021
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by Parisa Hafezi, Hyonhee Shin (Reuters) Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew, Iranian media said on Monday, amid tensions between Tehran and Seoul over Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks due to U.S. sanctions. … “According to initial reports
January 4, 2021
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by Brendan Gibbons (San Antonio Report) Enough methane from decaying waste in a private San Antonio landfill can be harvested to offset the need for fossil fuel use by most of VIA Metropolitan Transit’s bus fleet, officials say. CPS Energy, VIA, and energy company EDL are working on an initiative that will provide
January 4, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As we look to the future with a new year, Deloitte and Ballard are looking at fueling the future of mobility with hydrogen and fuel cells, which makes sense considering hydrogen is the single most abundant substance in the universe. Their white paper dives into
January 4, 2021
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A consent decree published today in the Federal Register gives EPA until Feb. 19 to decide whether to exempt a refinery owned by United Refining Co. in Pennsylvania from the 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard requirements. EPA hasn’t made a decision on any of the 32
January 4, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the 2021 rankings for the 50 Hottest Organizations in Biodesign & Engineering was published today, as voted by invited international Selectors and subscribers of The Daily Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily, and part of the overall 50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy
January 4, 2021
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(Energy Market Price) From January 1, 2021 the government will charge 25 euros ($30) per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions released by the transport and heating sectors Germany is aiming for a green start to 2021 by shutting down a coal-fired power plant and slapping a CO2 price on transport,
January 4, 2021
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(India Times Energy World) ISRO Chairman said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is looking at green propulsion through hydrogen peroxide in its rocket that would take Indians into the space under its ‘Gaganyaan’ mission. The Indian space rockets are set to go green as ISRO is working to replace its
January 1, 2021
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(Mitchell & Webber) Mitchell & Webber are proud to be the first in country to trial a new fossil-free liquid fuel (HVO) in a property and Tractor — This could revolutionise the agriculture and domestic heating markets. The fossil-free renewable fuel, called Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO), is produced from certified waste
January 1, 2021
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by Keith O’Connor (The Business Desk) Renewable bioenergy and carbon reduction specialists, Fleetsolve is looking to triple its workforce with the creation of an additional 70 jobs over the next six months. Fleetsolve, part of the SIMEC Group, announced its new recruitment drive as part of its £150m growth plan over
January 1, 2021
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(United Kingdom Department for International Trade) The Secretary of State for International Trade has determined the countervailing duty on biodiesel originating in Argentina imposed by the following European Union (EU) instrument is to be transitioned: Commissioning Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/244 of 11 February 2019 imposing a definitive countervailing duty on imports
January 1, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the 2021 50 Hottest Companies inAgriculture and Nutrition was published today (December 31, 2020), as voted by invited international Selectors and subscribers of The Daily Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The annual rankings recognize innovation and achievement in fuel, chemicals, materials, advanced
January 1, 2021
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by Lauren Moffitt (Argus Media) Weaker crude oil prices have eroded the competitiveness of biofuels as a transport fuel in a global economy battered by Covid-19, leaving any expansion of ethanol-gasoline blending in Asia-Pacific tightly tied to domestic feedstock availability in 2021. India may boost fuel ethanol production to record levels
December 31, 2020
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by Cameron Gerber (Missouri Times) While other states have enacted biodiesel fuel minimums over the past few years, Missouri has yet to do so — despite being one of the largest producers in the country. A new bill filed in the upper chamber for 2021 would change that. SB 96, pre-filed
December 31, 2020
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(United Kingdom Office of Revenue and Customs) The Commission has published implementing regulation 2020/2098, OJ ref. L425, initiating an anti-dumping and countervailing duties exemption review for a new Canadian exporting producer of biodiesel, repealing the anti-dumping duty for that producer and making the imports subject to registration. The regulation takes effect from
December 31, 2020
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(U.S. Customs and Border Protection) Effective December 30, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at all U.S. ports of entry will detain palm oil and products containing palm oil produced by Sime Darby Plantation Berhad and its subsidiaries, joint ventures, and affiliated entities in Malaysia. The issuance of a
December 31, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the 2021 50 Hottest Companies in Renewable Fuels, Chemicals & Biomaterials was published today (December 30, 2020), as voted by invited international Selectors and subscribers of The Daily Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. One theme that stood out was deployment at commercial-scale. 9
December 31, 2020
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by Emmanuel Desplechin (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The recent U.S. presidential election has spurred a lot of talk about what the new administration will mean for the transatlantic trade relationship after four years of on again, off again tariff wars. … Europe faces a potential flood of imports from countries that
December 30, 2020
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by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol is ready to execute on Accelerate, a roadmap for sparking new demand for ethanol. The plan is built around implementing new clean fuel policies, protecting what already exists and growing ethanol markets globally. … Indeed, a
December 30, 2020
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by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, building on years of success with its high-yield, GA-expressing yeasts, is making the previously divergent characteristics of high yield and superior robustness—packaged together—a reality. “What we’ve seen in this industry is that you’re either going after yield or robustness,”
December 30, 2020
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by Alex Tiller (Carbonvert Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) The road to qualifying for the 45Q tax credit can be confusing, with strict limitations on project phases and what constitutes start of construction. But, navigated properly, the credit is a promising opportunity. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) presents a tremendous financial opportunity
December 30, 2020
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Novozymes has released a platform to convert more fiber to ethanol, giving producers an attractive ‘D3 lift.’ The company is also helping its customers navigate the low-carbon fuels marketplace, streamlining certification and assisting where it can. … Novozymes has released its Fiberex platform, for
December 30, 2020
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(Economic Times) Bhoramdeo Sahakari Sakhar Utpadak Karkhana Maryadit (BSSUK), a cooperative sugar mill in Chhattisgarh, has signed a pact with NKJ Biofuel Ltd to set up an ethanol production unit on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis in the state’s Kabirdham district, a public relations department official said on Wednesday. As
December 30, 2020
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(Bangkok Post/MSN) A long-delayed plan to make gasohol E20 a leading fuel for motorists should eventually come into effect in July next year to promote fuel with a higher level of ethanol blend, according to the Department of Energy Business. Officials want E20, a mix of 20% ethanol and 80% unleaded
December 30, 2020
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(Prensa Latina) The Bolivian Government will promote projects to reduce fuel imports and boost biodiesel production to prevent the flight of foreign currency, the Minister of Economy and Public Finance, Marcelo Montenegro, said today. Montenegro specified in statements to the Bolivian Information Agency that the state-owned Yacimiento Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB)
December 30, 2020
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(Office of Pennsylvania Senator Michele Brooks R-50) Crawford Advanced Materials, LLC, comprised of both Homeland Fuels Company and Crawford Renewable Energy, was awarded $2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funds to develop a biodiesel facility within the Keystone Regional Industrial Park in Crawford County, Sen. Michele Brooks announced
December 30, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Half of this week’s Top 8 Innovations are from India, a large visionary country that has been looking at biobased alternatives for almost anything. From incorporating vegan leather made from peas and mushrooms into luxury mean’s shoes to greener green tea with teabags made from
December 30, 2020
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) … In this edition of the Ethanol Report, we take a ride back through the year starting with the high hopes for a great year in January and February, into the devastating impact of COVID-19 restrictions on travel in the spring, the continuing saga of small
December 29, 2020
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by Jay Bartlett and Alan Krupnick (Resources for the Future) This report examines tax credits that could make hydrogen energy more competitive in the US industrial and power sectors, and asserts that reductions in production and storage costs and expansion of transportation infrastructure are necessary to decarbonizing hydrogen. READ MORE
December 29, 2020
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(UFOP/Biobased Diesel Daily) The German and European feed markets benefit significantly from the production of rapeseed-based biodiesel fuels. Rapeseed meal is generated as a joint product of oil production in this value chain. According to the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP), non-genetically modified organism (GMO) rapeseed meal
December 29, 2020
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by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) As 2020 comes to a close, Renewable Energy Group Inc., North America’s largest biodiesel producer, is celebrating a quarter-century in soybean oil refinement and biodiesel production. Back in 1995, the company from which REG would be formed several years later—West Central Cooperative—made its first investment
December 29, 2020
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(Bio-Based Diesel Daily/Green Energy Biofuel) Green Energy Biofuel stands ready to provide waste recycling solutions for a variety of businesses and industries in the Southeast by turning costly liabilities into savings. Companies can leverage Green Energy Biofuel to help meet their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals by no longer
December 29, 2020
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by Ben Lefebvre and Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico) … Biden is expected to speed the adoption of electric vehicles and boost power line transmission networks that will open up new opportunities for renewable power generators, analysts said. … But the situation for fossil fuels is notably darker. U.S. crude oil production, which
December 29, 2020
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by Elton Alisson (Agência FAPESP) Biofuels play a fundamental role in decarbonizing the transportation sector. Current policies to grow biofuel production and use on a global scale, however, are not sufficiently ambitious, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). To address this problem, the IEA will assess the effectiveness of
December 29, 2020
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(Indiana Soybean Alliance) Four diesel fleets in Indiana were recently inducted as inaugural members of the newly-formed B20 Club of Indiana, a collaboration between the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the American Lung Association© that showcases exceptional green fleets with experience using B20 – a cleaner-burning blend of twenty percent biodiesel and
December 29, 2020
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(This Day) … The Government of Plateau State in North Central region of Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CONTEC Global Limited to establish a cassava biofuel plant in the state. At the signing ceremony during the weekend in Jos, the Capital of Plateau State, the Governor of
December 29, 2020
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by Donavan Lim (S&P Global Platts) Philippines’ local buying requirements seen falling in Q1; China’s imports from US could resume if tensions ease; Higher Grade B prices likely for Ulsan buyers in 2021 — A rise in fuel ethanol imports could be on the cards for the Philippines in 2021 if the country’s
December 29, 2020
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(European Investment Bank) … The SEK 1.2bn financing operation facilitates the acquisition of 297 electric and biofuel buses being leased to Transdev for its use on five concessions in Gothenburg, starting from December 2020. In March 2019, Transdev won five 10-year contracts to operate bus services as from December 2020 in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest
December 29, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … In today’s Digest, we look at the HOTTEST Digest Slide Guides like Corbion’s biobased Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), Gevo’s low carbon drop-in transportation fuels, Neste, an exclusive Digest Q&A with Clariant, and even some hydrogen. Check out what YOU, the readers, found the most
December 29, 2020
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(OPIS/Business Wire) OPIS, an IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO) company and the leading benchmark provider for emissions and carbon markets data, will launch today the world’s first comprehensive daily pricing suite for global voluntary carbon offset credits to advance the global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The OPIS Global Carbon Offsets Report will
December 28, 2020
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by Martin Tomlinson (Volvo Trucks) Asda is taking delivery of 202 Volvo FH LNG tractor units in the run-up to Christmas peak trading, in what is believed to be the single largest order ever placed in the UK for heavy trucks running on renewable fuels. The supermarket has ambitions to
December 28, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Nuseed (which acquired Agrisoma last year) has four focus crops – carinata, sorghum, canola and sunflower – sound more like a cooking ingredient list but they are in fact fantastic feedstocks for a range of things including biofuels, non-GMO high protein meal, and great cover
December 28, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) 2020 showed us a lot of things, but one thing it emphasized bigtime is that we are all connected on this planet. A virus spread like wildfire because of our connectedness with each other. If you had predicted we’d be in a global pandemic fighting
December 28, 2020
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(Biospace) Governor Northam and the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO) announced today that GO Virginia has approved a competitive grant request to help fund Virginia Bio-Connect, a $3.2 million Statewide industry cluster scale up initiative. The project, directed by the Virginia Biotechnology Association, is a multi-regional collaboration designed to increase connectivity and awareness of
December 27, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you missed Kurt Kovarik, National Biodiesel Board’s VP of Federal Affairs, at ABLC this summer, check out this slide guide where he outlines NBB’s vision, their new mission of 15 billion gallons of biodiesel by 2050, trends behind those numbers and growth, a look
December 27, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Some of you may be celebrating the holidays with a bit of whisky – or ‘whiskey’ in some countries – but who knew this distilled alcoholic beverage could be so handy for the bioeconomy! The Whisky Project led by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, includes
December 27, 2020
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(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants e.V. (UFOP) ) … German government agreed last Friday on key points for the national implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). In addition to the gradual increase of the GHG quota to 22 percent in 2030, it includes the setting
December 27, 2020
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(Aemetis/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … High-capacity electric vehicles (HCEV’s) from Nevo Motors are designed for heavy cargo and long range by using on-board range extender generators powered by renewable natural gas (RNG), with future electric truck models designed to use patented hydrogen and ethanol range extenders. The goal is to achieve major
December 27, 2020
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Association to Celebrate 40th Anniversary Throughout 2021 — Forty years ago this month, a small group of innovative farmers and like-minded business leaders came together to officially found the Renewable Fuels Association. The overarching goal of the new trade group was as admirable as it was ambitious:
December 27, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NextChem is focused on 3 solutions that all tie in together – cleaner hydrogen, biofuels and a circular economy. Find out why and how in this exclusive ABLC slide guide that dives into their low-carbon hydrogen production, biofuels from used cooking oil, animal fats, vegetable
December 24, 2020
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(Biofuels International) Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla, confirmed new installations will be completed in the next three months with at least 10 additional systems anticipated before the end of 2021. Chicago, New Orleans, Austin and Jacksonville will have the first Greasezilla systems to come online building upon the
December 24, 2020
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(Biofuels International) Even as the EU sets ambitious emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050, it is still falling short of an important milestone that looms much closer on the horizon – reducing the average greenhouse gas-intensity of road transport fuels, according to ePURE. The EU’s Fuel Quality Directive (FQD)
December 24, 2020
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(SEA-LNG) SEA-LNG is delighted to welcome the Port of Corpus Christi, the largest port in the United States by total revenue tonnage to its growing port membership. The Port of Corpus Christi is the fourth North American port to join the coalition but is the first port located on the
December 24, 2020
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by Patrick Newkumet (Oil Price Information Service) Renewable fuel industry officials are mostly optimistic that the incoming Biden administration will be more supportive of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) than the Trump White House, though some worry that the president-elect’s promised aggressive approach to carbon emission reductions could have impacts
December 24, 2020
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(Biofuels International) The collection of used cooking oil (UCO) from households has been recently tested in Germany. Lesch Altfettrecycling and the MVaK association have become project partners in the Every Drop Counts project. This project has been hailed a success in the communities in which it was tested, with the
December 23, 2020
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(Energy Vision / Biomass Magazine) Sustainable energy NGO Energy Vision has released its most recent joint assessment of the U.S. renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, performed on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The assessment, which consists of a database of current and projected RNG projects, shows
December 23, 2020
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by Jay Singh (Simple Flying) An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F flew a transatlantic mission on Monday using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The test flight flew from Spain to Mexico, and Atlas Air ran the operation as it tests and examines ways to become a more environmentally friendly carrier. The transatlantic
December 23, 2020
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Renewable Energy Group and Optimus Technologies recently partnered to help Ames, Iowa grow its fleet of sustainable vehicles. The City of Ames is adding seven new all-purpose dump trucks to their fleet that have the Optimus Technologies advanced fuel system integrated into their new vehicle specification. The Optimus
December 23, 2020
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(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The report outlined the steps we and our producer members took to keep Minnesota’s ethanol industry moving in the right direction through the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, the report details our efforts in advocacy, communications and fuel supply in 2020 and our plans for 2021. Excerpts from Minnesota
December 23, 2020
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by Erin Chan (Burns & McDonnell) As refiners consider renewable, low-carbon alternatives, renewable diesel — refined from agricultural products using petroleum refinery processes — is gaining traction. Rather than constructing new grassroots renewable diesel production units, refineries with existing hydroprocessing units may be able to increase their speed to market
December 23, 2020
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(LaTrobe University) A cropping trial is now in the ground at Katunga as a forerunner to a $1 billion renewable fuel development. Investment company, AgBioEn, is planning a massive biofuel plant on a 40 ha former dairy farm, which will use agricultural waste. The company is looking for ways of generating the bio-mass as
December 23, 2020
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(Braskem) Agilyx Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS (Euronext Growth (Oslo): (“AGLX”), a pioneer in the advanced recycling of post-use plastics, and Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5 and BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and leading producer of biopolymers in the world, today announced the initiation
December 23, 2020
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(Neste) Neste has a target to process annually over 1 million tons of waste plastic from 2030 onwards. The company plans to use liquefied plastic waste as a raw material at its fossil oil refinery to upgrade it into high-quality drop-in feedstock for the production of new plastics. Neste successfully processed
December 23, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wastewater treatment is a huge problem with about 30 billion gallons per day in the U.S. You’ve got pathogens in the water that could reach drinking water supplies. You’ve got nutrients causing excess algae growth. You’ve got organic matter causing low dissolved oxygen. But MicroBio
December 23, 2020
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(Haldoe Topsoe) The world’s first podcast about renewables for the refinery industry season two. This time, Sylvain Verdier and Mikala Grubb from Topsoe look into some of the most pressing topics in renewables and the refining industry, including trends in advanced biofuels and hydrogen, pyrolysis and its challenges and opportunities,
December 22, 2020
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by Ron Kotrba (Bio-based Diesel Daily) Multinational oil, gas and petrochemical company based in Vienna, Austria, is investing 200 million euros at its Schwechat refinery southeast of Vienna to co-process up to 160,000 metric tons of vegetable oils—including used cooking oil and “advanced feedstocks”—into renewable diesel. The investment in the Schwechat
December 22, 2020
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by Tyne Morgan (Farm Journal AgWeb) … Peter Meyer of S&P Global Platts says ethanol plants are now producing ethanol not for the fuel, but for the byproducts. “Ethanol plants are selling a lot of their byproducts given the rise in soybean oil prices, which were somewhat based on Palm oil prices going up,
December 22, 2020
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(The NewzBox) The government on Friday proposed the adoption of E20 fuel — a blend of 20% of ethanol and gasoline — as an automobile fuel in order to reduce vehicular emissions as well as the country’s oil import bill. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a draft
December 22, 2020
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(Bioenergy Insight) On 17 December, the California Public Utilities Commission approved SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric’s request to offer a voluntary Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Tariff. The programme will allow households and businesses to purchase RNG from the utilities. “The approval of the RNG Tariff is an important
December 22, 2020
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(Bioenergy Insight) Gasum performed its first ship-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG)-liquefied biogas (LBG) bunkering to a cargo vessel. The bunkering was conducted by Gasum’s LNG bunker vessel Coralius at anchorage outside the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden. A fuel blend consisting of LNG and 10% renewable LBG was supplied to M/V
December 22, 2020
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by Kristin Toussaint (Fast Company) Instead of having more carbon go into the atmosphere, making our planet warmer and speeding up the effects of climate change, you might soon be able to eat those emissions. Biotech company LanzaTech has successfully turned CO2 emissions into lipids and omega-3 fatty acids as
December 22, 2020
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(ENI) The President of the Republic of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta has met today in Nairobi the Chief Executive Officer of Eni Claudio Descalzi to discuss potential green initiatives to be developed in the country, in order to provide local communities with efficient and sustainable access to energy resources. The parties discussed
December 22, 2020
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(Neste) Neste, the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has signed an agreement to supply SAF to DHL Express, the express service arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, world’s leading mail and logistics company. The Group is renowned as a pioneer of green logistics, utilising its
December 22, 2020
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(OMV) The test run of the world’s largest bioethanol plant based on wood has proven successful; OMV and AustroCel start cooperation with second-generation bioethanol; 1.5 million liters a month of the advanced biofuel will be delivered from January 2021; Substituting biofuel for fossil fuel will save around 45,000 metric tons
December 22, 2020
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In China, LanzaTech’s Shougang commercial carbon recycling facility reached 150 days of full capacity continuous operation in November, a significant achievement for a first of a kind technology at scale. Production at the site itself has exceeded 20 million gallons of ethanol since startup which
December 22, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sugar-based bioplastics and lignin-based foams and composites are making it possible to transform the huge amount of oil based materials and products in our lives to biobased products. MetGen is making it happen with zero waste biorefineries. Find out how in this illuminating slide guide
December 22, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, let’s look at an alternative to carpet-bombing Midwestern corn fields with around 150 pounds per acre of nitrogen fertilizer, in hopes that the plants will take up about half of that, en route to a big corn yield. Leaving aside the debate over what happens
December 22, 2020
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by Matthew Mercure (NGT News) Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a provider of renewable natural gas (RNG) as a transportation fuel in the U.S. and Canada, and Total S.E. have entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a 50/50 joint venture to develop carbon-negative renewable natural gas (RNG) production facilities
December 22, 2020
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by Dave Collings (1898 & Co./Burns & McDonnell) Renewable diesel — also known as green diesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil, or hydrotreated esters and fatty acids — has now gained widespread attention throughout the world. This growing interest is turning into action as existing renewable fuels companies build grassroots facilities and
December 21, 2020
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by Dave Collings (1898 & Co./Burns & McDonnell) As developers, investors and plant operators explore options to increase production and market share of renewable fuels, the concept of carbon intensity (CI) must be well-understood. It might be the deciding factor that determines economic viability of your biofuels project. In California and
December 21, 2020
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by Dave Collings (1898 & Co./Burns & McDonnell) For organizations looking to develop, construct and commission a new renewable diesel plant, it’s important to understand the various market conditions at play to avoid poorly made investments and the pitfalls of lost future opportunities. Since 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) continued
December 21, 2020
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Each year, DTN publishes our choices for the top 10 ag news stories of the year, as selected by DTN analysts, editors and reporters. Today, we continue the countdown with No. 9 looking at some of the challenges ethanol faced during 2020, including shutting
December 21, 2020
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by Sebastian Blanco (Car and Driver) Cambridge, Massachusetts, this week became the first city in the U.S. to put health and environment warning labels on its gas pumps. – In related news, a nine-year-old girl in South London, England, became the first person whose death certificate lists her cause of
December 21, 2020
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(UPM Biofuels) UPM Biofuels has joined the BIKE project that promotes low-ILUC risk biofuels production for European Bioeconomy. The project brings together companies and research organisations who believe that novel, safe and reliable biomass value chains can be deployed to produce food, feed, biofuels and biomaterials with a low risk of
December 21, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synthetic biology produces fabrics, food, biofuels, health products and more, but we need better predictive power. Machine learning can help and be used to design pathways or choose promoters to optimize production for example. Hector Garcia Martin, Deputy VP of Biofuels and Bioproducts at the
December 21, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … In today’s Digest, United Airlines ambitious goal by investing in sustainable fuels and new tech – NOT buying carbon offsets – to reduce GHG emissions by 100% by 2050, Gevo’s SAF delivered for the Pacific Northwest region, Boeing, Etihad and World Energy using
December 21, 2020
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by Ed Adamczyk (UPI) A plan to use sustainable sources for up to 50 percent of military aviation fuel was announced by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace this week. The British Ministry of Defense on Saturday said it would look to algae, alcohol, household waste, wood and biomass as potential sources of fuel for the
December 18, 2020
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EU Forests Regulation Public Consultation – Indonesia Responds
(Indonesia Palm Oil Facts) Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) has made its submission to the EU Forests Regulation public consultation on reducing deforestation and forest degradation. As background, the European Commission is proposing a Due Diligence regulation to tackle deforestation / forest degradation with the aim to prevent European imports and consumption ‘causing’ deforestation, particularly from tropical