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(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) In Philadelphia, on 19th July 2018 the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and the Queensland Renewable Fuels Association (QRFA) signed an MOU partnership agreement to support the certification of biofuels and endorsement of future low carbon fuel projects domestically in Queensland, Australia. This unique collaboration will assist
Australia
December 14, 2018
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(Agora Verkehrswende) According to a new report, CO2 emissions from transport are still rising. If immediate action is not taken, more radical measures will be unavoidable in the future. — To keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, the world’s leading economies must act immediately to reduce transport emissions.
December 11, 2018
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(ATN Fully Loaded) Industrial and economic gains seen along with emissions reductions — Hard on the heels of a union critique of the nation’s fuel reserves policy, Bioenergy Australia has released a “first state-of-the-nation assessment” of the domestic bioenergy situation – and finds it lagging. With the exception of Queensland, the report,
December 4, 2018
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by Akane Okutsu (Nikkei Asia Review) Biotech company euglena teams with ANA to fuel green commercial flights — Japan’s biotechnology company euglena is to start mass production of bio jet fuel and biodiesel out of algae and waste oil, with the aim of being the first company to fuel green commercial flights out of Japan.
November 5, 2018
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(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) An international research team has found they can increase corn productivity by targeting the enzyme in charge of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In a report published in the journal Nature Plants, researchers note that corn is a staple food for billions of people around
November 2, 2018
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by Gerard J. Ostheimer (below50), Graham Noyes (Low Carbon Fuels Coalition/Noyes Law Corp) Stephanie Batchelor (Biotechnology Innovation Organization) (Biofuels Digest) This month the International Energy Agency issued a wake-up call to the Renewable Energy sector. … In an apparent warning to prevent thought-leaders and policy-makers from getting complacent about the necessary
November 1, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, World Energy announced a $350 million investment over the next two years to complete the conversion of its Paramount, California facility into one of the cleanest fuel refineries in the world. The project will enable World Energy Paramount to process 306 million gallons annually.
October 31, 2018
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by Emma Stoye (Chemistry World) Scientists constructing enzyme library make serendipitous discovery — Researchers have made more active, heat tolerant versions of two potentially useful enzymes by reconstructing the forms thought to exist in the ancestor to all modern vertebrates 450 million years ago. They say this approach – demonstrated on a
October 29, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Here, Lars Waldheim of Waldheim Consulting gave this illuminating overview of wastes as a gasifier fuel, Waste fuel characteristics
October 25, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Then, seaport waterfront was teeming with ships, cargo, terminals, rail connections, power, water supply — not to mention rats, raw sewage, saloons, flophouses and itinerant sailors. Because oil supply came into the seaports, that’s where the wagon trade lived, that’s where the roads led, that’s
October 24, 2018
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by Courtney Wilson (ABC News) Blue agave — which is the base ingredient for tequila — is currently grown on a commercial scale in Mexico, but Queensland’s MSF Sugar is aiming to become a world industry leader, with plans to plant 4,000 hectares of the succulent on the Atherton Tablelands. About
October 22, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have engineered tiny carbon-capturing engines from blue-green algae into plants, in an innovation that can help boost the yields of important food crops such as wheat, cowpeas and cassava. READ MORE/WATCH VIDEO
October 20, 2018
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(The Star) Once surreptitiously dumped down drains in the dead of night, Asia’s used cooking oil is fast becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in Europe – as a feedstock for biodiesel. Aggressive green energy targets in the European Union that were bolstered further this year are pushing fuel makers
October 11, 2018
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by Staffan Persson (University of Melbourne/Phys.org) … Our new discovery, published in Nature Plants, shows how plant walls could be manipulated in the future to change the way we produce biofuels, bioplastics and other biomaterials. … In particular, understanding how to control the production of flexible primary walls, which support cell growth,
October 8, 2018
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by Cole Latimer (Sydney Morning Herald) startup company backed by energy giant Shell has developed a method to turn carbon dioxide into fuel by adding fake sunlight. US company Dimensional Energy has developed an “artificial photosynthesis” process with a photoreactor that converts carbon dioxide, using sunlight and water, into synthetic fuels and
September 18, 2018
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by Joanna Sampson (Gasworld) Macquarie University researchers have teamed up with BOC Australia and Bioplatforms Australia to genetically engineer bacteria that turn sugar into hydrogen (H2). The project has received a $1.1m grant from ARENA, the Australian Government’s Renewable Energy Agency. The three-year grant from ARENA is being matched by
September 18, 2018
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Carinata is proving that it is a feedstock to be reckoned with, a compelling catalyst for change, with the latest news that Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy came together for the longest transatlantic biojet flight yet. Lots of biofuel flights have been happening over the
September 17, 2018
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by Adrian Schofield (Aviation Daily/Aviation Week) Virgin Australia has just completed a major biofuel trial at Australia’s Brisbane Airport, and the carrier is planning further tests in the near future. Along with its partner organizations, Virgin arranged to have a biofuel blend supplied through Brisbane Airport’s aircraft refueling infrastructure. The carrier
September 14, 2018
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(University of Queensland) A $4.5 million initiative to boost Australia’s synthetic biology capabilities will be built by The University of Queensland and CSIRO, helping drive advances in areas such as manufacturing, industrial biotechnology, environmental remediation, biosecurity, agriculture and healthcare research. UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj and CSIRO Executive Director for
September 7, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Licella produces drop-in biofuels from a wide range of biomass and uses a supercritical water-based technology and catalysts to break up biomass and reform it into a drop-in fuel hydrocarbon. The compelling features of supercritical are several: 1. It uses all of the biomass, including lignin.
September 4, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We hear from Australia and Malaysia that PETRONAS Chemicals Group and Leaf Resources inked a Memorandum of Understanding for Leaf’s proposed biorefinery project in Malaysia. In prospect? A study of chemical markets and commercially ready bio-technologies. Potential outcome? An offtake agreement for the fermentable sugars produced
September 4, 2018
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by Kapil Shyam Lokare (Biofuels Digest/E2IG Solutions) … The constantly increasing demand for plastics have caused substantial plastic wastes accumulation in landfills, oceans and rivers that have aggravated environmental pollution problems. The rising plastics demand has contributed significantly to the depletion of petroleum as part of non-renewable fossil fuel since plastics are
August 28, 2018
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(Camden Haven Courier) Sawmill waste from Herons Creek Timber Mill near Port Macquarie could soon be converted into biodiesel for vehicles and bitumen for roads. Federal Minister for Environment & Energy, Josh Frydenberg, is visiting the mill with Lyne MP Dr David Gillespie on Friday, August 24. A $1.2 million
August 27, 2018
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(Joint Genome Institute) … A diverse group of plant-produced organic compounds, terpenes play key roles in plant growth, defense, and environmental interactions. Terpenes are also economically important because of their use in industrial materials, pharmaceutical products, and as biofuel precursors. Collectively, hundreds of terpene compounds have been characterized from eucalypts, a
August 22, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, perhaps the most comprehensive and useful guide to fuels and chemicals produced from “Recycled carbon fuels”, such as those produced from waste plastics or waste industrial gases, appeared from the gurus at E4Tech. And, there’s the world of alternative fuels and chemicals produced from
August 22, 2018
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by Lexy Hamilton-Smith (ABC News) Two cars powered by hydrogen derived from ammonia will be tested in Brisbane today thanks to a Queensland breakthrough that CSIRO researchers say could turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower. … For the past decade, researchers have worked on producing ultra-high purity hydrogen using a
August 10, 2018
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by Vishnu Rajamanickam (Freight Waves) … But unless the manufacturing process and the raw material sourcing is regulated and stabilized, it would be hard to sell EVs to the larger middle-class populace. This is because the on-road price of an electric vehicle is much higher than its combustion engine equivalent, as the
August 6, 2018
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(Biofuels International) $4 million AUD (€2.5 million) in funding is set to be provided to Australia’s Southern Oil Refining for a pilot plant which will turn biosolids from sewage to crude oil. According to a statement, the demonstration plant will be the first step towards developing biosolid waste to renewable fuels
August 2, 2018
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by Kurt Liedtke (Herald and News) On Wednesday, members of Red Rock Biofuels, political dignitaries, corporate representatives and a large community contingent gathered on the outskirts of Lakeview for a groundbreaking ceremony for the $320 million renewable fuels facility. Taking woody biomass waste products such as pine needles, agriculture waste,
July 30, 2018
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(Office of Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning The Honourable Cameron Dick) Queensland’s potential as the biofuel hub of the Asia Pacific has taken centre stage in Washington this week at a meeting with the US Department of the Navy. Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron
July 18, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The rounds of applause at BIO have been loud and steady but the biggest ones were heard not for a presentation or a speaker — rather, BIO’s decision to stage the World Congress next year in Des Moines. It breaks a lengthy streak away from the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Philadelphia, the Australian state of Queensland announced $100 million in support of high-value resource recovery industry projects as the state cemented its place ”at the vanguard of the bioeconomy” BioFutures program. The announcement at a Queensland Life Sciences evening event marked a memorable start to the
July 17, 2018
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by Glenneis Kriel (Farmer’s Weekly) Christo Smit, a former researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, is working on developing a sustainable biofuel industry from the diesel tree. — The South African government lost interest in biofuels when oil prices fell from about US$150 (approximately R1 780) to $40 (R474) a barrel at the
July 16, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Queensland’s vision is for a $1 billion sustainable and export-oriented industrial biotechnology and bioproducts sector, attracting significant international investment and creating regional, high-value and knowledge-intensive jobs. The Biofutures Roadmap provides the leadership required to help Queensland leverage its strategic advantages and secure its share of the global
July 12, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Because if you want it, here it is, come and get it, biofuels that is, and especially of the advanced type. If you like it from waste, even better. Out of the east, the dual and sometimes dueling engines of biofuels growth are changing the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
June 29, 2018
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(News.com.au) Ethanol-blended petrol was billed as a win for our hip pockets and the environment, but analysts say it’s a very different story — … While other states have so far resisted the temptation to mandate ethanol use, the Federal Government is considering phasing out or upgrading regular unleaded. “Motorists are not
June 28, 2018
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The annual AusBiotech conference has brought together Australian and international biotech leaders and stakeholders for more than three decades, creating a forum to reflect on the sector’s achievements and exchange ideas to further advance the sector’s standing both nationally and globally. AusBiotech is dedicated to consolidating this growth, and our
June 20, 2018
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We are excited to reveal details of the Bioenergy Australia 2018 Conference: • To be held 17 and 18 October 2018 at the State Library of Queensland • Welcome reception in the evening of 16 October at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. • Optional technical tour is planned for
June 20, 2018
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(Science Daily/Queensland University of Technology) Waste oil from orange, tea tree and eucalyptus essential oil production mixed with diesel provides a sweet-smelling biofuel blend with comparable performance to diesel-only fuel. QUT PhD researcher Ashrafur Rahman tested each of the waste oils for performance and emissions as a 10 per cent oil/90per
June 19, 2018
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by Francis Witsenhuysen (Northern Star) Learning how to turn sugar cane into biofuel in primary school is one thing, but running the school’s lawnmower with biofuel is quite another. Yesterday, Empire Vale Public School raised the bar in innovation and sustainability by taking out the Northern Rivers Green Innovation Awards primary
June 5, 2018
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by Cheryl Kalisch Gordon (Rabobank/The Land) A proposal to alter the EU’s overarching renewable energy policy has been announced, which would phase-out palm oil as a biodiesel feedstock by 2021, due to production sustainability concerns. … Malaysia and Indonesia, which account for 90 per cent of global palm oil supply and sell
June 5, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for the project owners in question, it’s good for every stakeholder
(GrainNet) Industry and government officials from 17 countries in Asia and Oceania are meeting with members of the U.S. ethanol industry and U.S. officials in Minneapolis this week at the Ethanol Summit of the Asia Pacific (Summit), focused on current and future prospects for expanded ethanol use throughout the region. The
May 22, 2018
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(Algae Industry Magazine) Jonathan Trent, of the OMEGA Global Initiative, explains to a CNBC reporter at the recent Myriad Conference, in Brisbane, Australia, how his efforts to study the possibility of living on Mars paved the way for potential applications on Earth. Myriad, a three-day conference, is billed as “A
May 18, 2018
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(4-Traders) One in five Queensland passenger vehicles is now using petrol with 10 per cent ethanol – a carbon reduction comparable to taking approximately 13,000 cars off the road. Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham told Parliament today that 2.5 per cent of the regular petrol sold in Queensland in the last
May 17, 2018
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(Greenbelt Resources) Greenbelt Resources Corporation GRCO, +23.29% (Greenbelt), the developer and provider of a sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms waste into bio-ethanol, today announced that CEO Darren Eng will visit China this month by special letter invitation to assist in enhancing the domestic production capacity up to the over four billion gallons of ethanol
May 9, 2018
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by Patrick C. Miller (Biomass Magazine) Will Australia use bioenergy to its full potential, or primarily serve export markets? — Australia’s bioenergy sector is alive and brimming with ideas about how to keep pace with progress being made internationally. However, biofuels advocates believe the country lacks a clear strategy, as well as
May 9, 2018
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(New Castle Herald/Muswellbrook Chronicle) Muswellbrook will soon be home to a $30 million purpose-built biofuel facility, following a $4.6 million investment from the NSW Government. The funding allows the construction of the Hunter Pilot Biorefinery (HPB) to go ahead on council land in Thomas Mitchell Drive, which is expected to employ
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Greenbelt Resources Corporation and Duckweed DAYS commenced their inaugural Duckweed Project to commercialize the duckweed model developed by the Andrew J. Young Foundation. Tests conducted during a pilot program indicated that protein extracted from duckweed was one of the most nutritious vegetable organic protein with essential
May 3, 2018
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(GreenAir Online) … Canada’s Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI) is a three-year project between 14 stakeholder organisations, including Air Canada, which are working to enable a biojet supply chain in the country, with testing the feasibility of co-mingling biojet with an airport’s main fuel system an important component. Primary funding for the
April 27, 2018
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by Lara Webster (ABC Rural) The Australian sugar cane industry is being told to look beyond biofuels due to the risk of future technologies wiping out demand. Only a fortnight ago the Queensland University of Technology delivered a report outlining how the biofuels industry could create thousands of jobs and $1 billion dollars
April 19, 2018
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by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois) Growing in its native Australia, the unobtrusive perennial vine Glycine tomentella could easily be overlooked. But the distant relative of soybean contains genetic resources that can substantially increase soybean yield, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. “We saw yield increases of 3.5 to
April 9, 2018
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(Argus Media) China faces several challenges to hit an ambitious 10pc (E10) ethanol blending target in its gasoline fuel mix by 2020, according to participants at the Argus China Ethanol conference in Beijing. The government announced the target last year to reduce congestion and support the domestic agriculture sector. Its policy
April 5, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The production of Agrisoma’s Resonance Carinata is being expanded to multiple locations globally to provide a supply of sustainable, non-food oils for meeting the demand for sustainable biofuels. Resonance Carinata is certified sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the global standard and certification scheme
April 3, 2018
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by Cole Latimer (Sydney Morning Herald) Australia’s biofuel industry has the potential to add more than 8000 jobs and $1 billion a year in revenue to the economy despite being neglected for more than a decade. Queensland University of Technology economists have outlined how Australia could lift its energy security by increasing
April 2, 2018
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(Bioenergy Australia) The massive economic, social and environmental benefits that can be delivered to Australians through the creation of a strong bioenergy industry could be lost without clear government strategies. Increased use of 10 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E10) in Australia could create more than 8600 direct & indirect jobs, attract
March 30, 2018
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by Tegan Annett (The Observer) Interest in producing hydrogen as an energy source is on the rise in Central Queensland. At a recent Future of Hydrogen in Australia Conference Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said two companies approached him about industry opportunities. Cr Burnett, who was joined by chief executive Roslyn Baker, Gladstone
March 30, 2018
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(Byogy Renewables/PR Newswire) California biofuel company Byogy Renewables welcomes last week’s ASTM Alcohol To Jet (ATJ) ethanol based specification ballot measure approval, putting Byogy on track as a leader to produce one of the world’s first “full replacement” renewable jet fuels. The ASTM emerging fuels division voted in favor of a new
March 30, 2018
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by Chris Mooney and Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) Royal Dutch Shell on Monday outlined a scenario in which, by 2070, we would be using far less of the company’s own product — oil — as cars become electric, a massive carbon storage industry develops, and transportation begins a shift toward a
March 30, 2018
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(Bob Katter) KAP Federal Member for Kennedy, Hon Bob Katter MP says that when it comes to national security there is only one answer; Australia must produce its own fuel. Mr Katter’s comments come in response to Parliament’s National Security Committee who last week said Australia’s low fuel supplies need to
March 20, 2018
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TREATED sewage water is being used to irrigate paddocks of crops that can be used for biofuels in a trial at Cloncurry. Sorghum, soy beans, sun hemp and leucaena are being irrigated with the treated sewage water at a trial site, to see how the crops react to the harsh
March 14, 2018
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by Emma Nobel (ABC Central Victoria News) Environmental microbiologist and science champion Marianne Haines hopes her work converting bacteria into biofuel will lead to more sustainable outcomes, and more women studying science at the postgraduate level. Growing up in regional Victoria, the former boot camp leader was inspired to make a career
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first demo flight on biofuel which was done by Virgin Atlantic. LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren shared the factoid that, since that day, more than 100,000 commercial flights have used low carbon fuels. “This is especially amazing since in 2006
February 27, 2018
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by Tim Nicholson & Justin Hilliard (GoAutoMedia/Cars Guide) Nissan has confirmed it is looking at range-extender hybrid, hydrogen fuel-cell and biofuel powertrain options for its future line-up of light-commercial vehicles, including the Titan large pick-up. When questioned about possible future LCV powertrains at the Nissan Futures event in Singapore last week,
February 26, 2018
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(4-Traders) Maximum permitted THC content in industrial hemp to be increased; Move to help drive growth in the hemp industry and regional jobs in WA; State Government convenes hemp industry roundtable — The McGowan Government is set to boost Western Australia’s fledgling hemp industry, loosening a legislative barrier that was limiting hemp production
February 23, 2018
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by Morgan Oss (The Chronicle) Hundreds of jobs could soon be up for grabs in North Queensland, with work due to begin within three months on the world-class bioethanol facility planned at Pentland. Renewable Developments Australia (RDA) company secretary Owen Self said equity investment negotiations were progressing very well, with “positive
February 14, 2018
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by Cheryl Kalisch Gordon (Rabobank/The Land) Only a month after the European Union confirmed Australian canola would satisfy the new 2018 greenhouse gas requirements for use in EU biodiesel, a proposal to alter the EU’s overarching renewable energy policy has been announced. The headline of this month’s proposal is for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The world’s first dedicated biofuel flight between the United States and Australia, QF96 from Los Angeles to Melbourne, has departed from LAX and arrives roughly at Digest press time. The trans-Pacific 15 hour flight will operate with approximately 24,000kg of blended biofuel, saving 18,000kg in
January 30, 2018
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(CTV Ottawa) … Gatineau’s Agrisoma is powering the world’s first ever transpacific flight from the United States to Australia using jet fuel from a renewable source. On Sunday, Australia’s Qantas Airline will depart on a 15-hour journey from Los Angeles to Melbourne using a mix of traditional and renewable jet fuel.
January 29, 2018
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by Eric Barker (ABC Rural) With about a megalitre of sewage flowing from the toilets of Cloncurry every day, the local council has built a new trial site for biofuel plants. An assortment of crops, including sun hemp, soy beans, sorghum, and leucaena have been planted to test what can be
January 15, 2018
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) has taken stock of its busy 2017 and has set priorities for 2018. Highlights on the sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) front include development of many resources available to the public on the CAAFI website. Progress on
January 12, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around the world, looking at the state of biofuels mandates in 65 countries. The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) once specified a
January 2, 2018
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by Sarina Locke (ABC Rural) Australia has secured access to a billion-dollar European biodiesel market for canola, just two weeks away from a cut-off date. The CSIRO has found that using Australian canola in the biodiesel supply chain produced half the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel, at the point that
December 30, 2017
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Australia New Zealand Biochar Conference (ANZBC18) will be held on Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 & Thursday 16 August, 2018 at Southern Cross University Gold Coast Campus, Bilinga, Qld, Australia. The aims and objectives of ANZBC18 are to bring together an industry still in it’s infancy to achieve real outcomes. Connecting
December 29, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Below50 is an initiative that brings businesses together with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) to promote the best-of-breed of sustainable fuels. The companies and organizations driving the initiative include ABBI, Arizona State
December 26, 2017
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by Tracey Dodd (University of South Australia) PhD Thesis Explores How Institutions Help and Hinder the Commercialisation of Eco-Innovations–Particularly Aviation Biofuels, with a focus on Australia, Germany and the United States Excerpt from Chapter 7, Recommendations: The high reliance on government intervention was one of the most intensely mentioned themes in my
December 14, 2017
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by Mike Foley (The Land) A new fuel technology to convert harvested crops and other plant waste into biofuel and green chemical products is being developed with $11.9 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The new technology uses ‘strong acid’ to convert feedstock into a sugar solution
by Liam Mannix (Sydney Morning Herald) Angelina Arora was sitting in her local fish and chip shop looking at all the discarded fish waste. Piles of crab shells, prawn tails and fish heads. Kilos and kilos of it, all destined for the bin. There had to be a better way, the 15-year-old budding young
December 12, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (T)he Australian Renewable Energy Agency has made its single largest direct investment in second-generation biofuels via $11.9M in funding support for Ethtec to complete the development and demonstration of its advanced biofuel production technology. … But times are changing in Muswellbrook, and accelerated in that respect with news
December 6, 2017
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(Australian Renewable Energy Agency/Ethanol Produce Magazine) The Australian Renewable Energy Agency recently announced $11.9 million in funding for Australian biofuel company Ethanol Technologies Ltd. to complete the development and demonstration of its groundbreaking advanced biofuel technology. As part of a $48 million project, Ethtec aims to construct a $30 million purpose built pilot-scale facility based
December 1, 2017
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by Rachel Williamson (Stockhead.com) Algae.Tec’s boss Peter Hatfull has exited the business as it transitions from biofuel into a “plant-based health and wellbeing company”. Mr Hatfull has been replaced by chairman Malcolm James. … Algae.tec started as an algae-based biofuel researcher with lofty aims to supply biodiesel and bio-jet fuel. In
November 29, 2017
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by Ross Marowits (National Observer) A Quebec biofuels company has signed its first deal to power an airline’s jets with energy grown from Canadian oilseeds. Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. of Gatineau will supply biofuel to Australia’s Qantas Airways made from Carinata seed, a non-food, industrial type of mustard seed that produces oil
November 27, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You won’t hear it from the NGOs orbiting Brussels who have long figured out that bashing biotechnology is good for the fund-raising cash register, but Europe has become the hottest geography on the planet for deploying advanced bioeconomy projects. What was once a great place
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Katter’s Australian Party has offered an A$400 million loan towards the A$640 million North Queensland Bioenergy Corp. project proposed nearly a decade ago if it’s able to keep its balance of power in the upcoming state elections through the successful bid of a local candidate. The
November 22, 2017
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(North Queensland Register) A Sydney company has been awarded a $4.03 million grant to develop a yeast to address economic and sustainability issues surrounding biofuels. — SYDNEY-based yeast developer Microbiogen has been awarded a $4.03 million federal government grant to make production of bioethanol from plant waste cheaper and more efficient. The project,
November 21, 2017
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by Cecilia Connell (ABC News) An Australian-first biofuel demonstration facility in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has been touted as a game-changer in the food versus fuel debate, that has overshadowed the production of ethanol for some time. The Federal Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced
November 21, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Qantas will operate the world’s first biofuel flight between the United States and Australiaearly in the new year in collaboration with World Fuel Services and Altair Fuels. Qantas’ new Dreamliner is being powered by Brassica Carinata (carinata), a non-food, industrial type of mustard seed that
November 20, 2017
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by Thin Lei Win (Reuters) Improving soil health in farmlands could capture extra carbon equivalent to the planet-warming emissions generated by the transport sector, one of the world’s most polluting industries, experts said Tuesday. Soil naturally absorbs carbon from the atmosphere through a process known as sequestration which not only reduce
November 20, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, DowDuPont said it was exiting the cellulosic biofuels business and you’d think that the company just burned down the warehouse with the original text of the Renewable Fuels Standard — the coverage of the announce in few cases focused on the changes in DowDuPont’s
November 14, 2017
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by Aline Robert (EurActiv) A group representing European biodiesel producers filed a complaint about illegal state aid with the European Commission on 3 November. It’s the latest episode in a commercial war between European biodiesel and its South American competitor. In September, the EU removed tariff barriers on biofuel from Argentina,
November 10, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … There are no tires in Nevertire because Green Distillation Technologies, some 20 clicks up the road in Warren, is operating its Destructive Distillation technology at pilot scale and is recycling used tires into oil, carbon and steel wire cord. … Tires are a potent source of raw material.
by Ben Chapman (Independent) With long-distance electric-powered transport still a long way off, can advances in renewable fuel made from vegetable oil and waste fill the gap to combat climate change and clean up our toxic air? Planes across Europe will soon run on renewable fuel made from vegetable oil and animal fat in
November 1, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We reported on Amyris’ progress recently in “The New Colossus aims to unlock its Golden Door” and in Two Up: Amyris, Queensland gamble on farnesene for SE Asia. Meanwhile, Amyris President of R&D Joel Cherry presented these illuminating slides on the company’s progress at ABLC 2017 in
October 27, 2017
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by Mike Richards (The Observer) … Northern Oil Refinery managing director Tim Rose said the site, which turns tyres into diesel, needed to cut costs and think innovatively to continue doing business amid high power prices. The company is investing in ways to be self-sufficient in energy, with the ultimate goal
October 24, 2017
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(Next-Gen Transportation News) The mayors of London, Paris, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Seattle, Auckland and Cape Town have signed the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration. Under the declaration, the city leaders have pledged to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025 and ensure that a major area of their city
October 24, 2017
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Qantas will buy eight million gallons of renewable jet fuel each year from U.S. based bio-energy company, SG Preston, in order to fuel its Los Angeles based aircraft. Their goal is to have the LAX to Australia flight powered on an ongoing basis by 50% non-food
October 17, 2017
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by Ellen Read (Stuff) Qantas aircraft based in Los Angeles will use a renewable biofuel blend from 2020. The airline said on Friday it would buy eight million gallons of the fuel each year, for the next decade, from United States bio-energy company SF Preston. Qantas trialled domestic biofuel flights in 2012. The fuel is 50 per
October 13, 2017
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by Hsan Htoo Aung (Eleven) Plants that can produce biodiesel for Yangon water buses are to be grown along the banks of Yangon River with the help of an Australia-based company. … “Within five years we will be growing hombayniya plants, which thrive only in Myanmar and India, in cooperation with
October 10, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Headwinds — US road transport biofuels producers are up in arms this week. There are reports of oil industry led-efforts within the EPA to create an export-subsidy RIN, cut biofuel targets with new “data,” and bypass EPA staff recommendations for higher cellulosic targets. … Now, the industry has written a sharp letter to President
by Simon Thomsen (Business Insider) Virgin Australia will run a two-year trial mixing biojet fuels with regular avgas on flights out of Brisbane in a move the challenger airline is claiming as a world first. US-based renewable fuel producer Gevo Inc will supply the biojet, through Brisbane Airport’s fuel supply system,
October 3, 2017
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, the chopping continues and there are literally tons of wood waste left behind that doesn’t get used up, but we can all agree we should do something with that waste. Today, we look at
October 2, 2017
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(Grand View Research/CISION PR Newswire) The global ethanol fuel market is expected to reach USD 115.65 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Asia Pacific is estimated to witness a fast paced growth during the forecast period. China, India, and Philippines are the key countries that are considered
September 26, 2017
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Singapore, a closed-door biofuel roundtable organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, BHP and GoodFuels Marine, brought some excitement to the maritime biofuels world – almost as much excitement as when we first saw Monty Python’s the Knights of the Roundtable song
by Chris Burns (North West Star) … Seven types of plants will be grown in a four acre plot near Cloncurry’s sewerage treatment works which have been selected for their use in biodiesel. The Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone (MITEZ) and the Cloncurry Shire Council have planned the trial. The Cloncurry
by Tan Hwee Hwee (Business Times) Australia-based commodity giant BHP Billiton and clean fuel-focused GoodFuels are teaming up to run the first pilot bunkering operation with biofuel in Singapore. The two parties on Thursday signed a letter of intent (LOI) for the pilot project at the inaugural biofuel roundtable organised by
September 22, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Amyris reported Q2 2017 revenues of $25.7M million, more than double the sales from 2016. The increase was driven by a major increase in product sales, primarily in the company’s personal care segment, as well as by significantly higher collaboration revenues. For many people, the
September 22, 2017
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(ABC News Rural) With a number of coal-fired power stations tipped to close over the next decade, the Queensland timber industry says it could help alleviate any energy shortages by producing green fuel from its waste but is being held back by a lack of government incentives. About one million
September 20, 2017
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by Lexie Cartwright (News.com.au/Courier Mail) A petrol price war is brewing for the school holidays as an independent retailer drops the cost of its E10 by 6¢ a litre from today. The move means the price of E10 will tumble well below the cost of unleaded fuel to just 1.06¢. Queensland’s
September 19, 2017
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by Chris Lees (Gladstone Observer) Southern Oil is behind an innovative plan to take on the Aldoga renewable hub. The company, which runs the Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant, has put in an expression of interest to develop the 1248 hectare sit – in conjunction with a solar company. …
September 13, 2017
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by Sean Nicholls (Sydney Morning Herald) The controversial NSW ethanol mandate costs motorists more than $143 million a year by forcing them to purchase more expensive premium petrol, a new analysis suggests. It also estimates Australia’s largest producer, Manildra, last year made $4.4 million extra profit thanks to the rules, which state that
August 31, 2017
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by Jim Alouat (News Mail) Budaberg is home to the cheapest petrol in Queensland with drivers able to take advantage of breathtaking bowser deals. … Yesterday Liberty North hit a new low, selling unleaded ethanol petrol for 99.9c a litre. RACQ’s Renee Smith said on latest data the Bundaberg servo was the
August 24, 2017
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network predicts Australian biofuel production will reach 290 million liters (79.61 million gallons) this year, including 250 million liters of ethanol. That production level is expected to be unchanged in 2018. The
August 22, 2017
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by Laura Millan Lombrana and Jonathan Gilbert (Bloomberg) As established players expand, some newcomers seen struggling; New mine teething problems tightening credit for projects — … Producers everywhere have struggled to keep up with demand as electric cars went from almost no sales a decade ago to more than half a
August 22, 2017
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(NGV Journal) Queensland Urban Utilities has unveiled the so-called “Poo-powered Car”, which runs on biogas generated from sewage at the Oxley Creek Sewage Treatment Plant in Brisbane’s west. “If you live in Brisbane’s south or west, every time you flush the loo, or use your shower and sink, you’ll be
August 17, 2017
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by Sean Nicholls (Sydney Morning Herald) … (Innovation and better regulation minister Matt Kean) Kean inherited a policy championed by his predecessor Victor Dominello to boost ethanol sales in NSW via E10 – a blend of ethanol and regular unleaded – at the pump. The mandate was introduced by the previous Labor government,
August 10, 2017
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by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) A genetically engineered, freeze-tolerant eucalyptus tree is moving closer to receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, amid concerns about the tree’s possible negative effects on the environment. The USDA has proposed lifting restrictions on commercial production of the trees, based on a draft
August 10, 2017
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(Office of Queensland Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines) The Palaszczuk Government is providing a $1.17 million loan to help make North Queensland Bio‑Energy’s proposed $640 million biorefinery near Ingham a reality. Minister for State Development Dr Anthony Lynham said the project could create up to 450 jobs
August 3, 2017
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(My Sunshine Coast) The Australia biodiesel industry is still trying to negotiate deals with oil companies to ramp up production, despite the introduction of a second State mandate, Chief Executive Officer of the Biofuels Association of Australia, Mark Sutton said. There are some promising signs in Queensland following the introduction
August 3, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, former Dell executive Bruce Dietzen created a car made from hemp that runs on biofueland is touted as carbon neutral. Industrial hemp grows as Vermont registers more than 80 new hemp growers so far this year alone. It’s been busy lately for the hemp industry. News of
July 31, 2017
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by Chris Burns (North Queensland Register) … Cloncurry mayor Greg Campbell said that the shire council was working with development group Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone (MITEZ) to examine the potential types of biofuel plants that a local industry could sustain. The size of the industry is also being
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (T)te dialogue around advanced fuels has become about the actions of doers, rather than the aspirations of inventors. 3 Hot Newstories from the World Congress Floor 1. Praj-Gevo Going commercial with sugarcane, molasses isobutanol. … 2. Queensland RFA to partner with below50 to commercialize
July 26, 2017
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(JustMeans.com/Queensland Renewable Fuels Association (QRFA)) Today at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Technology, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Queensland Renewable Fuels Association (QRFA) signed a partnership agreement to scale up the development and use of low-carbon fuels through WBCSD’s below50 initiative. below50 is a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Industrial biotech’s biggest and grandest show, the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, opened today in Montreal and BIO itself was in the newsframe with a striking report debunking myths around RIN price surges. 10 Hot Newstories from the World Congress Floor 1. Going commercial. Verdezyne
July 25, 2017
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by Nathan Skolski (University of British Columbia Okanagan) New research from a professor of engineering at UBC’s Okanagan Campus might hold the key to biofuels that are cheaper, safer and much faster to produce. “Methane is a biofuel commonly used in electricity generation and is produced by fermenting organic material,” says Cigdem
July 21, 2017
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Australian government has announced support for a $60 million proposed biorefinery that is expected to produce electricity, raw sugar and ethanol from sugarcane. Blue agave may also be used as a feedstock. Minister for State Development Anthony Lynham said the facility, under development by
July 20, 2017
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(AgForce Queensland) The Queensland Renewable Fuels Association Inc (QRFA), have signed a partnership agreement today with AgForce, Queensland’s peak organisation for broadacre primary producers. Both peak industry associations have come together to build a partnership platform that will align key events in rural and regional Queensland, whilst broadening the dialogue
June 28, 2017
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(Queensland Country Life) Goondiwindi’s Woods Grain has secured a $579,000 grant from the Palaszczuk Government.to build an algae farm for livestock production. … “This has resulted in collaboration with Professor Peer Schenk, at the University of Queensland, who has been researching the opportunity to use microalgae grown in small ponds as
June 28, 2017
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(Globe Newswire/Amyris) — Amyris, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMRS), the industrial bioscience company, and the Government of Queensland, Australia today announced the next step their plans to develop a leading industrial biotechnology hub in Southeast Asia. Plans call for developing a new production plant with support from local partners to produce Amyris’s sugar
June 20, 2017
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by Sarah Vogler (Courier-Mail) Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has launched a new plan to bolster the biomedical sciences industry in Queensland in a bid to create more than 3000 jobs and pour almost $2 billion into the economy. The Government will start by stumping up $4 million towards initiatives to help
June 19, 2017
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(LanzaTech) Acetogens are one of the oldest living organisms, with the acetogenic CO2 fixing pathway considered to be one of the first biochemical pathways on Earth. Today, these organisms still play a major role in the global carbon cycle, accounting for around 20% of the fixed carbon on the planet.
June 9, 2017
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(Biofuels International) The government of Queensland, Australia has announced it will inject $8.64 million (€5.8 million) into a proposed $50 million (€33.7 million) biorefinery, in a bid to help accelerate the project’s development and construction. It is hoped the new biorefinery could create up to 115 jobs, positioning Queensland’s Mackay
June 9, 2017
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(Queensland Government) Queensland is now home to the first commercial-scale advanced biofuels pilot plant and on the cusp of a new biofuel production-based industry for the State, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. Speaking from Gladstone where the Premier officially opened the $18 million Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant in Yarwun,
June 1, 2017
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by Francesca Brindle (Hydrocarbon Engineering) Southern Oil has announced that Queensland Premier, the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, will officially open the Northern Oil advanced biofuels pilot plant in Gladstone on 1 June 2017. The $18 million project brings together all the equipment and technology needed to produce biocrude and to
May 25, 2017
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by Dyani Lewis (The Guardian) Oilier plants, new processing technologies and multipurpose crops could put the biofuel industry back in the race for greener transport fuels. — Biofuels have long been touted as a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels, doing for the world’s planes, ships and automobiles what windfarms and
May 10, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The production of Agrisoma’s Resonance Carinata is being expanded to multiple locations globally to provide a supply of sustainable, non-food oils for meeting the demand for sustainable biofuels. Resonance Carinata is certified sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the global standard and certification
May 8, 2017
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(Algae Industry Magazine) ABC News Brisbane (Australia) reports that University of Queensland researchers are growing their highest density algae at a pilot farm in Brisbane. “We’ll see how this goes in large scale, but in the moment everything looks very positive and we’re looking forward to the next few months,”
May 4, 2017
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by P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) … World stockpiles of corn and wheat are at record highs. From Iowa to China, years of bumper crops and low prices have overwhelmed storage capacity for basic foodstuffs. Global stocks of corn, wheat, rice and soybeans combined will hit a record 671.1 million
April 11, 2017
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The EU’s Sweet 16: 16 of the Most Fascinating Projects under Development and in Deployment in Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Europe is often thought of as a dead-end for biofuels, owing to a thorny debate over fuel mandates, and agricultural protection. But it’s a reputation entirely undeserved; some of the most fascinating projects are there. In this survey, we did not look at some excellent
April 11, 2017
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(GreenAir Online) A year after issuing a joint Request for Information (RFI) from parties interested in supporting the development and production of sustainable aviation fuel in the region, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia say they have had strong interest both locally and from abroad. The airlines have now completed
April 7, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ethanol supporters in the US and Australia and first-gen fuels advocates of conventional ethanol and biodiesel in the EU are striking out against what they see as misguided reports that have appeared across three continents this week — all aimed ultimately at derailing mandates that
April 7, 2017
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by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel hit extreme heights in 2016, fulfilling a third of the consumption market, driving the domestic biodiesel industry to more actively seek counteracting measures to protect its own investments. — The U.S. imported nearly three times more biodiesel and renewable
April 5, 2017
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(Biofuels Association of Australia) The Biofuels Association of Australia strongly rejects claims by the Federal Productivity Commission that the industry fails to support the agriculture sector or the community. The NSW and Queensland Governments have not forced motorists to buy E10 or biodiesel, said BAA Chief Executive Officer, Mark Sutton. “To
March 30, 2017
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(Biofuels Association of Australia) There are early signs that the Biofuels mandate in Queensland is driving interest in biofuels. The industry had been held back by a lack of consumer understanding around the benefits of E10. With more than 400,000 motorists already checking if their car is compatible with E10
March 30, 2017
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by Philip Hopkins (Gippsland Times) Australian Paper, working with the CSIRO, a European technology leader and Federation University, is forging ahead with plans to create a bio-manufacturing hub in the Latrobe Valley that could generate several thousand jobs. The venture, which could stimulate hundreds of millions of dollars of investment,
March 29, 2017
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, the federal government’s economic advisor—The Productivity Commission—has called on New South Wales, Queensland and commonwealth governments to drop biofuel blending, saying the polices unnecessarily increase fuel prices for consumers. It also dismissed out of hand Queensland’s claims that ethanol blending creates jobs, pointing
March 29, 2017
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by Lilly Vitorovich (The Australian) Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are hopeful aviation biofuel can be produced locally, in a bid to cut carbon emissions and fuel costs. The airlines have spent the past year investigating the merits of commercially viable biofuel sources within Australasia, and reviewed the input
March 28, 2017
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IPART Seeks Comment on Ethanol Market Monitoring COMMENT DEADLINE: September 10, 2018
(Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is seeking comments on its proposed approach to monitoring the wholesale and retail markets for ethanol used in fuel blends like E10. Under the Biofuels Act 2007, a fuel retailer may be exempt from complying with the ethanol