(Green Fuels/Biodiesel Magazine) The biorefinery manufacturer Green Fuels is in Bali this week commissioning a turnkey biodiesel facility for Caritas Switzerland, an NGO that focuses on socioeconomic development in disadvantaged communities around the world. Green Fuels has installed its 3,000 liter
by Emily Bruns (Ashton Gasette) In an effort to evolve with the constant changes and challenges within a $50 billion industry, Rochelle’s Illinois River Energy ethanol plant began producing and industrial corn oil on Nov. 27. This corn oil byproduct, which
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s only one complete region for biofuels where abundant feedstock, lack of oil & gas production, rising energy demand and supportive government policy come together — and that is Asia. We’re never quite sure which factor
by Karl Ritter (Associated Press/Salt Lake Tribune) Hassan al-Kubaisi considers it a gift from above that drivers in oil- and gas-rich Qatar only have to pay $1 per gallon at the pump. ...Qatar — the host of U.N. climate talks that
by Craig Hanson (WRI Insights) At the 10th Annual Meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), WRI launched two new online mapping applications designed to help the palm oil industry grow while avoiding deforestation. These free tools enable palm oil producers, buyers,
by Nigel Sizer (WRI Insights/The Jakarta Post) ...The world’s top scientists are also raising concerns. According to a recent study in Nature Climate Change, from 1990 to 2010, 90 percent of lands converted to oil palm plantations in Kalimantan were forested. There need not,
by Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The European Commission has approved a scheme that would certify as sustainable transport fuel made from palm oil, condemned by environmental groups as one of the most damaging sources of biodiesel. The Commission made public on Tuesday
by Jason Motlagh (The Washington Post/Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting) Long a preferred cooking ingredient in developing countries, palm oil is now in greater demand in Western markets because of its low price and long shelf life. Derived from the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Brazil, India, the US, China and the EU point the way towards a 60 billion gallon biofuels market by 2022 – but can the capacity be built, and can the mandates survive pressure from opponents? In
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Israeli biotech firm says its modified eucalyptus trees can displace the fossil fuel industry It's a timber company's dream but a horrific industrial vision for others: massive plantations of densely planted GM eucalyptus trees stretching across Brazil, South Africa,
(The Guardian) Tighter EU rules on biofuel production are failing to protect the land rights of Indonesia's indigenous communities ...To understand the scale of the problem, Sawit Watch (sawit means palm oil in Indonesian) is supporting smallholders and indigenous people in more than 660
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Heliae is the 9th startup for CEO Dan Simon, and the company is finally at his favorite stage. “We are completing our charge through the Valley of Death,” he says. Indeed. In 2012, Heliae
by Heru Andriyanto (Jakarta Globe) Indonesia might be a potential market for ethanol-fueled cars, following in the footsteps of other sugarcane-producing nations like Brazil that promote the alternative source to fossil fuel, a General Motors executive said. “The key is the government
(Frost & Sullivan/Sacramento Bee) Removing subsidies for conventional fuels and providing incentives for biofuels will bolster market growth New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.chemicals.frost.com), Strategic Analysis of Southeast Asian Automotive Biofuels Market, finds that the market earned revenues of more than
(Equities.com) Smallholders at Cargill's palm oil plantation, PT Hindoli in South Sumatra, Indonesia, recently became the one of the first smallholders to receive official certification for sustainable palm oil supply for biofuels, according to the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification
(Bankok Post) Thailand is being urged to step up joint development and know-how exchanges with Malaysia and Indonesia on ethanol and biodiesel to stave off reliance on oil imports, according to energy veterans. "We should get more serious in joint development
by Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Palm oil producer Musim Mas Group expects that there will be more demand for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), as the company is ready to provide the market with sustainable palm oil and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(M)ore than 30 airlines now trialing, deploying biofuels – but who’s doing what, exactly? In Brazil, Azul Airlines announced that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane has passed all required testing and will be used during
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Arizona, Heliae announced a capital raise of $15 million in funding from international conglomerate Salim Group’s agribusiness company, PT. PP London Sumatra Indonesia, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Agri Investments. This marks a total of close
by Martin Roberts (Reuters) ...European biodiesel makers will be able to sell an additional one million tonnes a year in Spain after new measures which effectively shut out Argentine and Indonesian imports, an industry spokesman said. Spain decreed on April 20
(Bernama) Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s largest producers of palm oil, are on a joint mission to correct and update a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that could impact future exports of palm oil-based biofuels. Plantation Industries and Commodities
(FreshFruitPortal.com) Indonesia and Malaysia have questioned a U.S. decision that their palm oil fails to meet regulatory greenhouse gas reduction standards, website Antaranews.com reported. They disagreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ruling that biofuels from Indonesia and Malaysia cut only 17%
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) In Indonesia, Mission New Energy is developing a new downstream palm oil and oleo-chemical complex, in partnership with PTPN III. The complex will be located located at PTPNIII’s Sei Mangkei Industrial Zone in North
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Palms are said to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, but you can’t prove it by the past few weeks of heated debate over palm biofuel. Last week, we looked at the discrepancy between
(US Environmental Protection Agency) he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a Notice of Data Availability (NODA) to release its lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis of palm oil used as a feedstock to produce biodiesel and renewable diesel under the Renewable
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Your calls and emails are always the highlight of our days. Most questions can be answered johnny-on-the-spot. Some are still out there and well worth arguing over. Here are the Top 10 that are still
(MarketWatch) Mario Garnero, Chairman of Brasilinvest, Brazil's pioneer merchant bank, stated that BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) can no longer be simply described as 'Emerging Markets'. Their economic, political and energy status make them 'Powerhouse Nations'. The Chairman of
Travel to Japan or Indonesia Travel Dates: Japan Fellowship February 13, 2012 – March 2, 2012 Indonesia Fellowship February 20, 2012 – March 9, 2012 Fellows are selected based on outstanding performance and the ability to play leadership roles in their organizations and in their communities.
by Achten, W. M. J., and L. V. Verchot (Ecology and Society) Biofuels are receiving growing negative attention. Direct and/or indirect land-use changes that result from their cultivation can cause emissions due to carbon losses in soils and biomass and could
by Niluksi Koswanage (Reuters) Indonesian palm-based biodiesel shipments seeking a foothold in the United States will face stiff competition from feedstocks such as corn oil and waste oils, which will become cheaper as more supplies hit the market, a top
(Transport & Environment) Biofuels produced from palm oil grown in tropical peatlands are a significant source of greenhouse gases. This is the finding of a new study done for the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) which, if taken on
by Maya Thatcher (Center for International Forestry Research) Smallholder farmers in developing countries risk being left behind in the push to produce sustainable biofuels, deterred by complex and expensive certification schemes, according to a recent CIFOR study. With limited scope to
(Soya Tech) Indonesia's Confederation of Primary Cooperatives Association (Inkud) is teaming up with Taiwan in developing jatropha curcas-based fuel, its vice president director Yusri Suhud said. "We are cooperating with Taiwan to develop jatropha curcas as an alternative fuel," he said
by John C.K. Daly (http://oilprice.com) Greening the European Union has suffered a setback. The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first since data has been gathered,
by Guariguata, M.R.; Masera, O.R.; Johnson, F.X.; von Maltitz, G.; Bird, N.; Tella, P.; Martínez-Bravo, R (Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Bogor, Indonesia) With the rapid growth of biofuel production and consumption and the proliferation of policy decisions supporting
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) When Syed Alwi speaks about the algae industry, you get the feeling that he really has his finger on what’s going on globally. He gets around, and is a bit of a kingpin in
(Agrimoney.com) D1 Oils put its hands up to out-of-pocket investors in jatropha, admitting that the once-lauded oilseed had been a "disappointment", as the group unveiled – yet another – strategy shift. Steven Rudofsky, the D1 Oils chairman, acknowledged that the oilseed, which a
(Jakarta Post) PT INKUD Exchange signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday with Malaysian biotechnology firm Lestari Pasifik Berhad to establish a joint venture aiming to set up 616 bio-refinery factories to process oil palm waste into bio-ethanol
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Australia-based Jatenergy Ltd. recently announced that it has sold 200 metric tons crude jatropha oil at $1,000 per metric ton to Lufthansa, a Germany-based airline, for use in its long-term trial of renewable jet fuel.
by Karin Holzzknecht (Center for International Forestry Research Forest Blog) Assessing how biofuels affect forests and people’s livelihoods and how its production can be more sustainable has been made easier following the recent release of an interactive map which provides
by Monika Bertzky, Valerie Kapos & Jörn P.W. Scharlemann (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) Inference from production statistics and modelling studies suggest that iLUC has occurred, is likely to increase with increasing demand for biofuels and needs to be considered when assessing the
by Ismira Lutfia (Jakarta Globe) The millions of tons of fibrous residue produced by palm oil plantations across the country could soon become a major source of raw material for renewable fuel. Over the past year, scientists from the Indonesian
by Niluksi Koswanage (Reuters Africa) Malaysia, the word's No.2 palm oil producer, will come up with a certification scheme to ensure the tropical oil is grown without clearing forests and destroying wildlife, a newspaper reported on Monday. The Business Times quoted
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Over at Blue Marble, think spent waste grains from the alcoholic beverage distillation process, and spent coffee grounds. Generally, these are materials that pile up in landfills. By contrast, at Blue Marble’s first commercial facility, using
by Christopher Mims (Grist) Production of biofuel from palm oil has been an unmitigated disaster for the rainforest, leading to clear-cutting throughout Indonesia and propelling that country to the top ranks of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters. That's
(CheckBioTEch) A CHINESE green energy specialist is joining Aim in a move valuing the business at £21million. ...It is looking to invest in undervalued biofuel operators and is also keen to take stakes in new green energy companies. ...The company builds plants
(Jagran Post) The project of deriving ethanol, a bio-fuel for blending with petrol, from a seaweed is all set to get a major boost, with the Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) deciding to ramp up off-shore production
(The Guardian/Eco-Business) Malaysia and Indonesia, which together account for about 90% of the world’s palm oil production, have launched a joint PR offensive to defend the industry’s environmental record. ...(M)inisters from the two countries agreed to finalise plans for a European Palm Oil Council
(ABC Rural) The European Union wants more of its transport fuel to be made from renewable biomass like canola oil. ...EU member states can't supply enough canola or soy oil to meet the demand, so there's an opportunity to increase
The 3nd PALMEX Indonesia 2011 (Palm Oil Asia 2011) is the only specialized Palm Oil event in Asia that brings together an international congregation of both upstream and downstream palm oil companies and also its supporting industries gathered in the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) An interview with James Garton, president of Mission Biofuels USA subsidiary. We look at the jatropha 1.0 catastrophe, actual biodiesel capacity in the US, palm biodiesel, the RFS, and more. ...The company broke into the US
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) This was one of the best weeks yet in the Asian biofuels industry. China decided to promote 2G biofuels production and reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 45 percent by 2020. India moved to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...NGOs in Africa have been touting for some time the use of ethanol cook stoves, to replace three-stone, wood based stoves that can trigger local deforestation and expose women and girls (who do much of
by Sybille de La Hamaide (Reuters) Overcapacity, squeezed margins and massive imports should continue to hurt Europe's biodiesel industry this year and lead to further consolidation, the chief executive of EU giant Diester Industrie said on Monday. Several biodiesel firms in
(Neste Oil) Neste Oil with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Mr. Teo Chee Hean, Finnish Minister for Ownership Steering Mr. Jyri Häkämies, and some 200 guests celebrate the grand opening of its renewable diesel plant in
by Jamie Ashcroft (Proactive Investors United Kingdom) D1 Oils revealed that demand is out-pacing supply for its Crude Jatropha Oil (CJO)... D1 said that it is continuing to experience demand for greater quantities of CJO than it is able
(Biofuels International) On 3 February 2011 energy company Jatoil achieved production of 200 tonnes of crude jatropha oil, all of which will be shipped and used as feedstock for biojet aviation fuel for use by commercial airlines. ...'Currently, only limited supplies
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...“If weather blesses the world with bountiful crops in 2011,” writes Economic Times commodities editor Nidhi Nath Srinivas, “and that’s a giant if, they will first replenish exhausted stocks in the trading pipelines. Globally,
(Commodity Online) The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) ended the year 2010 with strong growth in both the production and use of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil. Compared to 2009, numbers doubled, in many cases even tripled compared to the year
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...#1 It’s a breakthrough year for Asian biofuels science and technology. Many scientific and technological developments that simmered away in Asian labs and pilot plants in 2010 are set to burst on the scene
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Honolulu, much of the leadership of the advanced biofuels and renewables chemicals industries have gathered this week at BIO’s Pacific Rim Summit. ...(W)hat are the key trends? Here are 11 that the Digest spotted. 1.
by Niki Koswanage (Reuters) Palm oil has production audit in place unlike other vegoils; Green palm oil production capacity growing. European Union rules requiring vegetable-oil based biofuels to come from eco-friendly sources may boost palm oil use in the sector as
(World Wildlife Fund) A new methodology that could deter the “indirect” conversion of virgin or tropical forests for biofuel production was published today by prominent consultancy Ecofys, WWF and Conservation International. The Responsible Cultivation Area [RCA] methodology could complement emerging bans
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We see the battle over rural development flashing at other points around the globe, but nowhere so starkly do we have a choice between the War on Poverty and the War on Carbon as we see
by Fidelis E. Satriastanti (Jakarta Globe) National airline Garuda Indonesia is finalizing preparations to use biofuel in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a senior official said on Monday. “We are in the process of changing from avtur [aviation fuel] to
(TheBioenergySite.com) Waterland supply its Jatropha Oil for use as feedstock for aviation fuel. Waterland International signed a Memorandum Of Understanding with a leading supplier of biofuels for the aviation industry. Waterland will be making its first delivery of Jatropha Oil for use as
(Biofuels International) After recently acquiring joint venture operations in Central Java, Indonesia, renewable energy company Jatoil has secured its first sale of a commercial quantity of crude jatropha oil. The sale is under a new four-year off-take agreement with Jatoil’s partner
(The Economist) Palm oil is a popular, cheap commodity, which green activists are doing their best to turn into a commercial liability. Companies are finding them impossible to ignore. ...The charges against palm oil are serious: environmental groups regard it as
by Beth Gardiner (New York Times) Ubiquitous in products from cookies to cosmetics, and increasingly in European fuel tanks, too, palm oil is driving the destruction of some of Southeast Asia’s last tracts of untouched rainforest and leading to huge
(New World Energy) Indonesia based PT New World Energy (NWE) and leading multi-national appliance manufacturer, Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group (BSH) of Germany recently partnered together on a pilot project to bring clean cooking technology to rural communities on
(TradingMarkets.com) South Korea's EN3 Green Energy Co. Ltd plans to produce bio-ethanol using cassava root as the basic material in South Sulawesi. EN3 already have three factories in Gowa and Takalar in that province producing cassava chips and tapioca flour exported
(Antara News) A biodiesel and ethanol plant under construction in Beunyot village, Juli subdistrict, Bireuen regency, Aceh province, is scheduled for operation in the middle of this year. Bireuen regent Nurdin AR said, ... "The biodiesel and etahnol plant which
(TodayOnline) Can algae oil be viably converted to kerosene for jet fuel that might one day power the world's aircraft? This is something a new 12-month collaboration between A*Star's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences and global aerospace and defence
(New Tang Dynasty Television) The kamani tree grows well throughout the coastal area in Yogyakarta, and produces abundant fruit. Traditionally, the fruit is used for cooking and firewood. But villagers in Yogyakarta are using it for biodiesel. This new “green business”
(Environmental Investigation Agency) Field investigations by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Telapak reveal that ill-prepared indigenous Papuan communities are being enticed, tricked and sometimes coerced into releasing large swathes of forested land to powerful conglomerates, backed by overseas investors
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