(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine)  EU-28 biodiesel imports from the world’s three biggest exporters, Argentina, Indonesia and Malaysia, have dropped substantially since 2013. Whereas in 2012, Argentina still exported 1.48 million metric tons (444.3 million gallons) of soybean oil-based biodiesel …

(Prensa Latina)  Malaysia and Indonesia are in talks on possible implementation of B5 biodiesel program in China, given the Chinese increased environment control in the palm oil market.

According to the Malaysian Minister of Plantations and …

by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters)  Argentine biodiesel exports will be priced out of the U.S. market, its leading industry body said, after Washington decided on Tuesday to impose steep duties on imports that it said were …

by Liz Gyekye (Biofuels International)  Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply, according to a new report by the …

(Energy Today/Oilprice.com) A new World Bank report released today (July 18, 2017) highlights the potential impacts that the expected continuing boom in low-carbon energy technologies will have on demand for many minerals and metals.
Using wind, solar, …

(International Renewable Energy Agency) Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply. Fulfilling the region’s biofuel potential would depend on …

(The Star)  Malaysia is targetting the export of palm oil and palm-based products to the Philippines to increase by 50% to RM3bil by 2020, from RM1.99bil recorded in 2015.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri …

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 …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Malaysia, during a meeting between the trade ministers for Malaysia and Indonesia, the countries expressed deep disappointment in the allegedly unfair treatment by the EU on palm oil in favor of …

by Sybille de La Hamaide (Reuters)  France will take steps to restrict the use of palm oil in producing biofuels in order to reduce deforestation in the countries of origin, French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Verdezyne is a privately held industrial biotechnology company that is developing and commercializing novel genetically engineered microorganisms for use as “factories” to manufacture renewable chemicals. Verdezyne’s unique microorganisms permit greener, …

by Anthony Lim (Paultan.org) … Still, nothing like actual field tests to offer reliable evidence as to the suitability of B10, and that’s what the MPOB has done, announcing that the fuel has aced a long-term …

by Matt Rudolf (SCS Global Services/Biodiesel Magazine) Industry by industry, third-party certification of sustainability performance is increasingly helping to move the dial toward more responsible production and supply chain practices in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Nowhere …

(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Malaysia is one of the highest chicken-consuming nations in the world per capita. However, more than 60 percent of Malaysians are Muslim, meaning that chicken—including that produced by KFC …

by Peter Sibon (Borneo Post) … In South East Asia, Indonesia is moving ahead of the rest of the pack to implement B20 – an oil mix which contains 20 per cent of biodiesel derived from …

(The Star)  Malaysia and Indonesia will send a joint mission to Europe next month to counter the European Union (EU) resolution which proposed to curb the use of oil palm-based biofuel by 2020.
Plantation Industries and …

by Robin Augustin (Free Malaysia Today)  Prominent economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram had said Malaysia’s research and development of biodiesel was ‘too modest’.  —  Malaysia has been actively carrying out research and development activities in palm …

(The Star)  Malaysia is expected to produce between 800,000 and 900,000 tonnes of biodiesel in 2017 from 500,000 tonnes last year when the government implements the biodiesel mandate, said the Malaysian Biodiesel Association.
Its president, U.R …

by  Syiffaa’ Musa  (The Star) … Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and CIMB Foundation are collaborating to educate the public through a BioDiesel From Used Cooking Oil Programme.
The project encourages the public to drop off their used …

by Koh Jun Lin (Malaysiakini)  Malaysia has not done enough research on palm oil derived biodiesel although Malaysian palm oil companies are well-poised to take advantage it, according to economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram.
Countries such as …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  …  According to the government figures, U.S. imports of German biodiesel were topped only by those of the Netherlands and Poland, reaching 85,000 tons (25.5 million gallons)—nearly seven times the …

by William Thornton (AL.com)  In a non-descript 40,000-square-foot building not far from the popular Tuscaloosa restaurant Waysider, a group of chemists and engineers are finding uses for the world’s industrial food-related waste.
Inventure is making industry …

by Daryll Law (Borneo Post)  The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) will hold the Trans Borneo Expedition aimed at promoting the use of biodiesel fuel from today to …

by Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul (Deal Street Asia)  Global Green Chemical Pcl (GGC), a subsidiary of Thailand’s leading chemical manufacturer PTT Global Chemical Pcl (PTTGC), is reviewing a plan to set up a multi-billion-baht biochemical complex in Thailand.
…
“We …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week we reported from Thailand:  “The government launched its 10-year plan to build a bioeconomy hub for the region with private and public sector investment expected to reach $11.3 billion …

by Jonathan Lee (Paultan.org)  The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) has released a statement clarifying the facts regarding the oft-delayed B10 biodiesel. The fuel, which uses a blend of 10% palm methyl ester …

(PR Web/American Process/MYBiomass)  American Process Inc. (API) and MYBiomass Sdn. Bhd. (MYBiomass) will work together to develop technology to produce nanocellulose and cellulosic sugars from oil palm empty fruit-bunches, a lignocellulosic feedstock widely available in …

by Samar Niazi (Platts)  The palm oil and PME story in 2016 was dominated by acute drought across Southeast Asia, caused by the most severe El Nino event since 1997-98.  …  The after-effects of the El …

CRISPY, sweet and a little bit salty, the pisang goreng is enjoyed as favourite tea time snack.
Roadside stall owner Johar Melan uses vegetable oil to fry the banana fritters.
Now, the used vegetable oil that is …

by Ooi Tee Ching (New Straits Times)  Indonesia is keeping to its B20 biodiesel despite palm oil prices surpassing RM3,000 per tonne, this week. The biodiesel B20 is a blend of 20 per cent palm …

by Noel Achariam (Free Malaysia Today)  Hauliers and lorry owners fear adverse effects on their vehicles if B10 fuel programme is forced on them without adequate tests to show it won’t cause any problems.  —
The Association …

(US Department of Agriculture)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2017 Borlaug Global Research Alliance Fellowships. Fellows will work with a mentor at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service or a U.S. …

by P. Chandra Sagaran (The Sun Daily)  The increase in the use of palm-oil-based petroleum diesel bio-fuel will increase the demand of the commodity in the country.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong …

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service publishes regular GAIN reports on biofuels in countries around the world. Some of the recent reports included the European Union (download), Japan (download), Philippines (download), Brazil (download), Colombia (download), Canada (download), Thailand …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The most important technological advance in biodiesel in recent years has reached commercial-scale in Eastern Nebraska, with the startup of the Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant, which is and the first …

by Yamin Vong (The Sun Daily)  A proposal to push through a controversial B10 bio-diesel next month hits more snags, much to the relief of car and oil companies that want validated testing of the palm-oil …

by Hanim Adnan (The Star) After hitting several speed bumps on the road to realisation, the country’s stalled B10 biodiesel mandate for the transport sector is poised to take-off in the final quarter of this year, say …

by James Cogan (Biofuels Digest/Pannonia Ethanol)  … Together with their smaller peers they produce about 6 million tonnes of the fuel commodity annually, with combined revenues of around 4 billion euro. The product gets blended into …

(Daily Express)   Malaysia and Indonesia plan to appoint an “Ambassador of Palm Oil” to promote the benefits of consuming palm oil products in the international market.
Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Seri Mah …

by Susan Olson (Genscape/Biofuels Digest)  Biomass-based diesel mandates for blending in transportation fuel have increased in many nations worldwide over the last year. In several of these countries, domestic biodiesel production is underutilized and many …

(Bernama)  The Malaysian Biodiesel Association (MBA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to explore palm biodiesel investment and its export potential.
In a statement today, MBA said …

(Biofuels International)  … The Southeast Asian country’s government wanted to introduce 10% palm oil biodiesel already in June, but the decision was delayed due to “inadequate data”, reports The Sun Daily newspaper.
The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), …

By Theophilus Kumah* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Energy is a great determinant in ensuring the growth of the economy of every country. Ghana, as a country, has faced some instability in the supply of energy for …

(The Sun Daily)  The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities will meet car manufacturers tomorrow to discuss the implementation of B10 biodiesel, said its minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
…
It was reported that various manufacturers …

by Reddy, M. Amaranadha and Ahmed, Abu Saleh and Islam, Md. Saiful and Hamdan, Sinin andMaleque, Md Abdul (Universiti Putra Malaysia)  Various heterogeneous catalysts are often used to produce biodiesel from non-edible crude oils. In this …

by Toh Wei Zheng (Platts)  Southeast Asia could see a significant boost to its ethanol supply by using biomass as an alternative feedstock, an industry veteran said during the annual Wiz Ethanol and Biofuels Conference …

by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists)  Most discussions about biofuels center on ethanol, but biodiesel—a diesel-substitute made from vegetable oils and animal fats—is increasingly important as well. But where does biodiesel come from, and what …

by Mohan K Ramanujam  (paultan.org)  … In response to the implementation of B10 biodiesel for the transportation sector, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) sent a letter to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), claiming …

(Borneo Post)  The implementation of the biodiesel 10 per cent blend (B10) programme for the transportation sector and the biodiesel seven per cent blend (B7) programme for the industrial sector will benefit smallholders, the Malaysian …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Blundermeisters of Media Misinformation are at it again. The world’s favorite advanced biofuel, biodiesel, gets another hit job from mainstream media. The Digest investigates.  —  AFP, the major international …

by Christopher Teh Boon Sung (International Council on Clean Transportation)  Reviews the environmental impacts of removing palm residues from plantations and estimates how much of this resource could potentially be used for advanced biofuels in Indonesia.
ICCT …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In the world of fuels, Neste Oil has backed away from palm oil in order to expand in the US market on more favorable terms, with palm’s lowly status after …

(Latin American Herald Tribune)  Colombian state-controlled oil company Ecopetrol said it was granted a patent by Malaysia to produce diesel that is cleaner and comes from renewable sources.
“The Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) granted …

(Bernama/New Straits Times)  Johor is ready to lead the production of biodiesel as an alternative source of fuel energy and become a major global energy generator in the future. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled …

by Cécile Barbière (EurActiv)  French MPs have approved an additional tax on palm oil. But sustainably-produced oil and imports for biofuels will be exempt from the tax.  —  France has increased the tax on palm oil …

(merinews)  …  Giving the intensity of debate of food versus fuel debate, Naziz (Mintz-Habib)’s fascinating study explores how and in what circumstances Biofuel crops contribute to either perpetuating or alleviating poverty and food in security …

by Carlos Araujo (Biodiesel Magazine/Evonik Corp.)  Biodiesel is a real solution to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the threat of climate change the world over. Many countries are adopting plans to reduce greenhouse gases, and biodiesel …

by Anuradha Raghu and Yoga Rusmana  (Bloomberg Business)  Crude oil’s slump has been so severe that it’s now threatening the government-aided biodiesel programs in the world’s top producers of palm oil.
Indonesia may miss its target of …

(Malaysiakini/Reuters) Malaysia is still committed to its plan to raise its biodiesel mandate to 10 percent despite low oil prices, a senior government official said today.
Malaysia’s Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Douglas Uggah Embas said they …

by Naveen Thukral (Reuters)  The world’s top palm oil producers Indonesia and Malaysia may have to curb plans to channel more of the commodity into biodiesel as tumbling crude oil prices render the edible oil …

(Autodisplay Biotech GmbH)  In November, an international consortium led by Autodisplay Biotech GmbH started Pathway EFB, a €1.6 million ($1.75 million) collaborative research and development project to significantly lower cellulase cost in the production of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we reach the end of 2015? Not the good ship Digest!  Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and peer into tomorrowland.
As the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who mandates what in biofuels? 64 countries have targets or mandates — but how much where, and when, and what?
In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates …

(Biofuels International)  A team of experts from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the University of Cambridge in the UK are embarking to research renewable energy and to develop biofuels for use in small machines like …

(Fleets & Fuels)  Installation Combines Membrane and PSA Technologies Yielding Biomethane-Based CNG for Palm Oil Mill Vehicles — Canada’s Xebec Adsorption has delivered its first “hybrid” biogas upgrading plant, a unit combining membrane separation and fast-cycle PSA/pressure …

(ScandAsia.com)   Scania Malaysia (Scania) and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia or Malaysia Innovation Agency (AIM) are to collaborate in exploring viable commercial opportunities for biofuels from municipal waste in Malaysia; in line with the National Biomass Strategy …

by Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn (News Locker)  Voluntary measures and government targets are great – but it is legislation that will push European palm oil users to true sustainability. The food sector could learn a lesson or two …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Who’s building what, where, now. 29 projects in construction or in commissioning in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and the Americas
Despite low oil prices, first-gen biofuels and advanced …

(Borneo Post/Bernama)  In the light of the current haze Malaysians are facing, a local company, Biofuel Sdn Bhd, has come out with a solution to reduce carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions.
Its director, P Muguntha, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  All have soaring ambitions, some will be realized on schedule, some later, some probably not now or possibly ever.  Where are 10 key projects that were announced in recent years …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  License agreement adds countries in Southeast Asia; Optional capacity for up to 75,000 metric tons per year; Targeting large-scale commercial production of renewable butanediol using Genomatica technology
In California, BASF and …

by Mohamad Azlan Jaafar   (Malaysia Reserve)  Several anti-palm oil groups are pressuring international manufacturers to boycott products from Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGVH), according to industry sources.
FGVH, Malaysia’s largest oil palm planter, is being …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Verdezyne is a privately held industrial biotechnology company that is developing and commercializing novel genetically engineered microorganisms for use as “factories” to manufacture renewable chemicals. Verdezyne’s unique microorganisms permit greener, …

by Jayson Beckman (US Department of Agriculture)  Global biofuel production rose tremendously over 2001-13, led largely by rapid growth in the United States and the European Union (EU). Brazil, the second largest biofuel producer, doubled its …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Glucan Biorenewables is producing furan derivatives from biomass.  The furfural platform will be used to launch other value-added co-products: 5-hydroxyl-methyl furfural (HMF) and downstream derivatives
The company’s TriVersa Process meets the …

by V. Nilesh (Deccan Chronicle)  The government’s national policy on biofuels which aims to blend 20 per cent biofuels by 2017 seems a farfetched dream, at least in the case of biodiesel in Andhra Pradesh and …

(Biofuels International)  Malaysia’s biodiesel exports surged twelvefold year on year to 46,601mt in July, bolstered by an open arbitrage to Europe.  Exports are at their highest level since the Malaysian Palm Oil Board began reporting …

(Hellenic Shipping News)  India’s newly launched biodiesel mandate would have limited impact on the region’s balances but could potentially help ease Malaysia’s crude palm oil surplus, market participants said Tuesday.
…
Reactions in the region were mixed, …

(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)  In July, the FAO price indices for oilseeds and meals rose by 3–4 percent compared to the previous month, gaining, respectively, 4 and 7 points. By contrast, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  It’s been around for a generation or so — fast pyrolysis, that is. Though in the original low-tech incarnation — known as “cooking fire” — pyrolysis has been around since …

by Sean Lin (Taipai Times)  The EPA said more than 100,000 tonnes of biodiesel per year are made from recycled cooking oil, which have an estimated total value of about NT$3 billion
The Environmental Protection Administration …

(Bernama/The Malay Mail Online)  Some 1.22 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) from the country’s stockpile will be utilised annually upon the implementation of the B10 biodiesel programme, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister …

(Malaysian Digest)  Barely two weeks after casting doubt on the viability of Malaysia’s B10 biodiesel fuel for car engines, Mercedez-Benz Malaysia today said the fuel is fine after all.
In a statement, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia said: “After …

(Paultan.org)  Following BMW Malaysia announcing it found “technical challenges” running its diesel engines on B10 biodiesel (10% palm-based biodiesel/90% petroleum diesel blend, will reportedly be implemented nationwide by October), and that its engines can take …

(Platts) …  In immediate reaction, market participants viewed the proposed obligations as bearish for corn-based ethanol (D6) RINs and bullish for biomass-based diesel (D4) RINs. Advanced biofuel (D5) RINs were expected to also track biomass-based …

(Biofuels International) Palm oil is predominantly consumed for food applications, however in the last decade palm oil consumption for biofuels has increased considerably.
According to Frost & Sullivan, global palm oil production is expected to grow at …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  From remarks by Antonio De Palmas — president, Boeing Italy, at the World Bioenergy Leadership Forum … Aviation is 2% of all 2010 CO2e emissions, expected to grow to 3.5% …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The renewable energy industry was saddened on March 3 by the news of the death of Guido Ghisolfi, Vice Chairman of the Mossi & Ghisolfi group and CEO of Beta …

Farming the smart way is the way to stay ahead of game. To keep up with future demand, planters and farmers will need to work in smarter ways to increase productivity. Given the lack of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  To make fuel, chemicals, fiber, food more productively than ever before — it starts in the field with the New Agriculture.  Here’s what’s happening as Silicon Valley converges with Silicon …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  It’s New, it’s Neo — the neodiesel companies — brimming with technologies to create cleaner alternatives to a powerhouse fuel. They have the performance, half the carbon, and a range …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Here’s our most recent update, focusing on 10 key issues (though not ranked in order of importance):
1. Oil price volatility — will it stabilize?
2. RIN price volatility — will the …

(Daily Express)  Kota Kinabalu: A biofuel expert based in China has identified Sabah as a suitable location for planting sweet sorghum that can produce biofuel.  Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang recently met …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Teck Guan Group is a progressive multinational (Malaysia, China, Indonesia) oil palm plantation, palm oil mill, and oleochemical company. We are now converting our massive amounts of agricultural residues into …

(Bernama)  A total of 366 petrol kiosks in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan will be selling B7 palm oil biodiesel from the end of this month, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As a newly-closed venture fund opens for business with a distinctly Malaysian flavor, we look at the state of venture capital and the new role of integrated sovereign investment.
From California …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Who mandates what in biofuels? 64 countries have targets or mandates — but how much where, and when, and what?  In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The East is Green. Asia is confirmed as “the new Brazil” as project developers head en masse to the friendly receptions in Asian countries — based on energy diversification and …

by Allan Koay (The Star Online)  The Algae Research Lab in Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, smells like the sea. …  Prof Dr Phang Siew Moi, director of the university’s Institute Of Ocean And Earth Sciences, …

by Teis Jensen   (Reuters Africa)   Denmark’s Novozymes , the world’s largest enzymes producer, will stick to its plans to develop transportation fuel made from agricultural waste, despite an oil price rout that has …

by Zarina Zakarian  (New Straits Times) Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) aims to be the world’s leader in biodiesel by tripling its production capacity to 350,000 tonnes a year by 2016.  The country’s largest …

by Joy Lee (The Star)  Malaysia is home to a thriving palm oil industry and we are the second largest palm oil producer in the world.
And with some 5.1mil ha of oil palm plantation land …

by Mario Parker (The Washington Post/Bloomberg)  The U.S. is adding ethanol to the list of fuels it dominates in world markets.
Exports of the additive derived from corn rose 31 percent this year to the highest …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Malaysia, Brooke Renewables and Hock Lee Group presented a Letter of Intent to the Sarawak State Government marking their intention to invest in the 2G Bioethanol and Bio chemical …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Policy uncertainty has adversely impacted the U.S. biodiesel industry, but media reports would have you believe the sector is teetering on collapse. The facts show otherwise.
There have been numerous reports …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  A recent report issued by Grand View Research indicates the global market for specialty fuel additives is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2020. Clearly there is money to be …

(Growth Energy)  Growth Energy participated in a market development mission with the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association to explore export opportunities for U.S. ethanol in Panama and Peru. Alex Marquis, Logistics Manager …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  If you’ve seen Bill Randany’s face lately, it’s probably in a photo opp recently in Malaysia with the Malaysia prime minister Najib Razak and US President Barack Obama — at …

(Phys.org)  … A research team led by Professor Mohamad Asadullah has embarked on a project related to gasification of biomass to produce clean producer gas. This gas mixture can be used as a fuel for internal …

(BlackSeaGrain/Bloomberg)  Palm oil production in Colombia will climb to a record this year as trees planted three years ago start to bear fruit, Oil World said.
Colombian output of palm oil, used for cooking and to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  How a small, development-stage industrial biotech company, making chemicals you never heard of, landed $48M in new investment and a $100M valuation from investors like BP.
And how they got so …

(Bernama)  Felda Global Ventures Biotechnologies Sdn Bhd (FGVB) has delivered its first 48 metric tonnes (MT) of palm methyl ester (PME) under the B5 programme to a client at the Kuantan Fuel Terminal.
In a statement, …

(Cool Planet/Biomass Magazine)  Cool Planet Energy Systems, a technology company producing green fuels and biochar products, has broken ground on the company’s first commercial facility in Alexandria, La., dubbed Project Genesis. Permits have been received …

(Aemetis)  Aemetis, Inc. (OTCQB: AMTX), an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company, announced today that its 50 million gallon per year capacity biodiesel and refined glycerin production facility in Kakinada, India has been upgraded to …

Recent times have seen rapid economic growth and industrialisation in Asia. With its enriched feedstock resources and high consumer demand, there has never been a better time to develop an Asian bioeconomy and promote the …

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 62 countries.
The bulk of mandates …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Asia looks at petroleum reserves and exploration and concludes: our future is in biomass.
As we wrote in 2012: “There’s only one complete region for biofuels where abundant feedstock, lack of oil …

by  Simon Khoo (The Star)  iNNOVATIVE Green products that can help to address climate change are the way forward as far as Kuantan-based businessman Datuk Seri Tan Hoe Beng is concerned.
Tan said after 10 years of …

(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials)  The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) has launched an initiative with the help of The Boeing Company to support small farmers in Southeast Asia by expanding their opportunities to grow feedstocks that produce …

by Jessica Jaganathan and Judy Hua (Reuters)  China’s biodiesel imports are surging, displacing local diesel sales as some trading companies take advantage of tax and trade incentives the government provides to boost usage of the blended …

by Rhett Butler (Mongabay.com)  Palm oil imports into Europe for use as car fuel increased by more than three-fold since 2006, raising concerns than renewable fuels targets may be contributing to deforestation, displacing marginalized communities, and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Colorado, Cool Planet Energy Systems and Acritaz Greentech announced that they have signed an agreement to explore the building of multiple commercial facilities in Malaysia.
The plan is to begin …

(The Malaysia Insider)  Malaysia and Japan-based Asian Energy Investments Pte Ltd. have launched a $100 million (RM320 million) venture capital fund to invest in clean energy projects in Southeast Asia.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak …

(4-Traders.com/Graphene NanoChem plc)   Graphene NanoChem (AIM: GRPH), the performance chemicals and advanced materials company, is pleased to announce that PlatClear, the Group’s waste-based second generation biofuel and the Group’s Senawang chemicals facility (“Senawang”) have both …

(The Economist) Energy technology: Making large amounts of fuel from organic matter has proved to be more difficult and costly than expected
…As well as being available to countries without tar sands, shale fields or gushers, biofuels …

Thomas Blakeslee  (Renewable Energy World)  …Though solar electric is the clear winner based on land use, biofuels are still in the race (particularly if commercial scale) designer algae becomes a reality. Biofuels have a gigantic …

(Borneo Post)  The Microbiology Research Group at the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Biotechnology Research Institute has developed a simple and easy way to produce biofertiliser from oil palm fibre empty fruit bunches (EFB) within 40 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A technology developed for Europe finds it is in demand again, as technologists address the growing mountains of palm waste and its special opportunities and challenges.
…So, if we turn to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Today’s hottest news comes from LanzaTech, and India’s Centre for Advanced Bio-Energy, which have partnered to create a new process for the direct conversion of waste CO2 into “drop-in” fuels …

Recent times have seen rapid economic growth and industrialization in Asia. With its enriched feedstock resources and ever-expanding consumer populations, there has never been a better time to develop an Asian bioeconomy and promote the …

(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V./Biodiesel Magazine)  With 53 percent raw material content, rapeseed oil remains the most important raw material source for the production of biodiesel in Germany, followed by palm oil …

by Ranjeetha Pakiam  (Bloomberg)  Palm oil gained for the first time in six days after West Texas Intermediate crude surged above $100 a barrel for the first time since September, boosting demand for vegetable oils as …

(The Oil Palm)  Spanish MEP and Draftsman for the influential Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), Alejo Vidal-Quadras, has dismissed the European Commission’s proposal to introduce Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) factors as part of …

( SCS Global Services/PR NewsWire)   SCS Global Services has announced the expansion of its biofuel certification services in Southeast Asia. The veteran third-party environmental certification body will now conduct audits under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) …

(Algaetech International)  AMIC, Malaysia, and Algaetech International Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, announces the signing of a Research & Technology agreement on a “Waste to Fuel” project today 4th March 2013, at Algaetech International corporate head office. With …

by Intan Farhana Zainul (The Star)  …I was given a chance to attend the Palm and Lauric Oils Conference & Exhibition Price Outlook 2013/2014 (POC 2013) recently. More than 2,000 participants from over 50 nations …

(The Star/Reuters)  A blending tax credit for alternative fuels has helped re-open the way for shipments of palm biodiesel to the United States, giving top producers Indonesia and Malaysia an outlet for palm oil stocks …

(INCBIO)  Incbio, a leading Portuguese engineering company, who specializes in state of the art fully automated industrial ultrasonic Biodiesel plants, has signed a contract with Biofuel Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Green Energy Group Limited, …

(Mongabay.com)  Degradation of peat swamps for oil palm and timber plantations is a substantially larger source of greenhouse gas emissions than previously believed, finds a new study published in the journalNature.
An international team of researchers …

by Nina Chestney (Reuters/Huffington Post)  Growing palm oil trees to make biofuels could be accelerating the effects of climate change, new research showed on Wednesday, adding further weight to claims the crop is not environmentally sustainable.
In …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it has posted presentations from the 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards:  Current Issues, Future Trends on its web site.  The purpose of the meeting was …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Ensyn – moving rapidly towards scale as a transport fuel technology after decades in smaller, high-value markets.  What does Ensyn’s signature RTP technology, that’s making such a splash, look like?
…Ensyn …

by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest)   …Oxford Catalysts claims that with natural gas at $3.89 per million BTU (MMBTU), they can produce diesel for $1.57 per gallon. But I would caution investors in this situation.
Without …