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 & gas production, rising energy
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 intensive research and development by
(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 sustainable fuels. More than 60 participants
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 fuel in the world's second-largest
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 driving greenhouse gas emissions in
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 construction on the first plant
(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 announced the launch of the
(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 received approval from the US
(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 can help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions
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 advantage in remote areas because
(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 days. Its senior researcher Dr Md
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 foreign shores for bioenergy and
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 through an acetates-to-lipids pathway. LanzaTech had
(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 with 25 percent, and coconut
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 biofuel feedstock. ...“Crude oil’s strength may
(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 therevision of the Renewable Energy
( 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) program, which will allow biofuel
(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 the signing of this agreement,
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 were there and the two-day
(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 at near-record levels. ...That overhang has
(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, a public company whose shares
(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 tested the water chemistry of
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 a paper published in the
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 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
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 to provide a forum for
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 has become a signature part
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 a doubt the technology is
(Algae Industry Magazine) Mitsubishi Corp has signed a research collaboration agreement with the Sarawak Biodiversity Council, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to explore the state’s diverse algal biodiversity as a potential source of renewable energy. Over the next two years, it
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Malaysia, LanzaTech and the Malaysian national oil company, Petronas, announced they will work together to accelerate the development and commercialization of technologies to produce sustainable chemicals from carbon dioxide (CO2) and natural gas. ...The good
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We say that biofuels are “capital-intensive,” mainly to be polite. It’s like saying that Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun had “land interests”. ...Put it this way. How much capital would you need to
(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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...While the economic growth in China has been drawing virtually all the headlines in recent years, the “Tiger” economies of Southeast and South Asia have been fast-growing for a long time, and with resources including
by Kan Yean Thoong (The Star) TWENTY secondary schools and two universities in Selangor will be participating in the “Environment Assessment Savvy Youths (Easy) Inter-School Used Cooking Oil Collection” programme, which was launched recently. Fathopes Energy Sdn Bhd (FHE) managing
(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
(EcoBusiness/The Borneo Post) Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water is planning to set up a biomass refinery at a major city in Sarawak. Without going into full details, its minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said the refinery would be used to recycle
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers in Southeast Asia have identified an approach to producing ethanol using an abundant waste feedstock that could potentially add a significant source of biofuel production from oil palm plantations. Oil palm empty fruit
(EurekAlert/Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology) Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology and palm oil giants Felda, Sime Darby, in landmark collaboration on biomass waste Twelve tons of waste oil palm tree biomass is en route from Malaysia to a plant
(Global Renewable Fuels Association/Cardno ENTRIX) ...As is the case with virtually all other emerging and developing countries, biofuels offer the prospects of a new cash crop for farmers, increased employment in rural areas, expanded manufacturing output, reduced fuel import costs, and foreign
(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
By Meng Yew Choong (The Star) Palm oil milling is far from benign, but the industry is frantically conducting research to realise low-emission technologies. The zero-discharge plant is one such bold concept. THE extraction of palm oil involves a number of
(JOil) • Tamil Nadu sites achieve first-year flowering in three months and first harvest in five months • Field trials now being conducted in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia JOil (S) Pte. Ltd., a scientific bioenergy crop developer of a new
(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) 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
(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Multi stakeholder initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) reported unprecedented growth for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in the year 2011 as accounted for in its inaugural qualitative review entitled “2011 RSPO CSPO
(Manila Bulletin) The government is subjecting to fuel standard testing the jatropha biodiesel of Malaysia-based Bionas which is offering to supply what it claims to possibly become the world’s first jatropha biodiesel. The Department of Energy (DoE) is expected to evaluate
(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) ...In India, LanzaTech is working with Indian Oil and Jindal Power and Steel Limited on a facility to convert industrial waste gases into ethanol. It also has partnered with Concord Blue on a project to
(Platts) Japanese Toyo Engineering Co is to build a 10,000 mt/year industrial-grade ethanol plant in Johor Baru, Malaysia by Q2 2013, the company said in a statement Wednesday. The plant, to be run by a joint venture comprising US firm Glycos
(The Star) Most of the used cooking oil collected from kitchens are no longer recycled for biodiesel because of the high cost involved, according to a middleman. The middleman, who only wanted to be known as Lee, said the oil he
(Business Times) Selecting an optimal algae strain to produce jet fuel in Malaysia will be a top research priority in the first year of Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre's (AMIC) operation. With RM15 million having been approved in spending for the first
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) This week, while the world’s biofuel producers were busy ramping up production towards the 54.1 billion gallon global capacity predicted by 2015, the people who regulate biofuels and make biofuel policy were mired in
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
(The Star) ...Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in a speech during the launch of BioMalaysia 2011 and the 2011 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial and Bio-Energy on Monday that the country could reap the benefits as the largest
(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
by Premalatha Jayaraman (The Sun Daily) Malayan Banking Bhd has launched a US$500 million (RM1.57 billion) private equity fund to invest in the wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro, biomass, biofuel and energy efficiency sectors in the region. Maybank Investment Bank Bhd
by Isaac Leung (PACEToday.com) Mission NewEnergy will construct a major waste material processing facility in Malaysia which will recover palm oil from waste material in the palm oil refining process. The Spent Bleaching Earth Extraction Plant will be located in Sandakan,
by Sonya Kolesnikov-Jessop (New York Times) Pahang State in central Malaysia is about to becomehome to the world’s largest commercial farm project producing microalgae for biofuel. The farm will start to take shape in the first quarter of next year, on a
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
(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 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 Paul Tan (Paul Tan's Automotive News) Chevron Malaysia Limited, the operator of retail brand Caltex, is seeking to expand Caltex’s footprint in Malaysia, and the company plans to draw in retailers via its revitalised Retailer Owned, Retailer Operated program,
by Liz Lee (The Star) Lestari, Arter Group to build 616 plants Lestari Pasifik Bhd, in an unprecedented joint venture with Russian company Arter Group, is expecting to receive project financing from the Chinese government to build bio-refinery plants in Malaysia and
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
(Algae Industry Magazine) Marilyn Tenn in the Borneo Post talks about biotechnologists and researchers from Swinburne University of Technology, in Sarawak, Malaysia pooling their expertise to meet the challenge of developing viable alternative fuels. The university has been involved in research
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) The EU will protect existing investment in its $13 billion biodiesel sector even as it acts on new evidence that suggests making the fuel from food crops can do more harm than good in fighting climate
(The Star) ...“Biofuels are the only low-carbon transport fuel that can be scaled up fast enough to tackle carbon emissions from transport in the next 20 years,” Royal Dutch Shell Plc CEO Peter Voser said at the opening of the “Future
(Borneo Post) Mitsubishi Corp Energy Business Group (Mitsubishi Energy), which is involved in the oil and gas industry in Bintulu, will collaborate with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to explore the algal biodiversity in Sarawak for biofuels as a source
(The Star) Biodiesel is now available in the market. Beginning this month until October, the supply of the new fuel will be available in stages starting at Putrajaya followed by Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor respectively. Plantation Industries and
(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
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
(The Star Malaysia) Experts predict the majority of the world’s oil fields will reach maximum petroleum extraction capacity in 2020, a state otherwise known as “peak oil”. After this point, a reduction in pressure causes the rate of production to
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...Malaysian scientist Jagjit Kaurah works at the Universiti Putra Malaysia research station in Port Dickson, and he was walking on the beach one day when it occurred to him that the ocean provides for
by Rupa Damodaran (Business Times) The European Union is not using environmental non-government organisations as a "fifth column" to help it achieve its Renewable Energy Directive (RED) which places palm oil for biofuel at a disadvantage, says Trade Commissioner Karel
by Stephen Then (The Star Sarawak) A leading biofuel company with global links wants to turn Sarawak into a producer of green jet fuel, diesel and petrol and is willing to invest RM555mil in the state for the purpose. Bio Oil
(Daily Markets/PRNewswire) Multi-Media Enterprises is reporting that Mission NewEnergy Limited has announced the establishment of Asia’s first fully integrated Sustainability & Carbon Certified palm biodiesel supply chain. The announcement was made in Australia in the following news release: Mission NewEnergy Limited
(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
(Bernama) Mitsubishi Corporation's Chief Executive in Malaysia Junichi Iseda and Rector of UTP Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Hj Kasim launch a new Centre of Biofuel and Biochemical Research at UTP. READ MORE
(Wetlands International) An increasing part of Malaysia’s palm oil is produced at the account of huge areas of tropical peatswamp forests. Especially in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, expansion of oil palm plantations may lead to the complete loss of
(Japan Today) Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation is collaborating with Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co to construct and operate a bioethanol demonstration plant in Malaysia’s Selangor State. The plant will convert oil empty palm fruit branches, available year-round and in abundant
by Tom Tanton (Hawaiian Star Advertiser) Hawaiian Electric Co. has announced plans to build a facility to convert palm oil into biodiesel. The biodiesel will contribute badly needed and affordable fuel for the utility to provide electricity to Hawaii's people. The
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg Businessweek) Malaysia’s limited room for expanding palm oil cultivation means that industry growth will have to come from improving productivity, its plantation minister said. About 4.6 million hectares (11.4 million acres) of the southeast Asian nation’s 32 million
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...On the one hand, the EU position to allow import of uncertified Malaysian palm biodiesel, but withhold EU subsidies, is not clear or comprehensive enough. On the Asian side, it involves only Malaysia, one
(The Star) The European Union Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) and its sustainability criteria will not affect Malaysia’s palm oil exports to the EU market for consumer products like food, cosmetics and detergents, according to ambassador and head of the EU
(Jakarta Globe/Agence France-Presse) Malaysia will consider cutting a diesel subsidy next year in a bid to make its biofuel industry more attractive after production of the alternative fuel virtually ground to a halt. ...Plantations and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok said the
by Bert Hill (Ottawa Citizen) Construction will start this year on a biofuel plant in Malaysia that uses the technology of Ensyn Technologies, an Ottawa company. A Malaysian government agency has announced that the plant will turn palm oil biomass into biofuel
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest Asia) There’s blast furnace heat but little light so far in the debate on the UK biofuels target for 2020. Some advisors have urged that the current target of 10 percent be halved or entirely
(The Star) MALAYSIA needs to tap the full potential of oil palm biomass such as empty fruit bunches, palm fibre, palm kernel shells and palm oil mill effluent which can be developed into high-income generating renewable resource products for export, said
(MarketWire) Mission NewEnergy Ltd., a vertically integrated biodiesel refiner, and one of the world's largest Jatropha plantation companies, is pleased to announce that it has aggregated, crushed and shipped commercial quantities of Jatropha oil from its extensive network across India to
(Daily Express) Two South Korean companies will set up a multi-million dollar project to produce biofuel using cassava, starting with a plantation in Banggi Island, off Kudat , middle of this year. Jusin Group, a South Korean company, and counterpart Gaiax
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