(Economic Times, Reuters) A United Nations panel has approved the inclusion of biofuels in a global scheme to reduce cargon emissions, a move that should boost investments in such projects, a Brazilian government official said on Friday. "The United Nations has
by Tom Young (Business Green) The world's biggest refinery for making biofuels from wheat was unveiled at Wilton on Teeside yesterday, as the company behind the giant facility confirmed production will begin before Christmas. The £250m Ensus plant will turn
Amyris Brasil, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced that it has entered into letter of intent agreements with three sugar and ethanol producers in Brazil, Bunge Limited, Cosan and Açúcar Guarani, with the purpose of partnering
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that its Ecofining process technology was used to convert second-generation, renewable feedstocks to green diesel fuel that will power vehicles at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Conference (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark. UOP's
The climate change summit got off to a good start with a fuel change. For the first time ever, the fleet of VIP limousines switched to a climate-friendly fuel -- The New Ethanol, made from straw by the Danish company
Enerkem Inc. today announced that Enerkem Corporation, its wholly-owned U.S. affiliate, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive US$50 million in funding for the construction and operation of its waste-to-biofuels facility to be located in
by Halima Abdallah (East African) The National Forestry Research Institute has embarked on a project to test the viability of biodiesel from jatropha, a drought resistant crop. According to a senior researcher at the institute, Dr Peter Kiwuso, they planted jatropha
by Fredrik Erixon (European Center for International Political Economy) This paper examines the trade-policy consequences of current approaches in the European Union towards biofuels. The EU uses a broad range of measures to subsidise the production of biofuels in Europe
by Neil Billinger (CheckBiotech, Saskatoonhomepage.ca) Verbio is based in the former East Germany and has a plant located at Zorbig. Their motto is ''from the farmer to the consumer and back to the field." A sister company called Marka buys
by Susanne Retka Schill (Biodiesel Magazine) The driver for biofuels usage is not limited to the United States and Europe, but is also growing in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions, according to Tammy Klein, executive director of global biofuels
by Joanna Schroeder (AgWired) ... (In Brazil) This year the industry harvested 471.5 million tons, an increase of 7.5 percent from last year, even accounting for excessive rains that left a significant amount of sugarcane in the fields. So how
(Jakarta Globe) The government is planning to develop regional centers for processing palm oil into biodiesel and other products to boost profit margins and create jobs, a minister said on Wednesday. The government is seeking investment to produce oleochemicals — used
The Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initiative (SECCI) and the Structured and Corporate Finance Department (SCF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have created the IDB Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard based on the sustainability criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels
by Robert P. Walzer (New York Times) A Brazilian start-up is testing the possibility of implementing a large-scale biofuels project using jatropha, a family of hardy, succulent plants. The company, BioVentures Brasil, is getting $1 million from the InterAmerican Development Bank for
by Rod Nickel (Reuters) Canadian ethanol emits 62 percent less greenhouse gas than conventional fuel, taking into consideration all stages of the fuel's production from planting a crop to burning the fuel, a new report prepared for Canada's biofuel industry
by Deepak Rajagopal, Steven Sexton, Gal Hochman, David Roland-Holst, David Zilberman (California Agriculture) Biofuels have been criticized for raising food prices and reducing food production. While biofuels have rightly been blamed for contributing to reduced food security at a time
by Sam Hopkins (Green Chip Stocks) ... Hermann Scheer is something like a Founding Father of international clean energy policy progress. He was instrumental in the crafting of Germany's feed-in-tariff (FIT), which kickstarted a national clean energy employment boom that
by Susan Taylor (Reuters) Animal fat, restaurant grease and vegetable oil will help power four Canadian Pacific Railway locomotives this winter to test if biodiesel fuel can stand up to a harsh Canadian winter. The Canadian government, which plans to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels Digest provides a quick overview of Big Oil's current investments in advanced biofuels. READ MORE
With financial support of DOE and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, the bilateral BIRD Foundation Energy Executive Committee has competitively selected four cooperative clean energy projects in the United States and Israel. This initiative will award up to $3.3
by Grace Azubuike (Leadership Nigeria) The cassakero project has targeted the installation of 10,000 small scale bio-ethanol refineries in the 36 states of Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over the next four years from December 2009 to December
(MercoPress) United States corporation Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) has founded a subsidiary, BAL Chile, through which the company has already begun cultivating 100 hectares of seaweed on the island of Chiloé, with the aim of producing bio-fuel. The project, in
...I’m here to talk about the role of advanced biofuels and why at BP we believe we need to get them into the market sooner. We believe this is necessary if biofuels are to fulfil their potential. Biofuels have a
(Biofuels Digest) Allegations concerning falsified and suppressed documents relating to climate change and peak oil have been leveled on several fronts this week, creating fears that the debate over fossil fuels and its replacements may be impossibly tainted by the
(Biofuels International) ...Thailand’s energy minister says the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a biofuels hub with the potential to become the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) of biofuels. Wannarat Channukul says Indonesia and Malaysia are the top two
The Bioeconomy to 2030: Designing a Policy Agenda begins with an evidence-based technology approach, focusing on biotechnology applications in primary production, health, and industry. It describes the current status of biotechnologies and, using quantitative analyses of data on development pipelines
On November 12, 2009, some three years after a first exploratory multi-stakeholder meeting was held at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels has released Version One of its international standard for better biofuel production and processing.
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. announced today that it is working with CHOREN, an international leader in Biomass to Liquids technology, to optimize energy crops for thermochemical conversion to advanced low-carbon biofuels. The two-year bioenergy project is funded in part
Held during the gala dinner on day two of World Biofuels Markets 2010, the awards are designed to recognise the companies who have had the biggest positive impact on their environment and on the wider society. Categories for 2010: - Sustainable Bioethanol Award
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today operated its first ever passenger flight powered by sustainable biokerosene. To give an extra impulse to sustainable air transport, KLM today also joined hands with North Sea Petroleum and Spring Associates to establish the SkyEnergy
(AllAfrica) Mozambican Brazilian, and Southern African business people are meeting for two days in Maputo to look into investment opportunities for producing biofuels, particularly ethanol, from sugar cane in Mozambique. The meeting is organized by the Mozambican government's Investment Promotion Centre
(AllAfrica Editorial) ... Rwanda entered a groundbreaking agreement with two international firms Eco-fuels Global LLC, from the United States and Eco Positive Ltd from the UK. The two firms will invest $250 million to grow Jatropha Curcas on 10,000 hectares of
Green Biologics continues to expand its business in China, based on the success of its strategy of working with the new generation of biobutanol producers established in China. As part of this strategy Green Biologics is introducing its improved technology
by Mary Grady (AVWeb) Embraer and General Electric will flight-test a renewable jet fuel by early 2012, the companies said. They plan to use a renewable biofuel made from sugar cane, developed by Amyris Biotechnologies, which is based in California
(AllAfrica.com) Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) has signed a N56 billion contract with the Cassava Agro Industries Services Ltd (CAISL) for the supply of 8 million tons of cassava tubers to the national Cassakero cooking fuel programme. The Chief Executive Officer
by Emma Ritch (CleanTech Group) Denmark’s Inbicon today opened its first demonstration facility producing cellulosic ethanol, but potential customers will have to wait. Inbicon has already sold its first year of production to Statoil, which plans to blend the ethanol into
(AFP) Alternative fuels could power 15 percent of global air traffic by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030, European aircraft-maker Airbus said at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday. "If we get the right sources, it is possible that 15 percent
... The scale of denial is breathtaking. For as Heinberg’s analysis makes depressingly clear, there will be NO combination of alternative energy solutions that might enable the long term continuation of economic growth, or of industrial societies in their present
by Yvonne Chan (BusinessGreen.com) Australian biofuel specialist MBD Energy is poised to unveil a new facility that it claims will be the world's largest refinery for producing algae-based biofuels and high-protein livestock feed. The Melbourne-based company plans to showcase its
(Reuters) Indian sugar firms are seeking a higher price for ethanol to ensure steady supplies to oil firms which blend the liquid with petrol, a senior industry official said. Diminishing cane output and rising sugar prices had raised concerns that
by Kevin Clark (Sunderland Echo) The move to electric vehicles being spearheaded on Wearside could lead to a rise in greenhouses gases, claims a new report. The Environmental Transport Association (ETA), which campaigns for sustainable transport, says a move to
(FarmOnline, Australia) Higher productivity per acre among those US farmers providing feedstock for ethanol will meet the increased demand for petrol-ethanol blends this year. Those familiar with the US agriculture sector's long history of productivity and efficiency have maintained that
(Renewable Energy Magazine) In this, Renewable Energy Magazine’s latest in-depth interview, Mark Emalfarb describes the interesting path that led him to develop Dyadic’s patented C1 technology platform and his thoughts on the future of the production of sugars from biomass
(The Hindu) New data show that the balance between airborne and absorbed Carbon dioxide has stayed approximately constant since 1850, despite emissions of CO2 having risen from about 2 billion tons a year in 1850 to 35 billion tons a
(TradingMarkets.com) The Government of Canada announced Tuesday that it would invest up to C$77.75 million over seven years to help support ethanol production in Saskatchewan, said National Resources Canada in a press release November 10. The money is being delivered
(Marketwire) The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its 2009 World Energy Outlook, which confirms the growing need for low carbon biofuels to increase global energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) relative to petroleum. The extensive annual report was unequivocal
(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
As bioenergy policies are increasingly being adopted by governments, it is important for decision makers to have the most up to date information on the science and debate surrounding modern bioenergy. UNEP is responding to this need by hosting a
Published by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Jatropha Production Technology gives straight-forward answers to frequently asked questions about cultivating and using jatropha curcas for commercial applications. READ MORE
Despite the improved efficiency of vehicles, ships and aircraft, and the use of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, there has been a 175 percent increase in gallons of fuel used per day, per United States soldier during wartime since the
From July of next year, fuel suppliers in Ireland will have to include an average of 4% biofuels (fuels derived from sustainable sources) in their annual fuel sales. The Obligation will be on the companies in question and at no cost
by David Adam (Guardian) The carbon dioxide emissions caused by the destruction of tropical forests have been significantly overestimated, according to a new study. The work could undermine attempts to pay poor countries to protect forests as a cost-effective way to
by Chris Kraul (LA Times) Who could resent the attention being showered on electric cars? Stylish and clean, they're the darling of the renewable-energy crowd, which is hailing the scheduled rollout of several e-powered models next year as a major blow
(Reuters) Oil major Royal Dutch Shell has sold its shareholding in German second-generation biofuels company Choren. ... Choren is building Germany's first biofuels plant using new generations of non-food raw materials as feedstock and is likely to start initial commercial
... A joint $3.3 million project led by Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and involving the University of Adelaide in South Australia, now leads world algae biofuel research after more than 12 months of consistent results at both universities. "It
Neste Oil and St1 have begun working together on a fuel project as part of the TransEco development program coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The project will focus on developing cost-efficient solutions tailored to Finnish conditions that
Receive coaching, feedback and support in writing your business plan Win a trip to the Netherlands to meet investors and business partners, and the opportunity of being considered for more than USD $100.000 of finance Get expert advice while starting your business Access
by Sukhpreet Manchanda (TopNews) Dutch KLM will be the first airline to fly a passenger flight using bio-diesel. The Boeing 747 flight, carrying a limited number of passengers, will take off on November 23 using a mixture of bio-fuel and
Robert L. Scragg, the inventor of the Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine ("DCGT") engine and founder of Alpha Engines Corporation, has received confirmation that the National Stage Application for an advanced version of the DCGT engine was accepted by the Chinese
by Eva Cohen (Winnepeg Free Press) The Manitoba government has looked into harvesting algae to help reduce phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg, but concluded it is just not feasible right now. Commercial algae harvesting, being done in other parts of
by Jan Battles (The Sunday Times) It will be centuries before Belarus is completely free from the radio-activity that fell after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 23 years ago. But an Irish company has come up with an innovative way of
The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) today responded to a report on biofuels produced by the United Nation’s International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management. The report, “Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels”, asserts that more research and
PetroAlgae Inc. announced that its operating subsidiary has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into an agreement to license the Company’s proprietary micro-crop technology to Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for its future large-scale production of renewable fuels.Under
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that it signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) under which the two companies will collaborate on a range of biofuels technologies and projects in China. Under the terms of
Biogreen Diesel, a renewable energy company that is pioneering the conversion of waste oil to a less expensive, pollution-free biodiesel, ... uses the first patented Jet Reactor, invented by Org Nieuwoudt, to convert waste oil from restaurants and retailers, to
Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley: Biofuels and the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday, October 29, 2009 ... The first issue I’m speaking about relates to the EPA’s proposal to penalize biofuels for greenhouse gas emissions from supposed changes in international
(Alpha Galileo) Aston University in Birmingham, UK is involved in a € 3.73m (£3.4 million) research project, which will transform organic residues from biofuel production processes into a renewable biofuel that can reduce reliance on fossil diesel imports. A particular benefit
by John Lorinc (New York Times) Enerkem, a green energy company based in Quebec, has developed an alternative approach to mining the carbon out of non-recyclable plastics, construction waste and other materials found in the municipal waste stream. The company says it
Bio Base Europe, the Biopark Terneuzen and Ghent Bio-Energy Valley joint initiative launched in April 2009, has said its new bio-focused Training Centre is on course to open in early 2011. The Bio Base Europe initiative will be the first
(Novozymes) ... “The article in Science overlooks one important fact: Biofuels recycle atmospheric carbon while fossil fuels release carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years. In the transport sector, biofuels are the only viable alternative to fossil
(Philstar.com) Visiting US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday that the US government is seeking partnership with the Philippines in terms of research on biofuel. Speaking at a press conference, Vilsack said both countries recognize the need to cooperate more
The 'peak oil' debate is polarised, contentious and characterised by competing interpretations of the available data. A growing number of commentators are forecasting a near-term peak in global oil production with potentially serious economic impacts. Others, however, argue that production
by Juliet Eliperin (Washington Post) More than a decade ago in the northeast corner of Bolivia, a group of polluters and environmentalists joined forces in the first large-scale experiment to curb climate change with a strategy that promised to suit
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) ... Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol producing group, said it expects to crush 58 million tonnes of cane in 2010/11 (April-March), up from 54 million tonnes in 2009/10. "We expect to grow at the same rate as
by Peter Murphy (Reuters) Some Brazilian motorists who fuel their cars solely on cane-based ethanol are switching back to gasoline as high sugar prices now make the biofuel more costly in some states. Brazil is a pioneer in biofuel with its
by Jerry M. Melillo, et al. (Science Express) A global biofuels program will lead to intense pressures on land supply and can increase greenhouse gas emissions from land-use changes. Using linked economic and terrestrial biogeochemistry models, we examine direct and
(Science Daily) Converting the rubbish that fills the world’s landfills into biofuel may be the answer to both the growing energy crisis and to tackling carbon emissions, claim scientists in Singapore and Switzerland. New research published in Global Change Biology:
by Guy Chazan (Wall Street Journal) The biofuels industry, hit hard by the global credit crunch, is getting a shot in the arm from a new source–the oil majors. Among the oil companies, BP PLC and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have
The Global Sustainable Biomass Fund supports developing countries in making their biomass production for energy uses sustainable. It thus enables them to access the local or international market of sustainable biomass for energy uses. The overall goal of the subsidy
by Professor Shiro Saka (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) ... According to our research in recent years, approximately 370 million tons of biomass resources are annually produced in Japan. Among these, approximately 77 million tons are disposed of without effective
(The Korea Herald) Kumho Petrochemical Co., the South Jeolla provincial government and a local biotechnology firm agreed Thursday to establish an algae bioethanol plant by 2013, officials said, according to Yonhap News. The agreement calls for Kumho to invest a
(United Nations Environment Programme) The number of scientific publications devoted to biofuels is growing exponentially, and the number of reviews is increasing rapidly. For decision makers it has become a hard job to find robust reference material and solid guidance.
Boeing [NYSE: BA], the Airports and Auxiliary Services agency (ASA), an arm of Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transport, and Honeywell’s UOP today announced a collaboration to identify, research and further the development of a commercially viable market for Mexico-sourced
Biofuel Africa Ltd. has begun commercial production of jatropha oil, the first company in West Africa to move from growing and selling jatropha fruits and seeds to production and sale of jatropha oil on a commercial scale for direct use,
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) Use of sugar cane-based ethanol as a substitute for gasoline is among the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Brazilian study. Cane ethanol provides about eight times the energy used
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Looking at some real-world numbers, it becomes clear that the fear raised in Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error, Science, October 23, 2009, misses the point. Growing energy crops, including perennial grasses or
(Advanced Biofuels USA) A study published in Science magazine promotes a policy which would penalize American biofuels industries in US legislation and regulation and in international global climate change agreements. Advanced Biofuels USA would like to point out two items
by Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) The world's policymakers and scientists have made a critical error in how they count biofuels' contribution to human-generated greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a paper published Thursday in the journal Science. ... (Steven P.) Hamburg, (chief scientist
Tom Buis (Growth Energy) “Ethanol is part of the natural carbon cycle. It has taken the lifetime of our planet to produce the oil that is in the ground. Biofuels come from the top of the earth, with emissions that
(Renewable Fuels Association) Biofuels produced from biomass feedstocks (i.e. plant matter) are, by definition, carbon neutral because carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions from the combustion of biofuels are readily absorbed by growing plants. As such, the tailpipe emissions resulting from the use
(Nitrogen News)... “The error is serious, but we can fix it,” said lead author Tim Searchinger, a research scholar at Princeton University and a fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. “The solution is to count all the
by Keith Johnson (Wall Street Journal) The law of unintended consequences strikes yet again. Global plans to tackle climate change, from the Kyoto Protocol to the recently-passed Waxman-Markey bill, have a fatal flaw: They essentially encourage large-scale deforestation, which pretty much
by Sindya N. Bhanoo (New York Times) ... The problem boils down to this: In emission calculations, all fuel derived from plants and other organic sources — including ethanol — is generally treated as if it has no effect on carbon dioxide in
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) At first blush, it's easy to make the case for biofuels. By converting crops into ethanol or biodiesel, farmers can reduce demand for imported oil, lower national dependence on authoritarian governments in the Middle
by Tim Searchinger, et al. (Science Magazine) The accounting now used for assessing compliance with carbon limits in the Kyoto Protocol and in climate legislation contains a far-reaching but fixable flaw that will severely undermine greenhouse gas reduction goals (1).
by Marshall Wise, et al. (Science Magazine) Limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to low levels requires strategies to manage anthropogenic carbon emissions from terrestrial systems as well as fossil fuel and industrial sources. We explore the implications of fully
REN21 released its report Recommendations for Improving the Effectiveness of Renewable Energy Policies in China. This report provides a list of recommendations to the policy makers in China on improving the effectiveness of renewable energy policies domestically. This report was commissioned
by Jeremy Burne (Just-Auto) Not many dispute the relationship between success on the track and success at the dealership, most acknowledge the global power of motorsports as a marketing tool for certain automotive brands. Many also concede that racing can serve
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest) Despite the Indian Government’s official go-slow policy on Jatropha, several Indian states are now planting the crop in a big way. These are not the old style monoculture plantations that led to the central government’s
(CCTV) After producing aircraft components for Boeing for more than two decades, China is expected to become the US airplane manufacturer's research and development (R&D) partner for environmentally friendly technologies that will make the aviation industry greener. A key part of the
As Europe’s leading automotive fuel refiner and marketer, Total is committed to stepping up the development of second-generation biofuels, which are needed to improve the environmental profile of crop-based fuels and avoid the use of food crops as feedstock. Already a
by Adrian Schofield (Aviation Week) ICAO members have reached agreement on a set of environmental targets for the aviation sector, although it is setting higher fuel efficiency standards than industry was proposing. After a high-level meeting in Montreal that finished
(GreenAirOnline.com) Glenn Tilton, Chairman of both United Airlines and the Air Transport Association of America, called on government, investors and producers to seize the opportunity to provide the airline industry with alternative fuels. Speaking at the annual meeting of the
(Alpha Galileo) The role of the forests is assumed to increase in the future, as an important buffer of climate change and increasing CO2 concentrations. So-called Earth System Models, computer systems making predictions for the globe, estimate that this effect
by Gus Trompiz and Valerie Parent (Reuters) The current generation of biofuels meets a European target for cutting carbon dioxide emissions but its performance varies widely depending on the crop and production process used, an official French study has shown. Biofuels
by Nikolaj Nielsen (All Africa.com; Pambazuka News) … Biofuels were then and continue to be in many respects hyped as an environmentally friendly alternative to oil-based transport fuels. The United States, the EU and other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation
(Discover) ...(A)recent series of articles from Nature News feels like a public service, as the articles investigate the scientific and economic state of affairs for four different kinds of biofuels. The first article focused on the weedy plant jatropha, which was
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) provides a summary of the developing algae ethos at the Algae Biomass Summit in San Diego: The biotech elevator pitch usually adheres to a 'rule of 5′. The offer is invariably a product platform that "is
(SpeedTV) The tenth and final race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series season provided a fitting test to determine the event winners and the first MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge season champions. The Lowe's Fernandez Acura and drivers Adrian Fernandez
Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) I am not a car guy. Not a car gal. That said, I LOVE the TDI Audi's that race the LeMans endurance races. I love them like I have never loved a car before. Up close,
(Reuters) European Union countries are split over plans to introduce an EU-wide carbon tax on fuel, which could be proposed early next year. The idea, which EU officials say has gained fresh momentum after losing impetus earlier this year, is
by Robin Pagnamenta (Times Online) Britain’s self-sufficiency in wheat will end next year, because a giant new biofuel refinery needs so much of the staple crop that home-grown supplies will be exhausted feeding both the factory and the nation. The
(UPI) The Egyptian government is interested in cultivating plants with biofuel potential. The Egyptian state Wikalat Al-Anbaa' Al-Sharq Al-'awsat news agency reported Saturday that the jatropha plant is of particular interest to the country's Ministry of Agriculture. A ministry spokesperson
(BBC) One of Scotland's best known whisky distilleries is taking part in a scheme to cut carbon dioxide emissions using oil-producing algae. The Glenturret Distillery in Perthshire will use the ground-breaking system to turn fumes generated by whisky production into
The German Marshall Fund on September 25, 2009, sponsored a debate at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on biofuels and indirect land use change. The debaters were Tim Searchinger, transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund and co-author
Boeing announced it is joining with Honeywell's UOP to commission a study on the sustainability of a leading family of saltwater-based plant candidates for renewable jet fuel. The study is being commissioned as part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users
By Mike Mande (The East African) Tanzania has suspended investments worth millions of dollars after a storm of protest over the eviction of farmers to make way for biofuels. The EastAfrican has learnt that the country will not start any new
(Time) Each of Burma's states and divisions was ordered to dedicate around 500,000 acres (202,000 hectares) to physic-nut (jatropha) cultivation, pressuring many ordinary citizens into a massive forced-planting campaign, according to human-rights groups. ... Puzzlingly, however, the junta's planting directive has
by Nick Wadhams/Kibwezi (Time) Everyone in Kibwezi, a village in southeastern Kenya parched by four years of drought, remembers the promises. It all started in 2000, when the government started preaching the word about a plant called jatropha curcas. That
A new research paper, Bitumen and Biocarbon, was released today by Global Forest Watch Canada. The paper reveals that significant amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted through the disturbance and/or removal of biocarbon (trees, shrubs, peats), which overlay Alberta's oil
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... The Caribbean Basin Ethanol Producers Group, which consists of Trinidad Bulk Traders Ltd., Gasohol de El Salvador, LAICA of Costa Rica, Petrojam Ltd., Jamaica Ethanol Co., and Jamaica Broilers Group, said in a
by Cole Gustafson (INFORUM) ... (Indirect land use change) LUC is thought to occur in response to rising U.S. grain prices. As additional U.S. grains are used to produce biofuels, prices for those grains rise due to a limited supply. These
World Growth report exposes how attempts by environmental NGOs to restrict production, trade of palm oil (a sustainable oil) would harm successful strategies to end poverty, restrict opportunities for developing countries to reduce emissions. Today (September 29, 2009) at the
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Bangkok to Fargo, biofuels scientists have hit back at what they term faulty research and misguided priorities – with a series of presentations on palm oil, indirect land use change, and food vs fuel. READ
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Magazine) Researchers with China-based Ji Zhong Wei New Energy Technical Development Ltd. have discovered a way to convert biomass directly to regular gasoline and diesel, according to the company. The same international standard fuels many of
(Reuters) Canadian biofuel production should rise 76 percent in two years, as government subsidies for production plants and renewable-fuel requirements take effect. Total biofuel production will reach 2.5 billion litres (660 million gallons) annually by 2011, including 2 billion litres
by Yuthana Praiwan (Bangkok Post) Local field tests will start soon on biodiesel B10, a blend of 10% methyl ester with 90% diesel fuel, according to an Energy Ministry official. PTT Plc and the ministry's Department of Energy Business are
(Alibaba.com) Vietnam's cassava chip exports are soaring because of demand from China to make ethanol and earnings for the whole of 2009 could be $800 million, nearly double those in the first eight months, state-run Vietnam Television said. China, which
by Joseph M. Dougherty (Deseret News) ... The test plot of ground where the seeds were harvested Wednesday is designed to mimic the side of Utah highways, which could be used to grow safflowers instead of the grasses that the Utah
by Seth Borenstein (AP) President Barack Obama is calling on the world to end massive government subsidies that encourage the use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming. The president, who is set to host the G-20 economic summit opening
(Environmental Law Institute) The largest U.S subsidies to fossil fuels are attributed to tax breaks that aid foreign oil production, according to research released by the Environmental Law Institute in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The
by Natalia Real (FIS) Korean scientists have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bohol governor to test the waters of Bohol for growing red algae for ethanol production. READ MORE
by Zaynab Turuku (The East African) In the wake of efforts to clean up the environment and mitigate against climate change through a reduction in the burning of fossil fuels, Dar es Salaam-based Mafuta Sasa Ltd is now producing biodiesel
(Biofuels International) ... Since 2007, the Rwandan Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (ISTR) has experimented with a number of feedstocks including palm, jatropha, moringa, castor and soy oils, in a 2,000 litre per day pilot facility at Kigali, Rwanda’s
(Chattahbox) The new study released by the Environmental Law Institute entitled, “Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008,” provides the Obama administration with an additional weapon for the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies in the United States. According
With this report (Industrial Biotechnology: More than Green Fuel in a Dirty Economy?), the World Wildlife Fund sets out to explore the magnitude and nature of this (industrial biotechnology) sector in (its) search for pathways toward a green economy and
In an unprecedented initiative, Brazil proposed a new bill of law that will restrict the lands permissible for sugarcane farming and processing. If passed, the bill sent today to the National Congress by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will
by Amy R. Remo (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. has dropped its alternative fuels operations, citing the problems it encountered with its pilot jatropha project. “We found out early in the game that there was a problem on
The Inter-American Development Bank has released a new version of its Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard, which will enable users to better anticipate the impacts of potential biofuel projects on sensitive issues such as indigenous rights, carbon emissions from land use change,
Enerkem, a leading waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today participated in the sod-turning event held by its partners, the City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta, to signify the start of construction on their joint advanced energy research
Europe has established a floor of 35%, i.e., any biofuel entering Europe must reduce emissions by at least that amount when compared to a diesel benchmark. According to the European analysis, using palm oil to make biodiesel results in GHG
(Today's Trucking) In just a few weeks Manitoba will become the first province in Canada to mandate biodiesel. ... All diesel fuel sold in the province as of Nov. 1 must contain a B2 average (2 percent biodiesel), Energy Minister
(Reuters) Iraq's prime minister has approved a project by a United Arab Emirates-based company to make biofuel from dates that would otherwise be wasted because they have started to perish, Iraqi officials said. Iraq has the world's third largest oil reserves
... We believe scientific data aren't available on a global basis to be able to accurately determine the extent to which biofuel production causes land use changes in remote locations or the greenhouse gas emissions that might exist. The possible
by Katrina Landis, CEO BP Alternative Energy ... Biofuels provide a useful case study to illustrate some of the most important factors involved in developing renewable sources of energy. While demand for oil is projected to remain strong in most
(AFP)French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced plans to impose a new carbon tax next year on oil, gas and coal as part of a drive to combat global warming. The plan would make France the biggest economy in Europe to impose
(CBC News) Manitoba is about to become the first province in Canada to mandate the use of biodiesel. Starting Nov. 1, all diesel fuel sold in the province must contain an average of two per cent biodiesel, Energy Minister Jim
Sustainable Oils, a producer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based fuels, announced today it has been awarded a contract by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel. The fuel will be delivered to
by tbnewswatch staff Remote communities in Ontario's far North are increasingly turning to biodiesel as its source of energy. Last year, Hydro One started using biodiesel in the fly-in community of Deer Lake for power generation. Now, almost all
In Germany, researchers from Christian-Albrecht University in Kiel have commenced a project, titled “Bioenergy 2021: winter sugar beet as energy crop” , to improve breeding of winter sugar beet as a biofuel feedstock. The Institute of Plant Production and Plant
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