by Peter Holderith (The Drive) … The extremely stringent Euro 7 emissions regulations could be blocked in the European Union after it was announced Monday that eight countries signed a letter objecting to the legislation’s passage. These countries constitute a large enough bloc to stop the regulations from advancing any further
Slovakia
(Zuari Industries/Business Wire) Zuari Industries Limited (ZIL) has entered into definitive agreements with Envien International Limited of Envien Group, headquartered in Slovakia on 15 March 23 to jointly develop, construct own and operate a 150 KLPD grain-based distillery in Uttar Pradesh and supply ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies under the
by Paul Messad (EURACTIV France) Nine EU member states, including France, have called on the European Commission to include low-carbon hydrogen – produced from nuclear electricity – in the EU’s renewable hydrogen targets. France, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Czechia made the call in a letter sent
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Rossi Biofuel, a 25/75 joint venture between MOL Group and Envien Group, cut the ribbon for its new biodiesel plant in Komárom, Hungary, March 11. The facility, sized at 15 million gallons per year (mgy), is the first in Europe to come online using
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) Decarbonising Europe’s transport has always been a tough equation for EU policymakers. However, the puzzle is expected to become even more complex as the European Commission is considering taxing fossil fuels and crop-based biofuels at the same rate, EURACTIV has learnt. The EU executive recently proposed the
by Sean Goulding Carroll (EURACTIV.com) The list of EU-approved sustainable fuel sources should be expanded to meet the higher targets for second-generation biofuels under the updated renewable energy directive, according to the advanced biofuels industry. … The leaked draft also includes an increase in the renewables target for transport, from 14%
by James Cogan (Ethanol Europe/Biofuels Digest) … Oil maintains an overwhelming grip on the sector with a steady 94% share. The rest is biofuels with 5.6% and renewable electricity with 0.6%. Three quarters of the extra energy demand over the period was met by oil. 98% of renewables growth was
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The European Commission presented its 2030 Climate Target Plan in mid-September, raising the EU’s ambition to reduce GHG emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030. The plan is seen as bridging to the EU’s decisive goal to become carbon neutral by 2050.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Two world leaders in cellulosic deployment – Jeff Taylor from Chemtex and Paolo Corvo from Clariant – talked about how cellulosic fuels are on the march on last week’s DigestConnect. Check out this exclusive slide guide on 1G/2G biofuels integration opportunities, what are the models,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Chemicals, catalysis, additives – At ABLC Digital this July, Clariant shared how they are working on advancing biofuels globally and details on their sunliquid technology to decarbonize transportation. A fully integrated and carbon negative process, sunliquid is a platform for sustainable biobased products too like cosmetics,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant takes us on a journey on how carbon emissions can be reduced by advanced biofuels, more specifically, how lignocellulosic ethanol made from agriculture residues like straw, non-food materials, and waste can make an immediate impact, how their sunliquid technology, enzymes, microorganisms and fermentation organisms leads
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Hungary, although the European Union committed to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels by 2020, one spectacular last subsidy is now in the works in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Biofuel producers from the V4+ countries say in some CEE Member States, governments are
(ePURE) More countries could adopt higher ethanol fuel blends to reduce transport emissions, improve air quality and boost engine performance – without exceeding the existing cap on crop-based biofuels — Europe’s need for better-performing, low-carbon fuels to reduce emissions from existing and new cars could be met by the ethanol industry,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant, a Switzerland based specialty chemicals company, has four business areas: Care Chemicals, Natural Resources, Catalysis and Plastics & Coatings. While the first half of the year has been challenging, Clariant was able to increase sales by 4% and operating cash flow increased by 11%. Paolo
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have signed a joint declaration saying that Europe will be able to de-carbonise transport through the use of locally produced clean biofuels, which will also boost rural areas and farmers. “We believe that the targets under Renewable Energy Directive (RED II)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s Group Biotechnology — responsible for the Technology Platform Biotechnology — develops tailor-made biotechnological processes for the economic and sustainable production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. It focuses on bio-catalysis and bio-refining. Innovative technologies for the sustainable conversion of renewable feedstocks into biofuels and bio-based chemicals through energy-efficient
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, followed by fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, is flexible to be used to convert different feedstocks on a regional basis, for example corn stover in North America, bagasse in South America or wheat straw in Europe
by Claire Stam (EurActiv) A coalition of Czech and Slovak NGOs has called on the European Commission to draw a line in the Renewable Energy Directive revision (RED II) between more sustainable ethanol and the high greenhouse gas emitting tropical oils. They also said that not all types of advanced biofuels should be accepted
by Paola Tamma (EurActiv) Biofuel producers in the Visegrad countries plus Lithuania and Bulgaria have warned that a phase-out of biofuels will lead to a phase-in of ‘greenwashed’ fossil fuels under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), as it currently stands in the Council’s proposal. The group of countries argues that setting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, followed by fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, is flexible to be used to convert different feedstocks on a regional basis, for example corn stover in North America, bagasse in South America or wheat straw in Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You won’t hear it from the NGOs orbiting Brussels who have long figured out that bashing biotechnology is good for the fund-raising cash register, but Europe has become the hottest geography on the planet for deploying advanced bioeconomy projects. What was once a great place
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, Clariant’s board has approved investment in a new full-scale commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues using its sunliquid technology. The new plant, with an annual production capacity of 50.000 tons, will be built in the southwestern part of Romania.
by Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical & Engineering News) Firms turn to garbage and wheat straw to make the fuel alcohol — Residents of Edmonton, Alberta, will soon be able to fuel their cars with household garbage, albeit indirectly. Enerkem says it is successfully producing ethanol from nonrecyclable or noncompostable trash
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (Euractiv) The Visegrad group and two Balkan countries signed a joint declaration urging the European Commission to reconsider its proposal to gradually phase out first generation biofuels after 2020 and think about the consequences. … On the other hand, the biofuels industry, especially bioethanol, has long called for
(Biofuels International) Clariant, a developer of specialty chemicals, and Enviral, Slovakia’s largest bioethanol producer, have announced a license agreement on sunliquid cellulosic ethanol technology. The move will see one of Europe’s first advanced biofuel plants built at the Enviral site in Leopoldov. Enviral will use Clariant’s sunliquid technology to help
(Phys.org) A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change shows that, when looking at the production site alone, growing biofuel crops can have a significant impact on climate depending on location and crop type. The study is the first geographically explicit life cycle assessment to consider the full
by Greg Breining (Bioenergy Connection) When Bioenergy Connection first covered the progress to commercial cellulosic ethanol in 2011, a dozen biofuel companies were claiming they would go big by 2015. After years of industry-wide anticipation and delays, commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol is finally here. What can we learn from the pioneers? …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Macedonian government joins as signatory for MOU. 100 million liter cellulosic refinery could start construction in 2016. … (N)ews arrives from Skopje, Macedonia that the Republic of Macedonia today joined a MOU to facilitate the development of the cellulosic ethanol market in the Pelagonia region between
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellulosic ethanol arrives at scale — “The five years away forever” put to rest — but are there troubling waters still ahead? For whom, and why? Part I of II There’s a gigantic disconnect between two sections in the country as to whether the United
by MTI (Politics.HU) The agricultural chambers of the Visegrad Four countries called on European decision-makers to support sustainable, crop-based biofuels, at a meeting of their leaders in Szekszard in southern Hungary on Monday. The V4 group of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia has its own capacity to produce
(BioMCN) Environmental commodity broker Vertis Environmental Finance have signed an agency agreement with BioMCN for the representation and sales of bio-methanol in Central Europe. BioMCN is the largest 2nd generation biofuels producer in the world, producing high quality bio-methanol from renewable resources on an industrial scale. As a fuel, bio-methanol