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( 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 producers in Southeast Asia to meet the requirements for export into the
certification
(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine) The German Research Center for Biomass (DBFZ) was commissioned by the German oilseed promotional council (UFOP) to explain the proposals by the European Commission regarding the amendment of the Renewable Energies Directive and the Fuel Quality Directive in a technical paper, with commentary on the most important key
March 20, 2013
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by David Glass (DGlassAssociates.com) … The use of genetically modified microorganisms (GMOs) in manufacturing will likely face a fairly straightforward regulatory process in most countries, because such “contained” uses will generally pose far fewer hypothetical concerns about environmental or public health impacts. In contrast, the use of genetically modified plants
March 19, 2013
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by Anne Steckel (Biodiesel Magazine/National Biodiesel Board) The National Biodiesel Board recently welcomed the proposed rule from the U.S. EPA establishing the 2013 advanced biofuels requirements under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) at 2.75 billion RINs. The U.S. biodiesel industry is poised and ready to help meet these requirements, and
March 14, 2013
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Teresa Alleman, a senior chemist at National Renewable Energy Laboratory, shared the latest biodiesel fuel quality survey results at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Las Vegas Feb. 4-7. NREL obtained B100 samples from 53 producers and 14 terminals from August 2011 through February 2012.
March 14, 2013
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by Debbie Hammel (National Resources Defense Council) The aviation industry has made reducing carbon emissions and moving away from fossil fuels key strategic priorities. A number of airlines are now entering the biofuel marketplace, working to source, develop, and invest in biofuel supplies. This is a significant step in the right
March 13, 2013
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by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) EcoEngineers tapped by EPA to help audit RFS compliance. In a small office in the East Village of Des Moines, a handful of engineers and statisticians are hard at work keeping score on how much biofuel is being produced and which oil companies and
March 12, 2013
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(Sustainable Plant) Renewable chemicals company Amyris, Inc. has joined the Bonsucro sugarcane sustainability standard. Amyris is the first advanced biofuels and chemicals company of its kind to join Bonsucro, paving the way for certification of Amyris’s renewable products. Bonsucro is a global multi-stakeholder, non-profit initiative focused on improving the social,
March 12, 2013
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(RSB Services Foundation) The RSB Services Foundation, which is responsible for the distribution and implementation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) global sustainability standard for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that SkyNRG is the first biofuel operator worldwide to earn the RSB certification for their supply chain of
March 8, 2013
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(PR Web) RSB now recognizes FSC which certifies responsibly managed forests. The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) is pleased to announce its decision to recognize the standard of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) which certifies responsibly managed forests. As RSB and FSC standards are aligned on most sustainability aspects, FSC
March 6, 2013
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(Stoel Rives/Biodiesel Magazine) Stoel Rives LLP, a national energy and biofuels law firm, has published a white paper that provides a comprehensive overview of proposed regulatory changes to the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program, specifically the renewable identification number (RIN) market. The U.S. EPA initiated these proposed changes following its revelation
March 6, 2013
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(SFN Today) At the North Carolina Board of Agriculture’s meeting on Tuesday, whether or not to classify Arundo donax as a noxious weed in the state was at the top of the agenda. Vernon Cox, Division Director of the Plant Industry Division details the decision: “The ultimate decision is that
March 6, 2013
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Aviation Biofuels: Are you Getting on Board? Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuels: An Update on Efforts
by Nate Brown (Federal Aviation Administration) Nate Brown, Alternative Fuels Project Manager of the Federal Aviation Administration, presented an update on FAA’s efforts at the Biomass 2012 conference. FAA’s approach is advancing the use of alternative jet fuels. FAA collaborates via the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative. CAAFI is an
March 6, 2013
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(RSB Services) The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) which has developed a global sustainability standard and certification system for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (SL) Limited has earned the RSB sustainability certification, the first for any
February 28, 2013
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(AZO Cleantech) Piedmont Biofuels of Pittsboro, North Carolina has been certified under the internationally recognized Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) Program following a third-party assessment conducted by SCS Global Services (SCS). Piedmont Biofuels collects used cooking oil from restaurants in the Research Triangle Park area and uses it to produce
February 28, 2013
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(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) The way certification schemes for biofuels are structured makes it difficult for smallholder producers and many developing countries to participate in export markets, according to a new report from FAO. The report, Biofuels and the Sustainability Challenge, finds that current certification schemes, which are voluntary and
February 27, 2013
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(Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to identify additional fuel pathways that the Agency has determined meet the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements for biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and cellulosic biofuel under the National Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. This final
February 25, 2013
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(RSB Services Foundation) The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) which has developed a global sustainability standard and certification system for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that Dynamic Fuels, LLC (Dynamic Fuels) has earned the RSB sustainability certification. The RSB certification encompasses
February 25, 2013
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by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) … It is a program that encourages companies to voluntarily register the amount of biobased content in their products — and, for those that pass a minimum content threshold, the BioPreferred program and its team promotes the products for adoption by US government agencies —
February 21, 2013
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) After U.S. EPA’s much-anticipated renewable identification number (RIN) quality assurance program (QAP) proposed rule was released last week, biodiesel producers and industry stakeholders at the 2013 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Las Vegas eagerly awaited deciphering from the agency’s Byron Bunker, director of the
February 13, 2013
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Teresa Alleman, a senior chemist with the fuels performance group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., shared the latest biodiesel fuel quality survey results with attendees at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. NREL obtained B100 samples from 53
February 10, 2013
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by David R. Baker (San Francisco Chronicle) The oil industry is mounting a concerted push to roll back biofuel mandates, both in Washington and Sacramento. At the federal level, oil lobbyists have joined with environmentalists and ranchers — a Coalition of the Unlikely — to block new rules increasing the amount of ethanol that
February 8, 2013
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by Paul Winter (Biotechnology Industry Organization) Less than a decade ago, the nation’s energy experts projected imports of oil to continue to grow throughout the first third of the century. Both Congress and the President recognized that this was a threat to our economic competitiveness and growth. So, the United
February 2, 2013
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Jan. 31 the U.S. EPA published a proposed rule that creates a structured process for buyers of renewable identification numbers (RINs) to verify their validity. Under the proposal, the EPA said that RINs would be verified through a new voluntary quality assurance
February 2, 2013
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by Jeff Hove (RINAlliance/Biodiesel Magazine) …Managing RIN transactions and completing EPA reports has become slightly easier under RFS2 and EMTS rules. RIN marketing, however, has become increasingly difficult in a market that has been rocked with fraud and belligerent acts of noncompliance. Petroleum marketers that were once incentivized to blend
January 25, 2013
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(EnAlgae) Sustainable biofuels are at the heart of present and future EU renewable transport policies. Among them, extra incentivised biofuels – e.g. “double-counting” biofuels (whose contribution to EU targets shall be considered to be twice that made by other biofuels) – are representing a progressively larger share of Member States’
January 23, 2013
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by Jeff Hove (RINAlliance/EcoEngineers) RINAlliance was established in 2007 to assist petroleum marketers and renewable fuel blenders with EPA blending compliance requirements. Today, RINAlliance serves 130 blenders with EPA reporting and RIN marketing. They currently manage more than 2 million RINs per day while aggregating and marketing RINs that have been
January 18, 2013
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by Janet McGurty (Biofuels Digest) …Larger producers of biodiesel like Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland get a higher price for their RINs than the producers with smaller balance sheets. For producers outside of the largest, integrated tier, RINs can fetch anywhere from 5 to 30 percent less than full market
January 11, 2013
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by Robert Rapier (Consumer Energy Report) …DuPont is currently engaged in two major projects to commercialize advanced biofuels. The first is a 30 million gallon per year corn stover-fed facility in Nevada, Iowa. DuPont has been working on this technology for about 10 years. They focused on corn stover because it is
January 11, 2013
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by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA) Richard L. Altman, Executive director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), gave a presentation to DOE Biomass 2012. CAAFI is a coalition of airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, energy producers, researchers, international participants and U.S. government agencies. (More information www.caafi.org). Altman explained
January 2, 2013
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) …While the biodiesel industry is working with EPA, obligated parties under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) and third-party verifiers to ensure valid generation of renewable identification numbers (RINs)—credits generated with biofuel that can be bought, sold and traded to help track RFS compliance—Ramon M. Benavides,
December 19, 2012
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(AgiTrade) In a letter to the European Commission in early October 2012, Copa-Cogeca, the EU farmers’ and agricultural cooperatives’ organisation, affirmed its opposition to EC proposals to limit to 5% ‘the use of crop-based biofuels’ in meeting transportation energy needs and to introduce indirect land use change (ILUC) criteria within EU
December 17, 2012
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by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg) Most rapeseed, sugar beet and wheat crops in the U.K. meet environmental standards for use in biofuels, the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said. Ninety-seven percent of the country’s rapeseed, all of its sugar beets and 84 percent of its wheat may be able to
December 14, 2012
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by RP Siegel (TriplePundit) While the bio-based economy should be more sustainable than the alternative – any good idea can be implemented poorly. I asked Jesper Hedal Kløverpris, Sustainability Manager for Novozymes, how we can ensure that biofuels are being produced in a sustainable manner. Jesper Hedal Kløverpris: There have been a
December 5, 2012
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(FarmFutures) Qualifies some ethanol plants to produce domestic advanced biofuel The Environmental Protection Agency Monday announced it has approved grain sorghum as an eligible feedstock under the Renewable Fuels Standard. “This is a significant step forward for the sorghum industry,” said Bill Kubecka, Sorghum Checkoff chairman and a producer from Palacios,
December 5, 2012
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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 a decision taken last week to endorse the Roundtable
November 29, 2012
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(RSB Services Foundation/Global Clean Energy Holdings) The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) which has developed a global sustainability standard and certification system for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that Global Clean Energy Holdings (GCEH) is the first biofuels feedstock producer to
November 26, 2012
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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 discussion of documentary and measurement standards and technologies for biofuels,
November 26, 2012
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by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) You know you have benefited from a conference when you come away from three days of presentations, panel discussions and a solid dose of audience participation with new understandings and clarifications; and with a hearty amount of new questions. The 4th International Conference on
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released its draft quality assurance plan requirements as part of its work to restructure the renewable fuel standard program to ensure renewable identification number (RIN) credits generated are valid before entering the marketplace. These developments are a direct result of isolated cases of fraud
November 12, 2012
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(NewEnergyWorldNetwork.com) By the end of 2015, all palm oil used in the UK government’s food and catering services will be from environmentally-friendly sources, the country’s Environment Minister has announced. …The Renewable Energy Association (REA) commented on the palm oil statement and added that less than 0.5 per cent of biofuels
November 1, 2012
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by Charles A. Levesque and Eric W. Kingsley (Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC/Biomass Magazine) Increased talk about the use of woody biomass for energy in the U.S. has many people wondering how best to assure that the fuel and feedstock used by wood energy firms is harvested sustainably. The forest products
October 30, 2012
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by Pete Moss (Biodiesel Magazine) BQ-9000 is the gold standard for quality control in the biodiesel industry. The accreditation program was developed by the National Biodiesel Board to ensure better quality in a rapidly growing market. A study completed in 2005-‘06 by the NBB and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found
October 26, 2012
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by Jim Baker (EcoEngineeers/Biodiesel Magazine) Last October, EcoEngineers unveiled its RIN Quality Assurance Program to address RIN fraud that was destabilizing biodiesel RIN markets. At that time, the idea of a RIN QAP was unheard of, and many in the industry did not believe it was possible to monitor biofuel
October 26, 2012
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by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) So much biodiesel has been made and sold this year that the federal mandate for use of the biofuel has largely been met, resulting in a sudden loss of demand for the product and the shutdown of at least one Iowa biodiesel refinery. …The
October 25, 2012
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(ASTM International) This Ethanol Fuel Blends specification covers the requirements for automotive fuel blends of ethanol and gasoline for use in ground vehicles equipped with flexible-fuel spark-ignition engines. Fuel produced to this specification contains 51 to 83 volume % ethanol. Hydrocarbon blendstocks for meeting ethanol fuel blends performance requirements are
October 16, 2012
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California • New England • Quebec • British Columbia • Oregon • Ontario The Low Carbon Fuel Standard wave is spreading across North America. Attend this premiere workshop and hear from the leading authorities who are creating and shaping these regulations, from the experts who know how to stay in
October 3, 2012
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by Pete Moss (Biodiesel Magazine) BQ-9000 is the gold standard for quality control in the biodiesel industry. The accreditation program was developed by the National Biodiesel Board to ensure better quality in a rapidly growing market. A study completed in 2005-‘06 by the NBB and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found
October 3, 2012
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By John Murawski (News and Observer/Bradenton.com/Bradenton Herald) It’s billed as a champion energy crop that yields three times as much ethanol per acre as corn, a fast-growing field grass that’s ideal for making clean auto fuel without displacing scarce crop land. The N.C. Biofuels Center has been pushing for more
September 30, 2012
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by Ashley Player (Biodiesel Magazine) You may or may not have noticed that the U.S. EPA released a direct final rule and proposed rule on Sept.17 modifying the definition of heating oil in the renewable fuel standard (RFS2). … If a producer already meets the No. 1 or No. 2
September 26, 2012
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by Reese Ewing (Reuters) Brazilian ethanol is rushing back into the United States after a three-year ebb, drawn less by the severe drought that has inflated corn costs than by biofuel regulations that could more than triple next year’s shipments. Even as corn prices shot to record highs above $8
September 21, 2012
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by Sean Nealon (UCR Today) Research supports several California measures that aim to increase the use of renewable fuels and reduce greenhouse gases Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s College of Engineering – Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) are working with the state of California to develop diesel
August 30, 2012
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The European Commission has today published its decision to proceed to the registration of ethanol imports coming from the USA by issuing a new regulation (n°771/2012)1. The decision comes in response to a request within an anti-subsidy case filed by the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE) in November last year.
August 27, 2012
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(The Bioenergy Site) NFU Scotland and Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) have welcomed the announcement that the European Commission has accepted SQC into the sustainability certification scheme for biofuels. That recognition is a huge boost ahead of the Scottish oilseed rape harvest starting in the next few weeks. The SQC quality
August 26, 2012
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Minnesota Soybean Processors is the first biodiesel plant to pass Genscape’s RIN Integrity Network audit. … The passing of its audit gives MnSP the first green icon on Genscape’s dashboard map of biodiesel producers, making it easy for subscribed obligated parties to spot the facility as
August 26, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New Mexico, ARA announced today that Chevron Lummus Globalhas joined the ReadiJet Alternative Fuel Initiative to develop drop-in biofuels for jet and diesel engines, eliminating the need for blending with petroleum. The joint development effort combines ARA’s CH PROCESS technology with Chevron Lummus Global’s ISOCONVERSION
August 14, 2012
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(Equities.com) Smallholders at Cargill’s palm oil plantation, PT Hindoli in South Sumatra, Indonesia, recently became the one of the first smallholders to receive official certification for sustainable palm oil supply for biofuels, according to the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) standards within the European Union (EU). ISCC is a
August 10, 2012
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(PRNewswire) Eco Ventures Group, Inc., an emerging producer of diversified, sustainable alternative energy, today announced that both Lake County and the City of Groveland, Florida have awarded the Company biofuel fabrication, manufacturing and sales permits. Along with the County’s permits, the City of Groveland passage of ordinance 2012-05-06 permits the Company’s fabrication of biofuel equipment, manufacturing
August 9, 2012
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(INEOS Bio) Florida project is first large-scale facility to receive registrations for the production of advanced cellulosic biofuels from non-food vegetative waste materials INEOS Bio announced that its joint venture project in Florida has been granted Parts 79 and 80 registrations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the production
August 9, 2012
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by Ashley Player (Biodiesel Magazine/Frazier, Barnes & Associates) …One potential gray area is the treatment of off-spec biodiesel—many facilities simply sell the material without RINs to be reprocessed by other biodiesel plants. A question that might be asked is: does an approved pathway exist for the production of biodiesel from
August 8, 2012
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(Solazyme) Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, announced today that it has been granted registration for SoladieselRD fuel by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This registration enables SoladieselRD to be sold commercially either in blended and unblended (R100) forms. “To our knowledge, SoladieselRD is the first 100% microbially
August 8, 2012
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Organizers: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – USA National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO) – Brazil European Commission – DG ENER – EU This international conference is being organized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and
July 27, 2012
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(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) …A new voluntary No. 1-B grade for biodiesel (B100) passed the ASTM D2 Committee on Petroleum Products and Lubricants this past spring and the results were sanctioned by the ASTM Committee on Standards in a meeting held late last week. …ASTM D6751, the ASTM standard for
July 25, 2012
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by Frazier Barnes & Associates (Biodiesel Magazine) RIN fraud and RIN verification have emerged as key factors in a biodiesel plant’s viability as evidenced by the recent lawsuits for invalid RINs. As a result of a few bad apples, all advanced fuel plants are now held to a higher standard
July 25, 2012
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(MarketWatch) A Proprietary Renewable Identification Number (RIN) Assurance Program EM Biofuels, LLC announced today the rollout of RINPlus(TM), a proprietary, web-enabled platform that tracks the origin of each Renewable Identification Number (RIN). RINPlus(TM)( www.RINPLUS.com ) will give Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) obligated parties the ability to verify the genealogy of
July 23, 2012
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by Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Palm oil producer Musim Mas Group expects that there will be more demand for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), as the company is ready to provide the market with sustainable palm oil and its derivative products. “Currently the world’s demand for certified palm
July 18, 2012
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by Timothy B. Wheeler (The Baltimore Sun) Biodiesel producers told a congressional panel Wednesday that they’re struggling to stay afloat in the aftermath of fraud cases uncovered in Baltimore and Texas, and a spokesman for petroleum refiners faulted the Environmental Protection Agency for slow response to a crisis he said has
July 13, 2012
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By Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Blue Sugars Corp., formerly KL Energy Corp., can lay claim to a first in the world of cellulosic ethanol technology developers. “It was surprising to us when EPA confirmed [we got] the first RIN [renewable identification number] credit for cellulosic ethanol in the U.S.,” CEO
July 5, 2012
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) An agreement has been struck between Genscape Inc. and Lee Enterprises Consulting to merge Lee Enterprises’ renewable identification number (RIN) verification program, RIN 9000, into Genscape’s trademarked RIN Integrity Network. Supported by the National Biodiesel Board and its appointed RIN taskforce, Genscape launched its program
June 14, 2012
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by Nate Brown (Federal Aviation Administration) Power Point presentation with graphics illustrating the steps for new aviation fuel approval, graphic descriptions of anticipated aviation fuels (and progress of various pathways along the process). Includes alcohol to jet, direct sugar to hydrocarbons, Hydrotreated Depolymerized Cellulosic Jet (Pyrolysis) (HDCJ), Catalytic Hydrothermolysis (CH) and other
May 30, 2012
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(Argus Media) Small biodiesel makers hope an outside firm brought in to authenticate fuel production will thaw a renewable identification number (RIN) market chilled by two years of fraud. Genscape’s RIN Integrity program – set to launch by the end of May – offers a subscription service to biodiesel producers
May 21, 2012
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(UK’s National Center for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials) This report investigates the importance of allocation procedures in reporting and understanding energy and greenhouse gas balances from life cycle assessment of biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Life cycle assessment (LCA), or life cycle analysis as it is also known, is a
May 3, 2012
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(FarmingUK.com) Latest government figures reveal that the vast majority of biofuels supplied in the UK are made from imported feedstock, with almost nine out of every 10 litres of foreign origin. The NFU have said that UK biofuel growers have been subject to poor policy making by the Department of
May 3, 2012
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA issued a Notice of Violation to Houston-based Green Diesel LLC April 30 for generating more than 60 million invalid biomass-based diesel (D-Code 4) renewable identification numbers (RINs) under the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS2) program. The opening of the investigation into Green
May 2, 2012
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(Wall Street Journal/Governors Biofuels Coalition) Top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe’s most controversial climate policies, as they consider whether biofuels do more harm than good when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The 27 European commissioners will for the first time discuss
April 30, 2012
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by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced the amount of administrative settlements levied against 30 obligated parties and renewable fuel exporters due to the purchase of invalid biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) used by EPA to track obligated party compliance with the renewable fuel standard (RFS2). The
April 26, 2012
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(EcoEngineers) EcoEngineers expands into the business of providing RIN pricing data and forms EcoEngineers Indexing Services LLC to better serve biofuel markets. EcoEngineers Indexing Services LLC is an independent, highly-focused indexing company concentrating solely on providing the biofuels sector with reliable RIN pricing data. “EcoEngineers continues to show its commitment
April 20, 2012
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(NFU Online) The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted across the EU in time for this year’s harvest, the NFU said today. The move is designed to help give crops and sugar beet producers a head start in the
April 20, 2012
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by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH) …The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. In the area of biofuels and liquid biomass for electricity and heat production, the EU set sustainability requirements for renewable
April 16, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In Washington, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first applications for registration of ethanol for use in making gasoline that contains up to 15 percent ethanol – known as E15. …Registration is a prerequisite to introducing E15 into the marketplace. Before it can be
April 11, 2012
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(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 Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who is leading the
March 29, 2012
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by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction of its Sustainable Grower Program in connection with the sustainability certification it has earned from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system. According to information released by ADM, the Lloydminster,
March 27, 2012
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(Platts) A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in “a matter of weeks,” a European Commission source said Monday. UK bioethanol producer Ensus received the support of EU member states’ experts on the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels and Other
March 27, 2012
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The first phase of the National Biodiesel Board’s measures to help restore integrity to the renewable identification number (RIN) credit market was established yesterday after NBB held a town hall meeting with its members to discuss the plan. The “audit option,” as it is referred
March 14, 2012
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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 the EU and EPA findings on the emissions reduction value
March 13, 2012
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by Rick Barrett (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Efforts to increase the amount of ethanol in gasoline have cleared another hurdle, meaning a 15% biofuel blend could be available this spring if gasoline stations choose to sell it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved industry-submitted studies showing that a blend
March 12, 2012
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by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters) The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions of fuels in the transportation sector if policymakers act on the basis of scientific warnings about the impact of biofuels on climate. Several studies have questioned the benefits of biodiesel
March 8, 2012
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(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 Growth Interpretation Narrative” (2011 GIN). The 2011 GIN, the first
March 5, 2012
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Earlier this month, at the National Biodiesel Conference in Orlando, Fla., National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe said he and NBB chairman Gary Haer were establishing a task force, comprised of representatives from the U.S. EPA, the biodiesel industry and oil companies, to restore confidence
February 29, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards unveiled by the agencies, which reportedly had the support of major automakers and environmental groups, would steadily increase fuel efficiency requirements for light-duty truck and passenger cars from an average of
February 27, 2012
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Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Diversification has been a topic of interest for some time now, but this is the year producers need to move toward incorporating alternative revenue streams into their operations. High on the list of contenders is biobutanol. It offers producers the opportunity to squeeze another product
February 27, 2012
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(EurActiv) The European Commission has asked airlines to report on “the amount of biomass” they use so that biofuels can be accounted as “zero emission” in the greenhouse gas emissions reports they are requested to produce each year under the EU’s carbon scheme for the aviation sector. The plan, detailed
February 15, 2012
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(NCS International) NCS International (“NCSI”) has certified the world’s first organisation against the Principles and Criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (“RSB”). RSB is a new international standard that can be applied across the entire biofuel supply chain, from farmer, processor to fuel blender and aims to ensure biofuels
February 13, 2012
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(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) today announced the first completed commercial certification of the Manildra Group of Australia. The certification was conducted by NCS International, an RSB-accredited certification agency. The Manildra Group, through its subsidiary Shoalhaven Starches Pty Ltd, is producing bioethanol from starchy wastewater
February 11, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology met Feb. 7 to markup H.R. 3199, a bill introduced last fall by committee Vice Chairman Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., that would require the National Academy of Sciences to conduct further testing on the effects of E15 on
February 8, 2012
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In Florida, the National Biodiesel Conference — biodiesel’s grandest show — opened with exuberance over 2011 results, and resolve to meet the industry’s two major issues in 2012, defense of the Renewable Fuel Standard, and a crack-down on phony biodiesel credits sold to obligated parties
February 7, 2012
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by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg) The House Energy and Commerce Committee said it will investigate the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency in combating fraud in the renewable-fuels program. The EPA discovered that fuel credits, which can be traded, are being fraudulently sold, the committee said in a statement. The EPA’s
February 6, 2012
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by Wayne Lee (Biodiesel Magazine/Lee Enterprises Consulting) Lee Enterprises Consulting announced a first-of-its-kind RIN verification program on Jan. 31, known as RIN 9000, to assist biodiesel blenders, producers and obligated parties in verifying the validity of RINs being sold or purchased. The program was designed by the consulting group’s principal,
February 1, 2012
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(CAAFI) The goal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative® (CAAFI®) is to facilitate the development and deployment of alternative jet fuels that offer equivalent levels of safety and performance and compare favorably on cost with petroleum based jet fuel, and that offer environmental improvement and security of energy supply
January 26, 2012
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by National Biodiesel Board (Biodiesel Magazine) The National Biodiesel Board’s Biodiesel for Diesel Technicians training program has taken a huge leap forward in becoming the nation’s first Automotive Service Excellence accredited program for supplying biodiesel education to diesel mechanics. The program is designed to educate diesel automotive instructors, service technicians,
January 23, 2012
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …In July 2011, the European Union belatedly approved the first seven voluntary sustainability schemes for biofuels as required by the Renewable Energy Directive. The directive, commonly referred to as RED, requires all 27 EU member states to increase the amount of renewable energy they
January 16, 2012
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by Scott Larson (The Star Phoenix) A new market for canola growers is opening up in Europe, says a representative for Control Union, a Netherland-based company that certifies supply chains for products entering Europe. While Canadian canola has been shut out of Europe’s food chain because of genetically modified
December 28, 2011
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Presentations delivered by the various panel members are available on the CAAFI Expo website. READ MORE Business Team RIN Compliance and D-Code Pathway Definitions (PDF) – Luce Business Team Panel Discussion Elements of Alternative Fuels – Business Case Analysis (PDF)– John Rau Biofuels Financing Strategies (PDF) – Cindy Thyfault Certification
December 22, 2011
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by Neil Winton (Detroit News) Investment bank Morgan Stanley came up with a nasty surprise for Nissan-Renault and other cheer-leaders for battery powered cars when it cut its electric vehicle sales forecast by nearly 50 per cent for 2025. Europe’s economic crisis means crucial government subsidy to kick-start the market
December 19, 2011
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …The industry believed it had the scientific backing to support the use of higher ethanol blends in all vehicles and said allowing higher blends into the market would create jobs, lessen dependence on foreign oil and improve the environment through reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
December 14, 2011
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by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) In various circles, the current thinking on indirect land use change (ILUC) is very much driven by negative perceptions. In the EU, the concern is that biofuel policy is counterproductive to what policymakers want to achieve in the first place: avoiding increases in greenhouse
December 8, 2011
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(The Bioenergy Site) Starting February 1, 2012, a Sustainability Decision from the Swedish Energy Agency is required for biofuels in order to be eligible for tax incentives or to count for mandatory national renewable energy targets in Sweden. Sweden was one of the first member states to implement the Renewable
December 8, 2011
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by Christine Boynton (Air Transport World) California-based Byogy Renewables will seek as much as $30 million in funding from private equity and strategic investors by mid-2012, Bloomberg reported. The funds will be used to commercialize its alcohol-based fuel, and for testing by ASTM International. READ MORE and MORE (Bloomberg)
December 8, 2011
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by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) held their general meeting conference and expo November 30-December 1 in Washington, DC. Optimism and celebration from seeing real commercial airlines flying with real biofuels since the July publication of the revised ASTM D7566 international standard was
December 2, 2011
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by Philip Brasher (Argus Leader) … A top official with the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates motor fuels, told lawmakers recently butanol is one of the nation’s “most promising biofuels.” However, the product faces potential government barriers that provide an advantage to ethanol, according to companies that plan to make the
November 15, 2011
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by Igor Dormuth and Elena Schmidt (Biomass Power and Thermal/TÜV SÜD Industrie Service) New EU sustainability criteria for biofuels and other bioliquids must be complied with and verified by an independent third party at every stage of the production process. Under the sustainability strategy of the EU and the
November 11, 2011
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(Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency may end up deeming more biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) as invalid following federal investigations into two companies that allegedly sold RINS without producing the appropriate volumes of biodiesel, a lawyer familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The companies — Maryland-based Clean Green Fuels
November 10, 2011
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(UK.IBTimes) A biodiesel plant that’s completely energy self-sufficient has been approved for the Oakland, California area. Oakland-based Viridis Fuels won a long-term contract from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to build a 20 million gallon per year biodiesel processing facility near the new Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza.
November 9, 2011
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by John C.K. Daly (http://oilprice.com) Greening the European Union has suffered a setback. The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first since data has been gathered, down from 2010 figures of 9.57 million tons. The
November 4, 2011
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It was déjà vu all over again on Nov. 2 as representatives of the ethanol industry were forced to watch a House of Representatives Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing on motor fuel standards from the sidelines. …The petroleum industry was well-represented, however, as were
November 4, 2011
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by Jeremy P. Greenhouse (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Greenhouse & Gram) New blend won’t qualify for One Pound Waiver, presenting huge hurdle When the U.S. EPA granted Clean Air Act fuel waivers allowing gasoline containing 10 to 15 percent by volume of ethanol (E15) for use in model year 2001 and newer
November 2, 2011
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by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …By Nov. 30, the U.S. EPA will issue its renewable fuel standard (RFS) volumes for the upcoming year and, once again, it will dramatically ratchet down the cellulosic biofuels category. …No matter what end of the proposed volume spectrum the final needle points to,
November 2, 2011
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by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) It’s been nearly two decades since ASTM International initiated spec development efforts for biodiesel. Since then, the organization has developed specifications for not only B100, but also blends of up to B20. Alterations to specifications for petroleum diesel and oilheat products were also made, allowing
October 31, 2011
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(Proactive Investors Australia) Biofuels company Mission NewEnergy has become the first commercial scale provider of Jatropha in the world to receive International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) for its Jatropha contract farming model. …To qualify for ISCC certification, companies must meet strict criteria for sustainable production, as well as reduced emissions
October 26, 2011
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by Alex Morales and Louise Downing (Bloomberg News/San Francisco Chronicle) Biofuels face their biggest test yet — whether they can power fighter jets and tanks in battle at prices the world’s best-funded military can afford. The U.S. Air Force is set to certify all of its 40-plus aircraft models
October 25, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Copenhagen this week, a coalition of companies and associations involved in aviation biofuels made a strong case for the sector not only as a quick win for biofuels, but as a quick win for clean energy as a whole. Pitching Martin Lidegaard, the incoming
October 13, 2011
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Do bioenergy systems (biofuel, biopower, bioheat) contribute to or mitigate climate change? The prevailing assumption in federal policies, up until this point, has been that bioenergy systems are, more or less, as climate-friendly and renewable as other renewable energy sources, and, thus, bioenergy is a suitable substitute
October 7, 2011
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by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) After roughly seven months of thorough consideration and review, the U.S. EPA has approved a petition put forth by the government of Canada to allow renewable biomass grown in Canada to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard. In a document explaining the determination on the
October 5, 2011
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by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) …Today, in an industry that’s working to produce high-performance, fungible, drop-in molecules, some on the cusp of commercialization, many involved in the biorefining sector contend that the current regulatory regime needs to be altered to allow advanced biofuels, such as biobutanol, to compete with
October 3, 2011
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(Algae Industry Magazine) OriginOil, Inc. has announced it will begin to work with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory to develop standards for converting biomass, including algae, into biofuels and other products. …One of the Program’s main goals will be to develop feedstock standards and specifications for different formats of
September 22, 2011
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by Dave Allport (Key.Aero/military) A US Navy EA-6B Prowler has made the type’s first flight on a biofuel blend at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. An EA-6B Prowler successfully completed its inaugural biofuel flight at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, on September 16, continuing the Navy’s surge toward energy independence. The aircraft,
September 20, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …But a handful of companies such as Cobalt, Gevo, Terrabon, LanzaTech and ZeaChem, are shaking up the emerging aviation biofuels markets by developing renewable aviation fuels from ethanol and/or biobutanol. …“An alcohol molecule, looking at it one way, is really just a hydrocarbon carrying this
September 14, 2011
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …First, working with Growth Energy, the RFA has submitted health effects testing and worked to fulfill the fuel registration process that must be conducted for any new fuel. That process is now nearly complete. Second, through our Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition, the
August 23, 2011
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(GreenAir Online) The regional initiative launched in June by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to provide finance for renewable jet fuel projects in Latin America and the Caribbean has made its first grant. The IDB, along with aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Embraer, is to fund a sustainability analysis of
August 22, 2011
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by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Background: With the understanding that if auto makers selling in the US intend to meet new 54.5 mpg CAFÉ standards, it is likely that they will build lighter weight, high performance engines that require high octane fuels. If domestic fuel producers, especially the renewable
August 19, 2011
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(UNICA) The European Commission’s approval of certification schemes for biofuels, announced on July 19th, is an important step to add transparency to the issue and help Member States meet reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions. The measure will also benefit the planning process at mills, trading companies and other agents
August 10, 2011
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by John C.K. Daly (Oilprice.com) After years of existing largely as an environmentalist’s fantasy, commercial production of biofuels for the world civil aviation industry is slowly becoming a fact, with production starting up across three continents. The leading contenders for biofuel feedstocks are jatropha and camelina, both of which have
August 9, 2011
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Back in October, I wrote on the RFA blog, “The E-Xchange,” about the steps that would be necessary to make E15 the standard fuel available in the United States, in much the same way E10 is today. …First, working with Growth Energy,
July 25, 2011
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by Phil Ciciora (University of Illinois) Regulatory hurdles abound for the successful commercialization of emerging liquid biofuels, which hold the promise of enhancing U.S. energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and serving as a driver for rural economic development, according to new U. of I. research. In the study, University
July 22, 2011
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(European Commission) Brussels, 19 July 2011 – Biofuels can represent an environmentally-friendly replacement of fossil fuels. However, we need to make sure that tropical forests and carbon rich peatlands are not turned into oil palm or sugarcane plantations. We also have to guarantee that compared to fossil fuels biofuels used
July 20, 2011
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by Jessica Shankleman Green groups slam Commission’s “back room” processes for approving sustainable biofuel certification schemes Green groups will today learn if the European Commission is ready to lift the lid on the methods it used to decide whether biofuels can be certified as “sustainable”. The Commission has recently approved biofuel schemes that
July 19, 2011
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by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) …Brazil’s sugarcane industry is also accused of not producing the crop, nor the fuel, in a sustainable manner. As a result, the EU Renewable Energy Directive was created to address concerns including labor and environmental issues. In response, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) has become an accredited body
July 15, 2011
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by Beth Evans (The Barrel) Two significant events this summer should help boost commercial production of bio-based jet fuel: the approval of a new fuel standard and the recent completion of a successful first trans-Atlantic flight. In July, international standards developer ASTM gave a final nod to a new jet
July 7, 2011
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(GreenAirOnline) The momentum driving the introduction of aviation biofuels received a significant boost with a number of initiatives and events taking place at last week’s Paris Air Show. While the transatlantic biofuel flights conducted by Boeing and Honeywell attracted wide attention and media column inches (see article), it was the
July 5, 2011
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(GreenAirOnline) UK holiday airline Thomson Airways is to operate the UK’s first sustainable biofuel commercial flight at the end of this month and start regular weekly flights from September on routes from Birmingham. A 50/50 blend of used cooking oil and regular jet kerosene is being supplied by Netherlands-based SkyNRG,
July 5, 2011
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by Nicholas Zifcak (The Epoch Times) Biofuels are getting a lot of attention this week at the Paris Air Show.Airlines have shown their support of the technology and its viability with Honeywell and Boeing planes using a blend of biofuel and conventional jet fuel. …On June 10, another alternative biofuel received
June 27, 2011
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by Renee Schoof (McClatchy Newspapers/Seattle Times) Maj. Aaron Jelinek of the Air Force Thunderbirds flies his F-16 upside down, rolls it, thunders past his teammates in breathtaking close charges and joins five other fighter jets in precision formation. And for the first time in the 58 years of Thunderbird air
June 27, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In France, the global aviation biofuels movement is descending on the 49th Paris Air Show, which kicks off today with 340,000 attendees, 2100 exhibitors and 3,000 journalists expected to be on hand. Exhibitors and session participants from the biofuels industry include CAAFI, the Air Transport
June 20, 2011
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by Mark Halper (SmartPlanet) Jet biofuels should get a boost this Friday, when Honeywell has scheduled a trans-Atlantic flight heading to Paris from Morristown, N.J., powered by Honeywell-branded Green Jet Fuel. The corporate jet, a Gulfstream 6450, will carry executives from Honeywell UOP, the company’s petrochemical division, using a 50/50 blend
June 15, 2011
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by Ron Hammerton (GoAuto) Canberra to talk on emissions test rules that threaten to leave E85 out in the cold GM HOLDEN will ask the Australian government to adopt the American cold-start emissions testing regime for E85 ethanol-powered vehicles instead of the more stringent European test under new Euro 5/6
June 14, 2011
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ASTM gives preliminary OK to Bio-SPK fuel spec; path to 58B gallon aviation biofuels market comes clearer, closer In Washington, Bloomberg is reporting that ASTM has given preliminary approval to the blending of biofuels produced from algal, jatropha, municipal waste and other cellulosic feedstocks in aviation
June 10, 2011
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By Mazera Ndurya and Daniel Nyassy (Daily Nation) The environmental watchdog has not licensed a controversial multi-million shilling jatropha project because the investor has not complied with some of the conditions set by the government. Although the government has not out rightly rejected the project in Magarini, the investor was
June 8, 2011
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by Marianne Lavelle (National Geographic News) …The standards-setting body ASTM International is set to vote this summer on certification of hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) fuel. Tests both in the laboratory and in the air (led by a most prodigious jet fuel consumer, the U.S. Department of Defense) have shown
May 24, 2011
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