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by Wayne Lee and Mark J Riedy (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. and Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP/Biofuels Digest) At present, the bioeconomy continues to attract debt and equity interest. VCs, Private Equity Groups and Strategic Partners are providing equity at the technology holding company level in the form of private placements
Marine/Boat Biofuel/MGO/MDO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) focuses on several bioproducts for R&D and has been assessing the value proposition of biofuels for marine engines. Zia Haq and Jim Spaeth, both from the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, gave individual presentations at ABLC Global
December 14, 2018
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(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) grouping of leading maritime organisations, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) – the world’s most robust and trusted sustainability leader in the bioeconomy – came together in Berlin last week to exchange expertise in a showcase event designed to support the SSI as it
December 14, 2018
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Researchers at IT Tralee Secure over €1.2m in Funding for Research in Bioeconomy and Marine Sectors.
(Institute of Technology Tralee) Institute of Technology Tralee has been awarded €1.26 million in new funding to partner in two new research initiatives. This brings to over €11m the total value of research grants secured by IT Tralee from competitive national and EU funding bodies in the past 12 months.
December 13, 2018
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(Maersk) Aimed at accelerating the transition to carbon neutral shipping, Maersk announces today its goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this goal, carbon neutral vessels must be commercially viable by 2030, and an acceleration in new innovations and adaption of new technology is required. Climate is one of
December 10, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From the Netherlands comes news of a world first: GoodFuels Marine and the shipping company NORDEN have completed successful trials of what they bill as “the world’s first zero emission, ‘drop in’ Heavy Fuel Oil equivalent marine biofuel”, and in almost entirely reducing all carbon and sulphur
December 4, 2018
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by Tom Burridge (BBC News) As things stand, the vast majority of ocean-going vessels that transport goods across the globe run on what is known as “heavy fuel oil”. It is thick, black and cheap. Dirk Kronemeiier describes it as the “dirtiest fuel ever invented by mankind.” He believes his biofuel company, Good
December 2, 2018
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, the Imerys Energy Challenge, centered on clean innovation and energy efficiency, is a self-sufficient, CO2-free energy production and storage system tested aboard the Class40 (12.19 meters long) race yacht in some of the world’s toughest offshore events. This week the vessel came in third place
November 22, 2018
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by Ole Petter Skonnord (Reuters) The Nordic region’s most high-profile cruise fleet operator is refitting its ships to make them less polluting, and plans to use a byproduct of rotten fish to help power their new, leaner engines. Norway’s Hurtigruten, best known for the ships that ferry tourists along the country’s fjords
November 21, 2018
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by Daryl Worthington (Bioenergy Insight) … Titled CNG and LNG for vehicles and ships – the facts, the study “compiles the latest evidence on the environmental impacts of using gas a transport fuel”. Transport and Environment (T&E) is a European umbrella for NGOs working in the transport and environment fields, aiming to promote
November 7, 2018
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Phillips 66 and REG’s announcement about a new renewable diesel plant on the U.S. West Coast planned for 2021 comes after a notable increase in refineries that are being converted and changed over to renewable diesel. Change is good, especially in this case. … While it was
November 5, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, World Energy announced a $350 million investment over the next two years to complete the conversion of its Paramount, California facility into one of the cleanest fuel refineries in the world. The project will enable World Energy Paramount to process 306 million gallons annually.
October 31, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of October 24th. … #2 Oil and gas giant YPF to start producing biofuels In Argentina, Miguel Gutiérrez, President of oil and gas company YPF, made a
October 26, 2018
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(EMEC/Ferguson/NGV Journal) Innovate UK have granted £430,332 of funding to design and integrate a hydrogen diesel dual fuel injection system onboard a commercial ferry. The hydrogen to be used in the project will be produced by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, from the abundance of clean renewable energy
October 25, 2018
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by Beth Walker (The Third Pole) Biofuels will dominate future growth in renewables and are essential for decarbonizing the most difficult sectors; China and India should lead the way, argues new EIA report — … Bioenergy from liquid biofuels and biogas will continue to lead growth in renewable energy consumption to 2023,
October 12, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, a research team at Argonne National Lab released its GREET 2018 update. GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and vehicle technologies in major transportation sectors (i.e., road, air, marine,
October 12, 2018
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … UPM received some exciting news last week from consultancy company Pöyry about their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for UPM’s possible Kotka Biorefinery in Finland. Not only has the EIA been completed and submitted to the “authorities” for their final conclusions, it offers rave reviews of the
October 8, 2018
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by Tan Hwee Hwee (Business Times) The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has set aside S$5 million to co-fund the research and development (R&D) on cleaner marine fuel alternatives ahead of new emission standards being rolled out by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Unveiling the initiative at SIBCON 2018, Senior
October 5, 2018
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(ACT News) … One country that has everyone in the hydrogen industry watching is Norway. The wealthy Nordic country continues to push forward with its ambitious plans for renewable hydrogen production and fuel cell technology for maritime vessels. There is huge potential for hydrogen produced via electrolysis with wind power,
October 5, 2018
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by Don Onken (Lightning Performance Group/Lake Expo) I am responding to a September 21 piece that ran on the Lake Expo website taken from a BoatUS survey, Survey: Boaters Have Little Love for Ethanol, 83 Percent Would Choose E0 if Available. I have been involved in boating for over 40 years, and the
October 5, 2018
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) For the second year in a row, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) sponsored team in the Crappie Masters National Championship helped a young angler win a $1000 scholarship. This is also the second year that RFA has been co-title sponsor of the tournament trail that helps fuel knowledge of
September 29, 2018
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(G&D Integrated) A new video, entitled “Biodiesel by a Mile”, that promotes the many advantages of biodiesel fuel use versus traditional fuel has been produced and funded by the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program. G&D Integrated, a provider of transportation and logistics services, partnered with the group to provide drivers,
September 27, 2018
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(Boskalis) Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) will use a biofuel blend on the project to install the export cable to the Borssele offshore wind farm resulting in a more sustainable realization of this renewable energy project. The Borssele Alpha project is being executed on behalf of TenneT and is aimed at
September 26, 2018
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by Emma Kettley, George Griffiths, Tamara Sleiman (S&P Global Platts) As the bunkering industry gears up for the International Maritime Organization’s tighter sulfur emission standards from 2020, some market participants have been promoting the blending of biofuels as one possible way of reducing emissions. … The latest revision to the International
September 24, 2018
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In the past few years, transportation sector decarbonization has been heavily oriented towards electrification. However, for aviation, shipping and the heavy-duty vehicle sector, electrification poses a challenge. Renewable fuels play an important role in The Port Authority´s long-term sustainability strategy to achieve aggressive emission reduction goals. From the pioneering partnership
September 20, 2018
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(Red Funnel Ferries) ‘Red Goes Green’ is the name given to Red Funnel’s new long-term Environmental Strategy announced today. It seeks to showcase the environmental successes of recent years and highlight a wide range of new green initiatives, including measures to change consumer behavior in line with the company’s commitment to operate
September 18, 2018
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(Bay Ship and Yacht Co./NGV Journal) Bay Ship and Yacht Co., based in Alameda, California, has won a contract to build the first hydrogen fuel cell passenger vessel in the U.S.A. for Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine (GGZEM), a Bay Area company on a mission to eliminate maritime pollution. The vessel
August 17, 2018
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by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) … On top of that, a senior Senate aide close to the pro-ethanol camp led by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said “there is debate” over whether it will take legislation to enact the changes Trump seeks. “We view it as a technical correction,” the aide
August 14, 2018
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by Helena Taveres Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Andeavor announced a project to convert the Dickinson Refinery to process 12,000 barrels per day of renewable feedstocks, including soybean oil and distillers corn oil, into renewable diesel fuel. The project is expected to be completed in late 2020 and is subject to permitting and
August 13, 2018
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by Sebastien Roblin (The National Interest/Yahoo!) …Originally the S-80 was going to be a joint development of the French Scorpene-class submarine, which uses the MESMA steam turbine to provide air-independent propulsion. However, the DCN partnership eventually dissolved as Madrid sought a larger, longer-range design. Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, though lacking recent submarine
July 24, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The marine sector consumes 370 million metric tonnes of bunker fuel per year, and stakeholders desire a viable pathway to low- & no-carbon marine fuels. The fuels need to be price competitive with current bunker fuels and other alternatives such as LNG. Fuel needs to be available
July 24, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “The global economy likely faces an economic crash of horrible proportions in 2020, not for want of a nail but want of low-sulfur diesel fuel,” writes renowned energy analyst Phil Verlager in a note this month titled “$200 Crude, the Economic Crisis of 2020, and Policies
July 24, 2018
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(Boskalis) Boskalis Nederland and biofuel supplier GoodFuels have announced a long-term partnership aimed at furthering Boskalis’ sustainable practices. Reducing CO2emissions is one of Boskalis’ long-term objectives. A 35% reduction in the CO2emitted by the fleet and equipment in the Netherlands will be an important step towards achieving this ambition. From the
July 16, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels for marine diesels — a biofuel developers dream? That’s the premise of his IEA webinar deck on the promise and progress in marine biofuels, a 330 Mton fuel market with both fuel technology in transition, and where anything that is carbon-based, liquid, stable and low in sulphur
June 27, 2018
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(Boating Industry/Boating Owners Association of The United States) With the start of the boating season, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) wants to hear from boaters about their experiences with ethanol fuels in an online survey. The short, 13-question survey is an effort to gain an understanding about how ethanol fuels
June 26, 2018
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(ADVANCEFUEL) Interview with Kristin Sternberg and Birger Kerckow, Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) How has the bioenergy sector – particularly in transport – developed over the past decade? The share of energy from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption has almost doubled in the last years, from around 8.5% in
June 22, 2018
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(National Marine Manufacturers Association) Earlier this week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt approved the registration of bio-isobutanol as a fuel additive. The National Marine Manufacturers Association has been a leading voice in the effort to secure approval for bio-isobutanol, raising it directly with Pruitt on multiple occasions since he took
June 15, 2018
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(Diesel Technology Forum) … The other thing you’re looking at with renewable diesel – since it is diesel fuel – you don’t have a lot of logistical handling problems that you have with other alternative fuels out there. — At the inaugural GreenPort Congress America, held May 15 to 18 in Baltimore, Md.,
June 5, 2018
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(International Transport Forum) … This report examines what is needed to decarbonise international shipping by 2035. Zero carbon emissions from shipping within this timeframe is one of the proposed levels of ambition in the context of the International Maritime Organization’s “Initial GHG Strategy”, due to be agreed in 2018. Using the ITF International Freight
May 11, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) SG Preston is a Philadelphia-based bioenergy company, which has unveiled its Multi-Facility Program that will include the development and construction of a series of commercial volume, advanced biofuels manufacturing plants, initially in the U.S. Midwest and Canada. Here’s an overview of the company and its technologies and plans.
(Red Funnel Ferry) Red Funnel has announced that it is trialing the use of Green D+ fossil-free fuel on its ro-pax fleet of ships which operate between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. The cross-Solent ferry company has teamed up with Green Biofuels, to trial Green D+ biofuel with varying
May 3, 2018
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by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Red and White Fleet, a San Francisco tour boat company, has switched its entire fleet of vessels from petroleum diesel to Neste MY Renewable Diesel. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a low-carbon fuel produced from 100% renewable and sustainable raw materials. The fuel cuts greenhouse-gas emissions
April 17, 2018
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by Greg Thompson (White Energy/Renewable Fuels Association) This past weekend in Emory, Texas, about 75 miles from Dallas, fishermen and women from across the country descended upon Lake Fork for a stop on the Crappie Masters National Tournament Trail. The winners, the Ozark Rods Team of David Cox and Steve Hockett, took
April 11, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Netherlands-based GoodFuels Marine is on the move. We reported last month that VARO Energy subsidiary REINPLUS FIWADO Bunker and GoodFuels Marine will work together to make European inland shipping more sustainable. As a result, the sustainable advanced biofuels from GoodFuels Marine are now also available at
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Netherlands-based GoodFuels Marine is on the move. We reported last month that VARO Energy subsidiary REINPLUS FIWADO Bunker and GoodFuels Marine will work together to make European inland shipping more sustainable. As a result, the sustainable advanced biofuels from GoodFuels Marine are now also available at
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.org) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is targeting boaters and future drivers in educational efforts for 2018 with the renewal of its co-title sponsorship of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail, and the launch of an on-line Ethanol in the Classroom program. In this edition of The Ethanol Report
January 30, 2018
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(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The 2018 season of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail kicks off later this week, with the Renewable Fuels Association signed on as a co-title sponsor for the second consecutive year. The first of 18 tournaments begins Jan. 26 in Deland, Florida, between Daytona and Orlando, at
January 25, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is not an additive, but instead, a full replacement standalone fuel, and
January 10, 2018
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by Angela Matua (QNS.com) A new bill passed in the City Council on Dec. 19, 2017 will require that a two-year study be completed to determine how feasible it would be to use renewable fuels and technology to power the city’s ferries. Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he
(Lloyd’s Register) LR and University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS) have today (December 11, 2017) released ‘Zero Emission Vessels 2030’, a new study that aims to demonstrate the viability of zero emission vessels (ZEVs) – identifying what needs to be in place to make them a competitive solution for decarbonisation. The first
December 12, 2017
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by Ron Cascone (Nexant) Reuters reported on November 16, 2017 an International Maritime Organization (IMO) declaration that ships not meeting stack sulfur emission limits through reductions in the sulfur content of their fuel or by installing scrubbers risk being declared “unseaworthy”. Ship owners and refiners are in a quandary about how to
December 12, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We Really Do Mean “Drop-in”. Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have developed an industrial scale yeast biocatalyst to produce isobutanol without
November 13, 2017
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(American Journal of Transportation) “Many global financial institutions have committed to bringing their portfolios in line with the transition to a low-carbon economy. To fully achieve this, they must address the climate risks to hundreds of billions of dollars in shipping investments that will emerge as soon as 2023.” – Maurice
November 8, 2017
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(Argus Media) … Argus interviews speakers Sari Mannonen, Vice-President, UPM Biofuels and Alberto Carmona Bosch, Chief Executive Officer, NixAl Commodities and former Exec. VP for Trading at Abengoa Bioenergy. In these Q&As, Sari discusses UPM Biofuels’ post-2020 strategy, Finland’s role in supply and the influence of the car manufacturing industry.
October 10, 2017
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Global Maritime Forum, Carbon War Room, the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, and University College London (UCL) today announced the launch of a Task Force on Decarbonizing Shipping. This industry-led initiative will develop tangible pathways for shipping’s decarbonization through five working groups, each focussed on a key area of
October 10, 2017
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(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Crappie Masters Tournament Trail recently ended its 2017 season, crowning Missouri natives Phillip Haynes and Paul Alpers its National Championship winners. The Renewable Fuels Association was a co-title sponsor of the event, in an effort to educate boaters, conservation enthusiasts and consumers about ethanol’s benefits
October 3, 2017
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(NGV Journal) Hyon AS (Hyon), a one-stop-shop company dedicated to offering renewable hydrogen solutions and eliminating fossil fuels, is a joint venture, established on 20 April 2017, owned by Nel ASA, Hexagon Composites ASA and PowerCell Sweden AB. Hyon offers integrated solutions for the complete hydrogen value chain from production,
September 13, 2017
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by Peter Wilcox (Passage Maker) Having the opportunity to imagine and oversee the building of my own ideal Inside Passage vessel has been exquisitely educational—initiating a chain of engaging design, building, voyaging, and teaching adventures. … Taking a break from sailing up north, we decided to buy an interim boat
September 11, 2017
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(BoatUS/PowerBoatWorld.com) The battle to protect your boat’s engine is not over. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency is asking for public comments on the amount of ethanol that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supply for 2018. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is urging recreational boaters
August 24, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to achieve multiple, commercial scale integrated biorefineries, cost-competitive biofuel with conventional
August 22, 2017
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(Treasure Coast Research Park) … On Wednesday, June 14th, a team of research and industry leaders established through the leadership of St. Lucie County’s Treasure Coast Research Park, gathered at Tropicana’s feed processing facility in Fort Pierce to test the possibility of turning beets into one of the key ingredients for
by Jonathan Sweet (Boating Industry) Growing number of readers report ethanol-related problems Despite efforts to educate boaters about concerns over ethanol in general and E15 in particular, those in the industry are seeing a growing number of problems caused by the fuel. That’s according to the latest Boating Industry reader survey. We
July 20, 2017
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. has 12 million recreational boaters, and Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, wants to make sure they know about ethanol’s benefits when fueling up. — … All watercraft is compatible with ethanol blends up to 10 percent
June 27, 2017
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(Soundings.com) Biodiesel: it’s safe, it’s biodegradable, and it’s produces less pollutants than petroleum-diesel. WATCH VIDEO
by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In this month’s Drive column, Growth Energy’s CEO outlines the partnership with racing professionals to demonstrate why ethanol is a good choice for powering engines and the planet. — … We know that ethanol has higher octane and that it burns cleaner and
June 2, 2017
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(Bullfrog Power) Bullfrog Power, Canada’s leading green energy provider, and Less Emissions Inc. are announcing an environmental partnership with Canada C3, an expedition that aims to engage millions of Canadians from across the country, both virtually and on board the Canada C3 ship. Through the agreement, Bullfrog Power will provide
June 2, 2017
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(BusinessGreen) GoodFuels launches new initiative in bid to scale up nascent shipping biofuel market — Dutch biofuels specialist GoodFuels has this week launched a new initiative designed to encourage the wider use of sustainable biofuels across the global shipping industry. The GoodShipping Program is inviting shipping operators and customers to
May 25, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last September, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus rode aboard one of the EA-18G Growler fighter jets testing 100% biofuel flights this month to demonstrate his commitment to getting biofuel mainstream within the Navy. Currently all Navy ships and planes are certified to run on 50% biofuel blends.
March 28, 2017
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by Chuck Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) When it comes to using ethanol blended fuel in your boat engine it is important to follow manufacturer directions and actually just properly maintain your equipment. That is advice from pro fishermen like Terry Richard here. Terry and teammate Casey Rayner will be competing in this
March 24, 2017
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by Ned Molloy (Platts) The International Organisation for Standardisation has launched a new class of marine fuel specifications to provide standards for higher quantities of biofuels to be blended into marine distillates, and making reporting of cloud point mandatory in their updated marine gasoil grades. No changes have been made to
March 22, 2017
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(GoodFuels) Port of Amsterdam reduces CO2 footprint by 25% through fleet-wide use of advanced marine biofuel from GoodFuels Marine. Following a previous successful pilot, GoodFuels Marine has also won Port of Amsterdam’s tender for its fleet of five patrol vessels. The vessels will now run on fuel containing 30% exceptionally
March 14, 2017
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(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) A workshop was held in conjunction with ExCo78 in Rotorua, New Zealand on the 9th November 2016. With approximately 60 participants, the theme of the workshop was Drop-in biofuels for international marine and aviation markets. Fifteen invited speakers gave presentations (including three through videoconference) in three sessions followed by a panel
March 13, 2017
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by Judith Garfield (San Diego Community Newspaper Group) … In my first article “Scripps research on biofuels hits close to home Part 1,”readers traveled with me on Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s R/V Sproul as I helped carry out research on biofuel emissions with chief scientist Lynn Russell, Ph.D., and her
February 27, 2017
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From Off-Take to Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the US Renewable Jet Fuels Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to achieve multiple, commercial scale integrated biorefineries, cost-competitive biofuel with conventional
February 21, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To demonstrate an advanced biofuels technology that integrates a catalytic biomass pyrolysis step and a hydroprocessing step to produce infrastructure compatible biofuels, here’s the basic recipe, according to a research team led by David Dayton at RTI International. You have to: 1) optimize the catalytic biomass pyrolysis
February 17, 2017
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) … “The integration of biodiesel in the broader distribution system will help viability of this product in the broader market,” said Rod Woodford, manager of shipper relations and product quality for Explorer Pipeline Inc. Moving low-level blends of biodiesel such as B5 in the U.S. pipeline
January 25, 2017
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(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) released its new strategic plan, titled Strategic Plan for a Thriving and Sustainable Bioeconomy. The strategic plan—with a vision for 2040—lays out BETO’s mission to accomplish its vision in a dynamic setting that realizes changes in the energy landscape,
January 2, 2017
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by Dan Macrae (UPROXX) … The Daily Show‘s Hasan Minhaj discovered, the U.S. Navy is currently embracing a new green era. … On tonight’s edition of the Comedy Central news program, Minhaj investigated the navy’s shift into employing a biofuel strategy and (more importantly) pondered whether or not the Armed Forces
December 8, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is not an additive, but instead, a full replacement standalone fuel,
December 1, 2016
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(Algae Industry Magazine) A group of educators and researchers from Cornell University, the Cornell Algal Biofuel Consortium (CABC), has published a comparative commentary in the December, 2016 issue of Oceanography, the quarterly journal of The Oceanography Society. The commentary sums up a tremendous amount of integrated research and life-cycle analysis, and
November 23, 2016
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(CBS) Some of America’s best fighter jets can soar without using a drop of oil for fuel. New technology is helping the U.S. Navy power its fleet with cooking grease and plant seeds. Don Dahler reports. READ MORE WATCH VIDEO and MORE (IranTV) and MORE (Flying Magazine) Excerpts from video:
November 18, 2016
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by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) The US Department of Defense has been a main driver of the nation’s transition to renewable energy, but so far its use of biofuel in war machines has been limited to demonstration events and exercises. Now the US Navy is gearing up to deploy its
November 6, 2016
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuel critics will continue to distort the truth to fit their own narrative, but you can bet the ethanol industry will hit back with the truth each and every time. — Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Ethanol is singularly responsible
October 21, 2016
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(Hellenic Shipping News/Danish Shipowners’ Association) The Danish Shipowners’ Association, Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association, Maersk, Scandlines, J. Lauritzen, Unifeeder, and 45 other businesses and organisations across the shipping and marine industry are calling for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to act on shipping emissions at the 70th meeting of its Marine
October 20, 2016
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by Brandon Messick (Today’s News-Herald) A Lake Havasu City gas station may be the first in the nation to offer a new form of ethanol-free biofuel. Campbell Cove 1-Stop is now offering isobutanol – a corn-derived biofuel that claims to offer about 30 percent more energy content than ethanol while
October 13, 2016
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by Bill Loveless (USA Today) … Biofuels are not new for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, which have been experimenting with blends on aircraft and ships for several years. In fact, all Navy ships and aircraft are now certified to run on up to 50-50 blends of conventional and
September 30, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Colorado, a study conducted by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), found that the petroleum components of ethanol-blended gasoline become degraded and unfit for use in an engine long before the ethanol portion takes up enough water to cause phase separation in the fuel
September 26, 2016
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by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) National Renewable Energy Laboratory reaffirms the value of ethanol for internal combustion engines and validates Mercury Marine’s 2011 findings — One of the top myths used by the oil industry against ethanol is the fantasy that ethanol sucks water right out of
September 23, 2016
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by Bill Delahunt (Coastal Angler) … There is a lot to like about ethanol. It displaces cancer-causing chemicals in gasoline like benzene. It replaced MTBE, which polluted drinking water throughout the 1990s. Just this year, ExxonMobil was required to pay millions for the delivery of clean water to a local elementary school in
September 12, 2016
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by John Simpson (Engineering 360) A three-year study to evaluate the feasibility of using biodiesel fuel in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) floating plant operations has concluded that the use of such fuels does not negatively affect engine performance and can reduce production of selected environmentally sensitive emissions. A range of
September 11, 2016
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(Growth Energy) Last weekend, competitors from around the country participated in two major powerboat racing competitions, the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Missouri, and the Mentor Superboat Grand Prix in Mentor, Ohio. Many of the top performing boats at each event ran on high-ethanol blends, with over 30 performing
September 8, 2016
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by Sara Wyant (Agri-Pulse) Ask most boaters about ethanol and boats and you’ll likely hear that the two don’t go together. In fact, many gas stations surrounding some of the largest U.S. lakes will advertise “no ethanol in our fuel” as a way to attract customers. But the ethanol industry has
September 2, 2016
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by Chip Bowling (Capital Gazette/National Corn Growers Association) Letter to Editor: As a boater from Southern Maryland, I read Chris Dollar’s latest column with interest (The Capital, July 17). But he cited some inaccurate claims from BOATUS about ethanol-blended fuel. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency is not asking boaters to
August 25, 2016
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(Ship & Bunker) Chuck Red, Vice President at US-based biofuels firm Applied Research Associates (ARA), says the current cost of biofuel bunkers is misunderstood, and that competitively priced sustainable products are not only possible, they will be a reality in the near future. ARA is currently working with the US
August 22, 2016
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by Trevor Mason (Pontoon & Deck Boat Magazine) … Boat engines are designed to function with fuel that has a maximum of 10 percent ethanol and are in fact prohibited from using fuel that has more than 10 percent. So ethanol is bad and the only way to combat it is to
August 16, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Gevo says: We’re staking our near-term prospects on marine biofuels. Investors hear: We’re underwater. Gevo says: Timing delay in our isobutanol gallonage, took longer to get the fixes implemented, we’ll make up on the back side. May need more equipment. Investors hear: Dilutive cap raise
August 11, 2016
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(ARA) For the first time ever a Navy ship has operated on a 100 percent drop-in renewable diesel fuel. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s (NSWC PHD) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) completed final-phase testing of a 100% drop-in renewable diesel fuel as part of the Navy’s MILSPEC qualification
August 8, 2016
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(Biofuels International) The University of West England is working with waste-to-energy specialist Recycling Technologies to test if a fuel, called Plaxx, made from mixed plastic waste can be used to power ship engines. The UK-based research, funded by Innovate UK and ESPRC will be led by Associate Professor Farid Dailami,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest and BioChannel.TV released “Sustainable Fuels on Troubled Waters”, the Inside True Story of the US Navy’s Great Green Fleet — a documentary profile on the US Navy’s success in driving down the costs of renewable fuel — up to and including
August 1, 2016
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(Ship & Bunker) … As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, the U.S. Navy has sought to develop and use drop-in biofuels as part of its energy security goals, having previously set a target of getting half its energy from non-petroleum sources by 2020. Last month it took its first delivery
by David Ignatius (The Washington Post) The week of July Fourth is a good moment to salute an unlikely champion of saving energy and switching to alternative fuels — the U.S. Navy. Once a supreme fuel-guzzler whose energy needs sometimes dictated foreign policy, the Navy has become a model for
July 6, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Netherlands-based GoodFuels Marine and its partners, Boskalis, the leading global dredging and marine expert and Wärtsilä, the global supplier of engines and power systems to the marine industry, announced in October a two-year pilot program to accelerate the development of truly sustainable, scalable and affordable
July 5, 2016
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(Dutch Dredging) Dutch Dredging has kicked off its year round operation on sustainable “drop-in” marine biofuel out of the Dutch Port of Moerdijk. The Alouette, permanently stationed in the port of Moerdijk will operate on a unique marine fuel which for 30% consists out of a sustainable bio components made
July 5, 2016
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(Biofuels International) The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has issued a report on methanol and ethanol, saying they are good potential alternatives for reducing both the emissions and carbon footprint of ship operations. As they are sulphur-free, use of methanol and ethanol fuels would ensure compliance with the European Commission
June 16, 2016
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by Brittany Hook (University of California San Diego) Harnessing the University of California’s leadership in sustainability and pledge to become carbon neutral by 2025, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Associate Director Bruce Appelgate had a bright idea: What if Scripps Oceanography at UC San Diego began using 100 percent renewable diesel fuel, or
June 14, 2016
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) With Memorial Day comes the official start of the summer boating season and the ethanol industry is working hard to correct the misconceptions about using ethanol blended fuel in marine engines. In this Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White
June 2, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Some teams are sellers. They reduce costs, go lean, and hunker down in a case of “wait’ll next year”. In industrial biotechnology, the calendar tells us it’s May but it might as well be July, because we’re seeing much of the same thing. A whole
May 17, 2016
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by Rich Smith (The Motley Fool) … The beef tallow being used today, however, costs just $2.05 per gallon, making it cheaper than the $2.76 per gallon that the Defense Logistics Agency pays for F-76. A 90-10 diesel-tallow blend, therefore, should cost approximately $2.69 per gallon, saving the Navy $0.07 on
May 16, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To explain the Navy’s marine and aviation biofuels program, Chris Tindal gave the following presentation at ABLC 2016 in February. As we described it earlier this year, “They’re here. $2.05 per gallon, at-scale, domestically produced advanced renewable fuels — utilizing non-food feedstocks and based on next-generation
May 13, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The Def Con 2 alert from the biofuels educational and advocacy group (Advanced Biofuels USA) noted a House Subcommittee draft for defense appropriations, which had this language in Section 8132: None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enforce section
May 13, 2016
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(European Commission Joint Research Center) A recent JRC report finds that fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol are the most promising alternatives to drive decarbonisation of the shipping sector and ultimately contribute to the fight against climate change. Market penetration by alternative fuels has already begun with ship
May 10, 2016
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by John Grady (USNI News) When asked what happens to the Navy’s energy initiatives when President Barack Obama leaves office in January, the service’s top civilian official overseeing those efforts said, “Nothing”—because the business and warfighting cases “just makes sense.” Retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, speaking Tuesday at the Atlantic
April 13, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Boom times in Renewable Diesel” Here below is the first slide deck presented on the day, from The Digest. The recorded version of the webinar can be accessed here. READ MORE
April 7, 2016
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by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) The gasoline used by more than 95 percent of Americans, E10, contains 10 percent ethanol and is safe to use in marine engines. All current boat engines are warrantied for E10 and have been for nearly two decades. Yet for some reason, BoatUS has
March 31, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yesterday, we held a well-attended webinar on “Drop-In Fuels” Here below is the first slide deck presented on the day. We’ll have the remainder of slides tomorrow. The recorded version can be accessed here. READ MORE
March 31, 2016
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by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) In response to a recent misleading piece in BoatUS, which warned of marine engine damage due to ethanol, Keith Holmes, President and Owner of CK Motorsports, a certified Mercury Marine Engine & Racing service dealer, wrote a response that we thought worth sharing with our readers.
March 18, 2016
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by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) … Since the passage of the RFS in 2005, the efforts of some groups like BoatUS would lead you to believe that memories like mine have all but disappeared. They want you to believe that any amount of ethanol is too much for a marine
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, United Airlines will be using jet biofuels produced by AltAir using Honeywell UOP technology on up to 150 flights a day out of Los Angeles, the Digest has learned. March 11. A two week, 14-day Los Angeles to San Francisco service will launch
March 10, 2016
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(BOAT-US) … E0 (zero-ethanol) gasoline, which is sold at marinas and gas stations, is in effect being pushed out of boat fuel market to make room for the Renewable Fuel Standard-mandated E15 and higher ethanol blends. This means boaters may see shortages of E0 fuel as early as this summer’s boating
February 25, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, ARA completed the delivery of over 150,000 gallons of 100% drop-in jet and diesel fuel to fulfill its DLA/US Navy certification fuel contract, two months ahead of schedule. For the first time ever, renewable jet and diesel fuels that meet petroleum fuel specifications
February 15, 2016
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) An abundance of ASTM and ISO biodiesel activities may make 2016 the busiest year yet at the standards organizations, said National Biodiesel Board senior technical advisor Steve Howell. At the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Tampa, Florida, Howell spoke about his involvement with biodiesel
February 10, 2016
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by Kalyan Ray Visakhapatnam (Deccan Herald) When President Pranab Mukherjee will review the naval fleet on Saturday, a small Indian naval vessel with green bands on both sides may emerge as the centre of attraction as it would be the first Indian ship to run completely on biofuel. “At the international
February 8, 2016
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(GreenAir Online) The President of the COP21 negotiations in Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius, told the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday that in the year ahead it would be necessary to work with UNFCCC Member States on international greenhouse gas emissions from aviation and maritime transport. He said
January 29, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Department of the Navy is now buying advanced, drop-in, cost-competitive, next gen renewable fuels. The biofuels sought can be blended in a range of 10 to 50 percent with conventional petroleum products and must meet all military fuel specification properties which make handling requirements and
January 20, 2016
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(GreenAir Online) Two reports, one an International Monetary Fund (IMF) internal discussion note and the other by the Paris School of Economics (PSE), suggest taxing international aviation fuel or air travel could provide an equitable solution to raising global finance for climate mitigation and adaptation. The IMF says there is
January 15, 2016
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by Aino Siirala* and Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Current UCO market: In Europe, UCO (used cooking oil) collection and reuse has increased steadily during the past decade, reaching its peak in 2016. The most significant UCO producer in Europe is Germany, where 140 000 tons of UCO is collected
December 10, 2015
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(PR Newswire) Boeing (NYSE: BA), the University of British Columbia (UBC) and SkyNRG, with support from Canada’s aviation industry and other stakeholders, are collaborating to turn leftover branches, sawdust and other forest-industry waste into sustainable aviation biofuel. Canada, which has extensive sustainably certified forests, has long used mill and forest
December 3, 2015
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News: Will the United Nations Climate Summit Allow Shipping to Slip under the Emissions Radar Twice?
(Carbon War Room/Rocky Mountain Institute) Eighteen years after shipping was recognized under the Kyoto Protocol as an industry in need of emissions reductions, the Paris climate talks run the risk of letting the issue slip under the radar once again. When the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
November 30, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Switzerland, 11 leading low carbon fuel companies present a comprehensive guide that identifies a variety of available and accessible low carbon fuel solutions. … Today, only 3% of transportation fuels are low carbon. According to the International Energy Agency, 10% of fuels must be low
November 24, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite a signature partnership with Praj, Gevo’s short-term future looks strongest at the marina, where blockbuster economics apply. … So, a pretty good deal for both. Gevo potentially gets some new customers and Praj lands EPC work in deploying the isobutanol technology to its vast network
November 11, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Based on the clarity provided by the resolution of the lawsuits, and based on the most recent results of the isobutanol fermentation campaigns conducted at the company’s production plant in Luverne, Minn, Gevo announced its near-term plan to deploy capital in an effort to significantly
November 9, 2015
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(GreenAir Online) References to international aviation and shipping have been reinserted into the latest draft negotiating text agreed at the final climate meeting of the UNFCCC in Bonn before COP21 begins at the end of next month in Paris. Text relating to the two sectors was included in a 86-page
November 6, 2015
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by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Defense has yet to purchase alternative fuels beyond testing and demonstration purposes, but intentions remain. — In July, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report observing U.S. Department of Defense investments in alternative fuels. Its purpose was to review the
November 3, 2015
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by Norm Schultz (Trade Only Today) … Biobutanol is real. Scientists at DuPont have been developing it for more than a decade. Held up since 2011 by a barrage of now-settled patent disputes, this new fuel could replace ethanol and bring in billions of dollars for producers. Indeed, DuPont is partnering
October 21, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the Netherlands, the Sustainable Marine Fuel initiative will be launched on October 7th by Boskalis, Wärtsilä, and GoodFuels Marine and supported by Carbon War Room, Zero and both the Ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This consortium has been established to help overcome the challenges
September 28, 2015
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by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) This weekend marks the unofficial end of summer and millions of Americans will take to the nation’s highways and drive to unknown destinations. Millions of others will celebrate the long weekend by navigating the nation’s waterways. For those of you who enjoy spending your
September 7, 2015
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(Gevo/Biomass Magazine) Gevo Inc. has announced that Harbor Marina at Lake Pomme de Terre in Missouri is the first U.S. marina to sell gasoline blended with Gevo’s renewable isobutanol at the pump. Introduction of the initial isobutanol and gasoline fuel blend took place on Wednesday, Sept. 2 on the marina
September 4, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In many cases, customers are looking for ethanol free gasoline for a “boat, truck, RV, plane, farm equipment, snowblower, hotrod or motorcycle”, based on concerns over corrosion, engine wear, and performance of E10 in boat engines and outdoor power equipment. Gevo’s jumped recently into that gap. The
Calling Captain E0: Can Renewable Isobutanol Beat out Ethanol-Free Gasoline in the Powerboat Sector?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) E-Zero – ethanol-free gas, has been popular with boaters, but here comes isobutanol, with Gevo leading the pack. Are the economics a slam-dunk? Here’s the hard data. One of the more interesting trends in recent years has been the rise of ethanol-free gasoline. Overall, Pure-gas.com reports 9915
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Before Labor Day, the Boat Owners Association of the United States announced the results of an informal survey that found a “vast majority” want ethanol-free gas, but only about half of respondents say it is available at marinas and gas stations. The news
September 2, 2015
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by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … On an official basis, E15 is approved by the EPA to be used in all gasoline-powered passenger vehicles manufactured in or after 2001. The vast majority of gasoline-powered vehicles on the road in America were manufactured in or after 2001. This accounts for
August 31, 2015
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(Hydrogen Fuel News/MarketResearchReports.biz) The Global Aviation and Marine Biofuels Industry 2015 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Aviation and Marine Biofuels industry. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.The Aviation and
August 26, 2015
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(Gevo/Butamax/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Gevo Inc. and Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, a joint venture between BP and DuPont, announced that they have entered into worldwide patent cross-license and settlement agreements, ending a patent dispute related to technologies for the production of biobased isobutanol. This settlement ends all of the lawsuits and
August 24, 2015
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by Marty McCarthy and Arlie Felton-Taylor (ABC Rural) Could Australian agriculture help to literally fuel the United States Navy’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific? — That is the question a Queensland researcher is trying to answer, as the US moves towards powering its navy war craft with a biofuel blend by 2020.
August 24, 2015
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The increase in revenue during 2015 is primarily a result of the production and sale of approximately $8.0 million of ethanol, isobutanol and distiller’s grains at the Luverne plant. Hydrocarbon revenues were $0.8 million, primarily related to the shipment of bio-jet fuel and isooctane during
August 5, 2015
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(GEVO) Sales Focused at Owners of Boats, Outdoor Equipment and Off-Road Vehicles — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO), has announced that Express Lube of Fredericksburg, Texas, is the first U.S. service station to sell gasoline blended with Gevo’s renewable isobutanol at the pump. This is anticipated to be the first of many retail
July 31, 2015
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(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The National Boat Racing Association recently held its annual Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Shootout in Garnett, Kansas. The July 12–13 event, which was sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association, East Kansas Agri-Energy and the Kansas Corn Commission, invited boat racers from across the country to compete
July 27, 2015
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by Holly Birket (Splash24/7) New IMO regulations for the carriage of biofuels may lead to a shortage of product tankers eligible to carry the cargo if shipowners are not ready to meet the new requirements, an environmental consultancy has said. Oil discharge monitoring equipment onboard most existing vessels is not calibrated to handle
July 21, 2015
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