by Sophie Barthel (Argus Media) German biomethane supplier Landwärme has today declared insolvency under the country's self-administration procedure and has initiated restructuring measures "to overcome the consequences of the ongoing decline in prices of German greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction quota". Self-administration proceedings
bankruptcy
Back TO HOMEBiofuels M&A: 2023 Review & Outlook: A Thriving Industry, but Few M&A Deals
by Bruce Comer, Frank Kim, Zak Putlak, and John Panvica (Ocean Park/Biofuels Digest) The US biofuels sector in 2023 registered the flourishing of new technologies and billions in new investments – and an unprecedented low level of M&A activity: only two
February 13, 2024 Read Full Article
Mubadala Bets on Ethanol, Not Sugar, with New Brazil Cane Investment
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters News/Zaway) Bruno Serapiao, CEO of Atvos said that a deal by the asset management arm of UAE's investor Mubadala Investment to acquire a 31.5% stake in Atvos should happen later this year or early next year --
August 14, 2023 Read Full Article
Amyris’ Bankruptcy Filing: Complete Details
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here follows the complete Amyris statement with respect to its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Amyris, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRS) (“Amyris” or the “Company”), a leading synthetic biotechnology company accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable consumption through its Lab-to-Market™
August 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Vertex Energy Announces First Commercial Sales of Renewable Diesel
(Vertex Energy/Business Wire) Vertex Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTNR) ("Vertex" or “the Company"), a leading specialty refiner and marketer of high-quality refined products, today announced that the Company has completed its first series of commercial sales transactions of renewable diesel ("RD") from
June 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Rialto Bioenergy Enters Chapter 11
by Bob Gaetjens (Waste Today) ... As a result of a lack of feedstock available to the facility, RBF has been unable to produce sufficient revenue to cover its costs and debt service. Anaergia says the feedstock shortfall is due to
June 01, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuel-Focused Ryze Renewables Files for Chapter 11
by Amelia Pollard (Bloomberg Law) Ryze Renewables, a company focused on converting agricultural oils and animal fats into low-carbon fuel, filed for bankruptcy on Thursday. The firm listed as much as $500 million in both assets and liabilities in its Chapter 11
March 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Enviva Announces Feedstock Agreement with SAF Producer
by Erin Voegele (SAF Magazine) U.S.-based wood pellet producer Enviva Inc. announced on March 1 it has signed a new take-or-pay off-take contract with an unnamed U.S.-based bioenergy facility to provide feedstock for the production of biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel
March 10, 2023 Read Full Article
A Once Defunct Sarnia Bioplastics Plant Has Risen from the Ashes
by Troy Shantz (The Sarnia Journal) A failed Sarnia bioplastics plant has been resurrected and is once again turning Ontario corn syrup into a key ingredient of biodegradable plastics. BioAmber was the flagship for a cluster of fledgling bio-based “green” companies in
September 02, 2021 Read Full Article
RBZ Dumps Gono’s Failed Jatropha Project
by Leopold Munhende (New Zimbabwe) THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has finally given up on former Governor Gideon Gono’s Jatropha Biodiesel experiment. RBZ governor John Mangudya said in his 2021 Mid-Term Monetary Policy review the project no longer warranted the central
August 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Playing the Long Game: ExxonMobil Gambles on Algae Biofuel
by Carly Nairn (Mongabay) - Algae biofuel initially looked promising, but a few key problems have thwarted major research efforts, including development of a strain of algae able to produce plentiful cheap fuel, and scaling up to meet global energy
July 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Op-Ed: RFS Can Drive Positive Change
by Paul Winters (National Biodiesel Board/Public Opinion) Jim Snell’s argument against the Renewable Fuel Standard needs fact checking (“Op-Ed: Renewable Fuel Standard makes us more reliant on foreign oil,” June 4). Of the East Coast oil refineries that closed since 2005, according to
June 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Biden Considers Giving Refiners Relief from U.S. Biofuel Laws, Sources Say
by Jarrett Renshaw nd Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Joe Biden’s administration, under pressure from labor unions and U.S. senators including from his home state of Delaware, is considering ways to provide relief to U.S. oil refiners from biofuel blending mandates, three
June 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Local Oil, Biofuel Companies File for Bankruptcy
by Jessica Corso (San Antonio Business Journal) Two San Antonio area companies in the biofuels and oil industries have filed for bankruptcy over the past week. On Oct. 13, Castroville-based Finger Oil & Gas Inc. submitted its bankruptcy petition in a San
October 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Biden Would Be Good for Oil Sector, Goldman Sachs Says
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) With his $2 trillion plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Joe Biden might seem a far from ideal president for the Texas oil and gas industry. But new analysis by Goldman Sachs says that compared with a
October 13, 2020 Read Full Article
CO2 Solutions and Implications for Biofuels: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to E100 Ethanol Group
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) CO2 levels are a problem. But why is this important? What does it have to do with bankruptcy and food security? What is a proposed solution and how would it impact the biofuels industry? Could we
September 18, 2020 Read Full Article
US Fuel-Makers Could Face 'Irreparable' Damage from Demand Collapse and the Move to Green Policy
by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) ... “Thankfully, I am not invested in refineries,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at IHS Markit and founder of Oil Price Information Service. “They are having a pretty miserable year. They don't
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
COVID-19 Weighs on Ag Economy: Reports Outline Series of Economic Struggles Continue in Agriculture
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... The number of farm bankruptcies continues to rise and a struggling livestock industry is putting increasing pressure on loan portfolios, both adding to concern about the farm economy. ... A University of Illinois Department of
August 06, 2020 Read Full Article
They Warn that the SMEs that Produce Biodiesel Are Paralyzed and on the Verge of Bankruptcy
(Clarin (Google Translation)) From the chamber that brings the sector together, they demand that the Government update the price for the automotive market, which it has not published since December last year. -- The SMEs that emerged in recent years to
July 24, 2020 Read Full Article
The Bankrupt Philly Refinery Is off the Hook for Millions Owed in Renewable Fuel Obligations
by Andrew Maykuth (Philadelphia Inquirer) The U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday approved a settlement allowing Philadelphia Energy Solutions to pay a small portion of the millions of dollars it owes in unpaid renewable energy obligations, clearing a major obstacle facing
June 04, 2020 Read Full Article
AFBF Reports Bankruptcies Are Highest In 20 Years
(Farm Journal/AgWeb) Bankruptcies are rising and are expecting to increase due to problems associated with COVID-19. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, Chapter 12 family farm bankruptcies for the 12 month period ending in March totaled 627 filings. That’s a 23%
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Analysts Say Some Ethanol Plants Might Not Reopen after COVID-19
by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) Two commodity analysts say the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on ethanol demand might permanently close some ethanol plants. Dale Durchholz is the principal at Grain Cycles commodity consulting. He says, “There’s going to be some
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
U.S. Offers Bankrupt Refiner $10 Million Cap on Biofuel Obligation: Filing
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The Trump administration has offered to place a $10 million cap on Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ biofuel blending obligations, effectively slashing the bankrupt refiner’s regulatory liability by more than 70%, according to a proposed settlement between the
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Virus Weakens Markets for Renewable Energy -- Industries Press Pause on Steep Growth Trajectory
by Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical & Engineering News) ... Unlike fossil energy sources like US shale oil, where many operators may go bankrupt, renewables are poised to rebound as soon as demand returns—likely next year. The cratering price of oil has
April 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Policy Swings Shutter Iowa's Biodiesel Plants
by Marc Heller (E&E News) Fifteen years ago, farmers produced so much soybean oil they couldn't figure out what to with it all. It was good for cooking and salad dressing — and not much more. "We were throwing it away," recalled
February 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Philadelphia Refinery Expected to Be Sold to Real Estate Developer - Sources
by Laila Kearney (Reuters) The bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions is expected to sell its fire-damaged refinery site to real estate developer Hilco Redevelopment Partners, three sources familiar with the situation said on Tuesday. ... Hilco, which has $2.5 billion of assets
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
South Dakota Farmers Union Meets with EPA Director to Discuss E30
(South Dakota Farmers Union/Farm Forum) South Dakota Farmers Union, together with leaders from 13 South Dakota agriculture organizations, sat down with Gregory Sopkin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional administrator for District Eight to discuss challenges facing South Dakota farmers and
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. Oil Companies Find Energy Independence Isn’t So Profitable
by Clifford Krauss (New York Times) ... In the last four years, roughly 175 oil and gas companies in the United States and Canada with debts totaling about $100 billion have filed for bankruptcy protection. Many borrowed heavily when oil and
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Philadelphia Energy Solutions Seeks to Permanently Shut Oil Refinery
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) will seek to permanently shut its oil refinery in the city after a massive fire caused substantial damage to the complex, the mayor confirmed on Wednesday, a day after two sources told Reuters
June 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Rising Corn Prices Hurt Ethanol Margins: Heavy Midwest Rains Drive Up Corn Prices, Hit Ethanol Producers Hard
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... The latest planting progress report tells the story for worsening ethanol margins. An estimated 58% of U.S. corn was planted as of last Sunday, the slowest progress since at least 1980. Corn planting was up
May 31, 2019 Read Full Article
US Fuel Mandates No Salve for Farm Trade Losses
(Argus Media) Higher US biofuel blending mandates cannot make up for lost export trade opportunities, according to farm groups caught in the crossfire of the country's trade war with China. US independent refiners show little concern that the administration will blunt sharply
May 21, 2019 Read Full Article
One of the Oldest U.S. Refineries in Trouble again in Philadelphia: Court Filings
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Philadelphia Energy Solutions Inc, owner of the largest and oldest refinery on the U.S. East Coast, is facing another financial crisis just months after emerging from a controversial bankruptcy, according to two sources and a Reuters review
February 22, 2019 Read Full Article
BioAmber Files for Chapter 11 in both US and Canada
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, BioAmber Inc. announced that it filed a voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code and that its two Canadian subsidiaries, BioAmber Sarnia Inc. and BioAmber Canada Inc., filed a Notice
May 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Refinery Workers Return to Capitol Hill to Rally for Renewable Fuel Standard Reform
(United Steelworkers/PR Newswire) The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that on Thursday, April 26, about 100 workers from independent merchant oil refineries owned by Monroe Energy, Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) and PBF Energy will rally for their jobs in Washington, D.C., bringing
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive Report: The Federal Biofuel Mandate ‘Has Failed To Achieve Its Policy Goals’
by Michael Bastasch (The Daily Caller) The federal biofuel mandate “has failed to achieve its policy goals while imposing significant other costs on consumers,” according to a new report. Americans paid out nearly $77 billion in additional fuel costs over the last 10
April 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Bankruptcy Judge Lets Refiner off the RFS Hook
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A Delaware Bankruptcy judge approved a consent decree between EPA and bankrupt refiner Philadelphia Energy Solutions, allowing PES to get out of much of its obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2016, 2017 and
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
How EPA Is Destroying Demand for Ethanol and Corn
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Recent actions by EPA have effectively reduced the Renewable Fuel Standard conventional renewable volume obligation (RVO) for 2016 by more than 1 billion gallons, and the agency appears poised to take similar actions to effectively reduce the
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
BIO Comments on Proposed Settlement Agreement Between EPA and Philadelphia Energy Solutions on RFS Obligations
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) BIO is greatly concerned by the Department of Justice's and Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Settlement Agreement to resolve a dispute about the PES Holdings' obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. ... This Settlement Agreement undermines the goals of the
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
RFA Leader: EPA Eroding RFS -- Assistant to President Says Search Continues for a Win-Win Proposal
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) A special assistant to President Donald Trump on agriculture said Wednesday, "the search for a win-win continues" in the debate over how to relieve oil refiners of their obligations under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Ray
March 22, 2018 Read Full Article
10-Day Comment Period on PES Settlement Agreement Closes March 26
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The public comment period opened March 16 after publication in the Federal Register on the proposed consent decree and environmental settlement agreement lodged by the U.S. Department of Justice with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of
March 21, 2018 Read Full Article
UPDATE 2-Pennsylvania Says Bankrupt Refiner Owes $3.8 bln in Taxes - Filing
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The state of Pennsylvania wants a federal judge to halt the bankruptcy of Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), arguing the refiner owes an estimated $3.8 billion in fuel taxes, according to a court filing on Friday. The state’s Department
March 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiners Try to Hold Trump's Attention
(Politico's Morning Energy) With a settlement between refiner Philadelphia Energy Solutions and EPA in hand and voting in the Pennsylvania special election over, some biofuels observers think the issue may fall off Trump's radar. A biofuels source told ME Tuesday they
March 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Rick Santorum: Stop the Attacks on Farmers, Homegrown Energy
by Rick Santorum (Washington Examiner) This January, I authored a column defending President Trump and rural champions in Congress who had come under attack by refineries for their support of American-made biofuels. A Republican Pennsylvania state legislator, Rep. Bob Godshall, doubled down, attempting to
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Spares Philly Refiner in Bankruptcy Settlement
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA will allow bankrupt refinery Philadelphia Energy Solutions to meet only a portion of its outstanding obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard as part of a settlement filed with the Bankruptcy Court in Delaware
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
White House Postpones Talks on US Biofuel Mandate: Refinery Source
by Meghan Gordon bankr(Platts) The White House has postponed a fourth round of talks between refinery and biofuel interests about reforming the US biofuel mandate, according to a refinery source close to the negotiations. The meeting set for Thursday may have been
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-U.S. Refinery Workers Head to Washington to Urge Biofuels Reform
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A delegation of workers from U.S. oil refining companies that oppose the nation’s biofuels policy will converge on Washington on Wednesday to lobby lawmakers to find a way to lessen the regulation’s costs without hurting corn farmers
March 07, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study: Nearly 50,000 Iowa Jobs Tied to Biofuels
by Rod Swoboda (Wallaces Farmer) With a White House meeting being held last week to discuss the fate of the Renewable Fuel Standard, a new study finds nearly 50,000 Iowa jobs are tied to biofuels production. Efforts by Sen. Ted Cruz of
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
"That's Chuck Grassley. Should I Take the Call?" Klobuchar Keynote Ignites ABLC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, an unplanned on-stage telephone conversation between Senators Amy Klobuchar and Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa was the highlight of ABLC 2018 as high drama at the White House over biofuels policy turned for
March 05, 2018 Read Full Article
White House Pushes for More Talks after 'No Deal' on Biofuels
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for more talks between representatives of the oil and corn industries after a meeting on Tuesday failed to yield an agreement on how to help refiners cope with the country’s
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Trump Calls Meeting on Biofuels Policy after Refiner Bankruptcy
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump has called a meeting early next week with key senators and Cabinet officials to discuss potential changes to biofuels policy, which is coming under increasing pressure after a Pennsylvania refiner blamed the regulation
February 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Speaks out against PES Anti-RFS Rally
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Feb. 21, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spoke at a rally against the Renewable Fuel Standard hosted by Philadelphia Energy Solutions Inc., a refiner that recently blamed the RFS and renewable identification number (RIN) prices
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiner Goes Belly-up after Big Payouts to Carlyle Group
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Throughout 2016 and 2017, a rail terminal built to accept crude oil for the largest East Coast refinery often sat idle, with few trains showing up to unload. Although little oil flowed, plenty of money did. Under a deal Philadelphia
February 20, 2018 Read Full Article
American Energy Dominance Won’t Come from Turning Back the Clock
by Mike Carr (The Hill/New Energy America) President Trump has pledged a theme of “energy dominance.” It’s not the first time Washington has had this thought. During the years I worked at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee we grappled with
February 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Grassley: RFS Has Minimal Impact on Success of Refineries
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has released a memo produced by his energy policy staff that finds that Renewable Fuel Standard blending requirements and the cost of renewable identification numbers (RINs) have little to do with
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Bankrupt Refiner Made Missteps
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Times) The oil industry’s campaign to undermine the growth of domestically produced renewable fuels such as ethanol has certainly been ramped up lately. Today they’re callously capitalizing on the financial woes of one of the
February 05, 2018 Read Full Article
What’s the Real Story behind Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ Bankruptcy, Crude Oil, and the Renewable Fuel Standard?
by Joelle Simonpietri (Biofuels Digest) On Jan 21st 2018, Carlyle-backed Philadelphia Energy Solutions(PES), the largest refinery complex on the U.S. east coast at 335,000 barrels per day, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance costs. In the week since the filing, the Washington Examiner reports
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiner Bankruptcy Adds to Pressure to Overhaul Biofuel Program
by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Biofuel mandate overhaul mulled by Congress after bankruptcy; Unions and Pennsylvania politicians seek immediate action -- The bankruptcy of Philadelphia Energy Solutions LLC, the biggest refiner on the U.S. East Coast, has invigorated efforts to overhaul a 13-year-old federal
February 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Group Urges US EPA to Limit RFS Waivers to Small Refineries
by Meghan Gordon (Platts) A major US ethanol trade group is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to be more transparent in weighing requests from small refineries to get out of their obligations under the US biofuel mandate. EPA has reportedly received more than
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: U.S. Small Refiners Make Surge of Biofuel Waiver Requests - Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) More than two dozen small U.S. refineries are seeking waivers from the nation’s biofuels law, an unusually high number that reflects growing oil industry resistance to the program, according to sources familiar with the matter. Prices of the
January 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Beta Renewables in Cellulosic Ethanol Crisis, as Grupo M&G Parent Files for Restructuring
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Italian newspapers reported over the weekend that cellulosic ethanol developer Mossi & Ghisolfi shuts down this week,” reported a source from Europe. “227 people of whom 121 from the Crescentino ethanol refinery are to stay at
October 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Brazil's Biofuel Push Is Threatened by Too Much Cheap Oil
by Vanessa Dezem and Fabiana Batista (Bloomberg Technology) Brazil leading international effort to expand industry; Biofuel investments worldwide are down 25% this year ... Brazil is positioning itself as a global biofuels ambassador, fighting climate change by spurring demand for ethanol. It will be
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Film About the Farm Crisis of the 80s Sets the Stage for What’s to Come
by Siena Chrisman (CivilEats.com) 'Homeplace Under Fire,’ The new film from Farm Aid, profiles the heroes of 1980s Farm Crisis and sets the stage for the next round of farm losses. -- ... A New Farm Crisis on the Horizon? Though Homeplace Under
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Are Advanced Biofuels Ready for Takeoff?
by John Fialka (E&E News/Climatewire) ... As a major U.S. exporter that has dealings with over 150 countries, Boeing had worked with airlines in the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft and better flying practices. Now it helped form and lead the Sustainable
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Sinatra Bio: Ol’ Brew Eyes is Back
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Bottom line, Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas closed the sale of its cellulosic ethanol plant located in Hugoton, Kansas under the US Bankruptcy Code. Ocean Park was the sell-side advisor to Abengoa. This follows from
December 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Court Accepts $48.5M Bid for Abengoa Hugoton from Synata Bio
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Kansas district bankruptcy court approved the top bid for Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas in an order signed Nov. 29 by Judge Robert Nugent. Synata Bio Inc. placed the top bid of
December 02, 2016 Read Full Article
KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong. Part 5, The Collapse
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In 2011, KiOR raised $150 million in its June IPO, claiming that it was generating yields of 67 gallons per ton in its Demo unit operations. But it was miles short of that. In our previous
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Shell Oil Company Agrees to Buy Kansas Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
(DTN/Progressive Farmer/KOOL) Shell Oil Company has agreed to buy Abengoa Bioenergy’s cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas, for what could be a significantly discounted price of $26 million, according to court documents filed Wednesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for
October 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Kansas Cellulosic Plant to Sell
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Abengoa Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Draws Wide Interest -- ... Mark Fisler, managing director of Los Angeles-based Ocean Park Advisers, the company hired by Abengoa to sell the biomass-based ethanol plant that shut down as
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Abengoa Plants Go to Green Plains: Ethanol’s Jolly Giant Gets Bigger
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Nebraska, word has arrived from Green Plains that it will purchase the Madison, Ill., Mount Vernon, Ind. and York, Neb. ethanol facilities from Abengoa Bioenergy with combined annual production capacity of 236 million gallons
August 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Bio Ethanol Dung Quat Closed for Unpaid Debts
(BizHub) The Bio Ethanol Dung Quat Plant was closed for defaulting on the VND1.3 trillion debt it owed the banks, the State Bank of Viet Nam's Quang Ngai Province branch said. The branch confirmed the information in its Report No. 06/BC-QNg1,
July 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Abengoa’s Hugoton Cellulosic Ethanol Project Goes on the Block
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, Ocean Park Advisors has been retained by Abengoa Bioenergy to find a strategic partner or to complete a sale of Abengoa cellulosic ethanol plant, electricity cogeneration plant and related assets in Hugoton, Kansas. Additionally,
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong-- Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels DIgest) ... Old KiOR was exciting, dramatic, and fast, and the headlines it produced between 2008 and 2011 were candy for a renewables-hungry world. A Breakthrough in Catalytic Pyrolysis to make cost-competitive, drop-in renewable fuels. A “Magic Catalyst”.
May 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil Market Manipulation Is Alive and Well
by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/The Hill) Opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) claim that the free hand of an unrestricted marketplace will guide biofuels into our fuel supply, driving economic competition and giving consumers better
May 13, 2016 Read Full Article
U.S. Shale Oil Firms Feel Credit Squeeze as Banks Grow Cautious
by Swetha Gopinath and David Henry (Reuters) Nearly two years into an epic oil rout, U.S. shale drillers that have upended global energy markets are finally feeling a credit squeeze as banks make their biggest cuts yet to their loans. Every
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
$85 Crude Oil By Christmas – An Interview With Mike Rothman
by Nick Cunningham (OilPrice.com) Global supply still exceeds demand, but there are solid signs that the overhang is finally starting to ease. Storage levels are high, but are expected to come down. Where does that leave us? With so many energy
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plants in Troubles as Vietnam’s Plan to Boost Biofuel Fails
(Tuoi Tre News) An ambitious plan by the Vietnamese government to encourage the use of biofuel, or ethanol-mixed petrol, is not working as well as expected, sealing the fate of three multimillion-dollar ethanol plants. The ethanol making facilities were built in
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Bust Adds to U.S. Fuel Glut and Losses Across Corn Belt
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg Business) ... Back in 2007, when crude oil was headed toward a record $147.27 a barrel, ethanol was being touted as a cheap alternative from abundant domestic resources. The U.S. is the world’s biggest corn grower and
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel or Biofraud? The Vast Taxpayer Cost of Failed Cellulosic and Algal Biofuels
by Almuth Ernsting (Independent Science News) ... The disastrous experience with Fischer-Tropsch biofuels is just one part of a much larger failure of cellulosic and algal biofuels, on which billions of dollars of public subsidies have been spent. ... Those are just the largest
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
The Shale Reckoning Comes to Oklahoma
by Asjylyn Loder (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) ... The excitement made it easy to ignore one big problem: It was one of the most expensive booms in history. Devon, Chesapeake, SandRidge Energy, and Continental Resources were spending almost $2 drilling for every $1
March 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Chasing Viability: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to the Abengoa Viability Plan
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last month, Abengoa Bioenergy US Holding, LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on behalf of itself and 5 of its US bioenergy subsidiaries. The companies
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
“Lack of Collateral” Damage: Abengoa’s Descent into Fiscal Hell, and Its Hopes for Redemption
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Last week, we reported that potential buyers of Abengoa Bioenergy’s six first generation ethanol facilities have been looking at acquiring the assets even before the company’s announcement that they would be put up for sale. We
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Abengoa Bioenergy Files for Chapter 11 for Parent and 5 Subsidiaries
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, Abengoa Bioenergy US Holding, LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on behalf of itself and 5 of its US bioenergy subsidiaries. The companies
February 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Is the Climate Changing for Fossil Fuel Investments?
(Morgan Stanley) As the world embraces a low-carbon economy, should investors change how they view fossil fuel investments? -- ... Most investors interested in establishing a fossil-fuel aware portfolio can follow a four step roadmap to evaluate and apply this framework:
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Crisis in Brazilian Sugarcane Industry with Closures and Redundancies
by Marcelo Toledo from Ribeirao Preto (Folha de S.Paulo) The pessimistic predictions of the Brazilian sugarcane industry for 2015/16 appear to be coming true, with plant closures, redundancies and requests for judicial recovery. This is down to several factors, including
July 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Mississippi Files Fraud Lawsuit against Khosla over KiOR
by Jeff Amy (The Dispatch/Associated Press) The state of Mississippi has sued billionaire Vinod Khosla and others, saying they knew long ago that bankrupt biofuel firm KiOR had poor prospects for success, but misled the state into loaning the company
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Billionaire Vinod Khosla’s Big Dreams for Biofuels Fail to Catch Fire
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) Just over a year ago, billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla was bubbling with optimism about one of his latest investments: KiOR, a biofuel outfit he said would turn wood chips into hydrocarbons that could
November 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Analyst: KiOR Columbus Plant May End up Sold as Scrap
by Jack Weatherly (Mississippi Business Journal) Finding a buyer for the idled KiOR biofuels plant at Columbus would be a tough sell, according to Pavel Molchanov, an equity analyst who had covered Pasadena, Texas-based KiOR Inc. until it filed
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Faces Wrecking Ball
by Katy Stech (The Wall Street Journal) Struggling Fuel-Making Facilities Are in Danger of Falling to Liquidators Before Market Recovers When the New Energy Corp. ethanol plant in South Bend, Ind., was idled by its bankruptcy filing last November, people nearby