by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the world of aviation biofuels, the bands and the bunting are rolling out less frequently. But mostly, because the sector has moved out of a noise-filled early R&D phase and is heading towards deployment.
Norway
Back TO HOMEWorld’s Biggest Sovereign Wealth Fund Dumps Dozens of Coal Companies
(Earth Island Journal/The Guardian) Norway’s giant fund removes investments made risky by climate change and other environmental concerns, including coal, oil sands, cement and gold mining -- The world’s richest sovereign wealth fund removed 32 coal mining companies from its portfolio
February 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Opening Channels For Export
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Grains Council is teaming up with Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association and the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service on a new four-way partnership in ethanol export market development. There’s a big difference
January 19, 2015 Read Full Article
The Worldwide Push for Aviation Biofuels
by Keith Campbell (Engineering News) On October 19, 2004, the world’s first exclusively biofuel powered production aircraft received its certification, allowing it to be flown operationally. That aircraft was (and is) the Neiva (now Embraer) EMB-202A Ipanema crop duster. This
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Five Lufthansa Group Airlines to Use Biokerosene Mixture at Oslo Airport
by Kurt Hofmann (Air Transport World) Lufthansa Group will be fueling its aircraft at Oslo Airport with a biokerosene mixture, becoming the first airline group to sign this kind of contract with Norwegian oil company Statoil Aviation. Beginning in March, Statoil will
January 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Mandates Around the World: 2015
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who mandates what in biofuels? 64 countries have targets or mandates — but how much where, and when, and what? In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around
January 05, 2015 Read Full Article
New Information on the Environmental Impacts of Stump Wood Energy through 3D Modelling
(Finnish Environment Institute/Alpha Galileo) Tree stumps and root systems are a significant but controversial source of bioenergy in Finland due to their environmental impacts. Now Finnish and Norwegian researchers have developed a new method that can produce accurate three-dimensional (3D)
January 05, 2015 Read Full Article
10 Biggest Bioeconomy Blockbuster Stories of 2014 (EU, Middle East and Africa)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aviation biofuels on the rise, in the skies” tops the trend list; drop-in and cellulosic ethanol projects; M&A and cap raises, and action from strategic investors and customers dominate the headlines this year. You might know
December 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Troll the Ancient Waste-Oil Carol : FFA la la la la la la la la la
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “On the way” forever, talked up by all, deployed by some – technologies that handle high free fatty acid feedstocks like used cooking oil are coming into their hey-day, via players like REG, Novozymes, Pacific
December 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Can Algae Be the Next Biofuel?
by William Tucker (Fuel Freedom Foundation) The lure of the oceans has always had a special appeal for advocates of biofuel. The vast reaches of the deep speak of a promise that unlimited amounts of space will be able to bring
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Norwegian Operates Its First Biofuel Flight on November 11
(AirSoc.com) Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) on November 11 operated its first biofuel flight. The airline issued this statement (translated from Norwegian): Norwegian for the first time operated a flight with biofuel on November 11, 2015. Norwegian’s flight DY 631 between
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Oslo to Become 5% Biohub for Lufthansa, SAS & KLM – Powered by SkyNRG Nordic and Avinor
(SkyNRG Nordic/Statoil) SkyNRG Nordic, the partnership between SkyNRG and Statoil Fuel & Retail Aviation, announced the supply of the first commercial quantities of sustainable bio jet fuel to Avinor’s airport Gardermoen in 2015. Lufthansa has signed up for 5% sustainable bio
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
SkyNRG Nordic Supplies Biofuel to SAS and Norwegian
(SkyNRG Nordic) SAS and Norwegian operate their first commercial flights on SkyNRG Nordic’s bio jet fuel. Today, SAS flies on bio jet fuel from Trondheim to Oslo and Norwegian from Bergen to Oslo. The bio-flights in Norway are done in close cooperation
November 11, 2014 Read Full Article
The Strange World of Super-Strong, Super-Light Nanocellulose
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Flexible electric circuits and solar panels? Advanced biofuels? New concretes and steel-like materials? New medical implants and sutures? Drug delivery vehicles? Cosmetics? Lightweight armor? That’s just a sample of the potential apps for nanocellulose and
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Turning Humble Seaweed to Biofuel
by Nancy Bazilchuk (Norwegian University of Science and Technology/REnewable Energy World) A Norwegian research group has been able to achieve bio-oil yields of 79 percent from a common kelp, much higher than other attempts. The secret is to heat the kelp
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Shift to Low-Carbon Systems to Save Future Financial, Environmental Costs: Report
(RIA Novosti) Shifting to a low-carbon economy over the next 15 years could save worldwide financial and environmental costs, a report from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate said on Tuesday. "The next 15 years will be critical, as
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
MBP Group Earns RSB Sustainability Certification
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) MBP Group has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) sustainability certification for their waste material collection, trading and distribution activities. "MBP Group was built on a sustainable background, adding as much value as possible to industrial
August 22, 2014 Read Full Article
New Council of International Biotech Associations Formed
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) An international confederation of biotechnology trade associations announced today the ratification of bylaws creating the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA), with the expressed purpose of advocating for public policies that support the growth of the innovative
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Statoil Employed Judge in Own Legal Dispute
by Erlend Skarsaune (Aftenbladet.no) The Biofuel entrepreneurs sued Statoil to clear their names of allegations of corruption. The judge in charge was offered a job by Statoil, accepted, and continued working with the case. The aggrieved parties have fought to be cleared
July 03, 2014 Read Full Article
European Scientists Stabilize Bio-Oil for Use as Marine Biofuel
(Aston University/Biomass Magazine) A sustainable biofuel made from Norwegian forest wood waste could help transform the shipping industry and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative sustainable fuels are urgently needed in the marine transport sector due to stringent upcoming regulations demanding
May 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Södra and Statkraft to Form New Biofuel Company
(Biofuels International) Södra and Statkraft have signed a letter of intent to create a company that will produce biofuels using forest raw material. The agreement means that Statkraft, a renewable energy producer, will acquire Södra Cell Tofte, which owns the industrial site of
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Norwegian Airport Operator Avinor to Invest up to $16.5 Million to Support National Aviation Biofuel Production
(GreenAirOnline) Norway’s state-owned airport operator and air navigation services provider Avinor has pledged to contribute up to 100 million Norwegian kroner ($16.5 million) over a ten-year period to help develop an aviation biofuel sector in the country. Announcing the move
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
The 10 Hottest Trends in Algae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae has been touted as the ultimate platform for fuels, chemicals, nutraceuticals, proteins — even cancer therapies. There’s been a rate of progress that would impress any devotee of Moore’s Law — and a series of
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Special EU Biofuels Report: The Top 10 Stories of the Year, and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The technology is there. Demand for alternative fuels, chemicals and materials is there. Feedstock is expensive. In so many of the signature developments announced around the world this year, there’s been an EU technology in
December 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Brown Algae Being Engineered for Food and Bio-Ethanol
(Algae Industry Magazine) European Biotechnology News reports that researchers, together with Norwegian and Chilean bioethanol producers, have developed advanced techniques to produce food and bio-ethanol from brown algae, which does not require arable land, fresh water or fertilizers. Until now, cultivation
December 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Wood Chips to Biofuel in Hours
(The Norwegian University of Science and Technology/Alpha Galileo) Until now, it has taken weeks to make biofuel from trees. This slow pace has been a bottleneck for the industry. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have now
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Seaweed Biomass Cultivation Trials Concluding for At-Sea Project
by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine) The three-year European biofuel and biomaterial project, At-Sea, will conclude its first trials of seaweed cultivation off the coasts of Norway, Scotland and Ireland the end of the week of July 1. At-Sea, which began in
July 09, 2013 Read Full Article
Seaweed Biofuels: A Green Alternative that Might Just Save the Planet
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Producing biofuels in the sea removes at a stroke many of the serious problems with conventional biofuels "It's best to get it out of the water now or it'll start getting grazed by the little beasties," says
July 02, 2013 Read Full Article
A Slimy Marine Organism Fit for Biofuel and Salmon Feed
(The Research Council of Norway) ...The yellowish, slimy growth that many of us have come across on ropes that have lain in seawater is the marine organism known as tunicates. Tunicates are basically living filter tubes that suck bacteria and other
June 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Norway Plans Rise in Taxes on Oil Entities
by Kjetil Malkenes Hovland (The Wall Street Journal) Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who faces an election in September, on Sunday laid out plans for a modest tax cut for mainland businesses while increasing taxes on oil companies and multinationals,
May 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Official Inauguration of Borregaard’s Biorefinery Demonstration Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, Norwegian Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen officially inaugurated the Borregaard biorefinery demonstration plant in Sarpsborg, which will produce green chemicals and sugars based on biomass from wood and agricultural and forestry waste. ... The aim is
May 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Spatially Explicit Life Cycle Assessment of 5 Sun-to-Wheels Pathways Finds Photovoltaic Electricity and BEVs Offer Land-Efficient and Low-Carbon Transportation
(Green Car Congress) A new spatially-explicit life cycle assessment of five different “sun-to-wheels” conversion pathways—ethanol from corn or switchgrass for internal combustion vehicles (ICVs); electricity from corn or switchgrass for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs); and photovoltaic electricity for BEVs—found a strong
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
An Animal to Feed Your Eco-Car
by Solrun Dregelid (University of Bergen) The marine animal tunicate can be used both as biofuel and fish food, according to prize-winning research at UiB and Uni Research. On the ocean floor, under the pier, and on ship ropes – that’s
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Local Green Biofuels Getting Foothold in Finland
by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA) Aalto University School of Chemical Technology, Finland, organized a biofuel seminar February 2,2013, where Finland's leading companies in this field introduced their expertise and recent projects. The EU has set a directive of reducing greenhouse
February 10, 2013 Read Full Article
ENEnergy Gets Ethanol, Butanol Project Support from Australian Government
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, ENEnergy Australia (ENA) announced approval has been received from the Australian Government for its first project in Northern Australia under the R&D tax incentive scheme. The project approval covers the development of a
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
British Airways Pledges 10-Year Offtake Agreement as GreenSky Project with Solena Gathers Momentum
(GreenAirOnline) The British Airways and Solena GreenSky London project to build a sustainable jet biofuel facility in East London is gaining momentum, say the two partners. They won’t reveal the location but an exclusive option on a site for the
November 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Incbio Awarded Biodiesel Plant Contract for a Norwegian Client
(OpenPR) Incbio (www.incbio.com), a leading company in design, build and start-up of biodiesel plants with state of the art ultrasonic reactor technology has been awarded a contract to supply a turnkey transesterification unit for N3Pharma AS, a leading Norwegian pharmaceutical
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Ramboll Investigates Use of Biofuel for Civil Aviation in Norway
(Construction & Maintenance) Ramboll Energy and Ramboll in Norway's Climate Department in Oslo have been appointed by the Norwegian airport operator, Avinor, to investigate the possibilities of utilising sustainable and profitable biofuel for civil aviation in Norway. ...The initial priority is
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Bio-Ethanol from Norwegian Timber in Statoil Fuel
(Statoil) For the first time ever bio-ethanol from Norwegian timber will be blended into transport fuel. The bio-ethanol is produced by the bio refinery Borregaard and will be available to Statoil customers who tank fuel95 at Statoil stations in the
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Norwegian Airports Operator to Investigate Viability of Establishing a National Aviation Biofuel Production Sector
(GreenAirOnline) Avinor, which operates Norway’s airport and air navigation network, has initiated an investigation into whether the country should produce its own aviation biofuel supplies or rely on imported sources. It is currently in the process of obtaining tenders from
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Wood Climbs from Supporting Role to Center Stage
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ....But as it turns out, trees guard their precious C5 and C6 sugars, those necessary to produce cellulosic ethanol and biochemicals, with a nearly impenetrable system of natural defenses that has yet to
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
European Partnership to Unlock the Potential of Algal Bioenergy
by Dr Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) A major new €14 million (£12.3 million) initiative - bringing together experts from across North West Europe to develop the potential of algae as a source of sustainable energy - has been
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Jatropha - Green Biodiesel from African Tree
by Bård Amundsen/Else Lie. Translation: Darren McKellep/Carol B. Eckmann(The Research Council of Norway) Jatropha has been championed as a major environmental opportunity for developing countries with a semi-arid climate and marginal soil. Scientist Karl Hilding Thunes of the Norwegian Forest
February 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Scandinavia Goes Viking in Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the Old Norse, the term “viking” meant to “undertake an expedition” and it later came to characterize the raiders, settlers and traders that epitomized an era of Scandinavian expansion that impacted Europe, Asia
January 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Norway Backs Ethanol Plant
(Argus Media) Norwegian chemicals and technology specialist Borregaard has secured a government grant of 58mn kroner ($9.8mn) to build a 400m³ pilot ethanol plant in Sarpsborg, southeast Norway. ...The Sarpsborg plant will use a diverse array of agricultural feedstock including straw,
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Weyland Look to the Future with the Opening of Their Bioethanol Pilot Plant
(Weyland) Weyland started production of second generation bioethanol at it’s pilot plant in Bergen, Norway. The plant was formally opened by State Secretary Per Rune Henriksen of the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy during an opening ceremony at the plant.
October 25, 2010 Read Full Article
Statoil Invests In Ethanol-From-Seaweed Venture In California
by Angel Gonzalez (Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal) Norwegian oil major Statoil ASA (STO) has agreed to invest in a San Francisco Bay Area start-up to develop ethanol from seaweed, and to potentially commercialize the fuel in Norway and other European countries. Under the
September 16, 2010 Read Full Article
New Seaweed Cultivation Structure May Open up Ocean Floors for Energy Production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, Seaweed Energy Solutions has patented the first ever modern structure to enable mass seaweed cultivation on an industrial scale in the world¹s oceans. The structure, known as the Seaweed Carrier, makes a clean