by Meghan Schiller (Medill News Service/Wall Street Journal) The head of BP’s alternative-energy business on Tuesday said biofuel and wind are the stars of the field as the firm ramps up its presence. Katrina Landis, CEO of BP’s alternative energy business, said
UK (United Kingdom)
Back TO HOMEIncitor Receive Backing for Low-Temperature Biofuel Demonstration
(Biofuels International) US-based biomass company Incitor will use new funding to demonstrate its low-temperature biofuel production technology. The funding amounts to $1.5 million (€1.1 million) and comes from an investment group, led by Cottonwood Technology Fund, that hopes to finance an
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Guatemala Farmers Losing Their Land to Europe's Demand for Biofuels
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Indigenous smallholder farmers are being violently evicted as companies move in to satisfy Europe's hunger for biofuels ...Over the next four days, 10 more villages were cleared. By the end of March 2011, around 800 families
July 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuel from Used Cooking Oil to Power the Grid in Devon
(Waste Management World) A new scheme to collect and process used cooking oil to produce carbon neutral electricity has been introduced at recycling centres across Devon, UK. According to the council, local residents are encouraged to deposit their used cooking oil in the collection tanks
July 06, 2012 Read Full Article
British Airways First-of-Its-Kind Waste to Jet Fuel Project Finds Technology Provider
(National Non-Food Crops Center) Europe's first waste to jet fuel production plant came a step closer to construction this week as UK-based Oxford Catalysts were selected as the sole technology suppliers to the joint British Airways and Solena GreenSky project. British Airways and
July 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Could Bolster National Security, Leaders Say
by Barrie Barber (Stars and Stripes/Dayton Daily News) A top British envoy says the U.S. and the U.K. could collaborate more on the development and use of biofuels in the military to boost both nations’ security and energy interests and
June 15, 2012 Read Full Article
NEF Announce Development of CEEDSTM, the Easy Way to Establish Energy Crops
(New Energy Farms) New Energy Farms (NEF) has developed a revolutionary new method of propagating energy grasses; this will reduce farmer establishment costs by 50% or more. Cost effective scaling of perennial energy grasses such as Miscanthus, Arundo donax and
June 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Green Fuel Is Possible with Artificial Ecosystems
(PhysOrg) For algae to power our cars and planes, production needs to be low carbon and cost effective, which means working with natural processes, not against them, say scientists. Algae could become an important source of sustainable biofuel, as production doesn't
June 06, 2012 Read Full Article
UK-Based Agri Opens State-of-the-Art Biodiesel Plant in Liverpool
(Agri Energy/Biodiesel Magazine) The U.K.’s largest used cooking oil biodiesel plant launched in Liverpool today. The opening comes on the back of a multimillion pound investment into biodiesel production by Agri. The advanced processing plant in Bootle will be solely dedicated
June 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Researchers Look at Using Food Waste for Hydrogen
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) What might be a good use of food waste? Hydrogen. Researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK are creating bioenergy in the form of hydrogen for use an an alternative to gasoline. Researchers note that in
June 06, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Report Gives Guidance for Developing Algal Industry
(Algae Industry Magazine) new “Strategy Research Agenda” report from the UK-based Algal Bioenergy Special Interest Group (AB-SIG) highlights the benefits of cultivating and using both macro and microalgae in a wide range of products. It also identifies some of the
June 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: Which Airlines Are Doing What, with Whom?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(M)ore than 30 airlines now trialing, deploying biofuels – but who’s doing what, exactly? In Brazil, Azul Airlines announced that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane has passed all required testing and will be used during
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Clean Technology: US Policy Aids Second Generation Biofuel Push
by Guy Chazan (Financial Times) In the world of biofuels, all eyes are on the tiny northern Italian town of Crescentino, site of the world’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which will start production this year. The venture might be small,
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Yecch, Ptooey! The 13 Oddest and Strangest Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Most of the stories we write at the Digest on the subject of biofuels feedstocks fall into the well-established realms of normal. But every once in a while, a feedstock emerges that is so compellingly
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
'Hydrogen Is Tomorrow's Biofuel' Say Scientists
(University of Birmingham) Researchers from the University of Birmingham are creating clean hydrogen from food waste paving the way for a bioenergy alternative for the future. Currently, Brazil is the world’s most intensive user of bioethanol as an alternative to gasoline for
May 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Only Biofuels Will Cut Plane Emissions
by Ben Caldecott (The Guardian) We need something that can deliver emission reductions from existing fleets of planes – and the solution already exists ...The positive progress on including aviation in Europe's carbon trading scheme this week is welcome, but neither that nor more
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Waste Lines: The Hottest Trends with Bio’s Coolest Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Regardless of its naming deficiencies, waste has been hot and getting hotter as a bioenergy feedstock because it solves three of the most pressing problems blocking capacity expansion. 1. The feedstocks are available at fixed, affordable
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Agri Praised for Liverpool Biodiesel Investment
by Amy North (LetsRecycle.com) The UK’s ‘largest’ biodiesel plant was opened in Bootle, Liverpool today (May 9) by transport minister Norman Baker. The plant, developed by renewable energy firm Agri, will process used cooking oil to create biodiesel which can then
May 21, 2012 Read Full Article
Measuring the energy and greenhouse gas balances of biofuels and bio-based chemicals using LCA, NNFCC 12-023
(UK's National Center for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials) This report investigates the importance of allocation procedures in reporting and understanding energy and greenhouse gas balances from life cycle assessment of biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Life cycle assessment (LCA), or life
May 03, 2012 Read Full Article
National Farmers Union Attacks Government Biofuel Policy
(FarmingUK.com) Latest government figures reveal that the vast majority of biofuels supplied in the UK are made from imported feedstock, with almost nine out of every 10 litres of foreign origin. The NFU have said that UK biofuel growers have been
May 03, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Climate Advisers Recommend International Aviation Emissions Be Included in National Carbon Budgets
(GreenAir Online) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises the UK government on national carbon targets, has recommended international aviation and shipping emissions be included in carbon budgets and the UK’s 2050 overall target to reduce emissions 80 per
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Lobbying Could Pay off This Harvest
(NFU Online) The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted across the EU in time for this year’s harvest, the NFU said today. The move is designed to help give crops
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
The Serious Fraud Office Launches an Investigation into Sustainable AgroEnergy, Operator of an Unregulated Investment Scheme.
by Gavin Lumsden (CityWire) The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an investigation into Sustainable AgroEnergy, a London-based company that promoted itself to Sipp investors as a specialist in renewable biofuel crops and 'green oil' from Asia. According to Citywire's New Model Adviser magazine, which broke
March 29, 2012 Read Full Article
EU to Recognize Ensus as Biofuel Certification in 'Matter of Weeks': Source
(Platts) A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in "a matter of weeks," a European Commission source said Monday. UK bioethanol producer Ensus received the support of EU member states' experts on
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Ionic Solvents Make Timber-to-Biofuels More Energy-Efficient
by Simon Levey (Industry Intelligence, Inc.) Key part of biomass processing could be made 80% more energy-efficient, reducing cost of biofuels by 10%, by treating timber with ionic solvents, find Imperial College London scientists A little bit of lubrication could make
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Forum to Address Energy’s Role in National Security
(Midwest Energy News) Military leaders are increasingly connecting the dots between energy, climate and national security issues. We’ve reported here before on the U.S. military’s push to go green with solar, biofuels and other renewable technologies. Across the pond, defense leaders in the United
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Campaigners Claim Government Has ‘Not Done Its Homework’ Following Analysis of Biodiesel Prices
(Fleet News) Campaigners have accused the Treasury of ‘not doing its homework’ after analysis by the Save our Sustainable Biodiesel campaign identified a lack of demand for biodiesel certificates, calling into question the Treasury’s plans to switch incentives for used
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Is Double Counting a Double Whammy?
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Between April 2010 and April 2011, the U.K. used 428 million liters of used cooking oil (UCO) for the production of biodiesel. It has become the primary source for biofuel used in U.K. transportation
February 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Power of Algae Unleashed by Protein Technologies
(Manchester Evening News) A biotech business has developed and patented a process which it believes has the potential to fight the world’s energy and food crises. Protein Technologies, based at Manchester Science Parks, specialises in research in the life sciences sector.
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Scientists Discover Genes to Better Grass to Energy Production
(Bioenergy Insight) Scientists from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC) have uncovered a series of genes which could help grasses being breed with better characteristics for bioenergy production. The genes help to better develop the
February 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels - At What Cost? Mandating Ethanol and Biodiesel Consumption in the United Kingdom
(International Institute for Sustainable Development) The U.K. government is currently considering what policies will ensure it meets the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) commitment of using 10 per cent by energy of renewable transport fuels by 2020. Current U.K.
February 03, 2012 Read Full Article
Scientists Discover Genes to Better Grass to Energy Production
(Biofuels International) Scientists from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC) have uncovered a series of genes which could help grasses being breed with better characteristics for bioenergy production. The genes help to better develop the
February 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Aviation Must Tackle Its Environmental Impact Before It Can Be Allowed to Grow, Says UK's Aviation Regulator
(GreenAirOnline) Although aviation is a key driver of growth, without tackling its global and local environmental impact, the industry will not be able to realise its economic potential, says the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The regulatory body has opened
January 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Microbubbles Provide New Boost for Biofuel Production
(EurekAlert) ...Now, a team led by Professor Will Zimmerman in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Sheffield, believe they have solved the problem. They have developed an inexpensive way of producing microbubbles that can float
January 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Building a World Market from Scratch
by Alvaro Cordero (Ethanol Producer Magazine/U.S. Grains Council) From a barely recognized feed alternative 10 years ago, distillers dried grains with solubles continues to gain recognition and markets. DDGS is now widely recognized internationally, where its use continues to evolve. Forty-four
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Germany Advised Not to Import Food for Biofuel
by Michael Hogan (Reuters) Govt advisors warn against biofuel feedstock imports * Importing foods for biofuels could endanger supplies * Biofuels industry says claims reckless Germany should not increase imports of food to produce biofuels, because this could threaten the supply of food in
January 23, 2012 Read Full Article
2012 Merger Mania Gets Underway: Green Biologics, Butylfuel Merge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, Green Biologics Limited announced the merger between GBL and butylfuel Inc., a US-based renewable chemicals and biofuels company. The new company will operate under the Green Biologics name and continue to be
January 20, 2012 Read Full Article
A New "OPEC" Energy Source: Biofuel from Brazilian Orange Peels
by Loreto Urbino (AMÉRICAECONOMÍA/Worldcrunch) A London-based project dubbed OPEC (Orange Peel Exploitation Company) aims to make biofuel from the waste from the more than 10 million tons of oranges that Brazil squeezes into juice each year. It is the latest
January 17, 2012 Read Full Article
A Pragmatic Approach to Fuel Taxation
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine) One would think that a relatively easy way for governments to promote biofuels would be to tax biofuels less than fossil fuels—avoid lengthy debates on mandates and simply change the taxation structure in such
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
University of Manchester Team Solves Glycerol Problem
(MenMedia) ...Dr Constantinos Theodoropoulos and Prof Colin Webb from the University's School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science decided to tackle the issue of a worldwide glut of glycerol. Growing global demand for biodiesel means markets cannot absorb the increase in
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Companies to Invest £2.5bn in Renewables
by Angela Monaghan (The Telegraph) The plans, announced in the financial year so far, could create almost 12,000 jobs across the country according to research by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. It came as Mr Huhne reaffirmed the Government's
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Black Pearl Capital Partners Acquires Former Blackburn Paper Mill as it Continues Development of its UK Renewable Energy Parks
(PR NewsWire) Start of demolition works at the former chemical plant in Castleford Black Pearl Capital Partners ("BPCP") today announced that it has acquired a 118 acre infrastructure site near Blackburn, UK. The site which formerly operated as the Sappi Paper Mill
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Report “The GBEP Sustainability Indicators for Bioenergy”
(Global Bioenergy Partnership) In November 2011 the GBEP Steering Committee endorsed the report The Global Bioenergy Partnership Sustainability Indicators for Bioenergy. It was developed by GBEP Partners and Observers through the GBEP Task Force on Sustainability that had been working since
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Christmas Waste Paper Could Be Turned Into High Grade Biofuel
(RedOrbit) UK’s wrapping paper and festive cards could provide energy to send a bus to the moon more than 20 times If all the UK’s discarded wrapping paper and Christmas cards were collected and fermented, they could make enough biofuel to
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
John Lewis Use Biodiesel to Power Jungheinrich Forklift
(Warehouse News) At its distribution centre at Brackmills, Northamptonshire, leading retailer John Lewis is turning waste cooking oil from its in-store restaurants into eco-friendly biodiesel which it is using to power a Jungheinrich counterbalanced forklift truck. The oil is collected directly
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Shell Wins Ad Watchdog Challenge over Green Biofuel Claims
(Click Green) The UK's advertising watchdog has ruled in favour of oil giant Shell over marketing claims its biofuels reduced CO2 emissions. A national ad campaign for Shell included the boast that biofuel was “one of the most effective ways of
December 27, 2011 Read Full Article
News You Can Use: 5 Biofuels Reports Worth Getting Now
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...1. The USDA’s crop land report. What: An in-depth analysis of U.S. land use patterns released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows total cropland decreased by 34 million acres from 2002 to 2007,
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Hitting a New Stride: The Biorefining Sector Is Poised for Commercial Scale-Up as Funding Strategies Mature and Production Capacity Grows
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) The biorefining sector reached an important new milestone this year with at least five companies undergoing successful initial public offerings (IPOs). As we move into the new year, members of industry will take another important
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Transcriptional Changes Related to Secondary Wall Formation in Xylem of Transgenic Lines of Tobacco Altered for Lignin or Xylan Content which Show Improved Saccharification
by Charis M. Cook, Arsalan Daudi, David J. Millar, Laurence V. Bindschedler, Safina Khan, G. Paul Bolwell, Alessandra Devoto (Science Direct) In this study, an EST library (EH663598–EH666265) obtained from xylogenic tissue cultures of tobacco that had been previously generated was annotated. The library proved to be
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Dial-a-Ride Vehicles Trialling Biodiesel
(Wired-gov.net) Transport for London (TfL)is to use an environmentally friendly biofuel in 12 of its Dial-a-Ride vehicles in a year-long trial. It is estimated the vehicles will produce 25 per cent less carbon emissions than a normal diesel-powered vehicle and if
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Butamax Discusses Biobutanol Commercial Activities Including Early Adopter Initiative
(Butamax) Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels, the leading global biobutanol technology development company, announces agreement on commercialization principles with Highwater Ethanol, the first entrant to the Butamax Early Adopters Group. Butamax’s business model is to offer current ethanol producers proprietary biobutanol technology to
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Fat of the Land
(The Economist) Green-minded motorists are making car fuel at home, from used cooking oil ...The recipe starts by filtering the breadcrumbs out with a mesh screen. After that you warm the oil up and add sodium hydroxide and methanol. The sodium
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Airline Sector to Make Do with Fossil Fuels
(Biofuels International) Adair Turner, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has acknowledged that the aviation sector may be an area in which fossil fuels have to be used, highlighting that we are looking to achieve a 'low carbon
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
London Fleet Adds B30 Following Customer Requests
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) A London-based private fleet service has listened to customer feedback regarding the fleet’s use of environmentally friendly vehicles, and now Greentomatocars has added biodiesel. The fleet, mainly made up of 200 Toyota Prius cars, will
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Indo-UK Joint Research Projects for Bioenergy and Water Dynamics
(ZME Science) Developing alternative but sustainable energy resources to save scarce fossil resources and understanding the dynamics of changing water cycles to improve ecosystems in South Asia. These are the broad areas agreement for green-field collaborative research entered into by India
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Mast from Classic Racing Yacht Holds One of the Keys to Sustainable Biofuels
...A detailed structure of crystalline cellulose in algae was produced a decade ago. But only about half of the cellulose in wood fibres and crop plants is crystalline, the rest is disordered. The challenge was to find out how the
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Meeting Green Transport Targets May Need £895m Biofuels Spend
by Will Nichols (Business Green) Government research body says next generation biofuels made from waste are a feasible low carbon option The UK could miss its renewable transport targets unless it spends £900m over the next 20 years on advanced biofuels,
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
UK-India Collaboration on Algal Bioenergy
(Algae Industry Magazine) In New Delhi, India, the Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, announced plans for a £10M joint call for sustainable bioenergy research between the UK and India. The call will support collaborative science which
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Festivals Told to Switch to Greener Energy
(GreenWise) UK festivals are being encouraged to switch to biodiesel and other renewable energy forms, as a new report shows the energy consumed by the sector could power 10,000 homes. The research, to be released today at the industry’s annual conference, reveals UK
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
The BP Biofuels Story
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...“I came to the U.S. four years ago to really make what we wanted to be on a piece of paper a reality,” she (Sue Ellerbusch, president of BP Biofuels North America) tells Biorefining Magazine. That reality for
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
China Completes First Biofuel Jet Test Flight
by John C.K. Daly (http://oilprice.com) On 28 October Air China conducted its first trial flight of a passenger jet powered by a mix of biofuel and traditional aviation fuel. The Jet A-1 biofuel kerosene used in the flight was derived from
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Firm's Failed Biofuel Dream Wrecks Lives of Tanzania Villagers
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian/The Observer) The collapse of Sun Biofuels has left hundreds of Tanzanians landless, jobless, and in despair for the future "People feel this is like the return of colonialism," says Athumani Mkambala, chairman of Mhaga village in rural Tanzania.
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Growth Stifled by EU Policy Delays: BP
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Biofuels for use in transport are becoming more competitive compared with oil but the pace of growth has slowed due to a lack of regulation and sustainability standards in Europe, the chief executive of BP's biofuels
October 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Price Volatility – Causes and Consequences
(Gant Daily) ...G20 countries in their June 2011 ministerial declaration recommended measures such as building grain reserves, a global market information system and regulating financial transactions in commodities markets. But economists like Brian Wright, professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
B30 Biodiesel Blend Fuels Carbon Reduction Bid
(Argent Energy) Switching to Argent Energy's 30 per cent biodiesel blend is helping a leading leaflet marketing specialist in its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2015. EAE Ltd, who distribute display stands, tourist information leaflets and other promotional material to some 5,000
October 21, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Study Suggests Biodiesel Will Be Critical to Oilheat Market
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) The use of renewable alternatives to petroleum-based heating oil in the U.K., such as fatty acid methyl esters, has the potential to significantly reduce fuel costs and carbon emission profiles, according to a report published
October 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Argent Secures £7m in Funding from RBS
(Biofuels International) Biodiesel producer Argent Energy Group has been awarded £7 million (€8.1 million) from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to help fund its development. ...Lombard is funding the purchase of innovative equipment that will enable Argent to convert used
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Tanzania: Sun Biofuels Jatropha Project in Kisarawe Suspended
by Finnigan Wa Simbeye (AllAfrica.com) An ambitious biodiesel project which was allocated over 8,000 hectares of land by Kisarawe district officials in 2008 is in trouble. Employees and casual workers of Sun Biofuels Plc, told Business Standard last weekend that work
October 07, 2011 Read Full Article
John Lewis Use Biodiesel to Power Jungheinrich Forklift
(Logistics Business Magazine) At its distribution centre at Brackmills, Northamptonshire, leading retailer John Lewis is turning waste cooking oil from its in-store restaurants into eco-friendly biodiesel which it is using to power a Jungheinrich counterbalanced forklift truck. The oil is collected directly
October 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Thomson to Operate Britain's First Biofuel Flight
by Oliver Smith (Telegraph) The first commercial flight in Britain to use "environmentally-friendly" biofuel will take off from Birmingham on Thursday afternoon. Thomson Airways will fly passengers to Arrecife, on the island of Lanzarote, using a combination of “hydroprocessed esters and fatty
October 06, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Researchers to Assess Algae's Environmental Impacts in Europe
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) The U.K.’s National Non-Food Crops Centre has been chosen to investigate the environmental impacts of algae-based bioenergy. “This study will help provide the evidence needed for a U.K. strategy for algae, ensuring that the developing algae
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Greenergy Digs Deeper into Waste to Make Biodiesel
by Nigel Hunt and Ikuko Kurahone (Reuters) Major British independent oil firm Greenergy sees its future as an exploration company, but one that hunts for fuel in piles of stale pork pies and cakes rather than under the ground or from
September 29, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Biodiesel Producer Looking to Expand Capacity
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) When the founders of Organic Drive, a U.K.-based biodiesel producer, decided to leave their industrial and operational consulting positions, the team wanted to find an industry that was growing. They chose the biodiesel industry, according
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Government Gives Hope for Ensus Plant
by Rob Merrick (The Northern Echo) Production at one of Europe's largest biofuel plants will soon be "up and running again" after the Government pledged to come to its rescue, an MP vowed yesterday. In May Ensus said it was temporarily
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Bentley 'Is Achieving Flex-Fuel Targets' but Demand is Limited
(The Engineer) Bentley has said that is achieving its flex-fuel targets but that demand is being restricted by a poor infrastructure for E85 bio-ethanol. Engineering chief Ulrich Eichorn said that by next year all Bentley models and engines will have bio-fuel
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
'Microwave Waste' to Get Biofuel
By Leila Battison (BBC) Microwaving waste food products could be used to produce important chemicals and biofuels, new technology has shown. ...Using highly focused microwaves, the scientists believe they can input any organic waste, and extract useful chemical compounds that can
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Sustainable Biofuels: Prospects and Challenges
(Science Policy Section, The Royal Society) However, access to energy underpins our current way of life and the hopes of peoples around the world for improved lives. Mobility is a core component of these aspirations. Transport has become the main driver for increasing global
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Firm Produces High-Energy 'Hycadiesel'
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Hycagen Ltd., a U.K.-based advanced biofuel startup, uses the same feedstocks traditionally used by the biodiesel industry, but Hycagen doesn’t make biodiesel. ...Hycagen produces a fuel they call Hycadiesel. The fuel is made using
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Closes the Gap on Biodiesel in Britain
(Agra Europe) The gap between biodiesel and bioethanol supply appears to be narrowing in the UK, with 41% of biofuel now reported as ethanol, compared with 29% in the previous year ending April 14, 2010. Used cooking oil, with its strong sustainability credentials,
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
7 Guilty in European Biodiesel Investment Fraud
by The Serious Fraud Office (Biodiesel Magazine) Seven men are facing jail after being convicted at Ipswich Crown Court for their roles in a boiler-room fraud that pulled in more than £8 million ($12,650,400). The Spanish-based operation targeted thousands of investors
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Newcastle University Outlines Plans for North East Carbon Capture Hub
by James Murray (Business Green) Could gasification hold the key to the decarbonisation of the North East's heavy industries? Researchers at the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability(NIReS) are working on ambitious plans that could establish the North East as a global
September 08, 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
GBL and Songyuan Laihe Chemical Company (Laihe) Enter into a Technology Collaboration Agreement
(Green Biologics) GBL and Laihe Chemical Co. a company focused on producing bio-fuels and bio-chemicals from non-food bio-mass resources have entered into a collaborative development and licensing agreement in China. Under the terms of the agreement GBL and Laihe
September 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Cracking Cellulose: A Step into the Biofuels Future
(University of York/EurekAlert!) Scientists from the University of York have played a pivotal role in a discovery which could finally unlock the full potential of waste plant matter to replace oil as a fuel source. Professor Paul Walton and Professor
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Oxford Study Highlights Advantages and Barriers for Algal Biodiesel
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new life cycle analysis by a team from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, at the University of Oxford, states that algae-derived biodiesel could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deliver a high financial return,
August 26, 2011 Read Full Article
NNFCC to Investigate Environmental Impacts of Algae Bioenergy
(National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials) The new research will explore what needs to be done to sustainably produce bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals from algae in the UK. Algae have the potential to make a significant contribution towards our future
August 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Streamlining a Community-Scale Solution
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) ...According to Greg Springer, president of Green Fuels America Inc., interest in community-scale biodiesel production is increasing all around the world. He attributes this to both high fuel prices and the specific advantages community-scale production
August 17, 2011 Read Full Article
New Technology Revives Biofuels
(Alpha Galileo) Started three years ago, EQUIMOTOR PLUS, an R&D project financed through the EUREKA initiative, benefited from the brains of some of the brightest researchers in the four corners of Europe. Together, technicians from Spain, the Czech Republic, Finland,
August 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels: What Do the Experts Think?
by Matthew Knight (CNN) It wasn't so long ago that biofuels were being heralded as the savior of the planet and a thoroughly green solution to our climate woes. But fair winds have been replaced by persistent storms of criticism.
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Portland Says NOPE to Bio Fuels Energy Plant
(YouandFilms.com) ...Nope (http://nope.org.uk/) has been campaigning against the biofuel electric plant for more than 2 years. The plant has been approved by the local government but no building works have started. If the plan gets built we will see vast
July 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Airline's Pioneering Biofuel Flight Grounded after Delivery Hitch
(Click Green) The UK's first commercial flight powered by sustainable biofuels has been postponed after delivery problems, airline Thomson Airways confirmed this afternoon. Thomson Airways' flight TOM7424 from Birmingham to Palma was scheduled to make aviation history tomorrow by being the
July 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Competition Open for Local Ecopreneurs
(Kirriemuir Herald) FORFAR and Kirriemuir ecopreneurs with innovative ideas for tackling climate change are invited to apply for awards of up to £40,000 each as the Shell Springboard programme opens for its seventh year. Since 2005, the Shell Springboard programme has
July 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Future of Food: Meet the Farmers and Scientists Who Could Save Our Fragile Global Food System
by Robin Barton (The Independent) ...So I called my local farmer, David Bowtell. Sparing me the arcane details of the deal, he explained that growers of oilseed rape have received a cast-iron subsidy courtesy of the Common Agricultural Policy since
July 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Bath's Roman Baths Algae Could Fuel Cars
(BBC News) ...The research team, which also includes the university's department of chemistry and scientists at the University of the West of England, is growing each of the algae from the Roman Baths over a range of temperatures and comparing
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Thomson Airways to Become First UK Sustainable Jet Biofuels Operator as It Announces Start of Weekly Flights
(GreenAirOnline) UK holiday airline Thomson Airways is to operate the UK’s first sustainable biofuel commercial flight at the end of this month and start regular weekly flights from September on routes from Birmingham. A 50/50 blend of used cooking oil
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Indian River Agrees to Provide 55,000 Tons of Vegetative Waste Annually to Planned Bio-Ethanol Fuel Plant
by Henry A. Stephens (TCPalm) INEOS New Planet BioEnergy, which is building an estimated $150 million plant on Oslo Road, will be shipping in 90,000 tons a year of yard clippings, tree trimmings and other vegetative waste from other counties
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Electric Cars May Not Be So Green after All, Says British Study
by Ben Webster (The Australian) Electric cars could produce higher emissions over their lifetimes than petrol equivalents because of the energy consumed in making their batteries, a study has found. An electric car owner would have to drive at least 129,000km
June 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Honeywell: The Lindbergh of Aviation Biofuels
by Mark Halper (SmartPlanet) Jet biofuels should get a boost this Friday, when Honeywell has scheduled a trans-Atlantic flight heading to Paris from Morristown, N.J., powered by Honeywell-branded Green Jet Fuel. The corporate jet, a Gulfstream 6450, will carry executives from
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Lignin Munching Enzyme Discovered in Bacteria – Lower-Cost Route to Biofuels?
by Thomas Saidak (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, research carried out by teams at the Universities of Warwick and British Columbia have identified an lignin-breaking enzyme in bacteria which could be used to make biofuel production more efficient. The
June 10, 2011 Read Full Article
National Farmers Union Rejects Biofuel Criticism
(National Farmers Union) Biofuels can help to create a strong and sustainable agricultural sector in Europe, NFU policy director Martin Haworth stressed this week. Speaking at an international food security conference in Brussels this week Mr Haworth criticised campaign groups for painting
June 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Battles over Biofuels in Europe: NGOs and the Politics of Markets
by Sarah Pilgrim and Mark Harvey (Sociological Research Online) In this paper, we argue that a consortium of NGOs has played a significant role in shaping the market for, and restricting the use of, biofuels as an alternative to conventional
June 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Boom in Africa as British Firms Lead Rush on Land for Plantations
by Damian Carrington and Stefano Valentino (The Guardian) British firms have acquired more land in Africa for controversial biofuel plantations than companies from any other country, a Guardian investigation has revealed. Half of the 3.2m hectares (ha) of biofuel land identified –
June 01, 2011 Read Full Article
MIT Researchers Increase Algal Hydrogen Production
(Algae Industry Magazine) Many kinds of algae and cyanobacteria are capable of using energy from sunlight to split water molecules and release hydrogen. One reason this approach hasn’t yet been harnessed for fuel production is that under ordinary circumstances, hydrogen
May 31, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Renewable Energy Review: Another Acceptance of International Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) Arguments Without Analysis
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) The UK Committee on Climate Change, an “independent statutory body which was established under the Climate Change Act (2008),” recently published their recommendations on future renewable energy in the UK, Renewable Energy Review,
May 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Campaign against Biofuels Stops at DfT Office
(Green Car Website) Anti-poverty charity ActionAid has launched a new anti-biofuels campaign targeting Transport Secretary Philip Hammond by using adverts on buses which stop outside his office. The adverts urge Mr Hammond to consider the impacts that biofuels are having in developing countries
May 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Review Highlights Major Role for Renewables in Meeting UK Climate Targets - 9 May 2011
(Committee on Climate Change) The Committee on Climate Change said today, that renewable energy should make a major contribution to decarbonising the UK economy over the next decades. The conclusions are set out in the Committee’s Renewable Energy Review which was
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Greenergy International (UK) to Begin Producing Biodiesel From Solid Food Waste
(Biofuels Journal) Greenergy, a privately owned company that supplies one fifth of Britain’s road fuel, announced May 6 that it has begun producing biodiesel from food waste. In a unique partnership with Brocklesby Ltd, a specialist in recycling edible oils, unsaleable
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Royal Wedding Car Runs on 85 Percent Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Dukemobile is an FFV! Never thought there would be a biofuels angle to the Royal Wedding, but as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left Buckingham Palace for the royal residence Clarence House, they drove off
May 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Global Food Crisis, Biofuels and Land Grabs in Ghana
by Bright Owusu (Ghana mma) The time has never been riper for the people of Ghana to speak out about the terrible negligence of consecutive governments who have allowed horrendous land grabs by foreign nationals for the production of questionable
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
EU's Airline Emission Goals under Scrutiny
(Euractiv.com) When the European Commission unveiled plans to slash transport CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 last week, many assumed the figure would apply to road, rail and air travel in the same way. But EurActiv has learned that
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Scientists Aim to Improve Photosynthesis to Increase Food and Fuel Production
(University of Glasgow) Scientists from the University of Glasgow are working with international colleagues on a £5.4m collaboration to improve the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process whereby biological systems convert sunlight into food and the source of all the
April 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Focus on Cost and Sustainability Issues as Aviation and Biofuel Sectors Meet Face to Face in Rotterdam
(GreenAirOnline) Sustainability and economics dominated debate at last week’s World Biofuels Market (WBM) event in Rotterdam as airlines gathered to make the case for aviation biofuels commercialisation to a wider biofuels industry audience. In a keynote speech, KLM Managing Director
March 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Microfuelers: Biofuels Companies Aim Big, by Thinking Small
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...NGOs in Africa have been touting for some time the use of ethanol cook stoves, to replace three-stone, wood based stoves that can trigger local deforestation and expose women and girls (who do much of
March 28, 2011 Read Full Article
New Report Tracks Aviation Biofuels Collaboration
(Air Transport Action Group) The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) has released a new report, Powering the Future of Flight, which tracks progress in some key aviation biofuels projects worldwide and provides policymakers with a few examples of how they can
March 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Sugar Beet Acreage Could Rise as Alternative Uses Are Developed
by Philip Case (Farmers Weekly Interactive) Sugar beet is on the cusp of benefitting from a host of technological advances that could increasingly see it grown for uses other than to create sugar, according to the director of Rothamsted Research. Maurice Moloney said
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
ASA Bans ExxonMobil Biofuel Ad
(RAC) The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an ExxonMobil advertisement after its claims relating to environmental benefits of using algae to form biofuels were found to be misleading. A complaint was filed by a viewer against the TV ad, featuring
March 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne Addresses CentreForum on the UK's Energy Future
by Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change/CentreForum) ...Policymakers around the world understand that climate change is real, is happening, and is worth defending ourselves against. ...What does a low carbon economy look like?
March 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Greener Role for Sugar Beet, Norfolk Growers Told
by Michael Pollitt (EDP24) ...Gino De Jaegher, British Sugar’s managing director, told the 300 delegates at the John Innes Centre on Norwich Research Park: “The future offers even more opportunity. In future sugar beet will be processed for
March 04, 2011 Read Full Article
BP Biofuel Breakthrough Imminent
by Graham Cooper (OilPrice.com) BP is poised for a major advance in its biofuel operations, as it is completing commissioning of the world’s first biobutanol pilot plant and plans to begin full–scale production later this year at its Vivergo Fuels
February 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Report Criticises the UK over Its Refusal to Earmark EU ETS Carbon Revenues for Financing Green Projects
(GreenAirOnline) According to a report by carbon offsetting company Carbon Retirement, the United Kingdom has earned more than one billion euros ($1.35bn) from the auction of EU Allowances since its first auction in Phase II of the EU Emissions Trading
February 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Funding Boost for Biofuel Development in Wales
by Emily Thomas (Energy Saving Trust) Scientists in West Wales and the Valleys looking to develop biofuels from locally grown plant crops have been given a funding boost of £20 million from the Welsh Assembly. Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental
February 24, 2011 Read Full Article
S.S. Lootah to Introduce Compact Biodiesel Processor to UAE
(Zawya) The UAE-based conglomerate S.S. Lootah Group will introduce biodiesel processor known as the Biobot to the UAE, in cooperation with UK- based Practical Energy Solutions. The compact processor is fitted with a unique feature that accelerates the reaction and settling
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crops to Fall within Assurance Chain
by Julian Gairdner (Farmers Weekly Interactive) Grain destined for the biofuel chain looks set to fall within farm assurance following negotiations between Assured Food Standards, the NFU and the European Commission. Ensuring there was a single assurance programme was a key objective of
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
UK's Carbon Trust Funding Cut by 40%
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Cuts to the government's low-carbon agency will cancel grants to biofuel projects and cause dozens of redundancies The government's leading low-carbon agency has had its funding cut by 40%, causing the cancellation of grants to a major
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Wheat Crop Can Expand to Meet Food and Fuel Demand
by Nigel Hunt (Reuters) * UK wheat yields seen having potential to rise * EU biofuel expansion seen mainly based on bioethanol * Higher percentage of equity used in financing project Britain can grow enough wheat to supply the needs of food, feed
February 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Qantas and Solena to Explore Feasibility of a Waste to Jet Biofuel Production Plant in Australia
(GreenAir Online) US-based Solena Group, which is seeking to build and operate a facility in London to convert waste biomass feedstock into sustainable jet fuel, has signed a letter of intent with Qantas to develop a business plan over the
February 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Teesside Biofuels Firm Spends £6m to tackle Bad Smell
by Karl (Make Biofuel) A biofuels company on Teesside has pledged to spend £6m on ridding its plant of a bad smell which has sparked complaints from residents. Ensus opened its bioethanol plant at Wilton in 2009. But since March
January 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Fears over Impact of £200m Biofuel Refinery due to Open at Saltend
(ThisIsHullAndEastRiding) FEARS have been raised over the environmental impact of a new £200-million biofuel plant due to open early this year in Saltend. The refinery will convert about one million tonnes of wheat every year into bioethanol and animal feed. Once fully
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Call for Cuts to Trade Barriers for Ethanol and Sugar Trade
(ABC Rural) ...At a meeting in London, the Global Sugar Alliance has called on governments to eliminate subsidies and trade barriers. It says sugar consumption around the world is expected to increase by 40 million tonnes over the next decade, but
December 08, 2010 Read Full Article
BP Biofuels CEO Presents Sugar-Based Vision
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growing biofuels mandates will require 220 “world-scale” cellulosic biofuels plants to be operational in the U.S. by 2020, according to Phil New, CEO of BP Biofuels. The head of the oil giant’s biofuels division
December 06, 2010 Read Full Article
Butamax Hits Milestones on Path towards Commercial Biobutanol in 2012
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Previewing the bolt-on biobutanol technology that Butamax is expecting to commercialize with corn as a feedstock by 2012, and sugarcane by 2013-14, Potter confirmed that the company is in discussions for “conversions…that’s with an s”
November 11, 2010 Read Full Article
Local Growth White Paper
by Vincent Cable (They Work For You) This Government's economic ambition is to build a more balanced economy, driven by private sector growth. Today I am announcing the publication of the Government's local growth White Paper, which sets out what that
November 03, 2010 Read Full Article
New Processing Plant for Biofuel Firm
(EADT24) Green energy company Living Fuels has launched a new processing facility to help it meet growing demand. The East Anglia-based firm, which collects used cooking oil from more than 270 recycling centres across the country and refines in into biofuel, has
October 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Microbubbles to Make Biofuel Plants More Economic
(The Engineer) A University of Sheffield researcher has won national recognition for the development of a ’microbubble device’ that promises to make the production of biofuels much more energy efficient. ...This new method consumes much less energy, using a special air-lift
October 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Quangos Working on Renewable Energy No Longer a 'Priority'
by Damian Carrington and James Randerson (The Guardian) Renewables Advisory Board and Office for Renewable Energy Deployment among bodies axed Two renewable energy quangos have been axed, with a leaked letter describing the function delivered by one of them as no longer
October 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Gas Oil Users Warned to Check for Biodiesel Presence
by Dennis Flower (H&V News) Users of gas oil should prepare for the inclusion of biodiesel following changes in line with new European Directives for Renewable Energy and Fuel Quality, ICOM Energy Association has warned. The new fuel will be available later
October 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Home Made Biodiesel is Cheap and Easy
by William Surman (Farmers Guardian) Buy a litre of diesel today and it will cost you £1.20, but do it yourself and it can cost you as little as 20 pence per litre. That was what visitors to EBEC – the UK’s
October 12, 2010 Read Full Article
EUR 6.1 mln Project to Farm Algae for Biofuels
(FIS) Scientists are proposing the creation of methane gas from algae grown in great offshore farms to power adapted vehicles. A new GBP 5 million (EUR 6.1 million) UK and Irish joint project called BioMara disclosed the plan and seeks to
September 30, 2010 Read Full Article
Potato Power Future of Biofuels, Vodka Maker Says
by Emma Jackson (WardsAuto.com) First scotch, now vodka. William Chase, founder of Chase Vodka, has launched a plan to convert waste potatoes from his U.K. distillery into a high-grade biofuel for vehicles. “We have known for a long time that potato starch
September 09, 2010 Read Full Article
Fuelling Sugar Beet's Future
by Paul Spackman (CheckBiotech) ..."Ethanol production accounts for around 20% of cane harvested and 3% of beet and I'm cautiously optimistic those proportions will increase," (the International Sugar Organization's Peter Barron) said. ...While feed wheat rather than sugar beet is the
July 25, 2010 Read Full Article
Oakfield Capital Acquires Biofuel Company from BP
(AltAssets.com) Europe-focused private equity firm Oakfield Capital Partners has completed an investment in Coryton Advanced Fuels (CAF) to acquire the assets of biofuel company Coryton Fuels Technology Unit (FTU) from embattled petroleum company BP. UK-based company FTU was established in 2000
July 15, 2010 Read Full Article
Scramble's on in London to Snag Biodiesel
by Howard Mustoe (Seattle Times) ... Cabbies, who collectively spend almost $634,000 a day on diesel, are starting to switch to biodiesel, a fuel derived from vegetable oil, to cut costs. Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is also looking at using biodiesel to
May 25, 2010 Read Full Article
A New Way to Make Methanol Fuel
(New Energy and Fuel) University of Oxford researchers are developing a method for the homogeneous conversion of CO2 to methanol, with methanol as the only resulting C1 product. With momentum building in the methanol powered fuel cell market there is good
May 25, 2010 Read Full Article
New Laboratory to Help Chemical Revolution
(University of York) A major new suite of laboratories, to be opened this week, will help scientists in the Green Chemistry group at the University of York to advance research into clean synthesis, catalysis, novel materials and the application of
April 26, 2010 Read Full Article
EU Report Signals U-Turn on Biofuels Target
(Reuters) ...The European Union appears to be backtracking on its biofuels policy with a new study showing that more than 5.6 percent of biofuel in road fuels can damage the environment. EU leaders agreed in 2008 that 10 percent of transport
March 26, 2010 Read Full Article
UK Looks to Produce 70bn Litres of Biofuel a Year from Pondlife
(clickgreen) The Carbon Trust has announced plans to take on the world in the global race to develop a sustainable, cost-effective biofuel from algae. The "dream team" of eleven leading UK institutions was unveiled who will work together with the Carbon
March 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Consortium Gets Government Backing to Turn Waste Biomass into Transport Biofuel
(Greenwise) A consortium of British businesses has netted £7 million of Government funding to develop a technology that could see mini refineries sited near landfill sites up and down the country producing cheap, carbon efficient biofuel for transport from waste. ...The
March 18, 2010 Read Full Article
Review of the Potential for Biofuels in Aviation
by E4Tech (UK Committee on Climate Change) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is an independent body which provides advice to (UK) Government on defining and setting carbon budgets, and on wider climate change issues. The CCC’s first report, published
March 15, 2010 Read Full Article
Biofuel ‘Worse than Regular Petrol or Diesel’
(ETA) The environmental impact of clearing forests to make way for biofuel crops is such that using fossil fuel in cars is better for the environment than biofuels made from crops such as palm oil. Under the minimum sustainability standard set
March 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Ensus Signs with Shell, Sends First Tanker
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The first tanker of ethanol has left Ensus, Europe’s largest wheat-based ethanol facility. Headed for the Netherlands, the cargo, which has been purchased by Shell as part of a long term deal, is a
March 02, 2010 Read Full Article
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