Ethanol creates schism within agriculture

by dianecatherine on March 21, 2011

Appeal Democrat reports that the drive to fill the gas tanks of America’s cars with corn-based ethanol is creating a division within the ranks of the country’s agricultural producers. The most recent acceleration of the trend has been the approval to nudge the percentage of ethanol at the gas pump from 10 to 15 percent.

{ 0 comments }

Biodiesel production on the up

by dianecatherine on March 21, 2011

Biofuels International reports that biodiesel production around the world will increase at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of approximately 15.5% between 2010 and 2013, according to a research report by market research and information analysis company RNCOS. The company’s report, named ‘Global Biofuel Market Analysis’, states that government incentives and a boom in the number of biodiesel plants in Asia, will significantly contribute to this growth.

{ 0 comments }

Mission NewEnergy and Felda collaborate for ISCC certified biodiesel

March 21, 2011

Biofuels International reports that renewable energy firm Mission NewEnergy and palm oil producer Felda Global Group have entered into a long-term supply agreement to establish the first fully integrated ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System) certified palm biodiesel supply and production chain in Asia. The latest agreement between Felda and Mission will see them [...]

Read the full article →

Ethanol industry has come a long way since its Iowa roots

March 21, 2011

Globe Gazette reports that Gaskill, as chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, lobbied for a corn check-off that provided the funding for early ethanol research. He and other farm leaders dubbed “The Gang of Seven” helped spur what led eventually to an ethanol boom. Iowa produced 10 million gallons of ethanol in 1978.

Read the full article →

Golden Opportunities for China’s Biotechnology Industry

March 21, 2011

SB Wire reports that the Chinese central government was reported to continue intensifying the demand for “energy-saving and emission-reduction” in the Twelfth Five-Year (2011-2015) Plan. A new production facility of cassava-based fuel ethanol located in Guangdong Province, owned by Guangdong Zhongneng Alcohol Co., Ltd., is waiting for the approval from National Development and Reform Commission. [...]

Read the full article →

Efforts to warn train failed

March 21, 2011

RR Star reports that heavy ain and flooding may be the direct cause of a 2009 freight train derailment in Cherry Valley that sparked a deadly ethanol-fueled blaze, but the disaster could have been avoided at numerous points that day. The CN police and dispatcher finally made contact just minutes after the train derailed in [...]

Read the full article →

New Biofuel Production Plant Announced for Nevada

March 21, 2011

2 News reports that Green Fuels America will manufacture its line of fuelmatic biodiesel processors in Nevada. State leaders say this processing plant will create several new jobs. “To put it here, and to create sustainable jobs on the manufacturing side is huge. I mean, this is sustainable economic development,” says Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki.

Read the full article →

River dumping issue rages on

March 21, 2011

Faribault County Registerreports that officials from the Buffalo Lake Energy (BLE) ethanol plant near Fairmont were back in Faribault County explaining their plan for dumping waste water into the Blue Earth River.

Read the full article →

Researchers create biodiesel from microalgae grown in wastewater

March 14, 2011

One India reports that researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are developing biodiesel from wastewater microalgae. “The one big drawback is that biodiesel does freeze at a higher temperature,” said Jeff Lodge. “It’s possible to blend various types of biodiesel-algae derived with soybeans or some other type-to generate a biodiesel with a more favourable pour [...]

Read the full article →

Lootah, Practical Energy Solutions bring small scale biodiesel to Dubai

March 14, 2011

Biofuels Digest reports that in Dubai, the S.S. Lootah Group and Practical Energy Solutions, based in the UK, have signed a partnership agreement to bring the Biobot, a small scale biodiesel production unit, to Dubai. Practically, anyone with used cooking oil can use Biobot to fuel their diesel powered vehicles with biodiesel.”

Read the full article →

Mozambican government soon to impose mixing biofuel with fossil fuels

March 13, 2011

Macau Hub reports that Mozambique will soon impose a regulation on mixing biofuel, specifically ethanol, into gasoline and diesel, the country’s Energy Minister, cited by Mozambican newspaper NotÌcias. Salvador Namburete said that the regulation, which has been handed over to the Council of Ministers for approval, stipulates that alcohol/ethanol should be mixed into gasoline and [...]

Read the full article →

CJP announces Summer 2011 Biodiesel training courses June 1-30, 2011

March 13, 2011

Pellets-Wood reports that biodiesel from a variety of feedstocks can meet contemporary needs for environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and quality of life without compromising the ability of future generations to meet these needs for them. CJP is pleased to announce the “SUMMER 2011: BIODIESELCOURSES Level 1, 2 & 3 “providing a great opportunity to those [...]

Read the full article →

THE 2011 Biodiesel Essay Competition: a scholarship contest

March 12, 2011

Pellets-Wood reports that to participate in the scholarship contest, applicants are required to write an essay on any aspect of biodiesel in not more tan 1500 words. The contest is an open competition aimed at promoting the role of youth in attaining energy security through sustainable solutions such as biodiesel while preserving the ecosystem.

Read the full article →

Interest among farmers to make biodiesel

March 12, 2011

TMC.net reports that UNCP is laying the groundwork for a manufacturing facility that may be supported by locally grown agricultural products. The purpose of the meeting was to generate interest among local farmers and agribusinesses in making biodiesel. Gary Sink is president of Red Birch Energy, Inc., a Virginia company that makes biodiesel and sells [...]

Read the full article →

Vilsack to sign USDA biofuels MOU with Governor’s Biofuels Coalition

March 11, 2011

Biofuels Digest reports that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that he will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to encourage the continued development of bio-based products for energy consumption, animal feed, chemicals and other uses. Vilsack will sign the MOU with the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, which was originally formed to provide leadership on ethanol [...]

Read the full article →

Diversified Technology debuts low-cost algal oil extraction technology

March 11, 2011

Biofuels Digest reports that in Massachusetts, Diversified Technologies’ announced that they have introduced low-cost process (patent pending) for the pre-treatment of algae using pulsed electric field (PEF) technology to streamline the extraction of oils from algal cells early in the biorefining process. The PEF applies 10-30 kV/cm electric pulses for 2 to 20 microseconds to [...]

Read the full article →

New Zealand needs to wake up to bioenergy’s potential

March 11, 2011

NZ Herald reports that the commercialisation and use of lignocellulose from wood or grasses to produce biodiesel is realistically still 10-15 years away Cox says, “but we know we can do it as a number of plants are now being built around the world.” One huge advantage of this advanced biodiesel is that it is [...]

Read the full article →

New Zealand needs to wake up to bioenergy’s potential

March 11, 2011

SciBlogs reports that looking at the extraction of lignin and zylose in addition to logs and lumber makes pine trees extremely valuable. The resulting cellulose residues can then be converted to ethanol or biodiesel – and their application here is something that really needs thinking about says Cox. The cost of manufacturing biodiesel from tallow [...]

Read the full article →

Enervation buys Algona plant

March 11, 2011

iStock Analyst reports that Enervation Advisors, a New York City firm, is living up to its promise of getting heavily involved in the biofuels industry. The company is working on getting the former Tri-City Energy plant in Keokuk running again, and this week purchased the East Fork biodiesel plant in Algona.

Read the full article →

Iowa biodiesel plants bounce back

March 11, 2011

DesMoinesRegister reports that Jeff Johannesmeyer’s decision to leave a cushy investment banking position in Omaha last fall to run a biodiesel plant was certainly open to question. Like most other biodiesel plants, Western Iowa Energy was idled last year after Congress refused to extend the $1-per-gallon biodiesel credit.

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries