In Brazil, the competition watchdog Cade ruled that the proposed joint venture between BP and Copersucar to own and operate a recently built ethanol storage complex in the city of Paulínia on a 50/50 basis would not negatively impact the domestic ethanol or storage market so has given the green light for the deal to […]
The inventor of the paperback book, italic type and scientific publishing, Aldus Manutius, had for his motto the old Latin saying Festina lente (make haste slowly), and the printer’s mark of the Renaissance’s most famous printing operation, the Aldine Press, was a dolphin and anchor which illustrated the theme. Manutius got it from Cardinal Bembo […]
In November we reported that POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been the No. 1 hurdle to commercialization for producers around the world, according to their news release. Project LIBERTY is […]
In France, Global Bioenergies and Clariant announced the development of a new bio-based polymer for cosmetic creams and lotions, which is derived from renewable isobutene. Developed with Global Bioenergies’ sugar-based isobutene, Clariant’s new ingredient is a rheology modifier that influences formulation viscosity and achieves specific sensorial and texturizing properties for creams and lotions. It contains more […]
In Canada, Ontario corn farmers are excited about the opportunity to supply more corn for the proposed 10% ethanol blending mandate that will see demand increase by about 500 million liters per year. The province’s ethanol facilities are currently running at nearly 100% of installed capacity, meaning expansion and new facilities will be required, and […]
In West Virginia, residents of Greenbrier County have been asked to submit concerns and questions about a proposed biodiesel plant in writing by January 16 so the project developers may address them during a county commission meeting on January 25. Residents have voiced concerns about the project but the commission wants to avoid a back-and-forth […]
In Belgium, the European bioplastics industry has asked the European Commission to secure duty-free ethanol imports specifically for chemical intermediates in order to better compete with Latin American producers like Braskem who have nearly unlimited access to cheaper ethanol supplies. The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) brought up the issue during the recent EU-Mercosur trade […]
In Colorado, Gevo’s goal is to aggregate enough confirmed commercial off-take to support the capital expense of expanding Gevo’s production facility based in Luverne, MN. Gevo plans to expand its business development capabilities in 2018 to achieve this goal. Gevo is undertaking several initiatives to improve the cash flow profile of its business in 2018 […]
In Washington, hopes are not lost for the tax extenders bill for biodiesel and other renewable energy despite not having been approved before Congress broke for the Christmas recess. A continuing resolution to keep the government running is set for a vote on January 19 where the National Biodiesel Board is fairly confident a tax […]
In California, researchers from the US Navy at China Lake have developed a new class of drop-in renewable diesel from biomass using acid catalyzed condensation of 2-tridecanone with a series of diols through fermentation that provide similar energy levels as traditional biodiesel while providing up to a third more octane levels and nearly double those […]
