In Malaysia, the Edge Markets reports that the country’s primary industries minister is on a charm offensive in Europe this week, visiting United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium in an effort to convince policymakers of the sustainability of Malaysia’s palm oil industry. The country is preparing new limitations on oil palm expansion as well […]
20 product launches in one year is impressive and Novozymes is a world leader in biological solutions focusing on enzymes and microbes, but even leaders hit road bumps. While Novozymes had some improvement in the second half of 2019, they still had “unsatisfactory 2019 sales performance overall”, blamed on tough agricultural markets and severe weather […]
From Finland comes the largest single corporate investment we’ve seen in years — UPM is taking it’s “next transformative growth step” and is investing in a biorefinery at Leuna, Germany to convert solid wood into next generation biochemicals: bio-monoethylene glycol, lignin-based renewable functional fillers, bio-monopropylene glycol and industrial sugars. UPM will invest €550 million ($611 […]
In the UK, Velocys announced the appointment of Worley to manage the delivery of its fully integrated technology package. Worley is the partner in the development of pre-feasibility, feasibility and FEED packages for all projects in the Velocys portfolio. This allows Velocys to leverage synergies across multiple projects and geographies. Worley’s global reach allows an […]
In Germany, Hapag-Lloyd is bunkering “bio”: To reduce the CO2 emissions generated by operating ships, one of its ships recently refueled in Rotterdam with a new, eco-friendly biofuel. For the first time, the “Montreal Express” is being powered by so-called “B20” fuel, which consists of 80 percent low-sulphur fuel oil and 20 percent biodiesel based […]
In Serbia, a collaboration protocol was signed in Belgrade between Novamont and the Serbian government for the design of a circular bio-economy model that will enable Serbia to design low-impact agricultural-environmental systems. Under the terms of the five-year collaboration protocol, in the first phase of collaboration, Novamont will be involved in supporting the design of […]
In the UK, the Bloodhound Land Speed Record (LSR) team confirmed plans to challenge for the world land speed record using a zero-emissions rocket. Powered by concentrated hydrogen peroxide, the rocket will be used alongside the world’s best jet-fighter engine when the Bloodhound LSR car attempts to reach speeds beyond 800mph in South Africa in […]
In the UAE, the National newspaper reports that the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company plans to trial the use of biofuel in shipping on the back of pressure from the International Maritime Organization’s new Sulphur limits for bunker fuel that came into effect on January 1. Trials will be done with ferry runs from Abu […]
In Brazil, Platts reports that January hydrous ethanol prices reached a record high of $607.31 per cubic meter last Friday afternoon, breaking the previous record that was set on April 18 during a fuel shortage. UNICA reported last week that ethanol stocks are low, so prices will likely continue to increase during the interharvest period […]
In Germany, the Faculty of Biology at TU Dresden received the approval of a promising, large-scale bio-economic project in mid-January. Project coordinator Professor Michael Rother is delighted and eager to start researching and operating the small methanogenic eco-factories: “Methanogens, which are methanogenic microbes from the domain Archaea, have so far “only” been industrially applied as […]
