In Germany, drought is expected to hit the country’s rapeseed harvest hard this year, in turn reducing biodiesel production significantly. The current dry weather has only lasted for four weeks but already the crop is seen down 22% to 4.4 million metric tons, meaning just 1.7 million tons of biodiesel compared to 2 million tons […]
In France, Deinove announced the receipt of a $2.38 million payment from Oseo (the French state innovation agency), the second tranche in the DEINOL cellulosic ethanol project. The payment was triggered by achievement of the first key R&D milestone in the Deinol project – the selection of a robust, thermophilic Deinococcus base strain for use […]
Today on Twitter: SustainableNet: Ethanol Subsidies Under Attack as Gas Prices Rise – Gather.com rgwakeman: Crazy to decry biofuels but not animal feed RT @bittman Oxfam says food prices will double by 2030: DrShikin: Not sure abt biofuels like palm oil. If food becomes fuel, we’ll then hv 2 look at alternatives 2 PO for […]
In Spain, researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Auckland announced that they made the hydrogen production process simpler and cheaper, at ambient temperature and pressure, using a fully scalable powder photocatalyst and ethanol as a feedstock. The demonstrations have shown 5 litres of hydrogen can be […]
In Iowa, former governor Mitt Romney and former House speaker Newt Gingrich have set themselves aside from other Republican candidates such as Tim Pawlenty by saying that they support subsidies for ethanol. Pundits are saying that ethanol support is helping to make Romney a real contender, after failing to capture the 2008 caucus in Iowa […]
As the US approaches the E10 “blend wall,” can higher ethanol blends open a market? Is there evidence of consumer demand for higher ethanol blends, and on what terms? The Digest looks at new data from Iowa. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association reports that E-85 sales rose to a record 2.65 million gallons in Q1 […]
In Wisconsin, the Oshkosh Northwestern is reporting that Paul and David Olsen have racked up debts of $104 million in relation to the implosion of the family ethanol business, including the bankruptcy at the 110-million-gallon Renew Energy ethanol plant in January 2009. At one time, the brothers owned interests in two ethanol plants, a crops […]
In Kentucky, United Parcel Service began using biodiesel blends at its Worldport facility this month. The 30,000 gallon fuel tank and fueling station will allow fueling operators to blend specified percentages of biodiesel “on the fly,” starting with 5 percent biodiesel (B5), and working up to 20 percent biodiesel (B20). “There is a finite amount […]
In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association estimated that the average American family traveling this Memorial Day will save more than $31 simply due to the fact that ethanol is holding gasoline prices down. According to the RFA, aggregate gasoline savings due to ethanol this weekend will be $440 million, based on AAA’s estimates that 31 […]
In France, Thermya announced construction of three industrial biocoal production units using TORSPYD, a biomass torrefaction process developed by the company. The first unit will open this summer in Urnieta, in the Spanish Basque Country, under the supervision of Grupo Lantec, promoter and developer of the project. It will produce 20,000 tonnes of biocoal per […]
