In Michigan, several companies recently received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, making total investments from the Fund over $11.6 million. To date, 52 Michigan companies have received seed funding from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s SmartZones to encourage innovation. One of the companies, NextCAT, Inc., is commercializing a […]
In Florida, INEOS Bio and its joint venture partner, New Planet Energy, announced a conditional commitment for a $75 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program. One unique aspect of the transaction is its reliance not on traditional bank finance, but on an innovative bond program developed by […]
By Brooke Coleman Part III: The California LCFS & Electricity: Fair or Foul? The California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) is a potentially groundbreaking yet controversial policy. LCFS proponents say the policy is performance-based, and does not pick winners and losers. Critics say the LCFS uses inconsistent carbon accounting methodologies, which in turn advantages certain […]
In Texas, Tesoro filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) giving further detail on its plan to spin off pipeline and terminal properties into a Master Limited Partnership. The move should help Tesoro monetize some of its logistics assets and sets up a couple of pathways to future growth. Tesoro intends to add […]
In Kenya, Gravitas Ltd, a Kenyan green energy firm announced plans to generate ethanol-based electricity by mid-2011 using hydrous ethanol. Gravitas has already launched an ethanol cooking stove and plans to open an ethanol bottling plant in Kisumu later this month. The ethanol is expected to replace use of the expensive and environmentally polluting kerosene. […]
In India, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Confederation of Indian industry (CII), in an attempt to restart its biodiesel industry, have recommended a price increase for biodiesel from jatropha. According to a study from MNRE and CII, the price of jatropha biodiesel needs to be raised to $0.79/litre from $0.59/litre in […]
In Brazil, Brazilian oil refinery Refinaria de Petroleos de Manguinhos SA announced a preliminary agreement with U.S. company Astra Oil Trading to set up a partnership for biodiesel production. The agreement will also allow Astra to use Manguinhos’ tanks, which are linked by pipeline to Rio de Janeiro port, to store ethanol. The facilities include […]
benlubbon: Rising oil price threatens fragile recovery Calxere: Biofuels coalition forms to promote positive image on local level sarahterrycobo: UC Berkeley Prof. Dan Kammen says: Energy From #Algae is a Wildcard ePURE_ethanol: NGOs attack biofuels in order to exert political influence. Sun_raven: Everyone is Lying About Ethanol: But the chemistry of ethanol and its ability […]
In Germany, the German Biomass Research Center conducted a study on optimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rapeseed biodiesel. The study sought to analyze current default values for GHGs from rapeseed biodiesel, and to outline areas to improve current GHG levels. At the current default levels for GHG reduction, most biofuels will not meet GHG […]
In Washington, the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association just filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency over the decision to allow the sale of gasoline containing higher blends of corn-based ethanol, the second major group to protest the ruling. In October, the Obama administration approved gas stations to start selling the ethanol blend for vehicles […]
