In the EU, a new tariff on biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia will take effect on May 29th as an investigation into unfair subsidies for Argentine and Indonesian producers takes place. Provisional tariffs are in place at between 7-11% for Argentine imports, and 0-10% for Indonesian imports. The investigation will conclude by December, and […]
In Iowa, the Senate has approved a tax break for ethanol that continues the current rate of taxation, $0.20 per gallon, for another year. Without the extension, the fuel would be taxed at $0.21 per gallon. The House has yet to approve the change. The House has also seen an amendment that would gradually increase […]
In Washington, an “unintentional” subsidization of foreign ethanol imports created by the RFS may be closed with a new bill introduced by Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Joe Manchin (D-WV). The Foreign Fuels Reduction Act, the Senators argue, has created an incentive to import biofuels by not requiring volume requirements for the advanced and total […]
In California, biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass would benefit if carried out between 65 and 70 degrees, as researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute have improved the thermal stability of trichoderma reesei EGI around that temperature. Using their technique, they engineered an enzyme variant with greater activity and stability, a process called “B-factor guided mutagenesis.” […]
In Colorado, Gevo has agreed to temporarily dismiss its lawsuit against Butamax because Butamax doesn’t have a chemical plant in which infringement is possible, asserted Gevo Executive Vice President Brett Lund. Butamax’s CEO Paul Beckwith continued to deny that the company used the patented technology. While other cases continue, Gevo cannot refile the complaint against […]
In California, Pacific Ethanol shareholders have voted to approve a reverse stock split proposal. In order to keep the stock price above $1, nearly 77% of shares were cast with a prevision allowing the company to replace every five to 15 shares with one share. The company received a temporary reprieve from the NASDAQ, which […]
In Louisiana, Dynamic Fuels’s Geismar renewable diesel plant is expected to resume operations by July. The facility, the product of the joint venture between Syntroluem and Tyson Foods, was idled in 2012. The company ordered a new catalyst for the plant in February, which is expected to increase yields to 88%, resulting in revenues per […]
In Canada, the National Research Council (NRC), Canadian Natural Resources Limited, and Pond Biofuels plan to build a $19-million facility in Alberta to convert greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian oilsands into biofuels. The company will use algae to recycle carbon dioxide emissions from Canadian Natural’s Primrose South oilsands site. The project is expected to […]
In Israel, Evogene may be looking to trade in the North American markets after spinning off from Compugen Ltd in 2007. They are currently looking for a market where the “expertise of the agricultural sector high,” said Ofer Haviv, CEO. “We are currently in the Tel Aviv 100 Index, but that’s not enough.” The company […]
In Oklahoma, researchers at Oklahoma State University recently completed gene sequencing Galdieria sulphuraria, a type of red algae that grows inside active volcanoes and in hot spring sulfur deposits in Iceland. The team discovered that the enzymes that make the algae able to survive in such conditions were “stolen” from bacteria enzymes. Biofuels researchers may […]
