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Date: 2013-04-05
Ottawa, Ontario-headquartered Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. and PGF Biofuels Inc. have entered into a long term strategic marketing and distribution agreement establishing PGF as Agrisoma's exclusive partner for Resonance carinata, a non-food oilseed crop, in North America and Australia, and establishes a framework through which PGF and Agrisoma will coordinate expansion into additional regions. Winnipeg, Manitoba-based PGF is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc., owner of Paterson Grain. Paterson is a private family-owned group of companies active in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Founded in 1908, Paterson operates approximately 40 grain handling sites across the Canadian prairies, including nine inland export terminals. (Source: Agrisoma, Ventures Inc. April, 2013) Contact: Agrisoma Biosciences, www.agrisoma.com
Tags Biofuel news,
Date: 2013-03-04
Inland Empire Oilseeds LLC, one of Washington State's first producers of biodiesel from canola has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy court restructuring withmore than $3.8 million in debts. The company, which began producing biodiesel in 2009 in Odessa Wash., closed its doors in December and filed for Chapter 7 reorganization in the Eastern District of Washington bankruptcy court.
At one point, Inland Empire Oilseeds was crushing 80 tons of canola seed per day.
The venture was funded in part with a $1 million Washington State Energy Freedom Loan managed by the Odessa Public Development Authority, which owns the production facility.
The operation also received more than $2 million in loans from the USDA.
The goal was to produce 8 million gpy of biodiesel.
The company went through a restructuring in 2011 when the majority stake -- roughly 75 percent -- was taken by two new Inland Empire Oilseeds managers.
(Source: Inland Empire, Spokesmans Review. 3 Mar., 2013) Contact: Inland Empire Oilseeds, (509) 982-2970, www.inlandempireoilseeds.com
Tags Canola news, Biofuel news, Inland Empire Oilseeds news, Biodiesel news, Canola news,
Date: 2013-02-11
Archer Daniels Midland Co. reported a big jump in fiscal second-quarter earnings Tuesday with the help of one-time items. But the grain-processing giant’s underlying profit growth was more modest.
In the quarter ended Dec. 31, Decatur-based ADM had net earnings of $510 million, or 77 cents per diluted share, up sixfold from $80 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, in the year-ago period. Sales rose 6.9 percent to $24.9 billion from $23.3 billion. Both quarters' earnings were skewed by special items, including a $339 million charge in 2011 and a $113 million gain in 2012.
Excluding impairments, ADM's corn processing group operating profits fell to $3 million from $210 million in the year-ago period. The bulk of the company's profits this quarter came from oilseeds processing. Helped by strong global demand, operating profits at the group nearly doubled to $411 million from $209 million in 2011.
ADM's transportation division, which operates a fleet of Mississippi River barges, profits slipped $5 million to $48 million due to low river water levels.
In the first six months, ADM earned $692 million, a 28 percent increase from $540 million in the year-ago period. Sales rose 3.4 percent to $4.7 billion from $4.5 billion.
(Source: ADM, Medill, 5 Feb., 2013) Contact: ADM, Patricia Woertz, CEO, (217) 451-7423, www.adm.com
Tags ADM news, Archer Daniels Midland news, Corn news, Corn Ethanol news,
Date: 2013-01-28
Odessa, Washington-based canola processor and biodiesel producer Inland Empire Oilseeds is seeking to sell its assets under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in response to a creditor's petition to to force the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which would allow it to operate while developing a restructuring and debt repayment plan. The company says it lacks the financial ability to reorganize and has asked a bankruptcy judge to convert the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, according filings with bankruptcy court for Eastern District of Washington.
The company, which has defaulted on its rent and owes more than $2.6 million in back payments, has laid off two-thirds of its 30 employees because it was unable to make payroll. The Washington Department of Ecology is rescinding a permit needed to keep running the plant, and the facility has canceled EPA registration that allows it to generate renewable fuel credits.
Creditors have filed an objection against converting the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, arguing that the company's managers have "not set forth sufficient cause" and have "not established that such a conversion is in the best interest of creditors."
The plant needed roughly 30,000 tpy of canola to operate at full capacity, but only one-third of that amount is produced in Washington state annually. (Source: Inland Empire, Capital Press, Jan. 27, 2013) Contact: Inland Empire Oilseeds, (509) 982-2970, www.inlandempireoilseeds.com
Tags Inland Empire Oilseeds news, Biodiesel news, Canola news,
Date: 2013-01-23
French oilseed group Sofiproteol, owner of the EU's biggest biodiesel maker Diester Industrie International (DII) , and U.S. agribusiness giant Bunge are reviewing their European biodiesel JV with the view of cutting overcapacity production. The two companies have a 60-40 percent deal in DII.
DII, created in 2005, accounts for approximately one-third of Diester Industrie's overall capacity of 3 million tpy of biodiesel, and has seven plants in France. DII halted production a year ago in Livorno, Italy due to overcapacity.
Biodiesel is one of Sofiproteol's several activities of the group controlled by French oilseed growers, along with vegetable oil, animal feed and green chemicals.
As part of the group's strategy to find alternatives to biodiesel for its rapeseed oil and sunflower oil output, Sofiproteol is seeking new markets, mainly in Maghreb countries and the Black Sea.
The group is presently active in Morocco, Tunisia and Romania. (Source: Sofiproteol, Reuters, 22 Jan., 2013) Contact: Sofiproteol, www.sofiproteol.com; Bunge, (914) 684-2800, www.bunge.com; Diester Industrie International, www.sofiproteol.com/groupe/.../diester-industrie-international
Tags Bunge news, Sofiproteol news, Oilseed news, Biodiesel news,
Date: 2013-01-16
The USDA has awarded $5.08 million to a team of researchers, led by Kansas State University Distinguished Professor in Grain Science and Industry, Xiuzhi "Susan" Sun, to study the oilseed camelina crop's potential as cost-effective bioenergy and bio-based product feedstock. The funding is part of a $25 million effort by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to fund R&D development of next-generation energy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass (plant) sources.
According to Sun, although previous U.S. Navy and Air Force studies indicated camelina-based jet fuel reduces net carbon emissions by about 80 percent, compared with jet fuels currently in use, commercial scale production of camelina-based biofuels is not yet economically viable. Obstacles include the fact that camelina production is not sufficiently efficient per unit resource used and camelina oil processing generates about 65 percent solid meal by-product, mainly proteins and carbohydrates that is currently under-utilized. The technology has not been developed to produce high-value co-products from camelina bioenergy varieties.
(Source: Kansas State Univ., 15 Jan. 2013) Contact: Kansas State University, Xiuzhi "Susan" Sun, (785) 532-4077, [email protected], www.k-state.edu
Tags Camelina news, Biofuels news,
Date: 2012-12-07
According to the UK National Farmers Union (NFU), Biodiesel and bioethanol markets are both crucial to meeting the country's future energy needs and contribute an estimated £1 billion to the UK economy.
The NFU believes that the transportation and farm industries must co-exist in order to drive improvements in yields, the environment and on-farm efficiencies, and are vital for a sustainable, thriving local market for both wheat and animal feed. This goes hand-in-hand with the biodiesel industry, which, already worth an estimated £600 million at the farm gate, has seen an increase in production of oilseed rape yields of around 25 per cent over the last 11 years, and is a growing market.
According to the NFU, the future of the two industries are linked together in a way that means government must take them seriously. The NFU also stressed that all feedstocks used in EU biofuel production must be certified sustainable.
"What we need to see from government is a solid commitment to biofuel production in the UK. Currently, the UK imports 80 per cent of the high protein animal feed used in livestock, pig and poultry production each year. The biofuel industry can become one of the most important markets for British agriculture. It has the potential for us to become more self-sufficient in high protein animal feed and import less from outside the UK, while providing an important floor in the market for our arable farmers," a NFU spokesman said.
(Source: NFU, ThePigSite News Desk, 5 Dec., 2012) Contact: NFU, www.nfuonline.com
Tags Biofuel news, Renewable Fuel news,
Date: 2012-09-24
The European Commission is making a major shift in its biofuel policy with its announced plan to limit food crop-based biofuels to 5 percent of transport fuel. Biofuels made from food crops such as grains, sugar and vegetable oils, often called first generation biofuels, had been expected to provide the bulk of a target that 10 percent of all transport fuel should come from renewable sources by 2020. The balance will now be processed from come from waste products, grasses, the inedible parts of plants or a range of other non-food feedstocks including algae.
EU data for 2011 showed that biofuels made from food crops provide about 4.5 percent of EU transport fuel. Most of this is produced within the EU but there are also imports from South and North America as well as South-East Asia.
The Commission's new plan will have to be jointly approved by governments and the European Parliament before becoming law, which could see up to two years of lobbying by industry and campaign groups to influence the final outcome. According to a spokesman for German oilseeds industry association UFOP, "The proposals will push an entire industry towards ruin."
The European biofuels industry was handed another setback when Austria suspended the launch of a higher blend of bioethanol in petrol on Monday, just weeks before it was set to take effect on October 1. (Source: Sofiproteol, News Day, Sept. 23, 2012)
Tags Biofuel news,
Date: 2012-09-20
The U.S. EPA has announced an increase in the biodiesel volume requirement under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) from 1 billion gallons in 2012 to 1.28 billion gallons in 2013, a move welcomed by the American Soybean Association (ASA).
"More than half of all biodiesel produced in the U.S. comes from soybean oil, which expands a growing market for soybean farmers," said ASA President Steve Wellman. "We congratulate the EPA on today's announcement as well as the USDA and (Agriculture) Secretary Vilsack for their continued strong support for the U.S. biodiesel industry. We look forward to helping the U.S. biodiesel industry hit the 1.28 billion gallon mark in 2013. By achieving the new requirement, we'll help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and help increase soybean meal supplies to our valued partners in the livestock industry for use as feed."
Wellman highlighted several benefits from biodiesel production that help U.S. livestock producers. "Soybean-based biodiesel actually has a positive impact on U.S. soybean meal supplies," he said. "Processing biodiesel from soybeans uses only the oil portion of the soybean, which is about 18 to 20 percent of the soybean, leaving the remaining 80 to 82 percent of the soybean available as protein to nourish both livestock and humans. By increasing the market for soybean oil in the U.S. and domestic oilseed processing, we increase the availability of protein-rich meal for human and livestock consumption. The increased meal supply results in a more cost-effective food and feed source." (Source: American Soybean Assoc., 19 Sept., 2012) Contact: American Soybean Association, Steve Wellman, First Vice President, (402) 269-7024, [email protected], www.soygrowers.com
Tags American Soybean Association news, Soybean news, Biodiesel news,
Date: 2012-09-18
A new USDA study says sorghum is the potential breakthrough candidate for biofuel expansion. The study claims sorghum's adaptability to a range os growing conditions, sturdiness and resistance to drought make it ideal for the production of bioenergy. According to USDA researchers, it also has a high biomass content (plant material). The soluble sugar that it produces can be converted into biofuel, and then the residual fibers leftover from the juice extraction can be burned to generate electricity.
This USDA study is part of a larger effort to meet the government mandate to produce 36 billion gallons of biofuel by 2022. It is estimated that 15 billion of those gallons will be from grain ethanol, and the remaining 21 billion will be from other sources including sorghum, sugarcane, switchgrass, and other grasses. Other options include oilseed crops like rapeseed and soybean.
The USDA research on Sorghum's potential as a biofuel has been published in the journal, Agricultural Research (Source: ENN, Sept. 17, 2012) Contact: USDA,
Tags USDA news, Sorghum news, BioenergyCrop news,
Date: 2012-09-13
Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) are partnering with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., a Canadian firm with a growing presence in the biofuel feedstock market, to evaluate CLG and ARA's 100% drop-in ReadiJet™ Fuel.
ARA and NRC will test the renewable jet fuel against ASTM and military specifications and evaluate the fuel in ground-based engine tests. The tests will be concluded with a test flight with the NRC Falcon-20 twin engine jet. This flight will be the first time in the world a jet aircraft is powered by 100%, un-blended, renewable jet fuel that meets petroleum jet fuel specifications.
The biofuel, ReadiJet™, was produced by ARA, under contract to AFRL, from Agrisoma's Resonance™ feedstock crop using CLG's and ARA's breakthrough Biofuel ISOCONVERSION process. During the test flight, a second aircraft will fly behind the Falcon 20 to measure the emissions of the engine operating on both the ReadiJet biofuel and on conventional petroleum-based aviation fuel. Systems on-board the Falcon 20 will allow NRC's flight research team to switch back and forth between the two fuel types throughout the flight. These data will be the first of its kind to evaluate biojet fuel emissions of an aircraft engine operating on 100% biofuel.
NRC's unique expertise will support Agrisoma Biosciences and CLG/ARA efforts to validate the Resonance-based ReadiJet biofuel as a viable and sustainable option for the aviation industry.
Resonance™ is a member of the mustard oilseed crop family, and was introduced into commercial production in Canada in 2012. Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., a long-time NRC partner, commercialized the oilseed to provide the industry with a sustainable energy feedstock crop: a non-food, industrial oilseed that is well-suited for production in semi-arid areas, making it ideal for producers who can grow the crops on marginal land. (Source: ARA, 12 Sept., 2012)
Contact:
Chevron Lummus Global Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), Alisa Kinsaul,
(510) 242- 3177,
[email protected], [email protected], www.ara.com; National Resource Council Canada, www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca; Agrisoma, Patrick Crampton, VP, Business and Product Development, (613) 834-5265, www.agrisoma.com
Tags Aviation Biofuel news, Agrisoma news,
Date: 2012-07-16
According to the latest OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2012-2021, the expanding biofuels sector is set to absorb an increasingly larger share of crop production. The global production of bio-ethanol and biodiesel will be heavily concentrated in Brazil, the US and the European Union and is projected to almost double by 2021. The OECD-FAO forecasts a diversion of cane, corn and wheat as feedstock for bio-ethanol and oil crops (palm, soya, rape etc.) as feedstock for biodiesel. The report projects consumption of a growing share of the global production of sugarcane (34 per cent), vegetable oils (16 per cent) and grains (14 per cent) for biofuels by 2021.
Mandate-driven ethanol trade flows between the US and Brazil are expected to increase. The US is anticipated to import sugarcane-based ethanol mainly from Brazil (world's largest cane producer) to help meet domestic demand created by its mandate for advanced biofuels, while Brazil would import low priced corn (maize) based ethanol principally from the US to satisfy the demand for its large fleet of flex-fuel vehicles.
The reports says oilseeds production and exports will continue to be dominated by the traditional players, but emerging exporters such as Ukraine and Paraguay are expected to increasingly contribute to global export growth. China, the dominant importer, will account for more than half of total world imports. Brazil's oilseeds production growth is expected to slow from 4.9 per cent to less than 2.0 per cent over the next ten years. A key sugar market driver will be how Brazil's cane crop is allocated between sugar and ethanol. (Source: Hindu Business Line, July 16, 2012)
Tags Biofuel Feedstock news,
Date: 2012-07-10
Canada's National Research Council (NRC) has for the first time conducted biofuel test flights using chase aircraft to measure the emissions. The biofuel test flights were completed in May and June 2012 using a Canadian-gown feedstock based on brassica carinata. NRC's flight research laboratory employed its Dassault Falcon 20 to test the fuel and a Lockheed T-33 vintage jet trainer to trail the business aircraft and measure its emissions in real time.
Stewart Baillie, director of the institute's flight research laboratory, says the Falcon crew was able to switch back and forth between standard Jet A1 and the biofuel blend with Jet A1. This showed that the biofuel emissions comprised "significantly less" particulate matter, such as black carbon and sulphate, than Jet A1, he says. The results are preliminary and a full assessment is underway before NRC publishes its final report.
The Canadian institute was the first to use biofuel beyond a 50:50 blend ratio, which is currently the maximum-certified limit by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). While NRC conducted some flights with a standard 50:50 mixture, it also employed a 60:40 blend. No difference was detected by the pilots when they changed between conventional Jet A1 and biofuel. Bailey says that the crew reported that the aircraft's performance was "indistinguishable" during a range of ground and flight operations, including engine restarts at altitude.
The biofuel -- named "Resonance" -- is newly developed by Canada-based Agrisoma Bioscience. The biotechnology company adds that brassica carinata is ideally suited as a non-food industrial oilseed, because it grows it in semi-arid areas unsuitable for food production with "reduced overall crop input requirements".
(Source: NRC, Flight, July 9, 2012) Contact: National Resource Council Canada, www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca; Agrisoma, Patrick Crampton, VP, Business and Product Development, (613) 834-5265, www.agrisoma.com
Tags Aviation Biofuel news, Agrisoma Bioscience news,
Date: 2012-07-09
Dr Jude Capper, a livestock sustainability consultant and scientist studying livestock [methane) emissions says adding supplements to cattle feed will only have a short term effect. Capper, who did her greenhouse gas research at Cornell University, says a cow's stomach will adjust to changes in diet and soon return to producing the same amount of methane as before a dietary change. Capper's says her tests in Australia using waste from wine grapes (grape marc) and oilseed in cattle feed showed they work only for a few weeks.
As for how much methane a cow will emit, in the US, with high quality dairy feed, a cow will emit 1.35 kg of carbon per kilo of milk. But in Africa that carbon emission is ten times as high per litre of milk, because the quality of forage feed is so much lower. (Source: Australian Broadcasting Corp., 9 July, 2012)
Tags Cattle Methane news,
Date: 2012-06-04
Pennycress has been on the fast track to becoming a sustainable biodiesel resource since 2008. A member of the mustard family, pennycress grows wild in the Midwest, and its seed packets contain oilseeds that yield 36 percent oil when crushed. An acre of pennycress would yield the equivalent of about 80 gallons of oil priced similarly to soybean oil.
One of the advantages of penneycress is that it can be grown during the winter on farm land that would normally sit dormant. It has no impact on existing crops, conservation grounds, or critical wildlife habitat and, as a winter crop, provides sustainable ground cover that helps prevent erosion and nutrient runoff. It also takes very little energy and no inputs to grow in Midwestern states. Although often considered a weed, pennycress dies off in the spring and does not compete with corn or soybeans. It can planted in-between the corn and soybean crops on land that would otherwise sit empty. It is also easy to get rid of with routine herbicides if necessary.
For more information on pennycress, visit www.growpennycress.com(Source: USDA) Contact: Terry Isbell, Research Leader, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, (309) 681-6528, [email protected], www.ars.usda.gov
Tags Pennycress news,
Date: 2012-05-01
Honeywell has announced a comprehensive aviation biofuel test program which it claims will be the first of its kind and will be carried out by Honeywell subsidiary UOP, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Agrisoma Biosciences, and will test blends of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel at higher ratios than previous demonstration flights, which to date have not exceeded a 50/50 blend of biofuel and petroleum-based jet fuel.
According to Honeywell, the biofuel that it is using for the tests is produced from what it calls "Resonance Energy Feedstock," a new nonfood, industrial oilseed crop produced by Ottawa-based agribusiness Agrisoma. The feedstock is derived from Saskatchewan-grown Brassica carinata, belonging to the family of flowering plants known as Brassicaceae, which also includes cabbages and turnips.
The crop can be produced in semiarid areas usually unsuitable for food oilseed production.
(Source: Honeywell, Earth Techling, 30 April, 2012)
Contact: Agrisoma, Patrick Crampton, VP, Business and Product Development, (613) 834-5265, www.agrisoma.com
Tags Agrisoma news, Honeywell news, Aviation Biofuel news,
Date: 2012-04-26
Spanish import restrictions on Argentine biodiesel could trigger more demand for European rapeseed oil to produce replacement supplies of the green fuel in Europe, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World said on Tuesday. On Friday, Spain retaliated against Argentina for seizing control of Spanish-owned energy company YPF with a measure to curtail multimillion-dollar imports of biodiesel from Argentina. Spain imported about 886,000 tonnes of biodiesel from Argentina in 2011 or about 53 percent of Argentina's biodiesel exports, Oil World estimates. Argentine biodiesel sales to Spain have surged in recent years although Spanish green fuels association APPA estimates Spanish biodiesel plants are running at just 14 percent of capacity. Imports account for 74 percent of the biodiesel used in Spain. (Source: Pakistan Business Recorder, April 25, 2012)
Tags Rapeseed news,
Date: 2012-04-25
The USDA is investigating the use of pennycress seeds in biofuel production and this year promises to be a breakout year , with farmers in the Midwest getting to rake in a bumper crop.
At first glance, pennycress seeds do not seem ideal for biofuel; they are tiny and can be measured in less than a couple of millimeters. However, field pennycress is part of the same oilseed family that includes camelina, another weedy plant that has been proving itself an ideal biofuel feedstock. Researhers have been considering Pennycress for industrial oil-based products since the 1940's. In 2007, the USDA's Agricultural Research Service got interested in pennycress as a biofuel source, and by 2010, USDA researchers were reporting that pennycress had the "right stuff" for biofuel production using conventional growing, harvesting and processing methods. Its oil content is about double that of soybeans, and it far outperforms corn in terms of its net energy output. It also create added-value for farmers.
Pennycress as a biofuel crop is a non-food crop that can be grown in the winter as a ground cover, and harvested in time to prep the soil for growing another crop over the summer. That provides farmers with an additional cash crop over and above what they would normally produce during the year, with the added bonus of providing a winter ground cover to prevent soil erosion while fixing nutrients in the soil.
The USDA has partnered with Western Illinois University, the Pennycress Energy Company and a new federally funded regional economic development group called EBI Network in an effort that could make Galesburg, Illinois the go-to place for pennycress production. The goal is to recruit farmers to put about
200,000 acres under cultivation, providing enough feedstock to make a commercial scale seed oil pressing operation viable.
(Source: USDA, Clean Technica, April, 2012) Contact: Terry Isbell, Research Leader, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, (309) 681-6528, [email protected], www.ars.usda.gov
Tags Pennycress news,
Date: 2012-04-16
Jojoba is a new oil-producing industrial crop that, in spite of the variability in size or where grown, each jojoba seed contains an average of 50% pure oil by volume. Jojoba is native to the semiarid regions of southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. Jojoba is presently being cultivated in Israel and Rajasthan, India to provide a renewable source of high-quality oil. Much of the interest in jojoba worldwide is the result of the plant's ability to survive in a harsh desert environment and grown on marginal use land.
Centre for Jatropha Promotion & Biodiesel technologists believe that jojoba oil shows great promise as biofuel oilseed feedstock. (Source: Centre for Jatropha Promotion & Biodiesel , April 16, 2012)
Contact:
Centre for Jatropha Promotion & Biodiesel
, http://www.jatrophabiodiesel.org/Jojoba/index.php
Tags Oil Seed news, Jatropha news,
Date: 2012-03-30
San Diego, California-based Verenium Corporation has sold its Oilseed Processing business, including Purifine PLC, to DSM and licensed to DSM exclusive licenses to its alpha-amylase and xylanase enzyme products for use in the food and beverage markets. The two companies also entered into a supply agreement for Verenium to manufacture the Purifine PLC, alpha-amylase and xylanase products for DSM, and agreed that Verenium will develop new gene libraries for use by DSM.
The products acquired by DSM represented approximately $7.5 million in revenue to Verenium in 2011, and Verenium will receive $37 million in total consideration.
(Source; Verenium, March 28, 2012) Contact: Verenium, James Levine, CEO, (858)431-8500 , www.verenium.com; DSM NV, Hans Vossen , Investor Relations, [email protected], www.dsm.com
Tags DSM news, Verenium Corp news, Oilseed news,
Date: 2012-03-22
Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction of its Sustainable Grower Program in connection with the sustainability certification it has earned from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system. According to information released by ADM, the Lloydminster, Alberta-based facility is ADM Agri-Industries' first certified sustainable location in North America.
To comply with European export market requirements, the entire supply chain related to biodiesel feedstock production must meet the European standard for sustainability. According to ADM, its Sustainable Grower Program aims to help growers become certified sustainable, which will help them realize global opportunities for their canola crops.
The ISCC was established to help guarantee that biofuel feedstocks—and the resulting fuels—are in compliance with the EU's Renewable Energy Directive which aims to guarantee biofuels used within EU member countries deliver tangible greenhouse gas savings compared to traditional fossil fuels. The Directive applies to all biofuels, whether manufactured in the EU or imported from abroad. ADM's Sustainable Grower Program will help Canadian producers who want to sell fuel into the European market ensure that the canola feedstock they use meets Directive requirements.
ADM has also worked to supply sustainable soybean feedstock to the European market. In August 2011, the company announced that it had achieved ISCC requirements to supply sustainably grown soybeans to the European market. At that time ADM noted that it was the first company to provide Europe with ISCC-certified soy.
(Source: ADM, March 20, 2012) Contact: ADM, www.adm.com
Tags Archer Daniels Midland news, Canola news,
Date: 2012-03-14
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will lend €10 million ($13.1 $million) to Serbia's Victoria Group to start using biomass fuel at its oilseed crushing units. The loan will provide biomass-fired boilers at Sojaprotein AD (SJPT), the biggest soy bean processor in the Balkans, and at Victoria Oil that makes cooking oil. The project will help Victoria Group cut its fossil fuels consumption consumption by 20,000 tons per year, resulting in a cost saving of €5.8 million. The boilers will also reduce the company's carbon footprint by an estimated of 58,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. This project is part of the EBRD's €50 million- Agribusiness Sustainable Investment Facility which was launched last year. (Source: EBRD, March 12, 2012) Contact: EBRD, www.ebrd.com
Tags EBRD news,
Date: 2012-02-06
As research mounts in an effort to find low-cost breeding, cultivation and harvesting methods of nonfood-based oil bearing crops such as jatropha, castor, moringa and algae for biodiesel production, Calif.-based TerViva Bioenergy Inc. is focused on the development and commercialization of a legume tree native to Australia and India-Pongamia pinnata which, according to President and CEO Naveen Sikka, holds equal if not superior potential as a viable biodiesel feedstock in the U.S.
TerViva has developed special varieties of pongamia trees that produce pods that contain seeds. They typically contain between 30 to 40 percent oil, which consist of nearly 50 percent of oleic acid. The pods can be harvested via existing mechanical shaking equipment such as those employed in the nut industries and the oil can be extracted using existing crushing equipment with no modifications. After the oil is extracted, degummed and refined, it can then be shipped to biodiesel producers
Pongamia trees, according to Sikka, are noninvasive and highly resistant to heat , drought and saline soils. It's also tolerant to cold temperatures -- which is a problem for jatropha -- and it's a nitrogen fixer, meaning the tree doesn't require nitrogen fertilizers. In fact, the trees effectively replenish nitrogen in the soil, thereby rehabilitating distressed, marginal land. Pongamia requires between four and five years of growth before the tree is mature enough to be commercially harvested. It is, however, a fast-growing tree and life can extend far beyond 50 years.
TerViva has established test plot operations for cultivating and harvesting its elite lines of pongamia trees, 30,000 trees worth (about 200 acres), in south Texas to demonstrate and communicate to area farmers the benefits of pongamia as a valuable oilseed crop that can positively contribute to their overall operations. The company intends to add trial acreage already established in Hawaii, as well as establish test plots on distressed citrus land in Florida.
(Source: TerViva, February , 2012) Contact: TerViva Bioenergy, [email protected], www.terviva.com
Tags Biodiesel Feedstock news,
Date: 2012-02-01
Clean Power Concepts, Inc (OTC: CPOW) and Integrated Biodiesel Industries, Ltd (IBI) of Sao Paulo, Brazil are merging, pending approval of IBI shareholders and completion of due diligence. Regina, Saskatchewan-headquartered Clean Power Concepts is an agricultural commodity processing and alternative energy company engaged in oilseed crushing. The company's "above ground oil well" concept allows it to supply oil for food production and renewable fuels or nutraceutical supplements.
IBI, a biodiesel company headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, develops plantations of Moringa oleifera as alternative source of vegetable oil and other low hydric demand oilseed crops in semi-arid regions. It also holds worldwide rights to a low cost tubular reactor technology for biodiesel refining.
The merger will be completed within 90 days after shareholder approval and the resulting entity will continue to be listed on the OTCBB.
(Source: Clean Power Concepts, Inc, January 31, 2012)
Contact: Integrated Biodiesel Industries, +55 11 3170 3149, [email protected], www.biodieselindustries.net; Clean Power Concepts, Michael Shenher, Chairman and CEO, http://cleanpowerconcepts.com
Tags Integrated Biodiesel Industries news,
Date: 2012-01-26
According to French government auditors, government support for crop-based biofuels has brought benefits for farming and hidden costs for motorists who have ended up having to consume more fuel and pay higher prices. With investments in biofuel production now mostly paid off and these fuels offering modest energy gains and unclear environmental advantages, the auditors say France should speed up the scaling back of tax breaks that amounted to €2.65 billion ($3.46 billion) between 2005 and 2010. France's public aid for biofuels has supported targets that go beyond what the European Union requires in the short term. The EU, which has set a target of 10 percent of renewable energy in road transport by 2020, is considering how to take into account indirect effects of biofuels.
But biofuels contribution to France's energy mix had been modest, with less than 5 percent of fossil fuel saved in road transport over 2005-2010 at a significant cost, and their environmental impact was hard to determine. The cost of this aid is increasingly falling on consumers, rather than on the government which has recouped a large part of its fiscal support through penalties levied on fuel distributors for not reaching biofuel blending targets, the auditor said. The higher cost of making biofuels compared to traditional fuels, and penalties imposed on fuel distributors were also passed on to the public in pump prices, the report said. To make the policy more effective, blending targets should be flexible to take account of compatibility of car engines and fuel distribution, as well as crop price volatility, it said.
Instead of offering tax support, the authorities could help the biofuel sector by pushing for stricter EU controls against unfair import competition, the report said.
The French biodiesel sector had been the main beneficiary of the tax breaks as these were above its investments, which was not the case for the ethanol industry, the report said. The French biodiesel sector initially enjoyed a quasi-monopoly, although the emergence since 2009 of competition from imports and recycled oil had hurt the industry, it said. The biodiesel sector in France, which mostly uses rapeseed oil as its feedstock, is dominated by Diester Industrie, a branch of the Sofiproteol group controlled by oilseed farmers.
The French ethanol industry, which uses sugar beet and to a lesser extent maize and wheat, features producers like Tereos, the sugar cooperative that has a subsidiary, Tereos Internacional, listed in Brazil. (Source: Reuters, January 25, 2012)
Tags Biofuel Investment news,
Date: 2011-12-14
In an effort to GO GREEN, Flint, Micigan-based OnSite Energy is partnering with Michigan State University (MSU) Extension's Freeway-to-Fuels project which will investigate the potential of growing oilseed crops for bioenergy production. Phase I of the project explored the feasibility of growing, harvesting and utilizing bioenergy oilseed crops on non-traditional cropland that is currently not in production. During the last 3 years, OnSite Energy, in conjunction with the USDA, the Michigan Corn Grower's Association, Mott Community College's Regional Technology Center, and the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, has surveyed and researched the Michigan Agricultural market. Their research results prompted the company to develop a fully automated biodiesel fuel processor which MSU purchased for use in on-site farm demonstrations teaching farmers how to produce biodiesel.
Through this partnership, OnSite Energy and MSU Extension have developed a portable unit that contains the equipment to crush oil from seed and convert it to biodiesel. The equipment is mounted in an enclosed cargo trailer and can be transported from farm to farm to teach farmers how to make biodiesel.
The machines come in 40 to 400 gallon per batch sizes, and range in price from $10,000 to $42,000. (Source: OnSite Energy, December, 13, 2011)
Contact: MSU, Dennis Pennington , [email protected],(269) 838-8265 ; Dr. Michael Witt , CEO, OnSite Energy , www.OnSiteEnergyLLC.com
Tags OnSite Energy news, OilSeed Crop news,
Date: 2011-12-06
Biodiesel specialists Lee Enterprises Consulting of Little Rock, Ark. has formed an alliance with FCStone Merchant Services LLC, a subsidiary of NYC-headquartered INTL FCStone Inc., a Fortune 500 company. FCStone Merchant Services provides feedstock financing for plants to help them produce maximum capacity. Affiliate FCStone’s Renewable Fuels Group's expertise covers the entire spectrum of activities related to renewable fuels, ranging from a full understanding of both inputs-grains, oilseeds/fats and energy-and outputs, including ethanol, biodiesel, DDGS and glycerin. Their proprietary database and historical knowledge provide customers with a huge competitive advantage, and their risk management programs focus on building the crush margins needed to operate successful renewable fuels plants. (Source: Lee Enterprises, December, 5, 2011) Contact: Wayne Lee, Lee Enterprises Consulting, Lee Enterprises, (501) 833-8511, www.lee-enterprises.com; FCStone, (212) 485-3500, www.intlfcstone.com
Tags FCStone news, Lee Enterprises news,
Date: 2011-10-12
The St. Louis, Missouri-based Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has won a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. DOE to develop the oilseed plant camelina as a sustainable source of biofuel and an alternative to oil. Investigators at the Danforth Center's Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels will work to develop an enhanced variety of camelina that produces more oil per acre.
The research team led by Jan Jaworski includes two other investigators at the Danforth Center; Sam Wang, member, and Douglas Allen, assistant member and research computational biologist with the USDA. Four scientists from Michigan State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Montana State University, and the New Mexico Consortium are also team members. The Danforth Center has recently added five new scientists, including Thomas Brutnell, the new director at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuel, which is expanding its research focus to include other crop like camelina and grasses that can be used as sources of next-generation biofuels.
The $5.5 million DOE grant was one of 60 grants totaling $156 million awarded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), an agency within the DOE, for cutting-edge energy technology projects aimed at dramatically improving how the U.S. produces biofuels. (Source: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, October, 11, 2011)
Contact:Jan Jaworski, Danforth Plant Science Center, (314) 587-1000, www.danforthcenter.org
More Energy Overviews Danforth Plant Science Center news, Camelina news,
Date: 2011-09-28
Ag-West Bio, a federally- and provincially-funded bioscience investment fund in Saskatchewan (Canada), has begun a study looking at feedstock production, processing requirements, and potential commercial partners for a new generation of bio-jet fuels.
The feasibility study will include interviews with industry experts and prospective customers, and a review the current bio-fuel and aviation biofuel research.
The two crops showing the most promise are Camelina sativa (camelina) and Brassica Carinata (carinata), the organization said. Based on these crops, three key commercial activities critical for developing a sustainable business will be evaluated:
The project will determine the potential benefit to producers, opportunities for accompanying processing and refining businesses, and for Saskatchewan's economy.
The study is being undertaken with the support of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada's CAAP (Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program) funding, administered through the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan. (Source: Ag-West Bio, September, 27, 2011)
Contact:Ron Kehrig, Vice President, Biofuels and Bio-products,Ag-West Bio, (306) 975-1939, [email protected], www.agwest.sk.ca
More Energy Overviews Ag-West Bio news, Aviation Biofuel news, Camelina news, Oilseed Crops news,
Date: 2011-09-06
EBRD is granting a €30 million syndicated financing package to Expur S.A., a local oilseed processing company. Expur produces crude rapeseed oil, biodiesel, and related products. EBRD financing will help contribute to Expur's working capital and support support the company's development and marketing strategies.
The new financing facility is in addition to existing EBRD financing, totaling €80 million. Half of the new €30 million loan will be for the EBRD's account and the remaining amount will be syndicated to Societe Generale and Rabobank.
Expur is owned by Saipol S.A.S., the French leader in oilseed crushing and vegetable oil refining. Saipol, which is part of Sofiproteol's Oilseed Division, processes rapeseed and sunflower seed into meal for animal feed and vegetable oil for human consumption, as well as for sustainable energy (biodiesel) and the chemicals industry. (Source: EBRD, September, 5, 2011)
Contact: Monika Kohutova, Head of Retail Banking Division, EBRD, www.ebrd.com
More Energy Overviews Rapeseed Oil news,
Date: 2011-08-16
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) will to acquire a majority share of Elstar Oils, a Polish manufacturer of quality refined vegetable oils and fats for the food industry and biodiesel for the energy market, for the expansion of its oilseed processing and biodiesel services. ADM's operations in Poland include an oilseeds crushing and refining facility in Szamotuly and country elevators in Slawa Wielkopolska and Chroscina. Located in northern Poland, Elstar operates a rapeseed crushing, refining, solid-fat packaging and oil bottling facility in Czernin and a fully-automated biodiesel facility in Malbork.
The transaction is subject to approval by relevant antitrust authorities. ADM, through its joint venture company BTZ, plans to build a new grain warehouse to expand Elstar's capacity. (Source: ADM, August, 15, 2011)
Contact: Archer Daniels Midland, (217) 424-5200, www.adm.com
More Energy Overviews Archer Daniels Midland news,
Date: 2011-08-10
India's second largest petroleum company, Bharat Petroleum has allied with San Diego, California-based SG Biofuels (SGB) to form Bharat Renewable Energy Ltd (BREL) to develop jatropha hybrids for biofuels production in India. The program's first phase includes a crop development effort to produce high performing hybrid varieties of Jatropha adapted to unique growing conditions across the country. Additional phases include the deployment of more than 86,000 acres of Jatropha using SGB's JMax™ hybrid seeds.
In December 2009, the Indian Government developed its National Policy on Biofuels targeting 20 percent blending of bioethanol and biodiesel into petrol and diesel markets. Government policy stipulates the use of wastelands to cultivate non-edible oil seed plants without affecting food security. According to the Asian Development Bank, the current cultivation of Jatropha and other non-edible oilseeds will need to increase by nearly 80 million acres to meet the nation's biodiesel targets.
(Source: SG Biofuels, August, 9, 2011)
Contact: SG Biofuel, Kirk Haney, President, (760) 718-3120, [email protected], www.sgbiofuel.com
More Energy Overviews Jatropha news, SG Biofuels news, Bharat Renewable Energy news,
Date: 2011-07-29
This week, the USDA announced a new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) for production of camelina on 50,000 acres in California, Montana and Washington. The program will provide support to growers of oilseed crops for biofuels production. Sustainable Oils, a leading producer and marketer of camelina, strongly supports the BCAP program, highlighting the opportunities it will provide for both growers and the developing industry.
Sustainable Oils will offer production contracts for growers in California, Montana and Washington for camelina planting in fall 2011 or spring 2012. Producers interested in participating in the project areas should visit their local FSA county office. The sign-up period will begin on Aug. 8, 2011, and end on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011. Additional program information is available HERE.
Sustainable Oils has provided nearly 500,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel to multiple branches of the US military for its certification programs, making it the most heavily tested alternative fuel feedstock.
Since its founding in 2007, Sustainable Oils has played a leading role in building the foundation for sustainable camelina industry. The company has invested in North America's largest camelina research program with a goal of bringing improved camelina varieties to growers even more quickly. The company
is a contracted supplier to AltAir Fuels, the sponsor of the BCAP program. (Source: Sustainable Oils, July, 27, 2011)
Contact: Scott Johnson, President , Sustainable Oils
More Energy Overviews Camelina news, Sustainable Oils news, AltAir Fuels news,
Date: 2011-07-05
French researchers at the CNRS's Centre de Recherches Paul Pascal (CRPP) have developed a new method for enhancing the production of biodiesel which is usually processed from oil containing plants and crops such as sunflower, soybean, coconut, palm, oilseed rape, etc. The extracts from these oleaginous plants are subjected to a series of chemical reactions that are catalyzed in either an acidic or a basic medium although the basic medium is the commonly used. The medium's acidity value ranges between a vegetable oil (90%) and an alcohol (10%). The initial process called the transesterification is instrumental in converting the raw mixture into methyl ester and glycerol. Methyl ester is the main chemical compound present in the biodiesel. However, this methyl ester quantity is reduced by a simultaneous side reaction. The side reaction, known as saponification converts the ester into methyl salts thus reducing the total biodiesel output. Such reactions tend to make the biofuels production less efficient thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing.
The improved catalysis reaction is based on the usage of lipases (triglyceride hydrolases). The chemical agents belonging to the lipase family have an enzymatic action that is selective as well as efficient. However, the cost of these alternative catalysts is high and they have highly unstable conformity that makes them unfavorable for industrial applications due to lack of good accessibility and enhanced mass transport.
However, the chemists at the CNRS, led by Dr. Renal Backov, have found a solution to these problems. And they have patented their research work and the new methodology for efficient production of the biodiesels. In the initial tests, they observed that by creating modified silica-based cellular matrices, they can possibly attain efficient catalysis reaction because the matrices are able to confine the lipases for a longer time so that the hydrolysis, esterification, and transesterification reactions yield higher quantities of the desired methyl ester.(Source: Physorg, July, 4, 2011) Contact:Dr. Renal Backov ,CNRS's Centre de Recherches Paul Pascal (CRPP)
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Date: 2011-06-06
CPM, a leading supplier of process equipment and technology for the animal feed, oilseed, biofuels and human food-processing industries, and Pellet Technology LLC have entered into a strategic alliance that will help bring renewable energy to electric utilities and biofuels producers.
Pellet Technology has developed a complete supply chain solution for biomass users that includes feedstock supply contracting, harvest management and patent-pending, production technology to turn corn stover into PowerPellets(TM) on an economic and environmentally sound basis. Under the agreement, the two companies will work together to market Pellet Technology's biomass engineering processes along with CPM's hammermills and pellet mills. Together, they'll implement a "field-to-fuel" program that provides electric utilities and biofuels producers with an affordable and reliable source of renewable energy.
CPM business units include California Pellet Mill, Roskamp Champion, Beta Raven, Century Extrusion, Wolverine Proctor, Crown Iron Works and Greenbank Technology. CPM has more than 900 employees with production facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia.(Source: CPM, June, 1, 2011)
Contact: Jim Hughes, CPM, GM,(765) 362-2600, www.cpm.net ; Russ Zeeck, CEO, Pellet Technology,www.pellettechnologyusa.com
Date: 2011-05-12
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has acquired a 40,000 metric-tonne grain elevator with truck, rail, and barge handling capabilities along the Elbe River in Riesa, Germany, from Muskator-Werke GmbH.
The addition of the Riesa facility to ADM's origination network enhances the company's access to oilseeds, wheat, barley and rye from Eastern Germany and the Czech Republic.
ADM operates oilseed crushing facilities in Hamburg and Straubing, Germany; Szamotuly, Poland; and Olomouc, Czech Republic. (Source: ADM, May, 11, 2011)
Contact: Tido Boehle, ADM General Manager, Terminals and Origination, Europe Archer Daniels Midland Company ,[email protected], www.adm.com
More Energy Overviews Archer Daniels Midland news,
Date: 2011-04-05
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) plans to purchase Prairie Pride Inc's Deerfield, Mo. soybean crushing facility and to partner with Prairie Pride for the biodiesel portion of the business.
Prairie Pride, Inc. is a new-generation producer cooperative formed to convert soybeans into biodiesel fuel and soy meal. The facility began producing biodiesel in late 2007 and processing soybeans in August 2008. (Source: ADM, April, 4, 2011)
Contact: Matthew J. Jansen, President, Global Oilseeds, ADM, (217) 424-5200, www.adm.com
More Energy Overviews ADM news, Prairie Prode news, Soybean news,
Date: 2011-03-22
Oilseed growers, Led by the American Soybean Association (ASA), oilseed growers have raised concerns with the USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk over the European Union's (EU) Renewable Energy Directive (RED), and the section excluding American soybeans for biofuel production out of the EU in particular.
ASA believes a coordinated effort is needed to identify and respond to the immediate, as well as longer-term, market threats resulting from RED implementation. "Trade reports indicate that, since the RED was implemented by Germany on January 1, 2011, U.S. soybean exports to that country have declined significantly, and soybean oil processed in the EU from U.S. soybeans is being re-exported out of the EU," said ASA First VP Steve Wellman, a soybean producer from Syracuse, Neb. "As other Member States transpose the RED into national law, ASA anticipates the economic viability of exporting U.S. soybeans to the EU will be further eroded, and that a $1 billion market could be lost."
For biofuels to qualify for EU tax credits and use mandates, the RED requires that biofuel feedstocks must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 35 percent by 2013, and by 50 percent by 2017, compared to petroleum diesel. Based on Brazilian production and transportation data, the EU set the greenhouse gas savings default value for soy biodiesel at 31 percent, short of the 35 percent reduction required, disqualifying soy as a biodiesel feedstock. EU-grown rapeseed however passed with a 38 percent value. Since virtually all of the soybean oil processed from U.S. soybeans in the EU is used in biodiesel production, disqualification jeopardizes $1 billion in annual sales of soybeans to EU markets.
The ASA cites a study funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) that shows American soy biodiesel actually reduces greenhouse gas emission by up to 52 percent.(Source: American Soybean Association, March, 2011)
Contact: Steve Wellman, American Soybean Association, First Vice President, (402) 269-7024, [email protected]
More Energy Overviews American Soybean Association news, Oilseed news, EU Renewable Energy Directive news,
Date: 2011-02-10
In the UK, Londo-based Helius Energy's plans for a £300 million wood-fired power station with a generation capacity sufficient for 200,000 homes are going on display in Southampton. If the plans are approved, the plant will be built at Western Docks near the Millbrook railway station and would burn 800,000 tons of wood biomass per year but cereal and oilseed residues could also be used. A public consultation on the plans began this week. The public has until 18 March to respond. (Source: Helius Energy, February 9, 2011) Contact: John Seed, Managing Director, Helius Energy plc, +44 (0) 164 243-8540, www.heliusenergy.com
More Energy Overviews Wood Biomass news, Helius Energy news,
Date: 2010-12-17
In a move that will grease the ways for rapeseed and rapeseed oil imports for biofuel production, Germany has relaxed requirements that raw biofuel feedstocks be sustainably farmed. Only Germany and Austria will implement the EU's Renewable Fuels Directive on schedule on January 1, 2011, which requires that biofuels are produced from feedstock crops certified as sustainably farmed.
Now, the German government will temporarily allow a more flexible calculation of certified biofuel feedstocks up to June 30, 2011, and has accepted requests from the oilseeds industry that oil mills and traders should be permitted to create balance sheets of their sustainable supplies over a 12 month period rather than three months.
(Source: Reuters, December 16, 2010)
More Energy Overviews Biofuel Feedstock news, Rapeseed news,
Date: 2010-12-01
Seed giant Monsanto is raising its investment in oilseed canola for biodiesel production to between $20 to $30 million; an amount similar that which the company puts into wheat. Monsanto plans to open a $12 million canola breeding center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
"It's a very large crop for this company," said Monsanto Canada President Derek Penner. President of Monsanto Canada.
Canola's expansion is likely to happen through higher per-acre yields and additional acreage in the northern United States, Penner said.
The fact that canola is so profitable for farmers is a key reason seed companies are investing in it, said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
"Canola is king. It is the best cash crop for producers."(Source: Reuters, November 29,2010)
Contact: Derek Penner, President of Monsanto Canada, (204) 985-1000, www.monsanto.ca
More Energy Overviews Canola news, Monsanto news,
Date: 2010-08-25
San Diego, California-based plant science company SG Biofuels, Inc. and Life Technologies Corporation have completed the sequencing of the Jatropha curcas genome to 100x coverage using Life Technologies' SOLiD™ 4.0 System. The sequence significantly accelerates the identification of key traits for the oilseed-producing crop and advances its development as a high yield, low-cost source for next generation biofuel.
The two companies plan to identify molecular markers and trait genes to accelerate development of elite cultivars with vastly superior yields and profitability to advance the introduction of transgenic plants with further improved traits. Previous details of their collaboration was outlined in our January 13, 2010 edition. (Source: PR Newswire, August 24, 2010)
Contact: Kirk Haney, President & CEO, SG Biofuels, (702) 387-235, [email protected], www.sgfuel.com; Eileen Pattinson, Investor Relations, Life Technologies, (760) 268-7408, [email protected]
More Energy Overviews SG Biofuels news, Life Technologies news, Jatropha news,
Date: 2010-08-19
International conglomerate Cargill plans to invest $112 million US to construct an 18 MW energy co-generation plant and a biodiesel production plant with processing capacity of 240,000 tons per year. According to Cargill Argentina's President Hugo Krajnc, both plants will be ready to start operating in September 2011. The 72 million gpy soybean biodiesel plant will be located with the co-gen plant at Cargill's oilseed processing plant at Villa Gobernador Galvez in Santa Fe province. (Source: Feedstuffs, August 17, 2010) Contact: Massimo L. Macchiavello, Cargill, +54 11 4317-7009, [email protected], www.cargill.com
More Energy Overviews Cargill news,
Date: 2010-08-05
A report by the Development Prospects Group at the World Bank looks more carefully at the commodity price boom of 2006-2008 which generated a lot of criticism and blame of the biofuels sector as the main culprit in a rise in food prices. The authors of the report say energy prices were important factors, and conclude that it was unlikely that biofuels played a significant role, as they did not represent a large percentage of worldwide grain and oilseed use, proving what many in the industry had been saying all along.(Source: Hoosier AG, August 1, 2010) Contact: Placing the 2006/08 Commodity Price Boom into Perspective Details.
Date: 2010-07-13
On the West Coast, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Portland International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Spokane International Airport and Washington State University are launching an initiative to promote aviation biofuel development - the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest project. The project will examine biomass options within a four-state area as possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel, examining all phases of developing a sustainable biofuel industry, including biomass production and harvesting, refining, transportation infrastructure and actual use by airlines. It will include an analysis of potential biomass sources indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, including algae, agriculturally based oilseeds such as camelina, wood byproducts and others.
The assessment process will be managed by Climate Solutions, a Northwest-based environmental nonprofit organization. The project is jointly funded by the participating parties and is expected to be completed in approximately six months. (Source: PR Newswire, July 12, 2010)
Contact: Gregg Small, Exec. Dir. Climate Solutions, (206) 443-9570, [email protected], http://climatesolutions.org; John Gardner, VP, Economic Development and Global Engagement, Washington State University, (206) 448-1330, [email protected], www.wsu.edu.
More Energy Overviews Biomass news, Jet Fuel news,
Date: 2010-05-24
Researchers at Michigan State have determined that genes from the "burning bush" shrub may result in advances for biofuel production. According to researcher Timothy Durrett, when inserted into mustard weed, the burning bush gene encodes an enzyme that produces a substantial yield of compounds called acetyl glycerides. These possess lower viscosity than regular plant oils, making them potentially "useful as a direct-use biofuel for many diesel engines".
According to researcher Michael Pollard, "it should now be possible to produce acetyl glycerides in transgenic oilseed crops or single cell production systems such as algae that are the focus of much current effort in biofuels research. With the basic genetics defined and thus one major technical risk greatly reduced, the way is open to produce and assess this novel oil in food and nonfood applications."
(Source: MSU, May 20, 2010)
Contact: Michael Pollard, Plant Biology, Michigan State University, (517) 355-5237, [email protected], Timothy Durrett, Plant Biology, Michigan State University, [email protected], www.msu.edu.