• U.S. Senate to Restore US$1/Gallon Biodiesel Subsidy in 2010

• Spot Ethanol: Prices Up at Year’s End
• Ethanol Equities: ADM, ANDE Dip; BG Up

• Ethanol Producers File Lawsuit Against California LCFS
• 11 U.S. Governors Sign Low-Carbon Fuel Standard MOU

• Engineered Tobacco Plants Have More Potential as Biofuel Feedstock
• Biodiesel ‘Cold Soak Filterability Test’ Has Problems: BP
• New Nanohybrid Catalysts Could Streamline Biofuel Production
• Crops Will ‘Never’ Yield Enough to Replace Petroleum: Study

• Bunge Ltd. to Expand Sugar and Bioenergy Business in Brazil
• ALL Fuels Obtains Stay on Sale of Ethanol Plant
• Nebraska Ethanol Plant Sells for US$30 Million
• Global Ethanol Licenses Corn Oil Extraction Technologies from GreenShift
• Report: Clean Tech Venture Capital Down 36% in 2009
• RFA Releases October 2009 Daily Ethanol Production/Demand
• First Volume of Microbial Encyclopedia Published

• Petrobras Takes 40% Stake in Brazil Ethanol Producer
• Petrobras Signs Ethanol Deal with PetroChina
• British Columbia’s Biodiesel Limit Increased, Tax Exemption to be Pulled
• Indian Biofuels Policy Approved
• Statoil Launches Ethanol Blend in Norway
• South Korea to Increase Biodiesel Blend
• Glencore Takes Majority Stake in Biopetrol
• Ampal Signs Option to Acquire 25% in Colombian Ethanol Project
• Thai Ethanol Use to Double by 2011
• RWE Teams-up on CO2-Biomass Recycling Scheme
• MAN Installing Renewable-Diesel Power Engines in London

Ethanol Producers File Lawsuit Against California LCFS

Two ethanol industry trade groups filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 23 that alleges California regulations to reduce the carbon content of fuels are unconstitutional and should be struck down, The Hill reported the following Monday.

11 U.S. Governors Sign Low-Carbon Fuel Standard MOU

Eleven governors in the U.S. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region on Dec. 30 signed a memo of understanding obligating them to develop a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) scheme by 2011, mostly following in the footsteps of LCFS pioneer California.

Engineered Tobacco Plants Have More Potential as Biofuel Feedstock

Researchers from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have identified a way to increase the oil in tobacco plant leaves, which may be the next step in using the plants for biofuel.

Biodiesel ‘Cold Soak Filterability Test’ Has Problems: BP

The “cold soak filterability test” added to the ASTM D6751 standard for catching biodiesel blendstock filter-plugging “precipitates” problems “did remove much of the bad B100 in the marketplace” but “does not catch all problems,” BP discovered in recent tests in the U.S. biodiesel-blend market.

New Nanohybrid Catalysts Could Streamline Biofuel Production

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have developed a new family of solid catalysts that can stabilize water-oil emulsions and catalyze reactions at the liquid/liquid interface, Green Car Congress reported Jan. 4.

Crops Will ‘Never’ Yield Enough to Replace Petroleum: Study

Crops such as soybeans or corn will never reach yields high enough to replace petroleum-based fuels, according to a new study by Boston-based Lux Research.

Spot Ethanol: Prices Up at Year’s End

The last week of 2009 saw spot ethanol prices on the rise, from 1.5¢ to 7.5¢.

Ethanol Equities: ADM, ANDE Dip; BG Up

Archer Daniels Midland and The Andersons saw prices slip on the last day of 2009, while Bunge headed up.

Petrobras Takes 40% Stake in Brazil Ethanol Producer

Petrobras officials announced Dec. 22 that their wholly-owned subsidiary, Petrobras Biocombustível S.A, just invested R$150 million (US$84 million) in ethanol producer Total Agroindústria Canavieira S.A.

Petrobras Signs Ethanol Deal with PetroChina

Petrobras officials announced Dec. 23 that they’ve signed a six-month memorandum of understanding with PetroChina “to assess the technical and economic feasibility of developing ethanol production projects in Brazil” via a partnership deal.

British Columbia’s Biodiesel Limit Increased, Tax Exemption to be Pulled

The British Columbian government Dec. 22 enacted its Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Regulation, which increases provincial biodiesel requirements. But, as CBC News reported Dec. 31, the cost of the fuel could go up by as much as 22¢ cents per liter this year, when the provincial government ends a tax exemption.

Indian Biofuels Policy Approved

On Dec. 24, 2009, the Indian government announced the National Policy on Biofuels and its implementation were approved by its Union Cabinet.

Statoil Launches Ethanol Blend in Norway

Representatives with Statoil announced Jan. 5 that the company is launching ethanol (E5) at its stations in southern and eastern Norway.

South Korea to Increase Biodiesel Blend

According to a Dec. 27 article from Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean government announced the same day it is planning to increase biodiesel content in diesel fuel this year to help cut back on carbon dioxide emissions and reduce minute particles released into the atmosphere.

Glencore Takes Majority Stake in Biopetrol

Swiss commodities trader Glencore has taken a majority stake in Swiss-German company Biopetrol Industries AG, which underwent financial restructuring earlier this year, Reuters reported Dec. 30.

Ampal Signs Option to Acquire 25% in Colombian Ethanol Project

Ampal-American Israel Corp. representatives announced Jan. 3 that they signed an option exercise agreement Dec. 31 with Merhav (M.N.F) Ltd. to convert Ampal’s existing US$22.249 million loan into a 25% equity interest in a sugarcane ethanol production project in Colombia being developed by Merhav.

Thai Ethanol Use to Double by 2011

The Bangkok Post reported Jan 1 that Thailand’s Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul said the Thai government has set a goal to increase ethanol content in motor fuels.

RWE Teams-up on CO2-Biomass Recycling Scheme

Germany-based RWE Power officials announced Jan. 4 they’ve joined forces with biotech developer Brain AG (also of Germany) to tap power-plant carbon dioxide emissions as feedstock for microbial biomass, for possible biochemical applications.

MAN Installing Renewable-Diesel Power Engines in London

German diesel engine maker MAN announced recently that Blue-NG, the United Kingdom-based renewable power company, has ordered two MAN B&W 7K60MC-S engines to power two environmentally friendly power plants in London.

Bunge Ltd. to Expand Sugar and Bioenergy Business in Brazil

Bunge Ltd. announced Dec. 24 that it will buy Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer Moema Par.

ALL Fuels Obtains Stay on Sale of Ethanol Plant

Representatives with ALL Fuels & Energy announced its subsidiary, ALL Fuels-Jefferson LLC, on Dec. 31 obtained a stay pending the hearing on the motion to reconsider the order signed Dec. 17, preventing Valero Renewable Energy Co. from closing its proposed purchase of an ethanol plant owned by Renew Energy LLC.

Nebraska Ethanol Plant Sells for US$30 Million

A 44-million-gallon Mid-America Agri Products ethanol plant in south-central Nebraska attracted more than US$30 million in a bankruptcy auction.

Global Ethanol Licenses Corn Oil Extraction Technologies from GreenShift

Global Ethanol LLC has signed an agreement with GreenShift Corp.’s patented corn oil extraction technologies at Global’s 100-million-gallon ethanol plant in Lakota, Iowa, GreenShift announced Jan. 4.

Report: Clean Tech Venture Capital Down 36% in 2009

According to a Dec. 31 article from Reuters, venture capital investors spent 36% less this year on clean technology for a total of nearly US$5 billion, an industry group reported the previous day.

RFA Releases October 2009 Daily Ethanol Production/Demand

The Renewable Fuels Association reported Jan. 4 that U.S. ethanol production reached an all-time high in October 2009, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

First Volume of Microbial Encyclopedia Published

Researchers at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute have published the “initial volume” of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea, which could provide information that would help optimize processes for areas such as biofuels, bioremediation and carbon.

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