Ethanol & Biofuels News

Camelina-derived Biofuels Power U.S. Navy Green Hornet Test Flight

The U.S. Navy marked Earth Day on April 22 with a biofuel-powered test flight of its F/A-18 Super Hornet, called the Green Hornet, as part of the Navy’s Energy Strategy, which aims to develop the critical protocols needed to certify alternative fuels for use in Naval Tactical systems.

U.S. Senate Climate Bill on Hold for Now

The unveiling of the draft tripartisan U.S. Senate climate bill in Washington, D.C., was slated for April 26, but has now been indefinitely delayed. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has been working on the bill with Democrat John Kerry and Independent Joe Lieberman, withdrew his support after learning that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the U.S. President Barack Obama Administration wanted to focus their attention on immigration reform not climate legislation.

API’s Gerard: Passage of U.S. Senate Climate Bill Will Be Uphill Battle

American Petroleum Institute’s President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Gerard hosted a media breakfast in Houston on April 21 to provide an overview of the organization’s efforts and activities related to energy issues, including climate change legislation.

UNICA Responds to Introduction of Grassley-Conrad Legislation That Taxes Clean Renewable Energy

In response to newly introduced legislation from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) extending subsidies to corn ethanol and the 54¢ per gallon tariff on imported ethanol – particularly sugar cane ethanol from Brazil – for five more years (see Ethanol & Biofuels News, 04/21/2010), the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) issued a statement by Joel Velasco, UNICA’s chief representative in North America, April 21.

GHG Emissions in Industrialized Nations Fell 2.2% in 2008

Industrialized nations’ greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.2% in 2008, the steepest decline since the break-up of the Soviet Union as economies slowed, according to a Reuters compilation published on April 21.

Consumers, Not Politicians, Must Decide Electric-Car Future: Toyota Expert

Politicians need to resist the temptation to pick technology winners as automakers move to introduce a variety of relatively high-efficiency, low carbon dioxide electric vehicles, a Toyota government-affairs expert urged at the SAE 2010 World Congress in Detroit last week.

Researchers Pressure-cook Algae to Speed Up Biofuels Process

According to the University of Michigan News Service on April 20, researchers at the institution “heating and squishing microalgae in a pressure-cooker can fast-forward the crude-oil-making process from millennia to minutes.”

OriginOil Files International Patent for Single-Step Extraction System

OriginOil Inc. recently deposited an international PCT patent application pursuant to last year’s filing of United States patent application 61/170,698 with the United States Patent Office, the company reported April 22. The international application relates to the Single-Step Extraction system, OriginOil’s fifth patent pending.

TransAlgae Ltd. Chief Science Officer Receives Israel Prize for Agricultural Research

TransAlgae Ltd. reported April 22 that the company’s chief science officer, Professor Jonathan Gressel, was the recipient of the 2010 Israel Prize in agriculture, Israel’s top science award.

Verenium Awarded U.S. DOE Funding, Announces Organizational Changes

Verenium Corp. announced April 22 that it has been awarded an additional US$4.9 million from the U.S. Dept. of Energy to fund ongoing activities at its demonstration-scale facility in Jennings, La., and that the company has a new executive vice president of research and development.

POET Plans for 3.5 Billion Gallons of Cellulosic Ethanol in 2022; Obama to Visit Co.’s Facility

On April 21, POET announced its plans to “have a hand in producing 3.5 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year by 2022, POET CEO Jeff Broin said… at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.” Five days later, the company also announced that U.S. President Barack Obama will visit POET Biorefining facility in Macon, Mo., on April 28.

ZeaChem Produces Commercial-Grade Ethyl Acetate

Officials with ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, announced April 21 that they have produced commercial-grade ethyl acetate, which they claim proves its core technology platform. Ethyl acetate is a widely-used chemical intermediate that can be sold directly to chemical manufacturers or converted into ethanol.

Amtrak Launches B20 Biodiesel Test in Locomotive

Amtrak officials announced April 20 that they’ve launched a one-year test of 20% biodiesel blend (B20) in a diesel passenger locomotive operating between Oklahoma City, Okla., and Fort Worth, Texas.

GreenHouse to Install E-Fuel MicroFueler to Turn Brewery Waste into Ethanol Fuel

GreenHouse Holdings Inc., a San Diego-based energy solutions service provider, announced April 21 that, pursuant to a letter of intent with Karl Strauss Brewing Co., a U.S. craft beer company also based in San Diego, GreenHouse will install an E-Fuel MicroFueler, a portable ethanol micro-refinery fuel system, at the Karl Strauss main brewery in San Diego. This system will be designed and installed by GreenHouse and will allow the brewery to turn its discarded organic waste into ethanol fuel.

New VP of Communications and Government Affairs at Qteros

Qteros Inc. announced April 26 the appointment of Susan Hager as vice president of corporate communications and government affairs.

Valero Loses US$101 Million in 1Q 2010

Valero Energy officials announced April 27 that the company posted a US$101 million loss from continuing operations for first-quarter 2010, compared with first-quarter 2009 earnings of $364 million.

Article Blames Ethanol for Rising Meat Prices; Growth Energy Counters Claim

An April 26 article from Bloomberg titled Carnivores’ Dilemma Widens as Pork Signals Meat Surge points to ethanol as the cause of rising meat prices. Representatives from the ethanol industry quickly fired back the same day.

Report: New York Biofuel Sources Could Help Decrease Pollution, Create Jobs and Increase Energy Security

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on April 26, a new report issued the same day by Pace Law School’s Energy and Climate Center shows that New York sources of biofuels made from wood, grass and other forms of biomass could reduce New York’s gasoline consumption by as much as 16% of projected use in 2020 and play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Study: Dept. of Defense to Produce or Procure 25% of Its Electric Energy from Renewable Sources by 2025

The Dept. of Defense has initiated ambitious clean energy programs in service of economic, security and environmental goals according to Re-energizing America's Defense, a report recently released by the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate.

Study: Growing Food More Energy-Efficient Than Growing Biofuels

Using productive farmland to grow crops for food instead of for biofuel feedstocks is more energy efficient, according to a new Michigan State University study that analyzes 17 years’ worth of data.

Czarnikow: Brazil’s Grip on Ethanol Exports Weakens as U.S. Output Hits Record Levels

Czarnikow on April 22 released its monthly Biofuels Review, which found that Brazil’s hold over the supply-side of the global ethanol trade has begun to weaken, as U.S. ethanol output reaches record levels.

Neste Retailing 100% Renewable Diesel in Finland

Neste officials announced April 26 that they’ve launched trial marketing of 100% renewable diesel (Neste Green 100) at retail stations in Finland, alongside 10% renewable diesel blends (Neste Green diesel).

Irving Oil Considering Biodiesel Plant in New Brunswick

According to Canadian media reports April 21, Irving Oil Ltd. is considering building a small biodiesel refinery in east Saint John, New Brunswick.

BC Ferries Introduces Biodiesel to Fleet

BC Ferries announced April 21 that its fleet is now using 5% biodiesel (B5) to fuel its vessels, making the company one of the largest consumers of biodiesel in British Columbia, Canada.

Enerkem Announces New Board Director

Enerkem Inc. announced April 27 that Timothy J. Cesarek, managing director in the Organic Growth Group of Waste Management Inc., has joined the company’s board of directors. Waste Management became a strategic investor in Enerkem last February during the company’s last financing round.

U.S., UAE Sign Agreement to Strengthen Cooperation on Clean Energy

The U.S. Dept. of Energy and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy initiative, signed a memorandum of understanding April 26 to promote collaboration on clean and sustainable energy technologies.

Italy Confirms Fraudulent U.S. Biodiesel Exports

Italian judicial authorities just confirmed the seizure of a large quantity of biodiesel illegally imported into Venice last month from the United States, according to the European Biodiesel Board.

TOTAL Invests in Coskata Inc.

Coskata Inc. announced April 27 that it has closed a round of equity financing in which French oil major TOTAL invested, granting TOTAL a seat on Coskata’s board of directors.

Molinos to Pay US$53 Million for Stake in Renova Biodiesel

Dow Jones reported April 26 that Argentine grain-export and food-manufacturing company Molinos Rio de la Plata SA has decided to buy a 33% stake in biodiesel maker Renova SA for US$53 million.

EU Report Sees Biodiesel Causing Worse Net CO2 Emissions

Including the impact of land-use change from growing crops for biodiesel results in a big increase rather than a decrease in net carbon dioxide emissions compared with petroleum diesel, according to a formerly suppressed European Union study uncovered through a freedom of information request.

Report: Status of Next Generation Biofuels Facilities

The Global Biofuels Center on April 23 released an updated special report on the status of next generation biofuels facilities.