Following its October 13, 2010 decision to allow the use of E15 in model year (MY) 2007 and newer cars and light trucks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 21 announced that it has waived a limitation on selling gasoline that contains more than 10% ethanol for model year (MY) 2001 through 2006 passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks. “Taken together, the two waiver decisions allow the introduction into commerce of E15 for use in MY 2001 and newer light-duty motor vehicles if … conditions are met,” EPA’s newly issued waiver stated.

Valero Energy and Darling International won a “conditional commitment” for a US$241 million loan guarantee from U.S. Department of Energy for a proposed renewable diesel plant that would produce all-hydrocarbon diesel from waste animal fats.

Sinopec is one of several investors helping to fund the initial stages of Enbridge Corp.’s proposed pipeline from the Canadian oil sands producing region to Canada’s west coast, according to a January 21 Bloomberg report.

Strong global economic growth at the close of 2010 created the second biggest demand spike in the past 30 years, according to Ernst & Young's Oil & Gas quarterly report. Demand is expected to continue to increase, though less dramatically, in 2011.

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) announced January 13 that it signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with CRI/Criterion for GTI’s “Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion” (IH2) technology.

IndianOil and LanzaTech have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for collaboration in a technology demonstration that will enable IndianOil to produce fuel-grade ethanol, the companies jointly announced January 14.

Qteros, Inc., developer of a unique and highly efficient Consolidated Bioprocessing (CBP) platform for the lowest cost production of cellulosic ethanol, and Praj Industries Ltd., a leader in the development of innovative technology and engineering solutions for the production of biofuels and biochemicals, on January 4 announced a strategic partnership to accelerate commercialization efforts for industrial-scale cellulosic ethanol production.

Global oil refiner Valero Energy Corp. will invest up to US$50 million in one of the first commercial-scale plants to convert wood into ethanol.

Houston-based Marathon Oil Corp.’s board of directors announced January 13 that they’ve approved a plan to spin-off the downstream portion of the business into a company named Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC).

Refiners who produce motor fuels with fluidized catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) are noting the price runs of rare earth metals used as catalysts, according to a January 8 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.

Prices for at least two rare earth elements – lanthanum and cerium – tripled by the end of 2010, driving up refinery FCCU-catalyst costs by 25%, according to the report. Several key industry players contacted by Hart Energy’s Refinery Tracker (RT) displayed a keen focus on the price increases.

Ending a long search for a refinery buyer, Shell Oil Germany GmbH announced January 12 that it will be ceasing refining operations at most of the processing assets of the Harburg refinery in Hamburg in order to convert the plant into a refined product terminal. The company also announced the carve-out and negotiation for sale of certain units involved in base-oil production at the refinery.

These charts show biweekly activity of the ICE Brent Futures and ICE Gas Oil Futures from January 12 to January 26.

Researchers at the University of Illinois, Champaign, have found that biofuel crops cultivated on available land could produce up to half the world’s current fuel needs, leaving plenty for food crops or pastureland for livestock.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) announced January 21 that total U.S. petroleum demand rose 2.3% in 2010 versus 2009, and December 2010 demand was up 1.2% versus December 2009.

World energy growth over the next twenty years is expected to be dominated by emerging economies such as China, India, Russia and Brazil while improvements in energy efficiency measures are set to accelerate, according to BP’s latest projection of energy trends, BP Energy Outlook 2030, released January 19.

A Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engine recently powered its first biofuel test flight of a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the company announced January 6.

A new study financed by the European Commission (EC) finds that global vehicle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are likely to jump by 40% to 130% by 2050, despite “low-carbon” technology advancements such as electric hybridization.

Global investment in low-carbon energy climbed to a record US$243 billion in 2010 – lifted by a 30% spending increase in China and a burst in small-scale, solar-power installations, a London-based research firm said on January 11.

A new study from Purdue University, Alternative Pathways for Fulfilling the RFS Mandate, has found that the United States does not have the infrastructure needed in order to meet the federally mandated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2), but while these limits cannot be met with ethanol, increases in cellulosic and next generation biofuels would make meeting the targets possible.