Archive for January, 2009
Underwriters Labs launches environmental claims verification service
In Illinois, Underwriters Laboratories announced the launch of an “environmental claims verification service”, aimed at auditing product claims regarding environmentally sustainable products via independent testing and assessment. UL also said that it will launch a program later this year to certify that products meet environmental standards established by groups such as ASTM and NSF. The [...]
Disneyland Railroad converts to biodiesel from WVO; Mark Twain steamer next
In California, Disneyland announced that it has converted five of its Disneyland Railroad trains to biodiesel, produced from waste vegetable oil from the resort’s restaurants and hotels. The company previously converted to biodiesel in a test during 2007, but abandoned the soy-based biodiesel test after supply issues and food vs fuel concerns emerged. The company [...]
Oregon B2 biodiesel mandate expected for September, say officials
In Oregon, the state Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Oregon Department of Energy announced that the state’s B2 biodiesel blending mandate could take effect as soon as September 2009. The mandate is an outcome of 2007 energy legislation, and the biodiesel standard is scheduled to take effect when in state biodiesel production reaches 5 Mgy. [...]
Swedish report concludes biogas most effective government subsidy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
In Sweden, Vinnova, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, concluded in a report that biogas investments are the most effective government subsidy for reducing CO2-emissions. The report evaluated all aspects of the Swedish “Climate Investment Programme” and found that biogas investments proved 10 – 100 times more economically efficient than all other compared investments.
Meanwhile [...]
UK’s Tate & Lyle says ethanol demand plunge hurting sugar profits
In England, British sugar firm Tate & Lyle said that falling oil prices have sapped ethanol demand, and said that it would report no increases in profits as the company worked through a downcycle in ethanol demand. The company said that deterioration of demand was particularly evident in its North American operations.
China and the Clean Development Mechanism: prompting massive forced relocations, and conversion of land from food to power?
In China, the Associated Press is reporting on the the CDM, the U.N.-managed Clean Development Mechanism established in 2005 as a Kyoto Treaty mechanism, as what one observer termed “an excessive subsidy that represents a massive waste of developed world resources.”
The article details forced relocations in China to clear land for CDM projects, the use [...]
Today in Digest discussion groups: “A 75 million gal/yr plant is being built in Geismar, LA (near Baton Rouge) to convert waste fats and greases into ultra clean diesel.”
534 people have now joined the Facebook (132) and LinkedIn (402) Biofuels Digest groups. In each group site, readers can register for free, complete a profile, join or start discussions, post or read articles, and link up with other bioenergy professionals for mutual opportunities.
At LinkedIn: Ramin Abhari, Senior Process Engineer at Syntroleum Corporation: “We have [...]
International Renewable Energy Agency founded in Germany with 75 member nations; data gathering, policy advocacy among central missions
In Germany, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was officially founded this week in Bonn, with 75 nations joining the new agency, which its backers say will be a counterbalance to the International Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency that are dominated by industrialized western democracies. According to the new organization, IRENA will [...]
Corn prices rising, but analysts say poor demand outlook will impose ceiling on increases
In Illinois, concerns about South American corn harvest yields drove underlying corn prices up 2 percent for spring deliveries, but analysts said that while corn has reached $4.06 for the July futures contract there is little support for further price increases due to a poor demand outlook. Corn has traded in a $3.73 to $4.06 [...]
Human Ecology article by Pimentel, Cornell colleagues aims to reignite “food vs fuel”, “net energy return” debate on biofuels
An article by longtime biofuels critic David Pimentel in Human Ecology aims to reignite the food vs fuel debate, reporting that US mandates for biofuels increase reliance on fossil fuels and unethically reduce food production in a malnourished world.
The Pimentel research team conclude there is not enough US biomass available to make the US energy [...]
- Jobs by SimplyHired
The 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy - Sponsored by Core Informatics
Click on company name for latest company news
1. Coskata
2. Sapphire Energy
3. Virent Energy Systems
4. POET
5. Range Fuels
6. Solazyme
7. Amyris Biotechnologies
8. Mascoma
9. DuPont Danisco
10. UOP
11. ZeaChem
12. Aquaflow Bionomic
13. Bluefire Ethanol
14. Novozymes
15. Qteros
16. Petrobras
17. Cobalt Biofuels
18. Iogen
19. Synthetic Genomics
20. Abengoa Bioenergy
21. KL Energy
22. Ineos
23. GreenFuel
24. Vital Renewable Energy
25. LS9
26. Raven Biofuels
27. Gevo
28. St.1 Biofuels Oy
29. Primafuel
30. Taurus Energy
31. Ceres
32. Syngenta
33. Aurora Biofuels
34. Bionavitas
35. Algenol
36. Verenium
37. Simply Green
38. Carbon Green
39. SEKAB
40. Osage Bioenergy
41. Dynamotive
42. Sustainable Power
43. ETH Bioenergia
44. Choren
45. OriginOil
46. Propel Fuels
47. GEM Biofuels
48. Lake Erie Biofuels
49. Cavitation Technologies
50. Lotus/Jaguar – Omnivore -
