Archive for September, 2007
US climate proposals “simply not enough”, say delegates as Washington climate conference ends
The two-day conference of the 17 “Heavy Smoker” major polluting nations ended with disappointment over President George Bush’s call for voluntary emission targets set by each individual country.
The British climate envoy called the US “isolated” and the South African Environment Minister said “the US needs to go back to the drawing board”.
The talks were a [...]
Biofuels Digest Indexâ„¢ drops 1.48% as Archer-Daniels-Midland takes a tumble
The Biofuels Digest Indexâ„¢, a basket of 21 public biofuel stocks, fell 1.48% to 98.68 as ethanol giant Archer-Daniels-Midland led the sector down by dropping 1.69% to $33.08. Oil rose to more than $83 per barrel, boosting major ethanol stocks such as Pacific Ethanol (PEIX), Aventine (AVR) and VeraSun Energy (VSE).
Environmental Power (EPG) lost 14.52% [...]
Daily Biofuels Summary for September 28
Top Story:
The El Paso Times published a profile on Valcent, which has developed the Vertigo system for growing algae on a commercial scale for biodiesel. The system uses 10-foot-long water-filled plastic bags suspended in a greenhouse-like setting, and Valcent projects it can produce 100,000 gallons of algae oil per acre per year, or 233 times [...]
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food says biofuels will lead to “massive hunger”, calls for “five year moratorium” on sugarcane ethanol
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, said that “transformation of agricultural land for the production of bio-fuels in America” is a “huge problem. This had resulted in the rise of the price of corn, especially in Mexico. This would lead to massive hunger in the world.”
He added that “bio-fuels had [...]
40 Mgy corn ethanol plant opened by Pacific Ethanol in Oregon; Oregon, Portland Renewable Fuel Standards expected to increase demand
A 40 Mgy corn ethanol facility in Boardman, Oregon was opened yesterday by Pacific Ethanol, and will supply fuel for the Portland market. The City of Portland’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) went into effect this year and Oregon’s upcoming RFS goes into effect January 1, 2008. The plant also produces 350,000 tons of distillers grains [...]
Reed-Three Rivers Bio-Grain aims to add 2 Bgy in corn ethanol capacity with nine new 240Mgy plants
Reed-Three Rivers Bio-Grain has announced plans to build nine 240 MGY corn ethanol plants in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Arizona. The facilities will use the new, higher productivity Chen-Xu Process of converting corn to ethanol.
Three Missouri corn ethanol project plans advance; 320 Mgy in planned capacity
Three Missouri plants are advancing through the planning stage, with a total planned capacity of more than 320 Mgy of corn ethanol.
The state of Missouri issued an air permit to Ethanex of SEMO. The permit will allow Ethanex to build a 138.6 Mgy ethanol plant at the Southeast Missouri Regional Port. A permit is still [...]
Archer-Daniels-Midland, ConocoPhillips, to produce “bio-crude” from biomass which can be refined into gasoline, diesel
Archer-Daniels-Midland announced a partnership with ConocoPhillips to produce “biocrude,” a hydrocarbon fuel made from biomass with similar properties to crude oil, which can be refined into gasoline or diesel. ConocoPhillips had previously announced a partnership with Tyson foods to develop chicken-fat based biodiesel. ADM had indicated previously its strategy to diversify beyond its base in [...]
Malaysia to launch a jatropha biodiesel pilot project in Sabah
In Malaysia, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry will launch a jatropha pilot project in Sabah. The location will be in Kota Marudu. The Ministry pledged to expand cultivation, especially in poorer areas, if the crop proves to be viable. The Ministry also pledged to introduce new methods for oil palm production in Sabah that [...]
Air New Zealand to trial Boeing 747 powered by biofuel
Air New Zealand announced that it would trial a Boeing 747 flight using blended biofuel, in late 2008 or early 2009. The flight is projected to take-off from Auckland, but will not carry passengers, the company said.
Last month, Virgin Atlantic announced a pending biofuels test also using one of its 747s.
