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In China, fuel riots occurred because of shortages. The shortages are affecting Shanghai, the southeast coastal provinces, and are spreading to the interior. Diesel is fixed-priced at $2.42 in China, about one third of the price in European markets, and fuel companies are getting squeezed by soaring crude oil costs, leading to production cutbacks […]
The EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer-Boel, reaffirmed the EU target of 10% of fuel consumption from biofuels by 2020. “While we take well-reasoned arguments extremely seriously, we have not seen anything yet to deflect us from the goals [that biofuel will make up 10 per cent of transport fuel by 2020] signed up to […]
In Kenya, HG Consulting will invest spend $475 million in The Ngima Project at Homa Bay, which will produce 100,000 tons of sugar for the domestic market and 68 Mgy of sugar cane ethanol for export.
Kenya has also been attracting attention over the Green Power East Africa jatropha biodiesel plant in Nairobi. Also, Pioneer Carbon […]
In Sweden, OKQ8 cancelled plans to sell Neste Oil biodiesel from Finland, bowing to pressure from Greenpeace over destruction of Malaysian rainforest to create the palm oil which is Neste’s primary feedstock.
Recently, the newly elected conservative Reinfeldt government of Sweden has pledged to spend nearly $100 million on the development of biofuels. The government has […]
In Tennessee, the Chattanooga City Council approved a contract with GSL Energy Solutions to convert city sludge and wood chips into biodiesel. The city has enough sludge to produce up to 4.9 Mgy of biodiesel.
Tennessee has been taking a more aggressive approach to biofuel development in recent months. Senator Lamar Alexander last month highlighted the […]
In Malaysia, the government has approved 91 biodiesel projects to date but only four are in operation. The high price of crude palm oil is cited as the cause for the expected capacity boom that has not materialized.
However, earlier this week HSBC Bank Malaysia agreed to provide financing for a $59 million Mission Biofuels biodiesel […]
In Italy, national biodiesel production is projected to fall 40 percent for 2007 compared to last year, to to 450,000 tons. Production was 750,000 tons in 2006. Producers blamed regulatory changes for the drop, but said that Italy would increase capacity by 750,000 tons through 2009.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley called on President Bush to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to approve E15, E20, E30 blends.
Grassley said that with E85 not gaining acceptance, the US had to find other ways to ensure a market for higher blends of ethanol.
Grassley, a strong domestic ethanol supporter, is leading an effort to close a […]
Aventine Renewable Energy reported net income of $3.0 million for the third quarter and cash flow from operations of $8.8 million.
The company blamed the poor results on falling ethanol prices and increased feedstock costs. Aventine estimated that the economic impact of declining ethanol prices on quarter-end inventory was $10.6 million.
In Japan, Sojitz agreed to acquire a 33 percent stake in ETH Bioenergia for $80 million. ETH Bioenergia, a subsidiary of Oldebrecht, will produce 259 Mgy of ethanol.
Earlier this month, Oldebrecht and Angolan and Brazilian companies Sonangol and Damers formed the Biocom joint venture to produce ethanol, electricity in Angola.
