Archive for December, 2007

Today in Biofuels: US requires $105.5 billion in capital to meet Renewable Fuel Standard; ethanol train derails in Pennsylvania; Brazil’s ethanol production up 20 percent; Greenpeace leader says biodiesel yields are inflated

Top Story:
The Farm Credit Council said that, following the signing of the Energy Independence and Security Act, US industry will require $105.5 billion in capital to meet the new Renewable Fuel Standard. Council director Ken Auer questioned whether commercial bankers would continue to “sit back and wait for someone else to take the financing risk [...]

Toronto Hydro says review of data shows no fuel, maintenance increases in 2005 switch to biodiesel

In Canada, Toronto Hydro, which converted its entire fleet to biodiesel in 2005, said it has recorded no change in the fuel or maintenance cost for biodiesel blends compared to conventional diesel.
The switch highlights a continuiin trend of B5 and B20 conversions with no side effects.
In New Hampshire, Cranmore Mountain Resort has reported that its [...]

East Coast Ethanol proposes 100 Mgy corn ethanol facility for Selma, SC

In South Carolina, East Coast Ethanol has proposed a 110 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Selma. Total project investment is projected at $130 million, but the firm did not outline a construction timetable.
Selma officials said that the town had the excess water capacity to supply the 1.2 million gallons of water required per day by [...]

Ethanol train derails in Pennsylvania; one car explodes in flames; none hurt; third derailment in 14 months in OH-PA corridor

In Pennsylvania, an ethanol train derailed on the weekend. Nine cars went off the tracks in West Wheatfield in Indiana County. No casualties were reported but one of the ethanol cars caught fire and ignited its ethanol cargo. No cause for the derailment has been mentioned.
In October, a train derailed at Windsor, Colorado. The derailment [...]

Brazilian ethanol production up 20 percent in 2007, says Minister

In Brazil, ethanol production increased 20 percent in 2007, according to figures released by the the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. Consumption increased, according to a Ministry official, because 90 percent of all new cars sold in Brazil are flex-fuel vehicles. The Ministry projects that 20 new ethanol plants will come online in 2008.

Hong Kong’s Noble Group to invest $450 million in Brazilian ethanol

In Hong Kong, Noble Group said it will invest $450 million in its Brazilian sugar-cane ethanol processing operations by 2011. Noble will increase capacity at its Votuporanga plant, to 5 million tons of cane (from 2 million), and will construct a new plant in Sao Paulo to crush an additional 5 million tons.

The company said [...]

$150 million corn ethanol proiect in Michigan is “stalled”; county to refund $900K state grant

In Michigan, a $150 million corn ethanol project is stalled, and the city of Corunna will have to refund a $900,000 grant from the state government that would have assisted with funding.
The move follows the halting of construction by E85, among several that the company has reportedly stopped.
The construction halt is the latest in a [...]

Greenpeace says biodiesel industry falsified rapeseed yields, inflating them by 400 percent

Greenpeace spokesperson Michael Hopf, said that biodiesel “produces as many fine carcinogenic particulates as do fossil fuels,” and said the biofuels advocates have falsely quadrupled the biodiesel yield of rapeseed. Hopf said that a field produces 35 gallons of biodiesel per acre, compared to industry claims of yields of 140 gallons per acre.
Hopf added [...]

Philippine biodiesel board to address “food vs fuel” issue as biofuels critics slow investment, manufacturing

In the Philippines, the National Biofuels Board says that it expects to release a policy response on the “food vs fuel” debate that has slowed biofuel production development.
Philippine ethanol demand is projected to increase to 48 Mgy by 2011 with the implementation of a national E10 mandate.
The Philippines have a B1 and E5 mandate scheduled [...]

German biodiesel leader accuses Finance Minister of trying to “crush us”

In Germany, the president of the Federal Association of Organic Fuels, Peter Schrum, has accused the Finance Minister of trying to “crush us”, as tension erupts between supporters of the biofuels industry among Christian Democrats are pitted against anti-biofuels CD’s and the Social Democratic Party.
Under previous tax laws, German biofuels production increased from 200,000 tonnes [...]