In Iowa, the Des Moines Register newspaper reports that the latest casualty of the ongoing war between the biofuels industry and the oil industry is the closure of W2 Fuel’s 10 million gallon per year biodiesel plant in Crawfordsville as well as another plant in Michigan. Iowa’s governor and other Midwest legislators were assured by […]
In Washington, Platts reports that Energy Information Administration data shows ethanol production fell to its lowest level in 3.5 years last week to an average of 943,000 b/d, 60,000 b/d lower than the prior week, a drop of nearly 6%, and nearly 9% lower that during the same week last year. Platts estimates the crush […]
In Italy, Eni has opened the most innovative bio-refinery in Europe at Gela. Launched in August 2019, the plant has a processing capacity of up to 750,000 metric tons a year and will be able to treat increasing quantities of used vegetable oil, animal fat, algae and by-products to produce high-quality biofuels. All the petrochemical […]
In Brazil, Reuters reports the Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industries Association (ABIOVE) says demand for soybean oil for biodiesel is expected to grow by more than 20 percent in 2020 from this year’s forecast to 5 million metric tons thanks to higher blending next year of 12%, set to start in March. The blending mandate increased […]
In Thailand, the Vietnam News Agency reports that the Thai government is looking to boost biodiesel blending to 10% as of January 1, 2020 in an effort to boost palm oil prices that fell to a 20-year low in April and hasn’t recovered very far. The Thai cabinet already approved a $1.93 billion package to […]
In Minnesota, the Crookston Times reports that the ongoing battle in Washington over the Renewable Fuel Standard, demand destruction for biofuels and the future of biofuels in general is trickling down to the local level with claims that the $160 million proposed Epitome Energy soybean crushing and biodiesel project isn’t viable. Controversy over the plant’s […]
In Minnesota, U.S. Water Services, Inc. and Novozymes have settled a U.S. patent infringement action U.S. Water brought against Novozymes alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,415,137 and 8,609,399, and the validity of the patents was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The terms of the settlement are confidential. The United […]
In Sweden, in what is another milestone in the development of heavy self-driving vehicles, a group of Scania experts in different fields have teamed up and developed a concept truck, which, even without the cab, has the company’s modular system at the heart of the design. The combustion engine that powers the concept vehicle is […]
In Minnesota, Maas Companies of Rochester will auction Chesapeake Green Fuels’ 10 Million Gallon per year biodiesel plant. Maas Companies specializes in the liquidation of specialized and renewable assets for private companies, courts, banks and lenders nationwide. The surplus assets will be sold via a sealed bid auction; the deadline for offers is Wednesday, November […]
In Brazil, Reuters reports Cofco International plans to invest in a one or two kilometer pipeline to transport its biodiesel to the Rondonópolis rail terminal area that could be operational sometime in 2020. Construction is set to begin already this year. The company has boosted its biodiesel production in Mato Grosso by 42% to 306 […]
