News & Articles

Biofuels International Online Newsletter

Friday 15th August, 2008

Welcome to Biofuels International's weekly newsletter Suppliers began mixing biofuel into all UK petrol and diesel supplies in April, under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) Only 19% of UK biofuel meets sustainability standard UK-based fuels regulator the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) says only 19% of the biofuel supplied under the government's new initiative to use fuel from plants meets its standard. Suppliers could not identify the origin of the remaining 81% or prove its sustainability. The suppliers began mixing the biofuel into all petrol and diesel supplies in April, under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The figures show that biofuel accounted for 2.1% of UK road fuel for the first month of the scheme, against a target for the year of 2.5%. The majority of biofuel was biodiesel (86%), with 14% bioethanol. >> click here for more EPA denies RFS waiver request The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has denied the renewable fuels standard (RFS) waiver request submitted by Texas Governor Rick Perry. >> click here for more North America's largest wheat-ethanol plant opens North America's largest wheat-based ethanol plant has opened in Saskatchewan, Canada. >> click here for more VeraSun Energy announces increased revenues VeraSun Energy, one of the US' largest ethanol producers, has announced its financial results for the three months ended June 30 2008, showing a 499% increase in revenues over Q2 2007, to $1.015 billion (?682 million). >> click here for more Amiworld to increase biodiesel production by 300% Amiworld, a New York-based international energy company engaged in the production and distribution of diversified fuel products and services, has announced a strategic plan to increase both biodiesel and diesel production by at least 300% at the company's South American facility. >> click here for more Greenbelt Resources expanding into algae oil market Minnesota-based Greenbelt Resources Corporation has signed an agreement to acquire 20% of algae-oil manufacturing company Renewed World Energies. >> click here for more Basic Energy eyes ethanol plant project Basic Energy, formerly Basic Petroleum, is partnering with Metro Pacific Investments Corp (MPIC) for a P6-billion (?90 million) ethanol project in the Philippines. >> click here for more St1 to produce bioethanol from waste Finland-based energy company St1 and independent petroleum company Marquard & Bahls will establish a joint venture to produce bioethanol from waste in Europe. >> click here for more Climate camp convenes at Vopak biofuel site Environment demonstrators have targeted independent oil terminal operator Vopak's Essex, UK, biofuel depot. >> click here for more Botswana government rejects ethanol project A proposal to start a sugarcane plantation and ethanol plant in the Kasane Forest Reserve, Botswana, has been rejected over concerns of the loss of biodiversity, the assistant minister of agriculture, Shaw Kgathi, says. >> click here for more PetroVietnam sets up biofuels subsidiary PetroVietnam is setting up a new company to manage its biofuel production and distribution. >> click here for more