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Date Published:
04 April 2012

Volume 6, Issue 3


US biodiesel producers eye more demand with low sulphur rules

Feature
Recently released data shows biodiesel producers in the US throttled back output during the first two months of 2012 after record monthly production reported for December 2011. The production decline follows the expiration at the end of 2011 of a tax subsidy that paid blenders $1 (€0.75) per gallon to blend biomassbased diesel into petroleumbased diesel, as well as tepid domestic demand for... [read more]

The debate over planned tax increase on biofuels

Feature
The UK’s budget announcement on 21 March saw the Chancellor remaining firm on his decision to increase the tax on used cooking biodiesel. The government policy came in as of 1 April 2012, and increases the tax on biodiesel produced from used cooking oil (UCO) by £0.20 (€0.24) per litre. It is being met with heavy opposition, led primarily by the Save Our Sustainable (SOS)... [read more]

AEC asks US senate to extend ethanol tax provisions

Feature
US senators are being urged to extend key cellulosic ethanol tax provisions which are due to expire at the end of this year. The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) wrote a letter to the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy Natural Resources and Infrastructure chairman, Jeff Bingaman, and ranking member John Cornyn, in March 2012 to persuade them to consider the extension. In the past, senator Debbie... [read more]

Vivergo plant imminent

Feature
Vivergo Fuels is in the final stages of opening the largest bioethanol production facility in Hull, UK as part of a joint venture with BP, AB Sugar and DuPont. The plant will produce 420 million litres of bioethanol and 500,000 tonnes of animal feed a year. The bioethanol produced will represent around a third of the UK’s 2012/2013 requirements under the Renewable Transport Fuels... [read more]

A major future in biofuel

Feature
Oil majors are increasing investments into biofuels as conventional fuel becomes scarcer and the price of oil rises. In a recent report by Pike Research, Shell and BP were named as the two oil companies that are the best positioned to make a profit from biofuels. Governments are also waking up to the fact that they will need to meet biofuel mandates over the coming years, a cost that is expected... [read more]

Lack of policy sees South Africa brewing less biofuels

Feature
The South African government released its Biofuels Industrial Strategy in December 2007. It aims for 2% of final liquid fuels consumption by 2013 which accounts to about 400 million litres. The strategy suggests that, given South Africa’s climatic condition, agricultural potential, land availability and food security, the country can afford a 4.5% biofuels penetration to the current fuel... [read more]

Zimbabwe gets a green fuel injection

Feature
Green Fuels’ ethanol project is the single largest investment to happen in Zimbabwe outside mining in the past five years. Green Fuel is also said to be the first large scale ethanol producing factory in Africa. The ethanol production and processing unit at Chisumbanje Estates, in the eastern province of Manicaland, produces anhydrous ethanol from sugarcane. The plant is on a 40,000 hectare... [read more]

Cellulosic ethanol becoming a reality

Feature
Biological routes to ethanol depend on fermenting sugar solution, with yeast or other microorganisms, then distilling the ‘beer’ to separate the ethanol. Until now the sugar has come from cane or beet, or from hydrolysing starch from grains, potatoes or other starchy vegetables. This is so-called first generation ethanol and it has served to demonstrate that ethanol is a viable fuel,... [read more]

Everyoneâ

Feature
After the dramatic events of some years ago, Sierra Leone has now become a democracy. Nevertheless, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The development of agriculture and related industries represents a unique chance for sustainable growth. Addax Bioenergy, a subsidiary of Addax and Oryx (AOG), has committed itself to building a complex for the production of bioethanol from... [read more]

A balanced approach

Feature
The successful implementation of RFS2, while marketdriven and therefore not necessarily bankable, has allowed many shuttered facilities to restart production. In 2011, before the FET credit expiration, the industry saw its largest production ever, topping out at nearly 1.1 billion gallons. While congress decides the future of the credit, the US biodiesel industry contemplates how to stay in... [read more]

Feedstock flexibility

Feature
It was only a few years ago when a large surplus of quality biodiesel feedstock was available, the political support of biodiesel was unwavering, and demand was at an all time high to find something cheaper than petroleum diesel. Times have certainly changed. Over the past several years the prices of all crude and refined fats have continued to rise, causing the cost of making biodiesel to... [read more]

Extracting oil from future feedstocks

Feature
Before biodiesel is ready for blending, the feedstock must be pressed and the oil extracted, and prior to this some cleaning, de-hulling and pulverisation may occur. Firstly, the seeds are sent for cleaning to remove the dirt, straw and other nonseed items. Depending on the type of seed and customer preference, the hulls can be removed to expose seed meats. The seed temperature and moisture is... [read more]

Cleaning up

Feature
Ethanol production in 2011 neared 14 billion gallons, according to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). This is an increase of 717 million gallons compared to 2010’s production figures. With this set to rise by a further 1.25 billion gallons in 2012, to 15.2 billion gallons, there is no let up for ethanol producers and its plant maintenance issues. Biofuel plants need to be cleaned to... [read more]