Virent and the PlantPET Technology Collaborative (PTC) announced that the parties have signed an Expression of Interest that provides individual members of the PTC an option on preferred access to Virent’s 100% plant-based BioFormPX paraxylene (PX) to be produced at the company’s first industrial manufacturing facility. The plant-based PX, when combined with existing PET technology, allows manufacturers to offer customers 100% renewable, recyclable, PET packaging and polyester fibers.- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced proposed new actions to include new forest products in the BioPreferred program. The proposal also includes other traditional biobased products and other mature market products, which have been produced in innovative ways. USDA seeks public comment for 60 days on the proposed rules published in the Federal Register.
- The Second International Ocean Research Conference will take place November 17-21, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. The event will give the scientific community an opportunity to take stock of global research and determine a roadmap for the years to come. The purpose of the event is also to help secure recognition for the important role of the ocean in the international political agenda. Close to 600 scientists from more than 70 countries are scheduled to take part in the conference which is co-organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (COI), Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (Spain) and the Oceanography Society (USA).
- CBD Energy Limited has announced that it has fully erected 6 wind turbines on its Taralga Wind Farm site in New South Wales, Australia, with a further 17 nearing completion. When construction is complete, the Taralga Wind Farm will have 51 operating wind turbines. The initial generation from constructed wind turbines is planned for December 2014. When completed, the approximately US$265 million project is forecasted to generate on average US$25 million of revenues each year for its investors. The project’s off-take customer is Energy Australia, one of Australia’s largest utilities.
