An American energy company with biodiesel and ethanol operations will be buyng some of its green fuel from down under. The New York Times reports that Valero Energy has signed a five-year deal with Australian biofuel refiner Mission NewEnergy to obtain biodiesel made from jatropha. Valero will also be able to buy a 25 percent stake in Mission: Mission will …
Algae Biodiesel Maker Teams with Japanese
California-based algae biodiesel producer OriginOil Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Research Institute of Tsukuba Bio-Tech (RITB) to develop algae-to-jet fuel technologies. This article from Biomass Magazine says the deal comes on the heels of RITB getting money from the Japan Science and Technology Agency to develop algae-to-jet fuel applications: Headed by Tsukuba University professor emeritus and …
Biodiesel Gets British Columbia to Cut Carbon Tax
A controversial tax imposed on some Canadians will be reduced at the beginning of the new year, thanks to biodiesel. Today’s Trucking.com reports that British Columbia’s carbon tax will drop by 5 percent and planned increases will also be lessened because of renewable fuels: On Jan. 1, 2010 the carbon tax rate on diesel drops from 4.04 cents per litre …
GE Inks Deal to Build U.S.’s Biggest Wind Farm
GE has signed a $1.4 billion deal to deliver more than 300 wind turbines for a 845 megawatt wind farm to be built in Oregon. The Earth2Tech blog says, when built, it would be the largest wind farm in the U.S.: Independent power producer Caithness Energy will develop the wind farm, called Shepherds Flat, and under three power purchase agreements …
Copenhagen Seen as Good for Biodiesel, Ethanol
The Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, which started this week in Denmark, could be good for biodiesel and ethanol. Biodiesel Magazine reports that while not everyone agrees exactly on what the political negotiations will bring, an expected deal … if not a full treaty … outlining a carbon pricing or cap-and-trade system that puts a price on carbon will be a …
Biodiesel Tax Credit Passes House, On to Senate
A crucial tax break for the biodiesel industry has passed the U.S. House but is still a ways from being renewed. The Hill.com reports that the $1-per-gallon tax credit for biodiesel, set to expire in just a few weeks on Dec. 31, won House approval, 241-181, but the $31 billion package still must make it through the U.S. Senate. The …
Biodiesel Giant Awards Scholarship
The nation’s biggest biodiesel is making a student’s Christmas a bit greener. HERO BX has awarded Erie, Pa. native Katherine Tarr, a $1,000 scholarship. This company press release says the award was given in conjunction with the Erie movie premier of the Sundance Film Festival award winning film, FUEL: “I’m really grateful for the scholarship,” said Tarr, who will graduate …
Grant to Help Iowa Plant Produce Biodiesel & Cosmetics
An Illinois company has received a $2.5 million federal grant to put in a demonstration project in an Iowa biodiesel plant that could allow the facility to produce the green fuel and cosmetics. Last month, I told you how Elevance Renewable Sciences of Bolingbrook, Ill., was looking to get some government assistance to put in the $8.1 million project in …
Biodiesel Completes Capitol Christmas Tree Journey
Tomorrow (Tuesday) night will be a magical time in Washington, D.C., as the Capitol Christmas Tree is officially lit. The National Biodiesel Board points out that the 85-foot blue spruce made the 4,000-mile cross-country trip from Arizona to the nation’s capital on a truck fueled with biodiesel … a first for the tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree that goes …
OH Biodiesel Plant Part of Advanced Biorefinery Projects
An Ohio biodiesel plant is among those 19 projects that Michelle told you about yesterday that will share in $564 million in federal Recovery Act monies. This press release from Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), whose district includes a biorefinery pilot project on the Health Science Campus at the University of Toledo, says that biorefinery will get nearly $20 million: Federal …