Petroleum refiner Tesoro Corporation plans to develop biocrude made from renewable biomass. This news release from the Texas-based company says the biocrude can be co-processed in its existing refineries, along with traditional crude oil. Converting renewable biomass into biocrude is expected to enable existing refining assets to produce less carbon-intensive fuels at a significantly lower capital and operating cost than …
Dupont, ADM Make Long Sought-After Biochemical
DuPont Industrial Biosciences and ADM have teamed up to develop a process to make a long sought-after molecule important for renewable biochemicals. This news release from DuPont says the technology has applications in packaging, textiles, engineering plastics and many other industries. The companies have developed a method for producing furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) from fructose. FDME is a high-purity …
Italian Company Debuts ‘Better Than Biodiesel’ Fuel
An Italian company is the first in the world to turn an oil refinery into a biofuel plant. This news release from energy company Eni says it has rolled out Eni Diesel + at more than 3,500 fuel stations all over Italy. Using the Ecofining™ technology it owns (developed in 2006 in the San Donato Milanese laboratories, in cooperation with …
Vilsack Featured Speaker at Nat’l Ethanol Conference
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has been named to the lineup for this year’s National Ethanol Conference. The gathering, going on Feb. 15-17 in New Orleans, is the most widely attended executive level conference for the ethanol industry. Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, was praised by the Renewable Fuels Association as being a long-time ally of ethanol. Vilsack …
Canadian Biomass Gets Government Boost
A dozen biomass projects in Manitoba, Canada, are getting a boost from the provincial and federal governments. This article from Canadian Manufacturing says the $500,000 in assistance is designed to help end coal use in the province. “There are renewable energy resources readily available for use as biomass energy sources,” Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Ron Kostyshyn, …
NBB Challenges EPA Rules on Argentinian Biodiesel
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is challenging the federal government’s rules on the import of Argentinian biodiesel. This article from the NBB’s ally, the American Soybean Association (ASA), says NBB filed a legal brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that says the way the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is handling Argentinian biodiesel violates …
Oregon Starts Push for Renewable Diesel
The state government in Oregon is using a combination of incentives and technical expertise to support adoption of renewable diesel. This news release from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) says some of the results of the initiatives include reduced emissions and a decrease in fleet maintenance for the Eugene Water & Electric Board, which began testing this innovation in …
Neste’s Renewable Diesel to Power Super Bowl City
Plenty of jaw-dropping action from this weekend’s NFL playoffs, as we get closer to knowing who will be playing in in Super Bowl 50. While we don’t know the final match-up just yet, we already know that the game’s host city, San Francisco, is scoring ecological points by running on renewable diesel. This news release from Neste says its NEXBTL …
IA’s Biofuels Industries Could Help Biochem Industry
The lessons Iowa has learned in making ethanol and biodiesel could serve the state well in an effort to make bio-based chemicals. This article from the Des Moines Register says, though, a new report indicates a state tax credit is needed to help the Hawkeye state take a slice of the country’s $250 billion chemical market with greener replacements. “If …
Propane Autogas Buses Offer Clean Ride to School
A school district in Indiana this month is rolling out the state’s largest deployment of propane autogas school buses, giving the students a cleaner ride to school and saving taxpayer dollars. The Metropolitan School District of Warren Township will start using 11 Blue Bird Propane Vision buses purchased through dealer MacAllister Transportation, including 10 78-passenger models and one bus outfitted …