A bioenergy technology company and a biomaterials processing technology and deployment company are partnering to turn miscanthus into biodiesel. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says the deal combines Algenetix Inc.’s proprietary, trademarked PhotoSeed technology and Alchimia Inc.’s oil extraction and purification technology. Giant miscanthus has been seen as an alternative to corn for cellulosic ethanol as well as a source …
Rhode Island Teen Recognized for Bioheat Project
A teenager from Rhode Island is being recognized for her project to turn waste cooking oil into biodiesel to heat homes, or bioheat. Cassandra Lin, a 15-year-old from Westerly, has been honored as one of six Earth Island Institute’s New Leaders Initiative young environmental activists winning the Brower Youth Awards, recognizing her efforts toward ecological sustainability and social justice. When …
Analysis: RIN Traders Predicting Biodiesel Market
A new analysis from the University of Illinois shows traders in Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) seem to be pretty good at predicting which way the biodiesel market will go. But is there some funny business going on to get those results? The efficiency of price discovery in the RINs market is quite controversial at the present moment. In just the …
U of Cincy Team Captures Grease for Biodiesel
A student team from the University of Cincinnati is being recognized for their idea to capture waste grease and turn it into biodiesel. The school’s Team Effuelent, led by students Ron Gillespie, Ethan Jacobs, and Qingshi Tu won the $40,000 prize in the Odebrecht Award for Sustainability Development Competition with their concept of “Using Trap Grease As the Raw Material …
Argentine Biodiesel Makers Vow to Fight EU Duties
Calling European Union punitive duties on their biodiesel bad for biodiesel overall on the continent, Argentine producers say they will fight them. This story from Reuters says the proposed $330-per-tonne duties on biodiesel imports from Argentina are seen by the Argentinians as unfair and bad for biodiesel in Europe as well. “We will seek to defend ourselves against this decision, …
Darling Closing Deal to Buy Renderer for Biodiesel
Back in August, we told you about Darling International Inc.’s bid to buy Canada-based Rothsay, the rendering and biodiesel division of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Darling is now expected to close that deal to give the company animal fats for biodiesel feedstock on October 28, 2013. Rothsay is the leading recycler of animal by-products in Canada and provides an essential …
Biodiesel Imports Drop Sharply in July
Numbers from the U.S. government show biodiesel imports, including all biomass-based diesel like renewable diesel, dropped sharply in July. This story in Biodiesel Magazine says the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed imports of biomass-based diesel at about 14.2 million gallons in July, less than half of June’s 28.6 million gallons. Indonesian biodiesel made up the majority of July’s imports, coming …
BDI Upgrading Biodiesel Plants in US & UK
A pair of biodiesel plants, one in the U.S. and the other in the UK are being upgraded. Biodiesel Magazine reports Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International AG will upgrade and get back to running an unnamed plant in Atlanta (suspected to be Renewable Energy Group’s currently idled 15 MMgy Atlanta-based biodiesel facility) and beef up the British plant’s (also unnamed) purification capabilities. …
RFA, Growth Energy Call Out Big Oil’s Lies
While a new poll from Big Oil tries to paint biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a bad light, the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy are trying to shine a little truth on the subject. The poll from the American Petroleum Institute (API), aka “Big Oil,” tries to make it look like Americans don’t support the RFS …
Florida Tow Truck Driver Looks to Hook Up Biodiesel
In a sign of the growing trend for more entrepreneurs to go more green and save some green, I ran across this article about a tow truck driver in Florida who wants to run his fleet on biodiesel. This story from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel tells the tale of Westway Towing owner Craig Goldstein, who also has a side …