Bioenergy company Amyris, Inc. and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL) the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will pave the way for GOL commercial flights to use Amyris renewable jet fuel in 2014. The partnership was announced during the first commercial flight with a renewable jet …
Call for Brazil to Reinstate Fuel Tax Policy
The Brazilian Industry Sugarcane Association (UNICA) is calling for the return of the ICMS tax policy that creates incentives to use ethanol over gasoline. When the tax policy is in place, funds generated from the fuel tax are used to subsidize public transportation. UNICA notes that the policy is a way to generate positive economic, social, environmental and public health …
Novozymes & Raízen Partner on Cellulosic Ethanol
Novozymes and Raízen Energia S/A, Brazil’s largest sugarcane crusher, have announced plans to collaborate on the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Brazil. Novozymes will be supplying enzyme technology for the plant, expected to begin production by the end of 2014. The plant will be a bolt-on facility to Raízen’s Costa Pinto sugarcane mill in the state of São Paulo …
Brazil Sugarcane Harvest Strong
The volume of cane sugar produced by mills in the South-Central region of Brazil reached 46.34 million tons in the first 15 days of August, up 4.72 percent compared to value recorded in the same half of the previous year (44.25 million tons). Since the harvest began, crushing has totaled 315.10 million tons, an increase of 20.68 percent compared to …
Why Sugarcane Ethanol is Essential to RFS
There is a significant amount of attention being paid to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) but one area that hasn’t been talked about much is the role of sugarcane ethanol in the RFS. To learn more, I spoke with Leticia Phillips the representative for North America with UNICA – the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association. She said that under the RFS, …
Brazilian Biofuel Trade Mission
A first-of-its-kind joint trade mission to Brazil has been scheduled to “improve and enhance biofuels trade by matching businesses seeking greater trade opportunities in ethanol and other biofuels as well as green technology designed to expand and enhance biofuel production.” Approximately 15 companies will be selected for the mission, which is the product of a partnership between the Renewable Fuels …
RFA Initiates Talks with Brazilian Ethanol Industry
Representatives of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) recently took part in UNICA’s Worldwide Ethanol Summit in Brazil with a two-fold mission. First, RFA represented American ethanol interests at the global event, but it also offered them an opportunity to sit down with their Brazilian ethanol counterparts and discuss how they can work together in a growing international marketplace. “It was …
Brazil’s GranBio Open US Operations
Brazil-based GranBio has announced plans to expand to the U.S. with an office in San Francisco and has name Vonnie Estes as the managing director. In this new role, Ms. Estes will lead GranBio’s efforts to access new technologies and establish key public and private collaborations for the company’s continued global expansion in advanced biorefinery development. Ms. Estes joins GranBio …
Amyris Ships First Product
Amyris has shipped it first commercial product from its plant in Brazil. The facility was the company’s first purpose-built industrial fermentation facility and produces Biofene, the company’s brand of renewable farnesene, to be used in a range of specialty chemical and fuel applications. “This initial shipment marks the successful completion of our start-up activities. We have operated multiple tanks without …
Amyris Begins Biofene Production in Brazil
Amyris has announced that it has completed a $42.25 million private placement of its common stock. The company has also begun production of its industrial fermentation facility in Brazil and is producing Biofene, its brand of renewable farnesene, a fragrant oil chemical. When adding a hydrogen molecule to farnesene, you get farnesane, which is the foundation molecule for renewable diesel. “We are …