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 …
Edeniq Expands Into Brazil
Edeniq, with its partner Usina Vale, a Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer, has begun to engineer and construct a bagasse to sugars demonstration-scale plant. The biorefinery will produce cellulosic sugars from sugarcane bagasse and then convert it into ethanol. The plant will handle up to 20 tons per day of bagasse and will be co-located at Usina Vale’s ethanol and …
RFA Calls for Removal of Trade Distorting Policies
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is calling on the Obama Administration to help remove certain trade distorting policies in Brazil that they say have contributed to the dramatic decline in exports of ethanol to Brazil. The organization’s President and CEO, Bob Dinneen, sent a letter to US Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk asking for assistance on the matter. The letter seeks …
Bunge Becomes Cobalt Investor
The Advanced Biofuels Markets conference is underway in San Francisco and many advanced biofuels companies have been making announcements. One of these companies is Cobalt Technologies who has announced that Bunge Global Innovation has joined its Cobalt’s Series E Preferred Stock round an a strategic investor. The investment comes on the heels of Cobalt’s agreement with Bunge and specialty chemicals …
Cobalt & Rhodia to Build Biobutanol Plant
Cobalt Technologies and Rhodia, a member of the Solvay Group, is partnering to develop and operate a biobutanol demonstration facility in Brazil. The plant will use Cobalt’s technology to convert bagasse (sugarcane by-product) and other local feedstock into bio n-butanol, which can be used as both a transportation fuel or industrial chemical. “This agreement puts us on a clear path towards commercialization, …
Solazyme & Bunge Break Ground on Facility in Brazil
Renewable oil producer Solazyme, Inc. and agribusiness and food company Bunge Limited broke ground on a 100,000 metric ton renewable oil facility right next to Bunge’s Moema sugarcane mill in Brazil. This press release says that the companies have also brought on as general manager Hildo Henz, an experienced engineer who has led major refinery projects during his career, to …
UnicaData Goes Live Providing Cane Industry Data
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has unveiled new industry data and statistics. UnicaData is a customizable tool designed to provide detailed industry information focused on the cane industry in Brazil. The free data is derived from third party institutions and features information on areas such as: Sugarcane harvest Quality of harvested cane Harvest projections Sugarcane production and processing …
UNICA Announces Interim CEO
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) today announced the appointment of an interim CEO to replace Marcos Jank, who announced his resignation on March 27th. UNICA’s Board of Directors has named the organization’s Technical Director, Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, to serve as interim CEO during the selection process, now underway, for a new chief executive. A member of the executive …