Officials from the world’s two largest ethanol producers, the United States and Brazil, have been meeting this week to discuss the possibility of a new “energy partnership.” According to a Washington Post report, U.S. officials said they expect to sign accords within a year that would promote technology-sharing with Brazil and encourage more Latin American neighbors to become biofuel producers …
Making Hydrogen More Mainstream
A deal between two companies could make the mass production of hydrogen-fueled vehicles more feasible. In a press release on their web site, Dynetek officials say they will make seven million Canadian dollars (nearly US $ 6 mil) worth of compressed hydrogen storage systems for Magna Steyr connected to DaimlerChrysler’s fuel cell program. Dynetek officials say the deal will ultimately …
Companies Join to Build Slovenia’s Largest Biodiesel Refinery
A Slovenian oil refining company has partnered with an Austrian financier to build Slovenia’s largest biodiesel plant. The plant in Lendava, Slovenia (pictured below) will produce about 18 million gallons of biodiesel a year… making it one of the biggest in Europe. According to a press release on the company’s website, Nafta Lendava, Eko Nafta, Nafta Biodizel and the Austrian …
Global Warming at 28 Below
A quick Google news search for “global warming” today turns up nearly 2,000 articles in the first heading, thanks to a new study that says global warming is “underway right now, humans caused it, and it will continue for centuries, no matter what we do.” The study was released in Paris by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. At a …
From Briefs to Biodiesel
Who’s not wearing underwear? Well, apparently, besides some Hollywood celebrities, not enough of us. And, strangely enough, that could be good news for the biodiesel industry. This story on Bloomberg.com says a British-based distributor of underwear, Caldwell Investments, is getting out of the skivvies biz and is planting 1,000 jatropha trees in Brazil with plans to make biodiesel. The biodiesel …
Brazil Opens Country’s Largest Biodiesel Mill
Brazil has opened a 108-million-liter (approximately 25 million gallons) a year biodiesel plant… the largest in the South American country. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended the event. This story in Brazzil Magazine says this one operated by Brasil Ecodiesel is not the only biodiesel mill in the country. According to the (Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy), …
Biodiesel To Drive Race Car
A couple of days ago, I told you about a biodiesel motorcycle that will try to set a speed record that will be featured at the upcoming National Biodiesel Conference & Expo (Feb. 4th-7th in San Antonio, TX). Now, a British racing team says it will put a prototype 100% biodiesel engine into its car competing in the British Touring …
Report: Biodiesel Set for “Explosive” Growth
This story in Biofuel Review says that a report by the energy intelligence agency Emerging Markets Online says biodiesel growth is set to explode over the next 10 years… fueled by a new U.S. commitment to biofuels (remember President Bush’s 20 in 10 proposal – 20% alternative fuels in the next 10 years) and ramped up production in other parts …
Truth and Tortillas
Truth About Trade & Technology has posted a Wall Street Journal commentary on the tortilla crisis in Mexico. The op-ed piece contends that the “cause of the corn price spike is too much government intervention.” The sharp increase in Mexican corn prices, which fueled the tortilla price spike, followed big price increases for corn on international markets over the past …
Hedging Risks with Asian Biodiesel
The makers of biodiesel in Asia are taking steps to make sure they aren’t burned by the drop in oil prices. Biodiesel production has been pretty profitable for them when oil has pushed above $70 a barrel, but this Reuters story in the Hong Kong-based The Standard gives some advice on how the operations can stay profitable now that oil …