By Erin Voegele | February 20, 2012/The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a Farm Bill hearing on Rural Development and Energy on Feb. 15. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack opened the testimony by speaking about the importance of energy policy in the Farm Bill.

“Biofuels, biomass, wind and solar rely primarily on farm, ranch, and forest lands, the potential for renewable energy development resides predominantly in our Nation’s rural regions,” Vilsack said. “Certainly, renewable energy is an important source of jobs and economic growth in rural communities across the country, while biofuels and biomass offer exciting new opportunities for entrepreneurs and, in particular, for American agricultural producers. Our nation’s future depends on out-innovating, out-investing, out-educating, and out-building our competitors in an increasingly integrated and competitive world economy.” Leer más »

By Bryan Sims | January 03, 2012/Israel-based Evogene Ltd. has launched a wholly owned subsidiary, Evofuel Ltd., to accelerate the development and commercialization of castor bean varieties in Brazil for biodiesel and biojet fuel production, as well as to expand biofuel research and development activities located in Israel.

According to a statement released by Evogene, the impetus behind establishing the subsidiary is due to the need for diversifying feedstock supply to fulfill worldwide demand of biodiesel, which currently relies mainly on edible oils such as soybeans and canola. Leer más »

By Luke Geiver/When the founders of Organic Drive, a U.K.-based biodiesel producer, decided to leave their industrial and operational consulting positions, the team wanted to find an industry that was growing. They chose the biodiesel industry, according to Tom James, director at Organic Drive, because they felt the use of waste vegetable oil as a biodiesel feedstock was growing, and also because the team felt its expertise at improving process efficiency could be put to good use. James told Biodiesel Magazine that the three founders, who include Geoff Cunningham and Duncan Morrison, formerly worked on everything from nuclear reactors to submarines. Leer más »

By Erin Voegele/SunPower Biodiesel celebrated its grand re-opening on May 26. 

Cumberland, Wis.-based SunPower Biodiesel has officially restarted operations. The facility, which was first commissioned in 2008, held a grand opening ceremony May 26. The event featured a ribbon cutting ceremony with local politicians, facility tours and an educational seminar. Leer más »

By Luke Geiver | May 24, 2011.Endicott Biofuels and petroleum refiner Holly Corp. may have just shown the true impact of RFS2. Endicott, which has been working since February to complete a 30 MMgy biodiesel facility in Port Arthur, Texas, has partnered with Holly Corp. to form a new biofuel company that is bringing Endicott’s biodiesel know-how together with the Dallas-based petroleum refiner. Leer más »

By Bryan Sims | April 05, 2011/ ADM plans to acquire Prairie Pride’s soy crush and biodiesel facilities in Deerfield, Mo.

Photo: Prairie Pride Inc.

Decatur, Ill.-based agribusiness firm Archer Daniels Midland Co. has agreed to acquire a soybean crushing facility and 30 MMgy biodiesel production plant from Prairie Pride Inc. in Deerfield, Mo. ADM will also form a partnership with PPI for the biodiesel portion of the business.

PPI responded to ADM’s acquisition of its soy crushing and biodiesel production assets, stating, Leer más »

By Erin Voegele/A report recently released by the Australian Government’s Rural Industries Research and Development Corp. investigated the potential for using native and naturalized plant species as feedstock for biodiesel production. The study, “Evaluating Biodiesel Potential of Australian Native and Naturalised Plant Species,” assessed the feasibility of more than 200 potential feedstocks and determined that 20 locally available species have commercial potential. Leer más »

By Bryan Sims/With support from Invest Toronto, Energy Innovation Corp. has proposed to repurpose an 8,600 square-foot building into a biodiesel production facility with an initial annual output volume of 5 MMly (about 1.3 MMgy). Located in the downtown core in the port lands area, the future facility will be located on a site with existing ship, truck and rail transportation infrastructure that could be leveraged for feedstock sourcing and biodiesel marketing. Leer más »

Enzyme company Verenium Corp. has partnered with global oils, fats and biodiesel technology firm Desmet Ballestra to expand the use and geographic reach of its vegetable-oil-specific enzyme, Purifine PLC. Nearly a month after announcing a partnership with Alfa Laval to jointly market the enzyme, Verenium has signed with Desmet Ballestra to market the Purifine enzymatic degumming process, while packaging the enzyme with Desmet Ballestra’s processing equipment and engineering services. Leer más »

This year’s theme for the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo is summed up in one word: advance. It’s time that all biodiesel businesses advance, and at last, we are in a position to do so.

RFS2 will help generate significant demand for biodiesel. But what is its true impact, and how can biodiesel producers and marketers put themselves in a winning position? For a second year, this will be a primary focus of the conference. Educational sessions, the exhibit hall, and networking opportunities will empower you to use the RFS2 to your greatest advantage. Leer más »