SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell plans to form an ethanol and fuel distribution joint venture worth up to $12 billion with Brazilian sugar and biofuel giant Cosan, becoming the latest global energy company to buy into one of Brazil’s fastest-growing industries.

The deal, announced on Monday, marks Shell’s first foray into ethanol production and follows moves by British oil company BP, which in 2008 took a stake in a big Brazilian biofuel project and unveiled $1 billion in investments.

Cosan shares jumped 12 percent in Sao Paulo, compared with a 1.1 percent gain by the benchmark Bovespa index. Shell shares rose 1.1 percent in London, outperforming a 0.3 percent rise in the Dow Jones European oil and gas index. Leer más »

JUIZ DE FORA, Brazil, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Brazil on Tuesday opened the world’s first ethanol-fueled power plant in an effort by the South American biofuels giant to increase the global use of ethanol and boost its clean power generation.

State-run oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA)(PBR.N) and General Electric Co (GE.N), which helped design the plant, are betting that increased use of ethanol generation by green-conscious countries will boost demand for the product.

Brazil, the top global ethanol exporter, is already in talks with Japan to develop biofuels power generation there. Leer más »

The European Biodiesel Board has called on the Argentinean authorities to step in and take a positive stance in balancing the trade in biodiesel between Argentina and Europe. In a statement issued last week the EBB explained that it had been growing increasingly concerned by the sharp increase in biodiesel exports from Argentina that the EU has been facing since January. It went on to say that it stood ready to take any appropriate step to restore, what it saw, as balanced market conditions. Leer más »

Energy from the Sahara plants is expected to supply Europe by 2015.

A sustainable energy initiative that will start with a huge solar project in the Sahara desert has been announced by a consortium of 12 European businesses.

The Desertec Industrial Initiative aims to supply Europe with 15% of its energy needs by 2050.

Companies who signed up to the $400bn (£240bn) venture include Deutsche Bank, Siemens and the energy provider E.On. Leer más »

The founders of Google said in November of 2007 that they would dedicate hundred of millions to the renewable energy. They seem to be fulfiling their words, and now next to the big world oil companies.

The Californian company of solar energy BrightSource Energy closed yesterday a financing round of 115 million dollars (about 74 million Eurus) in wich have participated Google, BP, the norwegian oil company StatoilHydro and the firm BlackRiver. Leer más »