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Canada's House of Commons passes renewable fuel billWith support from both conservatives and liberals, Canada's House of Commons overwhelmingly passed Bill C-33 by a 173 to 64 margin May 28. The legislation, the first of its kind in Canada, will implement a national renewable fuels standard, requiring ethanol- and biodiesel-blended transportation fuels in Canada. The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate.READ MORE Athena Biotechnologies wins SBIR grantThe search for a super bug continues, this time in Newark, Del., where biotechnology company Athena Biotechnologies Inc. has won a $100,000 U.S. DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. The researchers are targeting microbes that both live and produce ethanol at high temperatures, as well as bacteria that produce ethanol from cellulose.READ MORE Iowa team recognized for fungal researchA team of Iowa State University researchers has won the 2008 grand prize for university research from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. Anthony Pometto, Hans van Leeuwen, Mary Rasmussen and Samir Khanal were recognized for their research in developing a fungal process to improve the corn-to-ethanol process.READ MORE Raven Biofuels, Spectrum Energy to convert softwood into fuelCalifornia-based Raven Biofuels International Corp. announced May 21 it is partnering with British Columbia-based Spectrum Energy to develop cellulosic biorefineries in British Columbia that will convert softwood infested with mountain pine beetle, as well as other biomass into ethanol and high-value furfural chemicals.READ MORE Central American ethanol plants to use Praj technologyOne of Central America's oldest and largest sugar groups, Pantaleon Group of Guatemala, has chosen Praj Industries Ltd. to supply the technology and equipment for two ethanol plants. A 40 MMgy plant at Bio Etanol in Guatemala will be managed by Pantaleon; a second facility, a 27 MMgy plant at Ingenio Monte Rosa, Nicaragua, is owned by Pantaleon.READ MORE Georgia researches Brazil's ethanol industryGeorgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle led a business and diplomatic mission to Brazil in early May to research the country's ethanol industry. The mission trip included researching potential cooperative projects between Brazil and Georgia's budding alternative fuels industry. This is the third biofuels-geared delegation trip Georgian officials have made to Brazil in the past two years.READ MORE Delayed corn planting requires ideal weather to offset yield lossFavorable growing conditions will be needed to offset the yield loss for corn expected from this spring's delayed planting. That's according to Farm Futures Market Analyst Alan Suderman, who explained during a May 27 webinar that "if you consider planting delays only, you get a trend line that would point toward 145 bushels per acre [average national corn yield]."READ MORE The Andersons, Marathon dedicate Greenville ethanol plantThe Andersons Inc. and Marathon Oil Corp. dedicated their jointly owned ethanol plant in Greenville, Ohio, on May 31 at an invitation-only event. The plant was constructed by The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC, a joint venture between The Andersons Ethanol Investment LLC, a subsidiary of The Andersons Inc., and Marathon Renewable Fuels LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corp.READ MORE VeraSun Albion hosts ribbon-cutting ceremonyVeraSun Energy Corp. held a ribbon cutting and open house for its 110 MMgy ethanol production facility in Albion, Neb., on May 29. VeraSun Albion began production in October 2007 after it was acquired from ASAlliances Biofuels LLC in July 2007.READ MORE Verenium's cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant opensThe nation's movement toward energy independence celebrated a milestone May 29 at a low-key event in Jennings, La. Cambridge, Mass.-based Verenium Corp. hosted the grand opening of its 1.4 MMgy demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. Approximately 100 people attended the event and toured the facility, which is using sugarcane bagasse during its commissioning phase.READ MORE |
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