Biodiesel Week

May 23, 2012

Biodiesel board chairman testifies at Farm Bill hearing The chairman of the National Biodiesel Board, Gary Haer, told lawmakers at a House Agriculture hearing on May 18 that biodiesel production benefits rural economies across the country and urged them to continue key programs in the 2012 Farm Bill. READ MORE SHARE
Evonik Oil Additives to expand capacity in Asia-Pacific Evonik Oil Additives, a world leader in lubricants and biofuels additives, announced plans to significantly expand Asia-Pacific production. The additional Asia-Pacific capacity will nearly double current capacity and is slated for startup in 2015. READ MORE SHARE
	AGP holds ceremony for 60 MMgy biodiesel plant in Algona, Iowa Formerly East Fork Biodiesel, the plant started up in 2007 and shut down shortly afterwards, remaining idled for years. Enervation Advisors bought it in March 2011 and sold it to AGP months later. AGP's total biodiesel capacity is now 120 MMgy. READ MORE SHARE
Canadian railway awarded for biodiesel blending solution The blending technology includes a mobile liquid blending and distribution unit that is capable of blending fuels at a rate of 317 gallons per minute. It can be attached to up to four fuel sources and blend those sources into a finished product. READ MORE SHARE
Singapore partnership develops GM jatropha with high oleic acid Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and JOil Pte Ltd. have successfully developed genetically modified jatropha plants with high oleic acid content, more than 75 percent in these seeds compared to 45 percent typically. The work is published online. READ MORE SHARE
	Petrotec announces move into Spanish market in Q1 report Germany-based Petrotec AG announced first-quarter financials, noting that the company's revenue is up 27 percent and business activity in Spain has been initiated. Petrotec said its biodiesel activities have been stabilized compared to Q1 last year. READ MORE SHARE
Colombian government addresses biodiesel's greenhouse gas savings A notice posted to the Colombia Ministry of Mines and Energy's website noted that biodiesel produced from the country's palm oil, and ethanol made from its sugarcane, can achieve greenhouse gas reduction rates of 83 and 74 percent, respectively. READ MORE SHARE
Fullerton, Calif., hosts Propel's first 'Clean Mobility Station' The station offers biodiesel blends, E85 and conventional petroleum fuels, and drivers can offset carbon emission from their fuel purchases at the pump by helping fund clean air projects through Propel's partnership with Carbonfund.org Foundation. READ MORE SHARE
Soy Energy general manager gives statement on May 15 plant fire Soy Energy LLC, a 30 MMgy biodiesel production facility in Mason City, Iowa, caught fire May 15. No one was injured, said Jeff Oestmann, Soy Energy CEO and general manager in a statement. The fire started in a tank inside a restricted area. READ MORE SHARE
UMass Amherst researchers work to improve camelina yields A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst is working to significantly increase the oil yields of camelina with the goal of creating a commercially viable crop for biofuel production. It's a $2 million project with two phases. READ MORE SHARE