Alternative Transportation Fuels Today articles from September 2006

Alternative Transportation Fuels Today archives from September 2006

Georgia company plans first 100-million gallon ethanol plant in south.
September 7, 2006... First United Ethanol LLC (FUEL) recently announced that the Camilla, Ga.-based company has raised $67M in an equity drive toward construction of a $170M ethanol plant. The facility will be located on 268 acres in Mitchell County in south...

Chevron announces major Gulf of Mexico find.
September 7, 2006... A group led by Chevron Corp announced Tuesday that it successfully drilled an exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico that may be among the largest recent U.S. oil discoveries. Analysts cautioned, however, that it would do little to ease recent...

Brazil and UK to develop ethanol project in Africa.(International Report)
September 7, 2006... In a move to diversify inexpensive production to meet fast-growing demand, Brazil and Britain hope to develop ethanol from sugar cane in southern Africa, according to officials from both governments. "The product needs to become (more)...

Broin plans $100m ethanol plant for Northwest Ohio.
September 8, 2006... Broin Cos. of Sioux Falls, S.D., has selected Leipsic, Ohio, as the site for its newest ethanol plant. Broin has designed and built 23 operating ethanol plants in five states. The Leipsic project, estimated to cost $100 million, will be...

Houston Biodiesel and Lansing announce biodiesel merchandising and feedstock agreement.
September 8, 2006... Houston Biodiesel LLC, a subsidiary of TexCom Inc., has entered into a biodiesel merchandising agreement with Lansing Ethanol Services LLC and a feedstock originations agreement with Lansing Trade Group LLC. Both Lansing firms are based in...

EPA announces diesel retrofit funding opportunities in Rocky Mountain states.(Government)
September 8, 2006... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Rocky Mountain Clean Diesel Collaborative recently announced new funding opportunities for diesel retrofit projects in the Rocky Mountain Region. Included states are Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota,...

Weekly update.(Conference)(Calendar)
September 8, 2006... NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE FLEET ADMINISTRATORS' (NCSFA) ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW, September 11-15, 2006, Hyatt Regency Waterfront Hotel, Savannah, GA CLEANTECH VENTURE FORUM XI, September 20-22, 2006, Marriott Marquis, New York,...

GS Agrifuels plans multi-feedstock, multi-fuels plant in Memphis.
September 11, 2006... GS AgriFuels Corp. recently announced plans to build an integrated multi-feedstock, multi-fuels production facility in Memphis, Tenn. The New York, N.Y.-based company expects to begin construction later this year. Why the multi-pronged...

Clean Energy files for $287.5 million IPO.
September 11, 2006... Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a provider of natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicle fleets, recently filed to raise as much as $287.5 million in an initial public offering of common stock. The company did not reveal how many shares it plans...

Construction begins on largest biodiesel plant in Iowa.
September 11, 2006... Renewable Energy Group of Ralston, Iowa, broke ground this week in Algona for Iowa's first 60-million-gallon biodiesel plant. REG has partnered with East Fork Biodiesel of Algona, taking a minority interest in the $70 million plant and...

EPA proposes strategy to reduce foreign oil dependency.
September 12, 2006... U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson recent announced a proposed Renewable Fuels Standard Program that would double the use of renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. The program, authorized by the...

American Lung Association takes a look at biodiesel and air quality.
September 12, 2006... Biodiesel can play a key role in reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality and human health, according to speakers at the first Air Quality and Alternative Transportation Fuel Forum, held in Jefferson, Mo. Attendees included leaders...

Carlyle/Riverstone and Bunge team to build ethanol production plants.
September 12, 2006... Carlyle/Riverstone Renewable Energy Infrastructure Fund I LP of New York, N.Y., and Bunge North America of St. Louis, Mo., recently announced a plan to jointly build ethanol plants. The firms expect ultimate production capacity of several...

India and Germany combine forces on alternative fuels.(Industry Report)
September 13, 2006... India and Germany recently announced plans to cooperate in development of alternative fuel strategies that will help meet the automotive-energy challenge. Santosh Mohan Dev, Indian Heavy Industries minister, said that such a forum would...

High-value chemicals from ethanol feedstocks could boost biorefinery economics.(Industry Report)
September 13, 2006... A researcher from the Georgia Institute of Technology recently described green chemical processes that could produce chemicals worth up to $25 per pound from the same feedstock used to produce ethanol. Charles Eckert, professor at the Georgia...

Five years to cellulosic ethanol, says U.S. Energy Secretary.(Government)
September 13, 2006... U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman recently stated that distilleries that can make fuel alcohol from cellulose rather than corn should be in operation within five years. Bodman made the claim at a press roundtable with U.S. Agriculture...

Virgin moves into the cornfield.(Industry Report)
September 14, 2006... U.K. businessman Richard Branson and Virgin Group recently announced the launch of Virgin Fuels. Virgin Fuels will deliver Branson's renewable energy strategy by investing up to $400 million in initiatives over the next three years Virgin...

Qatar leading global gas-to-liquids production.(International Report)
September 14, 2006... Oryx GTL, the joint venture owned by Qatar Petroleum and South Africa's Sasol, will start producing commercially in December at its plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City. In the first phase of operations, the plant will convert 330,000 cubic...

D1 Oils signs Jatropha planting MOU with government of Swaziland.(International Report)(Memorandum of Understanding)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... D1 Oils plc Swaziland has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the planting of Jatropha curcas, a source of inedible jatropha oil. Planting on 20,000 hectares of land will take place in the...

World Energy joins elite list of biodiesel suppliers.(Industry Report)
September 15, 2006... One of the nation's first biodiesel suppliers has become the latest company to embrace BQ-9000, a voluntary quality control program. World Energy recently earned the distinction of Accredited Producer. To date, 11 companies are accredited, with...

U.S. Energy Initiatives signs $54 million agreement to convert 10,000 buses.(Industry Report)
September 15, 2006... U.S. Energy Initiatives Corp. of Tampa, Fla., recently announced the company will convert buses in Thailand from diesel to the firm's patented dual-fuel diesel to natural gas systems over a five-year period. Sales of the 10,000 contracted...

Brazil ethanol exports to rise sharply.(International Report)
September 15, 2006... Brazil is aggressively expanding its sugarcane plantations and expects to more than double its annual exports of ethanol by 2010, Mines and Energy Minister Silas Rondeau said at the recent Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference. The country...

Weekly update.(Conferences)(Calendar)
September 15, 2006... BIOFUELS FINANCE & INVESTMENT SEMINAR, October 24-25, 2006, 3 West Club, New York, NY

Milagro Biofuels plant begins production.(Industry Report)
September 18, 2006... Milagro Biofuels of Memphis LLC recently produced its first biodiesel, according to President Diane Mulloy. The plant is located in a previously idle cotton oil mill in a downtown Memphis redevelopment zone. The facility is expected to...

Sharp ethanol price drop adds to transportation woes.(Industry Report)
September 18, 2006... The recent sharp drop in U.S. ethanol prices caused more difficulties for some gasoline retailers in the Northeast already facing logistics problems transporting the new additive. Ethanol prices skyrocketed in summer when the oil industry...

Viresco and UCR to pilot clean energy technology.(Industry Report)(Viresco Energy)(University of California Riverside)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Viresco and University of California Riverside recently demonstrated an innovative process that converts renewable energy sources into clean liquid fuels. The sources include carbonaceous matter, such as municipal solid waste, agricultural...

Danish pilot ethanol plant built.(International Report)
September 19, 2006... A pilot ethanol plant to convert agricultural bi-products into fuel has been built at the Danish Technical University in Lyngby, Denmark. The plant will help prove the commercial viability of technology that uses agricultural bi-products...

Honda to mass-produce bioethanol cars.(Industry Report)
September 19, 2006... Honda Motor Co. plans to mass-produce compact cars that run solely on bioethanol, according to the Tokyo-based newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. Honda will begin producing and selling the vehicles in Brazil, the world leader in bioethanol use in...

Truckers can now find biodiesel anytime, anywhere.(Industry Report)
September 19, 2006... The National Biodiesel Board recently rolled out a biodiesel hotline that will help truckers and other motorists find the fuel across the United States. The Board announced the launch of 866-BIODIESEL at the Great American Trucking Show. ...

ASAlliance Biofuels latest ethanol firm to seek IPO.(Industry Report)
September 20, 2006... ASAlliance Biofuels filed recently to raise up to $300 million in an initial public offering. That would make the firm the fourth ethanol maker this year to seek to capitalize on the growing interest in alternative fuels. Dallas,...

Honda develops new way to produce cellulosic ethanol.(Industry Report)
September 20, 2006... Honda Motor Co. recently announced it has co-developed a practical process for producing ethanol out of cellulosic biomass. The technique would be a big step toward using non-edible plant materials as fuel. Ethanol is produced mainly from...

Patent awarded for unique alternative fuel utilization technology.(Industry Report)
September 20, 2006... LPP Combustion LLC of Columbia, Maryland, was recently awarded a patent (U.S. Patent # 7,089,045) for its "System for Vaporization of Liquid Fuels for Combustion and Method of Use." LPP Combustion calls the system the "Lean, Premixed,...

CB&I awarded major LNG facility in Texas.(Industry Report)
September 21, 2006... CB&I of The Woodlands, Texas, was recently awarded a contract by Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC for the engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction of a liquefied natural gas import terminal located near Sabine Pass, Texas. The award...

Arizona's first ethanol plant to open in 2007.(Industry Report)
September 21, 2006... Arizona Grain Inc. of Casa Grande, Ariz., expects to open the Pinal Energy ethanol plant near Maricopa in mid-2007. Planned production of 52 million gallons per year could double within 12 months after the plant comes online. Arizona Grain...

Suedzucker's CropEnergies IPO hopes to reap up to 250 million Euros.(International Report)
September 21, 2006... Suedzucker AG of Frankfurt, Germany, recently announced its CropEnergies division hopes to raise as much as 250 million Euros ($317.6 million) in an initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. CropEnergies is a successful...

Ethanex Energy and Star Ethanol plan 132 MMGPY plant in Illinois.(Industry Report)
September 22, 2006... Ethanex Energy Inc. of Basehor, Kans., recently announced a joint venture with Star Ethanol LLC for the construction and operation of an ethanol facility located in Franklin County, Ill. The facility will incorporate the fractionation...

Bill expands tax credit for gas-saving vehicles.(Government)
September 22, 2006... U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) recently proposed a plan that would reward drivers for buying more fuel efficient cars, trucks and SUVs. The Oil Independence, Limiting Subsidies and Accelerating Vehicle Efficiency...

UC Davis gets $25 million biofuel grant from Chevron.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
September 22, 2006... Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, Calif., has pledged $25 million over the next five years to the University of California Davis for research on advanced biofuels. The objective of the joint venture is to develop commercially viable processes...

Weekly update.(Conferences)(Calendar)
September 22, 2006... BIOFUELS FINANCE & INVESTMENT SEMINAR, October 24-25, 2006, 3 West Club, New York, NY (EIN STAFF: 9/21)

Ethanol production could boost corn prices.(Industry Report)
September 25, 2006... Ethanol production is growing so rapidly it may drive up corn prices and push livestock producers into a costly scramble for grain, two former U.S. agriculture secretaries said. "In our rush to secure our energy security, we could easily...

Fiat vehicles demonstrate environmental concern.(Industry Report)
September 25, 2006... Fiat Auto S.p.A. of Turin, Italy, will demonstrate the company's commitment to environmental protection at the Paris Motor Show 2006. Environmental protection is a fundamental principle behind model development at the company. The Panda...

100% natural gas buses soon to cruise Seoul.(Industry Report)
September 25, 2006... The Seoul, Korea, Metropolitan Government recently announced the only buses allowed on city streets from 2010 will be powered by natural gas. The measure is intended to combat air pollution in the city. With almost 40% of the city's 7,800...

Lubrizol to sell U.K. plant.(Industry Report)
September 26, 2006... The Lubrizol Corp. of Wickliffe, Ohio, recently announced plans to sell its 47-acre Bromborough, England, manufacturing site to D1 Oils plc, a U.K.-based global biodiesel producer. The sale price is 3.0 million pounds sterling (approximately...

Ocean scientists uncover how bacteria produce propane and methane.(Industry Report)
September 26, 2006... Microorganisms in deeply buried sediments produce ethane and propane, according to a new paper reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The gases are typically known as products of fossil fuel generation at elevated...

Highwater Ethanol seeks capital in offering.(Industry Report)
September 26, 2006... Highwater Ethanol of Minneapolis, Minn., hopes to raise up to $46.1 million through a public offering, according to a recent filing. The company will use the money to construct an ethanol plant in Lamberton, Minn., that will generate 50...

Planned size of Great Western Ethanol plant doubles.(Industry Report)
September 27, 2006... Great Western Ethanol of Greeley, Colo., recently announced that developers are redesigning the firm's facility near Evans to be double the size originally planned. The original design anticipated a 54-million-gallon-per-year facility. The...

Saskatchewan opens biofuels test center.(Industry Report)
September 27, 2006... The Saskatchewan Research Council officially opened its Biofuels Test Centre in Regina today. The facility brings together approximately $1 million (Canadian) in laboratory equipment to determine the quality standards of biofuels. "SRC now...

Axiom Energy opens IPO and begins biodiesel trials with Linfox.(International Report)
September 27, 2006... Renewable energy firm Axiom Energy of Melbourne, Australia, has opened its initial public offering with approximately 51.5 million shares at $0.70 each. The company hopes to raise $36 million and create a market value at listing of $99 million....

Petrobras receives go-ahead to build first biodiesel plants.(International Report)
September 28, 2006... Petrobras, the Brazilian state-controlled oil company, has received environmental licenses to build three biodiesel plants. The facilities will be located in the states of Ceara, Bahia and Minas Gerais. Construction of the plants is part of...

SEA NG receives approval to build first CNG carrier.(International Report)(Sea NG Corp.)(Brief article)
September 28, 2006... Sea NG Corp. of Calgary, Canada, recently announced that the American Bureau of Shipping has approved construction of its Coselle compressed natural gas ship. This is the first ship and cargo system for transport of CNG to be approved by an...

Biofuel demand to drive global palm, soy prices.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
September 28, 2006... Palm and soy oil prices are expected to rise in coming months as the world's appetite for biofuels grows and greater quantities of oils are diverted to meet energy demand, according to industry analyst Dorab Mistry, director of London-based...

Global Bioenergy Partnership secretariat up and running.(International Report)
September 29, 2006... The Secretariat of the Global Bioenergy Partnership recently opened. The Secretariat was launched at the 14th Session of the U.N. Commission for Sustainable Development in May 2006. The Secretariat's mandate is to facilitate a global...

Noble Group may invest in Brazilian ethanol projects.(International Report)
September 29, 2006... Hong Kong-based Noble Group Ltd. may invest in ethanol production plants in Brazil to benefit from rising global demand. Noble currently accounts for 10% of ethanol exports from Brazil. Brazil, the world's biggest producer of sugar and...

Neste Oil plans California biofuel plant.(International Report)
September 29, 2006... Finnish oil refiner Neste Oil plans to build a biofuel plant in California. The facility would use the same technology Neste is using at its Finnish Porvoo refinery. Neste was uncertain what material it would employ as feedstock. The plant...

Weekly update.(Conferences)(Calendar)
September 29, 2006... BIOFUELS FINANCE & INVESTMENT SEMINAR, October 24-25, 2006, 3 West Club, New York, NY (EIN STAFF: 9/28)