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Biofuels

HP Impact: E15 ethanol fuel can damage auto engines

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Auto repair costs for consumers could rise due to adverse effects of fuel containing 15% ethanol blends (E15), according to new results from a two-year study on engine durability.The study was conduct..

HPI major events and trends, 1920s to present

1920s: THE FORMATION OF THE MODERN HPIDuring this period, a new industry was evolving focused on the refining of crude oil into fuels and other products. New demand for crude oil-based products, such ..

Solazyme starts up Illinois renewable oil biorefinery

Renewable oil and bio-products company Solazyme said Friday that it commissioned its first fully-integrated biorefinery (IBR) in Peoria, Illinois, to produce algal oil. With the successful production of algal oil from the integrated facility this month, Solazyme has met its start-up goals for the facility on schedule.

ExxonMobil licenses methanol-gasoline technology to Sundrop biofuels plant

The biomass complex in Alexandria, Louisiana, will gasify forest waste supplemented with hydrogen produced from natural gas to make synthesis gas. The syngas then will be converted to methanol and fed into the MTG process, producing 3,500 bpd of renewable gasoline.

Valero idles two US ethanol plants on low margins

Valero suspended production last week at its Albion, Neb., ethanol plant, while its Linden, Ind., facility shut down production on Tuesday. Each plant has the capacity to produce 120 million gal/year of ethanol.

Brazil ethanol industry needs years to recover lost production, says IEA

Brazil's ethanol industry will take several years to recover from recent production setbacks due to aging agricultural infrastructure and economic uncertainties, an official at the International Energy Agency said. Brazil's growers are struggling to bounce back from a bad crop in 2011-12

Global liquid fuels demand seen rising 0.9%/yr - EIA

Global liquid-fuels demand is expected to rise by 0.9% between 2010 and 2035, to 109.5 million bpd, with the world becoming more reliant on OPEC oil, according to a new US government forecast released on Monday. OPEC's share of world demand will rise to 41.9% in 2035 from 39.7% in 2010.

Gevo eyes Malaysia for cellulosic isobutanol plant

After a year of ongoing development work in Malaysia, Gevo is strategically partnering along the supply chain to provide bio-based isobutanol at a cost-competitive price. The company is in the final stages of evaluating additional partners to complete the biomass to isobutanol value chain, it said.

Enerkem opens cellulosic ethanol plant at Québec waste-to-fuel facility

Waste-to-biofuels and chemicals company Enerkem has begun initial production of cellulosic ethanol from waste materials at its demonstration facility in Westbury, Québec. Enerkem, which converts garbage into gases that are processed into ethanol and chemicals, may soon license its technology.

Gevo starts up commercial bio-based isobutanol plant in Minnesota

Next-generation biofuels company Gevo has successfully started up what it says is the world’s first commercial bio-based isobutanol production plant, located in Luverne, Minnesota. Gevo said it expects to reach full-capacity run rates by year-end 2013 after a run rate of 1 million gal/ month by late 2012.