Monday, September 25, 2006

[BioDiesel in the News] North America's Newest Biofuel Test Centre

North America's Newest Biofuel Test Centre

Discover Moose Jaw - Saskatchewan, Canada

... biofuels in Saskatchewan.". The biofuels industry, including ethanol and biodiesel, is expanding across Saskatchewan. The SRC test ...

The Government of Saskatchewan with the help of the Saskatchewan Research Council, says Saskatchewan is fast positioning itself to be the renewable fuels capital of Canada

 

"With the help of the Saskatchewan Research Council, Saskatchewan is fast positioning itself to be the renewable fuels capital of Canada," Deputy Premier and Regional Economic and Co-operative Development Minister Clay Serby said on behalf of Minister responsible for SRC Eric Cline. "By providing quality local testing and competitive costs, we hope to foster both production and use of biofuels in Saskatchewan."

 

The biofuels industry, including ethanol and biodiesel, is expanding across Saskatchewan. The SRC test centre is a fully-qualified and accredited facility which will offer reasonably priced, fast and reliable tests to the biofuels industry on a fee-for-service basis. These tests will help producers validate the quality of their product as well as helping them to ensure that it meets the full range of Canadian and International industry standards.

 

"Over the past several years, Milligan Bio-tech Inc. (MBTI) has been developing a biodiesel production technology in co-operation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Saskatchewan," MBTI Executive Manager Zenneth Faye said. "Having SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre located in the province will greatly improve turnaround times and our accessibility to their independent, third – party testing verification which MBTI requires to meet customers’ needs."

 

SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre reflects the provincial government’s commitment to renewable fuels and desire to address climate change. "This facility, the newest biofuels test centre in North America, builds on SRC’s more than 20 years of experience providing testing services for the petroleum industry," Serby said. "Biodiesel and ethanol producers across North America will benefit from SRC’s unsurpassed analytical expertise and solid reputation."

 

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Posted by Matt to BioDiesel in the News at 9/25/2006 10:12:00 AM

[Biodiesel News] Moody's Upgrades VeraSun and Bunge North America and Biodiesel ...

Moody's Upgrades VeraSun and Bunge North America and Biodiesel ...

Financial News USA (press release) - La Puente,CA,USAA

Memphis-based investment group and a leading agribusiness firm are teaming up to build Illinois' largest biodiesel plant in Danville. ...

Moody's Upgrades VeraSun and Bunge North America and Biodiesel Investment Group to Build Illinois' Largest Biodiesel Plant

 

City of Industry, CA --(www.FinancialNewsUSA.com)-- 09/25/2006 - Ethanol industry news provided by Financial News USA (OTC: FNWU). Moody's Investors Service on Friday upgraded ratings for ethanol maker VeraSun Energy Corp. (NYSE:VSE), citing its cash holdings, strong 2006 operating results and a favorable industry environment. The credit-rating agency said it upped VeraSun's corporate family rating and 9.875 percent senior secured notes due 2012 to "B2" from "B3." Moody's also affirmed a speculative grade liquidity rating of "SGL-1" (excellent liquidity) and is keeping its outlook at positive. US Farms, Inc. (OTC BB:USFI) is pleased to provide an update on its Asparagus crop located in Southern California. The harvest is on track for a harvest delivery target for the first quarter of 2007 which includes approximately 210 acres of Asparagus. Darin Pines, Director of US Farms, Inc., stated, "Our Asparagus crop has grown to our plans and expectations as the weather has certainly cooperated with us thus far.

 

A Memphis-based investment group and a leading agribusiness firm are teaming up to build Illinois' largest biodiesel plant in Danville. Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) and Biodiesel Investment Group, LLC, announced the creation of Biofuels Company of America, LLC (BCA), a joint venture that will build the 45-million gallon per year biodiesel plant adjacent to Bunge's soybean processing facility in Danville, Ill. An animal-rights group said Friday that employees at a poultry plant of one of the largest U.S. packaged-foods companies routinely abused turkeys by kicking or punching them. ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG) said it and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are investigating. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said two of its investigators worked 40 days at an Ozark Butterball plant in western Arkansas between April and July.

 

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Financial News USA is a Next Generation Financial Communications firm focused on the distribution of market moving news. Financial News USA has developed leading edge e-publishing tools including programming proprietary RSS feeds and enabling open source press release publishing across its network. Financial News USA has been aggressively expanding its news distribution network by targeting direct feeds to financial news and data providers such as FinancialContent, Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO), among others. Financial News USA offers a free news feed available online (www.financialnewsusa.com) to websites and financial services looking for content and for individual investors looking to stay informed on the financial markets. Financial News USA and its affiliates charge each client cash for news distribution and may take an equity position in the companies mentioned herein, please visit the disclaimer at www.financialnewsusa.com

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Posted by Vince to Biodiesel News at 9/25/2006 08:54:00 AM

[Biodiesel News] Serbia to build biodiesel, fodder plant

Serbia to build biodiesel, fodder plant

Monsters and Critics.com - Glasgow,UKZRENJANIN, Serbia

(UPI) -- An US-Hungarian consortium and Serbia signed an agreement on building a plant to produce bio-ethanol, fodder and bio-fertilizers. ...

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (UPI) -- An U.S.-Hungarian consortium and Serbia signed an agreement on building a plant to produce bio-ethanol, fodder and bio-fertilizers.

 

The Biotech Energy consortium and the town hall of Zrenjanin, 50 miles north of Belgrade, signed the $483 million agreement on a 'greefield' investment, RTS Serbian radio-television reported Monday.

 

By 2009, the plant in northern Serbia is expected to process 1 million tons of wheat and 500,000 tons of corn annually, to produce 545,000 tons of bio-diesel, an environmentally friendly fuel for engines, per year.

 

The plant, to be built at the Begej River port, will export 515,000 tons of fodder and bio-fertilizers, RTS said.

 

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Posted by Vince to Biodiesel News at 9/25/2006 08:57:00 AM

Biodiesel to fuel Indian, global edible oil prices

Biodiesel to fuel Indian, global edible oil prices
Reuters India - Mumbai,India
... There are 10 to 12 biodiesel plants coming up next year," said Sandeep Bajoria, former president of the Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade. ...


MUMBAI - Indian edible oil prices will be largely steady in the coming months but will rise in the new year as they track bullish global markets spurred on by greater use of biofuels and a smaller Brazilian soybean crop, analysts said.

Tight supplies until the harvest of the winter domestic crop in November-December will support prices of soy and other oils, and while they may ease during the harvest they are likely to go up again in 2007, they said.

"Indian prices are not likely to go down too much. There are 10 to 12 biodiesel plants coming up next year," said Sandeep Bajoria, former president of the Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade.

"What seems to be the consensus is that markets will be sideways for the next 60 to 90 days and will start rising from 2007," Bajoria said at the end of an edible oils conference at the weekend.

Domestic soyoil prices are likely to be around 435 rupees per 10 kg in the next one or two months against the current 422 rupees, industry officials said.

A.R.Sharma, president of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India, told the meeting that surging global biodiesel demand would put upward pressure on edible oil prices, both in domestic and international markets.

India's consumpion of edible oils in the year ending October 2007 was expected to rise to 11.8 million tonnes from 11.4 million a year ago.

IMPORTS EDIBLE OILS

The country is the third-largest importer of edible oils in the world and imports during the year ending October 2007 were estimated at 5 million tonnes, up from about 4.4 million tonnes in the previous year.

Traders estimate oilseeds production for the crop year ending October 2006 at 22 million tonnes, slightly less than 22.3 million tonnes in the year earlier.

Analysts and traders agreed that growing demand for biodiesel would keep global prices of palm and soy oils firm, with a distinct possibility of a further increase in 2007.

Dorab Mistry, director of London-based Godrej International Ltd., said a fall in international edible oil prices before March 2007 was very unlikely despite an easing in crude oil rates and upcoming harvests in the U.S., China and India.

Exports of biodiesel were likely to grow in the coming months from leading palm oil producers Malaysia and Indonesia, Mistry added.

Palm oil can be added to gasoline to make bio-diesel at a cost of $60-65 a barrel. Crude oil has fallen to about $60 a barrel after hitting a high of $78.40 in July.

Mistry said the soybean acreage was likely to shrink in Brazil and global rapeseed oil production was likely to stagnate for the next six months.

There was also the possibility of El Nino weather events hitting crop production, he said.

"These two factors shorten the odds for a bull market in the next 12 months ... prices are likely to be higher than in 2006," Mistry said.

Another analyst cautioned against being too optimistic on biofuels in the short-term.

Thomas Mielke, a Hamburg-based international edible oil analyst, said world biodiesel production capacity was expected to reach 20 million tonnes by Dec. 2007, up steeply from 6.3 million tonnes in Dec. 2005.

"It will be difficult to utilise all this capacity partly because of difficulties in marketing and partly because of feedstock supplies," he said.


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Sterling Biofuels lists at 6.5 pct discount to offer price

Sterling Biofuels lists at 6.5 pct discount to offer price
WA Business News - Northbridge,Western Australia,Australia
... company offered 35 million shares under its initial public offer to raise $35 million to fund the construction of a 100,000 tonne a year biodiesel plant in ...


Alternative fuels company Sterling Biofuels International Ltd finished its first day of trading on the Australian Stock Exchange at a discount to its share sale price.

The company closed at 86 cents, down 14 cents on the initial public offer price of $1 per share, after opening at 93.5 cents.

The company had raise $35 million from the sale of 35 million shares to fund the construction of a 100,000 tonne a year biodiesel plant in Malaysia, due to start up in July next year.

The company plans to use refined, bleached and deodorised palm olein as feedstock for the plant and a three-year offtake agreement is already in place with an international energy trader.

The company has forecast a net profit of $24.6 million for 2007-08, when the plant will be at full production.

Sterling Biofuels expects there will be an increase in demand for biodiesel and it is prepared to expand its operations.

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Malaysia to review biodiesel licences

Malaysia to review biodiesel licences
The Brunei Times - Bandar,Brunei,Brunei Darussalam
MALAYSIA plans to complete a review of its biodiesel licensing policy by early next year, Commodities Minister Peter Chin says. ...


MALAYSIA plans to complete a review of its biodiesel licensing policy by early next year, Commodities Minister Peter Chin says.

``We are reviewing the whole way in which licences are being given, the way people have got licences, whether they are operating, and whether they are proceeding,'' Mr Chin said.

Biodiesel producers would need to look at the cost of production and competitiveness against other fossil fuels and palm oil, he said.

Malaysia would be able to produce 300,000 tonnes of biodiesel in 2007. A total of 5.2 million tonnes has been approved by the government.

Palm oil is made into bio-diesel, which competes with crude oil to make fuels for cars, power plants and factories.

Palm oil is traditionally used in food and cosmetics, but rising biofuel demand has sent palm oil prices surging by 12 per cent this year.

Malaysia plans to sell palm-blended diesel at domestic pumps by the end of this year and, along with Indonesia, has set aside 40 per cent of palm oil output for biodiesel production.

Malaysia and Indonesia are the biggest palm oil producers.

The minister said Malaysia hoped to produce about 16 million tonnes of palm oil in calendar year 2007, up from an estimated 15.2 million in 2006.

Mr Chin said he was hopeful that India's imports of palm oil would increase with reduced duties on palm products. India reduced import duties on crude palm oil and palmolein in August to 70per cent.

India consumes about 11 million tonnes of edible oil a year and palm oil constitutes 40per cent of India's edible oil imports of more than four million tonnes.

India imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia and soy oil from Argentina and Brazil.

Asked if there would be further cuts in duties, Mr Chin said: ``There is a possibility. The gap with soy oil will get narrower.''

He said Malaysia has been impressing upon India that custom duties on palm and soy oils should be at levels at which the two could compete.

Mr Chin said he expected good demand for palm oil from China, which is the traditional buyer along with India, Pakistan and Europe.

Malaysia was committed to maintaining palm oil supplies to traditional buyers despite higher allocation for biodiesel, he said.

``Demand from China is good, it will be going up because many companies are doing joint business and joint ventures with them (Chinese companies),'' he said.

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Crude palm oil price may touch $ 432 in a month, says industry

Crude palm oil price may touch $ 432 in a month, says industry
Financial Express - Bombay,India
... not be at the expense of its availability for food use, Chin said.He also stated that Malaysia plans to complete a review of its biodiesel licencing policy by ...


Crude palm oil price may touch $ 432 in a month, says industry

Commodities Bureau

Mumbai, Sept 24 Trade and industry estimated crude palm oil prices to range $412-$432 in the next 30 days. It is projected that for the further months it will be around $410-$425. The price was estimated by majority of the panelists at Globoil 2006 during a price outlook session.

One of the panelists, Pradeep Choudhary projected the price of CPO to be Rs 500 per 10 kg in the next one year. Soy oil was projected at Rs 500-515 in the next 30 days and around Rs 500-525 in the next 60-90 days. The current international price for CPO is $422.

Sandeep Bajoria, an industry veteran and president of All India Cotton Seed Crushers Association (AICOSCA) who chaired the panel also expected CPO prices to move sideways in the next three months.

Most of the panelists expected soy oil prices on the National Board of Trade (NBOT) to be around Rs 415-425 per 10 kg by the first week of October whereas Siraj Chaudhary, MD, Cargill expected it to go up at Rs 437.5. Currently, soy oil at Indore in the spot market is trading at Rs 423.

Friday, palm oil in Malaysia advanced by 13 ringgit, or 1%, to 1,548 ringgit. The contract for December delivery traded at 1,546 ringgit at 11:24 am Mumbai time, Friday. Saturday markets were closed. Soybean oil prices were little changed at 24.69 cents a pound in the after- hours trading on the Chicago Board of Trade on Friday.

Also a poll was conducted at Globoil to find out the supply and price expectations of the stakeholders. 55% of the people expected domestic soy crop to be 7-7.5 million tonne and 48% expect groundnut oil crop to be 3.5-4 million tonne.

Forty-nine per cent expected groundnut oil prices to be in between Rs 475 -500 by November end. 39% expect October 7 NBOT soy oil price to range between Rs 420-430.

Also 58% expected duty on palm oil to remain at 70% till November 1, whereas 23% expect it to increase to 80%.

Import of vegetable oil excluding Vanaspati is expected to be at 4.8-5.3 million tonne, opined 40% of the participants while 32% expected it at 4.3-4.8 million tonne.

However, some industry veterans also expect it to exceed 5.3 million tonne.

Earlier at the inauguration, Malaysia’s minister for plantation industries and commodities Peter Chin Fah Kui stated that they would ensure adequate supply of palm oil for use in cooking.

The Southeast Asian country, the world's largest producer of the vegetable oil, will make sure that the commodity's supply for blending in biofuels would not be at the expense of its availability for food use, Chin said.He also stated that Malaysia plans to complete a review of its biodiesel licencing policy by early next year.

Palm oil is largely used as a cooking fat, led by demand in China, India and Pakistan, and for making soaps, detergents and industrial lubricants. It is increasingly used to derive methyl esters for bio-diesel.

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Biodiesel Plant No Longer in Running for Helena-West Helena Site

Biodiesel Plant No Longer in Running for Helena-West Helena Site
KAIT - Jonesboro,AR,USA
HELENA-WEST HELENA, AR - Officials say a Georgia firm that offered to build ethanol and biodiesel plants on a contaminated site in Helena-West Helena has ...

HELENA-WEST HELENA, AR - Officials say a Georgia firm that offered to build ethanol and biodiesel plants on a contaminated site in Helena-West Helena has backed out of the deal.

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will now continue clean-up efforts on the site last operated by Cedar Chemical Corporation. The Cedar Chemical Corporation, which went bankrupt in 2002, once made herbicides, pesticides and chemicals. The Arkansas department has sued three companies that operated at the site, accusing them of contaminating the land and posing a threat to the alluvial aquifer underground. Earlier this year, M-L-H Investments of Atlanta offered the state agency one (M) million dollars for the 48-acre site to build alternative-fuel factories. But now, M-L-H President Ozell Hamilton says the project is just too expensive.

Hamilton says the cleanup costs varied greatly -- with estimates from 43 (M) million dollars to more than 600 (M) million dollars. Hamilton, a native of Helena, said he had hoped to bring jobs back to his hometown.

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BDI BioDiesel Sets Trading Price At EUR58

BDI BioDiesel Sets Trading Price At EUR58
Easy Bourse (Communiqués de presse) - Paris,France
GRAMBACH -(Dow Jones)- German energy company BDI BioDiesel International AG said late Friday that it set its issue price at EUR58 a share for its first trading ...


GRAMBACH -(Dow Jones)- German energy company BDI BioDiesel International AG said late Friday that it set its issue price at EUR58 a share for its first trading day on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Monday.
The company will list 1.4 million shares, and said the book was more than twice oversubscribed. The set price is at the upper end of the EUR53-EUR62 range.
Company Web site: http://www.biodiesel-intl.com
-By Frankfurt Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29 725 500; djnews.frankfurt@dowjones.com

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Trucking group goes for biodiesel

Trucking group goes for biodiesel
NEWS.com.au - Australia
ONE of the nation's biggest fuel users, trucking group LinFox, has backed the renewable fuels industry by trialling biodiesel in its fleet. ...


ONE of the nation's biggest fuel users, trucking group LinFox, has backed the renewable fuels industry by trialling biodiesel in its fleet.

A Fox family spokesman said the transport industry had to be more active in tackling carbon emissions, and biodiesel would play a key part.
If Linfox was satisfied with the trial, its fleet would switch to biodiesel blends, which use a mix of palm oil and animal fats blended with diesel.

Melbourne-based Axiom Energy supplied Linfox with the biodiesel, which was imported from Malaysia.

Axiom Energy chief Danny Goldman said other trucking companies had also begun trials of biodiesel.

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Letter: Golden Pen Award: Biodiesel offers wealth of advantages

Letter: Golden Pen Award: Biodiesel offers wealth of advantages
Billings Gazette - MT, USA
... Biodiesel can be made from a variety of crops that can be easily grown in Montana. Many farm communities around the country are ...


Fossil fuels are going the way of the dinosaur. We all know it is just a matter of time before the reserves run dry. Maybe huge new deposits will be found, supplying us for another 500 years. Then again, why stay in a rut of dependence on foreigners?

With today's technology and current fuel prices, renewable fuels are becoming more and more appealing. Biodiesel can be made from a variety of crops that can be easily grown in Montana. Many farm communities around the country are implementing processors in co-ops to produce large batches of biodiesel.

Biodiesel can also be made in small batches with do-it-yourself sized processors. There are private citizens throughout the world, already making their own biodiesel with used cooking oil from restaurants. The only modification most diesel engines need is synthetic fuel line.

It's time we stop paying exorbitant prices at the pumps. It's time for big oil to stop reporting record profits every quarter. It's time we bring money back into the local community with locally grown renewable fuels.

Anyone interested can briefly research biodiesel and find it is not just an alternative to fossil fuels - it's an opportunity for the little guy to compete with big business. As Montanans, let's lead the nation.

Let us be known for starting a new era of American self-reliance. Let us get off our foreign oil fix. Let us organize and embrace the future.

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North America's Newest Biofuel Test Centre

North America's Newest Biofuel Test Centre
Discover Moose Jaw - Saskatchewan, Canada
... biofuels in Saskatchewan.". The biofuels industry, including ethanol and biodiesel, is expanding across Saskatchewan. The SRC test ...

The Government of Saskatchewan with the help of the Saskatchewan Research Council, says Saskatchewan is fast positioning itself to be the renewable fuels capital of Canada

"With the help of the Saskatchewan Research Council, Saskatchewan is fast positioning itself to be the renewable fuels capital of Canada," Deputy Premier and Regional Economic and Co-operative Development Minister Clay Serby said on behalf of Minister responsible for SRC Eric Cline. "By providing quality local testing and competitive costs, we hope to foster both production and use of biofuels in Saskatchewan."

The biofuels industry, including ethanol and biodiesel, is expanding across Saskatchewan. The SRC test centre is a fully-qualified and accredited facility which will offer reasonably priced, fast and reliable tests to the biofuels industry on a fee-for-service basis. These tests will help producers validate the quality of their product as well as helping them to ensure that it meets the full range of Canadian and International industry standards.

"Over the past several years, Milligan Bio-tech Inc. (MBTI) has been developing a biodiesel production technology in co-operation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Saskatchewan," MBTI Executive Manager Zenneth Faye said. "Having SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre located in the province will greatly improve turnaround times and our accessibility to their independent, third – party testing verification which MBTI requires to meet customers’ needs."

SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre reflects the provincial government’s commitment to renewable fuels and desire to address climate change. "This facility, the newest biofuels test centre in North America, builds on SRC’s more than 20 years of experience providing testing services for the petroleum industry," Serby said. "Biodiesel and ethanol producers across North America will benefit from SRC’s unsurpassed analytical expertise and solid reputation."

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O'Brien's biodiesel bus to tour SWI

O'Brien's biodiesel bus to tour SWI
Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil - Council Bluffs,IA,USA
... said. O'Brien said the bus has been running on biodiesel for over two years and has been part of her campaign from its beginning. ...


DES MOINES - If you live in Glenwood, Red Oak, Sidney or one of 12 other southwest Iowa towns, you may see a big green bus Tuesday or Wednesday.

Powering that bus will be used cooking oil from Atlantic restaurants.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary of State candidate Denise O'Brien said the 1989 bus is designed to make a point.

"I want people to think about how they can make a difference individually," she said.

O'Brien said her son-in-law, Kevin Harris Mayle, brought the bus into the family when he recently married her daughter, Briana. The oil-based fuel is also his concoction, she said.

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"He gets used cooking oil from Atlantic restaurants and combines it with methanol and potassium," O'Brien said. She said it costs between 50 and 55 cents a gallon to produce the fuel and about 80 cents a gallon after fuel taxes are added.

"My bus shows that there are things that average Iowans can do to be energy independent and save money," she said.

Briana will be traveling with the bus to talk with voters and pass out campaign literature, O'Brien said.

"We have to split up so we can cover the whole state," she said.

O'Brien said the bus has been running on biodiesel for over two years and has been part of her campaign from its beginning. The bus has logged over 5,000 campaign trail miles, visiting over 50 counties and participating in dozens of parades, she said.

On Tuesday the bus will make stops in Red Oak, Glenwood, Sidney, Clarinda, Bedford, Corning and Greenfield. On Wednesday it will stop in Creston, Mount Ayr, Leon, Crydon, Centerville, Albia, Chariton and Osceloa.

O'Brien said Iowa needs to invest in new research to produce energy-related raw materials and keep jobs in the state.

"Renewable energy is coming to Iowa and the rest of the country," she said. "We have to develop our renewable energy sector responsibly and in a way that Iowans can profit from the raw materials that we produce."

O'Brien, who operates an organic farm near Atlantic, said individuals can also make a difference when it comes to extending the availability of fossil fuels.

"The most critical thing is for individuals to take action, such as turning off lights or driving slower," she said. "That will help extend the life of our fossil fuels while we develop alternative energy sources."

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Biodiesel plant no longer in running for Helena-West Helena site

Biodiesel plant no longer in running for Helena-West Helena site
Pine Bluff Commercial - Pine Bluff,AR,USA
- A Georgia firm that offered to build ethanol and biodiesel plants on a contaminated site in Helena-West Helena has backed out of the deal, officials say. ...


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A Boat Racing on Biodiesel, but Running Low on Money

A Boat Racing on Biodiesel, but Running Low on Money
New York Times - United States
... His goal was simple: to complete the fastest circumnavigation of the globe in a motorboat while using nothing but biodiesel, renewable fuel that can be made ...


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Malaysia plans bio-diesel licencing policy review

Malaysia plans bio-diesel licencing policy review
Reuters India - Mumbai,India
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Malaysia plans to complete a review of its biodiesel licensing policy by early next year, commodities minister Peter Chin told Reuters on ...

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Malaysia plans to complete a review of its biodiesel licensing policy by early next year, commodities minister Peter Chin told Reuters on Saturday.

"We will complete the review by the beginning of early next year," Chin, who is here to attend an edible oils conference, said in an interview.

"We are reviewing the whole way in which licences are being given, the way people have got licences, whether they are operating, and whether they are proceeding," he said.

Chin said the whole process would take a few months. "We will complete the review by the beginning of next year," he said.

Biodiesel producers would need to look at the cost of production and competitiveness against other fossil fuels and palm oil, he said.

Malaysia would be able to produce 300,000 tonnes of biodiesel in 2007, out of a total of 5.2 million tonnes which has been approved by the government.

Palm oil is made into bio-diesel, which competes with crude oil, to make fuels for cars, power plants and factories.

Palm oil is traditionally used in food and cosmetics, but rising biofuel demand has sent palm oil prices surging by 12 percent this year.

Malaysia plans to sell palm-blended diesel at domestic pumps by the end of this year and, along with Indonesia, has set aside 40 percent of palm oil output for local biodiesel production.

Malaysia and Indonesia are the biggest palm oil producers.

The minister said Malaysia hoped to produce about 16 million tonnes of palm oil in calendar 2007, up from an estimated 15.2 million in 2006.

Chin said he was "very hopeful" that India's imports of palm oil would increase with the country cutting duties on palm products.

India reduced import duties on crude palm oil and palmolein in August to 70 percent from 80 percent, while those on RBD palm oil and palmolein were cut to 80 percent from 90 percent.

Soyoil currently carries a 45 percent duty because of a WTO regulation.

India consumes about 11 million tonnes of edible oil a year and palm oil constitutes 40 percent of India's total edible oil imports of more than 4 million tonnes.

India imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia and soyoil from Argentina and Brazil.

Asked if there would further cut in duties, Chin said: "There is a possibility. The gap with soyoil will get narrower."

He said Malaysia has been impressing upon India that custom duties on palm and soy oils should be at levels at which the two could compete.

Chin said he expected a good demand for palm oil from China which is the traditional buyer along with India, Pakistan and Europe.

Malaysia was committed to maintain palm oil supplies to traditional buyers despite higher allocation for biodiesel, he said.

"Demand from China is good, it will be going up because many companies are doing joint business and joint ventures with them (Chinese companies)," he said.

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An Investing Lesson From Richard Branson

An Investing Lesson From Richard Branson
Motley Fool UK - UK
... Meanwhile, China Biodiesel (LSE: CBI) turns waste oil into biodiesel. The waste oil, which includes spent corn oil and animal fats ...

Green is now the new black. Politicians want to be seen to be green, car makers are making a special effort to promote their environmental side, and shopkeepers are trying to out-organic each other.

Business tycoon Richard Branson is keen to underline his green credentials, too. He has pledged that all future profits from his airlines and train company, which are estimated to be around £1.5b, will be invested in developing energy sources that will contribute less to global warming.

But how can we, like Branson, climb aboard the green bandwagon?

Green issues have been making their way into the UK stock market quite some time, and there are plenty of companies for investors to choose from. Take Alkane Energy (LSE: ALK) which captures methane from man-made sources to generate electricity. Recently, the company posted an 83% rise in half-year sales though operating losses widened because of higher costs at its German business Pro2.

AgCert International (LSE: AGC) is another company involved with methane. It maintains and operates animal waste systems called biodigesters located at livestock farms. By harnessing the methane produced, AgCert can generate millions of carbon permits that it can subsequently sell through the market.

Meanwhile, China Biodiesel (LSE: CBI) turns waste oil into biodiesel. The waste oil, which includes spent corn oil and animal fats, is collected by suppliers and turned into biodiesel. In September, China Biodiesel reported an interim pre-tax profit of £1.2m, and its house broker reckons that annual profits may come in at £2.6m.

Elsewhere, Renova Energy (LSE: RVA), which operates in the USA, produces bio ethanol from corn. The fuel from the company, which is already profitable, is mixed with petrol to reduce the country's reliance on traditional sources of energy. The company points out that in addition to reducing harmful exhaust emission, the raw materials are completely renewable.

Other companies involved in alternative energy include D1 Oils (LSE: DOO) and Biofuels (LSE: BFC), which is the largest producer of biodiesel in the UK. Interestingly, Biofuels reckons that it plant in Teesside alone will produce enough biodiesel to meet a quarter of the UK's current Road Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) target for diesel by 2010.

Significantly, it is the Government's emphasis on RTFO that may be the main driver for alternative fuels. This directive requires fuel companies to add 5% biofuel to all petrol and diesel sold on their forecourts by 2010.

However, there may be a sting in the tail. Renewable energy companies are exposed to sharp falls in world oil and gas prices in addition to fluctuations in agricultural prices. And as crude prices retreat from their all-time high, and palm oil touch a two-year high, investors need to be aware of the risks of green fuels.

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Waging on biodiesel solutions

Waging on biodiesel solutions
Miami Herald - FL,USA
Brazil increases production of biodiesel with hopes of slashing diesel imports, improving air quality in its cities and revitalizing rural income and employment ...


Brazil increases production of biodiesel with hopes of slashing diesel imports, improving air quality in its cities and revitalizing rural income and employment.
BY MARLA DICKERSON
Los Angeles Times
PORTO NACIONAL, Brazil - For the better part of his 64 years, Sebastian Luis de Sousa has scratched a meager living in the paprika-red soil of central Brazil.

So when offered a chance to grow castor beans to produce an alternative fuel called biodiesel, the rawboned father of nine reckoned he had nothing to lose. The $200 he earned this summer from his tiny harvest wasn't much. But rising demand for renewable fuels has de Sousa wanting to expand his 7 ½-acre farm.

''I want to buy more land,'' he said, rolling a prickly castor bean seed pod in his callous hand. ``This is an important thing that Brazil is doing.''

Already the world's largest producer of ethanol, Brazil is now betting on biodiesel, with an eye to helping small farmers such as de Sousa capitalize on what some see as the next big thing in green energy. Derived from animal fats or vegetable oils, this substitute for petroleum diesel is generating ten of millions of dollars from investors.

Major companies, including U.S. agribusiness behemoth Archer Daniels Midland, are building production plants, encouraged by a federal mandate requiring every liter of diesel fuel sold in Brazil to contain 2 percent biodiesel by 2008, rising to 5 percent by 2013.

Brazil's state-owned petroleum giant Petrobras is already selling a fuel blend with 2 percent biodiesel at hundreds of its retail gas stations. The company is investing in manufacturing facilities. It is also patenting a new fuel known as H-Bio that it says will save million of barrels of oil by using vegetable oil in the refining process to create a low-polluting petroleum diesel.

Even McDonald's has collaborated with Brazilian researchers looking to power vehicles with recycled grease from its restaurants.

CRUCIAL INVOLVEMENT

The involvement of big players is crucial if Brazil hopes to reach its goal of embracing biodiesel on a massive scale. Current production is modest, but is projected to jump to 840 million liters by 2008, which would put Brazil among the worlds' large producers. Still, officials are looking to involve more subsistence farmers such as de Sousa, who have yet to profit from the nation's biofuels bonanza.

No country on the planet has been more successful at displacing fossil fuels with green energy than Brazil. Hammered by the oil shocks of the 1970s, the nation committed itself to developing a domestic ethanol industry to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum.

Today, 40 percent of the fuel that powers passenger cars here is made from homegrown sugar cane. That's been a boon for Brazilian agriculture. But the economic fruits have been reaped by a small number of large farmers growing a single crop.

With biodiesel, officials see a chance to spread the wealth from a fast growing fuel whose demand in Brazil could top that of ethanol.

At present, petroleum diesel accounts for more than half of all the vehicle fuel consumed in Brazil, about 42 billion liters a year, thanks to its heavy dependence on truck and bus transport.

By promoting a cleaner-burning alternative made from Brazilian-grown castor beans, soybeans, palm oil and other crops, the government is looking to slash diesel imports and improve air quality in its cities, as well as to generate rural income and employment.

President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, has touted biodiesel production as a way to spark development in some of the poorest regions of the country, particularly the rural northeast.

Biodiesel producers who want to qualify for hefty federal tax breaks must purchase anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent of their raw materials from small growers, depending on the region.

That requirement is how farmer de Sousa got connected with a company called Brasil Ecodiesel, which provided him with seed and technical advice in addition to purchasing his crop of castor beans.

Rodrigo Augusto Rodrigues, the federal government's biodiesel coordinator, said the effort could eventually involve 360,000 family farms nationwide, up from about 2,500 at present. He said the varied crops provided by small growers would keep small farmers on the land and provide them a reliable stream of income.

''We don't want to repeat the same mistakes we made with ethanol,'' Rodrigues said. ``The social aspect is critical.''

SMALL FARMERS

But some energy experts are dubious that peasant farmers toiling on tiny plots will be more than bit players. Large-scale cultivation and ruthless efficiency were crucial to the nation's success with ethanol. Mass produced soybeans, while not the most efficient feedstock, are fast emerging as the crop with the greatest potential to help producers achieve economies of scale.

''There is a lack of focus in this biodiesel program,'' said Luiz Augusto Horta Nogueira, former director of the Brazil's National Agency of Petroleum, National Gas and Biofuels. ``One group of stakeholders is looking to substitute large amounts of diesel. Others want rural development. . . . It's a real problem.''

Some observers doubt the fuel can be cost competitive without fat government subsidies . Others say the environmental benefits may be overblown.

Biofuels emit fewer greenhouse gases than fossil fuels when burned in combustion engines. But other factors must be considered when making the comparison, such as how much petroleum is needed to plant, harvest, produce and transport the renewable fuels, and how many native trees and plants are plowed in the process.

Soybean farming has already destroyed large swaths of Brazil's Amazon forest. The long standing agricultural practice of burning sugar cane fields prior to harvest is a major pollutant.

Renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are ''not as green as we like to think they are,'' said Joe Ryan, who manages air-quality projects in Brazil for the Menlo Park, Calif.-based William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Still, with the government projecting more than three dozen manufacturing plants to be on line by 2008 with a capacity of 1.7 billion liters, producers in Brazil, and across the globe, are bullish on biodiesel.

Just like in the U.S. Midwest, soybeans are the principle feedstock for biodiesel refineries in Brazil's heartland. On a recent afternoon, near the city of Anapolis west of the nation's capital Brasilia, workers with hard hats and torches welded seams on the gleaming steel storage tanks of a $20 million biodiesel plant.

The plant, which will be produce up to 100 million liters of biodiesel annually, is one of three production facilities that Brazilian soybean processor Granol plans to have running by next year.

''Renewable fuels are the future,'' said manager Paulo Donato, explaining his employer's $45 million bet on biodiesel.

Hours to the north in Porto Nacional, farmer de Sousa said that he hoped that future would include small farmers like him.

''I'm just one man,'' he said, poking at the soil with his sandal. ``But I'm proud to play a part in this.''

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A dust-up crops up over biofuel study

A dust-up crops up over biofuel study
OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
... State University to launch a field research project measuring the benefits -- and hazards -- of growing canola and other oilseed crops used to produce biodiesel ...


SALEM -- Sure, everybody likes the idea of producing an alternative fuel from renewable resources, especially when those resources are Oregon crops. But as the Legislature's Emergency Board learned Friday, not everybody wants a field near them.

The board, which makes state spending decisions when the full Legislature is not in session, spent more than 45 minutes debating a request from the Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University to launch a field research project measuring the benefits -- and hazards -- of growing canola and other oilseed crops used to produce biodiesel.

The $235,000 request was not the largest the board considered Friday. Lawmakers also weighed requests to pay for public defenders, early childhood education, approve a Department of Education federal grant and permission to continue expansion of OSU's Reser Stadium.

The canola research project was among the most hotly debated requests, however.

University researchers along with the state Agriculture Department want to begin planting canola seeds and other test crops on small, controlled parcels in the Willamette Valley. While canola may be a good crop for the production of biodiesel, many farmers worry about its potential to contaminate valuable vegetable seed crops and host the cabbage maggot, among other pests.

"This is dangerous," said Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby. "There's no reason on God's green earth to introduce a known weed and carrier of pests."

But Rep. Susan Morgan, R-Myrtle Creek, countered that people are just as passionate on the other side about biodiesel and biofuels.

"This is information that would very much enrich the policy discussions the Legislature will have around biofuels," she said.

In the end, the board voted 10-7 to finance the study. Other votes Friday:

Education: Lawmakers agreed to spend an additional $3 million for early intervention and early childhood special education programs.

But the Department of Education will have to return to the board in November to get retroactive approval for a $5 million, five-year federal grant it applied for this summer.

Technically, the delay doesn't affect when or whether the department gets the money. But Rep. Jeff Kropf, R-Sublimity, asked the board to delay its approval in order to "send a message" about another issue.

He's angry that the department threatened to pull state funding from the Oregon Connections Academy, a virtual charter school based in Scio, two days before classes started. Kropf, who is board chairman at the school, said the department's action was "unnecessary, unwarranted and arrogant."
The academy and the department are now working to resolve the issue. The Emergency Board didn't support Kropf's original motion but did ask the department to come back in November.

Public defenders: The board also agreed to spend an additional $3.9 million to provide public defense services to indigent clients. The Public Defense Services Commission said it has seen a disproportionate increase in appeals, expensive death penalty cases and a nearly doubling of its monthly expenses to provide interpreters to non-English speaking clients.

Football: The board also approved OSU's request to begin the second phase of its expansion of Reser Stadium. But not without some friendly University of Oregon/OSU bantering.

"Do you really think this is needed?" asked Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner. "You're still going to lose to the Ducks."

Sen. Frank Morse, a Republican from Albany replied: "There are some teams that don't rely on divine intervention to win."

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Cairo plant will produce biodiesel

Cairo plant will produce biodiesel
Southeast Missourian - Cape Girardeau,MO,USA
CAIRO, Ill. -- Construction on a $60 million, 60-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant is expected ... REG has produced and sold biodiesel for more than 10 years. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Construction on a $60 million, 60-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant is expected to begin before the end of the year and create as many as 30 new jobs when its completed about 12 months from now.

"It's huge news for the city," said Mayor Paul Farris. "It's been decades since there's been any economic development here of this size at all. The town has been in need for years for employment opportunities."

St. Louis-based Bunge Ltd., a major food processor that operates a soybean processing division in Cairo, announced the plans, which are part of a partnership with Renewable Energy Group of Ralston, Iowa. REG is a biodiesel industry leader with about eight biodiesel plants up and running or under construction. REG has produced and sold biodiesel for more than 10 years.

The new plant will be built on Bunge's property in Cairo and be a commercial-scale biodiesel plant, said REG spokeswoman Alicia Clancy. The yearlong construction process will require 100 workers to get the plant built, she said. Groundbreaking is expected to be this fall, she said, and construction typically takes about a year.

As part of the relationship, Bunge's soy-crushing facility will supply the raw material, risk management and logistics expertise, she said. Soybeans will be transformed into biodiesel, she said.

Cairo was a good site, she said, because of its location to the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, as well as its rail and highway access. REG said it had secured $100 million in financing, the largest equity investment in biofuels so far.

The money came from Bunge Ltd. and two venture-capital funds controlled by Natural Gas Partners of Irving, Texas, and ED&F Man Holdings Ltd., a global shipper of grains.

Clancy wouldn't speculate on the wages the new jobs will pay, but she said they will be above minimum wage. The jobs will include a general manager, an operations manager, ope

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Petrobras says given go-ahead to build its first biodiesel plants

Petrobras says given go-ahead to build its first biodiesel plants
Platts (subscription) - USA
... 22Sep2006 Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras said Friday it has received environmental licenses to build its first batch of biodiesel plants that ...

Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras said Friday it has
received environmental licenses to build its first batch of biodiesel plants
that are part of the the company's broad renewable fuels plan.

Its objectives include making 855 million liters biodiesel/year by 2011
and also becoming the world's top ethanol exporter.

Petrobras said, in a statement, it received environmental authorization
to build a biodiesel plant in Quixada, Ceara State. In addition, Petrobras
said it has already obtained environmental approvals to build two more
biodiesel plants in the states of Bahia, also in the country's semi-arid
northeast region, and Minas Gerais.

To meet the goal of producing 855 million liters/year by 2011, Petrobras
is considering 15 new biodiesel plants in several regions of Brazil, with
partners ranging from large investment groups to rural worker unions, the
company added.

The first three plants, to be operational by the end of 2007, will
produce a combined 57 million liters/year of biodiesel from vegetable oils
such as cottonseed, soybean, castor, and palm, as well as animal fat,
Petrobras said.

Brazil has a mandate to add 2% biodiesel to its petroleum-derived diesel
fuel starting in 2008. The mandate is to increase to 5% by 2013, although the
government is studying moving up that target to 2010, the Energy Ministry said
earlier this month.

The 5% mandate would require at least 2.4 billion liters of biodiesel in
Brazil when it comes into force, based on current diesel demand. Brazilian
biodiesel makers are quickly lifting production capacity. According to an
Energy Ministry presentation earlier this month, even before Petrobras enters
the biodiesel production market, biodiesel plants will reach capacity of
around 800 million liters/year by the end of 2006.

To date, Petrobras has been buying biodiesel from several plants run by
farmer groups that began producing last year, mostly in the northeast.
Petrobras also unveiled plans this year to begin adding soybean oil to its
conventional hydrocracking process in some of its refineries, to make a diesel
fuel that contains part vegetable oil. The technology, known as H-Bio, will
begin commercial production by the end of the year, Petrobras said
earlier.

Meanwhile, while Petrobras says it has no plans to move into the
production side of Brazil's sugarcane ethanol business, the company said it
plans to export around 3.5 billion liters/year of the gasoline additive by
2011, potentially making Petrobras into the world's largest ethanol exporter.
Last year, Petrobras exported about 40 million liters of ethanol.

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Diametrics purchases Louisiana biodiesel producer

Diametrics purchases Louisiana biodiesel producer
Biodiesel Magazine - Grand Forks,ND,USA
by Dave Nilles. A company formerly specializing in medical instrument manufacturing is attempting to trigger Louisiana’s biodiesel mandate. ...


A company formerly specializing in medical instrument manufacturing is attempting to trigger Louisiana’s biodiesel mandate. Diametrics Medical Inc., a publicly traded company in a revamping process, finalized a $28 million financial deal that includes purchasing an existing Louisiana biodiesel plant.

The deal to purchase Pollock, La., biodiesel producer Vanguard Synfuels LLC was announced Wednesday. Diametrics, which plans to change its name, has four business days to file an 8-K form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, meaning more information should be available next week.

“Today’s acquisition marks the first step in our long-term strategy to build and acquire biodiesel production facilities,” Diametrics CEO Bruce Comer said. “We are excited about the prospects of biodiesel playing a larger role in the overall diesel market.”

Vanguard has produced biodiesel in a retrofitted anhydrous ammonia facility since mid-April. The 12 MMgy capacity plant was designed with the help of Florida-based Process Technology Associates. Former Vanguard owner/operator and CEO Darrel Dubroc will become president and chief operations officer of Diametrics, Comer said.

Formerly based in Roseville, Minn., Diametrics will house its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. The company was restructured in November 2005 and aims to develop several greenfield biodiesel projects, according to Comer. In the meantime, Diametrics expects to expand production at the Pollock plant to 20 MMgy sometime next year.

Comer expects the Vanguard facility to trigger Louisiana’s biodiesel mandate, which Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed in June. The renewable fuels standard requires that 2 percent of the state’s total diesel volume be biodiesel within six months after in-state monthly production reaches 10 MMgy.

According to a Diametrics release, Vanguard was acquired for $17.7 million in cash and 4,300 shares of Diametrics’ Series K Convertible Preferred Stock that will be convertible into approximately 20 percent of the company’s equity. In connection with the acquisition, Diametrics is also repaying $800,000 of Vanguard’s shareholder loans, and providing a corporate guaranty for Vanguard’s $3.5 million of outstanding debt.

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Biodiesel to recruit

Biodiesel to recruit
Border Mail - Albury,New South Wales,Australia
... “We have Austrian technicians arriving next week from Biodiesel International and they will be here for six months and assist Australian engineers and ...


17 jobs on offer at Barnawartha plant
BY PETER WILSON

Site manager Gilles Nicols inspects progress on the biodiesel project.

BIODIESEL Producers will start next month to recruit workers for its Barnawartha plant.

Engineering and operations manager Henry Jung said the company needed 17 people and hoped most of them would come from the Border.

Mr Jung said continuing fine weather meant the $30 million project was on schedule to start production next May.

“I am going to start recruiting staff around mid-October and we will be looking at local people as a preference,” he said.

“A lot of the positions will be laboratory technicians, plant managers, technical operators and reliability engineers.

“I expect to recruit 17 people and we would like most of them to come from this region.”

Mr Jung said the company would use Border providers to train staff.

He said the fine weather meant significant road works had been completed and work was well advanced on the main processing tower and the tank farm.

“We have started lifting in the major tanks.

“We have also installed a large fire wall between the tanker loading-unloading area and the main processing tower.”

Mr Jung said work had started on the electrical component of the project.

The firm was pleased it had been able to use a significant number of contractors from the Border.

“We have Austrian technicians arriving next week from Biodiesel International and they will be here for six months and assist Australian engineers and technicians to bring the plant on line,” Mr Jung said.

The plant has been designed to produce 60 million litres of biodiesel a year.

Tallow and cooking oil will be the main raw ingredients.

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Petrobras secures initial approval for 3rd biodiesel plant ...

Petrobras secures initial approval for 3rd biodiesel plant ...
BNamericas - Santiago,Chile
Brazil's federal energy company Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) has secured initial approval to build a biodiesel plant in Ceará state that could produce up to 19 ...


Brazil's federal energy company Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) has secured initial approval to build a biodiesel plant in Ceará state that could produce up to 19 million liters a year (Ml/y), a company spokesperson told BNamericas, elaborating on a statement.

Ceará's state environmental protection agency Sema approved the environmental impact study for the plant, which would be the company's third. Petrobras now needs to seek a full license.

Together the three plants would have capacity to produce 57Ml/y of biodiesel. Petrobras aims to start plant operations by the end of next year.

Petrobras already has started talks with small-scale farmers to acquire oil seeds such soybean, cotton, palm and castor to process in the plant.

The company plans to increase biodiesel production to guarantee supply of 855Ml/y by 2011 to meet rising demand. The government will require a 2% admixture of biodiesel from January 2008-January 2013, when the admixture will increased to 5%.

POLITICAL IMPACT

Many consider biodiesel programs to be one of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's successes as they could help reduce pollution in city centers and ensure self-sufficiency in oil.

The program also is popular in some rural areas as the government gives tax breaks to companies that buy oilseeds from small-scale farmers.

Brazil's federal electoral court TSE has ordered Petrobras to suspend its biodiesel advertising campaign as Lula's reelection campaign has highlighted his emphasis on the fuel programs, TSE said in a statement.

The ban will stay in place until the October elections.

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Search Shows Your Political Thoughts

Search Shows Your Political Thoughts
WebProNews - Lexington,KY,USA
... Trailing these were 'biodiesel', 'death penalty', 'american flag', 'illegal immigration', 'unemployment', and 'gun control'. This ...


The queries people make at search engines demonstrate what is on the minds of the electorate, as the latest data from Hitwise indicated.

Abortion, war, and illegal immigration were among the issues U.S. searchers looked for in queries for the twelve weeks leading up to September 16th. Hitwise noted how these and other trends have changed from year to year.

According to the company's research, the top political issue-related terms following ‘abortion' for the 12 weeks ending September 12, 2006 were ‘military deaths in iraq', ‘antiwar' and ‘hezbollah'. Trailing these were 'biodiesel', 'death penalty', 'american flag', 'illegal immigration', 'unemployment', and 'gun control'.

This contrasts with ‘biodiesel', ‘death penalty' and ‘american flag' for the 12 weeks ending September 17, 2005. For the 12 weeks ending September 18, 2004, the top political issue terms following ‘abortion' were ‘american flag', ‘homeland security' and ‘gay marriage'.

The top search term overall for the Lifestyle - Politics category was 'Huffington Post' for the 12 weeks ending September 16. 2006. For the same period in 2005 the top term was ‘Michael Moore' and in 2004 it was ‘John Kerry'.

"Consumer Internet behavior provides great insight into the American public's prioritization of political concerns," said Bill Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise.

"For example, the change in search terms resulting in traffic to the 841 sites that we monitor in our Lifestyle - Politics category is a great proxy for top-of-mind issues as we get close to November's mid-term elections."

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