Wednesday Edition

07.02.08

GLOBAL
Wind, solar, and biofuel companies received a record $148 billion in new funding last year as rising oil prices and climate-change rules encouraged investment in renewable energy, the United Nations Environment Program said. Wind power attracted the most financing at $50 billion, according to a report from the Nairobi-based UNEP. Overall, investment in clean energy and energy efficient industries rose 60% from 2006.
NORTH AMERICA

Global Alternative Fuels is constructing a biodiesel plant in a former cotton warehouse in El Paso, TX that will process used cooking oil, vegetable oil, and animal fat. The plant, to begin production in September, will initially produce five million gallons of biodiesel per year and expand to 25 million gallons by the end of next year, with a goal of 100 million gallons by 2012.

Valley Biodiesel Inc. in California has pulled out of plans to build a $1.5 million biodiesel plant in Sanger because of delays in getting permits and increasing construction costs, the company president said. The company intended to open a 1.2 million gallon per year test plant that would convert used restaurant oil and other vegetable and animal fats into biodiesel.

In South Carolina, two students at Brunswick Community College are growing 1500 gallons of algae in large glass tubes to convert into biodiesel for two tractors and other equipment at the college’s Center for Aquaculture Technology.

Alternative Energy Sources (AES) of Kansas City, MO has halted business operations “due to an inability to successfully raise funds for its ethanol plant construction or expand its ethanol management consulting business,” the company stated in a U.S. SEC filing. AES had planned to build three 110 million gallon per year ethanol plants in Illinois and Iowa.

SOUTH AMERICA

Pure Biofuels of Peru has completed construction of an underwater pipe that will become part of Peru's largest integrated terminal operation. The pipeline runs to Pure Biofuel's tank farm to enable delivery of raw materials for biofuel, as well as accessing other fuels for blending and terminal services.

In Brazil, Companhia Paranaense de Energia will present a feasibility study for construction of a biodiesel plant to the Governor of Parana state. The governor has said that the project would be accepted if the company uses raw materials from local small and medium-sized agricultural producers.

Colombia’s president delivered a lengthy policy speech on the benefits of biofuels for developing nations at the Tenth Summit of Heads of Member States of the Puebla-Panama Plan. Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega and Colombia's agriculture minister Andres Felipe Arias disagreed over whether the region should grow more crops to be used in biofuels.

Brazilian ferry operator and shipbuilder TWB has launched its first vessel running on biodiesel. A second vessel will be launched next year, with others likely to be built in 2010.

CARIBBEAN

Infinity Bio Energy in Bermuda signed an agreement that will give it control of Jamaica's state-owned sugar company, Sugar Company of Jamaica, as well as provide an expanded avenue to US ethanol markets, OPIS reports. The government and Infinity will form a new company to hold the assets, including five sugar plants and a 40 million gallon per year ethanol plant on the island.

The Dominican Republic’s government is testing biofuel in its buses. The biofuel is supplied by Ecogreen Dominicana and Combustibles Renovables America from recycled cooking oil.

Infinite Holdings Group, based in the Turks & Caicos Islands, has agreed with Pioneer Petroleum to acquire a license to distribute biofuels throughout the Caribbean.

EUROPE

The EU is nearing agreement on biofuel standards that place human rights and endangered species high on the agenda, Reuters reports. The EU established a working group in February with experts from the Commission and member states to explore how to reduce CO2 emissions without causing social or environmental harm.

Switzerland will lay out environmental and social sustainability criteria for the marketing of ethanol and biodiesel in an ordinance that comes into effect in October. Criteria will include a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with petrol, specifications on where biofuel crops can be grown, and other details on feedstock cultivation.

Aalborg University in Denmark will work with Washington State University in the US to develop biofuels and bio-products for a five year period. Experts from Aalborg and WSU will identify potential areas of research and develop joint projects.

In the UK, the Prince of Wales runs his Aston Martin on ethanol made from surplus wine. The Prince's Jaguar, Audi, and Range Rover run on used cooking oil.

ASIA / PACIFIC

India’s Group of Ministers on Biofuel Policy will meet on July 9th to decide the national biofuel policy. A draft policy was sent to the ministers for their consideration earlier this year.

Malaysian palm oil exports in June fell 10% to 1.09 million mt, Dow Jones reports. This is the second straight month in which exports have fallen.

Indonesia will raise export taxes and base prices for crude palm oil and its derivatives in July to keep them in line with rising international prices, the trade ministry said. The base export price for crude palm oil in July will be $1,144 per mt, up from $1,105 per mt in June. The export tax for CPO will be raised to 20% from the current 15%.

Biodiesel producer PT Eterindo Wahanatama of Indonesia will spend $4.8 billion this year to acquire palm oil plantations in Indonesia's East and West Kalimantan. The company said it needs at least 24,000 hectares of plantations to supply feedstock for its 120,000 mt per year biodiesel plant.

Philippine Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, in reaction to Oxfam attributing high food prices to biofuels, said that oil firms are behind the increasing attack on the government's biofuels program, the Manila Times reports. He said that critics of biofuels are not objective observers, as oil producing countries are often major donors to charitable organizations such as Oxfam.

In Fiji, The National Strategic Committee on Biofuels plans to install coconut oil biodiesel plants in its outer islands this year. Plants have already been installed at Cicia and Lakeba in the Lau Group, with another two to be installed in Gau and Rotuma later this year.

AUSTRALIA

In Australia, central Victoria will be the site of one of the largest biodiesel plants in the state, producing over one million gallons per year. Local farmers will be able to invest in it, sell their crops to the operation, and receive less expensive fuel.

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