December 2007
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This page includes information on News and Events in December 2007. (News and events are archived here at the end of the month.)
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Events
- 2-4 December 2007, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada: Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit. (Theme: fuels)
- 3-5 December 2007, Washington, DC, United States: Carbon Capture Status and Outlook. (Theme: carbon)
- 3-5 December 2007, Washington, DC, United States: Future Fuels 2007 Conference. (Theme: fuels)
- 3-14 December 2007, Bali, Indonesia: Meeting of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change & Kyoto Protocol. (Themes: climate change, international cooperation)
- 4 December 2007, Bali, Indonesia (side event at United Nations Conference on Climate Change): Towards a Strategy for Sustainable Production and Trade of Bioenergy. Organised by ICTSD and in collaboration with IEA Bioenergy Task 40 and Stockholm Environment Institute. (Theme: trade)
- From the description: "Given the divide between regions with the largest demand and those with the highest production potential, international trade in biofuels and feedstocks is expected to grow in the years to come. Several trade and policy issues arise in this context, relating to the removing of barriers to international trade and to the crafting of trade rules, but also to the broader implications for trade in agriculture and industrial products that are involved in the production and processing of biofuels....This event will bring together a panel of experts from intergovernmental organisations, government and policy research institutions to address this vast array of economic, social and environmental questions that arise as countries formulate their policies on biofuels."
- 5 December 2007, Lausanne, Switzerland: Conference and Debate: Energy and food: are biofuels a global and sustainable solution? (PDF file) (Theme: food)
- 6-7 December 2007, Eureka, California: Woody Biomass Utilization Workshop: Techniques and Economic Considerations for the North Coast (Theme: biomass)
- 6-7 December 2007, Kiev, Ukraine: Biofuel 2007: Driving the Ag Sector. (Theme: agriculture)
- 11-12 December 2007, Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), USA: Clean and Sustainable Energy Conference.
- 11-13 December 2007, Singapore: Asia Biofuels Conference & Expo V. (Theme: biofuels)
- 12 December 2007, Columbus, Ohio, USA: Alternative & Green Energy: Increasing Business with Government. (Themes: government, sustainable energy)
- 12 December 2007, Bali, Indonesia: Promoting Bioenergy Towards Sustainable Development and Climate Change Mitigation: The GBEP Challenge (PDF File). Hosted by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) (Themes: bioenergy, international cooperation)
- 12-13 December 2007, Wichita, Kansas, USA: Future of Biofuel/Industrial Products Human and Animal Health. (Themes: biofuels, health)
- 12-14 December 2007, Berlin, Germany: Agrofuels: Opportunity or Danger? A Global Dialogue on U.S. and EU agrofuels and agriculture policies and their impacts on rural development in the North and South. Registration Form and Agenda. (Theme: rural development)
- 17-18 December 2007, Manhattan, Kansas, USA: CASMGS Forum: Agriculture's Role in the New Carbon Economy (Themes: soil, carbon)
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News
- Biofuels workshop looks at challenges for Central and Eastern Europe, 27 December 2007, Biofuel Review, discusses the meeting of the Biofuel Cities European Partnership in Sofia, Bulgaria, and briefly outlines several success story case studies in Eastern Europe.
- Vulcan and Propel Biofuels to Open Biodiesel Station, 24 December 2007, Renewable Energy Access.com The new station will open in Seattle, Washington and will be an entire station rather than a single pump.
- Plans for 5mpgy ethanol plant for El Salvador unveiled, 20 December 2007, from Biofuel Review, the 5 million gallon plant built by Southridge Enterprises, will have access to local sugarcane for ethanol production.
- New Law Gives Ethanol Big Boost, 20 December 2007, by AP, reports that "farmers may rival oil companies in producing motor fuels under a new energy law" in the United States.
- The "Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007", a 1,038-page collection of diverse measures, was signed by President Bush on 19 December. In addition to provisions raising the fuel efficiency of automobiles (to 35 miles per gallon by 2020) and promoting energy efficiency, the law also calls for increasing usage of ethanol sixfold.
- Agreement gives green light to Belarus ethanol plant from Biofuel Review, 19 December 2007 - an agreement between the government of Belarus and the Ireland-based company Greenfield Project Management has been signed and allows the implementation of an ethanol plant with a capacity of 500 million litres per year.
- Noble Foundation gets $3M grant to study biofuels, 19 December 2007, reports that the Oklahoma-based Noble Foundation, Oklahoma State, and the University of Oklahoma split $10 million in grants to research advanced biofuels, including 1300 acres of test plots for bioenergy crops. (Themes: research, advanced biofuels)
- Food and Fuel Compete for Land, 18 December 2007, New York Times, the article notes an increase in food prices and traces the increase to the demand for corn-based ethanol.
- Waste to ethanol plant for the Dominican Republic 17 December 2007 - the proposed plant will allow the disposal of the solid waste in the city of Santo Domingo East and create up to 30 million gallons of ethanol annually.
- B.C. looks to tree debris for electricity. 18 December 2007 - according to reportonbusiness.com, British Columbia is weighing policies that would reward companies for purchasing wood waste from logging and other activities to use as feedstock for electrical power.
- "Australia's largest biodiesel plant puts production on hold" from Biofuels International, 14 December 2007. As prices for palm oil have doubled within the past twelve months, the Australian company Natural Fuel Ltd. has put "production on standby at the country's largest biodiesel plant, pending lower feedstock prices."
- "Canada sets biofuels legislation" from Biofuels International, 14 December 2007. "The Canadian government is reintroducing legislation that will set a minimum biofuels content in petroleum and diesel fuel within three to five years."
- San Francisco Fleet is All Biodiesel from the New York Times, 14 December 2007, the mayor announced that the city has completed a year-long project to convert its entire vehicle fleet to biodiesel created from midwestern soy oil.
- Eco-Tec biogas purification technology wins contract for greenhouse gas-to-energy project (PDF file) The integrated process will provide renewable energy for energy-intensive greenhouses in Quebec.
- Shell joins venture to produce biodiesel from algae from the Financial Times, 12 December 2007. Shell and HP Biopetroleum, a Hawaii-based algal biofuels company, collaborate to grow marine algae for conversion into biodiesel.
- Asia Pacific Region biodiesel sector buoyant says Frost & Sullivan from Biofuel Review, 12 December 2007: Strong support from regional governments has created a strong market for biodiesel in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, with consumption at 410,000 gallons in 2006 and a 50% expected increase by 2013.
- Malaysia May Revoke Biofuel Permits as Palm Oil Rises, 11 December 2007, by Bloomberg: "Malaysia, the second-biggest palm oil producer, may revoke some licenses to produce biofuel from the commodity...as the surging price of the raw material makes the fuel too expensive to make, a minister said." The minister also noted that one of Malaysia's four biodiesel manufacturing plants may close in the face of increased prices for the feedstock, which has risen some 55 percent in the past year. A reduction in output by Malaysia could also make it difficult for The European Union to meet its targets for biodiesel use.[1]
- Dutch to deny palm subsidies until green levels met, 10 December 2007: "The Netherlands warned...it will not renew subsidies for palm-based biofuel until global producers meet its environmental requirements." The Netherlands reportedly will "mandate stringent criteria to help limit environmental damage" under its green energy subsidy system in 2008. Environment Minister Jacqueline Cramer was quoted as saying that "Until the problems are solved, there will be no subsidy for palm oil....It makes no sense to use palm oil for bio-energy purposes while the carbon dioxide produced is more than what we are actually trying to save, particularly when you cut down peatforests."
- Diversified Energy Team wins Department of Defense Renewable Fuel Production Contract (PDF file), via Biopact, 12 December 2007. The contract is for the development of a portable renewable fuel system based on a gasification technology developed by these companies. The technology will use the waste products of military installations as a feedstock.
- China and Singapore to jointly engineer dedicated energy crops, Biopact, 11 December 2007, Two scientific institutions in Singapore and China have agreed to begin joint research into developing energy rich hybrid plants. Sweet sorghum is to be a main focus.
- Survey on low-carbon technologies places biofuels in the middle of the pack, Biopact, 11 December 2007, The survey was a poll of conservationists and policy makers. They rated first generation biofuels as not having large potential to reduce emissions, and second generation as slightly higher.
- US and China sign biofuels cooperation pact, Biopact, 11 December 2007, The two governments have signed a memorandum of understanding that they will share technology through scientific exchanges. It is hoped that this initiative will help meet both countries' lofty goals for biofuels, and assist farmers in the process.
- Put biodiversity at centre of climate debate, says new experts survey, IUCN press release, 10 December 2007, finds that experts believe that "bio-fuels produced from food crops like corn have the least potential of 18 technologies for reducing carbon emissions over the next 25 years."
- Chinese subsidies for non-food biofueles - 7 December 2007 by Xinhua General News Service. "China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) has drawn up policies to promote the production of non-food sources for biofuels."
- €42 million biodiesel facility project in north east England from the Yorkshire Post, 6 December 2007. The alternative energy company GOES on Green plans a four-acre biodiesel plant in Northeastern England.
- "Increased production of biofuels will dramaticly change the worlds food situation." - 5 December 2007. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) warns in its report "The World Food Situation: New Driving Forces and Required Actions" of the negative impact that biofuels might have on food prices.
- China fires up biomass plants - 4 December 2007 by Reuters, reports that eight new biomass plants with a combined capacity of 200 megawatts have been launched in China by National Bio Energy Co. (a subsidiary of State Grid Corp.), "in leading grain-producing provinces in hopes of cutting carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation." The facilities "are expected to burn 1.6 million tons of stalks a year." (Keywords: biomass, carbon, China)
- Malaysia invests $400m in biofuel industrial park - 03 December 2007 by Giles Clark on Biofuel Review. "A 200 acre Biofuel Integrated Environmental Park is to be built Malaysian State of Perak at a cost of $400 million".
- Canadian government to invest Can$1.5m in crop trials and biofuels - 03 December 2007 by Giles Clark on Biofuel Review. "A five-year project will use crop trials to determine what varieties are best suited for the unique growing environment in the Peace region."
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