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Biofuels

Saudi oil minister welcomes new energy sources

Mr. Naimi said that prospects for global production of shale gas and oil -- including in China, Ukraine and Poland -- were so promising that the kingdom might not need to continue with its decades-long policy of maintaining an output cushion in case of disruptions in global supply.

US lawmakers scrutinize role of ethanol credits in gasoline price spike

The price of credits used by refiners to meet federal ethanol blending requirements has risen more than 1,000% in recent weeks. The heightened volatility in this normally sleepy market has raised concerns that it is a factor in the recent rise in the price of gasoline.

ZeaChem begins commercial-grade production at Oregon cellulosic biorefinery

Among the first operational cellulosic biorefineries in the world, this demonstration facility showcases the scalability of ZeaChem’s biorefining process and serves as a key stepping stone toward large-scale commercial production. The plant is employing its ZeaChem's C2 (two-carbon atom) platform.

HP Brief: Brief

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

Galveston Bay refineryMarathon Petroleum has closed its transaction with BP to purchase several assets, including the 451,000-bpd refinery located in Texas City, Texas. The refinery will be renamed an..

HP Industry Perspectives: EU leans forward on clean-fuel strategies

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

In late January 2013, the European Commission (EC) announced ambitious measures to ensure the buildup and standardization of alternative fueling stations across Europe. Much of the earlier EC policy i..

HP Impact: Biofuel mandate vacated; agency responds by increasing mandate 60%

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

In late January, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2012 cellulosic biofuel mandate, concluding that its forecast was in &#14..

API appeals E15 gasoline rule to US Supreme Court

The group alleges that had EPA stayed within its statutory authority and followed proper procedures, it would have waited until ongoing E15 testing on engines and fuel systems was completed before allowing the use of E15. Then it would have found that E15 is not safe for numerous vehicles.

Solazyme, Mitsui to jointly develop triglyceride oils

The $20 million, multi-year agreement includes further development of Solazyme’s breakthrough high myristic algal oil, a valuable raw material in the oleochemical industry, as well as additional oils that Solazyme is developing for the oleochemical and industrial sectors, according to the companies.

New residue-upgrading complex achieves Euro 5 specifications

Criterion Catalysts and Technologies: de Haan, D.
Shell Global Solutions International BV: Street, M.
Grupa LOTOS Gdańsk refinery: Orzeszko, G.

In late 2010, Grupa LOTOS SA completed construction of a major residue-upgrading project at its refinery in Gdańsk, Poland. Its 10+ Program was designed to unlock a step change in the facility’s long-term profitability. After two years of operating, this project has had a profound effect on the refinery’s economics.

Venice’s biorefinery: How refining overcapacity can become an opportunity with an innovative idea

eni S.p.A. Refining and Marketing Division: Amoroso, A.  |  Rispoli, G.  |  Prati, C.

Eni invested in an innovative project involving the conversion of the existing refining scheme of its Venice refinery into a “green cycle” to process very high-quality biofuels starting from biological feedstocks.