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Refining

Interest groups want biofuels tax incentives extended prior to US midterm elections

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA), in a joint letter to the US Senate Democratic and Republican Leadership, today urged the chamber to retroactively extend the biodiesel, renewable diesel, and alternative fuels tax credits through 2011 before adjourning for the upcoming midterm elections.

Biochemicals direct from biomass feedstocks

Zymetis announced recently that Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, has initiated an effort to explore novel methods for producing biochemicals directly from biomass feedstocks through use of the unique marine microorganism under development by Zymetis.

Waste-based microbial oil set to become a raw material for renewable diesel

Neste Oil has applied for patents to cover technology developed to produce microbial oil from waste and residues with the help of various yeasts and molds for use as a feedstock for its NExBTL renewable diesel.

Foster Creek receives approval to expand oil sands production

Cenovus Energy Inc. is moving forward with the expansion plans for its Foster Creek oil sands operation after receiving regulatory approval from the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB).

CITGO opens ultra-low-sulfur diesel unit at Lemont refinery

CITGO Petroleum Corp. has completed the construction and startup of a major processing unit to produce ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) at its refinery in Lemont, Illinois.

Bixby Energy Systems’ new liquefaction technology

Bixby Energy Systems, Inc. has added carbon liquefaction technology to its energy portfolio, which when commercialized, will allow the company to produce both synthetic natural gas and light sweet crude oil from coal without the need to burn the coal and significantly reducing greenhouse gases.

Statoil and Bio Architecture Lab commercializing macroalgae-to-ethanol process

Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) and Statoil have a wide-ranging strategic partnership for the production of renewable, sustainable and low cost ethanol derived from macroalgae grown off the coast of Norway.

Update from the National Petroleum Council’s September meeting

The National Petroleum Council (NPC) is a federal advisory committee to the US Secretary of Energy. The sole purpose of the NPC is to advise, inform and make recommendations to the Secretary of Energy, at his request, on matters pertaining to oil and natural gas or to the oil and gas industries.

Diesel lobby touts its contributions to success of Clean Air Act

Allen Schaeffer, the executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, issued the following statement today highlighting the role of clean diesel in the ongoing success of the Clean Air Act. Schaeffer made his comments after attending activities in Washington, DC hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Act.

World’s first BioDME renewable motor fuels plant inaugurated in Sweden

The world’s first plant for production of the renewable motor fuel BioDME was inaugurated on September 9.