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Addax Bioenergy starts sugarcane bioethanol and power production in Sierra Leone

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Bioethanol project in Sierra Leone
Bioethanol project in Sierra Leone

Addax Bioenergy, a sugarcane-based renewable energy company, announced that its facility in Makeni, Sierra Leone, has started producing sugarcane bioethanol and renewable electricity. The company will produce 85,000 m3 of bioethanol per year by end 2016. The pioneering project involves the development of a Greenfield 10,000 hectare sugarcane plantation, the construction of a bioethanol refinery and a biomass-fuelled co-generation plant to produce green power and contribute about 20% of Sierra Leone’s national electricity requirements. It has been developed in partnership with eight Development Finance Institutions, and is the only bioethanol project to be brought to financial close in Africa.

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Scottish whisky distilleries become more bio-based

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Aberfeldy distillery

The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has announced £5 million of funding for a pipeline of energy efficiency projects at a number of Scottish distilleries. Half of this will come from GIB, with matched funding from the private sector. Aberfeldy distillery in Perthshire will be taking advantage of the new funding available. This follows GIB’s announcement last year of an investment at the Tomatin distillery, near Inverness. Tomatin is on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by c. 80%. 

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The upcoming elections are crucial for the future of the bioeconomy in the European Union

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European Parliament, Brussels
European Parliament, Brussels

From Thursday to Sunday we European Union citizens will be called to elect a new parliament. These elections are important, not only because for the first time will decide who will lead the European Commission. But mostly because the next 5 years represent a crucial point to understand whether the European Union will remain nothing more than a geographical expression (as Metternich called Italy in the Nineteenth century, before its Unification), or will be able to achieve a common economic and monetary policy, and with it a tax policy, a labor policy, etc. In one word: Policies.

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The 87th Alpine Corps National muster is bio-based

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Alpine corps muster in Novara

They made history in Italy with memorable feats of heroism, driven by the love for their country and by values that make theirs a unique outfit: this is the Alpine Corps, also known as the Black Feathers, which is holding its 87th muster from the 9th to the 11th of May 2014 in Pordenone. With 450,000 participants expected, producing around 350,000 kg of waste, the event has the potential to create a significant environmental impact. In order to alleviate the effect on the Pordenone ecosystem, the ANA (National Alpine Corps Association), the COA (Muster Organising Committee) and GEA, the Pordenone environmental services company, in collaboration with Novamont, global leader in the bioplastics field, have introduced different ecosustainable initiatives.

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The EU Parliament voted on new legislation aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic carrier bag

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European Parliament, Strasbourg

Europeans use about 100 million plastic carrier bags every year. Some of these are dropped as litter, ending up in the environment, where long-standing plastics accumulate and harm wildlife. The European Parliament today voted on new EU legislation aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic carrier bags.

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UN Report: Rising demand for energy, from biofuels to shale gas, is a threat to freshwater supplies

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The UN Building in New York City
The UN Building in New York City

Rising demand for energy, from biofuels to shale gas, is a threat to freshwater supplies that are already under strain from climate change, the United Nations said in a report last Friday. March 22 was World Water Day in the UN calendar. It urged energy companies to do more to limit use of water in everything from cooling coal-fired power plants to irrigation for crops grown to produce biofuels.

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The American Chemistry Council creates a new Biobased Chemistry Network

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The American Chemistry Council
The American Chemistry Council

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) – focused on anticipating and preventing accidents, as well as on educating the public about how to use chemical products safely – created a new Biobased Chemistry Network to help educate policymakers on how to develop workable regulatory programs for the growing biobased chemistry industry. Global sales of this segment range from $13.5 billion to $20 billion, with the US accounting for approximately 20 percent of those sales, or $2.7 billion to $4 billion.

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Versalis launches an innovative green chemistry project for the Porto Marghera site

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Daniele Ferrari, Ceo of Versalis-Eni
Daniele Ferrari, Ceo of Versalis-Eni

Versalis (the chemichal subsidiary of Eni), Industrial Relations Eni and the trade unions have reached an important agreement on the project at the Porto Marghera site (close to Venice) to redesign production facilities and regain competitiveness.

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Il Bioeconomista: 2013 in review

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 32,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 12 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Nestlé encourages the responsible development of bioplastics

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Nestlé Headquarter in Vevey, Switzerland
Nestlé Headquarter in Vevey, Switzerland

Nestlé, the Swiss multinational food and beverage company, headquartered in Vevey, has announced that it will work in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and seven consumer firms to encourage the responsible development of bioplastics, derived from plant materials. Along with Nestlé, the Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance (BFA) will include key fast-moving consumer goods firms: The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ford, H.J. Heinz Company, Nike, P&G, and Unilever.

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