Finnair, a pioneer in sustainable flying and the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project, operated its flight from Helsinki to New York on 23 September with an Airbus A330 using environmentally sustainable biofuel, coinciding with the UN Climate Summit taking place in New York on the same day. As a leader in the sustainable development of commercial aviation, the airline believes strongly in proactive measures to manage environmental performance.
An exceptional week dedicated to the biorefinery will take place from September 30 to October 3 in Reims, France. The European Institute of biorefinery located near the capital of Champagne-Ardenne is one of the most important biorefineries in the world. Three million tons of biomass (sugar beet, wheat, alfalfa) are transformed each year to give sugar, glucose, starch, food or pharmaceutical alcohol, ethanol fuel, cosmetic actives.
BASF, Cargill and Novozymes announced the achievement of another milestone in their joint development of technologies to produce acrylic acid from renewable raw materials. The team has demonstrated the successful conversion of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) to glacial acrylic acid and superabsorbent polymers. Moreover they have selected the process for further scale-up.
Following are nominees for the next European Commission. Job assignments were announced yesterday by the incoming president, Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg. Juncker sailed through his European Parliament confirmation in July; hearings await the rest in late September, followed by a vote on the whole slate.
Il Bioeconomista’s list focuses on commissioners more involved in the Bioeconomy.
Everything is ready in Reims, France, to host the seventh edition of Efib. EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, and Smithers Rapra in association with IAR-Pole return in 2014 from 30 September to 2 October to deliver the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Biobased Economy. EFIB is the premier market place for the European Biobased economy. Over 800 professionals, working within the dynamic and sustainable biobased industries sector, will be in attendance.
POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, a joint venture of Royal DSM and POET, yesterday proved its revolutionary technology that converts agricultural residue into renewable fuel at the Grand Opening of its first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
A project aimed at helping Kentucky transition to a “new energy economy” has been awarded $20 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kentucky was one of six jurisdictions chosen to receive a five-year Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 1 award from the NSF’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). An additional $4 million in matching funds comes from Kentucky EPSCoR, which receives funding from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, bringing total funding for the project to $24 million.
Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, announced Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Mass Balance supply chain certification for its plant in Gendorf, Germany, in order to meet the increasing demand for sustainable certified palm-based ingredients from customers in the personal care and home care sectors.
U.S. based Virent announced it has successfully received fuel registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its BioForm Gasoline in blends of up to 45%. As a registered fuel, Virent’s biogasoline can now be used in on-highway motor vehicles.
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