Working with local farmers, the Netherland's biodiesel equipment manufacturer BioKing has planted 15,000 hectares of Jatropha Curcas in Senegal. The company's medium-term goal is to increase this area to 60,000 hectares. An important part of BioKing's business model is sustainable development, and to this end BioKing is developing a contract-farming model in developing nations, with a view to promoting employment and self-sufficiency for local people.

Washington D.C, June 20 - The U.S Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration predicts energy demand will grow by 71 percent between 2003 and 2030, according to the reference case projection from the "International Energy Outlook 2006" (IEO2006) released today. The IEO2006 shows the strongest energy consumption growth in developing countries outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), especially non-OECD Asia (including China and India), where robust economic growth drives the increase in energy use. Energy use in non-OECD Asia nearly triples over the projection period.

Kuala Lumpur, June 20 - Malaysia's Golden Hope Plantations and Austrian company Godiver Handelsgesellschaft mbH plan to build a biodiesel plant in the Netherlands. Both companies have signed a Letter of Intent to form a joint venture company.

Rotterdam, June 20 - Bio-ethanol Rotterdam (BER) have announced that they will open a 100,000 ton/yr ethanol plant in late 2007. Chemical Processing Consult (CPC), HES Beheer and the Holland Innovation Team are the main initiators behind the new plant, which will provide 40 jobs in the local community.

Amsterdam's TPG Post is moving to 100% biodiesel. TPG's fleet consists of 56 delivery vans, which are used to deliver packages six days a week in and around the Amsterdam area. The project aims to make the vehicles less polluting for both people and the environment. The delivery vans will consume around 120,000 litres of biodiesel per year.

Jim Jordan and Associates LLP will be publishing their "Biodiesel Market Study 2006" in July.  It is anticipated that the report will be between 150-200 pages in length, and will cost US $12,000.

June 20: The 'Companies & Markets' section of today's FT has 3 articles on US biofuels. The articles discuss the corn ethanol market (in particular the effect the opening of new plants is having on corn supplies), and examines the possibility of a future ethanol market glut.