Blade Energy Crops, a seed brand specifically designed as energy crops, was launched by Ceres at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Chicago (29th April). Announcing the launch of the brand Ceres ceo and president, Richard Hamilton, said; "Blade will be the first multi-crop seed brand supplying the new market for non-food, low-carbon biofuel feedstocks," These biomass-dense crops will be grown as raw materials for next-generation biofuels and biopower. One of the great appeals of energy crops is that they can thrive on agricultural lands that are ill-suited to food production.

A three-year research project, designed to enhance the oil production in soybeans for biodiesel feedstock, has been unveiled by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St Louis today (30th April). The project is being supported to the tune of $1.2 million by the National Biodiesel Board and the US Department of Transport.

The world's tanker fleet will have to grow by about 160 vessels (Handysize tanker of about 31,000 deadweight tonnes) by 2015 and by 400 by 2030 if the shipping industry is to service all the requirements of the biofuels market in the future. The view of the market was outlined by Richard Sadler, CEO of Lloyd's Register during the Stanley Gray lecture given in London last week (23rd April).

The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, has asked (25th April) the US Federal government for a 50 percent waiver from the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS) mandate for ethanol produced from grain. However, the move was roundly criticised by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) who pointed to the recent study by Texas A&M University which suggested that any action like that would have no effect on the price of grain at state level.

An official complaint against the importation of subsidised US biodiesel was filed with the European Commission by the European Biodiesel Board today (25th April). The EBB has been campaigning against the trade in 'splash & dash' B99 blends since last year, accusing the US of dumping its biodiesel on the European markets.

A report, by the Massachusetts Advanced Biofuels Task Force, which recommends an exemption from the state’s gas tax for cellulosic ethanol and a blending requirement for biodiesel, has received the endorsement of Congressman William Delahunt and the state’s only nonprofit organization representing the major advanced biofuel companies in Massachusetts.