Process technology, developed by UOP, will be used to produce up to 600,000 gallons of renewable jet fuel from algae, animal fats and camelina for the US Navy and Air Force according to a statement eleased by the comapny today (1st October). The deal, awarded by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), saw three feedstock providers awarded contracts to provide the biofuel.

A new power station that will use wood chip to produce electricity has been given the go ahead by the UK's Environment Agency. In announcement made today (30th September) the Environment Agency explained that the Prenergy plant, will be built in Port Talbot, South Wales and will produce electricity enough electricity of 500,000 home. It will be, says the Agency, Britain’s largest biomass power plant.

Swedish biofuels technology developer Chemrec has been awarded an investment grant of up to SEK 500 million ($73 million) to develop an industrial scale demonstration plant of its process to produce the renewable motor fuels BioDME and Biomethanol. The grant, from the Swedish Energy R&D Board, will be used to build the demonstartion plant at the company's Domsjö Fabriker biorefinery in Örnsköldsvik.

The sub-Saharan African biofuels market, is set to earn revenues of $26.9 million in 2009 growing to $229.9 million in 2017, according to the latest report from analysts Frost & Sullivan. Despite serious challenges to its development, says the company, the sub-Saharan African biofuels market should experience rapid growth in the next five years.

The international standards agency ASTM has released a new specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons ASTM D7566. This initial version of ASTM D7566, says the authority, provides criteria for the production, distribution and use of aviation turbine engine fuel produced from coal, natural gas or biomass using the Fischer-Tropsch process.

A new initiative aimed at correcting, what the organization describes as, the myths, misconceptions and falsehoods perpetuated by environmental NGOs against Palm Oil was launched today (28th Spetember)by the NGO World Growth. The launch of World Growth's "Palm Oil Green Development Campaign" took place at the United Nations climate change meeting in Bangkok.

A request for proposals, to provide additional renewable energy resources, has been issued by Washington energy company Avista this week (24th September). Through the RFP process, Avista is seeking to acquire approximately 35 average megawatts (aMW) of long-term qualified renewable energy to be supplied by the end of 2012 in order to take advantage of federal and state tax incentives.

In a sharp about turn Agriterra Ltd has said that it no longer intends to pursue the proposed acquisition of Equatorial Biofuels (Guernsey) Limited, from Equatorial Palm Oil Plc. The deal was initially announced a little over a month ago (18th August) as a MoU between the companies. However, in a terse statement today (23rd September) Agriterra said; "following further evaluation, the company believes that the project was not synergistic with its existing operations in Mozambique and was outside its current expertise within the agricultural sector."