Rothsay Biodiesel announced today that fuelling three of its own truck fleets using biodiesel blends reduced carbon output by approximately 700 metric tonnes - equal to removing 130 cars from Canada’s roads. The 137 trucks being run on biodiesel made from animal fats and recycled cooking oils reported no mechanical issues or decrease in mileage. Read the CRFA release here.

The CRFA has released the first ever comprehensive third party economic impact of 28 renewable fuel plants in Canada.  The assessment, conducted by Doyletech Corporation has concluded that, “the grand total of the annual positive economic impact of renewable fuels is $2.013 billion”. Read the full CRFA release and the Doyletech report are available online now.

Gordon Quaiattini, President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association has provided clarification to the Ottawa Citizen with regards to an article published April 14, 2010. For full details read the letter to the editor on the Citizen site.  

The Government of Alberta has once again demonstrated its support for renewable fuels by extending the BioEnergy Producer Credit Program for a further five years to 2016. The extended program will present opportunities to built additional ethanol and biodiesel capacity with a focus on the great potential of second generation renewable fuels. The provincial government estimates that the 5 per cent Renewable Fuels Standard coming into effect in April 2011 will reduce GHG emissions by about one million tonnes annually, or the equivalent of removing 200,000 cars from Alberta roads. The CRFA applauds the province in its efforts in growing beyond oil. Read the full CRFA release here. 

For the first time ever Shell will be blending cellulosic ethanol in Scuderia Ferrari’s race fuel for the 2010 Formula One season. This advanced renewable fuel, produced at Iogen Energy’s Ottawa demonstration plant is identical to ethanol but can offer up to 90% less lifecycle CO2 emissions than gasoline and is produced using non-food wheat straw and an advanced conversion process. Visit www.shell.com for more information.

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA)responded today to a report produced for the International Energy Forum that criticized biofuels while ignoring the overwhelming evidence on the devastating impact of crude oil on the environment and on the world’s economies.

“The report would be laughable if the risks associated with our dangerous reliance on oil were not so serious,” said Bliss Baker, spokesperson for the GRFA. “OPEC has dedicated its history to keeping oil prices artificially high…it was only a matter of time until it attacked biofuels. Not only do biofuels represent a competitive threat to crude oil but the implementation of renewable fuels standards by governments around the world have the practical effect of lowering prices at the pump.” Read the full GRFA release here.

Oakville’s BIOX Corporation is the first privately held Canadian biodiesel company to go public opening, on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday, March 3rd. BIOX completed construction on its 67 mlpy production facility in April 2007 located in Hamilton, Ontario. Learn more about BIOX at www.bioxcorp.com.

Enerkem of Quebec today closed on $54 ($53.8) million in new financing to continue to grow and develop advanced biofuels in Canada. This financing includes a significant new partnership with Waste Management, North America’s leading provider of waste and environmental services.  ”Today’s investment and the new partnership with Waste Management will help Enerkem  to continue to pioneer advanced biofuels in Canada, including a new state-of-the-art municipal waste to ethanol facility in Edmonton, ” said Gordon Quaiattini, President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association”. Read the full CRFA release here.

Iogen Corporation today announced that its cellulosic ethanol production in 2009 topped 581,000 litres, more than doubling the firm’s 2008 production, and surpassing the one million litre mark in cumulative production since 2004. Read the full Iogen release here.

The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association today greeted news of the government of British Columbia’s enactment of its Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Regulation by describing it as an important boost for both the environment and our economy. The effect of the regulation is to amend the December 2008 Renewable Fuels Requirements Regulation to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 10 per cent by 2020. Read the full CRFA release here.