The Guardian reports that only biofuels can cut plane emissions. “The positive progress on including aviation in Europe’s carbon trading scheme this week is welcome, but neither that nor more efficient aircraft will deal with the industry’s climate problem, only biofuels can do that.” Airlines would benefit from a genuine and cost-effective emission reduction strategy, which might even attract environmentally conscious flyers.

Ethanol Producer Magazine reports that Scientific Certification Systems  is the first certification body in the United States to be accredited by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification biofuel certification system. SCS has been approved to conduct biofuel certifications, and in addition, to conduct “ISCC Plus” certification for food, animal feed and derivative chemicals produced from any feedstock.

Co.Exist published an interview with Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers as he highlights the responsibility of big utilities like themselves to be responsible energy producers and consumer. Rogers said “[After the merger] we will be [one of the] largest emitters of CO2 in the U.S. We have a special responsibility to lead on that issue.”

E2B Pulse reports that the UK could take the global lead on sustainable biofuels from algae. Research by the NNFCC has identified a number of market opportunities which could be developed for the production of biofuels, as well as commodity chemicals, from both micro and macro algae. Dr Claire Smith, lead author of the report, said “The UK has world leading research strength in algae environmental research and could become an international leader in algae sustainability thinking as it is now for terrestrial biomass.”

Bangkok Post reports that Loxley Plc is spending 60 million baht to build a pilot plant for algae-based biofuel, possibly in Ratchaburi province. The investment came after Loxley signed a memorandum of understanding for the algae-based biofuel development project with Bangchak Petroleum Plc, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE).

BusinessWorld reports in the Philippines The Energy Department is reviewing projections for the country’s biofuel requirements. “We will revisit the national biofuels program and hopefully provide a more realistic target in the next five years,” said Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug, Jr. said. He noted that “five years ago, the government wanted the Philippines to be the top ethanol producer in Asia, but we hardly produced…” The country has demand for 460 million liters of ethanol under the 10% blend, up from 200 million liters under the 5% blend. Existing supply has been estimated at 79 million liters.

Bloomberg Business Week reports that ‘on the way to a renewable energy future, a funny thing has happened: Big Oil has become the biggest investor in the race to create green fuels.’ BP (BP) has invested $7 billion in alternative energy since 2005. ExxonMobil (XOM) is spending $600 million on a 10-year effort to turn algae into oil. And Royal Dutch Shell (RDS/A) has invested billions of dollars in a Brazilian biofuels venture, buying up sugar cane mills, plantations, and refineries to make ethanol. \

Ethanol Producer Magazine reports on the contribution of biofuels to the global economy. A new report reveals the biofuels industry contributed $277.3 billion to the global economy in 2010.“It is promising to see the global biofuels industry growing during these difficult economic times,” Bliss Baker, spokesperson for GRFA (Global Renewable Fuels Alliance.). “The global biofuels industry is a bright spot in the current world economy and is contributing billions of dollars to output and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs all while reducing our reliance on crude oil.”

GreenAirOnline reports on Boeings biofuel investment and how it is paying off. “It was a dream five years ago, and now it’s a reality,” said Billy Glover, Vice President, Environment and Aviation Policy, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Biofuels that can be used as a ‘drop-in’ replacement for kerosene are “not only feasible but highly desirable. The next step is to make it commercially viable.” Boeing has taken a leading role in accelerating biofuel development. It’s critically important for Boeing, its customers and the aerospace industry to reduce the environmental impact of jet aircraft, as well as to have another option for fuel supply, Glover said.

NewHope360 reports on new legislation that makes Arizona algae friendly. Arizona is just the second state, after Ohio, to classify the algae industry as agriculture. Dr. Mark Edwards, AlgaeBio’s vice president of corporate development and marketing, is excited about this new legislation that potentially means extra investment capital, well-paying jobs, a larger tax base, and long-term, sustainable use of agricultural lands for Arizona.

Gulf in the Media reports that senior vice president for Qatar marketing with ExxonMobil Qatar, Jos Evens said ” If research and development milestones are successfully met, the company expects to spend more than $600M on the algae biofuels program over the next decade.”

The  Energy Collective reports on a presentation by the Department of Energy’s Biomass Program; Biofuels Design Cases. The presentation explored the question of whether the U.S. government is spending money on the right technology pathways. Costs were presented for biofuel produced from pyrolysis, algae, Fischer-Tropsch (FT), and methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) routes.

Green Chip Stocks report simply on the facts of biofuels and the pros and cons of this sustainable fuel. Not surprisingly algae comes out on top.

GreenCarCongress reports that France recently launched GreenStars, a federation which will bring together all the players in the development of micro-algae in France. A budget of US$210 million for 10 years has been estimated, of which 20% come from public grants. The primary goal by 2020 is to develop compounds of interest such as efficient biofuels and high added-value substances with micro-algae feeding on industrial emissions of carbon dioxide and nutrients contained in waste.

Biofuels Digest reports that OriginOil and Algasol announced that they will collaborate on the development of an integrated algae growth and harvesting system. By bundling their products, the two companies plan to achieve new levels of cost and performance in micro algae cultivation for biofuels and high value products.

CleanBizAsia reports that World Health Energy Holdings, a US-Israeli company commercializing algae-based biodiesel, has plans for two projects in India this year, and is targeting over USD200 million in sales in 2013, according to Reuters.

Renewable Energy Magazine interprets three recent articles and concludes the need for swift policy action for biofuels in the UK. These reports are The International Energy Agency (IEA), the Renewable Energy Association and now DECC/Defra/DfT all call for maximising home-grown biofuel output. The UK has a legally binding target of meeting 10% of transport demand from renewable sources by 2020 – the latest official figures (for 2010) have us at 2.9%. The transport sector currently accounts for 24% of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the recently published DECC/Defra/DfT ‘UK Bioenergy Strategy’.

Reuters reports that ‘senior European Union officials failed on Wednesday to agree on how to measure the full climate impact of biofuels, prolonging uncertainty in a debate that threatens to wipe out large parts of Europe’s biodiesel industry.’”The good news is that there appears to be a consensus in the Commission that the indirect impacts of biofuels need to be taken seriously,” said Nusa Urbancic, a clean fuels campaigner for green transport lobby T&E.”The bad news is, after several years, we are still waiting for a legal proposal to get out of the starting gate.”

Bangkok Post reports that Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc (RATCH), Thailand’s largest independent power producer, is about to begin commercial-scale production of spirulina (high-protein algae) after two years of research and testing. Chief executive Noppol Milinthanggoon said the company was ambitious about using carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from its power plant in Ratchaburi in the cultivation of spirulina. It spent 70 million baht over the past two years perfecting the process.

Biorefining Magazine reports that an algae startup in Canada recently won funding through the Nova Scotia CleanTech Open, which was launched by the province through venture capital organization Innovacorp last year. The company, SABRTEch Inc., has been awarded $100,000 in cash, a $200,000 negotiable seed investment, mentoring services and in-kind business building services through the program.

MarketWatch reports on Hart Energy’s newly released study, U.S. & Brazil Ethanol Outlook to 2022, which finds the United States has vaulted over Brazil to lead the world in the export of ethanol, a title it is positioned to retain in 2012 and beyond.

Biofuels Digest aims to explain why Shell and Iogen have cancelled their long-contemplated Canadian cellulosic ethanol project, and announce 150 layoffs.

Waste Managment World reports that French agricultural research organisation, the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) has launched a 160 million Euro collaborative platform aimed at developing efficient biofuels and high added value substances by utilising micro-algae feeding on nutrients contained in waste and industrial emissions of carbon dioxide.

UPI reports U.S. tech firm Honeywell says it is starting one of the aviation industry’s first comprehensive test programs for aviation biofuel. Blends of Honeywell green jet fuel will be tested at higher ratios than used in previous demonstration flights, which to date have not exceeded a 50/50 blend of biofuel and petroleum-based jet fuel.

The Financial Times report on how Brazil is using sugar for biofuels. The world’s largest sugar producer has been fermenting sugar cane juice into ethanol (alcohol) for motor fuel since 1975. For many years, the Brazilian bioethanol programme carried on in virtual isolation from the rest of the world, using fairly low-tech methods. Now, however, Brazil’s federal and state governments are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into research aimed at improving all stages of the bioethanol process, from sugar cane biology to engine efficiency. And the process has become big science, as well as big business.

Biofuels Digest gives a summary of the Bioeconomy Blueprint, released by the Obama Administration which outlines its strategy for US economic revival based on a US technological lead in agriculture, biotechnology, health sciences and entrepreneurism.

WSJ reports ‘top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe’s most controversial climate policies, as they consider whether biofuels do more harm than good when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Brussels has been debating whether biofuels are better for the climate than conventional fuels, with some environmentalists calling for a radical rethink of EU policy that mandates a 10% use of renewable energy –mainly biofuels– in transport by 2020.’

Forbes reports that President Obama has unfurled a national initiative that could lead to new opportunities for U.S. companies and scientists, as well as manufacturing jobs for billions and billions of microbes. Under the National Bioeconomy Blueprint, the White House proposes to increase research, cut regulatory overhead and identify areas where the U.S. will be competitive. The full report here.

AllAfrica reports that the Nigerian Federal Government has held a high level consultation with a group of companies from Belgium and Israel, on the possibility of introducing bio-fuel technology in Nigeria through algae farming. The meeting dwelt on the possibility of transforming Nigeria into one of the global suppliers of bio-fuel, animal feeds and food supplements that would be produced by the massive cultivation of algae in the country.

Industry Week reports that U.S Government institutions are not doing enough to further the development of clean energy alternatives, according to the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance.  The group is reacting to the report “International Energy Agency’s Tracking Clean Energy Progress”  that was released on April 26. ”We have a responsibility and a golden opportunity to act,” said IEA Deputy Executive Director Ambassador Richard H Jones.

The Sacramento Bee reports that Michael McAdams, president, Advanced Biofuels Association – ABFA, said he is, “proud to report to Congress that America’s domestic advanced biofuels industry has moved from the beaker to the barrel, all in record time. And like most parts of our nation’s economy, small business and American ingenuity are proving to be the engine driving our success.”