While global oil giants have taken significant steps toward biofuel generation, Brazil’s state-owned energy company Petroleo Brasileiro S.A (PBR) or Petrobras S.A. is no exception. The company recently acquired 50% stake of Bioleo Industrial and Comercial, a local biodiesel company. The deal was made for a total consideration of 15.5 million Brazilian reals ($8.8 million). Petrobras made the purchase through its biofuels unit, Petrobras Biocombustivel.




Bioleo is situated in Feira de Santana, state of Bahia. The company has the capacity to process 130,000 tons of grains of several types of oilseeds. The unit also has a storage capacity for 30,000 tons of grain and tankage for 10 million liters of oil.



Petrobras and the other partners (holding the remaining 50% stake in Bioleo) will control the operations of Bioleo. Under the terms of the deal, the company will provide 6 million Brazilian reals for investments in operational and HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) improvements, which will be disbursed equally by the partners.



In a separate development, Petrobras signed a farm-in agreement with Karoon Gas Australia Ltd, an energy exploration company. As per the agreement, Karoon will acquire a 20% interest in Maruja and Quasi Prospects, located in the offshore Santos Basin, Brazil. Subject to obtaining regulatory approvals in Brazil, Karoon will get a 20% interest in both blocks by funding 35% of a well in the Maruja Prospect, as part of a two well drilling program.



Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Petrobras enjoys strong market share positions in the petroleum product and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) marketing businesses in Brazil. Given the pipeline full of development projects and impressive exploration successes, we have an optimistic outlook for the company.



However, uncertainty over the capitalization timeline and the company’s huge 2010-2014 investment budget along with the absence of any near-term positive catalyst compels us to stay on the sideline. We have a Zacks Rank of #3 (short-term Hold recommendation) on Petrobras ADRs. We also reiterate our long-term Neutral rating. Courtesy: WALL STREET PIT

http://www.bharatpetroleum.in/YourCorner/PetroDailyDetails.aspx?Pnewsid=P000028918

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jatropha plantation in Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Telegraph picture


Nagaon, Aug. 23: Joint venture company D1 Williamson Magor Biofuel Ltd has set 2012 as the target to start commercial production of bio-diesel crude oil. The company will initially produce 30,000 litres crude oil every day at its proposed Balipara plant in Sonitpur district. Initially, the product will be shipped to European countries through Chittagong port in Bangladesh.



A company source yesterday said the Balipara plant would take the shape of a full-fledged refinery in 2014 where 1.10 lakh litres of bio-diesel would be produced every day. Bio-fuel development centres mainly on the cultivation and processing of seeds of jatropha, a bio-fuel plant, which is rich in oil. Since 2006, our jatropha garden expanded up to 132,000 hectare area in India of which 51,000 hectares are in the northeastern states. Another one lakh hectares in the northeastern states is being targeted to be covered within the next five years,” the source said.



The proposed bio-diesel refinery in Balipara is a Rs 600-crore project for which preliminary works like site selection and other official formalities are complete. According to the company source, construction would start by the end of this year.“We have deposited Rs 2.67 crore for a 24-acre plot within Balipara-based industrial growth centre and works like submission of draft agreement to the state government has been completed. We hope Dispur would not delay the remaining work,” said manager (administration) D1 Williamson Magor, Digbijoy Borgohain.



According to him, the company plans to lay emphasis on involving the interested farmers of different parts of Assam to jatropha cultivation. Its main target areas include Karbi Anglong district where a vast highland area lies barren despite much potential.“Since 2008 we have covered 2,000 hectares in eastern part of the hill district and cultivation in another 8,000 hectares is continuing during this session. Our target is to cover another one lakh hectare within the next five years,” Borgohain said. Courtesy: THE TELEGRAPH

http://www.bharatpetroleum.com/YourCorner/PetroDailyDetails.aspx?Pnewsid=P000028814

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Railways to go green with four bio-diesel plants



New Delhi: Indian Railways has planned to set up four bio-diesel plants to reduce its carbon footprint and take forward its experiment with non-conventional form of energy. It is already planting saplings of jatropha, one of the sources of bio-diesel, on pilot basis in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). The plants will mark the entry of railways in production of bio-diesel, however, it will be only for captive use and not for commercial sale of the fuel. The four units will enable the entity in meeting its increasing demand of diesel. As per a new railway policy, 10% bio-diesel has to be mixed with diesel for use in locomotives and therefore railways needs to have a higher stock of bio-fuel with an increase in diesel demand.



The first two plants are to come up by the end of 2012-13 at a total cost of Rs 79 crore. These will be followed by other two plants. “We have planted jatropha on pilot basis on acres of railway land and the plants will be processed in the bio-diesel production units that we have planned,” a senior railway official told FE. The plan to set up the plants have been in the pipeline for at least last 10 years. Railways entered in an agreement with IOC in 2003. As per the tie-up, IOC was to plant, extract and blend the fuel in high-speed diesel. Railways gave 500 hectare land in Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jaipur to the public sector oil firm for planting the saplings, which were expected to give 800 tonne of bio-diesel. “The aim has been to reduce the carbon footprint by using blended diesel in the locomotives and become self-sufficient,” a former financial commissioner said requesting anonymity.



Railways’ dependence on IOC will reduce once the plants are commissioned. The national transporter is also likely to save on costs of procuring the non-conventional fuel. Officials of IOC were not available for comments. Some zonal railways already produce small quantities of bio-fuel from waste vegetable oil collected from hotels. The fuel produced is being utilised in blended form in diesel electric multiple units, light duty road vehicles in workshops. In the last three years, nearly 1.4 lakh litre of bio-fuel has been produced

Praveen Kumar Singh / The Financial Express…newspaper.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Railways-to-go-green-with-four-bio-diesel-plants/658128/

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Andy Pag is a globetrotter with a difference. An engineer by profession but an environmentalist by passion, Pag — now in the city — has been travelling the world in a truck that runs on waste oil or bio-diesel.




“I am undertaking this journey to highlight the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and using waste in a beneficial manner,” said Pag, who converted a bus deserted in a waste dump into the vehicle that is taking him across the globe.



The man in his late-30s started the tour in London in September. He travelled through Europe and reached India via Afghanistan and Pakistan. “I have been using whatever oil I could get — from oil used in restaurants to bio-diesel. Here, the Emami group of companies has given me around 1,250 litres of biodiesel, which will be adequate for my truck to reach Australia,” said Pag.



“We decided to support the expedition after Pag appealed to us as it is a great way of showcasing biodiesel, which is in its infancy,” said Aditya Agarwal, the director of the Emami group.



Pag is in no rush to complete the tour. “Apart from highlighting green issues, I want to take a close look at the culture and the people,” said the globetrotter, who has been in India for nearly six months.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100803/jsp/calcutta/story_12762571.jsp

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Bio-diesel park at Bijapur




Monday, July 19, 2010


The bio-diesel plant has been inaugurated by the minister for large and medium industries Murugesh Nirani, which has been set up at the Karnataka State Women's University campus in Bijapur.The unit was set up by the Karnataka State Bio-Diesel Task Force and forest department. This unit will work as a bio-diesel production as well as information centre. In this unit, the research activities will be conducted in the future. At this unit, the varsity aims to conduct research on bio-diesel production as well as utilization issues. This centre will help in conducting higher research in this field, said Bali. Moreover, the unit will also work as bio-diesel production incubator in order to help the farmers who wish to take part in such activities, with proper information. This unit's waste matter will be utilised as wormy compost and organic farming

Source HPCL

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