Petrobras, Ineos Move On Biofuels

Brazilian state oil company Petrobras has signed an agreement with industrial enzyme maker Novozymes to develop a new route to produce lignocellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. The companies estimate bagasse-to-ethanol technology could increase the country's ethanol production by 40%, or 2.8 billion gal. Meanwhile, Ineos Bio, the biofuel arm of U.K.-based chemical company Ineos, says it has received permits to build a waste-to-bioenergy plant in Indian River County, Fla. The center will generate 8 million gal of ethanol annually from biomass including wood, agricultural, and vegetative wastes and will generate 6 MW of electricity.