FOCUS and 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Significant reduction in production costs is among the reasons for the growing interest in enzyme technologies among investors. The global market for cellulosic bioethanol could grow to 18 bn gallons by 2020, from the current negligible level, according to Dutch biotechnology-chemical firm DSM, a major developer of biofuels enzymes and yeasts. DSM expects that demand for enzymes and yeasts will rise to about $3-5 bn/y, with the USA as the largest market, trailed by China and Brazil. Specialist biofuel producers, such as Abengoa of Spain, POET Inc of the USA, and Gruppo Mossi & Ghisolfi of Italy will be the major players in the global market for advanced biofuels, along with international firms, such as Shell and British Petroleum (BP). Shell and major sugar producer Cosan recently formed Brazil-based jv Raizen for the production of more than 2 bn litres/y of low-carbon biofuel from sugarcane biomass using enzymatic processes. BP predicts that by 2030 biofuels will represent about 9% of global transport energy requirements. The company has invested about $2 bn in biofuels R&D and operations. BP is also constructing, in partnership with DuPont, a demonstration plant in Hull, UK, that will initially produce biobutanol from sugar beet, and then from cellulosic biomass using a bacteria-based fermentation process.
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percentage annual growth of world catalyst demand from 2006-2011 and forecasted percentage growth in demand during 2011-2016. Price: from $6400. Original Source: Freedonia Group, 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland OH, USA, e-mail:
[email protected], website: http://www.freedoniagroup.com/ (Feb 2013) © Freedonia 2013
Stanford University to fund $6.6 M for clean-burning fuels research in US The Stanford University initiative the Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP), which is sponsored by ExxonMobil, GE, Schlumberger and DuPont, will fund $6.6 M to advance research on clean-burning fuels and technologies for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The fund will be used by six teams from Stanford and one from the Carnegie Mellon University. Of the six Stanford projects, three will work on steamcarbon fuel cells, high-efficiency thinfilm solar cells and advanced watersplitting to develop carbon-neutral technologies. The remaining two will focus on electrohydrogenation and energy-efficient electrocatalysts to test new electrochemical catalysts for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuels and chemicals. Two research teams will also receive funding under the initiative to develop computer models that evaluate the effectiveness of various technologies for capturing carbon emissions from power plants.
Original Source: Oils and Fats International, Feb 2013, 29 (2), 10,12 (Website: http://www.oilsandfatsinternational.com/) © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2013
Original Source: CTBR Clean Technology Business Review, 14 Mar 2013, (Website:http://www.cleantechnology-businessreview.com/) © CTBR 2013
World Catalysts: industry study, with forecasts for 2016 & 2021 (2989)
Global rare earth metals market is expected to reach $8.19 bn by 2018: Transparency Market Research
Freedonia Group Inc’s market research report predicts the market for petroleum refining, chemical synthesis, and polymerisation catalysts to increase at a rate of 5.8%/y to touch $19.5 bn by 2016. Fast pace growth in Asia, spearheaded by India and China and the Middle East, led by Saudi Arabia is foreseen. This apart, in the wake of the reduced price of natural gas in North America, the market of catalysts for converting natural gas to valuable products will register upward trend. A table highlights world catalyst demand in 2006, 2011 and forecasts demand for 2016. The table also depicts the
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Transparency Market Research has released a new market report titled ‘Rare Earth Metals (Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium, Europium, Yttrium, Scandium, Terbium & Other Key Elements) Market – Global Industry Analysis, Applications (Magnets, Catalysts, Metallurgy, Phosphors, Ceramics & Others), Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012 – 2018,’ which observes that the rare earth metals demand was worth $3.93 bn in 2012 and is expected to reach $8.19 bn by 2018, growing at a CAGR of 13% from 2012 to 2018. In
terms of volumes, global rare earth metals demand is expected to cross 290,000 tonnes by 2018. Original Source: Transparency Market Research, 2013. Found on PR Newswire, 19 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.prnewswire.com)
Platinum 2012 interim review: executive summary The platinum market is forecast to move into a deficit of 400,000 oz in 2012. Severe disruption to platinum group metal (pgm) mining is expected to reduce supplies from South Africa by over 600,000 oz. With demand firm at 8.07 M oz and a decline in recycling, the balance of the platinum market will look very different from 2011. Platinum supplies are expected to decline by 10% to 5.84 M oz this year. A fall in platinum sales is forecast from South Africa to an eleven-year low of 4.25 M oz as a result of labour stoppages and the closure of marginal operations. Output from other producing regions will remain broadly flat overall. Industrial demand for platinum is forecast to fall by 13% to 1.79 M oz in 2012. Electrical demand is predicted to soften but growth is expected in purchasing of platinum for non-road emissions control. Platinum recovery from spent autocatalysts is expected to decline as softer average pgm prices this year have encouraged collectors to hold on to exhaust catalysts from end-of-life vehicles. Gross platinum demand in autocatalysts is predicted to soften by 1% to 3.07 M oz. Falling vehicle production in Europe, together with a slight decline in the market share of diesel cars, will be mostly offset by higher demand for platinum from Japanese and Indian manufacturers and greater use of platinum in heavy duty emissions aftertreatment. A softening of industrial demand for palladium is expected, of 3%, to 2.41 M oz. A wave of chemical plant construction in China will stimulate purchasing of palladium for new catalyst charges. The palladium market is forecast to move from a surplus in 2011 to a deficit this year of 915,000 oz. Supplies are expected to contract, mainly due to lower sales of Russian state stocks, and reduced palladium recycling is forecast. Gross demand is predicted to rise to 9.73 M oz, driven by a return to positive net physical investment and higher autocatalyst MAY 2013