The US Navy intends to have a fleet of warships known as the “Great Green Fleet” running on biofuels by 2016, and by 2020 it plans to run half of its entire fleet on alternative fuels.

Chris Tindal, the US Navy’s Director for operational energy met with QUT’s Professor Mundree and Ian O’Hara.

“The US Navy is meeting institutions in Queensland involved in research and development which could deliver the technology that could be passed on to industry partners, who would ultimately be the suppliers of these fuels on a commercial scale,” QUT’s Professor Sagadevan Mundree said.

For the complete story visit:

http://www.qut.edu.au/about/news/news?news-id=38380

Following the recent Annual General Meeting held on 27^th September, The Biofuel Partnership (BFP) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Directors to the board.

David Tait has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Board Director.

David is a 25 year veteran of the investment banking world having operated at Executive Director level for three of the worlds most prominent investment banks. He has managed businesses in London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto.

Moving to Vancouver in 2008 David has pursued his entrepreneurial interests, establishing two successful start-up companies in the last four years.

If you wish to know more about David’s credentials, please contact us.

Dennis Chislholm has been appointed to the board as a non-Executive Director.

Raised in Western Sydney, Dennis joined the family business R. L. Chisholm and Co. (Holdings) Pty. Limited providing information and services to legal firms, accountants, surveyors and property developers.

He took over the company as Managing Director in 1985 and oversaw the merger of the company in1992 with Southern Legal Search to form Legalco Pty.Limited. Upon the licensing of the company in 1997 as information broker he co-managed the transition of services into the on-line medium and expanded the database services provided to customers to include The Land Titles Office of NSW, Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), all Business Names State and Territory Registries, Landata Victoria and Queensland Department of Environment & Resource Management.

The company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2000 and grew steadily since then, changing its’name to Espreon Limited in 2005 and subsequently acquired by the compliance and assurance services company SAI Global Limited.

Both appointments were ratified at the AGM and are effective immediately.

Chairman John Edwards said:

“We are delighted to welcome two such high calibre candidates to the board. We set out this year to strengthen the breadth and depth of our board and we have achieved that. Both David and Dennis bring tremendous experience in corporate finance and as entrepreneurs having run their own highly successful businesses.

They have shown a great passion for the business and their involvement will be a terrific boon in helping us set and implement strategy to achieve our goals.

They are highly accomplished professionals and nice people to boot who share our vision to build a profitable company that does good for other people and the planet too.”

He added:

“David’s appointment highlights the global nature of our business and the emerging importance of Canada as a centre for investment and business growth, whilst Dennis is a homegrown Australian who will help represent our shareholders here as well as assisting our development overseas.”

On joining the company new CEO David Tait said:

“I was intrigued by the concept of the BioCube when I first came across it. Since then, the interest has grown from investment to active involvement and I am excited by the challenge of leading the company as we move into the next critical stage of development. Investment banking has given me a global perspective for developing business opportunities and I’ve also had experience the implementation side of establishing a business and taking it to market, so I am looking forward to making the BioCube the global success we believe it can be.”

Dennis Chisholm commented:

“As one of the early investors in The BioFuel Partnership I’ve taken a keen interest in the business and the growth of the company over these last few years. I was pleased to accept John’s invitation to join the board and look forward to working with the team to bring the vision to life.”

END

About The Biofuel Partnership Limited:

The Biofuel Partnership Limited is an unlisted public company with shareholders in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America.  The company designed, developed and manufactures the BioCube™ – your own green fuel station. The BioCube™ is a portable, standalone biodiesel processor that produces high quality biodiesel from a wide variety of feedstock that can be used directly in any modern diesel engine. It makes biodiesel processing viable for communities and commercial enterprises in developing and developed countries, providing an affordable and sustainable means of energy independence.

With offices in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and Vancouver, Canada, the company has regional representation in Asia, Oceania, Europe and the Americas.

For more information contact Christina Tan at The Biofuel Partnership. 

The Biofuel Partnership (BFP) is pleased to announce that it has secured an important new investor in Canada; the respected entrepreneur Peter Lacey of Calgary, Alberta.

Mr Lacey is President and CEO of Cervus Equipment Corporation, based in Calgary, Alberta. Cervus acquires and manages authorized agricultural, commercial and industrial equipment dealerships in Western Canada through 30 dealership locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  With turnover of $475M last year, the primary equipment brands represented by Cervus include John Deere agricultural equipment (for which it is the single largest distributor in the world), Bobcat and JCB construction equipment. Cervus also has interests in New Zealand and elsewhere in North America.

Mr Lacey said: “ The BioCube™ is an interesting machine. It presents a business model that may, in time, fit well with our distributorship network and expertise. There are agricultural communities that we serve in Canada and elsewhere that would be interested in the sustainable biodiesel processing capability that the BioCube™ provides”.

As part of the agreement, through Mr Lacey’s investment, BFP will grant distribution rights to Cervus for the BioCube™ in the Americas, subject to standard terms of agreement and once the BioCube has demonstrated its commercial viability with suitable feedstock in these markets.

“We’re delighted to have connected with such a prominent investor as Peter Lacey” said Peter Wilken, of BFP: “ He is highly respected in the financial community as a successful serial entrepreneur and brings a wealth of experience in the acquisition and distribution of agricultural machinery that is directly relevant to the BioCube™.  He is also a philanthropist with a history of establishing community projects in developing countries to help people improve their quality of life, which sits well with our corporate philosophy.”

“Although we still have to complete a comprehensive customer verification programme for the BioCube™ that will likely take the best part of this year, the relationship with Peter Lacey will provide invaluable expertise and coverage of the important Americas markets when the machine is ready to be taken for global distribution”.

The introduction was made through Peter Schriber of Energy Logics Group (ELG) and negotiated with BFP Directors Peter Wilken and Laurence Baum.

ELG are a pioneering renewable energy company established in the Philippines in 2005 currently in discussions with BFP. Part of the Delgado group, their latest project is a huge installation of solar-power facilities and wind farms in Luzon, in what could be the biggest deployment of such infrastructure and largest investment of a company in the country’s renewable energy sector.

Commercial Director Laurence Baum added: “ We are grateful to Peter Lacey for this important investment and to Peter Schriber for making it happen. These relationships present us with the opportunity to appeal to a wider investment community in Canada and to raise significant capital to accelerate the commercialisation of the BioCube™, which we shall pursue”.

END

About The Biofuel Partnership Limited:

The Biofuel Partnership Limited is an unlisted public company with shareholders in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America.  The company designed, developed and manufactures the BioCube™; a compact, fully integrated, community-sized biodiesel processor.

The BioCube™ can process high quality biodiesel from a wide variety of feedstock that can be used in all modern diesel engines without modification.  It makes biodiesel processing viable for communities in developing countries and helps create sustainable wealth enterprises that empower communities to determine their own destinies.

Headquartered in Molendinar, Queensland, Australia, the company has regional representation in Asia, the Pacific and North America and affiliates in Africa, South America and Europe.

For more information contact Christina Tan at The Biofuel Partnership.

The BioCube 250 ™ undergoing tests at QUT’s facility at Mackay, Queensland, February 2011

The BioCube 250™ at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) sustainable fuels pilot plant at Mackay has been fully commissioned and QUT with BFP have applied for a grant from the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund to conduct a comprehensive programme to test alternative bio-oil feedstocks.

In 2010, QUT completed the development of the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant (MRBPP) – a unique pilot scale facility for the development and demonstration of sustainable biofuel technologies in Australia. The $10 million facility was funded by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, the Queensland Government and QUT. The facility aims to connect technology providers, innovators, feedstock suppliers and investors to rapidly promote the development of sustainable biofuel technologies.

QUT leased the first pre-production BioCube unit from The Biofuels Partnership in October 2010 to assist in the further development and demonstration of the technology and to enable the testing of biodiesel production from different feedstock.

Ian O’Hara, Senior Research Fellow at QUT and their BioCube(TM) project leader said:

“QUT is keen to support The Biofuel Partnership in the commercial development of the BioCube and is pleased to support this application to the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund for the ongoing development and testing of the unit with a wide variety of feedstock.”

Technical Director Sandy Kelly and Technical Manager Jamie Seehars have recently been in Mackay to update the BioCube™ to the latest technical specifications which will enable it to experiment with a wider variety of oils for biodiesel production.

“We’ve changed a number of elements in the mixer to make the installation even more compact whilst retaining its accessibility and improving the long term operating characteristics.  We also took the opportunity to prepare the machine to accept an optional centrifuge and install more flexibility in the catalyst and chemical dosing systems to permit specifications to be adjusted over a wider range to suit the specific characteristics of each type of oil being processed. ” said Mr Kelly.

“We plan to install an optional centrifuge to the QUT machine, which will enable the University to test raw bio-oils with high concentrations of Free Fatty Acids (FFA’s).”

Trials at the QUT facility will assist Australian industry and BFP advance knowledge of bio-oil processing into biodiesel and the effect of biodiesel on engine performance. It will also help determine usage application and specifications for the BioCube in Australia and around the globe.

END

About The Biofuel Partnership Limited:

The Biofuel Partnership Limited is an unlisted public company with shareholders in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America.  The company designed, developed and manufactures the BioCube™; a compact, fully integrated, community-sized biodiesel processor.

The BioCube™ can process high quality biodiesel from a wide variety of feedstock that can be used in all modern diesel engines without modification.  It makes biodiesel processing viable for communities in developing countries and helps create sustainable wealth enterprises that empower communities to determine their own destinies.

Headquartered in Molendinar, Queensland Australia, the company has regional representation in Asia, the Pacific, North America and Europe.

For more information contact Christina Tan at The Biofuel Partnership. 

The Biofuel Partnership (BFP) is delighted to announce that it has signed a first BioCube™ distributorship agreement in India with Sandeep and Co of Mettupalayam, Tamilnadu, India.

The agreement, which was signed by President of Sandeep and Co. Mr Somasundaram, President Sandeep & Co and Laurence Baum, Director of The Biofuel Partnership (BFP) on 14 July following a visit by Mr Somasundaram to BFP’s Research & Development Center in Molendinar to inspect the BioCube, grants the right to distribute the BioCube™ in the Southern Indian states of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka for the next three years subject to condition of contract.

Part of the condition of contract is a minimum purchase of 40 BioCube™ 250 units over this period comprising a minimum of 10 units in the first 12 months, followed by a minimum of 15 units in each of the following two years. BFP will provide initial technical support and training in India.

The first machines are being manufactured to order now and are expected to arrive in India in October this year.

“This is an historic agreement for BFP’ said Laurence Baum, ‘It is the first distributorship we’ve granted, and backed by a commitment for BioCubes that underlines Sandeep and Co’s confidence in developing sales of the BioCube in Southern India.”

While there is interest from all over the world, India has been aggressive in pursuit of the distributed biodiesel processing technology the BioCube can provide. BFP’s representative in India, Sanjay Hinduljia, has played a valuable role in managing the development of the business there and will continue to help manage our partnerships and protect our intellectual property rights on the ground.

BFP Chairman John Edwards commented:

BFP Chairman John Edwards and President Sandeep and Co., Mr Somasundaram sign the agreement

“Sandeep and Co. were committed enough to send their President in person to Australia for an early inspection and demonstration of the new manufactured BioCube™ 250 – we look forward to developing our business partnership with them and are confident that those like them who see the technology for themselves will be impressed with what the BioCube has to offer.”

Mr Somasundaram added: “ Sandeep and Co have been following the development of the BioCube with interest for some time and now, having seen the machine demonstrated here in Australia, are even more excited about the potential it has to succeed in markets such as ours in Southern India. Our company is an active advocate of clean alternative energy solutions and we’re delighted to be a vanguard for the BioCube in India.”

Among other business interests, Sandeep and Co owns and operates a number of retail fuel outlets of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

The Biofuel Partnership continues to field several enquiries from companies interested in investment and business partnership as the company moves into full commercialisation of the business.

The Biofuel Partnership is pleased to confirm that the first BioCube™ 250 will be supplied to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

The machine, the first production model of the BioCube™, will be leased to QUT for their new Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant in Mackay, Queensland where the University will use it to test a variety of biodiesel feedstocks.

“It’s an ideal relationship” commented Sandy Kelly, Technical Director and founding father of the BioCube™. “QUT will get the first BioCube™ 250 which will allow them to produce biodiesel from a variety of feedstocks in order to test and assess viability for private and public customers. In return, BFP gets access to the significant biofuels capability of QUT which is close to our own Research & Development complex, and to the analytic services that will help us provide accurate performance characteristics to our customers.”

“We’re very pleased to be receiving the first production unit of the BioCube™ and to be working with The Biofuel Partnership as it continues the process of commercialisation”, said Ian O’Hara from the QUT Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities.

The machine is being prepared for an anticipated delivery date next month.

BFP are currently closing customer order requests for the BioCube™ 250 from Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands and Tonga as well as Australia in the Oceania region.

“There is enormous interest around the world for the BioCube™ and we’re fielding serious enquires from India, China, Africa and the Americas for substantial numbers of the machines” said Laurence Baum, Director.

“Right now, we’re focusing initial sales on markets close by in the Oceania region because it allows us to ‘soft launch’ with a manageable number of customers in a way that we can verify technical and commercial performance. The machine provides multiple benefits to multiple customer-types, so it’s important we begin the process of assessing different business models to guide future customers.

Beyond producing a cost-effective, high quality biodiesel the BioCube can provide electrical power (through the BioCube™Power model) with benefits from employment to carbon credits.

The BioCube™ 250 production model is manufactured at Parker Hannifin Australia’s Wodonga plant.

The Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant is a unique research and development facility funded by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, by the Queensland Government and QUT. It links innovation in bioenergy technologies, with technology demonstration and assessment of commercial viability for both private and public sector stakeholders.

As we enter the new decade, the BioCube™ is about to create a significant impact in the field of distributed biodiesel processing.

The BioCube™ has successfully completed initial field trials in Lae, Papua New Guinea where it continues to undergo rigourous tests as part of a comprehensive performance verification programme that includes development of additional modules to enhance the BioCube’s ability to handle a wide range of feedstocks. The programme is scheduled to continue over the next six months.

“We’re delighted with the early trial results’, beamed Sandy Kelly, Technical Director and founding father of the BioCube “We’ve added more than 70 hours trouble-free operation in the field during extended period runs alone. These have vindicated the choices of materials and proven reliability in operation beyond normal limits of ambient temperature, feedstock quality and fuel. This is in addition to the extensive factory tests completed in Australia”.

We also had the opportunity to work in the field with expellers and raw oil of varying quality, which opens additional opportunities up to us. The field trials are a great success. The machine has exceeded our demanding expectations and is producing biodiesel from coconut oil harvested on site”, commented Kelly.

“Prior to the trials, the production design was reviewed and, despite the strength of our first BioCube™, we identified a few areas in which the design could be improved to reduce manufacturing costs and to use the space more efficiently. These have been well received by our manufacturing partner.

The BioCube™ has been designed in modules to maximize the manufacturing process efficiency and provide flexibility of choice to meet customer needs. Three engine options are available, and a number of feedstock preparation modules to enable the use of algae, waste cooking oils and oils with high FFA content, in addition to the ‘standard’ jatropha and coconut modules. There are also design options to permit the BioCube™ to provide electrical power, fuel or a mixture of both. The modular concept allows the BioCube™ to be rapidly tailored to suit the customer’s needs without incurring unnecessary additional expense; modifications can even be made at the distributor’s premises.

“2010 heralds the beginning of the ‘Decade of the BioCube™” said John Edwards, Chairman of The Biofuel Partnership.

“After three years in design and development, the BioCube™ is here, in the field and working well. We anticipate the demand for the BioCube™ to increase steadily throughout the coming years as awareness and usage grows.

We begin the new decade by entering into a new phase of our business; taking our product to market and satisfying the diverse customer base out there looking for accessible, affordable and efficient biodiesel processing.

Our sales programme hasn’t begun in earnest yet, however, based on what he’s seen, our customer in Papua New Guinea has confirmed his interest in purchasing three more machines, which is always a positive sign. We will build our business this way; one customer at a time.”

“The demand for alternative energy, in particular for liquid fossil fuel alternatives for transportation and industry will grow steadily throughout the decade as the price of fossil oil continues to rise.” predicted Director Peter Wilken.

“The BioCube™ will appeal to many markets but is likely to appear first in pioneering alternative energy markets. These markets seek greater energy independence and lower expensive imported fossil fuel costs with cleaner solutions that are less harmful to the environment and their people. They have a growing demand for energy and good feedstock growth conditions yet still have high levels of underemployment, particularly in rural areas. The BioCube™ is the perfect solution.”

The BioCube™ is being manufactured in Australia to supply early customer orders from Oceania, India, Australia and elsewhere. The company expects to have first manufactured models available for shipment by end March as forecast.

For enquiries please contact:

Laurence Baum T: (+61) 7 5527 9800

E: bauml@biofuelpartnership.com

Commenting on the recent board meeting and successful management meeting held with the prospective Canadian JV partners in Australia, Chairman of The Biofuel Partnership Ltd, John Edwards outlined the key objectives for the coming year.

“With high demand for the BioCube™ from all corners of the globe, the company is focusing on the following strategic priorities:

• Successful completion of field trials and manufacture design modifications if necessary
• Capitalising the business to accelerate the production of the BioCube™, expand resources to meet demand, and continue to manage our own destiny
• Delivering the highest quality manufactured units that meet our demanding reliability and efficiency standards
• Establishing a powerful global distribution network with proven regional and domestic partners
• Achieving managed sales growth with customer verification testing and supply chain management
• Accelerating design development of the BioCube Power and 5000 models
• Development and protection of the BioCube brand

“The development of a new machine design concept such as the BioCube™ is a complex process and we’ve achieved remarkable progress in the last year”, said Mr Edwards.

“We are now in the final field trial stage prior to manufacture of the machine and, simultaneously, in the process of establishing a powerful partnership that will help market and distribute the BioCube™ around the globe.”

Technical Director and founding father of the BioCube Sandy Kelly commented on future design developments:

“Design blueprints for the BioCube Power™ and BioCube 5000™ are on the drawing board. The BioCube Power™ will produce up to 120kva of power in addition to biodiesel, capable of providing electricity for 30 rural homes, or for putting back into the grid.”

The BioCube 5000™ is similar to base BioCube 2000™ model with increased production capacity capable of producing 400-500 litres of biodiesel per hour.

Commercial Director Laurence Baum noted the strong customer interest in the BioCube™:

“We receive calls virtually every day from customers asking where they can see a machine” he said.

“It’s tempting to take orders now, but for the soft launch we are being careful to select customers with whom we can conduct customer verification testing in an environment where the proper level of support services can be provided, for catalyst supply for example.”

The first manufactured BioCubes are scheduled for delivery end Q1 2010.

The BioCube™ has successfully undergone extensive factory testing at The Biofuel Partnerships Research and Development Centre in Molendinar and is now being shipped to Papua New Guinea for field trials.

“We’re delighted with the performance of the machine in our testing facilities,” said Sandy Kelly, Technical Director and founding father of the BioCube™.

“After successfully satisfying the stringent Australian Health and Safety standards we’ve been steadily improving the machine with design modifications that improve the quality of Biodiesel produced, the ease of operation and reliability as we move towards our manufacturing model. The BioCube™ is now producing consistently high quality Biodiesel at the required volumes we specify and is ready for the next phase of field testing.”

Comprehensive field trials will be conducted in a location nearby Lae in Papua New Guinea over the next 6-10 weeks.

The site was selected after an extensive review of locations, including a weeklong site visit in August to Papua New Guinea.

“We were looking for a site that could provide us with both coconut and jatropha feedstock, and that presented a testing challenge for the BioCube™ that reflects the reality of the logistical, technical and operational challenges encountered in most developing markets.” Mr Kelly continued.

The Biofuel Partnership will have an on-the-ground presence for the beginning of the field trial and will oversee a daily reporting process on the performance of the machine.

“Inevitably, there will be learning that will further improve the final manufactured model – that’s what trials are for – nevertheless, our technical team have done a superb job of designing and creating a machine that is delivering against specifications and generating substantial customer interest in the market, ” Chairman, John Edwards said.

“Through these trials we will ensure that our manufactured units meet our demanding reliability and efficiency standards”.

With field trials due to be completed by the end of the year, first manufactured units of the BioCube™ are scheduled for delivery by end Q1 2010.

For order enquiries please contact: Laurence Baum T: (+61) 7 5527 9800

E: bauml@biofuelpartnership.com

“The BioCube™ has been meticulously designed and built to conform to the requirements of ISO 9001 manufacturing standards with our design-engineering partners EDAG, so we expected nothing less, but it’s a notable milestone in the development of the BioCube™ nonetheless” said Sandy Kelly, Director and founding father of the BioCube.

The BioCube™ was constructed in Melbourne by German global design engineering giants EDAG and independently assessed to meet Australian OH&S standards last month.

“Ease of use and safety of operation have been instrumental in the design of the BioCube” continues Kelly. The machine is designed to operate in the testing tropical climates of developing countries by semi-skilled operators after basic training. It produces 2,000 litres of high quality Biodiesel per day from feedstock such as Jatropha and coconut.

This Biodiesel can be used directly in any modern diesel engine such as electricity generators, agricultural machinery or diesel-engined vehicles without modification, or sold.

Laurence Baum, Commercial Director confirmed that the BioCube™ will continue to undergo factory testing in Australia and field tests in three pilot markets between now and the end of the year.

Interest in the purchase of BioCubes is both strong and diverse, from companies wishing to acquire individual units to countries looking to commission multiple units” said Baum, “however, our priority is to complete comprehensive field trials to ensure that our performance standards are met prior to scaling up the manufacturing”.

The company has identified markets in Oceania, South East Asia and South Asia for field trials, with Latin America and Africa likely to follow soon.

In addition, Peter Wilken has been appointed an Executive Director of the company with responsibility for brand development, in particular commercialisation of the BioCube™ in the Americas. Peter has been involved with the company since its inception and brings a wealth of experience in corporate business strategy, brand strategy and marketing in global markets.