NTR’s US bio-ethanol vehicle Green Plains Renewable Energy is to become the fourth largest ethanol producer in the United States after acquiring two Nebraska plants for $123.5 million (€91.8m).

PLANS for a €50 million biodiesel production plant on Cork Harbour were unveiled yesterday.

BIOFUELS producer Bioverda plans a major expansion in the fast consolidating US ethanol market but sees biodiesel as the future growth sector in Europe, chief executive John Mullins said on Friday.

BOTH sides fighting for control of ICG (Irish Continental Group) meet this week in an attempt to end the bid deadlock for the car ferries group.

NTR confirmed today that it has completed its agreement with the National Roads Authority (NRA) in relation to the West-Link toll facility.

WHEN a leading Irish chief executive says the next election should be fought on the looming energy crisis facing the country, it is a fair bet that something quite serious is afoot.

THE fate of South Western Services (SWS) will be known before Christmas. The sale process will be handled by Merrion Capital and all sides are committed to the sale this time.

CONFIRMATION last week that Bioverda is to build a €30 million bio-diesel plant, probably in Co Cork, will give some solace to farmers increasingly under pressure from CAP reform and the impending World Trade Organisation (WTO) reforms that are due to be fully operational by 2015.

Wireless broadband service provider Irish Broadband has announced the appointment of Neil Parkinson to the position of chief executive. He joins the company with immediate effect.

ONE51, the former IAWS Co-Op, has acquired SITA Environmental and its trading company Rilta Ltd in a deal worth up to €8 million.

NTR Plc has announced a major investment in the former East Germany, where it plans to build a biodiesel facility.

NTR plc has today announced an initial €30m investment in Emerald Bio-diesel GmbH, a bio-diesel facility in Germany.

Food company IAWS (Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society) - soon to be One51 - has ended talks with the SWS group with regard to the acquisition of relevant parts of the group.

SINCE day one the markets have said the shareholding of the daughters of PV Doyle and their close associates would ultimately determine the future of the Jurys Doyle Group.

THE beleaguered Jurys Doyle Hotel board will take comfort from the Deloitte Hotel Benchmark survey, showing an improvement in bookings for hotel rooms in Dublin.

IAWS Co-op boss, Philip Lynch, has neither sought nor been offered a seat on the board of toll road to waste management group NTR Plc.

Venture capital investment in Irish companies has increased dramatically in the first quarter of 2005, with the €75.4m invested more than twice the amount invested in the previous quarter.

IAWS Co-op has upped its stake to 26% in NTR Plc, the operator of the National Toll Roads. IAWS now holds over 6.2 million ordinary shares in NTR, whose shares have shot up from €13 to €27 since October.

NTR plc yesterday confirmed it has received notification from John Gallagher, a director of the company, he sold 850,000 ordinary shares in NTR plc at €17.50 per share.

UP TO 100,000 motorists pay to use Dublin’s West-Link motorway each day generating almost €1 million in revenue every week.

High speed, always-on, wireless Internet access has been launched to business and home Internet users in Cork today by Irish Broadband.

Celtic Roads Group (CRG) has been selected by the National Roads Authority (NRA) to build the the Dundalk Western Bypass section of the M1 Motorway.

IRISH Broadband, the wireless internet access provider, will create 60 jobs during 2004 to meet increasing demand for its broadband products. At least 20 jobs will be in Cork.

Wireless broadband internet provider Irish Broadband has announced a partnership with US solutions provider Stratex Networks for the upgrading of its network in the greater Dublin area.

Irish Broadband, which offers guaranteed broadband connection speeds, is to expand its network to include Derry.

NATIONAL Toll Roads has invested an extra €14.3 million in renewable energy firm Airtricity to maintain its majority shareholding after the company raised €28m in an equity placing.

NTR plc has been awarded the contract to operate the temporary toll collections on the M1.

ILLEGAL dumping of commercial waste is running at up to one million tonnes annually one of the sector’s major players warned yesterday.

NTR Plc has bought a majority stake Materials Recovery in the UK.