donate now
Truly Sustainable Renewable Future
April 17, 2012 – 10:42 am | No Comment

Advanced Biofuels are high-energy liquid transportation fuels derived from: low nutrient input/high per acre yield crops; agricultural or forestry waste; or other sustainable biomass feedstocks including algae.  The key word is “sustainable.”
A technical definition that …

Read the full story »
Business News/Analysis

Federal Legislation

Political news and views from Capitol Hill.

More Coming Events

Conferences and Events List in Addition to Coming Events Carousel (above)

Original Writing, Opinions Advanced Biofuels USA

Sustainability

Home » Archive by Category

Articles in certification

Measuring the energy and greenhouse gas balances of biofuels and bio-based chemicals using LCA, NNFCC 12-023
May 3, 2012 – 11:43 am | No Comment

(UK’s National Center for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials)  This report investigates the importance of allocation procedures in reporting and understanding energy and greenhouse gas balances from life cycle assessment of biofuels and bio-based chemicals.
Life …

National Farmers Union Attacks Government Biofuel Policy
May 3, 2012 – 11:24 am | No Comment

(FarmingUK.com)  Latest government figures reveal that the vast majority of biofuels supplied in the UK are made from imported feedstock, with almost nine out of every 10 litres of foreign origin.
The NFU have said that …

Case No. 3: EPA Issues Green Diesel Violation for 60M Bad RINs
May 2, 2012 – 6:35 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  The U.S. EPA issued a Notice of Violation to Houston-based Green Diesel LLC April 30 for generating more than 60 million invalid biomass-based diesel (D-Code 4) renewable identification numbers (RINs) …

EU Biofuels’ Indirect Carbon Emissions Debate To Move Forward
April 30, 2012 – 5:32 pm | No Comment

(Wall Street Journal/Governors Biofuels Coalition)  Top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe’s most controversial climate policies, as they consider whether biofuels do more harm than good when it …

EPA Levies Administrative Fines for Invalid Biodiesel RINs
April 26, 2012 – 7:28 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  The U.S. EPA has announced the amount of administrative settlements levied against 30 obligated parties and renewable fuel exporters due to the purchase of invalid biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) …

EcoEngineers Announces the Launch of New RIN Indices
April 20, 2012 – 1:31 pm | No Comment

(EcoEngineers)   EcoEngineers expands into the business of providing RIN pricing data and forms EcoEngineers Indexing Services LLC to better serve biofuel markets.
EcoEngineers Indexing Services LLC is an independent, highly-focused indexing company concentrating solely on providing …

Biofuels Lobbying Could Pay off This Harvest
April 20, 2012 – 1:03 pm | No Comment

(NFU Online)  The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted across the EU in time for this year’s harvest, the NFU said today.
The move is …

EU Requires Sustainable Biofuels: How U.S. Ethanol Producers Can Become Certified
April 16, 2012 – 6:59 pm | No Comment

by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH)  …The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. In the area of biofuels …

EPA Approves E15 Ethanol Blend Registrations
April 11, 2012 – 10:13 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In Washington, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first applications for registration of ethanol for use in making gasoline that contains up to 15 percent ethanol – known as …

Malaysia, Indonesia Refute EPA Report on Palm Oil-Based Biofuels
March 29, 2012 – 11:34 am | No Comment

(Bernama)  Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s largest producers of palm oil, are on a joint mission to correct and update a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that could impact future exports of palm …

ADM Introduces Sustainable Grower Program for Canadian Canola
March 27, 2012 – 3:31 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele   (Biodiesel Magazine)   Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction of its Sustainable Grower Program in connection with the sustainability certification it has earned from …

EU to Recognize Ensus as Biofuel Certification in ‘Matter of Weeks’: Source
March 27, 2012 – 2:41 pm | No Comment

(Platts)  A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in “a matter of weeks,” a European Commission source said Monday.
UK bioethanol producer Ensus received the support of …

National Biodiesel Board Introduces First Phase of RIN Solution
March 14, 2012 – 6:57 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  The first phase of the National Biodiesel Board’s measures to help restore integrity to the renewable identification number (RIN) credit market was established yesterday after NBB held a town hall …

The Palms Of Controversy
March 13, 2012 – 4:55 pm | No Comment

by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Palms are said to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, but you can’t prove it by the past few weeks of heated debate over palm biofuel. Last week, we …

E15 Ethanol Blend Clears Another Hurdle
March 12, 2012 – 9:27 am | One Comment

by Rick Barrett (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)   Efforts to increase the amount of ethanol in gasoline have cleared another hurdle, meaning a 15% biofuel blend could be available this spring if gasoline stations choose to …

ANALYSIS-Doubts about Biodiesel Threaten the EU’s Green Targets
March 8, 2012 – 4:54 pm | No Comment

by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters)  The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions of fuels in the transportation sector if policymakers act on the basis of scientific warnings …

News Release: Inaugural Report Shows Impressive Uptake of RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil in 2011
March 5, 2012 – 4:02 pm | No Comment

(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)  Multi stakeholder initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) reported unprecedented growth for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in the year 2011 as accounted for in its inaugural qualitative …

Biodiesel RIN Task Force Set, First Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 28
February 29, 2012 – 10:50 am | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Earlier this month, at the National Biodiesel Conference in Orlando, Fla., National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe said he and NBB chairman Gary Haer were establishing a task force, comprised …

Thirsty for More: Ethanol’s High Octane Rating May Be the Ticket for Meeting Escalating Fuel Efficiency Standards in Engines
February 27, 2012 – 8:51 am | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards unveiled by the agencies, which reportedly had the support of major automakers and environmental groups, would …

Target For Transformation: Can Biobutanol Provide Ethanol Producers New Paths towards Diversification?
February 27, 2012 – 8:32 am | No Comment

Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Diversification has been a topic of interest for some time now, but this is the year producers need to move toward incorporating alternative revenue streams into their operations. High on …

Airlines Set to Win Carbon Credits from Biofuel Flights
February 15, 2012 – 9:23 am | No Comment

(EurActiv)  The European Commission has asked airlines to report on “the amount of biomass” they use so that biofuels can be accounted as “zero emission” in the greenhouse gas emissions reports they are requested to …

NCSI Certifies Shoalhaven Starches against Global Sustainable Biofuels Benchmark
February 13, 2012 – 12:20 pm | No Comment

(NCS International)  NCS International (“NCSI”) has certified the world’s first organisation against the Principles and Criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (“RSB”). RSB is a new international standard that can be applied across the …

First Certification Against RSB Global Sustainability Standard Achieved By the Manildra Group
February 11, 2012 – 4:40 pm | No Comment

(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels)  The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) today announced the first completed commercial certification of the Manildra Group of Australia. The certification was conducted by NCS International, an RSB-accredited certification agency.
The Manildra …

House Committee Members, Industry Slam Effort to Delay E15
February 8, 2012 – 4:03 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology met Feb. 7 to markup H.R. 3199, a bill introduced last fall by committee Vice Chairman Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., that would require …

Oil Refiners and Biofuels: 2012 to Feature Fight over RFS, Cooperation on RIN Fraud
February 7, 2012 – 5:37 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In Florida, the National Biodiesel Conference — biodiesel’s grandest show — opened with exuberance over 2011 results, and resolve to meet the industry’s two major issues in 2012, defense of …

Republicans to Investigate EPA Handling of Renewable-Fuel Rules
February 6, 2012 – 3:06 pm | No Comment

by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg)  The House Energy and Commerce Committee said it will investigate the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency in combating fraud in the renewable-fuels program.
The EPA discovered that fuel credits, which can …

Lee Enterprises Consulting Launches New RIN Verification Program
February 1, 2012 – 4:00 pm | No Comment

by Wayne Lee (Biodiesel Magazine/Lee Enterprises Consulting)  Lee Enterprises Consulting announced a first-of-its-kind RIN verification program on Jan. 31, known as RIN 9000, to assist biodiesel blenders, producers and obligated parties in verifying the validity …

CAAFI Launches Path to Alternative Jet Fuel Readiness
January 26, 2012 – 3:29 pm | No Comment

(CAAFI)  The goal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative® (CAAFI®) is to facilitate the development and deployment of alternative jet fuels that offer equivalent levels of safety and performance and compare favorably on cost …

NBB’s Biodiesel for Diesel Technicians Training Program Earns ASE Accreditation
January 23, 2012 – 4:34 pm | No Comment

by National Biodiesel Board (Biodiesel Magazine)  The National Biodiesel Board’s Biodiesel for Diesel Technicians training program has taken a huge leap forward in becoming the nation’s first Automotive Service Excellence accredited program for supplying biodiesel …

Certifying Sustainability: Ethanol Bound for the EU Undergoes New Scrutiny
January 16, 2012 – 5:48 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …In July 2011, the European Union belatedly approved the first seven voluntary sustainability schemes for biofuels as required by the Renewable Energy Directive. The directive, commonly referred to as …

Control Union’s Verkerk Says Biofuels Will Grow Europe Canola Market
December 28, 2011 – 1:05 pm | No Comment

by Scott Larson   (The Star Phoenix)  A new market for canola growers is opening up in Europe, says a representative for Control Union, a Netherland-based company that certifies supply chains for products entering Europe.
While …

2100 CAAFI General Meeting Presentations Available Online
December 22, 2011 – 4:21 pm | No Comment

Presentations delivered by the various panel members are available on the CAAFI Expo website.  READ MORE
Business Team

RIN Compliance and D-Code Pathway Definitions (PDF) – Luce
Business Team Panel Discussion Elements of Alternative Fuels – Business Case …

Battery-Car Future Undercut by Europe, Improvements in ICE Technology
December 19, 2011 – 8:26 am | No Comment

by Neil Winton (Detroit News)  Investment bank Morgan Stanley came up with a nasty surprise for Nissan-Renault and other cheer-leaders for battery powered cars when it cut its electric vehicle sales forecast by nearly 50 …

Reaching the E15 Summit: Getting the Waiver Was Easy, Compared to the Work Required to Fulfill Requirements for E15 Implementation
December 14, 2011 – 1:20 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …The industry believed it had the scientific backing to support the use of higher ethanol blends in all vehicles and said allowing higher blends into the market would create …

Solving ILUC by Thinking Out of the Box
December 8, 2011 – 3:10 pm | No Comment

by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE)  In various circles, the current thinking on indirect land use change (ILUC) is very much driven by negative perceptions. In the EU, the concern is that biofuel policy is …

By Train, By Truck, or By Boat: How Ethanol Moves and Where It’s Going
December 8, 2011 – 1:27 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …In September, Ed Hubbard, legislative counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association, addressed the topic of ethanol exports during a presentation at an ethanol logistics conference held in New Orleans. …

Swedish Sustainability Certification for Biofuels
December 8, 2011 – 11:55 am | No Comment

(The Bioenergy Site)  Starting February 1, 2012, a Sustainability Decision from the Swedish Energy Agency is required for biofuels in order to be eligible for tax incentives or to count for mandatory national renewable energy …

Byogy Seeks up to $30 Million to Market Alcohol-Based Jet Fuel
December 8, 2011 – 9:06 am | No Comment

by Christine Boynton  (Air Transport World)  California-based Byogy Renewables will seek as much as $30 million in funding from private equity and strategic investors by mid-2012, Bloomberg reported. The funds will be used to commercialize …

Cautious Optimism and Practical Progress with a Side of Gallows Humor: The Mood at the CAAFI General Meeting
December 2, 2011 – 2:07 pm | No Comment

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) held their general meeting conference and expo November 30-December 1 in Washington, DC.  Optimism and celebration from seeing real commercial airlines flying …

Butanol Producers Target Biofuels Market
November 15, 2011 – 1:52 pm | No Comment

by Philip Brasher (Argus Leader)  … A top official with the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates motor fuels, told lawmakers recently butanol is one of the nation’s “most promising biofuels.” However, the product faces potential government …

Biofuels and Other Bioliquids—Facts and Perspectives
November 11, 2011 – 9:59 am | No Comment

by Igor Dormuth and Elena Schmidt (Biomass Power and Thermal/TÜV SÜD Industrie Service)   New EU sustainability criteria for biofuels and other bioliquids must be complied with and verified by an independent third party at …

EPA May Deem More Biodiesel RINs as Invalid over Alleged Fraud: Lawyer
November 10, 2011 – 10:11 am | No Comment

(Platts)  The US Environmental Protection Agency may end up deeming more biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) as invalid following federal investigations into two companies that allegedly sold RINS without producing the appropriate volumes of biodiesel, …

Biodiesel Plant Will Collect Grease in Oakland, CA
November 9, 2011 – 8:37 am | No Comment

(UK.IBTimes)   A biodiesel plant that’s completely energy self-sufficient has been approved for the Oakland, California area.
Oakland-based Viridis Fuels won a long-term contract from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to build a 20 million …

European Union Biodiesel Production Slumps in 2011
November 4, 2011 – 1:29 pm | No Comment

by John C.K. Daly (http://oilprice.com)   Greening the European Union has suffered a setback.
The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first …

House Hearing Witnesses Bash RFS, Call for Repeal of E15
November 4, 2011 – 12:22 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  It was déjà vu all over again on Nov. 2 as representatives of the ethanol industry were forced to watch a House of Representatives Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing …

E15: Cracking the RVP Nut
November 2, 2011 – 2:58 pm | No Comment

by Jeremy P. Greenhouse  (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Greenhouse & Gram) New blend won’t qualify for One Pound Waiver, presenting huge hurdle
When the U.S. EPA granted Clean Air Act fuel waivers allowing gasoline containing 10 to 15 …

Gauging 2012 Volumes: Will RINs Prove that the RFS Needs Modifying?
November 2, 2011 – 2:26 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …By Nov. 30, the U.S. EPA will issue its renewable fuel standard (RFS) volumes for the upcoming year and, once again, it will dramatically ratchet down the cellulosic biofuels …

A New Standard for Quality
October 31, 2011 – 3:57 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  It’s been nearly two decades since ASTM International initiated spec development efforts for biodiesel. Since then, the organization has developed specifications for not only B100, but also blends of up …

Mission NewEnergy Awarded World’s First Jatropha Biofuel ISCC Certification
October 26, 2011 – 8:15 am | No Comment

(Proactive Investors Australia)  Biofuels company Mission NewEnergy  has become the first commercial scale provider of Jatropha in the world to receive International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) for its Jatropha contract farming model.
…To qualify for ISCC …

Tallow Replaces Crude Oil as Biofuels Head to War: Commodities
October 25, 2011 – 2:49 pm | No Comment

by Alex Morales and Louise Downing (Bloomberg News/San Francisco Chronicle)    Biofuels face their biggest test yet — whether they can power fighter jets and tanks in battle at prices the world’s best-funded military can …