Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues

New Video Spotlights Ethanol’s Important Co-Products

(Renewable Fuels Association) A new video from the Renewable Fuels Association and Kansas Corn provides a clear introduction to other important products that come from ethanol production, primarily distillers grains used in livestock production, distillers oil used to make biodiesel, and captured carbon dioxide for the food and beverage industries. With fuel

July 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Potential Feedstocks, Biofuel Markets, Corn and Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)The Biomass Research and Development Board published a report that looks at how to address the constraints surrounding availability of biomass feedstocks for biofuels. Four questions guide the analysis: What feedstocks and at what price? What is the regional distribution of feedstock production? What are the

July 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Biomethane, the Key to Decarbonize Now the European Mobility

(European Biogas Association/NGV Journal) The European Biogas Association (EBA) is launching a new paper providing a comprehensive analysis on the potential of biomethane for the fast decarbonization of the transport sector and policy recommendations to ensure the further scale-up of this green fuel. The paper has considered 11 comparative studies analyzing

July 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia Allocates US$195 Million Subsidy on Palm Biodiesel Producers over Smallholders

by Hans Nicholas Jong (Mongabay/EcoBusiness) Campaigners have blasted the move, noting that the fund is meant to empower small oil palm farmers and not subsidise the giant multinationals that produce biodiesel. — … The social and travel restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic have hit Indonesia’s economy hard, and small oil

July 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Propane Autogas: Evolution Toward Zero Emissions

by Steve Whaley (Propane Education and Research Council/ACT News) … Where Are We Headed? As we look ahead down this emissions path, there are two main innovations that are going to push propane even closer to zero, specifically in terms of greenhouse gas emissions: the Cummins 6.7L propane autogas engine

July 2, 2020 Read Full Article

What is Carbon-Negative Fuel and How Can Fleets Procure It?

by Marc Rowe (ACT News/Trillium) One question we hear often from our customers is how can the use of renewable natural gas as a transportation fuel remove carbon from the atmosphere? This is a hard concept for many to wrap their heads around. Although difficult to comprehend, the use of “carbon-negative”

July 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Missouri Soybean Farmers Offer Matching Funds for Biodiesel Infrastructure Development

(Missouri Soybean Association) Applicants may receive up to 25 percent of the required cash match for federal funding. — Missouri soybean farmers are investing in the future for soy in Missouri through biodiesel with a new infrastructure grant program. A new commitment from the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and Missouri

July 2, 2020 Read Full Article

New Video Showcases What’s Next for Propane Autogas: Renewable Propane

(Propane Education and Research Council) Renewable propane is taking care of fleets with the low-cost, low-carbon impact they need — In an effort to showcase the zero-emissions outlook of propane autogas, the Propane Education & Research (PERC) council unveiled a new video highlighting renewable propane: the energy source for fleets now and into

July 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia’s State Oil Company to Produce B100 Biodiesel Next Year

(Biofuels International) The Indonesian government approved regulations regarding the use of biodiesel as a substitute for fossil fuel across all economic sectors in 2018. Recently the South East Asian government mandated to mix 20% biodiesel with 80% fossil fuel (B20). And at the end of last year the country launched

July 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Rebuilding Minnesota’s Ethanol Industry

by Timothy J. Rudnicki (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) … That is why it is imperative for the Senate to include the financial aid package for the ethanol industry that was introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the next COVID-19 relief bill. While this aid package is much needed

July 1, 2020 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-Malaysia to File WTO Legal Action against EU over Restrictions on Palm Biofuel

by Mei Mei Chu (Today) Malaysia, the world’s second largest palm oil producer, will take legal action against the European Union’s restrictions on palm oil-based biofuels with the World Trade Organization (WTO), calling the policy a “discriminatory action”. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said on Wednesday the

July 1, 2020 Read Full Article

CSI’s 2040 Blueprint for Pacific Northwest: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Clean Materials from Waste

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This slide guide offers a vision and roadmap — a ‘blueprint’ — for the Pacific Northwest to transform its increasingly outdated solid waste management system by 2040, at a time when waste leaders are grappling with the most profound set of challenges they have faced in

June 30, 2020 Read Full Article

The Benefits of Ethanol

(Nebraska Ethanol Board) In an effort to spread ethanol’s clean air message, the Nebraska Ethanol Board put together this video aimed at students across the state. To help illustrate what is in gasoline and how ethanol can help, they included the popular video of Steve VanderGriend demonstrating the kinds of emissions

June 29, 2020 Read Full Article

RTA Pilots Biodiesel-Powered Traditional ‘Abras in Partnership with ENOC

(RTA) RTA’s Public Transport Agency, in collaboration with ENOC Group, embarked on a pilot to power its traditional Abras using Biodiesel5. Explaining the initiative, the CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan stated that the initiative of using biodiesel to fuel traditional Abras was part of RTA’s endeavours to

June 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Digging into Dung and Anaerobic Digestion: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Biogas and RNG from Manure

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) On last week’s DigestConnect webinar, Christopher Bush, Founder of Canada-based Catalyst Agri-Innovations Society shared this fun and informative slide guide complete with poop pictures and more importantly, the reason why cow manure and farm waste makes a fantastic renewable biogas and renewable natural gas. From

June 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Save the Rainforests, Use Degraded Land AND Produce Fuel and Food? Soleá Looks at How Macaúba Could Solve Many Problems

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Macaúba is known for its high productivity and adaptability to the most adverse climate conditions and even better, the fruit’s shell, pulp, endocarp, and almond can be converted into a range of food products, fuels and hydrocarbons, and other biomaterials including chemicals and

June 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Bamboo Forests in the Desert

David Liepman (Disruptive Nation) … Strong commercial applications of bamboo include sustainable branded products such as pulp paper, timber, lumber and textiles. And, in line with tissue and textile major brand owner concerns, bamboo is twice as soft as cotton and doesn’t require pesticides and fertilizers in its crops. As a

June 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Low Crude Oil Prices Put Pressure on Malaysia, Indonesia Biodiesel Mandates

(The Edge Markets/Bernama) With demand for crude oil dropping sharply, leading to a steep fall in crude oil prices, the viability of the biodiesel business has also weakened significantly, putting both Malaysia and Indonesia’s biodiesel mandates under pressure. However, there is a silver lining in the dark clouds, as the world has seen

June 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Petrobras Set for New Gasoline Specs, Will Test Renewable Diesel Production at REPAR

by Robert Brelsford (Oil & Gas Journal) … Lara (Anelise Lara, Petrobras’s director of refining and natural gas) also said that, starting in July, Petrobras will begin carrying out production tests for renewable diesel at its 208,000-b/d Presidente Getúlio Vargas (REPAR) refinery in Araucária, Paraná. “The economic viability of renewable diesel

June 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Greenhouse-Gas Reduction Performance of EU Ethanol Reaches New High

(ePURE) Renewable ethanol from ePURE members reduced GHG emissions by more than 72% compared to fossil fuels in 2019, according to the latest audited producer data — Production and use of renewable ethanol from ePURE members delivered an average of more than 72% greenhouse-gas savings compared to fossil fuels in 2019,

June 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Goias State in Brazil Approves “When Filling Your Tank, Choose Ethanol” Policy

by André Luiz Cançado Motta* (Federal University of Goiás for Advanced Biofuels USA) The President of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goiás, Deputy Lissauer Vieira (PSB, the Brazilian Socialist Party), approved, on June 18, at the Remote Ordinary Session, with 25 votes in favor and none against, the new State Policy

June 25, 2020 Read Full Article

The Sciencebehind Brazilian Biofuels Policy – RenovaBio

by Marcelo A. Boechat Morandi (Embrapa Meio Ambiente/LinkedIn) Insights on how Brazil is innovating and investing in the low carbon economy, especially in agriculture and energy. RenovaBio is a market driven incentive mechanism, based on the economic theory of “Coase Market” for pricing externalities. It transfer the social/environmental costs of

June 25, 2020 Read Full Article

Refiners Start to Add Renewable Diesel Capacity, Seen as Cost-Cutting Move

by Laura Sanicola and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Refiners such as HollyFrontier Corp and CVR Energy are exploring opportunities to produce renewable diesel to save money on less profitable refineries and offset compliance costs associated with U.S. blending laws. The product, however, currently only occupies a tiny corner of diesel production – and

June 25, 2020 Read Full Article

Without Advanced Renewable Fuels, EU Will Not Meet Climate Objectives

(Advance Fuel) Long-term policy support is crucial to the market rollout of RESfuels to remedy transport’s reliance on fossil fuels, leading European research institutes confirm. — Transport makes up one-quarter of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe and is the only major sector in the EU where emissions continue

June 25, 2020 Read Full Article

EU Lacks ‘Complete Overview’ about Used Cooking Oil Origins

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) The European Commission does not have a “complete overview” of the origin of used cooking oils used for the production of biodiesel consumed in the EU, but appears set to tighten the rules, according to sources close to the matter. EURACTIV has learnt that this information is currently

June 25, 2020 Read Full Article

China’s Phase One Promises Could Be Kept With Ethanol

(RFD TV) As producers worry that China is not fulfilling its phase one promise to buy nearly $40 billion dollars in U.S. exports, ethanol groups say that the country could easily make those numbers if they bought more renewable fuels. China is the second largest gasoline market in the world

June 24, 2020 Read Full Article

AgBioEn to Start Production End-2021 with Just 25% of Construction Completed

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, Shepparton News reports that energy production can already begin at the AgBioEn biofuel project in Katunga when 25% of construction is completed at the end of 2021. The facility will use agricultural waste as feedstock. The company says that COVID-19 hasn’t interrupted construction and

June 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Renewable Fuels Expansion: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo’s Next-Gen Renewable Fuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo is developing a platform to fund expansion projects in the next phase of its unique, next generation renewable fuels business. Their commercial-scale facilities are converting agricultural, forestry and other feedstocks to high value, low pollutant, low carbon substitutes for gasoline and jet fuel. So

June 23, 2020 Read Full Article

NACSAA Submits Policy Recommendations to Senate Climate Crisis Panel

(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) The North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (NACSAA) submitted last week a detailed set of policy and program recommendations to the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. The submission, which was made in response to the Committee’s request for input from agriculture and

June 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly

by Julie Chao (Joint BioEnergy Institute) Farmers have enough worries – between bad weather, rising costs, and shifting market demands – without having to stress about the carbon footprint of their operations. But now a new set of projects by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), including scientists at the

June 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Macaúba as Sustainable Feedstock for Biofuels and More: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Soleá Oils and Bioproducts

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Macaúba as a biofuel feedstock has lots to offer, like its high productivity per ton/hectare surpassing that of soy, sunflower, rapeseed, and palm oil, and that it can grow even on degraded land making it a more sustainable feedstock to consider. And Soleá knows that, which

June 22, 2020 Read Full Article

The Importance of Renewable Fuels and Their Different Processes

by Pedro Malpartida* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This paper, prepared in partial completion of graduation requirements at George Mason University, presents information about the topic of biofuels and renewable fuels and the different processes, which were studied as part of an internship with Advanced Biofuels USA. This paper summarizes information learned

June 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Neste Develops New Solutions to Decrease the Use of Crude Oil and Increases Research and Development in Finland

(Neste) Neste launches a new research project which aims at developing sustainable and globally scalable raw materials and technology solutions for transportation fuels and the production of chemicals and polymers. These new solutions decrease the use of crude oil and tackle climate change. The new technologies will be based on

June 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Excess Capacity, Export Competition Will Force U.S. Ethanol Industry to Transform

(CoBank/Associated Press) Excess production capacity and reduced demand will force the U.S. ethanol industry to transform its business model to create more value and improve its operational efficiency. Consolidation within the industry will lead to larger, more financially stable companies with diversified ethanol co-product offerings by 2025, according to a new report from

June 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel’s Resiliency Even in Crisis: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to REG’s Response to COVID-19

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From planning, people and performance, Renewable Energy Group is on top of things with the coronavirus. Since biodiesel and renewable diesel production has been considered essential business, REG was still working, maintaining full operations of all refineries, and while there was lower diesel demand due to

June 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Sunflower Production Slows in Romania but the EU Sees Overall Output Rise

(Biofuels International) Romanian sunflower production in the EU-27 is expected to decline compared to the previous year, but the EU Commission projects an increase in overall output in the EU. The high oil content of sunflower seed, often over 40%, makes it an excellent choice as a biofuel crop. …

June 18, 2020 Read Full Article

Bill Would Push Biofuels Innovation

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Sen. John Thune (R-SD) has introduced legislation, together with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), to approve some advanced biofuel pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard, which have been delayed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under the legislation, EPA would also be required to render a decision within 90 days on

June 18, 2020 Read Full Article

Solutions from the Land’s Letter to Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis

(Solutions from the Land) In response to a call for input from the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis for input on tools, programs, and support useful to address the impacts of severe weather and climate change on their community and business, we have constructed a response …

June 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Climate Mitigation Potential of Agricultural Conservation Practices Is Significant!

(Solutions from the Land) A blog posted on the World Resources Institute (WRI) website last month dismissed the potential for regenerative agriculture and related systems to contribute to large-scale emissions reduction and carbon dioxide (CO2) removal – cuts that will be necessary to hold global warming below the 2-degree Celsius

June 17, 2020 Read Full Article

IIT Madras Researchers Use Agri Waste, Plastic to Make Biofuel

(The Hindu) Team develops microwave-assisted pyrolysis process to achieve the goal — Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a microwave process to produce biofuel from plastic waste, rice straw and sugarcane bagasse. A team of three researchers led by R. Vinu, associate professor in Chemical engineering

June 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia Pushes Back Target for Palm Oil Fuel Refinery to 2026

by Tabita Diela, Bernadette Christina Munthe and Fransiska Nangoy (Reuters) Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of palm oil, is pushing back by three years its target to produce fuel made entirely from palm oil, a government document showed on Tuesday. The government initially aimed to start producing the so-called “green diesel”

June 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Part 3 – A Third Pathway to Hydrogen: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrogen from Biomass and Waste

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ways2H shows us a third pathway towards energy decarbonization via waste to hydrogen. Check out this illuminating slide guide that looks at the need for hydrogen, renewable hydrogen production pathways, how biomass including municipal solid waste can be a third pathway to hydrogen, and more.

June 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Manuelita Opens New Markets for Colombian Palm Biodiesel in Europe

(Manuelita (Google Translation)) Manuelita began the export of Colombian palm oil biodiesel, which reaches the demanding European market meeting the highest quality and sustainability standards. – Manuelita palm oil biodiesel significantly reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter compared to fossil diesel. Cali and Villavicencio, June 10, 2020 | Manuelita

June 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Profitable Growth Through Renewable Solutions: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Neste

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Everyone wants to dominate the world, right? But Neste wants to do it in a nice way by becoming the global leader in renewable and circular solutions. There are 3 ways they are working on this lately – 1) expanding global reach with new offices in

June 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Weed Wizard: Professor Alters Plant Genes to Create Wonder Crop

by Rachel Hatch (Illinois State University News) … An ISU professor of genetics, (John) Sedbrook is devoted to integrated plant biology and bioenergy, meaning his research focuses on bringing out positive genetic traits in plants. “We’re making mutations that are good,” he said. “That is the whole story behind domestication,

June 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Renewable Diesel Expanding with Petroleum-to-Renewable Refinery Conversions

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) But there is a huge transformation happening with growth in the conversion of petroleum refineries to renewable diesel. Just look at how renewable diesel went from 78MMGY in 2010 to 397MMGY in 2018 and Fuels Institute’s latest reports estimates it will grow to 3,000MMGY by

June 15, 2020 Read Full Article

The Standoff for E30

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy may be just a block or two apart on Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., but they are miles apart on their long-term outlook for ethanol. Seemingly disparate objectives make E30s future less clear. The good: The

June 12, 2020 Read Full Article

U.S. Biofuel Group in Talks with Biden, Trump Campaigns to Boost Industry

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) A leading U.S. biofuel trade group said on Thursday it had started conversations with the campaigns of both Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and incumbent Donald Trump to discuss potential policy fixes for the ailing industry. The discussions come as the coronavirus pandemic crushes demand for ethanol

June 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Safflower Oil Hailed by Scientists as Possible Recyclable, Biodegradable Replacement for Petroleum

by Tim Lee (ABC News) …Victorian grain grower David Jochinke, who participated in the trials, said the prospect of pioneering a biofuel was exciting. “To have a product that needs very little refining, is biodegradable, is a bio-energy, is a bio-fuel, is something that displaces petroleum, something that’s been traditionally used

June 11, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil Avoids 515m Tonnes of CO2 Emissions with Ethanol

(Renewables Now) Brazil has avoided more than 515 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions between March 2003 and May 2020 thanks to the use of ethanol, local sugarcane industry association Unica announced on Friday, analysing statistics by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels. This volume is

June 11, 2020 Read Full Article

Fugitive Methane, Eating Elephants, and Brewing Quarantine Ethanol

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We left the discussion with a hint about the potential conversion of methane to methanol, which can serve as a powerful chemical building block or, in China most prominently, as a fuel. We’ll pick up from that point today. Wolf Ron Cascone Here’s some background on methane

June 11, 2020 Read Full Article

15 Hot Tech Case Studies: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to The Digest’s #BetterWithBiology Top 15

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Everything’s better with biology, so here’s The Digest’s newly released Top 15 case studies of today’s hottest technology and new markets for traditional oil and gas refiners. What are our top picks? Spoiler Alert: The top 15 may include converting oil refineries to biorefineries, something to

June 10, 2020 Read Full Article

Kebbi To Generate N388bn Revenues From Ethanol Production – Prof. Ka’oje

by Ibrahim Bello (The Herald) Prof. Muhammad Ka’oje, the Chairman, Kebbi State Standing Committee on Bio-Fuel, has said that the biofuel project will augment the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the tune of N338 billion annually. Ka’oje, a former Minister of Science and Technology, made this known while briefing newsmen

June 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Irish-Owned Ethanol Group Records 143% Rise in Profit in 2019

by Sylvester Phelan (AgriLand) Irish-owned ClonBio Group recorded a 143% increase in profit before tax in 2019, increasing from €39 million in 2018 to €95 million in 2019. Turnover in the period increased 26% to €361 million. The group’s primary asset is a biorefinery under the name Pannonia Bio, located in Hungary.

June 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Continues to Seek COVID-19 Assistance

(Red River Farm Network) Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper says the U.S. ethanol industry is still a long way from normal operations. “We are beginning to climb out of the hole that COVID-19 put us in, but we’re still about 35 percent below where we were one year ago

June 9, 2020 Read Full Article

First Nuseed Carinata shipment demonstrates sustainability and supply

(Nuseed) Saipol, the main subsidiary of Groupe Avril, Europe’s largest producer of biodiesel, has received the first Nuseed Carinata grain shipment at its processing facility in Rouen, France. Grown as a scalable cover crop in Argentina, it will be processed into a renewable fuel with best in class greenhouse gas (GHG)

June 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Govt Restores 20 Percent Ethanol Blending

(ZimEye) The mandatory percentage of ethanol blending has been restored to 20 percent after sitting at 10 percent after ethanol production fell below market requirements. Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi announced the restored percentage in a general notice gazetted as General Notice 926A of 2020. Government introduced fuel blending in

June 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Advanced Biofuels USA Publishes Updated “What’s the Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable (Green) Diesel?” Adds “What Renewable Fuels Can Be Used in Compression Ignition Engines?”

(Advanced Biofuels USA) Since 2011, one of Advanced Biofuels USA’s most popular publications has been “What’s the Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable (Green) Diesel?” The update of this paper has been expanded to answer the question, “What Renewable Fuels Can Be Used in Compression Ignition Engines?” This paper begins by

June 8, 2020 Read Full Article

Vietnam Reduces Ethanol Tariff Rate

(Feed & Grain/U.S. Grains Council) 5% point reduction on import tariffs is expected to create opportunities for increased ethanol trade — A five-percent point reduction on import tariffs for ethanol is expected to create opportunities for increased ethanol trade with Vietnam. It could be a win-win for both U.S. farmers and

June 8, 2020 Read Full Article

American Corn Growers Foundation Tells Farmers to Focus on Ethanol

by Robert Pore (Grand Island Independent) A Wilcox farmer and chairman of the American Corn Growers Foundation said farmers counting on corn exports “has always been a questionable strategy.” “Problematic U.S. trade policy, aimed at China, is attempting to protect intellectual property rights of big corporations, but has boomeranged against

June 8, 2020 Read Full Article

New System for Widespread Availability of Green Hydrogen

(Alpha Galileo/Graz University of Technology) Hydrogen researchers at Graz University of Technology, together with the Graz-based start-up Rouge H2 Engineering, have developed a cost-effective process for the decentralised production of high-purity hydrogen. As an alternative propulsion technology in the transport sector, hydrogen is playing an important role in the energy

June 5, 2020 Read Full Article

New Canadian Bioethanol Plant Planned for Prince George Site

(Biofuels International) The BC Hemp Corporation has revealed it will be building a $2 billion (€1.8 billion) biofuel plant on an industrial site in Prince George, British Columbia. BC Hemp president Remi Balaj made the announcement during a live stream and added the company is looking to start construction in six

June 5, 2020 Read Full Article

Mestilla Invests 6M EUR in Used Cooking Oil Processing Project in Klaipeda

(The Baltic Course) Mestilla, a biodiesel manufacturer operating in the Klaipeda Free Economic Zone, plans to start making biofuel out of used cooking oil (UCO) collected in Lithuania, starting by the end of 2021. This is the company’s way to contribute towards a cleaner environment, circular economy, and the reduction

June 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Orion Energy, GCM Grosvenor and Voya Close a $365 Million Strategic Capital Partnership with Bakersfield Renewable Fuels, a Global Clean Energy Holdings Subsidiary

(Orion Energy, GCM Grosvenor, Voya/Global Clean Energy/CISION/PR Newswire) Orion Energy Partners, L.P. (“Orion Energy”), GCM Grosvenor and Voya Investment Management (“Voya”) are pleased to announce a capital partnership with Bakersfield Renewable Fuels (“BKRF”). BKRF is a special purpose vehicle wholly owned by Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. (“GCE”), which was

June 4, 2020 Read Full Article

More Dope, Rope, Soap: an Upward Slope in Camelina, Hemp, Cannabis, Soybeans for Food, Fuels, Feed

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Benson Hill, Yield10 and Marrone Bio are in the news this week with advances in their crop technologies aimed at yield improvement and nutritional composition. Yield continues to be the motherlode when it comes to agricultural innovation, you can see the recent waves of agtech investing

June 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Corn-Powered Tomahawk Missiles Are Coming

by Kelsey D. Atherton (Forbes) … The process patented by Los Alamos uses a byproduct of ethanol production, letting America’s love of fueling vehicles with corn fuel even more dangerous vehicles. … The U.S. Navy pursued a cheaper, biofuel alternative for JP-10 for years, looking to see if it can harness

June 3, 2020 Read Full Article

UP Govt to Amend Biofuel Policy to Augment State’s Green Energy Resources

by Virendra Singh Rawat (Business Standard) The Uttar Pradesh government will promote the setting up of biofuel plants for augmenting the state’s green energy resources. UP Chief Minister Adityanath has instructed officials to revisit the UP Biofuel Policy 2018 for effecting suitable amendments to boost the sector and attract fresh investment. Of late, the state has been

June 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Renewable Fuels Month Spotlights Benefits of Homegrown Fuel Options

(KRVN/Nebraska Rural Radio Association) May is typically the kick-off to the summer driving season and has historically been a time Nebraska’s renewable fuels industries have come together to highlight the importance of clean-burning biofuel options. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, Renewable Fuels Month was postponed and will be celebrated throughout June

June 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Wheels Keep Turning on Innovations for More Efficient and Clean Vehicles

(Department of Energy) While approximately 30% of today’s new cars can boast fuel economy of at least 30 miles per gallon, there is still the opportunity for further efficiency gains. Top scientists, engineers, and analysts with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative are examining how

June 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly

by Julie Chao (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Berkeley Lab launches three new projects to advance sustainable agricultural practices … The three projects, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), leverage Berkeley Lab’s strengths in artificial intelligence, sensors, and ecological biology. They aim to quantify and reduce the carbon intensity of

June 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuels are Catalyst to Successful Agriculture: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to POET’s Biofuels and Agriculture

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET shared this visual slide guide at last week’s DigestConnect webinar, highlighting today’s agricultural landscape, U.S. corn acreage and yield and production countries, showing where America’s corn goes, noting how biofuels are critical for successful agriculture, and more. READ MORE

June 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Senate Hearing Addresses Wood Stoves, RFS and Biomass Neutrality

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA’s proposed rule to extend the sales deadline for Step 1 wood heaters, rulemaking to classify biomass as carbon neutral and issues associated with the Renewable Fuel Standard and small refinery exemptions (SREs) were among the topics discussed during a May 20 Senate hearing.

June 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Leader Says Ethanol Hurt by Covid-19, but the Industry Will Survive

by Larry Lee (Browfield Ag News) The Renewable Fuel Association’s President says ethanol production is slowly recovering from the effects of coronavirus. Geoff Cooper says, “It’s going to take more than COVID-19 to knock us out, but it’s certainly landed a blow on us. That’s for sure.” Cooper tells Brownfield he

June 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Powering a Sustainable World in Canada: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Sarnia-Lambton Hybrid Chemistry Cluster

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With a petrochemical history, Sarnia-Lambton has evolved to agriculture, feedstocks and chemicals with a vision to be Canada’s premier location for the development of and investment in clean, green, and sustainable chemistry technologies. A look at their commercialization hub, how they support the development of ideas

June 2, 2020 Read Full Article

National Wildlife Federation Joins GOP Governors Calling for RFS Waivers

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The National Wildlife Federation believes EPA’s Andrew Wheeler should use the agency’s waiver authority to reduce blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The green group, one of a handful of enviros to engage in the biofuels program in recent years, said in a

June 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog: Ethanol Industry Groups Disappointed in EPA Emissions Study

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA’s release of a so-called “anti-backsliding” study on Friday that calls for no further action to mitigate potential adverse air quality effects from renewable fuels, was met with disappointment by two ethanol industry interest groups. The study is required by the Clean Air Act and

June 1, 2020 Read Full Article

EU Commission’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy: UFOP Misses Economically Sustainable Perspective

(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) “This is not what perspective and collaboration look like.” This is how UFOP (Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) summarises its criticism of the “Farm-to-Fork Strategy” presented today by the European Commission. Strategies focus on goals which shall be achieved collectively. With this

June 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia Removes Ethanol Ban, Recognizes Octane Benefits Of Ethanol

(U.S. Grains Council) U.S. ethanol can now enter the Indonesian market by way of pre-blended fuel, following the recent removal of a ban on pre-blended product entering the country. This change creates a potential market of more than 200 million gallons (71 million bushels in corn equivalent). The market development efforts

June 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Licella and Unnmukt Urja Sign MOU to Explore Rice Straw Residues to Biofuel Opportunity in India

(Licella) India generates approximately 683 million tons of dry agricultural biomass every year. Biomass residues generated from rice crops account for approximately 178 million tons of this. The current practice to deal with rice straw residues (the waste biomass left behind after harvesting) is to burn it. Widespread agricultural burning is

June 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Implementation Agendas: 2018-2019 Update Compare and Contrast Transport Biofuels Policies

by Mahmood Ebadian, James D. McMillan, Jack (John) N. Saddler and Susan van Dyk (University of British Columbia, Canada/National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA/IEA Bioenergy) Global production and use of transport biofuels Global biofuels production has continued to increase over the last decade, from over 37 million tonnes oil equivalent (Mtoe) in

May 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuels Production and Consumption in Germany: Status, Advances and Challenges

by Franziska Müller-Langer, Nicolaus Dahmen and Gabriel Costa de Paiva (Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum/Karlsruhe Institute of Technology/IEA Bioenergy) … This feature article summarizes the current status of transport sector biofuels in Germany including major policy drivers, decarbonization strategies and initiatives as well as recent advances in technology development. 2. Current status of

May 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Technical Report Comparison of Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis Tools Phase 2, Part 2: Biochemical 2G Ethanol Production and Distribution

by Antonio Bonomi, Otávio Cavalett, Bruno Colling Klein, Mateus Ferreira Chagas, and Nariê Rinke Dias Souza (Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR)/ National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)/IEA Bioenergy) Second-generation (2G) or lignocellulosic biofuels are deemed advanced in view of the several advantages when compared to first generation

May 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Why Is No One Talking about Agriculture as a Solution to Climate Change?

by Karn Manhas (Terramera/AgFunder News) … Far less attention has been paid to agriculture’s capacity to be a climate solution. How? Through the production and maintenance of healthy living soil. The world’s soils contain 2,500 gigatons of carbon — more than three times more carbon than is currently in the atmosphere. And soil has

May 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Aviation and Fuel Sectors Respond Favourably to Major EU Policy Initiative to Boost Sustainable Aviation Fuels

(GreenAir Online) The European Commission has received a largely enthusiastic response to its new roadmap initiative, ReFuelEU Aviation, aimed at boosting the supply and demand for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in the EU. The Commission acknowledges that without EU-level intervention, the demand for SAF – currently just 0.05% of total jet fuel

May 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Could We Develop Plants to Absorb Our Excess Carbon? Salk Plant Biologists Have a Bold Solution to Climate Change

(Massive Science/The Salk Institute) … Plants — historically speaking, our most reliable friends — have evolved to capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. They use energy from the sun to convert CO2 and water into sugar and other important molecules, generating oxygen as a byproduct that sustains life on our

May 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Contribution to the Modern Food System

by Don Scott (Biodiesel Sustainability Now/National Biodiesel Board/Medium.com) … Biodiesel was developed in the U.S. as a beneficial use for the excess fats and oils created as co-products or byproducts of protein production. Biodiesel uses excess fats and oils from farms to restaurants and generates a low carbon alternative to

May 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Q&A on Cellulosic Ethanol with Clariant

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect hosted a wildly popular webinar in late April with Clariant’s Head of Business Line, Biofuels & Derivatives at Clariant but there were so many fantastic audience questions we didn’t to, that we decided to follow up and put together The Digest’s Q&A with Clariant on

May 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Ministry Discloses Updated Egyptian Petrochemicals Plan 2020-2035

(Egypt Today) … A feasibility study was carried out to launch an ethanol production project worth $110 million. Shareholders have began taking measures to found the company, and MoUs were signed to get molasses from sugar companies as it will be a production input. A logistics project is planned to

May 27, 2020 Read Full Article

Agricultural & Energy DigestData Dashboard for May 2020: Resilience, Crops, Economy, Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the month of May comes to a close and many states are re-opening, The Digest published this “Agricultural & Energy Dashboard” visual guide showing what’s going on with ethanol retail prices, liquid energy commodity prices, biodiesel and ethanol operating margins, retail fuel prices, grease and

May 27, 2020 Read Full Article

Positive Results Achieved from NREL’s Use of Industry-Relevant Ozone Treatment to Deconstruct Biomass

by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Achieves high sugar yields with low enzyme loadings; Deconstructing Biomass with a Common Pulp and Paper Industry Method — Ozone treatment (aka “ozonolysis”) of lignocellulose pulp is a widely practiced method for bleaching in the commercial-scale pulp and paper industry (greater than

May 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Assam: NRL’s Bio Refinery Plant to Use 5 Lakh MT Bamboo as Raw Material Annually

(Northeast Now News) Sonowal lauds NRL authority for regularly making monthly payment to its workers to the tune of Rs. 1.20 cr during lockdown period — The Bio Refinery Plant, which is being executed by the NRL, with a project cost of Rs. 1,750 crore, will use 5 lakh MT bamboo per

May 26, 2020 Read Full Article

ePURE: EU Ethanol Production Is Vital to Ag, Climate Goals

(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Experts agree that achieving the EU Green Deal will require a massive increase in bioenergy, so it is important that we rely on renewable energy sources that are sustainable, preserving Europe’s biodiversity and protecting its food security. Fortunately, the EU has already gone through a long process of

May 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Neste’s Palm Oil and PFAD Traceability Dashboards Have Been Updated – Updates Twice a Year

(Neste) Neste has updated its traceability dashboard which provides detailed data on the company’s palm oil and palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD, a processing residue of refining food-quality palm oil) supply chains. The site provides a map service from which users can find the locations of Neste’s suppliers and review data on suppliers’

May 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2) Energy Seed Grants Awarded

(Maryland Energy Innovation Institute) The Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2) awarded the third round of their Energy Innovation Seed Grants to six projects across the University System of Maryland. The grants are intended to bridge the gap between academic transformative laboratory research results and prototype demonstrations while fostering commercialization through technology development, creation and/or

May 21, 2020 Read Full Article

Palm Biofuel, Agro-Based Pharmaceuticals, Others Can Replace Petroleum, Says Ikuenobe

(The Guardian) … Oil palm can fetch Nigeria as much revenue as the crude oil can so said the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele. But self-inflicted challenges that de-ranked the country from the largest producer in the pre-independence era to the fifth producer are getting compounded

May 21, 2020 Read Full Article

BD Zones and BDO Zones: Weaponizing Biomass to Support a Bio-Fueled Economic Recovery

by Jordan Solomon (Ecostrat Inc./Biofuels Digest) The US has over a billion tons of biomass which can be used as a key lever to drive economic recovery. USDA estimates that 3.4 million jobs and nearly $660 billion of economic benefits would be created by using biomass to manufacture alternative fuels,

May 21, 2020 Read Full Article

Biogas-To-RNG Project Developer Is Ready To Move The Needle

by Nora Goldstein (BioCycle) BioCycle interviewed Bob Powell, founder and CEO of Brightmark, about his company’s growth trajectory in the anaerobic digestion and RNG space. — In August 2016, Bob Powell founded Brightmark Energy “to think about environmental problems that were not being addressed well,” he recalls. “I knew wind and

May 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuel Quotas to Get Small Lift Under Draft of EPA Plan

by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) The Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a plan to slightly lift biofuel-blending targets next year, while so far skirting potentially controversial decisions about exempting refineries from U.S. mandates to use plant-based fuels, according to three people familiar with the matter. Under a proposed rule now

May 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Ethanol Production: Sugar Mills Pitch for Tripartite Contracts with Banks, OMCs

by Ty Jayan (The Hindu Business Line) Govt recently approved an additional ethanol capacity of 600 crore litres — Sugar industry, which has been trying to augment ethanol production to meet the requirement for fuel blending in the country, has made a case for working out a tripartite mechanism between sugar

May 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuel Backers’ Zoom Fly-In

by Ryan McCrimmon (Politico’s Morning Agriculture) Growth Energy, which represents ethanol producers and supporters, is hosting its first “virtual fly-in” this week to press Midwestern lawmakers on their coronavirus relief efforts, along with trade barriers and other biofuel issues, starting today. The ethanol industry has been crushed by the drop

May 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Eni to Stop Using Palm Oil to Make Biodiesel by 2023

by Maitane Sardon (Market Screener) Italian energy giant Eni SpA said Friday that it is reviewing its supply chain with the aim to eliminate the use of palm oil and its derivative PFAD by 2023. The move comes as the EU works toward its goal of reducing to zero the use

May 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Fueling a Cleaner Future: Ethanol Is Just the Beginning

(Omaha World-Herald/Nebraska Corn Board) When you stop at the gas station to top off your tank, how much thought do you put in to choosing the fuel that’s right for your car? For your wallet? For the environment? For the air quality in your community? The truth is, transportation is the

May 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuel Bolsters Economy and Environment – Humber LEP Responds to E10 Consultation

by David Laister (Business Live) Department for Transport gets response from home of UK’s largest bioethanol plant — … Biofuels are being explored as Net Zero commitments loom large, with the Humber home to the UK’s largest bioethanol plant, mothballed due to delays in target implementation. Now the Department for

May 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Amid Oil Price Crash, a New Hope for Biofuels

by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) … (T)there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of biofuels, as the field continues to evolve remarkably from where it was a decade ago. … Rather than letting the rest of the plant go to waste, the focus has turned to developing enzymes that can

May 19, 2020 Read Full Article

The Door Is Open for Ethanol Producers and CCS

by Roxby Hartley (EcoEngineers/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is receiving a lot of traction thanks to two exciting developments in 2018 and 2019: 1) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard recognized CCS as a viable pathway to reduce emissions from transportation fuels. 2) The United States Congress passed legislation expanding

May 18, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil Ethanol Lobby Pushes for Fuel Import Ban

(Argus Media) The ethanol lobby in Brazil’s lower house of congress is proposing a bill to suspend imports of gasoline, diesel and ethanol for 90 days, after President Jair Bolsonaro rejected calls to raise the gasoline tax. The bill would effectively reduce gasoline supply in order to boost hydrous ethanol demand, according to

May 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Germany Registers Strong Increase in the Share of Biomethane in CNG Fuel

(DVGW (German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water)/NGV Journal) The ‘Industriekreis CNG-Mobilität’, a group of companies and associations composed of representatives of the automotive and energy industries as well as infrastructure operators and providers of renewable fuels like biomethane, reported very positive figures with respect to climate protection. According

May 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Move to E10 Fuel Presents Benefits but Union Calls for Lessons to be Learned from Filter Blocking Issues

(National Farmers Union of Scotland/Press Release Point) NFU Scotland has welcomed the opportunities that switching to E10 petrol on forecourts could bring but consumers must be protected to ensure problems like those encountered in agricultural vehicles last winter are to be avoided. The Union was responding to a Department for Transport

May 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia Weighing Subsidy Options to Support Biodiesel Programme

by Gayatri Suroyo, Tabita Diela, Bernadette Christina Munthe and Fransiska Nangoy (Reuters) The Indonesian government is considering alternate plans to increase subsidies for the country’s ambitious biodiesel programme after crude oil prices tumbled, a finance ministry official said on Wednesday. A historic crash in oil prices this year has widened the

May 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Soybean Industry Calls for Increased Biodiesel Mix at Next Auction

(Reuters (Google Translation)) The soybean industry, which accounts for most of the raw material used in biodiesel production in Brazil, is pleading that, given the drop in consumption due to measures against the coronavirus, the mixture of renewable fuel in fossil increase from 12% to 14% for the product sold

May 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Newton, Ill., Jasper County Seek to Stimulate Southern Illinois Economy via $400 Million Renewable Fuels Plant; Add HealthcheckIn Protocol for COVID-19-Free Workplaces for City, County, State, Country

(Business Wire) The City of Newton, Ill., Jasper County, and St. Joseph Renewable Fuels, LLC announced plans to build a $400 million renewable diesel plant in Southern Illinois that envisions utilizing innovative technologies and a new healthcare protocol to test and certify a COVID-19 free workforce. The 40-acre site in

May 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Zounds, 40% More Algae! Leading Paradoxically to the Big Feedstock Problem

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new technology that produces a doubling of overall biomass in algae and 40 percent in camelina has appeared on the horizon, and I’d like to draw your attention to this work in The Plant Journal and this one in Nature Research. If you’ve been a fan of

May 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Colombia Imposes Countervailing Tariffs On US Ethanol

by Loren Moss (Finance Colombia) Colombia’s government today announced that it would impose tariffs on ethyl alcohol (ethanol) imports from the United States for the next two years in the amount of 6.646 cents US per kilogram, an amount it says is equal to controversial US government subsidies of domestic ethanol

May 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Midwesterners Were Already Doubting Trump. Covid Could Seal His Political Fate

by Art Cullen (The Guardian/Storm Lake Times) … “A lot of voters wanted to believe Trump – that out there in Washington it’s all BS, and that a savvy businessman could straighten it out,” (Drake) Custer said. It’s hard for many to admit that it didn’t work out. A tragic comedy

May 12, 2020 Read Full Article

POET, EPA Tussle over Cellulosic Ethanol in Appeals Court

by Steve Davies (Agri-Pulse) Lawyers for EPA and POET Biorefining squared off in court Monday over whether the agency’s guidance for measuring production of cellulosic ethanol is tantamount to a rule containing requirements that are impossible to meet. One of the major issues is whether there exists any type of “representative reference material”

May 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Ag Groups Ask Congress to Address GHG Emissions from Annual Crops

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Biogenic CO2 Coalition sent a letter to Capitol Hill on May 11 asking lawmakers to direct the U.S. EPA to promptly publish a rule that states neither agricultural biomass nor woody biomass contribute to excess greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. “For over 10

May 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Groups Ask Congress to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Biofuels

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 11 ag and biofuel groups sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on May 11 asking congress to provide COVID-19 relief for ethanol and biodiesel producers. “The situation we face is dire,” the groups wrote.

May 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Alon Bakersfield Refinery Converting to Renewable Diesel Production

by Matthew Mercure (NGT News)… Alon Bakersfield Refinery is an existing oil refinery located in Bakersfield, Calif. Historically, the refinery has produced diesel from crude oil. GCEH will immediately commence retooling the refinery to produce renewable diesel from organic feedstocks such as vegetable oils. The facility, when repurposed as a renewable

May 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Rejects Idea of Gasoline Tax to Support Ethanol Industry

by Roberto Samora, Ricardo Brito and Gram Slattery (Reuters) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro effectively ruled out raising gasoline taxes on Thursday, a blow to the ethanol industry which had asked for a gasoline tax hike to boost its own competitiveness amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Asked in Brasilia about a