(U.S. Grains Council/GrainNet) As part of ongoing market development efforts in Chile, Guatemala, and Mexico, and to increase ethanol use in Colombia, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC)hosted a delegation comprised of key government and industry representatives last week. The group attended the National Ethanol Conference (NEC) in New Orleans before visiting the Denver area on a trade mission. The time the delegation spent
Guatemala
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The United States has continued to share its experience with E15 usage with other nations as they move toward higher blend options. For Latin America, the U.S. Grains Council continues to encourage increased ethanol blend levels by emphasizing environmental, octane enhancement and cost-reduction benefits. “E15 is
by Emmanuel Desplechin (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The recent U.S. presidential election has spurred a lot of talk about what the new administration will mean for the transatlantic trade relationship after four years of on again, off again tariff wars. … Europe faces a potential flood of imports from countries that
(Center for Climate Strategies) In partnership with RTI International, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) completed the Guatemala national Low Emissions Development Strategies (LEDS) plan, a gold-standard public private participatory template to spur economic and social development while reducing GHG emissions beyond international commitments. The Guatemala LEDS Plan is the
(Central America Data/prensalibre.com) Since the pilot plan to test the efficiency of ethanol use in gasoline in Guatemala has yielded the first positive results, the authorities plan to present a bill to regulate its use in the first quarter of 2021. — In 2014 and 2015 a pilot plan had
(Palm Oil Monitor) Indonesia has picked up a number of allies in its battle with the EU over the bloc’s ban of palm oil in its renewable energy scheme. An additional 18 countries have reserved their rights to participate in the proceedings as third parties. These include palm producers Malaysia, Thailand, Guatemala,
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ..Countries shared their experiences with implementing biofuels policy and discussed how best to support the development and implementation of ethanol policies with a role for trade. Recognized scientists and ethanol experts demonstrated how ethanol use in transportation fuels improves air quality, extends the current fuel
by Simon Granovsky-Larsen (The Conversation) … Ixpátz and four other rivers in the Champerico area had been re-routed from their natural courses and into large plantations. Joining forces with other small farmers, Santiago set out with pickaxes and sticks to break up dikes by hand. … A growing number of communities are
(U.S. Grains Council) Three ethanol trade teams consisting of ministry and industry delegates traversed the U.S. ethanol value chain from the field to the pump ahead of the Ethanol Summit of the Americas. The three teams included representatives from 12 countries that explored the U.S. ethanol industry in Missouri, South Dakota
by Heather Zhang (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Carbon credit prices recover and multiple new pathways are certified as the state’s program gets back on track. — California’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector are racing to make progress in the advanced biofuel industry, promising healthy growth in demand
(Daily Express) Malaysia and Indonesia plan to appoint an “Ambassador of Palm Oil” to promote the benefits of consuming palm oil products in the international market. Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, said anti-palm oil lobbying group has given a lot of misrepresentations about
by Fredy Hernandez (soy502.com (Google translation)) … However, an innovative project seeks to eliminate the waste that not only pollute the water of the city, but can also be reused, making fuel. This is the Reciclaceite, the idea being promoted from the Unit of Environmental Innovation of the City of Guatemala. …
by Jayson Beckman (US Department of Agriculture) Global biofuel production rose tremendously over 2001-13, led largely by rapid growth in the United States and the European Union (EU). Brazil, the second largest biofuel producer, doubled its production in that span. A favorable business and policy climate from 2001 to 2010 helped
(SeeNews Renewables) Guatemala’s energy ministry presented on Wednesday a pilot plan to test ethanol in 25 vehicles and five motorcycles during four months. The government will use blends containing 5% and 10% of ethanol, supplied by local alcohol association APAG. The ethanol is obtained from molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane. Guatemala has
by Thomas N. Thompson (Biofuels Digest/U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), Washington) … This superb collection of essays shows that Latin America is emerging as a major global producer of biofuels as countries across the region seek to leverage competitive advantages like vast stretches of fertile land and tropical weather. According to the
by Todd Woody (New York Times) … Hailed about six years ago as the next big thing in biofuels, jatropha attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, only to fall from favor as the recession set in and as growers discovered that the wild bush yielded too few seeds to
(Biofuels International) SG Biofuels (SGB), an energy crop company has signed a mandate letter with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the debt financing of its 25,000 acre jatropha bioenergy project in Guatemala. The project cost is estimated at approximately $76 million (€56.1 million). This enables IDB and SGB to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When headlines run dire, ask yourself: are they real? In today’s Digest, we give you a guide to managing the myth minefield — and the roaring trade in disinformation about biofuels, feedstocks, and social impact. …Myth #1. 40 percent of the US corn crop is
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Here is a fact check of the January 6th New York Times article “As Biofuel Demand Grows, So Do Guatemala’s Hunger Pangs” by Elisabeth Rosenthal: NYT: In the tiny tortillerias of this city, people complain ceaselessly about the high price of corn. Just three years
by Jennifer Alsever (CNN Money) … While most of its rivals raced to commercialize the fuel, San Diego-based SG Biofuels took a different path: It hired plant geneticists. They hunkered down in the laboratory to come up with the best genetic variations of jatropha — ones that would be more consistent, easier
The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it has posted presentations from the 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards: Current Issues, Future Trends on its web site. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for discussion of documentary and measurement standards and technologies for biofuels,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Brent Crude trades this past week at a transorbital $109 per barrel (West Texas Intermediate at a suborbital, if high, $85). It puts the conventional wisdom that biofuels are too infrastructure incompatible and too costly to the test. Are they? Let’s look today at progress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jatropha 2.0 crude oil costs drops below Brent crude petroleum price In California, SG Biofuels announced at Advanced Biofuels Markets that it has expanded its global network of hybrid trial and agronomic research sites to 15 with the addition of eight new JMax Knowledge Centers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every great biofuels technology has its own companion feedstock strategy – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who’s got what it takes to be a great Sherpa, providing that feedstock or intermediates edge that puts a processing technology first on the Summit? Who’s got speed
by Brian Winter (Reuters/Chicago Tribune) After years at each other’s throats, Brazil and the United States are working together to promote the use of ethanol in a collaboration that could revolutionize global markets and the makeup of the biofuel itself. The breakthrough came in January when Washington allowed a three-decade-old subsidy for
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Indigenous smallholder farmers are being violently evicted as companies move in to satisfy Europe’s hunger for biofuels …Over the next four days, 10 more villages were cleared. By the end of March 2011, around 800 families – about 3,200 people from 14 communities – had
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In California, SG Biofuels has completed a $17 million Series B financing led by Thomas, McNerney & Partners with participation from Finistere Ventures and current investors Flint Hills Resources and Life Technologies Corporation. …It (SG Biofuels) has announced the signing of customers for the deployment
by Maya Thatcher (Center for International Forestry Research) Smallholder farmers in developing countries risk being left behind in the push to produce sustainable biofuels, deterred by complex and expensive certification schemes, according to a recent CIFOR study. With limited scope to meet the high financial, technological and capacity demands of
by Ivan Castano (Renewable Energy World) …Colombia, Argentina Advance in Biofuels The biofuels race, meanwhile, is mostly making headlines in Colombia and Argentina, which have several large-scale projects up their sleeves. Brazil is the leader with a massive ethanol and flex-fuel car industry but Argentina continues to make gains in efforts to