China

Ethanol – A Solution to Pakistan’s Power Woes

By Umer Khayyam and Tehzeeb Bano (The Express Tribune) … Carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas emissions, generated from the burning of fossil fuels, are increasing in Third World societies like Pakistan. … To negate the negative atmospheric results of non-renewable energy sources, global and regional societies have to look for infinite and less

October 15, 2018 Read Full Article

How Biofuels Can Help Struggling Airlines

by Josh Lew (Mother Nature Network) As oil prices rise, airlines look to biofuels to protect their bottom lines. — … Today, airlines are bracing for a fuel price rise. For example, American Airlines cited rising fuel prices when it announced cutbacks on transpacific routes this year. As a result, even more airline companies

October 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Asia’s Climate Arsenal: Are Biofuels Back?

by Beth Walker (The Third Pole) Biofuels will dominate future growth in renewables and are essential for decarbonizing the most difficult sectors; China and India should lead the way, argues new EIA report — … Bioenergy from liquid biofuels and biogas will continue to lead growth in renewable energy consumption to 2023,

October 12, 2018 Read Full Article

How Renewable Energy Could Fuel Future Conflicts

by Madison Freeman and Morgan Bazilian (Georgetown Journal of International Affairs) Renewable energy technologies promise to help our world avert some of the worst impacts of climate change. However, some of the minerals and metals they require could contribute to conflict. In the past, fossil fuels were the primary link between

October 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Fat Profits: Asian Traders Cash in as Europe Thirsts for Waste Oils

(The Star) Once surreptitiously dumped down drains in the dead of night, Asia’s used cooking oil is fast becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in Europe – as a feedstock for biodiesel. Aggressive green energy targets in the European Union that were bolstered further this year are pushing fuel makers

October 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Thermal Gasification of Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to TGoB in Norway

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Judit Sandquist gave this illuminating overview of the progress and promise of thermal gasification of biomass in

September 27, 2018 Read Full Article

CARD: Trade Disruptions Cost Iowa Ethanol Producers $105 Million

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new study by researchers at Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development has determined current trade disruptions are having a significant impact on the state’s economy, including its ethanol industry. The study examined different scenarios. Overall, the study shows losses to Iowa’s

September 26, 2018 Read Full Article

China New Energy Interim Profit Rises With Positive Policy Changes

by Dayo Laniyan (Morning Star/Alliance News) Engineering and technology solutions provider China New Energy Ltd said it has seen continued success in the first half of 2018 due to changed policies in China, leading to increased production of ethanol and new contracts. … China New Energy said revenue growth was caused

September 25, 2018 Read Full Article

Green Plains Mothballs 20% of Production Capacity Due to Trump’s Trade War

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Minnesota, Reuters reports that Green Plains is mothballing its ethanol production plants in Superior, Iowa and Lakota, Iowa as well as running its Fairmont, Minnesota plant at half capacity as President Trump’s trade war takes a bite out of demand from China. Together, the three facilities produced

September 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy Complete Longest Transatlantic Biojet Flight

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Carinata is proving that it is a feedstock to be reckoned with, a compelling catalyst for change, with the latest news that Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy came together for the longest transatlantic biojet flight yet. Lots of biofuel flights have been happening over the

September 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Chemists Develop Nanocatalysts for Continuous Biofuel Synthesis

(RUDN University/Phys.Org) A chemist from RUDN synthesized new catalysts with ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles for producing biofuel from organic biowaste. Nanocatalysts support more intensive and sustained reactions than the compounds currently available in the market. The results of the study were published in the ChemSusChem journal. Rafael Luque, an external specialist from RUDN, works

September 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Gutter Oil Target to Be Met as Gas Sales Grow

by Chen Huizhi (Shine) The number of gas stations in Shanghai offering a hybrid fuel mixed with biodiesel made from “gutter oil” increased to 40 in August, the food safety commission said yesterday. Gutter oil, so called because it is sometimes dumped in gutters and drains, is expired cooking oil. Sinopec, the

September 14, 2018 Read Full Article

NNPC, Chinese Consortia Sign Pacts on Biofuel Development

(The Guardian Nigeria) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Chinese consortia to develop sustainable biofuels in the country. At a ceremony yesterday in Beijing on the sidelines of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, the two pacts were signed between NNPC and OBAX-COMPLANT

September 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Electric Vehicle Revolution Poses Threat to Biofuel

by D’Arce McMillan (Western Producer) They may seem like a novelty now, but electric vehicles could quickly grow in number and significantly reduce the demand for gasoline and biofuel. — … I wonder when the number of electric vehicles will become so numerous that they will lower the overall demand for gasoline, and

September 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Sustainable Biofuels Innovation Challenge Funding Opportunity Announcement DEADLINE: September 15, 2015

(Mission Innovation India) Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 23 countries and the European Union to accelerate the global clean energy innovation. As a part of this initiative, the participating countries have committed to double their government’s clean energy research and development (R&D) investments over five years while

August 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Trump Offers Trade Aid to Farmers, but Some Question Its Fairness

by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Catherine Boudreau and Liz Crampton (Politico) The Trump administration on Monday detailed how it will dole out $6.3 billion in aid to assist farmers stung by retaliatory tariffs — and it’s already sparking backlash from some sectors where industry leaders say growers won’t get their fair share.

August 28, 2018 Read Full Article

First Tianjin Gas Stations Make Switch to Ethanol

by Lusha Zhang and Tony Munroe(Reuters) The Chinese city of Tianjin will replace gasoline with ethanol at 10 gas stations on Saturday, Xinhua News Agency reported, the first outlets to do so in a wider push to get vehicles in the city to switch to the biofuel. Tianjin will later replace

August 28, 2018 Read Full Article

Used Cooking Oil Fuels Green Initiative in Nanjing

(China Daily) Startup company MotionEco launched an initiative in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in June to collect waste cooking oil and gutter oil to be converted into sustainable, low-carbon green fuel for use in diesel vehicles. It is one of China’s first commercial efforts to collect and process used cooking oil and

August 27, 2018 Read Full Article

China Corn Rallies as Beijing Signals Support for Ethanol Plan

by Hallie Gu, Josephine Mason (Reuters) China corn futures rallied on Thursday after the central government said it would promote the use of ethanol in vehicles, its first public statement on its ambitious biofuel policy in almost a year. China will promote the use of ethanol in 15 regions this year, including

August 25, 2018 Read Full Article

Chinese Investors Look to Set up Biodiesel Production in Malaysia

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Malaysia, Chinese investors are keen to set up bio-processing businesses including a Beijing Sanju Environmental Protection and New Materials Co who is seeking to set up a $200 million plant that will use palm kernel shells, palm fiber, empty fruit brunches and palm oil milk effluent

August 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Argentina Freezes Soy Export Tariffs to Keep Feedstock from Flowing into China

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Argentina, exporters have been shipping raw, unprocessed soybeans to China en masse, a move the government has put a stop to last week by freezing export taxes on beans at 26% as well as freezing taxes on meal and oil at 23%. Taxes on beans were

August 22, 2018 Read Full Article

King Says Farmers Want EPA Action on Ethanol, not $12 Billion Aide Package

by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) Republican Congressman Steve King today said the best thing the Trump Administration could do to alleviate farmers’ angst about the trade war would be to allow higher percentages of ethanol to be blended into gasoline year-round. “Let the market determine what that blend could be It could

August 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Earnings Season: as Novozymes, DSM, Amyris, Gevo, Corbion, and Aemetis Report, Who’s up, Who’s down?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest, let’s look at trends driving the industry’s results at scale — and while money is not the measure of all progress, it is the ultimate yardstick and especially for companies that have reached industrial scale. So, let’s look at Q2 earnings statements now

August 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Trump’s Plan to Boost Ethanol Could Quickly Get Sidelined

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) … On top of that, a senior Senate aide close to the pro-ethanol camp led by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said “there is debate” over whether it will take legislation to enact the changes Trump seeks. “We view it as a technical correction,” the aide

August 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Iowans Tell EPA Chief President Made E15 Promise, It’s Time to Deliver

by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator met privately with Iowa commodity group leaders at the Iowa State Fair today — but Andrew Wheeler told reporters afterwards there is no decision yet on regulations that would allow a higher blend of ethanol to be sold year-round.

August 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Frustration Brews in the Ethanol Industry

by Dan Looker (Successful Farming) Lawsuits and EPA petitions are in the works. — … “I would say the status quo right now is unacceptable for the industry,” says Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “If he’s (President Donald Trump) supportive of year-round E15, let’s do it. Let’s see it.” These

August 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Oil’s Relentless Price Climb Brings Advanced Biofuels Back in Vogue

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For several years now we have seen a significant number of players pivoting from biofuels towards smaller but higher-value markets in chemicals, nutrition, nutraceuticals, pharma, materials, flavorings, fragrances, cosmetics and more. We’ve reported on the proliferation of applications both in the Digest and in What’s Nuu? and

August 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Lifecycle Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Corncob Ethanol in China

by Yu Wang, Ming‐Hsun Cheng, Mark Mba Wright (Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining) Converting corncobs into fuel ethanol is different from converting stover because cobs have higher hemicellulose and lower lignin than stover. Current research provides life‐cycle assessments of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for stover ethanol but lacks such assessments for corncob ethanol.

August 8, 2018 Read Full Article

Inventure Renewables, Wilmar and Desmet Ballestra Announce Agreement to Build New Plant

(Inventure Renewables/PR NewsWire) Facility in Taizhou, China Will Process Waste from Soybean Processing into High Value Oleochemicals — Inventure Renewables has announced an agreement with Wilmar International and Desmet Ballestra Group to begin construction on a new facility in Jiangsuprovince, China. The plant, which will bolt on to an existing Wilmar facility,

August 8, 2018 Read Full Article

The Future of Electric Vehicles Lie in the Sourcing of Lithium and Cobalt for Batteries

by Vishnu Rajamanickam (Freight Waves) … But unless the manufacturing process and the raw material sourcing is regulated and stabilized, it would be hard to sell EVs to the larger middle-class populace. This is because the on-road price of an electric vehicle is much higher than its combustion engine equivalent, as the

August 6, 2018 Read Full Article

German Chancellor Fellowship for Tomorrow’s Leaders DEADLINE: September 15, 2018

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s German Chancellor Fellowship program is targeted at recent university graduates from the U.S. and other countries who have an international outlook and initial leadership experience. The fellowships give graduates the opportunity to spend a year in Germany networking with other prospective leaders from abroad and

August 3, 2018 Read Full Article

2G Ethanol Overcoming Tech Glitches, Competitive with Oil at $70

by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) Second-generation ethanol production is overcoming the technical difficulties that had slowed its development and is now seen as commercially competitive with oil prices near $70 per barrel, industry representatives said on Thursday. As countries worldwide prepare to deliver on their respective commitments to the Paris climate deal,

July 31, 2018 Read Full Article

“There’s No Place Like Home” Grown Sorghum

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Sorghum sights are set high with EPA approval and recent genetic improvements — … U.S. EPA opened up pathways for sorghum oil to become renewable fuels. … Sorghum is a grass grown in many places and regions around the world, but also is increasingly being grown

July 30, 2018 Read Full Article

This Start-Up Turns Pollution from Factories into Fuel That Powers Cars — and One Day Planes

by Catherine Clifford (CNBC) A bacteria found in the gut of a rabbit can now help cars run in a more eco-friendly way. The bacteria, identified by biotech start-up LanzaTech, helps turn factory carbon emissions, a.k.a. pollution, into ethanol …. … “While there are many sustainable sources of sugar-derived ethanol … it’s not enough

July 30, 2018 Read Full Article

White House Readies Plan for $12 Billion in Emergency Aid to Farmers Caught in Trump’s Escalating Trade War

by Damian Paletta and Caitlin Dewey (Washington Post) The U.S. Agriculture Department on Tuesday plans to announce a $12 billion package of emergency aid for farmers caught in the midst of President Trump’s escalating trade war, two people briefed on the plan said, the latest sign that growing tensions between the

July 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Celanese to Sell Ethanol Production Unit and Form TCX® Technology Joint Venture with Chengzhi Co., Ltd

(Celanese/BusinessWire) Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE), a global specialty materials company, today announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Chengzhi Shareholding Co., Ltd., to further the development of acetic acid-based ethanol as a clean energy source in China. From 2014 to 2017, Celanese operated a 275,000 metric ton per

July 20, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Thai Ethanol Producers Mull Resuming Exports after 5 Years Amid Ample Supply

by Christina Siantar (S&P Global/Platts) Thailand’s ethanol producers are exploring the possibility of resuming ethanol exports after a five-year hiatus due to ample supply in the domestic market, trade sources said Tuesday. … However, traders were skeptical of Thailand returning to the export market as current international prices, dominated by US and

July 17, 2018 Read Full Article

7th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition 2018 (APBE 2018) — August 16-18, 2018 — Guangzhou, China

It’s an annual, three-day event that brings together technology and equipment of the biomass energy sector to present and discuss its most recent technical developments. This year’s edition will be dedicated to innovation of Bioenergy in China. The event brings together the industry to discover the latest trends, showcase innovation,

July 16, 2018 Read Full Article

On Energy Independence Day, India, China Surge as Leaders in Clean Fuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Because if you want it, here it is, come and get it, biofuels that is, and especially of the advanced type. If you like it from waste, even better. Out of the east, the dual and sometimes dueling engines of biofuels growth are changing the

July 11, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Saying ‘No’ to Palm Oil Would Likely Displace, Not Halt Biodiversity Loss – IUCN report

(IUCN) Banning palm oil would most likely increase the production of other oil crops to meet demand for oil, displacing rather than halting the significant global biodiversity losses caused by palm oil, warned an IUCN report published today (June 26, 2018). The IUCN report, Palm Oil and Biodiversity, is an objective analysis

July 11, 2018 Read Full Article

China’s Domestic Production Will Meet 75% of E10 Demand by 2020: Consultant

by Christina Siantar (S&P Global/Platts) China’s production of fuel ethanol is expected to rise to around 10 million mt/year, which will help meet part of the 13 million mt/year ethanol demand for E10 mandate by 2020, Xiao Gang, general manager of consultancy Hangzhou Grainsmore Agricultural Development, said at an industry conference in

July 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Big Oil, Utilities Are Lining up for an Electric Vehicle War

by Kelly Gilblom and Anna Hirtenstein (Bloomberg) BP and Shell have bought electric-car charging companies; Power utilities are boosting sales to homes, chargers on roads — A red-hot electric vehicle market has triggered a face-off between Big Oil and utilities. Oil majors, who’ve sold fossil fuels to cars for a century, are now moving

July 5, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

China’s Shift to Cleaner Energy Drives Huge Ethanol Demand

by Leah Marie Angelou (Small Cap Network) … China is at a crossroad as it shifts to cleaner and renewable energy sources. Can the country keep up with its environmental pledge? — In September 2017, the government rolled out a new nationwide ethanol mandate (NEA 2017), which requires the use of E10 fuel,

June 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Ag Secretary Perdue on Trump’s Message to Farmers: You Won’t Suffer in a Trade Fight with China

by Berkeley Lovelace Jr. (CNBC) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says President Trump has told him to assure American farmers that they won’t suffer from the U.S. trade fight with China. Perdue says he is calculating the potential impact of trade disruptions on a weekly basis, and making it known to the Trump

June 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Can USDA Stretch Corn, Soybean Farmers’ Safety Net with Tariff Relief?

by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) Rumors of USDA’s Tariff Easing Strategy Not Confirmed — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is giving himself a couple of months – until around Labor Day – before deciding whether to proceed with President Trump’s promise of shielding farmers from “China’s unfair retaliation.” For tactical reasons, Perdue

June 28, 2018 Read Full Article

New Catalyst Upgrades Carbon Dioxide to Fuels Found by USTC

(EurekAlert!/University of Science and Technology of China) Liquid multi-carbon alcohols such as ethanol and n-propanol are desired as renewable transportation fuels. They offer high energy densities, ease of long-range transport, and direct drop-in usage in existing internal combustion engines. Engineering catalysts that favor high-value alcohols is desired. A research team led

June 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to UPM, the Biofore Company

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) UPM is going through a transformation to ensure sustainable value creation in the long term. The aim is to improve profitability, generate growth and increase the value of the company’s business portfolio. UPM has been transforming its business model, business portfolio and business performance. UPM consists

June 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Goes Global as Gasoline Price Rally Deteriorates Demand

by Suzanne Danforth and Jim Venhof (Genscape) U.S. domestic ethanol demand suffered this spring relative to 2017, despite consistently favorable blending values and increasing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements. The decline, following a period of historically low ethanol prices this winter, forced the ethanol industry to diversify and seek new demand opportunities

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Inventure Renewables’ Mixed Super Critical Fluid Technology Successfully Adopted At Wilmar Plant In China

(Inventure Renewables/Cision/PR Newswire) Patented Technology Converts By-Product from Soft Oil Seed Refining Into FAME for Oleochemical and Biodiesel Production. — Inventure Renewables has announced the successful implementation and nearly year-long operation of its Mixed Super Critical Fluid technology at a Wilmar International processing plant in Jiangsu province, China. The technology is being used to

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

China Raises Import Duty on US Denatured Ethanol to 70% from 45% as of July 6

by Christine Siantar (Platts) China’s ministry of commerce said the import duty on US-origin denatured ethanol will rise to 70% on July 6 from 45%, as part of a wider retaliation to the US imposing import tariffs on Chinese goods. Other agriculture products such as sorghum, soybeans and wheat were

June 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Midwest Trump Voters Losing Faith in His Commitment to Biofuels

(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) New polling shows that voters across three Midwestern states are disappointed with Trump administration decisions they view as broken promises of support for local agriculture and renewable fuels industries. In a survey of voters in Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota, respondents overwhelmingly say they support federal policies to

June 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel Partly Powers Cathay Pacific Flight from Airbus

by Grant Bradley (New Zealand Herald) When a brand new Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 flies from France to Hong Kong on Wednesday it will be partly powered by biofuel. The 334-seat plane will have a 10 per cent blend of biofuel next to traditional jet fuel in its tanks which can

June 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Improving Electron Transfer in Enzymatic Biofuel Cells

by Bob Yirka (Phys.org) A team of researchers with members from institutions in Singapore, China and the U.K. has found a way to improve electron transfer in enzymatic biofuel cells. In their paper published in the journal Nature Energy, they describe their technique and how well it works. Huajie Yin and

June 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Chart of the Week (23) — Argentina Accounts for Almost Two Thirds of EU Biodiesel Imports − Indonesia Is the Largest Palm Oil Exporter to the EU

(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)) Biodiesel imports from Argentina have increased considerably over the past several months. In contrast, imports of soybean oil as feedstock from Argentina have been virtually non-existent. The reverse trend can be seen in regard to imports from Indonesia. Since EU import duties were

June 12, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

World’s First Commercial Waste Gas to Ethanol Plant Now in Operation

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … In Illinois, carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, and its joint venture partner, Shougang Group, a leading Chinese iron and steel producer, announced the successful start-up of the world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol. The facility, located at the Jingtang Steel Mill in Caofeidian

June 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Top 10 Biodiesel Trends 2018: What’s up with the World’s Favorite Advanced Biofuel?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We’ve organized the state of biodiesel into 10 areas of vital interest ranging from the development of markets to the entry of ancillary products and new feedstocks. #1 Tax & Trade Free trade vs fair trade: Dumping and tax credit issues continue to mezmerize the

June 7, 2018 Read Full Article

China’s Longping Sees Brazil Corn Expansion, Targets Seeds Market

by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co, an agricultural firm controlled by China conglomerate CITIC Group Corp [CITIC.UL], sees Brazil expanding corn output up to 5 percent per year in coming years and is investing heavily to grab a third of the country’s corn seed market. Longping, which bought its corn

May 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Chinese Ethanol Buyers Turn to Central, South America for Arbitrage Supply

by Christina Siantar (Platts) Chinese ethanol buyers are turning to Central and South America for arbitrage supply, after Beijing’s imposition of additional 15% import tax on US ethanol has priced US cargoes out of the Chinese market. A Chinese oil refiner has bought 16,000-17,000 mt of fuel ethanol from Costa Rica this week, for

May 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Scania: Commercial Transport Can Be Fossil-Free by 2050

(Scania/Automotive World) A fossil-free commercial transport system in the timeframe of the Paris Agreement target is not only possible, but also financially attractive from a societal perspective. This is the key conclusion of a study initiated by Scania. … A comprehensive analysis undertaken by Scania, and reviewed by an external academic

May 24, 2018 Read Full Article

A Yield Revolution in Row Crops Cometh

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10’s Brave New World of Metabolic Engineering, Benson Hill’s cloud biology and CRISPR/Cas9 from Purdue and the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Crop yield may never be the same. And developers using crops for bioindustrials or nutrition stand to reap the benefit via bigger refineries and lower input

May 24, 2018 Read Full Article

UPDATE 2-U.S. LNG, Ethanol Sellers Buoyed by China Trade Talks

by Scott DiSavino (Reuters) China’s interest in reducing its trade surplus with the United States through increased energy imports could advance plans for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants and ethanol sales, analysts and energy executives involved in developing new LNG facilities said. Washington and Beijing stepped back from the brink

May 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Ethanol Summit of The Asia Pacific Showcases Global Ethanol Opportunities

(GrainNet) Industry and government officials from 17 countries in Asia and Oceania are meeting with members of the U.S. ethanol industry and U.S. officials in Minneapolis this week at the Ethanol Summit of the Asia Pacific (Summit), focused on current and future prospects for expanded ethanol use throughout the region. The

May 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Greenbelt Resources Offers Partial Solution to Chinese Government’s Mandated Use of 4+ Billion Gallons of Ethanol

(Greenbelt Resources) Greenbelt Resources Corporation GRCO, +23.29% (Greenbelt), the developer and provider of a sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms waste into bio-ethanol, today announced that CEO Darren Eng will visit China this month by special letter invitation to assist in enhancing the domestic production capacity up to the over four billion gallons of ethanol

May 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Promotion of Bioethanol Remains Promising but Challenging

(China Daily) To boost industrial demand for corn and cut emissions, China has launched corn-to-ethanol pilot programs in 2004. However, the promotion of bioethanol, the cleaner alternative to traditional fuels like diesel and gasoline, remains a challenge even after more than a decade. It seems not many petrol stations sell

May 7, 2018 Read Full Article

New Fuels Project in China Targets Cooking in the Commercial Sector

(Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves) The Alliance partnered with China’s Ministry of Agriculture, Shell, local governments, and SSM to develop and launch a new clean cooking project in Zhejiang province of China. The project aims to encourage commercial enterprises to switch from wood and coal to biomass pellets. The pilot interventions

May 3, 2018 Read Full Article

A New Lithium War Is About To Begin

by James Stafford (OilPrice.com) It’s the modern gold rush. Around the world, the most sought-after mineral isn’t a precious metal, nor is it oil and gas…it’s lithium. Lithium, or “white petroleum” as some call it, has become a crucial element in today’s high-tech economy. Demand for lithium is soaring, and producers are frantically searching

April 25, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Prairie Catalytic, LanzaTech, Synvina, Fulcrum BioEnergy, POET-DSM, Cargilla/Calysta, Enerkem, and REG Geismar

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ABLC 2018 wrapped up with the ABLC Wolfpack including James Iademarco from Strategic Avalanche, David Dodds with Dodds & Associates, Ron Cascone from NEXANT, independent consultant Paul Bryan, and Joel Stone from ConVergince. While they didn’t howl at the moon, they were voracious, vicious wolves analyzing 8 major projects with

April 24, 2018 Read Full Article

International Conference on Sustainable Biofuel 2018 (26-27 February 2018): A Report

by Gunjan Mukherjee (Advanced Biofuels USA/Chandigarh University Institute of Biotechnology (UIBT)) The International Conference on Sustainable Biofuel was held at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi, India. The concept of the conference was that use of fossil fuels for transportation contributes significantly to global greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. On the

April 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Vehicle Efficiency Transportation 2050: More EVs, but Conventional Vehicles Will Still Dominate

by Jieyi Lu (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Making Vehicles More Efficient Is Critical to Reduce Emissions — … Over the next 30 years, electric vehicles (EVs) will grow and fuel economy will increase, but conventional gasoline vehicles will continue to dominate the U.S. vehicle fleet. That was the conclusion witnesses came

April 20, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

China’s Beidahuang to Build 350,000 T Ethanol Plant in Inner Mongolia

by Dominique Patton (Reuters) Grain trader and processor China Beidahuang Industry Group has signed an agreement with the mayor of Inner Mongolia’s Baotou city to build an ethanol facility with annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes, it said on its website on Thursday. The 960 million yuan ($153.04 million) facility will use

April 20, 2018 Read Full Article

RED II Perpetuates Advanced Biofuel Trade Distortions and Incentivises Fraud

(Ethanol Europe Renewables/EurActiv) The Energy Directive (RED 2) transport decarbonisation ambitions ostensibly promote major capital investment in truly advanced biofuels breakthrough technologies. However, the Directive will not generate meaningful advanced biofuels investment. Instead, it incentivises fake wastes to meet biofuels targets for 2030. This is clear from what has happened

April 17, 2018 Read Full Article

In New Sign of Trade Battle, China Slaps U.S. Sorghum Producers with 179 Percent Deposit

by Emily Rauhala (The Washington Post) China announced temporary anti-dumping measures Tuesday on U.S. sorghum, potentially hitting U.S. growers and exacerbating the brewing trade war between Beijing and Washington. China’s Ministry of Commerce said that starting Wednesday, Chinese importers of U.S. sorghum, used by the Chinese for animal feed and brewing

April 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Trump Administration Weighs High-Ethanol Fuel Waiver to Placate Farmers

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The Trump administration is considering allowing the sale of a higher ethanol fuel blend in the summer, a source familiar with the issue said, a move that would placate corn growers worried about the future of U.S. biofuels policy. … Trump has tried in

April 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Trump to Put Biofuel Reform Push on Ice, for Now: Sources

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration will delay any moves to reform the nation’s biofuel policy for about three months, according to three sources briefed on the matter – a decision one of the sources said was meant to shield farmers worried about a potential trade war with China. The

April 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Trump Ethanol Moves May Be Worse for Farmers Than Soy Tariff

by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Change to biofuel mandate may mean destruction of corn demand; Growers already dealing with trade concerns, crop gluts — Based on his own back-of-the-envelope calculations, Minnesota farmer Kirby Hettver could lose tens of thousands of dollars of earnings because of President Donald Trump. But damaging as the brewing trade war with

April 10, 2018 Read Full Article

China’s 2020 Ethanol Blending Target Faces Obstacles

(Argus Media) China faces several challenges to hit an ambitious 10pc (E10) ethanol blending target in its gasoline fuel mix by 2020, according to participants at the Argus China Ethanol conference in Beijing. The government announced the target last year to reduce congestion and support the domestic agriculture sector. Its policy

April 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Tariff Talk

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration escalated trade-war tensions with China on Tuesday, publishing a proposed list of 1,300 Chinese imports that it will hit with retaliatory tariffs in response to China’s intellectual property practices, Pro’s Adam Behsudi reports. The list includes a host of battery technologies, which

April 4, 2018 Read Full Article

China Meets 2020 Carbon Target ahead of Schedule – Xinhua

by David Stanway (Reuters) China met its 2020 carbon intensity target three years ahead of schedule last year, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the country’s top climate official Xie Zhenhua. China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, cut its 2005 carbon intensity level, or the amount of climate-warming

April 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Why Hydrothermal Liquefaction Hasn’t Taken off Yet

(Algae Industry Magazine/Science Trends) enguang Zhou writes in Sciencetrends.com about work recently published in the journal Bioresource Technology regarding why Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of microalgae — a bio-oil technology which does not require dewatering and drying of algal biomass — up to now, has rarely been commercialized. One of the problems impeding its industrialization is

April 2, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

China Mulls Hiking Import Duty on US Denatured Ethanol by 15% to 45%

by Srijan Kanoi (Platts) China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday that they might impose an additional 15% duty, along with the existing 30% duty, on denatured ethanol imports from the US if both China and US fail to reach a trade compensation agreement within stipulated time. The rising tension between both the

March 23, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Where’s Ethanol Going to Go?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … According to POET CEO Jeff Broin, there’s a deal on the table — changing almost by the hour, but a deal none the less. A deal on the table to provide year-round E15 approval for the biofuels industry and that may offer some relief to small merchant oil

March 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Chinese Researchers Boost Algae Lipids, Reduce Peroxidation

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers from Nanjing Tech University in China have published a paper in Biotechnology for Biofuels on their method to increase lipid content and reduce peroxidation in Schizochytrium sp., a marine microalgae rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is touted for its human health benefits. The researchers say stress induction to

March 21, 2018 Read Full Article

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Says Exports at Risk in Tariff Disputes

by Karl Plume (Reuters) U.S. agricultural exports could be at risk in any retaliation over tariffs implemented by the White House, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said on Monday. … Perdue said that while the United States is not currently in a trade war, there have already been repercussions seen

March 20, 2018 Read Full Article

China’s Independent Oil Refiners Gear up for Ethanol Push in Cars

by Meng Meng, Josephine Mason (Reuters) China’s top independent oil refiner is buying ethanol and two others are seeking government approval to blend the biofuel into their gasoline ahead of the country’s 2020 deadline to add it to the nation’s fuel supply, several sources told Reuters. … The push by the private

March 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Geothermal Could Profit from U.S. Executive Order to Support Lithium Mining

by Alexander Richter (Think GeoEnergy) An executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to support mining activities for critical minerals, could present a boost to lithium mining activities in the U.S. and indirectly help some geothermal projects. As reported recently, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the relevant federal agencies

March 15, 2018 Read Full Article

$1.5 Billion Settlement Reached in Syngenta GMO Class Action Suit

by Susan Reidy (World-Grain.com) A $1.5 billion settlement has been reached in the nationwide class action suit over Syngenta’s genetically modified corn seed. It is believed to be one of the largest agricultural settlements in U.S. history. The settlement covers all U.S. corn producers, grain handling facilities and ethanol plants who

March 14, 2018 Read Full Article

UIA Enters $70 Billion Development Deal with Malaysian Firm

by Bridget Asiimwe (The Observer) Uganda Investment Authority has entered a multi-billion deal with a Malaysian firm with an aim of transforming the country into a green economy by 2040 through a series of four integrated green projects led by bio-fuels. The $70bn project will be implemented by Bionas East Africa Group

March 5, 2018 Read Full Article

ABLC 2018 Preview: Deployment Dawns, Products Proliferate, and Techs Land Major Venture Deals as the Bioeconomy Advances into a Big 2018

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, ABLC 2018 opens amidst a flutter of government rollbacks of deployment support but the hope of regulatory relief, breakthroughs in financial structuring, a decisive shift in early-stage projects to nutrition & health, and an increasing number of deployments in advanced biofuels and a surge

February 28, 2018 Read Full Article

Mahle’s MBE2 Could Increase Ethanol Production without Planting New Sugarcane

(Autocar Pro News Desk) A new product launched by Mahle has the potential to revolutionise the ethanol industry at a global level. MBE2 (Mahle Bioethanol 2) is a solution that increases the production of ethanol by a minimum of 10 percent without the need to increase the area of planted sugarcane.

February 27, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Commission Reopens US Ethanol Antidumping Case; Extends Duty for 15 Months

by Chrysa Glystra (Platts) The European Commission announced Tuesday it will initiate an expiry review of the antidumping duty against US fuel ethanol imports, with the duty staying in the place for another 15 months while the investigation takes place. The duty of 9.5% has been in place since February 23,

February 20, 2018 Read Full Article

More Biodiesel Kiosks to Be Rolled out

(China Daily) The Shanghai municipal government is planning to increase the number of biodiesel fueling stations in the city from the current 21 to 200 by the end of this year, said Xu Kunlin, vice-mayor of Shanghai, during a news conference on Feb 9. Achieving this goal, said Xu, would mean

February 20, 2018 Read Full Article

What If Car Buyers Aren’t Ready for Electric Cars, Even in California?

by John Voelcker (Green Car Reports) It’s accepted wisdom among electric-car fans and advocates that within a few years, mass-market car buyers will start snapping up battery-electric cars. First, battery prices have to come down to the point that electric vehicles aren’t much pricier than comparable models with gasoline engines. But

February 12, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Lipid-Extracted Microalgal Biomass Waste for Biogas

(WIREs Authors/Advanced Science News) To confront global warming, climate changes and a potential energy shortage, biodiesel received increasing interest as a substitute for diesel fuels in efforts towards sustainable development. Microalgae-derived biodiesel is a promising energy source. The advantages of microalgae as a biodiesel feedstock are many, for example, efficient photosynthesis, high

February 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Yay or Nay – Will EU Really Say No More Palm-Based Biodiesel?

by Helena Taveres Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Environmental groups have long been against palm oil plantations on these crucial climate fighting forests. But consumers are using more palm oil products, from cosmetics to biofuels to food ingredients, and the demand for palm oil continues to increase, thus pushing along the expansion

February 5, 2018 Read Full Article

The Rise, Rise, Rise of Bio-Methanol for Fuels and Chemical Markets

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The clearest intersecting theme is bio-methanol. Let’s see why. For one, Södra has much more going on than Silva, and we reported on a major development in December when we related that Södra will invest more than $12.5 million in the production of biomethanol, a

January 25, 2018 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Agents of Change

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine spotlights four companies—a respected producer, a service-oriented wholesaler, a 200-year old chemical firm, and a fuel conditioning company—that enable biodiesel’s role as an effective change agent. PQ Corp. … John Votta, global business director for PQ’s silica adsorbents unit, says biodiesel producers are familiar with

January 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Argus Biodiesel China 2018 — March 28-29, 2018 — Beijing, China

Argus Biodiesel China 2018 will be held over 28-29 March 2018 in Beijing, China. Expect to meet global participants for half a day of networking in a laid-back setting and one day of market discussions. Conference features 1½-day event — half day of networking, pre-registration and exhibition and one day

January 23, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Argus Ethanol China 2018 — March 27-28, 2018 — Beijing, China

As one of the biggest gasoline consumers in a fast-growing automotive industry, China plans to implement a nationwide E10 mandate by 2020 as part of efforts to control emissions. Beijing is looking to hit its blending targets while reducing ethanol imports and achieving self-sufficiency through the development of ethanol plants.

January 23, 2018 Read Full Article

China Mixed Aromatics Imports May Wane amid High Costs

(ICIS News) China’s imports of mixed aromatics may wane due to high costs and amid calls for a nationwide use of ethanol gasoline. … Chinese buyers favour Thailand-origin mixed aromatics with a high benzene content due to their low price. … Meanwhile, demand for mixed aromatics may take a hit as China moves toward using

January 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Enerkem and Sinobioway Group Sign a C$125M Agreement to Accelerate Enerkem’s Global Expansion and Create a Joint Venture to Build over 100 Biofuel Facilities in China

(Enerkem/PR Newswire) Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a world leading waste-to-biofuels and renewable chemicals producer, announced today it has signed an agreement with Sinobioway Group worth over C$125M in the form of equity investment in Enerkem Inc., future licenses, equipment manufacturing and sales, as well as for the creation of a major joint venture

January 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers Reveal High Performance CNT Catalyst Relating to Its Electroconductivity

(Phys.Org/World Scientific Publishing) Recent research published in a report in Nano showed biofuels were obtained from Jatropha Oil using carbon nanotube (CNT) catalyst, which showed efficient cracking activity. The performance was activated by the high stability, metal sites, acid sites, electroconductivity, and coking tolerance of CNT. Two cracking circulations were found in the

January 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Turning Soybeans into Diesel Fuel Is Costing Us Billions

by Dan Charles (the salt/NPR) … The story, however, is more complicated than it seems. For one thing, that boom in Argentine biodiesel exports is over, at least for now. Last summer, the United States accused Argentina of subsidizing its biodiesel producers and “dumping” cheap biodiesel on the world market. In

January 18, 2018 Read Full Article

CAAFI Highlights Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel Activities of 2017 and Plans for 2018

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) has taken stock of its busy 2017 and has set priorities for 2018. Highlights on the sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) front include development of many resources available to the public on the CAAFI website. Progress on

January 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Disconnect Between Consumers’ Stated Interest in Alternative Fuel Vehicles & Actual Purchases

(Convenience Store News) … Consumers and Alternative Fuels 2017, the latest installment of the Fuels Institute’s annual measure of American consumers’ sentiment on vehicle purchases, found that significantly more consumers stated they were very likely or somewhat likely to purchase an alternative fuel vehicle than actually made such a vehicle purchase

January 4, 2018 Read Full Article

What Exactly Is a RIN?

(Southern Farm Network Today) Texas Senator Ted Cruz recently proposed to put a cap on the price of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) as a way to control the cost for refiners that blend renewable fuels into the nation’s gasoline supply. What exactly is an RIN? Here’s Mike Zuzolo from Global Commodity

January 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Grassley Marks Policy, Oversight Accomplishments in 2017

(North Iowa Today) Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa marked a series of policy and oversight accomplishments in 2017. … Grassley introduced the Food Security is National Security Act of 2017, which would give top U.S. agriculture and food officials permanent representation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). It would

January 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuture Platform: Insights from COP23

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In order to meet the global temperature reduction target which was agreed upon at the Paris Climate Accord, delegates from the Biofuture Platform met in Bonn, Germany for the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23) on November 16th to discuss plans to scale up

January 4, 2018 Read Full Article

China, Moving to Cut Emissions, Halts Production of 500 Car Models

by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times)The suspensions pointed to Beijing’s growing willingness to test forceful antipollution measures and assume a leading role in the fight against climate change. READ MORE

January 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuels Mandates Around the World 2018

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around the world, looking at the state of biofuels mandates in 65 countries. The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) once specified a

January 2, 2018 Read Full Article

China’s November Ethanol Imports Show October’s Jump May Have Been a Blip

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In China, the little ethanol it is importing is coming almost entirely from Pakistan as shown in November when 6,449 cubic meters of the 6,466 cu m total imports that month came from China’s southern neighbor. READ MORE China Nov Ethanol Imports Second Highest This Year;

December 28, 2017 Read Full Article

Chinese Scientists Using Algae to Fight Pollution

(Algae Industry Magazine) China Daily Editor Zhang Shiyu writes that Wang Qiang, the lead scientist behind a project at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Hydrobiology, said a new strain of microalgae they are developing has recently entered a test phase for cleaning emissions produced by the refineries of

December 28, 2017 Read Full Article

Inside Insight

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) To kick off the new year, we rounded up a few experts to discuss five main industry topics: exports, policy, production, finance and technology. Find out what they said. — As we head into 2018, ethanol producers have plenty to think about and likely have predictions

December 27, 2017 Read Full Article

At Last, the Age of the Electric Car Really Arrives

by Jack Stewart (Wired) For all the hype, electric cars still make up a tiny percentage of global vehicle sales. Like, less than one percent tiny. But there’s a growing movement around the world to put a deadline on the life of the internal combustion engine. This year India, the UK, Norway,

December 27, 2017 Read Full Article

Top 10 Asia Bioeconomy Trends

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With apologies to every other region around the world. we continue to see Asia as the epicenter of the biobased revolution over the next 20 years. The reasons are three and relatively straightforward: 1. Continued and robust economic growth. 2. Massive biomass resource. 3. Lack of

December 26, 2017 Read Full Article

#AltFuelRocks: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to below50 and Alt Fuels Deployment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Below50 is an initiative that brings businesses together with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) to promote the best-of-breed of sustainable fuels. The companies and organizations driving the initiative include ABBI, Arizona State

December 26, 2017 Read Full Article

Top 17 for 2017

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) 2017 was a roller coaster year. There was a paradigm shift in biofuels, technology advancements, innovations abounded, politics chaotic. Some companies shut down and disappeared like the Hobo vanishing in the snow atop the Polar Express. Some companies showed leadership and stayed strong getting through

December 26, 2017 Read Full Article

Dar, Chinese Firm Deal to Revitalise Cassava Farming

Pius Rugonzibwa In Mwanza (Daily News) The production of cassava in the country has received a major boost after the government recently signed a deal with a Chinese firm worth over 2.5trl/- aimed at commercialising its farming. — Opening the annual review and planning meeting of the African Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) here

December 15, 2017 Read Full Article

Chinese Ethanol Market Eyes E10 Implementation Warily: Sources

(Platts) Chinese ethanol traders face a lot uncertainty in terms of next year’s domestic demand generated by the E10 nationwide policy, which is due to be implemented by 2020, amid a lack of clarity on the new mandate from the government. As reported by Chinese media on Friday, the next step

December 11, 2017 Read Full Article

Government Planning to Blend Methanol in Petrol to Reduce Prices and Pollution: Nitin Gadkari

(News 18) … Union Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari has said the government will be soon announcing a policy which calls for 15 percent blending of methanol in petrol to make it cheaper and also reduce pollution. “In the upcoming Parliament session, I am announcing a policy of blending 15 percent

December 11, 2017 Read Full Article

Discussing the Importance of Ethanol

by Dan Crisler (Watertown Public Opinion) Glacial Lakes Corn Processors welcomed a strong ethanol advocate in Emily Skor at its annual meeting Wednesday afternoon at the Codington County Extension Complex. Skor, the CEO of Washington, D.C.-based ethanol trade association Growth Energy, spent more than 20 minutes touting the benefits of

December 8, 2017 Read Full Article

Big Australia Is Back: Oz’s ARENA, China’s JTL Go Big with a Cellulosic Biofuels Bet

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (T)he Australian Renewable Energy Agency has made its single largest direct investment in second-generation biofuels via $11.9M in funding support for Ethtec to complete the development and demonstration of its advanced biofuel production technology. … But times are changing in Muswellbrook, and accelerated in that respect with news

December 6, 2017 Read Full Article

Major Countries Agree To Develop Sustainable Biofuels Targets And Scale Up Low Carbon Bioeconomy

Countries representing half of the global population and 37% of the global economy today (November 16, 2017) agreed to scale up the low carbon bioeconomy and develop collective targets prescribing the contribution of sustainable bioenergy to final energy demand and as a percentage of transport fuel use. The decision is set

November 30, 2017 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Makers Call on Mexico, India to Reduce Biofuel Glut

by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) U.S. ethanol producers, looking to relieve a growing domestic glut, are hunting for new international fuel markets to replace China and Brazil after trade disputes slashed exports to those top buyers. … Without new markets, U.S. producers may have to pare output after spending hundreds of millions

November 29, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

USGC: Chinese, US Delegations Discuss Fuel Ethanol during Forum

(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Delegates from U.S. and Chinese government agencies, biofuels companies and research institutes discussed fuel ethanol production, use and policy during the recent Sino-U.S. Advanced Biofuels Forum in Arlington, Virginia. The forum follows a September 2017 joint release by the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, the

November 29, 2017 Read Full Article

Japan Will Allow Gas Blends Using U.S. Ethanol

by Ray Grabanski (Progressive Ag/Ag Week) … Japan announced that it will allow gasoline blenders to use ethanol sourced from the U.S. Japan currently allows blending with Brazilian sugar ethanol, but U.S. ethanol is currently 35 percent cheaper than Brazilian sugar ethanol. China had announced last month that it will increase

November 29, 2017 Read Full Article

Lead, Squabble or Waffle Away: Shuffling the Deck on Global Bioenergy

by Gerard Ostheimer and Douglas L. Faulkner (Biofuels Digest) … In the U.S., fighting between Big Ag and Big Oil over first-generation biofuels is slowing the deployment of advanced biofuels projects. This further undercuts the industry in a depressing frittering away of once-bright bipartisan hopes. The resulting withering of investor interest could

November 28, 2017 Read Full Article

Researchers Using Math to Boost Wheat Straw Use for Ethanol

(Associated Press/U.S. News and World Report) Researchers in Kansas and China are using mathematical modeling to improve the process of converting wheat straw into pellets for the production of ethanol. Wheat straw, the plant residue left after wheat harvest, is abundant in Kansas. The straw has low commercial value, but one use

November 27, 2017 Read Full Article

Aircraft Fueled by Waste Cooking Oil Takes off from Beijing

by Zheng Xin and Wang Wen (China Daily) Hainan Airlines Flight 497 took off from Beijing at 2:15 pm Tuesday, headed to Chicago. The aircraft flew with biological aviation fuel that is produced from waste cooking oil, signaling the first China-US flight to use green aviation fuel. The flight on a Boeing

November 22, 2017 Read Full Article

UN Conference Closes with Renewed Urgency for Greater Ambition to Tackle Climate Change

(UN News Centre) … The 19 Member countries of the ‘Biofuture Platform,’ including Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Morocco, Mozambique, also announced on Thursday formal agreement on the development of targets for biofuels and to construct an action plan to achieve them. “Sustainable biofuels can provide solutions to the energy

November 20, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

Better Soil Could Trap as Much Planet-Warming Carbon as Transport Produces: Study

by Thin Lei Win (Reuters) Improving soil health in farmlands could capture extra carbon equivalent to the planet-warming emissions generated by the transport sector, one of the world’s most polluting industries, experts said Tuesday. Soil naturally absorbs carbon from the atmosphere through a process known as sequestration which not only reduce

November 20, 2017 Read Full Article

From Pollution to Products: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech has developed a fully sustainable integrative gas to fuels and chemicals platform that has no impact on food, water security or high biodiversity land use. LanzaTech’s gas fermentation platform disrupts the current highly centralized global energy system by enabling the regional production of low-cost energy

November 16, 2017 Read Full Article

Ethanol Potential in China — Ethanol Policy Changes in China May Bring Opportunities to US Corn

by Lin Tan (DTN The Progressive Farmer) New government policy recently set a target to roll out the use of ethanol in gasoline nationwide in China, according to a plan jointly released by 15 ministries, such as the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration, and the Ministry of

November 13, 2017 Read Full Article

USDA ERS Publishes Report on Ethanol, DDGS Export Opportunities

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In October, the USDA Economic Research Service published a report on global ethanol mandates that outlines the opportunities for exports of U.S. ethanol and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). According to the report, more than two dozen countries currently have ethanol mandates in place,

November 8, 2017 Read Full Article

Clariant Eyes Expansion into China’s Growing Biofuel Market

(Xinhua Net) As China encourages the use of renewable energy for sustainable growth, it is creating a huge biofuel market that Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant does not want to miss out on. The chemical maker is looking for Chinese partners to commercialize its technology called sunliquid, which converts agricultural residue

November 8, 2017 Read Full Article

China’s SDIC to Build 600,000-Tonne Ethanol Plant in Heilongjiang

(Times of India/Reuters) China’s State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC) signed a framework agreement to build a 600,000-tonne ethanol plant in northeastern Heilongjiang province, state media said on Tuesday, as the company pushes to dominate the country’s growing ethanol industry. The 3 billion yuan ($452 million) facility will be built in

November 7, 2017 Read Full Article

Chinese Ethanol Drive to Boost Imports of the Biofuel – and Corn Too

by Mike Verdin (Agrimoney) China’s plans to bump up ethanol consumption will create scope for fresh imports of the biofuel, Archer Daniels Midland said, seeing scope for purchases of US corn too. China’s plans to roll out so-called E10 – a blend of 10% ethanol in gasoline – will see

November 1, 2017 Read Full Article

Now Cars Can Fill up with Biodiesel

by Hu Min (Shanghai Daily) … Now private vehicles are able to run on a mixture of biodiesel fuels following more than 100 buses already on Shanghai roads that are doing so. Two Sinopec gas stations, in Fengxian District and the Pudong New Area, started offering the B5 hybrid fuel to the

October 31, 2017 Read Full Article

Beta Renewables in Cellulosic Ethanol Crisis, as Grupo M&G Parent Files for Restructuring

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Italian newspapers reported over the weekend that cellulosic ethanol developer Mossi & Ghisolfi shuts down this week,” reported a source from Europe. “227 people of whom 121 from the Crescentino ethanol refinery are to stay at home. The Crescentino operation has 60 days to present a

October 31, 2017 Read Full Article

Low Carbon Demand Regears Biodiesel Inputs

by Niamh Boyle (Biodiesel Magazine/Prima Markets) Prima Markets provides a comprehensive summary of the growing international demand for low carbon fuels, including U.S. policy drivers and waste feedstock consumption, along with a detailed overview of the international trade of low carbon feedstock. … Policy changes in the U.S. and Europe are

October 30, 2017 Read Full Article

Governments, International Agencies Affirm the Need to Massively Increase Bioenergy and Byproducts to Fight Climate Change

(BioFuture Platform) According to projections of international energy agencies, the use of bioenergy as a share of the world’s energy usage needs to more than double by 2030 if the world is to avoid temperature rises above 2º C. “We simply have no choice. We have to massively scale up bioenergy,

October 30, 2017 Read Full Article

Biofuel Production Growth Tapering off

(The Philippine Daily Inquirer) Lower energy prices and tempered interest in biofuels have pushed down the growth in the global output of crop-derived fuel, but the Philippines is grouped among countries expected to drive continued expansion. ,,, Most biofuel production is not profitable at current energy and agricultural prices, is

October 30, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

We’ll All Be Relying on Congo to Power Our Electric Cars

by Thomas Wilson (Bloomberg) Congo supplies much of the cobalt needed for electric vehicles Political conflict, disputes, law changes put supply at risk — The cars of the future will depend increasingly upon supplies of an obscure metal from a country in the African tropics where there has never been a peaceful

October 29, 2017 Read Full Article

US Ethanol Is Modern-Day Farm Policy; Future Profitable: Green Plains CEO

(Platts) The US ethanol industry represents a modern-day farm policy as the primary means of creating demand for ever-growing corn supplies, and the industry maintains a profitable outlook, Green Plains CEO Todd Becker said Tuesday. “This is the modern-day farm program,” Becker said in his opening comments at the Kingsman Miami

October 26, 2017 Read Full Article

China Needs Tougher Clean Fuel Targets to Meet Paris Climate Pact -Report

by Muyu Xu and Josephine Mason (Reuters) China will have to launch more ambitious renewable energy and non-fossil fuel targets and ramp up efforts to enforce them to avoid missing global climate accord requirements, two government think tanks said on Monday. China’s capacity for renewable energy, including hydro, wind and solar,

October 17, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

Success in Succinic, Succinctly: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to BioAmber

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioAmber’s Mission? To be a fast growing producer of chemical intermediates that uses sugars instead of fossil fuels and sells competitively priced, sustainable chemicals with strong profit margins and the cleanest environmental footprint in the industry. The latest? “We are pleased to report our second quarter 2017

October 13, 2017 Read Full Article

These Countries Want to Ban Gas and Diesel Cars

by Alanna Petroff (CNN) China, the world’s largest car market, is working on a plan to ban the production and sale of vehicles powered only by fossil fuels. It has plenty of company: India, France, Britain and Norway want to ditch gas and diesel cars in favor of cleaner vehicles. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has

October 13, 2017 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In a recent Washington Post column, George Will bemoaned governments’ announcements to “ban, at an undetermined date, sales of vehicles powered by fossil fuels in their tanks. (Electric vehicles will be powered mostly by fossil-fuel-generated electricity.)” And, “’zero emissions’ (zero from tailpipes, much from smokestacks in an all-electric future).” READ MORE

October 13, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

GM’s Barra Skeptical of Electric Car Mandates

by Keith Laing (Detroit News) General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday that Chinese officials should consider whether there is sufficient demand for electric cars before they move to ban gasoline and diesel engines. Speaking at a conference in Washington honoring her for being named number one on Fortune Magazine’s Most

October 11, 2017 Read Full Article

Bringing Illinois Ethanol Products to the World

by Jill Loehr (Prairie Farmer) Illinois has the third-largest ethanol production capacity in the U.S. Marquis Energy, one of the state’s 13 ethanol plants, contributes 300 million gallons each year. What’s the secret to its success? Proximity to the river, rails and roads. … States like Iowa needed ethanol plants

October 4, 2017 Read Full Article

China Will Not Rely on Corn Imports for Bioethanol Plan

(Xinhua) China’s plan to increase the use of bioethanol gasoline will not have a significant impact on the grain market, and it would be unrealistic for the country to import large amounts of corn for the industry development, a Chinese official said Friday. … “The government plan to increase ethanol fuel

October 2, 2017 Read Full Article