European Union (EU)

Ethanol Blog: Changing Face of US Ethanol Export Markets

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Historically, India and Brazil have been two major export destinations for ethanol produced in the United States. All the while, both India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to produce more ethanol. In India this week, stocks in sugarcane companies spiked in anticipation of

October 20, 2018 Read Full Article

EU to Engage Local Palm Oil Industry Stakeholders in Talks, Plantations Visits

(AFIQ AZIZ/The Malaysian Reserve) The visit is aimed to provide the EU delegations with a clearer and first-hand exposure to all issues concerned in RED — The European Commission will hold a consultation process with Malaysian palm oil industry stakeholders next week. The European Union (EU) Ambassador and head of delegation

October 19, 2018 Read Full Article

European Commission – Fact Sheet: New EU Fuel Marking: Questions and Answers

(European Commission) New EU fuel marking: questions and answers 1. What are the new EU fuel labels and what do they mean? What changes on 12 October? As of 12 October 2018, throughout all 28 European Union member states, the EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), the former Yugoslav Republic

October 15, 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

Energy Industry Urges EU to Update CO2 Standards and Include Biofuels

(NGVA Europe/NGV Journal) In view of the European Parliament plenary vote, the European Biogas Association (EBA), EUROGAS, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) and the Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) have jointly underlined the importance of natural and renewable gas as pragmatic solution to quickly start the decarbonization process and

October 8, 2018 Read Full Article

No Anti-Dumping Measure against Argentine Biodiesel – EU Commission Abandons EU Agriculture

(UFOP (Google translation)) Deeply disappointed and deceived, the European Oilseed Alliance (EOA) sees itself confronted with the completely surprising decision by the European Commission not to introduce retroactive punitive tariffs against the biodiesel quantities imported from Argentina since September 2017 , Last year, the European Commission suddenly stopped collecting anti-dumping duties on

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

EU’s Biofuel Transport Consumption on the Increase

(Biofuels International) Biofuel consumption for transport in the European Union increased by 9.2% between 2016 and 2017, according to new data in EurObserv’ER’s 2018 Biofuels Barometer. Between 2014 and 2016 biofuel usage remained relatively stable in the EU, something EurObserver’ER puts down to ‘a period of uncertainty’ surrounding the future of

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

New EU Fuel Pump Labeling Reflects Biofuel Content

(Biofuels International) This month the European Union will introduce new labelling requirements for newly manufactured vehicles and refuelling stations. The new system will mean consumers will be able to immediately see the biofuel content of the fuel they are purchasing. The labels will be displayed in all public refuelling stations on

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Everything You Need to Know about Wednesday’s Cars CO2 Vote

by Greg Archer (Transport & Environment/EurActiv) While most of the political attention is – rightly – focused on the headline target for CO2 reduction, the discussion on car emissions has also much more to it, writes Greg Archer. … The main fight is over the target for 2030 where the Commission proposed a miserly 30% cut

October 1, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Won’t Impose Immediate Tariffs on Cheap Argentine Biodiesel

by Sybille de La Hamaide (Reuters) The European Commission has decided not to impose provisional import tariffs on a flood of low-priced Argentine biodiesel until it gathers more information, although it considers the fuel to be subsidized and a potential threat to local producers. The decision, detailed in a document seen by

October 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Determining the Renewability of Co-Processed Fuels

(UFOP/ECOFYS) To report the biofuel content (i.e. the renewable share) of the outputs when biogenic and fossil components are coprocessed, a robust, consistent and transparent methodology is needed. There are several processes for which such a methodology could be relevant. For example, facilities where biomass and fossil inputs are co-processed, or

September 25, 2018 Read Full Article

UFOP Position Paper Says Time Is Now for Biofuels

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, UFOP published a position paper intended to appeal to decision-makers in politics, business and science on why biofuels can and should play a role in climate protection goals, especially with discussion about food vs. fuel and iLUC capping limits for conventional biofuels. “With regard to

September 25, 2018 Read Full Article

IVECO Displays 100% Diesel Free and Clean Fuel Vehicle Stand at IAA 2018

(IVECO/NGV Journal) … In addition, natural gas offers the possibility for a seamless transition to biomethane and renewable energy, achieving zero emissions and opening the door to a circular economy approach that can go so far as achieving negative emissions and carbon sequestration.” … Through its display and workshops, IVECO is

September 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Indonesia Halts All New Palm Oil Plantations for 3 Years

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … The battle continues between the European Union and its anti-palm oil stance due to deforestation and environmental issues, and Indonesia, the leading palm oil producing country whose farmers and businesses rely heavily on palm oil. With Indonesia fighting hard to keep palm oil shipments going

September 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Airlines and NGOs Spell out Differing Positions over CORSIA Implementation and the Future of the Aviation EU ETS

(GreenAir Online) International airline associations have written a joint open letter to the European Commission urging it to ensure the ICAO proposed rules governing the CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme are adopted uniformly and in their entirety throughout Europe. They also call for the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements of the

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

PROPOSALS WANTED: Electrical Storage Start-ups

(EIT InnoEnergy) Got a brilliant innovation idea in the electrical storage area, and want to take it to market or scale-up? You could win €100,000 as well as investment and business support to grow your business from the world’s biggest sustainable player backed by a trusted ecosystem. Your idea should

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant Biotechnology

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s Group Biotechnology — responsible for the Technology Platform Biotechnology — develops tailor-made biotechnological processes for the economic and sustainable production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. It focuses on bio-catalysis and bio-refining. Innovative technologies for the sustainable conversion of renewable feedstocks into biofuels and bio-based chemicals through energy-efficient

September 18, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Airlines 4 America and Sustainable Aviation Fuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Annually, commercial aviation helps drive nearly $1.5 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 10 million U.S. jobs. Airlines for America (A4A) vigorously advocates on behalf of the American airline industry as a model of safety, customer service and environmental responsibility and as the

September 13, 2018 Read Full Article

United States Biochar Initiative 2018 Conference: “The Carbon Link in Watershed Ecosystem Services” Stories from Stockholm to Virginia

by Bill Keba* (Advanced Biofuels USA) My wife checked my fishing gear upon learning that I was attending the Biochar 2018 Conference in Wilmington, Delaware. Why? She thought I made up “biochar” and the conference as a way escape to a few days of fishing on and off Cape Henlopen,

September 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Operating Performance of a Tractor Engine of Emissions Standard EU IV in Biodiesel Operation

by Thomas Sadlowski, Volker Wichmann, Bert Buchholz and Markus Winkler (ATZ OffHighway) The use of pure biofuels in agricultural machinery offers the opportunity to reduce the use of fossil fuels. These engines are largely fuelled by self-consumption gas stations. Based on the introduction of new emission standards at the beginning of the decade it was determined that

September 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Biogas Projects Popping up Everywhere – Are They the Magical Solution We’ve Been Looking for?

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Like a beautiful unicorn flying in the sky, biogas production is taking off in Denmark, accounting for almost 19% of the gas used in Denmark this July – an impressive 50% increase from last year! The Danish state company Energinet, which owns and runs the

September 10, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Guide to Italy in the Advanced Bioeconomy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Groups like Eni, Wilmar, Novamont, Reverdia, Blue Sphere, or the many consortia? The key takeaways; the mandates and national targets; the key producers; process technology R&D; feedstock & supply chain development. All in one concise guide. Mandates and national consumption Key takeaway: Italy is part of

September 6, 2018 Read Full Article

A Reality Check on Clean Mobility

by Emmanuel Desplechin (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Two new studies offer a timely reality check on what kind of cars are likely to be on Europe’s roads between now and 2050—and what will be needed to decarbonize them. The message from the research is clear: With a high percentage of cars

September 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Indonesia Sets Palm Biofuel Plant Condition for Jet Purchases from U.S., France – Minister

by Bernadette Christina Munthe, Jamie Freed, Cindy Silviana and Fransiska Nangoy (Reuters/EuroNews) Indonesia has asked for its companies to be allowed to build palm oil jet fuel plants in the United States and France as a condition for its airlines to buy Boeing Co <BA.N> and Airbus SE <AIR.PA> planes, its trade

September 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Abengoa, Alcogroup Face Charges of Ethanol Benchmark Rigging: Sources

by Foo Yun Chee (Reuters) Spanish ethanol producer Abengoa and Belgium peer Alcogroup have been charged by European Union antitrust regulators with rigging ethanol benchmarks and are likely to face fines next year, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The move by the European Commission followed a near three-year

August 30, 2018 Read Full Article

27 Technologies to Produce Lower Carbon Fuels from “Second Chance Carbon” — and Its Practicioners. Who’s Doing What, Where, When, Why and How?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, perhaps the most comprehensive and useful guide to fuels and chemicals produced from “Recycled carbon fuels”, such as those produced from waste plastics or waste industrial gases, appeared from the gurus at E4Tech. And, there’s the world of alternative fuels and chemicals produced from

August 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Finnair Study Finds Travelling Public Would Pay Extra to Reduce Environmental Impact of Flights

(GreenAir Online) According to a consumer research study by Finnair, almost all Finns – 94% – want to reduce the emissions from their air travel and three-quarters are willing to pay extra as part of the ticket price, but want the charge to be used directly for environmental purposes. Respondents supported

August 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Extending Palm Oil Production in Africa Threatens Primate Conservation

(EU Science Hub: The European Commission’s science and knowledge service) Future expansion of the palm oil industry could have a dramatic impact on African primates, according to the findings of a new study led by the JRC. The study has been published today (August 14, 2018) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

August 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Fly Green: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to SkyNRG

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) SkyNRG is the global market leader for sustainable jet fuel, supplying more than 20 carriers across 5 continents in the world. SkyNRG’s sustainable jet fuel can offer CO2 emission reductions up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel. SkyNRG’s Oskar Meijerink gave this illuminating overview of

August 16, 2018 Read Full Article

Canola Council Secures Continued Access to European Union Biofuel Market

(Canola Council of Canada) Today (December 19, 2017) the European Commission published an implementing decision that will allow Canadian canola continued access to the EU biodiesel market. The decision affirms the greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved when Canadian canola is used to make biodiesel according to a detailed life cycle methodology that

August 15, 2018 Read Full Article

How the Global Heatwave Is Harming Agriculture Today and Creating Problems for the Bio-Economy Tomorrow.

by Tom Joslin (Bio-Based World News) … Few of you will have escaped the heatwave that seems to have enveloped most of the northern hemisphere. Soaring temperatures exceeding 46°C have been recorded in Alvega, Portugal, while seventeen of eighteen of the countries regions experienced temperatures above 45°C. This follows recent headlines reporting

August 10, 2018 Read Full Article

European Drought Increases Ethanol Feedstock Costs but Also Boosts Dried Distillers Grains Prices

by Chrysa Glystra (S&P Global Platts) The hot and dry weather that has swept across Northwest Europe over the summer months has seen grains prices skyrocket but has also increased demand for animal feed, including dried distillers grains, a by-product of ethanol production. This has considerably increased feedstock costs for European ethanol

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

Working Paper: “Gaps and Research Demand for Sustainability Certification and Standardization in a Sustainable Bio-Based Economy in the EU”

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants) The English-language working paper analyzes the current state of sustainability certification and standardization in the bio-based economy with the help of a comprehensive secondary analysis supplemented by a series of expert interviews. The analysis represents an impressive number of existing certification frameworks, criteria,

August 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Catalysts for Better Biofuel Production

(CORDIS/Phys.Org) … The EU-funded FASTCARD project used two different routes to meet European commitments to the production of advanced biofuels. The first involved the ‘liquefaction’ of biomass and is the closest to competing economically with fossil fuels, while the second employed gasification of biomass, which can be economically challenging over the short-term. “The

August 8, 2018 Read Full Article

When Markets Misbehave, Send the Marines! (World Governments Get a Case of Bioeconomy Interventionitis)

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The European Court of Justice has ruled that organisms altered via genome editing are GMOs and subject to GMO regulation in Europe, including warning labels for foods. And in the US, President Trump announced $12 billion in relief for farmers impacted by the Administration’s trade policies

August 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Plastics Proliferation Transitioning to Bioplastics Boost

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) IHS Markit published a plastics report saying that the market value for biodegradable polymers exceeds $1 billion and will rise sharply by 2023 thanks to increased plastic regulations and bans in Western Europe. But it’s not just Europe that we are seeing bans on plastic. Multinational companies like

August 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Renewable Carbon is Key to a Sustainable and Future-Oriented Chemical Industry

(nova-Institute) The equivalent to decarbonisation in the energy sector is a transition to carbon from renewable sources in the chemical and plastics industries. The nova-Institute published a position paper on the future of chemistry. The chemical industry may only develop into a sustainable sector once it bids farewell to fossil

August 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel Mandates in the EU by Member State in 2018

by Sabine Lieberz (US Department of Agriculture) This report provides an overview on the biofuel use mandates in the various EU-28 member states. It supplements the EU-28 Biofuel Annual Report. The 2009 EU Energy and Climate Change Package set out a 10 percent minimum target for renewable energy consumed by the

August 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Map of over 500 European Biomethane Facilities

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) The European Biogas Association (EBA) and Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) have collaborated on a comprehensive map of all known biomethane installations currently running in Europe. ‘European Biomethane Map 2018’ lists over 500 units on the continent, and according to its creators is the first of its kind. It’s been

August 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Repsol Is Developing Technology to Produce Renewable Hydrogen

(Enagás/Repsol/NGV Journal) Repsol and Enagás have signed an agreement to continue developing technology that allows for the production of renewable hydrogen. This technology, which was originally developed by Repsol, will drive progress toward a medium-term objective for both companies: incorporating the gas obtained through this new low-carbon process into their respective

August 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Carbon Capture, Solar Fuels, Fossil Bubble

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Spain, BIOCON-CO2, a new €7 million EU Horizon 2020-funded research project, has recently kicked-off with intentions of supporting EU leadership in carbon dioxide (CO2) re-use technologies. BIOCON-CO2 aims to re-use excess CO2 produced from the iron, steel, cement and electric power industries to create value-added chemicals and

August 1, 2018 Read Full Article

PCA, Stakeholders Push for Enforcement of 5% Bio-Diesel Blend

(GMA News Online) To arrest the detrimental affects of plunging price of copra, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and industry stakeholders are urging the government for the immediate implementation of the Biofuels Act of 2006 or Republic Act No. 9367. The RA 9367 mandates that all fuels sold in the domestic

July 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Croatia Approves 0.1% Advanced Biofuels Mandate

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Croatia, not to be left behind as the European Union moves towards advanced biofuel consumption, the government has approved a 0.1% blending mandate for second generation fuels but it could be shifted higher in 2019 depending on availability of supplies. The government also implemented the 7%

July 20, 2018 Read Full Article

ADVANCEFUEL at EU Sustainable Energy Week

(ADVANCEFUEL) The ADVANCEFUEL project was represented at the EU Sustainable Energy Week, with a stall in its Networking Village on 6 June in Brussels. The stall was hsoted by Ayla Uslu (ECN) and Ric Hoefnagels (Utrecht University), with support from Greenovate! Europe. The event gave ADVANCEFUEL partners to meet interesting stakeholders and

July 18, 2018 Read Full Article

SET-Plan Steering Group Approved Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Action 8: Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport

(European Technology and Innovation Platform-Bioenergy) On 13 June 2018 the SET-Plan Steering Group approved the Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Action 8: Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport. The plan was prepared by a working group, co chaired by industrial experts from ETIP Bioenergy, over 9 months. It details the European

July 18, 2018 Read Full Article

One Day at the World’s Leading Biomass Technology Conference, EUBCE 2018

by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Renaissance-era facades capped with green copper patina and orange clay shingles harmonize seamlessly with imaginative, hallmark-of-Scandinavia, hyper-modern structures in downtown Copenhagen. The city provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2018), where European and international companies and organizations promoted

July 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Air Pollution: Agriculture and Transport Emissions Continue to Pose Problems in Meeting Agreed Limits

(European Environment Agency) Emissions from agriculture and transport continue to pose problems for European Union Member States in meeting EU and United Nations air pollution limits, according to updated data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today. While emissions of most air pollutants remain on a downward trend, ammonia emissions

July 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Advanced Biofuels Are Key to Decarbonising Transportation

by Markus Rarbach (Clariant/EurActiv) The recent agreements on the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) are setting the tone for creating a stable and predictable business environment that will trigger the development of and investment in advanced biofuel production within the EU. — The transport sector has one of the highest growth rates

July 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Agroindustry Argentine Biodiesel Emits 70% Less GHG

(Clarin Rural (Google Translation)) By a calculation of the INTA and the Argentina Chamber of Biofuels (Carbio), Argentina can certify that almost 100% of the biofuel exported to the European Union is sustainable — …And the certification of environmental sustainability is one of the main requirements imposed for the trade of

July 17, 2018 Read Full Article

MaREI Secure €4.4 Million to Support Ireland’s Indigenous Biomass and Bioenergy Industry

(Science Foundation Ireland) … The Spoke research teams will collaborate in developing technologies capable of converting a wide variety of residues and by-products to homogenous energy carriers and optimising performance of internal combustion engines using advanced fuels including biofuel blends. The Spoke work programme will complement existing MaREI activities in the

July 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Teresa Kok’s Palm Oil Challenges

by Tan Xue Ying (The Edge) With numerous challenges dominating Malaysia’s palm oil industry, all eyes are on Teresa Kok as she officially begins as the minister of primary industries. … Other markets that the Malaysian palm oil industry could look at is the downstream sector and greater adoption of biodiesel. “The

July 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Potential of Biodiesel in the Commercial Vehicles Sector Revealed

(Biofuels International) A recent survey among vehicle manufacturers shows that the widespread use of biodiesel in the commercial vehicle sector is ‘technically possible’, according to the Association Quality Management Biodiesel (AGQM). AGQM, along with the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) and the Association of the German

July 10, 2018 Read Full Article

RED Alert — Canadian Biofuel Lobbying Intensifies

(Politico Brussels Influence) Canadian company Agrisoma Biosiences Inc. is pushing to get “Carinata,” its second generation biofuel, subsidized by the EU and placed on the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) list. The proposal passed the first hearing in the Parliament and is making its rounds in the Commission and the Council,

July 10, 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

EU Biofuels Effort Kicks off in Örnsköldsvik

(SEKAB/MyNewsDesk) Representatives from eleven European companies and universities gathered yesterday in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik, to kick-start the EU-funded project Rewofuel. The long-term aim is to lay the groundwork for many new biorefineries across Europe, using wood residues from the forest industry to produce biofuels. Yesterday, Swedish clean-tech company SEKAB

June 28, 2018 Read Full Article

European Ethanol Sets New High Level for Greenhouse Gas Savings

(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 70 percent greenhouse-gas savings compared to fossil fuels in 2017, according to new certified data from European ethanol producers. The number represents the latest of a string of annual increases in the climate-change-fighting potential of European ethanol, which has

June 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Sustainable Aviation Fuels Incentive under New EU Renewable Energy Directive Not Enough, Says IATA

(GreenAir Online) The EU Council, European Parliament and European Commission have agreed a new post-2020 regulatory framework that includes an EU-wide binding renewable energy target for 2030 of 32% with a 14% for transport energy. The current Renewable Energy Directive (RED I) sets a 2020 target for 20% consumption but more

June 25, 2018 Read Full Article

The Role of Advanced Biofuels in the Energy Transition

(ADVANCEFUEL) Interview with Kristin Sternberg and Birger Kerckow, Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) How has the bioenergy sector – particularly in transport – developed over the past decade? The share of energy from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption has almost doubled in the last years, from around 8.5% in

June 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Small Cut in EU’s Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2016 but Transport Emissions Keep Increasing

(European Environment Agency) Total greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) decreased by 0.4 % in 2016, according to latest official data published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Using less coal to produce heat and electricity was enough to make a slight cut in total emissions despite an

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Reaches Deal on REDII, Sets New Goals for Renewables

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On June 14, negotiators from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a deal on a revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) that sets new targets for renewables. Information released by the European Parliament notes that the provisional agreement calls for energy from

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

MPOC Elated on EU Palm Biofuel Ban

(Borneo Post) The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) is elated on the latest development in the European Union (EU) which deferred the proposed total ban on palm biofuel to 2030 from the earlier date of 2021. Chief executive officer Datuk Dr Kalyana Sundram said on June 14, 2018, the EU trilogue

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Czech Company to Produce Biofuels from Waste Cooking Oil

by Ruth Fraňková (Radio Praha) The Czech company Chemoprojekt, based in Ústí nad Labem in north Bohemia, is set to launch production of biodiesel made from waste frying oil, the daily Hospodářské noviny reported on Tuesday. It will be the first company in the country to introduce production of so-called second-generation

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Ethanol Delivers over 70% GHG Savings on Average: ePure

by Chrysa Glystra (Platts) European ethanol delivered an average of more than 70% greenhouse gas savings compared with fossil fuels in 2017, according to new data from European ethanol producers, the European renewable ethanol association, ePure, said Wednesday. This has been certified by auditing firm Copartner. “For the sixth year in a

June 20, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Recognises Importance of Crop-Based Ethanol to Achieving Climate Goals

(ePURE/EurActiv) RED II agreement by negotiators is a step in the right direction, allowing Member States to use sustainable biofuels in fighting climate change — Negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission agreed early Thursday morning on a new target for renewables in transport – a deal that clearly recognises the

June 15, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Farmers Boss: DG Agri ‘Not Properly Consulted’ in Biofuels Talks

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) EU farmers are “quite worried” about the fact that the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG Agri) is often disregarded when it comes to policy decisions that have a direct impact on the farming community, such as the biofuels debate. “We are quite worried

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

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

Palm Oil to Be Phased out as Biodiesel Feedstock?

by Cheryl Kalisch Gordon (Rabobank/The Land) A proposal to alter the EU’s overarching renewable energy policy has been announced, which would phase-out palm oil as a biodiesel feedstock by 2021, due to production sustainability concerns. … Malaysia and Indonesia, which account for 90 per cent of global palm oil supply and sell

June 5, 2018 Read Full Article

The Carbon Rescuers: 20 Top Waste Projects and Breakthroughs that Capture Used Carbon from the Waste Pile for New Uses

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for the project owners in question, it’s good for every stakeholder

June 5, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

EU Biofuel Regulation Is Not Sustainable Long-Term

(EurekAlert!/Lund University) The EU biofuel regulation does not guarantee a reduced climate impact – nor does it address the core issue of substantially reducing transport emissions, according to a new doctoral thesis from Lund University in Sweden. “On a smaller scale, biofuels can be a good alternative for public transport, but

May 31, 2018 Read Full Article

RED II: Time’s Running out to Save European Biofuels

(European Oilseed Alliance/EurActiv) As the discussions between the European Parliament and the Council continue on the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), the European Oilseed Alliance (EOA) calls on policymakers to support European rapeseed producers and acknowledge the role of the EU biofuels sector in the decarbonisation of road

May 30, 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

One Commercial, Two Commercial, Three Commercial, Four: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant’s Sunliquid Cellulosic Ethanol Technology

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s sunliquid technology for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, followed by fermentation to cellulosic ethanol, is flexible to be used to convert different feedstocks on a regional basis, for example corn stover in North America, bagasse in South America or wheat straw in Europe

May 24, 2018 Read Full Article

INSIGHT: Standoff between Oil and UK Government Main Obstacle to E10

by Clare Pennington and Samantha Wright (ICIS News) The UK government and the country’s transport fuel suppliers have been entrenched in a disagreement over whether biofuel E10 will be mandated by the government or introduced by suppliers at petrol stations, delaying its introduction for years, according to the biofuel’s supporters. “The government has

May 23, 2018 Read Full Article

SEKAB Receives Major EU Funding to Demonstrate the Production of Isobutene-Derived Gasoline and Jetfuel from Wood

(SEKAB) European financing package amounting to €13.9 million, of which €4.2 million for SEKAB E-Technology AB. Industry consortium led by Global Bioenergies and bringing together SEKAB E-Technology, Graanul Invest, Neste Engineering Solutions, Repsol, PEAB, SkyNRG, Ajinomoto Eurolysine, IPSB, TechnipFMC and Linz University. Aim at converting softwood residues into isobutene derivatives for

May 22, 2018 Read Full Article

EIB Launches Financing Initiative for Bioeconomy, Agriculture

(European Investment Bank/Biomass Magazine) The European Investment Bank, the EU bank, announced the launch of a new financing initiative April 16 that aims to unlock close to EUR 1 billion of investment in the agriculture and bioeconomy sector. Bioeconomy encompasses the value chains of production and the processing of food, material

May 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Looking Back on Platts 7th Annual Geneva Biofuels Conference

(Biofuels International) Struggles and triumphs of the biofuels industry were brought into sharp focus at the Platts 7th Annual Biofuels Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. With speakers from across the biofuels sector, the event at the Grand Hotel Kempinski covered the latest policy updates and struggles facing the industry. Pharoah Le Feuvre, energy

May 17, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Aviation Fuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) SAF development in Europe. An update on EU policy and initiatives by SkyNRG’s Oskar Meijerink at ABLC in Washington, DC on March 1, 2018. READ MORE

May 17, 2018 Read Full Article

This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land: European Biofuels and the Debate over the ‘Agreeable Corridor’

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) As Europe’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) plans are set into motion, disagreements about how biofuels are treated in the newly proposed legislation have sparked concerns that Paris’ target of holding global warming below two degrees (2DS) won’t be achieved. Curious to get an

May 16, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Biofuels in the Renewable Energy Directive: The Last Call

by Géraldine Kutas (The Parliament Magazine/Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA)) Ahead of this week’s RED II negotiations, Géraldine Kutas explains where policymakers are getting it wrong on biofuels – and how they can fix their mistakes before it’s too late. — … Parliament and Council have included a renewables target for transport.

May 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Drop-in Fuels and Biomaterials: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Global Bioenergies

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies is a pioneer in the development of one-step fermentation processes for the direct and cost-efficient transformation of renewable resources into light olefin hydrocarbons, the key building blocks of the petrochemical industry. Since inception, the company focused its efforts on the production of isobutene, one

May 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Global Bioenergies and an Industrial Consortium Including Sekab, Neste Engineering Solutions, Repsol and SkyNRG Receive Major EU Funding to Demonstrate the Production of Isobutene-Derived Gasoline and Jetfuel from Wood

(Global Bioenergies) European grant amounting to €13.9 million, of which €5.7 million for Global Bioenergies Industry consortium led by Global Bioenergies and bringing together Sekab, Graanul Invest, Neste Engineering Solutions, Repsol, Peab Asfalt, SkyNRG, Ajinomoto Eurolysine, IPSB, TechnipFMC and Linz University Aim at converting softwood residues into isobutene derivatives for use in gasoline

May 14, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Low Carbon Fuels Conference Week, Part 2: Driving Capability with Flexibility

By Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Part one of this article addressed the first two consensuses emerging from international biofuels research and business initiatives discussed in Brussels April 10-12, 2018: first, that bioenergy must be massively scaled up, according to every climate-economic modeling effort, in order to reach the Paris

May 11, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

NGOs Tell Commission to Listen to Science and Differentiate Biofuels

by Claire Stam (EurActiv) A coalition of Czech and Slovak NGOs has called on the European Commission to draw a line in the Renewable Energy Directive revision (RED II) between more sustainable ethanol and the high greenhouse gas emitting tropical oils. They also said that not all types of advanced biofuels should be accepted

May 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Research and Innovation Perspective of the Mid-and Long-Term Potential for Advanced Biofuels in Europe

(EU Publications) Research and Innovation (R&I) plays a central role in developing advanced biofuels technologies to help achieve the EU’s climate and energy targets. This study examines the R&I potential for feedstock production, advanced biofuels production, and use of advanced biofuels. The study quantifies R&I potential under future scenarios where EU

May 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Bioenergy (Biofuels/Biomass) Low-Carbon Biofuels, Bioproducts Crucial to Two Degree Scenario

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In April, the European Commission, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), below50, the Biofuture Platform, and the ART Fuels Forum formally expressed the sense that low-carbon fuels will be required as part of capping global warming at two degrees Celsius. The message was delivered

May 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Drills and Pipelines May Pollute Our Climate but Words Will Break or Make Us

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Carbon is the backbone of the fossil-based economy and feedstock to a bio-based economy. However, how exactly this carbon is handled continues to divide people regarding what the development of a bio-based economy is actually trying to accomplish. On one side there is a

May 3, 2018 Read Full Article

To Meet Emission Reductions Objectives in Transport, Sustainable Renewable Fuels Are an Important Part of the Solution

(Methanol Institute/EIN Presswire) The Methanol Institute (MI), the trade association representing the global methanol industry this week released a paper providing input for the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) trilogue procedure currently underway between the European Council, Parliament and Commission. The Methanol Institute appeals to the negotiating parties to continue to

May 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Ireland Increases Crop-Based Biofuel Transport Share, Provides ‘Business Certainty’

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) Ireland’s environment ministry has decided to increase the crop-based biofuel share in transport to 10% from the existing 8% and draw a 2030 plan aiming to provide long-term business certainty in the field. Irish Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten published a draft order,

April 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders Sue State over Subsidy to Biofuel Producers

(South Africa Today/Mongabay) -A union of palm oil smallholders is challenging the allocation of a billion-dollar fund that they say fails to help them rejuvenate their low-yielding oil palms and instead unfairly subsidizes large biofuel producers. -Only 1 percent of the fund went to the smallholder replanting program last year,

April 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Air Canada, Red Rock and SkyNRG Move forward on biofuel Initiatives While Air New Zealand Takes Longer View

(GreenAir Online) … Canada’s Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI) is a three-year project between 14 stakeholder organisations, including Air Canada, which are working to enable a biojet supply chain in the country, with testing the feasibility of co-mingling biojet with an airport’s main fuel system an important component. Primary funding for the

April 27, 2018 Read Full Article

UK Prioritizing Waste-Based Biofuels, but RTFO Revisions Possible: Official

by Chrysa Glystra (Platts) The UK wants to push the country’s transition to waste-based biofuels, but some revisions are possible depending on how the market responds to the new increased Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, Rachel Solomon Williams, the head of Low Carbon Fuels at the Department of Transport, said Thursday. … The

April 27, 2018 Read Full Article

As Petroleum Prices, Demand Soars, US, EU Dither on Biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … US gasoline prices are at a three-year high, says CNBC. This time, the response has been to dither on biofuels and to point to reasonably dismal sales of EVs as evidence that an electrics solution is on the horizon. In Texas, IHS Markit reports that current global total

April 26, 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

Is the EU Killing the Magic Plant? The Emerging International Consensus on Low Carbon Fuels Takes Center Stage in (Spite of) Brussels

by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) At one of a series of bioenergy conferences in Brussels, April 10-12, 2018, some combination of hearty guffaws, inward chuckles and solemn nods greeted the predictable but well-delivered punchline from Miguel Ivan Lacerda de Oliveiras of the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy. “Do

April 25, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

EPA Announces Biomass from Managed Forests Will Be Considered Carbon Neutral

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Georgia, in a meeting with members of the forestry community, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency announced the Agency issued a statement of policy making clear, that future regulatory actions on biomass from managed forests will be treated as carbon neutral when used for energy production

April 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Europe’s Renewables ‘Multipliers’ Only Subtract

by Emmanuel Desplechin (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … They rely on “multipliers” that artificially inflate the contribution of certain renewables, while doing nothing to help the climate. Double counting electrified rail transport or certain waste-based fuels are good examples. These “virtual renewables” allow countries to create the illusion of progress. But make no

April 23, 2018 Read Full Article

BBI JU Announces a further € 115 Million of Funding to Boost the Development of EU’s Bio-Based Industries Sector DEADLINE: September 6, 2018

(BBI-Europe) The BBI JU is the largest and most ambitious initiative ever launched in the EU to develop competitive and sustainable bio-based industries. The ambition that drove its creation was to bring about the systemic change needed to develop a European bio-based industry allowing investments to remain in Europe. Thereby, BBI

April 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Messages from Brussels: More Biofuels for Transport Are Badly Needed and Can Be Produced Sustainably

(BioFuture Platform) Several international initiatives and organizations met in Brussels to discuss the need and the ways to scale up low carbon fuels in transport. The international conference, titled “The role of low carbon fuels in decarbonising transport: the emerging consensus from international initiatives”, was a collaboration between the Biofuture Platform, the

April 18, 2018 Read Full Article

EIB’s Agriculture and Bioeconomy Programme Loan under Juncker Plan Will Support Close to EUR 1bn of Private Investment across Europe

(European Investment Bank) New financing initiative targets investments by private cooperatives and companies in the agriculture and bioeconomy sector; The EIB financing will amount to EUR 400m and is expected to back close to EUR 1bn of investment across Europe; Agreement is guaranteed by the Juncker Plan’s European Fund for Strategic Investments The

April 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Why We Need Ecological Biofuels

by Paloma López Bermejo (The Parliament Magazine) We must establish concrete criteria for determining how sustainable growing, manufacturing, transporting and marketing biofuels is, says Paloma López Bermejo. — … Simply distinguishing between biomass, biofuels or bioliquids – as is currently the case – is not enough. We must establish concrete criteria

April 17, 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

Biodiesel Dumping Controversy Pushes German Producer to Cut Production

(Biofuels International) German renewable fuel producer Natural Energy West is to reduce its biodiesel output by 50%. According to Reuters, the company is making the cuts in response to surging biodiesel imports from Indonesia and Argentina to the EU. Reuters reports that the company will cut output ‘immediately and for an indefinite period’. Natural

April 12, 2018 Read Full Article

A New Tailor-Made Approach to Biofuels

(Phys.Org/CORDIS) … Some microbes have natural structures called cellulosomes that contain cellulases, enzymes that break down cellulose efficiently into sugars. The EU-funded CELLULOSOMEPLUS project developed designer cellulosomes (DCs) to achieve high yields of fermentable sugars from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) to create advanced biofuels at a low process cost.

April 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Vivergo Fuels £350m Saltend Biofuel Plant in Hull Restarts after Four-Month Shut Down

by Henry Saker-Clark (Hull Daily Mail) Vivergo Fuels stopped production in November putting 150 jobs at risk — A £350m Hull-based biofuel facility has restarted production after a four month shutdown, but warns that government action is still needed to secure its future. In November, the Vivergo Fuels plant at Saltend stopped

April 11, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Needs to Rethink, Set Goals to Reduce Palm Oil in Biodiesel

by Sudheer Mopperthy (Asian Age) The EU adopted this new fuel with rigour and pledged that by 2020, 10 per cent of all transport fuels in EU nations would be biodiesel. … The EU’s palm oil ban will effectively push three million small hold farmers into poverty and generate a disastrous ripple

April 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Talking Carbon: Europe’s Prejudice towards Carbon Capture Utilization (CCU) Technology

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) With over 260 million cars on the road in Europe, industry leaders and governmental representatives alike are putting the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) under fire for its lack of clarity surrounding its impact on defossilizing the transportation sector. Carbon Capture and Utilization Included

April 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Proteins and Renewable Energy: One and the Same Challenge

(Farm Europe) Despite 30 years of efforts and no less than 5 “protein plans”, the European Union still suffers from a considerable chronic deficit in plant proteins: more than 30 million tonnes of soybean crops were imported during 2016-17. This figure comes under the spotlight in the analysis presented today, with a report

April 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Presentations Published for EU-India Conference on Advanced Biofuels

(European Commission) This event, jointly organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy and India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, aimed to facilitate the deployment of advanced renewable fuels in the EU and India. It will primarily be aimed at technology developers, industry representatives and investors in value chains

April 2, 2018 Read Full Article

CO2 Use Is Slowly Picking up Speed

(Bio-based News/nova-Institut) First semi-commercial facilities, technical advances, but political support still unclear — 6th Conference on Carbon Dioxides as Feedstock for Fuels, Chemistry and Polymers in Cologne, 15-16 March, showed state of the art technologies, current levels of investment as well as stimulated discussions on the right implementation strategy. With almost 170

April 2, 2018 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-ADM to Suspend Biodiesel Output at German Plant

by Michael Hogan (Reuters) U.S. agribusiness group Archer Daniels Midland Co will suspend production at a major biodiesel plant in Germany because of increasing cheap imports of the renewable fuel into the European Union, it said on Friday. The standstill is expected to last at least for the duration of the second

March 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Europe’s Ethanol CEOs Besieged by RED II and Illusory Truths

by James Cogan (Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd/Biofuels Digest) The CEOs of Europe’s big ethanol firms (Tereos, Cristal Union, Alco Group, Crop Energies) are under seige. They are battling imported and sometimes fake used cooking oil, not-yet-viable advanced fuels, palm oil diesel, imports from countries which didn’t even sign the Paris Agreement and

March 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Sustainability Is All the Rage but Financing of Extreme Fossil Fuels Is on the Rise

by Eshe Nelson (Quartz Media) … Last year, when economic losses from natural and man-made disasters exceeded $300 billion, big banks across the globe increased their financing of “extreme” fossil-fuels activities by 11% to $115 billion, according to a new report by a collection of environmental pressure groups. The report, called Banking on

March 30, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

JRC Released New Certified Reference Materials for Automotive Diesel Fuel Testing

(EU Science Hub) The JRC released two new Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for automotive diesel fuel containing 7 % biodiesel, so-called ‘diesel (B7)’. These CRMs will support fuel producers and fuel testing laboratories in assuring the quality of their measurements, thus improving trust in the regulatory compliance of this product on the

March 23, 2018 Read Full Article

RED II – Europe’s €25 Billion Blunder

by Dick Roche (EURACTIV) … Investments worth billions have already been written off as a result of EU U-turns on biofuels. The half-billion Euro Vivergo plant, at one point the largest industrial project in England, is a monument to confused biofuel policy. Turning to the investment needed to realise the Commission’s

March 21, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Scraps Duty on Most Argentina, Indonesia Biodiesel: Document

Philip Blenkinsop (Reuters) The European Union has removed duties on biodiesel imports for 13 Argentine and Indonesian producers following the end of legal proceedings at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), an EU document shows. The bloc set anti-dumping duties on imports of the renewable fuel from the two countries in

March 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Questions Raised over EU’s Proposed Advanced Biofuels List

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) Not all second-generation biofuels listed by the European Commission are sustainable, critics warn, urging policymakers to use the indirect land use change (ILUC) factor to “clean up” the list. The Commission’s proposed revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) includes a list of second-generation biofuels that

March 20, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Biofuel Policy Requires Reliable Framework Conditions — UFOP and FOP Appeal to Council, Parliament and Commission

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP)) The trialogue procedure for redrafting the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) began in late February 2018. Against this backdrop, the German Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP – Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants) and

March 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Defence Ministry Upholds ‘Palm Oil First Call’ in Proposed Jet Buy Deals with France

by Sangeetha Amarthalingam (The Edge Markets) The proposed palm biodiesel ban by the European Union (EU) parliament has bearings on negotiations on Malaysia’s plan to buy multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) from Europe. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein indicated a bilateral relationship involved all aspects and that it cannot be detached

March 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Report on 8th ISCC Global Sustainability Conference; Presentations Published

(International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Tuesday 20 February 2018, Brussels, Belgium high profile speakers discussed on the latest updates on a broad range of topics: The future of bioenergy discussed by the European Commission and Member States RED II negotiations Implementation of policies on advanced biofuels and waste/residues in Member States

March 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Praj in Advanced Stage of Discussion to Set up Two 2nd Gen Ethanol Plants in EU

by Jayashree Bhosale (Economic Times) Pune-based PrajBSE -3.22 % Industries is in advanced stage of discussion to set up second generation ethanol plants in two counties of the European Union. Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman of Praj commented at the occasion, “We are in the advanced stage of discussion with two interested

March 9, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Status of Advanced Biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are over 2,000 biomass to fuel facilities representing 1,461 companies in 90 countries. According to subject matter expert and long-time Digesterati Lorenz Bauer, “first-generation biofuels will continue to dominate the market but will lose market share. At the same time, advanced biofuel capacity is expected

March 8, 2018 Read Full Article

EU-Wide Taxes on Jet Fuel and Plane Tickets Could Help Plug Budget Gap and Address Transport Climate Impact, Says T&E

(GreenAir Online) Taxing jet kerosene and applying a value added tax to plane tickets within Europe could raise €26.5 billion ($32bn) a year that could be used to plug an EU budget gap, reduce labour taxes and help meet climate targets, says a position paper by campaign group Transport & Environment. With the EU

March 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Aemetis Completes Operation of Cellulosic Ethanol Integrated Demonstration Unit, Produced Record Yields

by Kelly Shaver (Aemetis) Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today that the company successfully built and operated an integrated demonstration unit for more than 120 days of continuous operations with 94% uptime, meeting the requirements for a federal USDA 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program guaranteed loan. In partnership with its key technology providers

March 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Heard from the Floor at ABLC — Thursday March 1, 2018

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … On March 1, ABLC 2018 kicked off at the Mayflower Hotel in the heart of D.C. with five Avengers – a superhero bunch who all had a common thread – we are stronger together than apart. We heard over and over again that while

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

Position Paper: The European Commission’s Action Plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure

(European Automobile Manufacturers Association) The European Commission presented its Clean Mobility Package on 8 November 2017. Besides a number of legislative and non-legislative initiatives, the Commission also launched an Action Plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure as well as investment solutions for the trans-European deployment of alternative-fuel infrastructure. The aim of these

February 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Bio-CCS and Bio-CCUS in Climate Change Mitigation–Market and Regulatory Issues Related to Bio-CCUS

(International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 41) The fourth IEA Bioenergy Task 41 workshop on Bio-CC(U)S was organized in Brussels 16 January 2018. The topic of the workshop was Market and regulatory issues related to Bio-CCUS. The workshop was a full day event divided into four consecutive sessions: Background and introduction: The session focused on

February 27, 2018 Read Full Article

The H2020-Funded Project greenGain Was Successfully Completed

(International Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V) The project greenGain was funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union for research, technological development and demonstration under Grant Agreement No 646443. Eight institutions from Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic participated, including research institutions, chambers of agriculture and

February 27, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Renewable Gas Use Will Help Reduce Europe’s GHG to Net-Aero by 2050

(Gas for Climate/NGV Journal) Renewable gas used in existing gas infrastructure could play an important role in reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero by mid-century, according to a study published by the Gas for Climate initiative. Such a reduction is needed to comply with the Paris Agreement to keep

February 26, 2018 Read Full Article

18.5 Million People Employed in Bioeconomy, Primarily in Biomass Production

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, DC, a study conducted by nova-Institute on behalf of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) showed for the first time which macroeconomic effects are generated by bioeconomy activities – those using renewable biological resources from land and sea – and that there has been a continuous

February 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Farmers Defend Biofuels as Part of EU’s Upcoming ‘Protein Strategy’

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) There is a need to maintain the EU’s main source of protein feed that are the co-product of biofuels, the European farmers association Copa-Cogeca told EURACTIV.com as the Commission announced its intention to draw up an EU-wide “protein strategy”. Speaking at a meeting of EU farm ministers on

February 24, 2018 Read Full Article

US Ethanol Groups Slam Potential Extension of EU Antidumping Duties

(ICIS) -US ethanol trade groups on Wednesday slammed the European Commission’s review to extend antidumping duties on US fuel ethanol. The 9.5% duties are set to expire at the end of this month, but on Tuesday the European Renewable Ethanol Association (e-Pure) announced it will begin a review to extend those measures. Groups representing the

February 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Map of Over 500 European Biomethane Facilities Released

(Bioenergy Insight) The European Biogas Association and Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) have collaborated on a comprehensive map of all known biomethane installations currently running in Europe. ‘European Biomethane Map 2018’ lists over 500 units on the continent, and according to its creators is the first of its kind. It’s been produced

February 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Biomethane Market Development Gains Momentum in Italy

(Xebec/NGV Journal) Canada-based Xebec has signed an exclusive three-year agreement with SAPIO Produzione Idrogeno Ossigeno Srl, distributor of technical gases, to help develop Italy’s renewable natural gas (RNG) upgrading infrastructure from biogas facilities such as landfills, digesters and waste water treatment plants. Italy has made an extraordinary commitment in its 2020

February 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Off-Road Engines, Aftertreatment Systems Perform Well on B100

(AGQM/Biodiesel Magazine) The University of Rostock demonstrates in current research results that off-road engines conforming to exhaust emission category EU Stage IV are suitable for operation with pure biodiesel. The German government’s climate protection plan 2050 intends a reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions in transport sector by 40 percent until

February 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuels and Electric Vehicles Key to EU Decarbonisation, Report Claims

(Biofuels International) A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says the EU could double the renewable share in its energy mix, cost effectively, from 17% in 2015 to 34% in 2030. In order to reach long term decarbonisation goals, the report argues that all renewable transport options – both biofuels

February 21, 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

Hot Spots Around the World: Who’s Adding What, Where in Biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) South America — In Brazil, ICM has completed startup and commissioning of the FS Bioenergia dry-mill corn ethanol plant. … The driver for corn ethanol in Brazil? In part, the country’s new RenovaBio policy, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 43%, driven by the commitment

February 20, 2018 Read Full Article

De-Coding the West’s Addiction to Fossil Fuels: Fostering a Sustainable Transportation Fuel Market in the US & EU

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) “If we do not break the lock-in effect of our dominant fuel sources, we may in fact facilitate mother nature in breaking the lock-out of her dominant species,” wrote Stephen L. Bi in The Path Dependent Road to Sustainable Personal Transport: Increasing returns economics

February 15, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Greening Gas: Conference of the European Biogas Association Presents Emerging Technologies for European Energy Transition in a Circular Economy

By Dan Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Antwerp, Belgium, is known for diamonds and fine chocolates. But what shined there a couple of weeks ago was the Conference of the European Biogas Association (EBA). In my last article about biogas in Europe (advancedbiofuelsusa.info/biogas-in-europe-current-situation-and-perspectives/), I provide an overview to give us a

February 8, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Advanced, to Go: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 2G Biofuels Implementation Timetable

The biggest news out of Novozymes this month is its new yeast platform for starch-based ethanol, while also introducing the first product, Innova Drive. A completely new yeast strain, the product can reduce fermentation time by up to two hours compared to current yeasts. 1G aside, Novozymes is heavily focused on

February 7, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Future of the Internal Combustion Engine

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When it comes to the future of the combustion engine, what are the future developments from a scientific viewpoint? That’s the ambitious topic that Gennadi Zikoridse of the University of Applied Sciences Dresden took on in this recent presentation. Combustion engines as carriers of mobility. Their current problems and

February 6, 2018 Read Full Article

ICAO Opens Consultation with States on Proposed Rules for CORSIA Implementation

(GreenAir Online) ICAO’s proposed rules for States and aeroplane operators on the administration; monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of CO2 emissions; carbon offsetting requirements; and emissions units under the CORSIA scheme have been circulated to the UN agency’s 192 member States for comment. The so-called CORSIA Package is made up of

February 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Realistically Assess and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Rapeseed Cultivation

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) (Google translation)) Global standard values overestimate nitrous oxide emissions in rapeseed cultivation — A network of eight partners under the coordination of the Thünen Institute (TI) for agri-climate protection engaged in a research project on the cultivation of rapeseed and the associated

February 5, 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

European Union to Prioritize Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(Air Transport Action Group) The aviation industry today welcomed a move by the European Parliament to ensure that sustainable aviation fuel is a key component of the future of air transport. The European Parliament this week adopted its position on the revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (REDII). This

February 2, 2018 Read Full Article

EU Launches New Trade Inquiry into Argentine Biodiesel

by Philip Blenkinsop and Sybille de la Hamaide (Reuters) The European Commission has begun a new investigation into whether Argentine biodiesel exporters benefit from unfair subsidies, following a complaint in December by the European Biodiesel Board (EBB). The EU’s official journal said on Wednesday that the Commission had found the complaint contained

February 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Biomass Biggest Contributor to EU Renewables in 2016, but Ominous Signs for the Industry’s Future

by Daryl Worthington (Bioenergy Insight) Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, has figures on Renewable Energy use in 2016. The newly published data reveal that the share of renewables reached 17% in 2016, with the biggest contributor to that being from wood biomass. … According to the Eurostat data

January 30, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article