by Olga Rosca (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) Next-generation biofuels produced from waste and agricultural residues can help save energy and improve the sustainability of companies operating in the agribusiness sector. The EBRD region offers huge opportunities due to the
European Union (EU)
Back TO HOMEHGCA Helps Reopen Market Opportunities for Arable Crops in the Biofuels Supply Chain
(Home Grown Cereals Authority) An HGCA-led review of regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions figures has reopened market opportunities in the biofuels supply chain potentially worth several million pounds each year. Revised GHG figures, supplied by HGCA, have been approved by the
March 14, 2013 Read Full Article
BP Biofuels: Time for “The Really Hard Yards” in Biofuels Commercialization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At World Biofuels Markets, BP CEO Phil New delivered a keynote speech which attempted to turn the industry’s attention towards “the hard yards” of operational excellence, saying that “it is arguable that the time to talk
March 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at World Biofuels Markets 2013
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Neste Oil confirmed that they are using 65% virgin oils, primarily palm oil, and 35% waste residues, but that they are seeking to increase that percent of waste supplied, Neste’s P for Renewable Fuels, Kaisa
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Vierhout Addresses Outcome of Anti-Dumping, Anti-Subsidy Cases
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rob Vierhout, secretary general of ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, spoke to Ethanol Producer Magazine about the recent European Union decision to impose an $83.03 per metric ton tariff on imported U.S. ethanol. ...Yes, we are
March 07, 2013 Read Full Article
SE Asian Palm Oil Producers Target U.S. Biofuel Market
(The Star/Reuters) A blending tax credit for alternative fuels has helped re-open the way for shipments of palm biodiesel to the United States, giving top producers Indonesia and Malaysia an outlet for palm oil stocks at near-record levels. ...That overhang has
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
REA Welcomes Ed Davey’s Support for Biofuels in Europe
by Robin Whitlock (Renewable Energy Magazine) ...The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has welcomed Energy Secretary Ed Davey’s stance on biofuels at the European Energy Council. Mr Davey said that the idea of a one-size-fits-all approach to the issue of indirect land use change
March 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Estimates Reduce Amount of Additional Land Available for Biofuel Production
(American Chemical Society) Amid efforts to expand production of biofuels, scientists are reporting new estimates that downgrade the amount of additional land available for growing fuel crops by almost 80 percent. Their report appears in the ACS journal Environmental
February 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Historical Studies Confirm the Existence of Indirect Emissions from Biofuels
(EurActiv.com) Biofuels made from food crops indirectly generate net emissions of greenhouse gases in the future, confirm the preliminary results of two studies on the history of the change in land use. If the peer does not affect the conclusions of
February 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Ministers Say 'Yes, But' to New Rules on Biofuels
(E-EnergyMarket.com) Energy ministers, meeting in Brussels on 22 February, have given a lukewarm reception to new rules proposed by the European Commission to limit the share of first-generation biofuels used in transport. The Irish Presidency of the EU asked ministers to
February 25, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Should Phase Out Support for Land-Based Biofuels, Lobbies Say
by Ewa Krukowska (Bloomberg) The European Union should phase out support for land-based biofuels that displace food production and indirectly boost emissions, eight lobbies said in a letter to the bloc’s energy ministers. The groups, including Transport and Environment, Greenpeace and Oxfam,
February 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Peru’s Maple Shifting to Cane Ethanol in ‘Transformational Year’
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Maple Energy Plc, the Peruvian company that made more than 99 percent of its revenue from selling petroleum products in 2011, expects to get more than half its business from ethanol sales this year as
February 19, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Biofuels Policy Still Driving the Second Scramble for Africa
(ActionAid) At a seminar on biofuels in Dublin yesterday, David Barissa, a leading expert on food security and land rights from ActionAid Kenya spoke of the litany of broken promises, rights violations and destruction which have faced poor communities in
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
New Policy Can Put the EU on Track to Reach 100% Renewable Energy
(World Wildlife Fund) Today WWF launched a new report – Putting the EU on Track for 100% Renewable Energy [1] – which shows where Europe needs to be by 2030 in order to reach a fully renewable energy system by 2050. It
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Lignol Makes Progress in Cellulosic Ethanol, Lignin Development
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Lignol Innovations Ltd. has landed a commercial supply agreement with a European producer of sustainable thermoplastics. The subsidiary of Lignol Energy Corp. has delivered samples of its trademarked HP-LTM lignin for evaluation and
February 14, 2013 Read Full Article
“The Number-One Objective Is to Combat Climate Change”
by Marie-Martine Buckens (Europolitics) Interview with MEP Corinne Lepage (ALDE, France) French MEP Corinne Lepage (ALDE) was named rapporteur, in late 2012, on the controversial issue of biofuels. She prefers to call them agrofuels, in reference to the so-called ‘first-generation’ fuels made
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels from Waste Key to European Energy Ambitions
by Ben Messenger (Waste Management World) Advanced biofuels produced from waste feedstocks are a key component of EU climate and energy ambitions, and offer a huge opportunity to drive economic growth in Europe, according to the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP). A bright future
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Industry Leaders to Support “Second Generation” Biofuels in All EU Transport Sectors
(Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels) Involvement of policy makers and other industries, R&D programmes, financing, communications programmes for a cost-competitive and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels The Chief Executive Officers of seven Leading European biofuel producers and European airlines launched today in
February 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Battle for the Barrel: Ethanol Strikes Back as Industry Is “Under Siege but Fighting Back.”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In a fiery address at the National Ethanol Conference, RFA chief Bob Dinneen rallies his troops. ...He derided industry opponents as “the angry birds at the National Chicken Council, the mad cows at the American Meat
February 07, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Launches Clean Fuel Strategy
(European Commission) The European Commission today announced an ambitious package of measures to ensure the build-up of alternative fuel stations across Europe with common standards for their design and use. Policy initiatives so far have mostly addressed the actual fuels
February 06, 2013 Read Full Article
If Polluters Pay, Will Renewables Rise?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Changes in EU policy and the financing of advanced biofuels have led to a revival of project formation in Europe. The latest news from Finland is that St1 is proceeding towards a build on its 10
February 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Growing Palm Oil Trees For Biofuels Could Accelerate Climate Change, Study Finds
by Nina Chestney (Reuters/Huffington Post) Growing palm oil trees to make biofuels could be accelerating the effects of climate change, new research showed on Wednesday, adding further weight to claims the crop is not environmentally sustainable. In a paper published in the
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Releases Proposal on Deploying Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recently released European Commission proposal on deploying alternative fuels infrastructure recognizes the importance of biofuels but does not go far enough, said ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association. On Jan. 24 the European Commission
January 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Take-off meeting: Register of Biofuels Origination (RBO Consortium)
(EnAlgae) Sustainable biofuels are at the heart of present and future EU renewable transport policies. Among them, extra incentivised biofuels – e.g. “double-counting” biofuels (whose contribution to EU targets shall be considered to be twice that made by other biofuels)
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Europe Needs Stable Legal Framework for Biofuels to Prosper: Neste
by Sean Bartlett (Platts) Europe needs a stable legal framework if biofuels research and development is to prosper, Neste Oil's Executive Vice President, Oil Products, Matti Lehmus, said at a conference Monday. A proposal in October by the European Commission to cap
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
EU to Revive Debate on Minimum Energy Tax Levels
by Barbara Lewis (Reuters) EU officials are to debate a new set of tax proposals to promote clean fuel and erode fiscal advantages that have made diesel relatively cheap, a document seen by Reuters showed. ...Ahead of a working party meeting on January
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Colonialism and the Green Economy: Villagers Defy Pressure to Forfeit Farms for Carbon-Offset
by Daniel C Marotta and Jennifer Coute-Marotta (Truthout) All names are fictitious as sources requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Anonymity and people's requests that no pictures be taken were prerequisites for attaining interviews. No one wanted to go
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Could Formula One Racing Cars Influence Family Cars of the Future?
(Balkans.com) ... It seems unlikely but motorsport engineers and specialists from around the world have been discussing just that at the 2013 Race Tech World Motorsport Symposium. McLaren and Caterham Formula One racing teams, plus Audi Sport and Drayson racing were among
January 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Up, Up and Away: Aviation Biofuels Players Start Building Capacity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Now – it’s all about organizing sustainable, affordable feedstock and building capacity. And, airlines providing capital for the first commercial projects — to ensure that capacity building reaches levels in line with the industry’s self-imposed
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels Cause Pollution, Not as Green as Thought - Study
by Alister Doyle (Reuters) Green schemes to fight climate change by producing more bio-fuels could actually worsen a little-known type of air pollution and cause almost 1,400 premature deaths a year in Europe by 2020, a study showed on Sunday. The report
January 07, 2013 Read Full Article
BioGrace - Extending Its GHG Calculation Tool
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) In the project BioGrace (I) running from 2010 to 2012 a greenhouse gas (GHG) calculation tool was developed for liquid biofuels. The project BioGrace-II now aims to harmonise GHG calculations for electricity, heating and cooling from biomass. The
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Setting the Example
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Hopefully, European regulators will take note of what has happened. If they are intellectually honest, they should acknowledge that if the U.S. biofuel policy has no real negative impact on the food/feed
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
EC Dismisses Claims It Aims to Cap First-Generation Biofuels Use
(Platts) The European Commission does not plan to "cap the production and consumption" of first-generation biofuels as it moves to overhaul its biofuels policies, but it will "cap the incentives" for their production, Hans van Steen of the EC's Directorate-General
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
NNFCC Review of the Year: 2012's Biggest Bioenergy, Biofuels and Bio-Based Products News Stories
by Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) NNFCC take a look back at the bioenergy, biofuels and bio-based products stories making the headlines in 2012. ... In Europe, both Vivergo and Ensus started producing bioethanol made from wheat this year but the use of food
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
The Old Switcheroo — the “Now” of Cellulosic Biofuels vs “Five Years Away” in Oil & Gas
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As renewable fuel developers put steel in the ground, oil & gas points to a fossil-based transformation in transportation fuels just “five years away”. Today, it is the oil & gas industry talking in terms of
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Goes Big-Game Hunting: Brussels Grants €199M to Dutch Biorefinery Project
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) Counting the EU out in biobased development? Not so quick, pilgrim — BioMCN, Siemens, Linde and Visser & Smit Hanab land a whale, grant-wise. In the Netherlands, a consortium consisting of BioMCN, Siemens, Linde, and Visser
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Neste Oil to Produce Biojet as Part of EU-Funded ITAKA Project
(Neste Oil/Biodiesel Magazine) Neste Oil has joined the Initiative Towards Sustainable Kerosene for Aviation (ITAKA) project, which is being funded by the EU to support the commercialization and use of renewable aviation fuel in Europe. Neste Oil's role in the
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Farmers and Biofuel Industry Mobilise against the EC Biofuel U-Turn
(AgiTrade) In a letter to the European Commission in early October 2012, Copa-Cogeca, the EU farmers’ and agricultural cooperatives’ organisation, affirmed its opposition to EC proposals to limit to 5% ‘the use of crop-based biofuels’ in meeting transportation energy needs and
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Most U.K. Crops Meet Environmental Biofuel Standards, AHDB Says
by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg) Most rapeseed, sugar beet and wheat crops in the U.K. meet environmental standards for use in biofuels, the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said. Ninety-seven percent of the country’s rapeseed, all of its sugar beets and
December 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Climate Talks Focus on Fossil Fuel Subsidies
by Karl Ritter (Associated Press/Salt Lake Tribune) Hassan al-Kubaisi considers it a gift from above that drivers in oil- and gas-rich Qatar only have to pay $1 per gallon at the pump. ...Qatar — the host of U.N. climate talks that
December 10, 2012 Read Full Article
Could Biofuels Be Produced from A Tobacco Tree?
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) With a grant from the European Union, researchers at Royal Holloway, School of Biological Sciences, will test this theory based on initial findings that the Nicotiana Glauca produces compounds that could be used to produce biodiesel or
December 06, 2012 Read Full Article
IISD-Led Seminar Offers Global Perspective on Biofuel Subsidies: Issues Policy Brief
(International Institute for Sustainable Development) “Rational policies should be based on understanding the real impacts of government support to biofuels on the environment and the society,” said Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP and chair of GLOBE EU. “The spiralling food versus fuel
December 06, 2012 Read Full Article
CN's $2.6M Mystery U.S. Trips Never Unloaded Biodiesel
(CBC News) A CBC News investigation has uncovered a cross-border mystery involving unexplained shipments of biodiesel tanker cars that were sent back and forth numerous times between Canada and the U.S. by CN Rail but were never unloaded. According to leaked
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Expert in Biofuels: EU Biofuel Policy Is Addressing the Wrong Issue
(Hveiti) European policymakers should focus on how to organize the synergies between food and fuel rather than wasting time on theoretical models of land use changes that do nothing to improve matters in the real world, says biofuel expert André
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
The Potential Role of Biofuels in Commercial Air Transport - Biojetfuel
(International Energy Agency Task 40) This report is an overview, not a detailed analysis, of the use of biofuels in commercial aviation. Aviation is a global industry with global problems and challenges that also demands global solutions. Key objectives of commercial
November 30, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Commission Backs Controversial Sustainable Palm Oil Scheme
by Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The European Commission has approved a scheme that would certify as sustainable transport fuel made from palm oil, condemned by environmental groups as one of the most damaging sources of biodiesel. The Commission made public on Tuesday
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Commission Ignores Own Research and Labels Biofuels from Palm Oil 'Sustainable'
(Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Europe) The European Commission last Friday approved a certification scheme which would brand biofuels produced from palm oil as ‘sustainable’ [1], despite evidence that their production contributes to deforestation, peatland degradation, disputes over land
November 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Carbon Offsetting Rather than Emissions Trading Becoming Favoured Route as ICAO Looks towards a Global Scheme
(GreenAirOnline) As ICAO expert groups continue their work on a global market-based approach to limiting the growth of international aviation emissions, it is beginning to emerge that carbon offsetting, rather than emissions trading, is the favoured option for States and
November 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Mathematical Tricks, Backdoor Policies
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) After almost three years of study, debate, hours of meetings, many reports, public and nonpublic consultations, the European Commission has released its legislative proposal on how to address the indirect land use change effects of
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Gov to Source Palm Oil from Environmental-Friendly Sources by 2015
(NewEnergyWorldNetwork.com) By the end of 2015, all palm oil used in the UK government’s food and catering services will be from environmentally-friendly sources, the country’s Environment Minister has announced. ...The Renewable Energy Association (REA) commented on the palm oil statement and
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Climatic Conditions Make Abu Dhabi Ideal for Commercial Production of Biofuels from Algae
(United Arab Emirates/AMEInfo.com) Abu Dhabi's abundant sunshine and climate make it a near-ideal location for growing algae for commercial production of biofuels. Such unique geographic and climatic conditions further enhance the opportunity for the Emirate to become a leading developer
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PAPERS: 21st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition June 3-7, 2013 Copenhagen, Denmark DEADLINE: January 21, 2013
The Call for Abstracts is now open. Be part of the main annual meeting for the international biomass community and present your latest scientific and technological results to biomass specialists and decision makers by submitting your abstract by 21 January
October 30, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Government Uncertainty over Whether to Include International Aviation Emissions in Carbon Budgets
(GreenAirOnline) With emissions from aviation and shipping likely to make up a quarter of the total UK output by 2050, it would be impossible to achieve national climate objectives without including the two sectors in reduction targets, the head of
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Mandates Around the World – Who Is Moving the Targets?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... United States Concerns over the price impacts of a devastating US drought have led to call for a waiver in the US Renewable Fuel Standard volumetric targets. Proposed waivers have ranged from small, symbolic down-shifting
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Novozymes Urges EU to Recognise Next Generation Biofuel Opportunity
by Will Nichols (Business Green) The EU's new biofuels policy falls short of what is needed to spur growth in advanced fuels and is mistakenly writing off fuels derived from food crops, one of the world' largest biotechnology companies has warned. Commissioners last
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Will Stay in Tanks Following Policy U-Turn
by David Thorpe (Link2Portal.com) A policy U-turn by the European Commission, on the indirect effects on land use and greenhouse gas emissions caused by biofuels, has managed to upset almost all parties. Changes being published today to draft proposals for a revision
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
RETECH 2012: Policy and Planes
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) RETECH 2012, an international conference on the business, policy, and technology of renewable energy, took place this year in DC at the regal Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC. Under the luxurious chandeliers and
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
COLUMN-EU Biofuel Shift Could Apply to Tar Sands: Wynn
by Gerard Wynn (Reuters) The European Commission has proposed phasing out support for food-based biofuels in a move that not only undermines the industry but provides a possible roadmap for addressing the wider implications of producing crude oil from tar sands. ...The European Commission has
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
The Big Bagasse Biofuels Boom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Deployment of next-gen bagasse-to-biofuels technologies could expand ethanol production in Brazil, India by 35 percent without land, water intensification. ...Guidance being given by the projects is that capacities could increase by up to 35 percent at
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Rain Dancing on Wall Street, Main Street and Elm Street
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As drought, recession, and capital starvation form a perfect storm, will advanced biofuels be thrown under the bus? Industry leaders say that dropping biofuels production targets will not reverse impacts of the 2012 drought. Instead,
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Green Investment Bank Cleared by European Commission
(BBC News) The Green Investment Bank being set up by the UK government has been given the green light by the European Commission. It ruled that the plan to lend for low carbon investment projects did not break Europe's state aid
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry Does Not Deserve to Be Demonised
by Clare Wenner (The Guardian) Grossly simplifying the issues and creating bogeymen risks crushing desperately needed solutions Given all the hysteria over biofuels you'd be forgiven for believing that wiping out the biofuels industry will solve world hunger. It won't. Firstly, agriculture is
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
European Union Seeks to Cap Food-Based Biofuel Production
by Louise Downing and Ewa Krukowska (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) The European Union wants to limit the contribution of crop-based biofuels toward the bloc’s renewable energy target to avoid competition with food and spur the development of clean fuels made from non-edible crops. The
October 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Industry Seeks to Weaken EU Cap on Crop-Based Fuels
(Reuters) ...The European Commission is under strong pressure from industry groups and some of its own departments to weaken a planned cap on the use of biofuels made from food crops such as rapeseed and wheat. Last month, the two EU
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Non-Food Biofuels Target Needs New Investment -Shell Unit
(Reuters) EU will need millions of tonnes of non-food biofuels to meet targets; Investment incentives currently not enough Large new investment incentives will be needed to promote the development of alternative biofuels after the European Union's move to curb the use
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Raising Money for the New Biofuels: A Digest Special Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We say that biofuels are “capital-intensive,” mainly to be polite. It’s like saying that Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun had “land interests”. ...Put it this way. How much capital would you need to
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Draft EU Proposals Would Devastate UK Biofuels Industry
(Renewable Energy Magazine) The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has warned that the speed and scale of EU proposals are likely to destroy UK biofuels sector innovations rather than building on them. The UK biofuels industry stands to be devastated by draft
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Why Ecotricity’s Electric Car Is the Future of Biofuels
by Claire (Innovatrs) ...This week, the EU revised its target down to 5% in biofuels, and an additional 5% in a new type of fuel that isn’t manufactured in the same way. They now require a new type of biofuel
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Exclusive: BA's Biofuels Plant Set for Take-Off before the End of the Year
by Will Nichols (Business Green) Preferred site has been chosen for London facility set to generate two per cent of BA's fuel from waste BA is set to begin initial construction on a planned biofuel-from-waste plant before the end of the
September 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Heard it Through the Grapevine: Useful Facts and Scuttlebutt from the Algae Biomass Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jobs, global expansion, proteins vs fuels, new R&D funding – all the big issues are under debate both on and off the floor at the Algae Biomass Summit. ...Jobs Dr. John Benemann projected on stage that,
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Disconnect Between Biofuel Mandates & Demand?
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A new study, Global Biofuels Outlook to 2025, authored by Hart Energy, finds a disconnect between mandates established in the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and Renewable Energy Directive in the European Union, and actual market demand.
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Non-Food Biofuels Target Needs New Investment -Shell Unit
(Reuters) * EU shift away from food-based biofuels will need big investment * EU will need millions of tonnes of non-food biofuels to meet targets * Investment incentives currently not enough Large new investment incentives will be needed to promote the development of
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
EU U-Turn Spells Doom for Food-Based Biofuels Boom
by Nigel Hunt and Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) European Union plans to cap the use of food-based biofuels are a major setback for an industry once seen playing a central role in the fight against climate change, but now more often cast
September 21, 2012 Read Full Article
Planes of the Future Could Fly on Sawdust or Straw
by Jean Décotte (Reuters) * A horsey twist to the search for alternative aviation fuel * French project targets use of farm waste on a large scale * Inventor dismisses fears of biofuel vs food competition Passenger jets could be chomping on straw
September 20, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Confirms Change in Biofuel Targets
(Channel News Asia) The European Commission rejected Monday charges that EU biofuel policy was contributing to soaring food prices but confirmed that it will trim its targets for their use. Biofuels were once seen as a potential source of cheap alternative
September 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Paris Backs Halt in Biofuel Use to Avert Food Shortages
(EurActiv) A French plan to fight food price volatility took further shape yesterday (12 September) with a call to pause global development of biofuels, just a day after President François Hollande pushed for creation of strategic food stocks. A government spokeswoman,
September 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuel Target Will Add £35 Every Year to the Cost of Running a Car
by Louise Gray (The Telegraph) Drivers will be forced to pay an extra £35 a year due to a European climate change target, a report by Oxfam has found. ...The report states that a family currently spends an average £840 a
September 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Er, Did the EU Really Just Abandon Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As reported elsewhere in the Digest today and throughout this week, In Brussels, a draft proposal is under consideration in the EU to eliminate food-crop subsidies for biofuels production by 2020, and cap crop-based biofuels
September 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Food vs Fuel: Can We Get it Off the Table?
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/EPURE) ...If a magazine like the Economist is writing that the U.S.A. uses 40 percent of its corn for the production of biodiesel (yes, he said biodiesel), you wonder if the journalist really went any further
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
France Seeks Biofuels Pause in Global Food Strategy
by Elizabeth Pineau and Sybille de La Hamaide (Reuters) * France pushes for worldwide pause in biofuel growth * Biofuels push joins Hollande's call for strategic food stockpile * France says will mobilise G20 for better farm coordination A French plan to fight food price volatility
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Exclusive: EU to Limit Use of Crop-Based Biofuels - Draft Law
(Reuters) The European Union will impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, draft EU legislation seen by Reuters showed. The draft rules, which will need
September 11, 2012 Read Full Article
Bioethanol or Biodiesel: Europe Hesitates over Indirect Impact of Green Fuel
by Jeremy Bowden (Renewable Energy World) For years Europe has encouraged motorists to use diesel over petrol in its efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Now, as the focus switches to introducing renewable fuels, it is proving far easier to
September 07, 2012 Read Full Article
UFOP Questions Science of Recent GHG Study on Rapeseed Biodiesel
by Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) (Biodiesel Magazine) Experts from the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) question the scientific quality of the recent study, “Uncertainties about the GHG Emissions Saving of Rapeseed Biodiesel,” published
September 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Swedish-Kenyan Wins Prize For Kenyan Biofuel Business
(Ventures-Africa) A 32-year-old Swedish-Kenyan has won the European-African Entrepreneurship Award for a proposal to covert used cooking oils, widely used in the restaurant industry, into biodiesel. The awards were held in The Hague in the Netherlands, with nine African-European entrepreneurs pitching their ideas
September 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Ireland Says Competitive Algal Biofuels within 15 Years
(Algae Industry Magazine) Mark Keenan writes in The Independent that within 15 years, Irish drivers will be filling up their vehicles with biofuel made from Irish grown algae. The projection comes from Julie Maguire, of Daithi O’Mhurchu Marine Research Station
September 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Hits Back over Food Price Claims
(EurActiv) Europe's biofuel producers are hitting back at claims that they are at fault for this summer’s high food prices and challenge assertions that crops grown for fuel production are a threat to food supplies. Food prices rose 6% overall last month, driven
August 28, 2012 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Imports under Scrutiny by the EU
The European Commission has today published its decision to proceed to the registration of ethanol imports coming from the USA by issuing a new regulation (n°771/2012)1. The decision comes in response to a request within an anti-subsidy case filed by
August 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Approval Boost to Scottish Oilseeds
(The Bioenergy Site) NFU Scotland and Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) have welcomed the announcement that the European Commission has accepted SQC into the sustainability certification scheme for biofuels. That recognition is a huge boost ahead of the Scottish oilseed rape
August 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Agricultural Commodity Prices
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) IEEP, the Institute for European Environmental Policy, has produced a review of the evidence base on the impacts of EU biofuel policies on global agricultural commodity prices, commissioned by ActionAid. Following up on the debate on indirect land use
August 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Czarnikow Sees Improved EU Ethanol Outlook After U.S. Drought
by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg) Surging corn prices and policy changes in the U.S. and European Union mean the outlook for the EU’s ethanol industry has “improved dramatically” this year, Czarnikow Group Ltd. said. U.S. ethanol prices have rallied as drought damaged corn
August 10, 2012 Read Full Article
Food and Fuel: Back on the Table
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Other favorite critics such as Oxfam also see the present situation as a new opportunity to slam the EU biofuel policy. The head of the EU office crucifies the policy in a July 16 article
August 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Carbon Credits Gone Awry: Coolant Companies Raise Output of Harmful Gas
By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Andrew W. Lehren (The New York Times) ...But where the United Nations envisioned environmental reform, some manufacturers of gases used in air-conditioning and refrigeration saw a lucrative business opportunity. They quickly figured out that they could earn one carbon
August 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Uncertainties about the GHG Emissions Saving of Rapeseed Biodiesel
by Gernot Pehnelt and Christoph Vietze (Friedrich Schiller University and the Max Planck Institute of Economics) During the last years, the renewable energy strategy of the European Union (EU) and the proposed policies and regulations, namely the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), have been heavily
August 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Soybean Farmers Support Biotechnology in EU
by Colleen Scherer (AG Professional) Soybean farmers in the United States have joined forces with other soybean farmers in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in supporting genetically modified soybeans in the European Union. Farmers from these countries represent 90 percent of
July 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Musim Mas Expects More Demand for Certified Palm Oil
by Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Palm oil producer Musim Mas Group expects that there will be more demand for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), as the company is ready to provide the market with sustainable palm oil and
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
European Biofuels Technology Platform Says Certain Biofuels Paths Offer “Low-Hanging Fruit”
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, the European Biofuels Technology Platform has released a new report that says certain biofuels production routes could provide “low-hanging fruits” for early, low-cost CCS deployment. A recent study indicated that, globally, Bio-CCS could
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Regulatory Uncertainty Key Challenge for EU Biofuels: BP Biofuels CEO
(Platts) The EU needs to overcome regulatory uncertainty and provide more clarity on its biofuels policies before new investments are poured into greenfield projects across the 27-nation bloc, BP's Biofuels CEO Phil New said at an event in London Tuesday. ...In
July 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Guatemala Farmers Losing Their Land to Europe's Demand for Biofuels
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Indigenous smallholder farmers are being violently evicted as companies move in to satisfy Europe's hunger for biofuels ...Over the next four days, 10 more villages were cleared. By the end of March 2011, around 800 families
July 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Face the Truth: Europe’s Biofuels Bonanza Causes Hunger in Africa
by David Cronin (New Europe Online) ...The production of biofuels is a central factor behind the grabbing of land in Africa. Yet rather than using food crops, many of the players in this murky game have recently chosen jatropha, a
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Revises Horizon 2020 Programme to Make Gas a Green Fuel
(Power-Technology.com) Gas has been reclassified as a green source of power by Horizon 2020, an €80bn European Union programme unveiled last year, which could have serious repercussions for the renewable energy industry. According to a document seen by the Guardian, a
June 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: Which Airlines Are Doing What, with Whom?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(M)ore than 30 airlines now trialing, deploying biofuels – but who’s doing what, exactly? In Brazil, Azul Airlines announced that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane has passed all required testing and will be used during
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Only Biofuels Will Cut Plane Emissions
by Ben Caldecott (The Guardian) We need something that can deliver emission reductions from existing fleets of planes – and the solution already exists ...The positive progress on including aviation in Europe's carbon trading scheme this week is welcome, but neither that nor more
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
BRISK Accepting Proposals for Biofuels Research
by Kevin Billinghurst (KTH) The KTH-led, 26-member consortium BRISK has begun accepting proposals from researchers studying improved production methods for biofuels and thermal biomass conversion. Financed by €11 million in EU research funds, the project emphasises international mobility, inviting students
May 21, 2012 Read Full Article
"Biofuels Fuelling Europe’s Economic Recovery", Echoes ePURE
(Renewable Energy Magazine) The European renewable ethanol industry is contributing substantially to the European economy according to ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, in response to a new report published today. The report “Contribution of Biofuels to the Global Economy”, published by
May 21, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Biodiesel Makers Expect to Boost Sales in Spain
by Martin Roberts (Reuters) ...European biodiesel makers will be able to sell an additional one million tonnes a year in Spain after new measures which effectively shut out Argentine and Indonesian imports, an industry spokesman said. Spain decreed on April 20
May 02, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Biofuels' Indirect Carbon Emissions Debate To Move Forward
(Wall Street Journal/Governors Biofuels Coalition) Top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe's most controversial climate policies, as they consider whether biofuels do more harm than good when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The
April 30, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Report Questions Conventional Biofuels' Sustainability
(EurActiv) Conventional biofuels like biodiesel increase carbon dioxide emissions and are too expensive to consider as a long-term alternative fuel, a draft EU report says. The study ‘EU Transport GHG [greenhouse gases]: Routes to 2050’ estimates that before indirect effects are counted,
April 25, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Climate Advisers Recommend International Aviation Emissions Be Included in National Carbon Budgets
(GreenAir Online) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises the UK government on national carbon targets, has recommended international aviation and shipping emissions be included in carbon budgets and the UK’s 2050 overall target to reduce emissions 80 per
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Lobbying Could Pay off This Harvest
(NFU Online) The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted across the EU in time for this year’s harvest, the NFU said today. The move is designed to help give crops
April 20, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Requires Sustainable Biofuels: How U.S. Ethanol Producers Can Become Certified
by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH) ...The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. In the area of biofuels and liquid biomass for electricity
April 16, 2012 Read Full Article
ADM Introduces Sustainable Grower Program for Canadian Canola
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction of its Sustainable Grower Program in connection with the sustainability certification it has earned from the International Sustainability and Carbon
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Alternative Fuels for Aviation Overview on Current Initiatives and Identified Research Needs
(Netzwerk Biotriebstoffe) The report deals with the question "why sustainable alternative fuels are important for aviation, shows technology options, initiatives, links, documents and further research needs. The objective of the meeting between experts of both sides was to have an
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
EU to Recognize Ensus as Biofuel Certification in 'Matter of Weeks': Source
(Platts) A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in "a matter of weeks," a European Commission source said Monday. UK bioethanol producer Ensus received the support of EU member states' experts on
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Airplane Rivals Launch Joint Biofuel Project
(Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative/PhysOrg) Plane makers and bitter rivals Airbus of Europe, Boeing of the US and Embraer of Brazil announced on Thursday a joint plan to develop affordable biofuels for the airplane industry. The airplane sector leaders agreed to seek opportunities
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
European Airlines Enter the Biofuels Market
by Eric van den Heuve (Edofys) Biofuels might offer opportunities for achieving improved balance of power to the European airlines in their high competitive market. It faces high rivalry and increasing fuel costs due to rising oil prices. Moreover, from
March 20, 2012 Read Full Article
ILUC: The ‘Soap’ Continues
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In my opinion, the delay in putting a bill on the table is caused by the fact that the ILUC ‘science’ is simply not conclusive. A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute
March 14, 2012 Read Full Article
The Palms Of Controversy
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Palms are said to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, but you can’t prove it by the past few weeks of heated debate over palm biofuel. Last week, we looked at the discrepancy between
March 13, 2012 Read Full Article
US Legislation to Prohibit Airlines from Joining EU ETS Moves a Step Closer as Senate Bill Receives Bipartisan Support
(GreenAirOnline) A bill introduced into the US upper house by Republican Senator John Thune that would prohibit US aircraft operators from participating in the EU ETS has received backing from Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat. As the Democrats hold
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Are We Really Exporting Ethanol So It Will Not Compete With Imported Gasoline?
by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog) Every day supertankers full of $100 per barrel oil are docking at US ports where other supertankers full of $1 per gallon ethanol have just departed for overseas markets. While some folks have trouble understanding the
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
ANALYSIS-Doubts about Biodiesel Threaten the EU's Green Targets
by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters) The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions of fuels in the transportation sector if policymakers act on the basis of scientific warnings about the impact of biofuels
March 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Aqualia Eyes Large-Scale Algae Biofuel Production
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Water management company Aqualia plans to launch a commercial-scale demonstration project using waste water to cultivate algae for biofuel production, which could fuel 400 vehicles, the firm said on Monday. Spain's Aqualia, owned by construction and services
March 06, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Seeks Tighter CO2 Grip on Farms, Forests -Draft
by Francesco Guarascio and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The EU forestry and farming sectors will have to monitor and report from 2013 any changes to land use that could affect greenhouse gas emissions as part of the bloc's measures to curb climate change,
March 05, 2012 Read Full Article
DSM Chief Seeks Poet-Style Ethanol Tie-ups From Brazil to China
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Royal DSM NV, the Dutch enzyme maker which last month set up a cellulosic ethanol venture with Poet LLC, is seeking similar tie-ups in Brazil, China and Europe, Chief Executive Officer Feike Sijbesma said. DSM last month said it’s providing
March 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Is Double Counting a Double Whammy?
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Between April 2010 and April 2011, the U.K. used 428 million liters of used cooking oil (UCO) for the production of biodiesel. It has become the primary source for biofuel used in U.K. transportation
February 27, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. ‘Losing Momentum’ in Biofuels Makes Novozymes Target Brazil
by Justin Doom (Bloomberg) Novozymes A/S (NZYMB), the world’s biggest maker of enzymes for biofuels, is focusing its expansion efforts in Europe, China and Brazil and isn’t pursuing new projects in the U.S. because of the lack of political support. “The policy signals sent to
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Airlines Set to Win Carbon Credits from Biofuel Flights
(EurActiv) The European Commission has asked airlines to report on "the amount of biomass" they use so that biofuels can be accounted as "zero emission" in the greenhouse gas emissions reports they are requested to produce each year under the
February 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Commission Adopts its Strategy for a Sustainable Bioeconomy to Ensure Smart Green Growth in Europe
(European Commission) The European Commission has today presented its strategy and action plan for a sustainable bioeconomy in Europe, called “Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe”. The goal is a more innovative and low-emissions economy, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture
February 14, 2012 Read Full Article
International Air Transport Association Stresses Congestion In Emissions Spat
by Leithen Francis (Aviation Week) The International Air Transport Association’s target of carbon neutral growth from 2020 can still be achieved, but the airline industry “can’t do it on our own,” says IATA head Tony Tyler. ...Tyler also called on governments
February 13, 2012 Read Full Article
EU-Produced Ethanol Keeps Petrol Prices Down
(Renewable Energy Magazine) Recent studies commissioned by NGOs Friends of the Earth and ActionAid claim that biofuels, including ethanol, will cost EU consumers €126 billion at the petrol pump between now and 2020. ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, considers the
February 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Reducing the Impacts of Biofuels on Biodiversity
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) There is mounting concern that increasing biofuels production is having significant biodiversity impacts. A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute estimated that achieving the EU target would lead to a global increase in cropland of more
February 09, 2012 Read Full Article
As EU Ramps Up Biofuels, Climate Debate Intensifies
By Alessandro Torello (Wall Street Journal) ...But this plant, with a capacity of 800,000 metric tons a year, and others built by different companies around Europe face a new challenge: a possible shift in EU policy that could undermine their
February 06, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Biofuels Targets to Cost $166 Billion, Study Says
by Alex Morales (Reuters) European Union policies to promote the use of biofuels for transportation will cost consumers as much as 126 billion euros ($166 billion) between now and 2020, two environmental groups said. The fuels, gasoline substitutes derived from plants,
February 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesels Pollute More than Crude Oil, Leaked Data Show
(EurActiv) Greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels such as palm oil, soybean and rapeseed are higher than those for fossil fuels when the effects of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) are counted, according to leaked EU data seen by EurActiv. The default
January 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Building a World Market from Scratch
by Alvaro Cordero (Ethanol Producer Magazine/U.S. Grains Council) From a barely recognized feed alternative 10 years ago, distillers dried grains with solubles continues to gain recognition and markets. DDGS is now widely recognized internationally, where its use continues to evolve. Forty-four
January 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Cyprus Wants to Grow Tiny Algae and See if They Are a Good Biofuels Alternative to Diesel
(Balkans.com) Cyprus Agricultural Research Institute, a non-profit branch of the Agriculture Ministry, wants to grow tiny algae and see if they are a good biofuels alternative to diesel reports Cyprus Mail. ...A solution seems to be growing microalgae - present
January 25, 2012 Read Full Article
And Now, a Word from Davos: “Moving towards a Next-Generation Ethanol Economy”.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bloomberg New Energy Finance launched its report “Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy”. Commissioned by Novozymes, the report estimates the socioeconomic prospects of deploying advanced biofuels in eight of the highest agricultural-producing regions in the world, i.e.
January 25, 2012 Read Full Article
A Pragmatic Approach to Fuel Taxation
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine) One would think that a relatively easy way for governments to promote biofuels would be to tax biofuels less than fossil fuels—avoid lengthy debates on mandates and simply change the taxation structure in such
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Certifying Sustainability: Ethanol Bound for the EU Undergoes New Scrutiny
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In July 2011, the European Union belatedly approved the first seven voluntary sustainability schemes for biofuels as required by the Renewable Energy Directive. The directive, commonly referred to as RED, requires all 27 EU
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Who’s in the Lead? Algae around the World
by Jonathan Williams (Biofuels Digest) Who’s in front in the development of algal-based fuels and biomaterials? India, China, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Israel, the EU, or the US. The NAABB’s globe-trotting chief parses it out. In New Mexico, Dr. Jose Olivares is
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Lufthansa Ends Biofuel Trial with U.S. Flight
by Victoria Bryan (Reuters) German carrier Lufthansa is ending the trial use of a biofuel mix for its planes because it has used up stocks of certified biofuel and no other reliable supplies are available. The trial, which ran on flights between
January 10, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Production Technologies: Overview of These Expanding Sectors and the Challenges Facing Them
(IFP Energies Nouvelles) The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now starting to bear fruit. Although no plants are producing and marketing biofuels yet, the large-scale, industrial feasibility of second-generation biofuel production at
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Boosting Biofuels for Sustainable Energy and Environment
(European Commission CORDIS) Europeans believe in a sustainable environment, and a way of ensuring its future is to promote and build energy resources based on residual biomass. Supporting this objective is the BIOBOOST ('Biomass-based energy intermediates boosting biofuel production') project. Set
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Control Union's Verkerk Says Biofuels Will Grow Europe Canola Market
by Scott Larson (The Star Phoenix) A new market for canola growers is opening up in Europe, says a representative for Control Union, a Netherland-based company that certifies supply chains for products entering Europe. While Canadian canola has been shut
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Sets Out Plans for Cutting emissions by over 80% without Disrupting Energy Supplies and Competitiveness.
(European Commission) Committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050, the EU is exploring the challenges of decarbonisation. In March this year the EU published its low-carbon roadmap covering all sections of the economy. It is
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Airlines Must Pay for Carbon Emissions on European Flights, High Court Rules
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) Europe’s highest court ruled Wednesday that the European Union has the legal right to force foreign airlines to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions, a decision that could boost ticket prices but also encourage
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Solving ILUC by Thinking Out of the Box
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) In various circles, the current thinking on indirect land use change (ILUC) is very much driven by negative perceptions. In the EU, the concern is that biofuel policy is counterproductive to what policymakers want
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
By Train, By Truck, or By Boat: How Ethanol Moves and Where It’s Going
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In September, Ed Hubbard, legislative counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association, addressed the topic of ethanol exports during a presentation at an ethanol logistics conference held in New Orleans. He noted that the amount
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Swedish Sustainability Certification for Biofuels
(The Bioenergy Site) Starting February 1, 2012, a Sustainability Decision from the Swedish Energy Agency is required for biofuels in order to be eligible for tax incentives or to count for mandatory national renewable energy targets in Sweden. Sweden was one
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
US Airlines Test Bio Fuel Flights
by John Terrett (AlJazeera) Some US airlines have begun testing enviromentally friendly fuel. And while the efforts may help the environment, unlike in the European Union, the US government does not force airliners to go green. The ecological benefits would be
December 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Concerns EU’s Renewable Energy Directive Breaks Rules Of Free Trade
(Eurasia Review) The European Union renewable energy regulation may became a subject of dispute in the World Trade Organization (WTO), warned Monday the Globalization Institute, adding that lack of transparency and discrimination towards foreign biofuel suppliers cause the Renewable Energy