(American Energy Society/Energy Matters) From experience, we all know that when Donald Trump is president, nothing is certain. It is hard to predict how the energy sector will change, both domestically or around the world. This special issue of Energy Matters
soybean prices
Back TO HOMEBiofuel Boom Still Leaves US Soybean Glut
by Michael Hirtzer (Bloomberg) ... Just to the south, an enormous processing plant, with the capacity to crush 35 million bushels a year, is under development. The investment is a bid to cash in on soaring demand for renewable diesel, a fuel chemically similar
October 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Farming Is Hip in Brazil, Where a New Generation Is Outpacing the US
by Clarice Couto, Dayanne Sousa and Michael Hirtzer (Bloomberg) Thanks to its cheap labor, year-round harvests and close ties with mega-buyer Beijing, Brazil has rapidly encroached on the US’s long-held position as the world’s top supplier of key crops. Now,
July 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Biodiesel’s Two Decades of Growth in Illinois
by Tom C. Doran (AgriNews) Through the foresight of farmers campaigning for a sales tax exemption over two decades ago, biodiesel production in Illinois has increased fifteenfold. The Illinois Soybean Association through the checkoff played a major role in pushing for the
July 24, 2024 Read Full Article
U.S. Renewable Diesel Production Growth Drastically Impacts Global Feedstock Trade
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) During the past few years, the landscape for U.S. renewable diesel production has drastically changed, akin to the growth of ethanol and biodiesel during the past two decades. Driven by federal and state policies aimed at reducing
July 11, 2024 Read Full Article
US Opens Way for Brazil Used Cooking Oil in Blow for Farmers
by Clarice Couto and Tarso Veloso (BNN Bloomberg) Brazil said the US has cleared the way for its shipments of used cooking oil in a move that may further erode profits for American soybean producers and crushers as they face increased
June 27, 2024 Read Full Article
US Farmers Shun Buyers, Cling to Unsold Corn as Prices Slump
by P.j. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) South Dakota farmer Eric Kroupa received a flurry of calls from grain dealers and ethanol plants asking to buy the corn locked away in his bins when prices neared 4-1/2-month peaks last month. He sold
June 17, 2024 Read Full Article
UC-Davis Analysts Warn of Significant Soybean Acreage Requirements for SAF
(Pro Farmer/Ag Web) Two UC-Davis analysts in a report highlighted that satisfying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) goals would require a significant increase in soybean plantings, almost by 50%. Conversely, relying solely on corn ethanol would necessitate a lesser increase in land
April 09, 2024 Read Full Article
RFS Fight Launches in Appeals Court Interest Groups Argue EPA Illegally Finalized RFS Volumes Through 2025
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Though the EPA finalized Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2023 to 2025 in June 2023, the future of the rule could change depending on the outcome of a legal battle playing out in a federal
March 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Rapid Expansion of U.S. Soybean Processing Capacity Risks Industry Overbuild
by Brian Earnest , Tanner Ehmke and Jacqui Fatka (CoBank) • The push for renewable diesel is boosting demand for soybean oil as a feedstock. Soybean crush capacity in the U.S. is expected to expand 23% over next three years
March 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Corn and Soybean Prices Drop 8% to Begin 2024 — and the EPA Is Partly to Blame
by Myra P. Saefong (MarketWatch/Morningstar) Falling gasoline demand put agency in ‘tough position’: energy trader -- Corn and soybean prices have declined on the back of excess supplies, with disappointing U.S. mandates for plant-based renewable fuels contributing to weakness — and pulling
February 09, 2024 Read Full Article
The Link between Oil and Ag -- Understand Why Oil Prices Impact Corn and Soybean Prices.
by Cassidy Walter (Successful Farming) “Petroleum is the floor,” says Owen Wagner, senior grain and oilseeds analyst for RaboResearch. “That’s the best way to think of it; petroleum sets the foundation.” Wagner says the price of oil is not a primary driver
February 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Clean Aviation Fuels Check the Boxes for Agriculture, for America
by Kirk Leeds (Iowa Soybean Association/Des Moines Register) With the drums of war beating again in the Middle East, America faces a pressing need to secure stable, affordable fuel supplies that do not make us dependent on dictators and volatile foreign
January 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Milei Seeks to Deregulate the Price of Biofuels and Enable Oil Companies to Participate in the Business
(Bichos de Campo (Google Translation)) The National Executive Branch sent to Congress the legislative megaproject with which it will seek to carry out a gigantic reform of the State and regulations, especially economic ones, reducing participation in many sectors. One of the
January 02, 2024 Read Full Article
More Acres, More Bushels: A 10-Year Look at How Corn and Soybean Production Has Exploded in Brazil
by Katie Humphreys (AgWeb) ... In 2014, Brazil produced 10% fewer soybeans than the U.S. Now, they produce 45% more, even with the U.S. increasing production by 10% during that time. Soybean yields in South America and the U.S. are comparable. Most
December 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuel Boom to Push US Soy Meal Exports to Record High
by Kim Chipman and Tarso Veloso Ribeiro (Bloomberg) Oil from crushed soybeans is key ingredient in green diesel; Soy meal byproduct shipments to pass record in 2024, US says -- Shipments of US soybean meal to other countries are expected to climb to a
October 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Market Prices for Renewable Fuel Standard Credits Are Falling
by Jimmy Troderman (U.S. Energy Information Administration) The prices of ethanol (D6) and biomass-based diesel (D4) renewable identification number (RIN) credits—the compliance mechanism used for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—each fell by more than one third
October 24, 2023 Read Full Article
The Three Musketeers, LanzaTech, Ensyn, Linde Unveil SAF Game-Changer
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Next, news arrived that Ensyn, Linde Corp and LanzaTech have formed an alliance develop and implement the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel other renewable fuels and a range of useful materials from cellulosic biomass
October 23, 2023 Read Full Article
New Partnership Brings Biodiesel to Husker Athletics and All of Nebraska
(Nebraska Soybean Board) The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) has teamed up with Husker Athletics to promote and power the team buses with biodiesel for the ongoing school year and sports season. This innovative sponsorship officially launched as the college sports season kicked off this fall
October 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Stu Ellis: Biofuels Looking to Takeoff with Help from Lawmakers
by Stu Ellis (Herald & Review) ... And the U.S. Department of Agriculture's projections for exports ratchet down every time a new Supply and Demand report is issued. While this is occurring, Brazil announces increased exports of corn and soybeans —
September 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel’s Uncertain Future
by Jacqueline Holland (Farm Progress) Farmers and the rest of the world want green energy. Is the U.S. government standing in the way? -- Greg Anderson was disheartened when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced 2023-25 biofuel blending volumes in June. The
July 13, 2023 Read Full Article
As Biofuels Boom, Companies Retool Oilseeds to Crack New Markets
by Karl Plume and Rod Nickel (Reuters) ... These soy varieties in Benson Hill's (BHIL.N) 47,000- square-foot "crop accelerator" produce beans with exceptionally high protein to satisfy two competing demands: Supply the growing biofuels sector and expand the market for soy meal. "We're going
June 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Challenges Ahead For Soybean-Based Renewable Fuels Demand
by Greg Horstmeier (Progressive Farmer/DTN/Biodiesel Magazine) Building new renewable fuel plants and increasing the pace of existing crush facilities can set the demand side of the soy biodiesel equation, but the supply side becomes complicated. -- Demand for renewable diesel
June 02, 2023 Read Full Article
The Biodiesel Profitability Squeeze
by Maria Gerveni and Scott Irwin (FarmDocDaily) ... We begin by briefly reviewing data on renewable diesel and FAME biodiesel production trends in recent years. Figure 1 shows monthly U.S. renewable diesel and FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) biodiesel production
May 13, 2023 Read Full Article
Is the Biodiesel Industry on the Ropes?
by Mindy Ward (Farm Progress/Missouri Ruralist) Renewable diesel came out swinging, winning the West Coast, but it’s still the underdog in soybean country. BATTLE ROYALE: Farmers are caught in the middle of a supply struggle in the biofuels industry. It’s
May 04, 2023 Read Full Article
Study: Soybean Oil for Biofuel Production Has a Limited Impact on Food Prices
by Sarah Hartness (Browfield Ag News) A recent study by Purdue University, in partnership with the United Soybean Board, shows no statistically significant relationship between increased use of soybean oil in biofuel production and retail food prices for consumers. Over the past
April 28, 2023 Read Full Article
“Amazing to See” Soy Biofuel Opportunities Growing Rapidly
by Dusty Sonnenberg (Ohio Ag Net) Tom Verry, director of outreach and development for Clean Fuels Alliance America, talks with Ohio Ag Net’s Dusty Sonnenberg about the rapidly expanding markets and opportunities for soy biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels. “I’ve
April 14, 2023 Read Full Article
Ag Economy Barometer Shows Farmers Believe Renewable Fuels to Drive Higher Crop Prices
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Indiana, farmer sentiment weakened again in March as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 8 points to a reading of 117. The survey included several renewable energy questions focused on the ethanol and renewable diesel
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Planting for the Future: Ag Outlook 2023
by Allen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum) ... Precision Farming is the Future: But the most significant boost to farm productivity in this generation likely won’t be as much about more horsepower or size of the machine or implement, but the
April 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Purdue University Study Shows Soybean Oil for Biofuels Has Limited Impact on Overall Food Prices
(Soy Hopper/United Soybean Board) While greater biofuel demand contributes to rising price of soy oil-based foods, increased availability of soy meal drives down cost of animal proteins, offsetting Consumer Price Index. -- Whether buying Christmas presents, purchasing a new car or
December 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuels a Growing Part of Ohio Agriculture
by Patrick Cooley (The Columbus Dispatch) Paul Herringshaw watched the price of corn improve dramatically when the POET Bioprocessing facility opened in 2008 in Fostoria, a short drive from his Wood County farm. The ethanol plant, one of three in Ohio operated
December 19, 2022 Read Full Article
The Feedstock Conundrum for Renewable Diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel
by Dave Collings (1898 Co.) Refiners are expanding their interests beyond renewable diesel into the sustainable aviation fuel marketplace. While feedstock availability continues to be a concern, another pathway has opened that may provide some temporary relief. ... In 2021, conversations among
October 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Feature: Biodiesel Fundamentals Support Higher Blends, Brazil Considers Change
by Nicolle Monteiro de Castro (S&P Global) Biodiesel mandate for 2023 remains unclear; Diesel-biodiesel spread falls in August; Glycerin price falls 54% over five months -- Shifting price structures in diesel and soybean oil markets could support an increased biodiesel blending in Brazil,
September 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Fabricating a Future for Biodiesel
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) With prices for cleaner feedstocks through the roof, Tactical Fabrication and Smisson-Mathis Energy have forged an all-inclusive, turnkey model for biodiesel production based on the least desirable and lowest-cost materials. After years of development, they
June 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Paradigm Shifts: Can We Meet the Challenge? How Much Soybean Oil Can We Produce and How Fast Can We Produce It?
by Pete Moss (Biobased Diesel Daily/Frazier, Barnes & Associates) ... As announcements for new renewable diesel projects begin to taper off, notifications of new soybean-crushing facilities seemingly occur on a weekly basis. This requires a fight for acres, manufacturing capacity
June 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Brazil Biodiesel Producers Ready to Boost Output Amid Diesel Shortage Fears
(BNamericas) Brazil’s biodiesel producers are ready to increase output to prevent a major diesel supply shortage, João Henrique Hummel, who represents the sector's interests in the lower house, told BNamericas. In September last year, the government decided to reduce the mandatory
June 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Brazil Mulls Using More Biodiesel to Avoid Fuel Shortage
by Rachel Gamarski and Tatiana Freitas (Bloomberg/Financial Post) Brazil’s government is mulling an increase later this year in the amount of biodiesel blended into trucking fuel to avoid shortages. -- Latin America’s largest economy may boost the biodiesel blend to
June 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Analysis: White House Weighs Inflation vs. Farmers in New Biofuel Mandates
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The White House is expected to announce in coming weeks the amount of biofuels like corn-based ethanol that U.S. refiners must blend into their fuel this year, a decision that will force it to
May 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Will Indonesia's Ban on Palm Oil Exports Derail Renewable Diesel Growth in the U.S.?
by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb) Soybean oil prices hit nearly limit up in overnight trading after Indonesia announced it will effectively ban palm oil exports as of April 28 due to soaring domestic prices. While no timeline was given on the announced export
April 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Brazil Cuts Ethanol Import Tariffs to Zero until End of 2022
by Bernardo Caram and Peter Frontini (Reuters) Brazil’s government announced on Monday it will cut to zero import tariffs for ethanol and six food products until the end of 2022. READ MORE Brazil to suspend tariff on ethanol imports (Agri-Pulse) Brazil suspends tariff
March 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Studying whether Biofuel Waiver Could Ease Food Inflation -Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is studying whether waiving biofuel blending mandates could help offset a surge in prices for key food ingredients like corn and soy oil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two sources familiar
March 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Irwin: 2021 Devastating for Biodiesel Biodiesel Industry Bleeds Red in 2021 While Renewable Diesel Production Explodes
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Biodiesel producers using soybean oil as a feedstock had what one agriculture economist called a "devastating year" in 2021, as the unprecedented high cost of soybean oil far outweighed all-time-high biodiesel prices of $6.42 a
February 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Fuel the Crush: Renewable Diesel Pumps Up Soybean Demand
by Sara Schafer (AgWeb) ... “The administration is committed to making this happen, and so I think there is a much larger appetite to get this industry off the ground now than there even was six months or a year
February 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Will Sustainable Fuel Power Your Farm Equipment In 10 Years?
by Jenna Hoffman (AgWeb) ... With sustainable aviation fuel on the rise, (ProFarmer Policy Analyst Jim) Wiesemeyer begs the question of whether there will be a push to power farm equipment with renewable fuels. AgriTalk Host Chip Flory sees the possibility
February 10, 2022 Read Full Article
When Energy Policy and Sustainability Clash
by Guil Signorini (Ohio's Country Journal) ... The Brazilian fuel sector is just as clean. Nearly all fuel stations sell ethanol, gasoline, and diesel. Most passenger cars and motorcycles are equipped with flex-fuel engines that can take gasoline, ethanol, or any
January 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Opinion: Clean Fuel Production Is Growing Sustainably
by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Clean Fuels Alliance America/Agri/Pulse) America’s demand for cleaner, better fuels is growing. Washington state recently joined Oregon and California in launching a clean fuels program. New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island have adopted requirements for Bioheat®
January 13, 2022 Read Full Article
Brazil to No Longer Hold Biodiesel Auctions as of January
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, Platts reports there were no longer be biodiesel auctions held to supply biodiesel for the country’s 10% blending mandate but instead will move to a direct-sales contract model this month. The law originally meant
January 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Editorial: Conflicting Passions Burn Brightly over Biofuels Production Mandate
by Josh Sosland (World Grain/Milling & Baking News) ... Lost in the back and forth over the RVOs are the global forces driving strong prices for US edible oils. Viewed alone, the supply/demand balance for US soybean oil would not
December 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuel Usage Expected to Stay Strong
by Martha Blum (AgriNews) ... “I’m very confident biofuels will play an important role in our global energy future, but I expect it to be a bumpy ride,” said Scott Irwin, Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing in the Department
December 17, 2021 Read Full Article
United Just Completed First Flight Fueled by SAF, Here's Why Soybean Growers Should Take Note
by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb Farm Journal) As airlines work to reduce their carbon footprint, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel are taking flight. Earlier this month, United Airlines successfully completed the first flight running on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a 100%
December 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Column: Grain Traders Eye U.S. Crops, China and Biofuels to Headline 2022 -Braun
by Karen Braun (Reuters) Grain and oilseed markets in 2021 proved just as exciting as in 2020 with prices hitting multiyear highs on shrinking stockpiles. Whether those prices sustain or relax in 2022 will be partially guided by some of the
December 15, 2021 Read Full Article
USDA Sees Little Renewable Diesel Benefit for Soybean Oil
by Sean Pratt (Western Producer) Analysts generally concur that the burgeoning renewable diesel industry will result in exploding demand for soybean oil through 2030. But there is one notable exception. The United States Department of Agriculture is forecasting static soybean oil demand from
December 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Trucking, Airlines Divided over Biofuel Tax Incentives that Could Bolster Feedstock Demand
by Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse) The biofuel tax incentives in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill could insure a growing market for soybean oil and other farm commodities, but the trucking industry worries the subsidies will kick off a war
December 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Producers Prepare for Thanksgiving
(Biodiesel Magazine/National Biodiesel Board) This Thanksgiving, many biodiesel producers are prepping for the holiday surge in used cooking oil. National Biodiesel Board members — such as Newport Biodiesel in Rhode Island, New Leaf Biofuel in San Diego and American GreenFuels in
November 24, 2021 Read Full Article
Refiners Relationship with Ethanol Continues to be Faithful
by Jenna Hoffman (AgWeb) BioUrja Ethanol Trading Manager Jordan Fife shared blending insights with AgriTalk’s host Chip Flory earlier this week. Fife says when you pull up to the pump, 10% ethanol blended fuel is going to be cheaper than straight gasoline,
November 18, 2021 Read Full Article
House Hearing Focuses on Biofuels, the Renewable Economy
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy and Credit on Nov. 16 hosted a hearing on the renewable economy to help inform development of the next Farm Bill. The event featured testimony on the
November 17, 2021 Read Full Article
ISA Promotes Biodiesel at Elevators
by Tom Doran (AgriNews) The Illinois Soybean Association delivered its biodiesel message directly to farmers as they brought their crops to elevators. ISA hosted Breakfast and Biodiesel events at Central Grain Co., Belvidere; M&M Service Co., Litchfield; Roanoke Farmers Association, Roanoke; and
November 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Food vs. Fuel or Food AND Fuel for Soybean Products?
by Forrest Laws (Farm Progress) Can the soybean industry provide food and fuel to the market without compromising? ... “Where we are now is incredibly exciting because we’ve got the bean oil piece that goes into this biofuel space, and
October 27, 2021 Read Full Article
A Biodiesel Boom (and Conundrum)
by Dan Charles and Marie Godoy (NPR) There's a biodiesel boom happening! It's fueled by incentives and policies intended to cut greenhouse emissions, and is motivating some oil companies like World Energy in Paramount, California to convert their refineries to
October 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Need to Boost Biofuel Production to Reduce Dependence on Import of Crude Oil and Fuel Gases: Nitin Gadkari
(Economic Times) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday stressed the need to enhance the production of biofuel in the country by using the stubble of certain crops to reduce the dependence on the import of crude oil and fuel gases
October 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Government to Make It Mandatory for Vehicle Manufacturers to Make Flex-Fuel Engines: Nitin Gadkari
(India TV News) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the government will make it mandatory for all the vehicle manufacturers to make flex-fuel engines, after it gets permission from the Supreme Court (SC). Flex-fuel, or flexible fuel, is an alternative
October 01, 2021 Read Full Article
CVR Energy Takes Wait-and-See Approach on Feedstock Prices for Renewable Diesel Conversions
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) CVR Energy is waiting to complete its hydrocracker conversion for renewable diesel production in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, due to high feedstock prices, CEO David Lamp said in a second-quarter conference call on the company’s earnings. The
August 10, 2021 Read Full Article
U.S. Bread, Donut Makers Urge Biden to Roll back Biofuel Requirements
by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) A trade group representing some of America's biggest baked goods companies is urging the Biden administration to ratchet back its biofuel ambitions, arguing that using fuel made from crops could raise the
August 03, 2021 Read Full Article
President Biden’s Climate Plan and iIts Role in Agriculture & Renewable Biofuels
by Oliver Peoples (Yield10 Bioscience/Biofuels Digest) During President Biden’s April 22nd climate plan speech at the Virtual Leaders’ Summit on Climate, he announced his goal of cutting 50 percent of U.S. carbon-emissions levels by 2030. This is no simple task, and consumers,
August 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Oleochemicals Industry Challenged by Post-pandemic Supply Issues: Report from the 13th World Oleochemicals Conference
by Douglas Root* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The oleochemicals industry is struggling. Shipping costs have increased. Suppliers are not able to deliver raw materials, maintenance supplies, and new equipment. Scheduled maintenance activities have lapsed and restarting equipment is not happening smoothly.
June 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Weighs Small Cut to Biofuel Targets in Nod to Refiners
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Kim Chipman (Bloomberg/Yahoo!) The Biden administration is developing targets for biofuel that are likely to be relatively flat or even lower as it seeks to balance the interests of blue-collar refining workers and advance a clean-energy
June 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Stinkweed to False Flax: Oilseeds Race to Reap Biofuel Bonanza
by Rod Nickel and Karl Plume (Reuters) ... Botanists, businessmen, farmers and federal lawmakers, they all gathered to peer at the waist-high plant usually considered a pest and uprooted on sight because of its foul odor, toxicity and the grim taste
June 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Agricultural Feedstock Costs Drive RIN Prices to All-Time Highs
by Sean Hill and Matthew French (U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration) The prices of renewable identification number (RIN) credits—the compliance mechanism used for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—sharply increased through April of
June 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Green-Fuel Push Stirs Food Inflation Fears in Rebound From Virus
by Kim Chipman (Bloomberg) Oil refiners’ attempt to clean up their act is bumping into growing concerns over food prices and supplies as nations seek to get back on their feet -- Soaring demand for crops has once again raised
May 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Insight: Policy Delays Slow Biofuels Market Growth
by Tom Brown (Independent Commodity Intelligence Services) Shifting government priorities are continuing to weigh on the growth of biofuels, with the policy-driven sector buffeted by delays in new legislation and low fossil fuel costs. The public commitments by most governments to
May 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Brazil Soy Crushers' Lobby Pushes for Rise in Biodiesel Blending
by Ana Mano (Reuters/NASDAQ) Brazilian oilseeds lobby group Abiove is pushing the government to clearly signal whether it plans to raise its biodiesel blending requirement after a surprise move to temporarily cut it this month. -- Brazilian oilseeds lobby group Abiove
May 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Illinois Soybean Association Debuts Farmer Biodiesel Resources
(Illinois Soybean Association/Biobased Diesel Daily) The Illinois Soybean Association is rolling out a new era of biodiesel work in a big way. Elliot Uphoff, ISA District 10 director, gave his grain truck a brand-new look this week, debuting ISA’s new
April 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Boom Highlights Challenges in Clean-Energy Transition
by Rod Nickel, Stephanie Kelly and Karl Plume (Reuters) ... Refiners can produce renewable diesel from animal fats and plant oils, in addition to used cooking oil. Production capacity is expected to nearly quintuple to about 2.65 billion gallons (63 million barrels)
March 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Products Remain Strong: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Neste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “A solid quarter despite market turbulence due to COVID-19”,is how Neste is describing their second quarter of 2020 in this just released presentation. Check out this illuminating slide guide for the scoop on the company’s
August 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel’s Resiliency Even in Crisis: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to REG’s Response to COVID-19
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From planning, people and performance, Renewable Energy Group is on top of things with the coronavirus. Since biodiesel and renewable diesel production has been considered essential business, REG was still working, maintaining full operations of all
June 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Agricultural & Energy DigestData Dashboard for May 2020: Resilience, Crops, Economy, Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the month of May comes to a close and many states are re-opening, The Digest published this "Agricultural & Energy Dashboard" visual guide showing what's going on with ethanol retail prices, liquid energy commodity prices,
May 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Midwesterners Were Already Doubting Trump. Covid Could Seal His Political Fate
by Art Cullen (The Guardian/Storm Lake Times) ... “A lot of voters wanted to believe Trump – that out there in Washington it’s all BS, and that a savvy businessman could straighten it out,” (Drake) Custer said. It’s hard for many
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Groups Ask Congress to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 11 ag and biofuel groups sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on May 11 asking congress to provide COVID-19 relief for ethanol and biodiesel
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
World Energy Doubles Down on Biodiesel Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) “In our space, on a myopic level, we are so used to getting battered around, we’ll get through this too—but on a broader level the dynamics in which we operate will be substantially different,” said Gene
April 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry Seeks Bailout to Weather 'Collapsing Demand'
(Reuters/NewsMax Finance) The U.S. biofuel industry has asked the Trump administration for funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation to help it survive a demand slump triggered by the coronavirus outbreak, according to a letter seen by
April 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Reporters’ Notebook: The 10 Most Overlooked Bioeconomy Stories of the Week
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Amidst a tsunami of wall-to-wall ‘Rona coverage, a series of storylines have been lost in the shuffle that will have impacts near and wide-ranging for the bioeconomy, some of them relating directly to testing, scale-up
April 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Vegetable Oil Prices under Pressure Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine) The vegetable oil markets are currently extremely calm. The coronavirus pandemic is creating pressure in the financial and commodities markets and also pulling down spot prices for oilseeds and byproducts. Above all, crude oil has lost substantial ground in
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Policy Swings Shutter Iowa's Biodiesel Plants
by Marc Heller (E&E News) Fifteen years ago, farmers produced so much soybean oil they couldn't figure out what to with it all. It was good for cooking and salad dressing — and not much more. "We were throwing it away," recalled
February 07, 2020 Read Full Article
They Do Not Deliver Biodiesel and the Oil Companies Do Not Comply with a Mixture in the Diesel
by Gabriela Origlia (La Nacion (Google Translation)) The Bioenergetic League, which brings together representatives of the biofuel producing provinces, said that the sector is going through a very complex situation. Biodiesel producing companies are not delivering their product due to the price
January 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Petroleum Companies Ramp up HVO Production in Europe
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)/Biodiesel Magazine) Production of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the European Union has picked up pace since 2012. Petroleum companies, such as Neste, Eni and Total, were the main entities promoting the creation of
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
UFOP: Biodiesel Quotas Take Pressure off the Market - Non-EU Countries Show How Bioeconomics Work
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)/LifePR) ...The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) has noted that the price situation in the vegetable oil markets would be even more dramatic, if countries such as Argentina, Brazil, the
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Spotlight: Adding Value Across the Board
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Spotlighting the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, which championed the nation’s first biodiesel mandate as a way to add value to surplus soybean oil, and RPS, whose co-located biodiesel process adds 12 cents a pound to ethanol
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. -- ...Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: Feds' Biofuel Policy Produced Unintended Environmental Consequences
(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single
March 09, 2019 Read Full Article
It’s a (Trade) War: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to U.S.-China Trade War Impacts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mark Pomykacz, from Federal Appraisal LLC and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview of the U.S.-China trade war impacts, cash flows, and values in the biofuels industry, and more. READ MORE U.S./China Trade
March 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Brazil Biodiesel Group Seeks 10-pct Retention on Soy Export Earnings
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) Ubrabio, a Brazilian association of biodiesel producers, presented on Tuesday a proposal for the government to retain 10 percent of earnings from soybean exports, in a program to help the local soybean crushing industry. The money collected would be
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
NBB Appreciates Bipartisan Support for Biodiesel Tax Incentive Extension
(National Biodiesel Board) Forty-six bipartisan members of Congress ask House leaders for a multi-year extension -- Today (September 27, 2018), the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) thanked the 46 Congressmembers – led by Rep. David Young (R-IA) and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) –
October 03, 2018 Read Full Article
NBB, ASA Ask President Trump to Support Biodiesel Producers, Soy Farmers
(National Biodiesel Board) Allowing year-round use of E15 is a positive step for ethanol, but doesn’t support biodiesel -- Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) wrote President Donald Trump asking that he “provide additional help to
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
High Feedstock Prices Hardly Reached Consumers
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)) The scarcity of supply of agricultural feedstock due to drought-related declines in yield had little impact on consumer prices. The main factors driving prices up were labour or energy costs. ... The association has
September 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Offers Trade Aid to Farmers, but Some Question Its Fairness
by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Catherine Boudreau and Liz Crampton (Politico) The Trump administration on Monday detailed how it will dole out $6.3 billion in aid to assist farmers stung by retaliatory tariffs — and it’s already sparking backlash from some sectors
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Argentina Freezes Soy Export Tariffs to Keep Feedstock from Flowing into China
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Argentina, exporters have been shipping raw, unprocessed soybeans to China en masse, a move the government has put a stop to last week by freezing export taxes on beans at 26% as well as freezing taxes
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
How Progressives Can Reconnect with Rural Voters
by Patty Judge (Des Moines Register/Focus on Rural America) ... Many of the political elites on the coasts have argued that progressives should simply write off the rural Midwest because it is too white, too old and too conservative to ever
August 16, 2018 Read Full Article
McCaskill Visits Biofuel Plants in Missouri on Primary Day
by Andy Banker (KPLR11) Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill spent the primary election day visiting biofuel plants in Missouri. “Happy Primary Day,” McCaskill said while getting off her campaign bus to tour MidAmerica Biofuels in Mexico, Missouri. It was her last stop before heading
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Ethanol Moves May Be Worse for Farmers Than Soy Tariff
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Change to biofuel mandate may mean destruction of corn demand; Growers already dealing with trade concerns, crop gluts -- Based on his own back-of-the-envelope calculations, Minnesota farmer Kirby Hettver could lose tens of thousands of dollars of earnings because
April 10, 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
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
New Biodiesel Mandate Starts on May 1, Johnson Says Minnesota Is Ready for B20
by Brandon Lewis (KTOE) Six weeks remain until Minnesota’s new B20 mandate kicks-in on May 1. House Representative Clark Johnson (D-North Mankato) says all evidence points to the state being ready to go ahead with the change. “For farmers it means a higher
March 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Analysis: Cap on Conventional Ethanol RINs Will Reduce Biodiesel Market By 100-300 Million Gallons Per Year
(National Biodiesel Board) A new analysis by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services (WAEES) found that capping the price of conventional biofuels’ Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) will significantly harm the production of biodiesel and
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
US Biodiesel Supply Looks Thin Moving into Q4 and beyond: Sources
(Platts/UkrAgroConsult) The US could have trouble meeting its biodiesel blending mandate as imports from Argentina and Indonesia have been cut off by duties, sources have said. "Without Argentina this year or early next year there's going to be a shortage in
September 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel's Impact on Soybean Oil Prices Lower than Previously Thought
by Tom Steever (Brownfield Ag News) An agriculture economist says biodiesel production has had less impact on soybean oil prices than previously thought. The impression was that the U.S. biodiesel production boom following the establishment of the Renewable Fuel Standard
September 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Argentine Biodiesel Industry Says U.S. Duties Will Halt Exports
by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) Argentine biodiesel exports will be priced out of the U.S. market, its leading industry body said, after Washington decided on Tuesday to impose steep duties on imports that it said were unfairly subsidized. The countervailing duties on
August 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Major Study Says “Cut Cellulosic Ethanol out”, RFA Says “No Way Jose”
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Iowa, a new tractable multi-market model study finds that the RFS has substantially benefited the U.S. economy by lowering gasoline, crude oil prices, and crude oil imports, while increasing prices and benefits for corn
August 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel Boost Bottom Line for Farmers
by Steve White (Nebraska TV) ... Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board said, “You're talking about 1,300 direct employ jobs across the state, across rural Nebraska, that's key. Having those jobs and tax base there.” ... “It's building because of
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Grains Piled on Runways, Parking Lots, Fields Amid Global Glut
by P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) ... World stockpiles of corn and wheat are at record highs. From Iowa to China, years of bumper crops and low prices have overwhelmed storage capacity for basic foodstuffs. Global stocks of corn, wheat, rice
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
As OPEC Falls, What Is the Liberated Market Signaling to Producers?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s a theory going around that biofuels are “government fuels” — and prices are set around a table in Washington, DC. But if you visit the big biodiesel and ethanol firms, you’ll see right
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Benefits 'Global Food System' as GHG Profile Improves
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The food and livestock industries have railed against biofuels for years, based on the argument that corn ethanol and soy biodiesel raise food prices. More recently, some have suggested that soy biodiesel emits more greenhouse
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Competitive Enterprises Institute Wants RFS Frozen and Sunsetted
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Competitive Enterprises Institute has put forth proposals for the next session of Congress including freezing the Renewable Fuel Standard below the blend wall while setting a sunset period for 2022. The CEI
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Farmers to Trump: You Owe Us
by Jane Wells (CNBC) ... This even as the oil industry — suffering from its own low prices — could push the Trump administration to reduce support for ethanol. "I think some people would still like to see the death of
December 06, 2016 Read Full Article
US’ New Biofuel Mandate Boon to M’sia’s Plantation Sector
by Yvonne Tuah (Borneo Post) The United States increasing its biofuel mandate by six per cent to 19.28 billion gallons in 2017 – the highest ever recorded – is expected to benefit crude palm oil (CPO) prices. MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd’s
November 28, 2016 Read Full Article
AM Markets: US Biofuel Boost Sends Palm Oil to 4-Year High
(AgriMoney) ... "That larger-than-expected lift [to the EPA target] fuelled ideas that already tight vegetable oil supply would become even tighter in 2017," said Tobin Gorey at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. At Chicago broker Futures International, Terry Reilly said that the
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Expected Record Harvest Won’t Profit Farmers Facing Their Third Year of Falling Income
By Barbara Soderlin and Russell Hubbard (Omaha World-Herald) Fields across the Midlands are packed with copper-colored cornstalks, an expected record-size crop drying in the breeze as the fall harvest gets underway. But there’s a worry underlying the satisfaction of the Grain
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
The Biodiesel Industry Is Going Strong
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) On today’s program, we visit with Newman Grove, Nebraska farmer Greg Anderson about the positive impact that biodiesel is having on the soybean industry and soybean prices. Anderson serves on the Nebraska Soybean Board
October 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Blog: Simplistic Argument Targets Ethanol, Again
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent column provides some insight into anti-ethanol stances by making a connection between beef prices, the cow herd expansion and restaurant profits, with rather breath-taking simplification. -- A recent column in Forbes from
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
World Bank: Next Victim of Cheap Oil Is Renewable Fuel
by John Siciliano (Washington Times) The World Bank said Tuesday (July 26, 2016) that low oil prices have hurt demand for renewable fuel. Even while the bank's latest commodity outlook is raising its oil price projections from $41 to $43 per
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Soy Crop No Help for U.S. Biofuel Makers Overrun by Imports
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Biodiesel plants idled as shipments from Asia, Argentina jump; Foreign supplies cheaper or cleaner than fuel from Midwest soy -- Makers of renewable fuels derived from the vast soybean fields across the American Midwest can’t seem to
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Biodiesel (Charts and Graphs Included!)
by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) Most discussions about biofuels center on ethanol, but biodiesel—a diesel-substitute made from vegetable oils and animal fats—is increasingly important as well. But where does biodiesel come from, and what does it mean for the
June 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Biodiesel and False Dichotomy: Why Fill the Tank with Energy Derived from Soy Does Not Compete with Food
(iProfessional (Goggle Translation) In recent months, the oil price rose 30%. This rekindled the debate about the impact of this alternative fuel prices and food supply. Experts explain how this industry can help foster a cycle of "virtuous growth" in
June 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Study: Eliminating GMOs Would Take Toll on Environment, Economies
(Purdue University) Higher food prices, a significant boost in greenhouse gas emissions due to land use change and major loss of forest and pasture land would be some results if genetically modified organisms in the United States were banned, according
March 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Debunking Biofuels: Do They Really Raise Food Prices?
by Melissa Pariettin(MSN.com) ... Many factors determine the price of food in the U.S. If the introduction of the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard) had as significant an impact on food prices as certain outlets have suggested, then the increase would be
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Commentary on the Recent Development of Price Indices for Oilseeds and Meals
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) In July, the FAO price indices for oilseeds and meals rose by 3–4 percent compared to the previous month, gaining, respectively, 4 and 7 points. By contrast, after strengthening for two consecutive
August 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Past Few Years Have Been Tough on Corn, Bean Prices
by Scott Seitz (Norwalk Reflector) Revenue for local farmers is below the ‘break-even point’ -- In 2012, corn was priced as high as $8.25 per bushel, while soybeans went for as much as $18. Fast forward to today, where corn
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Livestock Feed to Overtake Biofuel in Grain Demand Growth - FAO/OECD
(CNBC/Reuters) Livestock feed will surpass biofuels as the main source of growth in global grain consumption in the next 10 years as emerging countries consume more animal protein while lower oil prices and policy changes end a decade of high
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crops Will Feel Effects of Slumping Oil Prices, Research Shows
Eric Atkins (The Globe and Mail) The crash in oil prices will be felt at the farm gate as demand and prices moderate for biofuel crops corn and soybean, says a new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and