Biofuels Digest

Top Story:In Washington, the Republican Party began to break ranks with President Bush over ethanol, when Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson said she will introduce legislation to freeze the biofuel mandate passed in the Energy Independence and Security Act last December.  Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma called on the EPA to impose ” “an immediate […]

In Washington, the Republican Party began to break ranks with President Bush over ethanol, when Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson said she will introduce legislation to freeze the biofuel mandate passed in the Energy Independence and Security Act last December.
Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma called on the EPA to impose “an immediate waiver from [biofuels] […]

From Public Agenda and Foreign Affairs: The Spring 2008 edition of the “Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index” from Public Agenda and Foreign Affairs shows that 60 percent of Americans say reducing energy dependence would strengthen our nation’s security “a great deal,” the highest percentage since the Index’s inception and now the most highly rated […]

In Washington, a vote by the US House and Senate conference committee on the Farm Bill is expected this week, with an expectation that the bill will contain a reduced 45 cents per gallon ethanol subsidy and a $1.01 per gallon subsidy for cellulosic ethanol. Tax credits for biodiesel were removed from the bill, and […]

In Washington, the global agricultural research consortium CGIAR said that an immediate biofuels moratorium would lead to a decline in corn prices of 20 percent and a 10 percent decline in wheat prices by 2009-2010. President George W. Bush said, “In terms of the international situation, we are deeply concerned about food prices here at […]

In Colorado, Dr. Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo, received the inaugural George Washington Carver award from BIO, the world’s largest biotech organization. The award recognizes significant contribution by an individual in the field of industrial biotechnology and its application in biological engineering, environmental science, biorefining and biobased products.  Gevo is the developing biobutanol for use […]

In Idaho, Pacific Ethanol commenced production at its 60 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Burley. The plant will use 21 million bushels of corn, and the company hopes to supply the entire ethanol demand for Idaho from the plant, as well as up to 500,000 tons of distillers grains for livestock feed.
Pacific Ethanol recently reported […]

In Indonesia, the state oil firm, Pertamina, has reduced its biodiesel blend ration from B2.5 to B1, owing to increase in the the price of crude palm oil. The biodiesel blend was previously reduced from B5 to B2.5 last year. Crude palm prices have increased by 45 percent in the past year.
The Indonesian National […]

In Argentina, Integrated Biodiesel Industries announced it would build a third Argentine plant, by retrofitting the Imperial Chemical plant in San Lorenzo, 180 miles north of Buenos Aires. The plant is expected to open this November with a planned initial capacity of 14 Mgy, and expanding to 38 Mgy by the end of 2009.
In Argentina, […]

In Texas, Direct Fuels has opened a 10 Mgy biodiesel plant in Euless, alongside its oil refinery operations. The plant opening follows on from the opening of the company’s ethanol distribution complex in January. The company projects that up to 40 percent of its 2008 revenue will come from renewable fuels. The company, which will […]