In Washington, Representative Kevin Cramer, R-N.D has co-sponsored HR 1311 that seeks to introduce a waiver allowing for blends above 10%, effectively breaking the blend wall of 10%. He said in an op ed in The Hill last year that higher ethanol blends will be cheaper, having an impact on inflation by bringing down the […]
In Washington, the Department of Transportation’s report required under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 shows that the number of DOT-111 rail cars transporting ethanol rose to 65% in 2016 from 46% in 2013 despite the legislation requiring the phasing out of such tanker cars carrying hazardous materials or flammable liquids as […]
In Nigeria, biogas expert Micheal Kottner told the News Agency of Nigeria that sustainable biogas production is possible if the federal government puts the legal framework in place to support it. Kottner said that even smaller countries than Nigeria are producing biogas at sustainable level because their governments give the support needed through legal frame. […]
In Australia, Cloncurry Shire Council’s crop trials in conjunction with the Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Zone is set to begin in the next two weeks in an effort to determine which feedstocks could lead to a viable biodiesel industry in the region. A wide range of crops including leucaena, sunflowers, safflower, sesame, pigeon pea, […]
In Belgium, the European Biodiesel Board plans to challenge the European Commission’s decision to drastically cut anti-dumping import duties on Argentine biodiesel, saying the move provoked by a World Trade Organization ruling in 2016 will have a dramatic impact on the biodiesel industry. A lawyer for the industry association said the legal challenge will likely […]
In Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led a bipartisan group of senators, including Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), urging U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to […]
In Canada, the government’s existing ethanol blend mandate has played a key role in reducing the carbon intensity in gasoline, while providing market access and economic stability for Canada’s ethanol industry. Maintaining Renewable Fuel Standards can be an integral part of Canada’s transition to a low-carbon future, according a new Conference Board of Canada report. […]
In India, calls for policy changes to help the biodiesel industry are being voiced and if implemented, could help biodiesel’s future role in the country. While jatropha, agricultural waste and other feedstocks show promise in India, they have some policy challenges for biodiesel producers. Former professor Bharat Jhunjhunwala told the Free Press Journal in India, […]
In Mexico, the country’s new E10 policy has been temporarily limited to the previous 5.8% due to one of several court cases currently active in contra to the new policy approved by the energy regulator in June. A judge granted the temporary injunction as a result of the case brought by a former presidential candidate for […]
In China, the government announced it will implement an E10 blending mandate by 2020 as part of its strategy to work through 200 million metric tons of corn stocks, giving the country just three years to ramp up production and get the infrastructure in place to supply nationwide. With 10 new 300,000 ton ethanol factories […]
