In India, the government is preparing to release its new policy to support biofuel production from non-conventional feedstocks in an effort to boost ethanol blending above 22% and biodiesel to 15%. Anticipated feedstocks include bamboo, rice straw, wheat straw and cotton straw whereas ethanol is currently produced from molasses. Already the government announced in December […]
In Belgium, Argentina’s president in meeting with the European Commission this week has said that breaking the impasse on anti-dumping duties lodged against the country’s biodiesel exports was a way to move forward the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries. A first offer on trade concessions was made in May 2015 but now […]
In Hawaii, Pacific Biodiesel rolled back the retail price of its Maui pump station biodiesel by 9 cents per gallon – the amount of the on-road biodiesel fuel tax exempted by Maui County in its fiscal year 2017 budget, which also took effect today. Previously Maui County had increased the County Road Tax on biodiesel by 9 cents per gallon and […]
In Finland, the country’s economic affairs minister and former European Commissioner Olli Rehn says that liquid biofuels for transport and especially second-generation biofuels are vital in order to achieve the country’s energy and environmental goals for 2030. They are seen as a main way to cut vehicle emissions in line with the aim to end […]
In Texas, the City of Austin is looking into the waste wood-burning plant at Nacogdoches Operating Facility in East Texas operated by Austin Energy and Southern Power that is costing the utility’s customers $54 million per year but has produced hardly energy in the past four years. Lawyers have been contracted to investigate the contract […]
In Australia, the country’s first biorefinery capable of producing renewable diesel and jet fuels from plant material could become a reality in Queensland with support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. ARENA is providing A$2.4 million in funding support for Southern Oil Refining to develop and construct a state-of-the-art biocrude and biofuel laboratory in Yarwun, near […]
In Guatemala, after a slow start, the capital city’s UCO collection program and biodiesel production trial has grown significantly, now with six collection units working to source the feedstock and more municipal departments requesting their vehicles to be part of the program. Now the Unidad de Innovación Ambiental is set to build a more commercial-scale […]
In Washington, 39 senators sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, urging EPA to ensure the final 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard rule “promotes growth in the U.S. biofuel sector and capture economic opportunity rather than drive investment overseas.” The 2017 proposal calls on refiners to blend 14.8 billion gallons of conventional biofuels in 2017, […]
In Belgium, the European Parliament has adopted an own-initiative report on the European Commission’s 2015 Renewable Energy Progress report. In the transport sector, which is now the single biggest emitter of GHG emissions in Europe, the Parliament notes that the target for 10% renewables by 2020 is “significantly lagging behind, partly owing to the challenges […]
In Thailand, the energy ministry has agreed to subsidize the use of B20 in trucks under a trial program that will pay companies 11 cents per liter of biodiesel consumed for up to 50,000 liters. Biodiesel is currently 7 cents per liter more expensive than fossil diesel. The government will also study the use of […]
