In California, the State has sued Mendota Bioenergy in an attempt to get back $1.7 million in grant money it feels was misspent during a sugarbeet ethanol pilot project. The State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission had a contract with the company to reimburse up to $5 million towards the $11 million project but […]
In Argentina, the government plans to introduce a 26% ethanol blending mandate from next year, a major increase from the current 12%, that will bring the country in line with other countries in the region such as Brazil and Paraguay who both have ethanol mandates of 25% or higher. The blend was raised from 10% […]
In Europe, a study has shown that European demand for biodegradable polymers has focused on compostable plastic bags. The market of compostable and biodegradable plastic products grew to 100,000 tonnes in 2015, and could grow to beyond 300,000 tonnes in 2020 The industry lives and dies by the legal framework surrounding the use of biodegradable […]
In Washington, six biofuel trade associations sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking Congress for a multiyear extension of advanced biofuel tax credits. The Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Algae Biomass Organization, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Growth Energy, National Biodiesel Board and Renewable Fuels Association sent the request in a letter to Senate and […]
In Missouri, the state’s House of Representatives has passed an extender bill that would see the ethanol producer incentive fund continued through 2020 thanks to bipartisan support. Though some conservatives members of the House saw it as corporate welfare and irresponsible spending, supporters saw it as a rural jobs bill considering the majority of ethanol […]
In China, the government has decided to end its decade-long corn stockpiling program that has seen stocks grow to around 250 million metric tons, a move that will allow domestic corn prices to fall in line with international prices—currently at a 50% premium to the global market—and will lead to a significant shift in ethanol […]
In Argentina, the government has boosted the ethanol-blending mandate to 12% from the current 10% with immediate effect. The move is meant to help support sugarcane producers during a time of low sugar and ethanol prices, as promised by the president in February. Last year’s ethanol production rose more than 21% to 815,407 metric tons, […]
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an appearance at the GLOBE 2016 Conference in Vancouver last week, visiting the BioCube transportable biodiesel refinery for a walk-through of the process. Trudeau expressed interest in the applications for the BioCube in developing economies such as India, Africa, China, SE Asia, and Latin America. The BioCube is […]
In Georgia, the state’s legislature has approved a bill that halts Kinder Morgan’s planned $1 billion ethanol, gasoline and diesel Palmetto Pipeline project that would transport fuel across 360 miles from South Carolina through Georgia and into Florida. The bill puts a one-year moratorium on permits for all petroleum pipelines in the state. Landowners in […]
In Switzerland, the World Trade Organization ruled that the European Union’s anti-dumping tariffs against Argentine biodiesel imports weren’t inherently illegal but ruled in favor of Argentina on several counts where the EU inconsistently applied the WTO’s antidumping rules, including how it calculated the tariffs. Both sides have 60 days to appeal the decision which the […]
