In Washington, the Navy says that biofuels prices are becoming more affordable faster than expected, thanks to cooperation with the DOE and USDA, with 2016 seen as a likely date for biofuels availability in commercial quantities. Recent contracts have been awarded for 170 million gallons of biofuel at $4 a gallon for 2016, much lower […]
In the Philippines, the Dept. of Energy is updating its coconut biodiesel specifications to bring the fuel into line with national and international fuel quality standards. The policy, which is meant to facilitate higher biodiesel blends in the future, includes changes to improve oxidation stability and sulfur content as well as dealing with carbon residue, […]
In India, the national sugar mills association says the country could save $1.3 billion annually in foreign exchange just by implementing the already mandated 5% ethanol policy. Bureaucratic hitches and failure to secure enough ethanol by the oil marketing companies has delayed implementation of the blend, which the country continues to import oil for its […]
In Zambia, a blending mandate has gone one step further following a technical presentation by Zimbabwe’s Green Fuel to the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development. The country is looking at importing ethanol from Zimbabwe as an interim measure until the ethanol plant at Nakambala Sugar Estate in Mazabuka comes online.
In Brazil, a joint trade mission to improve biofuel trade between the US and Brazil has been announced, and will be sponsored by the Renewable Fuel Association (RFA), the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) and the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA). 15 companies will be selected to participate on the mission, which will be held from […]
In Pakistan, molasses manufacturers want the government to drop the 15% export duty on molasses since the government isn’t planning to put in an E10 policy as originally expected. The duty was put in place in 2009 under pressure from ethanol distillers in order to control the molasses market but only used it intermittently. Sugar […]
In India, in order to avoid this year’s situation that oil companies issued the purchase tender for ethanol after sugar mills had already committed much of their molasses, the country’s oil minister is pushing for oil companies to launch their tenders now for 400 million liters. Those 400 million liters were originally meant to be […]
In the Netherlands, amid arguments about biodiesel’s economic and environmental impact, Rabobank believes that the likely policy result will be a higher than expected cap on first-generation biofuels in the EU transport fuel mix. The current debates in the European Union (EU) on biofuel policy continue to generate rumor and speculation, causing considerable uncertainty for […]
In Washington, the Farm Service Agency announced the final Feedstock Flexibility Program(FFP) rule went on public display Friday was published in the Federal Register on Monday, July 29. Congress created the FFP in the 2008 Farm Bill, allowing for the purchase of excess sugar to produce bioenergy in order to avoid forfeiture of sugar pledged […]
In Washington, while the House’s energy committee was hearing testimony regarding the Renewable Fuels Standard, an amendment to the defense spending bill was approved by voice vote that would block the DOD from purchasing most biofuels, going so far as to include any “non-petroleum” fuel. Politico says it doesn’t expect the measure to pass the […]
