In Washington, Reuters reports the US Grains Council told a Platts virtual event that it doesn’t believe global ethanol production will recover to pre-COVID levels until 2022 while 2020 production will be 20% lower on the year. The USGC says more than 250 ethanol plants around the world have been shut down as a result […]
In India, Zee Business reports that the Prime Minister is looking to announce significant supports to the sugar industry next week in an effort to further boost ethanol production in line with the aim to reduce fossil fuel imports and improve air quality. A meeting was held Tuesday with all major government, private sector and […]
In Denmark, Reuters reports that Lego plans to invest $400 million to find better feedstocks for its switch to bioplastics as part of its 2022 strategy to be carbon neutral. The company is looking to completely replace fossil fuels in its plastics by 2030. It already announced a $150 million investment in 2015 to convert […]
In Washington, the Biogenic CO2 Coalition filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week, providing a detailed explanation of the scientific and legal basis for the agency to propose a rule to recognize that biogenic carbon emissions from agricultural crops do not contribute to elevated greenhouse gas levels in the […]
In Japan, the Nikkei newspaper reports that Japanese companies are bucking the trend and investing in algae-based and palm oil waste-based biofuels even though COVID-19 has negatively impacted fuel demand and there is limited market currently for aviation biofuels. Southeast Asia, rather than Japan, are keys areas for production expansion due to significantly more sunlight […]
In Washington, the Trump Administration is moving forward to review and adjudicate petitions for small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is denying petitions for small refinery exemptions for past compliance years, the so-called “gap-filling” petitions for the 2011-18 compliance years. As promised, EPA is ensuring […]
In Canada, Reuters reports the government is looking at reducing the carbon intensity of fuels as part of its COVID-19 recovery plans, with CI reductions of 12% by 2030 expected to be announced over the coming months. A blending mandate with lower carbon fuels will be part of that policy which isn’t making the refining […]
In Washington, Bloomberg reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is looking at potential funding options including coronavirus aid under the USDA to help bailout small refineries who have been denied gap-year SREs. So far, the biofuels industry has received little direct coronavirus-related aid and corn state senators have been pushing hard for it, especially in […]
In the UK, Renewable Energy Magazine reports Speedy Hire has chosen the FuelBox Green D+ HVO, a new product launched by FuelBox and Green Biofuels, to help decarbonize its equipment that is rented to construction, industrial, utilities and other heavy industries. The boxes are recyclable 20-liter containers that include an easy-pour spout, are stackable and […]
In Georgia, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that a new low-temperature multi-phase process for upgrading lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons could help expand use of the lignin, which is now largely a waste product left over from the productions of cellulose and bioethanol from trees and other woody plants. Using a dual catalyst […]
