Bioethanol News

Several American ethanol plants have slashed production over the past week or idled entirely as the coronavirus outbreak cuts into fuel consumption and hit margins to refine the corn-based fuel, the head of a biofuel trade group revealed. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Chief Executive Geoff Cooper said on a conference call he expects ethanol production to fall further, and called on the…
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At the moment the vast majority of Europe’s renewable target is met with land-based biofuels like corn and alfalfa. But critics have argued that such biofuels are not economically and environmentally sustainable. The use of such land-based biofuels can lead to more intensive use of resources, a reduction in biodiversity and the increase in higher GHG emissions through changes in land…
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After years of fighting their own political battles, advocates of ethanol and electric vehicles are tentatively uniting against a shared enemy - fossil fuels. More than two dozen organisations have come together for nearly two years in Minnesota to work on a "technologically neutral, policy proposal to decarbonise transportation, which has overtaken electricity production as the single largest…
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A  new report has found that despite current challenges, Iowa biofuel production continues to have a significant impact on Iowa’s economy. The report found that its growing production currently supports more than 48,000 jobs and more than $2.4 billion (2.16billion euros) in household income. The study that was put together by John Urbanchuk, of ABF Economics, and commissioned by the Iowa…
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Farmer leaders and biofuel producers from the Midwest states of America have expressed concerns about the news that the Trump administration has decided to side with oil companies in their court battle against biofuels. The debate centres around a unanimous court decision that would halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) abuse of Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable…
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A leading Australian firm has become a member of a national energy organisation. Viva Energy Australia has linked up with peak national body BioEnergy Australia with CEO Scott Wyatt saying the decision supports the company’s existing investment in biofuels distribution. He said: “We have ethanol and bio-diesel blending facilities in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, and see opportunities to…
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A new demo plant in Sweden will be the first in the world to produce a 2G platform for sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials from pulp and paper industry residues. The plant in Örnsköldsvik, coined Goldilocks, will be built by the Swedish chemical and clean tech company Sekab alongside Dutch oil company Vertoro. Sekab CEO Tomas Nilsson said: “We need to break dependence on fossil oil…
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The UK Government has launched a consultation period for feedback on E10, a blend of 10% ethanol, which is set to become the standard grade of petrol at UK filling stations from 2021. By increasing the ethanol content in petrol, E10 has the potential to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) from transport by around 750,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to removing 350,000 cars from the UK’s…
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US renewable fuels producer Pacific Ethanol has agreed to sell its 75% ownership interest in Pacific Aurora for $52.8 million (€47.3 million). The sale includes two ethanol production facilities with a combined annual production capacity of 145 million gallons, a grain elevator with storage for 4.1 million bushels, as well as integrated rail facilities in Nebraska, US. The interest will…
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An international team of researchers form the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) has developed a new biofuel production method that uses genetic engineering and environmentally friendly solvents. In partnership with the UBC, the KIST has developed an effective biofuel production process that leverages the genetic engineering of lignin…
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Australian company Licella Holdings has received a grant worth AUD$500,000 (€300,685) from the Queensland Government’s Waste to Biofutures (W2B) fund, to support a research and feasibility study for a biorefinery that converts sugarcane waste into biofuel. Licella plans to work with the University of Queensland, Burdekin Renewable Fuels and other project partners to test the conversion of…
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Renewable transportation fuels producer Gevo has received certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) for its sourcing of sustainable corn at is facility in Luverne, Minnesota in the US. The certification additionally covers Gevo’s production of intermediate feedstock isobutanol at the Luverne plant. RSB certification demonstrates that Gevo’s production is…
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Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created a new method to look deep into the nanostructure of biomaterials, without causing damage to the sample. The new technique can confirm structural features in starch, for example, which is important in biofuel production. The team used the sharp probe tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) to…
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The US Grains Council (USGC) has welcomed Nebraska Ethanol Board as its newest member. The Nebraska Ethanol Board serves 25 ethanol plants with a combined total capacity of over 2.5 billion gallons of ethanol. The organisation advocates for biofuels by informing the public and civic leaders about the benefits of the cleaner burning fuel, working to ensure biofuels and co-products play an…
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