Bioethanol News

Recent data from European renewable ethanol association ePURE members has confirmed the crucial role of European ethanol in reducing emissions in the European Union (EU). In 2018, ePURE members produced 5.81 billion litres of ethanol, as well as 5.55 million tonnes of co-products, confirming the importance of ethanol biorefineries to the EU’s goals to tackle climate change and offset its…
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Brazil has raised the quota on US ethanol imports under the tariff rate quote (TRQ) from 600 million litres per year to nearly 750 million litres per year, allowing 750 million litres of US ethanol to be imported into Brazil without triggering a 20% import tariff. The new quota is effective immediately, according to the Brazil Ministry of Agriculture, and will be valid for just one year. The…
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Swiss speciality chemicals company Clariant has successfully completed tests of technology that converts miscanthus biomass into lignocellulosic sugars and ethanol. Around 30 tons of miscanthus was provided by Croatian oil and gas company INA, having been harvested and baled at the INA demonstration site in Croatia in February 2019. The feedstock was then shipped for processing to Clariant’s…
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Two US ethanol associations – Growth Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) – have called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore biofuel demand that has been lost to oil industry handouts. The demands were submitted in comments on the EPA’s final 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO), which closed on 30 August. The RVOs, which are due by 30 November 2019,…
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Minnesota, US-based cooperative Corn Plus will suspend operations at its ethanol plant in Winnebago, Minnesota following the end of the current production run. According to the company, the board and management will work with Corn Plus’ lenders, creditors and other stakeholders to determine next steps, which could include resumption of operations or sale of the plant. Despite a number of…
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Toronto-based biofuels firm Woodland Biofuels has received a total of $4.7 million (€4.2 million) in investments from Natural Resources Canada. Kate Young, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport and Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility made the announcement on 28 August, on behalf of the Honorable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources…
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US President Donald Trump has summoned Cabinet members to discuss biofuels policies after being faced with increasing anger by farmers over rules that allow oil refineries to use less corn-based ethanol. According to an extensive report by Reuters, Trump championed ethanol throughout his presidential campaign, but also ‘courted’ the oil industry. But his latest decision to grant waivers to…
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A type of petrol which contains 10% renewable bioethanol must be launched by 2020 to help the UK reach its net zero targets, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU). The NFU has written to UK Government ministers calling for E10 to be supported in favour of the more commonly sold E5, which only contains 5% renewable bioethanol. It’s estimated that doubling the level of bioethanol in…
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Following the news that a further two small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the 2018 compliance year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has claimed that the recent trend of issuing exemptions has had no impact on ethanol producers. “There is zero evidence that EPA’s congressionally mandated small refinery exemption…
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Global biofuels producer POET has announced its intention to idle production at its bioprocessing facility in Cloverdale, Indiana in the US, due to the latest round of small refinery exemptions (SREs) granted to oil companies by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The plant will be idled over a period of several weeks, after which the facility…
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The Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) will offer fuel retailer training to install ethanol blends of 15% (E15) and higher during a free workshop in August. The workshop is being offered in response to the recent lifting of a ban on the sales of E15 during the summer months by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Consumers driving vehicles manufactured in 2001 or later can access E15 fuel…
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The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has urged Australia’s energy minister to consider US ethanol imports as a cleaner and more affordable alternative to purchasing oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The letter from RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper, which was addressed to Australia’s Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor, explained that opening the…
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