Features

Advancing Africa’s biofuels potential has been a long, slow process with the continent’s various country-by-country development plans tending to sit in their respective government in-trays for far too long. At the point, however, where there is finally evidence of real biofuels’ development intention being seen across the continent, especially in South Africa, the impact of COVID-19 has…
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When the world’s economy was placed into deep freeze for the COVID-19 lockdown, people stopped moving. Without the normal demand for fuel, the world’s energy market froze as well - extreme price falls across the commodity space became the norm. But not all price falls were the same. Major structural shifts in the economy, already underway for years, suddenly accelerated. As we slowly…
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A major component of today’s global society is undeniably air transport. It is indispensable to every economic, social and cultural facet of our lives. Air travel has completely revolutionised not only the way we travel, but also how we interact. The air transport sector directly employs 8.4 million people and tens of millions are supported directly and tangentially through the industry. …
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According to the World Wildlife Fund, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) once had the largest ecological footprint per capita in the world. Today it has become a regional role model for clean and renewable energy and the green economy. Neutral Fuels stated that its actions have resulted in over 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) savings in the region since it commissioned its…
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Although corn has a wide-ranging climatic adaptability, it shows considerably higher yield in hot regions. Ideally, corn requires higher day and night temperatures, but the temperature should not be excessively high, because it will lead to root rot. Corn also requires sufficient moisture in the soil because its root system is shallow and the roots cannot traverse very far in search of water.…
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The German Federal Government’s six month presidency of the Council of the European Union began on 1 July. As a goal of its agenda, the Federal Government stated that it wishes to “work towards climate-friendly, sustainable and affordable mobility”. The biofuel associations welcome this objective and point out that openness to technological ideas and the sustainably available potential…
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The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE) will boost ties to put the renewables-driven energy transformation at the heart of Latin America and the Caribbean’s economic recovery following COVID-19. The efforts build on an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) originally signed by the two organisations in 2012. Accelerating the…
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Biofuels represent 89% of all renewable energy sources in transport and its role in the decarbonisation of the transport sector in the EU will be pivotal in the coming years. And yet, the new Statistical Report 2020 reveals that in absolute terms, the oil in transport still accounts for 92% of final consumption. More worrying still, the report reveals that after several promising years of…
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New data from the Transport & Environment (T&E) shows the amount of palm oil used to make EU biodiesel increased 7% last year - hitting an all-time high of 4.5 million tonnes. The use of palm oil to make everyday products such as bread, ice cream, hazelnut spread, chocolate, margarine, shampoo and detergent dropped to an all-time low of 2.8 million tonnes, according to the NGO. This is because…
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Where do you source feedstock for the biofuel production process? To start with, there is a vast potential for agricultural byproducts in several regions globally – in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Numerous studies regarding the feedstock availability and potential have been published and if you take a closer look at some of the more conservative ones, they show that in Europe…
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Almost half of North America’s ethanol production facilities are either operating significantly below their normal capacity or shut down completely, all due to the devastating human and economic impact of COVID-19, writes Colin Ley. Furthermore, while US President Donald Trump talks about the country heading for a strong fourth quarter and a great 2021, ethanol sector leaders are bracing…
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The EU’s transition to climate-neutrality will require every sustainable emissions-reduction tool we have. Renewable ethanol – produced sustainably from crops and agricultural wastes and residues – is a decarbonisation solution that is already making a positive impact in the climate fight. Renewable ethanol production opens new markets for Europe’s farmers and boosts rural economies,…
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COVID-19 has affected many companies in the ethanol industry around the world as production has been hit by the drop in demand. However, this is not the case for Bulgarian company Essentica, which is the largest and one of the most high-tech companies in Southeastern Europe concerned with the production of bioethanol. Since the beginning of the crisis, the company has been working at full…
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