News

19 December, the EPA published a proposed rule that would classify the fuels as ‘advanced biofuel’ in the Renewable Fuels Standard. If approved, the EPA would set out a new fuel pathway for the distilling of the oil into fuel. The provisional rule is to be released onto regulations.gov for comment. The document stems from an EPA assessment of lifecycle GHG emissions in grain sorghum…
Read More »

4 January, the Government of Finland announced that it is donating €50 million worth of shares to a children’s charity in celebration of a century of independence. The donation reduces their voting rights from 50.1% to 49.7%. Last year Finnish legislators voted to reduce their stake in the company to 33.4%, according to Reuters, the decision was meant to make money available for…
Read More »

Alkol Biotech and Bio Refinery Development have signed a letter of intent (LOI) for the sourcing of up to 500 thousand tonnes of non-woody lignocellulosic biomass for what would be Europe’s ‘largest’ biorefinery. UK based Alkol Biotech adapts plant varieties to grow in colder and drier climates, have better resistance to pests and diseases, and higher productivities. Its first…
Read More »

A new study suggests that by suppressing a gene that stiffens cell walls, biorefineries would have access to 60% more sugar than they would otherwise from the same amount of feedstock. The researchers from the UK, Brazil and the US announced the discovery in New Phytologist. Cell wall stiffening evolved in grass as a method to impede digestion by grazers. By reducing the effect of the gene both…
Read More »

E-Fuel has launched its solution for people who want energy independence and to be green about it. The Silicon Valley company introduced its 100% ethanol generator, the Personal Energy System (PES), 8 January. It is intended to give customers full independence from the public power grid. With the smallest version starting at US$96,000, the generators can be purchased with cash or bitcoin. Citing…
Read More »

The governments are calling for cooperative research into subjects including cellulosic biofuel, management of waste resources, crop productivity and transgenetic crops. According to the Iranian Ministry of Science Research and Technology, the goal of the programme is to strengthen ties between national scientific communities and to promote the findings of the research in both countries. The…
Read More »

Platts analysis of data released by the Korea Customs Service shows that imports have increased year-on-year by 39% to 261,584 megatons (mt). The data was released 11 January and shows a significant decline in Brazilian ethanol, making up only 9% of supply in 2017 from 49% in 2016. America remained the primary exporter of denatured ethanol to the country, with 78% of imports originating from the…
Read More »

UPM Biofuels has received a RSB sustainability certificate for the cultivation of the Brassica carinata crop, a new feedstock for biofuel production. It is the first time an RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) certificate has been issued in Uruguay. "RSB certification acknowledges our strong commitment to sustainability in all operations, now also in biofuel feedstock production with…
Read More »

The company has submitted a fuel pathway petition to the EPA to certify that it has met lifetime emissions targets for its Oklahoma City gas-to-liquids plant. The company expects that the gas-to-liquid plant, which is run by a joint venture called ENVIA energy, will qualify for the most valuable renewable identification number (RIN): D7 cellulosic biofuel or biomass-based diesel. These numbers…
Read More »

ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), has announced details of its upcoming Global Sustainability Conference 2018, set to take place on 20 February in Brussels, Belgium. According to ISCC, the overarching topic of the conference will be the future of bioenergy, a highly topical theme at a time of political and legislative uncertainties such as the RED II negotiations. ISCC…
Read More »

After much deliberation, the European Parliament has voted in favour of the revised Renewable Energy Directive (often dubbed RED II). The plenary of the European Parliament adopted its first reading position on RED II on 17 January. It has been met with mixed responses within the biofuels industry. While some have commended the decision to allow crop-based biofuels to be included towards RED…
Read More »

Closure of the UK’s largest ethanol plant in the face of government inaction on policies signals the severity of an increasingly competitive ethanol marketplace. The price of ethanol commodities futures has fallen significantly this year, from $1.603 to $1.356 as of 6 December, a fall of almost 0.25. Vivergo said in a statement that these low prices and the UK government’s failure to…
Read More »

BP Biofuels and Copersucar have agreed to a new joint venture to own and operate a major ethanol storage terminal in Brazil. According to a statement from BP, the aim of the new terminal is to ‘better and flexibly’ connect ethanol production with the country’s main fuels markets. Copersucar is a leading sugar and ethanol trader, with the ‘largest sugar and ethanol storage…
Read More »