In China, Platts reports that the government announced on September 1 undenatured ethanol from the US will be subject to an additional 25% import duty on top of the existing 40% duty in retaliation to additional duties of between 15% and 25% imposed by the US on around $200 billion worth of Chinese products. In […]
In Brazil, Reuters reports that despite failing to achieve 100% production capacity during its first year of production, FS Bioenergia is continuing with plans to build its second corn-based ethanol plant. The company’s first plant missed the mark by 30 million liters and 130 million bushels of corn. In addition to the second plant under […]
In Thailand, the National News Bureau reports that oil giant Bangchak Petroleum is teaming with the government to support local oil palm farmers through blending 20% biodiesel, in line with the recent move by Indonesia to boost blending to 20% from the previous 15%. Other companies including TPI Polene Plc and TPI Concrete Plc are […]
In Brazil, Platts reports that data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade shows June ethanol imports soared 93% on the year to 142.4 million liters with nearly all of it going to the North-Northeast region and 96.4 million liters into Maranhao State. Nearly all of the imports were sourced from the US. Even though June […]
In New Mexico, the state’s Museum of Natural History and Science has launched an online exhibition called Bio-AI that allows users to grow an algae crop—or fail and lose the crop—using an online game “Growing Green Goop” as a way to increase awareness about algae R&D in the state. As the game’s intro says, “There […]
In Washington, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) propose to amend certain existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks and establish new standards, covering model years 2021 through 2026. The agencies are calling for stakeholders to submit comments […]
In November we reported that POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been the No. 1 hurdle to commercialization for producers around the world, according to their news release. Project LIBERTY is […]
Green Biologics is focused on the production of renewable n-butanol and other C4 chemicals from various renewable feedstocks, including sugar (cane, molasses, beets), starch (corn) and cellulosic biomass (corn residues, sugar cane bagasse, forest materials and grasses). GBL works with feedstock partners to deliver capital efficient production models, and works with downstream partners to deliver […]
A team from Switzerland has come up with a black box the size of a molecule, and inside that box they can generate the precursors for fuels, pesticides and face creams with astonishing yields and simplicity. Specifically, they are making compounds that within the 50,000-molecule group known as terpenes — and if you’ve smelled a […]
In Belgium, the European Commission announced help for farmers dealing with European drought conditions that is affecting crop production and animal feed. First, “farmers will be able to receive up to 70% of their direct payment and 85% of payments under rural development as of mid-October,” instead of December in order to help farmers’ cash […]
