In Brazil, Reuters reports that BP believes RenovaBio has put a positive spin on the future biofuels in the country and that the president-elect who comes into office on January 1 isn’t expected to put up obstacles to its implementation in 2020 as planned. The company has not discarded the idea of further acquisitions in […]
In Japan, Hiroshima University (HU) researchers successfully developed a biocontainment strategy for genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Their new method prevents genetically modified cyanobacteria from surviving outside of their test environment, enabling ways to more safely research the effects of GMOs. Their results were published in ACS Synthetic Biology. The applications of bioengineered microbes have […]
In Washington, three trade groups wrote President Donald Trump to express concern that the U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated ‘changed circumstances’ reviews of U.S. trade duties on Argentine biodiesel companies. The National Biodiesel Board, the American Soybean Association, and the National Renderers Association urged the president to ensure that Commerce undertake a rigorous, comprehensive […]
By Andrew Grant, member, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest This article addresses the due diligence requirements for the increasing variety of waste-to-energy projects investors are now considering. The topics apply to both early and later development stage project assessment. Twenty-five years ago, the North American and European waste-to-energy business model was well-established, with […]
In North Dakota, AIC Energy Corp. applied for planning and zoning permission in Williams County near the Montana border to build a 28,000 barrel per day biodiesel production facility using agricultural and waste oil feedstocks. The facility appears to seek to use Bakken oil as well but details were not forthcoming if the company plans […]
In Washington, Reuters reports that the Environmental Protection Agency will likely keep the 2019 blending mandate largely in line with its June proposal of 19.88 billion gallons including 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol. The agency will also reject the ethanol industry’s request to reallocate blending requirements to compensate for hardship waivers granted over the […]
In Malaysia, Bloomberg reports that the country will make its 10% biodiesel blending policy voluntary from December 1 before it becomes a mandate of February 1. With petroleum prices falling and palm oil prices rising thanks to increased demand, the window to implement B10 may be narrow as a closing of the gap or switching […]
In Delaware, a major bridge and traffic artery was temporarily shut down during the tail end of Thanksgiving traffic after a gasket at Croda’s new bio-ethylene oxide plant leaked toxic gas. The company shut down production including of ethylene oxide until it could determine the source of the problem. The faulty gasket was sent off […]
In Thailand, the Bangkok Post reports that by May 2019, the country should be able to absorb as much as 420,000 metric tons of the current palm oil surplus thanks to switching two major power plants to palm oil, pushing large buses and trucks to B20 and lifting the small car fleet blending mandate to […]
In Indonesia, the Jakarta Post newspaper reports that the country wants to double B20 consumption to 6.2 billion liters next year. With 700 million liters alone going towards power production by the state-owned power company, the government doesn’t see the increase in blending—and therefore consumption of surplus palm oil—as a challenge. Palm oil prices fell […]
