In Belgium, in a letter sent to the European Commission, Copa and Cogeca express their concerns about the potential consequences of the Covid-19 crisis on the vegetable oils, biodiesel, protein-rich by-products like rapeseed and sunflower meals and DDGS, and ethanol sectors. Faced with falling European production and social distancing measures in the EU and worldwide […]
In Washington state, the Guardian newspaper reports that a state emergency planning document shows the CO2 shortage could have negative impacts on drinking water supplies as well as some food supply chains. Some water plants were said to have been informed they may only have access to a third of their normal CO2 supplies. The […]
In Washington, Brownfield Ag News reports that the National Corn Growers Association and other stakeholders are still working hard to get in place a nationwide low carbon, high octane fuel standard. Rather than focusing on blending rates as the Renewable Fuel Standard does with minimum blending targets based on gallons, the proposed policy would look […]
In Romania, Euractiv reports the government approved changes to its legislation on April 9 allowing for reductions of biofuel blending for as long as the country remains in a state of emergency which is currently set until mid-May. The country imports 100% of its ethanol demand but just 30% of biofuel blended with fossil diesel. […]
In Washington, four governors sent a letter urging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to allocate additional resources under the COVID-19 relief package to address the “economic harm and job losses that biofuel producers are suffering.” An initial tranche of aid, announced last Friday by USDA, included welcome funding for farmers and ranchers, but […]
In Brazil, EPBR reports that the Brazilian Development Bank, BNDES, does not have the resources to fulfill the financing line demanded by the ethanol sector to help with the Covid-19 impact of drastic price and demand drops for ethanol and that the initiative will depend on a consortium of public and private banks. “We don’t […]
In Washington, governors of five oil states—Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Utah and Louisiana—sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency late Wednesday asking the agency to waive renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the oil industry. Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable […]
In Thailand, the National newspaper reports that in response to COVID-19 and the need to source as much ethanol for hand sanitizers as possible, the country is going to put on hold its ethanol blending program for the time being. The switch to E20 was meant to take place on June 1 but has been […]
In Finland, post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must safeguard and stimulate the preservation of carbon-rich soils through protection of peatlands. Functional peatlands are the most space efficient long-term carbon store and sink in our planet’s biosphere. A group of leading peatland experts compiled recommendations for climate smart actions based on their recent studies on cultivated […]
In Belgium, European renewable ethanol producers have asked the European Commission to consider addressing challenges that have arisen from shifting market conditions as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis. In a letter sent to several Commissioners, ePURE (the European renewable ethanol association) highlights the conditions facing the European industry as demand has shifted from […]
