In the US, ethanol exports for March declined 1.6% from February, but still represented the third-highest monthly volume in the last year. Year-to-date exports stood at 237.7 mg – in line with exports during the same period last year, and implying an annualized total of 951 mg for 2015. Brazil (25.1 mg) and Canada (17.3 […]
In Argentina, the government has retroactively cut biodiesel export taxes for March to 5% from 8.9% to help offset losses from lower exports to Europe. As tax rates are decided retroactively, producers say making the decision to export or not is made more difficult. It’s not clear if the cut will remain in effect for […]
In Hawaii, the state’s legislature has voted to end the E10 blend, a bill which is awaiting the governor’s signature. The policy was mean to boost demand for locally-produced ethanol but as no companies are producing it, blended fuel is imported to the islands.
In Washington, a consortium of companies and associations from Abengoa to BIO with POET and the RFA in between have written to President Obama requesting a meeting to discuss the EPA’s upcoming release of blending levels for 2014-2016. With the June 1 release coming up soon, the biofuels industry is pushing hard to ensure the […]
In Oregon, a bill in the state senate would see the requirement to blend biodiesel statewide dropped during the winter months in the region east of the Cascade Mountains due to cold temperatures where biodiesel allegedly causes engine problems. The state has a B5 mandate. The National Biodiesel Board opposes the bill, saying biodiesel works […]
In Washington, the Department of Transportation released a final rule that requires a phase-out or retrofit of all DOT-111 railcars transporting crude oil and ethanol by May, 2023. Bob Dinneen of the Renewable Fuels Association applauded the DOT for recognizing the difference between ethanol and oil and prioritizing oil train retrofits: “Secretary Foxx appears to […]
In the UK, in light of recent EU legislation changes affecting biofuel production, the NFU is urging the Department for Transport to raise the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to restore confidence in markets for farmers and processors and meet the country’s current EU biofuel target. The cap on the volume of crops allowed to be […]
In France, the European Parliament approved the reform of the Renewable Energy Directive approved earlier this month by the Parliament’s environmental committee. Crop-based biofuels will be limited to 7% of overall fuel consumption compared to the 10% mandate all EU member states must achieve by 2020, while ILUC will be monitored rather than have an […]
In Indonesia, even though the government has implemented a 15% biodiesel blend nationally, it admits that it doesn’t have the institutional capacity or regulatory environment set up yet to ensure that the biofuels used are produced sustainably, saying that could take a few more years. Land use expansion isn’t seen as necessary for the current […]
In Italy, a three-day hands-on modeling course on the economics of bioenergy policies will take place in Ravello (Amalfi Coast, Italy) on June 20-22, 2015. The course is partially based on the newly released text, The Economics of Biofuel Policies: Impacts on Price Volatility in Grain and Oilseed Markets, by Harry de Gorter, Dusan Drabik and […]
