Lawmakers and special interests have been chiming in with reaction to the US-Brazil biofuels agreement announced last week. In a press statement, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana praised the agreement. “Working with Brazil will help turn ethanol into a global commodity and reduce our dependence on oil. It also demonstrates to our friends in the Hemisphere that we are ready …
Presidents Talk Biofuels
During a press conference Friday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President Bush said, “I hope the citizens of Brazil, like the citizens of the United States, are as optimistic about the future as these two Presidents are. And one reason we’re optimistic is because we see the bright and real potential for our citizens being able to …
Senators Defend Ethanol Tariff
Two Republican senators voiced concerns Wednesday about a potential U.S.-Brazil ethanol accord. Iowa Senator Charles Grassley says he welcomes the President’s efforts to increase ethanol consumption through a partnership with Brazil because “God only made so much oil.” However, he said “We want to welcome it from a standpoint that United States taxpayers are not subsidizing competition,” which he says …
Yes and No to Brazil Deal
The Renewable Fuels Association says yes to promoting a global ethanol market, but no to allowing Brazil to benefit from the U.S. tax credit for ethanol. RFA President Bob Dinneen issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s upcoming meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva concerning a hemispheric partnership to expand ethanol production. “Expanding the marketplace for ethanol …
SD Ethanol Leaders to Present at World Biofuels Congress
Two senior executives from South Dakota-based Broin Companies… the largest dry mill ethanol producer in the U.S…. will be presenting at the upcoming World Biofuels Markets Congress and Expo in Brussels, Belgium, March 6-9th. According to a Broin press release, Mike Muston, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development will talk about cellulosic ethanol and Jeff Laut, Executive Vice President of …
US-Brazil Could Become OPEC of Ethanol
The news sites are all abuzz today about a pending deal that could turn the United States and Brazil into what the AP calls the “OPEC of ethanol.” President Bush is traveling to Brazil late this week and is expected to ink the deal with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: The deal is still being negotiated, but the …
Biodiesel… This Year’s Ethanol
As I’ve talked about before on this blog, one of the keys to biodiesel being a success is it being financially viable. This article in the Financial Times Deutschland (Germany) has one expert predicting that biodiesel could see the results ethanol has recently seen: Biodiesel could be “this year’s ethanol” in the view of Leigh Goering, portfolio manager for the …
Many Farmers Eye More Ears
While U.S. farmers are undoubtedly planning to increase corn acreage this year, the higher prices are exciting farmers outside the country as well. According to this Associated Press report, corn farmers in Mexico and Latin America are gearing up to increase acreage to cash in on the potential for a greater need for corn worldwide as more U.S. corn goes …
Pamplona Buses to Run on Biodiesel
Pamplona, Spain is famous for its annual running of the bulls, but the city’s buses might become famous for running on eco-friendly biodiesel. Fifty city buses will run on a 100% biodiesel mixture provided by the Spanish company Acciano. Check out this story from Reuters: Acciona will deliver 1.5 million liters of fuel a year, produced from vegetable oil at …
Louis Dreyfus Buys More Brazilian Ethanol Plants
International commodity trading company Louis Dreyfus is buying an addition four sugar ethanol mills in Brazil to become the second-biggest sugarcane processor in the country. According to a Bloomberg.com report, Paris-based Louis Dreyfus, which already owns four sugar and ethanol mills in Brazil, expects the acquisition to boost sugarcane processing to 18.5 million metric tons by 2009, from 11.8 million …