How does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) feel about its proposal to cut the amount of ethanol and biodiesel to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply? Well, that depends on who the folks at the agency are talking to. Speaking before the House Appropriations Committee last week, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy seemed to backtrack on last January’s statements before …
DF Cast: Lawmakers Listening to Ethanol Advocates
Ethanol backers got their voices heard during the recent American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Biofuels Beltway March in Washington, D.C. And at least some lawmakers were listening. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE), and Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who met with ACE and its supporters and all …
Argentina asks WTO to Look into EU Biodiesel Block
Argentina has formally asked the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to look at the European Union’s block of Argentine biodiesel. This article in MercoPress says the South Americans believe the EU’s antidumping measures imposed last November violate the international law. The release recalls that since 2009 Argentina became the main provider of biodiesel to the EU, with …
BIO Report Says Lowering RFS Will Increase GHG
A new white paper from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) finds that lowering the volume requirements for biofuels under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) as proposed by the administration will lead to an increase in emissions of greenhouse gases next year. According to Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section and lead author of the special …
Synthetic Chromosome Could Help Biodiesel, Ethanol
The scientific world today is all a-buzz about the world’s first yeast synthetic chromosome, and the discovery could help the biodiesel and ethanol industries. This article from the Christian Science Monitor says researchers have put together man-made DNA into the synthetic version of a chromosome, a development expected to have implications for the green fuels. “For me, one of most …
Husky Nozzle Certified Good for Biodiesel
A manufacturer of fueling components receives certification that its equipment is ok to use with biodiesel. This article from Biofuels Journal says the Husky Corporation VIII Heavy Duty Diesel Automatic Nozzle, 5812 Safe-T-Brake®, and 4860 swivel is UL certified for use with biodiesel fuel blends. The Husky VIII nozzle and accessories are popular products among heavy duty diesel customers and …
German Biodiesel Exports Set Record
German biodiesel sales might be down, but the country’s exports of the green fuel set a record last year. About a week ago, I reported how Germany’s biodiesel sales were down last year, about 300,000 tonnes below the five-year average. But this article in Biodiesel Magazine says Germany exported 480.3 million gallons (just under 1.6 million metric tons) in 2013, …
IBB Asks for Iowa Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
While we’ve heard a lot about the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive, there’s some state credits that could help producers stay competitive. The Iowa Biodiesel Board has asked lawmakers in Des Moines to extend the .02 per gallon refundable credit for the first 25 million gallons of biodiesel produced in any single plant. The incentive is set to expire at …
Biodiesel Tax Credit Impacts for Blenders, Producers
If the biodiesel tax credit is extended, it could change the way producers and blenders value the incentive. This article from Biodiesel Magazine weighs how renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel blenders credit could be changed to provide more incentives for producers. If there is a possibility of the tax credit being reinstated retroactively for 2014, there would be a …
When Cows Fly: Tallow-to-Biodiesel to Fuel Aviation
A company operating in the U.K. has just completed its biggest shipment of tallow-to-biodiesel, and the green fuel is set to power aviation. This article from Bdaily Business News says Leo Group has shipped 10,700 tonnes of tallow recycled into about 3 million gallons of biodiesel in four ocean tankers. The overseas shipments come as the company marks another environmental …