The National Ethanol Conference concluded this week with the always popular panel of international industry organization leaders. Bliss Baker with the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance moderated the discussion which included Emmanuel Desplechin, ePURE; Jim Grey, Renewable Industries Canada; Elizabeth Farina, Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA); and Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association. As always, Dinneen used the panel to publicly address …
Ontario Considers Doubling Ethanol Use
The government of Ontario has proposed changes to provincial biofuels regulations, which includes doubling the five percent ethanol mandate to 10 percent by 2020. Ontario represents roughly 38 percent of total gasoline use in Canada, making the province a major transportation hub. The doubling of the mandate reflects the potential for increased overall ethanol demand across Canada. “Increased blending of …
US Meeting With Argentina on Biodiesel Imports
The government of Argentina will be negotiating with the U.S. Commerce Department today in an effort to suspend antidumping duties on biodiesel exports to this country. Affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty investigations of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, found in favor of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Fair Trade Coalition that biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia were …
Clariant to Build sunliquid® Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in Romania
Swiss company Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has chosen Romania as the site for a new full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant using its sunliquid® technology. The flagship facility will use wheat straw and other cereal straw sourced from local farmers. “After five years of operating our pre-commercial sunliquid® plant in Straubing, Germany, and thorough process demonstration we are …
Commerce Department Finds Biodiesel Dumping
The U.S. Department of Commerce has made a preliminary determination biodiesel exports from Argentina and Indonesia are being sold the United States below fair value, constituting dumping on the market and cause for imposing duties. The department determined that exporters in the two countries sold biodiesel in the U.S. at “dumping margins of 54.36 percent to 70.05 percent and 50.71 …
Ethanol Summit Focuses on Trade in Americas
Industry and government officials from more than 15 countries in the Western Hemisphere got together last week at the Ethanol Summit of the Americas in Houston to discuss current and future opportunities for ethanol in the region. The Summit was sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, …
Global Demand for Biofuels Continues to Increase
The 2017 Renewables outlook from the International Energy Agency (IEA) is once again projecting continued increased demand for conventional biofuels. The report notes that while sales of electric vehicles are increasing, “the share of EVs remains limited, and biofuels are still expected to represent over 90% of total renewable energy consumption in road transport by 2022. Biofuels production is expected …
Japan Ag Ministry Rep Visits MN Ethanol Plant
The Deputy Director for Food Security at Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries toured Guardian Energy in Minnesota this week as part of a five-day visit to learn about the state’s agriculture industry hosted by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. During the tour, Kimihiko Eura learned about incoming grain handling, grain storage, liquefaction, fermentation, distillation, dried distillers grains (DDGs), …
Perdue Remarks on Bilateral Talks in Mexico
While meeting with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture José Calzada Rovirosa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today held a teleconference for U.S. media. The two leaders engaged in bilateral talks, including a panel discussion with U.S. and Mexican producers, several agricultural site visits, and a joint press conference – seeking to build on the U.S. and Mexico’s well-developed track record …
Op-Ed Urges Brazil to Reject Ethanol Tariffs
Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen teamed up with former UNICA Chief Representative Joel Velasco to pen an op-ed for Brazilian newspaper Estado de S.Paulo urging the country’s leaders to resist returning to failed protectionist policy over ethanol. “As the primary advocates for our respective industries, we fought many impassioned battles over trade and tax policy,” wrote Dinneen …