The renewable fuels industry is taking the opportunity to let the country know the value of domestically produced fuels. Last week, oil prices spiked to $100 per barrel amid fears that there may be oil flow disruptions due to political unrest in Egypt and surrounding regions. There is now speculation that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak could relinquish power over the …
SG Biofuels Opens Operations In Brazil
SG Biofuels, a bioenergy crop company focusing on Jatropha for biofuels, has officially opened operations in Brazil and has named Brazilian entrepreneur and genomics innovator Fernando Reinach as its senior advisor for the market. Reinach will provide strategic planning, business development and executive management support for SG Biofuels Brasil, LTD, the subsidiary that will be based in Sao Paulo. “We …
Biofuels Key to US Winning Alt Fuel Race with China
As Chinese President Hu Jintao wraps up his visit to the United States, a new report details how America can use biofuels to compete in the alternative energy field for vehicles. This article on CNET.com says the Accenture report, entitled “The US and China: The Race to Disruptive Transport Technologies,” says the Chinese have a decided edge in government commitment …
Energy Innovation to Open Toronto Biodiesel Plant
A Canadian company has plans to open a biodiesel plant in Toronto. This article from TheProvince.com says Energy Innovation Corp. will make the fuel, as well as animal feed and human food from flax seed without creating any waste: “The demand is actually 10 times more than we think we’ll be able to supply over the next 16 to 18 …
RFA Says Ethanol Tariff Meets WTO Guidelines
The Renewable Fuels Association is confident that U.S. ethanol trade policy conforms with World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations. In response to recent comments by senators about the legality of the ethanol tariff, RFA Legislative Counsel Ed Hubbard authored an explanation on the E-xchange blog. According to Hubbard, the market-based structure of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the …
Tempers Mount in Tariff Tiff
Before the ink was dry extending the 54 cent ethanol tariff for one more year, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) threatened to take the legality of the ethanol tariff to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Now several U.S. senators are embroiled in the debate including John McCain (R-AZ) and John Barrasso (R-WY) who said earlier this week that the …
High Oil Prices Threaten To Topple Tipsy Economy
High oil prices threaten to topple a tipsy global economy that is still fragile and has yet to find stable ground according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) who issued a wakeup call to the world. The IEA recommends that high oil-consuming countries, such as the U.S., boost efforts to cut back on oil use. In response to these warnings, …
Update on China DDGS Dumping Probe
Three years ago there were virtually no dried distillers grains (DDGS) going to China. Last year there were more than 1.5 million metric tons of DDGS exported to the country and some estimate that the number could be as high as 3 million metric tons at the close of this year. So, although the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) felt that …
BIRD Energy Grant Awarded to Virent, HCL CleanTech
A $900,000 BIRD Energy grant has been awarded to Madison, Wisconsin-based Virent Energy Systems, Inc. and Isreal-based HCL CleanTech from the BIRD Foundation along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Isreali Ministry of National Infrastructures. BIRD Energy is a program for the U.S. and Isreal to jointly develop renewable energy. Virent and HCL have partnered on a $2.1 …
China DDGS Dumping Probe Surprises US
The announcement this week out of Beijing that China’s Ministry of Commerce has launched an anti-dumping probe into the ethanol co-product distillers dried grains (DDGS) from the US came as a surprise to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). “The U.S. Grains Council has a 25 year history of market development and capacity building programs in China and values the U.S./China …