In what should be a cautionary tale to American lawmakers who might want to raise revenues from biodiesel sales, a leader of Germany’s biofuels industry says high taxes on biodiesel in that country are killing the green fuel there. This article from Forexyard.com quotes Peter Schrum, president of biofuels industry association BBK, saying that Germany’s nearly 5 million tonnes annual …
Good News, Bad News: Brazil to Send US, EU Biodiesel
This is one of the good news, bad news stories. The bad news is: According to this story in World Energy Alternatives, Brazil wants to start sending soy-based biodiesel to the U.S. and the European Union. That word comes the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry: Sustainability studies have been performed to prove the biodiesel was produced sustainably to meet EU norms, but …
White House Responds to Brazilian Tariff Questions
Ethanol groups expressed concern and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called for clarification this week on the White House’s position regarding the U.S. tariff on imported ethanol after a statement in favor of lifting the tariff was made by the President’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil. During his confirmation process, ambassador nominee Thomas Shannon said that removing the tariff would be …
Brazil to Get Hydrogen Buses
Brazilian government officials say the country will buy, operate and maintain up to five hydrogen-cell-fueled buses, as well as putting in a station to produce hydrogen to supply the buses. The project is part of country’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) partnership with the Urban Transportation Metropolitan Enterprise in Sao Paulo to develop cleaner urban public transportation in Brazil. …
Biodiesel Not on Agenda for US-EU Trade Talks
Just as the European Union was extending for five years the temporary duties the EU has slapped on American biodiesel, you would think would be the time the U.S. Trade Representative would want to talk about the protectionist tariffs with his European counterpart. Nope. Ambassador Ron Kirk had bigger fish to fry when he met with European Union Trade Commissioner …
Europe Slaps American Biodiesel with Duties
The fight between the Europeans and Americans over U.S. biodiesel continues as the European Commission now proposes to impose anti-dumping duties on the yankees’ green fuel. Hoosier Ag Today reports that the 27-country bloc recommended the punitive final duties at a meeting in Brussels today: The Commission suspects U.S. biodiesel is heavily subsidized. The duties will come into force by …
Is There a Link Between Climate Change and Poverty?
Oxfam International released an interesting report yesterday called, “Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People and Poverty”. The crutch of the report is to demonstrate how the effects of climate change are impacting people in poor communities much harder then in developed regions. Issues that are linked to poverty and development include access to food and water as well as health …
World Bank Issued an “F”
The World Bank received a failing grade this week for its lack of support to developing countries trying to implement biofuels project. The “F” comes from the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) representing over 65 percent of the world’s biofuels production from 44 countries. In a letter to Robert Zoellick, President of World Bank, from Bliss Baker, President of the …
More Distillers Grains Heading North
Poor crop conditions and higher grain prices north of the border are causing an uptick in exports of the ethanol co-product dried distillers grains (DDGS) to Canada. According to the U.S. Grains Council, 350 cars containing approximately 31,500 metric tons of DDGS were purchased last week by Canada’s largest distiller’s grains importer, Rycom Trading Ltd. Ryan Slozka, senior trader at …
Presentations from Brussels Biofuels Congress Available
Just in case you missed last March’s World Biofuels Markets congress in Brussels, Belgium, now you have a chance to see and hear the presentations from the three-day event. Green Power Conferences, which put on the international meeting, is making the entire set of presentations available… for a fee: The complete set contains: * The speaker presentations from the three …