Leaders from all over the world have gathered at the United Nations in New York City for the annual high-level debate before the General Assembly. Part of that included the fuel-versus-food debate. In this article from the UN News Centre, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva disputed the idea that biodiesel and ethanol are the cause of high food …
Austrian Views on Food Versus Fuel
The issue of food versus fuel was a topic of discussion among international agricultural journalists visiting Austria this past week. The group of 250 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists members representing nearly 20 countries was led by former commissioner of agriculture for the European Union Franz Fischler, a native Austrian. Fischler called the food versus fuel controversy “unfair.” “They don’t …
Brazil May Challenge Ethanol Tariff
Brazil is considering a World Trade Organization challenge over the United States ethanol import tariff. Brazil’s Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday that they have “a very strong case and there is a good chance” that they will challenge the 54 cent per gallon tariff on Brazilian ethanol. The tariff was extended through 2010 …
US and China to Study Sorghum for Ethanol
As athletes were racing for the gold in Beijing last week, representatives from the United States and China were in Texas teaming up in the race to develop new feedstocks for ethanol. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China signed an agreement to collaborate on biofuels research during the …
Verenium Advances Cellulosic Ethanol in Asia
US biofuels development company Verenium Corporation and Japanese trading company Marubeni Corporation recently announced the opening of a three million-liter-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Saraburi, Thailand. The cellulosic plant in Thailand is co-located with a facility that will produce ethanol from sugar-cane derived sucrose, which is widely abundant in the region. Sugar cane bagasse, the biomass residue from the sugar …
Ethanol Industry Leaders Unite
Biofuels groups from the US, Canada, Brazil and Europe put aside their differences this past week to present a united front to world leaders meeting in Japan. This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features an interview with Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen about the input the groups provided to the Group of Eight meeting of world leaders, …
G8 Leaders Support Non-Edible Biofuels Development
G8 leaders meeting in Japan this week pledged to promote clean energy and carbon trading to curb greenhouse gas emissions and recognized the importance of sustainable biofuel production. The heads of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. said they will work to develop science-based benchmarks and indicators for biofuel production and use. The leaders also …
World Ethanol Leaders Address G8
Officials from Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, the European Bioethanol Fuel Association, Brazil’s Sugar Cane Industry Association (UNICA), and the US Renewable Fuels Association have written a letter to the leaders of the G8 nations underscoring the critical importance biofuels play in reducing the growing demand for oil and the corresponding escalation in prices around the world. The letter reads in …
Orbital ‘Orbit’ reaches Alternative Fuels Down Under
The Australian market for alternative fuel has a new player. Orbital Corporation Limited has announced the acquisition of Boral Alternative Fuel Systems, entering what it believes to be Australia and New Zealand’s rapidly growing alternative fuel system markets. International clean energy technology group Orbital Corporation Limited, is pleased to announce the addition to its existing portfolio the Australian LPG fuel …
Biofuels from Algae in Isreal
Algae is becoming a growing source for biofuel development in Israel. Inventure Chemical is the latest company to invest in algae biofuel technology. Inventure Chemical has announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Seambiotic Ltd. (based in Tel Aviv, Israel) to construct a pilot commercial biofuel plant in Israel, using algae created from CO2 emissions as feedstock. …