It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … Biodiesel! This month, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotional Council (MSR&PC) is debuting a super-powered campaign that highlights the wonder of biodiesel. Throughout the spring and summer, biodiesel’s carbon-reduction message will be splashed across dozens of Metro Transit buses in a comic book-themed campaign sponsored by MSR&PC. The Council has also launched …
Future is Bright for Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Feedstocks
Soybean oil has a long history as a vital feedstock for biodiesel, and more recently for renewable diesel, and it will likely continue to be. At the same time, newer sources of fats and oil are needed to feed the increasing demand for renewable energy plants coming on line. Alan Weber has been in the biodiesel business from the beginning …
USDA Lowers Forecast for Corn and Soybeans
The November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates from USDA show lower forecasts for domestic production of both corn and soybeans. This month’s 2020/21 U.S. corn outlook is for lower production, reduced feed and residual use, larger exports, and smaller ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 14.507 billion bushels, down 215 million with a reduction in yield to 175.8 …
June is Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska
Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska is normally held in May as a kick-off to the summer driving season. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, Renewable Fuels Month was postponed and is now being celebrated this month. To help promote locally-produced biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts recently declared June as Renewable Fuels Month. Since 2006, the acting …
ASA Hires Biofuels & Infrastructure Policy Lead
The American Soybean Association (ASA) has hired Alexa Combelic to lead biofuels and infrastructure policy on its government affairs team starting May 4. Combelic joins ASA as a Director of Government Affairs. Her portfolio will include biofuels and infrastructure, both of which are current priority issues for ASA. In her previous roles, Combelic has worked on a vast array of …
USDA Lowers Corn for Ethanol Outlook
COVID-19 took its toll on the April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released Thursday, especially for corn and soybeans. This month’s 2019/20 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced imports, greater feed and residual use, lower food, seed, and industrial use, and larger stocks. Feed and residual use is raised 150 million bushels to 5.675 billion. This is based on …
National Biodiesel Board Elects New Leaders
The National Biodiesel Board held its annual fall meeting this week in Washington D.C. to focus on policy initiatives and moving the industry forward. During the meeting, the membership elected representatives to serve on the Governing Board to help the development and success of biodiesel. NBB members voted to fill seven board member spots for two-year terms: Kent Engelbrecht, Archer …
No More Iowa Nice
No more Mr. Iowa Nice Guy. That was a message delivered during a press conference with representatives of Iowa’s corn, ethanol, biodiesel and soybean producers in response to the Supplemental Proposal for Renewable Fuels Volumes released Tuesday by EPA. Iowa Corn Growers Association CEO Craig Floss quoted one farmer who is outraged over the proposal. “No more Iowa Nice, now …
Biodiesel Industry Requests Meeting Before Commerce Decision
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and American Soybean Association (ASA) sent a letter this week to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, requesting a meeting before his department finalizes its review of countervailing duties on biodiesel imports from Argentina. The letter notes that Ross met with the Government of Argentina after issuing a preliminary decision in the review but has not …
Biodiesel Market in EU Opens for U.S. Soybeans
The European Commission has formally announced that conservation practices required for U.S. soybean production meet EU sustainability standards, and biodiesel produced from documented soybeans can now be used in the EU. The EU requires biofuels to meet a set of sustainability criteria outlined in its Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The U.S. soy industry has its own sustainability guideline, the Soybean …