Archives

January 6, 2017

USDA Issues A Notice of Available Funds For The Farm-To-Fleet Biofuel Production Incentive

On December 29, 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) published in the Federal Register a notice of available funds regarding the Biofuel Production Incentive (BPI) for companies refining biofuel from certain domestically grown feedstocks. The notice aims to improve transparency and simplify the process of administering CCC funds to support the Farm-to-Fleet program by identifying a specific BPI payment rate. The Farm Service Agency (FSA), which...
January 6, 2017

DOE Announces Recipients Of $12.9 Million In Funding For Biofuels, Bioproducts, And Biopower Project

On December 28, 2016, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that six projects had been selected for a funding opportunity of up to $12.9 million titled “Project Definition for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower.”  The projects, which revolve around technology development plans for the manufacture of advanced or cellulosic biofuels, bioproducts, refinery-compatible intermediates, and biopower in a pilot- or demonstration-scale...
January 6, 2017

EPA Extends Comment Period On REGS Rule And RFS Point Of Obligation Petitions

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published two announcements in the Federal Register regarding an extension of the comment period for the proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support (REGS) rule and the proposed denial of petitions for the rulemaking to change the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Point of Obligation.   On December 9, 2016, ten biodiesel and agricultural industry stakeholders, including the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American...
December 23, 2016

Fuels America Sends Letter To Trump On The RFS Program

On December 15, 2016,  Fuels America sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump on behalf of the nation's renewable fuels sector encouraging Trump’s continued commitment to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program.  Fuels America stated that the RFS Program has promoted the growth of the American biofuels industry and has helped to correct the imbalance that exists in the global oil market by ensuring competition among fuel producers, in addition to stimulating economic...
December 23, 2016

Weekly Roundup of Other Biobased News

?  U.S. Energy Information Administration , “ EIA Forecasts Continued Biomass-Based Diesel Growth Due to Final 2017 RFS Targets”   ?  Renewable Fuels Association, “DOE Data:  Half of United States Broke Through So-Called “Blend Wall” in 2015”   ?  Corbion, “Corbion and Kraton Receive First European Certification for Biobased Products”   ?  The Lenzing Group, “Lenzing Invests in New TENCEL®...
December 16, 2016

Weekly Roundup of Other Biobased News

?   Tetra Pak, “Tetra Pak Gets Closer to Fully Renewable Packaging Goal with New Aseptic Carton”    ?   Danimer Scientific, “MHG Debuts New Corporate Identity”    ?   Leaf Resources, “Leaf Resources And Novozymes Launch Biomass-to-Sugars Collaboration”    ?   Amyris, “Amyris Partners with Queensland to Create the Leading Industrial Biotechnology Hub in Southeast Asia”    ?   Suez,...
December 16, 2016

India Launches Biofuel-Run Bus Service

On December 5, 2016, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) launched the Aapli bus service, India’s first green bus service, in Nagpur, which includes five buses that will run on ethanol biofuel.  Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, aims for Nagpur to be the first city to have all of its buses powered by biofuel through the addition of new green buses and the conversion of existing diesel-run buses.  During the launch event...
December 16, 2016

China To Double Ethanol Production by 2020

On December 5, 2016, China's National Energy Administration (NEA) published a five-year plan that aims to increase ethanol production to four million tons by 2020 despite the government maintaining strict control over the use of food grains.  The target remains unchanged from the previous five-year plan that ended in 2015.  NEA intends to increase the share of non-fossil fuel consumption from 12 percent to 15 percent by 2020, in part through the vigorous development of...
December 16, 2016

EPA Publishes Final 2017 RFS Requirements

On December 12, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule, Renewable Fuel Standard Program:  Standards for 2017 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2018, in the Federal Register.  This final rule sets the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel for motor vehicle gasoline and diesel produced or imported in 2017, as reported in the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy...
December 9, 2016

Weekly Roundup of Other Biobased News

?   Aimplas,“Improved Bioplastics for Sustainable Food Packages”   ?   European Bioplastics, “‘Rethinking Plastics’ — Insights into the Bioplastic Materials of the Future”   ?   Renewable Fuels Association, “RFA Welcomes New Member Valero Renewable Fuels Company LLC”   ?   California Institute of Technology, “Bringing Silicon to Life”   ?   University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Food...