View Issue Contents

Admittedly, the EU only has limitedpowers with regards to taxation matters and member states watch eagerly over their tax sovereignty. However, when it comes to the taxation of energy products, the EU has the right to set minimum taxation levels that member states need to apply to. But the decision-making process in this area still requires unanimity of the 27 member states and the European... Parliament only has a consultative role. This gives the first hint as to why some matters take longer than others to be processed. [read more]

There is now increasing optimism that the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) will be met, even if that means obligated parties under the RFS buy Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) to meet the federal mandate this year. ‘I intend to buy RINs,’ was the response byJoseph Petrowski, CEO of Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies, on 3 May in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in response to... a question from the audience on how the Framingham, Massachusetts based executive expected to meet his renewable volume obligation under the RFS2. He said the economics, pointing to high costs for soyabean, the feedstock for soy methylesters or SME biodiesel, do not work, so the CEO would rather buy RINs to satisfyhis company’s renewablevolume obligation (RVO). [read more]

A new report released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) says greenhouse gas emissions fell sharply in 2009, mainly because of the global economic recession, although a growth in renewable energy also played a part. Throughout 2009, greenhouse gases fell by 7.1% in the EU-27 and 6.9% in the EU-15. Consumption of fossil fuels also fell when compared to the previous year, with coal... consumption the main fossil fuel to drop, and the main industries to reduce their consumption were the manufacturing and construction sectors. Public electricity and heat supply also fell. The strong growth in renewables also fuelled the decline in greenhouse gases and the consumption of renewables grew by 5.8%. [read more]

Ethanol is now a standard energy source in Brazil and should be treated as such, meaning it must be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is also necessary to take the seasonal nature of the feedstock (raw material) into account. This demands both investments and control mechanisms to ensure regular supplies year-round. The ethanol agenda has been discussed by governments and business... sectors with a focus on expanding production and increasing supply to meet Brazil’s growing demand. This growth is associated with years of work and development on agricultural and industrial technology beginning in 1975 when the Brazilian government created its National Ethanol Program (Proálcool). Brazilian energy company Petrobras played a key role in this process, providing a logistics and marketing structure for ethanol and, more recently, participating in production through the 2008 incorporation of a subsidiary dedicated solely to biofuels, Petrobras Biocombustível. The company is associated with sugar and ethanol production groups such as Guarani (state of São Paulo), Nova Fronteira Bioenergia (state of Goiás), and Total Agroindústria Canavieira (state of Minas Gerais) and currently holds stakes in 10 ethanol production plants, ranking third in the industry in Brazil. The combined 2010 capacity of Petrobras Biocombustível and its associated companies was 24.5 million tonnes of sugarcane crushing capacity, 942 million litres of ethanol production capacity, and 517GWh of electricity generated from sugarcane bagasse. [read more]