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Date Published:
30 August 2012

Volume 6, Issue 7


UK government consultation sparks cause for concern

Feature
In the rush towards the Olympic Park and London’s green areas to catch some summer sun, precious few people caught a glimpse of a Cabinet Office announcement which will have important ramifications for all companies in the renewables and biofuels industry looking to engage and influence the government on energy policy. What this announcement said was that the government would be changing... [read more]

Standing up for the under-fire RFS

Feature
The US Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) has created multiple headlines in recent weeks as summer droughts and ambitious targets have ruffled the feathers of many different industries and even Congress. The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) firstly slammed calls by the API to re-work the current RFS programme as ‘backwards’. API downstream group... [read more]

Two thirds of German motorists still shun E10

Feature
A survey of German motorists conducted over the summer by ethanol association BDBE shows that most are still hesitant when it comes to using petrolethanol blend Super E10. Seven out of 10 motorists interviewed still fear Super E10 will damage their engines and only 33% have ever filled their cars with it compared with using the older Super E5 fuel option. ‘If at least 90% of German petrol... [read more]

Wasted opportunity?

Feature
Anyone thinking the adoption of the Energy Taxation review would be an easy ride was being extremely optimistic. And those still believing a step change in energy taxation is still possible are just naïve. All that is achievable at this stage of negotiations is a ‘review-light’. It all began with a Commission proposal that aimed at bringing Energy Taxation in line with the... [read more]

US biodieselâ

Feature
Farmers in the US endured the worst drought in a generation this past summer, and all-time record high temperatures during July that withered crops and pushed up feedstock costs for the US biodiesel industry, which primarily uses soyabean oil. The higher costs for the industry’s primary raw material came alongside sluggish demand amid weak economic growth in the US to pressure producer... [read more]

On the RIN rebound?

Feature
Businessmen can adapt to almost anything except uncertainty and the ‘on again, off again’ nature of the $1 (€0.80) tax credit has caused pricing difficulties each year. The lack of the tax credit in 2012 appears to be another example of how partisan politics are destroying even good ideas. The problems seem to result in an atmosphere where powerful lobbyists outnumber the... [read more]

Three out of three

Feature
Waste-to-ethanol producer Enerkem reached a major milestone in June. After 11 years of development and testing the company has successfully upscaled and is now producing cellulosic ethanol at its demonstration facility in Westbury, Québec. The company had already produced cellulosic ethanol at its smaller scale laboratory pilot facility at Sherbrooke since 2003, but this is the next step... [read more]

Canadian biofuels takes flight

Feature
On 17 April, Canadian regional carrier Porter Airlines conducted the first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada, flying one of its Bombardier Q400 turboprops from its base at Toronto City Airport to Ottawa, using a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel in one of its engines. The fuel used was derived from the oilseed crops, Camelina sativa (49%) and Brassica carinata (1%) from biotechnology... [read more]

The choice widens

Feature
In August the NTA 8080 certification system was officially recognised by the European Commission. It is now an approved voluntary scheme that complies with the European mandatory sustainability criteria for biofuels as laid down in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The system has already been recognised in the Netherlands since the end of 2008 but now all European member states will endorse... [read more]

Implementing RED certification

Feature
In June 2012, Switzerlandbased biofuels supplier MBP Group finally got the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) certificate from the ISCC standard from certification body Control Union after a year and a half of waiting. MBP Group is active in production and sale of biodiesel for transportation bio heating oil, as well as collection and supply of used cooking oils (UCO) and other alternative raw... [read more]

Social impacts of biofuel cultivation

Feature
The interest in biofuels and bioenergy production and investment has been driven largely by the policies of national governments, both in developed and developing countries. The EU, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan and a number of developing countries including Brazil, India, China, Thailand, Argentina, Philippines, and South Africa, have put in place targets and mandates in... [read more]

One of a kind

Feature
Construction has started at the world’s first biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel. Finland-based UPM’s focus is to integrate the forestry and bio industries, and this project is the company’s first big step. The facility is located in Lappeenranta, south-eastern Finland, and will produce biodiesel from crude tall oil at UPM’s Kaukas mill site. This integration will... [read more]

Certification bodies at work

Feature
Certification is the only recognised instrument to demonstrate compliance with sustainability criteria set out in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) directive 2009/28/EC. Economic operators (EOs) belonging to the supply chain from feedstock to biofuels/ bioliquids production can be certified through national or voluntary schemes. Voluntary schemes are submitted to and approved by the European... [read more]

Making the most of sustainability

Feature
With evolving market drivers such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) mandating certification compliance for sustainable biofuels, producers are required to have increased control and visibility of certified biofuel within their organisations. At the heart of certification is the traceability methodology known as mass-balance, which underpins the carbon and sustainability claims sold with... [read more]

Double counting spreads throughout Europe

Feature
The failure of various climate summits to reach a followon agreement to the Kyoto Protocol is evidence of how difficult it is to achieve a global consensus for the reduction of greenhouse gases. Within the EU the subject of greenhouse gases has been on the agenda for many years. Even the US, with not even 5% of the world’s population and still an energy requirement of around 25% of the... [read more]

How to complete an ISCC audit

Feature
Through its wide range of possible applications, palm oil represents the most important vegetable oil traded as commodity worldwide. About 90% of palm oil production is consumed within the food industry, while only 5% serves as an input to biofuel production. As a result, global palm oil production of 48.99 million tonnes has nearly doubled from 2001 to 2011. This is driven mainly by the food... [read more]

Getting closer

Feature
DuPont is on the cusp of commercialising advanced biofuels. Last year the company bought Danish bio-based company Danisco and its biotechnology Genencor unit to create the new unit DuPont Industrial Biosciences. The company uses Genencor’s enzyme technology to convert a range of renewable nonfood feedstocks such as corn stover, switchgrass and wheat straw to cellulosic ethanol. With the... [read more]

Faster commercialisation via technology licensing

Feature
Cellulosic ethanol is undoubtedly popular – the real question comes down to economics. In order for it to take off producers need to reduce the cash cost of the final product, minimise capex, construct an agronomic value chain and speed up the time to production. To date, however, many firms have approached this challenge by assuming they need to solve all the pieces themselves. This... [read more]

Managing the age of confluence

Feature
In June 2012, world leaders approved the outcome document for Rio+20, entitled ‘The Future We Want’. The foundations for social, economic and environmental well-being are set out and calls are made for a wide range of actions wherein sustainability continues to play a fundamental role in how nations live and do business. Albeit criticised for lacking commitment, detail and measurable... [read more]

From harbour to hub

Feature
Biofuels represent a small but growing part of the energy mix in Europe. However, the biofuel industry is highly volatile, largely regulationdriven and dependent on many variables, which makes its future difficult to predict. Nevertheless, it seems clear that growing demand will have a significant impact on the refiners and distributors who have to buy, blend and integrate biofuels into their... [read more]

Talking biofuels turkey

Feature
Turkey’s biofuels industry is expected to see rapid expansion in production over the next few years as the start date approaches for the introduction of new regulations that specify at least 2% domesticallyproduced ethanol must be added to all petrol types from 1 January, 2013, with the minimum percentage set to increase to 3% in 2014. Production and consumption of biofuel will further grow... [read more]