Dear reader,
The EU’s draft plan presented on 6 February envisages a reduction in fossil fuels. The document also states that the consumption of fossil fuels would have to be reduced by 85 per cent overall and a transition to green industries would have to be completed. In order to achieve the target of a 90 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, annual investments of almost 650 billion euros would be required between 2031 and 2050. And if global temperatures are held to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the EU could save €2.9 trillion in fossil fuel import costs from 2031 to 2050. More in Annex:
This is consistent with a new report from Allied Market Research that estimates the size of the renewable fuels market to be $955 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $2 trillion by 2031, thanks to individual initiatives by government and private players. “The Paris Agreement and net zero target commitments have played an important role in the global energy transition,” the report said. More on the story: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/renewable-fuel-market-A15981
Please take note of the UFOP information flyer on oilseeds and biofuels.
You can find the latest news from the past week by clicking on the link:
A report from Global Market Insights says the biofuel market is expected to reach $298.9 billion by 2032. Increasing environmental awareness, the introduction of innovative fuels and stricter emissions regulations will accelerate business growth. “Increasing awareness of the environmental impact of traditional fuels will drive demand for sustainable alternatives,” the research firms said. Continuous advances in biofuel technology and government initiatives are further contributing to market expansion. If these factors come together, the biofuels market will experience significant growth and provide a cleaner and more sustainable solution in response to global environmental challenges. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/ethanol-biofuel-market
European bioethanol producers have once again filed a lawsuit in Brussels, which is now directed against the EU Aviation Regulation. It claims that 1st generation plant-based biofuels are wrongly excluded from efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in aviation. It is the second lawsuit that EU biofuel producers for renewable ethanol products have filed in recent months. They claim that RED-compliant plant-based biofuels are discriminated against by EU policy, even though they are demonstrably sustainable and contribute to reducing emissions. In December 2023, the industry filed a similar lawsuit against the FuelEU Maritime Regulation. More on this at: https://www.epure.org/press-release/european-ethanol-producers-raise-new-legal-challenge-to-eu-aviation-fuel-legislation/
The finance chief of São Martinho believes that the production of ethanol from corn is coming to an end in the country, saying that such plants are no longer economical. The company has just commissioned a corn-based ethanol plant. An additional 2.5 billion liters of installed capacity is expected to come online over the next few years. https://www.qcintel.com/biofuels/article/brazil-ethanol-producer-says-oversupply-weighing-on-corn-plant-investment-21324.html
Quadrise (UK) announced the signing of a Project Development Agreement (“PDA”) with renewable biofuels specialists BTG Bioliquids BV (“BTL”) and Euthenia Energy Group Limited. As announced on June 8, 2023, Quadrise and BTL have entered into a Joint Development Agreement (“JDA”) to explore the use of BTL’s Fast Pyrolysis Bio-Oil (“FPBO”) as a potential low-cost renewable feedstock for Quadrise’s bioMSAR™ Solution. The JDA is part of our strategy to deliver a commercially viable net-zero biofuel by 2030, while supporting the decarbonization of the shipping, energy and heavy industrial sectors. https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/project-development-agreement-with-euthenia-and-btg-bioliquids/
Cochin International Airport in India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bharat Petroleum Corporation. The airport wants to build the world’s first production facility for green hydrogen at an airport. The plant will produce 1 MW of electricity and is expected to be completed early next year. The airport is already the first in the world to be powered entirely by solar energy and will provide the renewable energy needed to produce the green hydrogen. More under: https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/smart-infra/cial-signs-mou-with-bpcl-to-set-up-green-hydrogen-plant-at-cochin-airport/107705049
The largest biogas plant in Pakistan has been inaugurated in Gujjar Colony. The compressed biogas plant has the capacity to produce 600 cubic meters of biogas daily. According to the report, the biogas plant uses up to 1,600 kilograms of manure every day to produce 16,000 kilograms of organic fertilizer. The Parks and Horticultural Authority (PHA) and farmers can use the organic fertilizer produced by the plant, the report added. https://www.bioenergy-news.com/news/pakistans-largest-biogas-plant-is-inaugurated/
French transport company GEODIS has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reducing the carbon intensity of subcontracted transport by 30% by 2030 compared to 2022. GEODIS plans to continue the transition to alternative vehicles and transport that use decarbonized or bio-based energy and install appropriate infrastructure for refueling and charging. Collaborative innovation is key to these transformations. https://geodis.com/newsroom/geodis-has-made-decarbonization-driving-force-its-transformation-and-committed-pathway
South Korea’s LG Chem has advanced a bio-nylon (bio-PA: polyamide) joint venture plant with CJ CheilJedang to penetrate the green market. LG Chem announced that it has signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with CJ CheilJedang at Yeouido LG Twin Towers to establish a joint venture dedicated to the production and distribution of environmentally friendly nylon based on PMDA (pentamethylenediamine) biomaterials. https://omnexus.specialchem.com/news/industry-news/lg-chem-cj-cheil-jedang-to-commercialize-bio-nylon-000233190
An Indian oil marketing company wants to secure more than 3 billion liters of ethanol from dedicated ethanol plants in eight states. The plants are under development and around 970 million liters will come from Tamil Nadu. The agreements stipulate that the plants must deliver the first tranche of ethanol within two years. Corn has been prioritized as the main raw material, but other raw materials such as cassava and mixtures of corn, including broken corn, and rice, including broken rice, as well as sugar-based raw materials are also being converted https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/omcs-to-procure-over-300-crore-lines-of-ethanol-annually-from-upcoming-plants-across-8-states/article67844639.ece
Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) have found a way to increase ethanol production through yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach, described in the journal Nature Communications, relies on careful timing and a strict division of labor between synthetic yeast strains to produce more ethanol per unit of plant sugar than previous approaches. Glucose and xylose are the two most common sugars formed during the breakdown of plant biomass, such as agricultural waste. The team tried to solve a common problem that occurs when using yeast to convert these plant sugars into ethanol. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1033298
Naturgy Group’s Spanish gas distributor and Hercesa have signed a partnership to facilitate the use of renewable gases, particularly biomethane, in the real estate group’s new developments in Spain. The agreement is a major step forward in bringing biomethane to the end user and a milestone in the energy transition by efficiently accelerating the decarbonization of households. In Barañain, construction work on the first 175 of 1,000 apartments will begin in January 2024. https://www.bioenergy-news.com/news/nedgia-signs-biomethane-utilisation-agreement-for-new-property-developments/
The Indian Biogas Association says that by investing $36 billion in compressed biogas, the country could reduce its natural gas imports by 12 million tonnes per year. To make the investments profitable, especially for mass production of biomass raw materials such as rice straw, the IBA says the government needs to invest in combine harvesters to collect and bale raw materials for improved storage and logistics. Every year, more than 750 million tons of biomass and 230 million tons of surplus agricultural residues are available as raw materials. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/indian-biogas-association-pitches-for-30k-crore-investment-for-compressed-biogas-plants/article67834742.ece
Cielo Waste Solutions Corp says its Bio-SynDiesel project in Carseland, Canada, represents Cielo’s first commercial byproduct-to-fuel facility designed to convert wood byproducts into renewable fuels with low carbon intensity. The Carseland Project will be adjacent to an existing synthetic fuels facility owned and operated by Rocky Mountain Clean Fuels Inc. (“RMCFI”) and developed by Expander Energy Inc uses patented technology. https://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachricht/17786610-cielo-provides-update-on-continued-progress-and-milestones-achieved-to-advance-carseland-bio-syndiesel-project
The Indian Biogas Association says that by investing $36 billion in compressed biogas, the country could reduce its natural gas imports by 12 million tonnes per year. To make the investments profitable, especially for mass production of biomass raw materials such as rice straw, the IBA says the government needs to invest in combine harvesters to collect and bale raw materials for improved storage and logistics. Every year, more than 750 million tons of biomass and 230 million tons of surplus agricultural residues are available as raw materials. More under: https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/indian-biogas-association-pitches-for-rs-30k-cr-investment-for-compressed-biogas-plants/107612749
A University of Minnesota Extension study shows that the ethanol industry contributed over $2.5 billion to Minnesota’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. According to it, the industry produced 1.35 billion gallons of ethanol in 2023, which in turn generated $6.6 billion in economic activity and supported 20,914 jobs. The industry also generated $1.3 billion in revenue for Minnesotans and paid $182.9 million in state and local taxes last year. https://mnbiofuels.org/ethanol-industry-contributed-2-5-billion-to-mn-s-economy-in-2023
In Tanzania, the Development Bank has provided US$899,999 to UNIDO to support bioenergy entrepreneurs. The focus of the grant is on generating energy from agricultural waste and promoting bioethanol as an alternative cooking fuel. The Bioenergy Incentive Fund has already reviewed several grant applications and will award funds to Bagamoyo Sugar Limited Consumer’s Choice Limited, Multiplex System, TPC, Zanzibar Sugar Limited, Bagamoyo Sugar Limited, Manyara Sugar Limited, IV Biotech Limited, Sundy Merchants and Hanny G. Investment. https://dailynews.co.tz/unido-tib-to-enhance-tanzanias-bioenergy-sector-with-899000-grant/
Nobina is switching to a new type of fuel in Finlad in collaboration with Helsinki Regional Transport, replacing three million liters of diesel with biofuel. Comparing conventional diesel to biodiesel, this transition will result in an 80 percent reduction in total carbon dioxide emissions in Helsinki in one year alone. The transition is a step towards Nobina’s goal of offering sustainable travel that uses 100 percent fossil fuel-free travel by 2030. https://www.nobina.com/media/press-releases/2024/investment-in-sustainability-leads-to-80-percent-reduction-in-emissions/
COLIPI recently received seed funding of 1.8 million euros in Germany for the further development of CO2-Neutral Climate OilTM, led by the venture capital company HTGF together with the Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg, Nidobirds and the business angel Stefan De Loecker. Grants totaling 4.3 million euros complement the funding that will be used to enter the market with Climate Oil and scale precision fermentation processes to 10 cubic meters at pilot scale. https://www.hamburg-news.hamburg/en/innovation-science/colipi-raises-eur-18-million-seed-funding-round
Spanish researchers from the Horizon Europe-funded GH2 project estimate that 1 kilogram of green hydrogen could produce 87 liters of ethanol. The project researchers’ findings were recently published in Global Challenges. Although the discovery may not bring economic gains, the researchers believe that simultaneous production of green hydrogen along with valuable C2+ chemicals such as acetal or acetaldehyde can help increase the economics of costly green hydrogen production. https://www.gh2-project.eu/news/gh2-project-converts-ethanol-into-green-hydrogen-and-valuable-acetal