Dear readers,
Greenpeace is being sued by US firm Energy Transfer, a company the environmental group accuses of disrupting its business with protests near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation nearly 10 years ago.
The lawsuits, filed in a US court, accuse Greenpeace of an “unlawful and violent plan to disrupt and prevent energy transfers, physical harm to its employees and infrastructure, and the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline by Energy Transfer,” BBC News reported.
Environmental activists said the allegations are designed to suppress free speech and set a disturbing precedent for protest groups, the New York Times reported.
“This trial is a critical test for the future of the First Amendment, both free speech and peaceful protest under the Trump administration and beyond,” Sushma Raman, interim director of Greenpeace, said Thursday last week.
$300 million in damages is 10 times the nonprofit’s annual budget. Greenpeace International and the Greenpeace Fund were named as co-defendants in the case.
The trial is expected to last five weeks in Mandan, North Dakota. Many people wonder if Greenpeace can convince a jury in the conservative state.
The approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016 led to protests by Native Americans who said the 1,170-mile crude oil pipeline would encroach on their sacred land and pose a risk to water supplies.
Police and security confronted the protesters on many occasions, during which time Energy Transfer claimed its equipment was damaged and its funding prospects were damaged. Final approvals for the pipeline are still pending, though it is now operational.
For more than 50 years, Greenpeace has exercised the right to peacefully protest and expose environmental harm – even when that means exposing powerful people and companies. That is the soul of Greenpeace. “With this $300 million lawsuit, Energy Transfer has weaponized the U.S. legal system to silence us at a time when our voices are needed most,” Greenpeace said on its website. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgXj3WdYGCo&t=44s
Attached is a current UFOP press release.
UFOP has initiated and supported a number of projects in the biodiesel sector within the scope of its possibilities. Obtaining approval from engine manufacturers is a complex challenge overall, if at best one engine type is to be approved for several alternative fuels (John Deere – “multi-fuel project”). Approval is the door opener for market access. More information at: https://www.ufop.de/biokraftstoffe/projektberichte-biodiesel-und-motor/
The world’s glaciers lose 273 billion tons of ice mass each year, causing sea levels to rise by nearly a millimeter per year, which has accelerated in recent years, according to the study. “To put that in perspective, the 273 billion tons of ice lost in a single year is equivalent to what the entire world population consumes in 30 years, assuming three liters per person per day,” lead author Michael Zemp said in a press release. The researchers also found that the rate at which glaciers are melting is accelerating quite rapidly. The second half of the period studied (from 2012 to 2023) saw a 36% increase in ice loss compared to the first half. You can read the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08545-z
leaders of the U.S. ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry expressed disappointment in Tuesday’s decision by the General Court of the European Union to dismiss a challenge against the ReFuelEU Aviation regulations brought by European biofuel producers. The court ruled that ePURE and Pannonia Bio did not have a legal right to bring the challenge, which asserted the EU’s sustainable aviation fuel regulation improperly discriminates against crop-based biofuels. In May 2024, the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, U.S. Grains Council, and LanzaJet petitioned the court to intervene in support of the European biofuel interests. But because the underlying challenge was dismissed, the objections to the EU regulation raised by the U.S. groups were not considered by the court. https://ethanolrfa.org/media-and-news/category/news-releases/article/2025/02/u-s-ethanol-and-saf-leaders-react-to-court-decision-on-eu-saf-regulations
European Commission has approved a €2.3 billion Finnish scheme to support investments in strategic sectors and to help industrial companies to decarbonize their production processes. The scheme contributes to the achievement of the priorities of the European Commission for 2024-2029, based on the Political Guidelines, which call for investments in clean energy and technologies. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_527
Late Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would stick with E15’s current implementation date of April 28, 2025, which calls for year-round approval of E15 in several Midwestern states. The EPA announcement also noted that important negotiations are underway in Congress on a legislative solution to permanently approve E15 year-round across the country. RFA is urging advocates of year-round access to lower-cost, cleaner-burning E15 to sign a letter announced by the National Corn Growers Association last week at RFA’s National Ethanol Conference. https://ethanolrfa.org/media-and-news/category/news-releases/article/2025/02/rfa-reacts-to-epa-announcement-on-year-round-e15
Chinese green energy companies have announced 100 biomethanol projects with a total capacity of 30 million tonnes per year to supply the maritime sector. However, high investment costs and a slowing economy pose challenges, according to speakers at the Argus Green Marine Fuels Asia conference held in Singapore on February 18 and 19. “To advance large-scale green fuel production projects, it is often necessary to sign long-term offtake agreements with reputable end users,” said Susana Germino, Chief Sustainability Officer of Swire Shipping and Bulk. https://www.manifoldtimes.com/news/argus-media-chinese-biomethanol-producers-target-marine-fuel-market/
Kanadevia Inova announces its first investment in the Dutch biomethane market, made through its recently acquired subsidiary, Iona Capital. The deal sees Iona take a majority stake in Groengas Cothen B.V, a 100GWh per annum biomethane facility in the central Wijk bij Duurstede municipality, and paves the way for the development of further assets through the plant’s hitherto owner, BioValue B.V., across the Netherlands and wider Benelux region. https://www.kanadevia-inova.com/de/kanadevia-inova-takes-majority-stake-in-dutch-biomethane-facility/
The Aemetis plant in India received approval from the local Pollution Control Board (PCB) to restart production of biodiesel and refined glycerin, enabling the company to meet allocations from state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) and other customers. The company received an official communication from the PCB on February 22, 2025, allowing the plant to restart after a review of local air quality. https://www.aemetis.com/aemetis-india-plant-approved-by-government-to-restart-biodiesel-production/
Enagás will start operating its plants in Barcelona and Huelva to supply BioLNG in March. Biomethane injected into the gas network will then be recognised as BioLNG and loaded onto ships and tankers. The terminals will meet the standards of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification and the European Commission, enabling the company to contribute to European decarbonisation goals. This move builds on over a decade of work by Enagás on marine fuel projects, including Core LNGas Hive and LNGas Hive 2, as well as investments in small-scale infrastructure to adapt its terminals to market demand. The company has also played a role in developing regulations for marine fuelling systems. https://www.enagas.es/en/press-room/news-room/press-releases/biolng-barcelona-huelva/
The overarching goal of the HyLion network is to build a transnational, European end-to-end supply chain for CO2-reduced hydrogen and e-methanol. The plan is to produce e-methanol in Scotland and make it available for various applications in Great Britain and Europe – including Germany. The management and IT consultancy MHP provides strategic and operational advice on the development and digitization of an efficient supply chain. The goal is to make a steadily growing contribution to the decarbonization of European supply chains. https://www.mhp.com/en/insights/newsroom/news-detail/view/projects-and-ai-applications-along-the-e-methanol-supply-chain
European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €430 m loan for the construction of two key projects aimed at transforming Galp’s Sines Refinery, making a crucial contribution for the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport and aviation. Galp is developing the Biofuels unit, already at a construction stage, in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui, as part of a total €400 m investment, of which €250 m is provided by the EIB. This unit will convert vegetable oils and residual fats into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel of biological origin (HVO) with identical characteristics to the fossil-based fuels used in regular combustion engines. https://sustainabilityeconomicsnews.com/clean-energy/eib-grants-e430-million-to-galp-for-biofuels-and-green-hydrogen-projects-at-sines/
Neste MY Renewable Diesel has helped fuel Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron ore operations for the first time, with the completion of a successful trial of biofuel across its network of Western Australian ports, railways and mines. The trial, the first of its kind for Rio Tinto in Australia, was conducted in partnership with leading global renewable diesel producer Neste and Australian fuel supplier Viva Energy. It has provided Rio Tinto with a greater understanding of how renewable diesel could be integrated across its Pilbara operations. https://www.neste.com/en-sg/news/neste-my-renewable-diesel-successfully-tested-by-rio-tinto-in-iron-ore-operations-in-australia
TotalEnergies announces the commissioning of BioNorrois, its 8th biomethane production unit in France, located in Fontaine-le-Dun (Normandy). It will inject 153 GWh of biomethane per year into the natural gas transport network operated by GRTgaz, equivalent to the average annual gas consumption of more than 30,000 inhabitants. https://totalenergies.com/news/press-releases/biogas-france-totalenergies-starts-its-2nd-largest-unit-normandy
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is supporting cleaner Australian skies, with up to A$10.4 million in funding for two projects from its Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Funding Initiative. ARENA is providing A$8 million in funding to Licella and A$2.4 million to Viva Energy for separate studies to develop renewable fuel alternatives for Australia’s airline industry. https://arena.gov.au/news/arena-invests-in-cleaner-greener-australian-skies/
NRCan’s Canadian Energy Innovation Program has launched a call for proposals on clean fuels aimed at funding innovative research and development, pilot and demonstration projects that support the development of sustainable, cost-effective technologies critical to Canada’s leadership in the global transition to clean fuels. This call is designed to invest in the clean fuels value chain and support technologies that facilitate production, transportation and storage. For the purposes of this call, a clean fuel is a liquid or gaseous fuel with a significantly lower lifecycle carbon intensity than unabated fossil fuels. Examples include advanced biofuels, low-carbon ammonia, synthetic fuels and hydrogen. https://www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca/nrcan-clean-fuels-call-for-proposals-now-open-for-expressions-of-interest/
Paulig has entered into long-term partnerships with several logistics companies to switch to biofuel for all sea freight imports. This will reduce emissions in sea freight transport by 90% and save around 10,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Paulig’s main sea freight imports include green coffee and spices, which account for around 80% of Paulig’s total deliveries. This important step is another important milestone in reducing emissions in the company’s value chain and becoming a sustainability leader in the food industry. https://news.cision.com/paulig/r/paulig-cuts-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-green-coffee-and-spices-ocean-freight-by-90-,c4110866