Foreword
As the debate rages on and on
about RED II across Europe, the biofuels industry has found itself caught up in
the centre of that maelstrom. An eternal sticking point for the crop-based
biofuels industry is that it takes up agricultural land that could otherwise be
used for food, or that it results in non-agricultural land being acquired to
grow fuel crops. This latter point is the lynchpin of the arguments against
palm oil’s use in biofuel, as frequently palm oil is cultivated unsustainably,
leading to reductions in rainforest. This month, Norway has already voted to
ban palm-oil based biofuel outright - something the European Parliament
continues to mull over.
However, it is not
palm-oil that has been making unwelcome ripples in the biofuels sector, but........
Other news this month includes:
Policy
- Corn ethanol reaches limit in US, advanced biofuels must fill gap
- RED II biofuels proposals scrutinised
- European Commission's plans to modernise European trasport
- Norway commits to palm-oil biofuel ban
- European Parliament still considering Palm Oil ban
Markets
- Limited market share slowing down german biofuels
Research & Development
- Cellulose structure discovery could improve biofuel production
- Biofuel algae genome sequenced
Bioethanol
- Americans appreciate ethanol option for small engines
Biodiesel
- UPM's BioVerno becomes world's first RSB certified wood-based biofuel
- Statkraft to make secondary biofuels from woodchips
Aviation Fuel
- DLR in pursuit of "designer" aviation biofuels
Other Fuels
- Study conducted into vehicle biomethane uptake
- 30 biogas buses for Nottingham
Price Information