Wednesday Edition

01.28.09

GLOBAL

Soybeans and corn slipped for a second day, Wednesday, on speculation that forecast rain in South America may improve crops stressed by drought in the past month.

The four-spotted gribble is a sea-creature that could be important to manufacturing biofuels, as it bores into wood and uses enzymes to extract sugar energy resources. Scientists hope to identify the enzymes to break down plant resources for biofuel.

NORTH AMERICA

Biodiesel and ethanol production, and new bio-refineries continue to power Iowa's economy during the economic slump, contributing 10% to the State’s GDP, according to an Iowa RFA study. The study also states that bringing idled capacity back into production could boost Iowa's economic turnaround.

On Monday, the US Senate introduced a bill that would allow funding for the construction of renewable fuel pipelines to boost struggling rural economies.

Imperium Renewables has achieved BQ-9000 producer accreditation for its 100-million gal/yr Grays Harbor, WA biodiesel plant, "the nation's largest BQ-9000 certified facility," the company announced, OPIS reports.

According to the new Green Collar Jobs Report by the American Solar Energy Society, in recent years the renewable energy industry has grown three times as fast as the US economy.

US ethanol producer Poet may bid on plants owned by VeraSun Energy during an auction to be held in March, CEO Jeff Broin says.

Through the New Brunswick Climate Action Fund the province is turning to biodiesel to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The Woodstock branch of the Department of Transportation will undertake a $215,000 trial project of using biodiesel in 12 of its vehicles, including plow trucks and schools buses.

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentine farmers will discuss embargoing grain sales for the second time in 12 months after the government ignored their calls to lower export taxes and remove restrictions on beef and wheat exports. Soybean production may decline 25% this year alone.

Brazil exported a record-high 1.36 billion gallons of ethanol in 2008, up 45.7% from 2007, the Ministry of Mines and Energy reports. The amount of ethanol exported in 2008 was over two times higher than Petrobras’ petrol exports in the same period.

EUROPE

The new $38.5 million, Sustainable Bioenergy Centre was launched this week. The center, created by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council along with private investors, such as SABMiller, which owns Grolsch and Coors Lite, is Britain's largest public-private investment in the field.

Engineers from the University of Leeds are developing technology to store electricity generated from renewable sources as part of a joint project to develop an innovative biofuel-based ‘trigeneration’ system, which can be used to heat, power and cool buildings.

ASIA / PACIFIC

City buses in Mumbai, India are now running on B20 being supplied by Giaitech Fuels. As of this week, biodiesel is powering 265 busses in Mumbai and will soon fuel Karnataka’s state busses.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Defense Ministry will use B5 for their vehicles starting next month. A total of 3,900 vehicles will be fueled by biodiesel as the government imposes the B5 palm oil biodiesel mandate for all government vehicles next month.

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