Ethanol Week - April 24, 2018

Japan to allow imports of ETBE made from US corn ethanol The U.S. Grains Council, the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and their member organizations welcome the news April 17 that the Japanese government’s new biofuel policy will allow imports of ETBE made from U.S. corn-based ethanol. READ MORE SHARE
Studies: Ethanol reduces toxic emissions, improves air quality Two recent studies commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative have found that ethanol blends reduce toxic tailpipe emissions by up to 50 percent, significantly improving air quality and protecting the health of the public. READ MORE SHARE
	UNICA: Ethanol production up nearly 2 percent in 2017-2018 season UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released final data for the 2017-2018 harvest, which ended March 31. The data shows ethanol production was up despite lower volumes of sugarcane processing. READ MORE SHARE
House committee passes 2018 Farm Bill On April 18, the House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill, officially titled the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. The bill reauthorizes many bioenergy programs, but provides them with only discretionary funding. READ MORE SHARE
McConnell introduces the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 On April 12, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, legislation that aims to legalize and clearly define hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list of controlled substances. READ MORE SHARE
Canadian biofuels report: Ethanol at full capacity, imports up Canada recently filed its 2017 annual biofuels report with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Information Network, showing Canadian production is at full capacity and imports of ethanol rose in the past year. READ MORE SHARE
EPA approves efficient producer pathway for Element The U.S. EPA approved an efficient producer pathway petition from ICM Inc. and The Andersons Inc. for Element LLC in Colwich, Kansas. READ MORE SHARE
STB schedules RETAC meeting for April 26 The Surface Transportation Board has announced it will hold a meeting of the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee on April 26 in Washington, D.C. RETAC addresses issues related to the transportation of energy resources, including ethanol. READ MORE SHARE
EPA: Biomass from managed forests is carbon neutral On April 23, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that in future regulatory actions biomass from managed forests will be treated as carbon neutral when used for energy production at stationary sources. READ MORE SHARE
Advanced BioEnergy adds grain receiving, storage capacity Advanced BioEnergy LLC announced April 9 it will build an initial 800,000 bushels of year-round corn storage and related grain receiving capabilities at its Aberdeen, South Dakota, ethanol plant. Additional expansions are planned for the future. READ MORE SHARE
Veolia launches UK online marketplace for organic resources Veolia is launching an online trading platform in the U.K. that makes it easier to sell and buy organic resources. The BioTrading website will be a sales and auction marketplace that connects buyers to the rest of the value chain. READ MORE SHARE
CVEC to install Whitefox ICE bolt-on membrane dehydration system Whitefox Technologies has announced Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company is to install a Whitefox ICE membrane dehydration system at its plant in Benson, Minnesota. The installation will allow CVEC to increase its production capacity by 7.5 MMgy. READ MORE SHARE
Research shows how genetics can improve 2G ethanol production A recent study by researchers in Brazil focused on three fungi species that produce enzymes with application in biomass degradation. The scientists reveal how these substances are regulated and how they can interact synergically. READ MORE SHARE
Senators ask EPA to cease issuing RFS ‘hardship’ waivers Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., led a bipartisan group of 13 senators in writing to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting the agency cease issuing so-called “hardship” waivers exempting obligated parties from the RFS. READ MORE SHARE
ASTM revises test method to support ethanol specification Members of ASTM International recently revised a key test method (D1613) that has been used to measure the acidity of fuel ethanol and denatured fuel ethanol, including ethanol used for car gasoline blends. READ MORE SHARE
RICanada applauds Ontario’s move to E10 Building on the success of current biofuel mandates, Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) applauds Ontario’s leadership in increasing blending requirements for ethanol in gasoline to 10 percent by 2020. READ MORE SHARE