Biofuels News Archive 2007-2008
This page features an archive of news items included on the EBTP website in 2007-2008.
Up-to-date news and information on biofuels is also available from
Anaerobic
Digestion News (covers biogas to biodiesel)
Biobased Information Systems™
Biodiesel
Magazine
Bioenergy site, the
Biofuels
Business
Biofuels Digest
Biofuels International
Biofuels
Media
Biofuels
Review
Biofuels-Tech
British
BioEnergy News
DG
Environment - Research News Alert Service
Energy Intelligence
Ethanol Market
Ethanol Producer
Magazine
European Biodiesel Board
Oil and Gas Journal
2nd Stakeholder Plenary Meeting
of the European Biofuels Technology
Platform Announced
23 October 2008
Implementing the Strategic Research Agenda
for sustainable
biofuels – from pilots to demonstration plants
Diamant
Conference Centre, Brussels, 22nd January 2009
At the 2nd Stakeholder Plenary Meeting (SPM), the European
Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP), will present its activities recently
initiated to support the
implementation of the ‘Strategic Research Agenda & Strategic Deployment
Document' (SRA/SDD),
launched in January 2008 at the 1st Stakeholder Plenary Meeting.
The Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) proposed by the European Commission and endorsed by the Energy Council in February 2008 provides a timely opportunity to look at the challenges of demonstration of the most promising technologies within the framework of the European Industrial Initiative on Bio-Energy (EII-B). Demonstration has been identified by EBTP SRA/SDD as a critical step in achieving the EU's ambitious goals for biofuels as part of its Energy and Climate Policy.
EBTP has developed a pragmatic approach to identify and analyse the innovative biofuels and bioenergy value chains which could bring a significant contribution to the ambitious EU objectives for renewables and sustainable biofuels, in addition to the existing bioenergy and biofuels pathways.
The 2nd SPM will provide a stage for actors working on innovative advanced
bioenergy and biofuels
value chains of potential relevance to the EII-B to discuss the challenges
of moving from pilot to demonstration phase and share best practice.
View
full press release (73 kb)
India approves biofuel rise
30 September 2008
India has approved a national biofuel policy that aims to raise the proportion of biofuels from five to 20 per cent in petrol and diesel fuels over the coming decade, using non-edible plant sources. The Indian government approved the policy on 11th September 2008. The policy states that by 2017, transport fuels in India need to contain 20 per cent biofuel. Two main types of biofuels are envisaged: alcohol from plant wastes, chiefly sugarcane molasses, and biodiesel - oil produced from non-edible oilseed crops such as jatropha curcas, which can be blended with diesel.
The policy supports increasing biodiesel plantations on community, government-owned and forest wastelands, but not on fertile, irrigated lands. The government estimates 13.4 million hectares of barren land are available for jatropha cultivation, which could potentially yield 15 million tonnes of oil each year. The policy also details incentives for growers of biofuel crops: removing taxes and duties on biodiesel, setting a minimum 'support' price for buying biodiesel oilseeds from growers and a minimum purchase price of bio-ethanol from oil marketing companies. These should ensure adequate returns to both crop growers and oil makers.
The European Biofuels
Technology Platform’s contribution to the
biomass sustainability certification issue, in the frame
of the EC consultation
Brussels, 30th September 2008
Please note: The paper only intends to bring EBTP's contribution to the biomass sustainability certification issue, in the frame of the EC consultation. Beyond the issue of biomass certification, a broader contribution to the public debates on biofuels is in preparation within EBTP.
Biomass is high on the European policy agenda and is expected to play a major role in achieving the 2020 targets to increase the renewable energy in the EU's overall energy mix (from less than 7% today to 20% by 2020, with expectations of a speicifc increase in the biofuels sector from 3.3 Mtoe in 2005 to 30- 35 Mtoe in 2020).
The challenges of developing successful and sustainable biomass chains for
fuel, energy, industrial products, etc. are well understood in Europe. Strong
efforts are deployed by the relevant scientific and industrial actors to
tackle issues of security of supply, efficiency in
resource production and conversion, logistics, compatibility with existing
infrastructure and environmental regulations as well as investigation on
innovative production pathways and concepts that could bring a significant
contribution to the very ambitious EU objectives.
However, the well publicised ongoing debate on biofuels seem to focus on the upstream and specifically the production of feedstocks for biofuels on agricultural land, in conflict with vital sectors such as food and feed. The risk of using land of high conservation value is also a concern.
In collaboration with members of the Suschem, Forest Based and Plants for the Future Technology Platforms, the EBTP held a consultation among its members, and the following issues emerged as important when setting criteria and developing methodologies:
- Terminology (for example the different types of primary biomass, intermediate bioenergy carriers, by products of non energy value chains, final bioenergy carrier being turned into heat, electricity or mechanical energy …) needs to be very carefully defined in order to develop relevant sustainability criteria.
- Accounting for the value of co-products (e.g. resins, proteins, etc.) that cannot be accounted for in energy terms
- Sustainability criteria should be as consistent as possible between different biomass applications, unless there are good reasons for differentiation.
- Indirect effects should also be given attention
- Relevant stakeholders need to be involved & future activities should build on the experience gained from previous ‘standard- setting’ (soy, palm, wood) and national biofuels activities (DE, NL, UK).
- The application of adequate sustainability criteria in non-EU countries is important to strengthen the acceptance of this concept in Europe.
View
full contribution paper (68
kb)
Renewables should make up 5% of
road transport fuels by 2015, says European Parliament Industry Committee
Brussels, 14 September 2008
By 2015, at least 5% of all road transport fuels should come from renewable sources, says a co-decision report approved by the European Parliament's Industry Committee on Thursday. In amending a draft directive on renewable energies, the committee also tightened up sustainability criteria for biofuels and introduced flexibility mechanisms to allow Member States to achieve the 2020 renewables targets jointly.
the 5% by 2015 target for renewables in road transport fuels is an intermediate one: by 2020, Member States would be required to ensure that renewables account for at least 10% of final energy consumption in road transport.
Achieving these targets would contribute to the EU's overall goal of ensuring that by 2020, renewables account for at least 20% of its total energy consumption
Four of the 5% road transport total could consist of 'first generation' biofuels, but at least 1% should come from new alternatives that do not compete with food production, says the committee. These alternatives could include electricity and hydrogen produced from renewable sources, as well as 'second generation' biofuels made from waste, lignocellulosic biomass or algae.
Press
release (168 kb)
Improved biodiesel test methods published in BIOSCOPES final report
Berlin, Germany, 21 August 2008
Improved test methods for biodiesel have been published in the Final Report of the BIOSCOPES project (Biodiesel: Improvement on Standards, Co-ordination of Producers & Ethanol Studies).
BISCOPES focused on the revision of available test methods for biodiesel and the development of a new method for the determination of polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters and for scientific studies on the connection between oxidation stability and other cumulative parameters of biodiesel.
Work on the improvement of the test method was initiated by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN, Comité Européen de Normalisation).
The advances in test methodology, published in the report "Improvements needed for the biodiesel standard EN 14214“, were made over two years by the Biodiesel Quality Management Work Group (AGQM) together with partners from Italy, France, Austria and Germany.
The methods for determining ester content, the contents of glycerol and glycerides as well as the determination of polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters was researched intensively by scientific and technological investigations, partly with consideration of entirely new approaches and the verification of results in round robin tests. The test methods for determining the contents of FAME in middle distillates and the ICP-based determination of alkalis were validated in round robins.
In many instances, precision data of the test method are improved markedly or the results of earlier tests confirmed. The improved / new methods will now be included in the standardization work of CEN and become part of the ongoing revision of the European norm for (EN 14214).
AGQM will also in future commit its activities to improving the norm for biodiesel and blending fuels and also on bio-based fuel oil both nationally and internationally.
BIOSCOPES
Final Report (3.3 Mb)
Commission launches consultation on requirements for a sustainability scheme for bioenergy
Brussels, Belgium, 16 July 2008
The Consultation on the preparation of a report on requirements for a sustainability scheme for energy uses of biomass was launched on 16th July 2008 and runs until 30th September 2008.
The consultation is aimed at Energy companies, national authorities, energy producers, biomass producers, non-governmental organisations, EU citizens, and 'third countries'.
The consultation questionnaire seeks views on key principles and criteria/indicators to be developed at EU level to ensure that the biomass for energy purposes comes from sustainable sources. The Commission has undertaken to report on such requirements by 2010 in its proposal for a Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (COM-2008-19).
European Parliament Resolution on the EU Strategic Energy Plan calls for intensified research on sustainable biofuels
Brussels, Belgium, 9 July 2008
The European Parliament strongly believes that increased support is needed for low carbon technologies in the demonstration and commercialisation phase for new decentralised renewable technologies and welcomes the proposed European Industrial Initatives.
The Resolution on the EU SET Plan stresses the need to increase support for R&D in technologies that will be needed over the longer term, with particular emphasis on strategically important technologies that can lead to an energy-independent European Union in the long term.
Point 21 under Industrial Initiatives considers that the EIIs should be focused on areas with the greatest potential to help achieve the European Union's climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives on a sustainable basis and for reduced costs and replication in the long term.
Point 22 calls for the life cycle of each technology and its environmental impact at each stage of the production processes to be taken into account when prioritising EIIs.
Point 26 calls, in particular, for biofuels research to be intensified so as to ensure that the overall environmental impact of producing such fuels is unequivocally beneficial.
Point 27 notes the importance of developing large-scale biomass to gas conversion to produce hydrogen and liquid synthetic fuels for sustainable transport technologies.
Latest FP7 Call for Proposals on Biofuels
May 2008
New Swedish study compares exhaust emissions from ethanol and biogas with those from petrol
Stockholm, Sweden, 8 May 2008
The exhaust emissions from cars fuelled by ethanol (E85) and biogas have been compared with the emissions from petrol-fuelled cars in a comprehensive study funded by the Swedish Road Administration. The study has been conducted in a research co-operation between AVL MTC, Ecotraffic ERD3 and Stockholm University.
Emissions were tested at +22°C and -7°C, and the study covered potentially hazardous exhaust components such as aldehydes, alkenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and particles (number, size distribution and mass).
The results showed that the emissions of several exhaust emission components (such as PAH) were higher for E85 than for petrol at the lower temperature, -7°C. PAH emissions increased with increasing ethanol content in the petrol. However, at +22°C, the differences in emissions were smaller, and often lower for E85 than for petrol.
US Energy Biosciences Institute
announces $20m funding for first 49 Projects
Berkley, California, 5 May 2008
The Energy Biosciences Institute, the world’s largest public/private consortium dedicated to the application of biosciences to the energy sector, has announced an initial set of 49 research projects for funding during the first year of EBI’s 10-year program.
Projects are being supported at all three of the public partner institutions – the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The international energy company BP is funding the decade of work with $500 million, about $20 million of which is supporting the first package of projects.
Research is being pursued in four categories related to exploring the opportunities for production of cellulosic biofuels – feedstock development, biomass depolymerization, biofuels production, and the socio-economic impacts of cellulosic biofuels development. A second initiative, concerned with fossil fuel bioprocessing, is expected to receive funding later this year.
Biotech industry supports 10% biofuels targets set out by the European
Commission as being sustainable
Brussels, 18 April 2008
The European biotech industry strongly supports EU initiatives to promote the use of biofuels to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Industry shares the concern of European leaders that the high use of energy stemming from fossil resources is irresponsible in the long term. It is the opinion of EuropaBio that the only feasible alternatives today to fossil-based energy for the transport sector are liquid biofuels. Biofuels will not replace fossil fuels, but are part of the solution to external dependency for energy and to green house gas emissions...
...“We share the concern that clearing tropical and subtropical forests for gaining agricultural land may be contradictory to sustainability issues. The monitoring problems pointed out by the EEA should stimulate the development of a credible and robust certification system” said Johan Vanhemelrijck, Secretary General of EuropaBio.
Carbon Trust launches 2nd Generation Biofuel Challenge
18th February 2008
The Carbon Trust is calling for Expressions of Interest from potential partners within the scientific community to collaborate in the development of a world-class commercially viable pyrolysis oil upgrading process. The Carbon Trust will potentially invest £5m to one or more commercially-focussed research projects in this area of advanced biofuels over next 3-5 years.
As part of its mission to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, the Carbon Trust has identified pyrolysis oil from sustainable sources of biomass as having the potential to produce low-cost fuels with low system greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - if it can be integrated into a conventional refinery.
European Biofuels Technology Platform
launches Strategic Research Agenda for sustainable biofuel production in
Europe
31 January 2008
The challenging target of 10% biofuels for transport, proposed in the new EC directive on renewable energy, has been addressed by the launch of a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for sustainable production of biofuels in Europe.
The SRA was launched on the 31st January 2008 by the European Biofuels Technology Platform at a Stakeholder meeting in Brussels, where 300 delegates discussed the need for significant investment in research and development to guarantee the sustainable production of biofuels.
The Stakeholder meeting was opened by the European Commission Director General for Research, Mr Silva Rodriguez, who addressed the potential of Biofuels as a viable short-to-medium term alternative to fossil fuels.
In the opening session, Mr Alfonso Gonzalez Finat, Principle Advisor to the Directorate General for Energy and Transport, outlined how the European strategy for implementation of biofuels for transport fits into the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan.
The meeting also included presentations by respresentatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, energy, farming and forestry industries, and environmental organisations such as WWF, as well as experts on biotechnology, fuel production and engine development.
Over the last few weeks, there has been a heated debate on the value of biofuels in contributing to climate change issues and increasing EU self sufficiency for transport fuels. The SRA produced by the European Biofuels Technology Platform identifies how advances in biofuels technology can overcome many of the concerns and issues raised. However, this is strongly dependent on sufficient time and money being invested in well-focused research, development and demonstration activities.
The conclusions of the European Biofuels Technology Platform and SRA will have a strong impact on energy and environment themes in the 7th Framework Programme. These place a strong emphasis on biofuel related research, including biorefineries and, in particular, second generation biofuels, which also feature strongly in the EU’s SET Plan and forthcoming Energy Package.
Download
SRA SDD (2.35 Mb)
View Presentations from the Stakeholder Plenary Meeting
Proposals for
10% biofuels by 2020 to boost jobs and growth as part of EC climate change
package
23rd January 2008
The European Commission has today agreed on a far-reaching package of
proposals that will deliver the European Council's commitments to fight
climate change and promote renewable energy. The package seeks to deliver
the European Union to
reduce greenhouse gases by at least 20% and increases to 20% the share of
renewable energies in energy consumption by 2020, as agreed by EU
leaders in March 2007. This includes a proposal for 10% use of biofuels in
all Member States by 2020.
Climate Change Package - more information on Europa
Science and Research
Commissioner Janez Potočnik meets representatives of the European
Biofuels Technology Platform
22nd January 2008
Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, has given his support to the Eruoepan Biofuels Technology Platform. Following a meeting with members of the TP on the 22nd January, he stated; "It is well known that the increased use of biofuels will need to be accompanied by technological developments. In particular we discussed the balance of existing 'first generation' biofuels and future 'second generation' biofuels, which can be produced more efficiently, with far fewer emissions and from a wider range of agricultural products. The environmental performance of biofuels depends very much on the different production pathways. If produced and used sensibly, biomass used for fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "
Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs
responds to the biofuels report of the House of Commons (UK)
21st January 2008
Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, responding to the report of the House of Commons which calls for a moratorium on biofuels, said: " The Commission strongly disagrees with the conclusion of the Environmental Audit Committee of the British House of Commons report, where it says that the overall environmental effect of existing biofuel policy is negative. On the contrary, it is delivering significant greenhouse gas reductions, compared with its alternative, oil.
UK Parliament Environmental Audit Commitee Announcement
Sustainable biofuels: prospects
and challenges – A Royal
Society Report
14th January 2008
In January 2008 the Royal Society (UK) published its report on biofuels produced by a working group of leading experts that considered the scientific and technical prospects of delivering efficient biofuels for transport taking into account the broader context of environmental protection and sustainability.
The working group has concluded that biofuels have a potentially useful role in tackling the issues of climate change and energy supply. However, important opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels, and to ensure wider environmental and social benefits, may be missed with existing policy frameworks and targets. Unless biofuel development is supported by appropriate policies and economic instruments then there is a risk that we may become locked into inefficient biofuel supply chains that potentially create harmful environmental and social impacts.
New technologies need to be accelerated that can help address these issues, aided by policies that provide direct incentives to invest in the most efficient biofuels. The report, published on the Royal Society website, makes a series of recommendations about policies and research needs in order to help develop sustainable biofuels for transport .
Biofuel Cities European Partnership Biofuels Workshop
January 10th 2008
In December 2007 the second of a series of workshops on biofuels brought together stakeholders from Central and Eastern Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria. The meeting covered biofuels for transport sector and discussed the challenges facing biofuel end-users in the region such as overly bureaucratic procedures, lack of institutional support and security of feedstock supply.
Two regional success stories were presented; a Czech case study on the connection between agri-industrial feedstock production and end-use; and a Romanian case study on the use of alternative fuels in the public transport sector. Participants then discussed the challenges and opportunities facing Southern, Central and Eastern European biofuel end-users.
Technical concersn were raised about availability of vehicles able to run on transport biofuels, and the need for local standardisation for fuel and vehicle engine conversions.
Participants also concluded that feedstocks, whenever possible, should be sourced from the locality. Questions were raised about the development of sustainability criteria, however, as this issue is still being hotly debated in Brussels, no concrete solutions or proposals could be formulated.
The outcome of the workshop was a list of considerations to be taken into account by the biofuels sector. Full details can be from the workshop report published on the Biofuel Cities website.
UK Consultation on EC proposal to amend EU petrol, diesel and gas oil quality
requirements
14th September 2007
Comments are invited on the EC proposal for a Directive amending the Fuel Quality Directive and the accompanying UK partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). The proposal makes a number of amendments to the Directive primarily aimed at increasing the uptake of biofuels in order to deliver greenhouse gas savings, but also including amendments to deliver or support air quality emissions savings.
Relevant documents and a response form can be found on the DFT website
EBB Publishes annual biodiesel
production statistics
6th August 2007
Statistics compiled by the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) indicate that the production of biodiesel in the EU increased from 3.2 to 4.9 million tonnes in 2006 from 185 fully operational biodiesel plants. Currently around 60 new production facilities are under construction adding to the production capacity of around 10 millions tonnes per annum setting the foundation for a strong biodiesel industry that will be able to meet the 2010 EU target within the next year or so.
For further information please contact the Secretary General of the EBB, Mr Rafaello Garofalo by email at secretariat@ebb-eu.org or Tel: 32 (0) 2763 24 77 or visit the website www.ebb-eu.org
Carbon and sustainability reporting
within the UK renewable transport fuel obligation
26 June 2007
The UK government announced a Consultation exercise concerning biofuels that will close on 13 September 2007. Summary: This seeks views on the detailed information that transport fuel suppliers might be required to provide to the RTFO Administrator on the carbon savings and wider sustainability impacts of their biofuels. It is likely to be of particular interest to transport fuel suppliers and those involved in the biofuels industry.
The main purpose and key questions are contained in a letter to RTFO stakeholders
Public Consultation on the EC’s
ERA Green Paper
15 June 2007
In a letter ( 92Kb)
received by the Biofuels TP, Christian Patterman - European Union Director
for the Biotechnology, Agriculture and Food area – has
drawn attention to the recent Green paper entitled ‘The European Research
Area: New Perspectives’. The purpose of this is to stimulate debate
and launch a process of consultation, assessing the progress made in establishing
the ERA and to discuss the future direction of this initiative.
In line with these objectives, the European Commission has published a complementary, online public consultation addressing the questions raised in the green paper.
More information on the ERA
The online consultation will remain open till the 31st of August 2007
EU Public consultation - Biofuel
issues in the new legislation on the promotion of renewable energy
1 May 2007
On 10 January 2007 the European Commission made proposals for a new Energy Policy for Europe. These included a renewable energy roadmap proposing:
* a binding 10% target for the share of biofuels in petrol and diesel in each Member State in 2020, to be accompanied by the introduction of a sustainability scheme for biofuels.
The Commission is now drafting proposals to incorporate these targets in legislation.
In doing so, the Commission will take into account the views of stakeholders. This is your chance to have your voice heard.
1. How should a biofuel sustainability system be designed?
2. How should overall effects on land use be monitored?
3. How should the use of second-generation biofuels be encouraged?
4. What further action is needed to make it possible to achieve a 10% biofuel
share?
The final deadline for responses is now June 18th 2007.
More
information ...
Consultation
Paper
Expansion of US Ethanol Production
27 March 2007
US DOE Selects Five Ethanol Conversion Projects
More...
US DOE Selects Six Cellulosic Ethanol Plants
More...
US-EU Energy Technology CEO Forum
19 March 2007
The EU-US Energy Technology CEO Forum took place at the US Department of
State in Washington DC on Monday 19 March. The forum aimed at stimulating
a discussion among governments and the private sector from both sides
of the Atlantic to accelerate the innovation and adoption of new energy
technology.
More...
The European Commmission launches 2 public consultations - 9 March 2007
Consultation on the Green Paper on Green Urban Transport, with a deadline
of 30 April
2007
More...
Consultation on the European Energy Technology Strategic Plan (SET) with
a deadline of
13 May 2007.
More...Info
on SET
European Commission proposals for climate change and Energy Policy
for Europe - 10 January 2007
More...
First FP7 Call Announced - 22 December 2006
More...