ethanol production plant in western manitoba

Picks and shovels for the alternative energy industry

The dominant players in the biofuels sector today are the traditional grain handlers and processors

It’s said that the big money, in gold rushes of yore, wasn’t in the gold miners but in those who supplied the picks and shovels. Vendors of sins, booze and brothels also did well. With this issue we’ll have a look at companies that, while not wholly reliant on alternative energy, stand to benefit from […] Read more

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U.S. to boost biofuel mandates over next three years

Biofuel groups still feel shortchanged

Reuters — The Biden administration on Wednesday increased the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into the United States’ fuel mix over the next three years, but the plan has angered the biofuel industry, which says mandates for corn-based ethanol and biodiesel are not high enough. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized […] Read more


File photo of a combine at work during a harvest in Germany. (Abadonian/iStock/Getty Images)

Germany considering withdrawal from crop-based biofuels by 2030

Lawmakers seek to boost biofuel made from wastes

Hamburg | Reuters — Germany’s government is considering proposals to phase out the use of biofuels produced from food or animal feed crops by 2030, the German biofuels industry association (VDB) said on Tuesday, adding the measure could increase carbon emissions. German environment minister Steffi Lemke said Jan. 17 she will soon send proposals to […] Read more

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U.S. EPA proposes revamp of biofuel program to include EVs

Mandated biofuel levels to rise through 2025

New York | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday unveiled a three-year proposal to expand the U.S. biofuels policy with bigger volume mandates and — for the first time — to include a pathway for electric vehicle manufacturers to generate lucrative credits. Biden wants to fight climate change by reducing fossil fuel […] Read more


With the dramatic rise in crush capacity slated for the Prairies, the onus will be on farmers to ensure there is adequate supply to keep up with rising demand for canola seed.

Priority No. 1 for canola growers: ‘produce more’

To take advantage of the biofuel boom and all of its benefits, farmers must increase canola productivity on each acre. Which agronomic tools can you lean into for the heavy lifting?

The biofuel market in North America is rapidly expanding, thanks in part to government regulations promoting clean fuels to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. This, in turn, is driving up demand for biofuel feedstocks like canola oil, which is why Chris Vervaet says grain companies are spending some $2 billion over the next few years […] Read more




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U.S. EPA proposes biofuel mandate cuts

Proposal seen as boost to pandemic-hit refiners

New York | Reuters — The Biden administration proposed on Tuesday a reduction in the amount of biofuels that U.S. oil refiners were required to blend into their fuel mix since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-awaited decision offers some relief to the U.S. refining industry after the health crisis slammed domestic demand […] Read more


CBOT November 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans up on firm cash markets, vegoils

Corn, wheat futures sputter

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures ended higher on Tuesday for a fourth straight session, with the benchmark November contract touching a one-week top on firm cash markets and global demand for vegetable oils, analysts said. But Chicago Board of Trade corn and wheat futures closed lower, sagging after a choppy session. CBOT November […] Read more

ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, dark green and black lines). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola feeling the energy

Canola riding on fuels' bullish momentum

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts moved steadily higher over the week ended Wednesday, hitting the top-end of a three month trading range. While tight Canadian supplies due to a Prairie drought have underpinned the market for some time, the latest strength and any future direction may be more closely tied to movement in energy […] Read more