The Biobased and Renewable Products Update Will Not Be Published on December 28, 2017. It Will Resume Regular Publication on January 4, 2018. Happy Holidays to All and Best Wishes for the New Year. On December 12, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program: Standards for 2018 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2019 final rule. This final rule sets the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel for motor vehicle gasoline and diesel produced or imported in 2018, as well as biomass-based diesel for 2019. As reported in the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) blog post EPA Issues Final 2018 RFS Requirements, the final volume requirements are:
These final volumes change the percentage standards to 0.159 percent for cellulosic biofuel, 2.37 percent for advanced biofuel, 10.67 percent for renewable fuel, and 1.74 percent for biomass-based diesel. This final rule becomes effective on February 12, 2018. Additionally, EPA announced the availability of its “Periodic Reviews for the Renewable Fuel Standard Program.” Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA must conduct periodic reviews of certain aspects of the RFS program. In the report, EPA describes its interpretation of the statutory requirement to conduct periodic reviews, and prior actions that EPA has taken to fulfill its obligations to conduct such reviews. On December 13, 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the availability of up to $100 million in funding to support innovators through early-stage research and development (R&D) projects focused on technologies to transform the nation’s energy system. The funding will be provided through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) OPEN funding opportunity. OPEN funding opportunity announcements (FOA), which are typically issued on a triennial basis, allow ARPA-E to support projects outside the scope of existing ARPA-E focused programs. The FOA is open to a broad variety of projects, including renewable electricity generation and the production and distribution of renewable fuels. Concept papers in response to the FOA are due by 5:00 p.m. (EST) February 12, 2018. More information on the FOA is available on the ARPA-E website. FCIC Intends To Issue Funding Opportunity For Biomass Processing On December 11, 2017, the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) announced its intent to issue a Directed Funding Opportunity (DFO) aimed at accelerating innovation and adoption of new practices and technologies to determine the root cause of biomass handling failures and designing solutions. FCIC is a collaborative network of eight DOE national laboratories dedicated to understanding and addressing technical risks in developing and scaling up biomass harvest, storage, preprocessing, and conversion technologies. The DFO is open to industrial and academic partners interested in collaborating with research experts and leveraging unique technology capabilities at the DOE national laboratories to address the most pressing industrial feedstock handling, preprocessing, and conversion challenges related to feedstock chemical, physical, and mechanical variability. FCIC anticipates awarding between $500,000 and $2,000,000 for a project duration of 12 to 18 months. FCIC plans to issue the DFO through its website. On December 12, 2017, Neste, a member of BRAG, announced that its additional production capacity for renewable diesel, renewable aviation fuel, and raw materials for various biochemical uses will be located in Singapore. Following the decision, Neste will develop the technical design for the new product line, with the goal of securing a final investment decision by the end of 2018 and starting production by 2022. The project will expand the capacity of Neste’s Singapore refinery increased to three million tons by 2020 and will incorporate an enhanced pre-treatment unit in preparation for the use of increasingly poor-quality waste materials.
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| ABOUT THE FIRM The Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) helps members develop and bring to market their innovative biobased chemical products through insightful policy and regulatory advocacy. BRAG is managed by B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C., an affiliate of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. |
Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group 2200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Suite 100W Washington, D.C. 20037 (202) 833-6580 www.braginfo.org |