September 7, 2023
BY Erin Krueger
The USDA on Aug. 30 awarded $266 million to 1,334 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects under the Rural Energy for America Program. Two of the awards will support projects at biodiesel plants.
Illinois-based Incobrasa Industries Ltd. has been awarded a $1 million grant to support the installation of a 7.5 MW solar array to help power the company’s biodiesel plant located in Gilman, Illinois. The project is expected to save the business more than $1.21 million annually and replace 12.46 million kWh of power, which is enough to power 1,149 homes.
A biodiesel plant in Pennsylvania has also been awarded a REAP grant. That $79,900 award has been made to World Energy Harrisburg LLC to help support the installation of a condenser unit at its facility in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. According to the USDA, the condenser unit, components and ancillary infrastructure of a cooling tower will improve methanol recovery and boost biodiesel production at the facility by 4.68 million gallons per year.
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A full list of awards is available on the USDA website.
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Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., and Troy A. Carter, Sr., D-La., on July 21 reintroduced the SAF Information Act. The bill directs the U.S. EIA to more explicitly include SAF data in its weekly and monthly reports.
The U.S Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, in partnership with the Algae Foundation and NREL, on July 21 announced the grand champion and top four winning teams of the 2023 - 2025 U.S. DOE AlgaePrize Competition.
The European Commission on July 18 announced its investigation into biodiesel imports from China is now complete and did not confirm the existence of fraud. The commission will take action, however, to address some systemic weaknesses it identified.
Kintetsu World Express Inc. has signed an additional agreement with Hong Kong, China-based Cathay Pacific Airways for the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The agreement expands a three-year partnership between the two companies.
On July 18, U.S. EPA announced a reduction in force (RIF) as the agency continues its comprehensive restructuring efforts. With organizational improvements, EPA is delivering $748.8 million in savings.