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Biofuels policy battles happening all over the world

The director of global ethanol market development for the U.S. Grains Council says the tug-of-war on biofuels policy is happening at home and abroad.

Brian Healy tells Brownfield while ethanol and oil interests battle over domestic blending requirements in the Renewable Fuel Standard, countries like Colombia seem to be backtracking on biofuel commitments.

“(Colombia) has had a 10 percent blend rate policy that has eased over the last six months, and won’t be fully implemented back at 10 percent until the end of January 2022. So those same challenges exist in foreign markets.”

He says on the other hand, policies in the United Kingdom and India should help grow demand for U.S. ethanol.

“The U.K. just rolled out their E10 policy, up from a 5 percent blend requirement that they’ve had for the past decade. India has announced its intent to more than double its blending requirement.”

Healy says India’s goal is to move its ethanol mandate to 20 percent by 2025.