In November, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council Regional Ethanol Manager for the European Union United Kingdom and Canada Stephanie Larson traveled to Belgium and Italy to advocate for higher levels of ethanol use, acceptance and adoption in the EU, including higher blending rates in the region for on-road, along with emerging opportunities in aviation, maritime and other applications like bioplastics.
Larson first attended the 28th World Ethanol & Biofuels Conference in Brussels, including a pre-conference summit focused on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) where she served as moderator for a panel, “Global Ethanol & Biofuels Overview: Navigating Policies, Regulations and Investment Trends Worldwide.” Key topics included the availability of raw materials for ethanol production and expanding the role of biofuels globally.
Afterward, Larson travelled to Rome to meet with Italian officials and stakeholders regarding the country’s ethanol blending mandate for gasoline. She was joined by USGBC Regional Ethanol Consultant for Europe Alberto Carmona as well as POET Vice President of Corporate Affairs Doug Berven and Innovative Seed Solutions North American Commercial Lead Matt Bartek, both Council members.
“This mission was an opportunity for the Council to expand its influence and increase its effectiveness in the Italian market, allowing for enhanced exposure and visibility among stakeholders and decision makers to increase Italy’s use of ethanol to meet its current bio-blending mandate,” Larson said.
The delegation’s first meeting was with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, followed by discussions with a major fuel and transport logistics company and an automobile manufacturers’ association to get a holistic view of biofuel demand and integration possibilities.
The meetings also provided an opportunity to discuss the EU’s revision of the CO2 emission standards for cars and vans and reaffirm the Council’s alignment with Italian stakeholders.
In addition, the team visited the offices of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The exchange focused on potential opportunities for future collaboration and identifying synergies between both organizations to leverage our resources, including engagement at the multilateral level.
The next morning centered on energy logistics and how higher blends of ethanol can be incorporated to lower prices at the pump, along with the environmental and public health benefits of ethanol as a low-cost high octane oxygenate. The program wrapped up with further meetings involving Italy’s second-largest farming association to learn about domestic raw material production and clarify certain standards and import requirements.
“This was a positive follow-up visit to the Council’s initial mission last year, an important step in demonstrating the Council’s, and U.S. agricultural producers’, commitment to ethanol use in the EU,” Larson said.
“Obligations to meet ambitious climate targets, coupled with a desire from both consumers and policymakers to lower carbon emissions offer a significant opportunity for biofuels in the region, and the Council is determined to put the building blocks in place to develop an ethanol export market in Italy and beyond.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in ethanol here.
