The USDA maintained its forecast for 2023-’24 soybean oil use in biofuel production in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, released Dec. 8. The expected price of soybean oil was revised down.

The U.S. exported 835,552.7 metric tons of wood pellets in October, up from both the 796,988 metric tons exported the previous month and the 750,997.7 metric tons exported in October 2022, according to data released by the USDA on Dec. 6.

U.K.-based Velocys, a company that is developing proposed SAF projects in the both the U.K. and U.S., is set to be acquired by Madison Bidco Ltd., a newly formed company associated with a consortium of private equity and green investors.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Nov. 27 issued a marine safety alert regarding the spontaneous combustion of wood pellets containing binders following two recent fire incidents on hopper barges loaded with wood pellets.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 28 signed a package of clean energy and climate action legislation, including a bill that creates a clean energy standard requiring the state to produce 100 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2040.

Japan-based Renova Inc. on Nov. 20 announced its 75-megawatt (MW) Morinomiyako Biomass Power Plant began operations on Nov. 18. The facility is fueled with wood pellets and palm kernel shells.

U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 930,000 tons of densified biomass fuels in August, according to the November edition of the U.S. EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report. Sales of densified biomass fuel reached 1.06 million tons.

Swedish fuel company Preem on Nov. 27 announced it will invest SEK 5.5 billion ($532.82 million) to convert its refinery in Lysekil, Sweden, to produce renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Environment and Climate Change Canada has acknowledged that U.S. feedstocks are in compliances with the land use and biodiversity (LUB) criteria included under the country’s Clean Fuel Regulation, according to a report filed with the USDA.

A coalition of biofuel and farm groups on Nov. 27 released a statement expressing disappointment in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' Nov. 22 decision remanding to the U.S. EPA six small refinery exemption (SRE) requests.