Brazil backs R32mn to counter wildfires in Amazon

Market: Emissions
12/06/25

Brazil opened a public call to finance R32mn ($5.7mn) to combat wildfires in the Amazon rainforest and in the central-western Pantanal biome.

The resources come from Brazilian environment ministry's FNMA fund and the federal collective rights' fund FDD, which is under the justice and public security ministry's umbrella.

Projects submitted must be between R800,000-1mn and must be finished in up to two years, according to the government. Projects regarding machinery, equipment and fire-adapted light vehicle acquisitions are eligible. The investment does not comprise construction projects.

The initiative aims to counter environmental damages from wildfires. Brazil is working to eliminate deforestation — both legal and illegal — by 2030, in an effort to meet its emissions reductions targets under the Paris climate agreement. Deforestation is one of Brazil's flagship issues for the UN Cop 30 summit, which it will host in northern Para state in November this year.

The Amazon biome lost over 774,000ha to wildfires in the first quarter, a 72pc drop from a year earlier, while it accounted for almost 52pc of burnt areas in March.

Burnt areas in the Pantanal biome, or tropical wetland, fell by 86pc in the first quarter to 10,900 hectares.

By Maria Frazatto

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11/07/25

DOE to halt wind transmission line: US senator

Houston, 11 July (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration has pledged to halt an 800-mile transmission line designed to deliver wind power from Kansas to eastern states, according to a US senator. US energy secretary Chris Wright has said he "will be putting a stop" to the Grain Belt Express transmission line, senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) said on Thursday via the X social media platform. Hawley has made repeated calls for the Department of Energy (DOE) to cancel a $4.9bn conditional loan awarded to the project in the waning days of former president Joe Biden's administration. The senator has called the project an "elitist land grab harming Missouri farmers and ranchers". Whether Wright pledged to rescind the loan or take other action to stop work on Grain Belt Express was not immediately clear from Hawley's statement. Neither the senator's office nor DOE immediately responded to requests for additional information. Hawley's statement is "bizarre", according to Invenergy, the Chicago-based developer behind the project. The company said that the transmission line has already received approvals from all four states that it will traverse, acquired 1,500 agreements with landowners tied to construction and announced "significant" supply chain agreements for materials sourced domestically. "Senator Hawley is attempting to kill the largest transmission infrastructure project in US history, which is already approved by four states and is aligned with the president's energy dominance agenda," the company said. The Grain Belt Express would deliver wind power from Kansas to converter stations in Missouri and Indiana, with the Missouri station connecting to grids overseen by the Associated Electric Cooperative and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), while the Indiana station links with the PJM Interconnection. Invenergy plans to build the project in two phases, with the first delivering 2,500MW into Missouri and the second ferrying another 2,500MW to the PJM region, which includes the District of Columbia and 13 states in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic. DOE in November 2024 awarded the project a conditional loan of up to $4.9bn to help finance the initial stage as part of Biden's larger push to decarbonize the electricity sector. Invenergy intends to start construction on the first phase next year. Ultimately, the line would supply 15mn MWh/yr to Missouri, with 60pc of the capacity allocated to MISO and the remainder to the Associated Electric Cooperative. Another 15mn MWh/yr would flow into the PJM markets. Altogether, the line would supply enough electricity to cover the demand of more than 2.8mn households. Landowner groups in Missouri have long targeted the Grain Belt Express, but have failed to stymie the project through a challenge to its use of eminent domain . Opponents have since continued their efforts against the project, and Missouri attorney general Andrew Bailey, a Republican, last week called on state utility regulators to rescind the line's permit on grounds that Invenergy relied on "deceptive" information to secure its approval. By Patrick Zemanek Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Indonesia’s Alfamart invests $1mn in UCO firm Noovoleum

11/07/25

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11/07/25

Indonesia’s Alfamart invests $1mn in UCO firm Noovoleum

Singapore, 11 July (Argus) — Indonesian convenience store retail chain Alfamart said this week it has invested $1mn into Singapore-based used cooking oil (UCO) collector Noovoleum. Noovoleum — established in 2023 — automates UCO collection in Indonesian cities, including in Java, Sumatra and Bali, with their "UCOllect" boxes, of which there are 100. It collects about 100t of UCO a month, which is sold to domestic buyers such as UCO aggregators, said the company's chief investment officer Egis Rimkus. Citizens deposit UCO into the boxes, which have an in-built quality testing system. They will then receive cash via the "UCOllect" application, if the quality of the oil is accepted. The rate varies every month and is currently at 5,500 rupiah/litre ($0.34/litre). There are now boxes at 12 Alfamart outlets across Indonesia. The final use of the UCO is unconfirmed, but some could be processed into biodiesel, market participants said. Indonesia has halted exports of UCO since January. There have been recent attempts to export refined UCO under a HS code unaffected by the ban, but bulk volume trades have likely still not been successful, traders told Argus . Noovoleum is in advanced negotiations with possible partners in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in light of Indonesia's export halt, with at least one partnership to be launched this year, Rimkus added. Noovoleum also placed "UCOllect" boxes at 10 gas stations belonging to state-owned Indonesian refiner Pertamina last December. This was part of a pilot project between the two. Pertamina has been trialling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production since the second quarter of 2025 , but large-scale production of SAF and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is expected only in 2029 , the refiner said. By Sarah Giam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cercarbono launches ELV recycling carbon methodology

11/07/25

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11/07/25

Cercarbono launches ELV recycling carbon methodology

Bangkok, 11 July (Argus) — Global environmental certification standard company Cercarbono announced a world-first methodology for generating carbon credits from end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling at the Asia Climate Summit in Bangkok on 9 July. The methodology establishes the criteria for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from the recovery and recycling of post-consumer materials in formal sector facilities. The methodology covers only post-consumer ELV materials, including metals, plastics and glass, recovered as raw materials that match the quality of virgin materials, the methodology documents show. Projects must comply with Cercarbono's additionality guidelines. It calculates emission reductions as the baseline production from virgin raw materials minus the project's production from recycled materials. Projects must also follow all legal, environmental, labour, health and safety regulations, apply Cercarbono's Safeguarding Principles and report contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using the SDGtool assessment mechanism. Cercarbono and Mumbai-based Meta Materials Circular Market (MMCM) jointly developed the methodology. MMCM specialises in developing a digital ecosystem for the circular economy in the automotive industry. This innovative methodology will enable ELV recycling systems to benefit from carbon pricing, MMCM said. The initiative has the potential to unlock 10bn rupees ($116mn) in carbon funding over the next decade, MMCM chief executive Nitin Chitkara said. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US biofuel support clears way for new crush capacity

10/07/25

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10/07/25

US biofuel support clears way for new crush capacity

New York, 10 July (Argus) — North American oilseed crushers told Argus that projects to increase processing capacity are on track for the next year, potentially enabling more renewable fuel production. After a difficult start to the year for biofuel producers, US policymakers are increasingly making clear that they want refiners to up their output in future years and rely more on domestic feedstocks like soybean oil. That could pave the way for more oilseed crush capacity to come online, after some facilities delayed or cancelled plans over the last year on stagnant demand. Companies confirmed to Argus that more than 620,000 bu/d of new soybean and canola crush capacity were on track to come online in North America in the next year, and other facilities that did not respond to requests for comment have plans in the coming years too. Greater vegetable oil supply also could at least partly address concerns from oil and biofuel refiners that Republicans' protectionist approach to biofuels threatens feedstock shortages and price spikes. A multi-seed crush facility under construction in Mitchell, South Dakota — which will be able to process up to 96,000 bu/d of soybeans — is scheduled to start up this October, South Dakota Soybean Processors chief executive Tom Kersting told Argus. US crush company Ag Processing similarly said that a new 137,000 bu/d soybean crush plant in David City, Nebraska, will open "later this year". In Canada, Cargill confirmed that a 121,000 bu/d canola processing plant in Regina, Saskatchewan is also on track to open this year. In the first half of next year, French agribusiness Louis Dreyfus said it plans to complete two major projects in North America. The company plans to open a 151,000 bu/d soybean crush plant in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and to double capacity to more than 240,000 bu/d at a canola crush facility in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. US soybean oil futures have climbed by 12pc in the past month on recent policy shifts, providing more incentive for processors — already crushing more soybeans than ever before — to expand production. The US recently proposed record-high biofuel blend mandates for the next two years, projecting that domestic soybean oil production could increase by 250mn USG/yr. And President Donald Trump over the weekend signed legislation that retools a crucial US tax credit to increase subsidies for crop-based fuels. Canadian canola processors, which depend on US incentives because Canada's biofuel sector is far smaller, benefit less from some of these policy shifts. While US fuels made from Canadian feedstocks can still claim the tax incentive next year, the Trump administration has proposed halving credits generated under the biofuel blend mandate for fuels made from foreign feedstocks. That makes US soybean oil a far more attractive input for US refiners than Canadian canola oil. A Canadian farm cooperative earlier this year paused plans for a combined canola crush and renewable diesel plant in Regina, Saskatchewan, citing "regulatory and political uncertainty". And Bunge was vague about its plans for building the world's largest canola crush plant in the same city, which was initially envisioned to start up last year. The US-based agribusiness, which recently took over the project with its acquisition of Viterra, told Argus it was "focused on integration to ensure a smooth transition for our customers" and "may be able to provide an update in the near future". Even then, canola oil stands to benefit from increased demand from food companies if more US soybean oil is diverted to fuel markets. And despite recent struggles for other Canadian biorefineries, ExxonMobil subsidiary Imperial Oil has plans to soon open a 20,000 b/d renewable diesel plant in Alberta that will draw on canola oil. Canadian policymakers have taken steps to assuage local feedstock suppliers and refiners, including a domestic renewable fuel mandate in British Columbia and a proposed mandate in Ontario. Biofuel production and oilseed crush margins also will depend on interactions with other policies, including a temporary tax break through 2026 in the US for small biodiesel producers — historically more reliant on vegetable oils than more versatile renewable diesel plants — as well as low-carbon fuel standards in the US west coast region and Canada. The perennial risk for any company is that policy, especially around biofuels, often swings unexpectedly. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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EU ministers discuss 2035, 2040 climate target setting

10/07/25

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10/07/25

EU ministers discuss 2035, 2040 climate target setting

Brussels, 10 July (Argus) — The EU needs to set its 2040 climate target and derive its 2035 nationally determined contribution (NDC) — climate plan — to the Paris climate agreement from it, European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra reiterated today. But France and Hungary's environment ministers have suggested focusing on the EU's 2035 climate target first. European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has repeated the need to first have a "conversation" on setting the bloc's 2040 climate target and only then deriving the EU's 2035 NDC. "That is the way we will approach it," Hoekstra said before an informal meeting of environment and climate ministers in Denmark. This comes after members of the European Parliament rejected the idea of a fast-track procedure for the 2040 target on 9 July . France's environment minister, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, said that the first topic to discuss was the EU's NDC, ahead of the UN Cop 30 climate talks in Belem, Brazil, in November. There is "the question as well of our [2040] objective under the renegotiation of the climate law", she said. Asked about a two-step approach for the setting of the 2040 target and the 2035 goal, Pannier-Runacher said she was "open to all discussions as long as the agenda on competitivity is clear" and goes beyond words. This comes after French president Emmanuel Macron said at the end of last month that setting an EU target for 2040 is not a must for the Belem climate talks. Pannier-Runnacher said that the 2035 target was between 66.5pc, if derived from current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and 71.5pc, if taking into account the European Commission's proposal to cut GHG emissions by 90pc by 2040 from 1990 levels, accounting for "flexibilities". The commission's proposal includes several flexibilities for the 2040 target, including allowing a "limited" contribution of international carbon credits issued under Article 6 of the Paris agreement to count towards the goal from 2036, and the use of domestic permanent carbon removals in the EU emissions trading system. Hungary's environment state secretary Aniko Raisz said discussions on the NDC and the 2040 climate goal should be separated, because the latter "cannot be rushed" and "the issue won't be finished by the end of September as it needs a "thorough impact assessment". NDCs need to be submitted to the UN by September to be counted in a synthesis report set to ground climate discussions in Belem. Drawing a line between the EU's 2030 and 2050 targets, the 2035 goal for emissions reductions could be over 66pc, Raisz said, adding that NDCs were non-binding commitments. German climate action minister Carsten Schneider did not seem phased by a short timeline to reach an agreement on a 2040 goal and an NDC, which is Berlin's preference. "If the time is long, decisions are postponed," he said. "If Europe is not able to manage that nobody will," he said, citing China, Brazil, India and the US. "We think there's a logic in setting the 2040 target and out of that extracting the 2035 target," Danish climate minister Lars Aagaard Moller said. "That is still the basis for the discussion." Moller chairs meetings of EU climate ministers until the end of December. By Dafydd ab Iago and Caroline Varin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Brazil backs R32mn to counter wildfires in Amazon

Related news posts

DOE to halt wind transmission line: US senator

DOE to halt wind transmission line: US senator

Indonesia’s Alfamart invests $1mn in UCO firm Noovoleum

Indonesia’s Alfamart invests $1mn in UCO firm Noovoleum

Cercarbono launches ELV recycling carbon methodology

Cercarbono launches ELV recycling carbon methodology

US biofuel support clears way for new crush capacity

US biofuel support clears way for new crush capacity

EU ministers discuss 2035, 2040 climate target setting

EU ministers discuss 2035, 2040 climate target setting

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