Photo credit: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council.
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) used a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Trade Mission to New Zealand and Australia to explore opportunities for expanded ethanol use and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) development across the Oceania region.
The USGBC delegation included Chairman Jay Reiners; Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Oceania Caleb Wurth; Deputy Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Oceania Caleb Floss; Regional Ethanol Consultant Kent Yeo; and Australia and New Zealand Representative Robert Middendorf.
In New Zealand, the delegation met with USDA and U.S. Department of State staff and representatives from the New Zealand Feed Manufacturers Association before focusing on the country's biofuels market. The group met with the BioEconomy Science Institute to discuss the New Zealand Biofuels Roadmap and the potential for greater ethanol use.
New Zealand already permits discretionary ethanol blending under its fuel specifications and has a vehicle fleet capable of supporting broader adoption. However, the country lacks policies that would encourage wider ethanol use, according to USGBC.
USGBC said nationwide ethanol use could create demand of up to 79 million gallons annually and potentially unlock carbon market credits. The council is continuing to provide technical and regulatory support related to ethanol and low-carbon fuel policies in the region.
The delegation's Australia visit also centered on ethanol and SAF opportunities. In Melbourne, USGBC participated in an ethanol-focused roundtable with USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg and representatives from major airlines, banks, SAF developers and technology providers.
The discussion examined the availability and implementation of SAF in Oceania as Australia considers expanding domestic low-carbon fuel use. USGBC said the policy discussions could create opportunities for greater cooperation between the U.S. and Australian ethanol industries and support development of SAF markets.
The council said its work with Australian partners includes providing technical and regulatory resources to help address the needs of the country's ethanol industry as the region evaluates expanded low-carbon fuel production and use.
Source: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, "USGBC, USDA Leaders Travel To Australia, New Zealand For Agricultural Trade Mission"