Glencore makes Vicentin offer

IN BRIEF

EU: Spain has once again topped the list of EU olive oil producers according to EU figures for production in the current crop year to March, Olive Oil Times reported on 1 May.

The country produced a total of 1.11M tonnes in 2019/20 by the end of March, with overall yield expected to reach 1.12M tonnes this year, significantly lower than the alltime high of 1.77M tonnes in the previous crop year.

Italy more than doubled its output this season, reaching an estimated aggregate quantity of 361,145 tonnes in March. Overall yield was expected to reach 364,000 tonnes against 175,000 tonnes delivered in 2018/19.

In Greece, 262,570 tonnes of olive oil had been produced by the end of March with an expected overall total of 265,000 tonnes, Olive Oil Times said. Portugal ranked fourth among the EU member states with an estimated near-record production of 130,000 tonnes compared to 100,000 tonnes in the 2018/19 season.

In terms of consumption, Spain was expected to use 550,000 tonnes; Italy 510,000 tonnes; Greece 125,000 tonnes and Portual 80,000 tonnes during the current season.

India resumes buying of Malaysian palm oil

Indian buyers have resumed purchases of Malaysian palm oil after a four-month gap following a diplomatic row, Reuters reported on 19 May.

According to traders, buying had been spurred by a fall in domestic inventories and discounted prices.

The renewed purchases followed improved trade relations between the two countries following the formation of a new government in Malaysia.

In January, India restricted imports of Malaysian palm oil after Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s prime minister at the time, criticised Indian government policies affecting the country’s Muslim minority. New Delhi had passed a new citizenship law in December offering amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants, and had revoked Indian-administered Kashmir’s special constitutional status in August.

Sources told Reuters that leading Indian importers had contracted up to 200,000 tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) from Malaysia in May to be shipped in June and July.

“Port stocks have dropped sharply in India because of lower imports,” a Singapore-based trader who sold Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil told Reuters.

Ship tracking data compiled by Refinitiv had shown that India’s total palm oil imports for the first four months of 2020 had fallen by more than 50% from the same period in 2019 to 1.11M tonnes.

India is the world’s largest importer of vegetable oil, buying nearly 15M tonnes/year, of which palm oil comprises around 9M tonnes.

Investment in Cubiq Foods' cell-based oils

Global investor Blue Horizon Ventures has joined Moira Capital Partners to help Spanish fats specialist Cubiq Foods accelerate its development of cell-based oils rich in omega 3 fatty acids, the companies announced on 15 May.

The two companies are investing US$54.75M in Cubiq Foods, which plans to launch two new products later this year focused on sustainable omega 3 production and healthier vegan fats.

Cubiq Foods uses cell culture and oil/water emulsions (gelling) to replace saturated vegetable and animal fat ingredients in food production.

Its vegan Smart Fat product is a sustainable emulsion aimed at replacing animal fats in processed meat products and dairy derivatives, and saturated vegetable fats (such as coconut oil) in vegan food products. The company’s micro03 product is a micro-encapsulated omega 3 ingredient designed for ‘functional foods’.

Oils and fats content closely monitored in packaged food

The majority of consumers closely monitor the type and amount of fat and oil in packaged food, according to the results of a study by global agribusiness giant Cargill, announced on 27 May.

In Cargill's FATitudes annual study this year, 68% of consumers said they tracked what went into their bodies by closely reading the labels of packaged foods, with fat and oil type classed as important factors. Approximately 6,600 primary household grocery shoppers were surveyed in 12 countries including Brazil, China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USA.

“As consumers’ attitudes toward fats and oils have shifted in recent years, we know they’re interested in consuming healthy amounts of oils,” said Nese Tagma, managing director of strategy and innovation for Cargill’s global edible oils business. “This research is vital to guide our thinking on whether to revitalise tried-and-true products or develop a new frying oil to adapt to changing tastes and health options.”

In the study, nearly 61% of US consumers reported avoiding certain fats or oils with 83% of ‘clean-label seekers’ avoiding specific fats or oils, like saturated and trans fats.

Olive oil topped the list in every country for impact on purchase and perceptions of healthiness in packaged foods, followed by fish and avocado oils.

A vast majority of global consumers, 93%, were aware of the importance of omega 3s.

How often consumers read labels differed by region. Chinese consumers paid the most attention (89%) and German consumers monitored the least (48%).

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BIOFUEL NEWS

Argentine exports come to standstill

Biodiesel exports from Argenti na have completely halted due to the coronavirus pandemic aff ecti ng demand in Europe, the head of the local industry chamber told Reuters on 5 May.

According to data from the state stati sti cs agency, the country exported around 1M tonnes of biodiesel worth US$775M (£623M) last year with the top desti nati on being the European Union (EU).

However, the drop in fuel consumpti on there during the COVID-19 pandemic had paralysed the Argenti ne biodiesel industry, which generated up to around US$1.7bn/ year.

“Currently, the exporti ng industry is 100% stopped,” said Luis Zubizarett a, head of the Argenti ne biofuels chamber (CARBIO), which includes agribusiness trading giants such as Bunge and Cargill.

“Today our only market is Europe and second quarter exports to Europe totally stopped.”

Zubizarett a said biodiesel export plants in the country were currently inacti ve and that due to the stoppage, there would be a soyabean oil surplus in Argenti na this year.

“Next quarter will surely be complicated by low fuel demand,” said Zubizarreta, adding that a reopening of the US market for Argenti ne biodiesel would hopefully ease the situati on.

However, Progressive Farmer reported on 7 May that the US Department of Commerce (DOC) had decided to leave duti es in place on Argenti ne biodiesel imports. The DOC had imposed fi nal countervailing duty rates in 2018 ranging from 71.45% to 72.28% and anti -dumping duty rates ranging from 60.44% to 86.41%.

The DOC determined that there were no “changed circumstances” to warrant changes in the US duty rates, Progressive Farmer reported.

IN BRIEF

EU: Ethanol producers are warning that a potenti al infl ux of cheap US and Brazilian imports threatens their businesses and have urged the European Commission (EC) to protect their industry, including potenti al tariff s, Reuters reported on 6 May.

COVID-19 had led to sharp falls in driving and air travel, forcing ethanol companies to drasti cally cut output and prices, notably in top producers USA and Brazil, which accounted for 55% and 30% of global ethanol producti on respecti vely.

USA: The US Environmental Protecti on Agency (EPA) has proposed increasing the amount of biofuels that refi ners must blend into their fuel next year, Reuters reported two sources as saying on 20 May.

Proposals to increase the biofuels blend to 20.17bn gallons (76.35bn litres) in 2021 from 20.09bn gallons (75.74 litres) this year would include 15bn gallons (56.78 litres) of advanced biofuels, the sources were reported as saying. The 2022 mandate for biodiesel would be set at 2.76bn gallons (10.44bn litres) from 2.43bn gallons (9.19bn litres) in 2021, the sources said.

Poet takes up hand sanitiser production

The crackdown on hand saniti ser was aimed at protecti ng consumers from potenti ally dangerous impuriti es but could worsen shortages during a period of high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters said. Limits on certain chemicals permitt ed in alcohol-based hand saniti sers had been issued by the US Food and Drug Administrati on (FDA) on 15 April as the health crisis had deepened and more manufacturers had registered to produce hand saniti ser. Since then, a source told Reuters that the FDA had noti fi ed several ethanol companies that their product did not meet safety standards, forcing them to halt producti on and Leading US ethanol producer Poet is producing cancel supply agreements. hand saniti ser at two of its plants following In one case, according to an email exchange the collapse of ethanol prices due to a drop in seen by Reuters, the FDA said it had found demand for fuel caused by COVID-19 shutsignifi cant levels of the carcinogen acetaldedowns, CNBC reported on 7 May. hyde in ethanol supplied by a company for use

South Dakota-based POET had re-engiin hand saniti ser. neered systems in two of its plants to make On a more positi ve note for US ethanol, pharmaceuti cal grade hand saniti ser. AgriCensus reported on 7 May that a rebound

However, in a blow to ethanol producers in demand for fuel had raised hopes of a rapid who had been investi ng in the sector, Reuters recovery in the market. US Energy Informati on reported that the Trump administrati on had Administrati on data showed the fi rst climb in ti ghtened restricti ons on the use of ethanol in ethanol producti on rates for nine weeks to hand saniti ser, citi ng safety concerns. 598,000 barrels/day.

Eni to stop palm oil and PFAD use by 2023 Leading Italian energy fi rm Eni make its Eni Diesel+ fuel by the around 1M tonnes/year. is planning to stop using palm end of 2023. Eni Diesel+ comThe EU announced last oil and palm fatt y acid disti llate prises 15% hydrotreated vegeyear that it was phasing out (PFAD) by 2023, World Markets table oil (HVO), which it currentpalm oil-based biofuels due to reported on 15 May. ly produces using palm oil and deforestati on concerns. Under

The company said the move waste feedstocks such as used the EU Delegated Regulati on was part of its wider decarcooking oil. The company also Act, palm oil has been classifi ed bonisati on proposals within its planned to increase capacity to as a high-risk indirect land use 2020/23 strategic plan. It said make fuel from biomass. change biofuel feedstock, the it planned to stop using palm oil Eni operates two biorefi neruse of which will be capped and PFAD – a residue from the ies in Venice and Gela, with a at 2019 levels unti l 2023, and palm oil refi ning process – to combined HVO producti on of phased out to zero by 2030.

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RENEWABLE NEWS More palm oil sales for oleochemicals

Sales of palm oil for oleochemical products in Indonesia rose by 14.5% during March, the Jakarta Globe quoted the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) as saying on 13 May.

Gapki said domestic consumption of palm oil in March had decreased by 3.2%, from 786,000 tonnes in February to 721,000 tonnes in March. Local food consumption had also fallen by 8.3% during the same period, while sales of palm oil for oleochemical products had risen by 14.5%.

“Palm oil consumption fell as food consumption fell. People are uncertain when the [Covid-19] pandemic will be over. Meanwhile, hand sanitiser products need more palm oil to ramp up production,” Gapki director Mukti Sardjono said.

Out of 68,000 tonnes of palm oil sold to the oleochemical industry, 55% had been for hand sanitisers, he said.

Meanwhile, palm oil exports had risen by 3.3% or 185,000 tonnes from 2.53M tonnes in February to 2.72M tonnes in March. The biggest export increases during the period had been to Bangladesh, South Africa and China.

“The export surge to China started happening once they managed to get a handle on Covid-19,” Mukti said.

Exports to Pakistan and the USA had gone down while exports to Europe, the Middle East and India had been normal.

IN BRIEF

USA: On 18 May, the US Swiss speciality chemicals firm

Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule to expand the production of renewable chemicals and bio-based products.

For the first time, the rule allows applicants for Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program loans to submit applications to develop renewable chemical and bio-based products without having to produce some amount of an advanced biofuel.

USA: Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced on 13 May that it had granted global agribusiness firm Cargill an exclusive license to develop and commercialise technology to convert lactic acid into bio

The newly developed conversion technology could be used in a range of applications from superabsorbent polymers in absorbent hygiene products to thickeners in household paints and other products. It could also increase the use of renewable crops in everday goods, the companies said.

P&G scientists were the winners of an American Chemical Society 2020 Award for Affordable Green Chemistry for this technology, which was expected to take several more years of development before being used in consumer products.

Clariant to increase mild surfactants capacity

based acrylic acid. Clariant announced on 26 May that it is expanding its production capacity for plantbased mild surfactants at its facilities in Spain and the USA.

Clariant’s Hostapon sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) mild surfactants are based on glycerine and coconut oil.

The company said it was planning to modernise and increase capacity at its current Mount Holly, USA and Tarragona, Spain (pictured) manufacturing sites, with additional capacity due to come on stream in first quarter 2021.

“Mild surfactants are a growing sector driven by consumers seeking new mildness claims and are invaluable in helping formulators answer

needs for mild cleansing hygiene, sensitive skin solutions, solid formats and more natural ingredients,” said Christian Vang, global head of Clariant’s industrial and consumer specialties business unit.

The company said its Hostapon SCI grades were mild amino acid-based anionic surfactants which created formulations with creamy and stable foams, with excellent rinsability, especially in hard water areas. They formed part of its portfolio of mild surfactants for skin cleansing, hair care and baby care applications.

Compostable packaging from olive waste

A Spanish joint venture has developed comolive pit was ground to obtain a micrometric postable plastic packaging made from olive particle size. waste, Olive Oil Times reported on 7 May. Olive Oil Times wrote that as a plastic com

The biodegradable plastic compound, called pound material, Oliplast could be processed Oliplast, could be used to make products such as by the same extrusion and injection moulding trays, plates and caps for containers designed for methods used in plastics production, and be the packaging of olive oil. transformed into sustainable packaging or olive

Launched in November 2019, the aim of oil-related products. the two-year Go-Oliva project was to create a The next stage of the project, which runs until new high-added value application from olive pit the end of 2021, was to conduct a study into waste. the new material and final products to assess

Spain produced a significant amount of olive if they fulfilled all the requirements needed for pit debris – a waste product of the olive pressing final applications. This would be followed by an process, Olive Oil Times wrote. environmental study to examine the new materi

“This waste was treated by energetic valoal’s compostability. risation, or incineration, until now,” said Belén Redondo added that Oliplast could be availRedondo, a researcher at Spanish plastics techable within a year of the end of the project, nology company Aimplas Technological Institute which is a joint venture between AIMPLAS and of Plastics (AIMPLAS). the olive oil co-operative Olivarera de los Pedro

To be incorporated in polymeric matrices, the ches (OLIPE).

TRANSPORT NEWS

Paraná water levels not likely to improve soon

Photo: Pixabay The low water levels on the Paraná River which have hit Argentine soyabean exports look set to last the rest of the year, according to an expert from Argentina’s National Water Institute (INA) quoted by AgriCensus on 11 May.

The INA’s Juan Borus said there were no indications the situation could change in the near future as it was not forecasting high rain volumes in the north of Argentina and the south of Brazil.

“The scenario could change once we have rains by the end of the spring. That will improve water

levels in the first months of next year,” he said.

AgriCensus said that the river’s water levels were near lows last seen in the early 1970s, delaying load times and forcing sellers to top up vessels at Brazil’s Paranagua hub to build full cargoes.

Covid-19 quarantine measures, including

Zen-Noh to buy Bunge elevators

Japan’s Zen-Noh Grain Corp (ZGC) has agreed to buy 35 US interior elevators from Bunge North America, World Grain reported on 22 April.

The elevators would be run by Consolidated Grain and Barge Co (CGB), a subsidiary of CGB Enterprises, USA, a ZGC affiliate. CGB currently operated more than 100 grain origination facilities in the USA, World Grain said. Prior to the pending sale, Bunge ranked seventh in grain storage capacity in North America, with 170.1M bushels, the report said. increased sanitary requirements for tanker crews, had also added to delays.

The Paraná River connected Argentina’s Rosario inland port export complex to global markets, AgriCensus said. The hub handled 93% of the country’s vegetable oil exports in 2019.

The low water levels in some sections of the river had hit soyabean exports, affecting nearly 150 barges loaded with 220,000M tonnes of soyabeans, Juan Carloz Munoz, head of the country’s maritime and shipping chamber CAFyM told AgriCensus.

“We expect that this adverse scenario will delay the country’s soyabean programme, which was initially scheduled to be completed by mid-July and we now estimate that it could be completed in September or October,” he said.

IN BRIEF

THE NETHERLANDS: Leading renewable diesel producer Neste has acquired the Dutch Count Companies BV’s Count Terminal Rotterdam from the First Dutch Group, Neste announced on 7 May.

The Rotterdam facility stores, refines and blends renewable waste and residue-based raw materials and will be the first terminal for renewable feedstock aggregation owned by Finland-based Neste.

“Count Terminal Rotterdam and Neste Demeter have had a successful long-term collaboration at the site and the acquisition by Neste serves as a logical next step in deepening cooperation and in developing operations further,” Neste president and CEO Peter

Pan Ocean acquires stake in PNW grain export terminal

South Korean trade and logistics company Pan Ocean has bought a 36.25% stake in a US Pacific Northwest (PNW) grain export terminal, AgriCensus reported local Korean media as saying on 13 May.

The Export Grain Terminal (EGT) at Longview in Washington state had been built as a joint venture between Bunge, Itochu and STX Pan Ocean, although the facility had been listed as a Bunge and Itochu joint venture.

“We can confirm the announced sale is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approval, which is expected to occur in 2020. Bunge remains the majority partner in the EGT joint venture,” said Daiana Endruweit, Bunge’s global media relations manager.

EGT owns and operates one of the largest grain export facilities on the US west coast, capable of handling wheat, soyabeans, soya meal, corn and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) exports via rail or barge connections.

Vanacker said.

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