Gifford Consulting

Global Intelligence:   19-23 October 2026

Weekly Summary

Infrastructure expansions and commercialization efforts are scaling rapidly. In India, AM Green Ammonia secured a $100 million Japanese loan for its 1.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) Kakinada green hydrogen-to-ammonia facility. Concurrently, China Energy Engineering Corporation commenced phase-two construction on its Songyuan complex, scaling integrated green hydrogen and ammonia outputs. Offshore technological progress is marked by CIMC Raffles launching a semi-submersible platform integrating offshore wind generation with large-scale proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. In Europe, OMV initiated electrolyser installations at its 140MW Bruck an der Leitha green hydrogen plant. This scaling is supported by regulatory and financial frameworks, such as Germany allocating €1.5 billion for hydrogen projects via its Carbon Contracts for Difference program. Conversely, market volatility is evident, as seen in the bankruptcy of Resato Hydrogen Technologies.

Feedstock optimization and supply-chain adaptation remain critical across the bioeconomy. High global jet fuel prices are driving SAF innovations. In the United Kingdom, Neela Biotech secured pre-seed funding for AI-guided microbial conversions of diverse organic waste into fatty acid precursors, while OXCCU successfully verified synthetic Fischer-Tropsch kerosine (FT-SPK/A) blending components via ASTM D7566 specifications.

Geopolitical and environmental pressures are shifting feedstock allocations globally. India banned sugarcane-based ethanol production due to low rainfall, redirecting procurement to maize and rice, while Indonesia plans a transition to E50 ethanol blending by 2028, requiring vast agricultural land allocations. Global feedstock flows indicate that Europe is increasingly absorbing Chinese used cooking oil (UCO), while US clean-fuel incentives have altered tallow trade dynamics with Australia and Brazil.

Finally, downstream innovations include Michelin's scale-up of bio-based aromatic resins and the world's largest single ethanol bunkering operation involving Maersk in Singapore.

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Weekly Highlights - by Topic

Ammonia production: Japan. Japan will loan India’s AM Green Ammonia $100m to develop its 1.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) green hydrogen-based ammonia plant in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Currently under construction, the Kakinada plant is due to begin producing 0.5 mtpa by 2027 before scaling up to its nameplate 1.5 mtpa capacity. It recently won a €585m ($664m) H2Global contract to supply green hydrogen-based ammonia volumes to the European market for a decade, and also has offtake deals with German firms Uniper and RWE. Link 20/10/2026.

Biodiesel: USA. Incobrasa Industries completed a major expansion at biodiesel production facility in Gilman, Illinois, more than doubling the facility’s annual production capacity from 75 million gallons to 170 million gallons. The expanded capacity came online earlier this month and represents another significant investment by Incobrasa in American agriculture, domestic manufacturing and homegrown energy production. The project follows the company’s recent expansion of its soybean processing operations in Gilman, further increasing its ability to transform American-grown soybeans into high-value products for the nation’s food, feed and fuel markets. Link 19/10/2026.

Bioeconomy: The Netherlands. As Europe’s chemical industry confronts declining investment, high energy costs and growing international competition, a pipeline of green and circular chemistry projects is taking shape in the Northern Netherlands. Across the region, companies are opening facilities, starting construction and developing technologies that use plant-based feedstocks, waste plastics, end-of-life tires, agricultural residues and captured CO₂ to produce chemicals, materials and fuels. A growing number of companies within the Chemport Europe ecosystem are moving from technology development to industrial-scale production. In October 2024, Avantium officially opened the world’s first commercial-scale plant for FDCA in Delfzijl. SkyNRG reached financial close and began constructing its first sustainable aviation fuel plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl. BioBTX has taken a positive Final Investment Decision for a plant in Delfzijl which will be the world’s first commercial-scale facility to convert plastic waste directly into renewable aromatics. ChainCraft is building a facility to produce bio-based fatty acids from agricultural residues. SusPhos is developing technology to recover phosphate from waste streams and convert it into sustainable products. CuRe Technology has developed a process for recycling used polyester and is working towards commercial-scale production. Carbeau is developing technology to convert captured CO₂ into renewable chemical building blocks. Link 21/10/2026.

Biofuels: Indonesia. Indonesia is preparing to gradually increase ethanol blending in petrol to E50 by 2028 as part of efforts to reduce gasoline imports and strengthen domestic energy security, To secure feedstock supplies, the government has identified potential cultivation areas across Java, Sumatra and Papua. The estimated land requirements include one million hectares for cassava, 1.1 million hectares for sugarcane and another one million hectares for corn. Link 20/10/2026.

Biojet/SAF: China. Hainan Eco Prime is preparing to launch a $178 million biofuel plant at Yangpu Port in Hainan province, designed to convert food waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The facility will have annual production capacity of 300,000 metric tons and occupy 100,000 square meters. The plant also includes hydrogen production capacity of 2,000 normal cubic meters per hour. Once operational, the project is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 400,000 metric tons annually, with fuel shipments targeting Europe and other international markets. Link 21/10/2026.

Biojet/SAF: United Kingdom. Neela Biotech, the Cambridge-based biotech startup turning waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), has raised £2.1 million in pre-seed funding to take its technology from the lab to a pilot-scale trial at a biogas plant over the next two years.The investment comes as the aviation industry searches for a way to scale sustainable fuel production beyond today’s limited feedstock supply – a challenge sharpened by this year’s spike in global jet fuel prices. Neela Biotech transforms diverse waste streams from food, agriculture and forest residue, into sustainable aviation fuel through an AI-guided, controlled microbial process. The process converts these waste streams into fatty acids, a critical precursor for HEFA-based SAF production, unlocking an abundant new feedstock in place of scarce waste cooking oils. Link 19/10/2026.

Biojet/SAF: United Kingdom. OXCCU produced its first samples of a finished synthetic blend component for SAF blending. The successful testing demonstrates that OXCCU’s synthetic blend component, made using its proprietary catalyst and one-step CO₂-to-fuel process, meets ASTM D7566 Annex A4 specifications for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesized Kerosine with Aromatics (FT-SPK/A), an internationally recognized synthetic blending component specification which mirrors conventional Jet A/A-1 closely. Therefore, Intertek’s analysis confirms that OXCCU’s fuel possesses physical and chemical properties required for FT-SPK/A. Link 23/10/2026.

Biojet/SAF: USA.  LanzaJet, Inc announced fully committed new financing of at least $20 million to support the company’s next phase of growth and operations at Freedom Pines Fuels in Soperton, Georgia.. The financing is supported by LanzaTech Global, Inc, Vinod Khosla and the LanzaJet Board and is part of a broader recapitalization and deleveraging of LanzaJet undertaken by its shareholders and existing investors. As part of the transactions, LanzaTech will significantly increase its ownership of LanzaJet, reinforcing its commitment to LanzaJet’s next phase of commercial growth. Link 21/10/2026.

Biomaterials: France. Michelin is moving closer to large-scale production of bio-based resins with a new industrial production line in northern France. The project uses fermentation to produce a bio-based aromatic molecule that can be used in Michelin’s next-generation resins. The company says the technology could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from producing the molecule by up to 96% compared with fossil-based alternatives. The resins are being developed for a range of industries, including construction, furniture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and transportation. Link 20/10/2026.

Biomaterials: The Netherlands. Avantium announced the completion of the spin-out of its Parana Technology into Parana Materials B.V. Parana Materials is a new, independent company focused on the development and commercialization of plant-based, high-performance polyesters such as PISA, PISOX and PEIT/PEIF. The Parana Technology portfolio is distinct from Avantium’s FDCA and PEF (branded as releaf®) technology, which remains fully within Avantium. The transaction is part of Avantium’s strategy to focus resources and investments on its core FDCA and PEF business while enabling other promising technologies in its portfolio to pursue independent growth and commercialization pathways. Link 19/10/2026

e-fuels: Finland. P2X Solutions has started injecting renewable e-methane into Finland’s gas network and gas transmission system operator (TSO) Gasgrid has issued the country’s first guarantees of origin (GOs) for e-methane from P2X’s plant. Link 19/10/2026.

e-fuels: Germany. TURN2X raised $23 million to expand production of e-methane, a synthetic natural gas made using renewable hydrogen and biogenic carbon dioxide. Its commercial plant in Miajadas, Spain, uses flexible methanation technology designed to take advantage of surplus renewable electricity. TURN2X is targeting expansion to more than 1 terawatt-hour of e-methane annually in the coming years. The funding follows the start of commercial deliveries and a supply agreement with environmental commodity trader STX Group for certified renewable fuel. Link 19/10/2026.

Feedstock: Brazil. Canola is gaining ground in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and becoming an increasingly important alternative to biodiesel production. The potential of the oilseed gained prominence during last week’s National Opening of the Canola and Carinata Harvest of 2026, held in Ijuí (RS), as an important alternative of raw material for biodiesel production. The area cultivated with canola in the State in 2026 is estimated at 353,397 hectares, growth of 102.64% compared to the 174,394 hectares registered in 2025. Link 21/10/2026.

Feedstock: India. India has directed state-run oil marketing companies to stop procuring ethanol made from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses for the 2026–27 supply year, beginning in November. The measure aims to preserve domestic sugar supplies and contain prices amid concerns about weaker production following poor rainfall in key growing regions. Bharat Petroleum issued a tender seeking approximately 11 billion Liters of ethanol, with procurement instead focused on alternative feedstocks such as maize and surplus rice. The government has also reduced the incentive for maize-based ethanol, signalling a significant shift in feedstock policy while seeking to maintain its E20 gasoline-blending program. Link 22/10/2026.

Feedstock: New Zealand. EECA is contributing $9.7M in funding to expand the wood fuel supply capabilities of eight wood fuel suppliers. Once operational, five of the sites will have a combined capacity to process 200,000 tonnes per year of wood chip fuel – enough to supply around 2 petajoules (PJ) of energy annually or meet the annual fuel demand of around 10–20 industrial businesses like dairy and meat processors, food manufacturers, or laundries. $6million of funding support for an additional three wood fuel manufacturers of torrefied biomass and white wood pellets could produce over half a million tonnes of wood fuel annually. That’s the energy equivalent of an around 10PJs, or close to a quarter of industrial gas demand. Link 20/10/2026.

Feedstocks: Global.  Fastmarkets reports lobal biofuel feedstock flows are changing in response to tariffs, prices and incentives. China exported 2.57 million metric tons of used cooking oil (UCO) between January and August 2026, up 55% year-on-year. Europe received 850,000 tons, nearly twice the 452,000 tons shipped to the United States. Meanwhile, Australia sent 85% of its tallow exports to the U.S., while Brazilian tallow shipments there fell 44% amid tariffs. These shifts reflect changing delivered-price economics and U.S. clean-fuel incentives, with Europe increasingly absorbing Chinese UCO and American buyers sourcing more tallow from Australia. Link 23/10/2026

Hydrogen: Austria. OMV has begun installing electrolyser equipment at its 140MW Bruck an der Leitha green hydrogen facility in Austria. The first electrolyser components have now arrived on site.  Siemens Energy is supplying the electrolysers and handling technical plant engineering. Austrian construction group Strabag SE is responsible for building works. The Bruck an der Leitha plant is designed to produce up to 23,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually using renewable electricity from wind, solar and hydropower. OMV expects the facility to be operational from the end of 2027. OMV says the plant will rank among Europe’s five largest green hydrogen projects by capacity. Link 23/10/2026.

Hydrogen: China. CIMC Raffles held a launching ceremony for what it describes as the world’s first semi-submersible platform integrating offshore wind power and hydrogen production. Designed for shallow waters and harsh sea conditions, the platform features a large-scale proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser, three hydrogen storage systems and dual grid-connected and off-grid power supply modes. The project is part of CIMC’s efforts to expand beyond traditional oil and gas equipment into marine green-energy technologies. Link 22/10/2026.

Hydrogen: Germany. Germany’s economy ministry has adopted measures to ramp-up the hydrogen market, including launching a new hydrogen funding window under the Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD) programme. As a result, at least EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.68bn) will be allocated for hydrogen projects in the 2027 CCfD bidding round under the window. As part of its measures, the government will incentivise the conversion of power plants to hydrogen. The economy ministry will in future support the technical retrofitting of a total of 4 GW of power generation capacity that will be established under the Electricity Supply Security and Capacity Act (StromVKG). Link 21/10/2026.

Hydrogen: India. India’s top power producer NTPC is in talks with potential buyers in Japan, South Korea and Germany for green ammonia and other low-carbon fuels. These talks with prospective overseas customers are occurring as it develops a proposed green hydrogen hub in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Link 20/10/2026.

Hydrogen: The Netherlands. Dutch hydrogen refuelling firm Resato Hydrogen Technologies (RHT) has been declared bankrupt by a court after efforts to secure new customer orders failed to close in time. It comes after the company was granted a suspension of payments in July as it sought to shore up fresh investment with the support of a court-appointed administrator. Link 22/10/2026.

Marine fuels: Singapore. Maersk, Golden Island and PSA Singapore completed the world’s largest single ethanol bunkering operation Oct. 17 at Pasir Panjang Terminal, supplying approximately 5,000 metric tons of ISCC certified bioethanol to the dual fuel container ship Maersk Halifax.  The operation will help the port authorities determine whether Singapore’s existing methanol bunkering standard and mass flow meter systems can accommodate ethanol. Link 23/10/2026.

Methanol: China. China Energy Engineering Corporation began construction Oct. 20 on the second phase of its integrated green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol project in Songyuan, Jilin province, expanding wind and solar powered production beyond its initial demonstration phase. The expansion will produce 90,000 metric tons of green hydrogen and 400,000 metric tons of green ammonia annually, twice the respective capacities of the first phase. Once completed, the Songyuan complex will have annual green ammonia capacity of 600,000 metric tons. China Energy Engineering describes the development as the world’s largest integrated green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol project. Link 23/10/2026.

Methanol: Latvia. The Freeport of Riga Authority, South Korean company ECOMETHANOL Co., Ltd., and Latvian company AE Risinājumi signed a MoU to explore the development of a green methanol production facility at the Port of Riga. The project aims to establish Riga as a strategic hub for green methanol production, exports and ship bunkering, supporting the decarbonisation of maritime transport. By combining South Korean technology with Latvia’s renewable energy potential and Riga Port’s strategic infrastructure, the partnership could create new investment opportunities and strengthen Latvia’s position in the growing green fuels market. The initiative is part of a broader vision to supply sustainable marine fuels at both ends of the Northern Sea Route, connecting Europe and Asia. Link 22/10/2026.

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Political Comment: 

New Zealand Political Party Policies:  Time To Consider an Integrated Bioeconomy and Electrification Strategy

The 2026 election debate must look beyond individual energy technologies and short-term policy thinking and focus on how New Zealand can build a more productive, resilient and affordable economy by considering the energy and material systems that will support this process.

New Zealand’s energy and economic transition is not simply a choice between electrification, hydrogen, bioenergy or the continued access to fossil fuels. It is a question of how we combine these options with our biological resources, existing industries, infrastructure and regional capabilities to create the greatest long-term value for the country.

The published policy positions of National, Labour, NZ First, ACT, the Green Party and The Opportunities Party address different parts of this challenge. National emphasises energy supply, investment and electrification; Labour focuses on household energy and domestic investment; NZ First stresses fuel security and sovereignty; ACT prioritises competition, resource development and investment conditions; the Greens emphasise renewable electricity and public investment; while The Opportunities Party advocates long-term energy planning and industrial electrification though there is little detail has to how this will be implemented.

These approaches contain important elements of an effective transition. However, the policies reviewed do not yet demonstrate a comprehensive programme that systematically integrates bioeconomy development, electrification, hydrogen, bioenergy and e-fuels with regional resources, infrastructure and industrial investment.

This integration matters because technologies should not be evaluated in isolation. Renewable electricity (solar and wind) may be the most effective solution for some applications, while biogas, biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable process heat or biobased chemicals may offer better opportunities elsewhere. Hydrogen and e-fuels also have potential roles, but their economic value depends on application, production costs, infrastructure and competing alternatives.

New Zealand must therefore make better use of its strengths: forestry and agricultural residues, organic wastes, established primary industries, renewable electricity, processing expertise (which it is rapidly loosing) and access to international markets. Converting these resources into higher-value products could create new export industries, strengthen regional employment and reduce dependence on imported fuels, materials and technologies.

Achieving this requires more than announcing individual projects or a focus on short-term policies. Investors need confidence in sustainable feedstock availability, long-term supply contracts, infrastructure access, technology performance, market demand and consistent policy settings. Poor coordination risks duplicated infrastructure, stranded assets, underused resources and competition between technologies that could instead complement one another.

The political and structural challenge is to establish a long-term framework connecting energy, industry, agriculture, forestry, science, infrastructure and regional development. Such a framework should survive electoral cycles while allowing regional pathways to reflect local resources and commercial opportunities.

Gifford Consulting’s Bioeconomy Readiness and Electrification Readiness Assessments, combined with its global initiatives database, provide a basis for assessing these choices . They can help identify where investment is most appropriate, which constraints need to be addressed and how different technology pathways can contribute to economic growth, energy sovereignty, emissions reduction and affordable energy and materials.

The opportunity for New Zealand is not to select one favoured technology. It is to develop an integrated approach that directs each resource to its highest-value sustainable use, coordinates infrastructure and investment, and strengthens domestic industrial capability. Political party policies need to provide more detail how they may bring about such changes.

The question for every political party is whether its policies can be connected into that coherent national and regional programme. New Zealand’s prosperity will depend not only on the energy and materials it produces, but on how intelligently it uses its resources to build enduring economic value and greater resilience in the face of geopolitical change.

I welcome your feedback.