New technologies aim to boost SAF production
A likely rise in global demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), underpinned by mandates for its use, is encouraging development of new production pathways.
While hydrotreated esters and fatty acids synthesised paraffinic kerosine (HEFA-SPK) remains the most common type of SAF available today, much more production will be needed. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) estimated SAF output at around 500,000t in 2023, and expects this to rise to 1.5mn t this year, but that only meets around 0.5pc of global jet fuel demand.
An EU-wide SAF mandate will come into effect in 2025 that will set a minimum target of 2pc, with a sub-target for synthetic SAF starting from 2030. This week the UK published its domestic SAF mandate, also targeting a 2pc SAF share in 2025 and introducing a power-to-liquid (PtL) obligation from 2028.
New pathways involve different technology to unlock use of a wider feedstock base.
US engineering company Honeywell said this week its hydrocracking technology, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Unicracking, can be used to produce SAF from biomass such as crop residue or wood and food waste. Renewable fuels producer DG Fuels will use the technology for its SAF facility in Louisiana, US. The plant will be able to produce 13,000 b/d of SAF starting from 2028, Honeywell said.
The company said its SAF technologies — which include ethanol-to-jet, which converts cellulosic ethanol into SAF — have been adopted at more than 50 sites worldwide including Brazil and China. Honeywell is part of the Google and Boeing-backed United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, which is aimed at scaling up SAF production.
German alternative fuels company Ineratec said this week it will use South African integrated energy firm Sasol's FT catalysts for SAF production. The catalysts will be used in Ineratec's plants, including a PtL facility it is building in Frankfurt, Germany. The plant will be able to produce e-fuels from green hydrogen and CO2, with a capacity of 2,500 t/yr of e-fuels beginning in 2024. The e-fuels will then be processed into synthetic SAF.
Earlier this month, ethanol-to-jet producer LanzaJet said it has received funding from technology giant Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, "to continue building its capability and capacity to deploy its sustainable fuels process technology globally".
The producer recently signed a licence and engineering agreement with sustainable fuels company Jet Zero Australia to progress development of an SAF plant in north Queensland, Australia. The plant will have capacity of 102mn l/yr of SAF.
Polish oil firm Orlen formed a partnership with Japanese electrical engineering company Yakogawa to develop SAF technology. They aim to develop a technological process to synthesise CO2 and hydrogen to form PtL SAF. The SAF will be produced from renewable hydrogen as defined by the recast EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and bio-CO2 from biomass boilers, Orlen told Argus.
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Indonesia to finalise roadmap to develop SAF by June
Indonesia to finalise roadmap to develop SAF by June
Singapore, 31 May (Argus) — The Indonesia government hopes to finalise a national roadmap and action plan for the industrial development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by June. The roadmap and proposed action plan consists of three main pillars, demand, supply and enablers, according to the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment on 29 May. This involves ensuring raw material availability, certainty of SAF offtake, and mechanisms to reduce impact on prices, among other aims. The country also plans to announce a presidential regulation related to the SAF roadmap on the sidelines of the Bali International Air Show in September, with no further details disclosed. The action plan is prepared with a 2025-30 timeline and will be reviewed and updated periodically. The demand pillar was discussed previously, and the ministry is holding a meeting on 31 May to discuss the supply and enablers pillars. The roadmap currently focuses on used cooking oil (UCO) and crude palm oil (CPO) residue as SAF feedstocks. Seaweed is also a potential raw material to be researched, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on 29 May. "SAF is the most effective solution" to reduce carbon emissions, based on various data, studies, and increasing aviation activity, said Luhut. The government might choose to keep more feedstocks like UCO domestically, given the country's aims to produce more SAF, and potentially impose export taxes, raise export levies or adjust domestic market obligations (DMO), market participants said. But they noted these measures to regulate exports will be more likely with higher domestic refinery capabilities to take waste-based feedstocks, and nothing is concrete for now. Pertamina State-owned oil company Pertamina plans to power a plane with a small amount of imported blended SAF during the Bali International Air Show in September, said a company source. The SAF will be UCO-based and consist of around 15pc SAF blended with fossil jet fuel. Pertamina previously supplied 2.4pc SAF-blended jet fuel to national airline Garuda Indonesia, and the country's first successful test flight using a commercial aircraft was conducted on 26 October 2023. Pertamina previously produced SAF and renewable diesel at its Cilacap and Dumai refineries, but using refined, bleached and deodorised palm oil. It plans to bring the second phase of its Cilacap "green refinery" on line in 2026's fourth quarter, which will use palm and waste-based feedstocks such as UCO and palm oil mill effluent (Pome) oil to produce around 132,000 t/yr of SAF. Indonesia exported an average of 235,800 t/yr of UCO between 2019-23, according to GTT data. Malaysia was the top recipient of volumes as the country is also a main location where UCO is aggregated before beingexported elsewhere, followed by the Netherlands and Singapore. By Sarah Giam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trump found guilty in criminal 'hush money' case
Trump found guilty in criminal 'hush money' case
Washington, 30 May (Argus) — Former president Donald Trump was found guilty today on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to the reimbursement of a $130,000 payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The unanimous guilty verdict, from a 12-member jury in New York, will inject further uncertainty into the presidential election on 5 November, where Trump is the presumed Republican nominee and is leading in many polls against President Joe Biden. Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial, and his conviction means he will run for office — on a campaign focused in part on rolling back energy sector regulations and expanding drilling — as a convicted felon. Sentencing is scheduled for 11 July. Trump has argued the criminal charges, filed by New York state prosecutors, were "ridiculous" and were a politically motivated attempt to interfere with his campaign. At trial, Trump's attorneys argued against the credibility of a key witness, Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who testified that Trump directed the falsification of the business records to conceal a "hush money" payment to the adult film star following an alleged affair. "This was a rigged, disgraceful trial," Trump said following the verdict, "but the real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people, and they know what happened here." Despite the conviction, Trump, if elected, could still serve as president. Trump could face up to four years in prison, and sentencing will be decided by the judge overseeing the case. Trump is separately facing dozens of other felony charges in federal and Georgia state court, but those cases have faced delays and may not go to trial before the election. President Joe Biden's campaign said Trump has "always mistakenly believed" he would not face consequences. Biden's campaign said that despite the verdict, it would be up to voters to decide whether Trump is re-elected. "Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president," Biden's campaign said. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
California diesel inventories hit all-time low: CEC
California diesel inventories hit all-time low: CEC
Houston, 30 May (Argus) — Combined California diesel stocks fell to the lowest level in California Energy Commission (CEC) history in the week ended 24 May. Combined diesel inventories — including in-state CARB, non-California EPA and renewable diesel — totaled 2.3mn bl after significant draws across grades, despite a sharp increase in-state CARB diesel output during the week, according to CEC data going back to 2005. In-state CARB diesel stocks totaled 1.37mn bl by the end of the week and marked a 13pc drop from the week prior. Other diesel fuel inventories contracted by nearly 17pc to 929,000 bl. Production of in-state CARB diesel jumped by nearly 40pc in the week to 128,000 b/d, while other diesel output — including non-California EPA and renewable diesel — plummeted by more than 44pc to average 51,000 b/d. In-state CARBOB gasoline production dipped by 2.8pc to average 800,000 b/d from the week prior, although inventories added a nominal 1.8pc to a nine-week high of 6.10mn bl. Total gasoline production trended 2.7pc lower at 879,000 b/d. California jet fuel production jumped by nearly 18pc to 321,000 b/d, the highest level since 19 April. Inventories grew by 0.6pc to 3.24mn bl, continuing a trend of largely stable volumes since 10 May. Crude throughputs increased by 9.4pc to 1.44mn b/d as stocks shrank by 19pc to 11.1mn bl — the lowest volume since January 2024. By Jasmine Davis California refining throughputs and storage Commodity 24-May-24 17-May-24 ± Throughputs '000 b/d Crude 1,440 1,316 124 CARBOB 800 823 -23 Total gasoline 879 904 -25 Jet fuel 321 273 48 California distillate 128 92 36 Inventories '000 bl Crude 11,098 13,670 -2,572 CARBOB 6,098 5,988 110 Jet fuel 3,235 3,215 20 California distillate 1,373 1,586 -213 California Energy Commission Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
ISO publishes new marine fuel specification
ISO publishes new marine fuel specification
London, 30 May (Argus) — The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) published its new marine fuel specification standard today. The 7th edition of the specification standard, ISO 8217:2024, will replace its predecessor, ISO 8217:2017, which has now been withdrawn. The document encompasses seven categories for distillate fuels, four categories for residual fuels at or below 0.5pc sulphur content, five categories for residual fuels blended with fatty acid methyl ester (Fame) biodiesel and five categories for residual fuels above 0.5pc sulphur. Some of the changes had previously been discussed and are confirmed. These include the removal of the previous 7pc Fame limit when blended with distillate marine fuels. This is now possible up to 100pc. The distinction between winter and summer quality for cloud point and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) has also been removed. And there is now a requirement to report the net heat of combustion for a distillate fuel grade as well as the requirement for a minimum cetane number and oxidation stability. By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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