US Treasury updates SAF tax credit guidelines
The US Treasury Department released long-awaited guidance on tax credit eligibility for ethanol-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) Tuesday, incorporating so-called climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices.
As part of the new guidance, the agencies comprising the SAF Interagency Working Group (IWG) are jointly releasing the 40B SAF-GREET 2024 model, which provides another methodology for SAF producers to determine lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rates of their production for the credit. It also incorporates a pilot program to encourage the usage of CSA practices for SAF feedstocks.
In collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the major changes include further guidance on farming practices, including no-till farming, planting cover crops and enhanced efficiency fertilizer.
The $1.25/USG 40B SAF credit applies to a qualified fuel mixture containing SAF for certain sales or uses after 31 December 2022, and before 1 January 2025. To qualify for the credit, the SAF must have a minimum lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 50pc compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. Additionally, there is a supplemental credit of one cent for each percent that the reduction exceeds 50pc, for a maximum credit of $1.75/USG.
The modified version of the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) also incorporates new data, including updated modeling of key feedstocks and processes used in aviation fuel and indirect emissions. The modified GREET model also integrates key GHG emission reduction strategies, such as carbon capture and storage, renewable natural gas, and renewable electricity.
The notice provides a safe harbor for use of the USDA Climate Smart Agriculture Pilot Program to further cut the emissions reduction percentage calculated for domestic soybean and domestic corn feedstocks and for certifying the related requirements.
For corn ethanol-to-jet, the pilot provides a greenhouse gas reduction credit if a "bundle" of certain CSA practices — no-till farming, cover crop planting, and enhanced efficiency fertilizer — are used. It would also allow a greenhouse gas reduction credit for soybean-to-jet production if the soybean feedstock is produced using similar CSA practices. This is a pilot program specific to the 40B credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is in effect for 2023 and 2024.
A new 45Z-GREET will be developed for use with the 45Z tax credit, which starts on 1 Jan 2025. Given the similar language between section 40B and section 45Z of the IRA regarding methods for determining lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction percentages, it is expected that the positions taken by Treasury and the IRS related to the section 40B credit will be similar for the new clean fuel producer credit under section 45Z.
Industry reaction mixed
Renewable fuels groups welcome the updated pathway for ethanol-to-jet, but the groups expressed concern over the scope of the guidance.
"We are encouraged that, for the first time ever, this carbon scoring framework will recognize and credit certain climate-smart agricultural practices," Renewable Fuels Association president and chief executive Geoff Cooper said. "However, RFA believes less prescription on ag practices, more flexibility, and additional low-carbon technologies and practices should be added to the modeling framework to better reflect the innovation occurring throughout the supply chain."
Kailee Buller, chief executive of the National Oilseed Processors Association, also said the new guidance has shortcomings.
"We are concerned the requirement to implement climate-smart ag practices simultaneously will limit this opportunity, particularly in parts of the country where it may not be possible to plant a cover crop or the cost to implement new practices is too steep," Buller said.
Both groups said they would continue to work with the Biden administration to further opportunities for SAF development.
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Brazil removes rice import tariffs due to floods
Brazil removes rice import tariffs due to floods
Sao Paulo, 20 May (Argus) — Brazil removed rice import tariffs to guarantee national supply amid recent flooding in southern Rio Grande do Sul state and domestic price increases. The measure, revoking tariffs ranging from 9pc to 10.8pc, encompasses three types of rice, Brazil's foreign trade council Camex said. It is aimed at preventing price hikes in the domestic market as floods reaching Rio Grande do Sul since 29 April may have harmed national rice production. The removal was requested by ministry of agriculture Mapa and national supply company Conab and will be in effect until the end of the year. The government may extend that period at a later date. The decision follows Brazil's federal government provisional measure on 10 May that authorizes Conab to import up to 1mn metric tonnes of rice. Rio Grande do Sul is Brazil's largest rice producer, responsible for 70pc of national production, but the current crop may be harmed by the historic rainfall in the state. The 2023-24 rice crop was 84pc harvested as of 12 May, just a 1 percentage point increase from 29 April. The extreme weather caused a humanitarian crisis in the southern state and has left 157 people dead, 88 missing and over 581,000 people displaced, according to the state's civil defense. By Maria Albuquerque Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Q&A: Marine CO2 goals need culture shift: TotalEnergies
Q&A: Marine CO2 goals need culture shift: TotalEnergies
Amsterdam, 20 May (Argus) — A cultural change in buying behaviour and supply patterns is necessary for the shipping sector to meet its decarbonisation targets and may be the biggest hurdle to overcome, strategy and projects director for TotalEnergies' marine fuels division Frederic Meyer told Argus. Edited highlights follow: What is the biggest challenge standing in the way of the maritime industry in meeting decarbonisation targets and the fuel transition ? A cultural change is required — for decades the maritime sector has relied on by-products with high energy density from the crude refining process such as fuel oil. The industry will now have to pivot its attention towards fuels developed for the purpose of consumption within the maritime industry. This will also require time as the sector looks to level up, and it remains to be seen whether there will be enough time to meet the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s net-zero by or around 2050 targets. But we have seen some good progress from cargo owners who are seeking scope 3 emissions related documents. How does TotalEnergies see marine biodiesel demand moving in the short term? In the short term, there is little incentive for the majority of buyers in the market. This is due to a lack of any regulatory mandates, as well as limited impact from existing regulations such as the IMO's carbon intensity indicator (CII) and the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS). Despite providing a zero emission factor incentive for biofuels meeting the sustainability criteria under the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED), EU ETS is still on a staggered implementation basis beginning with only 40pc this year, rising to 70pc next year and 100pc in 2026. Further, EU ETS prices have been quite low, which also weighed on financial incentives for marine biodiesel. Therefore, many buyers are currently waiting for further incentives and signals from the regulators before purchasing marine biodiesel blends. Another point impacting demand is the current edition of ISO 8217, which does not provide much flexibility when it comes to marine biodiesel blend percentages and specifications. The new 2024 edition will likely provide greater flexibility for blending percentages, as well as a provision for biodiesel that does not meet EN14214 specifications. This will provide greater flexibility from a supply point of view. However, there remains stable demand from buyers who can pass on the extra costs to their customers. And how do you see this demand fluctuating in the medium to long term? If the other alternative marine fuels, such as ammonia and methanol, that are currently being discussed do not develop at the speed necessary to meet the decarbonisation targets, then marine biodiesel demand will likely be firm. Many in the market have voiced concerns regarding biofuel feedstock competition between marine and aviation, ahead of the implementation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates in Europe starting next year. With Argus assessments for SAF at much higher levels than marine biodiesel blends, do you think common feedstocks such as used cooking oil (UCO) will get pulled away from maritime and into aviation? With regards to competition among different industries for the same biofuel feedstock, suppliers may channel their feedstock towards aviation fuels due to the higher non-compliance penalties associated with SAF regulations as opposed to those in marine, which would incentivise greater demand for SAF. An area that can be explored for marine is the by-product when producing SAF, which can amount to up to 30pc of the fuel output. This could potentially feed into a marine biodiesel supply pool. So it's not necessarily the case that the two sectors will battle over the same feedstock if process synergies can be found. Regarding fuel specifications, market participants have told Argus that the lack of a marine-specific fuel standard for alternatives such as marine biodiesel is feeding into uncertainty for buyers who may not be as familiar with biofuels. What impact could this have on demand for marine biodiesel blends from your point of view? Currently, mainstream biodiesel specifications in marine biodiesel blends are derived from other markets such as the EN14214 specification from road diesel engines. But given the large flexibility of a marine engine, there is room to test and try different things. For "unconventional" biofuels that do not meet those road specifications, there needs to be a testing process accompanied by proof of results that showcase its safety for combustion within a marine engine. Some companies may not have the means or capacity to test their biodiesel before taking it into the market. But TotalEnergies always ensures that there are no engine-related issues from fuel combustion. Suppliers need to enact the necessary testing and take on the burden, as cutting out this process may create a negative perception for the product more generally. Traders should also take on some of the burden and test their fuels to ensure they are fully compatible with the engine. With many regulations being discussed, how do you see the risk of regulatory clashes impacting the industry? The simple solution would be an electronic register to trace the chain of custody. In the French markets, often times the proof of sustainability (PoS) papers are stored onto an electronic database once they are retired to the relevant authority. This database is then accessible and viewable by the buyer, and the supplier could also further deliver a "sustainability information letter" which mirrors the details found in the PoS. It is important for the maritime sector to adopt an electronically traceable system. What role could other types of fuels such as pyrolysis oil potentially play in the maritime sector's decarbonisation targets? We have teams in research and development at TotalEnergies which are studying the potential use of other molecules, including but not limited to pyrolysis oil, for usage in the maritime sector. It may become an alternative option to avoid industry clashes, as pyrolysis oil would not be an attractive option to the aviation sector. We are currently exploring tyre-based pyrolysis oil, but have only started doing so recently so it remains an untapped resource. We need to figure out the correct purification and distillation process to ensure compatibility with marine engines. For the time being we are specifically looking at tyre-based pyrolysis oil and not plastic-based, but we may look at the latter in a later stage. The fuel would also have to meet the RED criteria of a 65-70pc greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction compared with conventional fossil fuels, so we are still exploring whether this can be achieved. By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia’s cropping conditions mixed: GPA
Australia’s cropping conditions mixed: GPA
Sydney, 20 May (Argus) — Australia's cropping regions show an imbalance as the winter crop planting period progresses, according to the Grain Producers Australia (GPA) latest 2024 season update. The report, which collected perspectives from GPA representatives in different cropping regions, revealed how dryness in Western Australia (WA) and Southern Australia (SA) is in contrast to favourable soil moisture and rainfall levels in the east Australia cropping regions of Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. WA growers are continuing to dry sow crops awaiting a significant rainfall event or "break" to germinate their crops. While some rain had fallen in May, most of the WA grain belt remains dry. Planting decisions in WA were influenced by the lack of rainfall, anticipated yields and future prices, according to the GPA report. Some growers are considering reducing their canola crop as the future price per tonne was unappealing, while others had already cut back their intended crop because of a dry rainfall outlook until June and the cost of canola seed. Others have withheld canola planting as they wait for a material seasonal break. These perspectives are consistent with the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia's May crop report that projected canola area in 2024 would be down overall from 2023 because of dry conditions. The GPA report also stated anxiety among WA growers were heightened because of a relatively poor season last year, along with the ability of some growers to diversify income streams with a government decision to ban live sheep exports by May 2028. Northern and central western NSW had good rainfall and a positive start to the season, while growers in southern NSW were looking for rain to germinate dry sown crops. Victoria has good soil moisture for seeding, although one GPA member said access to some fertilisers was an issue for growers who wanted it on hand for winter. Queensland has had wet weather for its summer crop harvest. The sorghum harvest period, usually finished during February–March, according to GPA, was disrupted by heavy rainfall around Easter. This reduced crop quality and could potentially delay winter crop planting, according to a GPA member. The US Department of Agriculture crop calendar for Queensland indicates the typical planting period for winter crops of barley and wheat is May and April-July respectively. By Edward Dunlop Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US RIN generation up in April as D4 climbs
US RIN generation up in April as D4 climbs
Houston, 16 May (Argus) — Generation of renewable identification number (RIN) credits in April rose by 12pc, as biomass-based D4 diesel credits posted their second highest monthly volumes ever. Total RIN generation rose to 2.06bn credits in April, up from 1.84bn a year earlier, the US Environmental Protection Agency reported on Thursday. D4 credits continued to lead gains in April, with generation increasing on the year by 29pc to 780mn credits. The only month with greater D4 RIN generation was December 2023. D4 accounted for 38pc of all RINs in April, up from 33pc in April 2023. Ethanol D6 RIN generation rose from a year earlier by 2.4pc to 1.2bn credits, accounting for 58pc of all RINs generated in the month. D6 credits were also up by 4pc from March, a month that was affected by seasonal ethanol plant maintenance. Cellulosic biofuel D3 credit generation rose by 7.6pc from a year earlier to 69mn credits. RINs are credits traded and produced by refiners and importers to show compliance with the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard program. Obligated parties can produce credits when renewable fuels are blended into conventional transportation fuels or can purchase credits from other RIN producers. By Matthew Cope Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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