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Carbon - In focus: Biomethane ACCU pathway uncertain
Carbon - In focus: Biomethane ACCU pathway uncertain
London, 6 March (Argus) — Australia will explore expanding the carbon-crediting pathway for its nascent biomethane industry, but a potential preference for renewable gas certificates over Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) may curb that development, stakeholders said. The Australian government last month prioritised the creation of a new Alternative Waste Treatment ACCU method that could boost emissions abatement by offering a potentially longer crediting period and by adding biomethane generation as an eligible activity. This could potentially promote a higher uptake of ACCU projects for biomethane facilities in Australia, which would help developers and investors to finance new plants, as well as increase the future supply of carbon credits that companies use in the compliance market's safeguard mechanism, or for voluntary purposes. But overlaps between ACCUs and new certification options — the renewable gas guarantees of origin (RGGOs) under GreenPower's Renewable Gas Certification and the future product guarantee of origin (PGO) certificates under the Clean Energy Regulator (CER's) managed guarantee of origin GO scheme — mean that the carbon-crediting pathway for biomethane may be limited, according to industry participants. Limited ACCU uptake Participation in ACCU projects has been very limited under existing or expired methods, although this is mostly because there are still very few biomethane projects in Australia. There are just two active ACCU methods that support biomethane facilities: the Animal Effluent method , which focuses on reducing methane emissions from animal waste by capturing and treating effluent, and the Reducing Methane Emissions from Landfill Gas method, which targets methane reduction from landfill sites by capturing and destroying landfill gas, converting it to electricity, or upgrading it into biomethane. Of nearly 30 projects currently registered under the Animal Effluent method, only two involve biomethane facilities, according to the CER. And there are no projects registered under the Reducing Methane Emissions from Landfill Gas method, which was only made late last year . There is also one project involving biomethane production registered under the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Wastewater method, which expired on 31 March 2025. None of these three biomethane projects have received ACCUs yet, nor projects registered by bioenergy developer Delorean that do not specifically mention biomethane with the CER but are expected to generate that product ( see table ). "Since the making of the biomethane methodologies in 2022, the CER has received enquiries about the potential eligibility of biomethane projects under the ACCU Scheme," a spokesperson told Argus . "There has not been any particular trend in these enquiries and the CER does not produce forecasts on biomethane production for future ACCU project generation." LMS Energy joins Delorean and other developers The most recent of these projects — the Wasleys biomethane project in South Australia (SA) — was registered with the CER in December by Australia's largest landfill gas operator, LMS Energy, in partnership with Australian pork producer SunPork. The A$24.1mn ($16.95mn) project, which could become Australia's first commercial-scale agricultural renewable natural gas facility, will receive A$10mn of funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena). LMS plans to use anaerobic digestion to collect biogas generated from animal effluent and upgrade it to biomethane for use as a natural gas substitute. This would reduce SunPork's scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Currently, biogas released from uncovered piggery effluent ponds is the largest source of emissions for the pork industry. If successful, the project could overcome regulatory barriers by establishing and demonstrating clear pathways for the recognition of agricultural biomethane in carbon crediting and renewable gas certification schemes, according to Arena. LMS did not reply to questions about the timeline of the project, plans for future biomethane facilities or challenges around risks for double-counting or overlap for ACCUs and certificates like RGGOs and PGOs. Delorean, which last year signed an agreement with utility Origin Energy to sell biomethane and the corresponding RGGOs from its SA1 Salisbury bioenergy facility in SA, did not reply either to questions about the expected interplay between ACCUs and RGGOs from its projects. The company has said its projects would have potential for several products and revenue sources, including biomethane, RGGOs, ACCUs and biogenic liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2). Biomethane from SA1 Salisbury will be delivered via the gas network following a connection agreement last year with gas network Australian Gas Networks (AGNL), part of Australian Gas Infrastructure (AGIG). AGIG did not reply to questions either. RGGOs and ACCUs to be stapled and retired together Under rules set by GreenPower, ACCUs created from projects under the Animal Effluent, Reducing Methane Emissions from Landfill Gas, or any other methods, would need to be stapled with RGGOs in case the latter are also created in respect of the same activity. The ACCUs and RGGOs would then need to be retired together to the same entity, to avoid double counting, GreenPower's renewable fuels team lead Brad Bailey told Argus . There is just one facility currently accredited to create RGGOs — gas pipeline and power distribution firm Jemena's Malabar plant in Sydney in New South Wales (NSW). RGGOs have been already issued to the 95 TJ/yr (2.5mn m³/yr) facility, but not yet retired. Two biogas or biomethane projects are in the process of obtaining accreditation, and more than 30 projects have expressed interest in participating, Bailey said. While it would be up to the end customer to surrender either the ACCUs or RGGOs stapled together, Jemena anticipates the use of RGGOs for market trading as these certificates can be used by consumers for emission reduction rather than offsets, renewable gas general manager Suzie Jakobovits said. "Jemena supports additional ACCU methods that recognise biomethane as low-emission fuel. But while ACCU pathways are valuable, more recent policy advancements have provided a more valuable incentive for biomethane production," she said, noting the renewable gas certification schemes and their allowed use from July to reduce scope 1 emissions under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme. Jemena has not been developing any further biomethane projects of its own. It has instead signed initial contracts with project developers including Optimal Renewable Gas (ORG), Valorify, Sojitz and Gwydir Circular Economy to potentially connect their planned biomethane facilities into its gas network. "It will be up to the biomethane producer to determine whether to register for ACCUs and/or renewable gas certificates," Jakobovits said. More support needed For ORG managing director Mike Davis, the new Alternative Waste Treatment ACCU method could be potentially more flexible to transfer emission benefits from the current pathways to anaerobic digestion plants. But the company sees RGGOs as "more valuable than ACCUs" as they are recognised as a scope 1 emission reduction pathway rather than an offset, he said. Other biomethane developers like Valorify, as well as major waste management firms such as EDL Energy, Cleanaway and Veolia — which are among Australia's largest landfill gas ACCU project operators — did not respond to requests for comment. Waste management firm LGI said it is not currently involved in biomethane projects. Australian gas pipeline operator APA declined to comment. The firm launched in 2024 a public round of expression of interest for potential biomethane supply projects, but decided not to proceed because of a combination of technical and commercial factors unique to the project. Beyond the RGGO, PGO and ACCU pathways and the NGER change last year, the biomethane industry will need further government policy and financial support, Jakobovits said. She highlighted the NSW government's A$170mn Renewable Fuel Strategy launched in November to support renewable fuel and biomethane production in the state. "This support is only available in NSW. Other states or federal government support is required to stimulate biomethane production in other states," she said, suggesting policies like the development of a national renewable gas policy approach and the recognition of biomethane as a priority industry under the Future Made in Australia and as a priority investment area within Arena. ACCU projects supporting biomethane facilities Project Developer Method Crediting period ACCUs issued Wasleys Biomethane Project LMS Energy Animal effluent 11/12/2025-10/12/2037 0 UAG Bio Nutrients Facility UAG Bio Nutrients Animal effluent 15/05/2024-14/05/2036 0 Ryan Group Anaerobic Biodigester Ryan Meat Company Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Wastewater 25/08/2026-24/08/2038 0 Salisbury Bioenergy Project Delorean Alternative Waste Treatment 2015 25/03/2025-24/03/2032 0 Stanhope Bioenergy Project Delorean Alternative Waste Treatment 2015 08/03/2025-07/03/2032 0 Stanhope Bioenergy Project Delorean Animal effluent 20/09/2025-19/09/2037 0 source - CER Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rising freight rates support prices of PKS to Europe
Rising freight rates support prices of PKS to Europe
Singapore, 6 March (Argus) — Fuel prices and freight rates have surged since the US and Israeli forces began airstrikes on Iran last week, and this could drive up the cost of producing Asian palm kernel shells (PKS) and delivering them to Europe, market participants told Argus . Dry bulk freight rates for Supramax or Ultramax vessels used to transport PKS from east coast Sumatra to Europe have risen to $60-75/t since 28 February, when the strikes on Iran began, from $45-55/t previously, one Asian trading firm said. The trading firm has offered PKS cargoes to European buyers on a cfr basis and is confident their fleet will be able to transit the Suez canal, it said. The company reported an unconfirmed PKS cargo trade this week at $165/t cfr to a European country. Argus could not immediately confirm the deal, but that price would likely net back to around $90-105/t fob east coast Sumatra, depending on the freight rate. Asian biomass market participants were hopeful of European demand, but said they had received few enquiries. And no PKS-loaded vessels were headed to Europe as of 5 March, according to preliminary data from shiptracking platform Kpler. Freight costs to Japan have also increased, but less than for larger vessels bound for Europe, market sources said. Freight rates to Japan for a 10,000-20,000t PKS cargo from Indonesia have risen to $29-39/t this week from $26-33/t previously, a trader said. That cost increase might limit profit margins for Japanese buyers and traders and prompt sellers to ask for lower fob prices. An extended US-Israel-Iran war could continue interrupting Qatari gas and Saudi oil production as well as ship movements through the strait of Hormuz, which has already reduced global energy supply and supported fuel prices worldwide. Rising diesel prices means higher operating costs for Malaysian and Indonesian PKS suppliers that use trucks to collect PKS from palm oil mills and move it to stockpiles. And PKS suppliers already face supply-side challenges. Indonesia this month increased its PKS export levy to $5/t from $3/t previously and its PKS export taxes linked to crude palm oil prices to $8/t from $7/t, effectively boosting combined taxes and levies on PKS shipments to $13/t from $10/t. PKS suppliers in eastern Indonesia's Riau province have also had to move stockpiles to other export points because the Tanjung Buton industrial port in Sumatra remains closed for repairs, though some firms carried out limited barging and transshipments there last month. By Nadhir Mokhtar Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US sorghum turns to ethanol as exports slows
US sorghum turns to ethanol as exports slows
St Louis, 5 March (Argus) — Slowing global trade activity, and growing biofuels opportunities have pushed US sorghum growers to pivot towards ethanol as a future driver of demand. Slowing international trade, with some partners "on the sideline" this year combined with a large harvest has created "piles" across the sorghum belt, said John Duff, with the US National Sorghum Producers (NSP) said during the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, last week. China was the largest purchaser of US sorghum, importing nearly 60pc of US sorghum production from 2020 through 2024, according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data. Another 5pc of US sorghum production has historically been shipped to African countries, often supported by food aid programs like US Agency for International Development (USAID). These export opportunities took a hit in 2025 following the US-China trade dispute , and the cancellation of USAID by US president Donald Trump. During 2025, combined sorghum exports to China and Africa fell 88pc from the previous year, pulling US sorghum exports to their lowest level in over a decade. At the same time, the US sorghum harvest reached 11.1mn metric tonnes (t) in 2025 – its highest level in 9 years — boosting US stocks to 6.8mn t as of 1 December 2025, up 26pc from the previous year, according to USDA data. This supply glut occurred along with growing demand from US ethanol producers for sorghum , which saw usage increase 273pc to 3.1mn t in 2025 on the year, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. To continue increasing sorghum's role in the US fuel ethanol sector, the NSP is looking to US biofuels policy for support. The future looks domestic Ethanol producers have only opportunistically used sorghum as a feedstock in the past due to technological and logistic limitations. Sorghum inclusion rates have been historically limited by the need for finer screens compared with corn for grinding the grain, and the inclusion of protease enzymes for fermentation. But these practices are now widely adopted across the ethanol industry, with some producers storing the grain in the same bins alongside corn, Duff said. But sorghum historically "isn't in the right place at the right time" due to a narrow harvest window and lack of on-farm storage. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) lists 17 facilities in its directory that can use sorghum as a feedstock for ethanol, with a combined production capacity of 1.34bn USG/yr. Ethanol yields from sorghum are typically lower on a per bushel (bu) basis than corn by 0.1-0.2 USG/bu, said Tad Hepner, vice president for strategy and innovation at the RFA. Typically, one bushel of corn produces 2.9 USG of ethanol, meaning current ethanol plants could consume as much as 12.6mn t/yr of sorghum. Full utilization by these plants would still be a fraction of the more than 130mn t of corn that ethanol production consumes annually. And the location of these plants reflects the crop's limitations. Last year, Texas, Kansas and South Dakota accounted for more than 80pc of both US sorghum acres and ethanol plants capable of using the crop. But last year did see sorghum displace a significant amount of corn. In 2025, US fuel ethanol production increased by 6.41mn bl from the prior year, according EIA data. At the same time, ethanol producers reduced corn use by 2.1mn t and increased sorghum use by 2.27mn t, according to EIA data. Overcoming the logistics hurdle could prove a win-win for US ethanol and sorghum markets, particularly as biofuel polices appear set to align with the crop. Over 80pc of US sorghum production occurs in states which use agricultural production practices including reduced or no tillage, and split nitrogen application by necessity, Duff said. These practices can make the crop eligible for the 45Z clean fuels tax credit scheme. Data is king A major limitation in expanding sorghum's appeal to ethanol producers is the collection and verification of production data. Because the practices that make sorghum eligible for 45Z credits were adopted as a necessity years ago, farmers often do not track and report them, making it difficult to claim the credits' value, Duff said. But the NSP is working to address this issues through a $70mn USDA Advancing Markets for Producers grant focused on improving farmer data collection. This, along with the USDA's recently announced One Farm, One File initiative could reduce this barrier. US sorghum producers are also looking to other markets as pathways towards expanding ethanol's interest in the feedstock. The NPS is working to present a case to the US Environmental Protection Agency that would make the ethanol produced from sorghum eligible for the advanced biofuel D5 RIN credit under the Renewable Fuels Standard, Duff said, which would enhance the crop's appeal to ethanol producers. By Ryan Koory Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Hong Kong conducts first green methanol bunkering
Hong Kong conducts first green methanol bunkering
Shanghai, 5 March (Argus) — Hong Kong completed its first green methanol bunkering today, supplying 500t of biomethanol and 1,000t of fossil methanol to China Merchants' CM Hong Kong . Sinopec Hong Kong, China Merchants RoRo and Sinobunker jointly carried out the operation. Sinopec Hong Kong conducted the bunkering using a 7,500dwt methanol dual-fuel barge , Daqing 268 , chartered from Sinobunker. The barge was delivered in early January and completed its first 200t bunkering at Shenzhen port later in the month. CIMC Enric supplied the 500t International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) EU-certified biomethanol from its 50,000 t/yr biomethanol plant in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, with greenhouse gas reduction of over 80pc against a 94g CO2/MJ comparator. CM Hong Kong is China Merchants' first 9,300 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) methanol dual-fuel roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ship. It refuelled with 300t of biomethanol at China's Tianjin port in September 2025, with materials from Towngas' 50,000 t/yr plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. Hong Kong has scheduled for another 200t biomethanol bunkering on 10 March for Cosco's 20,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel containership Cosco Gemini , also using Sinobunker's methanol barge. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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