UK launches low carbon fuel strategy consultation
The UK government has begun a consultation on the country's strategy for developing low carbon fuels (LCFs), which it said aims to address uncertainties and support investments.
The government said there is a changing role for LCFs, which are primarily used for road transport fuels and blended into retail gasoline and diesel. But as passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles transition to zero-emissions, demand for fossil road fuels will fall. Some heavier road vehicles will take longer to transition, but in the coming decades the main use of LCFs will be within aviation and maritime, and the UK government sees the decarbonisation of these sectors as key areas.
The parliamentary Committee for Climate Change (CCC) advice for the UK's sixth carbon budget is that biofuels should be phased out from use in cars and vans by 2040, to prioritise their use in other sectors. The government expects demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will increase, with production potentially meeting 4-8pc of global aviation fuel use by 2035.
As policy mechanisms are developed to support supply of SAF and other advanced fuels, the government will consider the types of feedstocks and production pathways that should be prioritised, and it expects reduced demand for renewable road fuels to increase the availability of feedstocks for producing SAF in the longer term.
To generate demand for SAF, the government has proposed a mandate, with only waste-derived biofuels, RFNBOs, SAF from nuclear origin and recycled carbon fuels expected to contribute. The government will publish a second consultation on a SAF mandate this year.
Domestic SAF production is limited in the UK, US refiner Phillips 66 started to produce co-processed biojet at its 230,000 b/d Humber refinery this year to supply British Airways (BA). BA is also partnering with SAF producer LanzaJet and Nova Pangaea technologies to conduct a feasibility project that could produce more than 100mn l/yr of SAF, and they have received a share of the government's £15mn Green Fuels, Green Skies funding for development of facilities to convert waste into SAF. [Biojet producer Velocys]( https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2249797) also received a share of the funding for its waste-to-ASF Altalto project. BA is partnering with Velocys on the Altalto project.
The UK government said the maritime sector is likely to require alternative low- and zero-emissions fuels like ammonia, methanol and hydrogen. Under high-decarbonisation scenarios, research estimates demand for these fuels will ramp up significantly in the 2030s and could form the bulk of energy supplied to vessels in the 2050s and beyond. But there is significant uncertainty about the proportions of different fuels that will be required, and fuel prices remain a significant barrier to commercialisation.
The government said which zero-emissions fuels are preferred for the maritime sector will be heavily dependent on decisions made by global shipping companies, which are testing a number of options. More research and demonstration projects are likely to required as this decade progesses.
The low carbon fuels strategy consultation will close on 3 April.
Related news posts
Brazil unlocks relief spending to flooded state
Brazil unlocks relief spending to flooded state
Sao Paulo, 6 May (Argus) — Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree to ease relief spending to Rio Grande do Sul state, which has been hit with historically heavy rainfall and floods. "We are going to do everything in our power to contribute to Rio Grande do Sul's recovery," he said today after signing the decree, adding that was only the first of "a large number of acts" for the state. The decree recognizes the state of emergency in Rio Grande do Sul and allows the federal government to grant funding and tax waivers to the state without having to comply with spending limits. In addition, it makes rules for public authorities to contract services and purchase products more flexible. The decree still needs both senate and congressional approval — which should be hasty, as both the senate and house leaders were present at the decree's signing. It is still not clear how much money it will take to rebuild the state, chief of staff Rui Costa and planning minister Simone Tebet said. But the minister of regional integration Waldez Goez estimated that it will take around R1bn ($200mn) to rebuild the state's highways. Rio Grande do Sul has been hit with heavy rainfall since 29 April. The highest volumes reached the central areas of Rio Grande do Sul, with cities receiving rainfall of 150-500mm (6-20 inches), regional rural agency Emater-RS data show. The monitoring station of Restinga Seca city, in the center of the state, recorded rainfall of about 540mm. Rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul overall surpassed 135mm in most of the state, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). State capital Porto Alegre is expected to receive more rain later this week, according to Rio Grande do Sul-based weather forecaster MetSul. MetSul warned that parts of the Porto Alegre metropolitan area could remain uninhabitable for weeks or months. The floods have left at least 83 dead and 111 missing, according to the state government. An additional 130,000 people have been displaced from their homes. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil lowers biofuel mix in flooded state
Brazil lowers biofuel mix in flooded state
Sao Paulo, 6 May (Argus) — Brazil's oil regulator ANP temporarily decreased the mandatory mix of ethanol and biodiesel in fuels in Rio Grande do Sul state for 30 days, starting on 3 May, amid floods in the region. The anhydrous ethanol blend on gasoline was lowered to 21pc from the current 27pc, while the mandatory biodiesel mix for 10ppm (S10) diesel is now at 2pc, down from the usual 14pc. The agency also temporarily suspended the blending mandate for diesel with 500ppm of sulfur (S500). ANP said it can revise deadlines depending on supply conditions in the state. Rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul blocked railways and highways where biofuels are transported to retail hubs, such as Esteio and Canoas. Supply of fossil fuels via pipeline from the 201,000 b/d Alberto Pasqualini refinery (Refap), in Canoas, and other retail bases has not been compromised, ANP said. Floods in Rio Grande do Sul have left at least 83 dead and 111 missing, according to the state government. More than 23,000 people have been forced from of their homes amid widespread damage. Over 330 cities are in a situation of public calamity. By Laura Guedes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
North Germany sees May holiday gasoline surge
North Germany sees May holiday gasoline surge
Hamburg, 6 May (Argus) — Driving activity in Germany increased around the public holiday on 1 May, leading to a rise in regional demand for fuels, particularly gasoline, in the past week. Oversupply of diesel is also pressuring premiums in Europe. Daily volumes of diesel and E5 gasoline reported to Argus this week were higher than the average for the current year. Demand for gasoline in the North region notably increased, with reported volumes in the past week reaching the highest daily average in 2024. The filling station sector is almost entirely responsible for the increased demand, market participants said. Many end-users took Monday and Tuesday off as additional holidays, leading up to 1 May. This resulted in a temporary increase in travel activity. In anticipation of this, filling station operators stocked up on fuel. But compared with previous years, overall demand for diesel in Germany remains weak. Coupled with plenty supply of diesel on the international market, this has led to premiums of cif Hamburg in April reaching their lowest level since July 2023. In the face of oversupply the difference between cif Hamburg diesel and cif ARA assessment fell further as well over the past week. The volume of diesel imported to northern Germany increased by 18pc in April compared with March, reaching around 71,000 b/d, data from Vortexa show. The low premiums of the diesel cif assessments, along with the ICE Gasoil Future's contango — which has encouraged the storage of product in tanks since mid-April — have particularly boosted import demand. By Johannes Guhlke Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Panama's new president faces copper, canal issues
Panama's new president faces copper, canal issues
Kingston, 6 May (Argus) — Stand-in candidate Jose Raul Mulino will take office on 1 July as president of Panama with a challenge to decide on the future of one of the biggest copper mines in the Americas. The 64 year-old lawyer won yesterday's presidential election in the central American country, promising a "pro-investment and pro-business" policy. He won with 35pc of the vote and an about 10 percentage point lead over his next closest rival, Ricardo Lombana. But he has delivered no comment on the future on the shuttered Canadian-owned copper facility that is one pillar of the country's economy. His government will use public works projects and incentives for foreign investors to restore economic growth, Molino said, without giving details. Panama also faces a crippling drought that has lowered water levels and reduced transit through the economically important Panama Canal. First Quantum intends to meet the new government to discuss reopening the mine, the company's chairman Robert Harding said in March. "Whatever government is elected, we will work with it," Harding said. "We would like to see this mine reopen." Panama closed the $10bn Cobre Panama mine after a supreme court ruling in November that First Quantum's contract was unconstitutional. The mine accounted for 5pc of the country's economy and 1.5pc of global copper output, according to the government. The shutdown will limit the country's economic growth to 2.5pc this year against 7.5pc in 2023, the IMF has forecast. The supreme court's order to close the mine followed weeks of protests over the terms given to First Quantum in October. Protests wracked the country as opposition parties, trade unions, environmental lobbies and non-governmental organizations objected to the terms. "Although the mine's owners would be happy to negotiate a reopening with the new administration, this is a very hot and controversial matter for the new government," a senior official of the outgoing government of President Laurentino Cortizo told Argus today. "Any suggestion of negotiating a reopening would again bring people on the streets." Mulino ran with former president Ricardo Martinelli until the courts disqualified Martinelli because of a money laundering conviction. Martinelli had proposed that Panama renegotiate the contract with First Quantum to secure higher royalties and a stake. "Mulino is a mentee of Martinelli, but I doubt he would stoke public anger by seeking to reopen the mine," the official said. Cobre Panama produced 331,000 t in 2023, 5pc less than 2022 output, First Quantum said. By Canute James Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more