RDP Energia investirá em biometano
A distribuidora de combustíveis RDP Energia irá investir R$50 milhões para construir uma usina de biometano no Paraná.
A companhia processará o biogás produzido pelo Centro Internacional de Energias Renováveis (CIBiogás), que executa um projeto piloto em Toledo, no oeste do Paraná.
Toledo é um importante polo de produtores de suínos e aves. A região pode alimentar a CIBiogás com 340 m³/d de dejetos suínos e até 2,9 t/d de carcaças de animais.
A unidade estará totalmente operacional em 2024 e atingirá a capacidade de 7,3 milhões de m³/ano de biogás em 2026, quando a planta de processamento de biometano da RDP Energia começará a produzir 3 milhões de m³/ano do produto.
A empresa pretende utilizar o biometano para abastecer indústrias regionais e produzir bio-GNV para atender a demanda do setor de transportes em Toledo e Cascavel.
O próximo passo será pesquisar mais aplicações de biogás para produzir combustível de aviação sustentável (SAF, na sigla em inglês), disse o presidente da CIBiogás, Rafael Gonzalez.
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Q&A:Shipping needs cultural shift to decarbonise: Total
Q&A:Shipping needs cultural shift to decarbonise: Total
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.
Japan’s FEPC calls for clearer nuclear policy stance
Japan’s FEPC calls for clearer nuclear policy stance
Osaka, 20 May (Argus) — Japan's Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC) has called for a clarification of the country's nuclear power policy, to ensure stable electricity supply and alignment with its net zero emissions goal. The call comes as the government reviews its basic energy policy , which was formulated in 2021 and calls for the reduction of dependence on nuclear reactors as much as possible. But Japan's guidelines for green transformation, which was agreed in February 2023, states that Japan should make the most of existing nuclear reactors. Tokyo should clearly state in its new energy policy that it is necessary to not only restart existing nuclear reactors, but also build new reactors, said FEPC chairman Kingo Hayashi on 17 May. Hayashi is also the president of utility Chubu Electric Power. Hayashi emphasised that to utilise reactors, it would be necessary to have discussions regarding financial support, policy measures that would help ensure cost recovery, address back-end issues in the nuclear fuel cycle and conduct a review of nuclear damage compensation law. Japan's current basic energy policy is targeted for the April 2030-March 2031 fiscal year, when the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is forecast to fall by 46pc from 2013-14 levels. To achieve this, the power mix in the policy set the nuclear ratio at 20-22pc, as well as 36-38pc from renewables, 41pc from thermal fuels and 1pc from hydrogen and ammonia. Japan typically reviews the country's basic energy policy every three years. Nuclear, as well as renewables, would be necessary to reduce Japan's GHG emissions, although thermal power units would still play a key role in addressing power shortages. But Japan has faced challenges in restarting the country's reactors following safety concerns after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, with only 12 reactors currently operational. Japan's nuclear generation in 2023 totalled 77TWh, which accounted for just 9pc of total power output. Tokyo has made efforts to promote the use of reactors, after the current basic energy policy was introduced in 2021. The trade and industry ministry (Meti) has updated its nuclear policy, by allowing nuclear power operators to continue using reactors beyond their maximum lifespan of 60 years by excluding a safety scrutiny period in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. This could advance the discussion on Japan's nuclear stance, especially if the new basic energy policy includes more supportive regulations. The trade and industry ministry started discussions to review the energy policy on 15 May, aiming to revise it by the end of this fiscal year. It is still unclear what year it is targeting and what ratio will be set for each power source in the new policy. But the deliberation would form a key part of efforts to update the GHG emissions reduction goal, ahead of the submission of the country's new nationally determined contribution in 2025, with a timeframe for implementation until 2035. By Motoko Hasegawa 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.
Rio Grande do Sul remaneja fornecimento de gás
Rio Grande do Sul remaneja fornecimento de gás
Sao Paulo, 17 May (Argus) — O fornecimento de gás natural no Rio Grande do Sul teve que ser redistribuído em razão das enchentes históricas no estado, com o diesel potencialmente voltando como combustível a usinas de energia para deixar mais gás disponível para a produção de GLP (gás de cozinha). O gasoduto Gasbol, que abastece o Sul do Brasil, não tem capacidade para atender à demanda da refinaria Alberto Pasqualini (Refap), da usina termelétrica de Canoas — controlada pela Petrobras — e das distribuidoras de gás natural da região, disse Jean Paul Prates, o então presidente-executivo da Petrobras, no início desta semana. A distribuidora de gás de Santa Catarina ajustou sua própria rede local para atender aos picos de demanda no Rio Grande do Sul por meio da malha de transporte de gás. A usina térmica de Canoas está operando com geração mínima de 150 GW, sendo 61pc provenientes de sua turbina a gás. A usina foi colocada em operação para restabelecer o fornecimento adequado de energia depois que as linhas de transmissão no Sul foram afetadas pelas enchentes. A Petrobras planeja usar um motor a diesel para aumentar a geração de energia. O atual custo variável unitário (CVU) para o diesel na usina de Canoas é de R1.115,29/MWh. A companhia petrolífera também está operando a Refap a 59pc de sua capacidade instalada máxima. Fortes chuvas no Rio Grande do Sul desde 29 de abril trouxeram inundações sem precedentes ao estado, causando uma crise humanitária e danos à infraestrutura. O clima extremo deixou 154 mortos, 98 desaparecidos e mais de 540 mil deslocados, segundo a defesa civil do estado. Por Rebecca Gompertz Envie comentários e solicite mais informações em feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . Todos os direitos reservados.
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