Relator do Combustível do Futuro entrega parecer
O relatório do deputado federal Arnaldo Jardim (Cidadania-SP) para o projeto de lei (PL) do Combustível do Futuro, apresentado nesta segunda-feira (26), traz revisões para a mistura obrigatória de etanol na gasolina e um cronograma para elevação gradual da mescla de biodiesel, entre outras adições.
Originalmente, os termos do projeto enviado pela equipe do presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva definiam, junto a outras medidas, a elevação da mistura máxima de etanol anidro na gasolina de 27,5pc para 30pc. O relatório de Jardim fixa o percentual obrigatório em 27pc, mas abre espaço para o executivo elevar este percentual a 35pc, após testes de viabilidade técnica, ou reduzi-lo a 22pc.
O texto ainda institui um Programa Nacional do Biometano e estabelece um mandato de mistura de biodiesel por lei — ambos os setores foram esquecidos no projeto inicial. Jardim contou à Argus em outubro que grandes blocos dentro da indústria de biocombustíveis pediram aos parlamentares para reconsiderarem essas questões no preparo do relatório, que agora foi apresentado na Câmara.
Para o diretor executivo da Frente Parlamentar Mista do Biodiesel (FPBio), João Henrique Hummels, a elevação da mistura obrigatória do biodiesel deve reforçar o esmagamento de soja e gerar mais farelo para alimentar os rebanhos bovinos. Uma política de incentivo à industrialização e aumento da produtividade na cadeia proteica é "positiva" para o setor, afirmou.
O Combustível do Futuro está alinhado com os esforços de Lula para reforçar o uso de energia renovável e biocombustíveis no Brasil, trazendo sob seu guarda-chuva iniciativas anteriores, como a Política Nacional de Biocombustíveis (Renovabio). A gestão passada do ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro deu pouca prioridade ao programa.
O que há novo?
Algumas das mudanças propostas na segunda-feira:
• Biodiesel: estabelecimento de cronograma de elevação anual do percentual de adição obrigatória no período de 2025 a 2030, de modo a chegar em 20pc, e aumentar para 25pc a partir de 2031. A mescla está hoje em 12pc.
• Biometano: institui um programa para adoção do biometano na matriz de transporte nacional, com um mandato inicial definido em 1pc pelo Conselho Nacional de Política Energética (CNPE), que poderia ser ajustado em até 10pc.
• Mistura de anidro na gasolina: fixa em 27pc o percentual obrigatório de adição de anidro à gasolina, ao mesmo tempo em que estabelece que o poder executivo poderá elevá-lo até o limite de 35pc ou reduzi-lo a 22pc, dos atuais 18pc-27,5pc. O tão discutido aumento da mistura poderia ajudar a aumentar a demanda por etanol no mercado interno. Já uma redução poderia ser feita em caso de preços altos ou escassez de oferta
• Petrobras: autoriza a estatal a incluir no seu objeto social as atividades vinculadas à energia, bem como as atividades relacionadas à movimentação e estocagem de dióxido de carbono, à transição energética e à economia de baixo carbono, em linha com os planos da empresa de adotar uma atuação mais "verde". O estatuto da Petrobras não incluía tais atividades antes.
Próximos passos
O Combustível do Futuro precisa ser aprovado pelas duas casas no Congresso e sancionado por Lula para ser transformado em lei. O PL foi apensado a um projeto semelhante de autoria do deputado Alceu Moreira, que tramita em caráter emergencial.
A FPBio disse que apoiará o rito de aprovação do texto, que conta também com apoio do presidente da Câmara, Arthur Lira, segundo Jardim disse à Argus no ano passado, o que também pode acelerar sua aprovação.
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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.
Houston refiners weather hurricane-force winds: Update
Houston refiners weather hurricane-force winds: Update
Adds Calcasieu comment, update on flaring reporting Houston, 17 May (Argus) — Over 2mn b/d of US refining capacity faced destructive winds Thursday evening as a major storm blew through Houston, Texas, but the damage reported so far has been minimal. Wind speeds of up to 78 mph were recorded in northeast Houston and the Houston Ship Channel — home to five refineries with a combined 1.5mn b/d of capacity — faced winds up to 74 mph, according to the National Weather Service . Further South in Galveston Bay, where Valero and Marathon Petroleum refineries total 818,000 b/d of capacity, max wind speeds of 51 mph were recorded. Chevron's 112,000 b/d Pasadena refinery on the Ship Channel just east of downtown Houston sustained minor damage during the storm and continues to supply customers, the company said. ExxonMobil's 564,000 b/d Baytown refinery on the Ship Channel and 369,000 b/d Beaumont, Texas, refinery further east faced no significant impact from the storm and the company continues to supply customers, a spokesperson told Argus . Neither Phillips 66's 265,000 b/d Sweeny refinery southwest of Houston nor its 264,000 b/d Lake Charles refinery 140 miles east in Louisiana were affected by the storm, a spokesperson said. There was no damage at Motiva's 626,000 b/d Port Arthur, Texas, refinery according to the company. Calcasieu's 136,000 b/d refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was unaffected by the storm and operations are normal, the refiner said. Marathon Petroleum declined to comment on operations at its 593,000 b/d Galveston Bay refinery. Valero, LyondellBasell, Pemex, Total and Citgo did not immediately respond to requests for comment on operations at their refineries in the Houston area, Port Arthur and Lake Charles. A roughly eight-mile portion of the Houston Ship Channel from the Sidney Sherman Bridge to Greens Bayou closed from 9pm ET 16 May to 1am ET today when two ships brokeaway from their moorings, and officials looked in a potential fuel oil spill, according to the US Coast Guard. The portion that closed provides access to Valero's 215,000 b/d Houston refinery, LyondellBasell's 264,000 b/d Houston refinery and Chevron's Pasadena refinery. Emissions filings with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are yet to indicate the extent of any flaring and disruption to operations in the Houston area Thursday evening, but will likely be reported later Friday and over the weekend. Gulf coast refiners ran their plants at average utilization rates of 93pc in the week ended 10 May, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), up by two percentage points from the prior week as the industry heads into the late-May Memorial Day weekend and beginning of peak summer driving season. The next EIA data release on 22 May will likely reveal any dip in Gulf coast refinery throughputs resulting from the storm. By Nathan Risser Houston area refineries 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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