Germany delays HVO and B10 sales at fuel stations

Spanish Market: Biofuels, Emissions, Oil products
18/04/24

HVO and B10 will not be available for sale at German fuel stations until the end of April at the earliest, the environment ministry BMUV told Argus.

The biodiesels were previously expected to be on sale from mid April, but the relevant amendment to the 10th Federal Immission Control Ordinance (BImSchV) still needs signatures from the heads of the three federal ministries involved — environment, transport and economics — and the German chancellor, after which it can be published in the Federal Law Gazette.

The new regulations can come into force one day after publication. When this happens HVO100 and B10 diesel will be available for sale at German fuel stations.

By Max Steinhau and Nik Pais dos Santos

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24/03/25

Electricity drove surge in energy demand in 2024: IEA

London, 24 March (Argus) — Electricity demand drove a jump in overall global energy consumption growth in 2024, lifting it well above the average pace of increase in recent years, energy watchdog the IEA said today. Global energy demand rose by 2.2pc in 2024 — higher than the average annual demand increase of 1.3pc between 2013 and 2023 — according to the Paris-base agency's Global Energy Review . Global electricity consumption rose by 4.3pc, driven by record-high temperatures that led to increased cooling demand, growing industrial consumption, the electrification of transport and from data centres and artificial intelligence, the IEA said. Renewables and nuclear covered the majority of growth in electricity demand, at 80pc, while supply of gas-fired power generation "also increased steadily", it said. New renewable power capacity installations reached around 700GW in 2024 — a new high — while renewable power sources and nuclear together made up 40pc of total generation in 2024, it said. Global gas demand rose by 2.7pc in 2024, with an increase in "fast growing Asian markets", the IEA said. It noted growth of more than 7pc and 10pc in China and India, respectively. But "growth in global oil demand slowed markedly in 2024", the organisation said. Oil demand rose by 0.8pc — compared with 1.9pc in 2023 — and oil's share of total energy demand fell below 30pc last year "for the first time ever". A rise in electric vehicle (EV) purchases was a key contributor to the drop in oil demand for road transport, and this offset "a significant proportion" of the rise in oil consumption for aviation and petrochemicals, the IEA said. The rate of increase in coal demand slowed to 1.1pc in 2024, half the pace seen in 2023. "Intense heatwaves" in China and India "contributed more than 90pc of the total annual increase in coal consumption globally", for cooling needs, the IEA found. Renewables limit rise in emissions The IEA repeatedly noted the significant effect that extreme weather in 2024 had on energy systems and on demand patterns. Last year was the hottest ever recorded, beating the previous record set in 2023. "Weather effects contributed about 15pc of the overall increase in global energy demand", the IEA said. Global cooling degree days were 6pc higher in 2024 on the year, and 20pc higher than the 2000-20 average, it said. But the "continued rapid adoption of clean energy technologies" restricted the rise in energy-related CO2 emissions, which fell to 0.8pc in 2024 from 1.2pc in 2023, the IEA said. Energy-related CO2 emissions still hit a record high of 37.8bn t in 2024, but the rise in emissions was lower than global GDP growth, it said. "The majority of emissions growth in 2024 came from emerging and developing economies other than China," the IEA said. Emerging and developing economies accounted for more than 80pc of the increase in global energy demand last year, it said. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Shell ends direct bitumen sales to some German buyers

21/03/25

Shell ends direct bitumen sales to some German buyers

London, 21 March (Argus) — Shell will stop directly supplying bitumen to some of its low-volume customers in Germany, with effect from 1 April. Shell told customers it has restructured its bitumen distribution channels and can no longer directly distribute to certain customers, according to an email from Shell's bitumen supply unit in Germany seen by Argus . It recommended they instead buy from German bitumen trading and supply firm Bitumina Handel. Neither Shell Germany nor Bitumina Handel have commented, but Argus understands the oil major, which is one of Europe's leading refinery bitumen producers, has concluded a deal with Bitumina to take over supply to its affected customers. The move is part of a wider switch by Shell to focus more on trading bitumen cargoes and less on directly supplying truck volumes to inland customers. The company ended a long-term throughput and supply arrangement into the French market through the Nantes and Bayonne terminals on the French Atlantic coast. Spain's Repsol and Moeve have taken over those operations . Shell last year ceased its South African bitumen retail and truck supply operations . Shell's European bitumen production is at its 187,000 b/d Godorf refinery in western Germany and at its 447,000 b/d Pernis refinery in Rotterdam. The firm recently stopped processing crude at the 147,000 b/d Wesseling section of its 334,000 b/d Rhineland refinery complex. The effect of that on bitumen production at Godorf, the other section of Rhineland, is unclear. By Fenella Rhodes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia's Simcoa may buy carbon credits until 2028

21/03/25

Australia's Simcoa may buy carbon credits until 2028

Sydney, 21 March (Argus) — Australia's silicon producer Simcoa will likely need to buy and surrender Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) until 2028 for safeguard mechanism compliance obligations before it completes a key decarbonisation project, it told Argus today. The project was awarded federal funds on 20 March. Australia's federal Labor government granted Simcoa A$39.8mn ($25mn) under its Powering the Regions Fund (PRF) to expand charcoal production at its Wellesley facility in Western Australia (WA) and remove the use of coal in silicon production. The project is expected to reduce the company's scope 1 emissions by around 90pc, or approximately 100,000 t/yr of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Simcoa is Australia's only silicon manufacturer, which is a key component of solar panels. The funding will help maintain silicon manufacturing capability in the country in addition to cutting emissions, energy minister Chris Bowen said. The company currently uses 35,000 t/yr of metallurgical low ash coal in its operations, and anticipates usage will drop to zero after it doubles its charcoal production capacity by 25,000 t/yr to 50,000 t/yr. The completion date for the expansion is not expected before 2028. The firm may continue to buy [ACCUs] as it must use coal as a reducing agent for part of its production for calendar years 2025-27, or until the expansion project can be commissioned, the company told Argus on 21 March. Simcoa surrendered 22,178 ACCUs in the July 2022-June 2023 compliance year as it reported scope 1 emissions of 122,178t of CO2e with a baseline of 100,000t CO2e at its Kemerton silicon smelter. Figures were lower for the July 2023-June 2024 compliance period, the company said, without disclosing details. Australia's Clean Energy Regulator (CER) will publish 2023-24 safeguard data by 15 April . Simcoa anticipates scope 1 emissions at the Kemerton smelter to be "considerably below" the baseline once the charcoal expansion is completed and could make it eligible to earn and sell safeguard mechanism credits (SMCs), which traded for the first time in late February . "We will take whatever opportunity is available to us," the company said on potentially holding or selling SMCs in future. By Juan Weik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Airliner Virgin Australia to trial SAF blend

21/03/25

Airliner Virgin Australia to trial SAF blend

Sydney, 21 March (Argus) — Airliner Virgin Australia-operated flights from Australia'sWhitsunday Coast airport will use a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend under a joint trial between the carrier and Australian refiner Viva Energy. Virgin's jet aircraft will use a 30-40pc SAF blend between March and July. The aircraft travel to domestic airports from Proserpine town, a key tourism hub near Queensland state's Whitsunday coast. Both firms did not disclose further details, such as the total volume of SAF, at the time of publication. "Partnership, focused policy development, and collaborations such as this with Viva will be essential if we are to adopt successfully SAF's broader use in Australia over the years and decades ahead," said Virgin's chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer Christian Bennett on 20 March. Privately-held Virgin last September trialled SAF in its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, buying 160,000 litres from Indonesian state-owned refiner Pertamina for flights leaving the Indonesian island of Bali. Unlike rival carrier Qantas, which has a target for 10pc SAF by 2030, Virgin has yet to specify a goal for its SAF use. But it has plans to re-enter the long-haul market from mid-year, using wet-leased aircraft from state-owned Qatar Airways, giving it access to airports with greater SAF supply. Viva, the operator of Australia's largest refinery the 120,000 b/d Geelong facility, last month received A$2.4mn ($1.5mn) in state funding to recondition a fuel tank servicing Brisbane airport, to allow for blended SAF supply to jet aircraft. Australia is yet to host any SAF refining capacity, but Canberra this month pledged A$250mn of its A$1.7bn Future Made in Australia innovation fund to low-carbon liquid fuels research and development, after its Labor government earlier promised A$33.5mn for a variety of projects to progress SAF development. Australia ships about 500,000 t/yr of tallow worth about $500mn, a key feedstock for production of HVO and SAF. But uncertainty about the future of tax credits for biofuels in the US under president Donald Trump has seen prices pull back from recent highs. By Tom Major Australian tallow price ($/t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Phillips 66 weighs Louisiana refinery expansion

20/03/25

Phillips 66 weighs Louisiana refinery expansion

Houston, 20 March (Argus) — US independent refiner Phillips 66 is seeking state tax incentives for a possible expansion of its 264,000 b/d refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The expansion would increase production capacity and improve operational efficiency through upgrades and new specialized equipment, according to a summary of the project posted by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. The agency, which administers state incentives, said that the Phillips 66 project is in review. Phillips 66 said today that it does not typically comment on refinery operations, regulatory filings or commercial activities. According to the Louisiana Department of Economic Development posting, the $99mn upgrade would include adding a 5MW steam turbine power generator, a boiler feedwater chemical system, LCR kerosene product rundown system upgrades, a reactor, a naptha fractionator, and other pieces of equipment. The budget includes $40mn for machinery and $59mn for labor and engineering. The project is estimated to be completed at the end of 2027. By Eunice Bridges Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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