Industry wants SAF carbon allowance boost

  • Spanish Market: Biofuels, Emissions, Hydrogen
  • 11/05/22

The aviation industry today called for a new additional supporting mechanism under the EU's emissions trading system (ETS) allowing aircraft operators to gain carbon reductions from uplifting sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).

The call was made ahead of an expected European Parliament vote on 18 May on legislative proposals to reform the ETS. Firms signing up include Neste, Siemens Energy, Norsk e-Fuel and Lanzatech as well as Airlines for Europe (A4E), airports, and aviation and aerospace manufacturers.

The group wants a new supporting mechanism under the EU ETS allowing aircraft operators to receive carbon allowances equal to overall CO2 reduced by SAF uplifting, suggesting a rate equal to CO2 save for SAFs from biofuel, but with a 200pc multiplier for advanced biofuels and synthetic fuels including hydrogen. The ETS tweak, they argue, would provide additional incentives for airline decarbonisation via SAFs over and above the mandated minimum blend. It would provide further bridging in terms of the current price gap with conventional jet fuel.

"The scheme creates an incentivising pricing system respecting the integrity of the EU single market, benefiting people across the EU, unlike many ad hoc national programmes or targeted funds," said Laurent Donceel, senior policy director at A4E.

Donceel sees increasing support in parliament, which will hold crucial votes next week on aviation in the ETS. EU member states too are showing growing interest. Once both parliament and EU states have reached their own formal positions, talks can begin on a final legislative text.

The EU proposed a SAF blending mandate last year whereby aircraft landing at EU airports must uplift blended jet fuel with a mandated SAF share of 2pc by 2025, 5pc by 2030, 20pc by 2035, 32pc by 2040 and 63pc by 2050.

The latest market outlook published by SAF producer SkyNRG indicates that some 4.7mn t of SAF will be needed by 2030 to meet the aggregate EU and UK demand with mandates.


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22/04/24

Brazil 1Q tallow exports triple on long-term contracts

Brazil 1Q tallow exports triple on long-term contracts

Sao Paulo, 22 April (Argus) — Brazilian beef tallow exports totaled 73,930 metric tonnes (t) in the first quarter, a three-fold increase from the same three-month period in 2023 on rising demand. Almost 93pc of outflows between January and March were shipped to the US, according to data from Brazil's trade ministry. Long-term contracts explain the rising flow of exports, even though spot market arbitrage was closed throughout the first quarter (see chart) . The price of tallow in the Paranagua and Santos ports was $960/t fob on 19 April, keeping the arbitrage closed to US Gulf coast buyers, where the reference product was at $901/t on a delivered inland basis. Brazilian tallow is also negotiated at a premium against soybean oil, which closed at $882/t fob Paranagua on 19 April. This scenario has been observed since the 1 December 2023 start of Argus ' tallow export price assessment. Historically, vegetable oil in Brazil was traded at a discount to tallow, but strong demand has boosted the price of animal fat. Some biodiesel plants have been purchasing used cooking oil (UCO) or pork fat as an alternative. In 2023, there were doubts about whether the outflow of tallow from Brazil would be constant. Market participants now believe that the 2024 start of operations at new renewable diesel refineries in the US should sustain exports. Local suppliers that have already signed supply guarantee contracts — some up to three years — with American buyers are also considering export opportunities with Asia, including a new renewable diesel plant in Singapore that could receive Brazilian cargoes. Expansion projects are propelling US demand, including work that would bring capacity at Marathon Petroleum's Martinez Renewables plants in California to 2.35mn m³/y (40,750 b/d)and the Phillips 66 Rodeo unit in northern Californiato 3mn m³/y. These and other new projects will increase annual US demand for tallow by 5mn t. Maintenance on the horizon Maintenance at US refineries has Brazilian sellers bracing for a short-term drop in prices. Between May and June the Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) unit in Port Arthur, Texas, will shut down for maintenance, a stoppage that could impact demand for Brazilian inputs. Market participants have already observed a slight increase in domestic tallow supply, a change they attribute to maintenance at DGD. The advance of the soybean crop in Argentina is also expected to increase the supply of feedstocks to North American plants, as some refineries are returning to soybean oil after a hiatus of several years. The soybean oil quote on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) is an important reference for the price of tallow. By Alexandre Melo Renewable feedstocks in Brazil on fob basis R/t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Europe 2.6°C above pre-industrial temperature in 2023


22/04/24
22/04/24

Europe 2.6°C above pre-industrial temperature in 2023

London, 22 April (Argus) — Temperatures in Europe stood at 2.6°C above pre-industrial levels in 2023, data from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) show. Europe last year experienced either its joint-warmest or second-warmest year on record, the WMO and EU earth-monitoring service Copernicus found today, in a joint report, European State of the Climate 2023 . The organisations use datasets covering different geographical domains for Europe. WMO includes Greenland, the South Caucasus and part of the Middle East in its dataset. Copernicus put the temperature in Europe last year at between 2.48–2.58°C above pre-industrial levels. The Paris climate agreement seeks to limit global warming to "well below" 2°C and preferably to 1.5°C. Europe is warming roughly twice as fast as the rest of the world. The global average temperature in 2023 was 1.45°C above the pre-industrial average, the WMO said earlier this year . It confirmed 2023 as the hottest on record. Climate scientists use the period 1850-1900 as the baseline for a pre-industrial average. Temperatures in Europe in 2023 were above average for 11 months of the year, and there was a record number of days with "extreme heat stress", the report found. The three warmest years on record for Europe have occurred since 2020, and the 10 warmest since 2007, it said. Electricity generation from renewables in Europe last year reached the highest proportion on record, at 43pc up from 36pc in 2022, the WMO and Copernicus said. Increased storm activity between October-December and above-average precipitation and river flow resulted in higher potential for wind power and run-of-river hydropower generation, respectively. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and methane — the greenhouse gases (GHGs) causing the most warming — continued to increase in 2023, "reaching record levels", the report found. It put CO2 concentrations at 419 parts per million (ppm) and methane at 1,902 parts per billion (ppb) on average last year. "Only around half of anthropogenic emissions of CO2 have been absorbed by land vegetation and oceans", the organisations said. GHGs from human activity are driving climate change, but the El Nino weather phenomenon also typically leads to higher temperatures. The El Nino weather pattern, which started in July 2023, peaked in December , the WMO said previously, but could still affect temperatures this year. There is a 60pc chance of La Nina conditions — which typically lead to lower temperatures — developing in June-August, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said earlier this month. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

India mulls using more natural gas in steel sector


19/04/24
19/04/24

India mulls using more natural gas in steel sector

Mumbai, 19 April (Argus) — India's steel ministry is considering increasing natural gas consumption in the sector as it aims to lower carbon emissions from the industry. Steelmakers held a meeting with the steel ministry earlier this month, to discuss challenges and avenues to increase gas allocation to the sector, according to a government document seen by Argus . Steel producers requested that the government set gas prices at an affordable range of $7-8/mn Btu for them, to make their gas-based plants viable, as well as for a custom duty waiver on LNG procured for captive power. India's LNG imports attract a custom duty of 2.5pc. City gas distribution firms sell gas at market-determined prices to steel companies. Representatives from the steel industry also requested for the inclusion of gas under the purview of the country's goods and service tax, and to be given higher priority in the allocation of deepwater gas, which has a higher calorific value. Deepwater gas is currently deployed mostly to city gas distribution networks. Steelmakers are currently undertaking feasibility tests for gas pipeline connectivity at various steel plants. But a gas supply transmission agreement requires a minimum five-year period for investment approval. The steel industry is heavily reliant on coal, and the sector accounts for about 8-10pc of carbon emissions in the country. A task force of gas suppliers including IOC, Gail, BPCL, Shell, and HPCL and steel producers like Tata Steel, AMNS, All India Steel Re-roller Association and the Pellet Manufacturers Association has been set up, and the team is expected to submit a report on increasing natural gas usage and lowering carbon emissions by 15 May, the government document said. This team is one of the 13 task forces approved by the steel ministry to define the country's green steel roadmap. The steel ministry aims to increase green steel exports from the country in the light of the policies under the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will take effect on 1 January 2026. Under the CBAM, importers will need to declare the quantity of goods imported into the EU in the preceding year and their corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. The importers will then have to surrender the corresponding number of CBAM certificates. CBAM certificate prices will be calculated based on the weekly average auction price of EU Emissions Trading System allowances, expressed in €/t of CO2 emitted. This is of higher importance to Indian steelmakers as the EU was the top finished steel export destination for Indian steelmakers during the April 2022-March 2023 fiscal year with total exports of 2.34mn t, and has been the preferred choice for Indian steel exports in the current fiscal year owing to higher prices compared to other regions. Indian steelmakers have started to take steps to lower their carbon emissions by announcing collaborations with technology companies to decarbonise, and are trial injecting hydrogen in blast furnaces, and increasing the usage of natural gas in ironmaking. By Rituparna Ghosh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Amapá cancela regime especial de ICMS


18/04/24
18/04/24

Amapá cancela regime especial de ICMS

Rio de Janeiro, 18 April (Argus) — O Secretário da Fazenda (Sefaz) do Amapá (AP) cancelou ontem o regime especial de tributação de empresas importadoras de combustíveis, colocando um fim a uma situação que gerava distorções de preços no mercado de diesel . A decisão do órgão foi publicada no diário oficial desta quarta-feira, dia 17, e contempla os regimes especiais do tributo estadual ICMS de oito empresas, entre elas a Refinaria de Manguinhos, que pertence ao grupo Fit, Amapetro, Axa Oil, Alba Trading e Father Trading. No caso da Amapetro, a empresa pagava uma alíquota efetiva de 4pc do valor da importação nas compras de outros países para uso próprio para consumo dentro do estado. Considerando a média do indicador Argus de importação de diesel de origem russa ao longo de março, isso equivaleria a R$136,9/m³.O valor atual do ICMS nos outros estados brasileiros é de R$1.063/m³ desde 1 de fevereiro. O estado teria importado 197.244m³ de diesel em março, de acordo com informações do Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria, Comércio e Serviços (MDIC). Isso equivale a 15,9pc do total de diesel importado pelo Brasil no mês. O consumo de diesel A do estado foi de 6.250m³ no mês passado, equivalente a 0,1pc do consumo nacional, de acordo com os dados da Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP). As autorizações do estado criavam distorções de preços no mercado e perdas de arrecadação fiscal em várias estados onde o produto acabava sendo consumido. Associações de produtores e distribuidores de diesel vinham pressionando o poder público nos últimos meses para derrubar esses regimes especiais. De acordo com o Instituto Combustível Legal, a medida causou um prejuízo de R$1 bilhão aos estados onde o combustível importado no âmbito do regime especial era efetivamente consumido, citando os estados de São Paulo, Paraná e Pernambuco como principais destinos. No início do mês, a Refina Brasil, que reúne as refinarias de petróleo independentes do país, estimou que o contribuinte amapaense pagava um valor próximo a R$0,83/l em subsídios para importadores. Por Amance Boutin Envie comentários e solicite mais informações em feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . Todos os direitos reservados.

Conab: Safra de cana-de-açúcar bate recorde


18/04/24
18/04/24

Conab: Safra de cana-de-açúcar bate recorde

Sao Paulo, 18 April (Argus) — A moagem de cana-de-açúcar da safra 2023-24 foi a maior da história do país, em meio a condições climáticas favoráveis e investimentos no setor, de acordo com dados da Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab). O processamento total de matéria-prima da safra de 2023-24, entre abril de 2023 e o mesmo mês deste ano, totalizou 713,2 milhões de t, alta de 16pc em comparação a 610,8 milhões de t na temporada anterior. As áreas destinadas à atividade canavieira aumentaram 0,5pc, para 8,3 milhões de hectares (ha). A maior disponibilidade de matéria-prima estendeu as operações de moagem – que normalmente param em novembro – até dezembro em importantes estados produtores, como São Paulo. Produção de etanol Tanto a produção de etanol quanto a de açúcar cresceram, segundo a Conab. A produção total de etanol do Brasil – excluindo o biocombustível à base de milho – atingiu 29,6 milhões de m³, salto de 11pc na base anual. O etanol hidratado representou a maior parte do crescimento do processamento este ano, totalizando 17,6 milhões de m³, aumento de 16pc em relação ao ciclo anterior. A paridade favorável para o E100 frente à gasolina na bomba nos principais estados consumidores impulsionou a demanda pelo biocombustível na temporada. Já a produção de etanol anidro subiu 6,5pc, para 12 milhões de m³. O processamento de etanol à base de milho avançou 33pc, registrando 5,9 milhões de m³, com crescentes investimentos no setor tanto no Centro-Sul quanto em outras regiões. O anidro de milho subiu 45pc, para 2,2 milhões de m³. Para o hidratado, o resultado foi de 3,6 milhões de m³, alta anual de 26pc. O Brasil exportou 2,5 milhões de m³ de etanol na temporada de 2023-24, queda de 2,9pc em comparação à safra passada. Os Estados Unidos foram os maiores compradores do biocombustível, com 33pc dos embarques. Em seguida, a Coreia do Sul e o hub Amsterdã-Roterdã-Antuérpia (ARA) responderam por 17pc e 12pc, respectivamente. Já as importações de etanol caíram 43pc em comparação ao ano anterior, somando 215.000m³. Quase todo o produto chegou dos EUA e do Paraguai, que representaram 55,5pc e 44,3pc do volume total. Enquanto isso, a produção de açúcar aumentou 24pc, para 45,6 milhões de t, com usinas direcionando mais matéria-prima para o adoçante em meio a preços atrativos para a commodity no mercado internacional. O Brasil exportou 35,2 milhões de t de açúcar de abril a março, alta de 26pc no ano, em um cenário em que grandes exportadores, como Índia e Paquistão, diminuíram as entregas. China, Índia e Indonésia foram os maiores importadores do produto brasileiro. Por Laura Guedes Envie comentários e solicite mais informações em feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . Todos os direitos reservados.

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