Petrobras HVO diesel opens rivalry with biodiesel
Brazilian state-controlled Petrobras completed refinery tests on its patented hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) production technology, setting off a rivalry with the country's biodiesel producers.
Petrobras said it successfully converted 2mn liters (12,580 bl) of soybean oil into 40mn l of HVO diesel at its Repar refinery in Parana state.
The final product meets all technical requirements, Petrobras said. "The new fuel reduces greenhouse gases more than current biodiesel," Petrobras downstream director Anelise Lara said in a statement.
In order to market the advanced biofuel, Petrobras will have to secure authorization from hydrocarbons regulator ANP, which has the final word on how the fuel is classified. This will determine whether the fuel competes on the market with biodiesel or with conventional diesel. Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the ANP had been expected to issue regulations on the new biofuel this year.
Petrobras maintains that HVO should be classified alongside biodiesel to meet the country's 12pc blending mandate. The company added that HVO does not use glycerine in its production process and improves the performance of diesel motors, unlike conventional biodiesel.
But the biodiesel industry, which has invested heavily over the past decade in capacity to meet the mandate, is arguing that HVO should not be classified as biodiesel.
"HVO and biodiesel should not be treated as equals," according to Juan Diego Ferres, president of biofuels association Ubrabio.
Despite its environmental advantages, HVO diesel is more akin to petroleum-based diesel and should not be subject to the same regulations as biodiesel, Ferres said.
Petrobras' HVO bio-jet fuel, which also uses the same vegetable oil feedstocks and refining technique as its HVO diesel, is also awaiting regulatory approval. The bio-jet fuel opens up a potential export market populated by foreign airlines looking for sustainable fuel alternatives to conventional jet fuel to reduce their carbon footprints, according to Petrobras.
Related news posts
New ISO 8217 eyes wider scope for alternative fuels
New ISO 8217 eyes wider scope for alternative fuels
London, 24 April (Argus) — The 7th edition of ISO 8217, to be published in the second quarter of this year, will outline a broader integration of marine biodiesel blending, delegates heard at the International Bunker Conference (IBC) 2024 in Norway. Tim Wilson, principal specialist fuels of Lloyds Register's fuel oil bunkering analysis and advisory service (FOBAS), presented on the upcoming iteration of the ISO 8217 marine fuel specification standard, which will be released at IBC 2024. The new edition will incorporate specification standards for a wide range of fatty acid methyl ester (Fame)-based marine biodiesel blends up to B100, 100pc hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), as well as synthetic and renewable marine fuels. This will also include additional clauses to cover a wider scope, and briefly touch on biodiesel specifications that do not entirely align with road biodiesel EN-14214 specifications. This follows the emergence of widening price spreads for marine biodiesel blends because of specification differences and the lack of a marine-specific standard for the blends. The new edition of ISO 8217 is also expected to remove the limit of 7pc Fame when blended with distillate marine fuels such as marine gasoil (MGO) which was in place in the previous ISO 8217:2017. Other changes to distillate marine biodiesel blends include changes to the minimum Cetane Index, oxidation stability alignment to be connected to either ISO 15751 for blends comprising 2pc or more of Fame biodiesel and ISO 12205 for blends comprising a Fame component of under 2pc. Cold-filter plugging point (CFPP) properties will be determined by the vessel's fuel storage tanks' heating capabilities and requirements will be set in place to report the CFPP for distillate marine biodiesel grades, according to the new edition of the marine fuel specification standard. Wilson said that a minimum kinematic viscosity at 50°C will be in place for various forms of residual bunker fuel oil along with a viscosity control alerting suppliers to inform buyers of the exact viscosity in the supplied fuel. He said they have seen delivered fuel viscosity come in at much lower levels than ordered by the buyers, which was the reasoning behind the viscosity control monitoring requirement. By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Peninsula eyes B100 marine fuel supply in Barcelona
Peninsula eyes B100 marine fuel supply in Barcelona
London, 24 April (Argus) — Marine fuel supplier and trader Peninsula has added a chemical tanker to its fleet in Barcelona, with a view to supply the port with B100 marine biodiesel. Aalborg meets chemical tanker regulations under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex II. This means the tanker can supply marine biodiesel blends containing up to 100pc fatty acid methyl ester (Fame), which conventional oil tankers are unable to do . Oil tankers and barges are limited to up to 25pc Fame. Peninsula added that the Aalborg is also used to supply conventional fossil bunker fuels such as very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and marine gasoil (MGO). It is yet to complete a B100 delivery in Barcelona. Market participants pointed to limited demand for B100 in the Mediterranean, but regulatory changes such as the introduction of FuelEU maritime next year may help to support demand for marine biodiesel blends. By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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.
US biodiesel faces poor production economics
US biodiesel faces poor production economics
Houston, 19 April (Argus) — US biodiesel producers are facing worsening production economics, as evidenced by a deteriorating correlation between the soybean oil-heating oil (BOHO) spread and biomass-based diesel D4 renewable information number (RIN) credits. Historically, tighter values in the BOHO spread, an indicator of soybean oil-based biodiesel production margins, have applied downward pressure to D4 RIN values, as biodiesel producers change their credit position, depending on the economics of their operation. But rising renewable diesel production has swelled the supply of D4 RINS, reducing credit values and making it harder for producers to monetize RIN credits, as the correlation between the two production factors deteriorates. Regression analysis measuring the effect of the BOHO spread on the next month's D4 price shows a decoupling of the relationship in recent years, with BOHO in the last two years about half as predictive of the change in D4 credit prices as it was in the years since 2016. The least correlated periods were in the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter this year. In those quarters, the predictability of the BOHO spread came to 32pc and 34pc, respectively, meaning they were not predictive. The drop coincided with falling credit prices as substantial growth in renewable diesel production oversupplied the D4 RIN market. Unlike biodiesel, renewable diesel draws from a more diverse pool of feedstocks including beef tallow and used cooking oil, making renewable diesel production economics less dependent on soybean oil. D4 RINs have fallen at a faster rate than BOHO over the last year. D4 credits averaged 58.2¢/RIN in the first quarter, down by roughly two-thirds on the year, while BOHO narrowed by 49pc to 79.64¢/USG in the same period. D4 RIN equivalence, a 1.5x multiplier applied to the RIN value that factors in the amount of generated RINs/USG of biodiesel produced, averaged a 7.66¢/USG premium to BOHO in the first quarter, down from 87.73¢/USG a year earlier, leaving producers less room to profit from producing biodiesel. D4 RIN equivalence ended the first quarter at a discount to BOHO, averaging 9.6¢/USG less than BOHO from 6 March-31 March, and obligated parties have had trouble recouping production costs using RINs. Current production fundamentals could force smaller soybean oil-based biodiesel producers to reduce output in the second half of the year, as some producers have not reached purchase agreements for that period, according to market participants. Some facilities have closed. In March, Chevron REG announced the closure of two biodiesel plants in Wisconsin and Iowa "due to market conditions." By Payne Williams and Matthew Cope D4 Prices Vs BOHO Spread $ 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