ISCC redefines brown grease: Correction

Corrects definition in paragraph 3 and adds explanation in paragraph 4

The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) has clarified the definition of brown grease in a revised list of biofuels raw materials eligible for certification under the ISCC EU.

The ISCC confirmed that the category of brown grease or grease trap fat "shall exclusively be used for material that is removed from grease traps" in a system update released on 3 December, adding that "this category shall not be used for material that is removed from the sewage system".

This revised definition rules out waste edible oil collected from sewers from being classed as brown grease. Oil removed from sewers is instead covered under the sewage sludge category, which will be expanded to include fats, oils and grease (FOG) from the sewage system, while the separate sewage system FOG category has been deleted.

"Gutter oil" is an umbrella term used in China to refer to waste edible oil that may be collected through many methods, including from restaurants' indoor or outdoor grease traps.

The changes may hamper eligible volumes of brown grease methyl ester (BGME) available for export from China, although initial reactions from biodiesel producers in the country were mixed. At least one producer that previously produced around 4,000 t/month of the biodiesel said it may reduce its BGME output as a result of the revision, as the availability of waste oil sourced from grease traps in China is currently "very limited". The country's largest BGME exporter of around 30,000 t/month was confident feedstock collections from grease traps would be enough to meet their needs.

Brown grease is classified as an advanced feedstock in the UK, Dutch and Spanish markets, making it eligible for double counting towards biofuels blending quotas and giving BGME a premium over use cooking oil methyl ester in these markets. This has seen it gain popularity among Chinese producers over the past year.

By Lauren Moffitt