Biofuels and feedstocks
Overview
Demand for biofuels is increasing significantly, driven by the need to decarbonise road transport as part of the energy transition. Global biofuels output is expected to rise by more than 3mn b/d in the next five years, and such rapid growth means that new challenges and opportunities are constantly emerging. Keeping on top of the ever-changing biofuels landscape requires accurate pricing, insightful analysis and access to the latest data.
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Q&A: Australia's ACCUs could support biofuels
Q&A: Australia's ACCUs could support biofuels
Sydney, 22 May (Argus) — Australian wood-fibre processor and exporter Midway was selected this week to lead the development of a new reforestation and afforestation carbon-crediting method that might include pongamia trees, which could lead to harvesting of oil seed to be used in biofuel production. Carbon projects manager John Lawson spoke with Argus on the sidelines of industry member organisation Carbon Market Institute's (CMI) Carbon Farming Forum in Fremantle, Western Australia, where assistant minister for climate change and energy Josh Wilson made the announcement . Edited highlights follow: What are the next steps and the expected timeline for this method development? We have a project team stood up and ready to go, and we have already started engaging a lot of industry expertise and interest to contribute to this through targeted input and workshops. We're meeting with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water next week to finalise what the specific milestones are for them and what they want to see, and then we'll be able to have a view as to what we think we can deliver. But we're targeting a 12-to-18-month timeline to get the method to a finalised state to the department. Is there any estimated carbon abatement potential for the method? Some of the work we need to do is to shore some of that up, as pongamia is a completely novel activity. It will depend a bit on how complex the method ends up being, and what the rules are. But a reasonable, conservative rule of thumb might be 100 [Australian Carbon Credit Units] (ACCUs) per hectare, and we've heard people talking about anywhere from 80,000 to 150,000 hectares as potential, which could see significant investment. So, we're talking about millions, if not tens of millions of potential [CO2] abatement. How different would it be from the expired reforestation and afforestation method? We're not proposing to change foundationally what the method is — that is, capturing the sequestered carbon in these forests. It's about creating more flexibility for plantation foresters by expanding what types of forests can be considered under the method to include seed oil crops and other harvest operations, and then have some corresponding changes to the abatement calculations. We're looking to try and simplify some of the measurement and verification approaches. There's potential to expand the type of both mixed species environmental plantings and commercial forestry species under this method. Importantly, this will also create opportunity for some of the activities previously under the farm forestry method, which sunset [in 2024] and wasn't remade. And how different would it be from the existing plantation forestry method? Foundationally, the activity wouldn't be any different, it's just adding a different measurement and verification avenue. Instead of having to use FullCam [Full Carbon Accounting Model] like you do in the current method, it would allow you to do a measurement-based, on-site process. It's important to note that we aren't coming into this presuming that we have all the answers already. What we gave the department is a clear policy position about what we thought the method could be, specifying three areas of focus: adding woody biomass from seed oil crops like pongamia; adding a measured version of plantation forestry; and what we've called a collection of general method improvements. Is pongamia the main driver behind this method? Pongamia seems to be the highest interest species, but that's not to say it's the only species that could be covered under the method. There are opportunities for other species as well. Our view is not to make this a Pongamia-specific activity, it's to make it specific to those types of seed oil crops. It's focused on woody species that support measurable sequestration in the way that the method currently does. The minister announced that Midway will be leading a consortium, but no names were publicly disclosed. How many companies are involved and what types of businesses they are? There's about a dozen companies. The types of businesses that are looking at this are largely emitters, from sectors like transport, mining, energy, LNG. There's very good interest as well from the forestry sector — many forestry developers were interested in providing support. This is a bit outside method development, but would the plan be processing the oil seed in Australia to produce biofuels like renewable diesel? What we're aware of from the people we've spoken to — and we obviously have our pilot project with Rio Tinto — is that the intention is for those seeds to be harvested and processed locally. Just to think about the supply chain logistics, it makes more sense to do that domestically. And there's certainly a lot of interest and need for biofuels in Australia to help with safeguard mechanism compliance , which is another great benefit of what we're proposing under the method. This is one way to capture and recognise real carbon sequestration that does exist in the trees, but it also commercially helps to fund these plantations that ultimately provide even greater benefit in reducing supply chain emissions through the biofuel from the oilseed — in the mining industry, or in large freight logistics, or other activities that have to switch from diesel and other fossil fuels. By Juan Weik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
New EU UCO shipment rules take effect today
New EU UCO shipment rules take effect today
Amsterdam, 21 May (Argus) — The EU's revised Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR), Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, took effect today, introducing mandatory digital documentation requirements. A transitional phase will run until the end of 2026, resulting in a phased rollout of the bloc's new waste tracking system for flows including used cooking oil (UCO). The regulation, adopted by the European parliament and the council on 11 April 2024, sets out the content of the Annex VII document and the obligation to complete and retain it for shipments of waste listed in Annex III (the green list) intended for recovery. A central feature of the new framework is the move to electronic Annex VII documentation, with detailed technical rules set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1290, adopted in July 2025. From today, documentation must be created and exchanged electronically via the EU's Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS) or interconnected platforms. EU expert guidance from 27 March 2026 indicates a soft implementation phase. Annex VII documentation is expected to continue in paper-based or national electronic formats until the end of 2026, with no sanctions for failing to submit data via DIWASS during this period. Full operational use of the system is expected from January 2027. Shipments of non-hazardous green-listed waste, such as UCO for biofuel production, are still subject to Article 18 general information requirements rather than prior notification and consent procedures. These shipments must include the standard Annex VII document, ensuring full visibility of the shipment chain. Market participants said the regime has tightened in practice, but they welcomed the improved traceability to help prevent potential fraud. Article 18 now places clear responsibility on all parties involved in a shipment, including collectors, traders, transporters, and receiving facilities, rather than primarily on the notifier. The updated framework also reinforces end-to-end traceability, allowing authorities to verify the origin, movement, and final treatment of waste streams. These changes extend compliance risk across the entire supply chain. By Anna Prokhorova Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
SAFCo issues Singapore's first SAF tender
SAFCo issues Singapore's first SAF tender
Singapore, 21 May (Argus) — The Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (SAFCo) has issued the first tender for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) delivered to the country, market participants said on 21 May. The tender is for a trial volume, as Singapore prepares to implement a 1pc SAF blending target from 2027 — delayed from the previously planned 2026 launch due to impacts of the US-Iran war. SAFCo has requested tender offers based on the Argus Corsia hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA) synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) fob Strait of Malacca price, market participants said. Argus launched the assessment in March, and last assessed the price at $2,630/t on 20 May . Singapore's civil aviation authority and nine companies in February agreed to trial SAFCo's processes for centrally procuring SAF and administering related environmental attributes (EAs), to ensure processes are clear for stakeholders ahead of the country's SAF target coming into effect. Sellers must be able to show ability to deliver fuel into Changi — either through membership of Changi Airport's fuel storage and infrastructure joint venture Changi Airport Fuel Hydrant Installation (Cahfi), or by working with a member to supply SAF volumes into the airport. Cafhi comprises shareholders from the oil majors Exxon, Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC), while Singapore-based SAF producer Neste is a also minority shareholder enabling it to blend and deliver SAF directly to the hydrant. SAFCo is a non-profit company wholly owned by Singapore's civil aviation authority, set up in October 2025 to aggregate levy funds, centrally procure SAF and administer SAF certificates to help the country meet its decarbonisation targets. By Lauren Moffitt Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Indonesia to route key commodity exports via state firm
Indonesia to route key commodity exports via state firm
Singapore, 20 May (Argus) — Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto today announced that the government will require exports of key commodities to be routed through a state-appointed company, in a move that could tighten state control over flows as authorities grapple with fiscal pressures and a weakening currency. The policy will initially target palm oil, coal and ferrous alloys, Prabowo said in a parliament session on 20 May. The market awaits details of the policy, but under the broad plan, export sales would be channelled through a state-owned enterprise (BUMN), which would act as the sole counterparty to overseas buyers. Prabowo said a state-owned enterprise will act as a "marketing facility" which helps the state strengthen monitoring of export transactions and fight against under-reporting the value of exports in the country. The move is also to ensure that exporters do not "run away" from requirements to keep export proceeds in the country for at least one year, he said. Exporters of national resources, except for oil and gas, are required to place 100pc of the foreign currency proceeds into a special deposit account of a national bank for at least 12 months, according to a government regulation imposed in March 2025. Indonesia has lost about $908bn over 1991-2024 because of export under-invoicing, Prabowo said. "This will optimise our tax revenues and government proceeds from sales of key commodities and our natural resources," said Prabowo. "We don't want our exports to be the cheapest because we don't dare to control our own resources." The shift signals a move towards centralised trade management that could help the state capture more foreign exchange earnings and improve revenue collection. But it also risks disrupting established supply chains and complicating trade flows with international buyers. The benchmark Jakarta Composite Index, representing 913 companies spanning from sectors including commodities and energy, extended losses because of the announcement, dropping by as much as 2.4pc before trimming some intra-day losses. The index is down by 27pc from the start of the year. The phased roll-out of the scheme will begin in June and last through August, when exporters will have to gradually shift contracts, transactions and payment flows to BUMN or state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while still handling parts of the export process. The aim of the phased roll-out is to ensure that SOEs gradually take over the international sales of the commodities. The system is set to move to full implementation from September, with the SOEs assuming end-to-end control of transactions. This could include contract negotiation, documentation, shipping co-ordination and receipt of export proceeds, effectively positioning state firms as the primary interface between Indonesian producers and global markets. The Indonesian coal mining association (APBI) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By Saurabh Chaturvedi and Nadhir Mokhtar Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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