Canada delays rollout of clean fuel standard
Canada's government has decided to push back the start of an ambitious program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its use of fossil fuels in transportation, industries and buildings.
The environment ministry said yesterday it needs more time to develop its Clean Fuel Standard (CFS), a measure that aims to cut GHGs by 30mn metric tonne/yr by 2030. The ministry now expects work on the regulations to last into 2020 and 2021. It had originally planned to finish them next year.
"Canada's updated approach for the Clean Fuel Standard will ensure it is developed in a way that supports the transition to lower carbon fuels while also supporting Canada's competitiveness," Canadian environment minister Catherine McKenna said.
The announcement included some significant changes to the draft CFS proposal shared in December. The government has decided to implement the liquid fuels portion first, followed by the regulations for gaseous and solid fuels. Compliance would begin in 2022 for liquid fuels and the following year for gaseous and solid fuels.
"While the delayed timeline is disappointing, it was not unexpected given the complexity of the CFS approach and the pace at which the process has moved to date," Advanced Biofuels Canada president Ian Thomson said.
Thomson also said he supported the decision to advance a liquid-only regulation first, as it provides "greater potential to align with established regulatory designs and establish a more precise market signal for advanced biofuels use."
He cited the low-carbon fuel standards of British Columbia, Oregon and California as examples of existing programs for possible alignment. All three cover only liquid transportation fuels.
The environment ministry plans to release a draft regulatory design paper in the fall that will lay out a tentative allocation of the 30mn t reductions between all three fuel streams. It will also publish a framework for a cost-benefit analysis around the same time.
The CFS would serve as an important part of Canada's plan to reduce GHGs by 30pc from 2005 levels by 2030. The transportation sector accounted for nearly a quarter of the country's emissions in 2015. Buildings and heavy industry were responsible for 12pc and 10pc, respectively.
Related news posts
Oman's Duqm refinery on track to run above capacity
Oman's Duqm refinery on track to run above capacity
Dubai, 3 July (Argus) — Oman's 230,000 b/d Duqm refinery is looking to operate at 10pc above nameplate capacity and is considering diversifying its product portfolio, according to its operator. Omani-Kuwaiti joint venture OQ8's chief executive David Bird told Argus the capacity expansion would be pursued in the near term, with some already opening up in coking and hydrocracker units. The 10pc crude capacity increase is "my COO's [key performance indicator] for this year and I think we all have very high confidence that we'll be able to sweat the assets further," Bird said. "We may even look at intermediate feedstocks and bring in VGOs and residues in order to load up these two conversion units." The $9bn refinery, which hit capacity in February, uses feedstock comprised of 65pc Kuwaiti crude and 35pc Omani crude. Bird said Duqm may add new products to its existing, middle distillates-focused, output of jet fuel, gasoil, naphtha and LPG. "We are looking at structuring, doing something with naphtha," he said. "We are evaluating either reformate or gasoline, which have already gone through feasibility and are now under stage-gate review to decide if we should pursue those investment decisions." Bird also pointed to possibilities in base oils, which he said will be needed "as long as things are moving." "The Middle East has a unique opportunity to capitalize on Group I and Group III base oils," he said, noting Duqm's proximity to growing demand markets in Africa. "If Duqm was to look at expanding capacity, which definitely would still be in middle-distillate oriented space, we would talk about another hydrocracker that might be orientated towards base oil," Bird said. Oman is also developing a petrochemical complex with Saudi Arabia's Sabic and Kuwaiti state-owned KPI, which will use some of the Duqm refinery's production as feedstock. Feasibility for the project has concluded and has been "intimately evaluated" along with a naphtha upgrade, and Bird described them as "very complimentary." Close eye on Europe Bird said that while there is a "huge thirst of our products right at our doorstep", Duqm cargoes are finding their way to destinations that were not previously envisaged. Around 45pc of Duqm's diesel goes to east Africa, but loadings for Europe have begun more recently. Duqm can make European grade winter-specification diesel and is on track to capitalise on demand during the switch from summer grade this year. "When it comes to winter-spec diesel, if the arbitrage opens we can supply that competitively versus anyone else," Bird said. "So we always have an eye on Europe but we're also going to make sure that we are active in markets that are closer to home." By Rithika Krishna Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Venezuela's Maduro open to talks with the US
Venezuela's Maduro open to talks with the US
Caracas, 2 July (Argus) — Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro plans to talk with US envoys on Wednesday to discuss allowing the South American country to increase oil exports in exchange for free and fair elections, he said late on Monday. But Maduro's call for dialogue comes less than a month before the 28 July election in which polls show him up to 40 percentage points behind his main challenger. It is also after the US rescinded a six-month reprieve on sanctions in April, accusing Venezuela of violating a commitment to hold a fair vote. Maduro said that the US had sought dialogue with him "for two months in a row", and, "after thinking about it, I have accepted". The head of the pro-Maduro assembly elected in 2020, Jorge Rodriguez, will represent him in the talks, Maduro said. The US State Department declined to directly confirm Maduro's statement but said that the US welcomed "dialogue in good faith, and we support the Venezuelan people's desire for competitive and inclusive elections on July 28." The US ties sanctions relief to Maduro's observing the 2023 Barbados agreement with the Venezuelan opposition, which promised to hold a competitive presidential election. The US in April reimposed sanctions against Venezuela because the Maduro government did not allow the main opposition contender, Maria Corina Machado, to run for president. Former Venezuelan diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez is the sole presidential candidate representing the opposition Unitary Platform. "We are clear-eyed that democratic change will not be easy, and certainly requires a serious commitment," the US State Department said. "This is something that we will continue to focus on when we will engage in dialogue with with a broad range of Venezuelan actors." Venezuela in recent weeks has barred an additional 10 city mayors from running for office for 15 years after they expressed support for Gonzalez, according to the CNE electoral authority and the comptroller general's office. During the first six months of 2024 Maduro has arrested 39 people connected to Gonzalez's campaign, the last one as recently as 30 June, a campaign source told Argus, using figures from Venezuelan non-governmental organizations. Police over the weekend also detained Machado for several hours while leaving a rally for Gonzalez. Venezuela's oil output increased by around 4pc in May to 911,700 b/d from 878,000 b/d in April as drilling campaigns showed results after three months of flat production, according to the oil ministry. But US sanctions are expected to keep a cap on much additional growth. By Carlos Camacho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
French EdF develops more nuclear supply contracts
French EdF develops more nuclear supply contracts
Paris, 2 July (Argus) — French state-owned utility EdF has signed five letters of intent for long-term nuclear supply contracts for power-intensive industries, EdF executive director Marc Benayoun said at the Europ'Energies conference in Paris today. The five nuclear power supply contracts represent over 10 TWh/yr of consumption and will last for at least 10 years. Payment will be upfront. "We are still far from the [24TWh] maximum that we were aiming for but, in a context of low prices, some actors prefer medium-term contracts", Benayoun said. The utility had signed three letters of intent for nuclear power supply contracts as of April, including one with steel manufacturer Arcellor Mittal and another with green iron consortium GravitHy . French nuclear power supply contracts — or CAPNs — are designed for power-intensive industries, defined by the share of energy expenses in their revenue. French state-owned rail company SNCF consumes an average of 9 TWh/yr of power so does not fall under the power-intensive category, making it ineligible for a CAPN. Discussions on widening the scope of CAPNs have been ongoing with EdF, SNCF operations director Khadidja Haned Bouaddou told Argus . Nuclear supply contracts will partly replace France's Arenh scheme, under which EdF is obliged to sell nuclear power at a fixed price to competitors. The Arenh mechanism is due to expire at the end of next year. The French state reached a deal with EdF at the end of last year that sets a price for nuclear power sales, but the agreement has not yet become law. The prices of the contracts could be renegotiated, French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said recently. France's current parliamentary elections add further uncertainty to the future of the mechanism. EdF has concluded 2,000 contracts for around 40TWh, or 11.7 TWh/yr, of power over 4-5 years, with the power coming not only from its nuclear fleet. This compares with the 20TWh of power that the utility had sold as of the beginning of April . In parallel, the utility is conducting pay-as-clear auctions for delivery in 2028-29, offering 1-5MW. But the auction has not cleared, as prices have decreased and bids received by EdF were below its reserve price, Benayoun said. Power-intensive industries union Uniden president Nicolas de Warren welcomed the initiative of the auctions and said they represent a complementary source of supply. By Tatiana Serova Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
UK bitumen production at highest since July 2021
UK bitumen production at highest since July 2021
London, 2 July (Argus) — UK bitumen production in April hit its highest in nearly three years even though there is only one remaining bitumen-producing refinery in the country, in Eastham. The UK government's latest provisional data showed production at 68,000t in April, up by 7pc compared with the same month last year. Bitumen production declined overall last year by 147,000t on the year to just 373,000t, the lowest since records began in 1995, after UK energy company Prax Group ceased all bitumen production at its Lindsey refinery in the northeast of England in early 2023. In January-April this year, the UK produced 77,000t of bitumen, a decrease of 10,000t from the same period last year. UK consumption in April was at 122,000t, up 7,000t since the other refineries in the UK closed by April 2023. With the UK's general election taking place on 4 July, parties have made promises which could support bitumen consumption. The UK government this year committed £8.3bn ($10.52bn) to fill potholes and resurface roads by 2034, and the UK opposition party Labour last month pledged to keep this plan in place if elected while additionally funding councils £320m over five year by deferring the planned A27 Arundel bypass works in Sussex. Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) in March 2024 published a report stating that the total number of potholes filled in 2022 was 1.4mn, down from 1.7mn in 2021 and the equivalent of one every 22 seconds. Spending on pothole repairs fell to £93.7mn last year from £107.4mn in 2021. By Fenella Rhodes 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