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Sweden extends EU ETS 2 application

  • Market: Agriculture, Biofuels, Emissions
  • 28/11/24

The European Commission has approved the application of the new emissions trading system for road transport and buildings (EU ETS 2) to additional sectors in Sweden.

Sweden will unilaterally apply the new system to emissions from freight and passenger railway transport, non-commercial leisure boats, airport and harbour off-road machinery, and fuel combustion in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

The extension means additional carbon allowances will be issued to the country in 2027, on the basis of emissions from the activities listed calculated at 1.68mn t of CO2 equivalent. Sweden must monitor and report emissions from the additional sectors from 1 January.

The EU ETS 2 is due to launch fully in 2027, and will apply in its basic form to fuel combustion in buildings, road transport and small industry not covered by the existing EU ETS, in all the bloc's member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The commission approved similar unilateral extensions of the system's scope in the Netherlands and Austria in September.


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02/05/25

Japan’s Saffaire starts supplying SAF to Japan Airlines

Japan’s Saffaire starts supplying SAF to Japan Airlines

Tokyo, 2 May (Argus) — Japanese sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) joint venture Saffaire Sky Energy has started supplying its SAF to Japan Airlines (JAL). This is the company's first SAF delivery to an airline. Saffaire is a joint venture launched by Japanese engineering firm JGC, refiner Cosmo Oil and biodiesel producer Revo International. The delivery of SAF to a passenger flight marks a full-fledged launch of a supply chain that enables the continuous mass-production and supply of SAF in Japan, JGC and JAL announced on 1 May. The JAL plane was fuelled with Saffaire's SAF at Kansai International Airport in western Japan's Osaka, and departed to Shanghai, China, on 1 May. Saffaire will continue to supply SAF to JAL and start supplying SAF to other airlines as well, JGC told Argus . Saffaire supplied SAF to Japan Air Self-Defense Force in April. It announced plans to start delivery to domestic airlines JAL and All Nippon Airways (ANA), the US' Delta Air Lines , Finland's Finnair, Taiwan's Starlux Airlines and German logistics group DHL Express in the 2025 fiscal year. JGC also announced a plan on 24 April to start supplying Saffaire's SAF to Taiwan's Eva Air in the 2025 fiscal year. Saffaire operates Japan's first large-scale SAF plant in Cosmo's Sakai refinery in Osaka, with a production capacity of around 30,000 kilolitres/yr. Saffaire uses used cooking oil (UCO) as feedstock for SAF. By Kohei Yamamoto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US bill would extend expired biofuel credits


01/05/25
News
01/05/25

US bill would extend expired biofuel credits

New York, 1 May (Argus) — Legislation soon to be introduced in the US House would extend expired biofuel incentives through 2026, potentially providing a reprieve to refiners that have curbed production this year because of policy uncertainty. The bill, which will be sponsored by US representative Mike Carey (R-Ohio) and some other Republicans on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, according to a person familiar, could be introduced as soon as today. It would prolong both the long-running $1/USG for blenders of biomass-based diesel and a separate incentive that offers up to $1.01/USG for producers of cellulosic ethanol. The credits expired at the end of last year but under the proposal would be extended through both 2025 and 2026. The incentives would run alongside the Inflation Reduction Act's new "45Z" credit for clean fuel producers, which offers a sliding scale of benefits based on carbon intensity, though the bill would prevent double claiming of credits, according to bill text shared with Argus . The 45Z credit is less generous across the board to road fuels — offering $1/USG only for carbon-neutral fuels and much less for crop-based diesels — and is still in need of final rules after President Joe Biden's administration issued only preliminary guidance around qualifying. The proposal then would effectively offer a more generous alternative through 2026 for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and cellulosic ethanol but not for other fuels that can claim the technology-neutral 45Z incentive. That could upend the economics of renewable fuel production. Vegetable oil-based diesels for instance could claim the blenders credit and earn more than aviation fuels that draw from the same feedstocks. According to Argus Consulting estimates, aviation fuels derived from wastes like distillers corn oil and domestic used cooking should still earn more than $1/USG this year, conversely, since 45Z is more generous to aviation fuels. Extending the biodiesel blenders credit would also allow foreign fuel imports to again claim federal subsidies, a boost for Finnish refiner Neste and the ailing Canadian biofuel startup Braya Renewable Fuels but a controversial provision for US refiners and feedstock suppliers. The 45Z incentive can only be claimed by US producers. The blenders incentive is also popular among fuel marketer groups, which have warned that shifting subsidies to producers could up fuel costs. The proposal adds to a contentious debate taking place across the biofuel value chain about what the future of clean fuel incentives should look like. Some industry groups see a wholesale reversion to preexisting biofuel credits — or even a temporary period where various partly overlapping incentives coexist — as a tough sell to cost-concerned lawmakers and have instead pushed for revamping 45Z. A proposal last month backed by some farm groups would keep the 45Z incentive but ban foreign feedstocks and adjust carbon intensity modeling to benefit crops. Republicans could keep, modify, extend, or repeal the 45Z incentive as part of negotiations around a larger tax bill this year. But the caucus is still negotiating how much to reduce the federal budget deficit and what to do with Inflation Reduction Act incentives that have spurred clean energy projects in conservative districts. Uncertainty about the future of biofuel policy and sharply lower margins to start 2025 have led to a recently pronounced drop in biodiesel and renewable diesel production . President Donald Trump's administration is working on new biofuel blend mandates, which could be proposed in the coming weeks, but has said little about its plans for biofuel tax policy. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Brazil's energy transition spending drops in 2024


30/04/25
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30/04/25

Brazil's energy transition spending drops in 2024

Sao Paulo, 30 April (Argus) — Brazil's mines and energy ministry's (MME) energy transition spending shrank by 83pc in 2024 from the prior year, while resources for fossil fuel incentives remained unchanged, according to the institute of socioeconomic studies Inesc. The MME's energy transition budget was R141,413 ($24,980) in 2024, down from R835,237 in the year prior. MME had only two energy transition-oriented projects under its umbrella last year: biofuels industry studies and renewable power incentives, which represented a combined 0.002pc of its total R7bn budget. Still, despite available resources, MME did not approve any projects for renewable power incentives. It also only used 50pc of its budget for biofuel studies, Inesc said. Even as supply from non-conventional power sources advances , most spending in Brazil's grid revamp — including enhancements to better integrate solar and wind generation — comes from charges paid by consumers through power tariffs, Inesc said. Diverging energy spending Brazil's federal government also cut its energy transition budget for 2025 by 17pc from last year and created a new energy transition program that also pushes for increased fossil fuel usage. The country's energy transition budget for 2025 is R3.64bn, down from R4.44bn in 2024. The new program — also under MME's umbrella — has a budget of around R10mn, with more than half of it destined to studies related to the oil and natural gas industry, Inesc said. A second MME program — which invests in studies in the oil, natural gas, products and biofuels sectors — has an approved budget of R53.1mn. The science and technology ministry is the only in Brazil that increased its energy transition spending for 2025, with R3.03bn approved, a near threefold hike from R800mn in 2024. Spending will focus on the domestic industry sector's energy transition, Inesc said. Despite hosting the UN Cop 30 summit in November, Brazil has constantly neglected to address the phase-out of fossil fuels, drawing the ire of climate activists . By Maria Frazatto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Mexican economy grows 0.6pc in 1Q


30/04/25
News
30/04/25

Mexican economy grows 0.6pc in 1Q

Mexico City, 30 April (Argus) — Mexico's economy expanded at an annualized rate of 0.6pc in the first quarter, with solid growth in the agriculture sector offsetting a slowdown in industry. The result came in at the high end of analyst estimates and slightly above the 0.5pc GDP growth reported by statistics agency Inegi for the fourth quarter of 2024. Still, it marks the second-slowest quarterly growth in the past 16 quarters. Most of the first quarter's GDP growth came from a 6pc expansion in the agricultural sector, which more than reversed the 4.6pc contraction recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024. The industrial sector — including mining, manufacturing and construction — shrank for a second straight quarter, contracting by 1.4pc after a 1.2pc drop in the previous quarter. Manufacturing faced tariff-related uncertainty during the quarter, though investment in the sector had already been slowing for months. The contraction was softened by manufacturers ramping up production ahead of US tariffs, with the risk of trade-driven inflation also pushing builders to contain construction costs, according to market sources. These effects are expected to fade in the second quarter and worsen in the third if high US tariffs on Mexican goods persist, said Victor Herrera, head of economic studies at finance executive association IMEF, "especially as supply chains are hit by dwindling inventories." Services expanded by an annualized 1.3pc in the first quarter, compared with a 2.1pc growth in the fourth quarter of 2024. This marks the slowest growth in services since the end of Covid-19 restrictions in early 2021. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Brazil's Biomas advances forest restoration project


30/04/25
News
30/04/25

Brazil's Biomas advances forest restoration project

Sao Paulo, 30 April (Argus) — Brazilian reforestation company Biomas cleared its first restoration project for a 1,200-hectare (ha) area of the Atlantic rainforest in southern Bahia state. The Mucununga project, which will require initial investments of R55mn ($9.7mn), involved planting 70 native species, with the goal of regenerating the ecosystem in the region. The project is in one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, where only 26pc of native vegetation remains intact. The project is part of the Biomas' broader goal of restoring 2mn ha of tropical forest over the next 20 years. The project will generate 500,000 carbon credits over the next 20 years, the sale of which will be used to finance other restoration projects. Brazilian pulp company Veracel owns the land for the project, across eight municipalities in the state. Biomas was created in 2022 and its shareholders include Brazilian companies such as miner Vale, pulp and paper company Suzano, bank Itau and meat packer Marfrig. Mucununga is one of many tropical forest restoration projects underway in Brazil and will help contribute to Brazil's Planaveg program, which has the goal of restoring and reforesting 12mn ha by 2030. Brazil is seeking to showcase its potential to provide carbon credits and offsets through the protection of its standing forests and the restoration of previously deforested areas ahead of the UN Cop 30 climate summit, which will be held in northern Para state in November. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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