EU adopts SAF targets law

: Biofuels, Hydrogen
23/09/13

The European Parliament today formally adopted a regulation setting out targets for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use at EU airports.

The regulation says 70pc of jet fuel use at EU airports will have to be renewable or carbon neutral by 2050 from 1 January 2024, with certain provisions starting a year later.

Agreement with EU states was reached in April, but further procedural approval was held up by a number of countries, including France, that had wanted hydrogen produced from nuclear power to be considered a renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO).

Once formally approved by EU ministers, the EU law will establish an initial target for 2pc of aviation fuel being sustainable as of 2025. The share increases every five years — to 6pc in 2030, 20pc in 2035, 34pc in 2040, 42pc in 2045 and 70pc in 2050.

The law also requires synthetic aviation fuels, such as e-kerosene and RFNBOs such as renewable hydrogen, to constitute a 1.2pc share of consumption in 2030, 2pc in 2032, 5pc in 2035 and 35pc in 2050.

SAFs are legally defined as including synthetic fuels, non-crop based biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae and bio-waste. Used cooking oil (Uco) and certain animal fats are also permitted. The EU will treat recycled jet fuels produced from waste gases and waste plastic as sustainable.

"We hope that by creating demand, we will create supply," said EU transport commissioner Adina-Ioana Valean. The chair of parliament's transport committee Karima Delli said the EU is setting a roadmap to decarbonise aviation by 2050 and exit dependence on kerosene. Delli said further legislation will come.

"We'll have to cut the number of flights, to ensure domestic air connections under four hours are replaced by trains, relaunch night trains," Delli said.

By Dafydd ab Iago

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25/05/08

Bangchak tests runs at Thai SAF plant before 3Q launch

Singapore, 8 May (Argus) — Thai energy group Bangchak is conducting test runs at its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Bangkok before likely starting regular production in the third quarter, sources close to the company said. The plant, which is also the country's first SAF plant, will have an initial production capacity of 1mn litres/d. It will mainly consume ISCC-certified used cooking oil (UCO) as feedstock for SAF production via the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway. Other feedstocks could also be explored in the future, company sources said. The plant will also produce byproducts such as bio-LPG and bionaphtha. Its SAF production process was developed in collaboration with Belgian biofuels processing technology company Desmet, which provided feedstock pre-treatment technologies, and US technology firm UOP Honeywell, a pioneer in hydroprocessing systems, according to Bangchak. Thailand is currently considering the introduction of a SAF mandate at a 1pc blend rate from 2026, with proposals to increase this to 3pc in 2030 and 8pc by 2037. But firm details on implementation mechanisms have yet to be announced. Thailand's board of investment in January approved corporate tax exemptions for SAF producers and investors in the country for a period ranging over 3-8 years. Bangchak has already secured offtake for some of its initial production volumes. The firm last year entered an agreement with oil major Shell's Singapore-based subsidiary to supply SAF from its plant. Bangchak also previously signed another supply agreement with Japanese refiner Cosmo Oil in December 2023, but volumes are still under discussion, a company source said. The Argus fob Singapore SAF netback price has been on a downtrend since late last year, reaching a record lows of $1,668/t on 5 March, and also marking the lowest since Argus ' assessments started in November 2020. The price was at $1,682/t on 7 May. By Sarah Giam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

IMO GHG pricing falls short on green methanol, ammonia

25/05/07

IMO GHG pricing falls short on green methanol, ammonia

New York, 7 May (Argus) — The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) proposed global greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing mechanism might not drive significant uptake of green methanol and green ammonia by 2035, given current market prices. Despite introducing penalties on high-emission fuels use and tradable surplus credits for low-emission fuels, the mechanism does not sufficiently close the cost gap for green alternatives. Under the system, starting in 2028 ship operators will face a two-tier penalty: $100/t CO₂e for emissions between the base and direct GHG intensity limit, and $380/t CO₂e for those exceeding the looser base limit. These thresholds will tighten annually through 2035. Ship operators can earn tradable credits for overcompliance when their GHG emissions fall below the direct limit. Assuming a surplus CO₂e credit value of $72/t — mirroring April 2025's average EU emissions trading system price — green ammonia would earn about $215/t in surplus credits in 2028 (see chart) . This barely offsets its April spot price of $2,830/t VLSFO equivalent in northwest Europe. Bio-methanol would receive about $175/t in credits, offering minimal relief on its $2,318/t April spot price. Currently, unsubsidized northwest Europe bio-LNG sits mid-range among bunker fuel options under IMO's emissions framework. While more expensive than HSFO, grey LNG, and B30 bioblends, the bio-LNG is cheaper than B100 (pure used cooking oil methyl ester), green ammonia, and bio-methanol. To become cost-competitive with unsubsidized bio-LNG — priced at $1,185/t in April 2025 — green ammonia and bio-methanol prices would need to fall by 57pc and 49pc, respectively, to around $1,220/t VLSFOe and $1,180/t VLSFOe by 2028. Unless green fuel prices drop significantly or fossil fuel prices rise, the IMO's structure alone provides insufficient economic incentive to accelerate green ammonia and bio-methanol adoption at scale. By Stefka Wechsler NW Europe, fuel prices plus IMO penalties and credits Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

UK, Norway pursue further ‘green industry’ co-operation

25/05/07

UK, Norway pursue further ‘green industry’ co-operation

London, 7 May (Argus) — The UK and Norway have signed an early-stage agreement for a "green industrial partnership", planning to work together on low-emissions technology such as offshore wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen. The partnership will "strengthen energy security" and "support robust value chains for raw materials", the Norwegian government said. The collaboration also aims to "support the development of renewable energy sources, and further develop existing cooperation on the protection of subsea infrastructure in the North Sea", Norway's government added. Both Norwegian and UK representatives are in attendance at the Copenhagen climate ministerial this week — an event which often sets the direction for climate negotiations this year. The countries in December flagged their intent to partner on the energy transition, including developing an agreement on cross-border CO2 transport. Norway is a leader in Europe's developing CCS sector. The country's flagship Northern Lights CCS project is due to begin operating this summer. The project's partnership this week confirmed that all required permits are in place for the injection and storage of CO2. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Germany doubts suspended HVO producer exists

25/05/06

Germany doubts suspended HVO producer exists

London, 6 May (Argus) — German regulators have said a producer of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) that has been using the country's Nabisy biomass registry may not exist. The federal office of agriculture and food (BLE) said an investigation begun in mid-April found that biofuels sustainability verification scheme ISCC withdrew the suspended user's certification on 8 January, excluding the operator from the scheme for 48 months because of "a lack of co-operation with the ISCC integrity programme". The BLE had suspended Nabisy access for the company, which had the ID EU-BM-13-SSt-10022652. The company was listed on its ISCC certificate as based in the UAE, and provided an address in Hong Kong for its audit, BLE said. Matching details provided by BLE with Argus research show the producer is likely to be EcoSolution, which said it was producing HVO from crude tall oil, used cooking oil (UCO) and spent bleaching earth oil. The company's audit was done by certification body Certi W Baltic on 5 September 2024, according to ISCC documentation. Argus could not locate a biofuels producer by the name of EcoSolution for comment. Argus asked Certi W Baltic and the ISCC for comment but did not receive responses by the time of publication. BLE said it was suspicious that the concerned producer booked all of its proof of sustainability (PoS) onto the Nabisy account of a supplier whose certification records show an address in the Netherlands. But that company's audit report shows the same Hong Kong address as EcoSolution. ISCC certification of the Dutch supplier remains active, but the BLE also has "considerable doubts" about that company's existence. ISCC audit records show AEY Trading received ISCC 'trader with storage' certification on the same day as EcoSolution, also from Certi W Baltic. Certi W's audit summary shows AEY received an on-site audit on 8 September from the same auditor as EcoSolution. Any PoS issued by the suspended producer, which had been temporarily frozen, have been unblocked and will remain valid based on the 'protection of confidence' principle laid out in the German biofuels sustainability ordinance, which protects buyers in the biofuels market. To delete affected PoS that have been sold to others, the BLE would need to prove the buyer was aware of any fraud in relation to the product purchased. In practice this is "almost impossible", according to German biofuels association VDB. "The protection of confidence principle has become a free pass for lack of due diligence and care," the association said. "Today, European biofuels market participants do not have to worry about any consequences if they buy cheap biofuels with dubious origin." VDB wants urgent reform of the corresponding part of legislation, to grant the BLE more power when it comes to revoking fraudulent sustainability paperwork. PoS that has been re-released into the market could comprise a large amount of HVO, possibly in the hundreds of thousands of tons, according to market participants. By Sophie Barthel and Simone Burgin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Low-carbon H2 hits the skids with offtake lagging

25/05/05

Low-carbon H2 hits the skids with offtake lagging

Houston, 5 May (Argus) — Multiple North American proposals to make hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture have taken a pause as tariffs add to cost uncertainties and potential buyers balk at making long-term commitments at current prices. Dow has iced its Path2Zero ethylene plant in Alberta that is to use low-carbon hydrogen supplied by Linde. Air Products has delayed the start-up of a hydrogen and ammonia plant in Louisiana. And US nitrogen fertilizer producer LSB Industries said it is [pausing development] of an ammonia project on the Houston Ship Channel in Texas. Lower-carbon hydrogen produced from autothermal reforming with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is still expected to lead the nascent sector's development, with renewable-powered production seen as too costly for general takeoff. Most large-scale low-carbon hydrogen projects in the US have focused on exports in the form of ammonia or methanol to Asia and Europe, where governments have promised more support to implement decarbonization mandates. Long-term offtake agreements have so far lagged as regulatory uncertainty, cost concerns and now the added threat of US import tariffs muddle demand perspectives. "Demand has certainly ramped up slower than expected," said LSB chief executive Mark Behrman in an interview with Argus . "In the conversations that we've had with many offtakers in Asia and Europe, and even here domestically, there's been a lack of willingness to commit at the prices that we were able to talk about based on our capital costs," said Behrman, who also cited uncertainty around tariffs as a complicating factor. For long-term supply contracts, buyers were seeking prices below $600/metric tonne fob, said Behrman. LSB partnered with industrial gas firm Air Liquide, Japanese oil company Inpex and Vopak to build the 1.1mn t/yr ammonia facility in Texas. Air Liquide would supply the project with low-carbon hydrogen. The project's costs were largely calculated using 45Q tax credits that are awarded to companies using CCS to reduce emissions. But the release of 45V guidelines in January seemed to offer the possibility of accessing the more lucrative hydrogen production incentive because of a new section pertaining to cryogenic separation, a process that captures carbon dioxide from industrial gas streams, said LSB vice-president of clean energy, Jakob Krummenacher, while speaking at Argus' recent Green Ammonia North America conference in Houston. Cryogenic separation generates more steam than conventional solvent absorption and, if that steam is exported to another process, it may lower the carbon intensity of the resulting hydrogen to such an extent that the project could potentially qualify for 45V, Krummenacher said. As a result, many of the assumptions baked into the engineering studies related to the Houston ammonia venture have to go back to the drawing board. Air Liquide did not respond to requests for comment. If Air Liquide can avail itself of 45V, capital costs may decline and result in more competitive offers to the market. But Berhman cautioned against concluding the project will resume if it is found to qualify for 45V. "We still need a customer to move forward," Behrman said. Dow, which planned to build a hydrogen-fueled ethylene cracker at a petrochemical complex northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, paused its multibillion-dollar project citing uncertainty around US tariffs and the potential for retaliatory tariffs by US trading partners. Linde, which announced last year it would invest $2bn to build a low-carbon hydrogen facility to supply Dow's Path2Zero project, has not responded to questions about what Dow's pause means for its plans in Alberta. Linde has said it was working with Dow to them meet their goals while maintaining Linde's interest in the project. Air Products, meanwhile, further pushed back its $7bn Louisiana low-carbon hydrogen plant to late 2028 or early 2029 as it seeks to control costs by delegating CCS operations and ammonia production to partners. There have been some exceptions to the delays. Early last month, fertilizer producer CF Industries said it was moving ahead on a $4bn ammonia venture with Japan's Jera and investment firm Mitsui at its Blue Point complex in Louisiana. LSB similarly said it is forging ahead with plans to produce low-carbon ammonia at its existing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, where it will decarbonize production by adding a CCS facility that will be operated by Lapis Carbon Solutions. "We're still big believers in global decarbonization," Behrman said. "I believe that new demand for power generation, power supply, and of course, the marine industry will evolve. I just think it's going to take longer than what everyone initially thought." By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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