Zemo Partnership
Date: 2021-03-08
In London, the soon to be launched Zemo Partnership Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme has found the introduction of E10 petrol-biofuel blend and the widespread use of high blend renewable fuels (HBRF) could reduce truck emissions by 46 million tonnes over the next decade.

The HBRF study covers renewable fuels including biodiesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil and biomethane and identifies the opportunities and barriers to adoption and the GHG-saving opportunities available for sustainable, renewable fuel adoption by heavy duty vehicles.

The study notes that with a market average of 30 pct HBRF used in place of diesel and natural gas by 2030, the sector could save an additional 46 million tonnes in GHG emissions over the next decade.

The Zemo Partnership Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme is an initiative designed and managed by Zemo Partnership that aims to give fleet operators independent assurance of purchasing sustainable, low carbon fuels approved under the RTFO, and customer supply chain specific GHG emission performance data. The scheme is open to all UK suppliers of renewable fuels including those that supply blends of renewable fuels. Companies are required to apply to Zemo Partnership to become an approved Renewable Fuel Supplier and demonstrate compliance with the scheme performance criteria and undergo an annual compliance check. This entails independent verification of company procedures, processes and renewable fuel production data by an auditor, according to the Zemo website.

Once approved renewable fuel supplier will be able to issue their customers with 'Renewable Fuel Declarations' every three months for batches of sustainable low carbon fuels sold. The declaration will identify the carbon intensity and GHG emissions savings specific to the renewable fuel supply chain as well as information on feedstocks, the Zemo website notes. (Source: Zemo Partnership, PR, Website, 8 Mar., 2021) Contact: Zemo Partnership, Gloria Esposito, Sustainability Head, +44 (0)20 7304 6880, hello@zemo.org.uk, www.zemo.org.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuel,  E10,  Biofuel Blend,  

Velocys
Date: 2020-09-11
UK-based renewable fuels specialist Velocys Plc reports it will join the new Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA) and the Washington, DC-headquartered Biotechnology Innovation Organisation's (BIO) Industrial and Environmental Section Governing Board.

The UK-based RTFA is primarily comprised of greener transportation fuel producers and suppliers and supports rapid action to decarbonise transport through the uptake of low carbon fuels.

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organisations globally. (Source: Velocys, Sept., 2020) Contact: Velocys Plc, Henrik Wareborn, CEO, +44 1235 838 621, (713) 275-5840 -- Houston Office, info@velocys.com, [endlink]www.velocys.com[endlink]; BIO,
More Low-Carbon Energy News Velocys,  BIO,  Biofuel,  Velocys,  BIO,  Biofuel,  "The costs of these advanced Biofuels are currently higher than those of the fossil fuels which they can displace and of more conventional biofuels such as ethanol from sugar or corn, or biodiesel. It is therefore important to consider what scope there is to reduce the production costs of a range o advanced biofuels, and to identify under what conditions they could become affordable."

Download the full IEA Advanced Biofuels -- Potential for Cost Reduction report HERE. (Source: IEA Bioenergy, Feb., 2020) Contact: IEA Bioenergy, www.ieabioenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News IEA Bioenergy,  Biomass,  Biofuel,  Bioenergy,  

POET, Poet-DSM
Date: 2019-11-22
Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based POET-DSM Advanced Biofuel reports it is temporarily halting production of cellulosic biofuels at its Emmetsburg, Iowa, facility due in part to the uncertainties surrounding the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) policies.

The company, a 50/50 joint venture between Royal DSM and POET, LLC., will now focus on R&D aimed at improving mechanical reliability, creating additional technological efficiencies and licensing technologies in countries that support the use of low carbon fuels from crop residue and other biomass, according to the company. (Source: Poet-DSM, Biofuels 20 Nov., 2019) Contact: POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, Steve Hartig, General Manager, (630) 780-8171, steve.hartig@dsm.com, www.poetdsm.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Project Liberty,  POET,  Poet-DSM,  Cellulosic Biofuel,  Advanced Biofuel,  

Biomass
Date: 2019-06-26
"In a bit of an Orwellian logic, the (Trump) EPA's recently finalized ACE (Affordable Clean Energy) rules ... ignore the basis for why using biomass for power and heat is the principal pathway for decarbonization in most other developed countries. By only counting the CO2 emission at the source and ignoring the continuous adsorption of CO2 by sustainably managed forests, the EPA has excluded a proper consideration of the dynamics that keep the net CO2 added into the atmosphere neutral or even negative.

"In Europe, wood pellets and wood chips are recognized as low carbon fuels because a full life-cycle analysis shows that under well-crafted (and necessary) sustainability criteria, the combustion of those fuels is carbon neutral. The supply chain carbon footprint accounting, given that fossil fuel are used in transportation and in the electricity used to upgrade the biomass into pellets, typically yields an 85 percent or more reduction in net CO2 added to the atmosphere. Because of the carbon benefits, biomass derived fuel makes up about 60 percent of the total renewable energy in the EU28." -- William Strauss, Pres, FutureMetrics, June 24, 2019

Bethel, Maine-based FutureMetrics released the above statement criticizing the Trump Administration EPA's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Program for its treatment of biomass and calling the program's discussion of how to measure CO2 emissions "misguided."

The ACE program, which replaces Obama's Clean Power Plan, specifies that biomass co-firing is not compliant with the ACE program. Contact: FutureMetrics LLC, William Strauss, 207-824-6702, 207-357-8708 Cell, WilliamStrauss@FutureMetrics.com, www.futuremetrics.info

More Low-Carbon Energy News EPA,  Woody Biomass,  Wood Pellet,  CO2 Emissions,  

Carbon Engineering
Date: 2019-04-05
Squamish, British Columbia, Canada-headquartered direct air carbon (DAC) capture specialist Carbon Engineering Ltd. (CE) is reporting completion of an equity financing round of $68 million (US) that will enable the company to grow from the pilot demonstration of its DAC and AIR TO FUELS™ technologies, expand its pilot plant in Squamish, and engineer its first commercial facilities to capture up to 1 million tpy of atmospheric CO2.

Carbon Engineering's DAC technology can remove CO2 from the atmosphere for less than $100/tonne and deliver large-scale negative emissions by permanently and safely storing the CO2 underground, according to the company. The technology can be used to reduce emissions from transportation by converting atmospheric CO2 into ultra-low carbon fuels that can power existing vehicles and airplanes without vehicle engine modifications, according to the company. (Source: Carbon Engineering, PR, April, 2019) Contact: Carbon Engineering, Steve Oldham, CEO, info@carbonengineering.com, www.carbonengineering.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Engineering news,  Carbon Emissions news,  Carbon Capture news,  

Carbon Engineering Ltd.
Date: 2019-03-22
In Canada, Squamish, British Columbia-based direct air carbon (DAC) capture specialist Carbon Engineering Ltd. (CE) is reporting completion of an equity financing round of $68 million (US). This $68 million investment will enable the company to bridge the gap from the pilot demonstration of its DAC and AIR TO FUELS™ technologies, expand its pilot plant in Squamish, and engineer its first commercial facilities to capture up to 1 million tpy of atmospheric CO2.

Carbon Engineering's DAC technology can remove CO2 from the atmosphere for less than $100/tonne and deliver large-scale negative emissions by permanently and safely storing the CO2 underground. The technology can also be used to reduce emissions from transportation by converting atmospheric CO2 into ultra-low carbon fuels that can power existing vehicles and airplanes without vehicle engine modifications, according to the company. (Source: Carbon Engineering, PR, 21 Mar., 2019) Contact: Carbon Engineering, Steve Oldham, CEO, info@carbonengineering.com, www.carbonengineering.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  CCS,  CCUS,  Carbon Engineering Ltd.,  

Richard Bransom,Climate Change
Date: 2019-03-18
"I believe there is an extremely simple way to whip climate change and I plan to set it out below.

"Many people working on this subject believe the world needs a carbon tax on dirty fuels -- coal and oil -- to solve the problem. However, the problem with a carbon tax is that it has so far been impossible to impose without governments falling. The Australian government tried to bring one in and they were kicked out -- the new government cancelled it. In November 2018, the state of Washington voted against a carbon tax for the second time in two years.

"Carbon taxes are of course well-intentioned. But others are skeptical that they will raise enough resources to tackle the problem, or if the money will actually even be spent on the issue. So aside from being unpopular with the companies, carbon taxes are also often unpopular with the public and unpopular with governments. There are really no winners -- except ultimately the globe and the environment.

"So I would like to propose the following: a Clean Energy Dividend. Every company in the world should accept a Clean Energy Dividend to be imposed on the fossil fuel they use and the carbon emissions they cause. The dividend could be the equivalent percentage that a carbon tax would have been, and based on cutting pollution at the rate the climate science shows is necessary. However, unlike a carbon tax, that money wouldn't disappear into government coffers, but would be used specifically to be invested in generating clean energy through wind farms and solar panels, as well as the development of more low carbon fuels and other breakthrough technologies. The companies, through those investments, can get that money back, plus dividends (it would be wise to have some independent governance to make absolutely certain that all companies comply with this remit.)

"The good news about this approach is that:

Clean energy will have literally billions poured into it over the next few years - enough money to switch the world from dirty to clean energy. This is important because what climate change initiatives are still lacking at the moment is major investment;

Companies investing this money should be happy because the investments they make should be secure ones;

Millions of new jobs will be created through a climate change revolution;

The public should be happy because although some fuel prices might increase in the short-term, the competition from clean fuel will rapidly drive prices of both dirty and clean fuel down very quickly and they will stay down forever:

Governments should be happy because the lower fuel prices will result in a great boost to the economy. Lower fuel prices are politically attractive and politicians will also be able to say that by implementing this, they have made a major move towards getting on top of climate change.

"This is a win-win all-round. It's a win for companies, a win for the people who work in them, a win for the public, a win for creating new jobs, win for governments, and most importantly of all a win for our beautiful globe. Today I am just throwing this open to debate and would love feedback. We will work hard with The B Team, The Elders, The Rocky Mountain Institute and others to get something along these lines implemented as soon as possible." (Source: The Virgin Foundation, Mar., 2019) Contact: The Virgin Foundation, Sir Richard Branson, www.virgin.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Carbon Tax,  Richard Branson,  

California ARB
Date: 2018-11-16
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is reporting that in an effort to meet the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), California has increased its net supply of renewable "green" diesel, reaching 100 million gallons during Q2, 2018 -- 10.1 pct of the total diesel supplied to California during the quarter.

Administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), LCFS aims to incrementally decrease the carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel fuel by at least 10 pct by 2020 relative to a 2010 baseline.

Under the state's LCFS, petroleum refiners, gasoline and diesel importers, and transportation fuel wholesales are required to either produce low carbon fuels or purchase credits to demonstrate compliance. But while under the RFS, both biodiesel and renewable diesel meet a 50 pct GHG reduction threshold (and are eligible to generate biomass-based diesel RINs), LCFS uses a measurement called carbon intensity (CI).

Renewable diesel generates a large number of credits relative to other fuels because it has some of the largest lifecycle GHG reduction compared to other fuels. The total volume of renewable diesel LCFS credits exceeded ethanol credits for the first time this year, reaching about 870,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent during the second quarter. (Source: US EIA, Agri-Pulse, 14 Nov., 2018) Contact: CARB, Melanie Turner, Information Officer, (916) 322-2990, melanie.turner@arb.ca.gov, www.arb.ca.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Low Carbon Fuel Standard,  California Air Resources Board,  .Biofuel,  Renewable Fiesel ,  

Advanced Biofuels Canada
Date: 2018-08-31
Reporting from Vancouver, Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABC), Canada's national industry voice for the low carbon biofuels necessary for Canada to successfully implement a proposed federal government Clean Fuel Standard (CFS), offers the following commentary by President Ian Thomson:

An average driver under BC's low carbon fuel standard has paid $16/year less than they would have paid for gasoline alone since 2010 (Navius 2018);

Carbon pricing can be effective in reducing industrial emissions, but is largely ineffectual on transportation emissions due to market failures (lack of competition), design failures (in the carbon tax systems), and the broad absence of practical fuel alternatives;

Existing provincial renewable and low carbon fuel regulations do not duplicate the CFS; to the contrary, compliance with them will do much of the work to ease the CFS requirement;

Provinces continue to assert their sovereignty over energy and climate regulation -- this refutes refiners' claims that the provinces should rescind their 'duplicative' regulations and be ruled by federal regulations (which they also oppose);

Provincial and federal fuel regulations have negligible actual overhead costs, in contrast to refiners' claims that the CFS will be costly to administer. Public filings by one large refiner with $4.5 billion of 2017 net earnings show its 2017 compliance and administrative costs associated with the BC low carbon fuel standard to be 0.009 pct of net earnings of $0.4 million;

Because imported liquid transportation fuels must also meet low-carbon content requirements, competitiveness issues for refiners relative to blending low carbon fuels into gasoline and diesel are addressed. This may not be the case for gaseous and solid fuels, or liquids used in petroleum refinery processes.

Modelling by a number of CFS stakeholders shows that a minimum of two-thirds of the compliance for the 2030 CFS target can be met with liquid fuels. This significantly lowers the potential cost of compliance with the gaseous and solid fuels CFS components for Canada's industrial sector. In addition, there is considerable positive economic growth that will be realized by investments in clean fuel production and use.

Transportation fuels make up 80 pct of the liquid fuels used in Canada, and their climate change emissions are rising. Many in the industrial sector see the rationale for Canada to largely follow the design of low carbon fuel standards successfully operating for almost a decade in British Columbia and in California.

Download the Canadian clean fuel standards regulatory framework HERE. (Source: Advanced Biofuels Canada, PR, 28 August, 2018) Contact: Advanced Biofuels Canada, Ian Thomson, (604) 947-0040, info@advancedbiofuels.ca, www.advancedbiofuels.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Advanced Biofuels Canada,  Canada Clean Fuel Standard,  Biofuel,