EC to launch B99 probe into US biodiesel imports

IN BRIEF

EUROPE: Global commodity news and price reporting agency Argus has launched new price assessments for renewable diesel in Europe, the company announced on 8 September.

The new Argus prices for northwest Europe cover three different groups of feedstocks: food and feed crops; used cooking oil/ palm oil mill effluent; and tallow.

These price assessments would be published weekly in the Argus Biofuels report and real-time market pricing would be available on the company’s price discovery platform, Argus Open Markets (AOM).

“We have worked with the industry to develop these new prices, which will help shed light on this increasingly important part of the transport fuel pool,” Argus Media chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks said.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HV0) was becoming increasingly popular as a renewable alternative to traditional petroleum, according to Argus, as countries sought to move away from fossil fuels.

HVO could be blended into the existing petroleum diesel pool and was an important part of meeting the requirements set by the EU Renewable Energy Directive legislation to increase the share of renewables in the transport fuel pool by 2030, the company said.

EC to launch B99 probe into US biodiesel imports

An investigation aimed at extending anti-dumping and countervailing measures – known as B99 measures – on US biodiesel imports was launched by the European Commission on 14 September.

The move followed a request from the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) on 11 June 2020 on behalf of the European biodiesel industry for an extension of the B99 duties for an additional five years to protect the industry from what it claims is ‘unfairly subsidised’ US biodiesel.

“The EBB aims to ensure a level playing on the European market. This implies we will request duties for subsidised biodiesel entering the EU, such as in the case for US exports to Europe,” said EBB president Kristell Guizouarn.

The notices of initiation published in the EU Official Journal on 14 September confirmed that sufficient evidence of a likelihood and injury existed to justify the review. Existing duties would remain in place during the investigation period which was expected to last around a year.

The EBB launched its original B99 complaint in 2008, which resulted in the imposition of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures for five years, starting in July 2009.

Duties were then circumvented via Canada, which led to the imposition of anti-circumvention measures in 2011. These duties were extended for five years in 2015.

The EBB represents around 75% of European output of biodiesel.

Platts launches SAF price assessment

Commodity and energy price provider S&P Global Platts has launched a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) price assessment for the Americas, PR Newswire reported on 21 September.

The move, aimed at bringing transparency to a developing market as the airline industry goes through a period of energy transition, followed the launch of independent price references for sustainable aviation fuel in Europe on 17 August. “While the spot physical Photo: Adobe Stock market for sustainable aviation hydrocarbon-based jet fuel would reflect the cost of SAF fuels is in its infancy, we’re and a green alternative,” said produced from tallow. The pleased to be facilitating this Ian Dudden, global content di- daily price assessment would market’s emergence with our rector, metals and agriculture, be expressed in US dollars per new cost-based price assess- at S&P Global Platts. gallon and reflect the producment, which allows for side- Published from 21 Sep- tion costs of SAFs for blending by-side comparisons between tember, the price assessment into jet fuel.

Pertamina to use Honeywell UOP technology for advanced fuels

International fuel technology supplier Honeywell UOP announced on 28 September that Indonesian state-owned energy company PT Pertamina will use its processes to produce advanced biofuels at two of its refineries in Indonesia.

PT Pertamina would use the UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process technology at its Plaju refinery in Palembang, South Sumatra, and the UOP Ecofining technology at its Cilacap refinery in Central Java.

UOP would provide technology licences, basic engineering, speciality equipment, catalysts and training for the two projects.

The biorefinery in Plaju would process 20,000 barrels/day of vegetable oils and fats to produce advanced biofuels such as renewable jet fuel, renewable diesel fuel and green liquefied petroleum gas.

UOP would also revamp the existing refinery at Cilacap to process 6,000 barrels/ day of vegetable oils and fats to produce advanced biofuels.

“These refineries will enable Pertamina to meet the Indonesian government’s goals for renewable fuel production using domestic bio-based feedstocks,” said Jim Andersen, business development director of UOP’s Renewable Fuels unit.

The UCOP Ecofining process, jointly developed with Italy’s Eni SpA, converts non-edible natural oils, animal fats and other waste feedstocks into green diesel.