Airlines Already Have Their 'RenovaBio' to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

June 08, 2021

Print This Article Share it With Friends

by Delcy MAC Cruz (Energia Que Fala Com Você (Google Translation)) ... The action serves to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions. It's CORSIA, which came into effect this year. We interviewed two experts to break down this program focused on international flights -- International flights already have a market mechanism in place to reduce greenhouse gases and other effects of climate change with the use of alternative fuels to fossil fuels.

It is similar to what happens with RenovaBio , a state program that encourages greater consumption of ethanol and biodiesel, among other biofuels, instead of gasoline and diesel oil, which emit more greenhouse gases.

In the case of aviation, this is the “International Aviation Emissions Reduction and Compensation Mechanism” (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation – CORSIA) .

...

In general terms, it allows aircraft operators on international flights to be encouraged to use the so-called Eligible Fuels of CORSIA (CEF). These are sustainable aviation fuels, or Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). And among them is aviation biokerosene, BioQAV .

These in turn are certified by a Sustainability Certification Scheme (SCS) approved by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In summary, to market CEFs, aircraft need to use fuels that must achieve a reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) based on the life cycle.

CORSIA offers another similarity to the Brazilian RenovaBio: if certified companies do not use SAFs, they must buy carbon credits in the offset market.

...

To understand more about CORSIA, Energia Que Fala Com Você interviewed Laís Thomaz and Amanda Gondim , respectively a researcher at the Brazilian Network of Renewable Hydrocarbons and Biokerosene for Aviation (RBQAV) and professor at the Federal University of Goiás and coordinator of RBQAV and professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. They are the authors of a very complete article on the topic (click here ).

...

As in principle Brazil will only participate in CORSIA in 2027, in the mandatory phase, does this mean that there is time for investments in biokerosene to meet the expected demand for aircraft in Brazil?

Laís Thomaz and Amanda Gondim: Yes. Today there is still plenty of time to have a refinery in Brazil in 2027, as, on average, a biorefinery takes four years to start operating effectively.

For this, we are considering that we would have a project year, two years of execution and one to put into operation.

It is important to emphasize that we already have the ANP Resolution (No. 778 of 04/05/2019) which establishes the routes for the production of Alternative Aviation Kerosenes (aviation biokerosene), considering the routes approved by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) .

This resolution also establishes the limits for the addition of biokerosene in fossils (QAV BX), as well as the obligations regarding quality control to be met by the various economic agents that sell these products throughout the national territory.

It is also important to mention that the Green Diesel Resolution was published, which reinforces incentives for the construction of biorefineries in Brazil, since aviation biokerosene and green diesel can be products of the same biorefinery.

...

Brazil could have participated in the previous phases, if the government's interest was enough. A study published by Idesam (2018) even demonstrated the advantages, both environmental and economic impacts.

Despite this, since 2019, all countries have had the obligation to monitor, report and verify CO₂ emissions from international civil aviation. These data are important as they will be the calculation basis for the following phases.

...

Brazil has already implemented Renovabio, a program that aims to increase the participation of biofuels in the Brazilian transport matrix, based on predictability and economic, environmental and social sustainability, also contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases .

However, RenovaBio did not incorporate it into aviation biokerosene because there is no production in Brazil. Aiming to adapt to such international demand, within the recently launched Fuel of the Future program , there is a ProBioQAV Committee, which must evaluate and formulate new public policies, for a scenario in which there is legal certainty to attract investments in the country and thus initiate of aviation biokerosene production.

...

Currently, there are six programs that are accepted by CORSIA for the 2021-2023 offsets: (1) American Carbon Registry; (2) China Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (3) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); (4) Climate Action Reserve; (5) The Gold Standard; and (6) Verified Carbon Standard.

They were recommended by their Technical Advisory Board as they meet the eight eligibility criteria . Thus, there is no way to have compensation for the Cbios at the moment.

...

What fuels are eligible for CORSIA?

Laís Thomaz and Amanda Gondim – These are Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), that is, sustainable aviation fuels or aviation biokerosene, which must be produced from renewable raw materials by technological routes approved by ASTM.

They are drop in fuels , that is, they have chemical similarity with fossil kerosene and do not require engine and infrastructure modifications.

The use of SAFs is essential for compliance with CORSIA, as it is estimated that SAFs can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% when compared to fossil fuels.

Aviation biokerosene: how is it produced?

Laís Thomaz and Amanda Gondim – There is still no production in Brazil. In Paraguay, a biorefinery project is underway for the production of advanced fuels (HVO, SPK and Naphtha) using the Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) production route, with technology from Honeywell, from vegetable oils and fats from animals.

In the case of this project, the OMEGA GREEN Project , all production will go to Europe and North America.

There are groups of investors that are studying the possibility of investments in biorefinery in Brazil and the construction of the regulatory framework would be very important to build a renewable scenario.

...

What still makes its sale very unfeasible is the price. In Europe , for example, the value of SAF from residual cooking oil is between €950/t and €1015/t while fossil aviation kerosene costs €600/t . READ MORE

Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Opportunity for Regional Development (Estadão)

Tags

CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) GHG (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) Aviation Fuel/Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Jetfuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)) Brazil Paraguay aviation fuel (SAF) production environmental policy Transportation Fuels Policy carbon offsets carbon credit carbon credit markets markets/sales market forces United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production ASTM regulations Renewable Diesel/Green Diesel/HVO/Paraffinic Diesel co-products HVO (Hydrotreated vegetable oil) bio-SPK (bio derived synthetic paraffinic kerosene) naphtha/bionaphtha/renewable naphtha HEFA (Hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) used cooking oil (UCO) fuel prices aviation fuel (SAF) price drop-in biofuels/hydrocarbons vegetable oils animal fat European Union (EU)

Comments are closed.