Cepsa and Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias Join Forces to Identify New Wastes to Be Converted into 2G Biofuels

May 26, 2023

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(Cepsa) The energy company and the Spanish association of cooperatives representing more than 1 million farmers and ranchers will promote the production of biofuels from agricultural and livestock waste; Cepsa's Research Center will analyze waste from the olive, olive oil, wine and livestock industries to determine the feasibility of transforming these raw materials into biofuels; 2G biofuels contribute to the circular economy, have up to 90% lower CO₂ emissions than traditional fuels and are a driving force behind the decarbonization of air, sea and land transportation

Cepsa and Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, an organization representing more than 3,600 agricultural cooperatives and over 1 million members, farmers and ranchers, will collaborate to promote the production of second-generation (2G) biofuels using waste from Spain's agricultural and livestock sectors.

Cepsa, through its Research Center, will analyze whether the residual biomass generated by different industries, such as the olive, olive oil, wine and livestock industries, can be transformed into raw material to produce second-generation biofuels in its industrial centers. Meanwhile, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España will coordinate the contact between the company and the different cooperatives within the association.

Second-generation biofuels, whose raw material does not compete with food, contribute to the circular economy because they are produced from waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. Furthermore, as their CO₂ emissions are up to 90% lower than those of traditional fuels, they are a key element for the decarbonization of sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy road, maritime and air transport.

Javier Antúnez, Cepsa’s Biofuels Manager, said: "At Cepsa, we are convinced that moving forward with the energy transition requires collaboration and establishing synergies along the entire value chain. That is why we have reached this agreement with Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, which represents more than 1 million farmers and ranchers across the country, with the aim of identifying new sources of circular raw materials for the production of second-generation biofuels, while forming new partnerships that generate revenue and economic development in rural areas."

Gabriel Trenzado, managing director of Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, said: "We have fostered the creation of new value chains for agricultural raw materials, from bioenergy to new biomaterials for decarbonization, through our participation in various projects within the Horizon 2020 program, such as COOPID. Cooperatives are specialized in rural production and logistics, from crops to by-product and waste management, but they need strong partnerships with energy sector leaders to develop the full potential of the bioeconomy. This promising agreement with Cepsa will be fulfilled when it materializes in specific projects with our cooperative companies," he added.

The agreement also aims to facilitate partnerships with cooperatives interested in biomass production using cover crops. Cepsa, through its study with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), will be able to identify the most suitable areas and crops for planting. These crops, which do not compete with food, generate feedstock to produce 2G biofuels while improving soil quality and increasing its rainwater retention capacity.

Cepsa thus continues working to diversify its sources of raw materials to produce these types of biofuels, one of the industry’s main challenges, while also promoting Spain’s greater autonomy in terms of energy supply and independence. The company's objective is to lead 2G biofuels manufacturing in Spain and Portugal by 2030.

Driving rural development

Agri-food cooperatives directly employ 123,000 people in Spain, most of them in rural areas, which makes them an important economic and social driving force in the least populated parts of our country, known as "empty Spain." The possibility of using residual biomass will also contribute to the cooperatives’ development, adding value to the activity of farmers and ranchers by diversifying their sources of income.

Since 2023, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been rewarding farmers and ranchers who carry out at least one voluntary sustainable practice, including the development of cover crops among woody crops, such as olive groves or fruit tree plantations. READ MORE

Study: Soaring demand for animal fats in SAF 'increasingly unsustainable' (Business Green)

‘Pigs do fly’: Growing use of animal fats in cars and planes increasingly unsustainable (Transport & Environment)

Plan to use pig fat as plane fuel doesn’t fly, study says (Washington Post)

Call PETA: Europe Turns To Pork Fat For Aviation Biofuel (CleanTechnica)

Growing demand for animal fats biofuels (Poultry World)

Excerpt from Business Green: Transport & Environment warns soaring use of lower carbon biofuels in flight and road transport risks creating unsustainable demand for animal fats

Europe's growing use of animal fats as an alternative, lower carbon feedstock for fuelling cars and planes is becoming "increasingly unsustainable", Transport & Environment (T&E) has warned. Fresh research by the green NGO claims that a single flight from Paris to New York powered by biofuels sourced from waste animal byproducts from the farming industry would require fat from as many as 8,800 dead pigs.

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But according to T&E's study published today, the use of animal fat alone in biodiesel has doubled in the past decade, has grown fortyfold since 2006, and demand is also on course to triple by 2030.

As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet that rapidly growing demand or SAF, which risks demand spilling over for other, more environmentally harmful sources such as palm oil, which is heavily linked to deforestation, according to the NGO.

Almost half of all European animal fats are already being poured into making biodiesel, while growing numbers of airlines - such as Wizz Air and Emirates - are also inking major SAF deals amid pressure to decarbonise their flights, all of which comes in addition to extensive use of the feedstock in competing pet food, soaps and cosmetics industries, T&E explained.

Projections provided by consultancy Stratas Advisors on behalf of the NGO also found that that, despite their limited availability, animal fats are expected to be the most common waste feedstock used in SAFs, alongside used cooking oil. Yet as T&E argues, scaling up industrial meat farming to meet that growing demand would be neither "doable nor desirable". READ MORE

Excerpt from Poultry World: Using rendered animal fats from poultry, pigs and cattle as transport fuels is causing alarm to climate scientists.

Rendered animal fats from poultry, pigs and cattle have been used for many years in pet food and in the oleochemical sector for soaps and cosmetics. But, their use as transport fuels, currently mostly in cars and trucks, is causing alarm to climate scientists.

This is happening particularly as aviation companies have recently struck deals with suppliers for “sustainable aviation fuels” (SAF), which often include animal fats.

A study carried out by Cerulogy for clean transport campaign group, Transport and Environment, found that supplies of animal fat in biodiesel have grown fortyfold since 2006. Demand for animal fats in biofuels is projected to triple by 2030 compared to 2021. This feedstock is expected to be the most used material in SAFs after used cooking oil, with fuel suppliers heavily investing in the processing of animal fats for biodiesel and other fuels.

Transport the largest user of such fats

Europe already burns 46% of all animal fat feedstocks as biodiesel, according to the study, making transport the largest user of such fats.

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Matt Finch, Transport and Environment spokesman, told the media that there could not be enough animals slaughtered to meet airlines’ growing demand for animal fats: “There’s not a never-ending supply of animals or animal fat. So, if you put on a massive extra demand source from anywhere from aviation, the industries where fat is currently used will have to look for alternatives. And that alternative is palm oil. So, aviation will indirectly be responsible for increasing the amount of palm oil pulled through European systems.” READ MORE