Page 19 - European Energy Innovation magazine - autumn 2022 edition

Autumn 2022 European Energy Innovation
Decarbonize aviation COMMUNICATION 19

the right way

Our industry in perspective produced from UCO. While UCO • broadening the feedstock base for
Waste-based and advanced biodiesel use would certainly reduce sector SAF production, and
has been a major driving force behind emissions compared with jet • establishing bolder promotion for
a steady reduction of road/heavy duty kerosene, in absence of a holistic key technologies such as e-fuels
transport emissions and it is playing approach across transport sectors and alcohol-to jet.
an increasing role decarbonizing the proposed legislation would
the maritime sector. Waste-based signifi cantly increase emissions in Promote the best types of SAF
biodiesel using used cooking oil (UCO) transport as a whole, put enormous Using waste lipids is at the moment
achieves the highest greenhouse pressure on waste lipids such as a comparatively cost-effective option
gas (GHG) savings on record under UCO and animal fats (which have to reduce emissions in aviation but
the revised Renewable Energy more effi cient uses), and at the same over-relying on waste lipids in the
Directive (REDIII). Over the past 15 time fail to boldly promote novel and 2025-2035 period is the wrong policy
years, our industry has been setting scalable SAF technologies that are choice as the above-mentioned
up collection systems to secure essential to decarbonize aviation. negative consequences far outweigh
feedstocks that would otherwise the immediate benefi ts. For these
pollute the environment and generate Climate in focus reasons certain governments have
additional emissions, while investing By diverting waste feedstocks from opted to support more promising
heavily in plant optimization and pre- road and maritime uses to aviation, novel pathways instead of waste
treatment technologies to process transport emissions will increase as lipids: the UK chose to focus on SAF
low-quality wastes and residues. waste-based biodiesel achieves up from cellulosic residues, municipal
Fast-forward a decade and a half and to +90% GHG savings versus 76% solid waste, etc, while Germany is
the European waste-based biodiesel GHG savings achieved by UCO-based exclusively promoting e-fuels with
industry is confronting highly negative SAF (HEFA). In short, this means that a deployment stage in the mid-
unintended consequences stemming at least 1 million tons of additional 2020s. Both countries have excluded
from the draft ReFuelEU Aviation GHG emissions will be released in waste lipids from SAF promotion.
Regulation, currently under discussion. the atmosphere already from 2025. When it comes to decarbonising
That is of course unless European our economy, the EU legislator
The issue at stake lawmakers signifi cantly improve the should pursue the most effi cient
In its original draft the ReFuelEU ReFuelEU proposal by: technologies and not pick winners
Aviation proposal strongly relies • placing a hard limitation on the and losers at the expense of net GHG
on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) contribution of HEFA, emissions. ●

The ReFuelEU proposal puts the Waste biodiesel
overall EU transport decarboni- for our trucks
sation effort and European Waste-based and advanced biodiesel
SMEs at risk reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Waste-based and advanced biodiesel for by up to 90% compared with fossil-based
diesel.
road and maritime use (FAME * ) is a more
efficient process (sGU study) than lipid- Full-scale electrification for the road
based Sustainable Aviation Fuel - SAF sector (especially heavy-duty) will take
(HEFA ** ) for aviation. Given that there is a decades to take place and waste-derived
limited source of waste lipids - diversion biodiesel is the best solution to decarboni-
from road/ maritime to aviation leads to ze the existing fleet.
higher GHG emissions.
A 2% SAF mandate in 2025 will consume more than 80% of
all UCO used by EWABA members and cause min. 1 million tons Waste biodiesel
of additional emissions in the atmosphere per year. into shipping
Waste-biodiesel can easily be
blended in existing fuel oil ships
Process option Process option without any modifications to the
HEFA ** FAME * engine or existing infrastructure.
Yield 1.000 kg Yield
610 kg UCO-HEFA (SAF) used 1.004 kg UCO-Biodiesel Waste-based biodiesel can be
Usage options cooking oil Usage options deployed immediately and is
favored by ship operators due to
Aircraft (UCO) Car, Truck, Vessel its very high energy density, a
The European Waste- Greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions sufficient parameter for long
based biodiesel map 24 g CO eq/MJ 10 g CO eq/MJ intercontinental voyages with no
2
2
Apart from its decarbonisation opportunity to refuel along the
efficiency, the waste-based and way.
advanced biodiesel industry Environmental Protection
supports over 25,000 jobs across
55+ production facilities scattered The collection of used cooking oils
across 19 EU member states. prevents their improper disposal in sinks,
which leads to the blockage of sewer
Diverting waste oils to aviation will systems and to the formation of so-called
significantly hurt climate mitigation ‘fatbergs’.
efforts but also damage an EU
industry largely based on SMEs, These mountains of waste are very difficult
often located in remote and rural to clean and extremely costly for cities and
regions. water companies. Also, animal fats and
other residues (advanced feedstocks) are
* FAME - Fatty Acid Methyl Ester often left to landfill where they produce
** HEFA - Hydroprocessed esters additional emissions. And most important-
and fatty acids ly, a very useful ‘wasted’ resource is lost!