Biodiesel leads UK in biofuels that meet sustainability criteria

Image: U.K. Department for Transport

November 14, 2018

BY Erin Krueger

The U.K. Department for Transport has published preliminary data on its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation for a portion of 2018, including data on how much biodiesel met U.K. sustainability requirements.

The quarterly report, published in early November, covers the supply of renewable fuels from April 15 through Dec. 31, 2018, based on data available as of Sept. 17. The final report for the period will be published in October 2019.

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As of data available Sept. 17, the report indicates 525 million liters (138.7 million gallons) of renewable fuels were supplied during a period beginning April 15. That volume of renewable fuels accounted for 4 percent of total on- and off-road mobile machinery fuel. Approximately 172 million liters, or 33 percent, of this fuel has been demonstrated to meet sustainability requirements so far.

Of the 172 million liters that has met U.K. sustainability requirements, 59 percent was biodiesel, 38 percent was ethanol, 2 percent was biomethane and 1 percent was biomethanol.

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During the period, 320 million renewable transport fuel certificates (RTFCs) were awarded to transportation fuel suppliers that meet sustainability criteria, including 296 million RTFCs that were issued to “double counting” feedstocks.

Of the fuel meeting sustainability requirements, 26 percent was made from U.K. feedstocks, primarily used cooking oil. For ethanol, almost half was made from low-grade starch slurry in France.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded on the U.K. Department for Transport website.

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