April 3, 2024
BY Iowa Renewable Fuels Association
The Retailers Motor Fuel Gallons Annual Report, just released by the Iowa Department of Revenue, found E15 sales increased 47 percent year-on-year to a record 178 million gallons. The report also found a record 68 million gallons of biodiesel was blended into Iowa diesel for 2023.
For the first time, E15 sales accounted for more than 10 percent of Iowa gasoline sales in 2023, hitting 13.3 percent according to the report. Today, one in four Iowa fuel stations offers E15.
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“Increased access coupled with its low price led more Iowans than ever to choose E15 at Iowa fuel stations in 2023,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw. “A nearly 50 percent increase in E15 sales in one year is remarkable. We expect to keep setting records as Iowa Governor Kim Reynold’s E15 Access Standard legislation is fully implemented in 2026. When given a choice, Iowa consumers have shown they want E15 at the pump.”
For only the second time, the report found that sales of on-road B11 and higher biodiesel blends eclipsed 60 percent of the market. The average percentage of biodiesel in on-road blended gallons hit a record 14.4 percent. In off-road diesel, usually used in farm and construction equipment, the report found a 5-fold increase in B20 and higher blends.
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“Setting a record blend level in 2023 sends a strong message about the staying power of biodiesel,” said Shaw. “IRFA members have worked hard to expand biodiesel use in off-road markets, so seeing progress there was very encouraging. Overall, 2023 was a great year for biofuel use in Iowa and we’re not taking our foot off the accelerator pedal.”
The Iowa Department of Revenue identified retailers for the report using information from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s motor fuel license database and from internal records. The full 2023 report can be found here.
Germany-based Mabanaft on April 17 announced it started to supply SAF to airlines at Frankfurt Airport in January. The company said it will deliver more than 1,000 metric tons of SAF to the airport this year under the European SAF mandate.
easyJet and ATOBA Energy, in partnership with World Fuel Services, announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the development of long-term supply of SAF for easyJet’s operations in Europe and the U.K.
EVA Air announced the signing of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) procurement agreements with three major suppliers: AEG FUELS from the U.S., COSMO Oil Marketing Co. Ltd. from Japan, and Formosa Petrochemical Corp. from Taiwan.
As the demand for fleet decarbonization continues to intensify, Optimus Technologies on April 22 announced the production launch of its latest Vector System, a fuel system technology that enables heavy-duty engines to operate on B100.
Mammoet on April 23 announced that it will be implementing HVO fuel across the Netherlands, U.K. and Canada. The investment in HVO was driven by higher demand from lower carbon solutions from the company’s customers.