Decisions needed soon

Refine Online 18 May

EU member countries must decide this year how they intend increasing the use of biofuels in traffic and transport. Neste Oil’s NExBTL renewable diesel has the potential to make a valuable contribution.

The EU’s new directive designed to promote the use of energy from renewable sources has mandated increasing the amount of biofuel used in traffic and transport. Member states have been given a relatively free hand, however, as to how they will implement the new requirements. Whatever they choose to do, however, decisions will have to be taken soon.

Many countries will use the incentive opportunities included in the directive, which make it possible to count the energy content of the waste materials used in producing biofuels at double the actual figure and the energy content of the renewable energy used in electric cars at two and half times the actual figure.

A tough requirement

At the moment, a maximum of 5% ethanol can be blended into gasoline in Europe, equivalent to a little less than 4% of the fuel’s energy content. A maximum of 7% biodiesel produced from renewable sources can be blended into diesel fuel.

This means that there is still some way to go to reach the 10% specified in the new directive. Automotive manufacturers are working hard to develop engines to enable the proportion of biocomponent to be increased without compromising on reliability or usability, as are fuel producers.

Old vehicles are a problem

The slow pace at which new vehicles are replacing older ones means that Finland will fall short of its minimum biocomponent requirement in respect of gasoline cars, according to Markku Honkanen, one of Neste Oil’s technical experts.

“Increasing the proportion of conventional biodiesel or FAME that can be blended into fuel will be difficult. Existing engines haven’t been designed to deal with higher concentrations, which could easily cause structural problems in engines or result in performance issues. The requirements of future high-efficiency catalytic converters also seem likely to make increasing blending levels difficult.”

Compatible all the way

NExBTL renewable diesel, developed by Neste Oil, offers a cost-effective solution for countries like Finland that need to meet the new biocomponent requirements.

“NExBTL renewable diesel is completely compatible with today’s engines, even at 100% content. The extensive trials that have been carried out on the fuel with both cars, buses, and trucks have fully confirmed this,” continues Honkanen.

100% NExBTL

Some 300 buses in Greater Helsinki have been running on a diesel blend containing 30% NExBTL for the last two and half years. Some of the buses in the trial have also run on 100% NExBTL renewable diesel. As expected, there have been no problems with their engines, and tailpipe emissions have also been lower.

Neste Oil currently sells Neste Green diesel, containing a minimum of 10% NExBTL renewable diesel, at stations in southern and eastern Finland. To meet its biocomponent requirement, Neste Oil has also blended NExBTL directly into normal diesel in some places.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Renewable fuels are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 35% over their life cycle compared to their fossil fuel equivalents. In 2017, this figure will increase to 50%.

NExBTL renewable diesel will have no problem meeting tougher new requirements like these, according to Markku Honkanen. “The life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of the fuels that we’ve developed are 40-80% lower than those of fossil fuels,” he says.

Biocomponent requirement

• The new EU directive (2009/28/EC) mandates an increase in the use of biofuels in traffic and transport. The previous directive was non-binding.
• At least 10% of the combined energy content of traffic fuels, gasoline, diesel fuel, and biocomponents must come from renewable sources by 2020.*
• Member countries will need to present their plans to the Commission on how they intend complying with the requirement in June.
• National legislation meeting the requirements of the new directive will need to come into force by the beginning of December.

Text Timo Hämäläinen
Translated by Peter Herring

* As liquids are typically blended by volume and because biocomponents have a lower energy content than fossil fuels, more than 10% biocomponent content will be needed when blending them into conventional fuels.