Sustainability Policies in Biofuels and the Emerging Biobased Economy
1. Sustainability Policies in
Biofuels and beyond
Framing a sustainable
biobased economy
Ralph Brieskorn
The Nederlands
WBM, Rotterdam, March 13, 2012
2. Summary
• Biofuels and the EU policy
• Dealing with sustainability
• Current situation on the sustainability policies of biofuels in NL
• Looking ahead
• The Biobased Economy: opportunities
2
3. Why biofuels?
• Commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, further GHG reductions in the
future: large potential and technological/financial interesting
opportunities
• Transport accounts for 21% of the EU’s GHG emissions
• GHG-emissions in transport sector, by far the largest
increase since 1990
The Netherlands today… The Netherlands in…
3
4. EU 2020 Targets
• Renewable Energy Directive
• Minimum of 10% renewable energy in transport in 2020
• Electric, biofuels, biogas, hydrogen
• At least applicable to road transport, opt in for shipping/air
• Double counting 2nd generation biofuels
(waste/residues/cellulosic)
• Fuel Quality Directive
• Life Cycle Analysis, GHG-reduction of 6% compared to 2010
• Looks at the whole chain of production and use of fuels
• No double counting 2nd generation biofuels
4
5. Concerns about biofuels
• Competition with food (price spikes 2007/2008)
• Land use change (direct and indirect)
• Biodiversity
• GHG emission
• Other sustainability effects:
• Locally: soil, water, air
• Social (poverty, land rights)
5
6. EU Sustainability Requirements (art. 17)
• For biofuels and other bio liquids for energy purposes:
• GHG-emissions: > 35% better than fossil equivalent,
2017 50% existing and 60% new installations
• Biodiversity: no go areas
• Carbon sinks: preservation of status of areas
• Wetlands
• EU: cross compliance requirements (agriculture and nature
protection)
• Reporting requirements: food security and food prices, ILO,
land security
• For waste, residues: Waste and residues (not from agriculture,
aquaculture, fishery, forest): only GHG-emission requirement
6
7. Sustainability certification in the Netherlands
• Based on the RED sustainability requirements certification can
take place:
• By one of the adopted voluntary certification systems under RED
• By Dutch national system (The Dutch Emission Authority (NEA)
will check the requirements)
• By another national system of an EU Member State (after a quick
scan)
• NL is in favour of harmonisation as far as possible
7
9. Approved schemes in the Netherlands
• NTA 8080/8081 – www.sustainable-biomass.org
• Biograce Version 4 www.biograce.net
• Verification Protocol Double Counting Better Biofuels
• Green Gold Label
• RED Compliance Inspection
• ENSUS
• RSPO (palm oil) – www.rspo.org
• REDcert – www.redcert.org
• Untill mid 2012
9
10. Key elements of Dutch Biofuel Policy
• GHG reduction important driver, as well as energy security
• Sustainability is important (Cramer criteria)
• Almost no local production of biofuel crops
• Some innovative companies: 2nd generation biodiesel from UCO
and animal fats
• Limited production of bio-methanol (2nd generation)
• Since end of 2011 also production of hydrotreated vegetable oils
(HVO)
• Indirect Land Use Change important
• In favour of European harmonisation (certification, definitions of
waste & residues)
10
11. Policy Developments in the Netherlands in 2011
• Implementation of the RED/FQD in Dutch legislation (March –
May 2011), including:
• Double counting advanced biofuels (waste/residues,
lignocellulose, GHG > 35%)
• Inclusion of biokerosene in Decree (December 2011)
• Operational structure in place for administration, monitoring and
enforcement of sustainable biofuels (Dutch Emission Authority,
NEA)
• Targets set: 4% in 2010, 4,25 in 2011, up, 4,5% in 2012, up to
5,5% in 2014
• Parliament voted on the 1st of December 2011 for:
• Moving faster towards the 10% before 2020
• Focus on more sustainable biofuels
11
12. New Targets set for biofuels
Target ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ’14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 ‘19 ‘20
Old (1) 4.25 4.5 5 5.5 6.25 7 7.75 8.5 9.25 10
New 5.25 6.25 7.5 8.75 10 10 10 10 10
• (1) in old situation no targets after 2014, figures here are
extrapolated
• RCI will develop a proposal how transition from 1st to 2nd
generation can be facilitated, including timeframe
12
13. Some facts on biofuels in the Netherlands
• Year 2012: 4,5 % biofuels in transport
• Evaluation in 2014 for next steps towards 10% goal in 2020
13
14. Source of biofuels in the Netherlands 2010
• Ethanol: 39% corn, wheat 19%, sugarcane 10%
• FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester/biodiesel): 53 % Used Cooking Oils
• MTBE (Methyl-tert-butylether): almost 100% glycerine
14
16. Sustainability reporting biofuels in 2010
• 64% biofuels sustainability demonstrated: mainly rapeseed, palmoil,
sugar cane, wheat, corn, sugar beet
• RTRS, RSPO and some national standards (Belgium, UK, US)
• UCO, animal fat, glycerine used double counting verification
16
17. Looking ahead:
• Indirect Land Use Change (iLUC)
• Waiting for the proposal of the European Commission
NL position:
• iLUC-factor (preferably crop specific)
• Low Risk iLUC Biofuels
• Work on measures to guarantee iLUC-free biofuels
What is needed:
• Local: pragmatic approaches to show that iLUC free biofuels are
possible
• Scientific work to improve iLUC-modelling
17
18. iLUC: examples of pragmatic approaches
Certification Model for Low risk ILUC (WWF, RSB, Ecofys, AGNL)
Several pilots:
for instance Cattle integration – Sugarcane/Ethanol in Brasil
18
19. A Glance at a Renewable Transport Mix in 2020
• Electric cars: 200.000 vehicles, 0,5% share in 10% target
• Cars on biogas/green gas: 200.000 vehicles, > 0,5%
share in 10% target
• Second generation biofuels: 2,5%, double counting for
a 5% share in the 10% target
• Waste and residues, lignocellulosic material
• Liquid and gas
• First generation biofuels in 2020: 4% of 10% target
• Bioreplacement for petrol and diesel
• Independent auditing required
• Sustainability ensured
19
21. Biobased Economy in the Netherlands
• Cross cutting sector in the current Top Sectors of the
Government: chemical, energy, agrifood, logistics
• Opportunities for the Netherlands: innovation and economic
development
• Biobased is strong in the Netherlands based on science,
government and business
• GHG-reduction and energy security
• Current investments: 5 – 10 billion Euro’s
• For research, commitment of companies: 200 million Euro’s/4
years
• Pilots, scaling up: biobased chemicals and energy: 500 million
Euro’s
• Biobased economy is in a Take Off Phase
21
24. Sustainability always as a prerequisite
• Several advice from the Social and Economic Council (SER) ‘More
chemistry between green and growth’ and Advisory Committee
on Sustainability of Biomass ‘Sustainability and decisiveness’ and
Rathenau Institute ‘Getting to the core of the Bio-economy’ and
in the Innovation Contract:
• Sustainability framework is necessary for a biobased economy in
order to protect natural resources, improve social situation and
food security
• Broaden the scope from biofuels, to biomass for energy to
biobased products
24