Fuel formula debate goes on

Once more the European Commission will try to persuade EU member states to approve a formula for assessing how member states can reduce carbon emissions associated with transport fuel production and use by a 6% target by 2020, in line with the EU’s 2009 Fuel Quality Directive, writes Keith Nuthall.

However, agreement has not been secured on measuring this reduction. In its latest proposal, the Commission proposes that refiners should log an average emissions rate, considering all feedstock used in their output. This changes previous proposals which required refiners to single-out high emissions-related feedstock, such as oil sands. The latter dominate Canadian supply, which has just struck two major trade and cooperation agreements with the EU. Under the latest formula, petrol from these sources has a greenhouse gas intensity of 107 gCO₂eq/MJ, while conventional crude is just 93.2. For diesel, the figures are 108.5 and 95 respectively.

Outgoing EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said the proposal was fair, as it was ‘an incentive to choose less polluting fuels over more polluting ones like, for example, oil sands’. She hoped member states would approve the proposal. The Council of Ministers has two months to decide under the EU’s procedure for secondary legislation.