Front criticizes possible inclusion of co-processed diesel in the Fuel of the Future | Policy

The Mixed Biodiesel Parliamentary Front (FPBio) criticized Petrobras’ attempt to include its co-processed diesel in the bill known as Fuel of the Future (PL 528/2020), currently being processed in the Federal Senate. The product is composed of fossil content and a renewable part, generally 5%, which generates criticism from biofuel producers.

In a note, the entity cites a resolution from the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP), approved last week, which corroborates its position against the product from the state-owned oil company. The standard says that “coprocessed diesel does not meet the regulatory, environmental and decarbonization parameters, which are the pillars of the proposal”, approved by the Chamber of Deputies in March. The project creates incentives and provides greater predictability for the production of biofuels, such as biodiesel, ethanol and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

From a forward perspective, the ANP resolution clarifies that the co-processed product has fossil origins, just like diesel, and is polluting.

FPBio emphasizes that diesel cycle biofuels “are produced entirely from renewable raw materials, following requirements considered the most rigorous in the world, defined by the ANP”. In addition to biodiesel, the agency considers green diesel or HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) as a biofuel composed entirely of renewable raw materials, and does not include co-processed fuel.

“Co-processed diesel is a method that consists of inserting a small portion of renewable content into the diesel – typically 5%. In other words, it is a predominantly fossil product (95%) produced exclusively by Petrobras, patented in 2005, and there is no possibility of being produced in other companies’ refineries”, said the president of FPBio, deputy Alceu Moreira (MDB-RS), in a statement.

The entity reinforces that “there are no viable techniques available to determine exactly the proportion of the renewable component in the final product, which prevents both fuel distributors and consumers from being able to verify the real content of the product”, explains the note.

“The fact that it has renewable content does not qualify co-processed diesel as green diesel or any other biofuel”, he concluded.

The Federal Senate may vote on the Fuel in the Future PL in May. The rapporteur is senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB). He is president of the Parliamentary Energy Front, a body created by Jean Paul Prates, current president of Petrobras.