Summary yearly report Energy for Transport 2017

HEV Annual Obligation 2017 complied with

In 2017, companies complied with their increased annual obligation (from 7% to 7.75%) for renewable energy for transport. The banked balance from 2016 has been used when doing so; after all, slightly fewer deliveries of renewable energy were claimed this year than were needed to comply with the annual obligation 2017. At the year-end closing 2017, there was still a surplus of almost 4.8 million HBEs; this was carried over to 2018 as banked balance.

Increase in delivered renewable energy

The physical amount of renewable energy reported in 2017 was 19.5 million GJ. This is a 10% increase compared with 2016. The energy content of biofuels based on wastes and residues can be double-counted. Where this double-counting is taken into account, this is indicated in this report by ‘calculated energy content’.

As a result of the use of more double-counting material, the calculated energy content of the renewable energy rose by 12% in 2017. The use of double-counting biofuels rose from 66% to 69% based on physical energy content. This rise is mainly attributable to double-counting FAME.

Biofuels account for largest share of renewable energy

The majority of the deliveries of renewable energy to the Dutch transport sector that were claimed were biofuels: over 99%. Of this, the biofuels that are blended into diesel have the highest representation with 80.3% (taking double-counting into account). Biofuels that serve as petrol substitutes deliver an 18.1% contribution and biogas 1.4%. Electricity delivers a small contribution (0.2%) but this is rising sharply: in 2017, the energy value of the electricity deliveries claimed for road vehicles doubled.

Used cooking oil the main feedstock, no use of palm oil and soy

Used cooking oil accounts for the largest contribution of feedstocks (61%) to the claimed biofuel deliveries in 2017 (based on the physical energy-content). The majority of this was imported.

The growth comes mainly from Asia (not being SE Asia). The main agricultural crops as feedstocks for the biofuels delivered in 2017 are wheat and maize. Since 2016, no use of the palm oil and soy agricultural crops has been reported.

The majority of the feedstocks for biofuels in 2017 comprised waste flows. This share has risen in recent years to approximately 70% in 2017 (based on the physical energy-content). Biofuels that serve as diesel substitutes and biogas were produced exclusively from waste flows and residues in 2017. Petrol substitutes on the other hand were produced almost exclusively from agricultural crops in 2017.

Fall in the use of biofuels in the ‘advanced’ category

The European legislation assigned biofuels to categories, which are also implemented in the Netherlands. The categories are:

• Conventional: biofuels based on agricultural crops
• Advanced: biofuels, based on waste flows and residues (Renewable Energy Directive, Annex IX Part A)
• Other: biofuels, mainly based on used cooking oil in particular and animal fat categories 1 or 2 (Renewable Energy Directive, Annex IX Part B) and electricity.

In 2020, at least 0.5% advanced biofuels must be delivered (of the total of all fuel deliveries that are subject to an annual obligation). The share of ‘advanced’ biofuels in 2017 is 0.1%. This is lower than the percentage in 2016 (0.2%).

The share of ‘advanced’ biofuels of the total of all deliveries of biofuels is 1.6% (based on the single-counting energy value). This is significantly lower than the percentage in 2016 (4.5%). In 2017, biogas from waste flows accounted for most of the advanced biofuels.

Air pollution from fuels emissions reductions: halfway to 6% in 2020

The obligation to achieve a 6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the fuel chain applies to all fuel suppliers in Europe in 2020. This report reports on the reduction in the fuel chain for the Netherlands as a whole. The registered reduction in 2017 is slightly higher than in 2016 (3% compared with 2.7%). So there is still 3% to be bridged to achieve the EU target in 2020.

Companies can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by using biofuels and by using ‘better’ fossil fuels, such as LPG, LNG and CNG. The use of biofuels made the most significant contribution to the emission reductions achieved in 2017. This is the FAME biofuel in particular.

See for total report (Dutch): Rapportage Energie voor Vervoer in Nederland 2017