The Norwegian Environment Agency just published the official figures for biofuels use under the 24.5% vol. mandate last year.
- Contrary to many countries in the world, the size of the Norwegian road fuel pool (diesel + gasoline) has not evolved between 2019 (3.9 million cum) and 2020/2021 (3.8 million cum for both years).
- A total of 538 Kcum of biofuels have been used in 2021, up 8% from 2020.
- 75% of this total was “advanced”, including 9A + 9B feedstocks. In 2020, this ratio was of 66%.
- The physical share of biofuels was recorded at 14% vol, because of the double-counting of “advanced” biofuels.
- The plan to cut tax breaks for pure biofuels and slash palm-based biofuels was a success: for the first time, not a single drop of palm/PFAD-based biofuel was used in Norway.
- Tallow C1/C2, double-counted, was the n°1 feedstock mix used with 46% of the mix (249 Kcum).
- N°2 was UCO which experienced a dramatic increase of 300% compared to 2020, with 27% of the total (143 Kcum).
- N°3 was rapeseed with 14% of the total (77 Kcum).
- Despite the lack of specific incentive vs 9B feedstocks, 34 Kcum of 9A feedstocks were used to account for 6.3% of the mix, including unspecified amounts of tall oil, black liquor, manure, sewage sludge, glycerol, bagasse and wet organic sorted wastes.
- Other conventional feedstocks (5 kcum, 1% of the mix) included sunflower oil and animal fats C3.
- Half of the feedstock mix originated from the US, 25% from Asia and only 25% from Europe.
- Norway has the world’s lowest reliance on local feedstock: only 1% in 2021.
- The 0.5% vol. SAF mandate was covered through the blending of 2.6 Kcum of UCO and tallow-based SAF, mostly sourced from Europe (86%).
- The Agency reported 11 obligated parties under the road obligation and 5 under the SAF obligation.
