Biofuels sustainability information
Biofuels vary in the way they are produced with differing impacts on climate change, the environment and people. In order to provide New Zealanders with confidence that they are using sustainable biofuels, EECA has established a framework which allows biodiesel producers and retailers to report on the environmental credentials of their products.
See the background section below for information on how the figures in the table were calculated, and what the terms mean.
| Biofuel seller | Blend/Fuel | Biofuel feedstock | Feedstock origin | Greenhouse gas emissions compared to petrol / diesel |
Fuel company statement |
| Biodiesel New Zealand | 100% biodiesel | Used cooking oil (90%) and rapeseed oil (10%) | New Zealand | Greater than 80% reduction |
Biodiesel New Zealand's biodiesel is canola-based. The biofuel is produced from a blend of used cooking oil, graded for optimum use, and canola oil (oilseed rape) from rapeseed grown in New Zealand. The rapeseed is grown as a break-crop (between other crops), which allows farmers to condition the soil and raise the fertility of the land for future use in addition to producing both food and fuel. Once the canola oil is extracted, the remaining seed cake is a high protein animal food. For further information visit www.biodiesel-nz.co.nz |
| Biodiesel New Zealand | 20% biodiesel blend | Used cooking oil (90%) and rapeseed oil (10%) | New Zealand | 16-18% reduction | (As above) |
| Environ Fuels | 100% biodiesel | Used cooking oil | New Zealand | Greater than 80% reduction |
“Environ Fuels utilises used vegetable oil feedstock, from the food and confectionery industry, in producing high quality biodiesel to lower carbon emissions and the effects they have on the environment. Currently all of the waste oil is sourced from New Zealand and the biodiesel made from that does not compete with food production or biodiversity, which is an important prerequisite in principles of sustainability”. For further information visit www.environfuels.com |
| Environ Fuels | 20% biodiesel blend | Used cooking oil | New Zealand | 16-18% reduction | (As above) |
| NZ Ester Fuels | 100% biodiesel | Used cooking oil and chicken cooking residue | New Zealand | Greater than 80% reduction |
"Our lipid feedstocks are predominantly used cooking oils & fats that are collected using a vehicle fleet operating on 100% Biodiesel. An increasing proportion of our feedstock is a cooking process residue that is currently sent to landfill - diverting a problematic material from landfill and rather converting it into a renewable fuel has obvious environmental benefits. The design of our manufacturing process included a sustainability focus and hence we neither have a fresh water nor trade waste sewer connection. This feature was enabled by the use of Magnesol Dry wash technology". For further information visit www.nzef.co.nz |
| NZ Ester Fuels | 20% biodiesel blend |
Used cooking oil and chicken cooking residue |
New Zealand | 16-18% reduction | (As above) |
| Anchor Ethanol Ltd | 100% bioethanol | Whey | New Zealand | 35-50% reduction |
Calculations
The information in the table is calculated by comparing the emissions from the biofuel, with the emissions of mineral diesel or petrol. The lifecycle emissions for the biofuel is calculated from data provided to EECA by biofuel producers and retailers, which is then independently checked. The biofuel emissions value is then compared against a standard life cycle emissions value for mineral diesel or petrol.
Carbon dioxide from combusting biofuels is not counted in this calculation. This is because carbon dioxide emitted by the biofuels during engine combustion is effectively cancelled out by the carbon dioxide that was recently absorbed from the atmosphere by the source of the biofuel, e.g., from plants growing. Greenhouse gases emitted during farming, manufacture and transportation of the biofuel are counted.
View the URS report, which the greenhouse gas emissions calculations for biodiesel are based on, and the peer review of the URS report for biodiesel.
View the URS report, which the greenhouse gas emissions calculations for bioethanol from whey are based on, and the peer review of the URS report for bioethanol from whey.
Definitions
Biofuel is fuel that can be produced from renewable materials, such as plant and animal matter. The most common types of biofuels are biodiesel (as an alternative to diesel) and bioethanol (as an alternative to petrol).
Bioethanol is an alcohol fuel that is made from wastes, by-products and plants that contain sugars and starches. Bioethanol is usually available as a blend, mixed with petrol. In New Zealand bioethanol-blended petrol is available in blends of up to 10%.
Biodiesel is similar to ordinary diesel but is made from vegetable oils or animal fats. Blended with ordinary diesel, it makes a biodiesel blend. In New Zealand biodiesel can be retailed in blends of up to 5%. Higher biodiesel blends can be sold where there is a written contract for supply (wholesale).
A blend occurs when the biofuel is blended with petrol or diesel to make a biofuel blend. For example, E10, or 10% bioethanol-blended petrol means 10% bioethanol with 90% ordinary petrol. Likewise, B5, or 5% biodiesel blend, means 5% biodiesel with 95% ordinary diesel.
Feedstock refers to the base material that contains the main ingredient that produces the fuel e.g. whey that contains sugar, tallow that contains animal fat, rapeseed that contains rapeseed oil.
Feedstock origin is the country that the biofuel feedstock has come from before it is made into biodiesel. The country of feedstock origin may be different to the country in which the biofuel is produced.
Greenhouse gases are emitted through fuel use. The main greenhouse gas emitted through fuel use is carbon dioxide. Along with other greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide contributes to climate change. Because the use of biofuels results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions than from fossil fuels, using biofuels in fuel blends can help minimise the negative impacts of climate change.
More information
EECA's biofuels page has links to a range of information about biofuels
