Zemo's Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme attracts new suppliers, extends to Republic of Ireland

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Mon 30 October 2023 View all news

Zemo Partnership's Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme continues to expand, with 26 fuel suppliers now fully approved under the scheme, representing over 90% of the companies supplying bulk renewable fuels to heavy-duty vehicle and off-highway markets in the UK.

Barton Petroleum, an HVO supplier, has joined other recently approved companies - New Era Fuels, Shell TapUP, Highland Fuels Ltd, and biodiesel producer Syntech Biofuel Ltd.  

Meanwhile, Zemo is excited to announce that the RFAS is expanding to other regions, and will be introduced in the Republic of Ireland next month.  Ireland’s National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) has its own RTFO scheme to encourage the supply of sustainable low carbon fuels. Ireland’s RTFO has set an E10 (gasoline with 10% bioethanol blend) and B20 (diesel with 20% biodiesel/HVO blend) target to be met by 2030. One of three certificate types (Red, Orange, and Green) is awarded to renewable fuels that satisfy the sustainability and GHG savings criteria, depending on the feedstock used to produce the fuels. Zemo is engaging with biomethane and HVO suppliers in the Republic of Ireland regarding joining the RFAS.

Renewable fuels are increasingly featuring in companies' transport decarbonisation strategies in the heavy-duty vehicle sector.  They are viewed as an important transitional solution until fully electric vehicles can be integrated into operations.

In 2021 Zemo launched the Renewable Fuel Assurance Scheme (RFAS), a voluntary initiative giving heavy-duty vehicles and operators of non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), independent assurance of renewable fuel supply chain traceability. The renewable fuels cover liquid and gaseous biofuels, blends of biofuels and fossil fuel, plus renewable hydrogen. The scheme enables fleet operators to have confidence in the greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of the low carbon fuels they have purchased and the sustainability credentials of renewable fuel feedstocks.

A unique feature of the scheme is a ‘Renewable Fuel Declaration’ which operators receive with batches of the renewable fuel purchased. The declaration includes a colour-coded GHG emission savings banding system, similar to energy efficiency labels, encouraging fleet operators to strive to achieve higher savings. A QR code now feature on the Renewable Fuel Declaration to enable smart phone users to quickly check the authenticity of the declaration and ensure the renewable fuel supplier is approved under the RFAS.

Zemo estimates that over 1000 companies are deploying RFAS-approved low carbon fuels across the UK, saving an estimated 415,545 tCO2e compared to equivalent B7 diesel.


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