The changing face of liquid fuels supply

Francis Osborne from Argus Media examines government regulations, supply chain changes and emerging fuel options As unusual and catastrophic weather events increase in frequency the issue of climate change is rapidly rising up the global political agenda. The recent COP26 meeting in Glasgow may have demonstrated that the global community is still a long way from forging a collective approach but there is no denying that Europe is now well embarked on a pathway that will lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions. Companies involved in the handling and storage of transport and other fuels must ready themselves for a brave new world. Gone will be the need to handle a small number of fuels with uniform characteristics and specifications. Instead, operators will need to adapt to dealing with a wide range of new products and feedstocks, many of which will have only one thing in common – the potential to reduce carbon emissions.   GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS In July 2021 the EU introduced its Fit for 55 package of proposals to amend the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), first introduced in 2019 and which covers emissions in the transport sector. These proposals, which...