The Dutch Emissions Authority (Nederlandse Emissieautoriteit, NEa) is publishing a Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) Regulation, which takes effect starting October 1, 2021. The NEa is responsible for developing policies related to climate and renewable energy in the Netherlands.
According to this regulation, Carbon-14 analysis is required to validate the accuracy of HVO and other fuels with biogenic content. The NEa indicates a control tolerance of 3% of the expected value for blends of 25% or higher, which suggests that if the expected value is 100%, a minimum of 97% biogenic content will be required to validate the 100% claim. On the other hand, for blends lower than 25%, the expected value is 1%.
Under this framework, the NEa establishes the use of the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) method in accordance with ASTM D6866 or EN 16640 standards in the event that results using the Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) method is outside of the control tolerances accepted. Blends with 25% biogenic origin or higher and blends with 100% HVO tank/stream can also use Carbon-14 analysis by AMS or LSC.
Starting July 1, 2022, the Carbon-14 testing must be performed by an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory. Accreditation must be done by the Dutch Accreditation Council (Raad voor Accreditatie, or RvA) or another accreditation body in the Netherlands.
Beta Analytic’s ISO 17025 accreditation is recognized by the Dutch Accreditation Council.
The European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) describes Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils as straight-chain paraffinic hydrocarbons that are free of aromatics, oxygen and sulfur and have high cetane numbers. Commonly referred to as renewable diesel and Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), HVOs are produced via hydroprocessing of oils and fats. HVOs have flexible feedstock requirements, which include a wide range of low-quality waste and residue materials.
HVOs have reduced nitrogen oxide emissions, better storage stability, and better cold flow properties when compared to FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) or biodiesel. HVO can be used in diesel engines and has been approved as an aviation fuel, according to the EAFO.
Based in Miami, Florida, Beta Analytic provides ASTM D6866 and EN 16640 testing with standard turnaround time of 7 business days or less. Results are available online 24/7 with quality assurance reports.
The ISO 17025-accredited lab has performed ASTM D6866 testing since 2004. The lab joined the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Subcommittee D20.96 in 2004 to help author the ASTM D6866 standard.
Beta welcomes any inquiries on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) Carbon-14 testing. Please call (+1) 305-662-7760 or use this contact form.
Beta Analytic is not affiliated with the Dutch Emissions Authority or the Dutch Accreditation Council.
References:
Nederlandse Emissieautoriteit – HVO (accessed August 2023)
European Commission’s European Alternative Fuels Observatory – Advanced Biofuels: HVO (accessed September 2021)
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 and is filed under Biogenic Carbon Testing of Biofuels .