SEKAB is one out of four companies to receive a sustainability decision for biofuels and bioliquids from the Swedish Energy Agency. The sustainability decision is the first ever to be granted in Sweden, which proves that SEKAB’s fuel is guaranteed durable, a prerequisite for obtaining tax exemption for renewable fuels as of February 1, 2012.

– Our commitment to sustainability has until now been our own initiative, for instance through Verified Sustainable Ethanol, but we are very pleased that it is also a legal requirement since 2011. We are also very proud to have participated in the process of pushing forward the sustainability criteria for biofuels in the Swedish legislation”, said Maria Kristofferson, Environmental Engineer at SEKAB.

For fuels to be regarded as sustainable, a number of sustainability criteria need to be met and verified. This applies to the entire production chain, from raw material to final product. Sustainable quantities are to be reported annually to the Swedish Energy Agency.

– We developed a framework early on that ensures the quality of ethanol from an environmental, climatic  and social perspective, which  covers the entire lifecycle of ethanol up to the end-use, for example in vehicles. In 2008, SEKAB was number one in the world to supply verifiable sustainable ethanol and we are very proud to have pursued and implemented the development forward. We are pleased that the EU and the Swedish government have taken responsibility for this today”, said Maria Kristofferson.

A part from being a realistic alternative to a large part of the fossil oil, ethanol is the oldest and fastest growing biofuel in the world. In terms of volume, ethanol is also the largest biofuel in the world and represents about 90 percent of global consumption. SEKAB’s ethanol-based fuels include:

ED95 - a renewable fuel developed for diesel engines. It is based on bioethanol and is already a well established green alternative for heavy transportations. SEKAB has developed ED95 with the intent to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the transportation industry and to offer a proven green alternative to diesel.

ED95 is developed for modified diesel engines in trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles and has the same high efficiency as diesel. The clean combustion of ethanol in adapted diesel engines enables the vehicles to meet the highest emission standards even without a particulate filter. In addition to sustainable bioethanol ED95 also contains water additives, ignition improver as well as denaturing and corrosion inhibitors.

ETHANOL - for admixture in petrol. Mixing small amounts of ethanol into petrol is a fast and effective way to somewhat limit the environmental impact of traffic. All petrol sold in Sweden currently contains five percent ethanol, but according to new EU regulations, the permitted level in petrol is ten percent.

All ethanol delivered by SEKAB always meet the sustainability regulations from the Swedish Energy Agency and the EU, but generally tends to live up to significantly higher standards.

The decision from the Swedish Energy Agency is valid until further notice for all businesses, but it will be reviewed at a future date.

Contact:             

Kristina Nilsson, Head of Communications, SEKAB, phone +46 (0) 660 751 20