Swedish Energy Agency Sustainability Sustainable fuels

Greenhouse gas reduction mandate

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To encourage use of biofuels in Sweden, the Swedish government has implemented a greenhouse gas reduction mandate for gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. This means that fuel suppliers must reduce greenhouse gas emissions from these fuels by a certain percentage every year. The greenhouse gas reduction mandate is intended to contribute to the national goal of 70 percent greenhouse gas reduction from domestic transport by 2030.

Economic operators that are taxable for gasoline and/or diesel and/or aviation fuels are by law (2017:1201) bound to reduce the climate impact of their gasoline and/or diesel by a certain percentage every calendar year. This percentage increases every calendar year and is separate for gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. To reach the required target percentages, fuel suppliers will need to increase the biofuel blend in their gasoline and diesel.  

To calculate the reduction, the climate impact of the fuel at hand is compared with the climate impact of a fully fossil counterpart (fossil gasoline, diesel or aviation fuel respectively). The climate impact of the biofuel component in a fuel is calculated according to a life cycle perspective, from cultivation and production to usage. The purpose of this is to promote use of biofuel with favorable climate properties.

The table below presents the reduction levels as decided in the acts SFS 2021:412 and SFS 2022:1217. This is presented for information purposes only. The currently decided levels can be found in the consolidated act on greenhouse gas reduction mandate.

  Diesel Gasoline Aviation kerosene

2020

 21 % 4,2 % -

2021

 26 % 6 % 0,8 %

2022

 30,5 % 7,8 % 1,7 %

2023

 30,5 % 7,8 % 2,6 %

2024

 40 % 12,5 % 3,5 %

2025

 45 % 15,5 % 4,5 %

2026

 50 % 19 % 7,2 %

2027

 54 % 22 % 10,8 %

2028

 58 % 24 % 15,3 %

2029

 62 % 26 % 20,7 %

2030

 66 % 28 % 27 %

 

Which fuels are affected by the greenhouse gas reduction mandate?

The greenhouse gas reduction mandate affects gasoline and diesel fuel used as motor fuel and aviation fuel that include no more than 98 percent biofuel.

Gasoline refers to all gasoline, excluding alkylate gasoline and gasoline used by the armed forces, under the commodity codes (CN codes) 2710 11 41, 2710 11 45, 2710 11 49, 2710 11 51 or 2710 11 59.

Diesel fuel refers to all diesel fuel, excluding dyed diesel/red diesel and diesel used by the armed forces, under the commodity codes 2710 19 41 or 2710 19 45.

Aviation fuel refers to aviation fuel, excluding fuel used by the Swedish Armed Forces, under the commodity code 2710 19 21.

Fuels containing more than 98 percent biofuel are not affected by the greenhouse gas reduction mandate. Gaseous fuels and liquefied gaseous fuels are not affected by the greenhouse gas reduction mandate.

How is the emission reduction of a fuel calculated?

The emission reduction of a fuel is calculated by comparing the emissions of the fuel at hand with the emissions of a fully fossil gasoline, diesel or aviation fuel equivalent.

The calculation can be summarized in the steps below:

ekvation1.PNG

Eb and Ef is the energy content of the biofuel component and the fossil component in a fuel, respectively.

equation2.PNG

Ub is the calculated emission factor of the biofuel component, expressed in gCO2eq/MJ. Uf is the standardized emission factor of the fossil component. Ud denote the total emissions of the fuel at hand, expressed in gCO2eq/MJ.

The emission reduction of a fuel is then given as:

equation3.PNG

The standardized emission factor of the fossil fuel component, Uf, is as follows:

  • 93.3 gCO2eq/MJ for gasoline,
  • 95.1 gCO2eq/MJ for diesel fuel and
  • 89 gCO2eq/MJ for aviation fuel.

The emission factor of the biofuel, Ub, accounts for the life cycle of the fuel and is calculated according to the sustainability criteria method.