Sweden-based biofuels producer SEKAB joins LSB

Biofuels group Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB) has welcomed Swedish company SEKAB as its new member.

SEKAB is a producer of bio-based chemicals and biofuels and also commercialising in-house technologies to convert forestry and agriculture residues to cellulosic sugars, ethanol and lignin.

LSB is a coalition of leading advanced biofuels producers and technology developers committed to making a significant contribution to meeting the EU ambitions of decarbonizing the transport sector. Advanced biofuels bring multiple benefits in terms of CO₂ reduction, investments, revenues for farmers and forestry, improvements in waste management, and an increase in energy security.

Commenting on the news, Marko Janhunen, Chair of LSB and vice president of Stakeholder Relations at UPM Biorefining, said: “It is great to see the leading Swedish advanced biofuels company join our coalition at this critical moment when EU policy post 2020 is being shaped. Advanced biofuels can provide opportunities across the EU, in all Member States. With the right regulatory framework we can unleash the investment potential.”

Ylwa Alwarsdotter, executive vice president at SEKAB, added: “Our novel technologies and sustainable feedstock can really provide immediate reductions in transport emissions. We believe it is important to work together with European companies to ensure that the opportunities of advanced biofuels are sufficiently recognised, across the EU.”

In a statement, LSB said it requested a dedicated target to be defined for advanced biofuels, as proposed by the European Commission in the form of Annex IX part A mandate, and the related feedstock list. “A specific advanced biofuels target based on unchanged Annex IXA is a must for creating investment and investor security for advanced biofuels based on complex but sustainable feedstock,” Janhunen said.

LSB will be working closely with the European Parliament and the Member States to provide factual information on the potential of advanced biofuels in the European Union.

This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Biofuels International. 

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