British Columbia Overhauls Low Carbon Fuel Rules, Prioritizing SAF

On December 11, the government of British Columbia unveiled regulations for its updated low carbon fuels program, marking a historic move as the first jurisdiction in North America to mandate the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

The journey toward this milestone began in 2008 when British Columbia initially passed legislation to establish a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), officially implemented in 2013. Subsequently, in 2022, the provincial government enacted a new Low Carbon Fuels Act, accompanied by amendments in 2023, as a comprehensive replacement for the 2008 legislation. The latest development comes with the publication of rules for the new Low Carbon Fuels Regulation, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2024.

A significant alteration to the low carbon fuels program is the introduction of a new mandate requiring fuel suppliers to incorporate Low Carbon Jet Fuel (LCJF) into fossil jet fuel. These regulations necessitate that renewable fuel constitutes a minimum of 1 percent of jet fuel starting in 2028, escalating to 2 percent in 2029 and 3 percent in 2030 and subsequent compliance periods. Additionally, the regulations include a Carbon Intensity (CI) reduction requirement for jet fuel, starting at 2 percent in 2026 and progressively increasing to 10 percent in 2030 and subsequent compliance periods.

The CI reduction requirements for gasoline and diesel fuel are equally robust, commencing at 16 percent in 2024 and gradually rising to 30 percent in 2030 and subsequent compliance periods. British Columbia's pioneering stance in advancing low carbon fuels has earned praise from Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC). Ian Thomson, the President of ABFC, commended the province's leadership, stating that when British Columbia set a new 2030 transportation emissions reduction target in December 2022, it already possessed one of the most stringent low carbon fuel standard regulations globally.

BC initiated the requirement for the use of low carbon on-road transport fuels in 2013. However, developing proven and fully functional low carbon fuels compatible with the large turbines in commercial aircraft required years of dedicated efforts. Thomson emphasized the critical role of BC's leadership, highlighting that for these alternative fuels to be manufactured at scale, fuel producers need assured markets. He praised BC's approach of setting gradual, achievable, and affordable targets after extensive consultation, emphasizing the growing importance of addressing aviation emissions. Thomson underscored the importance of SAFs, noting that they have demonstrated not only comparable safety and operability to fossil jet fuels but superiority in several aspects after years of commercial use.