The Burnaby Refinery has been part of the community since 1935
mass balance methods. Carbon-14 testing enables refineries to pinpoint the exact contribution of renewable materials, eliminating uncertainties and helping operators refine their processes more effectively and maximise renewable fuel production. For example, using the carbon-14 method via AMS to measure biogenic content of barrels of renewable inputs such as canola oil, tallow, or used cooking oil allows refineries to identify the exact contribution of renewable materials to their outputs. This ensures that operational adjustments can be data-driven, improving productivity and reducing waste. Navigating regulatory drivers As the regulatory framework surrounding renewable fuels becomes more stringent, the need for biogenic testing is only expected to grow. In Canada, both the federal Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR) programme and British Columbia’s LCFS mandate ASTM D6866 carbon-14 testing requirements under Method B (AMS) for biogenic analysis ( Gov. of Canada, 2022 ) ( Gov. of Canada, 2023 ), ensuring that producers can substantiate their renewable fuel credits. Under these regulations, producers must regularly measure and report the biogenic content of their fuels and co-processed products to qualify for credits.
Through the CFR, the Government of Canada aims to reduce pollution by 2030 by decreasing the carbon intensity (CI) of gasoline and diesel used in the country. The Canadian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change published a Quantification Method (QM) for co-processing in refineries under the CFR. The QM requires ASTM D6866 testing to measure the biogenic content of the co-processed feedstocks used and the low-CI fuels produced in registered projects ( Gov. of Canada, 2022 ). Under the CFR, refineries like Parkland’s have to submit monthly samples for carbon-14 testing on finished products and intermediates, for example, as part of credit accounting. Under this programme, the government offers incentives for the development and adoption of clean fuels, technologies, and processes. For example, it establishes a credits market wherein producers and importers of gasoline and diesel must create or buy credits to comply with the reduction requirements. Extra credits can be sold or used in later years. Projects are required to measure the biogenic content of samples from each fuel, product, and hydrocarbon co-product via ASTM D6866 testing ( Gov. of Canada, 2022 ). The biogenic content and CI of the co-processed low-CI fuel, co-processed low-CI product, and co-product produced for each fuel pathway must be determined.
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