The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) requires importers and producers of transportation fuel to include percentages of various kinds of renewable fuel in the overall volume they import or produce each year. Importers and producers may acquire fuel credits known as Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) to demonstrate that they have met the requirement. On July 2nd the EPA qualified additional fuel pathways to include hydrogen generated from biogas projects for powering fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). This addition is a critical first step toward the 2022 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels used in transportation. The RVO obligation represents an increase of cellulosic biofuel use in U.S. transportation by 2,666 times from 2013 levels.

 

The expanded RFS Pathways II Rule specifically qualifies hydrogen from biogas to produce electricity under the “Applicable D Codes for Each Fuel Pathway for Use in Generating RINs.” These codes state that hydrogen fuel from biogas would be eligible for “cellulosic” renewable fuel credits, which are the most valuable form of the RIN credits.

 

With proper feedstock pretreatment, Nuvera Fuel Cells’ PowerTap steam methane reforming technology offers enabling solutions for biogas-to-hydrogen production projects. Together with the California Hydrogen Business Council, Nuvera encourages biogas-to-hydrogen projects to apply for approval from the EPA in order to qualify for RIN credits for their fuel. The credits be banked or sold at a RIN credit exchange.

 

RFS details can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/documents/rfs-path-II-fr-07-02-14.pdf