Energy Transition, Renewables, Emissions, Carbon
September 9, 2026
ET Highlights: Brazil biodiesel defies seasonal trends, EU CBAM seen aiding global carbon price, South Korea to relaunch clean hydrogen power auctions
Energy Transition Highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.
Top story
Brazil biodiesel logistics fees rise modestly amid distributor pressure
Brazilian biodiesel logistics differentials for September-October term contracts rose by less than 100 reais/cubic meters on average over the previous term, falling short of producers’ expectations as distributor backlogs, sluggish diesel demand and ample biofuel supply continued to weigh on negotiations.
As in the previous two bimonthly negotiation rounds, biodiesel plants had entered talks seeking a cost recovery of around 300-400 reais/cubic meter. Producers argued that tighter soybean oil availability in Brazil during the second half of the year was reducing margins for non-integrated mills and complicating origination for integrated producers.
“We need a recovery of at least 300 reais/cubic meter to rebalance crush margins and if the argument of abundant soybean oil availability justified stable or lower fees in previous periods, the current limitation now has to work in our favor,” a biodiesel producer said before the September-October negotiation window opened.
However, on the sidelines of the Rio Market Briefing event, held by S&P Global Energy Aug. 4-5 in Rio de Janeiro, distributors said they would start bids at levels equivalent to the July-August period and saw an increase of around Real 100/cubic meter as the most likely ceiling. In another negotiation round that persisted until the final moments of the closing window, distributor pressure ultimately prevailed over producers’ attempts to secure a stronger recovery.
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, surveyed 51 companies Aug. 24-31 to calculate the volume-weighted average differential, or “fee,” as it is commonly known, for biodiesel term contracts across the key regions highlighted in the map above. The fee reflects producers’ margins and is part of a pricing formula that also includes soybean oil futures on the Chicago Board of Trade, the vegetable oil price basis at Paranaguá port and the Brazilian Real/US dollar exchange rate.
Benchmark of the Week
6,470 reais/cu m
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed Biodiesel DAP Paulínia for one -to seven-day delivery at 6,470 reais/cubic meter on Sept. 4, up 3% from the start of the assessment in May 2026.
Editor's Picks: Free and premium content
INTERVIEW: EU CBAM could fuel drive toward global carbon price: GHG Protocol CEO
A global carbon price could emerge within two to five years, driven by the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism, prompting other governments to adopt similar tariffs on carbon-intensive imports, Greenhouse Gas Protocol CEO Tim Mohin told Platts in an interview. The UK, Australia and China are moving toward CBAM-style measures, a shift already reshaping trade in carbon-intensive commodities such as steel by penalizing high-emission producers, Mohin said on the sidelines of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development congress in Rio de Janeiro.
INTERVIEW: India's ex-China rare-earth magnet capacity could emerge by 2029-31: CMAI's Kanuganti
India is stepping up efforts to secure critical minerals needed for its energy transition and industrial ambitions, but building a fully integrated domestic supply chain remains a long-term challenge, according to Rahul Kanuganti, vice chairman, Critical Minerals Association of India. Meaningful rare-earth processing and magnet manufacturing capacity outside China could emerge by 2029-2031, with a mature ecosystem taking shape by 2032-2035. Despite stronger policy support, India continues to rely heavily on imported materials and overseas refining, highlighting the importance of strategic partnerships and supply diversification.
JERA, JERA Cross launch decarbonization project for rice packaging in Japan
JERA, JERA Cross and Japan Pack Rice Oga have launched a project to decarbonize packaged rice production in Akita Prefecture, aiming to support energy transition in the region’s food industry. The initiative seeks to advance sustainability across Akita’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors while promoting lower-carbon products and services. The partners say the project will help create new environmental value and accelerate the shift toward a more sustainable food system through green transformation (GX) efforts.
South Korea set to hold clean hydrogen power auctions for 2026
South Korea is preparing to relaunch its clean hydrogen power auctions in 2026 after earlier rounds were undersubscribed or canceled, signaling a renewed push to support low-carbon hydrogen generation. The government is expected to unveil auction details in September or October, with smaller procurement volumes and tighter limits on imported hydrogen. The move highlights Seoul’s efforts to refine its Clean Hydrogen Energy Portfolio Standards and strengthen domestic hydrogen supply chains.
India's wind power sector targets 100 GW by 2030 following record additions in 2025-26
India’s wind sector is targeting 100 GW of installed capacity by 2030 and 155 GW by 2035, underscoring its growing role in the country’s energy transition. With capacity reaching 58.14 GW by July-end, the industry is calling for sustained annual additions to meet long-term goals. Wind power is also positioning itself as both a major consumer of clean electricity and an exporter of turbine technology, supporting India’s broader clean energy ambitions.
ETFuels relocates UK e-SAF project on hydrogen economics
ETFuels has relocated its flagship UK sustainable aviation fuel project to Immingham on the Humber estuary from Teesside, dropping earlier plans to produce hydrogen domestically in favor of importing lower-cost e-methanol from its own overseas plants, the company said on Sept. 2. The scope of the project remains largely unchanged, with a 35,000 metric ton/year methanol-to-jet e-sustainable aviation fuel plant with startup targeted for 2030, ETFuels CEO Lara Naqushbandi said in a statement.
Switzerland sends first bioenergy carbon capture shipment to North Sea storage
Switzerland's first cross-border, commercial-scale bioenergy carbon capture and storage value chain has begun operations, with the first shipment of liquefied biogenic CO2 leaving a Swiss biomethane plant for permanent storage beneath the North Sea, project developers Airfix, CO2 Energie AG and South Pole said Sept. 1. The CO2 originates at Regionalwerke AG Baden's biomethane facility in Niederwil, Switzerland's largest, where up to 4,300 metric tons of biogenic CO2 will be captured and liquefied each year, for storage in Denmark’s Greensand project, the companies said.