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What is PAS 5420 - Sustainable bioliquid fuels about?
This new PAS has been developed to provide the liquid fuel firing industry with generic environmental and sustainability criteria for future liquid fuels for heat applications.
PAS 5420:2023 sets environmental thresholds and limits for bioliquid fuels for fixed combustion purposes to enable the decarbonization of existing off-gas-grid liquid fuel heating and hot water provision in a controlled and sustainable manner.
It will also ensure that once a fuel satisfies the standard it will continue to do so via quality assurance and control measures including offsite/onsite auditing.
Who is PAS 5420 - Sustainable bioliquid fuels for?
- Distributors of bioliquid fuels.
- Auditors of bioliquid fuels.
Other interested parties include:
- Producers, importers and blenders of bioliquid fuels.
- Liquid fuel equipment manufacturers.
- Fuel and fuel equipment trade associations.
- Certification/accreditation bodies and governing bodies.
What does PAS 5420 - Sustainable bioliquid fuels cover?
This PAS specifies requirements for the provision of sustainable bioliquid fuels for use in district and individual heating, hot water and cooking applications.
PAS 5420:2023 applies to bioliquid fuels derived from renewable fuel sources produced from non-virgin (waste) feedstocks that result in carbon equivalent lifecycle emissions not exceeding 0.036 kg CO2e per kWh when utilized for fixed combustion purposes.
This PAS covers:
- Bioliquid fuel types derived from single or multiple waste sources.
- Sustainability factors (e.g. fuel type, composition and provenance, and fuel lifecycle).
- Carbon emissions and primary energy usage from production through to point of use.
NOTE 1: PAS 5420 is intended to be applied primarily by the liquid fuel supply chain and their auditors. Accordingly, prior industry knowledge and understanding of this context are necessary for those intending to apply the requirements contained in this document.
NOTE 2: PAS 5420 aligns with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) [3], the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), 10.2, Table 12 [1], and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) National Calculation Methodology (NCM) Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) for non-domestic buildings 2022, Table 32 [2].
Why should you use PAS 5420 - Sustainable bioliquid fuels?
- It’s designed to enable the heat sector to contribute towards net carbon zero by 2050, protecting UK plc’s environment, industry and consumers from unnecessary and damaging CO2e emissions.
- It gives government and end-users a robust, cost-effective liquid fuel decarbonization option suited to off-gas-grid properties (that are often deemed “hard to treat” in terms of carbon reduction).
- It limits future fuel feedstocks to waste-derived sources and creates and maintains a renewable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, drastically reducing carbon emissions from domestic heating to support the UK. Government’s target of achieving net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.
- It defines the acceptable (waste source) feedstock GHG emission parameters necessary to achieve and maintain bioliquid fuel carbon equivalent point of use emissions (CO2e) that do not exceed those values published within Table 12 of SAP 10.2 and Table 32 of SBEM 2022.
- It enables those developing future fuels to recognize and understand what is acceptable in terms of environmental and sustainability criteria for home heat market liquid fuels, before offering fuels to industry for approval for use in heat producing liquid fuel firing equipment and supply chains.
- Once fuels are brought to market, it enables the ongoing monitoring of said fuels to maintain quality in terms of environmental and sustainability criteria to satisfy and support future decarbonization targets and legislation.
- It enables users to demonstrate to both governmental and NGO stakeholders the environmental and sustainability controls available nationally for liquid fuels for heat applications.
- Industry bodies will incorporate reference to this PAS within their own practices and procedures, industry and national standards.
- It can help businesses to develop expertise with sustainable biofuels and to grow sustainably.
PAS 5420:2023 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities and Goal 13 on combatting climate change
