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The government of Finland confirmed on Thursday that it plans to increase the percentage of biofuels blended in transportation fuel to 30 percent by 2030 in order to meet the country's emission reduction targets. Additionally, Finland intends to slash the use of imported oil for domestic needs by 50 percent.

As Finland's biofuels are produced from forest industry waste and residues, they will mostly be eligible for the EU's double counting scheme, which aims to encourage the production and use of biofuels that offer improved environmental performance.

Materials eligible for double counting

1. Process waste or process residue, e.g. category 1 and 2 animal fats, used frying oils, raw glycerine, waste wood;

2. Waste or residue from agriculture, aquaculture, fishery or forestry, e.g. straw, pods, peels, membranes, seeds or forestry residues;

3. Non-food cellulosic and lignocellulosic biomass, e.g. fresh wood and short-rotation coppice.

According to Reuters, the new 30 percent target translates into a double counting share of more than 53 percent compared with previous government double counting goals of 20 percent by 2020 and 40 percent by 2030.

In the EU, the Renewable Energy Directive establishes an overall policy for the production and promotion of energy from renewable sources. It requires the EU to fulfil at least 20 percent of its total energy needs with renewables by 2020 - to be achieved through the attainment of individual national targets. All EU countries must also ensure that at least 10 percent of their transport fuels come from renewable sources by 2020.

Bunker Index reported in June that Finland's Neste had provided the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California with a supply of a newly established biodiesel - a hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel (HDRD) called Neste Renewable Diesel (formerly NEXBTL Renewable Diesel) - during a year-long project that tested biofuel on the research vessel Robert Gordon Sproul.

Produced from waste fats, residues and vegetable oils, Neste Renewable Diesel is classified as a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). According to Neste, it can be blended in any combination with fossil diesel.

Two months ago, Dutch firms Boskalis and GoodFuels Marine announced they had "successfully tested" a sustainable wood-based drop-in biofuel called UPM BioVerno.

In August, a U.S. Navy ship operated for the first time ever on a 100 percent drop-in renewable diesel fuel named ReadiDiesel. The product was developed by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global as a drop-in replacement for petroleum F-76 marine diesel.