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Algae – Promising Feedstock for Biofuels

The production of algae was one of the most interesting subjects in The ABLCGlobal Conference for bioeconomy hold in November, 2018, in San Francisco.

 

Algae-based biofuels and bioproducts offer great promise in contributing the U.S. Department of Energy. In recent years, the algae biofuels research, development and demonstration has achieved technological advancements that can bring about transformational changes, including the ability to predict, breed, and select the best-performing strains; the ability to monitor and control system inputs in a dynamic and integrated fashion; the ability to harvest algae at high throughputs; and the ability to extract and convert more algal biomass components into fuels.

According to Neste, the Finnish oil company, algae oil is a promising raw material for renewable diesel. The years of development is now starting to bear fruit globally as pilot testing facilities and commercial plans. Algae’s yield per hectare can be many times the yield of traditional vegetable oils. In addition to water, algae needs sunlight, carbon dioxide and nutrients to grow. Many species of algae live in sea water, which means that they can be grown in saline water. Some projects even use wastewater. A special advantage in the cultivation of algae is the fact that they can be grown in areas that cannot be used for agriculture. Neste supports the commercial scale production by signing conditional off-take agreements with algae companies. Such agreements have been signed with American companies Cellana and RAE. The production volumes may increase in the years to come, and algae oil may become an important raw material of Neste’s renewable diesel.

 

Sources

USDE, Algal Biofuels, http://energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/downloads/2016-national-algal-biofuels-technology-review

Neste, https://www.neste.com/algae-oil-promising-raw-material-renewable-diesel-%E2%80%93-neste-oil-ensures-its-supply-conditional

ilmastovaikutuksia

ECHA’s Biocides Stakeholder Day coming up

The European Chemicals Agency ECHA will be hosting the Biocides Day 2018 on the 24th and 25th of October in Helsinki, Finland. The stakeholder day will give insight into the latest developments in biocides at the EU level.

In the EU, the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) regulates the placing on the market and use of biocidal products. As a principle, biocidal active substances must be approved for use at Union level, and all biocidal products require an authorisation before they can be placed on the market. Product authorisations take place either at Member State level or as a Union authorization.

As active substances are increasingly being approved for use, the need for the authorization of the biocidal active products containing such active substances are becoming imminent. For example, the deadline for the product authorization application of sodium hypochlorite is already 1.1.2019.

The Biocides Day by ECHA will deal with e.g.
• tips for a successful Union authorisation
• best practices for a product family authorisation
• the impact of Brexit and
• the impact of endocrine disruptor criteria

You can join the day through ECHA’s webpages: https://echa.europa.eu/fi/-/biocides-day

Ecobio’s expert will also be present; you are more than welcome to ask us anything relating to chemical or biocides legislation! Contact us at info@ecobio.fi.

Blog: REACH – ripple effects on the whole supply chain

An important milestone for the European chemical industry has been reached as the final REACH registration deadline for substances passed in 31.5.2018. The European REACH Regulation ((EC) No 1907/2006), however, continues to set high standards for the whole industry, from manufacturers, importers, formulators and distributors all the way down to downstream and end users.

Effects on the supply chain

Whilst the REACH registration deadline passed in 31.5.2018 already, it can take up to 3 months for the European Chemicals Agency ECHA to make a registration decision; your supplier might be fully REACH compliant if they have submitted their dossier on time, but might not yet have received a registration decision, i.e. a registration number, from ECHA. In complex cases where an extension might have been received from ECHA and the Director’s Contact Group, receiving a registration decision will take even longer than that.

This also means that the potential effects of the last registration deadline that mainly dealt with SMEs and their substances might affect supply chains with a delay. Whether or not the registering company had enough assets and know-how to pull through the registration might become evident only later on. If a company has decided to cease their manufacture by 31.5.2018, they are still allowed to sell all their supply gathered before the deadline to downstream users as distributors. Whether or not some companies or some products might be dropping out, or the market become more homogenized, will most likely be found out only after the dust of the final registration deadline has settled.

Communicating REACH compliance to authorities and stakeholders

In terms of supply chains and their continuance, it is important to notice that pre-registration numbers are no longer valid. It is also important to notice that either a generic or a company-specific version of the actual REACH Registration number can be put forward. The company-specific version always consists of four parts of numbers, e.g. 01-2119458769-17-0003, whereas the generic form might only consist of three (e.g. 01-2119458769-17 or 01-2119458769-17-XXXX). Make sure that your suppliers have actually registered the substance in their name, and are not just giving you a generic number to keep you content for a while.

A good way to communicate a company’s adherence to REACH and its many requirements is a REACH declaration of compliance. Such a statement can serve as a testimony to the authorities or as communication to customers and other stakeholders to show that your company is indeed REACH compliant in all the relevant aspects of the REACH Regulation. Such a statement is a hard asset outside of Europe as well.

A shift in focus towards formulators

As the burden of REACH has previously been mainly on substance manufacturers and EU importers, the focus of the regulation is now shifting towards formulators. The safe use of mixtures is a topic that will need to be addressed by operators in the coming years in the form of unique formula identifiers (UFI) and poison centre notifications (PCN). This will require a thorough knowledge of the composition and hazardous properties of the supplied mixtures as well. Exposure scenarios and their utilization in communicating the safe use of mixtures will surely be giving formulators some gray hair.

Increasing amount of regulation

As ECHA is now the holder of the world’s largest open database of substance information, plans on how to best utilize the gathered information on the registered substances are big. On a general level this might mean more substance restrictions and harmonized classifications. Manufacturers of highly hazardous substances or those who have submitted incomplete information, on the other hand, might become a target for even more scrutiny.

Reaching the legislative deadline will also most definitely result in increased supervision from national authorities on whether or not companies have fulfilled their various requirements under the REACH Regulation, with regard to substance restrictions and registrations especially. A more scrutinized assessment of SDS’s and of the responsibilities that downstream users have regarding exposure scenarios and their assessment against their own conditions could also result.

Harmonized classifications under the CLP Regulation ((EC) No 1272/2008) themselves can also be a source of restriction, as is now happening with titanium dioxide. A common chemical used as a pigment and thickener in a wide variety of applications for consumer use, including foodstuff, is about to receive a category 2 carcinogen classification, meaning heavy restrictions on its use in many of its current applications.

Competitive edge for European companies

One of the main original aims and visions of the comprehensive chemical legislation that is REACH is to ensure a high level of health and environmental protection. Another aim of the regulation has been to stimulate innovation and enhance the competitiveness of European brands on international markets. As chemical legislation is getting stricter all around the globe, REACH is indeed serving as an important example for other countries striving for increased chemical safety. This is one of the reasons why being REACH compliant is an asset all over the world; still today, REACH is the most advanced chemical legislation in the world.

Consumer image – a threat or a possibility?

An increasing amount of portals and sources for consumers on how to use chemicals safely and on how to find relevant safety information on chemicals have also emerged. Whilst a huge amount of scientifically-based information on chemicals and their safe use is now publicly available, what should never be underestimated is the opinion and views of the general public. Companies should therefore have an understanding of what the data gathered by them actually means and how it can be translated into facts and to transparent stakeholder communication.

Registration in the future

Now that all the three major deadlines for the REACH registration of chemicals in different tonnage bands have passed, the registration of future substances will require more planning in advance; as of now substances will need to be registered before manufactured or imported into the EU in amounts above 1 tonne per year. Make sure to make use of all the relevant exemptions to registration requirements. For R&D substances, for example, a PPORD notification will give your company a 5-year period of reflection before deciding on whether to continue with the substance or not. For substances produced in circular economy processes, further exemptions also apply.

 

For more of the concrete results that REACH keeps delivering, see the press release of the European Commission on the matter: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-1362_en.htm

 

Leea Ojala, Senior consultant

20.6.2018, Helsinki

 

In case you have any questions about your obligations under the REACH Regulation or are interested in a REACH Declaration of Compliance or a screening of substance restrictions on your chemicals, contact Ecobio’s experts at: info@ecobio.fi or tel. +358 20 756 9450.

How to REACH the registration deadline by May 31st?

The REACH registration deadline is getting closer. Only a few weeks to go! ECHA has already received close to 22 000 registration dossiers. The most registrations have been filed from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. Here are a few tips for you regarding the approaching deadline:

Are you the lead registrant in a joint registration?

  • You should create a joint submission in REACH-IT by 9th May at the latest.
  • Continuously communicate your progress to the other members of the SIEF. They will have to meet the registration deadline and will want to know when they will be able to submit their company specific dossier.
  • Make sure that you have a transparent break-down of the costs for your Letter of Access (LoA) available in case the other SIEF members want to see it.

Are you a member in a joint registration?

  • You should submit your company specific dossier by the registration deadline.
  • Make sure that you initiate the process for purchasing the LoA early enough. Typically, you will receive a token for the LoA after all the transactions have been made.
  • Know what you pay for! Make sure you know what is included in your SIEF agreement (i.e. is the CSR part of the joint submission or not).

Are you a downstream user?

  • Ask your supplier for a REACH compliance declaration.
  • Make sure that all the substances you purchase have a proper registration number after the deadline.
  • A pre-registration number is not a proper registration number. All the registration numbers are recorded in ECHA’s substance information database. You can find them in the substance specific dossiers.
  • Know your obligations as a downstream user. Even though you don’t have to register, REACH still applies to you.

 

Contact Ecobio’s experts with any questions related to chemical legislation and the REACH Regulation. We are always happy to help.

For advice or for more information, you can contact us at info@ecobio.fi or tel. +358 20 756 9450.

Ecobio Manager – Regulation Tracking and Chemical Management Service

Ecobio chemicals quiz – test your knowledge of CLP hazard pictograms

Ecobio has published a chemicals quiz for testing knowledge of chemicals. The quiz is intended for those using or working with chemicals. Are you already familiar with the new CLP hazard pictograms for chemicals? Test your knowledge with the quiz. Show off your expertise and get a certificate for your office wall.

https://www.ecobiomanager.com/chemicalstest

Hazard pictograms for chemicals have changed after the expiry of the final transition period of the EU’s CLP Regulation. Old orange and black pictograms have been replaced with new, EU wide red-white-black hazard pictograms. The signs are found for example in workplaces, on chemical containers, and on products sold in shops. Exposure to chemicals can be a major health hazard. Hazard pictograms are used to ensure the safe use of products.

Ecobio helps companies fulfil chemical requirements. Also learn about our Ecobio Manager service, which helps you keep up with regulations and requirements. www.ecobiomanager.com

Additional information:
Pia Välitalo, Project Manager, Ecobio, tel. +358 20 756 9450, pia.valitalo@ecobio.fi

 

REACH 2018 Stakeholder’s Day – one week to go!

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is organizing the REACH 2018 Stakeholders’ Day next week from 29 to 31 January in Helsinki. The conference offers hands-on training on different tools, such as Chesar, REACH-IT and IUCLID Cloud. In addition, the conference provides news and advice on the main issues companies are facing. The programme for the REACH 2018 Stakeholder’s Day:

  • Monday 29 January: hands-on training on Chesar, the chemical safety assessment and reporting tool
  • Tuesday 30 January: hand-on training on REACH-IT and IUCLID Cloud
  • Wednesday 31 January: conference

The most important theme of the conference is the 2018 REACH registration deadline, which is only in four months time. The conference presentations provide important advice on the registration, e.g. last-minute tips, how to get all of the data together and how to share costs. The conference is concluded with a panel discussion on what happens after the REACH 2018 deadline.

You can follow the conference live via web-streaming on 31 January and send questions online. More information and the full programme: https://echa.europa.eu/fi/-/reach-2018-stakeholders-day

Ecobio’s experts will be participating in the REACH Stakeholders’ Day. We are always happy to help with questions related to chemical legislation and the REACH Regulation. For advice or for more information, you can contact us at info@ecobio.fi or tel. +358 20 756 9450.

Ecobio Manager – Regulation Tracking and Chemical Management Service