Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East and the vertiginous rise in international oil prices, national deputies from Provincias Unidas presented a resolution project on Thursday, requesting the Executive Branch to adopt measures to increase the mandatory percentage of biofuels nationwide.
Currently, and in accordance with current regulations, the mandatory blending percentage for biofuels is set at 7.5% for biodiesel (mixed with diesel) and 12% for bioethanol (mixed with gasoline).
The objective of the authors of the project, led by the Santa Fe socialist Pablo Farías, is "to diversify the national energy matrix and make it more resilient to international events affecting hydrocarbon prices".
The Córdoban Carlos Gutiérrez, another signatory to the project, stated that "the world energy crisis resulting from the war in the Middle East is an opportunity and also a contribution towards a more sustainable energy profile for the planet".
"This makes absolute flexibility necessary, which the National Government has not had until now, yielding to the bias and the business of oil companies - starting with YPF - that have systematically refused to increase the blending of Biofuels," lamented the legislator from Provincias Unidas.
He warned in this sense that "if we do not take advantage of this opportunity, other countries will, such as Brazil, which have long gone to blending levels 200% higher than Argentina's, without any impact on their petroleum or general energy matrix".
"It is imperative that the National Government account for the need to modify the Biofuels Law, as we have been proposing from the bio-energy provinces," concluded Gutiérrez.
Measures
The resolution project also requests the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship to "promote, in coordination with the Provinces, the corresponding diplomatic initiatives before the European Union so that restrictive measures that limit the trade of Argentine biofuels are not adopted and to facilitate a regulatory framework that strengthens their exports".
In the grounds of the initiative, to which the Argentine News Agency had access, the authors explained that "biofuels have emerged as a relevant alternative within the context of the energy crisis and the urgency of mitigating climate change".
In this regard, they pointed out that "Argentina has enormous potential for the production of biofuels, thanks to its rich biodiversity and its agricultural capacity".
However, they warned that "the permitted blending percentages are still insufficient to achieve the country's energy sustainability objectives".
"This increase in the blending of biofuels into fossil fuels would not only contribute to an effective reduction in emissions, but would also open up new markets and opportunities for Argentine agriculture, a sector that has shown its ability to adapt and evolve," they highlighted.
In turn, they pointed out that "the current outlook for fossil fuel prices reflects the vulnerability of depending on a commodity that is subject to international market fluctuations and external political decisions".
In addition to Farías and Gutiérrez, the project is signed by the national deputies of Provincias Unidas Juan Schiaretti, Gisela Scaglia, José Nuñez, María Inés Zigarán, Juan Brügge, Ignacio García Aresca, Esteban Paulón, Carolina Basualdo, Alejandra Torres, Pablo Juliano and Mariela Coletta.
