By Susanne Retka Schill, Ethanol Producer Magazine.

U.S. EPA data on RINs generation through August reveals cellulosic D3 biofuels continue to climb, advanced biofuel D5 RINs generation is up sharply and the mainstay, D6 renewable fuels (primarily ethanol) continues on pace. Biofuel producers assign renewable identification numbers (RINS) to each gallon-equivalent of fuel produced, which are then used by obligated parties to show the EPA that they have complied with the blending requirments under the renewable fuel standard.

D3 cellulosic biofuels RINS have risen each month in 2015, reaching 13.777 million for the month of August. In the table showing RINS generated by fuel type for 2015 to date through August, 1.6 million RINs were generated from cellulosic ethanol production. Most D3 RINs were generated for renewable CNG, at 43 million, and renewable LNG, at 31.6 million.

Biomass-based diesel, D4 RINs were down in August at 283.4 million, compared to 294.4 million in July, but still higher than June. Cellulosic diesel, D7 RINs totaled 53,000 for August, after two months with no RINs generated in this category, but substantially lower than May’s 174,000 RINs. May and August are the only months showing D7 RINs generation in 2015. In the table showing RINs generated by fuel type, 1.44 billion were for biodiesel and 369 million for nonester renewable diesel.