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SEB Jordbruksprodukter – Vecka 46

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SEB Veckobrev Jordbruksprodukter - AnalysMarknaderna för jordbruksprodukter har hållit sig väldigt lugna den senaste veckan. Det är endast priset på potatis som rört sig, minus 9%. Däremot sker det saker i bakgrunden, framförallt på etanolmarknaden, men även på exportmarknaden för vete och inte minst, i ekonomin i stort.

Att byta namn på premiärministrarna i Grekland och Italien skulle lösa några problem gick marknaden på i några minuter. Angela Merkels tyska CDU träffades i förrgår och det kom starka uttalanden därifrån om att hålla fast vid EU-projektet som det viktigaste för den här generationen.

Det är helt uppenbart att läxan från 1992 års uppgörelse med fasta växelkurser inte har fastnat. Läxan var att en för hög växelkurs som försvaras med allt högre räntor, leder till att räntorna slår ihjäl ekonomin i landet, vilket gör landet ännu mindre värt – dvs växelkursen borde vara ÄNNU lägre, och trycket på växelkursen blir ännu hårdare. Det är en spiral som endast kan ha flera lösningar, varav bankrutt är en av dem.

Utsikt för råvaror 17 november 2011För några dagar sedan var räntan på italienska obligationer under 6%. Det var OK. Sedan gick räntan över och ligger nu på 7%. Förändringen av läge är som natt och dag. Länder som har så höga skulder byter spår i växeln från destination ”helt ok”, till destination ”bankrutt”.

EU-politikernas lätthet att snacka om skuldavskrivning för Grekland, har gjort att allt fler inser att ”skuldavskrivning” är slutdestinationen för länder med för höga skulder, att klara sig. Skuldavskrivning gör att banker i Frankrike, Tyskland, med flera länder, får det svårt. Krisen flyttas norrut, eftersom bankernas skulder blir Frankrikes och Tysklands statsskulder. Därför steg räntorna på franska statsobligationer och belgiska, t ex, i tisdags.

Varför är det här av intresse i ett brev om jordbruksprodukter? Jo, därför att lagren av spannmål i Frankrike, som dessutom inte sjunker som de ska, blir allt dyrare att finansiera. Det contango som finns på Matif måste bort. Lagren måste likvideras.

Detta om inte ECB tillåts genomföra en europeiska version av det amerikanska QE2 – dvs att trycka pengar och pumpa in dem i ekonomin. I vilket, fall borde euron falla mot dollarn. Men väljer man inflationsvägen för att bli av med de ohanterligt stora statsskulderna får man en boom i råvarupriser och markpriser. Till den punkten är det nog ändå en tid kvar. Till dess blir det nog en orolig färd.

Vete

Terminspriset på Matif-vete håller sig alltjämt över den psykologiskt viktiga 180-euro-nivån, men orosmolnen hopar sig. Ryssland och Ukrainas återinträde på världsmarknaden spelar en stor roll nu. Dessa exportländers volymer påverkar i synnerhet europeiska länders exportmarknad, som är Mellanöstern och Nordafrika. Särskilt märks detta för Frankrike, som är ett av världens största exportländer när det gäller vete. Frankrike har hittills på säsongen förlorat mer än ett dussin av Egyptens tenders; Egypten är världens viktigaste importland med ca 9 mt som årlig importvolym. Vete från Ryssland, Ukraina och Kazakstan väller ut över marknaden. Egypten har de senaste 17 gångerna valt vete från Svartahavsregionen. Exporten från Rouen, som är Europas största export-hub, noterade den 2 november fyra månaders lägsta nivå. Franska myndigheter räknar med 23% lägre export i perioden juli 2011 – juni 2012, jämfört med förra året. Det blir då den lägsta nivån på 10 år. Egypten har endast stått för 4% av Frankrikes export utanför EU sedan juli, mot 18% förra året.

Algeriet är ett land som gärna har köpt franskt vete. Algeriet vann självständighet från Frankrike år 1962. Brödet man äter är baguetter och det franska vetet passar utmärkt för detta. Enligt FAO äter den genomsnittlige algeriern 212 kg vete om året, en klar andraplats i världsligan efter grannlandet Tunisien. Förra året gick 24% av Frankrikes export till Algeriet, som är världens näst största importland efter Egypten. Algeriet har hårda krav på insektsskador och svartahavsregionen drabbas ofta av sköldskinnbaggar (eurygaster integricepts), som suger ur sädeskornen. Därför kan Frankrike känna sig ganska säker än så länge där.

Rysslands skörd blir enligt USDA:s WASDE den tredje största på 10 år och erbjuder vete ca 10 dollar per ton under franska priser. Rysslands export påverkar främst, men inte bara Europa. Enligt USDA kommer USA:s export att minska med 24% till 26.5 mt den här säsongen. -24% är det största fallet på ett kvartssekel.

Nedan ser vi januarikontraktet på Matif. Den tekniska, dvs psykologiskt viktiga stödnivån på 180 euro utgår allt jämt ett starkt stöd. Vi bedömer ändå, med tanke på den minskning av konsumtion som lär komma i spåren av alla sparprogram i EU, och överväldigande bevis på att priset är för högt för att vinna exportordrar, att 180 euro lär brytas.

Mill Wheat in Euro - Vete

Nedan ser vi terminskurvan för Chicagovete och Matif nu och för en vecka sedan.

Terminskurvan för chicagovete och matif

Allt talar för att Matif-vete faller ner i första hand till 150 – 160 – euro-nivån.

Maltkorn

Maltkornsmarknaden följer vetet och det finns inga speciella nyheter att rapportera. Tekniskt ligger priset under glidande medelvärden. Den tekniska trenden är alltså nedåtriktad.

Malting Barley-diagram

Potatis

Priset på potatis av årets skörd har fallit med 9% den senaste veckan. Det är den enda råvara som rört sig mer än någon procentenhet.

Nedan ser vi kursdiagrammet på europeisk potatis, som handlas på Eurex; terminen avser leverans april nästa år.

Pris på terminer för potatis från Europa

Majs

Liksom på vetemarknaden, vinner Ryssland och Ukraina exportordrar. Igår köpte Japan 800,000 ton majs från Ukraina istället för att köpa den dyrare amerikanska produkten. Japan är världens största importör av majs, som används i djurhållningen.

Nedan ser vi marskontraktet på CBOT, där priset backat under 233-dagars glidande medelvärde, något av en negativ teknsisk signal.

Diagram över corn future

Det händer intressanta saker i bakgrunden till majsmarknaden. För det första handlar det om amerikansk etanolproduktion och för det andra om kinesisk fläskkonsumtion. Vi ser priserna i yuan per kilo (senast 24.75 yuan) i diagrammet nedan – notera det stora prisfallet som just pågår (två glidande medelvärden är också inritade):

Spotpris på pork (gris)

När det gäller etanol är det boom i USA. Firman Agtradertalk som sammanställer statistik visar följande nettovinst per gallon på att producera etanol, baserat på spotpriser FOB Illinois.

Agtradertalk - Spotpris på etanol - Diagram

Kalkyl för priset på etanol - FOB Illinois

Nu är det så att det finns en skatterabatt på 45 cent per gallon i USA, som ges till den som blandar etanol i bensin. Den heter Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit och introducerades av George W Bush år 2004 och trädde i kraft 2005. Skatten syftade till att minska importberoendet av råolja, men kostar i dagsläget 5.7 miljarder dollar för skattebetalarna.

Etanol borde kosta 70% av bensin, eftersom etanol har ett energivärde som ligger på 70% av bensinens, men i diagrammet nedan ser vi att etanol nu kostar 95% av bensinen. DLA är kortnamnet för etanolterminer i dollar per gallon och bensin som handlas i cent per gallon, heter XBA.

Diagram med grafer över pris på etanol och bensin

Särskilt märkligt blir det höga priset när USA:s 209 destillerier producerar mer än vad som förbrukas i USA. USA exporterar etanol till Kanada, Europa och till och med till Brasilien! Brasiliens skörd av sockerrör blir i år 459.6 mt mot 501.2 förra året och den brasilianska regeringen har minskat inblandningen av etanol från 25 till 20%. Industrin producerar också mer socker och mindre etanol.

EU:s krav på etanolinblandning har också lett till brist. En gallon etanol kostar 3.21 dollar i Rotterdams hamn och 2.94 dollar i New Yorks hamn.

Situationen är intressant eftersom skatterabatten på 45 cent går ut vid årsskiftet. Det gjorde den även förra året, men då fick branschen en förlängning. En republikansk senator försökte i juni ta bort subventionen men förlaget gick nätt och jämt inte igenom. Samtidigt noterar jordbruksmark i USA rekordpriser, vilket väl är de enda fastighetspriserna i USA som inte kraschar. Markpriserna tog ett skutt uppåt 2004-2005 (gissa varför…).

Nedan ser aktuell terminskurva (grön) och för en vecka sedan (blå). Vi ser att tendensen till mer backwardation.

Terminskurva CBT

Sojabönor

Priset på sojabönor befinner sig i sjunkande trend. Vi har redan sett de sjunkande priserna på fläskkött i Kina. Å andra sidan, China National Grain & Oils Information Center släppte en rapport i förrgår där de menar att Kinas import av sojabönor för marknadsföringsåret 2011-12 kan öka med 7% till 56 mt.

Diagram över soybean future Januari 2012

Nedan ser vi terminskurvorna (nu, grön) och för en vecka sedan.

Diagram över terminskurvor för sojabönor

Det mest sannolika är nog ett test nedåt på sojabönorna, men fundamenta ger stöd just nu. Vi väntar oss nog ändå att säljarna kommer in – från Brasilien om inte annat – och säljer ner sojabönorna under stödet på 1167. På tre månaders sikt är vi negativa.

Raps

Rapspriset håller sig högt pga den svaga euron, inget annat. Raps är dyrt i förhållande till sojabönor och ”borde” falla ner mot 400 euro i första hand.

Diagram över priser på europeisk raps

Gris

Tekniskt vilar priset på lean hogs på de glidande medelvärdena, vilket kan ge visst stöd. Test av dessa ger viktig information om rörelsen på kort sikt. Det falska brottet uppåt i oktober, ger en stark varning om att ”bulls” håller på att förlora kriget. Det är ganska vanligt att marknaden faller av kraftigt efter att den visat en falsk köpsignal. Ytterligare säljasignal ges när de glidande medelvärdena bryts. Just nu ger de glidande medelvärdena stöd. Nedan ser vi decemberkontraktet på CME, där priset fortsatt har varit i rekyl från den falska köpsignalen för två veckor sedan.

Diagram över priser på lean hogs-terminer

På en veckas sikt är vi negativa till lean hogs, men priset står och väger, ännu.

Valutor

EURSEK handlas i ett volatilt brett intervall. Det finns inga signaler att utläsa alls.

Diagram över valutor - EUR SEK X-rate

EURUSD tycks slutligen bryta nedåt. Det korta besöket över de glidande medelvärdena (som båda säjer ”sälj”), stärker den negativa vyn. All fundamenta talar för att euron ska falla och det ordentligt.

Tekniskt är läget en klar säljsignal. I första hand är nästa stöd 1.3145 dollar. I andra hand är det botten nere vid 1.2 dollar.

Diagram på valuta - EUR USD X-rate

Gödsel

Kalium

Priset på kalium ligger kvar på samma nivå som för ett par veckor sedan.

Diagram på priser för kalium (potash)

Kväve

Nedan ser vi prisutvecklingen på Urea FOB Yuzhny i dollar per ton.

Diagram på Urea FOB Yuzhny i dollar per ton

Fosfor

Nedan ser vi prisutvecklingen på Diammoniumfosfat FOB Baltic i dollar per ton.

Prisutveckling på Diammoniumfosfat FOB Baltic

[box]SEB Veckobrev Jordbruksprodukter är producerat av SEB Merchant Banking och publiceras i samarbete och med tillstånd på Råvarumarknaden.se[/box]

Disclaimer

The information in this document has been compiled by SEB Merchant Banking, a division within Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) (“SEB”).

Opinions contained in this report represent the bank’s present opinion only and are subject to change without notice. All information contained in this report has been compiled in good faith from sources believed to be reliable. However, no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made with respect to the completeness or accuracy of its contents and the information is not to be relied upon as authoritative. Anyone considering taking actions based upon the content of this document is urged to base his or her investment decisions upon such investigations as he or she deems necessary. This document is being provided as information only, and no specific actions are being solicited as a result of it; to the extent permitted by law, no liability whatsoever is accepted for any direct or consequential loss arising from use of this document or its contents.

About SEB

SEB is a public company incorporated in Stockholm, Sweden, with limited liability. It is a participant at major Nordic and other European Regulated Markets and Multilateral Trading Facilities (as well as some non-European equivalent markets) for trading in financial instruments, such as markets operated by NASDAQ OMX, NYSE Euronext, London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse, Swiss Exchanges, Turquoise and Chi-X. SEB is authorized and regulated by Finansinspektionen in Sweden; it is authorized and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of designated investment business in the UK, and is subject to the provisions of relevant regulators in all other jurisdictions where SEB conducts operations. SEB Merchant Banking. All rights reserved.

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Analys

A recession is no match for OPEC+

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SEB - analysbrev på råvaror

History shows that OPEC cuts work wonderfully. When OPEC acts it changes the market no matter how deep the crisis. Massive 9.7 m b/d in May 2020. Large cuts in Dec 2008. And opposite: No-cuts in 2014 crashed the price. OPEC used to be slow and re-active. Now they are fast and re-active. Latest cut indicates a ”reaction-function” with a floor price of USD 70/b. Price could move lower than that in May, but JMMC meeting on 4 June and full OPEC+ meeting on 5-6 July would then change the course. Fresh cuts now in May will likely drive market into deficit, inventory draws, stronger prices. Sell-offs in May should be a good buying opportunities

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities at SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

Production cuts by OPEC+ do work. They work wonderfully. Deep cuts announced by OPEC in December 2008 made the oil price bottom at USD 33.8/b on Christmas Eve. That is USD 48.3/b adj. for CPI. The oil price then collapsed in 2014 when it became increasingly clear during the autumn that OPEC would NOT defend the oil price with confirmation of no-cuts in December that year.  The creation of OPEC+ in the autumn of 2016 then managed to drive the oil price higher despite booming US shale oil production. A massive 9.7 m b/d cut in production in May 2020 onward made the oil price shoot higher after the trough in April 2020. 

Historical sequence pattern is first a price-trough, then cuts, then rebound. This history however points to a typical sequence of events. First we have a trough in prices. Then we get cuts by OPEC(+) and then the oil price shoots back up. This probably creates an anticipation by the market of a likewise sequence this time. I.e. that the oil price first is going to head to USD 40/b, then deep cuts by OPEC+ and then the rebound. If we get an ugly recession.

But OPEC+ is faster and much more vigilant today. Historically OPEC met every half year. Assessed the situation and made cuts or no cuts in a very reactive fashion. That always gave the market a long lead-time both in terms of a financial sell-off and a potential physical deterioration before OPEC would react.

But markets are faster today as well with new information spreading to the world almost immediately. Impact of that is both financial and physical. The financial sell-off part is easy to understand. The physical part can be a bit more intricate. Fear itself of a recession can lead to a de-stocking of the oil supply chain where everyone suddenly starts to draw down their local inventories of crude and products with no wish to buy new supplies as demand and prices may be lower down the road. This can then lead to a rapid build-up of crude stocks in the hubs and create a sense of very weak physical demand for oil even if it is still steady.

Deep trough in prices is possible but would not last long. Faster markets and faster OPEC+ action means we could still have a deep trough in prices but they would not last very long. Oil inventories previously had time to build up significantly when OPEC acted slowly. When OPEC then finally made the cuts it would take some time to reverse the inventory build-up. So prices would stay lower for longer. Rapid action by OPEC+ today means that inventories won’t have time to build up to the same degree if everything goes wrong with the economy. Thus leading to much briefer sell-offs and sharper and faster re-bounds.

OPEC+ hasn’t really even started cutting yet. Yes, we have had some cuts announced with 1.5 m b/d reduction starting now in May. But this is only bringing Saudi Arabia’s oil production back to roughly its normal level around 10 m b/d following unusually high production of 11 m b/d in Sep 2022. So OPEC+ has lots of ”dry powder” for further cuts if needed.

OPEC reaction function: ”USD 70/b is the floor”. The most recent announced production cut gave a lot of information. It was announced on 2nd of April and super-fast following the 20th of March when Dated Brent traded to an intraday low of USD 69.27/b.

JMMC on 4 June and OPEC+ meeting on 5-6 July. Will cut if needed. OPEC+ will now spend the month of May to assess the effects of the newest cuts. The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) will then meet on 4 June and make a recommendation to the group. If it becomes clear at that time that further cuts are needed then we’ll likely get verbal intervention during June in the run-up to 5-6 July and then fresh cuts if needed.

Oil man Biden wants a price floor of USD 70/b as well. The US wants to rebuild its Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) which now has been drawn down to about 50%. It stated in late 2022 that it wanted to buy if the oil price fell down to USD 67 – 72/b. Reason for this price level is of course that if it falls below that then US shale oil production would/could start to decline with deteriorating energy security for the US. Latest signals from the US administration is that the rebuilding of the SPR could start in Q3-23.

A note on shale oil activity vs. oil price. The US oil rig count has been falling since early December 2022 and has been doing so during a period when the Dated Brent price has been trading around USD 80/b.

IMF estimated social cost-break-even oil price for the different Middle East countries. As long as US shale oil production is not booming there should be lots of support within OPEC+ to cut production in order to maintain the oil price above USD 70/b. Thus the ”OPEC+ reaction-function” of a USD 70/b floor price. But USD 80/b would even satisfy Saudi Arabia.

IMF estimated social cost-break-even oil price for the different Middle East countries
Source: SEB graph, Bloomberg, IMF

US implied demand and products delivered is holding up nicely YoY and on par with 2019. So far at least. Seen from an aggregated level.

US implied demand and products delivered
Source: SEB graph and calculations, Blberg, US DOE

Total US crude and product stocks including SPR. Ticking lower. Could fall faster from May onward due to fresh cuts by OPEC+ of 1.5 m b/d

Total US crude and product stocks including SPR.
Source: SEB graph and calculations, Bloomberg, DOE

An oil price of USD 95/b in 2023 would place cost of oil to the global economy at 3.3% of Global GDP which is equal to the 2000 – 2019 average.

Oil cost as share of global economy
Source: SEB calculations and graph, Statista, BP
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Analys

Mixed signals on demand but world will need more oil from OPEC but the group is cutting

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SEB - analysbrev på råvaror

A world where OPEC(+) is in charge is a very different world than we are used to during the ultra-bearish 2015-19 period where US shale AND offshore non-OPEC production both were booming. Brent averaged USD 58/b nominal and USD 70/b in real terms that period. The Brent 5yr contract is trading at USD 66/b nominal or USD 58.6/b in real-terms assuming no market power to OPEC+ in 2028. Could be, but we don’t think so as US Permian shale is projected by major players to peak next 5yrs. When OPEC(+) is in charge the group will cut according to needs. For Saudi that is around USD 85/b but maybe as high as USD 97/b if budget costs rise with inflation

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities at SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

No major revisions to outlook by the IEA last week in its monthly Oil Market Report.

Total demand to rise 2 m b/d, 90% of demand growth from non-OECD and 57% from Jet fuel. Total demand to rise by 2 m b/d YoY to 101.9 m b/d where 90% of the gain is non-OECD. Jet fuel demand to account for 57% of demand growth as global aviation continues to normalize post Covid-19. Demand for 2022 revised down by 0.1 m b/d and as a result so was the 2023 outlook (to 101.9 m b/d). Non-OPEC supply for 2023 was revised up by 0.1 m b/d. Call-on-OPEC 2023 was reduced by 0.2 m b/d as a result to 29.5 m b/d. Call-on-OPEC was 28.8 m b/d in Q4-22. The group produced 28.94 m b/d in Mar (Argus).

World will need more oil from OPEC. Call-on-OPEC to rise 1.6 m b/d from Q4-22 to Q4-23. IEA is forecasting a call-on-OPEC in Q4-23 of 30.4 m b/d. The world will thus need 1.6 m b/d more oil from OPEC YoY in Q4-23 and 0.46 m b/d more than it produced in March. Counter to this though the OPEC group decided to cut production by 1 m b/d from May to the end of the year. So from May onward the group will produce around 28 m b/d while call-on-OPEC will be 29.1 m b/d, 30.3 m b/d and 30.4 m b/d in Q2,3,4-23.

If the IEA is right about demand then the coming OPEC cuts  should drive inventories significantly lower and oil prices higher.

But the market doesn’t quite seem to buy into this outlook. If it had then prices would have moved higher. Prices bumped up to USD 87.49/b intraday on 12 April but have since fallen back and Brent is falling back half a percent today to USD 85.9/b.

Market is concerned for declining OECD manufacturing PMI’s. It is of course the darkening clouds on the macro-sky which is making investors concerned about the outlook for oil products demand and thus crude oil demand. Cross-currents in global oil product demand is making the situation difficult to assess. On the one hand there are significant weakening signals in global diesel demand along with falling manufacturing PMIs. The stuff which makes the industrial world go round. Manufacturing, trucking, mining and heavy duty vehicles all need diesel. (Great Blbrg story on diesel here.) Historically recessions implies a cyclical trough in manufacturing activity, softer diesel demand and falling oil prices. So oil investors are naturally cautious about buying into the bull-story based on OPEC cuts alone.

Cross-currents is making demand growth hard to assess. But the circumstances are much more confusing this time around than in normal recession cycles because: 1) Global Jet fuel demand is reviving/recovering post Covid-19 and along with China’s recent reopening. IEA’s assessment is that 57% of global demand growth this year will be from Jet fuel. And 2) Manufacturing PMIs in China and India are rising while OECD PMIs are falling.

These cross-currents in the demand picture is what makes the current oil market so difficult to assess for everyone and why oil prices are not rallying directly to + USD 100/b. Investors are cautious. Though net-long specs have rallied 137 m b to 509 m b since the recent OPEC cuts were announced.

The world will need more oil from OPEC in 2023 but OPEC is cutting. The IEA is projecting that non-OPEC+ supply will grow by 1.9 m b/d YoY and OPEC+ will decline by 0.8 m b/d and in total that global supply will rise 1.2 m b/d in 2023. In comparison  global demand will rise by 2.0 m b/d. At the outset this is a very bullish outlook but the global macro-backdrop could of course deteriorate further thus eroding the current projected demand growth of 2 m b/d. But OPEC can cut more if needed since latest cuts have only brought Saudi Arabia’s production down to its normal level.

OPEC has good reasons to cut production if it can. IEA expects global oil demand to rise 2 m b/d YoY in 2023 and that call-on-OPEC will lift 1.6 m b/d from Q4-22 to Q4-23. I.e. the world needs more oil from OPEC in 2023. But OPEC will likely produce closer to 28 m b/d from May to Dec following latest announced production cuts

Source: SEB graph, IEA, Argus

Market has tightened with stronger backwardation and investors have increased their long positions

Source: SEB calculations and graphs. Blbrg data

Net long specs in Brent + WTI has bounced since OPEC announcement on coming cuts.

Source: SEB calculations and graph, Blbrg data

Saudi Arabia’s fiscal cost-break-even was USD 85/b in 2021 projected the IMF earlier. Don’t know when it was projected, but looks like it was before 2020 and thus before the strong rise in inflation. If we add 15% US inflation to the 2021 number we get USD 97/b. Inflation should lift budget costs in Saudi Arabia as it is largely a USD based economy. Though Saudi Arabia’s inflation since Q4-19 is reported as 8% to data while Saudi cost-of-living-index is up by 11%. Good reason for Saudi Arabia to cut if it can cut without loosing market share to US shale.

Source: SEB graph, IMF data

Adjusting for inflation both on a backward and forward basis. The 5yr Brent price is today at USD 66.3/b but if we adjust for US 5yr inflation it is USD 58.6/b in real terms. That is basically equal to the average Brent spot price from 2015-2019 which was very bearish with booming shale and booming offshore non-OPEC. Market is basically currently pricing that Brent oil market in 5yrs time will be just as bearish as the ultra-bearish period from 2015-2019. It won’t take a lot to beat that when it comes to actual delivery in 2028.

Source: SEB calculations and graph, Blbrg data

Nominal Brent oil prices and 5yr Brent adj. for 5yr forward inflation expectations only

Source: SEB claculations and graph, Blbrg data

ARA Diesel cracks to Brent were exceptionally low in 2020/21 and exceptionally high in 2022. Now they are normalizing. Large additions to refining capacity through 2023 will increase competition in refining and reduce margins. Cuts by OPEC+ will at the same time make crude oil expensive. But diesel cracks are still significantly higher than normal. So more downside before back to normal is achieved.

Source: SEB graph and calculations. Blbrg data
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Analys

How renewable fuels are accelerating the decarbonisation of transport

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WisdomTree

On 16 November 2022, UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager aircraft, the military variant of the Airbus A330, took to the skies for 90 minutes over Oxfordshire. What looked like a routine test flight in its outward appearance was ultimately deemed ground-breaking. Why? It was a world-first military transporter aircraft flight, and the first of any aircraft type in the UK to be completed using 100% sustainable jet fuel.  

Mobeen Tahir, Director, Macroeconomic Research & Tactical Solutions, WisdomTree
Mobeen Tahir, Director, Macroeconomic Research & Tactical Solutions, WisdomTree

What are renewable fuels?

Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels (also called green or drop-in biofuels) are fuels produced from biomass sources through a variety of biological, thermal, and chemical processes. These products are chemically identical to petroleum gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel.

In other words, renewable fuels are sources of energy chemically identical to fossil fuels but produced from domestic, commercial, or agricultural waste (see Figure 1 below).

Figure 1: Converting waste into energy

Waste types and refinery output

Why the excitement?

Renewable fuels, like renewable diesel and sustainable jet fuel, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 80-90% compared to fossil fuels. And because they burn much cleaner, engine filters remain cleaner for longer reducing the need for maintenance. Furthermore, given used cooking oil, vegetable oil, processing waste, and animal fat waste are used as inputs, the production of these fuels reduces biowaste, thereby cutting emissions from landfills.

This makes renewable fuels a key component of the circular economy. Humans have largely operated on the linear model historically when it comes to utilising natural resources. The circular model, in contrast, is much less wasteful and seeks to recycle as much as possible (see Figure 2 below).

Figure 2: The Circular Economy

Circular economy
Source: WisdomTree, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2023

The most exciting thing about renewable fuels is the immediacy with which they can make an impact. The reason why they are referred to as drop-in fuels is that they can replace fossil fuels in internal combustion engines with little or no modification required. So, if supply was abundant enough, forms of transport which cannot be electrified easily like heavy duty trucks, ships, and aeroplanes can be switched across to renewable fuels making a significant improvement to the environmental footprint. According to BP, “A return flight between London and San Francisco has a carbon footprint per economy ticket of nearly 1 tonne of CO2 equivalent. With the aviation industry expected to double to over 8 billion passengers by 2050, it is essential that we act to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions.”

The challenge

Renewable fuels or biofuels are still in their infancy. This means the obvious hurdle to overcome is cost competitiveness with fossil fuels. Cost estimates vary, but figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) provide a useful sense for the ballpark. In May 2022, IATA stated that the average worldwide price of jet fuel is about $4.15 per gallon compared to the US average price of a gallon of sustainable aviation fuel, which is about $8.67.

So, roughly double the price of the incumbent polluting technology. This is not a bad starting point at all. Considering how rapidly the cost of energy storage in batteries has fallen in the last decade, renewable fuels could become competitive quite soon if sufficient investment is made and economies of scale are achieved. IATA also predicts that renewable fuels could make up 2% of all aviation fuels by 2025, which could become a tipping point in their competitiveness.

Businesses are acting

Businesses pursuing their own net zero targets have already started exploring renewable fuels to minimise their waste. Darling Ingredients Inc, which produces its trademark Diamond Green Diesel from recycled animal fats, inedible corn oil, and used cooking oil, was chosen by fast food chain Chick-fil-A in March 2022 to turn its used cooking oil into clean transportation fuel.

Similarly, McDonald’s entered into a partnership with Neste Corporation in 2020 to convert its used vegetable oil into renewable diesel and fuel the trucks that make deliveries to its restaurants. According to TortoiseEcofin, both Darling Ingredients and Neste have a net negative carbon footprint given emissions produced by these businesses are lower that the emissions avoided because of their renewable fuels.

A final word

Renewable fuels alone will not tackle climate change. No single solution can. But they can help us make meaningful progress. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasises how crucial it is for the world to halve its greenhouse gas emissions this decade to at least have a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5oC. This means that solutions with an immediate effect have an important role to play. Biofuels can cut emissions from waste in landfills and provide much cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels to help accelerate the world’s decarbonisation efforts. They don’t require different engines to be of use. They just need funding to reach scale.

Mobeen Tahir, Director, Macroeconomic Research & Tactical Solutions, WisdomTree

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