UKLA President’s Report


The UK Government is consulting on a mandate for Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) with these types of vehicles defined as having no carbon emissions at the exhaust. However when we look across the supply chain, can we really say that electric vehicles are emission-free?


According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) every tonne of mined lithium produces 15 tonnes of CO2


How then can transport best be decarbonised? The use of e-fuels such as e-methane and e-kerosene from renewable sources might be one solution. These types of fuel are net zero. That is to say that the carbon emissions at the exhaust are more than offset by the reduction in emissions from production.


, more than that created through the manufacture


of an internal combustion engine vehicle. It is not until two years of operation do electric vehicles (EVs) account for lower emissions than ICEs running on fossil fuels.


Even during operation, EVs are not totally emission free. According to the European Environment Agency, 295 grams of CO2


are produced for every equivalent


kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity used to power Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). At the end of life, the recycling of lithium batteries also generates CO2


. According to


Science Direct, a study in China found that carbon emissions of lithium-ion battery remanufacturing through recycled materials is 51.8% lower than that of battery production with initial production at 92.21kg CO2


UEIL President’s Report


Recently, the European authorities proposed the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which includes lubricants as potential priority products. UEIL has shared its opinion with the European Commission, arguing against prioritising lubricants under ESPR for the following reasons:


Firstly, the sustainability aspects of lubricant products are already adequately addressed by existing primary EU regulations. Instead of adding another layer of rules, UEIL suggests focusing on streamlining, aligning, and enforcing these regulations to support the industry’s efforts and promote the adoption of more sustainable practices by EU citizens and industries.


Secondly, restricting the formulation and use of lubricants without considering their effectiveness could lead to unintended consequences. Any gains achieved in lubricant sustainability may be offset by increased energy losses in lubricated systems. Thus, ESPR might end up producing results opposite to its intended goals. Furthermore, imposing restrictions solely on lubricants used in Europe could put European machinery manufacturing industries at a


4 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.175 JUNE 2023


Green hydrogen is also another possible solution. If the technology in green hydrogen, using an electric current to convert water into oxygen and hydrogen, is powered with renewable energy then no carbon emissions are produced, according to the European Commission.


The real answer to decarbonisation is a mix of different technologies providing consumer choice, greater competition and adapting existing technologies to best suit the needs of modern transportation. Anything less risks not reducing emissions but rather displacing emissions from the first world to developing nations as their problem, and not ours.


for every equivalent kWh of electricity. Andrew Goddard, UKLA President


disadvantage. If high-performing lubricants cannot be included in European machinery, their effectiveness would be compromised. To remain competitive in international markets, European machinery manufacturers should be allowed


to use high-performance lubricants even in machinery destined for export.


Lastly, the demand for re-refined oil is already strong, and European re-refined oil can be effectively used as a substitute for virgin oil for many applications. UEIL suggests that improving the circularity of lubricants can be better achieved through robust promotion and expansion of existing waste oil collection and re-refining schemes, rather than regulating lubricant design and formulation.


UEIL emphasises that addressing these concerns would lead to more effective and sustainable improvements in the European Lubricants Industry and support its contribution to a circular economy.


Mattia Adani, UEIL President


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