Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen E.V.
Biodiesel outlet 2010 with 2.6 million tons on the previous year level
Berlin, 15 March 2011. According to the latest statistics published by Federal Office for Economy and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle - BAFA), total sales of biodiesel amounted to about 2.6 million tonnes and 61.000 tonnes of vegetable oil in 2010 for use as fuel in 2010. Approximately 2.3 million tonnes were admixed to the total consumption of 32.1 million tonnes of diesel fuel (30.9 million tonnes the year before), which accounts to 7.1 %. Sales of pure vegetable oil fuel dropped from 100,000 tonnes in 2009 to a mere 61,000 tonnes in 2010. However, all in all, the share of biodiesel and vegetable oil fuel in the total biodiesel market amounted to 8.1 % (8.4% the year before). Converted, this amount corresponds to the fuel consumption of 2.65 million cars, which practically operated without mineral oil.
The Union for the Promotion of Oilseeds and Protein Plants (Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. - UFOP) takes the occasion of the publication of the BAFA figures to reiterate that biodiesel will remain an alternative fuel of great importance also in future. Because despite the noticeable progress in cutting the specific fuel consumption by cars as well as commercial vehicles, the consumption of diesel will continue to rise due to the constantly higher quantities of goods transported by road. Besides, so called second generation fuels replacing diesel will not be available for a foreseeable time, UFOP is convinced. So UFOP confirms the necessity that biodiesel should be conceded a future both as pure fuel and as admixture in motor fuel. There is no other way of meeting the climate targets in the transport sector.
UFOP states that since January 1, 2011, the effective date of the Biofuel Sustainability Ordinance in Germany, only input materials have been used whose production can be demonstrated to be sustainable. Studies of the input material composition for biodiesel undertaken for the Association showed that 80% of the biodiesel produced in 2010, on average, were based on rapeseed oil. The lawmaker has established certain documentation obligations regarding the use of biodiesel. These include the demonstration of sustainability and also compliance with the quality requirements laid down in the „biodiesel norm“ DIN EN 14214, which biodiesel that is admixed to diesel fuel must also meet.
As UFOP sees it, the benefits which the currently most important German biofuel make in terms of climate protection are also considerable. Biodiesel complies with the minimum requirements of saving 35% greenhouse gas required by the EU directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (2009/28/EC). For 2010, this is equal to a saving of at least 3.3 million tonnes of fossil CO2 emission. This result will even be higher in future in view of the required reduction of greenhouse gas emission by 50 %.