Decline in Domestic Consumption of Biodiesel in 2009

Decline in the sale of pure fuel is not compensated by higher blending

Berlin, 26/03/2010 - Based on official statistics published by Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (Federal Office of Economics and Export Control - BAFA), the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP) analysed the domestic consumption of biofuels for the period from 2007 to 2009. This analysis confirms the dramatic decline in the sales of pure biodiesel (B100) and vegetable oil fuel (PÖL).

Compared with 2008, the domestic consumption of what had been Germany’s leading biofuels slumped by three quarters in 2009. At 77.8 percent less, the drop in B100 sales is even higher than that of 75.1 per cent for PÖL. Expressed in absolute figures, the consumption of B100 dropped from almost 1.1 million tonnes to a mere 240,600 tonnes. In the same period, the consumption of pant oil fuel declined from approximately 400,000 tonnes to only 100,000 tonnes. Consumption in 2007 was significantly higher than in 2008. The figure for B100 was over 1.8 million tonnes and that for PÖL 755,800 tonnes.

The increase in the consumption of biodiesel as blending component of conventional diesel, which was due to the increase from five per cent to seven per cent (B5 / B7), went up by 41.1 per cent or 663,500 tonnes in 2009, but failed to compensate the drop in pure biofuel sales by far. Overall consumption was lower by 15.5 per cent or 497,800 tonnes.

With a view to the above statistics, UFOP again urges the government to take necessary action for reviving the pure fuels market.

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