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The German sustainability decree does not only increase administrative costs for the biofuels sector nor is it a simple amendment to the sustainability decree on electricity generation from biomass (BiomassestromNachhaltigkeitsverordnung - BioSt-NachV)). First, it re-defines market access to one of the top EU biofuel markets, also for non-EU market participants, from mid-2010. Second, the decree determines feedstock sourcing for biofuels producers. Finally, it may act as an example for the yet to be issued EU guidelines. Besides the new requirements from the government's decree, the biofuels consumption pattern is to change in the years to 2015, while discussions on the implementation of a greenhouse gas (GHG)-based biofuels legislation have already started.
For further information click here to download the document.
The target of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from biofuels at least by 35% at present and by 50% from 2017 cannot, in most cases, be met by the standard levels defined in the Renewable Energies Directive (2009/28/EC) alone. What is needed is the individual optimisation of GHG emissions of each raw material and during processing along the whole conversion chain.
Crop farming is also affected if maximum 41.9 gCO2eq/MJ are not to be exceeded latest from 2017 and the limit for new plants is 33.5 gCO2eq/MJ from 2018. At a standard 52 g CO2eq/MJ , the emissions from rapeseed-based biodiesel is just below the limit of 54.5 g CO2eq/MJ for the present reduction target of 35 % in comparison with fossil fuel. So, to reach the reduction target of 50 % from 2017 and 60 % for new plants from 2018, additional efforts of reducing GHG emissions are an absolute necessity also on the part of crop farmers.
After the significant decline of the biofuels market share in transportation from 7,1% in 2007 to 5,9% in 2008, the new German government has promised a revitalization of the biofuel markets in their coalition agreement. In the now published draft law of the so called “Wachstumsbeschleunigungsgesetz” (“Law for accelerated growth”) the government proposes to freeze the actual tax on B100 and pure vegetable oils to this years’ rate for the next three years instead of the originally scheduled tax increase. But this measure won’t be sufficient to revitalize the markets, the more than 450 participants of the 7th International BBE/UFOP Conference on Biofuels, “Fuels of the Future 2009” on November 30th and December 1st in Berlin agreed.
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The International Energy Agency’s Task 39 "Commercializing of the 1st and 2nd Generation Liquid Biofuels from Biomass" is going to inform the important producer and consumer countries about the results of a survey of grant policy basic parameters for biofuels with a continually updated report.
Interviewees for the survey were experts of the respectives countries. For Germany, the UFOP presented a report in collaboration with the chairman of the UFOP expert commission „Biofuels and renewable resources“, Prof. Dr. Munack (vTI) who is also a member of the IEA’s Task 39. The report considers the current politic state of discussion as far as possible at the time of delivery.
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Effects of the changed minimum shares Recalculation of the tax rates for pure fuel Climate protection quotas for biofuel from 2015 onwards UFOP informs about the Amendment Act on the Promotion of Biofuel
Apart from making changes in the legislation, such as the reduction of the total biofuel quota in the fuel market by 1 per cent to 5.25 per cent for 2009, Parliament has also passed a resolution, in which it calls on the government to ensure that the sustainability standards applicable for the production, delivery and use of biofuel are observed. The Amendment Act stipulates grave changes in the promotion principles from 2015 in as much, as the use of biofuel will no longer be based on the obligation to observe quotas but to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas. The Act will thus result in a slower expansion rate for the use of biofuel than expected so far. UFOP informs below about the details of these changes in legislation.
Improvements needed for the biodiesel standard EN 14214
Final report for Lot 1 of the Bioscopes project
The European BIOScopes project is carried out by Ecofys for the European Commission’s Directorate-General Energy and Transport, in cooperation with AGQM, EBB, NEN, University of Graz, Atrax, ITERG, Abengoa, SSOG, ASG, ADM, Ecotraffic, BAFF, LACCO, UNGDA, LBB,
O2Diesel, and VTT.
BIOScopes is concerned with the improvement of the EN 14214 biodiesel quality standard, and the increased use of bioethanol in the diesel market.
The following reports have been published:
Lot 1: Improvements needed for the biodiesel standard EN 14214
Lot 2: Heavy-duty ethanol engines
Lot 3a: Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE)
Lot 3b: Ethanol-diesel blends
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UFOP has commissioned the Institute for Energy and Environment (IE) to deliver a survey with an evaluation of cost and environmental performance of biofuels made from native resources. The survey compares calculations of the IE with references in literature. A short and a long version of this study is available for download.
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From a quota system to GHG reduction requirements and the impact on biofuels
Since biofuels have been criticised increasingly in the recent past, current proposals for the reorientation of biofuels policy at German and European levels require sustainability certification of biofuels.1 In addition to the assurance of sustainable biomass production for bioenergy, reduction of GHG is also highly emphasized. The tendency is to no longer set mere volume or energetic quotas for the use of biofuels. It rather becomes apparent that in future policies GHG saving targets or at least a minimum percentage of GHG savings for biofuels, which can be accounted for within the quota system or tax promotion will dominate.
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Joint Strategy between BMU/BMELV, VDA, MWV, IG, VDB and DBV
At the round table discussions on biofuels held on 17 January and 5 June 2007 respectively, a joint strategy to promote biofuels – the Biofuels Roadmap – was agreed between Germany’s automotive industry, oil industry, SMEs operating in the oil industry, agricultural sector, Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) and Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). The Roadmap sets out the medium-term measures needed to promote the use of biofuels in Germany and the EU.
Rapeseed oil methyl ester (RME) is currently not suitable for diesel particulate filters. The boiling characteristic of RME is an additional problem that presumably limits its further usability in Euro VI engines. Currently, hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) is in the state of obtaining acceptance as alternative fuel in the German legislation and is in the focus of discussions world-wide. HVO has physical and chemical advantages versus RME. In case RME should continue to be an appropriate fuel its molecule structure must be designed - probably by means of plant breeding. It is important to lower the boiling line by achieving chain lengths between 2and 16 carbon atoms and to have in mind the oxidation stability by focussing the number and the position of double bonds. Moreover, aspects of emissions and health effects must be kept in mind. Besides plant breeding, research should focus on highly efficient biotechnical transesterification, producing simultaneously shorter chain lengths. The phosphorus and metal contents of future biodiesel must become significantly lower than the specification limits that are valid at present.
Final Report to the Research Project „Measurement of ultra-fine particles in the exhaust gas of diesel engines fuelled with biodiesel“
Measurements of exhaust gas were carried out for a heavy-duty engine using four different
fuels: biodiesel (B100); fossil diesel fuel; Shell V-Power® diesel fuel; and a blend of Aral Ultimate® diesel fuel with 5% biodiesel. The aim of the underlying research project – entitled “Measurement of ultra-fine particles in the exhaust gas of diesel engines fuelled with biodiesel” – was to examine in detail the increase in ultra-fine particles that is observed when biodiesel is used instead of fossil diesel fuel. An assessment of the risks of exposure to ultrafine particles was expected as the outcome of the research.
The german report can be download on the following page.
A review of Task 39 Member countries
This paper provides a review of the policies behind the successful establishment of the biofuel industry in countries around the world.
The United States as a case study shows that public-private partnerships, research funds, as well as tax incentives and state-level renewable fuel mandates help to build the bioethanol industry.
In most biofuel-producing countries examined here, a number of policies have been enacted in order to develop industrial capacity and encourage consumption. But however, successful policies will be related to improved energy security through biofuel production.
The report on Biofuels implementation agendas can be downloaded.
To investigate influences of fuel design on regulated and non-regulated emissions of heavy-duty diesel engines, a Mercedes-Benz OM 906 Euro 3 engine was run with common diesel fuel (DF), first- and second-generation alternative fuels, and blends of these. Secondly, an IVECO Tector F4A Euro 4 test engine equipped with an urea based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) pilot series system was subjected to a 1000 hour endurance test using high-phosphorous (10 ppm) biodiesel. To unveil possible effects on catalyst efficiency, emissions were studied before and after this endurance test by performing ESC tests with common DF and biodiesel with high and low phosphorus content. For both engines, NOx content of exhaust gas became most critical with respect to Euro limits. Among non-regulated emissions, particle size distributions were determined with special focus on ultra fine particles (UFP), which are suspected to induce severe health problems. Additionally, Ames-tests were carried out to determine the mutagenic potency of particulate matter extracts. Both UFP and mutagenicity appeared to be negatively influenced with blends, biodiesel with high P-content, and rapeseed oil.
The report on the Emissions of Biodiesel and Vegetable Oil can be downloaded.
Brussels. On the occasion of the international conference on biofuels organised by the European Commission on 5 and 6 July, COPA and COGECA stressed that: Crops used for energy purposes provide an alternative to single crops and impact positively on crop rotation and biodiversity as long as they are produced in compliance with environmental legislation, as is the case in Europe.
Mr Pekka PESONEN, Secretary General of COPA and COGECA, stated: “It is time to lift the legislative constraints on using more biofuels in transport fuels”.
According to a survey by the Working Group for a Qualitiy Managementsystem for Biodiesel reg. Ass. the carrying business was the most important customer of the German biodiesel economy consuming 1,25 million tons of the environment-friendly fuel. Experts believe that the tax-privileged price of biodiesel helped to prevent Germans form refuelling abroad.
By creating a quality mark, the French car manufacturer Renault has reiterated its efforts for the environment and climate conservation. According to information from Renault, the new vehicles must comply with stringent requirements to attain this self-developed label named "Eco2".
On the occasion of the world-leading exhibition of the plant machinery industry, BAUMA, which took place from 23rd – 29th April in Munich, the plant machinery manufacturer JCB stated that the JCB Dieselmax engines can run on B20. JCB has thereby approved a diesel fuel which can contain up to 20% of biodiesel.
The French vehicle manufacturers have reacted with an offensive in favour of biodiesel to the current climate conservation debate and an obligation to reduction of CO2 emission in road transport. Peugeot and Renault have already issued approval for the addition of up to 30 percent of biodiesel to diesel fuel for numerous car models. Further so-called B30 models have been announced by Renault at the motor show in Geneva.
The partial taxation on biodiesel to the tune of 8.86 cents per litre and on vegetable oil fuels to the tune of 2.07 cents per litre must be stopped immediately and the succeeding stages of increases must not come into force. This demand was made by the Chairman of the "Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP)", Dr. Klaus Kliem at the conference "Fuelling the Future" of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture during the German EU Council Presidency this Tuesday in Nuremberg. "Germany is running the risk of losing a distribution structure established in the past years with much work and capital in the trade and currently with approx. 1,900 public biodiesel filling stations.
The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitätsmanagement Biodiesel e. V. (AGQM) today released the current data on the sales of biodiesel at public filling stations. According to this, the volume of biodiesel sold at filling stations in the year 2006 has fallen in comparison with the previous year by 44,000 tonnes to 476,000 tonnes. This is due mainly to the effects of the partial taxation levied since August 2006.
The following version of the legislation of the biofuel quota does not represent the official translation. Content is intended for information only. Legally binding is the official German version in the Bundesgesetzblatt, which can be found under: http://www.bundesgesetzblatt.makrolog.de/.
Search tip: Click on the ‘Aufschlagen’ button (in the vertical left pull-down menu) and select ‘BGBI’. In the text box below type the year ‘2006’; in the text below that, type the page number ‘3180’. If you click on ‘Go’, the download option for the legislation/directive should appear.
Key points for the Advancement of the Biofuel Strategy in Germany and the European Union
Published by: German Farmers’ Association (DBV)
Association of German Biofuel Industry (VDB)
German Biofuel Association (LAB)
Union for Promoting Oil and Proteinplants (UFOP)
Abridged version of the UFOP Report 2005/2006
The main factors for the political motivation to promote the use of biofuels are the protection of the climate, securing the fuel supply, and the development of rural areas. Given the rapid rising of the crude oil price and increasing geopolitical uncertainties, the security of energy supply does not only govern politics in Germany but around the globe. Content includes information of tax regulations, market development, R&D for biodiesel.
Every litre of biodiesel saves 2.2 kg greenhouse gases
Every litre of biodiesel saves 2.2 kg greenhouse gases Biodiesel (rapeseed oil methyl ester, RME), made from rapeseed, has become increasingly important as a source of fuel. During the last year alone its production has increased by approximately 30 % to 1.1 Million tonnes. In recent years there has been significant progress made in scientific research into biodiesel. For the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP), this has raised the question, "What do we now know about the environmental advantages and disadvantages of biodiesel over the entire production-to-consumption life cycle?" A study answering this question has now been completed by the IFEU-Institute Heidelberg.
The biodiesel market in Germany is booming – but for how much longer? In the last ten years production and consumption of biodiesel have increased several-fold. With the introduction of the statutory tax exemption until the end of 2009, the biodiesel market experienced a fresh surge of investment at the start of 2004, which should see the production capacity for 2005 rise to around 1.5 million tonnes. The new UFOP brochure gives answers to the biodiesel production and marketing in Germany 2005.
On the occasion of the 1st International Conference for Biodiesel Producers on the premises of the Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft (Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences) in Berlin from 24 to 25 November 2006, the Chairman of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitätsmanangement Biodiesel e.V. (Working Committee Quality Management Biodiesel), Dr Jürgen Fischer, welcomed 60 participants from 17 countries. In his speech, the AGQM Chairman presented the reasons and the findings gleaned to date with regard to the quality assurance concept for biodiesel as drawn up by the AGQM.
4th BBE/UFOP – International Conference on BioFuels
Biofuels belongs the future. Growing dependencies from mineral oil imports, increasing energy prices and the challenges of climate protection dispose more and more countries to define ambitious objectives for the development of their biofuels market and to create basic conditions for the necessary investments in this sector. The global demand for biofuels adept an unprecedented boom.
Here you can find the information brochure “Green Power - From Diesel Engines Burning Biological Oils and Recycled Fat” and the Bio fuel sales information “Bio fuels for Diesel Engines” by MAN B&W Diesel AG.
In its 2004 report on sustainable development the previous German government reached the conclusion for fuels that by 2020 the increase in efficiency in diesel and Otto engines as well as innovative power generation concepts will play a central role. Biofuels such as biodiesel will in the future particularly be incorporated as components of blends. The same conclusion was reached by the previous German government for the future use of both Gas to Liquid fuels (GTL) as well as Biomass to Liquid fuels (BTL). Concerning the above formulated theses, the new German government will probably come to a similar assessment, too.
Product quality requirements for FAME
Within the space of a decade, bio-diesel has turned from a virtually unknown product into a significant fuel on the market. Germany’s bio-diesel turnover accounted for just 45,000 t in 1995, but had risen to about 1,800,000 t in 2005. Although the emergence of bio-diesel in Germany is undoubtedly a success story, questions continue to arise with regards to the fuel's potential applications, problems and properties. The diversity of expressions "Bio-diesel", "FAME", "PME", "RME" and "AME" is causing increasingly confusion among sellers and buyers. Bio-diesel is often mistaken for vegetableoil fuel, although both products differ in terms of basic properties. This article is intended to improve the reader's understanding of this topic.
Germany’s biofuel industry can breathe a sigh of relief. The industry had initially feared that existing tax privileges for biomass fuels would be lifted and that existing fuels would henceforth need to have a biological component. This will not be the case, according to Norbert Schindler, vice-president of the DBV (Deutscher Bauernverband) and a member of parliament for the Christian Democratic Union. A clause in the programme of the new coalition government had given rise to speculation regarding the future of pure biofuels, which have already been successfully marketed in Germany.
Here you can find the position paper of the German Agricultural Machinery Association VDMA.
Production capacity for biodiesel will rise in 2006 to over 2 million tonnes per year. With 1,900 sales points, equal to one in every ten public filling stations, biodiesel is the first alternative fuel to be available nationwide. The industry is expecting a surge in demand since the authorisation at the beginning of 2004 of a maximum 5% biodiesel admixture to conventional diesel fuel.
Here you can find two statements on the use of Biodiesel fuel by the Engine Manufacturers Association (“EMA”) and the companies Bosch, Delphi, Denso, Siemens VDO and Stanadyne.
Sales of biodiesel at the 1,900 petrol stations in Germany have doubled to 376.6 million litres in just two years. This amount is sufficient to meet the average yearly consumption of well over 300,000 passenger cars.
More than 1,900 of these outlets are offering an ever growing number of customers the biogenous alternative to fossil fuels, and turnover from petrol stations is just one of three sources of income from biodiesel.
The Union for Promoting Oilseed and Protein Plants participated in the "Conference On Biofuels - Challenges for Asian Future" that took place in Bangkok, Thailand on August 30 - 31, 2004. Dieter Bockey of the UFOP gave a lecture on the "Policy initiative schemes and benefits of biofuel promotion in Germany - Current status of legislation and production".
This study analyses and compares all international, publicly accessible publications about all biofuels for transportation currently used (e.g. biodiesel and bioethanol as well as those potential future biofuels like BTL).
The more stringent regulations for diesel engine emissions lead to the requirement that both fuels and engines must be developed jointly. In the future, so-called designer fuels will help to achieve the stringent limits. In this research, conventional diesel fuel, biodiesel, Swedish low sulfur diesel fuel MK1 and a specially designed diesel fuel were compared using a DaimlerChrysler diesel engine, running the modes of the ECE-R 49 test cycle. The results for regulated and non-regulated gaseous emissions, particulate matter size distributions as well as mutagenic effects of particle extracts are reported.
As of 1 January 2004, Germany intends to introduce a total exemption from the excise duty on mineral oil for pure and blended biofuels. Biofuels are defined as energy products derived from biomass. The duration of the measure is limited until 31 December 2009. The Commission approved the exemption on the basis of the Community Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection.
Decisions which have a crucial impact on the future development of the production and marketing of biofuels were made in 2003 at both EU and national level. Along with the EU directive on the promotion of biofuels, which provides for an incremental increase in the minimum levels of biofuels as a proportion of overall fuel production from 2% starting in 2004 and culminating in 5.75 % in 2010, a directive on the restructuring of the community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity also came into force in October. This "energy tax directive" represents the culmination of a six-year negotiating process.
Facts • Arguments • Tips
2nd updadet edition
Increasing prices and environmental consciousness are making alternatives to conventional fuels more and more interesting. As the most successful alternative fuel, biodiesel has already occupied a permanent place at Germany’s filling stations. Over 1,700 filling stations now offer the environmentally friendly fuel biodiesel, manufactured from rapeseed oil and methanol. This brochure provides a fundamental overview of the technical background, environmental advantages, restrictions and perspectives of biodiesel.
The increasing use of Biodiesel as a fuel is an important contribution to an environmentally and climatically friendly approach to mobility in our country. Up until now Biodiesel has been used successfully as a fuel for unmodified diesel motors. This biofuel has shown outstanding achievements, but it burns differently from conventional diesel. In order to optimize the use of Biodiesel the research institute FAL in cooperation with Volkswagen completed the development of a fuel-sensor.
The Biodiesel Market is growing – but the challenges too!
Dieter Bockey, Biodiesel specialist of the UFOP, gives an overview about the development of biodiesel production and sales in germany in this brochure. He also gives an outlook on the perspectives of this booming fuel, that recently got a further promotion by the EU Commission. The proposals of the EU Commission on the promotion of biological fuels will have an advantageous effect on the production of bio fuels in the expanding European Union. The EU Commission, the responsible EU committees and the European parliament have reached a fundamental understanding on the fuel duty structure guidelines and the action plan of the EU Commission on the introduction of minimum proportions of bio fuels in the consumption of conventional fuels.
The production of biodiesel has made a substantial leap in the past years, particularly in the European Union. From 1996 to 2002, the biodiesel production capacity was increased by a factor of four to a total of 2 million tonnes. A further extension of the production capacity must be anticipated due to the initiative of the EU commission to promote biological fuels and the associated national amendments to the mineral oil tax laws. The prospective candidates to EU membership are also requested to implement the corresponding EU rulings in their national legislation. Urgency is created by the minimum target quantities laid down in the action plan of the EU commission, by which the market share of biological fuels is to be increased step by step from 2% in the year 2005 to 5.75% in the year 2010. This results in new production and sales opportunities for farming, as a producer of raw materials, which will be highly significant, particularly to the countries gaining membership. With regard to marketing, differences exist between the member states which market biodiesel as an additive to conventional diesel fuel and the member states (Germany and Austria) which market pure biodiesel. Biodiesel is a type of product generally known to consumers in the latter named countries. The supply of raw materials is the limiting factor for the further development of the biodiesel economy. Given the existing production facilities, it cannot be anticipated that over 10 % of diesel fuel consumption can be replaced by biodiesel.
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The use of BIODIESEL in buses is extremely interesting in view of the ecological and economic criteria.
The Kreiswerke Heinsberg GmbH found this out a few years ago, when the management decided to convert its entire fleet of 130 buses to vehicles that were compatible with the alternative rapeseed oil fuel BIODIESEL. It was the first local public transport service to do this in Germany. In 1997 another local enterprise in Rheinland-Pfalz followed suit. The Stadtwerke Neuwied GmbH also converted its entire bus fleet to BIODIESEL.
The extensive experience, made in both operations, is now available in the form of detailed empiric reports. These are published by the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP). A sixty-page detailed analysis describes the technical re-equipment of the various vehicles and all aspects of the conversion process.
One characteristic of modern society is the striving for flexibility and mobility in all areas of the daily life. World-wide a steady rising of traffic can be noticed. In the EU, since many years the traffic increases much stronger than the production capacity. This traffic growth is dominated by the road haulage. Because of its efficiency and robustness the diesel engine became the dominating propulsion principle for trucks. The discussion about diesel exhaust related health effects led to a worldwide tightening up of the exhaust gas regulations, especially for heavy duty vehicles. Besides the emissions of particulate matter the limits for nitrogen oxides were substantially reduced. One possibility to keep these limits are engine measures. However, the problem is trade-off between particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Therefore secondary measures have to be used to fulfill the regulations. The SCR technique (selective catalytic reduction) is one method that is well proven to reduce nitrogen oxides. In the result nitrogen oxides can be reduced to 95% and particulate matter up to 30%. Gaseous ammonia (NH3), ammonia in aqueous solution or urea in aqueous solution can be used as reducing agents. Manufacturers of heavy duty engines already have introduced it to the market.