Neste Oil AG commissioned its new facility with a capacity of 800,000 tonnes for the production of hydrated vegetable oil (HVO) in Rotterdam on 19th December 2011.
With this new plant coming on stream alongside the production sites in Singapore and Porvoo, Finland, the company now has a total capacity of around 2 million tonnes of HVO.
On behalf of the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP), Ecofys Gerrmany GmbH has compiled a report on the market development for biodiesel in the German and international biodiesel markets. The study comes to the conclusion that the trend towards internationalisation is set to continue with an almost exponential growth in biodiesel production and sales.
Biofuels for road and air transport are in focus at the events during the International Green Week
This is Year One of the new era in the energy policy in Germany. To make the associated change towards a sustainable supply of energy a success, the generation of energy from biomass is gaining ever more importance. On this background, the „nature.tec“ exhibition at the International Green Week Berlin 2012 (20-29 January) will highlight the use of biomass for energy production. Under the central motto of the exhibition, „The New Energy Policy Needs Us“, the exhibition stalls of ministries, professional associations and companies present extensive information on growing and cultivating renewable resources and their use. The rôle of biofuels in the new energy era is the main topic of the 9th International Congress „Fuels of the Future 2012“ on 23 and 24 January at Berlin’s ICC.
UFOP demands investment protection for existing production plants
The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) opposes the adoption of iLUC factors specific for biofuels. The introduction of excessive malus points for greenhouse gas production starting in 2017 would put an end to the European Biodiesel industry. Therefore, based on the average Biodiesel sales volume of the years 2008 to 2010, UFOP demands investment protection for all existing Biodiesel production plants, UFOP’s vice chairman, Dietmar Brauer, pointed out when visiting the Agritechnica in Hannover.
Brief study by the UFOP considers more than 7900 items of market-relevant analysis data extending over the previous ten years.
When it comes to approving exhaust aftertreatment systems, the content of trace elements in fuels plays an important role. All metals that are emitted during engine combustion can increase the exhaust gas backpressure in the aftertreatment system to impermissible values due to the formation of ash. In addition, metal coatings on exhaust aftertreatment systems and catalytic converters are contaminated or deactivated by phosphorous and alkali elements.
The Association Quality Management Biodiesel reg. Ass. (AGQM) will hold its fifth international expert conference "Biodiesel" from 6 to 7 October. Topics decisive for the future like sales perspectives on international markets, continuously growing demands on quality and analytical methods as well as increasing engine requirements will be discussed in detail in different lectures.
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Biodiesel contains mostly still wax-like plant components which impair the quality of the fuel. These can crystallise during storage and are thought to block the fuel filter. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has developed specific nano-particles which bind these unwanted accompanying substances.
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Study not suitable for defining a default value for Canola biodiesel
Berlin, August 24, 2011. The Deutsche BiomasseForschungsZentrum gGmbH (DBFZ) has published a brief study of the greenhouse gas balance of biodiesel from Canadian rapeseed in which it evaluated the suitability of the result as new default value for greenhouse gas for biodiesel based on rapeseed from North America within the framework of the EU Directive 2009/28/EC concerning renewable energies. The DBFZ concludes that the study is not suitable for defining a new default for Canola biodiesel.
The aim of the short study was to assess whether the results of the study were suitable for a direct comparison with the default value of biodiesel from the EU Directive as well as the introduction of a new default value for biodiesel produced from Canadian rapeseed.
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Full utilization of the available biodiesel production capacity is not in sight
Berlin, August 22, 2011. According to the “Kingsman” industry information service, some member states have increased their national blending quotas in 2011 in comparison with 2010 on the basis of energy content:
Finland: from 4 % to 6 %,
Poland: from 5.75 % to 6.2 %,
Italy: from 3.5 to 4 %,
Spain: from 5.83 % to 6.2 %,
Bulgaria: from 3.5 % to 5 % (by vol.),
Denmark adopts a first-ever obligatory quota of 3.5 %.
As a result of these higher quotas, the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) expects another increase in the consumption of biodiesel and biofuel within the European Union in 2011. As reported by EurObserv’ER of July 2011, biofuel sales went up by 1.7 million in comparison with 2009; this was an increase of 13.6 per cent to 13.9 million tonnes (biodiesel: 10.7 million tonnes, vegetable oil: 0.2 million tonnes, bioethanol: 3 million tonnes). However, the Association believes that even if this sales trend continued it would not be sufficient to utilize the production capacity of 22.3million tonnes biodiesel within the European Union. The UFOP recalls that the European norm for biodiesel - EN 590 – limits the blending of biodiesel to 7 per cent by volume. With about 206 million tonnes of diesel fuel consumed within the European Union in 2010, biodiesel sales would not exceed about 14 million tonnes.
On the background of a further increase in the consumption of diesel with the EU and the fact that alternative renewable fuels of the second generation will not be available in appreciably quantities within the foreseeable future, the UFOP reiterates its demand for a revival of the sale of pure biodiesel and vegetable oil as fuel by allowing tax benefit. Besides, the blending quota in case of diesel fuel should be increased by permitting B30 for use in commercial trucks in the transportation industry. This is the only way of achieving the European Union’s goal of providing at least 10 per cent of the energy need of the transport sector from renewable sources by 2020.
Regional quantification of climate-relevant land use change and options for combating it
The reason for this study is the EU Commission’s report on the impact of the EU biofuels policy which must be submitted by the end of 2010. To fight climate change, the EU has set its sights on further expanding the use of biomass in its policies – not just for the transport sector. In terms of the effects of EU biofuel policy, the question arises as to whether indirect land use change associated with biofuels should be combated through regulation and, if so, how. Direct land use change brought about by biofuels has already been addressed in the Renewable Energies Directive (2009/28).
This study concludes that land use change (LUC) – or converting natural forest, grazing land or fallow land to cropland – continues to be a major problem in some regions of the world, not only for climate protection. The effects of land use change can be direct (dLUC) or indirect (iLUC). If the original use of the land was carbon-rich in the vegetation or in the soil (for example, forest) and the subsequent use is carbon-poor (pastures or crops), LUC increases the amount of carbon dioxide released and thus adversely affects the climate.
UFOP demands fair competition in the international trade with raw materials and biodiesel
The resolution by the European Commission regarding the expansion of the anti-dumping duties introduced in 2009 to include biodiesel from the United States is seen very favourably by the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP). The anti-dumping duties on U.S. biodiesel now also extend to so called „evasion countries“, such as Canada, as well as the repeatedly criticized U.S. imports of mixed diesel fuels containing less than 20 per cent biodiesel with retroactive effect from mid-August 2010. The EU Commission resolution closes the „loophole“ that had been left in the context of the ongoing anti-dumping process. So far, the anti-dumping process ended at a proportion of 20 per cent biodiesel. The anti-dumping duties amount to between 213 and 409 EUR/tonne.
The comprehensive certification and documentation of biodiesel
According to legislation in effect since the beginning of 2011, biofuels can only be sold in the German market if it can be demonstrated that the energy plants from which the biofuel is produced were grown in line with the principles of sustainability. The “Biofuels Sustainability Ordinance” translates the EU directive into national law in Germany. The great deal of documentation and certification is to ensure that the biomass for the production of biofuel is not obtained, e.g., from slash-and-burn cultivation in rain forests.
The Association Quality Management Biodiesel reg. Ass. (AGQM) organizes its fifth international conference on biodiesel in Berlin on 6th and 7th October, 2011. The focus at the conference will be on current aspects of quality assurance, research results of the application in engines (B100 and blends), in addition to current developments and trends in the international markets for biodiesel. For the first time, participants will be informed in detail on the future focus of the application of biodiesel as blending component in heating oil.
On the occasion of the presentation of the fleet project of Coburg College involving the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil as alternative fuel, the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) called upon the German government to go ahead with launching the B30 fuel for commercial vehicles and make the biogenic portion eligible for tax concession.
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.
Over 450 representatives of the biodiesel sector from home and abroad met during the 8th International BBE/UFOP Congress „Fuels of the Future“ in Berlin on 24&25 January to exchange experience and discuss the practical implementation of the sustainability criteria for biofuels, the resulting requirements on the biofuels sector and the consequences for the development of the markets for different biofuels.
On the request of the Union zur Förderung von Öl- und Proteinpflanzen (Union for the Promotion of Oilseeds and Protein Plants - UFOP), the Deutsche Biomasse Forschungszentrum (German Research Centre for Biomass - DBFZ) examined several approaches to improving the Green-House-Gas (GHG) saving balance of biodiesel produced from rape seed. The work was based on the so called default values for biodiesel from rape seed in Annex V of the EU Directive on the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources (2009/28/EC). According to this default value, the GHG emission saving of biodiesel amounts to approx. 38 % in comparison with fossil fuels.
Outcome of the DBFZ brief study on ecological and economic evaluation
Depending on the production method and the inputs, the substitution of natural gas-based methanol by biomethanol can save only approximately 2% to 3% of the total emissions from biodiesel production. However, as the price of methanol is higher, this GHG saving is obtained at the expense of 6% to 7% higher costs of biodiesel production. This is the outcome of a brief study undertaken by Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum (DBFZ) for Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP).
UFOP insists that coalition treaty be honoured
On the occasion of EuroTier 2010, the chairman of UFOP, Dr. Klaus Kliem, demanded that the German government should honour the promise of reviving the pure fuel it made in the coalition treaty.
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Report on the Current Situation and Prospects - Abstract from the UFOP Annual Report
Extracts from the UFOP report 2099/2010. The extracs gives an overview about the development of Biodiesel production and sales in Germany and describes the political discussion and decisions affecting Biofuels.
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The 13th International Rapeseed Congress will take place from 5th to 9th of June 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic. For further information concerning organisation, contact details or topics, please visit the official website or download the attached leaflet.
To download
Conference Website
http://www.irc2011.org/
Berlin, August 3, 2010. A new US study on the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of soy-based diesel has been evaluated by Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum (DBFZ). The study published by the United Soybean Board (USB) concludes that biodiesel produced from soy in the United States achieves a greenhouse gas reduction of 52 % based on defaults. The USB study is analyzed for conformity with European Directive 2009/28/EC both for the methodology applied and the database on which it relies. As a result, the DBFZ finds that even if the method by which the GHG balance is calculated complies with the requirements of the European Directive, the underlying data involves some uncertainties and as such should be looked at more closely.
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.
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German biofuel associations published a list of all commercial vehicles, which have received a release for the use of pure biodiesel (B100) or a proportion of 30 percent (B30) from their manufacturers.
On the invitation of the Mato Grosso Soybean Growers Association (APROSOJA), this year’s International Oilseed Producers Dialogue (IOPD) took place on June 14&15, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro. The IOPD represents all major global oilseed producers’ associations. The European rapeseed growers were represented by their associations from France, the UK and Germany.
Berlin, 10th of June 2010 – The blending quotas for biofuels required by law are dramatically different in the EU member states. The German Oilseed grower association UFOP “Union for the Promotion of Oilseeds and Protein Plants” sees this as an example of the poor level of harmonisation of the biofuel policies within the European Union. Therefore, UFOP believes that introduction of seven percent biofuel blending throughout Europe is a central demand. This will be made possible by the amendment of the diesel fuel norm EN 590 (B7).
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The availability of release declarations is the precondition for the future marketing of biodiesel as only fuel or as blending component in diesel fuel. With the target of obtaining the release for the TCD 2013 4V of emission level EURO IV with DEUTZ Common Rail injection system in commercial trucks, an engine and function test on the test rig and a field test for making sure of the biodiesel compatibility were performed by DEUTZ AG with financial assistance from the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP).
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The Associations of the German Biofuel Industries
state:
- The proportion of biofuels in the fuels market has dropped dramatically since 2008, mainly due to the setback of the market for pure biofuels (B100 and vegetable oil).
- The blending of biofuels to fossil fuels cannot compensate the setback of the pure biofuels market.
Decline in the sale of pure fuel is not compensated by higher blending
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).
At its first meeting in 2010 on the occasion of the International Green Week exhibition, the members of the Board of the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) discussed the necessity of a sustainable orientation in the development of the strategy for the sale of biodiesel and plant oil fuels.
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In its latest release, DEUTZ AG reports on the state of release for the use of biodiesel as pure fuel. The release lists the engine series for which biodiesel has been permitted as pure fuel and the future TCD 2015 series, for which the release has been announced for 2010.
DEUTZ AG underlines that exclusively biodiesel complying with specification DIN EN 14214 must be used. Users are therefore recommended to make a careful choice of the suppliers and of the necessity of obtaining a letter of guarantee from their suppliers that the specification of DIN EN 14214 will be met. In this context, DEUTZ recommends to its customers in Germany to „provide additional safety of the quality of biodiesel by obtaining a certificate of AGQM (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitätsmanagement Biodiesel e.V.)“.
AGQM understands this recommendation as a special recognition of its activities for providing complete quality assurance for biodiesel as pure fuel both in farming and the transportation sector. AGQM welcomes the commitment by DEUTZ AG with these releases to provide a forward-looking option for changing to biodiesel. AGQM shares the view held by DEUTZ AG that rising prices of mineral oil will finally make the use of biodiesel an attractive alternative.
DEUTZ AG is one of the world’s largest producer of diesel engines for commercial vehicles.
Download the DEUTZ recommendations here.
The situation and future challanges of the biodiesel sector in Germany and in the European Union 2009/2010 - the implementation of the ordinance for sustainable biofuels
Extracts from the UFOP report 2008/2009 written by Dieter Bockey, Biodiesel specialist of the UFOP. The extract gives an overview about the development of Biodiesel production and sales in Germany and describes the political discussion and decisions affecting Biofuels.
The study can be downloaded.
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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Final Report Abstract promoted by:
• Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR • Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP • Volkswagen AG Wolfsburg • Fuchs Europe Schmierstoffe GmbH
Currently Biodiesel (RME) is mixed according to EN 14214 and EN 590 with up to 5% of fossil Diesel fuel. With a further increase of RME fraction to 10% (B10 blend), there are uncertainties regarding the undisturbed longlife behavior due to variations of the physicochemical properties of RME in comparison to commercial Diesel fuel.
Berlin, July 13, 2009 - Modern cars can run on B10 fuel, i.e., fuel containing 10 per cent by volume biodiesel, under certain conditions. So far, suppliers have only released B7 fuel (7% admixture). This is the result of fleet tests organized by the Association of the German Bio Fuel Industry (VDB) with assistance of the Union for the Advancement of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP).
Certification of bioenergy has become considerably more tangible with the publication of European Directive 2009/28/EU for the subsidisation of renewable energy usage on 5th June 2009 and the presentation of the government draft for national sustainability regulations for biomass usage and power generation on 10th June 2009.
German producers are critical of the cessation of the moratorium on palm oil production in peat areas
Berlin, 18 February 2009 – Notwithstanding the global public outcry concerning the use of raw materials from certain origins for the production of bio-fuel, AP reports that the Indonesian government has revoked the moratorium prohibiting the production of palm oil in peat areas, which had been in force for many years. The drainage of these areas as a precondition for palm oil the establishment of plantations in these areas and the related depletion of humus in these soils will directly cause the release of more CO2 into the atmosphere. The Indonesian government is aware of this situation.
Whenever additives for biodiesel (FAME) are used as blending component in diesel fuel it is very important that the additives are not interacting with the mineral fuel, the additives of the mineral fuel or the engine oil in any forbidden way. In addition to the substance BHT (3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-toluene), known as stabilizer of biodiesel for a long time, other substances and products are available in the market. To ensure the safe use, negative impacts of these additives on the performance of the engine must be excluded, from the mixing with the biodiesel (solution behaviour) and the use as blending component in diesel fuel (B7).
The increasing use of rapeseed meal as feedstuff for pigs and the development of the sales market for laying hens make a low content of glucosinolate an absolute necessity. The Background paper of the UFOP can be downloaded on the following page.
Industrial engines of the TCD 2012 and 2013 series released for operation with biodiesel
DEUTZ AG, Cologne, has successfully tested operation of the six-cylinder engines of the 2012 4V series (bore/stroke 101/126 mm) with rapeseed methyl ester (RME). Thus operation of the Tier 3 engines of the 2012 and 2013 series with biodiesel fuel according to DIN EN 14214 can be recommended without any restriction. This is the result of comprehensive tests carried out recently with the support of the “Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen” (UFOP).
These guidelines have been developed under the Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Initiative in cooperation with UFOP to support sustainable management practices for winter oilseed rape (WOSR) production.
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.
The updated report of the UFOP “Biodiesel and vegetable oils as fuels” offers an overview of the current situation of biodiesel and vegetable oils. In 1990 when the UFOP was founded, biodiesel was an unknown product in Germany. With its inter-professional structure, the association had placed its reliance on this alternative fuel from the very beginning. In the meantime biodiesel has established itself as the biofuel in Germany.