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.
International Conference on Biodiesel in Brussels
Hart Energy Consulting and AGQM - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitätsmanagement Biodiesel e. V. (German Association for Quality Management of Biodiesel reg. ASS) are currently preparing their first joint technical conference in Brussels on September 27th and 28th, 2010 themed ‘The Future of Biodiesel in Europe’.
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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.
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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).
Effective 1 July 2010, biofuels will only be considered for blending purposes or tax relief if the prescribed sustainability certificate has been issued. Precondition for the sustainability certificate is that comprehensive documentation of the complete chain to farm level is available. The basis is a statement by the farmer to make sure that, nationally, the crop has not been grown on protected areas and, internationally, that rain forest has not been cleared.
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.