According to the latest statistics published by Federal Office for Economy and Export Control (Bundesamt fьr Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle – BAFA), total sales of biodiesel in Germany 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 per cent.
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 per cent (8.4 per cent the year before).
Converted, this amount corresponds to the fuel consumption of 2.65 million cars operating without the sue of fossil fuels.
The Union for the Promotion of Oilseeds and Protein Plants (Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. – UFOP) said that biodiesel will remain an alternative fuel of great importance in future.
Despite the noticeable progress in cutting the fossil fuel consumption by cars and commercial vehicles, the consumption of diesel will continue to rise because of the constantly higher quantities of goods transported by road.
Second generation fuels to replace diesel will not be available for a foreseeable future, UFOP said and the organisation added that biodiesel will be needed in the future both as pure fuel and as a blend in motor fuel.
"There is no other way of meeting the climate targets in the transport sector," UFOP said.
Since 1 January 2011, the effective date of the Biofuel Sustainability Ordinance in Germany, the only biodiesel feedstock materials that have been used are those that could be demonstrated to be sustainable.
Studies of the feedstock composition for biodiesel undertaken for the Association showed that 80 per cent of the biodiesel produced in 2010, was based on rapeseed oil.
The authorities have established certain documentation obligations regarding the use of biodiesel, including the demonstration of sustainability and compliance with quality requirements laid down in the 'biodiesel norm' DIN EN 14214, which biodiesel that is used as a blend with diesel must also meet.
UFOP said that in 2010, the use of biodiesel in Germany saved at least 3.3 million tonnes of fossil fuel CO2 emissions.
