Biodiesel consumption falls sharply again

Biodiesel blending in Germany to meet the greenhouse gas reduction obligation reached a historic low of 90,800 tonnes in December 2024.
In November, around 107,000 tonnes had been blended.
According to the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), consumption of biodiesel and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) fell to around 2.1 million tonnes in 2024, down 20.6% on the previous year.
The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) is calling on the new German government to abolish the double counting of biofuels from certain waste oils and fats in accordance with the raw material category Part A of Annex IX of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) as part of the upcoming amendment to the Federal Immission Control Act.
The association emphasised that the tightening of fraud prevention, which has been under discussion for months, can only be effective if the actual cause of fraud and displacement effects is eliminated with double counting.
The current discussion about inadequately implemented certifications is damaging trust in sustainability certification.
The latter is the basis for the business model, which is fundamentally correct and forward-looking with the annually increasing obligation to reduce GHG emissions. However, the virtual quota fulfilment undermines the climate protection contribution of biofuels through double counting.
This is because the absolute contribution of biofuels will stagnate or fall despite a GHG reduction obligation that has risen to 9.35%. UFOP expects that this will be the result of the evaluation and experience report for 2024 expected from the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) at the end of the year.
Against this backdrop, the Promotion Union also rejects the option already enshrined in EU law of expanding the range of raw materials in Part A of Annex IX. Intercropping and cultivation on degraded land are to be included.
Here, too, the EU Commission leaves regulatory gaps because no crop types are named or corresponding criteria for the required certification are specified. UFOP fears problems similar to those associated with biofuels from waste oils and is calling instead for the creation of effective traceability and a functioning Union database in the truest sense of the word.
UFOP hopes that the new federal government will improve co-operation between the associations of the affected product chains and the responsible authorities. The aim is to solve problems proactively at best, suggests UFOP.