Denmark leads Europe by giving green light to 0.9% advanced biofuels blending target

Denmark has agreed plans to implement a 0.9% advanced biofuels blending mandate by 2020 for use in transportation.

This news will provide a boost to second-generation biofuels. For example, biofuels made from waste materials.

This puts Denmark ahead of European countries such as Italy, which has an advanced biofuels blending mandate of 0.6%.

According to the Danish government, the requirement will be made to all suppliers of transport fuels, including gasoline, diesel and gas, and will be met with all kinds of advanced biofuels.

The news follows publication of the European Commission’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which proposes a mandate for advanced biofuels by 2030.

The revised RED will introduce a cap on the contribution of food-based biofuels towards the EU renewable energy target, starting at 7% in 2021 and going down progressively to 3.8% in 2030. As a result, the Commission will promote advanced biofuels.

The Commission also proposed a binding blending obligation of 6.8 % to promote other ‘low emissions fuels’ such as renewable electricity and advanced biofuels used in transport.

Speaking about the news that the Danish government will introduce a 0.9% advanced biofuels blending target, Thomas Schrøder, VP of Biofening Novozymes - a Denmark-based biotechnology company, said:  “This is an ambitious and progressive decision taken today by the Danish government.

“Together with conventional biofuels, advanced biofuels used in Danish vehicles are the most obvious way to reduce immediately C02 emissions from a sector, which accounts for 1/3 of all of the country’s emissions.

“By this agreement, Denmark has become a frontrunner – also with an advantage when the EU agrees on a longer-term mandate for advanced biofuels by 2030. The agreement sends a clear signal to the market and to investors; the technology for production of advanced biofuels is available today and the political framework now supports investments. It’s a good – green – day right before the holidays.”

Speaking to Biofuels International, Bo Gleerup, CEO and co-founder of Nordic Green, said:  “It is great to see Denmark leading the way on this. I they could have even gone for a 2-4% blending target because the market can easily follow this. It’s great that we are the most ambitious country in Europe when it comes to this.”

This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor for Biofuels International.