Double counting for biodiesel approved in Germany

The German Federal Finance Ministry says it will qualify biodiesel produced from used cooking oil for double counting, even if it includes animal fats.

The Netherlands and France already includes waste-based biodiesel within its double counting legislation and it is possible to double count in countries that have not yet implemented their schemes officially, such as in the UK.

Previously, Germany was unable to implement the double counting measures because of tracebility issues but it has since resolved this.

It is thought that Italy and Spain will soon follow suit, and with the double counting scheme applying to both used cooking oil and tallow, it should allow for these counties to use a wider range of feedstocks for biodiesel production. It is hoped that this will encourage price levels of raw materials to stabilise.