New analysis shows European biodiesel quandary

Two German researchers have re-ignited the debate that European-produced biodiesel does not meet the required sustainability targets claimed by Brussels.

Gernot Pehnet and Christoph Vietze of the Friedruch Schiller University claim eight of the ten tests on locally-produced rapeseed biodiesel failed to meet the promised 35% of greenhouse gas savings promised. In many cases the results recorded less than 30% in savings.

Europe's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) requires greenhouse gas emissions from the production and use of biofuels for transport must be at least 35% lower than those from fossil fuels. The ambition is to get that figure up to 50% by 2017.

‘Our results indicate that the 'sustainability' of rapeseed biodiesel in the interpretation of RED is at best questionable and, in most scenarios, simply unjustifiable,’ says Pehnelt. ‘What we need is transparency. The European Commission hesitates to publish all the background data and promises to come up with new calculations for individual biofuels but they have not come up with any values yet.’

The use of biodiesel in Europe is expected to double by 2020 to around 20 million tonnes of oil compared to the 10 million tonnes used in 2010.

This news will further provide Brussels with challenges as it looks to come up with the investment and technology needed to potentially move to other biodiesel feedstocks, such as weeds and waste stems, which would in turn relieve the pressure on grain supplies for food.