Biodiesel Turnover in 2014 Slightly Above Previous Year’s Level

UFOP demands improvements in compilation of statistics

Berlin, 13th January 2015 - The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) (Union to Promote Oil and Protein Plants) estimates overall revenue from biodiesel in Germany to amount to approximately 2.3 million tonnes in 2014. The total turnover therefore stands at approx. 100,000 tonnes above that of the previous year, but the UFOP does not expect that the 2011 and 2012 levels will be reached. The UFOP believes this to affect the turnover for vegetable oil methyl esters in particular. As a result, turnover for 2014 is expected to increase to around 1.6 million tonnes (previous year 1.5 million tonnes), with 2.1 and 1.9 million tonnes of biodiesel from vegetable oils being sold in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

With an estimated further 0.44 million tonnes, it is the UFOP’s view that the market share of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) has stabilised, with a somewhat reduced level of turnover for waste food methyl esters of 0.2 million tonnes (previous year 0.25 million tonnes).

The concrete calculation of the share of rapeseed oil methyl esters in overall biodiesel turnover is associated with significant uncertainty, in the UFOP’s opinion. This is because it is not necessary for the origin of the raw materials stated on the sustainability certificates and the biodiesel actually delivered to be identical, and a static systemic determination of the raw material composition has not been carried out to date. With regard to the discussion regarding “indirect land usage changes”, the UFOP still sees a considerable need for action in order to qualify national and European statistics and reports. Taking into consideration the this week beginning consultation in the Committee on the Environment of the European Parliament regarding the future direction of European biofuel policy, the UFOP believes that existing national and European statistics are not a valid and objective basis for being able to ultimately calculate “iLUC factors”.