EU biodiesel 2009: ups and downs

26 Jul 10

On the surface it all seems good news for Europe’s biodiesel industry with capacity growth at 16.6%, but a worrying number of idled plants put its true potential at bay. The total production figure of 9 million tonnes is overshadowed by the EU27’s two-thirds idle capacity, said to be due in part to unfair trade practices on the global biodiesel market. The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) says the region's biodiesel production capacity grew by 5 million tonnes to 21 million tonnes despite the closure of some smaller plants. In 2008, Europe produced 7.75 million tonnes of biodiesel from a capacity base of 16 million tonnes, putting idle capacity levels at 51%.
http://www.biofuels-news.com/industry_news.php?item_id=2398
Read EBB press release