The European Biofuels Strategy – a Rag Rug 4th International Biodiesel Producers’ Conference – conference presentations available

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitäts-management Biodiesel e.V. (Association Quality Management Biodiesel - AGQM) organised its 4th International Conference of Biodiesel Producers on 31st May and 1st June, 2010.

Right at the beginning of the conference, participants criticized the lack of coordination of the biofuels policy pursued by the European Union claiming it was a rag rug. Looking at the rather low biofuel targets in some member states, the market launch strategy cannot be claimed to be harmonized at all even if the European fuel quality directive and the European norm for diesel fuel (EN590), which can be expected to be amended by the end of 2010, permitted the addition of 7 % biodiesel in all member states. Considering the present consumption of about 200 million tons of diesel, the total need would be of the order of 14 million tons biodiesel meaning a 32 per cent rise in sales. Approximately 9.5 million tons of biodiesel were consumed in the EU in 2009, the total capacity amounts to over 16 million tons.

The conference also discussed current questions of the development of the biodiesel market and the general political conditions in European level and in selected other countries, e.g., the U.S.A., Argentina as well as in Malaysia and Indonesia. Core provisions of the fuel quality directive and the renewable energy sources directive were compared. Also presented were risk management tools for securing prices in the increasingly volatile fuels markets.

Also in the focus at the conference were topics concerning the chemical analysis of biodiesel for blending. Discussed, in particular, were additives requiring a critical attitude as regards the filtration of biodiesel and studied under a project funded by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and carried out by the AQGM and the German Association of the Processing of Oilseeds (Verband der Ölsaatenverarbeitenden Industrie in Deutschland e. V. OVID).

Main aspects of the quality assurance and requirements on engine design for biodiesel, new production technologies expanding the available raw materials spectrum for available biodiesel plants and the state achieved in the field of biodiesel standardisation (B10, B30 and pure vegetable oil fuel) were also discussed.

A particular focus at the conference was the joint activities by AGQM and FAM/DIN concerning the organization of the annual international round-robin for biodiesel and rapeseed oil fuel. The conference ended with a discussion of the future need for action to improve the quality of biodiesel fuel on the background of stricter emission requirements (introduction of Euro-6 engines) and the AGQM-supported race activities of artist and race car driver Smudo and his Four Motor Racing Team. The former DTM race car driver and current team boss Thomas von Löwis of Menar presented the use of quality assured biodiesel as fuel for German long-distance car race drivers.

On request, all papers can be downloaded against a fee at n.onrhzre@ntdz-ovbqvrfry.qr.

Editorial contact: Dieter Bockey AGQM Biodiesel e. V. Claire-Waldoff-Straße 7 10117 Berlin Tel.: ++49 30/31 90 4-215 e-mail: vasb@ntdz-ovbqvrfry.qr