Auto, Oil Company Coalition Urges EU Advanced Biofuel Roadmap to 2030
(Platts) A report released Tuesday calling for a well defined advanced biofuel policy framework in the EU up to 2030 and beyond has been given full support by the group of international auto manufacturing and oil companies responsible for its commission, Volkswagen Group, Honda, Daimler, Shell, Neste Oil and OMV.
The report is based on a joint study of both the feasibility of various first generation and advanced biofuels, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of car technologies compatible with higher blend rates of those biofuels, that results in a roadmap setting out a time-line for Europe to achieve greater use of biofuels in its transport energy mix. “Power trains and used energy should be developed in parallel,” said Wolfgang Steiger, director of future technologies at the Volkswagen Group.
“To achieve this, we need harmonized standards and qualities under a reliable regulatory framework. The Auto-Fuel biofuel roadmap sets out pathways for Europe to reach its ambitious targets beyond 2020. This is an approach we in the consortium fully support.”
The use of advanced and especially “drop-in” biofuels, which can be used within existing infrastructure and vehicle technologies without any adverse effects, should be prioritized, the report said.
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As regards the more precise make-up of biofuels within transport fuels, the report called for increased amounts of ethanol within gasoline, but for FAME biodiesel to continue to be capped at 7%. The gasoline standard within the EU should be E20, which is a 20% ethanol blend, by 2025, according to the report.
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Additional amounts of biofuel within the diesel mix would be achieved by using hydro-treated vegetable oil and other drop-ins, such as the NExBTL which is already commercially deployed by Neste Oil. READ MORE and MORE (Bloomberg) and MORE (EnergyPost.eu) and MORE (Biomass Magazine) and MORE (E4Tech) and MORE (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Download Study (E4Tech, includes video introduction)