Biofuels as an Indispensable Component of Security of Supply

by Dieter Bockey (UFOP/Biofuels Digest) ... The production of sustainable biofuels from oilseeds and cereals, with their production of essential co-products for food and animal feed, is an integral element of the entire food chain, because biofuel production, measured in terms of raw material yield per hectare, predominantly supplies high-quality domestic protein animal feed. For every litre of bioethanol, 1.8 kilograms of highly digestible dried stillage (DDGS) are produced, and for every litre of biodiesel, 1.5 kilograms of highly digestible rapeseed meal. These by-products thus make a significant contribution to improving self-sufficiency in foodstuffs and use agricultural locations and raw material qualities that would not be directly usable for human nutrition.

Against the backdrop of current events, political decisions such as the farm-to-fork strategy or other measures aimed at reducing the available cultivation and production potential in the EU must be carefully examined with regard to their short- and medium-term effects on the supply situation with domestic agricultural raw materials.

Biofuels reduce dependence on energy imports
Together, the oilseed and grain sectors make an indispensable contribution both to the supply of food and feed and to the provision of climate-friendly biofuels. The current energy crisis is an urgent reminder that Germany’s dependence on fossil gas and crude oil supplies must be drastically reduced.

Many valuable by-products characterise the networked bioeconomy of biofuel production

Biofuel production makes the bioeconomy tangible: The basic chemicals glycerol and ethanol are no longer produced from fossil sources in Germany, but from sustainably certified biomass with considerable advantages in the CO2 balance. Lecithin from oilseed processing is used as a vegetable emulsifier for bread, baked goods and margarine, but is also used in medicine, cosmetics, food supplements and beverage products. Glycerol is widely used as a bio-based basic chemical in pharmaceutical, detergent, personal care and cosmetic applications.

Conclusion
Restrictions on the legal requirements for the production of biodiesel and bioethanol lead to an increase in imports of protein animal feeds and thus to an increase in land requirements in the exporting countries. In addition, without biofuels the main pillar for meeting the ambitious goals for the transport sector anchored in the Federal Climate Protection Act would be lost. These undesirable consequences must be set against the holistic contributions of sustainably certified biofuels to the security of energy supply and climate protection – the advantages of biofuels speak for themselves.