Southeast European markets fare low in biofuel use

Biofuel consumption for transport picked up in the European Union after a year of uncertainty and decline, increasing by 6.1% over 2013, to 14 million tonnes of equivalent, according to EurObserv’ER ’s first estimates. However it is still below its 2012 level when 14.5 million was incorporated. Consumption of biofuel that meets the European Renewable Energy Directive’s sustainability criteria rose to 12.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent, its highest level so far. Last year the incorporation rate of biofuel in transport reached 4.9%, the report said.

The bioethanol industry had a bad year, with profits plummeting because of a drop in the market price. Romania had a high beet yield for the past five seasons, as did France the Czech Republic, which resulted in an increase of ethanol production. EurObserv’ER kept the country ranked at number 14 in the EU by the use of biofuel in transport, but accounting for data from 2013, with 206.4 kilotonnes of oil equivalent, more than three quarters of which was biodiesel. Other markets covered by Balkan Green Energy News registered an almost exclusive use of biodiesel. Only Slovenia also has a share of bioethanol, just above one fifth.

EU members in our region fared low in the consumption of biofuel, with the exception of Greece, ranked four notches lower than Romania with 133.4 kilotonnes. However, only 23% of it was certified as sustainable, while in the rest of Southeastern Europe and Cyprus the rate was almost 100%.

Cyprus marked little change in consumption of biofuels in transport last year. Bulgaria, on the other hand, had no registered use of bioethanol, in comparison to 8,000 tonnes of oil equivalent from the year before. It cut its overall consumption of biodiesel by almost half, as did Slovenia, to 53 and 23 thousand tonnes, respectively.

However it is still below its 2012 level when 14.5 million was incorporated. Consumption of biofuel that meets the European Renewable Energy Directive’s sustainability criteria rose to 12.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent, its highest level so far. Last year the incorporation rate of biofuel in transport reached 4.9%, the report said.

The bioethanol industry had a bad year, with profits plummeting because of a drop in the market price. Romania had a high beet yield for the past five seasons, as did France the Czech Republic, which resulted in an increase of ethanol production. EurObserv’ER kept the country ranked at number 14 in the EU by the use of biofuel in transport, but accounting for data from 2013, with 206.4 kilotonnes of oil equivalent, more than three quarters of which was biodiesel. Other markets covered by Balkan Green Energy News registered an almost exclusive use of biodiesel. Only Slovenia also has a share of bioethanol, just above one fifth.

EU members in our region fared low in the consumption of biofuel, with the exception of Greece, ranked four notches lower than Romania with 133.4 kilotonnes. However, only 23% of it was certified as sustainable, while in the rest of Southeastern Europe and Cyprus the rate was almost 100%.

Cyprus marked little change in consumption of biofuels in transport last year. Bulgaria, on the other hand, had no registered use of bioethanol, in comparison to 8,000 tonnes of oil equivalent from the year before. It cut its overall consumption of biodiesel by almost half, as did Slovenia, to 53 and 23 thousand tonnes, respectively.