German consumption of biobased diesel falls sharply again

In December, biodiesel blending in Germany to meet the greenhouse-gas (GHG) reduction obligation reached a historic low of 90,800 metric tons.

In November, around 107,000 tons had still been blended.

According to Germany’s Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), consumption of biodiesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, fell to around 2.1 million tons in 2024, down 20.6 percent on the previous year.

In view of the expected development, the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP) is calling on the new German government to abolish the double-counting of biofuels from certain waste oils and fats in accordance with the raw-material category Part A of Annex IX of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) as part of the upcoming amendment to the Federal Emission Control Act.

The association emphasized that the tightening of fraud prevention, which has been under discussion for months, can only be effective if the actual cause of fraud and displacement effects is eliminated with double counting.

The current discussion about inadequately implemented certifications is damaging trust in sustainability certification, UFOP stated.

The latter is the basis for the business model, which is fundamentally correct and forward-looking with the annually increasing obligation to reduce GHG emissions.

The virtual quota fulfillment, however, undermines the climate-protection contribution of biofuels through double counting.

This is because the absolute contribution of biofuels will stagnate or fall despite a GHG-reduction obligation that has risen to 9.35 percent.

UFOP said it expects this will be the result of the evaluation and experience report for 2024 anticipated from Germany’s Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) at the end of the year.

Against this backdrop, UFOP said it also rejects the option already enshrined in EU law of expanding the range of raw materials in Part A of Annex IX.

Intercropping and cultivation on degraded land are to be included.

Here, too, the EU Commission leaves regulatory gaps because no crop types are named or corresponding criteria for the required certification are specified.

UFOP said it fears problems similar to those associated with biofuels from waste oils and is calling instead for the creation of effective traceability and a functioning union database “in the truest sense of the word.”

UFOP added that it hopes Germany’s new federal government will improve cooperation between the associations of the affected product chains and the responsible authorities.

“The aim is to solve problems proactively at best,” UFOP stated.