Biodiesel by region facts for kids

In some countries, filling stations sell bio-diesel for less than diesel from petroleum.

Biodiesel is a special type of fuel made from plants or animal fats. It can be used in diesel engines, either on its own or mixed with regular diesel. Many countries around the world are using or exploring biodiesel to help power vehicles and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. This article looks at how different countries are using and making biodiesel.

Biodiesel Use Around the World

Argentina's Biodiesel Boom

Argentina's biodiesel industry is growing very fast! In 2006, they made 130,000 tons, and by 2010, it jumped to 2.5 million tons. They even expected to make 3 million tons by 2011. Argentina sends a lot of its biodiesel to Europe, and it's now the fourth largest producer in the world.

Most of Argentina's biodiesel is made from soybeans. The main production areas are in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe. Many big companies that make vegetable oil are also building biodiesel plants. Argentina is thinking about increasing the amount of biodiesel mixed into regular diesel from 7% (called B7) to 10% (B10).

Australia's Biodiesel Journey

Australia has rules for biodiesel quality, set by the Fuel Standard (Biodiesel) Determination in 2003. However, government help for biodiesel was planned to stop by 2011.

In Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, all city trains and most city buses use a B5 blend. This means their fuel is 5% biodiesel. The South Australian Government plans to use even higher blends like B20 (20% biodiesel) soon. Several city councils across Australia, including Townsville City Council, Adelaide City Council, Sydney City Council, and Newcastle City Council, are also using B20 in their vehicles.

Brazil's Biodiesel Production

Brazil opened its first commercial biodiesel factory in 2005. This factory can make 12,000 cubic meters (about 3.2 million US gallons) of biodiesel each year. They can use different plant oils like sunflower oil, soybean oil, or castor bean oil. The biodiesel is mixed with regular diesel, starting with 2% biodiesel and increasing to 5% after 2013. These blends can be used in regular diesel engines without changes.

Petrobras, Brazil's national oil company, also found a new way to make biodiesel, called H-Bio, from oil refining. In Brazil, the castor bean is a great choice for making biodiesel because it's easy and cheaper to grow than other plants.

Belgium's Refineries

In Belgium, there are factories that make biodiesel in Ertvelde and Feluy.

Cambodia's Biodiesel Efforts

In Cambodia, a company called Phnom Penh Biodiesel Cambodia started making biodiesel in 2007. They used a special machine and focused on making fuel from Jatropha Curcus plants. Later, they tried to work with big landowners, but when oil prices dropped, they stopped their operations in 2008.

Another group, Planet Biodiesel Outreach Cambodia, started a small biodiesel plant in Sihanoukville in 2007. They used biodiesel from waste cooking oil to power their school bus and a travel company. The money they made helped run a school for children. However, they also closed in 2008 due to lack of funding.

In Siem Reap, the Angkor Hospital for Children wanted to use biodiesel for their new visitor center. A local group called Naga Biofuels started making biodiesel from used cooking oil for them. By 2011, Naga Biofuels expanded and worked with more businesses. In 2016, they changed their name to Naga Earth and continued to work on recycling projects, partnering with many businesses and non-profit groups.

Canada's Biodiesel Scene

The Government of Canada used to remove a special tax on biodiesel, but they brought it back in 2014.

• Quebec: Rothsay in Ville Ste Catherine makes 35,000 cubic meters of biodiesel yearly. Concordia University's shuttle buses run only on biodiesel. Targray, a big supplier of pure biodiesel (B99 and B100), is based in Kirkland.
• Nova Scotia: The government here uses biodiesel for heating some public buildings and for public transport. The city of Halifax changed its bus fleet to use biodiesel blends (B20 to B50). This helps reduce greenhouse gases.
• Ontario: Great Lakes Biodiesel is Canada's largest producer, making 170 million liters per year since 2013. Methes Energies Canada Inc. and Biox Corporation also have large production plants. Some gas stations in Toronto and Unionville sell biodiesel to drivers.
• Manitoba: Several biodiesel plants were built here in 2005 and 2006, starting with Bifrost Bio-Diesel. Many individuals and farmers also make biodiesel for their own use.
• British Columbia: Groups like Vancouver Biodiesel Co-op and Island Biodiesel Co-op help people get biodiesel.

The Canadian government aimed to produce 500 million liters of biodiesel by 2010.

China's Bioenergy Companies

In China, at least two public companies, China Clean Energy, Inc. and Gushan, make and sell a lot of biodiesel.

Costa Rica's Palm Oil Potential

Costa Rica produces a lot of crude palm oil, which is great for making biodiesel. Several small biodiesel projects are starting up in the country. There are also companies in Costa Rica that make equipment for biodiesel production, selling it to other countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

Czech Republic's Biodiesel History

The Czech Republic was making over 60,000 cubic meters of biodiesel per year by the early 1990s. One large plant in Olomouc makes almost 40,000 cubic meters each year. Since 2004, Czech biodiesel producers get government help. All Škoda diesel cars made since 1996 can use biodiesel that meets the DIN EN 590 standard.

Estonia's Fuel Stations

Biodiesel is available at some fuel stations in Estonia.

European Union's Biodiesel Goals

The European Union (EU) has big plans for biofuels. Their goal was for biofuels to make up 5.75% of the fuel market by 2010, and 10% by 2020.

Consumption of Biodiesel in the  European Union (GWh)
#		2005	2006	2007	2008	2010
1	Germany	18,003	29,447	33,800	28,819	25,993
2	France	4,003	6,855	14,121	23,501	23,532
3	Italy	2,000	1,732	1,580	6,481	15,088
4	Spain	270	629	3,012	6,036	13,803
5	United Kingdom	292	1,533	3,147	8,040	9,616
6	Poland	152	491	291	3,961	9,179
7	Austria	920	3,878	2,206	2,171	4,749
8	Portugal	2	818	1,570	1,545	3,783
9	Belgium	0	10	1,061	1,002	3,223
10	Sweden	97	523	1,195	1,511	2,035
11	Czech Republic	33	213	327	881	2,006
12	Romania	-	32	465	700	1,464
13	Greece	32	540	945	880	1,449
14	Slovakia	58	48	896	617	1,408
15	Hungary	0	4	23	942	1,357
16	Netherlands	0	172	2,559	2,349	1,101
17	Ireland	9	8	201	465	694
18	Finland	0	0	1	133	615
19	Slovenia	110	149	151	259	485
20	Luxembourg	7	6	484	482	466
21	Lithuania	87	162	489	532	404
22	Latvia	29	17	20	22	217
23	Bulgaria	n.a.	96	23	342	185
24	Cyprus	0	0	9	165	174
25	Denmark	0	0	0	0	8
-	Estonia	0	7	6	32	0
-	Malta	8	10	21	11	0
	European Union	26,110	47,380	68,602	91,880	123,035
1 toe = 11.63 MWh, n.a. =not available

There are also standards for diesel fuels in Europe, like DIN EN 14214 and DIN EN 590. Environmental groups like Greenpeace want to make sure that biofuels are produced in a way that doesn't harm the environment. For example, they are concerned about cutting down forests for oil palms in Indonesia and Brazil, which can release a lot of carbon dioxide.

Finland's Renewable Diesel

Neste Oil in Finland makes a renewable diesel oil called NExBTL. They say it works better than regular diesel and other biodiesels.

France's Biofuel Goals

The French government has big goals for using biofuels. They aimed for biofuels to be 5.75% of their fuel by 2008, 7% by 2010, and 10% by 2015.

Germany's Biodiesel Market

Bunge plant in Mannheim Harbour

In Germany, sales of biodiesel at gas stations grew to 2 million cubic meters in 2006. Most of this biodiesel is sold at privately owned stations, not usually at big company stations like Shell or Esso. A lot of biodiesel (45% in 2004) is sold directly to large users, like trucking companies.

In Germany, biodiesel is mostly made from rapeseed. In 2006, Germany sold 2 billion liters of biodiesel, enough to power over 2 million cars for a year. Diesel engines are very popular in Germany, partly because they are more efficient and have lower taxes, making diesel fuel cheaper than gasoline.

Verbio is a company in Germany that makes biodiesel and bioethanol. They produce 400,000 tons of biodiesel from rape seed oil, soybean oil, and fatty acids. Biodiesel is sold at a lower price than regular diesel in Germany.

Hong Kong's Biodiesel Production

Dynamic Progress International is the biggest biodiesel maker in Hong Kong. They use used cooking oil from local sources to make their biodiesel. In 2011, they won a contract to supply over 3.5 million liters of B5 diesel (5% biodiesel) to Hong Kong government departments. Another large biodiesel plant is being built by ASB Biodiesel (Hong Kong) Limited.

India's Biodiesel Initiatives

Bio Diesel Powered Fast Attack Craft of the Indian Navy

In India, biodiesel is now made locally for big engines like those in trains, trucks, and tractors. It's becoming a cleaner and cheaper choice than kerosene or regular diesel. India is planning to grow non-food oilseed trees like Pongamia on empty land to use their oil for biodiesel. The Southern Railways and different state governments are supporting these efforts.

Buses in Karnataka are using biodiesel blends. Researchers at the University of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore have found good types of Jatropha curcas and Millettia pinnata (Pongamia tree) for oil. Castor is also a well-known crop in India. Large plantations of Pongamia have been started in North-East India and Jharkhand.

Indian Oil Corporation is working with Indian Railways to grow biodiesel crops on a huge area of land. The BioDiesel Society of India has been created to help organize the industry and increase the supply of plant oils.

Indonesia's Palm Oil Biodiesel

Since 2005, the Eterindo Group in Indonesia has been making biodiesel from palm oil. They can produce 120,000 tons of biodiesel every year. This biodiesel meets international quality standards. In 2006, they started sending their biodiesel to the United States, Germany, and Japan. Indonesia expects to produce over 3.5 million tons of biodiesel by 2018.

Israel's Developing Biodiesel Market

Biodiesel is not widely sold in Israel yet, but things are changing. There are two small projects making up to 10,000 liters a month. Even though Israel is good at developing new farming technologies, biodiesel production is still small. The Israel North Recycle Group (INRG) expects more progress soon, including deals with city governments to use biodiesel.

Italy's Biodiesel Capacity

Italy can produce over 2,711 million liters of biodiesel each year. However, because of competition from imported biodiesel, their production has gone down. In 2011, Italy used 1,681 million liters of biodiesel.

Malawi's Jatropha Project

In 2011, Bio Energy Resources Ltd. in Malawi announced plans to build a factory that could make 20 million liters of fuel each year. This factory would process Jatropha Curcas seeds into oils that could be mixed with diesel to make biofuel, and with paraffin to make bio-paraffin. The factory started in 2013 and could make 5,000 liters per day.

By 2015, Bio Energy Resources was approved to produce and sell jatropha-based diesel. By August 2010, 9 million Jatropha trees had been planted, and 38,000 small farmers were involved in the project.

Malaysia's Palm Oil and Sustainability

The biodiesel industry is a key economic activity in Malaysia. However, some environmental groups like Friends of the Earth are worried that clearing forests for oil palms is destroying the homes of orangutans. They also say that cutting and burning large trees releases a lot of carbon dioxide that the smaller oil palms don't absorb back.

The palm oil industry is working with the WWF to form the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This group tries to make sure palm oil is produced in a way that is good for the environment. In 2014, Malaysia started selling B5 biodiesel (5% biodiesel) at most gas stations. They plan to increase this to B7 and then B10 by late 2015.

Lithuania's Biodiesel Plants

There are two biodiesel factories in Lithuania: one near Mažeikiai and another in the Klaipėda free economic zone. Most of the biodiesel made in Lithuania is used locally, with some being exported.

Norway's Biodiesel Standard

Biodiesel has been introduced all over Norway. Since 2008, B5 diesel (5% biodiesel) has become the standard fuel at almost all gas stations.

Pakistan's Biodiesel Launch

In Pakistan, Pakistan State Oil launched biodiesel in the Sindh province. They use a mix called E10. Ethanol, another biofuel, is made by sugar mills as a byproduct and is often used to power the mills themselves.

Papua New Guinea's Coconut Fuel

In Papua New Guinea, biodiesel is made from Copra oil, which comes from coconuts. This happens at a factory in Buka. Vehicles that run on this fuel have a sticker that says "powered by Coconuts." This fuel is cheaper and easier to get than imported diesel.

Spain's Biodiesel Availability

You can buy biodiesel, mixed with regular diesel, at more than 480 gas stations across Spain.

Singapore's Biodiesel Hub

Two biodiesel plants are being built on Jurong Island, Singapore's center for petrochemicals. One plant by Peter Cremer (S) GMBH will make 200,000 tons per year. The other is a partnership between Wilmar Holdings and Archer Daniels Midland Company, which will start with 150,000 tons per year.

Natural Fuel Pte Ltd. finished building a huge biodiesel plant in 2008, which can produce 600,000 tons per year, making it one of the largest in the world. Singapore was chosen for these plants because it's easy to get palm oil from nearby Malaysia and Indonesia, and it has good shipping facilities to send biodiesel worldwide.

Neste Oil is also building a NExBTL renewable diesel oil plant in Singapore, which will produce 800,000 tons per year by 2010.

Taiwan's Biodiesel Buses

In 2004, several companies in Taiwan started making biodiesel, producing over 5,000 kilotons a year. In 2006, on Earth Day, the Bureau of Energy launched the first buses that ran on biodiesel.

Thailand's National Biodiesel Program

Thailand was the first country to start a national biodiesel program on July 10, 2001. This project was started to help farmers use their extra crops and to reduce the need to import diesel.

By 2007, several biodiesel plants were working in Thailand, using extra palm oil or waste vegetable oil. They could produce about 1 million liters per day. About 400 gas stations in Chiangmai and Bangkok now sell B5 fuel (5% biodiesel). The government plans to make B2 (2% biodiesel) mandatory by 2008 and increase to B5 by 2011.

The raw materials for biodiesel in Thailand will likely come from palm oil, coconut oil, Jatropha Curcas Linn, and animal fats.

United Kingdom's Biodiesel Use

Bio Diesel Powered Fast Attack Craft of the Indian Navy

Biodiesel is sold at a growing number of gas stations in the UK, including many supermarket stations, in B5 and B100 blends. Some farmers have also been making their own biodiesel for farm machines since the 1990s.

Several smaller production facilities have started up, often selling fuel for a bit less than regular diesel. The first large plant, able to make 50 million liters a year, opened in Scotland in 2005. Another big plant is co-owned by Tesco and Greenergy. Since July 2007, people can make up to 2,500 liters of biodiesel per year for their own use without special registration or taxes.

United States' Biodiesel Growth

In some countries, filling stations sell bio-diesel for less than diesel from petroleum.

Biodiesel is available in most states in the United States where oilseed crops are grown. In 2005, it was a bit more expensive than fossil diesel. Many farmers who grow oilseeds use biodiesel in their tractors to support its production and raise awareness. It can sometimes be easier to find biodiesel in rural areas than in cities.

In 2004, almost 30 million US gallons of commercially made biodiesel were sold in the U.S., a big jump from less than 0.1 million US gallons in 1998. Experts expected this to grow to 75 million US gallons from 45 factories in 2005, and possibly 1 to 2 billion US gallons by 2010, due to new pollution rules and tax breaks.

Uruguay's Biodiesel Mandate

Uruguayan law states that diesel must contain at least 2% biodiesel since January 2009, and 5% from January 2012. As of March 2009, the state fuel company ANCAP planned to start mixing biodiesel for cars by late May or early June 2009.

Images for kids

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  In some countries, filling stations sell bio-diesel for less than diesel from petroleum.

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  Bunge plant in Mannheim Harbour

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  Bio Diesel Powered Fast Attack Craft of the Indian Navy